Hello friends. Today's blog is all about dogwood blossoms. Poppystamps has a variety of dogwood dies and I have put together samples using each one. Plus, dogwoods have been a popular floral motif for many years so I am including some samples from the archives. Enjoy!
Oh, I continued the pink and green color theme that I started last week!
This is my favorite card. I love the bird (appropiately called Serene!) as he sits among the falling dogwood blossoms. To add texture to the bird I embossed him in an embossing folder.
Sweet Wish – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms, Dogwood Blossoms and Serene Bird; Memory Box die Woodland Branch; Penny Black clear stamp set Happy Snippets; Sizzix Embossing folder; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
For this next card I used the same large Falling Dogwood Blossoms die and combined it with the pretty Monterey Vine die plus some individual dogwood blossoms and a ltitle twine.
Thanks 2 – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Monterey Vine (retired (: ; Impression Obsession die Greeting Set; design inspired by Irena Kowalczyk Rudlis
Poppystamps and Memory Box have a number of triptych dies and this card combines two of them. I die cut the Dogwood Triptych from pink cardstock and overlaid it on top of the Stem Triptych cut from green cardstock. The right edge of the white mat is die cut with the Eyelet Stitches die and embellished with Viva Decor yellow pearl pen.
You Make Me Smile – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossom Triptych, Stem Triptych and Eyelet Stitches; Taylored Expressions embossing folder Leafy Vines; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
I used the same technique for this card with different colors.
Spring – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossom Triptych, Stem Triptych and Freehand Happy Spring.
Another pink and green card!
Fluttering By – Memory Box die Fillipa Corner; Poppystamps die Dogwood Blossoms; Penny Black clear stamp set Snippets; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
Be sure to click on this card to see it up close. I cut the Stick Frame die several times and glued them to vellum to make the background. Then I die cut a square opening and framed it and the vellum background in white. I added three branches and lots of dogwood blossoms and a pretty pink "happy spring" sentiment.
Happy Spring – Poppystamps dies Dogwood Blossoms, Happy Spring and Stick Frame; Memory Box die Woodland Branch; Lifetime Crafts die Rectangles; Spellbinders die Classic Squares; design inspired by Olga Direktorenko
The next two cards are examples of what I call "positive and negative" or "2 for 1" backgrounds. First I took a piece of 4¼” x 5½” white cardstock and sponged it with several colors of Memento dye ink. Next I die cut it with the large Falling Dogwood Blossoms saving the individual blossoms. I mounted the die cut "negative" background to black metallic cardstock with foam mounting tape and embellished the card with the Delicate Dogwood, Thanks sentiment and pearl centers.
Thanks – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Delicate Dogwood; Paper Smooches die Quote Tag; design inspired by Lezlye Lauterbach
For the "positive card" I took the individual blossoms from the die cutting above and inlaid them into a white die cut background. I added a sentiment and black centers and the card is finished.
With Sympathy – Poppystamps die Falling Dogwood Blossoms; Elizabeth Crafts die With Sympathy; design inspired by Lezlye Lauterbach
The Dogwood Corner is a versatile die that easily makes a beautiful card.
Corner Sympathy – Poppystamps die Falling Dogwood Blossoms; Memory Box dies Butterflies Cascadia and Leavenworth; Taylored Expressions stamp set Flowers for a Year; design inspired by Pam Going Postal
Here's another treatment starring the corner die. In both cases I cut the die from green then cut it again from fucshia or purple and layered the flowers on the vine.
Corner Birthday – Poppystamps die Dogwood Corner; Elizabeth Craft die Happy Birthday; Taylored Expressions embossing folders Dotted Lattice and Leafy Vines; design inspired by Inspiration Station
For this card I simply cut the Falling Dogwood Blossoms die and layered the Heart Swoosh die on top.
Heart Swoosh – Poppystamps dies Falling Dogwood Blossoms and Heart Swoosh; Hero Arts sentiment; design inspired by Irena Kowakczyk
Samples from the Archives: Circa 2012
Before there were dies, there were stamps! Remember those days? Memory Box released three wonderful dogwood stamps in 2012: the Dogwood Bloom, the Dogwood Wreath and the Dogwood Branch. I featured these stamps in a class using three coloring techniques. The two Dogwood Wreath cards below are colored with Prisma Watercolor pencils; the Dogwood Branch (first card) is colored with Copic markers; and the Dogwood Bloom (fourth card) is colored with Twinkling H2O watercolors.
I stamped the Dogwood Wreath on white cardstock in Versafine Onyx Black ink and colored the flowers with Prisma watercolor pencils. Then I cut out the wreath (yes with scissors!!!) and mounted it on a Lacy Circle (Spellbinders) cut from white cardstock. I die cut two Tessatina Borders (Memory Box) and glued them across an A2 card. Before I layered on the wreath focal image, I used my Scor It Mini scoring tool to score a line on either side of the Tessatina Borders. This gives the background a little more definition and presence on the card. Finally I layered the focal image with foam tape and add a few butterflies (Martha Stewart punch) and blings. The sentiment is from Memory Box.
The Dogwood Blossom was stamped in Versafine black ink and colored with Twinkling H2O watercolors. The branch die and sentiment are from Memory Box.
Samples from the Archives: Circa 2010
Hero Arts' large Dogwood stamp was really popular in 2010 and I used it in a variety of ways on these card. For the first card I stamped it in red ink on kraft cardstock and added a script stamp below it. The doily die was stamped and embossed in white for a pretty background.
Isn't this card pretty? I stamped the Dogwood stamp several times in pink and added a sentiment in brown ink.
For this card I colored the stamped image with Copic markers, fussy cut it out and mounted it with foam tape on a stamped background.
And the most impressive card of the bunch is this one. I stamped the Dogwood stamp on the back of the pewter (metal) and using metal working tools embossed or debossed the image. Thanks to Kathi Anderson for teaching the class!
One more card that while it does not have Dogwood Blossoms, is very springy! I cut the Floral Stem die from white and green cardstock and layered them on top of each other. Then I cut the accompanying flower head die from two shades of pink cardstock and added them to the flower. Next I mounted the flower frame to an embossed background and added a sentiment.
Just Saying Hello – Poppystamps die Floral Stem Collage; Taylored embossing folder Leafy Vines; Hero Arts sentiment; design inspired by Marybeth Lopez
New Products Coming: Oxide Inks!
One of the most exciting new products at CHA 2017 was the introduction of the next generation of Distress Inks. Ranger and Tim Holtz have released the new Distress Oxide Ink Pads, a water-reactive dye and pigment ink fusion that creates an oxidized effect when sprayed with water. You can use these inks with stamps, stencils, watercolor brushes and direct to surface. Blend using Ink Blending Tools and Foam. All oxide colors are available in 3” x 3” ink pads and coordinating .5oz re-inkers.
When I watched Tim Holtz’ video introduction I was impressed but not convinced I needed them. Then I watched Jennifer McGuire’s video and completely changed my mind. Please take a minute (well about 30 minutes) and watch these videos to see how these inks are different from all other inks.
The inks should be available later this month. To reserve yours, please send me an email and let me know what you want. They are sure to sell out quickly so don’t delay, reserve today! Individual ink pads will be $6.25 each and you can save 10% by reserving all 12 ink pads. And while you’re buying ink pads, don’t forget to buy another set of replacement foam pads for your Ink Blending Tool because you will want to have pads just for the oxide inks.
New Products Coming: Waffle Flower Stamps and Dies!
We will be stocking a new company soon: Waffle Flower. This company has some very exciting and pretty dies that I hope you will love. All the new products are posted on our What's New Page (click here or on the navigation bar above) and here's a video introduction to the Lacy Layers -- two dies that I think are particularly beautiful. Plus the Waffle Flower Tribal Die and Tribal Bear stamps and dies are perfect for the Southwest! Check them out in this video introduction.
These dies should arrive here in about a week so please stop in and see them for yourself. Very exciting!
I hope you have enjoyed these dogwood cards and the trip down memory lane. Please stop in soon and see all the pretty products for spring and Easter. Have a wonderful week.