Apple Hugs

This is supposed to be a 4.5" x 4.5" card that I made a little bigger to fit the envelope I have a little better.  The pattern is from Wishes and is called All Squared Up.  I made Hugs for my Cardaholics group challenge - use fruit.

The inside may be a little hard to see and understand.  Let me explain this picture...

The saying I stamped on the inside is, "from me to you & sending many".  I connected the different stamps I used to create that saying with the colors, circles, and lines.  In my mind, the inside is tied to the outside saying.

I almost went with "lots of Hugs.  lots & lots" but didn't... maybe another time.

This set is a great one to have in your stash, is A1303, and available through June 2023.

The apple is a stamp of the month from July 2013!  I've kept it in my stash because I like it so much.  If I was making this card for a specific person, I could have used the sentiment in the set, "Love you to the core".  But I wanted the card to be more versatile and went with "Hugs".

The background stamp is Leafy Background & Sentiments (D2162) - available through June 2023.  I could have used one of the six sayings with that set, but didn't.  I thought it would look great as a background, and was rather pleased when I was right.  It's stamped with Clover Ink (Z6507)on the true side of Clover cardstock (X6040).

The apple stamp is colored with watercolor pencils.  I briefly thought about using a water brush to smooth the pencil lines, but decided that I like the look too much.  To me, it fits the style of the stamp.  I did stamp, color, and cut out a second apple.  This is mounted on top of the attached apple to give the image some dimension.  The focal piece is attached to Toffee cardstock (X5950), and the card is finished off with gold glitter gems (Z3312).

Originals - Background Blocks

The thing I like about this stamp is that is one large focal point.  It's easy to place on a card and be done.  Or, as with this card, add a tag for the saying (April Stamp of the Month - Sweet Tweet).  Then you're done.  Coloring the flowers can be zenful (is that a word?! to be full of zen; relaxing).  Find paper first, then color to match.  Or color, and find paper to match.

The stamp could be used to create background paper too - stamp tone on tone cardstock.  Cut that up, and you're good to go, especially with this Background Blocks pattern from the Originals cardmaking pattern book.

Originals - Background Bar

I just got new stamps from the April - June 2023 idea book and played with a few stamps and some paper.  These two samples are from the Originals Card Making Program.  Background Bar pattern.  The pattern is for a 6"x6" card. 

Turtley Awesome + Thin Cuts (Z4696), Colored Pencils, April-June Mix In Paper with Mist, Seabrook, and White Daisy cardstock.  Rosemary ink was sponged around the two Seabrook pieces and was used for the saying.

Seabrook, Papya, Toffee, and White Daisy cardstock with more April-June Mix In paper; colored pencils, and Sweet Tweets - April Stamp of the Month