Don't Hide Your Eyes From This Eclipse

I became fascinated last summer when 'eclipse' cards became the rage, or the revival of the eclipse card. I was immediately going to create a card for my youngest grandson, his name has just four letters.

Opps, I did not have the large letter framelits.

Debate with SU Self:
SU Self: You need the framelits to make the eclipse cards.
Self: They seem a little pricey.
SU Self: Is anything too expensive for your sweet grandchildren?
Self: Of course not, ridiculous question. Hmmm, COLE. ABBY. COLIN. BRADLEY - oh, way too long.
SU Self: what about words: LOVE. KISS. YOU. HELLO.
Self: Good ideas, but will I really make them; I have stamp sets I haven't used yet (don't tell anyone!).
SU Self: Well you surely won't make them if you don't have the framelits.
Self: Yeah, I do need the framelits.

Well, I did not buy them.

Then came Cole's birthday. No Large Letter Framelits. I did, however, make a cute Special Delivery Happy Birthday card using that nostalgic DSP,  happy fox  framelits and fun foam.

Well, I have done it! Ordered. Shipped. In use. For Valentine's Day.

Here are a few tips for when you break down and order the Large Letter Framelits:

* stamp the top art layer of your card, I would not cut it any smaller than 5 1/8 x 3 7/8
* leave some white area, and or lightly stamped areas
* use grid paper and a rule to line up letters, you may place the letters tightly side by side as the cutting edges are a wee bit more narrow than the top edges
* you can also use washi tape to gently secure the framelits on your card before running through the Big Shot ~consider practicing with your line up before cutting into your stamped layer
* cut several sets of the letters from card stock to stack and provide the height

* I used liquid tombow to glue letters into thick stacks of the same letter, glue stamped art letters on the top of the coordinating stacks - don't forget the middle of letters, like with the O, like I did

* gently insert stacked letters into corresponding space

So, don't you need the Large Letter Framelits?

Let's stamp!

Color Inspiration from the Caribbean

How do you choose which colors to use on a card, or for the card base? There are so many different color combinations.

Having stamped for many years now, I often look for color and design inspiration in nature's landscapes as I travel and take photos. Hmm, does that mean I can write off my vacations as work expense...

Recently in the Caribbean I visited several botanical gardens, including an orchid garden ~ wow, some of those colors were intense.

Row after room of hanging beauties. Of course I was holding up those behind me walking through this greenhouse, but I was intent on studying the shading, thinking of our Stampin' Up! Blends. 

I love to create using white on white, but look at what just a pop of color does for this velvety white orchid. 

More color combinations from looking out of a window... 

And texture. This is a Fish Tails Palm. It resembles our new Petal Pair Textured Impressions Embossing Folders.

Finding color inspiration is the easy part, choosing exactly which of our colors to put together seems to take me a little longer ~ another reason why I am up all night!

Let's stamp!