An Early Spring Challenge!

Aloha, all!

     Have you recovered from the "Spring Forward" time change of the past weekend?  Here in Hawaii it's not something about which I have to worry – except everyone I know on the U. S. Mainland had their time changed, so I have to adjust to that.  And I do mean that I have to!  I have 5 clocks that I need to change twice a year!  I'm probably the only one within miles that has to change so many clocks when Daylight Savings Time comes and goes!  Here's what I see above the doorway to our office every day:

     So I definitely am aware of when the time changes.  Behind every clock there is a scrap page that shows something about the time zone and the particular place within that time zone where we're likely to have an interest.

     But I digress from the challenge of the day!  A stamping group to which I belong – Late Night Stampers and not limited to Stampin' Up! demonstrators, I might add; so you're eligible to participate! – has a weekly challenge, and the challenge this week was to made a card or other paper-crafting project related to Spring.   A few weeks ago I finally broke down and bought the Build a Blossom Stamp set and the coordinating Blossom Petal Punch.  I say, "broke down," because there were so many other products in the 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog that I've wanted to buy.  This was way on down my list – and I finally got to that part of my list!

     While I've not had this set of products in my own possession, I nonetheless have been watching what people have been doing with it.  So I knew what steps I wanted to take for my first try. 

• First I stamped some Whisper White paper with the solid medium size petal stamp using Pretty in Pink classic ink.
• Then, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig stamp positioner, I stamped over those stamped images with Melon Mambo.  So now I had a two-color flower petal.
• I punched these petals using the Blossoms Petals Punch.
• I repeated this process with the smaller petal stamps, again using Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo.
• I punched a 1" circle out of card stock (I used Whisper White, but any color will do as it will be hidden) and covered it in SNAIL mono adhesive. 
• I then applied the tip of each of the large petals to the circle.
• When that was done, I used my paper piercer and curled the petals slightly to make them appear more natural.
• I applied some snail adhesive to the center of the circled petals and then applied the small petals the same as the larger petals.
• I used my paper piercer to punch a hole in the middle and used one of the Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brads for the flower's center.

     Once my flower was done, I had to decide what to do with it – it couldn't just sit there on my craft table, after all!  At the same time that I'd ordered these new products, I'd also ordered the First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper, also from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  I have a recollection of having wrapped flower bouquest in newspaper from my younger years, and that paper seemed just the thing to wrap a bouquet with this flower!  So I added some leaves to the flower, and trimmed a few pieces of Old Olive Card stock to look like stems and wrapped the whole thing together into a bouquet.  Just darling if I say so my self.

     To complete the card, I made a card base of Old Olive Card Stock and layered it up with a piece of paper from the 2011 Sale-A-Bration Catalog – part of a set of FREE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER offered this year to anyone who purchases $50 worth of Stampin' Up! products!  Is that a deal, or what?!  Then I tied it all together with a bow made of Pretty in Pink 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon.  A darling bouquet for a Thank You note!

     Don't forget that Sale-A-Bration is over in just two weeks!  If you've been thinking about purchasing something that would allow you to get your free products, don't delay!  You can call or e-mail me, or even order online anytime 24/7!  www.RobinStamps.StampinUp.net!  If you order the Build A Blossom Stamp set (either in wood (121923) or clear mount (121994)), the Blossom Petals Punch (121808),  the 1" Circle Punch (119868), the Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brads (121880) and some Snail Adhesive (104332), you'll have more than enough to get that free paper set – or a stamp set or anything else in the Sale-A-Bration Catalog!

     And you definitely can have a lot of fun with all those wonderful Stampin' Up! products!