Hi, There, Stampers!
Texture Chic is not a set of papers that grabbed my attention in my first scan through the new Stamin’ Up! 2022-23 Annual Catalog. But, as happens so often, once I saw some sample that others made with it, I had to have it. The one feature of this paper that really caught my attention was the seashell theme in some of the papers. I may not live in Hawai’i any more. But those beautiful islands in the Pacific are still a part of me, and I love the sea.
About the Texture Chic Designer Series Paper
I’ve mention in my past two articles that Stampin’ Up! seems to place the “A” or more colorful side of Designer Series Paper (DSP) pictures in the larger sections in the pictures of the paper set and the “B” or back side of what seem to be the primary sides in the smaller sections. But in the case of this DSP, the smaller sections show what I consider to be the prime designs for this set. These sides have metallic gold in them. How can gold not be primary???
One particular sheet that doesn’t seem to show off the gold in the picture as well as the others is one that I used as the background of today’s card. That paper, on the upper right side of the photograph of the DSP, looks like it has white dots. But those dots are definitely gold, as you can surely see peeking out of the sides on my project above.
About the Printed Paper on the Top
While there is a print in the DSP set that has seashells on it (second from the right on the top in the DSP photo), the paper that’s the front layer of my card is not it. The “paper” is one of the cards in the Texture Chick Memories and More set. The cards in that set are either 3″ x 4″ or 4″ x 6″ (both portrait and landscape orientation in the set) and are meant to fit into photo pages that are used for scrapbooks. But you can use them for decorating cards and other projects just as well. And that’s what I did for this card. The main reason is that, while I wanted a shell-themed paper, the print in the DSP was too large really to show off those shells. The Memories and More card was perfect.
Reprising “Friends Are Like Seashells”
Once I saw the seashells in Texture Chic DSP, my thoughts immediately went to the oldie-but-goodie-and-still-around Friends Are Like Seashells Stamp Set. Stampin’ Up! introduced that stamp set as part of a bundle in the January-June 2021 Mini Catalog. So it’s not really that old. It probably just seems so long ago to me since I’ve been through a major home relocation since then! Anyway, I chose the sentiment from that stamp set as perfect to go along with the shell related theme of this card. Oh, and I also heat embossed the sentiment using Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder to continue with the gold accents in the card, too.
The stamp set was originally a bundle with the Seaside Seashells Dies, and the those are still around, too. A fun feature of the dies is that there’s one that also coordinated with the Seashells 3D Embossing Folder. Here’s a close up of two of the shells that I die-cut and embossed for this project. I used Gold Foil Sheets to die cut these two, as well as the little one in the upper right corner of today’s card.
More About the Embossing Folder
But that embossing folder isn’t just for embossing shells to die cut. It’s a great embossing folder all by itself, and also shows up in this card – as the strips! I die-cut a piece of the same Petal Pink Cardstock that I used for the card base and cut it into strips to add some more textural interest to the card. I love how those strips work with the gold-dotted DSP peeking around and through them!
Finishing The Card
Once I got all these pieces done and assembled, I decided I needed one more touch of gold. So out came the Gold Foil again to act as a mat for the Memories and More card that’s the front element. That really sets it off. The final touch was some Petal Pink 3/8″ Soft Polyester Ribbon tied around the Gold/Memories and More Card group, and finished with a simple knot. I love bows. But many times a knot is just as good if not better.
I hope you enjoyed this blending of the new and the old. And I’m sure that this is not the last time that you’ll see lots of strips i cards that I make. I was just looking through an advanced copy of the July – December 2022 Mini Catalog, and there are lots of designs with strips in there, too. Love them! I hope you do, too. Don’t forget to share one or two of your strip projects with me!
Happy Stamping!
