Retro Rubber Blog Challenge May Flowers

The Retro Rubber Blog Challenge for the next two weeks is a project that includes flowers.  Remember to use your retro stamps and please tell about how retro they might be!   I am featuring the 2015 version of my Mother's Day card . . . after the fact, but now the recipients have them in hand!

When I heard about this challenge I immediately thought of my first Heartfelt Creations acquisitions that can be used to make three-dimensional flowers.  At the 2011 Portland CKC I first saw the wonderful combination of dies and flower stamps used to make incredible flowers for cards and layouts. They started with existing Spellbinder's dies and drew images that could be stamped then die cut.  Brilliant idea! Now their dies are custom to their images, and are very beautiful.  They were not in my budget that year, but the next year I went for broke and joined the Heartfelt Creation's Platinum Club and dropped a wad on the start of my stash by HC.  Now they have many collections to choose from that include very intricate dies, dies that match stamps, inspiring stamps, and paper collections and designed to work together and create amazing projects.

Using Spellbinders Grand Labels Four and Labels Four I created the card base and layers from Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret paper pack.  In truth I practiced three times with plain card stock to decide on the dimensions of the card and which dies to use for the base and layers.  I started with a tutorial video over at Splitcoaststampers, and modified the design to fit the dies that I own.  

The card base is 4 1/2" x 12" and is scored at    3 1/2", 4 3/4", 7 1/4", and 8 1/2".  The sections are folded and taped with removable painters tape to hold the layers together.  I used the Grand Labels Four die that just fit the now folded card stock, the third size.  The next size smaller die was used to cut the next layer, which was then cut in half to layer on the card base.   The smallest die was used to cut the front label.  Labels Four die cut the sentiment labels and the backing layers.  Each layer was edged with a sponge dauber using Viva 3D Stamp Paint in Walnut Brown Metallic.  Love the metallic sheen of this paint, plus it dries very quickly!

The front sentiment is by Heartfelt Creations and is in the Inspire Me Sentiments Pre-cut set.  It is stamped on Labels Four third size, and mounted with dimensional foam adhesive on the next size up.  The "Happy Mother's Day" sentiment is from a set I have had since about 1998 by Dream Ink.  I have over 220 words that can be combined into sentiments for ANY occasion.  Both are stamped in Tsukineko StazOn Saddle Brown.  I used my stamp positioner to place the Mother's Day in the proper position on the label.  Once these were adhered together the labels were trimmed to fit in position behind the panel as to not show until the card is opened.

The front of the card is decorated with a variety of Heartfelt Creations dies and stamps:  Vintage Floret Die, Mini Vintage Floret Pre-cut, Open Vintage Floret Pre-cut, Leaf Medley Pre-cut, Cut Mat Create Dies 1B and 2A.  Spellbinders Foliage die was also used.  I used pink and green card stock from my stash to die cut all of the layers.  I die cut the flower layers BEFORE stamping, see this post about the quicker way (for me) to stamp and die cut multiple times. For the bud, opening bud and rose I die cut 4 of the smallest, 4 of the next, 3 of the next, and one each of the next two.  I did not use the largest die in the set.  All of the flower layers were die cut from one 4" x 12" strip of card stock.   The flowers were stamped in Memories Sand and the foliage was stamped in Tsukineko Spanish Olive, Niagara Mist and Jumbo Java.  Heartfelt Creations has a number of video tutorials on how to shape flowers, this is a basic rose shape.  All of the edges were inked with the Viva 3D Stamp Paint in Walnut Brown Metallic.

The inside of the facing panel was left blank so we can write our own messages.  I made two of this card at the same time, one for each Mother, my Mom and my Mother-in-Law, and it took the better part of one afternoon to design and complete, but the end product is well with the effort.  

So now it is your turn!  Come show us your flower creations using your retro stamps and join the fun at Retro Rubber Blog Challenge!  

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Fab and Funky challenges #258 May Flowers

Lil Red Wagon #288 Distress It (with the Viva 3D Stamp Paint)

Deep Ocean challenge #103 Flowers

Brown Sugar #145 Layers (I used a ton of layers!)

Fussy and Fancy #138 Lots of Flowers

Creative Knock Outs #88 Distressing
Scrapbooker PhD #23 Mother's Day (with optional Flowers)

Honorable Mention at:
Scrapyland Blog #17 Use Dies 

End of year add on!
Clear It Out Challenge Blog Favorite Card of 2015