Crafty As L

    When possible, I like to create cards that have a personal connection to the recipient, so this one was designed with my friend’s love of gardening in mind.  To begin, I cut a piece to make the bench and two pieces that I embossed with a wood plank embossing folder, one to decorate the bench and one for the card front.  I stamped the window from 3C New Day Windowsill and cut out the window panes. Next, I glued the bench in place and decorated it with pieces of the embossed pieces.  I lightly sponged some brown ink to highlight some of the wood texture.  For the decorative elements, I cut lots of pieces from the MFT Spring Garden dies set.  I added a little shading on the watering can and pots and curved them to add some dimension. To enable the plant pots pop-up, I added some open square blocks on the back. The gardening elements were glued in place and I added a sentiment from another 3C stamp set, fussy cut with th...

I guess it’s unusual for a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator to be using retired products and I appreciate that it may be a little frustrating if you fancy making this card but the products are no longer for sale, apologies for that.  However, there will be many people, like me, who purchased this set and would like some ideas – hence the ‘retired but not forgotten’ slogan.  As soon as I saw this set, I had to have it as my Dad is a retired joiner so it is the perfect set for cards for him – although I’m not sure how many cards with tools I can get away with sending him! My Dad is the most practical and capable person I know and I like to think that my crafting genes have descended from his practical ones! Mind you, my Mum’s no slouch in the crafting department either, particularly if it comes to knitting which I’m certain she can do with her eyes closed!  Anyhow, “Nailed It” and the accompanying die set “Build It” are a great set for masculine cards, which I find are rather a t...