Step It Up Series, Card 2

In continuing my series on using card templates and making stepped up versions of cards, today's cards are from Laura's sketch.  Here are my 2 cards --- following the sketch and then stepping up my design. 

Here is the sketch that Laura chose:

This one was a little challenging, because I didn't want to make it look like the butterfly.  I wanted to show how you can really change the image, but still start with a sketch as your inspiration.  This was fun!

Don't forget about the Stamp Club deadline to pay to register for August.  If you did not sign up for the 3-month club (July-August-September), you can still pay $45. and take the August class.  
Pay to register by Monday, July 22.

Here's what we'll be making:

And here's what you'll get to take home:

I hope you'll join us.  We're going to have a lot of fun and I'll give you more ideas to try at home, using your take-home goodies.

Today is the first day of Convention.  I'll be posting about some of the fun things we get to see and do, so be sure to check back often.  Thanks for stopping by.

Pop-Up Posies Spring Layout

I had so much fun at Hostess Scrapbook Club last night.  I am blessed with some beautiful ladies with whom to scrapbook.  We finished early and had time to just sit back and relax, chat, laugh, chat, and laugh some more.  I shared some new techniques, showed some new products, and shared some new ways to use old favorites.  All in all, it was a great evening.

For our layout, we used 12 X 12" Calypso Coral, to coordinate with the Pop-Up Posies.  This was a very simple layout, leaving room for our photos to be the stars of the page.

• First, we stamped flowers along the edges of where the side strips would be and along the lower edge of the page.  One of my scrappers turned her page on one side, to have the flowers across the top instead of the bottom of the page.  This looked super, too.  (The stamped flower colors are Rose Red, Tangerine Tango, and Regal Rose.)
• 
  
• Once we finished our stamping, we added a white CS layer (4 x 12") and then a strip of Calypso Coral (3 x 12") over that.  The DSP is from the In Color DSP Stack.
• 
  
• We stacked up 3 flowers for each of the layered Pop-Up Posies and used some of our In Color brads for the centers.
• 
  
• The mats (Pool Party) are 5 1/2 x 8 12" so 1 sheet of CS is all you need for the mats on this layout.
• 
  
• To add a nice little touch of white to brighten the layout, we cut a scallop strip using our Tasteful Trim die and tucked part of it under each mat.  

If these colors don't shout Spring, I don't know what will.  I hope you'll get some stamping done today --- a card or a layout maybe...