Sharing some Calypso love!

Sorry that it's been so long since I've been able to post...my life has been very busy lately! Had to get ready for my combination Stamp Sale/New Catalog Open House last weekend; I didn't think I had all that much discontinued stuff to get rid of, but turns out I did. Then Mother Nature decided that some of us in central Minnesota needed to experience the land-locked version of a hurricane this last Monday - what an experience that was! We didn't lose any trees, but every square foot of our 1.5 acre lawn is covered with leaves and branches. So now I've got the thankless job of picking up sticks so that we can mow the lawn before it's a foot high. I decided to approach it like a crime scene, and do a grid-by-grid search. So far it's working, but the mosquitoes have figured out my strategy and are laying in wait for me. I hope they're considered protein, because I swallowed a few tonight! Oh well, hopefully I'll have things ship-shape again by Sunday so we can fire up the mowers again!

This card is the first I've made using the new set Field Flowers. This beautiful set was the first to go on my wish list on my first pass through the new catalog. The flowers are so detailed they almost look real, especially when you do the two-step stamping with coordinating colors like I did. I also had to try out the new Lace Ribbon Border punch, and I just love it - as well as Calypso Coral, one of the new 2011-2013 In Colors!

Recipe
Stamps: Field Flowers
Paper: Calypso Coral, Basic Gray & Very Vanilla CS, Calypso Coral from the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack In Color Assortment
Ink: Calypso Coral, Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade & Basic Gray stamp pads
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Lace Ribbon Border punch, Big Shot & Ovals die, Very Vanilla 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue pen

I stamped the stem first on my vanilla oval. To create a "border" for my vanilla oval, I die cut an oval using Basic Gray CS, cut it in half lengthwise, and then adhered the two pieces to either side of the back of the vanilla oval. On a scrap piece of vanilla, I stamped two flowers; first the more solid flower image in Calypso, then using my Stamp-a-ma-jig I stamped the more detailed flower image in RH Red over the Calypso. What a gorgeous combination, suggested by my trusty Color Coach! I then cut the flowers out, and adhered the shorter flower right to the CS and used Dimensionals to pop up the taller flower. I threaded the ribbon through the punched border, tied a knot, and then adhered it to my card base using the glue pen. Then I popped the whole flower oval to my card front using Dimensionals, and finished it off by stamping the greeting with Basic Gray.

Now I'd better get ready for bed, so I'm all rested for my next round of branch picking tomorrow. Hope you have a sweet weekend!