Stampin’ Pretty Peonies “For You”

Today was a tad chaotic with the retired stamp sale.  Good success, however.  All but 2 sets have found new homes as of this moment.  With that under control, I’m excited to demonstrate another project showing off Pretty Peony. 

The card base is Chocolate Chip with a layer of Always Artichoke card stock on top.  There are 3 panels plus a sentiment.  The first panel is Stampin’ Up!’s French Script Background stamp (retired and I don’t plan to part with it any time soon 🙂 in always Artichoke ink on Creamy Caramel card stock.  I sponged the edges with Always Artichoke. 

The bottom panel  uses a round stamp from True Friend, multi-colored in Chocolate Chip and Artichoke with the help of a couple Stampin’ Up! Markers.   Pewter brads mark the centers of each image.  I sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa and sponged the rest of the Naturals Ivory card stock with More Mustard to give things a vintage look.  It looks like old paper on the Naturals Ivory paper and bunches of sponging.  It was adhered to Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip.

The Peony panel is Ivory Naturals layered on Chocolate Chip and sponged identically to the bottom panel.  I stamped the large and small peonies first in Creamy Caramel (the less solid image in this 2 step stamp) and second in Close to Cocoa (with the more solid stamp).  Given my obsession toward the best possible alignment, I required the assistance of a Stamp-A-Ma-Jig.  Ditto the stems for perfect placement.

The sentiment consists of the two step leave stamps from Pretty Peony (Close to Cocoa first, followed by Always Artichoke) and then cut out and mounted on Stampin’ Dimensionals.  "For You" is from the All Holidays set.  It was stamped in Chocolate Chip and snapped out with the Small Oval Punch.  I sponged Close to Cocoa on the edges and added spongy touches of More Mustard and Always Artichoke on the rest.  The Artichoke was added completely by accident when I grabbed the wrong sponge (inked in artichoke when I was sponging the French Script), intending to add Mustard and not Artichoke.  After a few choice expletives, I decided it wasn’t a half bad and it was saved from the "bin."

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think 🙂  Hugs and Pretties . . . . Mary

Stamp Sets:  Pretty Peony (111119), All Holidays (109369), True Friend (110378), French Script (retired)
Paper:  Chocolate Chip (102128), Always Artichoke (105119), Naturals Ivory (101849), Creamy Caramel (102514)
Ink:  More Mustard (103162), Chocolate Chip Marker (100071), Always Artichoke Ink Pad (105219) and Marker (105113), Creamy Caramel (103220), Close to Cocoa (103139)
Cool Tools:  Small Oval Punch (107304), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Sponges (101610)
Perfect Touches:  HodgePodge Hardware Brads (Pewter, 105515)), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)