I admit that to create this Mother’s Day card, I stamped enough layered orchids to fill 3 full cards (there was stamp dropping, smeared stamping, misaligned stamping, etc.), but in the end, I think this final card came out beautifully.

I designed the card with the idea of a full floral garden bouquet with 4 orchid stems visible on the card. I used Altenew Crisp Inks from the “Floral 6 Mini Cube Ink Set” that includes: Ruby, Red Coral Berry, Frosty Pink, Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades and Jet Black (I didn’t use the black). I first stamped the outline of each bloom with the Red Coral Berry, then I stamped the solid bloom with Frosty Pink. Then I went back in with the Red Coral Berry for the flower veins and lastly I stamped the stamens with Ruby.

I next masked the flowers to stamp out the stems to connect them. I also added some additional stem tips so that I could add more buds for an even more lush look. Lastly I added the small and medium buds to the tips of the stems. Adding the buds AFTER stamping the stems was much easier than trying to match the stems to pre-stamped buds (ask me how I know…LOL).

I heat embossed the sentiments, which translate to “Love You” and “Make Today Another Great Day” with VersaMark Ink and Ranger Black Embossing Powder in the upper left corner. Once the crisp sentiment was embossed, the flowers I had stamped looked a little fuzzy and messy by comparison.

However, rather than discard this card, I took the flowers from another failed card front (where my stamping had been crisper and better aligned but where I had dropped an inked bud stamp) and fussy cut them out with my favorite Fiskars Spring Loaded Scissors to add over top of many of the flowers on the card front with some foam adhesive dots. Oh yes, now the card had dimension and more detail. Sometimes the best ideas come from trying to cover mistakes or use up scraps. 🙂

For the inside of the card, I stamped out another orchid stem. But for a lighter look (almost like second generation stamping), I only used the outline stamps for the orchid blooms and stem with the lighter ink colors. As a finishing touch, reminiscent of the Korean signature seals of old, I stamped the “handmade” stamp on the back of the card.

The following is a process video of this card:

This floral card is being entered into the following challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner Add a Flower Challenge
Penny Black and More Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Add a Sentiment Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Mothers Challenge
Fab ‘n’ Funky Garden or Outdoors Challenge – WINNER
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Stamping Sensations Close to Nature Challenge

I used the following Copic colors to color up this Parisian kitty and then fussy cut it out (cutting around all the whiskers with a small white border):
Kitty: W0, W1, and W3 with W7 nose and R20 ears
Glasses: RV04 and RV06 with R20 in glass
Hat and scarf: Y11 and Y02
Striped shirt: N2, N3, N5, RV04 and RV06

Then I remembered that I had a tiny Lawn Fawn, “merci” freebie stamp so I stamped that out and free-hand cut out a speech bubble for it. For the main sentiment, I used the simple, “Happy Mother’s Day!” sentiment from The Greeting Farm “I Love Mom” stamp set, heat embossing it with Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder onto black card stock.

To create a kind of frame and focal area on the card front, I used the circle background We R Memory Keepers Next Level Dotted embossing folder with a plain white piece of card stock and then cut out a circle using a Lawn Fawn Stitched Circle Stackables Die. To back the circle opening, on another scrap of white card stock I blended on some Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink in Picked Raspberry and Squeezed Lemonade for a kind of ombre sunset effect. I splattered a bit of Heidi Swapp Sheer Color Shine shimmer water on the inked background to create a soft, sparkly mottled look. I also inked the edges of the card base with more Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink in Picked Raspberry to repeat that color one more time on the card.

The assembly was super easy. I positioned the inked sunset scrap onto the card base so that it would back the circle opening of the card front. I popped up the dry embossed bubbly card front with some fun foam for a bit of dimension. I positioned the sentiment strip so that the kitty would have something to sit on. 🙂 Then lastly I popped up the kitty and the merci on thick foam dots for even more dimension. As a little finishing touch, I added Ranger Glossy Accents to the kitty’s glasses and nose for a bit of shine.

The following is a process video of creating this card:

Disclosure: Many of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
CASology Parent Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Mom Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Crafter’s Castle Anything Goes with Optional Dimension Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Sparkle and Shine Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Dies and Punches Challenge
Addicted to CAS Bubbles Challenge
MFT Sketch Challenge #380

MFT Color Challenge #91

I stamped the bouquet on Strathmore Bristol Paper and used a Arteza Real Brush Pens in Acid Yellow (151), Bumblebee Yellow (128), Arctic Blue (117), and Cyanine Blue (159) with a water brush to watercolor the flowers. I also stamped four medium and small individual flowers and used the same colors to watercolor these but used a Clear Wink of Stella Brush Pen for added shimmer and shine. I fussy cut these extra flowers out and inked the edges with a Momento Tuxedo Black Marker for a nice finished edge because I wanted to add some dimension and detail to the card by popping up these flowers.

For the card front sentiment, I heat embossed the sentiment that says “It’s Your Birthday!” using Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder on dark blue card stock and hand cut banner tails on each side. I popped up this sentiment on double sided foam adhesive to give a bit of dimension. Then I added the four fussy cut flowers on foam dots and positioned some of them to overlap the banner here and there. As a finishing touch, I also added three 6mm and 4mm Pretty Pink Posh Clear Droplets in to add sparkle, dimension, and the look of dew drops. I added a skinny mat for the card front with a pale blue card stock and then adhered everything to a dark blue card base.

I also created a simple card liner by stamping a branch of flowers from the For the Love of Stamps “Forget-Me-Nots” stamp set off the edge of the pale blue liner in the lower left corner. I thought this completed the card nicely, coordinating, but not being matchy-matchy with the card front image. To finish, I stamped an “Enjoy Your Big Day” sentiment in the upper center of the card liner; both sentiments are from the Power Poppy “Party Time” stamp set.

Disclosure: Some of the supplies I’ve used for today’s project are linked. Some may be affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your support toward the costs of running this blog!
COUPON: If you want to purchase any products at the Arteza Shop, you can get 10% off by using the COUPON CODE: BOE-TOZ-460

The following is a process video of creating this card:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Card Mania Embossing Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with optional ReUse/Upcycle Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with optional Birthday Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Floral Frenzy Challenge

The little panda stamps have a bit of a distressed look, but I wanted a clean design so I colored the black parts with my Copic C9 and added a little shadowing with C1 and blush with R30.  Then to make them a little more girly (since this will represent my mom, sister and me dancing) I fussy cut teeny tiny flowers (this was the hardest part of this card–LOL) from a shimmery floral patterned paper scrap and glued them to each panda bear.

I sprayed the white card base with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Viva Pink and then popped up on double sided foam adhesive (I had to cut them super thin so that they would fully support the heart frame without showing up behind the tiny heart detailed doily cuts) the die cut heart and the three pandas to add some dimension. Lastly, I used a sentiment from the Lawn Fawn “Mom + Me” stamp set and stamped that directly onto the card front.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Make It Girlie Challenge
MarkerPOP Anything Goes Challenge
CASology MOM Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner Cute as a Button Challenge

For the card, I cut an extra panel to raise up the design from the card base with foam adhesive, just to add some more weight and dimension. I sprayed that with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Viva Pink to add some shimmer and to carry through the pink of the flowers to the lower part of the card. To add more interest and texture, I tore a scrap of corrugated card stock that had a tan on tan modern stripe through it and added that to the top of the card.

For the deer itself, I punched out two deer heads (gluing them together for stability) and die cut 4 cherry blossom branches (again doubling them up for stability). The cherry blossom flowers were die cut from pink card stock, and I rolled the back of a pen cap on them to create the look of rounded dimensional petals. I used silver Liquid Pearls for the flower centers. The small leaves backing some of the flowers were die cut from the two smaller sized leaves of the Medley of Leaves Die. After inking the dear head and the branches with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain to add a woodsier finished look, I again popped the head and the portion of the antler/branches with thin strips of foam adhesive to give the image more dimension.  All the leaves and flowers were simply hot glued on haphazardly to give a fulsome look.

The inside of the card has some of the characteristics of the spirit deer that I thought would be meaningful and hopefully helpful to the mother of my crafty friend for whom I made this card. It talks about the determination, gentleness and intuitive nature of the spirit deer that helps people blessed by the spirit deer move through life’s obstacles with grace.

The following is a video share of this card:

My readers can get 10% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies by using the coupon code: thankskristina on all orders of $35 or more.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Time Out CASE With Your Own Twist Challenge
Simon Says Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge
The Pink Elephant Anything Goes Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and have a PAWSitively wonderful crafty day! WOOF

The following video shows the entire process of making the flowers and assembling the card from start to finish so I won’t go through describing the process here. I will simply list the products used: Diemond Dies Dogwood Flowers Die Set, Tim Holtz Distress Markers in Aged Mahogany and Mowed Lawn, the Prima Julie Nutting “Mama’s Day” stamp set, some satin ribbon tied into a triple loop bow using the Craft-Dee BowZ tool, and VersaMark ink with gold embossing powder.

Please watch and enjoy!

My readers can get 10% off their entire order and free worldwide shipping on orders of $35 or more at Diemond Dies by using the coupon code: thankskristina

This mother’s day card is being entered into the following challenges:
Raisin Boat Moms and Dads Challenge
Craft-Dee BowZ Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
Simon Says Stamp Monday In the Middle Challenge
Naughty or Nice In Bloom Challenge
Card Mania Flowers Challenge

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you’re having a wonderful crafty day! WOOF