Tea Party Designer Series Paper

Some new Stampin' Up! stuff arrived Friday, including the stamp sets Sweet Stems and Playful Petals which coordinate with the Tea Party DSP. I was torn between going wild with these and working on some swaps that have deadlines coming up -- so I compromised and managed to do a little of both.



This first card is for a "Spring is Sprung" 1-for-1 swap. It's not the card I had planned in my head (which used different colors, different stamps, and different paper!), but I'm still happy with it. I started out coloring the largest flower from the Playful Petals set with SU! markers, but it looked AWFUL, like a 1st grader had colored it, so I quickly destroyed the evidence. Am I the only one who has problems with markers looking blotchy on SU!'s Whisper White cardstock? I think I need to invest in some good quality watercolor paper and see if that helps.



I decided to use the Sweet Stems set instead, reasoning that the blotchiness wouldn't be as noticeable on a smaller scale. I chose one of the patterns from the oh-so-pretty Tea Party DSP which uses Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, and Almost Amethyst. (Well, Basic Grey, too -- but I didn't want to bring that color into my springy card.) Other supplies used include the Eyelet Border punch, a sponge, and some white grosgrain. I decided to leave a sentiment off the front, and stamped "Life is Full of New Beginnings" on the inside.






The second card, for a "J is for..." swap, features an Inkadinkado stamp that I just LOVE! This simple card uses a Hero Arts flower and an oversized green brad covered with Stickles.






Next on the agenda: Mothers Day cards.