Basket Full of Black-Eyed Susans 33

Hi Cyber Friends! When I saw the colors featured in Dawn McVey's Color Inspiration Challenge #16, RSCC16, Papertrey Ink's Vintage Picnic stamp set came to mind. I liked this week's Get Sketchy #3 at getsketchy.blogspot.com for the sketch layout which allows me to showcase the Vintage Picnic Basket full of Black-Eyed Susans, (funny this beautiful wild flower is called Black-Eyed when it is known for its characteristic BROWN domed center! :) Thinking back to my childhood, when living in Buffalo, NY, I remember fields & fields of wild flowers with predominantly Black-Eyed Susans sprinkled throughout! This week's Pile-it-on Round and Round We Go challenge #13 is to use anything round and lots of it on your creation! Well I think the polk-a-dots, brads, buttons & round circle Spellbinder die cut fits the bill :) I made this gift set for My Mother-in-Law, Barbara, who's birthday is September 10th. She lives out of state, so I need plenty of time to mail it off to her! Do you like Black-Eyed Susans? I'd love to know. If you would like to gaze at many examples of creations made using this sketch or color scheme, be sure to visit both sites! Thanks for taking the time to look! Be Sweet!

Here is my Basket Full of Black-Eyed Susans Happy Birthday card & PTI's My Timeless Template Fold' N Go gift bag with instructions:

This card is a standard A2 size card (5 1/2" x 4 1/4") made from PTI Kraft cardstock, followed with a piece of SU Chocolate Chip cs (5 3/8" x 4 1/8"), then a piece of SU Very Vanilla cs. The Very Vanilla cs was simply too plain so I inked up my PTI Polka Dot Basics stamp set with SU Chocolate Chip ink & created my own DP! :) I distressed the edges of the DP using a SU distressing tool to give that layer a lil' more dimension & character. Now, on to the stamping of the Vintage Basket & flower images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on SU Very Vanilla cs x 2. This is where the Spellbinders Circle nesties work fantastic! You simply place the die on top of your image, then send it through your die cutting machine of choice! (I use a Sizzix Big Shot Express). Once I had the stamped image cut out, I colored it using Copic markers E77, E43, G94 & Y17. I used the Spellbinders Scalloped Circle nesties to cut the next two layers, using PTI Kraft cs & SU Chocolate Chip cs. Then I adhered them together, pierced holes around the circumference & set aside.

I cut a piece of SU Summer Sun cs 4 1/2" x 3 1/2", snipped the two left corners using an EK Success corner rounder punch then embossed it using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots EF. To add a lil' more character, (can you tell I like giving things character :) ? ), I dragged this piece of cs ever so slightly along the edges in the SU Chocolate Chip ink pad, then adhered it to Mona's Polk-a-dot DP / Chocolate Chip layer. I love ribbon, LOTS of it! I wrapped a piece of PTI Vintage Cream Saddle Stitched ribbon & tied a bow off to the left side of the card, then adhered the Vintage Basket of posies embellie off to the right of the bow. For a lil' more detail, I used 2 generic brads to accentuate the handles on the stamped image :) & attached 3 brads in the upper right corner.

Using the Sizzix Sizzlet tag die, I cut the tag out of PTI Kraft cs & SU Very Vanilla cs. Inking up the leafy image from the PTI Spiral Bouquet stamp set & "celebrate" from the PTI Simple Little Things stamp set with SU Chocolate Chip ink, I first stamped the Very Vanilla tag & then I attached the Summer Sun cs flower that I cut using a Quickutz flower die x 2 & embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots ef. I sewed not only the button on the flower but to make sure it was secure, I sewed through the flower layers & the 2 tag layers! That button is not moving!!! :) A small piece of PTI twine was used to tie the tag around the bow. Now that all the detail work is done to the card front, I adhered it to the PTI Kraft cs card base.

We are now ready to embellish the inside a lil' bit! :) I stamped the "Happy Birthday to You" image from the PTI Damask Designs stamp set in the center of the card & down in the lower right hand corner I stamped the same leafy images as on the tag. To add a lil' color, I sewed on 2 die cut flowers :)

Moving on to creating the tag & the PTI My Timeless Template Fold N' Go. After cutting out & scoring the Fold N' Go template made from PTI Kraft cs, I inked up a stem image from the PTI Flower Garden stamp set & a leafy image from the PTI Spiral Bouquet stamp set with SU Chocolate Chip ink then stamped the bag front. Using the SU paper piercing tool set, I pierced holes following the stem image as a guide. A piece of DMC embroidery floss was used to stitch the stem. The embossed flowers & generic button were sewn on the bag! Nichole Heady inspired me to embroider an image onto my project. How stinkin' creative is that? Just adds so much character :) The bag was a lil' too plain for my liking, so I inked up a dot image from the PTI Beautiful Blooms stamp set & once again created some original Mona's DP! Ready for assembly! I love using the strong & mighty Provo Craft Terrifically Tacky Tape to adhere my bags. I embellished the Fold N' Go with a Vintage Basket tag only this time adding another scalloped layer of SU Summer Sun cs & a We R Memory Keepers XL eyelet. Being the ribbon fanatic that I am, I attached the tag to the Fold N' Go using a generous amount of PTI Vintage Cream ribbon & twine & Offray satin brown ribbon. The lil' tag was stamped with the "Just For You" image from the PTI 2008 Holiday Tag Collection, attached with PTI twine & decorated with the embossed Quickutz cs flower.

There you have it! Step by step! Are you feeling inspired? I'd love to see yours! :) Thanks for looking! I am off to the post office to mail this lil' jewel off to Barbara!