Mail-friendly Monday - using Bliss

Good morning - and welcome to Mail-friendly Monday! Every Monday morning I'll be making a card that can pop in the post with a standard postage stamp  and I hope the series proves a useful inspiration for you.  Brads, buttons, adhesive stones, buckles and bows tend to be a little bulky for mail-friendly cards, but that doesn't limit you to unembellished, one-layer cards. Mail-friendly cards can be quite dimensional - like today's card.

You may have noticed that the Stampin' Up Sale-a-bration promotion is currently on and since the beginning of the year, I have been enjoying using the sets that you can choose as a free gift (click here for all the details). The set I'm using this week is Bliss, one of my favourites!

The dimension comes from these cut-out flowers, one of which has been raised on a dimensional pad (that doesn't add too much bulk). The beautiful ornamental stamp used as a background behind them gives depth.  Usually I'd think about adding brads or adhesive jewels to the centres of these flowers but just using a dark marker to emphasise the seeds is enough to add interest here. The flower is also stamped randomly, tone on-tone on the Marina Mist card stock.

Ribbons tied in bows may be too chunky but used flat it adds texture and adds to the utterly gorgeous scallop trim border. This vintage-looking bird tucked into the ribbon is an extra detail and draws attention to the sentiment which, by the way, is from one of last year's Sale-a-bration sets - sentiments are SO useful to add to your collection!

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a piece of Crumb Cake card stock 9cm x 16.5cm. Score and fold at 9cm and scallop the narrower piece with the scallop trim border punch.
• Ink up the ornamental stamp with Crumb Cake ink and stamp on the card above the scallop to the right.
• Stamp a sentiment in Early Espresso ink and adhere a piece of Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon below it using Snail and folding it over the back of the card stock.
• Cut a 9cm square of Marina Mist card stock. Use the flower stamp to stamp a random pattern on the card stock using Marina Mist ink. Glue this behind the scalloped Crumb Cake.
• Use Marina Mist ink to stamp two flowers onto a scrap of Whisper White card stock. Colour the seed centres with the fine end of an Early Espresso marker. Cut the the flowers out and glue one to the card front and the other overlapping it using a dimensional.
• Stamp a bird on a scrap of Whisper White card stock with Early Espresso ink. Cut it out and tuck it into the ribbon, securing with a touch of Tombow.

Supplies
Stamps: Bliss (free Sale-a-bration set), Happy Moments (sentiment from Sale-a-bration 2010)
Ink: Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Card stock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Other: Scallop trim border punch, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Early Espresso marker

Well I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend. We've had a lovely restful family time with a little shopping, lots of curling up reading with a nice cup of tea, a glorious country walk in the winter sunshine and, of course, plenty of crafting! Do come back tomorrow for more inspiration using the Bliss Sale-a-bration set.

Hope to see you then,