Valentine/anniversary card using Sweet Summer

I have had such fun making Valentine's cards over the last few weeks that it'll almost be a shame to stop! Today I've made one using Sweet Summer, one of the Sale-a-bration sets you get to choose free every time you spend £45 with me (click here to see them all.) If you'd like to place an order, click here to email me or phone me on 01280 820593 - I'm always happy to help.

I have become rather attached to my crimper and this is one of my favourite ways to use it - crimping two thirds of the way up a piece of card stock. I used it here as the 'earth' for my flowers. The sky was made by masking the edges of the card base and sponging with Bashful Blue ink.

The stalk and leaves image from this set (did I mention it's FREE?!!!) is one of the most useful types of image ever. Put them in a group of three and top with flower heads, either from the set or punched out, and you have an almost instant card! Here I've used the little heart punch - which is only £4.95 and is the most fantastic streamlined shape making it so easy to store.

The nesting circle punches were among my first Stampin' Up purchases and barely a day goes by without them being used. I love the way you can make cute little badges and tags with them - like this one, with the adorable little bird from Sweet Summer. The words are from various stamps in the Basic Phrases set. This set is a great investment as, with the stamp-a-majig, you can make it say almost anything! (In fact, this is a game my daughter and I love to play... I won't bore you with the sentences we've made as I can imagine that the things my daughter and I clutch our sides laughing at may merely cause a raised eyebrow among my sophisticated readers!)

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a 9cm x 10cm piece of Early Espresso card stock. Crimp it two thirds of the way up and decorate the edge with the scallop border punch.
• Cut an A5 piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
• Using the crimped card stock as a guide, mask off the edges of the card base and sponge a sky with Bashful Blue ink. Knot a piece of Old Olive satin ribbon round the Early Espresso card stock and glue to the card front.
• Stamp the stalk-and-leaf image three times on Very Vanilla card stock using Old Olive ink. Colour these with Old Olive ink and an aqua painter and cut them out. Tuck them under the ribbon and glue into place. Punch three Cherry Cobbler hearts and fix on top of the stalks with dimensionals.
• Stamp a sentiment onto a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock using Cherry Cobbler ink. Cut out with a 1 1/4" punch and sponge with Bashful Blue ink. Mount onto a Cherry Cobbler circle cut using a 1 3/8" circle punch. 
• Decorate the badge with a little bird, stamped in More Mustard, coloured with a Daffodil Delight marker and cut out with paper snips. Use a More Mustard marker to draw in his legs. Attach the badge to the card front using dimensionals.

Supplies

Stamps: Sweet Summer (free Sale-a-bration set), Basic Phrases

Ink: Bashful Blue, Old Olive

Card stock: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler

Other: Markers, Old Olive satin ribbon, 1 1/4", 1 3/8" and small heart punches

Thank goodness the wind has stopped! Whenever it's windy, my house feels as if I've thrown all the windows and doors open! I ventured out into the garden today and... (drumroll...) THERE ARE SNOWDROPS!!! That proves that spring is on its way, doesn't it? And that means that at some stage in the near future, I could maybe go without one or two of the eighteen jumpers I'm currently wearing! That makes me feel even more Valentine-ish.

Thanks for dropping in today. Do come back tomorrow when I'll have something yummy to show you!

Hope to see you then,