Alaska Achievers Blog Hop, January-Petal Palette Bundle

Welcome to the January edition of Alaska Achiever Blog Hop where demonstrators from all over the globe will wow you with their awesome creations using Occasions Catalog and Sale-a-Bration products to inspire YOU to create your own handmade cards.  You are at Candy Rattray, sweetstamper.com, and I'm delighted you're here!  The full blog hop lineup is listed below, so check that if you need any help navigating your way around the world:)

My share for today features the gorgeous Petal Palette Bundle.  It is my Top Pick from the Occasions Catalog, brimming with versatility, customization options, and sheer beauty.  I used 3 coordinating elements of the suite:

1. Petal Pair Embossing Folders (I used the one with the long, skinny images) which adds touchable texture)
2. Petal Passion Designer Series Paper (I used the design that looks like pussy willows and repeats the image in the embossing folder)
3. Petal Palette Bundle (I love being able to cut out the beautiful array of flowers in mere seconds!)

I then added the fabulous new alcohol markers, Stampin' Blends.  They are so much fun to use!  This handmade card was the Make & Take for a workshop.  I put all the Stampin' Blends colors out on the table, and people could then create their own custom color schemes to please their own eye. I love versatility and options, and these cards are loaded with those!  I used just a touch of Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend on both the Dark Pink Pirouette flower and the Rich Razzleberry flowers.  The deep red brings in a layer of color and depth that I really like:)

As you can see, there are other options for these easy but elegant handmade cards.  Looking at the photo above is a bit like the children's Spot the Difference games:)  One of the things I love about stamping with other people is the way they see things differently, and my two cards here are a result of that.  Some of the differences in the two cards:

• Portrait vs. Landscape–one of the easiest changes we can make is to just flip the orientation for a different look
• Add color to the Petal Passion Designer Series Paper…or not.  Again, I love options!
• Add the Glitter Epoxy shapes to the flowers or the greeting.  I love these little shapes as they are more subtle than rhinestones but still add shine.  And I think they look like little water droplets on the flowers!
• Fill in the background of the stamped flowers–or not!  It's a subtle difference, but sometimes a small change makes a big difference.

That's it for today.  All Stampin' Up! supplies are listed and linked below for your convenience.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  You are now leaving Candy Rattray, sweetstamper.com as you head over to the next stop on the blog hop for even more Occasions Catalog and Sale-a-Bration creative inspiration.    Enjoy!