Sending Hugs with Gorgeous Greens

I love working with Stampin’ Up!’s colors. When I want to showcase a beautiful variety of tones, I usually reach for my blues. Stampin’ Up! has such a gorgeous collection of blues. For today’s card with solid panels of colors, though, I wanted to feature the beautiful greens. I wasn’t disappointed with the green options and had even had to keep some favorites out of the lineup. Here’s my card:

My card was inspired by Kim Singdahlsen’s sketch for this week’s Freshly Made Sketches challenge. Here’s the banner for the challenge that inspired my card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

• Sending Hugs. I’m a hugger, and I’m excited we get to hug our friends and loved ones again. The Sending Hugs Bundle wasn’t on my first wish list through Stampin’ Up!’s 2021 Annual Catalog (I couldn’t just get everything…), but I recently picked it up as I paid closer attention to the coordinating Layering Hugs Dies. Here’s a look at the Sending Hugs Bundle: I’ve seen some really great projects with the Sending Hugs stamp set (although I didn’t use it on my project today). There are so many beautiful images and an opportunity to color if you enjoy coloring. The letters “HUGS” can be cropped and layered over the word in the stamp set or layered inside the word in the larger die cut. You don’t need to do that, but you can (and options are always great)! Speaking of great options, you can use the letters to also spell: HUSH, SHUG, UGH, UGGS, GUSH, GUS, SHH. I’m sure there are others, no?
• Four Green Panels. My card features for 3-3/4″ tall panels of greens – book-ended by two gorgeous greens that are new in Stampin’ Up!’s 2021-2023 In Colors. I wanted to panels to line up with the letters in the word “hugs” from the Layering Hugs Dies, so I calculated the widths carefully to build a background that measures 5″ x 3-3/4″. Here’s a closer look: My original plan was for each of the letters to match the color of the panel below it, but that made the word hard to read. I chose to make the letters one color (the same colors as the base of the card). Here are the measurements for the individual panels on my card:
  • Soft Succulent – 1-3/4″ x 3-3/4″
  • Old Olive – 3/4″ x 3-3/4″
  • Garden Green – 3/4″ x 3-3/4″
  • Evening Evergreen – 1-3/4″ x 3-3/4″
• Gorgeous Greens. My card features four panels green on a card base of yet another green. The only greens in Stampin’ Up!’s current collection I didn’t use on this card are Just Jade, Granny Apple Green, Soft Sea Foam, Mint Macaron, Shaded Spruce and Mossy Meadow. I love all of those greens, but these gave me just what I wanted. On a base of Pear Pizzazz, I love the mix of Soft Succulent, Old Olive, Garden Green and Evening Evergreen. If you like this mix as much as I do, I hope you’ll save this for future reference:  

Papers: Pear Pizzazz, Soft Succulent, Old Olive, Garden Green, Evening Evergreen, Thick Basic White  Accessories: Layering Hugs Dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Layering Hugs Dies – 155860

Price: $28.00

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 131201

Price: $8.75

Soft Succulent 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 155776

Price: $8.75

Old Olive 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 100702

Price: $8.75

Garden Green 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 102584

Price: $8.75

Evening Evergreen 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 155574

Price: $8.75

Basic White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock – 159229

Price: $8.25

Stampin’ Dimensionals – 104430

Price: $4.00

Sending Hugs Bundle – 155859

Price: $44.00

I hope you’ll pop over to the Freshly Made Sketches site to see the cards by the design team members and to play along with this week’s challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

Last Chance Retiring List

Stampin’ Up! has released the list of products in its January – June 2021 Mini Catalog that are retiring on June 30 or when supplies run out. There are a lot of great products that will soon be unavailable – and MANY of them are offered at a great discount right now.To read more about the sale, CLICK HERE.

To shop the sale in my online store, CLICK HERE.

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