Garden Poetry Suite - DSP two ways

My latest free form (not associated with a design team) card, I loved the dramatic colours of the Garden Poetry Suite as soon as I saw it in the Online Exclusive offering. This card features the front and back of a single sheet of DSP with the main image stamped using the coordinating stamp set. To create the variegated look on the leaves I added Berry Burst and Blackberry Bliss ink to my stamp using Blending Brushes, adding the lighter colour first and the darker only over parts of the image. I love this technique and it goes so well with this gorgeous paper. 

With the ink left on the Blending Brush I added some colour just to the edge of the base layer of DSP to give it more dimension.

My second card playing with this suite uses the same sheet of DSP but only has the horizontal strip of DSP added as I wanted more of the background DSP to show. I used the same technique for the stamped image and finished both cards with a Happy Birthday sentiment from Banner Sayings. 

Let me know in the comments which card you prefer, or if you are like me and can't choose between the two!

Happy Stamping

Monique

Product List

Paradise Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [167114]	Banner Sayings Bundle (English) [167051]	Garden Poetry 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [167113]	Purple Fine Shimmer Gems [162611]	Stylish Shapes Dies [159183]
Blackberry Bliss A4 Cardstock [133682]	Berry Burst A4 Cardstock [144249]	Basic White A4 Cardstock [166781]	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [147143]	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad [147092]

CTC #565 -CASE Your Favourite DSP

Welcome to another week at CASEing the Catty Sunday Blog Hop, where utilise the projects within the current Stampin' Up! catalogue to inspire our own projects each week. We also invite you to join with us in the challenge each week by using this inspiration in your own creations and uploading a photo to our Facebook page.

This week we are taking inspiration from  projects made with our favourite DSP from either catalogue.  So many projects to choose from with an so many beautiful DSP patterns in the Stampin' Up! offering at the moment!

There is one DSP that I really love at the moment and that is the Nature Walk DSP so I was immediately drawn to pages 38 to 41 of the catalogue. It was this somewhat simple card that caught my eye, I think my favourite pattern in this DSP pack is the one with the cursive font so it was easy to see why this card stood out, it is from page 38.  While I love the Nature Walk DSP I did want to stretch myself a little and use one of my other favourite DSP packs from the Online Exclusives, Floral Charm.  While the stamps and dies from this suite have been retired, the DSP is still available. 

When I cut into a new piece of DSP I will cut off a 4" strip, then cut that in half at 6", giving me two pieces that I can easily cut down to layer onto a card front. That is what I did with the Country Wood DSP which I thought would make a nice neutral background, so when I couldn't decide between two of the patterns in the Floral Charm DSP pack I just decided to make two cards instead of one.  This first one features Pecan Pie with pink flowers (I think Petunia Pop), as the solid colour is from the back side of the floral pattern it is hard to be sure. I was going to match the large leaf with the card base, but decided it looked better with the large leave in Mossy Meadow, and the smaller leaves in Pecan Pie. 

My second card has a Mossy Meadow base paired with a DSP strip featuring Mossy Meadow, Pretty Peacock and Cajun Craze. The reverse side of the DSP featured Pretty Peacock and I love the subtle leaf pattern on this side of the DSP. I used the opposite coloured leaves to my first card, making the two of them really quick and easy to produce.  Let me know in the comments which colour combo you prefer.

  

I hope you are inspired to join in the challenge this week, just use one of the projects featuring a DSP to inspire your creativity, then post a picture of your project to the CTC Facebook page.

  

Time to hop on over and see what the lovely and talented Rebecca has created this week.

Happy Stamping
Monique

Card Swap Chain Series 5 - CASE-ing Julia

Back in November 2025 we started the fifth series of the Card Swap Chain, arranged by the lovely Tracy Held. The idea is the we each made a card and sent it to another person in the chain. That person would CASE (Copy and Share Everything or Copy and Selectively Edit) the card and send it to the next person who would in turn CASE it and send it on. There are 10 of us in this chain so definitely opportunity for a few variations to sneak in between the first and last card, and these blog hops take you on the journey through the CASEing process. 

This chain started with this pretty Christmas themed card from Julia, it is nice to see someone else was in holiday mode when making their card! If you didn't begin this hop with the first blog, I would recommend you pop back there to start the hop and learn a bit more about the original card.  

I was fifth in this chain, so right in the middle! You can see the fancy fold of the original card has made its way through the intervening iterations, with the sentiment remaining on the focal panel on the front.  I realise now that I should have added some embellishments to my card before sending it off on its journey, I wonder if the next person has added some to their version. 

Time to keep hopping to see how this card was interpreted for the rest of the chain, and if it is still recognisable by the end of the chain What elements do you think made it all the way down the line?

Happy Stamping

Monique