CRAFTDOC

I finally caved and got the Stampin’ Up! Prized Peony bundle.  Did I need another floral stamp set – yes!  First – I have fond memories of my mom’s peony patch and arrangements on the dining table (including ants).  And second, the Peony Dies have a unique way of fitting together to make a 3-D flower.  And third, the peonies are fun to color!

I started out by using the Stampin’ Up! catalog pictures to inspire my card making.

Instead of Cardstock, I used Vellum for the Peonies and sponged with Petal Pink ink.  Tip:  Insert the flower pieces together by size, the smaller inside the larger.  They are very easy to assemble – just line up the bottoms (see arrows) and add a dab of glue.

I love the Dainty Diamonds 3D embossing folder.  It is so distinctive.  Here I colored with Petal Pink and Old Olive Stampin’ Blends.

This is the photo on page 83 of the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog.

I love the scalloped die – it makes an swirly embossed pattern as well.  Black & White, or add a little color to the Peony Garden Designer Series Paper with Petal Pink ink and Stampin’ Sponge?

For a change, try a 4-1/4″ square card.  (Or do the same as 4×4).  It fits in a regular A2 envelope to avoid extra postage.  Colored again with Stampin’ Blends.  Sentiment is heat embossed in white.

Sponging again to color the flowers.  And to get the abbreviated sentiment, omitting is the techniques.  Use a black Stampin’ Write Marker to ink just a portion of the stamp.

The Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder with Vellum, oh my!  Let’s leave this peony in Basic Gray for a pink and gray color scheme.  The Peony Garden Suite accessories are awesome – Square Vellum Doilies and Elegant Faceted Gems.  I’ll be using both of these a lot!

And the final catalog photo from page 84.  I had to put my take on all of these beautiful cards as well.

We have Stampin’ Blends in the new In Color Marvelous Magenta, so how about some bright Peonies.  One of the new Water Painters includes a broad tip pen for a fun watercolor wash in the background.

I loved the sample with the Balmy Blue Blends for the background of the stamped Peonies.  It almost looks like Designer Paper.  I decided to add a tiny bit of color to my Peonies with Petal Pink and Old Olive Stampin’ Blends.  The Gray Granite Shimmer Ribbon is pretty sweet.

Another square card, again featuring the Square Doilies and coloring with Stampin’ Blends.

After re-creating the cards from the catalog I had a few bits and pieces left over on my desk.  So the next 2 cards are totally from scraps:

If you are wanting to make multiple easy cards, here’s a design from one of our Stampin’ Up! concept artists with measurements:

I hope you enjoyed this stroll through the Peony Garden Suite by Stampin’ Up!  Check it out in my shop, and sign up for my newsletter here for more fun projects.

Happy crafting,

Kim Wilson