Blossoms Around the Tidal Basin

Have you ever seen the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin?  Every spring, nearly 1,700 cherry trees that line the Washington, D.C. Tidal Basin burst into a magnificent pink floral fireworks.  I think, it is the most beautiful site in the Washington, D.C. area. The weather determines when this great display of blossoms burst, and unfortunately, these magnificent blooms only last a few days.  The exact time this will occur is unpredictable, but what is predictable is that it will happen sometime every spring. Oh what a lovely site to behold!  If you’ve never been to the Tidal Basin when the cherry trees blossom, it is so worth the trip!

Blossoms Around The Tidal Basin

Isn’t the above photo just gorgeous?  I sure enjoyed the cherry blossoms every spring when I worked in D.C. for 30 years.  I was fortunate that one of my job sites was just across the street from the Tidal Basin.  My desk was at a window where I could stand and inhale the beauty of the scene.  Wow, what a wonderful few days that was each spring!

Thousands of people embark upon D.C. every spring to enjoy such beauty and participate in the annual Cherry Blossom Parade.  It is so crowded around the Basin, but people make room for each other.  Some people either don’t know, or choose to show a lack of respect, that climbing the trees to take great snapshots is no allowed.  It’s shameful and those who choose this behavior are damaging these gorgeous trees.  The last time I was there, the damage was quite obvious.

Blossoms Around the Tidal Basin

These beauties are not just cherry trees, they are Japanese cherry trees.  It was in 1912 that Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan, gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan, and the continued close relationship between the two countries.

Did you notice that I said the United States was gifted 3,000 trees?  It’s so sad that only around 1,700 trees are left and the others have died.  Some have died as a result of the tree climbers that I described above.  But, what a pleasure to get to enjoy what is left!

Moving on, I made the following card to honor a Featured Stamper, Geni, on Splitcoaststampers.  This challenge, FS474, involved viewing Geni’s gallery of beautiful cards and pick one to CASE (i.e., copy and share everything).  I was inspired by this card she had created.  The cherry blossoms on her card reminded me of the Japanese cherry tree blossoms in Washington, D.C. Therefore, instead of casing her card, I had to create a scene of the cherry trees blossoms around the tidal basin.

Blossoms Around the Tidal Basin

What do you think?  Is my scene a decent replica of the one near the top of this post? The Washington Monument was hand drawn and well as the cherry trees and the green trees. The only stamps used was the cherry blossoms in the foreground and the sentiment. The blossoms in the foreground were colored with copics. Here’s another photo of my card.

(UPDATE:  This cared was featured in Splitcoaststampers FAVORITES of the week ending March 13, 2016)

Blossoms Around The Tidal Basin

This photo is a closeup of the scene.

Blossoms Around the Tidal Basin

I hope you enjoyed learning about the blossoms around the tidal basin and my card! Thanks for stopping by!

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SUPPLIES:

Stamps:  Stampin’ Up! Easter Blossoms (retired)

Paper:  Stampin’ Up! Whisper White, Pink Passion, and Bashful Blue Card Stock

Ink:  Stampin’ Up! Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Basic Black, and Copics

Card Size:  A2

Technique: Sponging and Coloring with Copics

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Swallowtail Butterfly

GOD’S BLESSINGS!

STAMPING WITH GUNEAUX DESIGNS BY BEVERLY POLEN

“If God is for us, who can be against us.”  Romans 8:31

Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge

Hello, my friends!  Hope you are having a blessed day.  Tuesday’s Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge involved creating with four Stampin’ Up! Colors; Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Marina Mist, and Pacific Point. The challenge is titled, CC572 Getting Real Wild in the Mist on the Pacific.  Cool title, don’t you think?

Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge

To participate in the challenge, I decided to create a scene with a blue jay as the focal point, as you can see in the photo below.

UPDATE:  This card was in the Splitcoaststampers Favorites of the Week ending March 6, 2016Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge CC572

I didn’t have a blue jay stamp; therefore, I decided to use a Stampin’ Up! Cardinal stamp to create a blue jay.  I used Copic Markers as close in color as the four above colors to color the blue jay and the twig upon which he rests.  Next, I sponged Marina Mist and Pacific Point ink to create the sky.  Then I used Wild Wasabi ink to develop the tree-filled “mountains”.  I put more of the Wild Wasabi ink onto the left side than the right side, trying to create a slight contrast.

I used the trees stamp from the Stampin’ Up! Plant Hope stamp set to randomly stamp trees. Afterward, I used a white pencil to add highlights to the trees.

Here is a closeup of my blue jay:

Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge

The twig upon which the blue jay sits has berries. To pull in the Real Red color, I decided to use three Stampin’ Up! Real Red Candy Dots to cover most of the berries.  Additionally, I added a Real Red Happy Birthday cutout to pull in more red.

I hope you have enjoyed my blue jay!  Now it’s your turn to create a greeting card using the Stampin’ Up! Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Marina Mist, and Pacific Point colors.

Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge

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SUPPLIES:

Stamps:  Stampin’ Up! A Cardinal Christmas and Plant Hope

Paper:  Stampin’ Up! Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, and Pacific Point Card Stock

Ink:  Copics, Stampin’ Up! Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, and Pacific Point

Card Size:  A2

Accessories:  MISTI, North Coast Creations Happy Birthday Die, and Stampin’ Up! Brights Candy Dots

Techniques:  Coloring With Copics, Sponging

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Swallowtail Butterfly

STAMPING WITH GUNEAUX DESIGNS BY BEVERLY POLEN

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”  Psalm 27:14

SU Because I Care

I made this card for today’s Color Challenge, CC571 on Splitcoaststampers. The Color Challenge is a combination of  SU Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, and Pear Pizzazz.  This is the card I submitted for the challenge, and it features the SU Because I Care Stamp Set.

SU Because I Care

I simply covered the floral part of the Hydrangea stamp from the SU Because I Care Stamp Set with Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party ink, and the stem and leaves with Pear Pizzazz. I stamped the image onto SU Whisper White CS and embellished it with three petals images.

I used the Pool Party CS to cut out a stitched rectangle mat and adhered the image piece to that. Before adhering the mat and image piece to the Whisper White card base, I embossed it with a Memory Keepers Embossing Folder.

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!!

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SUPPLIES USED:

Stamps: SU Because I Care

Paper: SU Whisper White and Pool Party CS

Card Size: A2

Ink: SU Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, and Pear Pizzazz

Accessories: We Are Memory Keepers Next Level Wave Embossing Folder, ODBD Double Stitched Rectangles, and Star Dust Stickles

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

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Swallowtail Butterfly

God’s Blessings!

Stamping With Guneaux Designs by Beverly Polen

Faux Patina Technique Featuring ODBD Ornamental Crosses

Hello, my friends!  My card share for you today spotlights the Faux Patina Technique, and features Our Daily Bread Designs, ODBD, Ornamental Crosses.

Faux Patina Technique Featuring ODBD Ornamental Crosses

(Click HERE for instructions on the Faux Patina Technique.)

Every Saturday on Splitcoaststampers there is an Inspiration Challenge.  Today I created this card in response to the challenge.  The Inspiration Challenge, IC533, is to view this website page to be inspired and create a card based on your inspiration. I saw many beautiful pieces that inspired me; however, I decided to go with this one:

Gypsy DamaskThis piece brought to mind the Faux Patina Technique and that is why I used the technique to make my card.


UPDATE (from Splitcoaststampers):  Congratulations! In the General Stamping forum, you’re in the FAVORITES for the week ending February 21.


You will note that my sentiment, “Know what I love?” is stamped and embossed onto a piece of ribbon.  The sentiment is from a stamp in the Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration Stamp Set, What I Love. I hope the answer to the sentiment question is obvious.

Enjoy and come back for more beautiful creations!

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SUPPLIES USED:

Stamps: SU What I Love; Paper: SU Whisper White, Marina Mist, and Mint Macaron CS; Paper Size: A2; Ink: SU Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Mint Macaron, Baked Brown Sugar, and VersaMark; Accessories: SU Embossing Folder, ODBD Ornamental Cross, Gold Embossing Powder, White Embossing Powder, and Marina Mist Ribbon; Techniques: Sponging and Faux Patina Technique

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Swallowtail Butterfly

God’s Blessings!

Stamping With Guneaux Designs By Beverly Polen

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”  Psalm 32:12

Splitcoaststampers Pretty In Pink, Field Flowers

Today’s card share is a card I made in response to today’s Splitcoaststampers’ Pretty In Pink, Free For All Challenge, F4A.  The challenge is to make a card with pink in it. Pretty easy, right?  I made this Pretty In Pink card as my submission for the the challenge.

Splitcoaststampers Pretty in Pink Field Flowers


UPDATE:  Congratulations! In the General Stamping forum, you’re in the FAVORITES for the week ending February 14. (From Splitcoaststampers).


To create the card, I used a Stampin’ Up! Pink Pirouette card base, covered with a piece of Whisper White card stock.  I then added a small piece of Pink Pirouette card stock upon which I added the Whisper White die cut.  The die that I used for the die cut is from the Spellbinders A 2 Filigree Delight Dies.

You will note that there is another Whisper White die cut behind the sentiment that a Pink Pirouette ribbon weaves through.  This die cut is the same as the main one; however, I cut it into two pieces, cutting each piece to fit, and reversed them when adhering to the card (the top and bottom of the die cut are touching each other in the center of the card).

I added the sentiment from the retired Stampin’ Up! Field Flowers stamp set, “My Thoughts Are Happiest When You’re In Them.”  I think that sentiment is a very positive one and I love using it when I make cards for my children and grandchildren.  I placed the sentiment, created with VersaMark Ink and White Embossing Powder, onto a Pink Pirouette die cut.  This die is from the same Spellbinders Die set.

For embellishments, I die cut an oval from the Stampin’ Up! Pink Pirouette Glimmer Paper and placed it over the oval portion of the main die cut.  I added several Swarovski Pink Crystals and two Stampin’ Up! Basic Pearls to give the card some bling.

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.  You may leave a comment in the comments section.  Comments are greatly appreciated!

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SUPPLIES USED:

Stamps: SU Field Flowers

Paper: SU Whisper White and Pink Pirouette CS and SU Pink Pirouette Glimmer Paper

Card Size: A2

Ink: VersaMark

Accessories: Spellbinders Filigree Delight Dies, SU Pink Pirouette Ribbon, White Embossing Powder, SU Basic Pearls, Swarovski Pink Crystals

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Swallowtail Butterfly

God’s Blessings!

Stamping With Guneaux Designs By Beverly Polen

“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

SU Thoughts and Prayers

What is your opinion about a Stampin’ Up! color combination of SU Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, and Lost Lagoon?  I think they are beautiful together.  I used the SU Thoughts and Prayers and Pendant Park to create a scene with these colors.

SCS Color Challenge 2-9-16

Splitcoaststampers had these colors as its Color Challenge for today (CC569).  Here is the card I submitted for the challenge.

SU Thoughts and Prayers


UPDATE:  My card was selected as one of the favorites for the week ending February 14, 2016


The scene is of squirrels enjoying the park bench (lol), and it’s in the shape of an oval (which gave one extra points if an oval was used). I added a floral image on the top left and bottom right that I embossed with white embossing powder.  It’s quite difficult to see that.

I covered the two image stamps with VersaMark and ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder. This was to prevent mixing inks while sponging for the background. I have to say that I’m disappointed with a couple of products I used as the ink I added to the Whisper White card stock edges bled onto the front of the card stock. Then forgetting about the SU ink serving as a base for embossing, I got white embossing powder on the scene while embossing the floral images on the white portion of the card. My mistake.

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SUPPLIES USED:

Stamps: SU Thoughts and Prayers and Pendant Park Stamp Sets

Paper: SU Whisper White, Watermelon Wonder, and Lost Lagoon Card Stock

Card Size: A2

Ink: SU Watermelon Wonder, Old Olive, and Lost Lagoon Inks

Accessories: SU Sponges and Daubers, VersaMark, and White and Clear Embossing Powders

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Swallowtail Butterfly

God’s Blessings!

Stamping With Guneaux Designs By Beverly Polen