Bragworthy Meets Beautiful Moments

While it’s the images that often draw me to a new stamp set, I love fun sentiments. In the Stampin’ Up! 2021/2022 Annual Catalogue it was Lighthearted Lines that caught my eye. So when their new Mini Catalogue was revealed I wondered if there would be something similar. Bragworthy was exactly what I was hoping for and I’ve already made a few projects using this set. Today though I finally got around to the sentiment that gave the stamp set its name, and all it took was a beautiful moment.

BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS

One of the challenges with a sentiment only set is finding the right images to go with them. For the longest time I was thinking about a dress and then this morning it hit me, what about friendship? In that moment I knew exactly what I needed and that was the Beautiful Moments Stamp Set.

When I opened up the stamp case there was more than stamps inside. On some pieces of scrap card I found a collection of Post-It® Note masks featuring the images in the set. So that influenced my initial design.

TIP – When cutting masks for an image, stamp once and then cut through two or three Post-It Notes at the same time. That way you can use one immediately and have more masks already stamped and cut to save time in the future.

First I found a scrap of Basic White Card (2-3/4″ x 4″) and used Tuxedo Black ink to stamp the image of the two girls. Then I put the mask I’d found over the image so I could work on the background using Blending Brushes. For the sky I added a light layer of Coastal Cabana ink, then used Bumblebee ink for the ground. With that done I removed the mask to reveal the clean image underneath.

Also in the stamp case I’d discovered a different image stamped and cut out of patterned paper. It was obviously left over from an earlier project but it led to my next design decision… Instead of colouring, I’d use paper for the girls’ dresses.

So from the free Simply Marbleous 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack I chose scraps of the yellow and lighter blue sheets. Using Tuxedo Black ink again I stamped one girl on the more subtle side of the blue sheet, and the other girl on the same pattern on the yellow sheet. Then using Paper Snips I cut out the dresses. As I was working on the taller girl I decided to keep the pony tail where it rested on the dress. I’d deal with that later. Finally I flipped the scraps of DSP over and stamped the two buckets on the reverse (satin) side then cut them out too.

BRAGWORTHY

Most of the work was now done but I still had the sentiment to add. So next I pulled out “Your friendship is as bragworthy as a dress with pockets”. Then using Tuxedo Black ink I stamped it straight onto the ground beneath the girls’ feet.

Before adding the cut paper pieces I had one last step and that was to colour the girls’ hair and skin. For this I decided to use Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. First I coloured the skin and hair (including the ponytail on the DSP) using the Ivory marker. Then I went over the hair using the Bronze marker leaving some of the Ivory visible.

Finally I was ready to attach the dresses and buckets onto the main image using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

Completing the card then happened really quickly. I started by using my Paper Trimmer to cut and score some Thick Basic White Card. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder to create a card base.

Next I cut a 2-7/8″ x 4-1/8″ layer of Coastal Cabana Card and mounted the completed scene onto it with liquid glue. Then I added the assembled layer to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For project coordination I went back to the yellow sheet of Simply Marbleous DSP. First I cut a 3/4″ x 5-1/4″ strip and glued it down the right-hand edge of a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic White Card. Then I glued the layer inside the card base. Finally I cut one last piece of the DSP at 2-1/4″ x 6″ and glued it to the flap of a Basic White Medium Envelope. Then I trimmed off the excess paper with Paper Snips using the edge of the flap as a guide. With that my project was finally complete.

I’m delighted with how this project turned out especially since it virtually designed itself. What do you think?

For some more bragworthy projects check out these earlier blog posts:

PRODUCT LIST

FREE PAPER – Sadly the Simply Marbleous DSP cannot be purchased, but you can still get it for free until February 28th (while stocks last). Simply place an order for $60 of Stampin’ Up! products (before shipping and taxes). Then when prompted during the checkout process choose this paper as your free Sale-A-Bration gift. There’s also other paper and exclusive stamp sets to choose from too, and no limit on how many you can earn. Check out all the free products that are still in stock in the Sale-A-Bration section of my online store.