No matter how long I’ve been papercrafting there’s always something new to learn or discover. Yesterday afternoon I sat down to make a gift tag but that’s not where I ended up. In fact after stamping the “… magic & wonder…” sentiment decided to make a card instead. But then I started to think that my poinsettia flower would be pressed flat in the mail. It was only after the card was “finished” that I decided to add more and more pieces of Stampin’ Dimensionals. Before long I’d solved my dilemma and I love how it turned out. Now I can’t help but wonder why I never thought of it before.

MAGIC AND WONDER

My card started with a piece of Thick Very Vanilla Card that I cut and scored using my Paper Trimmer. Then I folded it along the scored line and sharpened the crease with a Bone Folder.

Next, I turned to the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack for my background layer. I cut a piece of an abstract design and fixed it to the front of the card base using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Tombow).

With that done it was time to start stamping using the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set.

On a piece of Thick Very Vanilla Card I stamped “May magic & wonder bloom this holiday” using Shaded Spruce ink. Then I cut it out using a die from the Nature’s Thoughts Dies. I like that this die cuts the rectangle but also adds a decorative dotted border around the edge. With that done I used Stampin’ Dimensionals to mounted the sentiment layer onto the card front.

Next I turned to the complete poinsettia image in the stamp set. Using Real Red ink I first stamped the flower across the bottom right and top left corners on a layer of Very Vanilla Card. Then I did the same thing on the front of a Very Vanilla Medium Envelope. Finally I used liquid glue to fix the stamped layer inside the card base.

All I had left to do was create my 3D flower.

PERFECT POINSETTIA

Although it may look complicated my poinsettia was remarkably easy to create using the Poinsettia Dies. There are three dies in the set each with 5 petals. In addition there are also three flat pieces that fit inside these three dies. These optional pieces can be used to emboss veins into the petals at the same time as they are bring cut out. Simply place the die on the card to be cut, insert the embossing piece within the die (veins against the card) then run it through the machine as normal.

I chose to include the embossing pieces when I cut the three different sized pieces from Real Red Card. Next I cut some Garden Green Card using only the largest die and embossing piece. After that I cut two of the berry sprigs from some gold Brushed Metallic Cardstock. Then finally from a scrap of Mango Melody Card I cut the poinsettia centre using the die that also embosses seven little circles.

To assemble the poinsettia I used a little liquid glue just at the centre of each of the petal pieces. Starting with the Garden Green piece on the bottom I layered on the three Real Red pieces so the lower petals peeked between the upper ones.

Next I added the flower centre with more liquid glue, before adding a small Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewel in each of the little indentations. Now with the flower assembled I could see where to place the berries on the card front. Holding the poinsettia roughly where I wanted it to go I glued the berry pieces in place with liquid glue. As I did I realised that some of the berries would be completely hidden so I snipped those off and glued them in the bottom left corner instead. Waste not, want not.

Finally I attached the poinsettia with Stampin’ Dimensionals. But despite all the layers it still looked flat. Perhaps I should have used my Bone Folder to add a curve to the petals, but how long would that last in the mail?

Then it occurred to me. What if I hid a small piece of a Stampin’ Dimensional under each of the petals? So that’s what I did, working around the flower and each of the three red layers. Oh my goodness what a difference it made. OK I’d now have to pay a little extra to mail this card but it would definitely be worth it. And yes it made me wonder why I’d never thought of it before.

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UPDATED 2021 – Sadly the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper has retired and is no longer available from Stampin’ Up!