Today I’m little sad as our granddaughter returns home to the UK after spending 3 weeks with us here in Nova Scotia. We’ve been shopping across the border in Maine, attended a powwow in Truro, and walked on the ocean floor at Wasson Bluff. But the highlight was most definitely whale watching in the Bay of Fundy. That eventful trip brought tears as car trouble nearly scuppered our plans, however the amazing kindness of people we met on Long Island saved the day and restored the smiles to our faces.

SENDING SMILES

We did manage to fit in a little crafting between the excursions though and that’s when I designed this bookmark.

I started very simply with a 2″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Thick Basic White Card. At one end I punched a hole using the slot option on the Very Best Trio Punch. Then with a Sponge Dauber I added a border of Starry Sky ink around the entire strip.

Next I created the simple coneflower image using the Sending Smiles Stamp Set. First I took the single stem and stamped that using Old Olive ink. Then I found the reversed petals image and inked that up with Daffodil Delight ink. However, before stamping I used a Sponge Dauber to add a little Crushed Curry ink to the stamp surface just at the base of the petals. Then I stamped the petals at the top of the stem.

For the coneflower centre I first inked it the stamp with Pecan Pie ink and then ‘stamped-off’ onto some scrap paper. This removed a little of the ink. Then using a Sponge Dauber I added a little more Pecan Pie ink to the stamp surface just around the wider base of the flower centre. With that done I stamped the image onto my flower.

While I liked the simplicity of the coneflower I decided the bookmark needed some texture. So I chose the crosshatch design from the Basics 3D Embossing Folders pack and embossed the card strip.

Finally I cut two 6″ pieces of Starry Sky 1/8″ Metallic Woven Ribbon. Then I folded them in half and poked the loops through the slot at the top of the bookmark. After threading the cut ends through the loops I pulled gently to secure them in place, and just like that my project was complete.

PRODUCT LIST

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES – The Basics 3D Embossing Folders (pack of 3 different designs including the crosshatch) are part of the Stampin’ Up! Online Exclusives range. These items are subject to availability and may be discontinued without warning.

If you like the Sending Smiles Stamp Set you may be interested in the coordinating Sending Dies (not used today). However, while the stamp set and dies are both current, sadly they are no longer available as a discounted bundle.