Hi, there! I’ve been MIA for a while, but I hope I’m back in business, now. I had to tell myself I either have time to stamp and blog or I don’t, and I guess you can tell which way I went with that. I’ve been busy with a variety of things but it came time to leave all else alone and finish up a project a friend asked me to make for his parent’s November anniversary. He wanted an extra large card that the whole family could sign, and after thinking about it for a while I decided to make an accordion card with 5” x 7” panels.
I received the most amazing gift recently – the entire Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters collection, including the matching papers and dies – and since my friend’s mom is fond of blues and purples, it was the perfect choice for this project.
Pictured first is the card front with the Delicate Asters Vase colored with Copic markers and accented with silk ribbon and a Prima butterfly (two layered together and body replaced with pearls). You can see some of the folds beyond the card front. I covered the front and back panels with designer paper, but everything else in between was covered with CTMH Smokey Plum cardstock embossed with a Cuttlebug Wicker Weave embossing folder. The die I used on the front is a Spellbinders Timeless Rectangles.
A closer look at the beautiful stamp image:
I colored with these markers:
The inside is decorated with flowers cut with the Delicate Asters matching dies from the more blue-violet shade of the designer paper. I put Sunshine Yellow Flower Soft in all the flower centers.
Here’s the inside all opened up. Not easy to get a good photo of this. It will enlarge if you click on it. The design is simple and symmetrical. The idea is that it will be filled with the family’s signatures and sentiments.
I made a box for it, too. The sides are designer paper, the bottom is Smokey Plum cardstock, and the top is entirely clear. I added a flower to the clear top, which plays nicely with the image. I nested the card on crumpled tissue paper.
And that’s it for today. I hope it won’t be so long before I post here again, and I do hope you enjoyed today’s project. Wishing you happy days till we meet again. Take care!
You chose to use one of my favorite sets of stamps, dies and papers from HC! This is just beautiful and I totally appreciate the work that goes into an item like this. You have made such a gorgeous piece of art!
Posted by: Glenda | 11/04/2013 at 01:52 AM
What a lovely gift and a GORGEOUS card!! You might have been MIA, but you certainly came back full force!! A beautiful card, one that will be treasured forever I am sure!! Love it...hope to "see you" again soon!!
Posted by: Diane H | 11/04/2013 at 04:13 AM
Stunning card. Loved it.
Denise M
Posted by: Denise M | 11/04/2013 at 04:14 AM
Wow! This is just gorgeous in every way. Lovely image and of course your coloring is always amazing. Just love the accordian project and I know the family will love it too.
Posted by: Maggie S | 11/04/2013 at 04:22 AM
Gorgeous! This is more than a card-- it is a beautiful gift that will be treasured for years to come! You can tell that a lot of thought went into making this. I love how the die cut flowers coordinate with the perfectly colored asters!
Posted by: Linda E | 11/04/2013 at 04:32 AM
This is So Beautiful! Lovely coloring and the inside panels are perfect. I love how you made a box to hold this treasure.
Posted by: Carol R | 11/04/2013 at 05:29 AM
You have simply outdone yourself in every respect. Not only a beautiful card, but a gorgeous box too. Your friend and his parents will cherish this masterpiece forever. Oh my oh my! As I hope you can tell, I am very taken with your creation. It seems we all are.
Posted by: Francie in Montreal | 11/04/2013 at 06:11 AM
Oh I love this set, I have the stamp and dies, the papers are wonderful with it and I just love the idea you came up with, how neat to have it open so wide for everyone to sign and it is such a pretty design too, your coloring as always is just Beautiful!!
Posted by: Conniecrafter | 11/04/2013 at 06:11 AM
Oh my goodness gracious, Leslie ... this is awesome! Gosh, I bet your friend will be totally amazed, as will his parents and everyone else who sees it! The design is so lovely and the coloring is wonderful. Beautiful papers, too.
Posted by: Lynette | 11/04/2013 at 07:01 AM
Oh, I have missed you, Miss Leslie. The last two evenings as I went to bed, I wondered if all was ok, and am so glad to find this pretty card today, and to know you were just being too busy enjoying life! So happy for that news! Of course your card is amazing. I don't own that set, so am delighted to see your lovely artwork displayed using it. So not only is this a drop dead gorgeous card, but it is an accordion card with lots of room for writing or photos. Just beautiful! Thank you for sharing so many photos. You know it will be pinned so I may cherish it even more and be inspired. xoxox
Posted by: Donna Ellis | 11/04/2013 at 07:24 AM
Oh Leslie! This is absolutely fabulous! Wonderful design, beautiful coloring, amazing creation! The card is so much more than a card: it's a gift that will become a keepsake.
Posted by: Evelyn Spikes | 11/04/2013 at 07:37 AM
What a stunning gift, Leslie. Everything is perfect and your art will be a loving keepsake for your friend's family. Thank you so much for sharing.
Posted by: Mildred | 11/04/2013 at 07:43 AM
this is gorgeous. Have a great day
Posted by: Yogi | 11/04/2013 at 08:17 AM
Oh my, Leslie, what a beautiful creation! Your friend's parents will treasure this for the rest of their lives! Your coloring and placement of all the details is, of course, spot on.
I'm working on an accordion fold card for our son's sixteenth birthday next week, (I did one for our daughter also), and they take A LONG TIME!
Thanks for sharing. Such a treat for the eyes!
Posted by: Lisa Dolson | 11/04/2013 at 09:58 AM
OMG Leslie, what an amazing work of art gift set. Your friend will be overwhelmed by your gifts beauty. I thought you had been busy doing fall cleanup like us, but no...you were busy performing your creative Magic :-) WOW!!! TFS my friend.
Posted by: nancy littrell | 11/04/2013 at 11:30 AM
WOW! What an amazing come-back card Leslie. It's just gorgeous.
I love all your creations, but don't go neglecting those pups even one bit for silly cards.
I want to continue to see lots of happy fun pics of them and your hubby...and a few of your flower garden too.
Posted by: Erica Fields | 11/04/2013 at 02:23 PM
Incredible, absolutely incredible! The colors and shading are absolutely perfect! Someone will be so thrilled to receive your beautiful creation!
Posted by: Tammy Hair | 11/04/2013 at 02:25 PM
I just love this idea and your design!!! The colors and shapes are just luscious!!! Hope the babies are enjoying the changing weather...
Posted by: Willow | 11/04/2013 at 04:39 PM
Wow! And Wow again! This is the most beautiful card you had posted yet! The coloring is just gorgeous & the design is awesome! They are going to be so blown away with this card, it will be the hit of the entire celebration! I bet they are still talking about it when NEXT year's celebration comes along!
Posted by: Sherri Dean | 11/04/2013 at 06:25 PM
This is gorgeous!!!
Posted by: Lenoria | 11/04/2013 at 07:42 PM