When do you discover that a 1-trick pony knows a lot more?

The answer is: when that 1-trick pony is a background stamp!

Whenever I see a background stamp, I always wonder how many types of cards will this “investment” produce for me?

In the case of the Stampin’ Up! Wild Roses stamp, the answer about this impressive stamp is many styles and many occasions.  This beautiful stamp can produce plain and simple cards that work well for notes or occasions.  It can provide a beautiful, subtle background that highlight other centerpieces.  And, if you put it in a “tuxedo,” it can make a most elegant card worthy of weddings or other sentinel events – as well as an amazing New Year’s card.  (Stay tuned for the tuxedo effect at the end of this post!)

With the new year, I realized that I needed to replenish my card stash so that I have “occasion” cards throughout the year.  I made a list of the types I think I will need – birthdays, thank you notess, sympathy cards, thinking of you, and then plain note cards.  And I will work through the list!  Today’s first card(s) are birthday cards, featuring the beautiful Wild Roses.

This card is straightforward – not everything needs to be a paper-engineering feat – and lends itself well to creating a batch.  Of course, I got ahead of myself and chose 12 of my favorite Stampin’ Up! cardstock colors:

Of course, you can select your own colors with this single parameter:  you need to have an ink color that matches (or closely resembles) your cardstock.  This project is a terrific way to use up cardstock supplies that are dwindling as well.  I used only one piece of each color and made 2 cards each.

This is a project that I would suggest using a Stamparatus, if you have one.  Or, if not, another stamp press that allows you to make multiple imprints on a single piece of cardstock.  (While I own several of these stamp presses, the Stamparatus is by far my favorite – and a good part of the reason that I have chosen to be a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.  I’ll have a blog post soon that will focus on this great stamping tool!)

The measurements for the cardstock needed (and that I had pre-cut to streamline the process) are familiar sizes:

Stamp the Wild Roses image on each of the Basic White panels in the color(s) of your choice.  I positioned the stamp in the Stamparatus in a way that produced the part of the image that I liked most.  With a wax pencil or even a crayon, I marked the place on the Stamparatus where each piece of cardstock should be positioned for the image.

When using such a large background stamp, it is better if you take your time with each image.  Ink up the stamp well and then place it on the cardstock.  Rub the Stamparatus platform but let the stamp and cardstock have some time to connect.  The ink transfer will be much better!

I used the Stampin’ Up! Peaceful Moments stamp set for my “Happy Birthday” greeting.  (This is a stamp set that should be in a permanent collection since it has some of the most useful sentiments in a great font!  You will reach for this one often!)  I cut all of the circles that I would need for my batch using the Stampin’ Up! Tasteful Labels die set – another investment piece!  These labels have a nice detail to them.  But stamping messages on precut shapes can be a challenge.

TIP:  When you are stamping die cuts, I have found that it works best to create a template for the Stamparatus.  Use one of the backgrounds of the cut image as a placement template, holding it down with magnets.  Position the stamp so that it is perfectly centered.  Then pop each die cut into the space and your stamped images will come out great! 

I did an assembly on the face of the card that is not my usual style.  Instead of my traditional centered images and mats, I offset each one to create a less formal, more spontaneous feel to this card.  The ribbon is my favorite Stampin’ Up! White 3/8” Crinkled Seam Binding and several Polished Dots on each card face.  The sentiment is popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals for some added fun and the foliage to zhush it up used the new Stampin’ Up! Bough punch.

I will admit…it took the better part of an afternoon to get my batch of 24 birthday cards done.  But they are ready to go, and they look terrific!

The inside sentiment and decoration are from the Stampin’ Up! Welcoming Window Stamp set, which I will be featuring in an upcoming post. 

While I was working on these cute greeting cards, the thought occurred to me that I had not seen any special new year’s cards in the stores – and that I had not even thought of making any.  And then I spotted a couple of challenges online that gave me a further push.

It occurred to me then:  this very design would be incredibly different – and beautiful – dressed in a “tuxedo.”

It is the identical design – except in black and gold with a bit of white vellum to dress it up!  All the measurements are the same, although the sentiments change a bit.  Instead of just stamping the design, I heat-embossed it, using the gold powder from the Stampin’ Up! Metallics Embossing Powders.

The face of the card shows the new year in beautiful gold letters cut from Stampin’ Up! Gold Foil Sheets, mounted on a beautiful die cut from the Stitched So Sweetly Die set.  I cut two of the dies – one in black and the second one in gold foil to frame the black panel.

TIP:  When you want some extra highlighting on many tag or label shapes, you can cut another in a complementary color.  Then cut it in half and use the 2 pieces on the top and bottom – or each side – to create a half-frame effect that draws the eye to the sentiment!

The 2022 numerals came from the Stampin’ Up! Playful Alphabet dies set.

I wish that I had thought of this sooner – as I would have made a few more cards to send out to greet the new year with friends and family.  Oh well…next year…

So, my answer to the original question again is that background stamps are not 1-trick ponies at all!!  Dress it up – make it cute – use it for a backdrop for another centerpiece! 

My New Year’s card has been submitted to two challenges:  Color Throwdown #674 and Fusion – It’s a new year!    As I mentioned earlier, these two challenge postings inspired the “tuxedo” idea in the first place.  All dressed up in embossing and gold foil makes this simple design suitable for toasting in the new year, in my humble opinion!

I love these challenges and am always so grateful for the new inspirations that they provide to me!  Thank you all for your hard work in devising these challenges and monitoring, commenting, and jurying the results!

The following is a couple of lists that show supplies used by project, so that you can find anything that you may need to create a great batch of cards – or even just one!  Thanks so much for stopping in today!

Supplies for the New Year’s card:

And then for the Birthday Cards:

And now for the star of the show: