I lived in a very old New England farmhouse a long time ago. We had wisteria there that was so hardy and so old that I believe it was holding up the old woodshed – instead of the other way around.
It was a gorgeous bloom in the spring. And sometimes, if the weather through the summer had been just right, it would bloom in the early part of September again. I understand that this is fairly uncommon – especially in New England – but it was true of this incredible bush/tree/vine. (We were unclear about which one of those things it was!)
So, with my memory of that beautiful plant in that beautiful setting, I have been exploring the Stampin’ Up! Wisteria Wishes bundle.
This stamp set is perfect for doing that Romantic, watercolor type style. The card cuts were easy…well, so was the stamping. But let me give you the deets:
| Pcs | Measurements | Description | |
| Stampin’ Up Basic White cardstock | 1 | 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” | Scored on the long side at 4-1/4” |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic Black cardstock | 1 | 4-1/8” x 5-3/8” | For the mat on the inside panel that will provide that very thin highlight for the message panel. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic White cardstock | 1 | 4” x 5-1/4” | For mat on inside panel. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic Black cardstock | 1 | 3” x 4-1/2” | For mat on the card face, behind the stamped mat. |
| Stampin’ Up! Basic White cardstock | 1 | 2-3/4” x 4-1/4 | For the stamped panel on the card face. |
I used ink colors that are close to my recollection of that blooming wisteria in at our Portsmouth house: Stampin’ Up!’s Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, Soft Succulent, and Evening Evergreen.
I think that the easiest way to show you how I got this effect is through this series of pictures. This first set will show you how I stamped the background on the card face. Note that it really does not matter where you stamp as much of this panel will be covered by the Black and White panels that add dimension:
Once the background panel was stamped, I first decided on the sentiment for the card. It is important to place the sentiments first and then do the artsy stamping around it as a frame.
In this example, I have used the “Happy Birthday” stamps from Stampin’ Up! Biggest Wish set. This set offers so many options – and you will see them in a couple of the additional cards that I made with this design.
With the two front panels complete, I layered the focal panel on the black mat with Stampin’ Dimensionals and then glued them to the face of the card.
The inside message panel for the card echoes the front and offers a sentiment from the Stampin’ Up! Pansy Patch set. But there are tons of great sentiments from sets that you probably already own to complete the inside.
With a little bit of bling via the Elegant Faceted Gems, there is just enough going on with this easy-to-do, elegant card. And these Wisteria blooms are just what I remember and made more precious because it is, well, September…
Although I love this color scheme as it is so close to the “real thing”, I love the bluey-purples as well.
For these flowers, I used the Stampin’ Up! Tahitian Tide, Starry Sky, and Orchid Oasis. These are all the new In Colors for 2022-2024, too!
Experiment with your favorite colors and just remember to layer the flowers and the foliage for this lovely technique that is so reminiscent of paintings by the Romantics!
Thanks for stopping by to see my latest card! If you have a question or if you are looking for a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator, please let me know, as I am always happy to help!
The products and supplies that I used included:
Oh. My. Gosh! This is the most stunning card I’ve seen with this set. Absolutely gorgeous!! 🙂
Wow, Mary!! That is high praise for sure! Thank you so very much. The set is beautiful – and there are SO many things that can be done with it. This is just the Susan thing with the one-sheet-wonder type of stamping. But have you seen the Christmas trees that some designers have made using the flower stamp upside down??? Gorgeous…stay tuned. I have one of these designs coming up because…well…I just had to CAS it!
Just beautiful Susan! Love the colors and the layering is perfect!
Thanks so much, Amy! It really isn’t that difficult to do either…and hopefully the photos show that layering process. The tough part is choosing the colors!!! So, sometimes you just need to stick to what nature chose. Thanks so much for keeping an eye on me!