Tell Someone that They are Your World!

Well, true to my word, I am back with another Stampin’ Up! Watercolor World stamp design!  This large stamp is usually not my “thing” because I do not have good luck with images from oversized stamps.  But this one is different because the overall effect is watercolor…not precise, crisp lines.

I also love alphabet dies – and the Stampin’ Up! Alphabet A La Mode certainly fits the bill!  These are large letters at about 1-1/2” tall but slender enough to use a fair number of letters even on an A2 card.

However, all of my Watercolor World cards are 5” x 7” to accommodate the globe.

The card cuts are easy and fairly standard in my designs:

1. Using the Stamparatus to hold the stamp in place for multiple presses, center the stamp so that it fits well on the 4-1/2” x 6-1/2” Basic White panel.
2. With a Sponge Dauber or a Blending Brush, ink the “land masses” with Parakeet Party ink and stamp.  Repeat if there are bare spots or if you would like for the color to be more intense.
3. Add Tahitian Tide ink to create a more striking coastline.  Be careful with adding color – you can always add more if it is too light.  But if the first pass is too dark, it is almost impossible to lighten it.
4. After stamping the globe image, use the Timeless Type 3D Embossing Folder to dry emboss the panel and give it a slightly vintage look.
5. Adhere the globe panel to one of the Parakeet Party mats and then add both to the Coastal Cabana card base.
6. Using Versamark Ink, stamp the “You are” image on to a scrap of Basic Black card stock.  These words come from the Stampin’ Up! Around the Bend stamp set.
7. Sprinkle the white embossing powder from the Basics Embossing Powder set on to the stamped image and gently tap off the extra in the Powder Pal tray or a piece of scrap paper to be returned to the jar. 
8. Using the Stampin’ Up! Heat Tool, heat set the white powder.  (I always check to be sure that every part of the image is “shiny” so that I know that I have melted all of the powder.  Nothing is worse than taking a panel back to the desk for the next step and finding that you have missed a small part of the image!) 
9. Punch them out using the Label Me Fancy Punch for a quick sentiment panel.
10. Die cut the letters from the Alphabet a la Mode die set to spell out “my world” using Basic Black card stock.
11. Adhere them on the card face closer to the right side of the panel.  I did this using the Stamparatus as a platform.  A magnet held the panel in place in the upper left corner of the platform. A ruler kept the letters straight as I glued them.  (Use tweezers to hold them while you glue and place – it makes it so much easier!)
12. Add some bling using Rhinestone Basic Jewels that have been colored with Parakeet Party Blenders.
13. Adhere the plain Basic White panel to the Parakeet Party mat and both into the card base. 
14. Et voila!!  ( And this is just because I did not want to end the directions on #13!)

So, are you thinking that I am obsessing over this stamp?  Probably.  Me too.  But there are so many cool designs that are very different than the usual floral thing. 

Or at least my usual floral thing.

It would also make a nice birthday card or anniversary card for a man – or maybe a bon voyage card for someone who is about to travel…I am even thinking that this might be the card that I bring to a wedding next week with my cash gift for their honeymoon!  (A bon voyage card would be great for this lucky couple going to Italy for a 2-week honeymoon!)

Thanks so much for checking in on my card for the day!  I hope that it inspires you to take a look at this stamp.  I think that it has a lot of potential!!  But please remember that it is due to retire by the end of April.