Pretty Jungle Papers - Part 1

Today I have a bunch of cards made using papers from an 8 x 8 paper pack I was given last year - don't remember who made it.  I had planned to use it to create more cards using a Kendra's Card Challenge cut/sketch set.  However, I realized that nearly all the papers were directional and KCC's cutting diagrams never are for more than one or two sheets.  So, I cut it up myself thinking about the pattern in the paper and the size of the cards.  Now to figure out how to use these pieces!

It's pretty paper, but it has reminded me how much I wish I had realized the value of Stampin' Up! papers and cardstock years ago - especially their cardstock!  Prior to that realization, I bought cardstock packs of mixed colors - quite a few of them because it seemed I never had the colors I needed!  Now that I have Stampin' Up! cardstock, I always know what colors to try - even if I'm using it with papers from other companies.  Unfortunately, I still have a LOT of that old mixed color cardstock to use up, so when working with paper that didn't come from Stampin' Up!, I try to use up the old cardstock as well.  Going through all my different sets of cardstock takes SO long to find the color I need!  I'll be glad when it's all gone and I can focus on just using Stampin' Up! cardstock!  I DID find I had to use cream colored cardstock for some of the card bases - but I didn't have the right color of cream in my old stash, so I used Stampin' Up!s Very Vanilla cardstock.

Card #1 (above):  For this first card, I used the discontinued Cane Weave 3D embossing folder on the dark brown.  The sentiment was stamped with Early Espresso ink using a stamp from the discontinued Crafting with You stamp set.  The buttons were from my stash.  The sentiment was punched using a 2" scalloped circle punch and the mat was punched using a 2 3/8" circle punch.

Card #2: 

For this card, I created a Grasshopper using dies from Elizabeth Crafts.  The buttons were die cut using two different cutting dies - smallest die from Lifestyle Nesting Circles for outer edge, button-holes created with smallest die from Nellie Snellen's Multi-frame - Flower die set.  The sentiment stamp was something I found in my stash.

Card #3: 

This time I again used the Cane Weave 3D embossing folder.  The focal was punched with a 2" circle punch and the mat with a 2 3/8" circle punch.  The sentiment was cut using the 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch and a mat using the 2" circle punch.  The sentiment was stamped with Early Espresso ink using a stamp from a discontinued kit called Sentimental Rose and added with some Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.  

 

Card #4: 

The sentiment for this card was again stamped with Early Espresso ink using a stamp from the discontinued set called So Sincere.  I stamped it on a strip of cream cardstock.  As you can see, I alternated strips of cream, brown from my stash, and patterned paper from the set.  Below the sentiment, I cut three small squares from the brown and glued them on point like diamonds.  Then I added some of the Low Profile Dots in Petal Pink on top of them.

Card #5: 

 

This card was really simple - patterned paper on patterned paper with white mats.  The sentiment was a download from Sassy's LLC - matted on the same paper (and added with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals) and a flag of the same paper added beneath it.

Card #6:

This time, I used Petal Pink cardstock from Stampin' Up! to create the base for the card.  The sentiment for this card was again stamped with Early Espresso ink using a stamp from the discontinued set called So Sincere.  I also used the Early Espresso to ink the edges of several elements and to color the Baker's Twine to match. The focal/sentiment was punched using the 2" circle punch and the 2 3/8" circle punch and added with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.

Card #7: 

This is similar to the last except that the previous opens from bottom to top whereas this one opens from the side.  The sentiment was stamped using a stamp from the discontinued Flower Cart stamp set and Early Espresso ink.  The sentiment was punched with a 1 3/4" scalloped circle punch and the brown mat with a 2" scalloped circle punch and added with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.  The "ribbon tails" under it were just scraps of paper that had been sitting on my table.

Card #8:

I'm trying to learn to put different papers together.  Even though I'm more comfortable using just one or two patterns, I'm trying make at least some of these out of 3 or more patterns.   You can see that I've done that for this card.  I embossed the plain cardstock using the Turtle Textures embossing folder. After punching a 1 3/4" scalloped circle, I used Balmy Blue ink and a blending tool to shade the edges. I also die cut a circle to fit inside it.  Other than that, it was just a matter of layering the pieces.  I added both the focal and sentiment with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.

Card #9: 

For this card, I used sketch #524 from Mojo Monday sketches, which I turned on its side.  I embossed the background and some of the mats with the discontinued Cane Weave 3D embossing folder.  I was able to use punches for most of the circles, but used an old Spellbinders die called Teardrop Circles for the larger one.  The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from the discontinued Sentimental Rose Kit from Stampin' Up!.

There's still plenty of this paper to go, so I'll call this "Part 1" and post it.