Freakin' Simple to Stepped Up!

What a crazy summer already!!! Since so many of our Control Freaks members were Incentive Trip earners (they spent a glorious time on a Grecian Isle Cruise!), we have been a little MIA!! NEVER FEAR!! We are BACK ... and this month we are Steppin' It Up! The Marvelous Melissa Davies is at it again ... so much inspiration, right???

I've been playing with Stampin' Up's stamps for close to 18 years (which is amazing considering I am still only 27!!). Every dang time they come out with some sort of "veggie" set I am SUCKED IN!!! I love fruit and veggie images. SOOOO MUCH! It must be the California Girl in me ... I could NOT resist this beautiful little avocado! In this "simple" version of my card today, I just stamped everything straight down. Even though I didn't layer the pit of the avocado by fussy cutting it and sticking it on with a dimensional, I still gave this card some depth with the rectangles of different colored cardstock and vellum. It came together really quickly, and the entire sentiment is placed in one cute little chubby rectangle.

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim

When I started to "step it up" I just couldn't stop myself!!! I was inspired to make this background from my dear and talented friend, Elizabeth Price. The background was stamped and then run through my BigShot using the Subtle embossing folder. (Seriously, y'all ... if you don't own this one yet, you NEED it! PRONTO!!) The "shiplap" look of the background was created by cutting the background Birch image into five different strips (and no ... they are NOT even ... I obviously can't count ... but I like how it turned out anyway!)! Then, I used a spritzer with a handful of Crumb Cake ink dropped into it. I spritzed each of the pieces, then used my aqua painter and some Mellow Moss ink to add the green bits sporadically on the strips I had already cut. Lastly, I ran my fingernail along the upper and lower edges of each strip and all edges of the Mellow Moss panel to give it a more worn look ... and to allow the Soft Suede cardstock to peek through the panels as grout. This time I not only fussy cut the leaves, but also the avocado itself, as well as the pit of the avocado. I wish you could see the depth and texture of this in person ... it is SO fun! 

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Budding Borders, Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim, Metallic Pearls

Next up???  ... Magnificent Melissa Stout!! I'm in between a MELISSA SANDWICH!! (I have done this before ... and it's a privilege to be between these two talented ladies!)