Three French Foliage Cards

I've been umming and aahing over the SU! French Foliage set for a while.  I love leaves and all the images in the set really appeal to me but I thought it may well be a stamp set I'd struggle with.  It's not my usual style but I took the plunge anyway and bought it.  I spent a few hours getting inky with it yesterday - with very mixed results.  Let's just say some things will never see the light of day LOL!  My first few attempts were messy and far too busy.  I just kept playing though and thought eventually I'd end up with something I'd be reasonably happy with!

So here's the first card I made that I'm happy to share.  Still a bit busy and a lot of colours used -  I lost count of the number of ink pads I had out on my desk for this one!  The leaves on the main panel were stamped on Crumb Cake CS, cut out and popped up.  I've added some shimmer to the 3 leaves by applying Champagne Mist shimmer paint with a sponge dauber.

I really liked how the inside and envelope turned out.

Next I thought I'd try the emboss resist technique.  I inked the leaf with VersaMark, heat embossed it with clear powder and added ink.  I tried brayering the ink over the image - absolutely disastrous!  So then I tried sponging.  My first few sponging attempts went in the bin, I tried various colours but nothing was winning me over.  I then tried this green and goldy brown combo and I finally felt happy.  I used SU! Shimmery White CS and the shimmer twinkles subtly but very nicely.  I've used SU Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip inks plus Adirondack Caramel for the sponging.  I decided to make my main image square and place it on a square Crumb Cake card.  I thought the French Script background stamp would be great to use on the card base.  The stamp wasn't quite wide enough to cover the whole card front so I lopped a bit off the side and added an Old Olive strip I die cut with a brackets edge die.  I then stamped the splodge stamp repeatedly over the script and added the narrow Choc Chip strip.  Before gluing the image panel to the lacy square, I wrapped some Choc Chip ribbon around the left side and added some linen thread.  I then stamped and punched an Old Olive button, threaded linen thread through the holes and popped that on.  As I'd liked what I'd done with the previous card I decorated the inside and envelope exactly the same.

Finally, I decided on a one layer monochromatic card using only green inks.  I've used Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi, Always Artichoke, Garden Green and Mellow Moss inks.  Very simple but very satisfying to make.  I'll use this as a BRAK card 'cos it's one layer with no embellies and so will be easy to post.

Here's the envelope and inside the card.

I really love all the images in the set, the postmark and splodge stamp are fab!  I'm sure this set will continue to be a challenge for me, but even so, I'm really glad I bought it!  I think it would be great for writing paper or note cards - and bookmarks too.

Supplies for Birthday Wishes card:
Stamps: SU! French Foliage & Sincere Salutations sets, inside sentiment from Hero Arts Yummy Treats clear set
CS: PaperMania A6 cream card blank, SU! Very Vanilla, More Mustard & Chocolate Chip
Ink: SU! Old Olive, More Mustard, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler & Basic Gray, Adirondack Lettuce, Caramel, Latte & Currant
Tools: sponge daubers
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, 3d foam pads

 Supplies for Best Wishes Card:
Stamps: SU! French Foliage, Sincere Salutations & Button Button sets, SU! French Script bg stamp
CS: SU! Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip & Shimmery White
Ink: SU! Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz & Old Olive, Adirondack Caramel, Versamark
Tools: Square & Lacy Square Nestabilities dies,  Sizzix 'Brackets' On the Edge die, SU!  3/4" circle punch, sponges
Embellishments & accessories:  clear embossing powder, SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, SU! Linen Thread

Supplies for Happy Birthday card:
Stamps: SU! French Foliage & Curly Cute sets, inside sentiment from Woodware Special Wishes clear set
CS:  PaperMania A6 white card blank
Ink: SU! Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Always Artichoke, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green & Mellow Moss