Cranberry Roses Note-a-lope

I was inspired to make this by a Splitcoast challenge, Envelope It. A lot of the gallery items showed envelopes that matched the cards.

Great idea but I wanted to do something different. I remembered I had saved instructions from Michelle's Rubber Room for a note-a-lope, a slightly goofy name for a really cute project (Michelle, I apologize if the slightly goofy name was your original idea:0 ). Perfect for this challenge!

The instructions start with a sheet of patterned scrapbook paper, I chose a retired paper with roses on it. I consciously decided not to use chocolate brown to go with it even though that seems to be my go-to colour lately, I am trying to expand my colour palette. I used mellow moss ink for the flower medallion and the same colour paper for the insert and scalloped square. The flower is stamped on vanilla and adhered with foam dots. The scalloped layer on the insert is retired cranberry crisp with a vanilla panel, both cut with Nestabilities.

The roses were stamped in cranberry crisp, I used generation stamping to get two tones of ink because I didn't think any of the ink colours I have would look quite right. TIP: In case you aren't familiar with generation stamping, you stamp the image repeatedly WITHOUT reinking. Each stamping is progressively lighter, up to 3 or 4 times. How long you hold the stamp to paper makes a difference too. The longer you hold the stamp down, the deeper the colour you get and the lighter each subsequent stamping will be. I masked the roses and stamped the leaves in olive and moss. Then I used the Nestabilities die as a stencil to sponge ink on the inside of the vanilla panel; I repositioned the die over the panel and used a piece of foam held by a small binder clip to add first caramel, then cocoa ink. TIP: Don't tap the sponge on the paper; swirl the foam from outside the edge of the die over and on to the paper, over and over in circles until you get the depth of colour you want. When you ink the sponge, swipe it back and forth over the pad rather than tapping it.

Start with a light colour of ink first and go darker if you need to; you can always layer on more colour, you can't take it away if you think it is too dark. Don't forget to use your stamp washing system to clean your Nesties.

I adhered the scalloped cranberry panel to the moss insert with foam tape. I planned to put the ribbon on the side with the panel only but then the ribbon ends would show on the back, which is the inside of the note where you write. So I wrapped it around the whole thing, putting the ribbon ends under the cranberry panel.

Finally, I stamped leaves onto the insert with moss and olive ink.

When I close the envelope, I hold it closed with a shaped clip from bronze hodgepodge hardware as well as tucking the envelope tip into the folded diamond pocket.

TIPS (based on things I changed from the instructions): After folding the paper, the edges do not align perfectly; I adhered the layers together, then trimmed the edges. Be sure to stick the adhesive between the layers while the envelope is folded (as much as possible, when you open the envelope the layers shift). I cut the insert a bit smaller, 5.5x7.5" so there would be a border of patterned paper showing on all sides, not just the left and right sides. I folded both sides in the diamond shape because I liked it symmetrical.

RECIPE
Paper: retired rose DSP, moss, vanilla and cranberry crisp cardstock
Stamps: wild rose, carte postal
Ink: cranberry crisp, old olive, mellow moss, creamy caramel, close to cocoa
Accessories: Nestabilities, ivory sheer ribbon, foam tape, 1 1/4" circle punch, bronze hodgepodge hardware oval clip, sponge. All products SU!

Enjoy, Rebecca