April Showers....

It’s pouring rain outside right now so I thought I would share something that reminds me what arrives after these glorious April showers (I REALLY do love the rain!). I got this project from the demonstrator side of the Stampin’ Up website. If you want to join Stampin’ Up! and enjoy all the benefits of being a demonstrator (including access to a certain area of the website, a monthly magazine with articles and samples galore, access to an online web forum with instant responses to questions and more) let me know and I can answer any questions you might have.



Here are the details for the Big Shot Project shown above, courtesy of BJ Peters and Sandy Poehnelt, fellow Stampin’ Up! creative coaches.

May Flower Pot
Big Shot Supplies:
• Box #2 Bigz XL die
• Top Note Bigz die
• Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die
• Birds & Blooms Sizzlits die set
• Spring Flowers Sizzlits die set
Paper
• Glorious Green card stock
• Really Rust card stock
• So Saffron Patterns
Designer Series paper
• Scraps for flowers
Ink
• Really Rust Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker
• White Gel Pen
Accessories
• Rhinestone brad: Yellow
• Mini Glue Dots
• Sticky Strip
• Stampin’ Dimensionals
• Crimper
• Small Oval punch
• 3/16" Corner Rounder punch
• Paper‐piercing tool and pad
• Stamping sponge

Directions
1. Cut Box # 2 from Really Rust card stock. Assemble box by scoring all folds well. Cut off box top.
2. Cut 3 stems of flowers from double layered Glorious Green card stock (you need the sturdiness of 2 pieces of card stock together). Each should be 5" long. Apply to front of box by aligning at the bottom of the box (this adds to sturdiness as well). Don’t worry about the length as you can cut the tops off later.
3. Cut Top Note from Really Rust card stock and cut in half. Sponge edges in Really Rust card stock. Apply to box front and back using Sticky Strip.
4. Cut two 1" x 4‐3/4" strips of Really Rust card stock, sponge edges and round corners using 3/16" Corner Rounder punch. Adhere with Stampin’ Dimensionals to top of Top Note to create flower pot rim.
5. Cut 3 flowers using various flower Sizzlits dies and scraps of card stock. (That’s one of the best things about the Big Shot—your scraps make such cute things!) Don’t’ forget about the flower centers—using a gel pen or Stampin’ Write marker – add some faux texture. You’ll need fronts and backs as you will sandwich the flower stems as you apply them. I suggest having the flower stems go as far to the top of the flower as possible for stability.
6. Crimp a strip of Glorious Green card stock and send through crimper. Cut your leaves from this strip using your Small Oval punch. Fold in half and score the long way down the center. Apply to stems using Mini Glue Dots.
7. Using So Saffron Patterns Designer Series paper cut 2 of the same butterflies using the Beautiful Butterflies die. I used the smallest full butterfly on the die. With both butterflies together, using a paper‐piercing tool, poke a hole where the body of the butterfly would be and push through a Rhinestone brad. Shape the brad back in a “V” so that it appears the wings are flying. Secure bottom layer of butterfly to flower pot by placing Stampin’ Dimensionals on outside edges of wings.
8. Fill your pot with paper grass and you are set for a great springtime.