Garden Variety

Hi everyone and welcome back to the second Papertrey Group Post by Nichole and the Design Team. Today we're featuring the new Garden Variety stamp set along with the Year of Flowers Collection stamp set. I am head over heels smitten with the new Garden Variety stamp set. Each and every stamp and sentiment just fits into my life. Love it so much and I hope you will too!

Since the focus of my project took place on our front porch, I ventured out there to photograph my scrapbook page I did for today.But once again, a curious kitty named Ben wanted to be front and center.
So I moved inside for my photo shoot. :) I do have these photos to share from Josey's graduation weekend that were my inspiration for today's project. Time was short for decorations but I knew it was a perfect weekend to do some front porch sittin'. I grabbed a few vintage quilts to soften up the wicker chairs and threw a quilted tablecloth on the chippy white table. A few Iris from the flower beds and that was all that time allowed for decorations. The Mother's Day plants and hanging baskets that I love so much started working way their way onto the porch as guests arrived for the gathering. Instant color.
A typical scene on my porch includes lots of vintage watering cans. I have 4-5 that I sit here and there. Some will hold fresh picked flower bouquets, some will have water in them for watering porch flowers and some get used to tie on seasonal decorations like July 4th flags, etc.

For Josey's graduation weekend I didn't have many flowers from the beds yet to use as centerpieces. My mom snipped me giant bundles of white Spirea to fill my watering cans. This pretty can sits by my old suitcase that resides on the porch right now. It makes me think of an old friend that came to visit...or perhaps someone waiting for the train to come through town....or perhaps I keep it packed and ready to go just in case Dear Husband sends me packin' because I bought *one more* junky thing. Whatever the case, I love my vintage finds.
Here's a few watering cans that lined the front steps. I just love the craftsmanship of old, found things. So lovely. And do you spy what I spy? Jordan found a friendly little turtle that was passing through the yard. We included him in a few photos before we set him on his way.
And all those wonderful photos and memories of front porch sittin' bring me to today's project. I printed a few photos to use on a single page, horizontal, 8.5" x 11 scrapbook layout. The Garden Variety stamp set has a beautifully illustrated watering can so I knew it would work it's way into a scrapbook layout.
For my main title I used Kraft colored chipboard letter stickers from American Crafts. I've seen lots of scrappers stitch the letters on lately. Love this idea as sometimes those stickers don't stay stuck forever. I used the Small Scalloped Border die to cut out several scraps of patterned paper. Sentiments from Garden Variety and Button Boutique are stamped on using Ripe Avocado ink. A machine stitched border in green runs all the way around my layout.
A fun focal point aside from my photos is a Button Card die cut adorned with a popped up watering can and stamped and embossed flowers that mimic the Spirea branches that were in my actual watering cans. To create the galvanized, time worn look on the watering can I ink my stamp up with Aqua Mist ink. Then I tapped the inked stamp with Smokey Shadow ink. This gives that mottled look. Love how it turned out. For the flowers, I used a grassy looking stamp and a tiny flower cluster stamp that comes in Garden Variety. Other stamps from Button Boutique also embellish the Kraft button card die. Today I hand cut my watering can but there will be a watering can die + a few others that coordinate with Garden Variety. So happy about that.
For the bottom portion of my page, I used a 1" square punch to punch out various patterned papers. I used my sewing machine to create a quilted look to match the quilts in my photo. So happy how it turned out.
I hope you enjoy my post. I thought this one was gone for sure with all the Blogger issues. Whew! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the other Papertrey blogs:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman
• Melissa Phillips
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Erin Lincoln
• Danielle Flanders