My 'specially-created' SAKURA Flower using the Island Floral Bigz Die and Squash Card!

Yes helloooo to all out in craft-cyber world!

I feel really accomplished this week!  I have finished a set of gift bags for a baby shower AND a nice card in
SQUASH BOOK style - both are ready to fly out the door!!!

In order to decorate the squash booklet, I created my very own "Sakura Flower" using our Stampin' Up!'s FLORAL ISLAND BIGZ DIE.  Its one of a few select flower dies that I own, and its the same for my punches - so to create a flower, I had to borrow inspiration from my friend Maria Vanderform.  Maria specializes in many flower punch art creations, and seems to start by thinking of what she wants to create - then matching idea to tool!

So....I thought the same thing!  I looked up some flowers and chose the SAKURA Flower which is adored on a national level in Japan!  It can also be referred to as the Cherry Blossom Flower. The trees are stunning when in full bloom - and its hard for the eye to take in all the beauty of a grouping of trees, its awesome!

However, my flower is only a stylized ideal of the actual flower - meaning I took some liberties!  So here it is!

Sorry for the hint of pink through out the photo, but the camera read my flower as 'red' and its actually

 ROSE RED which goes nicely with the softer PINK accents and the GARDEN GREEN cardstock. 

The patterned paper is part of a 8x8" Cardstock Pad from Stampin' Up! - they come out with a new one every year featuring several colours cardstock. 

I will do a tutorial on the creation of the flower soon.

Meanwhile, I will show you the size of the SQUASH BOOK! 

Inside of the ' Front '

....beginning to ' OPEN ' !!!

Build-A-Brad  customize your brads!

  

The 1rst extended section ...

Look at its length!!!!  3 pages were joined together - lots of creative journalling or adding pictures! 

You could also use this for a card where many, many signatures are involved - right? 

I have to say - it's FUN to open these!!!   Brings out the kid in you!

And close 'er back up again! 

Well, I hope I've inspired you now! 

Have a great week-end! 

Don't forget SALE-A-BRATION is still ON !!!  Get in on the FREE products 

from STAMPIN' UP!