Waltzingmouse Stamps 2nd Birthday Tea Pary

Now that "summer" is here I have a tiny bit more free time and am hoping to get in one or two other stamp challenges every week.  There are so many stamps out there that I {heart} but time (and funds) are limited.  I've had this one on my to do list ever since I saw it and this week I had the chance!  Waltzingmouse Stamps turns 2 this month!  It doesn't seem possible that it's been 2 years since the exceptionally talented and lovely Claire Brennan took a leap and began her little company.  However, if you take a peek at her website you'll see the product of those 2 years - a multitude of fabulous stamps!!  I have a big wish list

To celebrate Waltzingmouse is hosting a Birthday Tea Party.  You can read all the details HERE.  I chose to use the free template and Roses in Bloom.  This set is very special to me because the card that I won the 2010 Stamping Royalty contest was made with this beautiful set! :)

I started by stamping a whole sheet of XPress cardstock with roses & leaves - I was going for a the shabby chic floral fabric look you see. I stamped them with Desert Sand ink so that the outline wouldn't overpower the design.  Then I sat at my desk and colored . . . and colored . . . and colored.  I began to wonder if I had been crazy to start, but seriously, it wasn't that bad.  Then I used a few of the little decorative doodads from Very Vintage Labels No. 4 in Sky Blue and the word "Friend" from the Roses in Bloom set in Desert Sand.  After I cut out the template and put it together I even sponged the edges for a softer look (I know, right?! I sponged!! hee hee).

I used the Labels No. 4 set to make the panel stamped with Fresh Snow.  The sentiment is from Blessed by You - another great set!  I was thinking of different uses for this sweet little pouch - tea is obvious, but I thought that it would be fun to make some little potpourri sachets.  Pretty simple really, I used coffee filters and ironed them flat.  Then I stamped some roses, leaves and "friend" on them.  I added a small bit of potpourri in the center and tied it up with natural twine.

The little tea bag label is part of the template set and was stamped with another doodad from the Vintage Labels No. 4 set and I wrote "potpourri" on them so the receiver would know not to brew these - lol!

The final bits are some silk ribbon died with Glimmer Mist, a button on the closure and some pearls.

Thanks for sticking with me on this long post!  Go take a peek at the other entries in the Birthday Tea party, there are some really neat projects!!  Happy Birthday Waltzingmouse Stamps!! :)

Cardstock: (White) XPress, (Kraft, Spring Rain) Papertrey Ink, Stamps:  (Roses in Bloom, Very Vintage Labels No. 4, Blessed by You) Waltzingmouse Stamps, Ink:  (Sky Blue, Desert Sand, Angel Pink, Bamboo Leaves) Memento, (Fresh Snow) Papertrey Ink, (Frayed Burlap) Ranger, Accessories:  (Pearls) Kaiser, (Silk Ribbon) May Arts, (Button, Natural Twine) Papertrey Ink, (Divine Twine) The Cat's Pajamas, Tools:  (Labels No. 4, Small Scalloped Circle Nestabilities) Spellbinders, Other:  coffee filters