Embroidery Hoop Art Card #1: Altenew Embroidered Blooms and Simon Says Stamp

*breathing sigh of relief as I post this card*

OK guys, I'm not gonna lie.  This card made me nervous.  I started out with an idea to emulate some of the gorgeous, modern floral embroidery hoop art that I see on Instagram.  I've had this idea in my head for months and couldn't figure out exactly how I wanted to start, but Altenew's new Embroidered Blooms stamp set really spoke to me and got the creative juices flowing.  Stitching on paper is obviously my jam, but sheesh.  This got stressful.  The problem with paper is that, unlike fabric, if you make a mistake or put a stitch where you do not want it, you're left with a permanent hole.  This is BAD.  😂  But I learned that if you go slowly and methodically, you can definitely translate some beautiful stitching to paper.

I started by adhering the "hello there" from Simon Says Stamp and stitching around the edge.  I then stamped out the largest flower in the set and stitched along the lines in a satin stitch.

I then filled in the edges with some stitched roses, and added some foliage I found in Sizzix's Funky Florals dies, stitching on the leaves and around stems.  I had some fun adding french knots here and there.  

After I finished the top edge, I went to the bottom edge and used the same techniques.  I stamped the daisy images and satin stitched them, and filled in the middle with another rose.  Some more foliage, leaves, and french knots finished up the edge.  

I added some sparkling clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh because that has become an absolute compulsion at this point 😂 and a few Tonic Nuvo drops here and there.  

I made the outer hoop using Altenew's Circle Embroidery Hoop die and adhered the card to a circular card base.  And then I let out a huge exhale and stared at the card for a while in utter disbelief that I got through it with no rogue holes or tears.  😬  

Despite the fact that this card amped up my anxiety level a bit 😉, I'm already thinking that I would like to make another.  Would you be interested in seeing more of these?  And do you have any suggestions for designs?  I would LOVE to hear your ideas!!!  

Links to the products I used are below.  I participate in several affiliate programs including Scrapbook.com and Altenew.  This means that I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you when products are purchased through links I share here.  Thank you for you support!