It’s time to Connect, Craft & Collect! From My 4th – June 14th you can earn an extra $25 in Stampin’ Rewards when you either host a qualifying party or place a qualifying order of at least $250! Woo Hoo!
There are all sorts of ways to connect & craft. You could host a catalog party. You could have a small gathering of friends if you’re comfortable doing that or you could do a combination of the two.
We could also try and do something virtually with Zoom or maybe an online Facebook party.
So many options! Contact me if you would like to Connect, Craft & Collect! I’m here for you!
There is something important that you need to know about before Stampin’ Up!’s Annual Catalog comes out tomorrow. Actually, it’s a fabulous opportunity just for you!
JOIN + Have you seen a copy of Stampin’ Up!’s new catalog yet? Have you seen some of the amazing projects that have been made with some of these products? Do you love Stampin’ Up! products in general?
Do you love gathering together with friends to share your love of stamping either safely in person or virtually?
Could you use a little extra money in your pocket? Do you love a discount? Would you love a discount on Stampin’ Up! products?
If you could answer yes to any of these questions then the month of May is the perfect time for you to join the Stampin’ Up! family and my group of Sassy Stampers! During the month of May you can choose $155 worth of Stampin’ Up! product for ONLY $99! Wow! That’s an extra $30 worth of free product!
Here’s the details:
Pay only $99 + tax
Choose $150 of products from the 2021-2022 Annual Catalog and the January-June Mini Catalog
Receive a Paper Pumpkin kit and business supplies in your Starter Kit for free.
FREE Shipping on your Starter Kit!
Receive a 20% discount on future orders.
Wow! This a great deal AND you’ll be part of my Sassy Stampers group! As Demonstrators we do need to fulfill a $300 sales minimum each quarter. This does include your purchases (not the Starter Kit cost) as well as sales to family and friends. The nice thing about joining in May is that you don’t need to fulfill this minimum of $300 until September 30th! Wow! That’s almost 6 months depending on when in May you join! You’ll want to know too that the July-December (Holiday) Mini Catalog will be coming out this summer so that means more new product for you to choose from.
This is definitely an offer that can’t be beat! I would love to have you join my team of Sassy Stampers! If you have any questions on this fabulous opportunity please contact me. If you’re reading to jump right in, just click here and sign up today!
This past month I participated in two different card swaps. For each of them I made twenty cards ( a different design for each one), mailed them to the hostess and each she sent me back twenty cards from other demonstrators. This card was made by own of the hostesses. Isn’t it lovely? Michelle made it with the Color & Contour Bundle that you can find in Stampin’ Up!’s 2021-2022 Annual Catalog which comes out TOMORROW! Woo Hoo!
Michelle used two of the new In-Colors, Polished Pink and Pale Papaya. The designer paper is from the Pansy Petal pack (pg. 132, #155807 $11.50). Aren’t the little flowers cute? They’re from a package call Loose Flower Flower Flourishes (pg. 141, #155808 $7.50). They come in two different sizes and three different colors, Pale Papaya, Polished Pink and Fresh Freesia.
Color & Contour Bundle Card by Cindy Russell
I really liked Michelle’s card but I knew I wanted to make it mine but where to start? Her card is so pretty and you know how much I love the new Polished Pink color! I like the new Pale Papaya color but I’m not sure how I like it with the Polished Pink.
Changing the two major colors on the card was the first thing I did. I decided to coordinate Polished Pink with the Fresh Freesia. Next I changed the Basic White cardstock to Very Vanilla since I liked how it coordinated better with the designer paper. Then, of course, I had to add more layers. You know me and my layers! I decided to go with Fresh Freesia and Polished Pink instead of the Polished Pink and Pale Papaya. To finish off my card I switched out the ribbon and added another little flower.
This card layout is fun because it gives you a chance to show off a little bit of designer paper. The front of the card base is trimmed by 1”. Then you add a piece of 1” designer paper to the insert of your card. Add a focal point that overhangs the trimmed off area and your card is done!
The Color & Contour Bundle is very versatile. The stamp set has a few fun flower images and five different sentiments. The die set has two dies that cut out the floral images from the stamp set and 5 different scalloped rectangle dies and a scalloped border die. Too fun! You can view this bundle on page 98 of the new Annual Catalog.
Last week I introduced you to the Gatefold Card. It was a fun and easy card to make.
Today I want to share the Bellyband Gatefold Card to you. The base of the card is made the same way as you make the basic Gatefold card base. Start with a piece of cardstock that is 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. With the long edge at the top of your Simply Scored or Paper Trimmer score 2 1/8″ from each end.
The difference on the two types of cards comes with the focal point. On the original Gatefold Card you design a focal point that you adhere directly to the left side of the card base.
On the Bellyband Gatefold Card you design a Bellyband that holds the card closed. My bellyband is 9 1/2″ x 1″. This gave me enough overlap to adhere the two ends of the bellyband together. 9 1/2″ – 9 3/4″ should be good for a card that’s 4 1/4″ wide. If your card is the same size but in landscape orientation instead of portrait you will need to start with a bellyband that is 12″ long. I didn’t score my bellyband. Instead, I held one end of the band just over the halfway point of the card and then I loosely wrapped it around the card. You don’t want your bellyband too loose or it will fall of the card. Then again, you don’t want it too tight or you won’t get it off of the card. You do want to use a stronger adhesive like liquid glue or Stampin’ Seal + to adhere the ends of your bellyband together.
Once you have the bellyband itself made you just need to add your focal point. I decided to go simple on this card. I stamped the flower and added rhinestones. I was going to adhere the flower focal point square on the card but then it dawned on me that the diamond shape might be just a bit more interesting.
Here is a phot of the inside of the card along with the bellyband. You can see how the bellyband looks when it’s not on the card.
If you like fun fold cards but don’t want to get too carried away the Gatefold Fun Fold Card and the Bellyband Fun Fold Card are great choices. They are both fairly easy to make. The hardest part is figuring out your colors and design!
In the past few weeks in my Tools of the Trade posts I’ve introduced you to Stampin’ Up!’s stamp positioning tool, the Stamparatus.
This tool is a must-have for any craft room. Today I am sharing a video that will show you three different ways of using this stamp positioning tool as well as a few little tips.
You will learn the basics of using the Stamparatus, how to hinge stamp as well as how to use the Stamparatus for perfectly die cutting or punching out a stamped image. Check out the video below and let me know if you have any questions.
Using the Stamparatus stamp positioning tool
The video is a little longer than most of my videos but I think you’ll learn a lot! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
I’m trying to get my craft room/things organized (yes, I realize this is on ongoing situation in my life) and came across this blast from the past. Who remembers the Upsy Daisy stamp set? How about the Square Lattice Embossing Folder? I remember both of these products as being favorites of mine.
I’ve determined that this card has to be about 10-11 years old. I went searching through old catalogs and found that embossing folders first appeared in Stampin’ Up! catalogs in the 2010-2011 catalog. Wow! That is a while ago!
When I came across this card I really liked the three-panel layout of the card. I knew that with the new Fresh Freesia In-Color I had three purples that went well together so I thought I’d give the layout a try.
This is what I came up with for my new three-panel card. As I was posting the picture I realized that I did forget to use an embossing folder on the card. Oh, well….
I think it turned ok even without the embossing folder. Don’t look too closely at the image…my embossing got a little messy. Sorry!
I used a floral image from the new Quite Meadow stamp set that will be in Stampin’ Up!’s upcoming 2021-2022 Annual Catalog. It has a coordinating die set called Meadow Dies and they are actually the star of the bundle. There are six silhouetted floral dies, a couple of labels and a few smaller images. You can view it on page 160 of the new annual catalog.
The purples I used on my new card are Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape. I love that these colors coordinate together so well. This was a fun card to make. I hope you like it too.
The Gate Fold Fun Fold is quick and easy. At first glance it looks like a normal, folded in half, card. If you look closely though you can see the seam down the center of the card front.
The front section of the Gate Fold Card is actually two pieces that open outward like….a gate. 🙂
To make a gatefold card you start with the same size piece of cardstock that you would for a regular card. 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. Instead of scoring it at 4 1/4″ you score it at 2 1/8″ from each side. The short edges should meet up perfectly when you fold along your score lines.
In this photo you can see how the card opens. The photo also shows you how you attach the focal point of the card. You want to make sure you only attach it to the left side of the card so that you’ll be able to open the card.
It must be Polished Pink Week here at Stamp by Stamp Creations. On Monday I shared a card with you that I made with Polished Pink. In Tuesday’s newsletter that I emailed out I also used Polished Pink and today I’m using it again.
The designer paper that I used on the front of the card is one of the new patterns in the In-Color Paper stack. You’ll be able to find this pattern along with three others in all of the color family paper stacks in Stampin’ Up!’s new Annual Catalog. I used the Color & Contour stamp set on my card. The scalloped rectangle die comes from the coordinating Scalloped Contour Dies.
This last photo shows the inside of the card and is a good overall view of how it works.
As I mentioned, this is a fun and easy fold to make. Give it a try!
Last week I introduced you to Stampin’ Up!’s stamp positioning tool, the Stamparatus. I gave you a brief overview of this amazing tool.
Today I want to share a quick video with you showing you the actual tool as well as what comes with it and additional accessories that you can purchase with it.
Next week I’ll get down to the Nitty Gritty and start showing you how to use this useful too.
https://youtu.be/rHfmZ16gu2Y
You can view the Stamparatus and it’s accessories in my online store by searching for “stamparatus”.
Happy Monday! We’re past the midpoint of April and I need to think Spring. We had snow here in Colorado last week (over 6″!) and we’re suppose to get more tonight! Sheesh! I’m ready for warm weather. Since flowers are definitely a sign of Spring I thought I’d find a floral card to copy for Make It Mine Monday.
I received this lovely card in a swap from Tina Barela. It was made using the Art Gallery stamp set from Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini Catalog. This stamp set is part of the Fine Art Floral Suite of products that can be found on pages 32-33 of the Mini Catalog. So many fun products! The sentiment and the die to cut it out are part of the suite. Tina used Flirty Flamingo and Mossy Meadow as the colors on her card.
The first reason that this card caught my eye to CASE was that it was PINK! When the dominate color of the card is my favorite color of course it’s going to catch my eye! I also liked that Tina used two different embossing folders on her card. It may be hard to see but she used the Subtle Embossing Folder on the large piece of Basic White cardstock. This embossing folder is retiring on May 3rd so if you love it as much as I do you may want to get one fast!
Stampin’ Up!’s Art Gallery Stamp Set
As you can see I didn’t change too much on Tina’s card. I kept pink the main color but instead of using Flirty Flamingo like Tina did I used the brand new 2021-2023 In-Color Polished Pink! I think it’s my new favorite Stampin’ Up! color!
I also used the strip of pink embossed with one of the Greenery Mini Embossing Folders. I have to admit I wanted to add the Subtle Embossing Folder to the Basic White background of my card like Tina’s but unfortunately I didn’t remember until the card was put together….oh, well….
I did add a few more layers to my card. You know that I can never seem to have enough layers on a card. Ha!
Soft Succulent is the gorgeous green that you’re seeing on my card. It too is one of the new In-Colors. It’s very similar to Mint Macaron but with a little more gray to it. And of course my card wouldn’t be complete with ribbon….Polished Pink Open Weave Ribbon to be precise. Oooo….SO pretty!
It’s so fun (and easy!) to get inspiration from someone else’s project. Have you tried it lately? If not, go for it! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
The Angled Corner Fun Fold card is fun and easy to make. The upper left corner of the card isn’t cut off, it’s folded in on itself. You then use die-cut or punched images to fill in the area that is “missing” on the card.
When you are decorating the card and filling in this “missing” area you want to be sure to stay within the 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ card front area so that you card will fit in the envelope.
Below you can see some photos of the inside of the card as well as the side where the angled fold is.
The nice thing about this fun fold is that it’s easy to alter. You can increase or decrease the size of your angled fold depending on the size of dies/punches that you use to cover the “missing” corner.
You also want to add a die-cut or punched image on the fold on the inside of your card to show it off. In the picture to the left you can see how adhered the single die-cut flower to the inside fold.
The fold itself is made up of only 3 scored lines and one of those scored lines is the one you made at the halfway point (4 1/4″) to form your card. Below you can see the template I used for my card.
The cardstock measures 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ which is a standard card size. I scored it along the long edge at 4 1/4″ which will be the center fold of my card.
Along this center fold score line I measured in 2 3/4″ and made a light pencil mark.
I also measured up 2 1/2″ from this center fold score line and down 2 1/2″ making light pencil marks at these points.
You can’t really use the Simply Scored tool or your Paper Trimmer to score these angled lines so you need to get out your trusty Bone Folder and a regular old ruler or any type of tool with a straight edge. Line up one of the points on the side with the point on the horizontal score mark and run your Bone Folder along the straight edge.
After you’ve made all three score lines fold the card in half like you usually would. Open it up again and crease the angled score lines in the same direction. They will be “mountain fold”.
This fun fold is very easy to make. The hardest part is figuring out how to decorate it! Be sure to contact me if you have any questions on it. I’ll be happy to help you out!
If you are a “particular” stamper and like everything lined up perfectly you definitely need a stamp positioning tool. Back in the day, Stampin’ Up! carried a tool called the Stamp-a-ma-jig which I loved and used often. It was retired many years ago and now they have a new fantastic stamp positioning tool called the Stamparatus. There are many tools similar to the Stamparatus but I love this one. It is an amazing tool and comes in so handy, especially of you’re making multiples of the same project.
Here’s how Stampin’ Up! describes the Stamparatus: “The Stamparatus stamp positioning tool helps you stamp perfect, crisp impressions every time. You can easily align stamp images, including Two-step Stampin’ Stamps; get complete ink coverage even on large stamps; and stamp multiples of the same project without using multiple blocks.”
This tool is a must for every craft room. The Stamparatus was created by stampers for stampers, so it has all the features you want.
* Compatible with red rubber cling and photopolymer stamps
* 2 magnets to hold the paper in place
* Rulers on 2 sides for quick measuring
* 2 open sides so you can use larger paper
* Multiple hinges for more placement options
* 2 reversible plates for 4 sides to work with
* 1 foam mat for use with photopolymer stamps
* 1 base with grid
* Magnet storage areas built in underneath the base
Craft & Carry Stamparatus Bag
The Stamparatus measures 8” x 8” x 7/8” so it’s a small but mighty tool. It doesn’t take up a lot of room and is easy to transport. Did you know that in Stampin’ Up!’s current Annual Catalog you can purchase the Craft & Carry Stamparatus Bag which is perfect for storing and transporting the tool. If you think this bag is a must-have for you then you need to purchase it today because it will be gone after May 3rd, 2021. Guess what? This bag is now only $11.60 while supplies last!
This post has given you a basic overview of the fantastic tool. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing tips on using your Stamparatus. Stay tuned!
I saw this card by Jeanna Bohanan and knew I had to Make It Mine! I love the fun little envelopes from the Snail Dies. So cute!
This is another “long” card that fits in a regular letter-size envelope. I shared my first “long” card with you about a month ago and knew it wouldn’t be my last. It’s kind of fun to work with a different sized card.
Long card with Stampin’ Up!’s new 2021-2022 In-Colors
Here’s my take on Jeanna’s card. I decided to leave the snail off the card and just focus on the fun little envelopes because I knew they’d be the perfect showcase for Stampin’ Up!’s new 2021-2022 In-Colors! Yes! This is your first peek at these gorgeous new colors!
The first envelope is this gorgeous soft green called Soft Succulent. The bright pink envelope is PolishedPink. The light peachy/yellow color is Pale Papaya. The dark green one is Evening Evergreen and the light purple one is called Fresh Freesia.
These new in-colors are gorgeous! They are probably my favorite grouping recently. I like them all and am having a hard time deciding which one is my favorite. How about you? Which one do you like best?
Last year I made a video for each new In-Color comparing it to current Stampin’ Up! colors and I will be doing that again in the near future so stay tuned.
Let’s get back to talking about the card itself. As I mentioned, the envelopes dies are from the Snail Dies as are the inserts for the envelopes and the die-cut hearts. The stamped hearts are from the coordinating Snailed It stamp set and the die-cut letters are from the Playful Alphabet Dies.
My card base is 8” x 9 ¼” which you fold in half along the 8” side so that your card front is 4” x 9 ¼”. My Basic White layer is 8 5/8” x 3 3/8”. You can make your Smoky Slate layer 8 7/8” x 3 5/8” for simplicity. I actually like to make my layers only 3/16” wider instead of ¼” wider so my Smoky Slate layer is actually8 13/16” x 3 9/16”. I do this because 1/8” difference in layers is sometimes not quite enough. I know, it can make things confusing but it’s just the way I like to make my cards. To each his/her own. Right?
The hardest part of making this card for me was randomly stamping the little hearts. I just can’t do random very well. I was stamping along quite nicely until the last few. Naturally I waited until the end to mess things up but most of the hearts are covered by the envelops and letters so you can hardly tell. Ha!
This was a fun card to make and it was my first time playing with the new In-Colors. What do you think of these new In-Colors? Which is your favorite? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Today’s Fun Fold is the Corner Flip Card. It’s called this because….you make a couple of cuts, a couple of score marks and flip the corner! Ha!
I used the Snailed It Bundle and the Snail Mail designer paper on my card. Too cute! The little snail is die cut right from the designer paper. No stamping, no coloring and no fussy cutting! The only stamping I did on the whole card was the “hello” and the outline on the word bubble!
I’ve made a short video to show you how easy this Fun Fold is to make. You can view it below. After the video you will also find the template with instructions that I mention in the video. In the video I also mention that the important thing to remember is that you do the cutting with the card base upside down.
Corner Flip Card Template
In this photo I’ve oriented the card the right way and I show you the lines I’ve cut and how I’ve scored. The solid lines are where I cut according to my template and the dotted lines are where I scored.
To make the angled score marks I lined up my ruler with the top of the vertical cut and the right end of the horizontal cut. Then I used my bone folder to score from each of those marks to the edges of the card.
To make the flip you then want to take the upper right corner of the card and fold it along the score marks towards the meeting point of the cutting lines. Easy Peasy! Now you’re ready to decorate your card.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the Corner Flip Fun Fold card! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
I have to admit that when it comes to cleaning off my stamps while I’m creating I’m usually a “wipes” kind of gal. They’re quick to grab and easy to use. I had a brand of wipes that I loved. They were smooth so they didn’t leave fibers on my stamps. Of course, the manufacturer doesn’t make them any more and I can’t seem to find a decent replacement.
I don’t want my wipes scented and I don’t want them textured. That pretty much leaves out baby wipes. I also don’t want them to antibacterial as I don’t want the alcohol on my stamps. Seeing as I’m so picky and I can’t find wipes that meet my specifications I dug out my Simply Shammy.
I had actually been using my Simply Shammy during classes when I had them in person pre-Covid. Now that I’ve been using it again I’m not sure why I wasn’t. Hmm…..
Here’s Stampin’ Up!’s catalog description of the Simply Shammy: “This reusable stamp cleaning cloth makes stamp cleaning effortless. Just add water, then wipe stamps on the shammy. Durable, thick shammy easily cleans ink from narrow grooves. No lint, no chemicals—just clean! (Ink will stain shammy but won’t transfer to your fingers or other stamps.) With its portable 5″ x 7″ (12.7 x 17.8 cm) size it fits neatly in a stamp case.”
Used Simply Shammy in Stamp Case
As mentioned above, ink will stain your Simply Shammy. I have two of them and they both look like this. The great thing though is that the ink stays in/on the shammy!
I used to use the Stampin’ Scrub pads for cleaning stamps during my in-person classes. The problem with the Stampin’ Scrub was that if you got them too wet and if you cleaned your stamp a little too vigorously, the watery ink could spray on to nearby surfaces. It was a neat, kind of speckled look but if you didn’t want speckles on your just finished project you wouldn’t be happy. This is why I like the Simply Shammy. No mess! You don’t really have to clean them either. Once in a while I will rinse them and gently ring them out but that’s about it.
You can see in my second photo that I keep my Simply Shammy in a stamp case (#119105). The stamp case fits the Simply Shammy perfectly and keeps it moist. The shammy will dry out eventually but just add more water!
A Simply Shammy is the perfect choice for cleaning your stamps. I was a “wipes” gal before but with the shammy I don’t have anything to throw away. I don’t have to clean it and it’s easy to use.
What do you use to clean your stamps? Leave a comment and let me know!
Oh Snap! This stamp set is adorable and has such cute sentiments in it. I couldn’t resist it. This stamp set has been sitting on my shelf for a while now and it was just calling out to be used. So I dusted it off and hit the internet to find a card to give me inspiration.
I thought this would be the perfect stamp set (and sentiment!) to make a belated birthday card. I do try to get cards out in a timely manner but it doesn’t always work.
Josee Smuck’s card was pretty darn cute and I knew this was the one I wanted to recreate. I didn’t change a whole lot on her card but enough to make it my own.
I made my “river” from Coastal Cabana cardstock and my background piece from Old Olive. I also made my sentiment circle a bit smaller.
I loved the way Josee’s alligator turned out so I tried to stay close to hers. I stamped my alligator in black and then used my Blending Brushes (love those things!) to add color. I started with Pear Pizzaz and then progressed to Old Olive. I did have to fussy cut the alligator but it wasn’t too hard. Josee’s texture on the alligator shows up better than mine. I should have used the Hammered Metal Embossing Folder instead of the Tasteful Texture Folder. Oh, well…next time. I will probably have to make this card again sometime since it turned out so cute. I may have to make my sentiment circle larger on the next one so I can add the fish!
Here’s the inside of my card. The sentiment is from the Happiest of Birthdays stamp set. I also had to add the adorable little bird on the inside of the card. If you notice in the picture of the outside of my card I used the little bird on the envelope too. No naked envelopes! 🙂
