DIY cards

A lovely Spring card on Day 20 of my 40 Cards in 40.  The focal point of this card is Stampin’ Up!’s  beautiful Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper.  Click the link to see all of the gorgeous, colorful patterns in this pack of paper.

To make the card I adhered a strip of the designer paper directly to the Basic White card base.  Then I embossed a piece of Basic White cardstock with the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder.  After cutting a strip out of the middle of the embossed cardstock I adhered it to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  Then it was time to decorate the card as it needed a little something more.  I chose to use the Charming Sentiments stamp set and the Sentiment Silhouette Dies.  Have you used this bundle yet?  This was actually the first time I’ve used the bundle and I love it!  No more fussy cutting around words!  The dies do all the work.  These two items are bundled in the current Annual Catalog, but that means you only have about 6 weeks to get the bundle price.  17 different sentiments in the stamp set and 30 dies!  Wow! 

An easy beautiful card perfect for that next birthday on your calendar!  Thank you Lorri Heiling for the inspiration. Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

It’s a birthday card for Day 19 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days.  I used the Silly Goose stamp set and the Country Gingham 6” x 6” Designer Paper on my card.  The frame is one of the Fabulous Frames Dies.

The geese in this stamp set are so cute and there are fun sentiments in it too.  I die-cut the frame twice, once in Sweet Sorbet and once in Basic White.  I used the cut-out from the white frame to stamp the goose on and colored the goose with my Stampin’ Blend Markers.  Fun and easy!  Who doesn’t need a birthday card with a fun goose on it?

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Are you anxiously awaiting Spring and Summer?  I know I am!  This card for Day 18 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days should at least lets you think about these warmer seasons.  I’ve used the cute Hello Ladybug stamp set and the Ladybug Builder Punch for today’s card. 

The designer paper used on the card is the Perfectly Penciled Designer Series Paper.  You can’t go wrong with black and white paper.  The little flowers in the lower right corner of the card are from the Petal Park stamp set.  I love that they are so like the flowers on the designer paper.

Today’s card is a fun fold card called the Z-Fold.  You can see why it’s called that in the second photo below.  A Z-Fold card is easy to make.  Take a regular card base and then score the front of the card at the halfway mark (2 1/8” on this card).  Fold back along the score mark and add your focal point.  Just remember to only adhere the focal point (ladybug) to the front flap of the card.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

I love the silhouettes that the Meadow Dies cut out.  They make a very striking card.  For Card 17 in my 40 Cards in 40 Days I’ve paired one of the silhouettes with the Brushstroke Specialty Paper that I shared with you in my project on Day 15.  Today I used the Blushing Bride Brushstroke Paper.  It really sets off the black silhouette.  Unfortunately, my photo does not do the card justice.  The Blushing Bride paper doesn’t want to photograph well.  I also used my favorite new embossing folder, the crosshatch from the Basics 3D Embossing Folders which is one of the offering in Stampin’ Up!’s Online Exclusives.

This card would be perfect for almost any occasion.  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Today’s card on Day 15 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days uses the Whale Done stamp set, the Whale Punch and the GORGEOUS Brushstroke Specialty Paper. 

Oh, my! I had overlooked this paper in the catalog until one of customers purchased some.  My card and the photo in the catalog do not do it justice.  Check out the link to it above because the photo in my online store does a pretty good job showing you just how beautiful it is.

In the package of the Brushstroke Specialty Paper you get one sheet of 3 different colors.  Night of Navy, Soft Succulent and Blushing Bride.  When I first looked at the Night of Navy piece it reminded me of water which inspired me to dig out the Whale Done stamp set and the Whale Builder Punch. 

I was having a difficult time coming up with an idea until I came across a card I made last year with this punch and stamp set. Different designer paper, different orientation and a different whale.

Last year I stamped the whale and punched it out. This year I die cut all the pieces of the whale and put it together. To get the two different tones of Smoky Slate for my pieced together whale I punched the pieces twice. The first time I punched it out of unaltered Smoky Slate and this is what I used for the belly piece. The second time that I punched out the whale I had used my Blender Brush and lightly added a bit of Smoky Slate ink to the Smoky Slate cardstock. I really like the way it turned out.

Such a fun stamp set and punch. Two more items that will stay in my craft room stash. 🙂

Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!

For Day 14 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days I wanted to highlight the Radiating Stitches Dies that are a new item found in Stampin’ Up!’s Online Exclusives.  There are six dies in the set that all have this fun stitching on them.  There are three different sizes of rectangles, two different circles and the heart which I used on my card here.  Be sure to click the link above and check out these dies online to see the stitching on the other dies.

This card was very easy to make.  After die-cutting the three hearts from Polished Pink cardstock, I adhered them to a piece of Basic White cardstock that was embossed with my favorite cross-hatch design from the Basic 3D Embossing Folders.  Add a layer of Basic Black and pop it on the front of the card.  Easy Peasy.

One of the things I like about my challenge is that since I have to make so many cards, I’m forcing myself to make easier cards.  Sometimes I can get carried away.  I hope you’re challenging yourself a little bit and making at least a few cards yourself.  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Such a fun card on Day 13!  A pocket card! Before I start telling you about this card I do have a disclaimer.  I made the card, but I didn’t design it.  I saw it online and copied it.  I can’t give them credit because I don’t remember where I found it and they didn’t have a watermark on the photo.  ☹

This was a fun card to make.  The little pocket was easily made with the Mini Pocket Envelope Dies.  I stamped the cat, cut him out and glued him to the top of the insert.  The Pool Party designer paper is from the Subtles 6” x 6” pack.   Other than cutting the cat out by hand, this card was easy to make. 

I wonder who I should send it to?  Oh, I’ve got it!  My younger son’s birthday is at the end of the month and he has a black cat!  Perfect!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Today I have a simple design for you.  On Day 12 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days I am highlighting the Sentimental Park Dies.  The card itself isn’t simple as there is die-cutting and embossing to do, but the overall design is simple.  One little flower on my favorite embossed background.

The Sentimental Park Die set has a lot to offer.  Some of the dies will cut out images from the coordinating Sentimental Park stamp set.  Others will die cut flowers and labels which will fit the sentiments in the stamp set.  I used some of the “extra” dies.  The flower stem was trimmed from the longer die-cut stem in the set.  To get a two-tone look I my flower I first die cut the solid image from Mango Melody cardstock.  To get the darker outline flower I first using my blending brush to brush some Mango Melody ink on the Mango Melody cardstock before die-cutting.

A fun and easy card for Day 12.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Day 11 of 40 Cards in 40 Days brings us another sweet card.  This is the second card I’ve made during my challenge with Stampin’ Up!’s Dainty Delight stamp set.  You can view the first one here.  I like this stamp set because if has some nice sentiments in a pretty font and the floral images are small, sweet and easy to color.  Ha!  Yep, I like the look of colored images, but it’s not my favorite thing to do.

The colors used on the card are Fresh Freesia and Soft Succulent.  So pretty together!  The embossing folder used on the card is one of the Basic 3D Embossing Folders that you can find in the Online Exclusives in my Online Store.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed Card 11.  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Another day.  Another card that makes me smile.  This card that I made for Day 10 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days is an easy one and a beautiful one.  I can’t call it a Simple Saturday card because there’s a little bit of die cutting involved. 

The gorgeous Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper is the highlight of the card.  I framed a piece of the paper with Basic White and adhered it to an Orchid Oasis card.  This paper is so beautiful, I could have left it at that but I wanted to add a little something else to it without taking away from the paper.  The Amazing Thanks Dies were the perfect choice.  This die set die cuts both pieces which make it so easy to use.  I used liquid glue to adhere the two pieces together but another option would be to use Adhesive Sheets for the top layer.  The combined layers are adhered to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  Easy-peasy and oh, so lovely! 

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

A soft and sweet card for Day 8 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days challenge.  This card was made using Stampin’ Up!’s Speedy Recovery stamp set.  This is the perfect get well stamp set.  I wanted to use soft colors on my card so I stamped the image with Smoky Slate and then colored it in with my Stampin’ Blend Markers.  The band and bow around the flowers are stamped with the bouquet.

The designer paper I used on my card is from the Country Gingham 6” x 6” Designer Paper pack.  The color of gingham on my card is Mint Macaron which is what I used to color in the leaves.  The designer paper layer of the card is popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  The White Crinkled Seam Binding bow finishes off the card.  Soft and sweet.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Happy first day of March!  March is a big birthday month in the Russell family so it’s only fitting that I share a birthday card with you today.  This is Day 7 of 40 Cards in 40 Days.  Today I’m using the Best Day stamp set from Stampin’ Up!’s January – April 2023 Mini Catalog. 

I fell in love with this chubby little cupcake cat when I saw it.  TSC!  Too Stinkin’ Cute!  The designer paper is the Design A Dream Designer Paper.  This paper is a hostess item found on page 179 of Stampin’ Up!’s January – April Mini Catalog.  It can only be purchased with Stampin’ Rewards.  Contact me if you’d like more information on this. 

While planning my card, I chose the designer paper first.  This made it easier to figure out what colors to use on the cupcake cat.  😊  You may not have noticed, but the layout for this card is the same as the layout I used on Day 2 of challenge.  I changed up the shape of the focal point and added ribbon and a little stamping on the card front.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Wow!  This Naturally Gilded Specialty Designer Series Paper that I used on this card for Day 6 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days is gorgeous!  As you can see, I made the paper the focal point of the card.  The package of paper comes with 6 sheets of specialty paper.  2 sheets with a copper design on a white background like I used here, 2 sheets with a silver design on a white background and 2 sheets with a gold design on vanilla background.

I can’t share a link to the paper in my online store because it’s not there yet.  This paper is part of Stampin’ Up!’s Online Exclusives that start tomorrow.  As a demonstrator I was able to order it a head of time.  I can’t wait to see what else Stampin’ Up! has in store for us with their Online Exclusives!

The label and sentiment that I used on the card are from the Something Fancy Bundle that can be found in Stampin’ Up!’s January – April Mini Catalog.

I hope you’re enjoy my 40 Cards in 40 Days.  If you are, please leave a comment on my blog or Facebook page.  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

It’s Day 5 in my 40 Cards in 40 Days Challenge and I have a treat for you.  Three cards in one day!  I made today’s cards from February’s Paper Pumpkin Kit, Sunshine and Smiles!  For these cards I tried to follow the directions and make the cards as the kit suggested.  Me, follow directions?  I will admit that it was a bit difficult but I did it.  😊

Aren’t these critters adorable?  If you’re wishing that you had purchased the kit, I have a suggestion for you.  Check out the Rain or Shine Suite of products in Stampin’ Up!’s January – April Mini Catalog.  You’ll find some of these same critters and images!  I don’t have this suite (yet?), but I wish I did so I could make some alternative cards with the items in my Paper Pumpkin kit.  Oh, well.  I’ll just have to get creative.

It’s hard to tell from the photo above, but all three cards have a window in the front.  Check out the photo here.  This is the inside of the yellow/mango checked card. 

Did you know that March will be Paper Pumpkin’s 10^th Anniversary?  Wow!  That’s a lot of kits!  For their anniversary, Paper Pumpkin is including a FREE gift in the kit.  They are including a second stamp set that will coordinate with the stamp set in the kit or stand on it’s own.  😊

Have you ever tried a Paper Pumpkin subscription?  If not, you should.  If you have in the past, and weren’t satisfied with them, give them another try.  The kits just keep getting better and better!  I had fun making these three cards and I’m looking forward to changing them up a little. Check out the Paper Pumpkin page in my online store.  If you do decide to purchase the month-to-month subscription, you can sign up here.

I hope you enjoyed these Paper Pumpkin cards for Day 5.  Have a great day.  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Stampin’ Up!’s Dainty Delight stamp set has such sweet images.  It was the perfect choice for Day 4 of my 40 Cards in 40 Days Challenge.  Not only is it Day 4 of my challenge but it’s Saturday.  What’s better on Saturday than a simple card?

Today’s card is one we made in classes this past week.  This simple card only uses stamps, ink and paper….ok…and one little bow.  😊  To give the card a little dimension and not be so boring, I used designer paper to stamp my image on and for the blue layer.  I did try the card using cardstock instead of the designer paper but it was way to boring.  The subtle patterns of the designer paper give the card just enough “wow” to make it interesting. Both of the designer paper patterns that I used are from the Dainty Flowers Designer Paper pack which was a Sale-a-bration item.  I say “was” because it sold out a few weeks ago.  This card would be pretty with any subtle patterns and color combinations.

Simple Saturday with stamps, ink and paper.  I really need to try that more often! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!