Here we go again. When I first saw this stamp set in the new catalog it didn’t catch my eye. I’m not into cutesy stamps, right? Ha! The jokes on me. The more I see these little birds singing away, the more I need to see them in my craft room!
The Sweet Songbirds Bundle can be found on page 31 of the new catalog. The stamp set includes two birds, seven sentiments in a fun font, along with some other images. The bird you see on this card was punched with the Songbird Builder Punch from the bundle. So cute!
Thank you to Amy Koenders for sharing this bright and fun card. I love that my fellow demonstrators are willing to share their creations.
This adorable bundle is on my wish list, how about you?
For Day 3 of my 30 Days of the Annual Catalog I want to share the Bottled Happiness Bundle which can be found on page 16 of the catalog.
I chose this card which Laurie Meier made because it showcases the Bottled Happiness stamp set, the Vintage Bottle Punch, the Vintage Bottle Shaker Domes and the new Effervescent Elements which are the little beads in the bottle. So many products that work together perfectly!
I’ve made a card or two using the stamp set and the punch but haven’t used the shaker dome or little beads yet.
Doesn’t this card make you smile? I love all of the bright colors. The flowers are on one stamp and the leaves are on another stamp. Laurie must have used her Stampin’ Write markers to color the flowers in the different colors. The Bottled Happiness stamp set is photopolymer so it’s a little harder to use the markers on, but as you can see, it does work.
Such a bright and cheerful card. I can’t wait to make something similar when I get back to my craft room. Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
You can never have enough masculine cards on hand. Stampin’ Up!’s 2022-2023 Annual Catalog has a lot of options for making masculine cards.
Yesterday I shared the He’s The Man Suite of products with you and today I am sharing the Brewed For You Bundle of products. If you know someone who enjoys beer this is the perfect bundle. You could even make a wine glass with the stemmed glass if you’d like.
Thank you to Michelle Quinno for sharing this fun card. It highlights both the stamp set and the dies. I love how she used vellum for the glasses. Don’t you love the foam on the glasses? The foam on both glasses are die cuts.
Such a fun and easy card for Day 2 of 30 Days of the New Catalog. I wonder what’s in store for Day 3? đ
Hello! I’ve been away from my blog for a little bit and it’s time to get back to it. I’m actually away from craft room which is why you haven’t heard from lately. I’m in Minnesota with my parents as my mom has some health issues.
I want to share ideas with you using the products in Stampin’ Up!’s new annual catalog but since I’m away from my craft room, I’m going to share projects that other demonstrators/crafters have shared online.
I think it’s a great solution for both you and me. We both get to see these fabulous new products and how to use them.
The first product(s) I want to share with you is the He’s The Man Suite that can found on pages 78-79 of the catalog. Father’s Day is coming up fast so I thought this masculine suite would be perfect to share with you today.
One of the fun things included in this suite of products is the He’s The Man Specialty Designer Series Paper. It’s a specialty pack because it includes two sheets of die cuts that coordinate perfectly with the other products!
A big thank you to Ginny Harrell for designing this fun card and using so many items in the suite. The fun frame that Ginny used on the front of the card is die cut using the Fabulous Frames Dies found on page 171 of the catalog.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the first of my 30 Days of the New Annual Catalog! Come back tomorrow for Day #2!
Stampin’ Up!’s Sentimental Swirls stamp set is a fun and simple stamp set that can be found in the January – June Mini Catalog. It is a stamp set perfect for the beginner stamper.
The flowers that you see on this card are punched out with the Flowers & Leaves Punch. There are also smaller flowers in the stamp set that can be punched out with the Strawberry Builder Punch.
As I was scrolling through Pinterest I came across this card by Carol Brown that caught my eye. I knew I wanted to recreate it for Make It Mine Monday. Pink flowers with a touch of black. Of course it caught my eye! đ
As you can see on my card, I made pink the prominent color and black is just an accent. The card came together easily. I started with the black swirl and went from there. The flowers were stamped on a scrap of Basic White cardstock and then colored and punched out. I set them around the swirl where I was going to adhere them so I could figure out where to stamp the leaves.
The stamp set is photopolymer so it was quite easy to stamp the outlines of the flowers, leaves and bird and then use a second stamp to stamp the colored portion. Two step stamping at it’s best!
When I came across this card sketch I knew it was perfect for using my Stitched Stars Die Set one last time before it retires. đ
A star isn’t a shape that I use often when I make a card but it’s one of those basic ones that is nice to have on hand. The Stitched Stars Die Set will definitely stay as part of my “stash”.
The Tidings and Trimmings Bundle came to my mind first when I saw this sketch so I got out my bundle with the coordinating designer paper and ribbon and created a card. Then I happened to check out Stampin’ Up’s List of Last Products that are no longer available and this bundle was on the list. It was time to go back to the drawing board.
My next thought for using a star was “patriotic”. You know, red, white & blue and stars and stripes.
If you compare my card to the sketch you can see that I kind of flipped it. I also added the ribbon. If you’re wondering how I got my designer paper on the card front so straight, let me tell you my secret. I cut a piece of Real Red cardstock 5 1/4″ x 4″ and a piece of designer paper 5 1/4″ x 3 7/8″. I then adhered the designer paper to the cardstock. Easy Peasy! Sometimes I scare myself when I come up with these solutions. Ha!
I love the challenge of card sketches. The sketch gives you the basic starting point but then the sky is the limit! If you haven’t tried them yet, give them a shot. I think you’ll enjoy them!
Dahlias are a favorite flower in my family. My mom used to grow them in her garden and her dad used to grow them and enter them in the Minnesota State Fair. He even won awards with them. So when I saw the new Dahlia Days stamp set in Stampin’ Up!’s January – June Mini catalog I knew that I had to get it. Then when I saw it on my stamp shelf it was time to create a card or two with it.
Not only do Dahlias come in different sizes and shapes but they can come in many different colors too.
This is my inspiration card. I love Tarabeth’s card but it’s Make It Mine Monday and I had to change it up.
The basic layout of my card is the same as the inspiration card but I did add another layer (of course!). It’s hard to tell in the photo of my card but I used the Gingham Embossing Folder like Tarabeth did.
I added another flower to my card. You know, that Rule of 3 that I’ve talked about before. This rule says that elements in groups of 3, or at least odd numbers, are more pleasing to the eye.
Tarabeth’s card gave me the inspiration that I needed. That’s why I love checking out other people’s cards. I may not copy them exactly, but they give me the little boost I need to get started.
Iâm calling todayâs card a hybrid because it looks just like last weekâs card but it doesnât have a pocket and itâs a Gate Fold Card because the two sides fold in like a gate. Hereâs the link to last weekâs Angled Pocket Card and hereâs the link to a Belly Band Gate Fold Card that I made. If we have to give this hybrid a name, letâs call it the Horizontal Angled Gate Fold.  I like to name the fun folds so that I can tell them apart. đ
Tulips Dies Chart by Lisa Schmid
I love the way this card turned out. It screams âSpring!â. Just like on last weekâs Angled Pocket Card (see link above), I wanted to find a piece of designer paper that I could use both sides. Flowering Fields Designer Paper to the rescue! Since I was using the tulip designer paper, I decided to try my hand with the Tulip Dies. Instead of trying to figure out what dies I needed to use to make the different tulips I did a little search online and found a chart. Thank you Lisa Schmid!
The base of the card is made just like last weekâs Angled Pocket Card. The only difference is that you donât make the pocket. Stop before you reach that point. Then you need to make a belly band and a focal point.
For the belly band I used 2 pieces of 6 ½â x 1 ½â pieces of Pumpkin Pie cardstock. I adhered the pieces together by overlapping the pieces by about 1/2â or so. With the card base closed and laying on top of the belly band (seam centered) I carefully wrapped the belly band around the card. It should be snug but not too tight. I then adhered the two ends together. You should use a strong adhesive like SEAL + or Tear & Tape to make the belly band.
The focal point of my card started with a die from the Hippo & Friends Dies (which is retiring). The tulips are added to the largest Layering Circles die. So fun!
To add a little texture to my die-cut tulips I used a Blending Brush to add a little Pumpkin Pie ink to the Mango Melody pieces before assembling them. I think this softened the Mango Melody cardstock a little.
The Flowering Tulips stamp set and the Tulips Dies are both continuing into the upcoming 2022-2023 Annual Catalog. However, the Flowering Fields Designer Paper is not.
I hope you enjoyed this lovely, springtime fun fold card! Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!
Today’s Card Sketch is all about the (Tri)Angle! I’ve had my Stitched Triangle Dies for a while now and they’ve never been used. (I know….I shouldn’t admit things like this!) Today’s sketch was the perfect chance to see how they worked.
There are 19 different dies in this set including four different sets of nesting triangles! That’s a lot of triangles!
I knew that I wanted to use designer paper for my triangles but the big question was which papers?
Small designs was what I needed for my triangles. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to see the design. I finally decided on the Flowering Fields Designer Series Paper. All three designs are from this package of paper.
If you compare the card sketch to my card you can see that the first big change I made was to the size of the card. The sketch is for a square card and I made my card the usually 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ front.
The only other real change I made was to add a couple of layers, but then that is kind of what I do, right? đ
It was fun playing with those triangles. I may have to get them out again soon and play some more! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
Ah, Springtime! It’s finally here! Ok…snow is actually forecast for here in the Denver area today but the calendar says Spring! Woo hoo!
Flowers of Friendship is the stamp set I used on today’s card. It’s Make-It-Mine Monday so I did get my inspiration for today’s card elsewhere. You’ve got to love Pinterest. We Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators also have the Demonstrator Planning Place Facebook Page where we can share ideas with each other which is nice.
The fun gingham designer paper is from the Pansy Petals Designer Paper in the current Annual Catalog. I do love my gingham!
The stitched, scalloped rectangle was die cut using the Scalloped Contours Dies.
AnaMarie’s card definitely caught my eye and is so lovely, but I have to be honest, I couldn’t get over the Soft Succulent green flowers. That’s why I chose to change the main color to Fresh Fresh Freesia.
I kept most of the elements on the card the same but changed up the label and sentiment. It’s rare that I simplify a card instead of adding to it. Ha!
Happy Spring! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
Todayâs Fun Fold is an Angle Pocket Fun Fold. So fun and easy if you follow the instructions. Below you will find step-by-step instructions with photos on how to make it. I do have a disclaimerâŚon my samples in the instructions the card stock base doesnât really match the rest of the parts of the card but I wanted to make sure you could see the different steps.
For the base of this card you need to start with a full sheet of cardstock. With the long side of the cardstock at the top of your score board, score at 5 ½â. The next step is to cut the card stock in half along the short side (at the 4 Âźâ mark) so that you have two pieces of cardstock that are 4 Âźâx 11â and scored in half. At this point you want to make sure that both pieces are the exact same size because they will overlap.
Place one of the 4 1/4″ x 11″ pieces of cardstock vertically on the Paper Trimmer (short side towards the top). Start at the top left corner and cut diagonally to the right side of the score line.
On the second piece of 4 1/4″ x 11″ cardstock start at the right side of the score mark and cut diagonally to the bottom left corner.
Fold both pieces along the score lines making sure that edges and points/corners line up straight. Lay the two pieces horizontally with the angled pieces to the outside. Adhere the two rectangular sections together, making sure all edges line up square.
The angled sections of the card need to be decorated before you complete the pocket. Itâs easiest if you start with a piece of designer paper that you want to use both sides of. Cut the designer paper to 5 Âźâ x 4â. If the patterns you want to use arenât on the same sheet of designer paper, you will need to cut two different 5 Âźâ x 4â pieces. The side of the paper facing up will be adhered to the angled section on the right side of the card. Cut the designer paper diagonally from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. If the designer paper has a pattern where it matters if something is upside down, be sure to take this into consideration before cutting the paper. You will notice that on my card at the beginning of this post that the leaves are pointing down. Lucky for me this doesnât really matter with leaves. (I forgot to take my own advice! Ha!). In the sample photo to the left you see that it will matter if the peaches are upside down so I had to take that into consideration.
Adhere the designer paper pieces to the angled sections of the card base. Make sure you have the sections in the âclosedâ position so you donât adhere the paper to the wrong side of the section. I like to use liquid glue so that I have to a little room to slide the piece and make sure I get it in the correct position.
To make the pocket, place a strip of Tear & Tape adhesive as close to the bottom edge of one of the angle sections as possible . You will want to adhere the adhesive to the angled section that will be âunderneathâ and will be covered by a portion of the other angled section. In this example photo I placed my adhesive on the left angled section. Remove the backing from the Tear & Tape, fold the section over towards the center and adhere.
To adhere the second angle section over the first, place a piece of Tear & Tape adhesive close to the bottom edge of the first angle section (which is already adhered to the center of the card). Make sure not to get too close to the left side (in my example) so that the adhesive doesnât show when the angled piece is adhered.
For the pocket insert cut the base piece 5 1/8â x 3 žâ. The Basic White piece which you will decorate/write on should be cut 4 7/8â x 3 ½â.
Despite my lengthy instructions and all of the photos, this card is pretty easy to make. Have fun recreating it!
This adorable Easter duckling makes me smile. How about you? You can find this little duckling in the Easter Friends stamp set along with a little chick and a bunny.
Does the designer paper I used on this card look familiar? It should. It’s the same paper I used on yesterday’s 40 Projects In 40 Days card over on Facebook. It’s from the Waves of the Ocean Designer Series Paper. Did you click on the link to check it out? This paper is so fun!
The duckling is stamped in Soft Suede and then colored with the Light Daffodil Delight and the Light Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blend Markers. Images that you want to color with your Stampin’ Blend Markers don’t have to stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. They just need to be stamped with a water-based ink which is what Stampin’ Up! inks are.
It’s Card Sketch Day and here you can see the card sketch that I followed. I added my usual layers to my card as well as the sentiment. There was just a little too much white space for me. Having the sentiment on it’s side at the top adds a little something different to the card too.
Card Sketches are such a fun and easy way to get inspired. I usually pick a card sketch that I like and then try to figure out what stamps, dies and papers to use on it.
With so many colors and so many shades of colors sometimes itâs hard to know where to begin. Most of the time you have an idea of the basic color(s) you want to use on a card but how do you choose a shade of that color?Â
Currently, Stampinâ Up! has 11 different greens for us to choose from! Green wins the prize for the most shades. Check out the chart I made. You can see how the greens go from a very soft and light Soft Seafoam to the deep and rich Evening Evergreen. We all have our favorites. The greens that I probably use most often are Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive, although it depends on the project. If I was going to pick a favorite green it would have to be Evening Evergreen. A chart like this make it easy to see all of the greens together so you could maybe try a new shade.
Check out the lovely card that my friend Janet made. She used Soft Sea Foam along with Balmy Blue. Personally, I donât care for Soft Seafoam, but it really works on this card. I get a nice, relaxed feeling when I look at it which is probably what Janet was going for when she chose these two colors to go with her stamped images. If I recreated this card and went with my go-to green of Pear Pizzazz it wouldnât have worked nearly as well.  You just wouldnât have that same relaxed feeling.
Different colors and different shades of colors are going to give you different feelings. As I mentioned, the soft colors of Janetâs card make me feel relaxed and peaceful. If I tried making this card with Granny Apple Green which is a fun, bright, in-your-face color it definitely wouldnât make you feel relaxed. Bright colors give you more of a happy and excited feeling. They would be better suited for a birthday card or something like that.
When youâre choosing a color or shade of color you also want to think about how itâs being used on your project. Are you using a certain ink color to stamp an image or are you using a blending brush to apply the ink color on cardstock? Are you just using the colored cardstock for layers? These questions are important to think about when choosing the right color/shade for your project.
In a previous paragraph I mentioned that my go-to light green, Pear Pizzazz, probably wouldnât have worked on Janetâs card. Iâd like to change that thought up a bit. If I recreated Janetâs card as is, Pear Pizzaz wouldnât have worked. If I changed up the card so that I didnât use any Pear Pizzazz cardstock on the card and just used it on the focal point it might work. Iâd be able to blend the Pear Pizzazz lightly enough with my Blending Brush to get that same soft look. Sometimes you have to experiment and see whatâs actually going to work for your project.
Stampinâ Up! has so many choices of greens for our projects. Donât always head for your favorites. You may even see me using Soft Seafoam on one of my upcoming projects! Give those other shades a try. Think about the feeling youâre trying to project. Stampinâ Up! already does this for us with their Designer Papers. Check out some of the papers and see what kind of feelings you get.
Color and combinations of color are powerful. Think about the feeling you want your card to project before choosing your colors.
While I was scrolling through Pinterest looking for cards to make for my 40 Projects In 40 Days (find them on my Facebook page), This card caught my eye and knew I had to Make It Mine! It seems that I have a thing for trees. I seem to purchase any stamp set that has some type of tree in it. đ
I love how Rose used the Birch background stamp on her card with the die-cut trees. I also love how she stamped and cut out the “happy birthday” from the Biggest Wish stamp set.
As you can see, I flipped the card and added a layer. It looks like Rose used grays on her card but I used Crumb Cake. The die-cut trees are from the Majestic Mountain dies. My card only has two tree on it to keep it a little more simple.
There’s a tip that I want to remind you of. I shared it with you last fall in my newsletter. What? You don’t get my newsletter? You may want to go to the sign-up box at the top of this page and get on that list today so you don’t miss anything!
Anyway, the tip that I want to remind you of is that when you are cutting around a stamped word like “birthday” here on my card you should lightly sketch around the word so that your scissors have a line to follow. It really makes a difference. The image here on my card was my second attempt. I forgot to trace around the word the first time and really messed it up. Another tip would be to remember to use Adhesive Sheets when die cutting the trees or other intricate images. It makes life a whole lot easier!
This turned out to be a perfect card for a guy. I’m going to have to make a few more of them to keep in my stash! Have a great day! Take care and Happy Stamping!
Todayâs card is a Pocket Fun Fold and itâs easy! The base of the card is one piece of 5 ½â x 8 ½â card stock scored at 2 ½â and 6 ½â. Thatâs it! Fold along both score lines to the center of the card. The smaller 2â section will form the pocket of the card. You will need to use a strong, narrow adhesive like Stampinâ Up!âs Tear & Tape close to the edges of the cardstock so that you have room for the card insert. Once you have the card base formed you will notice that closed card is only 5 ½â x 4â instead of the usual 5 ½â x 4 Âźâ. This is because the larger flap overlaps the pocket portion of the card.
Easy Pocket Fun Fold Card
To decorate the card you need to pieces of coordinating designer paper. The larger piece is 5 Âźâ x 2 Âźâ. The smaller piece is 5 Âźâ x 1 žâ. I used the Abstract Beauty Designer Series Paper on my card. I love the black and gold together. The flowers on my focal point were punched using the Strawberry Builder Punch. The centers were punched with a Âźâ Circle Punch (retired).
The gold foil portion of the card insert is 4 žâ x 3 žâ. The Basic White portion of the insert is 4 ½âx 3 ½â. Both sentiments that I used on my card are from the Peaceful Moments stamp set.
Fun and simple. My kind of fun fold! I hope youâve enjoyed todayâs card! Have a great day. Take care and Happy Stamping!
