My First Christmas in July Card

Do you make Christmas cards in July?  Typically, I do not. But I had been wanting to try the new Fright Night dies to make a Christmas card so I decided to check it off my list.

I used Garden Green card stock to cut both the large and small label dies from the Fright Night bundle.  Then I dry embossed the large label with the Forever Plaid embossing folder and ran the edge of the card through white craft ink.  I sprinkled white embossing powder on the ink, then heat embossed it.

I used the Festive Post, a retired stamp set to heat emboss the reindeer, snowflakes and sentiment on the small one. Then stamped a partial sentiment and postage image from the same set using Real Red and Garden Green inks.  

I placed a 4" x 5.25" piece of plaid DSP from the Reindeer Days DSP pack (retired) on an A2 Real Red card base.

To finish off the card, I added a few gold baubles and a gold/white bow.

Have you made a Christmas card this month?  I'd love to know how many of you make Christmas cards during the month of July!

 

Painterly Pears DSP

Have you seen the new DSP Painterly Pears?  It is absolutely gorgeous!  There are twelve different sheets of patterned paper to create with.  

For my card today, I used the sheet of paper that has a floral and pear border.  The center of the paper is white. When you cut it into six 4" x 5.25" panels, there is a blank space for stamping a sentiment on each panel.

I stamped one of the sentiments from the You Are Remarkable stamp set in Secret Sea ink.  I also placed some of the ink on a block, added a little water and used my splatter brush to add a small bit of splatter. 

I used a small strip of the Timeless Plaid DSP to line the left side of the card and a small strip of Secret Sea card stock to create some division between the two patterned papers.  I mounted the panel on a piece of Certainly Celery card stock and added a few small gold pearls to finish off the card.  

This card design is very simple and the DSP did all the work!  Be sure to check out all the other beautiful  patterns in this paper pack! Which is your favorite? 

Painterly Pears DSP

 

Back to Basics Saturday Class #2

Welcome to my Back to Basics Saturday Class #2!  I'm so glad you decided to join me for our second class.  

Today I am using the Spooky Halloween stamp set and Spooky Sweet DSP. We will also be using the following supplies:

2" punch

2 3/8" punch

Black Memento ink

Basic Gray card stock

Basic Black card stock

Dimensionals

I began by cutting 2 A2 Basic Gray card bases and two Pumpkin Pie panels from the Spooky Sweet DSP pack at 4" x 5.25".  I also punched two spooky cute images from another sheet of the DSP using the 2" circle punch.  I punched two 2 3/8" circles from Basic Black card stock.  Then I glued the image punch outs onto the black card stock to frame them.

I stamp images from the Spooky Sweet stamp set using black Memento ink on the orange panels and adhered the punched images with dimensionals.

What do you think?  Cute as a bat?  ;) Which is your favorite, This or That?

Also, this same sketch can be used to create simple holiday or birthday cards with other patterns of DSP!

Circle of Season Paper Pumpkin Dies

Our July Paper Pumpkin kits are in the process of shipping!  Have you ordered the Circle of Season coordinating dies?  These dies will coordinate with the next three Paper Pumpkin kits.

...and did you know the August kit will include an extra stamp set?  Wow! Two stamp sets in one kit. To receive the August kit, you should subscribe by August 10th.

If you aren't a Paper Pumpkin subscriber but enjoy crafting, these monthly kits are all inclusive and you can usually create 9 cards, three of each design in each kit. It's like Christmas every month when they arrive in your mailbox!

And the best part is, there are no requirements for subscribers. You can skip a month if you don't want a kit or cancel at any time. 

To learn more or subscribe, visit www.Stampinup.com, click "Menu" on  the left and choose Paper Pumpkin Subscription.

I'd love to create with you each month via my virtual Paper Pumpkin class.  Let me know if you would be interested in joining us. This is a perk I include for my subscribers and we'd love to have you join us!

Stamping on DSP...Another Great Tool for Your Stamping Toolbox

I love the look of a bright and cheerful background and this one really pops! It almost has an Autumn vibe to it as well.

I began making my card by stamping and die cutting the floral images in the Cheerful Day stamp set. I used Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green and Pecan Pie Stampin' Blends to color the images. I also stamped the "Hey" sentiment from the same stamp set in Pecan Pie ink.

I cut a yellow gingham panel from the Floral Delight DSP at 4" x 5.25" and stamped the plaid stamp from the new Party Celebrations in Pumpkin Pie ink randomly on the paper. Then I stamped some faded text from the Elements of Text stamp set in the areas I hadn't stamped with the plaid stamp. I also stamped some ink splatters from the same set in Pecan Pie ink.

I used Tombo glue to adhere the two smaller flowers in the top right and lower left corners of the card. Then I used dimensionals to adhere the large floral image. I added a linen thread bow to my sentiment to finish off the card.

I love to take DSP and step it up by adding stamped images to it.  Have you ever tried it?  If not, give it a try!  I think you will find it is another great tool for your stamping toolbox!

Two Tone Card Stock on Sale Through Friday!

Have you tried the new two tone card stock by Stampin' Up!?  If not, now is a great time to try it!  It is on sale now through Friday for 20% off.  That comes to $9.60 per pack.

What do I like most about it, you ask?  The white core...this makes it possible to sand it or tear it to reveal the white core!  It comes in 12" x 12" size so it is also great for scrapbooking.

If you want to try it, I would suggest buying the combination packages in the scrapbooking section of the Annual Catalog beginning on page 67.  By purchasing it this way, you will get a variety of colors to create with.

I ordered the three packs below.  

If you decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how well you like it. 

And if you don't have a demonstrator, I'll love to add you to my customer base and help you get started with this great hobby!

Weekend Adventures Two Tone Card Stock

Florals in Bloom Two Tone Card Stock

Celebrate Together Two Tone Card Stock

Craft Roulette Weekly Challenge

Have you watched Craft Roulette on Friday nights? It is a card making challenge based on parameters chosen in four categories spun on a wheel.  It is on YouTube every Friday evening.  Check it out and join the fun!

This week's parameters are:

    Type: Thank you card

    Colors: Decoration  

    Element: Hands

    Random: Tone on tone

I created a thank you card in Easter decoration colors. For the tone on tone parameter, I chose Fresh Freesia ink on Fresh Freesia card stock.  I used Soft Sea foam ink and card stock for the greenery on my card. Both are from the Soft Subtles Collection. I used the Hugs Abloom, Impressions Abloom and a few more retired dies to cut out the elements for my card.  I did some ink blending on a few of the die pieces to create depth and shadowing. 

The element parameter had me stumped for a few minutes...but then I thought about hands on a clock and my card came together pretty quickly.  The background stamping was done with the Elements of Text stamp set.  This is a definitely a staple in my stamp collection and makes such gorgeous backgrounds.  

Elements of Text stamp set

 

Fright Night Bundle and Painted Stripes Combine for a Great Halloween Card!

Did you see my previous card using the Painted Stripes large background stamp?  I used it with the Impressions Abloom stamp set and created a floral thank you card.  I posted the card on June 18th if you want to take a look at it.

Today, I'm using it in a completely different way...to create a Halloween card. I also used the Fright Night bundle and Party Celebrations stamp sets on my card. 

I stamped the large background stamp on a 4" x 5.25" panel of Basic White card stock.  Then I took the stamp from the Party Celebrations dotted line stamp and stamped it on every orange stripe from the Painted Stripes stamp.  

I heat embossed the large image from the Fright Night stamp set on Basic Gray card stock with white embossing powder. I used the two coordinating dies to cut out the image and the larger background image in Basic Black card stock.

There are some spooky cute dies in the bundle that I used to cut out the spiders and webs.  I placed the spiders on the card where I wanted them, then used a ruler and black pen to draw lines to make the spiders appear like they were dropping down the card.  I glued the webs in the top left corner of the card, placed the spiders in their places, then used dimensionals to raise the bright white focal point on the card.

What do you think?  I think it is spooky cute! I love this Painted Stripes background stamp and can't wait to use it again on other projects!  

Patterned Paper Challenge

As I've shared earlier, I love participating in card challenges on Instagram.  This month there is a card challenge for using patterned paper.  Since, in my opinion, Stampin' Up! has the most beautiful paper available, of course I decided to enter this challenge!

My paper of choice for this challenge was the Painterly Pears DSP.  It is absolutely gorgeous!!  I began with an A2 card base using Certainly Celery card stock and a panel cut at 4" x 5.25".  I cut a frame from the Storybook Friends dies using the Timeless Plaid DSP.  I also used the frame to cut the inside image for the frame from the Painterly Pears DSP.  The flagged banner and the postal pieces were also cut from the same DSP.

I stamped my sentiment from the You Are Remarkable stamp set using only a partial piece of the sentiment and stamped it on a circle from the Stylish Frames dies in Calypso Coral ink. 

I added a few small flower dies and pearls to finish off the card.  

Are you up for a challenge?  Give it a try!  They stretch your creativity and are lots of fun!

Painterly Pears DSP

Timeless Plaid DSP

Fall Floral Using the 3D Sunflower Embossing Folder

Fall is my favorite season and I'm looking forward to the cooler weather so I decided to create a fall card today. Not only do I love the cooler weather, the vibrant colors of fall are so beautiful and I love seeing nature in all its glory!  

The colors I chose for my card are Crushed Curry and Cajun Craze. My A2 card base is cut from Cajun Craze card stock and the 4" x 5 1/4" panel is Crushed Curry card stock.

I spritzed my panel with a little water before running it through the Stamp, Cut and Emboss Machine using the new 3D Sunflower Embossing folder.

Tip: Spritzing card stock with water before embossing it weakens the fibers to create a deeper impression.

I also embossed a smaller piece of Crushed Curry card stock placed specifically over one flower so that once it was embossed, I could cut it out and use a sponge dauber to add some color with Cajun Craze ink.

I added some Cajun Craze ink to a clear stamping block with a little water and used my splatter brush to add some splatter on the card panel.

I used one of the frames from the Storybook Moments Suite and Cajun Craze two tone card stock to cut a decorative frame to layer behind the single sunflower.

I stamped a sentiment from the Charming Day stamp set in Cajun Craze ink on a banner from the Stylish Frames dies.

A piece of gold line thread tied around the card and a few gold pearls add a bit of sparkle to finish off the card.

Tip: When using an embossing folder on a project, use the same embossing folder on the flap of your envelope to coordinate the envelope with your card. 

Welcome to the First Back to the Basics Saturday Class!

Welcome to our first Saturday Basics stamping class!  Today we are going to make a card with minimal supplies, but it makes a big impact!  

We'll be using the Florals in Bloom DSP, Secret Sea ink and a Secret Sea A2 card base. To begin, choose a floral image to cut out from the DSP. 

Next, cut the Cloud Cover striped piece of DSP to 5 1/4 x 4 to layer over the Secret See card base.

Use the Secret Sea ink to stamp your sentiment on the Cloud Cover DSP and arrange your floral element near the stamped sentiment.  I cut a strip of coordinating DSP to anchor my floral image and adhered it to the lower portion of the card. The sentiment I used is from the Your are Remarkable stamp set.  

Be sure to check back next week, we will be creating a few spooky cute Halloween cards with the 

Spooky Sweet Halloween Suite.

Thanks for stopping by! See you next week for our next Back to Basics Saturdays Class!

Tags...Those Fun and Quick Projects You Can Make in No Time!

I decided to think outside the box and create some tags with my June Paper Pumpkin kit.  I used a tag die to cut one from Basic White card stock and the other from the back of one of the card bases in the kit. I also cut out one of the large floral elements and then divided it into two pieces, one for each tag.

On the "Let's Celebrate You" tag, I ink blended Timid Tiger ink around the edges, stamped some leaves in Old Olive ink around the edges, then used dimensionals to adhere the floral piece.  I stamped the sentiment in Pretty Peacock ink, added Copper Clay twine and three self-adhesive gold sequins to finish it off.  

For the "Thank You" tag, I ink blended three horizontal lines across the tag in Timid Tiger, Old Olive and Berry Burst.  Then I took a soft cloth and wiped the ink off the gold dots since the ink will just sit on top of them.  I glued one of the Mossy Meadow leafy die cuts from the kit onto the tag, adhered the floral element with dimensionals, then stamped the sentiment in Berry Burst ink.

I used some Fresh Freesia ribbon from Sale-a-bration to thread through a 1/4 hole, then tied them together with green twine.

Do you make tags? They are easy, fun and quick. I hope you will give them a try.  

Tip: Tags make great focal points for card fronts!

Let's Create A Fault Line Card

A fault line card is a card that has a diagonal tear across the front of the card, then the pieces are reattached with another sheet of paper. Often a different sheet of DSP also separates the center piece.  

I used the Spooky Sweet DSP to create my card.  I began with a Basic Gray A2 card base.  I tore it diagonally from left to right.  Then I cut a piece of the gray candy and stars DSP sheet at 3" x 5.5".  I placed the top torn edge of the card base on top of the DSP sheet and tore it as closely as I could to get the same angle as the top panel. I did the same for the bottom edge.

I adhered the panels together, then worked to bend the edges out to make the "fault line" more prominent.

I used the Fright Night bundle to cut out many of the elements for my card: the spiders and web, "Eek", bats, and banner.  The stamped sentiment is also from the bundle.

I stamped the treats from the More than Autumn bundle and colored them with Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green, and Petunia Pop Stampin' Blend markers. I stamped my sentiment on the banner and adhered it to the card base with dimensionals to cast a spooky shadow beneath the banner.  I added some foam stars in the bottom left and top right to complete the card.

Other Ideas for the Iridescent Treat Bags

The new Spooky Sweet Suite has lots of great products in it and one of them is the Iridescent Treat Bags.  While these are going to be great for packaging treats, I thought I'd try to use one as a background for a card with the Charming Day stamped images.  

To begin my card, I used an A2 card base and cut the oval frame from the Impressions Abloom die set on the card front. Then I cut the stitched outline from the set using Petunia Pop card stock.  

I stamped the small floral image from the Charming Day stamp set in black randomly around the front of the white card base and ink blended Petunia Pop ink around the cut out oval area.  

I trimmed one of the Iridescent Treat bags to one layer and used tear and tape to adhere the packaging to the inside top portion of the card.  I covered the inside back with a piece of white card stock to conceal the packaging when the card is opened.

I stamped the large floral image in black Memento Ink and used Petunia Pop and Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blend markers to color the image.

I glued the stitched frame around the oval opening then added the large floral image to the front of the card with dimensionals.  I ink blended the edges of my sentiment tag, added a Petunia Pop Iridescent ribbon and a few faceted gems to finish off my card!

Can you think of other uses for the Iridescent Treat Bags?  I'd love to hear them!

Boo! It's a New Halloween Suite!

Do you like spooky, cute DSP?  What about punch out images to create cute cards and scrapbook layouts? 

Stampin' Up! has a new suite called Spooky Sweet and it is full of great products!  There is an adorable stamp and die bundle with a whimsical cat and dog dressed in trick-or-treating attire.  The DSP is bright, cheerful and has some surprising elements like scenes and punch out pieces to build on those scenes.  There are glittery, foam adhesive stars, Petunia Pop ribbon and iridescent treat bags! It will be tons of fun creating with the Spooky Sweet Suite! ;)

I created this cute and simple card using the scene sheet of DSP.  I chose the pumpkin field panel.  The "Boo" sentiment is from the new Fright Night bundle and is great for adding text to your creations.  I cut the "Boo" out in Basic Black and Basic Gray card stock, then offset them to create a shadow with the black piece in the back.  I adhered it to the bottom left of the card panel.  

I chose the pumpkins and crow image from the punch out pieces to place beside the sentiment. Then I stamped the cat image and colored it with Smoky Slate, Petunia Pop, Cloud Cover and Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blend markers.  

I added a punch out bat and 3 white foam starts to the top of the card and cut an A2 Basic Black card base to mount the panel on to finish off the card!

There are so many things you can do with this suite to get ready for Halloween. I'll be creating scrapbook layouts, treat containers, cards, tags and more!  Check back soon for more samples made with this great suite!