Rustic Harvest Colored Leaves Card

Rustic Harvest Colored Leaves Card

I was thinking I saw this black and white leaves designer paper in the Perfectly Penciled Designer Series Paper in the Annual Catalog but it turns out it is in the Rustic Harvest beautiful pack of designer paper! When I found it I colored in the leaves and made this Rustic Harvest Colored Leaves Card! If you don’t really like coloring in papers like this, this is the technique for you! I should have timed myself but I know it probably only took me two minutes at most to color in all these leaves, even with multiple colors! So fun!

The card base is Mossy Meadow cardstock with a layer of Crushed Curry. Those are coordinating colors for the Rustic Harvest DSP. I simply used the Sponge Daubers to apply ink to the leaves…and with no worry about staying in the lines since the background is black. It would be impossible to stay within the lines with Sponge Daubers anyway, unless you were really careful. And I didn’t worry if every single area was colored. You can see some tiny white areas or places where not as much ink got applied.

Rustic Harvest Colored Leaves Card Coloring Technique

I just chose several ink colors for fall leaves and I think they worked well together. I used Mossy Meadow, Granny Apple Green, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, and a touch of Mint Macaron. I wanted some yellow and orange for my fall leaves. Sponge Daubers are easy to use. Either just hold them or stick your finger inside to use them. You can just wash out the ink after rubbing off the excess on scrap or Grid Paper. I labeled a lot of mine but you wouldn’t have to have one for each color as long as you get off as much ink (or pastels) as you can.

I used the green ribbon in the Real Red & Garden Green 3/8″ Ribbon Combo Pack. Even though it wasn’t one of the greens I used, I liked it just fine on this card. I wrapped a piece around to the back and adhered it, then used another piece of ribbon to tie on the bow. You can use a Mini Glue Dot to hold the ribbon and bow in place. After the ribbon was adhered, I adhered that piece to the card.

The greeting is stamped in Mossy Meadow on Basic White and originally cut out with the label die in the Meadow Dies. I love that scalloped label die! Since I wanted to layer it on a colored piece, I cut it by hand to make it fit on the die-cut Crushed Curry. Then as I looked through my embellishments, I chose two of the small black dots in the Classic Matte Dots to go with the black background. But I think I wish I’d picked something else! But these are fine!

I have to say after I colored the leaves on this card, I was thrilled with how they turned out!! Try it and see how it goes! Or use your Stampin’ Blends, Watercolor Pencils, ink and Blender Pen, whatever you like! So many ways to color!

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New Kit in the Kits Collection! Cozy & Bright!

Cozy & Bright Kit square ad

Today you will find a new kit in the Stampin’ Up! Kits Collection – the Cozy & Bright Kit! Celebrate the season with a card kit that has everything you need to wish those you love a Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year. Don’t let the holidays overwhelm you–get your all-inclusive kit and make quick multiples everyone will love!

Cozy and Bright Kit in Kits Collection

DETAILS
Kit Includes:

  • Cozy & Bright Photopolymer Stamp Set
  • Acrylic Stamp Block
  • Classic Stampin’ Spot: Poppy Parade
  • Predesigned projects 
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Precut pieces (No prep work! Get right to crafting). Including printed die-cut sheets: sticker adhesive sheets & non-adhesive sheets
  • Makes 12 cards of 1 design
  • Gold foil accents
  • Folded card size: 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ (14 x 10.8 cm)
  • 12 preprinted envelopes
  • Enough adhesive to complete projects
  • Linen thread
  • A 9-7/8″ x 6-1/2″ x 2-3/4″ (25.1 x 16.5 x 7 cm) printed designer box for storage or crafting on the go

Product colors: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Evening Evergreen, Garden Green, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie 

Cozy & Bright Kit #160338  $23 USD   $32 CAD

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New Sale-A-Bration Choices For You!

Click Photo Above to View!

August is the second and final month of Sale-A-Bration and Stampin’ Up! has added these additional products you can choose with a $50 or more purchase! You may know that some of the items in the Sale-A-Bration brochure have sold out but here are some catalog items to give you additional choices for your FREE Sale-A-Bration item. Notice that some are at the $50 Level and some at the $100 Level.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FLYER!

ALSO:

These two Sale-A-Bration products are BACK IN STOCK!!

RINGS OF LOVE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER

WONDERFUL WORLD BUNDLE

SHOP SALE-A-BRATION HERE!

$50 Level Products

$100 Level Products

Stylish Sketches Fox Card

Stylish Sketches Fox Card

Happy August! August means one more month of Sale-A-Bration at Stampin’ Up! so I thought I would post this Stylish Sketches Fox Card made with a FREE Sale-A-Bration stamp set. There are a few things sold out in Sale-A-Bration choices but I expect to hear something about that today or tomorrow so stay tuned.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with this fox, but I know my son likes foxes so I’m sure I can send this card to him! I initially thought there isn’t much to this Stylish Sketches Stamp Set, so maybe I should make the stamped area a little smaller. This stamp set has “sketches” of the fox, two geese, leaves, and if you happen to notice, some tiny dots that are good for texture for the ground, perhaps.

The card base is Cajun Craze and after working on the card for a while, and noticing those tiny dots, I decided to stamp those around the border on the card base. The front of the card is stamped on Basic White and layered on Granny Apple Green cardstock.

The Basic White piece is 4 1/4″ x 3″. The Granny Apple Green layer is 4 1/2″ x 3 1/4″. That makes for a smaller stamped area for the fox and a wider border on the card base. The fox is stamped in Memento ink and colored in with Light and Dark Cajun Craze Stampin’ Blends. The grass on the stamp plus the area underneath is all colored with Light and Dark Granny Apple Green Blends, plus stamped with those little dots in green also. I colored around the fox with Light Pool Party Blend marker to resemble the sky. There is nothing artistic about it, I just scribbled back and forth! It matches the “sketchiness” of the way the fox was drawn! I felt it still needed something, so I stamped the bundle of leaves in Granny Apple Green ink and colored it very lightly with ink and a Blender pen. I wanted the leaves up there in the corner to add a little something to the picture but be very subtle.

For a greeting, I decided to tie around a piece of Linen Thread underneath the fox, two times around the Basic White piece, and tied on a greeting. Obviously, I needed a small greeting and I found one in the Cup of Tea Stamp Set. I stamped the little tag shape and the greeting, then just cut around the tag rather than diecut it. I put a Stampin’ Dimensional underneath it to hold it in place and face up.

Sale-A-Bration runs through the end of August! With every $50 purchase, you can choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration item and with a $100 purchase, you can choose two $50 level items or one $100 level item. With a $150 order, you can choose Stampin’ Rewards of 10% PLUS Sale-A-Bration items!

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Christmas Wishes Banner Card

I wanted to make another Christmas card sample so I copied a design in the Holiday Mini Catalog on page 11. I found just the Real Red card base and the striped paper already cut so I just started with that even though the sample design uses a green stripe paper. I was happy with my Christmas Wishes Banner Card when I finished. That red glimmer paper really adds some pizzazz!

The green paper in the background is just another of the Sweetest Christmas Designer Series Paper designs that I put under my card for the photograph, but I kind of like it if I wanted to make a card with that as the layer if I made the center part smaller!

As I said the card base is Real Red with a striped layer of the Sweetest Christmas DSP. The center piece is Basic White cardstock, stamped with leaves, with a die-cut banner overlaid, and some glimmer paper on the top and bottom.

Here are the details! The Basic White piece is 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4″. I stamped various leaves and stems in the Christmas Banners Stamp Set. I used Garden Green, Soft Sea Foam, and Mint Macaron in for the greenery and Soft Suede and Real Red for the stems of berries. I love how those turned out! The berries and stem are two different stamps so you don’t have to color directly on the stamp to get two colors. As I stamped the greenery and berries, I just imagined the banner going across the middle so I didn’t have to worry about how it looked underneath. You can see in the photo below how I stamped all of that.

Christmas Banner Card Stamping

The banner is stamped in Garden Green ink with the greeting words stamped in Real Red. The banner was diecut with the Christmas Banner Dies. You could just place the banner over the center of that stamping, but I noticed the catalog sample looked like it had ribbon underneath it. I used the green ribbon in the Real Red & Garden Green 3/8″ Ribbon Combo Pack. It just goes across and back and then back to the other side so that you can see a loop at each end of the banner. I added some Stampin’ Seal on the back of the banner so I could adhere the ribbon going back and forth and back, then popped up the whole banner with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Before adhering the piece to the front of the card, I added two scrap pieces of red glimmer paper from the Real Red & White 6″ x 6″ Glimmer Paper to the top and bottom of the center piece. I cut the glimmer paper at 4″ x 5/8″ and adhered to the white cardstock, then adhered the whole thing to the card front.

The sample in the catalog has a little bow tied with one of the Flat Jingle Bell Trinkets. You could also add some jewels if you wanted to, such as the Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

Even if you copied this sample, there are ways you could change things up a little if you wanted. It at least helps you to get going to copy something!

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Slimline Painted Christmas Banner Card

Slimline Painted Christmas Banner Card

I remembered that one of the Christmas papers in the Holiday Mini Catalog is a returning one, Painted Christmas! And I have it from last year so I was anxious to try it out again! After pulling out all the papers and some coordinating colors of cardstock, I came up with this Slimline Painted Christmas Banner Card, much to my surprise!

I say “much to my surprise” because I didn’t imagine I would be making a slimline Christmas card! But you never know what you may come up with! As it turned out, from the pieces of designer paper and scraps of cardstock, it just seemed like they would fit well as a slimline card! This is even a fairly large one that could be used if you wanted a lot of people to sign the card!

The card base is 8 1/2″ x 7″, folded in half so the width is 3 1/2″. I used Pear Pizzazz cardstock. The layer of Painted Christmas Designer Series Paper is 3 1/4″ x 8 1/4″.

For the greeting, I decided to use the Christmas Banners Stamp Set. I stamped the banner in Real Red ink, diecut it with the Christmas Banner Dies, then stamped the words. You could do all the stamping before die-cutting. The stamp set and dies can be purchased together as the Christmas Banners Bundle so you can save 10%. I thought the banner might need a background to stand out better so I used Real Red cardstock to die cut a Stitched Rectangle. You might notice it is longer than the actual die. I used that technique to partially cut the rectangle, then stop and move the die down longer, lining it up with the already cut die-cut lines. You will feel it fit in there. But don’t roll that end of the die through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss. Start it farther down and then roll the platform past the longer end. If you try it, you will figure it out! It always takes me a minute to remember how it works, but it’s a good technique when you want a longer die.

Next, I stamped and diecut lots of the leaves and stems in the Bundle to decorate around the greeting. I even found a scrap of gold foil in my little pile so I used that for a little gleam on the card. The banner greeting is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals® and the stems can be slid a tiny bit underneath the banner around the sides. Just lay around with the pieces that you have and see what looks good. For a finishing touch, I added some Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

This card will fit into one of those long business envelopes or you can use the Slimline Envelopes in the Annual Catalog. Here is another slimline card, but much smaller, in this post. That one is 3″ x 6″ but I think that’s a good size too. Just make your cards to fit the envelope you have! We are past July 25th so it is LESS THAN five months until Christmas! I hope this Slimline Painted Christmas Banner Card offers you some inspiration for a holiday card!

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True Beauty Flowers on Rings of Love Paper Card

True Beauty Flowers on Rings of Love Paper

I was surprised to find the background of this card was the design on the back of the paper I used to make the gift bag on yesterday’s post. That side of the paper looks so “fallish” and this side of the paper is light and “springish”! But it caught my eye and I thought it would make a pretty card! And that’s how this True Beauty Flowers on Rings of Love Paper Card began!

I chose Petal Pink for the card base as it is one of the coordinating colors for the Rings of Love Designer Series Paper. This paper is one that is FREE during Sale-A-Bration with a $50 purchase of any Stampin’ Up! products. There’s only a little more than a month left of Sale-A-Bration! I chose Pear Pizzazz cardstock for a layer under the designer paper. This pattern of the designer paper has a soft background of pink and yellow with printed leaves and stems scattered around. While I was trying out some ribbons to use on the card, I came across a stack of already stamped and die-cut flowers and leaves from the True Beauty Stamp Set. I played around with those on the card and came up with this design! Some of the flowers and leaves are popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals and some are adhered flat on the card.

The greeting is stamped from the Celebrating You Stamp Set (a fantastic one for sentiments!) in Pear Pizzazz Ink. I used the die in the Meadows Dies to cut out the greeting. It is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals also.

For the finishing touch, I looked through all my embellishments and decided on the 2021-23 In Color Opal Rounds. I just chose colors that didn’t match the flowers for the flower centers and a little bling. I also love the Brushed Brass Butterflies and had to stick one on the card by the flowers!

Sometimes it is a surprise what goes together when you make a card or what you come up with that is unexpected! If you have trouble coming up with a design just look through your designer papers or samples in the Stampin’ Up! catalogs to copy or to wake up your inspiration!

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Rings of Love Gift Bag and Tag

Rings of Love Fall Gift Bag

During the Stampin’ Up! Creativity Now virtual stamping event for Demonstrators, one of the projects was a gift bag made with the Splendid Day Designer Series Paper. It was beautiful using that foil paper! Since I watched the recording a couple of weeks later, I had already cut up some of my designer paper. When I made a mistake scoring one of the sides of the bag, I had no extra matching designer paper to use! But a few days later I gave it another try rewatching the video and just used some different designer paper, the Rings of Love Designer Series Paper in the Sale-A-Bration brochure! This pretty fall paper is even FREE with a $50 purchase during Sale-A-Bration.

We’ve all made gift bags before. All you do is cut the paper and score it for folding and forming the bag shape according to the size and style you want. There are just different details. Will the top be open or closed, the sides straight or pinched in, tall or short, wide or narrow, the top closed with ribbon, a clip, staples, or something else? You have lots of options when you make any basic gift bag design!

This gift bag starts with two pieces of designer paper cut at 7″ x 9 1/2″. Pay attention to the pattern of the paper so you know which end of the paper you want for the top and which for the bottom.

  1. Score the paper that will be the top of the bag at 3/4″ on both pieces with the paper horizontal in the Paper Trimmer. Then score at 8″ to make the bottom flaps for the bag. This will leave a 1 1/2″ area at the bottom of the bag.
  2. Turn the paper lengthwise and score at 1/2″, 5 1/2″, and 6 1/4″. On the 6 1/4″ score, don’t go all the way to the horizontal score line at the bottom. Stop before you get there! This will be the line to pinch in the sides of the bag eventually. Do the second sheet the same way. Make sure both paper designs are going the same way. The two papers should be scored exactly the same way.
  3. In the bottom left corner of both papers, cut away that small rectangle formed by the score lines. Over on the right bottom of the paper, cut a slit along the 5 1/2″ score line just up to the horizontal score line.
  4. Fold and crease all the score lines, gently using the Bone Folder. Apply Tear & Tape adhesive as shown in the photo below. You can also check your score lines and cutting using that photo. The adhesive is placed differently on the two papers so look closely. On the left paper, put adhesive along that first scored section and one small piece on that bottom right square piece next to the slit you cut. On the right paper, put adhesive on the same side section, then pieces on the bottom flap and the small bottom right section as on the first sheet. The adhesive goes on the side of the paper you want to show on the outside.
Rings of Love Gift Bag Assembly

5. Adhere the sides together after the lines are creased and then do the bottom flaps. You’ll be able to see where everything goes. Try to have all the seams toward the back of the gift bag.

6. Once the bag is assembled, fold on the top score lines to close by folding to the front or to the back. I folded mine toward the back but you can do either. Be sure you put your gift inside before closing up with the ribbon!

7. Tie ribbon around the gift bag from top to bottom to hold the top closed. I used the Gold 1/4″ Shimmer Ribbon on my gift bag. Add a gift tag if you want. (Directions for my tag are below.)

Rings of Love Gift Bag side

For my gift tag that you see hanging on the front of the bag, I used another sheet of the Rings of Love Designer Series Paper that had the tree ring slices on it. I cut out a circle from the Stylish Shapes Dies in the Annual Catalog from Soft Suede cardstock and adhered one of the tree ring slices on it that I cut out by hand. The greeting is stamped on the half circle die in the Splendid Stems Dies in Poppy Parade ink. I also cut out a segment of the colored leaves from the designer paper as well as a die-cut stem from the Splendid Stems Dies to tuck under the greeting a bit. I poked a hole in the tag off to the side and tied on an Open Leaf Trinket and tied this around the bow. You can have fun making any kind of tag that suits the occasion.

The front of the gift bag turns out to be 5″ x 8″ and about 1 1/4″ wide. You can place a few cards inside or a small gift or treat! Try this Rings of Love Gift Bag and Tag using this designer paper or whatever you have on hand for the occasion!

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Rings of Love You Are Wonderful Card

Rings of Love You Are Wonderful Card

If you want some pretty fall paper with which to make a card like this Rings of Love You Are Wonderful Card, then browse through the current Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration brochure and check out this designer paper! You can earn it FREE with a $50 Stampin’ Up! purchase! You’ll find it on pages 6-7. It’s the Rings of Love 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper and has so many usable patterns. There are images of cottages, mushrooms, acorns, birds, tree rings, and flowers. So interesting and so pretty!

This card is so quick and easy to make! You could use almost any of the patterns in the designer paper package and use this card design. You could make the card fold any way you like, but I put the fold at the top for a change. Cut the sheet of cardstock in half lengthwise at 4 1/4″ (half of 8 1/2″, the width of the cardstock) and score at 5 1/2″ for the fold.

The card base is Parakeet Party, which is really a BRIGHT color! I used a layer of Poppy Parade underneath the Rings of Love Designer Paper. The Poppy Parade color is on the designer paper. I just love this sheet of designer paper! Such pretty designs with mushrooms, berries, and leaves plus a butterfly!

For the greeting, I used a strip of Basic White cardstock about 3/4″ x 3 3/4″. The stamped greeting is in the Celebrating You Stamp Set. It is stamped in Poppy Parade ink and off to the right side a little bit. Then it was layered on a wider strip of Poppy Parade.

For a final touch, I added some of the Adhesive-Backed Seasonal Sequins. They are Sweet Sorbet in color but they still look good on the card!

One interesting this about this Sale-A-Bration paper besides being free with a $50 purchase, is that it coordinates with the Ringed With Nature Bundle in the July-December 2022 Mini Catalog (Holiday Mini Catalog) on page 62. So if you purchase that Bundle that comes with the Hybrid Embossing Folder and 16 dies, you can choose this Rings of Love Designer Series Paper FREE and make all kinds of cards and projects with all these coordinating products!

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Watch the Sale-A-Bration Videos!

Sale-A-Bration Cover July-Dec 2022

We are already three weeks into Stampin’ Up! Sale-A-Bration 2022, the second one of the year! Sale-A-Bration is probably the oldest promotion Stampin’ Up! has, continually improving since the beginning when there were less choices than we have now! Sale-A-Bration is an opportunity to earn FREE products in the Sale-A-Bration brochure with every $50 purchase (before shipping and tax). No limits! With every increment of $50 on your order, you can choose a free product. You can choose a few special ones with a $100 order instead of two $50 level ones. With a $150 order, you also earn Stampin’ Rewards starting at 10% PLUS Sale-A-Bration products! With a $300 order, you receive the Perfect Pomegranate Stamp Set FREE.

Here are some videos you may watch to learn more about the Sale-A-Bration options!

ENJOY!

Hippest Hippos Ballerina Card

Hippest Hippos Ballerina Card

The Hippest Hippos Stamp Set in the Sale-A-Bration brochure is one of the fun stamp sets available! If you are looking for something cute and whimsical, animals usually fill the bill. I picked this hippo with her tutu to be my first card using this set, the Hippest Hippos Ballerina Card. You can use one hippo at a time or all three of them at once.

This card has Pool Party for a card base and a layer of Basic White underneath the designer paper just to help set it off. The designer paper is in the Design a Daydream 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper. You can find this paper at the very tip top of page 179 in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog as a Host Reward you can choose with a $150 or more order. There was one like it in last year’s Annual Catalog…a giant package of designer paper, 48 sheets, 4 each of 12 designs! The catalog says 12 sheets but that is incorrect, you do get 48 sheets of 12″ x 12″ paper!! Just think of the projects you can make! I liked this dotted circle design in the package, but it was difficult to choose!

The ballet hippo is stamped in Memento ink on Basic White cardstock and colored in with Stampin’ Blends. Then I diecut the hippo with one of the circles in the Stylish Shapes Dies and cut the next largest circle out of Petal Pink. If you layer any of these circles on top of each other the margin is a little big so I decided to just offset the Hippo circle to the side. After adhering the Basic White layer and the designer paper to the card base, I popped up the hippo focal point with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For the greeting I used one in the Hippest Hippos Stamp Set to go with the ballerina! It is stamped on Basic White with Memento ink and the die cut with one of the small Stylish Shapes Dies circles. I put Dimensionals on the back of it but off to the lower right side since it would overlap the larger circles with the hippo. To make it stand out a little bit without a layer, I just used the brush tip of my Light Pool Party Stampin’ Blends Marker to make a colored edge around it very lightly and carefully.

To finish the card, I had to give the ballerina a little rhinestone necklace and a few rhinestones scattered on the card. On the inside, I added a layer of Basic White on which to stamp or write a message. I had just a very narrow scrap of designer paper so I adhered that to the left side of the white insert. Even just that little bit of paper added something!

Remember, Sale-A-Bration runs through the end of August. With every order of $50 or more in merchandise, you get to choose a free product in the Sale-A-Bration brochure! No limits! Check out the Sale-A-Bration brochure HERE.

There are lots of good choices during Sale-A-Bration! Maybe you will choose the Hippest Hippo Stamp Set. There are also Hippo Dies available if you can get both the stamp set and dies with your order amount.

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! DURING SALE-A-BRATION! GET FREE STUFF!

Back to School Tax Holidays 2022

Tax Free Tag 2022

It seems like school just got out but the other day in the drugstore I saw all the school supplies are on the shelves! Now that my children are grown, I barely know if school is in session or out. But in the past, our whole lives revolved around the school calendar! And as often as our husbands and/or kids thought our craft hobbies were just a silly thing we did and that we had too many supplies, as soon as they needed something for a school project or task around the house, they came to Mom first to see if she had a certain paint or tool or material that they needed! Right?

In recent years, certain states began having sales tax holidays on certain items that you could purchase for the new school year and not pay sales tax for certain days. I used to think it was barely worth my trouble to go shop for kids’ school clothes on those days in the crowds, but when it added up, I saved a bit! Now, some of our stamping supplies, the ones people might use in school, are eligible for the Sales Tax Holiday! So if you order these particular items, not everything, on the particular dates for your state, you can save on sales tax, at least according to your municipality on what they allow. Maybe not that big a deal, but maybe a little savings here and there!

Click this link below to go to the chart from Stampin’ Up! listing the participating states:

US Sales Tax Holidays

Eligible products according to the statute include “items normally used by students in a standard classroom for educational purposes.” You must place your order with Stampin’ Up! during the tax holiday period in order to receive these items tax-free (which is midnight on the first day to midnight on the last day of the tax holiday). Also, keep in mind that this is a state sales tax holiday; the state statute may not apply to county, city, and special jurisdiction taxes. 

Creativity Now Splendid Thoughts New Life Together Card

Creativity Now Splendid Thoughts New Life Together Card

Last month Stampin’ Up! offered a virtual event for Demonstrators called “Creativity Now”. It was all stamping, no business, as they said. Just a gathering of Demonstrators from all over, stamping together following different presenters making several cards plus a couple of interviews with designers talking about the Splendid Day Suite and the Sweetest Christmas Suite. I always love “behind the scenes” information! I didn’t get to watch and stamp live last month but I did get to catch up and watch the recording and make most of the cards. This card, Creativity Now Splendid Thoughts New Life Together Card, is the first one that was shown.

This card sort of fits into “Watercolor Month”. Although it’s not really watercolored, it has that look in the background made with Stampin’ Blends markers rather than true watercoloring. The card base is Soft Sea Foam cardstock with a layer of Basic White cardstock and a piece of the Splendid Day Specialty Designer Series Paper. We started with the Basic White piece on which we “scribbled” light and dark colors of Pool Party and Fresh Freesia Stampin’ Blends markers. The top half of the Basic White is colored with the Light Pool Party and the bottom half (not quite out to all the edges) with Light Fresh Freesia. Then halfway down the Light Pool Party, it is colored with Dark Pool Party down to the Fresh Freesia. Likewise, the Light Fresh Freesia is half-colored with Dark Fresh Freesia. We were told just to scribble back and forth and you could do this as solidly or less solidly as you liked. If you wanted to, you could have used water and ink to achieve the same look. Just be cautious on Basic White so that you don’t get too much water.

After coloring the bands of color on the Basic White piece, we stamped the bee in the stamp set a couple of times, randomly, in upper and lower halves both in Pool Party ink and Fresh Freesia ink.

The greeting is stamped with one from the Splendid Thoughts Stamp Set in Fresh Freesia ink on a piece of Basic White, then the ends were “flagged” with Paper Snips. On the back of this sentiment piece, an 8″ piece of Soft Sea Foam Ribbon is folded in half and adhered to the back with a loop on the left side and the ribbon tails hanging out on the right side. The ribbon can be secured with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

We also used the Splendid Stems Dies to die cut two of the leafy stems in Soft Sea Foam. These are adhered to the back of the greeting, top and bottom, using Mini Glue Dots. This greeting piece is adhered to the center of the Basic White piece. Then this Basic White piece is adhered, at an angle, to a piece of the Splendid Day Specialty Designer Series Paper. We used the Fresh Freesia print side of one of the patterns, not the foil side. Then this layered piece is adhered to the card base popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals. It is adhered at an angle. The presenter said she tried to place it so that the Basic White top piece is straight and then the designer paper underneath is angled slightly. You can do that or have it all straight as we usually do it.

You can take this idea and change it up a bit. Add a different greeting, different diecuts, color in the background with true watercoloring or different colors or even blocks of cardstock, stamp a random design on the card base, add some bling! So many possibilities, yet this card is soft and beautiful just as it is. It could be an engagement or wedding card or change the greeting for another occasion. This design idea is very versatile.

I think this Splendid Day Suite is kind of a sleeper in the Holiday Mini Catalog that might be overlooked. The designer paper is just gorgeous and the coordinating colors make for soft, colorful, and even relaxing impressions. There are lots of choices in the stamps and dies for leafy stems or stamped images. Be sure to check out the Splendid Thoughts Bundle for a savings of 10% if you want both the stamp set and dies. If you also want the designer paper and embellishments of Soft Sea Foam Ribbon and Open Leaf Trinkets, then just order the whole Suite!

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Hello Harvest Pumpkins Card

Hello Harvest Pumpkins Card

This Hello Harvest Bundle in the new Holiday Mini Catalog is right up my alley because I love fall, pumpkins, and Halloween! This Hello Harvest Pumpkins Card is not for Halloween necessarily but you could make it look that way. For now, this is just a pretty fall card that you could send anytime during the fall for a birthday or just a “thinking of you” kind of card and certainly for Thanksgiving. Not to mention using the pretty pumpkins for fall or Thanksgiving treats and favors if you like to make those!

This card has a card base of Early Espresso cardstock and a Very Vanilla layer. I don’t use Very Vanilla that often but this card idea seemed to call for it. I stamped two of the pumpkins directly on the Very Vanilla card front and spaced them apart a little bit. If I had spaced things a little better on this card, I would have stamped the pumpkins a little lower on the card to allow more space for the greeting at the top. But it is still okay as is.

The middle pumpkin is stamped on a Very Vanilla scrap and die cut using the Rustic Pumpkin Dies. I colored the pumpkins with Light and Dark Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends and the middle one with a bit of Cajun Craze. Then the middle pumpkin is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals®. I also die-cut the little curly-cue stems in Old Olive cardstock and adhered those to the pumpkins plus a little flower that is in the stamp set.

The greeting is stamped from the Hello Harvest Stamp Set. There are some nice greetings in that set. It is stamped in Early Espresso ink on Very Vanilla then diecut with the little banner piece in the Scalloped Contours Dies. Next, I trimmed off the scalloped edges and die-cut another banner piece in Old Olive and layered the greeting on that. It is also popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals.

For a little grounding for the pumpkins, I very lightly scribbled in some Light Soft Sea Foam Stampin’ Blends under the pumpkins across the bottom of the card. It is literally scribbled lightly, not heavy-handed coloring. On the inside of the card I would suggest putting a layer of Very Vanilla maybe stamped with a little something from the stamp set since the Early Espresso is too dark of a color on which to write.

If you like fall, you will really like this Hello Harvest Bundle and maybe even the entire Rustic Harvest Suite Collection!

Check it out in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store HERE!

How to Add Labels to Rubber Stamps Perfectly

When you get a new red rubber cling stamp set from Stampin’ Up! you are eager to try it out but first, you want to know How to Add Labels to Rubber Stamps Perfectly. One way to do it is to peel off the covering from the label leaving it on the whole sheet of labels and place the stamp down on the label. That is how I have done it for years, but there is another way to do it and be able to SEE how the label and stamp line up so you can get the label on just right!

Add label to stamp

Detach the stamp from the rubber sheet, leaving the white paper over the back that protects the stamp’s cling side. We will use the pumpkin in the Hello Harvest Stamp Set, a new stamp set in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

Add label to stamp

Carefully peel the label off the label sheet. Be sure you are on the side where the labels are cut around. This label will be very sticky.

Add label to stamp

Place the label on a clear acrylic block, leaving the white covering on top. You may need to use a larger block for larger stamps. The sticky label side is face down on the top of the acrylic block.

Add label to stamp

Now peel off the white covering from the label, which will likely come off in two half pieces. That’s how they are designed.

Add label to stamp

Now the clear label is on the top of the acrylic block and you can obviously see through it which will help you place the label correctly onto the stamp!

Add label to stamp

In the photo above, you can see the clear label is ready. Right above it, the pumpkin stamp has been turned face down, ready to receive the clear label. The white paper covering the cling side of the stamp is removed. Be sure to take this off!

Add label to stamp

Pick up the block with the label and hold it over the backside of the stamp (that white/gray cling side). Line it up with the edges of the label on the stamp. It will be easy to see where you are.

Add label to stamp

When the label is adhered to the cling side of the stamp, it will look like the photo above. The block is on top, the stamp underneath.

Add label to stamp

Turn the block over and the stamp is ready to use!

Add label to stamp

Now, just as if you had stamped with it, carefully peel the stamp off the block with your finger, being sure to get underneath the clear sticky label.

Add label to stamp

If it is difficult to get the stamp off the block with your fingers, use the Take Your Pick tool, the spatula end (unscrew the pointy end and switch), and carefully insert the flat spatula underneath the sticker.

Add label to stamp

That’s it! You have the label perfectly aligned on the stamp! I know some people use their stamps without a label but I need it on my stamps!

I hope this step-by-step method of adhering labels to your red rubber cling stamps is helpful to align the label and stamp design very well which will help your stamping be aligned the way you want it to be!