Category Archives: Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Snowman Z-Fold Merry Christmas Card

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Snowman Z-Fold Merry Christmas Card Open

I was in a snowman mood when I made this Snowman Z-Fold Merry Christmas Card. I started off looking at the Trimming The Town Designer Series Paper and when I saw this snowflake print, I thought it would go well with one of the snowmen in the Snowman Season Stamp Set! Sometimes you get inspired with a card idea just by looking through your designer paper.

I decided to make a Z-Fold card. It’s something VERY easy and looks extra special. All you have to do is make a card base the usual way, then fold the front back on itself in half. So cut the cardstock like usual at 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. Score at 2 1/8″ and 4 1/4″. If the front of the card is 4 1/4″ wide, then you want to score that in half which would be 2 1/8″ to fold half of the front back to make that z-fold. It’s easy!

The card base is Misty Moonlight cardstock with a snowflake piece of Trimming the Town DSP. I cut it at 2″ x 5 3/8″. I could also have made it 1 7/8″ x 5 1/4″ for a slightly wider margin that would have matched the Whisper White inside layer.

The snowman is stamped in Black Memento Ink on Whisper White with the greeting, in the same stamp set, stamped in Real Red Ink. That piece is cut 3″ x 3 1/2″. It is layered on a piece of Real Red Cardstock die cut with a special technique using the Rectangle Stitched Dies. I cut out the rectangle, then moved the die so that it would make the rectangle shorter.

The snowman is colored the little bit it needs with Stampin’ Blends in Real Red, Misty Moonlight, and Pumpkin Pie with a tiny bit of Pool Party as shading on the snow. Then I adhered a few Snowflake Sequins around the snowman. The Take Your Pick tool is really handy for picking up and placing sequins on teeny tiny drops of Multipurpose Liquid Glue.

When adhering the snowman panel to the front of the z-fold, but sure to only put adhesive on the portion of the back of the snowman that will be adhered to the z-fold. You want to make sure that the panel you add to a z-fold card will cover any message inside so sometimes you have to play with positioning a little bit. The message I stamped inside this card is from the Tag Buffet Stamp Set.

Click HERE to see another z-fold card I made recently!

This really was an easy card and if you follow my design and directions, it will be even easier and faster for you to make a card like this Snowman Z-Fold Merry Christmas Card!

Snowman Z-Fold Merry Christmas Card

Many Layered Blossoms Birthday Card

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Many Layered Blossoms Birthday Card

This die-cut piece was already laying on my table and I was in a “red” mood so I was pleased how this Many Layered Blossoms Birthday Card came together. Real Red is one of my favorite Stampin’ Up! colors!

You won’t believe how simple this card is to make and yet it will look like you make an elegant, fancy card! That’s what die-cuts can do for you!

The card base is Shimmery White Cardstock, one of my favorite papers! It just barely has a glimmer to it, very subtle, but it is there and makes the paper look rich. It’s a must-have in your stash in my opinion! Then I added a layer of Real Red underneath another piece of Shimmery White.

I had previously used the Many Layered Blossoms Die to cut out this piece or Real Red. I think I was trying out my new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine to see how it would handle a large and intricate die. So I had this stack of die cuts on my table! I just used the teeniest dots of Multipurpose Liquid Glue on the back of the blossoms and adhered it to the front of the card.

The greeting is from the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set. You can buy both the stamp set and the Many Layered Blossoms Dies. Then you will have it all!

I stamped the greeting in Real Red Ink on a strip of Shimmery White and snipped the banner in with the pointy part of the Tailored Tag Punch. Then I layered this on a piece of Real Red.

That’s all there is to this card! If you want a change from Halloween or holiday cards, go back to this popular stamp set and die and make a card like this Many Layered Blossoms Birthday Card.

Tag Buffet Stocking Christmas Card

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Tag Buffet Stocking Christmas Card

If you need to make a lot of Christmas cards, you might want to consider a simpler card design, like this Tag Buffet Stocking Christmas Card, because not every card has to be elaborate to be beautiful. This card was not the result of a lot of planning and thinking. I had in mind making a simple Christmas card, pulled out the designer paper and then thought of using this stamp set. An already diecut Whisper White piece in my cardstock package inspired me to use it for the focal point. One thing just followed another.

The card base is Real Red and the designer paper I used is ‘Tis the Season 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper, which I just purchased. Originally I wasn’t too crazy about the paper designs and I was already buying other holiday papers so I didn’t think I needed it. But of course, eventually, I wanted it! The 6″ x 6″ size is very handy for cardmaking and you don’t feel so bad cutting up a 12″ x 12″ piece of DSP!

I also decided to use the Tag Buffet Stamp Set, which goes with the Tag Buffet Project Kit to make tags. I already made the tags in the kit, but the stamp set is very Christmas-y and good to use making cards or other projects for the holidays.

I found a die-cut Whisper White piece in my bag of cardstock and that gave me the idea to use the big “Merry Christmas” greeting stamped on it with the stamped and cut out Christmas stocking off to the side. The piece was die cut with the Rectangle Stitched Die. It has a really pretty edge on it which is why I like those dies so much. But when I stamped the Merry Christmas greeting across the rectangle, there really was no space for the stocking! I thought my original idea was ruined, but no fear! It occurred to me to cut the two words of the stamp apart! I know it is like heresy to cut stamps apart, but in this case, I could see no downside. I could still stamp the words side by side easily, but if I separated them I could stamp one on top of another in smaller areas. All it took was one snip of the scissors! Then there was room for the stocking!

I stamped the stocking on Whisper White in Memento Ink because I knew I would color with my Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. I used the Light and Dark Real Red markers. I also could have used Cherry Cobbler since that is a coordinating color with the designer paper. I found the Real Red markers a little light but I just added some more coloring to the stocking.

After stamping and coloring the stocking, I cut it out by hand with my Paper Snips. Before adhering it to the greeting, I couldn’t resist stamping some greenery and holly on the cardstock. It was all in the stamp set and I wanted to play with more stamps! Then I popped up the stocking with Stampin’ Dimensionals®. For some bling, I added some Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels. And for just a little bit of glimmer, I used Clear Wink of Stella on the white areas of the stocking with the glitter brush.

On the inside of the card, I added a layer of Whisper White on top of the Real Red and stamped the long sentiment that is in the stamp set in Real Red Ink. The I also added two stamped pieces of the same greenery I used on the front of the card.

If you are interested in the Tag Buffet Stamp Set, you might enjoy the Tag Buffet Project Kit for making some tags (or even using the tags to make cards!). I loved working on these tags! The only stamping was the greeting, everything else was supplied and I just had to assemble. They are very pretty. Check out my post about the tags HERE.

I like to make a variety of Christmas cards to send out. Some I might make easy and some fancier. This Tag Buffet Stocking Christmas Card is a simpler one that you might enjoy and still would impress the recipient!

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Mini Curvy Keepsake Box Halloween Witch

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Mini Curvy Keepsake Box Halloween Witch

I think with all the shiny new products, which are great, we have forgotten about products we already have which are perfect for this upcoming holiday season, fall, and Halloween like this Mini Curvy Keepsake Box Halloween Witch. You can make all kinds of little gift boxes and even characters using this Mini Curvy Keepsakes Box Dies. So much opportunity for creativity!

This little Mini Curvy Keepsake Box is so easy to make, no matter what else you are going to do to it! Just die cut the one piece and fold on the score lines. Your box will come together quite well! After scoring and creasing the fold lines, it might be good to kind of press down on the sides to kind of get that curve going a little bit. Then hold the two handles together and slip the two sides with slots right over the handles. Then decorate the box however you like.

For the Halloween witch, I used a piece of Granny Apple Green Cardstock. I assembled the box and then added the witch features. I had a bag of googlie eyes so I opted to use two of those. You could just use circles of black and white cardstock. The witch’s nose is from the 1/2″ Circle Punch (retired, sadly) but if you don’t have the punch you can just cut one by hand or find a punch in your stash that will work. I had some black dots so I put one on her nose for a wart! I just drew in the mouth and freckles with the Basic Black Stampin’ Blend using the tip end, not the brush end.

For the hair, I just grabbed some twine I had, thinking it was Linen Thread but I think it was some natural colored twine I had from something. I just cut a few strands, tied them together in the middle with another piece and adhered them to the witch’s head! You could do cardstock strips, yarn, shredded paper, other ribbon or string you have.

The witch’s hat I sort of copied from one I’d seen on Pinterest or somewhere. You could use the old Tree Punch we used to have but I used the Pine Tree Punch which is current. I punched out two trees. I didn’t want the shaggy edges that make it look like a tree so I just cut along the two sides and cut those edges off so that I had a perfect triangle. I used Black Glimmer Paper because I had some scraps which the punch fit, but not the hat base. For that, I just happened to find this large scalloped circle already cut out and just went with that. Cut a slit in the center of the hat base in which you will insert the triangle top of the hat. I took the two trees and adhered them together with Glue Dots near the top. You want to keep most of the bottom open so you can slide it over the box handles. Then fold the tree trunk up facing the tree, on each side, and use Mini Glue Dots to adhere those trunks to the hat base after inserting through that slit. That way the tree is attached to the hat base but it can still be placed over the box handles.

For a little embellishment, I tied on a Terracotta Tile ribbon and stuck on a little plastic Halloween blackbird sticker I had in my stash. You can just barely see it against the black witch’s hat.

That’s all there is to it! You could make a ghost out of white paper, a scarecrow, Frankenstein, some other monster, or a pumpkin! All with this one die and that’s just for Halloween! Have fun playing with the Mini Curvy Keepsake Die and see what you can make with it!

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Make & Send a Card on World Cardmaking Day 2020

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World Cardmaking Day 2020

Today is World Cardmaking Day! Almost everyday is Cardmaking Day for a lot of us avid stampers and papercrafters, but today we should make a card and MAIL ONE to someone…..or even better, make and mail several cards! It’s good for us to take some time for being creative and getting our mind off the news and it will also be good for the recipient to know that you were thinking of them!

Here are two cards I made with the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper. As it happens, this paper is on sale 15% off during the month of October in the Designer Series Paper Sale! Be sure to check out the list of papers on sale so you can order your choices soon.

Forever Greenery Friend Card

This card was made with a Whisper White card base (you could use the Thick Whisper White Cardstock also) and larger margins than usual. I cut Shaded Spruce Cardstock a little smaller than usual, 5″ x 3 3/4′”. Then I chose three of the designer paper patterns and cut them into smaller pieces to make the card panels. They measured 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. The greeting is from the Peaceful Moments Stamp Set. I cut it out with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch and a wider strip of Shaded Spruce for a layer. I wanted a little embellishment on each end of the punched greeting so I chose the Elegant Faceted Gems. I didn’t feel like they stood out enough so I colored them with the Dark Shaded Spruce Stampin’ Blend Marker. It worked! I think they add just a little something in the right color. The Forever Greenery Paper uses several colors of greens so you can have your choice of greens that you have available.

Forever Greenery Easy Thank You Card

This card is really easy to make! Again, it uses a Whisper White card base with wider margins than usual. The layer under the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper is Shaded Spruce. The greeting is stamped with Shaded Spruce Ink from the Peaceful Moments Stamp Set also. I used the Stitched So Sweetly Dies to cut out the greeting and for size considerations, just cut a rectangle to layer underneath. For something a little extra, I used some Just Jade Ribbon back and forth under the greeting. You could make either of these cards with any designer paper that you have so you have no excuses! Try something!

Let’s all celebrate World Cardmaking Day by sending one of our handmade cards to at least one person or stick one in your neighbor’s mailbox!

Happy World Cardmaking Day 2020!

(one of the good things about 2020!)

Forever Greenery Easy Cards

Forever Fern Card For a Friend

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This Forever Fern Card For a Friend is one that I copied from a sample in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog on page 5. The other day I was browsing through the catalog and it was one of those times that samples in the catalog were jumping out at me right and left! Some days you can’t think of any idea for a card and nothing inspires you and then other times everything you see you want to make!

Since I haven’t used this Forever Fern Bundle as much as I would have liked yet, I decided to just use a sample in the catalog to get more of a feel for the stamp set and dies. This Forever Fern Stamp Set is a Distinktive** stamp set; it has a special texture that gives added depth and dimension in a single step, creating photo-realistic images. **Patent pending. To me, that means that when I stamp with it, I am impressed and marvel at the beautiful image!

This card sample is beautiful and looks pretty fancy and involved to me, but really, when I made it, it is pretty basic. There are only two stamped ferns and the greeting. The other two ferns are die cuts.

The card base is Just Jade, one of the new In Colors, and the layered designer paper is the 2020-2022 In Color 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper. The catalog sample uses one of the other patterns of the paper. I made several cards at once so I used different paper patterns. This one has the small circles or polka dots. When you copy a sample, you can still change some of the elements. In fact, a lot of time when I think I am going to copy something, I end up with something completely different.

The designer paper is cut smaller than usual. I cut mine at 3 3/4″ x 4 3/4″ and it is pushed over to the edge of the card rather than centered. I used my Bone Folder to curl up the opposite corners a little bit. You could do that or not do that. You could center the designer paper if you chose to.

The large fern in the background is die cut from Shaded Spruce Cardstock. If you have the Adhesive Sheets and think ahead to use them, this would be a good time on this large fern with small leaves. I used Multipurpose Liquid Glue to put small dots of glue onto the back of the large fern. The next die-cut fern I changed up a bit. In the catalog sample, it is Smoky Gray I think. I didn’t want to use gray so I used Gold Foil. I also adhered this piece with the Multipurpose Liquid Glue. You could also pop it up with Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

The two other pieces are stamped, one in Just Jade ink (stamped off once) and one in Granny Apple Green. Then they are die cut with the new Stampin’ Emboss & Cut Machine and the Magnetic Plate using the Forever Flourishing Dies. The greeting, in the stamp set, is stamped in Shaded Spruce Ink and die cut with the second smallest square in the Stitched Shapes Dies. I popped up the two stamped ferns with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

As to the greeting, the ribbon is layered back and forth behind it before being adhered to the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. The ribbon is in the Ornate Garden Ribbon Combo Pack. The color is Terracotta Tile. If you don’t have this particular ribbon, you could use white or whatever color you have that you think will work. I ended up using two pieces of ribbon – one straight just laid across the back on a diagonal and the second piece looped on each side. I first added some Stampin’ Seal to the back of the greeting to hold the ribbon in place and then placed Dimensionals to adhere it to the card.

All in all, like I said, this is a simple card to make. Here is a card I previously made with just stamping. You can get a better idea of the look of the Distinktive stamps.

Look through the Stampin’ Up! catalogs and see what samples jump out at you. Either try your hand at copying directly, or just use them as a starting point and see where your creativity takes you. I made a few simple changes to my Forever Fern Card For a Friend so see what you choose to do!

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Forever Fern Card For a Friend Closeup

Freezin’ Fun Christmas Wishes

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Freezin' Fun Christmas Wishes

Here’s a cool and icy looking Christmas Card, perfect for the skiing bunny, called Freezin’ Fun Christmas Wishes. The little guys in this stamp set are so cute you can’t help but love them! This little bunny is having fun skiing down a pretty steep slope amid the snowflakes! If you are making several designs of Christmas cards, you might like this one for a fun, whimsical card to send someone special.

I had planned to use the Feels Like Frost 6″ x 6″ Specialty Designer Series Paper. It was brought back from last year. I guess all the snowy, wintery photographic scenes on the paper were hits! As pretty as those scenic papers are, the other side with silver foil designs is also pretty and fun. It’s hard to use one side and miss out on the opposite side! For this card, the foil side won out, even though I had planned on the wintery scenes! You never know when you start creating!!

The card base is Balmy Blue with a layer of Whisper White to help the Feels Like Frost paper stand out a little. Cards with foil are always hard to photograph because of glare, but this paper is silver foil with white dots that look like snow.

I stamped the bunny from the Freezin’ Fun Stamp Set and cut him out easily with the Freezin’ Friends Dies. You can buy both the stamp set and the dies together in the Freezin’ Fun Bundle and save 10%.

The Balmy Blue oval is die cut with the Stitched Shapes Dies. In the Freezin’ Friends Dies is just a long curvy die with which I made the snowy slope. I die cut the slope just out of a scrap of Whisper White, then adhered it to the oval and trimmed off the excess with Paper Snips.

The bunny is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals skiing down the slope! Of course, I colored him with Stampin’ Blends first, which I love to do! After adhering the layers together to make the card and adhering the oval to the front, I added some Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes. Those were sure fun to stick on! You could also glue on Snowflake Sequins with teeny tiny drops of Multipurpose Liquid Glue. Be sure to grab your Take Your Pick tool when you are handling these tiny pieces! It makes it a lot easier!

The greeting is stamped in Balmy Blue Ink from the Banner Year Stamp Set. I simply stamped it on a long scrap and then punched the ends with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch. Not being able to leave something plain alone, I had to add a couple of Rhinestones to the ends!

Even with the die-cutting, this card is pretty easy to make, simple design! Check your stash and see if you bought this designer paper last year and if so, get it out and start making some cards with it. It doesn’t even have to be just for winter or Christmas with the foil designs! If you don’t own it, you can purchase it, but wait until October 1st! There’s a designer paper sale coming!!

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Stamping With Forever Fern

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Stamping With Forever Fern

I realized I hadn’t really used the Forever Fern Stamp Set very much yet, but when I opened the stamp case to start making a card, I realized I hadn’t even used these stamps yet! How did that happen?! I have used the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper to make cards, but I hadn’t actually stamped with the stamp set! But now that I have, on this Stamping With Forever Fern card, I am in love!

I chose Just Jade, one of the new 2020-22 In Colors, for the card base since it is one of the coordinating colors with the designer paper. Not that I used the designer paper. The card front is Shimmery White Cardstock, a beautiful paper to use for a nice card.

Of course I wasn’t quite sure how this card would turn out if I just stamped the various ferns in the stamp set, but I just started stamping with various colors of green ink. There is something so relaxing and satisfying with stamping, applying that inked up stamp to the paper! It just feels good every time! I used Just Jade, Shady Spruce, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, and Soft Sea Foam. Just chose a group of greens! You can stamp over ones you have already stamped, it all looks good in the end!

The greeting is also in the stamp set. I stamped it on Shimmery White with Just Jade Ink and die cut it with the pretty circle die in the Tasteful Labels Dies. It actually looked good just like that if I would have put it on the card without layering it on something, but I did die cut a scalloped circle in the Layering Circles Dies and layered it on that. I adhered it flat on the card for a change. No embellishments either! I was so taken with how the stamping turned out, I didn’t even think about embellishments.

 This is a Distinktive stamp set (Patent pending); it has a special texture that gives added depth and dimension in a single step, creating photo-realistic images. It’s something special that Stampin’ Up! has created in some of the stamp sets. It’s really pretty!

There are also dies you can purchase to cut out the stamped images. If you want to get the Forever Flourishing Dies along with the Forever Fern Stamp Set, you can buy the Forever Fern Bundle with both and save 10%!

I do have to play more with this stamp set and Bundle. I was really pleased with this card I made with almost only stamping! Check it out if you haven’t ordered it yet. Lots of people have!

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Freezin’ Fun Snowflake Card

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Freezin Fun Snowflake Card

If you are interested in a variety of fun cards to make for the holidays, this Freezin’ Fun Snowflake Card might just get your creative juices flowing with ideas. There are so many possibilities with this stamp set and bundle, whether you “just stamp” or use the dies and create a whole winter scene.

I have to admit, this Freezin’ Fun Stamp Set was not one that I was interested in in the least in the Holiday Catalog. But then, recently, I saw some super-cute samples and I had to have it! The little critters are so cute and you can use one or all of them to show them having fun in the snow! Stamp them in Memento Ink and color in with Stampin’ Blends or Watercolor Pencils, perhaps.

There are also Freezin’ Friends Dies to go along with the stamp set. This makes it easy to die-cut the characters and as many trees as you want plus all the other fun things that are in the stamp set. If you want to save 10% on the stamp set and dies, buy the Freezin’ Fun Bundle.

To make this card I started with a card base of Pool Party. That color just reminded me of coolness and ice so I thought it would work for this card. For the layer, I embossed the Whisper White piece with the Winter Snow Embossing Folder to make a snowy background easily!

There is an odd long die that you can use to make a snowy hill. I die-cut two pieces, one higher than the other, for the snow for my characters to sled and ski down! You can just make these different widths and then layer then however you like. They have a pretty stitched edge, too. I popped up the back snowhill with Stampin’ Dimensionals and then adhered the front one directly on top of the back one.

The bunny and the raccoon are stamped and colored, the die-cut. I used the new Magnetic Plate with my new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine and it worked perfectly. It is a self-healing mat and is actually used as a cutting plate, plus is magnetic all over! In fact, you are encouraged to place your dies around different spots on the Magnetic Plate, not just in the center, to help it wear better. I stamped and colored a bunch of large and small trees, to save a couple for another card.

This isn’t necessarily a card you want to make a bunch of because it takes a little time with the die-cutting. But you will be able to make so many fun cards and other projects with this Bundle or even just the stamp set.

Then I had to try out the new Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes! The description says they are two colors, Iridescent and Just Jade. I can certainly tell they are Iridescent. I thought maybe there were some pinks in there too! Anyway, they are pretty and I stuck a few on this card right on top of the embossed snowflakes. Also on the greeting, which is included in the Freezin’ Fun Stamp Set.

If you are ready for some wintry fun, get this Freezin’ Fun Bundle and stamp and die-cut away! It’s really a fun and cute set to have! Check it out on page 69 of the Holiday Catalog, the Stampin’ Up! August-December 2020 Mini Catalog. Then start making some cards like my Freezin’ Fun Snowflake Card!

Gilded Autumn Pumpkins Fall Friendship Card

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Gilded Autumn Pumpkins Fall Friendship Card

This fall paper in the Stampin’ Up! August-December Mini Catalog 2020 is some of the prettiest designer paper we have had (or do I say that about almost every paper?!) so I had to make this Gilded Autumn Pumpkins Fall Friendship Card with this pretty paper with gold embossed pumpkins.

It’s really a very simple card and I wanted to keep it that way. Sometimes we get carried away with all our pretty embellishments and die cuts, but we can make simple, easy cards too that are just as nice.

This card has a Cajun Craze card base to match the Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper. I don’t really use Cajun Craze very often but it is lovely on this pumpkin paper! I was going to use another piece of the paper as a side strip but after placing the full layer of the pumpkin paper on the card base, I liked that look just fine and didn’t want to add anything else except a greeting.

The greeting is from So Sentimental, one of the good greetings stamp sets we have in the Annual Catalog. I stamped it in Cajun Craze ink to match on Very Vanilla Cardstock. Then I die-cut it with one of the Stitched So Sweetly Dies. Actually, the greeting looked fine on the card against that paper just as is, but I did want to add some Gold Foil to the card. I cut the same die cut out of the Gold Foil and then cut it in half so I could have it extend above and below the Very Vanilla greeting. That is something you can do when you want a layer of some kind but the dies don’t fit or extend beyond the greeting. It usually works pretty well!

The inside of the card will need a layer of Very Vanilla on which to stamp a greeting or write a personal note because of the dark Cajun Craze card base.

That’s really all there is to this Gilded Autumn Pumpkins Fall Friendship Card with just adhering a designer paper layer and a greeting for a very nice card to send to someone during this fall season or even looking ahead to Thanksgiving cards you might want to send.

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Gather Together Fall Pumpkin Card

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Gather Together Fall Pumpkin Card

Sometimes you just need to stamp and do some coloring! I needed some relaxation and stamping images randomly on a card and then coloring them with markers was just the perfect thing! I think we all need a hobby of some kind to turn to for a little stress relief and enjoyment! Stamping certainly is mine!

These pumpkins are images in the Gather Together Stamp Set which was in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Catalog last year. You can click on that link to view the PDF of the catalog from last year and get more ideas for samples for that stamp set and dies, but of course most things in that catalog have retired. It was a favorite and I was happy to see it return this year!

There is also a set of dies that go with the Gather Together set, the Gathered Leaves Dies. You can purchase the stamps and dies in the Gather Together Bundle and save 10%! The leaves are also very pretty in this stamp set.

To make this card, stamped the pumpkins randomly on a piece of Whisper White Cardstock. I used Memento Ink since I was going to color in with our alcohol markers, Stampin’ Blends. Mainly I used the Light and Dark Pumpkin Pie with a touch of Light Daffodil or Light Granny Apple Green. I also had out Cajun Craze and used that on a few for a slightly darker shade. The stems are all Light and Dark Granny Apple Green.

After I had the pumpkins stamped and colored it, I was tempted to stamp in the empty spaces with that dotted image in the stamp set. I wasn’t sure I should and perhaps ruin my card after all that coloring. But I was daring and I did it! I chose Granny Apple Green Ink and stamped off on my Grid Paper first to make it a little lighter. Since it is a photopolymer stamp and I could see through it, I could see if the stamp was going to fit in a space so I wasn’t stamping on the pumpkins. I think it added a little something to the card!

I have to admit I was a little sloppy in my coloring on a couple of the pumpkins. I used the Color Lifter but in my opinion it doesn’t always work as well as I would like. Maybe it depends on the color. And it wasn’t that bad, but I was able to cover it with my greeting! Remember, there almost always is a way to fix a mistake…..in fact, there are no mistakes in stamping!

I stamped the greeting in the stamp set in Pumpkin Pie ink and die-cut it with the Stitched So Sweetly Dies. There isn’t something that layers perfectly underneath it, so I chose the flagged banner die in the Tasteful Labels Die Set. It barely stuck out on the sides of the greeting, so I cut it in half and was going to make each end longer sticking out from the sides. It was a little tricky to fit on the card the way I wanted it, so I got the idea to put the two pieces off on the left side almost like two tail ends of ribbon. That’s something different and it made the greeting stand out a little. The greeting is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals.

That’s really all these is to the card. The stamped layer was adhered to a card base of Pumpkin Pie. I tried an extra layer either in Granny Apple Green or Basic Black but I like it fine just on the Pumpkin Pie card base.

Here’s another card with stamped pumpkins from the Gather Together Stamp Set that I cut out and arranged in a group on a card.

Sometimes it is good to get back to some basic stamping and whatever coloring technique you like for a simpler card. Pick this stamp set or another one you like and stamp the image randomly for the background of the card. If you don’t want to color in, just stamp in a color. See what you can make using my Gather Together Fall Pumpkin Card as inspiration!

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Don’t Stop Believin’ Santa Christmas Card

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Don't Stop Believin' Santa Christmas Card

I got this Don’t Stop Believin’ Santa Christmas Card idea from myself, from Pinterest! I happened to see my Christmas Pinterest board and spotted a card I made last year with the Holly Jolly Christmas Stamp Set and thought I could do the same thing with a current stamp this year!

I planned to call this a monochromatic card, but since there is green in the plaid paper, maybe it’s technically not monochromatic! The card does have a “red” theme, though.

The card base is Real Red Cardstock with a layer of red & green plaid in the Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper. The Santa is stamped from the Don’t Stop Believin’ Stamp Set. Isn’t that the best name?! It’s really a cute stamp set, worth a look! I stamped the Santa in Real Red on Whisper White and die-cut with one of the Stitched So Sweetly rectangle dies. The next smaller one was a little too small.

I wanted a layer underneath the Santa in Real Red but the Rectangle Stitched Dies don’t fit the Stitched So Sweetly rectangles exactly. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing, but I shortened the Stitched Rectangle so it would fit the Santa better. You can find the best technique for doing this, but I took a guess and it worked. I die-cut the rectangle part way, then moved the die up so it would be shorter, keeping the die fit into the part that was already cut. You can feel it, if it is still in its die-cut design.

Next, I stamped the word “believe” in Real Red ink from the Itty Bitty Christmas Stamp Set. That word is die-cut with a small Stitched Shapes circle die. Then this was layered on a scalloped circle die in the Layering Circles Dies in Real Red.

There is a tiny star above the “i” and I thought it would be cute to put a small Rhinestone above it, almost like the twinkle in Santa’s eye. Actually, I’m not sure I like the rhinestone there, maybe some rhinestones scattered around the Santa would have been better. What do you think?

I popped up the Santa image and layers on Stampin’ Dimensionals and also the greeting. I had to put the Dimensional under the greeting off to the one side so it would line up with the popped up Santa image. Otherwise, one side of the greeting would be above the Santa. I did add a Mini Glue Dot to the side of the greeting that would overlap the Santa image to hold it in place there.

Here is my card from last year, the Monochromatic Real Red Holly Jolly Santa Christmas Card. This card is even a little simpler, cutting just rectangle shapes and an oval.

You might enjoy making this Don’t Stop Believin’ Santa Christmas Card with this cute stamp set, no matter which card design you come up with!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online HERE!

Flowers For Every Season Thank You Slimline Card

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If you are looking to make a “happy card”, look no further than this Flowers For Every Season Thank You Slimline Card! Some days you just need something “happy” and the flowers and colors in this pretty paper will improve anyone’s mood or day!

This is what is called a slimline card since it is long and narrow. You can make these cards longer and a little less narrow and they will still fit in a business-size envelope. Since this paper is 6″ x 6″, I thought 6″ wide would be plenty slim-enough. Half a sheet of the designer paper would fit on the card front. This card will fit in that smaller regular size envelope that people use, not our good Stampin’ Up! envelopes.

For this card, I just made a card base of Whisper White at 6″ x 6″ folded in half to 6″ x 3″. I chose two patterns of the Flowers For Every Season Designer Series Paper for this card. There isn’t any margin, the designer paper is the full size of the card base. Actually the flowers and the polka dots are the same sheet of paper, opposite sides. I just cut each piece wide enough to overlap on the front of the card and adhered a ribbon across the seam of the two papers. It’s a very easy card to make.

The ribbon is the pretty Magenta Madness In Color Ribbon. I adhered it around the designer paper layer and then adhered the designer paper to the card base. I also tied a knot on each side of the greeting.

The greeting is in the Blossoms In Bloom Stamp Set. I wanted it to fit on this particular circle die cut so I stamped the words individually one above the other. Make sure the stamp is completely clean so you don’t get a bit of ink where you don’t want it. It is stamped in Just Jade Ink to match the polka dot paper, then die-cut with that pretty circle in the Tasteful Labels Dies. As extra little accents on the greeting, I cut out by hand a few flowers from the designer paper and adhered them to the greeting die cut. The greeting is popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals®

If you would like to try something a little bit different but easy, try one of these narrow, slimline cards. Here is another one I made recently that I really liked making.

While we are all getting excited and beginning to get wrapped up in making holiday cards and projects out of the new August-December 2020 Mini Catalog, let’s not forget the pretty things in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. There is still time for colorful flowers like on this lovely designer paper and we could all use some bright and happy colors and cards in our lives right now so try something like this Flowers For Every Season Thank You Slimline Card.

Learn About the New Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

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Tuesday the new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine became available to customers so now it’s time to get familiar with the machine. Watch the video above to find out about the machine.

It’s easy to figure out the sandwich for each situation, unless the previous machine where I had to check my notes now and then to see what to use and in what order. These instructions are printed on the base platform and the plates are numbered. Note that he says in the video you don’t have to place the die in the center all the time.

Keep in mind that there are the regular, more flexible embossing folders and the 3D embossing folders that are stronger and don’t bend. The sandwiches are different for each.

https://youtu.be/gLjviY6zjOQ

I can’t wait to get my Magnetic Plate I ordered! It should be much better than the one we have had previously. There aren’t scattered magnets inside the platform which used to pull our dies off to the side sometimes. The whole piece is magnetic and it will be used as a cutting plate.

This should get you off to a good start with your new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine!

Order yours today at Stampin’ Up! Online HERE!

New Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine! And Clearance Rack Refresh!

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Cut & Emboss Machine Closed my info

Today is the day! The new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine is here for you today, September 1st! Customers can now order this Standard Size machine in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store! (The Mini is not yet available.)

Cut & Emboss Machine Open my info

Everything you need is included when you purchase the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. Included are 1 Base Plate (Plate 1), 1 Die Plate (Plate 2), 2 Cutting Plates (Plate 3), and 1 Specialty Plate (Plate 4). You don’t have to purchase anything extra right away to use the machine.

However, if you would like, Stampin’ Up! just announced that the new Magnetic Plate (149656 $24) IS available for purchase TODAY!

“It is a thin, fully magnetic sheet with self-healing cutting surface. Magnetic Cutting Plate (Plate 5) holds dies securely in place, even nested dies. This slim, portable sheet replaces a Cutting Plate in your sandwich, making it even easier to take with you. Use with the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.”

This means it is BETTER than the one we had with our old machine! On our old one, the magnets inside the platform were spaced around inside so when you sometimes put down a die, it would jump over a bit to the nearest magnet in the platform! This new one will have a full magnetic area. You do not NEED the Magnetic Plate with the machine BUT I highly recommend it. I’m ordering one!

So what sets our machines apart from the rest? Here are some of our favorite features:

  • Durable machines with high-quality results. The solid steel construction frame and rubber feet that securely grip the work surface produce crisp, clean, precise cutting and beautifully detailed embossing.
  • Easy to use. The machines and tools are designed for an intuitive die-cutting and embossing experience. For example, all plates are labeled with a number and are color-coded for easy reference and use when building your sandwich. And just like the name suggests, our Magnetic Cutting Plates have fully-magnetic surfaces to make it easy to securely position your dies and keep them in place.
  • Simple to store. The platforms on both machines fold for space-saving storage and they look pretty too–the sleek, clean design suits any crafting space.
  • Portable. You can use both machines at home or on the go with their folding platforms and ergonomic carrying handles. This makes it easy to showcase the product line in your classes and workshops! It’s also convenient for those of you who like to attend crops or other crafting get-togethers.

AND Stampin’ Up! added new items to the Clearance Rack (while supplies last!) so shop soon for the best selection!

Order your new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine today and beat the rush!