Squash Fun-Fold Card

Usually, I’m a bit more timely in posting my finished project from my Monday Lunchtime Live crafting videos, but we were focused on tending the grandkids. I’m just now getting settled back at home and sharing this (late Saturday night)…better late than never!

This fun-fold card is called a “squash card” and begins with an 8.5″ square piece of card stock. Once finished, the card squashes (or smashes) flat to fit into a standard Stampin’ Up! envelope.

Measurements for the pieces:

  • 8.5″ square card stock, scored at 4.25″ horizontally and vertically AND once diagonally.
  • Designer Series Paper: One 3.75″ square and two 3.5″ square
  • Basic White card stock: Two 3.75″ squares, plus a piece to stamp a greeting and/or images to embellish with.

I die cut images from the Designer Series Paper for the front of my cards, but you could just as easily stamp what you’d like for the top of your cards.

Now peek inside:

TIP: The same design can be used on a 12″ x 12″ piece of card stock to create a mailable scrapbook page! Place photos where any of the paper or card stock layers are, and save a spot to journal about the memories, then fold it up to send to a friend to remember a happy day together.

Watch for instructions:

Thanks for ordering the supplies from my Stampin’ Store so I may continue to bring you ideas to try!

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Good news! Starting June 5th, both the standard and mini Cut & Emboss Machines will be 10% off (they have NEVER been on sale before!) PLUS stamp + die bundles- which are already 10% off – will be available for an ADDITIONAL 10% discount through June 30, 2024.

Embellishing with Ephemera

Ephemera: “things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time”

Some of my friends are “junk journalists” while others are scrapbookers, and most of us make greeting cards often. One thing we all have in common is our enjoyment of embellishing our projects with pretty pieces of ribbon, jewels, and paper, or EPHEMERA.

In the 2024-2025 Stampin’ Up! catalog, there are 4 packages of ephemera to mix & match on projects of your choice- from scrapbooks to journals, from tags to cards. In this video, a special guest demonstrates how these bits & pieces ignite the imagination:

Here are a few other cards I created after all the “help” on the video:

TIP: When starting with a printed card base, create a background for your focal point with a plain contrasting color, such as a frame or tag, then “build” images on and around the background.

After creating with the die cut images, I realized the best way to store Epemera pieces would be in an album with the 6″ x 8″ pocket pages so you could punch out the pieces (which kind of want to fall out as you handle the sheets), sort, organize and view them easily in a binder! I’m not at home, or I’d snap a pic to show you, but here is the album and pages in a variety pack. You can click the images to add the products to your cart.

Here are the products we “played” with for our Mix & Match Cards. What will you use them for?

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New at SU! Tune In For In Color

Fresh new banner for our world-wide monthly New at SU! blog hop – and for the new catalog release in May, we are showing off those vibrant new 2024-2026 In Colors!

All the RETRO-feels of the “Tune In” bundle were impossible to resist, so I’ve made a wiper card with Summer Splash, Peach Pie and Petunia Pop:

This is the card when it’s closed and then…

…up pops the “You’re Super” message!

Quick video clip to see it in action:

What other gorgeous In Color goodies await you along the hop? Visit to find out:

May 2024 New at SU! Blog Hop: 2024-2026 In Colors

Previous Blog < > Next Blog
1.Merrick Makings (AUS) – New at SU! Creating with our new In Colours
2.Studio Shabaz (AU) – Nan Nan’s Garden of Love
3.Furry Cat Designs (UK) – Hello Petunia Pop!
4.Nina’s Southern Accents (US)- New In-Colors featuring Thoughtful Wish
5.I Heart Cards 2 (USA) – Round We Go with 2024-2026 In Colors
6.Nature’s INKspirations (US) – 2024-2026 In Color™ with Poised Peony
7.Attelyootje (NL) – New at SU! In Colors 2024-2026
8.Stamping Flair (AU) – Citrus Blooms with 2024-2026 In-Colors
9.Rebecca-Jo Unwin (AU) – New at SU! | May 2024
10.Playing with Papercrafting (CA) – Spotlight on Nature & the In Co
11.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- New at SU In Colors
12.Tricia’s Stamping Creations (US) – Simply Said
13.Scraphexe (DE) – In Colors 2024 – 2026
14.De Kijkkast (NL) – New In Colors in Vintage style
15.Creative Juice by Loni (US)- In Tune, In Color
16.247 Inkspiration (US) – Pretty In Pink

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Here are the supplies you’ll need to make & mail this “important message” yourself:

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Still here? Today is the LAST DAY to join my In Color Club, where you will collect ALL the products in each of these new 2024-2026 In Colors over the next few months, PLUS the Basic Beige FREE in September! Each month you’ll also receive complimentary supplies to create an exclusive project with your new colors.

In Color Collectors Club

Too impatient to collect one each month?! Consider starting your own Stampin’ Adventure with the May 2024 Starter Kit Special!

Attention Shoppers Happy Birthday Slimline Card, 2024-2026 In Colors, Full

May Bonus: Colors in the Starter Kit!

Throughout the month of May 2024, there is a fabulous Starter Kit Special: You’ll get to choose $125 worth of your favorite products for just $99, then Stampin’ Up! will add FOUR 2024-2026 In Color products added to your kit FREE!

I wanted to show something you could make with these colors and potential items in your kit, so I demonstrated a simple stamping project on my Facebook page, inspired by a layout from the new annual catalog:

I failed to mention that this card is the ideal size to include a gift of ca$h, and here’s what I would stamp on the inside:

Basic masking and fussy cutting techniques are shared in the video you can watch here:

While that’s the smartest way to collect the colors quickly, you could also opt to add them one-at-a-time to your toolbox over the next 5 months by joining my In Color Collectors Club, including getting the new Basic Beige color collection FREE!

If you are in southern Utah, don’t miss my Catalog Carnival Open House this Saturday from 1-4 pm in Hurricane where you can craft a card, snag a snack, capture a new catalog, AND shop from my ONCE-A-YEAR-BOGO SALE!!

Attention Shoppers: I’m always delighted when you choose me to serve your creative needs – thanks for ordering your genuine Stampin’ Up! supplies from my Stampin’ Store by adding the products you love below to your cart, and watch for your thank you card in the mail when you allow me to inspire you!

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Citrus Blooms Mediterranean Tile Card

Capri is Calling

It’s CATALOG PREMIER DAY and I am doing the happy dance! Do you have a favorite suite of products? Or pretty paper you can’t resist?

My top pick will be no surprise: The Mediterranean Blooms Suite reminds me of the island of Capri, Italy and that’s where my inspiration came from for this card…plus, I have a tutorial for you!

Lemons are plentiful in Capri, and while I chose to use Peach Pie Stampin’ Blends to color my citrus fruit, it still feels like the island, with the blue & white tiles that reflect the ocean.

I’m still enjoying the sun in another beautiful part of the planet, so I’ll update links when I return, but you can start shopping today at my Stampin’ Store!

Meanwhile, print out this tutorial and be prepared to answer the call of Capri- by mailing a little sunshine this summer:

Ready to see more? Watch this!

Thanks for ordering from my Stampin’ Store!

Leaf Collection Thinking of You Card

Made for Mexico

It’s *FINALLY TIME* and hopefully I’m sitting on the beach as you read this! One of the last things I did to prepare for the Stampin’ Up! Incentive Trip was to create swaps, and thought you might like to see my card:

I used the Leaf Collection stamp we received as an all-attendee giveaway at OnStage last month to emboss a Shaded Spruce and Pretty Peacock background onto Shy Shamrock card stock. The stamp arrives on WEDNESDAY, May 1st in my Stampin’ Store! The ink stayed wet just long enough to cover it in clear embossing powder:

See that new color on the card base? It’s called “Basic Beige”

I added the sentiment in the Hexagon punch and a few leaves and sprigs using the Bough Punch and a sweet bow (if I made it, it probably has ribbon on it).

Looking forward to sharing more about our Mex-capade…when I have the time! And because I’m supposed to say this about earning the Incentive trip: “Results are not typical. Fewer than 1% of Demonstrators world-wide achieve this reward”

THANK YOU for your support and orders from my Stampin’ Store. I hope the value, teaching, and service offered to my friends & customers is equal to my deepest heart-felt appreciation!

Simply Zinnia Thank You Card Slanted Background In Color 2024-2026

In Color Zinnia Card Duos

If there were a contest for the “most cheerful flower”, don’t you think ZINNIAS would take the prize?

Today’s card(s) feature the Simply Zinnia bundle (an online exclusive available now in my Stampin’ Store) as well as the 2024-2026 In Color products that will be in my store on May 1st!

This slanted background is a handy template to remember (or PIN!) because you can create TWO cards in about the same time it takes to make just one!

It all starts with a 6″ x 3-3/4″ piece of In-Color Designer Series Paper. Mark it at 2″ on the bottom long edge (on the back side of the design you want to use) and at 4″ on the top long edge. Then cut it from the 2″ mark to the 4″ mark. Layer each of those pieces onto a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic Black card stock and you are halfway done.

TIP: The leftover 6″ x 2-1/4″ piece of Designer Series Paper fits perfectly on the flap of your envelope, giving you terrific coordination!

Watch the tutorial (speed it up, if desired) to learn how to finish up the card:

And why stop at 2 cards when you can make 10? Two in each of the 2024-26 In Colors: Petunia Pop (shown above), Summer Splash, Peach Pie, Pretty In Pink and Shy Shamrock!

These colors coordinate beautifully, so you can even mix up the colors on the flowers- with the alcohol-based Stampin’ Blends markers, the colors bleed together smoothly:

Here are a few wonderful ways to collect the new IN COLORS:

  • Join my IN COLOR COLLECTORS CLUB and receive a package each month (May-September) filled with a sampling of ALL the products in each of the colors, including an exclusive projects each month…PLUS a FREE BASIC BEIGE BONUS the last month!
  • Too impatient to collect slowly? Purchase ALL the colors in May or June from my Stampin’ Store and earn the Basic Beige Bonus FREE!
  • Join my Sprinkled Ink Team in May and receive 4 new In Color Products in the Starter Kit FREE!! Offer good May 1-31, 2024.

Ice Cream, Adhesive Sheets and Last Chance Sale

When you have the right tools, any project becomes easier.

Adhesive sheets are a type of double-sided adhesive that make any piece of paper into a sticker, and they are indispensable for a project like PAPER PIECING. The Ice Cream Swirl dies are a perfect example of how you can create sweet cards to drool over, using adhesive sheets:

Start with a 5.5″ x 6.75″ card base (scored at 4.25″) and “build” layers with Designer Series Paper. The Lighter Than Air designs have creamy colors that I used to cut 3 swirls from, then built up my lemon-raspberry ice cream swirl. This is a card you’ll want to make triplets of at one time, just to use up all the pieces:

Today (April 9th) is the last day to register for my Crafting Happiness class on Friday, April 19th, where I’ll be featuring the Ice Cream Swirl Bundle (and you get a discount on the class if you purchase the bundle from my store)- OR you can use one of the stamp & die bundles you may already have.

A tutorial to teach how to use Adhesive Sheets:

Inside the card:

Today also begins the Stampin’ Up! Last Chance Sale– click image to shop!

I appreciate your order of genuine Stampin’ Up! products from my store! Your support give me the opportunity to continue sharing creativity with you. I’m always tickled to mail a hand-stamped card as a thank you for online orders!

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Farewell Friday: Sweetest Cherries

I’ve used the Sweetest Cherries stamp set with the coordinating Cherry Builder punch over the last few years for everything from Christmas to birthdays and will be sad to see it retire this month. Here is my card for a fond farewell to this crafting friend:

I made a “basket” for my cherries on this tall card base (11″ x 4.25″) by folding the bottom corners up to meet in the middle, stamped the cross-hatch designs on the front, then lined it with some Designer Series Paper before filling it with the mouth-watering fruit.

When I shared the retiring lists last week, I mentioned that the “Last Chance Sale” didn’t start until April 9th. What I *neglected* to mention that you may NOT WANT TO WAIT for the sale if there is something you REALLY want to get! There are already MANY products that are sold out and discontinued.

Check these lists to make sure you have collected the items you need in your craft room:


Farewell Friday: Good Feelings & Rays of Light

As we near the end of a Stampin’ Up! catalog year, it’s time to spotlight some of my favorite retiring products. These products are available while supplies last or until April 30, 2024 (download full retiring product list at end of this post).

Since the TGIF Bonus Challenge #tgifc466 was to create a “simple gift set” of cards, it gave me the opportunity to stretch outside my comfort zone of bright colors, and use some of the black & white designs from the Delightfully Eclectic Designer Series Paper. But you can’t take ALL the color out of my life, so I added Calypso Coral, which also shows up on some of the paper designs.

These cards use the paper, PLUS the Good Feelings stamp set and Rays of Light background stamp, all of which will NOT be returning to the new catalog premiering in May. The Rays of Light background is the one I will grieve over losing the most!

This simple fun-fold card style is strategically planned to make the most of your patterned paper! If you score a full 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of card stock along the long edge at 4.25″ and 9.75″…THEN cut it in half at 4.25″, you’ll have two 11″ x 4.25″ cards ready to fold, meeting on the front of the card,

Use a 4″ x 4″ piece of DSP on one side and a 4″ x 1″ piece on the smaller fold. This pattern can be used in landscape or portrait orientation.

Now, HOW should we “gift” all these simple co-ordinating cards?

A quick folio made from a 12″ tall x 10″ wide piece of the Designer Series Paper is just the thing, and can hold all the cards plus envelopes!

Score it at 4.75″ and 5.25″ to give a center binding back, then add a ribbon to tie closed:

What else is retiring? Click banners to download the lists of items from the ’23-’24 Annual Catalog AND the January-April Mini Catalog which will be retiring.

>>> NOTE THAT THE LAST CHANCE SALE STARTS APRIL 9th <<<

These are the supplies I used for my simple set of cards and the folio to gift them in. I appreciate your orders so much and will mail you a thank you card! THANK YOU.

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