A Sketch to Show a Palette

May 5, 2025May 15, 2025Leave a comment

As I prepare for my annual Stampin’ Soiree & BOGO Sale this Saturday (featuring a NEW Stampin’ Up!®️ Catalog and Online Exclusives), I wanted to make a few samples with some of the fresh products coming tomorrow, May 6th! Since multi-tasking is the only way this one-woman show can get things done, I chose a simple sketch, which doubles as a way to show the color palette, and used it for my lunchtime live crafting video, too:

The first card I demonstrated was inspired by the #tgifc523 color challenge of Petnunia Pop, Balmy Blue and Daffodil Delight:

Starting simple – no mat on this card (though you certainly could add one), I stamped flowers from a new Online Exclusive bundle, Impressions Abloom on top of the 3-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ panel, then added 1-3/16″ squares of the colored card stock to the bottom:

When crafting from a sketch, give yourself some freedom to make changes! I didn’t add the palette to the Poppin’ By card, but used the darling filmstrip die to add the border at the bottom:

My favorite thing about this set is probably the tennis shoes you could add to the bucket of popcorn:

Moving along, let’s take that sketch and turn it SIDEWAYS, which is what I did for the Notes & Totes bundle from the new catalog, which I paired with the 2025-2027 In Colors (from bottom to top: Secret Sea, Timid Tiger, Cloud Cover, Darling Duckling & Strawberry Slush):

And finally, I used some Celebration Expressions Memories & More Cards to make this Happy Birthday card, and my friend Barb’s Million Dollar Stamp Set Layered Thoughts, this time putting the color palette below the main panel:

To see me create two of these cards (and share some tips), watch this:

If one of these new items or colors is something you must have, visit my Stampin’ Store starting on May 6th to make an order, or click on the Stampin’ Supplies link under any card you love.

See all these samples IN PERSON – and MORE – at the Stampin’ Soiree, Saturday May 10th in Hurricane, UT. It’s FREE and open-house style, so plan to drop in with a friend between 1-4 pm!

One more announcement: If your wish list is long, the best value for Saavy Stampin’ Shoppers is the STARTER KIT, and starting tomorrow, May 6th, you can choose MORE in your starter kit, with no strings attached!

Scrapbooking with On the Go

April 30, 20251 Comment

Let me make you feel better about scrapbooking, as we gear up for National Scrapbook Day this Saturday, May 3, 2025! I’m working on photos from 2006 (I am indeed 20 years behind) and my style is “Git ‘er done!” Take a look:

The “On The Go” Suite Collection is a must have for memory keepers who also love to travel! It includes a cling stamp set, coordinating dies, Designer Series Paper, suitcase boxes, twine and puffy stickers (which I will be adding to my page, now that I remembered I have them 🤪). Of course, each product can be purchase individually, as well.

One more way to use your alphabet dies (and in the spirit of the #tgifc522 product challenge) is to use the negative section of the letters you’ve cut out:

Remember to save the centers of letters – like the O, R, P and A – and if you put an adhesive sheet on your paper before die cutting, your letters, the centers and your negative image will already be sticky to put on the page, just like a sticker.

I’m not a person who thinks every scrapbook page has to be a show-piece, or even have a bold title. Especially when creating multiple pages of one event, give yourself permission to make them simple. The people who are looking at your albums are there for the PHOTOS & MEMORIES, not the design and composition! Here’s my next page (another day of our Orlando adventure in 2006) and in case you were wondering, I prefer 8.5″ x 11″ pages because the albums I put them in fit easier on my bookshelf:

Seriously. Just get those photos on the page. Add a cute embellishment, then let your family flip through the walk down memory lane.

Need another push? Join Stampin’ Up! on Social Media this Friday for a free virtual event:

To start (or re-ignite) your passion for preserving your photos, Stampin’ Up!®️ is offering shoppers 2x times the reward points for 2 days on Friday & Saturday on orders over $20:

If you haven’t heard of our new Rewards Program (or don’t have an account with Stampin’ Up!®️) here’s how they work:

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(Plus a piece of Darling Duckling – a 2025-27 In Color coming May 6th)

Can You Mail a Scrapbook Page?

April 28, 2025April 28, 2025Leave a comment

The answer is YES!

In today’s live demonstration on the Creative Juice Facebook Page and YouTube channel, I showed how to create two sizes of scrapbook pages (8.5″ x 11″ and 12″ x 12″) you can mail memories with~ .

You’ll need a page layout that has quadrants, so you can fold it for mailing. This sketch features a long panel on the right and a cluster of photos on the left. Once you fold it up, it fits in a large envelope. I created the envelope from a 10″ x 10″ piece of the same Friends of the Ocean Designer Series Paper by Stampin’ Up! :

Both of these pages use the same layout and patterned paper, along with the Alphabet a la Mode and Mini Alphabet dies, fitting the bill for the TGIF Product Challenge this week #tgifc522:

These beloved funny faces were the inspiration for this project:

INSTRUCTIONS: Start by taking the card stock for your page and scoring it in half one direction, then in half the other way. You’ll cut along one of the score lines in to the middle – on my “Funny Faces” page, I cut it along the lower center score line, but if I were to do it again, I’d cut along the horizontal line on right or left, as I did for the “Feeling Beachy” 12×12 page.

Once folded, the 8.5″ x 11″ page fits into a Basic White Medium Envelope:

TIP for mailing in 2025: If it weighs more than 1 oz. you’ll need a two ounce postage stamp, or one regular stamp and an additional ounce postage stamp. For the 12×12 page, you’ll need a Non-Machinable 1 ounce stamp ($1.19) PLUS an additional ounce stamp ($.28) for a total of $1.47.

Use the faces from the Meant to Bee and/or Bee My Valentine on Daffodil Delight card stock and punch them out with a 1/2″ circle punch to create the emoji buttons!

I’ll add this to the list of Mailable Gifts we’ve been building- bookmark that list HERE, then watch the video for more information on how to #mailamemory :

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Did you know it’s National Scrapbook Day this Saturday, May 3rd? Join Stampin’ Up! LIVE for a free kickoff event on Friday, May 2nd at 1 pm!

Sketch & Color Challenge Combo

April 9, 2025Leave a comment

TUNE IN for a M*A*S*H*U*P of the Stampin’ Up! April 2025 sketch challenge AND the TGIF Color Combination challenge #tgifc519

My beloved Tune In stamp set and dies are retiring (on the Last Chance list NOW), so it seemed like a good time to have a “rerun” and show it off by mixing these two challenges:

Lemon Lolly (and Lemon Lime Twist) are difficult colors to photograph, however you can see that this card gives off retro-vibes and may make you want to make a piece of cinnamon toast and catch up on the Brady Bunch!

Just like classic television, this stamp set will always be groovy to use!

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Arched Wishes Birthday Card, Color Challenge

March 10, 20251 Comment

Rubber stamps should come with a warning label. Once you get a bundle with a punch or set of dies, Stampin’ Up! releases ANOTHER stamp set that coordinates, and then you MUST have it, because it extends the use of the first bundle…and the addiction continues! That’s what happened to me, and look where I am now. 😂

With new Online Exclusive products in my Stampin’ Up! store for March 2025, the Arched Wishes stamp set coordinates with the Everyday Arches Dies (which are essential for every paper crafter):

The TGIF Challenge #tgifc515 is a color combination that felt like a party, so I ran with it!

If you can see the bit of shimmer on the cupcake, it’s from the Wink of Stella pen, and I wanted to use the arch I cut out of the front panel on the inside of the card, so the party continues when you open it up!

The Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder gave the background a bit of texture and added interest, and there are a few other tips I shared in the “How To” video:

Switch it up and stamp the balloons on the back, or add a “Happy Birthday” sentiment in black (an afterthought following my live video). If you prefer not to fussy-cut the sentiment, make it a banner!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve your creative needs! Because of your orders, I am able to continue helping you squeeze the most from your paper crafting art.

Product List

Arched Wishes Cling Stamp Set (English)

Everyday Arches Dies

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Summer Splash 8 1/2" X 11 Cardstock

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Summer Splash Classic Stampin Pad

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill

Blending Brushes

Basics Wow! Embossing Powder

Embossing Additions Tool Kit

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Mini Corrugated 3 D Embossing Folder

Summer Splash Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Fresh Freesia Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush

Iridescent Adhesive Backed Discs

Stampin' Dimensionals

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Friendly Seagulls Valentine Cards

January 13, 2025January 13, 20251 Comment

Now is the time to plan and create your Valentine cards, and since it’s Sale-a-Bration time at Stampin’ Up!, I knew you would enjoy using one of the products you could get FREE (with a qualifying order before Feb. 28th). The Friendly Seagull stamp set was the first thing I chose, because it’s so stinkin’ cute!

This card was speedy to put together because I followed the TGIF Sketch #tgifc507

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JcmHu4fkn1qZrVvRETg_qKTs3o7Fjexa6CFRHZZd3pnWQ2NpwrIKKBjdvmnlSan49nJC17ourh4AzDck_ZJZ1tCr9GLM1j56nqWRFycdvO1PfVbDnoSrmgD7rw9vPtV1O1We8kWLdaBll-aI_6juclCRd9WFw5O-f7Td5GrT2Gh01B8hePUSnWSjWaA/w400-h395/FB_IMG_1735710039999.jpg

A bit of diagonal embossing keeps the background clean and simple, but adds texture, while the seagull’s favorite snack becomes the added embellishment!

But if you dislike fussy cutting, I get it. When I don’t feel like trimming around an image, I reach for a punch to do the work, like the Heartfelt Hexagon. It made both the Simple and Stepped Up version of this card easy to create:

For the Stepped-Up version, I added dimension with the light Pool Party Stampin’ Blends marker and embossed the sentiments:

TIP: Order early in January to select Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration items you love (like the Friendly Seagull stamp set), so you can order AGAIN in February for MORE FREEBIES! There are products to choose with each $60 you order, and some that are options at $120 orders:

Watch the tutorial for both cards here, plus get a sneak peek of a card I’ll be sharing later this week, then add the supplies to your cart below and start stamping your own:

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While the little heart patterned paper I used was leftover from the Bee My Valentine Paper from last year, there IS a re-colored version of the same paper just released in the January Scrapbooking brochure and it’s called “Cute as Can Bee”. You could mix up the colors and create a Petunia Pop/Bubble Bath version of these cards! The heart design is in the lower right corner:

https://res.cloudinary.com/stampin-up/image/upload/bo_1px_solid_rgb:cccccc/w_1600,q_60,f_auto,d_missing_image.png/v1/prod/images/default-source/product-image/166621.jpg

Ready for MORE Valentines? Join me in Southern Utah this Thursday for the Love, Hugs & Valentine’s Class! RSVP TODAY!

Friendly Seagulls (SAB Sneak Peek)

December 13, 2024December 14, 2024Leave a comment

While Christmas is just around the corner, Sale-a-Bration is right on it’s heels!

Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration is the best time of the year because when you SHOP or JOIN, there are extra products to choose as a bonus. Let’s take a first look at one of the stamp sets you could choose free with a qualifying purchase: Friendly Seagulls

This card was inspired by the #tgifc503 sketch challenge:

Rather than coloring the seagulls, I colored AROUND them with Stampin’ Blends markers, creating a seaside sunrise (or sunset?) background. I fussy-cut around two of the birds to set them in front.

The set comes with a few different sentiments than what I used here. For this card, I added words from the “Saying Hey” stamp set from the annual catalog.

If you have ordered from me in the last year, you should receive a January-April mini catalog AND Sale-a-Bration brochure in the mail this month! If you don’t yet have a demonstrator serving you in the U.S., I’d be happy to send you both, simply shoot me a message!

Like this card? It makes me happy to hear if it makes you smile~ scroll back to the top of the post and leave me a comment!

Ultimate Shabby Chic: Torn Paper

November 27, 2024Leave a comment

Celebrating the 500th TGIF Challenge with a birthday card I made for a dear friend, and my longest team member. Ann, if you see this, just act surprised when you open your mail!

Tearing – or ripping – paper was one of the first techniques I remember being taught at an EARLY crafting convention I attended. It’s so simple, and adds terrific texture, and while many things have changed in paper crafting styles, this technique has just grown more sophisticated.

To be honest, there were a few times I almost threw out this card to begin again, but I persevered, and surprisingly, I think the end result is “tres shabby chic”!

With a whopping 6 (or more) layers of card stock, Designer Series Paper, ribbon, and the birds (also die cut from the patterned paper, so I didn’t have to color them), this was much more detailed than I usually do, but the card needed all the fussy stuff, and Ann deserves a very special card.

Luckily, most of the elements came from the Nests of Winter Suite, so all I had to add was the pretty pompom ribbon. These items can also be ordered individually, which I will include in the supply list below.

Added a few more torn patterns to the inside of the card and the envelope!

Next time you are crafting, give Torn Paper a try. #tgifc500

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3 Stampin' Up! Sentimental Wishes Tags for Christmas

New at SU!- Sketches are for Tags, Too

October 16, 2024October 16, 20245 Comments

Sketches are a Stamper’s secret design tool, and not only do they work for greeting cards and scrapbook pages, sketches also help you master a GIFT TAG…and a beautiful tag will level up any gift!

For our October New at SU! blog hop, I selected 3 tag sketches from page 16 of the September-December Mini catalog and combined those sketches with a set of products that evoke classic Christmas vibes.

The sketches gave me a starting point for my creativity, and a suite of Stampin’ Up! products helped limit my options, which actually makes it easier to be artistic. All supplies are listed at the end of this post.

The Joy/Candle tag mostly features stamping the images from the stamp set:

The stocking tag shows how you can cut some of the images from the Designer Series Paper with the dies, which also match the stamped images:

Finally, the Very Merry tag puts the focus on the sentiment:

The wonderful thing about tags is that they dress up any gift, along with a bit beautiful ribbon ~ see how they make a Kit Collection box fancy? Remember that all the kits are ON SALE this month (see below).

But that’s not all! Tags are adorable on a greeting card, as well:

Not only are tags a miniature piece of art, they are also a terrific way to use up scraps! Try cutting some of your smaller pieces of card stock into tag shapes, and have them ready to pair with a sketch.

Tell me what you think of these tags- leave a comment link at the top of the post!

Visit all the other posts to see how a sketch inspired their projects:

October 2024 New at SU! Hop: Sketches-Crafter’s Secret Design Tool

1.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Sketches Are for Tags, Too

2.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Playful Ghosts Triple Panel La

3.Furry Cat Designs (UK) – Cute Snowy Scenes card

4.Playing with Papercrafting (CA) – Shepherd’s Care for New at SU

5.Stamping Flair (AU) – Humble Home Sketch Card

6.Stampinxime by Ximena Morales (DE) – Sketch Challenge

7.Tricia’s Stamping Creations (US) – Sketches Surfing Santa

8.De Kijkkast (NL)- Peaceful Trees and a Sketch

9.247 Inkspiration (US) – More Than Autumn

10.iHeartCards2 (US) – Sketches & Mix & Match Ephemera

11.Nature’s INKspirations (US) – Golden Greenery Sketch

12.Studio Shabaz (AU) – Regal Winter

When you purchase the Sentimental Christmas patterned paper, Stampin’ Up! donates $3 to support children’s literacy in each of it’s markets. In the U.S. the donation benefits First Book.

Snag some kits for Christmas, while they are on sale up to 30% off during October, and add a tag to the top for thoughtful and creative Christmas gifts:

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Fall Bird Card for a color challenge, Winterly Tree Tops by Stampin' Up!

Flowers & Feathers

October 3, 2024Leave a comment

Another sleepless night as I dreamed of creating this card 🥱 … trying to decide if creativity is a blessing or a curse!

The idea came from the #tgifc492 Inspiration challenge:

Think of it like a mashup of two songs, but two stamp sets: Enduring Beauty for the flowers and Winterly Tree Tops for the birds.

I wanted to give it a fall vibe, so picked a palette of Pecan Pie, Very Vanilla, Peach Pie, and Mossy Meadow (almost sounds like a recipe!). With a lot of layers and texture, it feels vintage and the sprinkle of three Drusy Embellishments adds a bit of glittery elegance.

TRIVIA TIME: “DRUSY” is an adjective that means “covered in minute crystals” and can describe the inside of a rock cavity that is lined with tiny crystals. These embellishments are truly gorgeous, but not easily mailable, as they do make the card quite bumpy. It needs a padded envelope if you are mailing it!

Peek inside the card:

Winterly Tree Tops is a part of the larger Nests of Winter Suite and features the beautiful birds. You may be interested in the coordinating craft kit called Nests of Christmas that is part of our crafting subscription service (Paper Pumpkin). It’s only available if you subscribe by October 10th, and if you use promo code HOLIDAY40 as a first-time subscriber, you’ll get your first kit at 40% off!