Sweet Songbird Nest Treat Favor

With only 8 more days of our ONLY Sale-a-Bration of 2023, and with the sun shining today, I chose to show you a project fit for SPRING!

This Sweet Songbird next was inspired by some that I had seen previously, and was reminded of when I discovered the Junior Mint Eggs at Dollar Tree! The green is a perfect Mint Macaron color and I wanted to put a next into a Mint Macaron tree.

Because Stampin’ Up! added a few catalog products to the choices for Sale-a-Bration, the Songbird Builder Punch is on the list you could choose free with your $50 US order before February 28, 2023, and while you don’t need the stamp set to create cute birds with the Country Gingham Designer Series Paper, the Sweet Songbirds stamp set does give you options for sentiments, nests and branches.

This would be a sweet favor at Easter dinner or, with the “Welcome” sentiment, at a baby shower, or Spring craft day with friends!

Measurements for the papers:

  • Mint Macaron: 2-1/4″ x 3-1/2″
  • Soft Suede: 3″ x 1-1/2″, scored at 1/4″ along the long sides, and at 1″ and 2″ from end to end to create the “nest”
  • Soft Suede scrap to stamp a nest on and cut out.
  • Scrap of Crumb Cake for sign
  • Country Gingham DSP: 2-1/4″ x 2-1/4″ to punch out bird

Here’s a how-to video (from my Lunchtime LIVE crafting video on YouTube & Facebook 2/20/23):

I had to use up the scraps of gingham paper on my desk, so I also made a slimline card…not a very “little” note of thanks when the finished card is 8-1/2″ x 3-1/2″!

IF YOU CHOOSE THE SONGBIRD BUILDER PUNCH AS A FREE GIFT before the end of February 2023, use item #164422 and order the Sweet Songbird stamp set #158721 as part of your $50 order to qualify for the free punch!

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Valentines Day on Taco Tuesday

An opportunity such as this won’t happen again for 12 more years- the next time Valentine’s day is on a Taco Tuesday isn’t until 2034!

Our family has a classic comfort meal…and yes, it’s TACOS. We’ve eaten tacos for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. It’s time to bring them to the day of LOVE & affection. Luckily, my husband shares our obsession, because this card will be for him:

This Double-Z fold card was fun to make at Stamp Club last night, too! The crafters didn’t even complain about fussy cutting or “stuffing” the taco with lettuce, cheese and tomatoes:

A scalloped circle die, a standard hole punch and a few scraps of paper make it easy to create the taco toppings: Scrunch up a few scalloped wedges of Granny Apple Green card stock and glue it behind the taco, then stuff in the other pieces with a dot of liquid glue.

A sheet of craft foam with an adhesive sheet adhered to the back can be cut out on the Cut & Emboss Machine and adhered to the front to give it a chunky texture!

If you haven’t made this type of card before, here are the measurements for this one:

  • Card base: 4-1/4″ x 11″, scored at 2-3/4″ and 5-1/2″
  • Smaller Z-Fold: 2-3/4′ x 10″, scored at 4-1/2″ and 7-1/4″
  • Designer Series Paper: 4″ x 2-1/2″ and 4″ x 5-1/4″
  • I added a piece of 3″ x 3″ Basic Black card stock

Want to create your own version? Here are the supplies I used for my Spec-Taco-Lar Valentine:

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Rain or Shine- a Fancy Fun-Fold Card

Faux (pronounced FO) means “an imitation” and in my own way of thinking, it also means “a better idea than the original”. This is certainly true of this unique card fold, because this “fake” version is so much easier than the one with a lot of tricky cuts and scores!

While I used the Rain or Shine suite for my card, I look forward to seeing how YOU use this easy tutorial:

Did you catch that the February Paper Pumpkin craft-kit-in-the-mail “Sunshine & Smiles” coordinates with the “Rain or Shine” Suite that is full of the cutest critters? Make sure you are subscribed by February 10th for this kit that will create 9 radiant cards with a peek-through component!

PLUS, there is a coordinating add-on die duo you can pre-order for the February Paper Pumpkin kit…while supplies last:

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A Zesty Birthday, with Stripes!

Put on your sunnies for this amaZING birthday card, with a lot of ZEST!

Why not have ALL the citrus? I’m squeezing the most out of this Sweet Citrus bundle from the mini catalog…it’s been so much fun to play with!

I’m going through my strips of card stock now, looking for more ways to incorporate bold stripes on my projects, because this one turned out just so cheery! Make your own by printing out the tutorial below.

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Love- and So Much of It

One of the designs for my last card class was so versatile, I wanted to share a tutorial! This card using the new Love for You bundle could be a Valentine for a cherished friend, an anniversary celebration, a thank you or a congratulations.

Was it serendipitous – or cleverly designed by Stampin’ Up! – that the Design a Daydream host-exclusive Designer Series Paper coordinates beautifully with the Love For You bundle in the Jan-April Mini Catalog? Using the colors from the paper – Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Petal Pink and Daffodil Delight (I substituted So Saffron) gave me a starting place for the theme.

REMEMBER to always check the products that are only available for “hosts”- or when your order is over $150 US – that you can choose as STAMPIN’ REWARDS! The paper is especially beautiful and usually a wise choice, because it matches so many of our favorite stamp images. Look at the colors when ordering to make sure you order the same ink pads.

In the video tutorial, there are a few tips to making this 2-step stamping set easy and fun to craft with, and how to get different shades of color with one ink pad:

The bold greeting reminds the recipient that they are adored and appreciated!

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Beautifully Happy Watercolor Background

After a decade of drought, Southern Utah is enjoying an unbelievable amount of rain, so on this wet day, it just feels like I should be creating with WATERcolor!

In my Live crafting video, I demonstrated how to make a unique background in two ways for the Beautifully Happy Sale-a-Bration stamp set, and it’s easier than you may think:

I’m not a professional…it just amazes me what can be made with paper, ink and a bit of water! Which one appeals most to you, left or right?

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Remember to check your ink refills and card stock supply when you place an order, and you could choose the Beautifully Happy set FREE during Sale-a-Bration!

Ride On Birthday Card

Often I am pleasantly surprised by a suite of Stampin’ Up! products that I didn’t expect to love. The Ready to Ride Suite is a perfect example!

While my single motorcycle riding experience didn’t endear me to riding the big bikes, I can see where the wind-in-your-hair-open-road-big-sky kind of day could be very appealing. This collection of products: Legendary Ride stamps and coordinating Dies, Metal Plat Embossing Folder and most spectacularly, the Ready to Ride 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper…all come together in SUCH an AWESOME way for some revved-up greeting cards like this one I demonstrated today:

There are a few tricks I wanted to show you about easily cutting and adhering the pieces to create a very detailed motorcycle…and the video begins with an unboxing of a LIMITED EDITION Boho Blue Mini Cut & Emboss Machine (with details on how you can get it!):

To help you put it together, I made this Motorcycle piece guide. You can change colors and “chrome” as desired…on my card, I used the gunmetal silver foil sheet and the bright silver is shown below. Feel free to print off the picture and slide it into your die envelope or stamp case to refer to when building your bike!

If you are “Ready to Ride”…these are the supplies you’ll need:

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Did that Boho Blue Mini Cut & Emboss call your name? Join my team during Sale-a-Bration (January-February 2023) and you could choose Starter Kit option #1 to receive this Limited Edition machine PLUS choose $175 in products for just $129!

If you have questions about the starter kit or any of the products/techniques used here, shoot me a message and I’m happy to help!

Hoot! Hoot! These Owls are CUTE

Oh my, these Adorable Owls live up to their name…and may be the first stamps you choose FREE for a $50 order during Sale-a-Bration, starting today!

Demonstrators have the opportunity to pre-order from the January-April mini catalog a month early (AND earn Sale-a-Bration products first, too!), so I’ve been playing with these sweet things in preparation for the launch of this favorite event. If you like being the first to party with new products, you will want to take advantage of the special Starter Kit offer for Sale-a-Bration because how cute is the exclusive BOHO BLUE Mini Cut & Emboss Machine? PLAY this video to peek…

With that mini – but mighty – machine (or the classic white option), you’ll be ready to cut the Framed Florets oval dies to create this Adorable Owl card, and have less fussy cutting in the future!

The contrasting Designer Series Paper really makes this simple fun-fold feel fancy, and there is plenty of room to write a message, slip in a gift card or cash into this greeting card:

Ready to start your own Stampin’ Up! adventure? It’s flexible, fun and creative! I’d love to help you get started:

Beautifully Happy Brown Bag for Sale-a-Bration

Avoid after-holiday boredom by planning for your next craft adventure: Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration begins January 5th!

One of the wonderful stamp sets you can *earn free between 1/5-2/28/22 is called Beautifully Happy, and I used it to create a bag to wrap a gift in:

White embossing on a brown bag spruces it up to FANCY, don’t you think? Add a simple tag and a fancy fold at the top, and you’ve wrapped a gift in Stampin’ Up! Style.

New to SU! Sale-a-Bration? There are two levels of rewards you can earn with a purchase: $50 and $100. The Beautifully Happy stamp set is one you could choose free with a $100 purchase from my Stampin’ Store, starting tomorrow!

Framed Pop-Up Shadow Box Card

When you want to mail something a bit fancier than a regular birthday card, try this very versatile design: It folds flat to fit into an envelope, but pops open to stand up and the frame makes it feel like a piece of art:

It’s simple to create and I made the video to help you step-by-step:

Just push in the folded sides to slide it into an envelope:

While the Framed Florets bundle (stamps and dies) are also in the Stampin’ Up! 2023 January-April Mini Catalog which goes live for customers on January 5th, THE BEAUTIFUL Designer Series Paper is a preview exclusive only through January 4th, so DON’T MISS IT.

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Glad you stopped by…Hope you are in your stamping studio EVERY DAY of 2023!