Conversation Bubbles Stencil

April 3, 2023Leave a comment

Crafter Problems #763: When you haven’t had time to play with a stamp set & die bundle before it’s about to be retired!

Today I showed how to use the dies from the Conversation Bubbles bundle (about to retire from the Jan-April mini catalog) to create a stencil for the background of a card:

Inspired by Cathy Zielke‘s concept on Youtube, I figured I could make my OWN stencil, and it worked beautifully! What other dies would you try to make your own stencil with?

My problem is YOUR opportunity: Starting tomorrow (April 4th), you can shop the LAST CHANCE SALE in my Stampin’ Store to collect the Conversation Bubbles stamp set and Conversation Bubbles dies at a discount! The bundle was $46.75 originally, but if you purchase them separately, the total will be just $32 (while supplies last)!

Watch the video here (feel free to speed it up on YouTube to make it quick and easy):

I hope I’ll have time to spotlight this playful bundle one more time before they are gone for good.

Meanwhile, set an alarm to remind you to shop my Stampin’ Store tomorrow for the Last Chance Sale!

Product List

Conversation Bubbles Cling Stamp Set (English)

$24.00

Conversation Bubbles Dies

$28.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

$8.75

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

$9.25

Tahitian Tide Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Orchid Oasis Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Sweet Sorbet Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill

$9.50

Small Blending Brushes

$11.50

Basics Embossing Powders

$18.00

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

$30.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Black Stampin' Dimensionals Combo Pack

$6.00

Vellum Overlay Ladybug Birthday Card

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023Leave a comment

I challenged my Sprinkled Ink team to use Vellum this month, and what kind of leader would I be if I didn’t do what I asked them to do? So it was delightful when Friday’s TGIF challenge went right along with it! Plus, I got to pull out my Ladybug builder punch to create Polished Pink bugs for a birthday card, so who wouldn’t have fun with that?

Have you played with the Vellum Basics Specialty Designer Series Paper? With SIX 12″x12″ pieces of printed vellum – 2 each of stripes, polka dots, and this pretty leafy vine that I used – it’s gives a soft layer of texture, which I enhanced by heat-embossing the blossoms on top of:

While I stamped and punched out the ladybugs for the Polished Pink version of the card, you can also just use the Ladybug Builder punch to punch the pieces out and stamp the polka-dots on the wings, as in the Real Red version-

You’ll have such an enjoyable time putting together these cards, and remember to order some Brushed Brass Butterfly embellishments to include inside your card as the birthday gift!

Here’s a step-by-step video to make it easy for you – simply pause the video and collect the pieces you need to create along with me.

Click the links to add the supplies you’ll need to your cart (Stitched Rectangle dies and Cut & Emboss machine are optional):

Product List

Hello Ladybug Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

$18.00

A Grand Kid Cling Stamp Set (English)

$21.00

Ladybug Builder Punch

$19.00

Vellum Basics 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

$10.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

$8.75

Parakeet Party Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Polished Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Uninked Stampin’ Craft Pad & Whisper White Refill

$9.50

Basics Embossing Powders

$18.00

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

$30.00

Polished Pink 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

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

$9.25

Black & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Gingham Ribbon

$7.00

Brushed Brass Butterflies

$10.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

$4.00

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Stitched Rectangles Dies

$35.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

THE BEST DEAL is always the Starter Kit!! Add $125 of the products you want to your Starter Kit and only pay $99…PLUS, save every time you shop, and be a part of my fabulous Sprinkled Ink team of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. It’s a WIN/WIN opportuntiy!

New at SU! – Spell It Out!

March 15, 2023March 14, 20236 Comments

With all the awesome alphabet products Stampin’ Up! currently carries, the New at SU! design team is showing up to demonstrate ways to say what you want to say in our March 2023 Blog Hop!

I’ve paired the Alphabet a la Mode dies with the Greatest Journey dies to create a card of encouragement for someone who is working toward a goal:

The trickiest part of this card was making sure I cut out the letters the same distance from the top of each strip of card stock, and to remember to keep the inside of the letter “A” to adhere inside the negative image. I did add an adhesive sheet to the back of each 7/8″ x 4″ piece of card stock before die cutting, so I could easily adhere the strips to the card AND use the letters I cut out for another project.

TIP: Use a piece of washi tape to hold the letters in place as you run the dies through the Cut & Emboss machine!

After that, it was all downhill (so to speak): die cut the runner and mountain from Basic Black, and layer the card onto a black mat.

I stamped the “This Moment” sentiment inside the card, because we don’t always recognize that our hard work now will pay off later.

Now, discover MORE ways to use letters and alphabets in your paper crafting with these ideas from our International New at SU! Group of Demonstrators:

March 2023 New at SU! Blog Hop: Spell It Out!

1.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Spell it Out, Alphabet a la Mode

2.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (USA)- Playing in the Rain

3.JONi in the Spotlight Stamping (US)-ALPHABET A LA MODE

4.De Kijkkast (NL)- Classic Letters & Sweet Citrus

5.Playing with Papercrafting (CAN) – Spelling Bee

6.Tricia’s Stamping Creations (US) – Spell It Out Alphabest Bundle

7.Stamping Flair (AU) – Love You More Dies with Paradise Palms

8.247Inkspiration (US) – Milkshake Love

9.iHeartCards2 (US) – Spell it Out, Love For You

10.scraphexe (DE) – Angesagtes Alphabet

11.TanjasKartenwelt (DE)- Angesagtes Alphabet

12.Carterie Plus (CA)- Épeler/Spell it out

Product List

Alphabet à La Mode Dies

$42.00

Greatest Journey Bundle (English)

$52.00

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

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Pacific Point 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Gorgeous Grape 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Three Twine Combo Pack

$7.50

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$63.00

Adhesive Sheets

$11.00

Spend Time With a Friend: TGIF Sketch

March 14, 2023Leave a comment

Yes, this is the second sketch challenge in two days, and one that I dreamed about. So to stop obsessing over it when I should be sleeping, I had to stamp it to get it off my mind.

It started with the #tgifc411 sketch last Friday:

Then I looked at my stamps and saw the Warm Welcome set on my shelf that needed some attention. The door is just so inviting and the sentiment is ideal for welcoming friends into your home, so I imagined an open door and hot cocoa.

Take a look at the Enjoy the Journey Designer Series Paper and see it in a new way: through a window or door, it makes a great background! And the patterns on the opposite sides of the scenery are fun for wallpaper or accents. I even used a piece to stamp the “Hello” sentiment on.

The Warm Welcome bundle includes all sorts of dies that make creating an open-door policy fun…and you can color the small pieces (like the hands holding the mugs) with any markers. I used Stampin’ Blends (not listed in the supplies), but the images are tiny enough a Stampin’ Write marker would work as well.

Don’t miss the new BASICS 3D Embossing Folders (new to my online store); as a set of 3, you can choose from flowers, hobnail-glass dots or this very nice crosshatch design. It gave the background a subtle texture that helped pull the design together. Surely these patterns will be showing up in my crafting often.

Send this card to a friend and invite them over to craft and chill sometime!

Product List

Warm Welcome Bundle (English)

$50.25

Enjoy The Journey 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

$8.75

Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Petal Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Soft Succulent 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Polished Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

$30.00

Basics 3 D Embossing Folders

$30.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Three Twine Combo Pack

$7.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

$4.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Sometimes it helps to see a few more samples with a stamp set, so here are some with the Warm Welcome bundle:

Radiating Stitches In Color Birthday Card

March 13, 2023March 13, 20231 Comment

Have you taken the time to explore the new Online Exclusives in my Stampin’ Up! Store? Some things have been so popular, they are already backordered and we are waiting for more!

One new item I wanted to share with you is the Radiating Stitches Dies…these cutting tools will take ANY stamps you already have and give them a pretty frame or add a bit of whimsy with a layer of “stitching” around the edges of your layers:

I chose to follow the Freshly Made Sketch #576 during my Live Crafting today and used two In Color Combinations to demonstrate the versatility of starting with a sketch, and the ease of using a combination of colors curated in a color “family”.

It happens that from today through Mid-April, I have 10 family birthdays (and about 15 friend and team birthdays) to celebrate, so this was an opportunity to get prepared!

This version I turned sideways and used the 2022-2024 In Colors as my palette. A sketch can be turned any which-way!

And this card followed the portrait layout of the original sketch, plus I used a base of Very Vanilla with my colors from the (retiring) 2021-2023 In Colors. All supplies listed below to make it easy to add to your cart!

Product List

Radiating Stitches Dies

$30.00

A Grand Kid Cling Stamp Set (English)

$21.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Parakeet Party 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Starry Sky 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Orchid Oasis 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Sweet Sorbet 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Tahitian Tide 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Soft Succulent 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Evening Evergreen 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Polished Pink 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Pale Papaya 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Starry Sky Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Tahitian Tide Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Evening Evergreen Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Fresh Freesia Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

2022 2024 In Color Matte Decorative Dots

$8.00

Iridescent Rhinestones Basic Jewels

$7.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Stampin' Seal+

$12.00

Grapefruit Easel Thank-You Card

March 9, 2023Leave a comment

When you are so grateful for someone you could just SQUEEZE them tight, here’s your card!

The Sweet Citrus stamps can become anything (oranges, lemons, limes and even coconuts!) so this time I used Mango Melody and Flirty Flamingo to turn them into GRAPEFRUIT.

But the best thing about this card is that it’s an EASEL card when you open it and stand the front up against the slice inside:

It’s a simple fancy fold: The card base is an 11″ x 4-1/4″ piece of Mango Melody card stock scored at 2-3/4″ and 5-1/2″, plus you’ll need another 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Mango Melody to adhere to the bottom half of the front of the card ONLY (below where it bends) to create the part that stands up. Then just decorate the front panel as desired.

Inside, you’ll need a piece of fruit to create a “stop” for the easel front to rest against. I used a slice of grapefruit popped up on a few dimensionals:

It’s a very easy card to make and yet it packs a (grapefruit) PUNCH!

Product List

Sweet Citrus Bundle (English)

$49.50

Mango Melody 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Mango Melody Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

Gold Faceted Adhesive Backed Sequins

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

$25.00

Thanks for visiting my website and choosing me to serve your creative needs. Your support means so much to me!

Here’s a bonus for reading to the end: I also made this card with the Beautifully Happy set from Sale-a-Bration (last month), just to show how versatile this style of card is.

Daffodil Dies: Add a POP of Color

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023Leave a comment

Black & White is a classic, elegant color combination, but when you add a POP of color, a card becomes stunning!

In my LIVE broadcast today, I teach you how to stack the individual pieces from the Daffodil Dies to craft a bundle of flowers on top of a black & white polka-dot background. While I chose Melon Mambo as my “POP” of color, you could use yellow, purple or bright blue!

Having a few shades of the pink really helped these flowers feel real (lightest to darkest: Blushing Bride, Polished Pink, Melon Mambo).

It certainly brightened my day to make these fabulous cards!

Product List

Daffodil Dies

$38.00

Daffodil Daydream Cling Stamp Set (English)

$23.00

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Polished Pink 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

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

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Baker's Twine Essentials Pack

$11.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$125.00

$11.00

$5.25

$12.00

$32.00

Peek-a-Boo Pocket Card

February 27, 2023Leave a comment

Every crafter loves the feeling of using up *every*scrap* of pretty paper. It’s a magical feat of unparalleled proportions! That’s how I feel today, after successfully finishing off a whole pack of Favored Flowers Designer Series Paper from Sale-a-Bration.

After using up a bunch of this pretty paper for cards to swap at StampFest, I had just a few long strips and edges left that seemed a shame to waste, so I came up with the Peek-a-Boo Pocket card:

Starting with a Basic White Envelope, I cut off one end to create a pocket, then punched a shape for my greeting to peek out of. To finish it off, I embellished with pieces fussy cut from the Designer Series Paper. I demonstrated this for my Monday Lunchtime Live project today:

While the Favored Flowers paper is only available through February 28, 2023 as a free gift option with qualifying order, you could create the Peek-a-Boo Pocket with any Designer Series Paper and punch, like I did with the Hues of Happiness and Heart Punch:

Try this in your craft room and you’ll feel fancy, fast!

Product List

Favored Flowers 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Good Feelings Cling Stamp Set (English)

$24.00

Label Me Lovely Punch

$19.00

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

$9.25

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.25

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$6.00

Black & White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Gingham Ribbon

$7.00

PSSST! Sale-a-Bration ENDS TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 28th! Click below to shop & earn today!

Sweet Songbird Nest Treat Favor

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023Leave a comment

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!

Product List

Sweet Songbirds Bundle (English)

$34.00

Country Gingham 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.00

Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Pale Papaya 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$9.25

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad

$8.00

Mini Glue Dots

$5.25

Stampin' Dimensionals

$4.25

Tear & Tape Adhesive

$7.00

Paper Trimmer

$25.00

Pick Your Freebie Fast and Sale-a-Bration Challenge

February 17, 2023February 17, 2023Leave a comment

As Stampin’ Up!’s biggest sale of the year winds down, things start to sell out… yesterday the Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper Sale-a-Bration exclusive product was the first to go. Have YOU picked your freebie yet? Don’t forget that you get to choose a product with each $50 purchase through the end of the month!

Thanks GOODNESS it’s Friday! The #tgifc408 challenge was to use a Sale-a-Bration product, but it’s too difficult to choose just one, so I chose TWO: the Thanks a Bunch stamp set (free choice with $50) and the Dandy Designs Designer Series Paper (a mega-pack that you could choose with a $100 order). TIP: When you order $150, you can choose both PLUS earn $15 Stampin’ Rewards! It’s a good time to stock up on adhesive, envelopes, card stock and don’t forget to check the clearance rack.

The Tailor-Made Tag was a terrific piece for my garden of carrots! Makes me want to pick one.

Have you noticed that long carrots are sweeter and tastier than baby carrots? You can argue, but it’s true.

Since I loved the layout of this card, I had to try it with a different piece of the Dandy Designs paper and another favorite new set… Sweet Citrus:

Two of the colors I used (Pale Papaya on the carrot card base and Fresh Freesia on the grapefruit card layer) are RETIRING in April. These popular In Colors are known to sell out quickly once the retiring list is released in March (if not before), so remember to add an ink refill for your ink pads and stock up on card stock or coordinating accessories now, while you can take advantage of free products during Sale-a-Bration, and before they are sold out, too.

While some of our Sale-a-Bration products are dwindling, there are additional items to choose from the annual catalog: