The Opal Rounds embellishments add just the right amount of light-catching sparkle.
Do your part to brighten the world…mail a hand-stamped card just because!
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$7.50
Sunshine and Songbird Mashup
Tag: greeting card
Ladybug Wish Come True
I don’t enjoy bugs crawling on me, but there is a soft spot in my heart (and on my fingers) for ladybugs. They are just the friendliest little creatures, so I don’t mind walking them to the door (if they’ve found their way inside) and giving them a lift to the nearest plant outside. I may even talk to them and tell them how pretty they are.
This little ladybug is adorable on a card:
Layers of Labels on Tulip Card
When I saw the retiring list of products, everything with “Sweet” in the title was being discontinued, and I had a little pity party. I use the Stitched So Sweetly Dies so often, it felt like my left hand was cut off! Once my heart recovered, I picked up and moved forward…there are some lovely things coming, but this is one product you may want to keep close at hand.
Thus, I combined the Stitched So Sweetly Dies in conjunction with the Timeless Tulips stamp set (also retiring) to create this cute patchwork card with layers of labels:
While we have some new tulip dies in the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog, if you are more of a punch person, you may want to grab the stamp set and Tulip Builder die in the Last Chance Sale (while supplies last).
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Strawberry Hello
Call me slow, but I *just* realized (3 decades into paper crafting) that you can send a birthday card that DOESN’T SAY “Happy Birthday”!
I was panicked that I needed more birthday cards at the beginning of March, but didn’t have time to make any. My “generic” card stash was overflowing, so I grabbed a few of those and just wrote a birthday message inside, and slapped my forehead as I realized they worked wonderfully! DUH.
LESSON: Let any generic greeting card become whatever you want it to be!
On that note, here’s a card that can be embossed quickly and will help get you out of any “JAM” (get it?) you are in for a mailing moment! I’ve even got a printable HOW TO for you:
Hope the remainder of your day is as sweet as this card is!
New at SU! Case the Catalog Cactus Cuties
For instance, I was inspired by THIS card on page 157 of the Annual Catalog using the All for Baby bundle:
Using the Cactus Cuties from the January-June Mini catalog, this is my project inspired by that one:
It was surprisingly easier than I imagined! Here HOW TO:
- On a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of basic white card stock, mask off the card at 1.75″ using washi or painters tape. Use a blending brush to add Pale Papaya ink to the first panel, getting lighter as you move up the card. Repeat and mask off the Papaya side AND farther down the card at 3.5″ for Soft Succulent. Then mask the first two colors and blend on Misty Moonlight.
- Lay the mask over the card front and use a sponge dauber to color the pattern over the same colors. You may want to keep a mask over the other sections so you don’t get the colors mixed, but I just eyeballed it! It will help to tape the mask down on your desk so it doesn’t move and your card under the mask.
- Stamp and fussy cut cactus. I used the punch only for the flowers.
Isn’t that just FUN? I had a blast making this card, truly!
Now you can now move on to Annette’s post to see how she was inspired by the annual catalog to create her project with the Symbols of Fortune suite from the January-June catalog. I hope this helps you look at the catalog as an Idea Book every day.
March 2022 New at SU! Roll Call: C.A.S.E. the Catalog
Joni in the Spotlight Stamping – Hello Ladybug
Stamping the Cape – Easter Friends
Stamping With the Copper Cropper – Seas the Day
Creative Juice by Loni – Cactus Cuties
De Kijkkast – Symbols of Fortune
Playing with Paper Crafting – Arfully Composed
Stampin Xime – Flowering Tulips
Stampin’ Dreams – Boughs & Blossoms
Carterie Plus – Flowering Tulips
Tricia’s Stamping Creations – On the Horizon
For the Guys: Floating Element Card
When you need to make a BIG DEAL out of a celebration for a man in your life, you need to make a BIG CARD. This large slimline card fits into a legal size envelope. Even more cool are the hats and stars that seem suspended just above the card, and to make it is easy!
There is a .pdf tutorial for you to print and follow, but basically, you will create a panel and attach all your die cut images with dimensionals, then cut off all the pieces that hang over the edges of the panel before attaching it to your card.
Don’t limit yourself to the colors I used: Choose a palette that matches your man’s personality, then try this technique with any other die cut images and sizes of cards!
Thanks for letting me provide you with creative inspiration AND the supplies to craft with:
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Enjoy the Moment
Sometimes you don’t “see” a stamp set until you begin to work with it: That was the case when I first received the Enjoy the Moment stamp set from Stampin’ Up! for attending a virtual event. TBH, I looked at it and thought “It’s kind of ugly”.
Undeterred, I set out to make myself use it, and to my surprise, I found that the botanical images were absolutely attractive when used with a variety of techniques! My first favorite was embossing in white on Crumb Cake card stock. Pull out your Rectangle Stitched Dies to make a collage of the images and add a linen thread bow for a bit of dimension.
Next I tried a fun fold card style that I saw demonstrated during aforementioned virtual event:
I think the colors really made this card spectacular: Merry Merlot, a rich burgundy color paired with Vanilla and Sahara Sand (a color I don’t use as often) just FEELS like it was the palette to make this birthday card truly terrific.
Finally, this Monochromatic card came together in mere seconds, starting with a leftover scrap from the last card:
Isn’t that Ladybug trinket just the CUTEST detail? While the card was super simple, an accessory (just like a good pair of earrings) can transform a project!
I’m seeing the Enjoy the Moment set in a brand new light and hope you do, too.
All Things Fabulous Inspired
Woke up with an urgent need to create something, so I let the #TGIFC308 challenge inspire me!
Without a lot of time, I chose to let the colors and bouquet image be my inspiration and took it quite literally with the All Things Fabulous stamp set, which I haven’t had much time to play with yet:
It’s even a surprise to me when I start with something that gets the creativity flowing (like a sketch, color palette or picture) and it comes together quickly, as this card did.
Two of these In-Colors coordinate prettily together in a lighter and darker shade of blue: Seaside Spray (2019-2021) and Misty Moonlight (2020-2022). Next week the retiring list will be released and the retiring In-Colors are the FIRST things to sell out, so add your ink refills, card stock and coordinating accessories in these retiring colors to an order TODAY!
March 3 for Free: Hydrangea Haven
Each month I offer a different “free kit” for a bundle from the newest catalog: During March, when you purchase the Hydrangea Haven bundle (or Hydrangea Hill Suite Collection available again mid-March), I will send you 3 tutorials by email and the consumable supplies via USPS to complete the projects.
With blossoms beginning to burst forth this month, these lovely bunches of flowers seemed a fitting way to spring into crafting that coordinates with the season! There are a few products you’ll need to complete the projects: Scissors, adhesive and Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine (or Big Shot), Tuxedo Black Memento pad AND these suggested Stampin’ Up! ink pads: Highland Heather, Misty Moonlight, Rococo Rose and Seaside Spray. These colors also coordinate with the Hydrangea Hill Designer Series Paper. You may want to add these items to your cart when you are ordering the bundle.
TIP: Rococo Rose and Seaside Spray are two retiring 2019-2021 In-Colors leaving us in April, so if you need to order ink refills for your ink pads (or matching card stock or accessories), get them SOONER than later, as they tend to sell out quickly!
While these pretty purple projects are NOT part of the kit, I did show you how to use the Hydrangea with the gorgeous Mercury Glass Acetate Sheets (included in the Suite Collection) during a recent Facebook Lunchtime Live Crafting:
Want to plan ahead for future 3 for Free kits? The kit with your purchase for April will be the Sweet Ice Cream bundle (or Ice Cream Corner Suite Collection).
In case I haven’t mentioned it recently, I know you have many options for purchasing your craft supplies and I *TRULY* appreciate when you choose me to keep you stamping. Your support of my small business means the world to me, so thank you from my heart to yours.
Never Lose Your Mojo
Have you noticed that the Stampin’ Up! catalog(s) aren’t just “catalogs” to shop through, they are actually INSPIRATION books ~ and you can find ideas on every page for your crafting?
Take this page (p.95) of the Annual Catalog…you don’t need to have the same stamps, ink or paper to make a cute card inspired by these:
The #SUOC256 challenge this week encourages stampers to use catalog samples as sketches and create something inspired by them. This is my version:
Can you see how I followed the Whale Done card sketch? You will NEVER lose your mojo as long as you have an idea book to get your juices flowing!
Speaking of juice, the Cute Fruit photopolymer stamp set is only in our “Getting Started” brochure, so you may not have seen it yet, but it is my “stamp set of the summer”, even as summer comes to a close.
I appreciate that you can also purchase the Cute Fruit set in a collection of products (ideal for a GIFT or new stamper)!
To add shading to the pineapple, ink it up in the lightest color (Bumblebee in this case), then add some darker color ink (Cinnamon Cider) to the stamp using a sponge dauber BEFORE you stamp it. The colors will blend together beautifully.
Embrace your catalog as your IDEA BOOK and you’ll never run out of ideas!
Creative Juice by Loni 