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!

Card Sketch & More Mailable Gifts

April 21, 20251 Comment

A sketch is a springboard for creativity, and today I dove into creating cards from my stash of Designer Series Paper using this sketch:

Card #1 was a sympathy card using some gilded botanical patterns that have been around Stampin’ Up! a long time, and I wanted to show it off! The Nature’s Sweetness Specialty Designer Series Paper only needed an embossed sentiment added to make this greeting card perfect:

It made me smile to combine something old and something new for Card #2! I used the retiring Friends of the Ocean Designer Series Paper with the new Online Exclusive Pattern of Friendship stamp set for this version of the sketch:

You’ll notice that circle shapes draw the eye when used with rectangles!

Card #3 brings us to another “mailable item” idea: BALLOONS!

In my demonstration video, I suggested blowing up a balloon and writing a message on it, then deflating it again to include inside the card. It’s double fun to have to blow it up to read the greeting! You could also “reveal” what experience you have planned to celebrate with (“I’ll pick you up for birthday lunch on me this Friday at noon!”) by writing it on the balloon.

The birthday card used the Wildflower Birthday Specialty Designer Series Paper and Birthday Celebration stamp set.

And finally, since Graduation season is imminent, Card #4 was created with the On the Go Suite Collection and includes a LUGGAGE TAG:

This will be for my niece who is graduating from High School this month and off on a grand European adventure to celebrate (remember when we were just happy to have cake & ice cream to mark a milestone like graduation 👩‍🎓 😂?)

I added the tassel after the demonstration in the video, and think the detail is adorable.

Missed the LONG LIST (and growing) OF MAILABLE GIFT ITEMS? Check it out HERE!

If you enjoy learning “how-to”, here’s today’s sketchy tutorial:

Thank you for choosing to shop with me. Most of the products used were linked throughout this post – just click on a product to add it to your cart…and watch for an exclusive tutorial bundle from me when you spend more than $50 in one month!

Connecting with you is a joy ~ Check out my upcoming events (in person AND online):

New at SU!- Memories Meant to Bee

April 16, 2025April 16, 20254 Comments

Have you ever made a scrapbook page and thought, “I should frame this!”?

You’ve visited during our New at SU! April Blog hop, where we are encouraging you to MAKE MEMORIES LAST with Stampin’ Up! products. You’ll want to visit all the other posts, too!

Scrapbooking was the reason I started my own SU! career, so I’m ecstatic that it is coming back into vogue! Our current January-April 2025 Scrapbooking brochure has so many beautiful kits, stickers, stamps and dies that I didn’t want you to miss my favorite: The “Cute as Can Bee” Designer Series Paper & Sticker Sheet:

This 12″ x 12″ page came together in minutes, using only a few pieces of card stock and the pack of patterned paper and stickers. While I don’t love my handwriting, I know how much I cherish keepsakes with my grandmother’s penmanship (it’s a piece of her that remains), so I took time to pen a few things I love about my granddaughter.

This was my favorite selfie we took when she spent a few days here last summer, so I put it into a 12×12 frame to hang up and enjoy a while longer, before it ends up in an album.

There are enough supplies leftover from the Paper & Sticker Sheet pack to create at least another 3-4 pages, or you could use them for other projects, PLUS Stampin’ Up! has a coordinating bundle of stamps and dies that you’ll enjoy incorporating into all your BEE-utiful projects: Meant to Bee bundle.

Don’t want to design a page yourself? You’ll appreciate the Meant to Bee Scrapbook Workshop Kit which creates three double-page layouts (shown above) with detailed instructions and plenty of product left over to make a few more!

Next, BUZZ on over to Heather’s contribution using a beautiful new online exclusive suite: Botanical Textures! She’s up next and you can collect every sweet memory-keeping idea like pollen on a bee 🐝

April 2025 New at SU! Blog Hop: Making Memories Last

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.Did You Stamp Today? (USA) – Impressions Abloom Spring Scrapbook Page

2.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – Erinnerungs-Minialbum

3.247 Inkspiration (US) – On The Go

4.Stamping Flair (AU) – Mixed Media Florals Suite

5.De Kijkkast (NL) – Scrapbook Lay Out – Delightful Wishes

6.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Memories Meant to Bee

7.Playing with Papercrafting (CA) – Botanical Textures Suite of Memory

8.scraphexe (DE) – Erinnerungen festhalten

9.iHeartCards2 (US) – New At SU! Hop: Making Memories Last

Product List

Cute As Can Bee 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper & Sticker Sheet (English)

Basic White 12 X12 (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Cardstock

Petunia Pop 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Two Tone Cardstock

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Mailable Magnet Frame

April 14, 2025April 21, 20251 Comment

Back with another gift that fits inside an envelope for mailing (if you missed the previous ideas, bookmark that post HERE)! This magnet frame is a TWO-FER since you get two magnets from one project, and can include both the photo frame and extra magnet as a bonus gift.

These are actually on my fridge! I wanted to show that they do stick with the magnet sheets used today (click link to shop on Amazon). You can use ANY Stampin’ Up! products (Designer Series Paper, stamps, dies, etc.) but I will link the ones I used for this version below – THANKS FOR SHOPPING WITH ME!

Let’s get right to the video tutorial, which will answer most of your questions:

The Everyday Arches dies worked well for this frame: Roll it through the Cut & Emboss machine TWICE to cut through the layers of paper and magnet sheet.

Then use the inside arch for a second magnet. Think of it as a blank palette and “build” a scene just as you would a card front. I used the Crafting For You stamp set and dies, and just learned that the stamp set is already sold out/discontinued from the 2024-25 Catalog! Guess that’s a good reminder not to let something you love pass you by… at least the dies are still available, and many don’t need the stamps.

They can both be mailed in the same envelope. I made the magnet 4.25″ x 5.5″ to fit in the Basic White A2 envelopes, but you could certainly make a larger size if you have a larger envelope:

This version features an upcoming product (stamps & dies) called “Impressions Abloom” that will be released in the Online Exclusive section of my Stampin’ Store on May 6th. I paired it with the Unbounded Beauty Designer Series Paper. If you want to use the back side of the paper for the inside piece, remember to cut the shape from the paper BEFORE putting it on the magnet’s adhesive side, then run through the machine a second time to cut out the center piece.

Let me know if you’ll make one (blog comments at top of post by date) – or show me your version in my customer VIP Facebook Group, if you are a part of the Creative Juice Crafter’s Corner!

Shop for products below:

Adhesive Magnet Sheets on Amazon

Product List

Floral Delight 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

Everyday Arches Dies

Crafting With You Dies

Silver Foil Sheets

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

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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Stamp a Mini Coloring Book

April 8, 2025April 21, 20251 Comment

As we are brain-storming mailable gifts/items this month, here’s an adorable little project to make with your Stampin’ Up! line-art stamps: This mini coloring book is just 2.75″ x 4.25″ finished and all you need is an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of copy paper, a black ink pad and your favorite stamp images.

If you can fold paper, you can make this! Let’s start with the how-to video, featuring a few unexpected (but very cute) guests:

My birthday mini coloring book used the Darling Dinos, Arched Wishes and Playing in the Rain stamp sets (Playing in the Rain is on the last chance list and discounted!).

While it’s very easy to stamp your own book, there are also folks who have created printable versions. This Spring version by Jennifer A. Bell was was one of my favorites, and is appropriate for all ages (adult artists included!)

Here’s a different visual tutorial (borrowed from the interwebs):

Enjoy the novelty of this simple project and tell me if you’ve tried it!

So Many Giftables to Mail, So Much to Celebrate!

March 31, 2025November 5, 20257 Comments

It’s easy to fall into the rut of sending gift cards as the only flat thing to include in a handmade card for a present, but I’ve been making a list (and collecting) a whole stack of mailable items to share as ideas!

Let’s start with a gift you can make yourself: A bookmark tucked into the pocket of a card! Let’s allow the Stampin’ Up! “So Much to Celebrate” kit give us a place to begin.

This kit makes 9 cards, with all the supplies needed included in the box and no stamping required! However, you can always step-up a kit with coordinating card stock and ribbon, so I made it into this:

All I added was some Balmy Blue card stock, Petal Pink Scalloped ribbon and gold trim for the bookmark!

Watch how to quickly make this card and bookmark, then see all the mailable giftable ideas that I’ve linked below!

Now it’s time to think BEYOND a gift card as the first thing to send as a gift! Some items may have affiliate links, which means I would earn a small commission if you purchase.

Stampin’ Up! Embellishments: Brushed Brass Butterflies, Heart Sequins, Iridescent Discs, Party Dots, Peppermints, In Color Resin Dots
Stampin’ Up! Cut & Emboss Dies (Paper Pumpkin Add-on dies fit well in a medium envelope, subscribers only): Spring is in the Air, Merry Tags & More, Hugs Abloom
Clear ruler
Postage Stamps
Natural Life (Compressed Sponges, Letter Patches) – Get 20% off your order with this link
Letterbox Love jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, etc.
Cute Page Markers, Post-It Note Flags
Temple Recommend Holders
Seed packets
Handmade desk calendar– Use this link for discount at Taylored Expressions for 2026 mini calendars
Tags
Key Chains (with flat ring- you can take ring off key chain to mail)
Pretty Bandaids (or Bluey Bandaids for kids!)
Waterproof Vinyl Stickers for waterbottles or laptops – Crafty ones here
Temporary Tattoos
Mini Notebooks
Flower Post-it Notes
Handmade bookmarks
Lip Balm Holder
Eyeglass cleaning cloth
Mini Coloring Book
Photos and a handmade Magnet Frame to show them off!
Any flat Magnets
Balloons (to blow up)
Luggage Tag
Car Air Freshener
Christmas Ornaments in a Flip-Flap Card!

BOOKMARK or PIN this page, because I will come back and update it with new ideas!

If you think of something to add, scroll to the top of the post and leave me a comment (near the date).

Bistro Burger: Masculine Birthday & Gift Box

March 24, 2025March 24, 2025Leave a comment

A double-patty burger is a satisfying meal for a birthday celebration AND makes a terrific card, thanks to Stampin’ Up!’s Burger Bistro bundle (stamps & dies). In particular, it also pairs well with the Timeless Plaid 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper, as you’ll see…

I like coloring this stamped image with our Watercolor Pencils, which you can use without water!

You can watch the tutorial for both card and gift box here:

It’s hard to stop with one card, when the plaid paper makes each card so unique!

A reminder to order any ink refills, card stock, or embellishments in the 2023-2025 In Colors that will be retiring at the beginning of May. I used Boho Blue and Pebbled Path, both leaving soon, on these projects! Often colors sell out long before the last day, so don’t delay.

A useful gift for the man who likes to grill burgers would be a shaker of hamburger seasoning, and this 2-4-6-8 box is just the right size. It’s speedy to make, starting with an 8-1/2″ square piece of card stock (instructions in the video).