It’s CATALOG PREMIER DAY and I am doing the happy dance! Do you have a favorite suite of products? Or pretty paper you can’t resist?
My top pick will be no surprise: The Mediterranean Blooms Suite reminds me of the island of Capri, Italy and that’s where my inspiration came from for this card…plus, I have a tutorial for you!
Lemons are plentiful in Capri, and while I chose to use Peach Pie Stampin’ Blends to color my citrus fruit, it still feels like the island, with the blue & white tiles that reflect the ocean.
I’m still enjoying the sun in another beautiful part of the planet, so I’ll update links when I return, but you can start shopping today at my Stampin’ Store!
Meanwhile, print out this tutorial and be prepared to answer the call of Capri- by mailing a little sunshine this summer:
If there were a contest for the “most cheerful flower”, don’t you think ZINNIAS would take the prize?
Today’s card(s) feature the Simply Zinnia bundle (an online exclusive available now in my Stampin’ Store) as well as the 2024-2026 In Color products that will be in my store on May 1st!
This slanted background is a handy template to remember (or PIN!) because you can create TWO cards in about the same time it takes to make just one!
It all starts with a 6″ x 3-3/4″ piece of In-Color Designer Series Paper. Mark it at 2″ on the bottom long edge (on the back side of the design you want to use) and at 4″ on the top long edge. Then cut it from the 2″ mark to the 4″ mark. Layer each of those pieces onto a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic Black card stock and you are halfway done.
TIP: The leftover 6″ x 2-1/4″ piece of Designer Series Paper fits perfectly on the flap of your envelope, giving you terrific coordination!
Watch the tutorial (speed it up, if desired) to learn how to finish up the card:
And why stop at 2 cards when you can make 10? Two in each of the 2024-26 In Colors: Petunia Pop (shown above), Summer Splash, Peach Pie, Pretty In Pink and Shy Shamrock!
These colors coordinate beautifully, so you can even mix up the colors on the flowers- with the alcohol-based Stampin’ Blends markers, the colors bleed together smoothly:
Here are a few wonderful ways to collect the new IN COLORS:
Join my IN COLOR COLLECTORS CLUB and receive a package each month (May-September) filled with a sampling of ALL the products in each of the colors, including an exclusive projects each month…PLUS a FREE BASIC BEIGE BONUS the last month!
Too impatient to collect slowly? Purchase ALL the colors in May or June from my Stampin’ Store and earn the Basic Beige Bonus FREE!
When you have the right tools, any project becomes easier.
Adhesive sheets are a type of double-sided adhesive that make any piece of paper into a sticker, and they are indispensable for a project like PAPER PIECING. The Ice Cream Swirl dies are a perfect example of how you can create sweet cards to drool over, using adhesive sheets:
Start with a 5.5″ x 6.75″ card base (scored at 4.25″) and “build” layers with Designer Series Paper. The Lighter Than Air designs have creamy colors that I used to cut 3 swirls from, then built up my lemon-raspberry ice cream swirl. This is a card you’ll want to make triplets of at one time, just to use up all the pieces:
Today (April 9th) is the last day to register for my Crafting Happiness class on Friday, April 19th, where I’ll be featuring the Ice Cream Swirl Bundle (and you get a discount on the class if you purchase the bundle from my store)- OR you can use one of the stamp & die bundles you may already have.
I appreciate your order of genuine Stampin’ Up! products from my store! Your support give me the opportunity to continue sharing creativity with you. I’m always tickled to mail a hand-stamped card as a thank you for online orders!
As we near the end of a Stampin’ Up! catalog year, it’s time to spotlight some of my favorite retiring products. These products are available while supplies last or until April 30, 2024 (download full retiring product list at end of this post).
Since the TGIF Bonus Challenge #tgifc466 was to create a “simple gift set” of cards, it gave me the opportunity to stretch outside my comfort zone of bright colors, and use some of the black & white designs from the Delightfully Eclectic Designer Series Paper. But you can’t take ALL the color out of my life, so I added Calypso Coral, which also shows up on some of the paper designs.
These cards use the paper, PLUS the Good Feelings stamp set and Rays of Light background stamp, all of which will NOT be returning to the new catalog premiering in May. The Rays of Light background is the one I will grieve over losing the most!
This simple fun-fold card style is strategically planned to make the most of your patterned paper! If you score a full 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of card stock along the long edge at 4.25″ and 9.75″…THEN cut it in half at 4.25″, you’ll have two 11″ x 4.25″ cards ready to fold, meeting on the front of the card,
Use a 4″ x 4″ piece of DSP on one side and a 4″ x 1″ piece on the smaller fold. This pattern can be used in landscape or portrait orientation.
Now, HOW should we “gift” all these simple co-ordinating cards?
A quick folio made from a 12″ tall x 10″ wide piece of the Designer Series Paper is just the thing, and can hold all the cards plus envelopes!
Score it at 4.75″ and 5.25″ to give a center binding back, then add a ribbon to tie closed:
What else is retiring? Click banners to download the lists of items from the ’23-’24 Annual Catalog AND the January-April Mini Catalog which will be retiring.
>>> NOTE THAT THE LAST CHANCE SALE STARTS APRIL 9th <<<
These are the supplies I used for my simple set of cards and the folio to gift them in. I appreciate your orders so much and will mail you a thank you card! THANK YOU.
Masks (the fancy Stampin’ Up! term for stencils) make coloring stamped images speedy and simple!
I was truly WOWed with how quickly I was able to color the floral spray image from the Enduring Beauty bundle with the coordinating masks, blending brushes and ink pads. This is a technique you may embrace if you don’t love to color, OR if you are just getting started, you can stamp and color this image with just two ink pads! Watch & learn how:
Did you catch how to die cut just half the image so you can add a layer of Designer Series Paper as the background? For the video, I added a second fold that opens on the right:
But you can just add a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ layer of Designer Series Paper behind the flowers to make it a regular card. I really like the look of the Poetic Expressions designs with the flowers, and used the colors of that paper for coloring the flowers, as well.
Turn the design sideways and try different colors, too.
It’s a beautiful stamp set to use for so many projects, and if you haven’t seen my two previous posts using this set this week, check out the Notebook Cover project HERE and the color challenge card HERE.
THANK YOU for shopping in my Stampin’ Store for GENUINE Stampin’ Up! products!!! It enables me to continue bringing you creative ideas and you are guaranteed high quality products with service from someone who cares about you.
From a firm believer that you have the power to create your own joy, here’s an opportunity to *literally* craft things with rubber stamps, ink & paper that make you feel (and those you share them with) gleeful!
This class will spotlight the Ice Cream Swirl bundle (Item #162771-NOT included in the class fee)- OR you can complete the projects with the Simply Sparkling bundle (Item #162871), the Beautiful Balloons bundle (Item #161457), of the Share a Milkshake bundle (stamps and dies sold separately) – any of which can be ordered in my Stampin’ Store: http://bit.ly/lonistampinupstore. BONUS: When you order the Ice Cream Swirl from my store, I will email you a discount code for $7 off the class!
You can learn more about the class below the video, here’s a completely different card I made in my Monday Live Crafting today~
MORE CLASS DETAILS: Registered class members will receive a class packet with all the consumable supplies (card stock, envelopes, Designer Series Paper, etc) needed for 5 projects we create together during the class, PLUS two full sized accessories (2 embellishments we will use in class) and a color copy of the completed projects. Crafting Happiness Virtual Class fee: $37
Class packet includes*:
Tinsel Gems Four- Pack (Item #161623)
Iridescent Shaker Circles (Item #161625)
Card Stock, Designer Series Paper and accessories cut for projects
One sheet of Stampin’ Dimensionals
Envelopes and packaging
Sweet surprises!
(* while supplies last- if items sell out before packets are mailed, items of equal value may be substituted)
Also needed:
Stamps & Dies of your choice (suggested bundles listed above)
Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (or Mini Machine) or similar die cutting machine for coordinating dies
The class will be privately streamed to YouTube and you’ll receive a link via Email on April 16thto watch and craft along with me on April 19th, or watch at your convenience anytime!
Maybe it’s because we’ve searched for a good box previously to no avail, but I am of the age that it’s difficult for me to throw away the boxes from Stampin’ Up! kits, or the pretty Paper Pumpkin boxes! They are such a perfect size for a half batch of BROWNIES, that it *almost* makes me want to bake a pan of ooey-gooey goodness, but then I’d want to eat the other half…
But what can we DO with those wonderful Stampin’ Up! boxes (aside from delivering goodies)??
Turn them into STATIONERY GIFT SETS!
Begin by covering the top with a piece of card stock and/or Designer Series Paper and embellish as desired. The February Paper Pumpkin kit box was also one I kept to modify, and because it was pre-printed, it took a smaller piece of card stock that I embossed for the center:
Next, you’ll also re-cycle the cardboard backing from a package of Designer Series Paper by cutting it into two pieces:
12″ x 6 1/4″ – scored at 4 1/2″, 6″ and 7 1/2″
4 1/2″ x 9 1/8″ – scored at 2 1/2″, 4″ and 6 1/2″
Those two pieces will create the dividers for your box. These easily fit 6-8 cards & envelopes on the large sections, a small book of postage stamps in the smallest section and your could add tags, small gift enclosures, a pad of post-it notes or a treat in the medium section:
Here’s the video tutorial to discover how simple it is to make this handy project:
After the video, I remembered I had some Dollar Tree goodies to send to my grandkids, and lo-and-behold, they fit in a 2-section box… just leave out the second section divider and you could also put twice as many A2-sized cards inside:
As demonstrated in the tutorial, I made a few simple cards using up the scraps from my pack of Perennial Lavender DSP and the Paper Butterfly Accents, along with the Perennial Postage bundle:
What are you going to put in your boxes? I’d love to see how *you* upcycle an empty kit box…share your creativity in my VIP Facebook Group!
Now that you’ve seen what you can make with the boxes, shop for more in the current Kit Collection:
Don’t miss the chance to subscribe before April 10, 2024 for the Delicate Wings Paper Pumpkin Kit, and add the “Thanks & Beyond Dies” to coordinate with the April, May AND June Paper Pumpkin kits!
Anyone can be crafty with a KIT, and I’m here to help you unbox some ways to be creative even when…
You think you don’t have time
You think you can’t afford it
You think you don’t have the space for crafting
Paper Pumpkin is the BEST craft kit subscription in the world, and each monthly box you’ll receive:
In this video, I show the Sweet Springtime Kit (February 2024), how to complete the projects as they are sent in the kit -OR- unleash your own ideas using the supplies from the kit or around your craft room:
While the full kits are sold out, there are refills for the Sweet Springtime kit (while supplies last) that you could easily add your own sentiment stamps to complete. They are available for subscribers only, so hurry and subscribe in the next step!
Click the button(s) to choose your Paper Pumpkin Path:
Here are the alternative projects I created with the Sweet Springtime Kit:
Now a look at what’s coming in the March “Memorable Meadows” Paper Pumpkin kit (SUBSCRIBE BY MARCH 10th to get this kit in your mailbox!!):
Share nature’s beauty with lovely all-occasion cards! Includes a free BONUS stamp set!
Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs with 9 coordinating envelopes
Precut vellum pieces & wood embellishments
Coordinating colors: Granny Apple Green, Garden Green, Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Gorgeous Grape, Fresh Freesia
Perhaps you aren’t ready to make the commitment to a monthly subscription, but want a one-time curated crafting experience. I’ve got just the thing(s) with the Kit Collection in my Stampin’ Store which you can choose a la carte:
TWO NEW KITS are added to the collection every month, and while I indicated March 2024 kits would be added on Tuesday 3/5, I’ve learned that they are actually dropping into the store on THURSDAY, March 7th! I did get a peek at them today and I can tell you I’ll be grabbing BOTH kits…you’ll want to check them out in just a few days.
After the camera turned off, I did make a few more different cards with the leftover pieces from my kit (coudn’t let those gingham envelopes or adorable animals go to waste!). One of them I’ll share in my VIP Facebook Group and here’s the other:
And ONE (of four) #simplestamping cards I shared in my exclusive Paper Pumpkin email for my subscribers~ after the kit is complete and you have just the stamp set and ink spot remaining:
When you don’t have the right stamps to express yourself (or your quirky personality), reach for the Mini Alphabet Dies and spell it out (or make it personal)!
I demonstrated tips and tricks for using these very versatile letters to set you up for success in your crafting in a live video, and remember that while I used two Sale-a-Bration Designer Series Papers for my simple card designs (which papers are only available FREE with purchase for a few more days- through 2/29/24), you can use ANY patterned paper collections you have to make similar cards!
For the first card (above, top) I showed how to use Adhesive Sheets to cut a whole alphabet, for letters ready to adhere to a card anytime (plus how to store the leftover letters), but don’t throw away the negatives! Cut them into squares and use the outlines, too:
You can also make a master template with a window sheet to trace letters, add diagonal lines to create a shadow effect, then adhere die cut letters over the top of each letter:
Mix & Match them with other stamps you have, or use both letters and outlines:
If you’ve read this far, here’s a bonus card and tutorial to download!
It’s a pleasure to serve your creativity~ Share what you make with the Mini Alphabet Dies when you buy them from my Stampin’ Store, and I may spotlight your creativity in my VIP Facebook Group: Creative Juice Crafter’s Corner!
10 days left in Stampin’ Up!’s Sale-a-Bration 2024, with your window to choose free gifts narrowing quickly…so today we are taking a look at one of the options I haven’t shown before: The Jungle Pals stamp set.
As one of your options to choose with $50 order (until 2/29/24), I wanted to show an easy way to use just the stamp set (there is an additional coordinating die set you could select with another $100 purchase).
Start with a 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ black card stock base. I added a piece of the Rock & Roll Designer Series Paper colored with Stampin’ Write markers to the top right side, and simply stamped the animals on 1-1/4″ square colored card stock pieces. Frame each animal in 1-3/8″ white card stock and tile onto the front of the card.
For the inside, you’ll need a 5-1/4″ x 8-1/4″ white card stock. Refer to video tutorial for instructions for easy pop-up mechanism instructions.
Here’s the how to:
This style of card can be created with many different products, and choosing products through my Stampin’ Store helps me to keep bringing you this type of training and teaching. When you support a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, you are guaranteed quality products, unmatched service and hours of happy creativity!
Creative Juice by Loni 