Sundays Are for Sketches: Jan.-April '25 Mini Catalog Sketch #6 of 10

The 6th sketch in this series is another fun one!  I grabbed my Beautiful Butterflies hybrid embossing folder and dies and Full of Life 6"x6" DSP to make my card.

I started with a piece of Balmy Blue cardstock that I dry embossed with the 3D Soft Waves embossing folder.  Rather than cut a square, I die cut a Blueberry Bushel rectangle with my Nested Essentials dies to ground the main butterfly on the card front.  The large butterfly was embossed and cut out of Daffodil Delight card stock.  For the smaller butterfly, I had planned to use the grid side but loved the blue stripes on the back instead.  As I die cut the butterfly pieces, I also die cut the Basic Black cardstock bodies.

A few Tinsel Gems Four-Pack adhesive dots finished off the card. I really like how it turned out!

Wildflower Birthday Layout

All of our birthdays were pretty low-key last year, so I decided to compile them all on one layout in our family album.  This layout is also the layout we made in my January scrapbooking class.

We use the wildflower birthday DSP, including the awesome die cuts and added some blueberry bushel and gold foil card stock. I stamped happy birthday in pool party from the with you in mind stamp set.

Scrapbooking doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t have to include all of your pictures. I think it would be fun to have at minimum an album that celebrates the highlights of the year like birthdays and holidays. If you’d like help getting started scrapbooking or if you’re an experienced scrapbook Who wants company, reach out!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Here is the card that I made for our younger daughter for Valentine's Day.  I used the Thoughtful Journey 12x12 DSP because I love not only the foil overlay but the ombre coloring of this pretty DSP. 

To create the heart, I cut two arches from the Everyday Arches dies (#7 if #1 is the largest arch and #10 is the smallest).  Then I cut strips from the bottom of each arch up over 2" so that I can weave the two arches together. 

I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set with Fresh Freesia and mounted this panel onto a Fresh Freesie card base.  I hope she loves her card!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

January Card Class: Hello Popsicle Card

This card was really fun to make using the Fruit Salad Sale-a-Bration DSP paired with the Everyday Arches bundle (stamp set and dies).  For the background, I used the "stack, cut, and shuffle" technique to create three cards quickly.  The first one uses the "insides" DSP on the "popsicle." 

My second card uses the "outside" DSP for the popsicle.  Both used a small flower punch for the "bite" cutout.

I used my 3D Waves embossing folder to add texture to the popsicle stick.

Which version do you prefer?

March's Paper Pumpkin Preview

Starting today, February 11, you can subscribe to receive the March Paper Pumpkin subscription kit!  

Send sweet greetings with gorgeous cards featuring bees, honeycombs, and daisies.

Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs with 9 coordinating envelopes 

• Specialty gold foil and precut vellum accents
• Unique precut paper pieces
• Coordinating colors: Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lime Twist, Lost Lagoon (Classic Stampin’ Spot), Moss Meadow, Very Vanilla

*This month's kit includes a bonus stamp set!

Additionally, all Paper Pumpkin subscribers are eligible for exclusive refills, extra kits, and coordinating quarterly dies (while supplies last), include this quarter's set of five.  The March dies will cut out a bee and a honeycomb.

Sign up HERE if you aren't already a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, and you like the look of this kit!  (As always, if you are a Paper Pumpkin subscriber and would rather not have this kit, just log in and pause your subscription.)

January Card Class: Wildflower Birthday Card

Yesterday we had fun creating at my February card class, and I realized that I hadn't posted our January cards!  The first card features the Wildflower Birthday DSP and Everyday Arches dies. 

For the first card, I added some gold gems, and for the second card, I stamped "happy birthday" on the Peach Pie cardstock strip with Peach Pie ink.

Which version do you prefer?

Last Chance to Subscribe to the February Paper Pumpkin Kit!

Today, February 10, is your last chance to opt in (or out) of the February Paper Pumpkin subscription kit! 

Plant the seeds of happiness with these lovely garden-inspired cards.

 • Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs

 • Precut pieces with bronze foil 

 • Unique spring-themed envelopes

 • Coordinating colors: Basic Beige, Bubble Bath, Lemon Lime Twist, Lost Lagoon, Old Olive, Petunia Pop (Classic Stampin’ Spot) 

Coordinates with the Grow with Love Bundle (item 164804)

Additionally, all Paper Pumpkin subscribers are eligible for exclusive refills, extra kits, and coordinating quarterly dies (while supplies last), include this quarter's set of five.  The February dies will cut out a chive stalk/leaves and flower.

Sign up HERE if you aren't already a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, and you like the look of this kit!  OR ask me about a prepaid one-, three-, six-, or twelve-month subscription that could qualify you for Sale-A-Bration Rewards!

Sundays Are for Sketches: Jan.-April '25 Mini Catalog Sketch #5 of 10

The fifth card sketch in the Jan.-Apr. '25 Mini Catalog was hard for me, but I really like what I ended up creating.  I hope that you do, too!  (I love how a challenge can stretch you creatively!)

I grabbed some of my current stash and went to work.  I used a 1-1/4" punch to cut a circle in the front of my card base and then in Totally Toadstools DSP to create the three circles.  I die cut the oval sentiment piece and then did a combo of paper trimmer and fussy cutting for the sentiment strip.

It was fun to punch one of the circles all the way through the card front to adhere the DSP circle on the inside, peek-a-boo style.

I thought that circle was too plain by itself, so I added a few more on the inside.

My sentiments were stamped with Pebbled Path from the Everyday Arches collection, and the adorable snail on the inside is from a fall Paper Pumpkin kit.

Have fun getting creative with a challenge, because you never know how you'll grow!

Happy Birthday Cupcake Card

This card style is easy to make and recreate using scraps from your stash!  I used the Wildflower Birthday DSP and With You in Mind stamp set. 

I used Pool Party and Peach Pie inks.

Here's a tip: See that gold banner behind my sentiment?  It is a small rectangle that I cut in half and tucked behind the hexagon so that it looks like it spans the entire card front.

Beautiful Butterflies Rainbow Card

As I began playing with my new Beautiful Butterflies stamp set (part of the Beautiful Bokeh suite), I think I had the Global Design Project (#GDP482) sketch in mind, because I had a lot of fun making this card.

I started with a wide strip (2 1/2"?) of basic white card stock that was 5.5" tall to layer onto my card front. I first stamped the butterfly in Daffodil Delight and then stamped the Real Red butterfly above it.  I continued stamping down the strip with Granny Apple Green, and then Blueberry Bushel, and finished with Gorgeous Grape.  The next step was to add the strip to my trimmer and cut off the edges without cutting off the butterfly wings. It definitely involves raising and lowering and raising and lowering your trimmer's arm. Finally, I went back and fussy cut around the butterfly wings. I added the black die cut bodies to the butterflies (although you could just color them in with a marker or pen if you preferred).  The finishing touches were to use my T square to draw in the thin lines to give that piece more dimension and to mount on a slightly wider strip of black cardstock.  I also doodled a border on the sentiment frame.  I think it’s a pretty good take on this sketch.

I love how cheerful this card is paired with the Full of Life 6 x 6 DSP. I hope that it also brightens your day!

Organization Tip #3: Dies Again

Quick Tip Tuesday!  When I have dies that match a stamp set,  first I make a copy of them so that I can remember what I have because for me so often if it's out of sight, then it is out of mind!  Next, I pull them off of their carrier sheet and put them on a 5"x7" magnet sheet.  Now the dies stay organized and fit perfectly into the stamp set case.

I got my magnet sheets from Amazon.

Bloom Impressions Thank You Card

NEWS FLASH! NEW CARD KITS drop today!

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program!  Is anyone else ready for spring? I am sick of the cold, cold weather! Making this thank you card with the Bloom Impressions DSP is definitely giving me spring vibes.

Once again, I used my favorite With You in Mind stamp set and fussy cut the flower and leaves.  My ink colors are Peach Pie, Daffodil Delight, and Shy Shamrock.

Be sure to stamp or add some DSP on the inside of your card for an extra special finish!

More Last Chance Products!

Every two months, Stampin' Up! will move retiring catalog and online exclusive products to the LAST CHANCE category to get them before they're gone!

Find them HERE! 

Sundays Are for Sketches: Jan.-April '25 Mini Catalog Sketch #4 of 10

For the fourth installment of the Mini Catalog sketches, I have two cards for you today.

The first card uses Wildflower Birthdays with the Labeled with Love stamp set.  I stamped the three presents in Peach Pie ink, stamping off and then rolling the edges in the ink again before stamping on scrap cardstock.  I quickly fussy cut them and the Pool Party sentiment.  I popped up the sentiment on top of the pretty pink twine from my stash and added some Party Dots.  I absolutely love the pretty flowers and gold foil in this collection!

For the second card, I used three 1" squares from the Totally Toadstools DSP adhered to a band of 1 3/4" DSP.  After stamping the January 2025 Paper Pumpkin stamp set sentiment in Granny Apple Green, I trimmed it down with my trimmer and fussy cut around the top of the L.  I thought it was a little too plain so I stamped the small heart in Melon Mambo, fussy cut, and added to the center panel and also stamped the large heart in Granny Apple Green with the smaller Melon Mambo heart inside.  

I'll be mailing this card to our older daughter this week for her Valentine card after I added it to a card base and create something pretty on the inside.

Simple Stamping & Note Cards, Part 2

Happy February!  This set of note cards uses more cardstock & DSP, but I would still consider them to be simple stamping.  It was fun to try the "stack, cut, and shuffle" technique.  You literally stack three sheets of paper together and use your paper trimmer to cut them on the diagonals. 

The entire set uses the Basic White Note Cards & Envelopes, the With You in Mind stamp set, Melom Mambo cardstock & ink, Pretty in Pink cardstock, and Totally Toadstools DSP (available for free through a qualifying Sale-A-Bration purchase).

For the first card, I random stamped the flower icon in Melon Mambo on all of the pieces and then stamped Thinking of You in Granny Apple Green on a scrap that I then fussy cut.

For the other two cards, I random stamped the heart icon on the card front, and then on a scrap rectangle, I stamped the heart in Melon Mambo followed by You in Granny Apple Green.

My original card had the heart stamped in green, so I fussy cut a Melon Mambo heart and glued it over the top.  (The green heart was a little Grinchy.)

Which card do you prefer?

Simple Stamping & Note Cards

The Basic White Note Cards & Envelopes are a great way to make quick & easy cards. I paired them with a few inks to create two simple cards. 

The first card uses Garden Green ink and a piece of Petal Pink DSP from the Subtles 6"x6" DSP.

For my second card, I wanted to create a more masculine Valentine's card, so I used the stamp set that came in the January 2025's Hearts for You Paper Pumpkin kit with Coastal Cabana and Crumb Cake.

Cards don't have to be elaborate to be effective!

Thinking of You Always Card

Here is a simple thinking of you card made with the Nests of Winter suite.   It's a simple yet pretty card using just pretty DSP, cardstock, ink, and a few adhesive gems.

As I mentioned yesterday, this suite and its individual items are only available while supplies last!  Be sure to get yours ASAP!

Oh, What a Day Hiking Layout

The day after Christmas, we decided to go on one of our most favorite hikes, Raven Cliff Falls.

I used my Nests of Winter suite (DSP, dies, and gems), Nested Essentials dies, and Documenting the Day stamp set (free with a $60 purchase in January or February), stamped in Gray Granite and Garden Green.

I’m really pleased with how the simple layout came together and how all of the banner elements work together.  It's important to cluster elements and spread them across the layout to move your eye across the page.

The Nests of Winter suite has low inventory available, so if you haven’t grabbed this beautiful collection yet, be sure to get yours ASAP!

Sundays Are for Sketches: Jan.-April '25 Mini Catalog Sketch #3 of 10

The third card sketch on p. 12 of the Mini Catalog is actually the first one that I made.

I began with the Fruit Salad 6"x6" DSP (FREE with a $60 purchase in January or February) and my new With You in Mind stamp set.  I also grabbed the three dies that coordinate with the Labeled with Love stamp set.

Notice how I stamped Thank and You separately (it's one fairly large stamp that was too large for this sketch).  I fussy cut the green apple out of the DSP.  The twine is leftover from the Christmas collections.

Remember, Sale-A-Bration free items are only available this month and next with a $60 and/or $120 purchase!

Thinking of You Catalog Card CASE

The With You in Mind is one of my favorite stamp sets in the Jan.-April Mini Catalog!  It is so versatile!  I couldn't resist copying one of the cards featured in the catalog.

Here is the original Stampin' Up! version:

For my card, I used Daffodil Delight and Basic Gray Stampin' Pads and cardstock.  The sentiment frame was cut with the Nested Essentials dies.  I added some adhesive-backed sequins trio white sequins for embellishments. 

I hope you find this card as cheerful as I do!

Snowflake Just For You Card

Here is the card that I made live recently on my Facebook page featuring the One of a Kind stamp set paired with the new 3D Soft Waves embossing folder.

It was fun to show off the versatility of the Pool Party two-toned cardstock in addition to the new embossing folder!

Christmas Highlights Layout

My final 2024 Christmas layout continues with the Snowy Wonder/Snowy Days products and is a bit of a hodgepodge of Christmas prep and the one photo I took on Christmas Day!  I journaled a bit about the day since there weren't photos of our brunch, guests, etc.  

I stamped a lot of Petal Pink snowflakes on both the White Willow and Petal Pink cardstock panels to add some interest to what could have otherwise been very plain.  Though I could have created my own unique snow globes, I enjoyed fussy cutting these out of the DSP to enhance my layout.

It feel so good to have Christmas 2024 literally in the (scrap) books!  Now to finish taking down the last of the decorations...

{Layout 5/52}

Product Highlight: Flip Flaps (& Christmas Eve Layout)

This layout was so much fun to make!  I used my favorite (free) photo collage app (LiveCollage) to add two photos to a 4"x6" frame so that they printed as two 3"x4" photos and 3"x4" flip flaps to add 19 photos{Layout 3/52} to my two-page Christmas Eve layout!

Continuing this year's Christmas theme, I used the Snowy Wonders/Snowy Days suite of products.  I showcased the pretty DSP with the houses and the snow globe with the cabin in honor of my sister's beautiful snow village.  (She was the gracious hostess of our big Christmas Eve family gathering.)

Here are the first set of flip flaps opened (but not yet adhered; the white strips at the bottom are pulled off to actually adhere them to the project; see the video link, below).

And here is the second set of flip flaps opened.

If you’d like to see a video of how to use flip flaps (AKA in action), click HERE.  They come in a variety of sizes to add lots of photos (or layers) to any project!

{Layout 4/52}

Family at Christmas Layout

Since it's been cold, I've been spending a lot of time in my studio!  I got all of this year's Christmas memories scrapbooked with the Snowy Scenes DSP/Snowy Days Scrapbooking Workshop Kit. 

I used stickers from the Snowy Days kit and fussy cut the snow globes from the Snowy Scenes DSP.  I used the Classic Letters alphabet stamp set with Garden Green Stampin' Pad and the Snowy Wonder stamp set with Pool Party Stampin' Pad.

All of these products are available as last chance items, some with a discount HERE!

{Layout 3/52}

Sundays Are for Sketches: Jan.-April '25 Mini Catalog Sketch #2 of 10

It's time for the second card sketch featured on p. 12 of the new Mini Catalog!  This sketch was also used in the Sept.-Dec. Mini as card #4 (which you can view HERE).

This time, I rotated the sketch and moved from winter to spring!

I stamped the birthday sentiment from With You in Mind stamp set in Peach Pie and then layered onto a piece of Wildflower Birthday DSP and then added die cuts from the DSP collection.  With all the pretty gold foil, I didn't feel the need to add any further embellishments to this quick and easy card.

Next Sunday, we'll be using this collection for my card and scrapbooking classes!  All are welcome, but please RSVP by 1/24.

You’re Berry Special Card

Here's a fun fold card featuring the Sale-A-Bration Fruit Salad DSP

I used a retired CTMH stamp set from my stash since it coordinated so well.  I stamped my sentiment in Granny Apple Green and the strawberries in Real Red (using the stamping off/second generation technique).

We will be making a similar card at my class next weekend (which was snowed out from the original date).  You're invited, and bring a friend!