Important News!

Thank you for visiting my Blogger website here that I have used for my Stampin' Up! business for the last 12 years.

I will be "sunsetting" this site, meaning I will not be maintaining it anymore in the future.

I invite you to explore The Kind Card Maker site HERE.

There is a lot to see at my new site. Fresh project ideas, techniques, tips & tricks, a large print library, and so much more. I hope you will stop by and stay awhile!

Abundant Beauty Decorative Masks - Pattern 1 - Masculine Birthday Card

Have you purchased products with the intention of using them, then they sit on your shelf and you never get around to using them? Well that has been me with previous stencils I've purchased from Stampin' Up! But this time I decided, "not this time" so over the next few days you'll be seeing each mask used in a card design. Feel free to CASE any or all!

 Abundant Beauty Decorative Masks, page 47 in the new Mini Catalog

#162331 $10.50 USD

Houndstooth Pattern Mask below

Blending Brushes #153611 $13 USD

Images © Stampin' Up!

Technique - Blending Brushes with Classic Ink Pad

Here's how you do this technique:

Cut to size the cardstock layer you want the mask to go on. Use a very small piece of adhesive (like tape runner or double sided tape) to stick the cardstock to your grid paper. Be sure to use the lines of your grid paper to square the paper up. Next lay the mask on top of the cardstock and use some small bits of scotch tape or washi tape to hold the mask in place.

Grab one of your Blending Brushes and the color of ink you desire. I used Pebbled Path ink on Very Vanilla cardstock. You will use a circular motion to load your blending brush with ink, then start from the outside edge of the mask and go inward in the opposite circular motion to apply. Depending on how much pressure you apply to the blending brush your ink can be lightly applied or dark like my sample.

Repeat this process until you are happy with the look. Then carefully peel off the tape on the mask and gently lift the cardstock from the grid paper.

Now you are ready to build your masculine birthday card!

The Houndstooth pattern seemed masculine to me, so I used the Gone Fishing Stamp set and Let's Go Fishing Designer Series Paper (DSP) to design this Birthday Card.

Additional Products used were Mossy Meadow Cardstock and Ink, Very Vanilla cardstock, and retired from several years ago Mossy Meadow Braided Linen Trim. You can substitute whatever trim you have that looks good to you.

The Phrases for All stamp set provided the Happy Birthday greeting on the inner layer.

Decorate your envelope flap with matching DSP. Cut 2 1/4" x 6", adhere to exterior flap and trim off excess.

Close Up of the tag. The Mossy Meadow layer is 2 1/4" square. The DSP layer is 2 1/8" square. The greeting was stamped in Mossy Meadow ink from the Gone Fishing stamp set. The two layers were adhered together and raised up over the linen trim with dimensionals. The fish was fussy cut from the DSP and raised up on mini dimensionals.

As a bonus for you if you live in the USA - I have prepared a product shopping list, just click HERE. You can uncheck any item on the list you already have, or say add all to the cart if you are a newer card maker. 

If you are looking for a demonstrator to help you, I would be happy to mentor you and provide you with guidance and support through my bi-monthly newsletter. Please subscribe HERE.

New Product in the Sept. - Dec. 2023 Mini Catalog - Abundant Beauty Decorative Masks

Today's post is going to be a quickie, as an introduction to what I'll be sharing here on my blog this week. I will be making one card from each of these new stencil designs. The Abundant Beauty Decorative Masks are nice heavy plastic and they clean easily. They are all larger than our standard A2 card base so you'll have plenty of room to do creative things with them!

They are located on page 47 of the LIVE Sept.-Dec. 2023 Mini Catalog!

Houndstooth Pattern

Snowflakes

Fall Leaves

The rest of these stencils combine to make a Sunflower. You all know I love sunflowers so I'm saving the best for last!

Here's one of my sunflowers I grew this summer. So cheery!

So I hope you will visit each day to see what I will be making and sharing with you!

Shining Brightly Specialty Designer Series Paper Stuns with Beauty when You Use the Classic Letters Stamp Set for a Gorgeous Holiday Card

Do you think of Navy as a holiday color? I don't normally, but I think you will agree this card layout combined with several new soon-to-be released products would make you think otherwise.

On September 6th this gorgeous Shining Brightly Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) will be in my online store. It is so elegant with the gold foil accents that are built into this paper that it will make your holiday cards look fit for royalty! Combine that DSP with some more gold foil layered in, and I think the balance of Night of Navy and Very Vanilla works nicely.

You may be asking yourself, ok then, why does she have a Basic White tag on the front? Good question! Have you ever made some practice pieces, in this case, I was experimenting with layering Versamark ink on top of the Night of Navy inked letters from the Classic Letters stamp set, then heat embossing them with Clear Embossing Powder. It worked so nicely I had to use it in a card design!

I actually think by using the Basic White tag it helps it "pop" on the card front. 

I always like to make a matching envelope flap too. Just cut a piece of the DSP 2 3/8' x 6", then adhere to the exterior flap and trim off the excess.

This holiday card starts with a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of Night of Navy cardstock, scored at 5 1/2".

The Gold Foil layer is 4" x 5 1/4".

Next a 2" x 5 1/8" of the DSP in the Very Vanilla star pattern is adhered to the right side of the Gold Foil Layer allowing for a 1/16" margin on the three sides.

Next cut a 2 1/4" x 5 1/8" Night of Navy leaf pattern section from the DSP and a 1/2" x 5 1/8" strip of Gold Foil. You will adhere the strip of gold underneath the right edge of the navy so only a 1/16" of Gold Foil shows. Now you are ready to affix the combined piece to the card face. Start adhering on the left side allowing for a 1/16" margin just like the right edge of the Very Vanilla. The Navy will overlap the Very Vanilla some.

For the Inner Card Layer, cut a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. You can add some decorative pieces of the DSP if you so desire. The greeting comes from a new set releasing on Sept. 6 called Joy to You stamped in Night of Navy ink. Adhere layer to the inside of the card.

Some of the Products Used:

Classic Letters Photopolymer Stamp Set #161267  $25 USD

(Stamps are 1" tall.)

Versamark Ink (is a sticky ink that holds embossing powder very well)

#102283 $9.50

Images © Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Emboss Powders - Basic Set of Clear, White and Black (Lasts a very long time!)

#155554  $18

Images © Stampin' Up!

Heat Tool (used to melt the embossing powder quickly)

#129053  $31

Images © Stampin' Up!

Since Stampin' Up! doesn't have Night of Navy embossing powder, the next best thing to do is use the technique of stamping the letters first in Night of Navy ink, then stamping again on top with Versamark Ink and Heat embossing with Clear Embossing Powder and the Heat Tool. That way you get a fancy look in any color you want! Thanks to the Classic Letters stamps being see-through photopolymer material, it is very easy to line them up perfectly! I started with a 1" strip of Basic White by 4 1/8".

Finish with a Gold Foil 1 1/8" x 4 1 /4" piece that you mount the Basic White to. Raise the double layers with dimensionals.

The card is finished off the two Blooming Gold Pearls in the upper right corner, which are also coming out on Sept. 6.

The product items with links attached are available right now in my online store.

 Check out another card idea using the Classic Letters stamp set HERE.

And another holiday card idea HERE.

If you are looking for a demonstrator to help you, I would be happy to mentor you and provide you with guidance and support through my bi-monthly newsletter. Please subscribe HERE.

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Classic Letters Stamp Set Wows with Snowflake Magic Designer Series Paper Releasing Sept. 6, 2023

For this Holiday card I wanted to capitalize on a monochromatic color scheme using the color Lost Lagoon (with a touch of Basic White and Silver) while focusing on using the Classic Letters Stamp Set. I hope you like what I have created. You could CASE (copy and share everything) this card easily.

Classic Letters Photopolymer Stamp Set #161267  $25 USD

(Stamps are 1" tall.)

The color Lost Lagoon returned to the Stampin' Up! Color Collection back in May with the 23-24 Annual Catalog. I was glad to see it return as it is a soft blue-green and coordinates well with many other Stampin' Up! colors.

Start with a 4 1/4" x 11" Lost Lagoon Card base scored at 5 1/2". The next 4" x 5 1/4" layer is the Soft Shimmer Paper that comes in the Lost Lagoon color. Do not adhere it to the card front just yet.

The next 3 3/4" x 5" layer is the gorgeous Designer Series Paper (DSP) called Snowflake Magic Specialty DSP. It will be available on Sept. 6 in my online store as it comes from the soon to be live Sept.-Dec. 2023 Mini Catalog. Now you can adhere the DSP and Soft Shimmer paper layers together.

Wrap the two layers with the 1/2" Silver and White Sheer Ribbon (also coming soon). On top of that ribbon add the 1/4" wide Lost Lagoon Bordered Ribbon. Scotch tape the ribbon ends on the back side of the double layer. Add dimensionals to the double layer unit and apply to the card front.

I used the same Heat Embossing technique as yesterday's post. Used the Lost Lagoon ink to stamp "JOY" on the Basic White 1" wide strip, then stamp "JOY" again with Versamark Ink and dip in the Clear Embossing Powder and set it with the Heat Tool so it gets shiny and adds a little dimension.

Stampin' Emboss Powders - Basic Set of Clear, White and Black (Lasts a very long time!)

#155554  $18 USD

Images © Stampin' Up!

Using the  Something Fancy Dies, another Soft Shimmer paper tag base was die cut out. Adhere the "JOY" to that tag. Rise the tag up with dimensionals. Add several Rhinestone Basic Jewels to the tag and the centers of the snowflakes.

Something Fancy Dies #160424 $28 USD

Images © Stampin' Up!

The front of the card is now finished.

For the inside of the card, add a 4" x 5 1/4" Basic White layer stamped with a greeting from the soon to be released Joy to You stamp set in Lost Lagoon ink. If you have a scrap of the DSP left over use it on the inside of the card.

Finish up with decorating the exterior envelope flap with a 2 3/8" x 6" piece of the matching DSP.

Simple but elegant! Give this layout a try!

Check out another card idea using the Classic Letters stamp set HERE.

If you are looking for a demonstrator to help you, I would be happy to mentor you and provide you with guidance and support through my bi-monthly newsletter. Please subscribe HERE.

Super Easy Christmas Card using the Brushed Gold Cards and Envelope Sets plus the Classic Letters Stamp Set and Some Heat Embossing Tricks

If you love Christmas and making your own holiday cards, then you are for sure going to want to know about what is coming really, really soon!

On September 6 when the Sept.-Dec. 2023 Mini Catalog goes live, you will be able to purchase this lovely ready-to-use Brushed Gold Cards and Envelope Set of 20 card bases and envelopes for $12.00 USD and the order number is 162177. These Cards and Envelopes are the standard A2 size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2").

Pair this Brushed Gold Card Set and the Classic Letters photopolymer stamp set and you'll be able to whip out holiday cards pretty fast, for less than $1 per card. WOW!

The highlighted links below will take you directly to my online store to purchase that item.

I thought it was perfect to do some heat embossing on this card sample, using the technique of stamping the letters first in Shaded Spruce ink, then stamping again on top with Versamark Ink and Heat embossing with Clear Embossing Powder. That way you get a fancy look in any color you want! Thanks to the Classic Letter stamps being see-through photopolymer material, it is very easy to line them up perfectly!

Above - I used a retired stamp set called Merry Everything for the inside greeting in Shaded Spruce ink.

After I heat embossed the Merry below, I thought the card needed a little more of "something." Since the gold brush strokes reminded me of fireworks raining down, I thought the addition of a gold heat embossed star image would work nicely. This particular star came from a retired stamp set called Festival of Trees, but you can use any star stamp you have.

Some of the Products Used:

Classic Letters Photopolymer Stamp Set #161267  $25 USD

(Stamps are 1" tall.)

Versamark Ink (is a sticky ink that holds embossing powder very well)

#102283 $9.50

Images © Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Emboss Powders - Basic Set of Clear, White and Black (Lasts a very long time!)

#155554  $18

Images © Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Emboss Powders - Metallics Set of Copper, Gold, Silver

#155555  $18

Images © Stampin' Up!

Heat Tool (used to melt the embossing powder quickly)

#129053  $31

Images © Stampin' Up!

You can also stamp any holiday word up to 6 letters depending on how close you space the stamps together, in whatever ink color you would like and still do the clear embossing powder on top using the Heal Tool to set the powder. Give it a try, the magic of embossing powder was one of the first things that attracted me to cardmaking years ago.

Have fun with this easy card idea and make some handmade holiday cards the easy way this year!

Visit my Landing Page here to subscribe to my Newsletter or Shop my Online Store. Have a lovely day!

Let's Make Some Holiday Cards this Week Using the Classic Letters Stamp Set

It's Monday again, and this week's stamp set focus is the Classic Letters Stamp set in the Annual Catalog.  I am thinking Christmas cards this week, so will be working on words I can spell like JOY, NOEL, PEACE and so on. I hope you'll come back to visit and see what I design for you!