Changing Leaves · Coming Soon

Amazing in Every Way

Welcome to a bright and shiny new week, everyone! This week, we’re going to be taking a sneak peek at a brand NEW Stampin’ Up! Online Exclusive bundle that launches in just a little over a week. Eeek — I’m so excited! The upcoming Online Exclusives release has a little bit of everything, including some holiday items. And all this week, I’ll be showing you the gorgeous Changing Leaves bundle, which includes a set of photopolymer stamps, coordinating dies, and a hybrid embossing folder. So let’s get started!

For today’s design, I wanted to keep things super simple. And in particular, I wanted to highlight the beautiful embossing folder with its detailed leaf prints and a few of the coordinating leaves in the die set.

So we get started with a card base of Early Espresso cardstock. A sheet of the Early Espresso woodgrain pattern from the Country Woods designer series paper pack serves as the backdrop. The center panel is a sheet of the Copper Clay Oxidized Copper specialty paper that has been machine embossed using the soon-to-release Changing Leaves hybrid embossing folder. The sentiment from the soon-to-release Changing Leaves stamp set is stamped in Coastal Cabana on Very Vanilla cardstock and then diecut using the smallest frame from the Everyday Details die set. The sentiment is matted with a piece of the Summer Splash In Color Glimmer Paper and adhered with dimensionals. Two sets of leaves from the soon-to-release Changing Leaves die set have been diecut from Coastal Cabana cardstock and tucked behind the sentiment panel. I finished things off with a few In Color Shimmer Gems.

Like what you see so far? Tune in tomorrow for a closer look at the Changing Leaves hybrid embossing folder!

Products used in today’s card:
Early Espresso, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla cardstock
Country Woods, Oxidized Copper, In Color Glimmer DSP
Changing Leaves stamps, dies, hybrid embossing folder (coming soon!)
Everyday Details dies
In Color shimmer gems
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Product List
Fun Folds · Masculine Designs

True Blessing

This week, we’re working through our stash of Stampin’ Up! products to honor all the guys. It’s hard to believe that it’s already June and Father’s Day is quickly approaching. I hope one of this week’s designs inspires you to create something special for your fellas.

Today, we’re combining some gorgeous designer series paper with our dies to create this stunning fun fold called the Faux Fold-Over. We get started with a base of Early Espresso cardstock that has been cut to give us a flip-up panel, or the faux fold-over panel, in the center. Our full background layer is the sheet of Pool Party woodgrain from the Country Woods designer series paper pack.

For the center panel, we emboss a piece of the Pebbled Path luster paper using the Leaf Fall embossing folder. The sentiment panel consists of three layers — the bottom two layers utilize both sides of the white woodgrain sheet from the Country Woods paper pack and the third panel is white cardstock. Each circle is cut using the Spotlight on Nature dies. The white sentiment panel is stamped with the Unbounded Love sentiment in Copper Clay. The sentiment panel is adhered to the darker circle to create a matted sentiment. This layer is then adhered with dimensionals to the largest circle and the full panel is adhered using dimensionals to the center panel over a twist of linen thread. From Copper Clay luster paper, we diecut deer and branches from the Grove die set and a maple leaf from the Autumn Leaves dies and then adhere them to our panel to create our scene. The card front is finished off with swirl dots. Our inside sentiment from the Something Fancy set is stamped atop the small leaves from the Autumn Leaves stamp set in the bottom-right corner of the message panel.

This week’s Terrific Tuesdays episode walks you through making this card step-by-step. Missed the episode? You can watch the full episode right here:

You can also download the FREE step-by-step PDF tutorial for today’s card by clicking here.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading through the grove. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out!

Products used in today’s card:
Early Espresso, Basic White cardstock
Country Woods, In Color Luster DSP
Unbounded Love, Something Fancy, Autumn Leaves stamps
Spotlight on Nature, Grove, Autumn Leaves dies
Leaf Fall embossing folder
Linen thread
Swirl dots
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Botanicals · sketches

Flower for a Friend

We’re rounding out our week of designs using the Stampin’ Up! Inspiring Snapdragons bundle, which includes coordinating cling stamps and dies. Today, we have a clean and simple design that was inspired by a sketch from my sketchbook.

We get started with a base of Shy Shamrock cardstock. I also cut a quarter-sheet of Shy Shamrock and then embossed using the Cute Crochet embossing folder. The embossed quarter panel is then trimmed down to be 1/4-inch smaller than the standard card front. The panel is adhered to the card front using dimensionals. I next diecut the middle-sized snapdragon from white cardstock using the Inspiring Snapdragons dies. Using Pretty in Pink and Shaded Spruce Stampin’ Blends, I colored the decorative layer of the snapdragon. I used a glue pen to apply adhesive to the decorative layer and adhere it to the snapdragon base. The sentiment is diecut from Shy Shamrock glimmer paper and Basic White cardstock using the Friends for Life dies. I used a glue pen to apply adhesive and adhere to the two sentiment layers together.

To assemble the focal section of the card, I began with a glue dot in the center of the card. I cut linen thread and made a decorative faux bow and used the glue dot to hold it in place. Using dimensionals, I next adhered the snapdragon over the linen thread and then the sentiment over the snapdragon blossom. To ensure the sentiment stands above everything else, the dimensional layer is doubled. I finished things off with a scattering of Shy Shamrock shimmer gems.

I really love this card design because it’s super simple to make and replicate quickly, but it looks like a million bucks. If you have other sentiment diecuts in your stash, you could easily substitute a different one for a multitude of occasions.

Next week, we’ll be focusing on the Friends for Life bundle. I hope you’ll pop in and see how many different ways we can use this fabulous bundle!

Products used in today’s design:
Shy Shamrock, Basic White cardstock
In Color glimmer paper
Inspiring Snapdragons, Friends for Life dies
Cute Crochet embossing folder
Stampin’ Blends
In Color shimmer gems
Linen thread
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Flowering Zinnias · Shop the catalog

Thanks, Friend

This week is all about the Stampin’ Up! Flowering Zinnias suite. And today we are looking at the Zinnia embossing folder and Simply Zinnia dies. What I think this card design illustrates so beautifully is how easily you can pair the Flowering Zinnias products with other gems from the Stampin’ Up! lineup, like the Friends for Life bundle featured here.

We get started with a card base of the new In Color Petunia Pop. I also cut a quarter-sheet and embossed using the Zinnia embossing folder. This embossed panel is cut 1/8-inch smaller than the card base and adhered with dimensionals. For the focal section of this card design, I diecut a square of Petunia Pop using the largest square die from the Nested Essentials die set and built the focal elements on top. The zinnias are diecut using the Simply Zinnia die set. The petals are cut from Pretty in Pink with each flower having Peach Pie and Lemon Lolly centers. The lovely foliage is cut from Shy Shamrock using the Friends for Life dies. Dimensionals help give a layered look to the zinnias. The sentiment panel base is white cardstock diecut using the banner die from Friends for Life. Thanks is stamped in black on one end of the panel using the Wonderful Thoughts stamp set. The word friend is mounted next to it. Friend is shadowed with black cardstock and a white glimmer paper helps the word sparkle and pop on the card front. The sentiment panel has extra layers of dimensionals to ensure it stands tall above the rest of the design and catches the eye.

Tomorrow we’re going to be keeping things simple. I hope you’ll pop in to see how a stamp, paper, and die can make a beautiful card in a snap.

Products used in today’s card design:
Petunia Pop, Pretty in Pink, Peach Pie, Lemon Lolly, Shy Shamrock, Basic Black, Basic White cardstock
Flowering Zinnias, glimmer DSP
Simply Zinnia, Friends for Life dies
Zinnia embossing folder
Wonderful Thoughts stamps
Shiny sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Mother’s Day

Sure of Things Unseen

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!

Faith is being sure of what we cannot see is the theme of today’s card design. As a mom and, in particular, a mom who struggled with infertility, these words resonate a little differently. Faith has to become a part of your inmost being—to simply trust that you will carry a baby to term and hold that precious and healthy part of you in your arms and have the privilege of raising this baby to adulthood.

It is such an honor to be a mom! It teaches you so much about our Creator and His love. And it teaches you a lot about humility and faith.

Today we’re wrapping up a series using a sketch and a small stash of crafty supplies. I loved this sentiment from the Unbounded Love stamp set and thought it was the perfect compliment to Mother’s Day.

We get started on today’s card with a base of Berry Burst cardstock. I also cut a quarter- sheet and embossed it using the Dotted Circles embossing folder. To give a bit more definition to the embossed pattern, I used my finger to spread a very light layer of white craft ink over the panel. Once dry, which didn’t take too long, I cut the embossed panel to be just a smidge smaller than the card base. I cut a small strip of the Thoughtful Journey designer paper so that a small scene would be exposed and then adhered it to the right side of the embossed panel. The embossed panel is adhered to the card base using dimensionals, and the sentiment panel is also adhered using dimensionals. The sentiment from Unbounded Love is stamped on white cardstock that is diecut using the Autumn Leaves die set. I chose to stamp the word faith in Fresh Freesia ink to emphasize the word and draw the eye to the sentiment. I wanted to add a soft eye-catching element behind the sentiment panel and chose to diecut some sprigs of greenery from vellum using the Painted Lavender dies and then added a paper butterfly and some paper white sequins from the Sequins Trio.

I hope that you are able to enjoy this Mother’s Day—whether through a family celebration or a remembrance.

I hope to be able to post a little more regularly in the coming week, assuming we’re able to come home from the hospital.

Products used in this card design:
Berry Burst, Basic White, vellum cardstock
Thoughtful Journey DSP
Unbounded Love stamps
Autumn Leaves, Painted Lavender dies
Dotted Circles embossing folder
Paper butterflies
Sequins trio
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Clean and Simple

True Blessing

Thus far this week, we’ve been exploring how a sketch and a few supplies can give you to terrific cards in no time flat. Today’s card is a slight variation on yesterday’s card design with a slightly wider designer paper section that begins on the edge of the embossed panel.

I really love this particular sheet of the Thoughtful Journey designer paper pack. The cedars set on the hill with the wildflowers down below reminds me of the prairie that was behind my childhood home.

This card begins with a base of Berry Burst. I cut an additional quarter-panel and embossed with the Eyelet embossing folder then cut the panel down to be one-quarter inch smaller, leaving just a small border behind on the base. I wanted to ensure that the beautiful embossed pattern stood out to compliment the soft white in the patterned paper, so I used my finger to rub a thin layer of silver ink over the top of the pattern. Then I adhered the designer paper panel to the right side of the embossed panel before adhering the full panel to the base using dimensionals. The sentiment from Unbounded Love is stamped on white cardstock diecut using the coordinating Unbounded Love dies. To draw the eye to the sentiment, I finished the card with tinsel gems and silver trim tied in a small bow.

Tomorrow, I’ll be rounding out this series with one final variation. I hope you’ll come check it out!

Products used in this card design:
Berry Burst, Basic White cardstock
Thoughtful Journey DSP
Unbounded Love stamps & dies
Eyelet embossing folder
Tinsel gems
Silver trim
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Clean and Simple

Sending Love

When you’re low on crafting time, keeping things simple is key. I typically choose a simple sketch and a few coordinating supplies when I’m needing to make a card but don’t have time for lots of layers or fussy cutting. The beautiful thing about the products Stampin’ Up! offers is how wonderfully they coordinate to give you consistent results each and every time. And I don’t say that simply because I’m a demonstrator. It’s one of THE reasons that I became a demonstrator!

We begin our card today with a base of Berry Burst cardstock. The background panel is cut a tad smaller than the card base and then machine embossed using the Distressed Tile embossing folder. I decided from the get-go that I wanted metallic gold to be an accent color for this card design, so after embossing the Berry Burst quarter-sheet and cutting it to size, I used my finger to lightly rub metallic gold ink across the card front to bring out the gorgeous pattern. A two-inch strip of Thoughtful Journey designer paper is adhered to the left side of the embossed panel, leaving a small strip of the panel exposed on the left so that the pattern goes from edge to edge in the background. This whole panel is then adhered to the base using dimensionals. The sentiment from Country Flowers is stamped on white cardstock diecut using the Unbounded Love dies and it, too, is adhered with dimensionals. A twist of gold trim and a few gold Blooming Pearls add that bit of sparkle and bring out the golden hues in the designer paper. And a few In Color shimmer gems on either side of the sentiment ensure your eye lands here last.

Tune in tomorrow to check out a variation on this card layout that gives us a very different look but results in a card that’s just as stunning!

Products used for today’s card:
Berry Burst, Basic White cardstock
Thoughtful Journey DSP
Country Flowers stamps
Unbounded Love dies
Distressed Tile embossing folder
In Color shimmer gems, Blooming Pearls
Gold trim
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Botanicals · Coming Soon · Mother’s Day

Zinnias for You

Things have really begun to green up in our area and I’ve begun making treks to my favorite garden center to fill my patio pots. I really love having a yard full of color! For our growing area, I have to choose plants that not only like our mild springs but that really love the sweltering heat of summer. And one of my all-time garden favorites is zinnias. They come in a wide variety of colors, are fairly bug resistant, and don’t mind the Texas heat one bit — winner!

When Stampin’ Up! released the Flowering Zinnias suite in the latest Online Exclusives, I immediately fell in love with the designer paper. I wasn’t quite so sure about the stamps or dies. If I’m being honest, I didn’t immediately like the stamps or dies because I felt like they were a little too fussy and I was intimidated by the thought of trying to use them. But I was soon convinced that I needed them when I began seeing all of the drop-dead stunning designs my fellow stampers were making with them.

Believe me when I tell you that this card looks way more complicated than it actually is to assemble. The dies really do do all of the work for you. And just look at the stunning results!

We start with a base of Flirty Flamingo cardstock. I next diecut a quarter panel of the same and then embossed using the Zinnia embossing folder. This panel is cut slightly smaller than the card base. I then began diecutting flowers from Real Red and Calypso Coral cardstock using the Simply Zinnias dies. The flower centers are a combination of Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight. Next are the leaves, which have been diecut from Shaded Spruce and Old Olive. The smaller flowers are diecut from Lemon Lolly. The sentiment from Perennial Postage is stamped on white cardstock and then diecut using the soon-to-release Unbounded Love dies.

The embossed Flirty Flamingo panel is adhered directly to the card base. I next assembled the flowers. To assemble, I used dimensionals between the two flower petal layers. A large Zot glue dot secures the orange center to the top layer of petals and then I used a fine tip glue pen to add adhesive to the circle of small flowers that sits atop the flower center. For the smaller budding flowers, a glue dot adheres the flower to the stem.

To complete the card, I began by adhering the sentiment to the center with dimensionals. The red flowers come next and are also adhered to the card front using dimensionals. The leaves are layered underneath the flowers and secured with glue dots. The Calypso Coral flower is secured directly to the card base with a large Zot glue dot to give dimension to the look. The small stem of accent flowers is secured with a single dimensional, while the flowers themselves are held in place with glue dots. Shiny sequins finish off the design with some flare and a bit of sparkle.

I’ll be bringing you some BONUS content tomorrow of brand NEW product as we take a romp through the meadow using the gorgeous Unbounded Beauty and Thoughtful Journey products. You won’t want to miss it!

Products used for today’s card:
Flirty Flamingo, Real Red, Calypso Coral, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lolly, Shaded Spruce, Old Olive, Basic White cardstock
Perennial Postage stamps
Simply Zinnia, Unbounded Love (coming soon!) dies
Zinnia embossing folder
Shiny sequins
Glue dots
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Botanicals

Hello, Lavender Fields

As promised, I’m back! Thanks for hanging with me as I worked to get my husband settled in back home for a few days before we head back to the hospital for the next big surgery. Hats off to all of the full-time caregivers out there — it’s definitely a big job!

I’m super excited to get back to scheduled programming and take a stroll through the hills and fields of flowers. I’m going to showcase some of my favorites from the current and soon-to-release Stampin’ Up! lineup. I hope you’ll plan to come along for the whole trip!

Today, we’re walking the Hills of Tuscany, using the stamp set by the same name. This lovely stamp set is on the Last Chance list, and I’m sad to see it go! But this is a set that will definitely be staying in my crafting stash for making beautiful landscape scenes.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how today’s card came together. I chose to have a lavender theme for this landscape. We get started with a base of Crumb Cake cardstock. The back panel of the focal section of this card is a quarter-sheet of Crumb Cake that has been diecut with the largest Deckled Rectangles die and then machine embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder. To help the beautiful embossed detailing stand out a bit more, I gave it an aged look by sponging Crumb Cake ink over the top. It’s also elevated with dimensionals to give depth to the design. The focal panel mat is Gorgeous Grape cardstock that has been diecut with the Deckled Rectangles dies, while the focal panel is a sheet of white cardstock diecut with the nesting rectangle from the same set of dies. The focal panel landscape scene is stamped using the Hills of Tuscany stamp set.

The sentiment panel is diecut from Crumb Cake cardstock using the soon-to-release Unbounded Love dies. The lavender bunch is diecut from Gorgeous Grape using the Painted Lavender dies and tied together using linen thread. The frame is adhered directly to the focal panel, while the sentiment portion is popped up on dimensionals to ensure the sentiment isn’t lost in the scene.

Two strips of the Perennial Lavender designer series paper behind the focal panel finish off this design. They serve to begin the eye’s journey across the card front. Notice how the purple elements form a visual triangle across the card front as your eye passes from this strip of DSP to the sentiment panel to the field of lavender in the landscape to the gems in the bottom-right corner.

TIP: when you overlap stamped images from this stamp set, it creates darker areas that add depth and shading. Notice the darker green path in the hill that was created in this fashion. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to this technique, but I have enjoyed experimenting with the layering. Should we make this an episode of Terrific Tuesdays? I would love to know your thoughts!

Products used in today’s card:
Crumb Cake, Gorgeous Grape, Basic White cardstock
Perennial Lavender DSP
Hills of Tuscany stamps
Deckled Rectangles, Unbounded Love (coming soon!) dies
Distressed Tile embossing folder
Purple fine shimmer gems
Linen thread
Dimensionals
Adhesives

Coming Soon

Speedy Recovery

We’re continuing our aviation adventures this week by taking a closer look at the brand NEW Adventurous Sky bundle, which is set to release in May with the launch of the new 2024-25 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. This week’s chosen theme of flight is inspired by husband, who is a commercial pilot and aviation enthusiast.

And the theme of today’s card, in particular, is also inspired by my hubby, who has been having some serious health issues. When we’re making get well cards, we don’t often think of incorporating someone’s hobbies or interests when designing cards, but when you want something to feel very personalized for a recipient, I believe that’s the best way to do it!

Our card today is set on a base of Balmy Blue cardstock using the fold-back fun fold, which allows a portion of the inside panel to peek through when the card is fully closed. Before I adhered the fold-back portion of the card front, I used the Adventurous Sky cloud stamps to stamp a background on the entire inside-left panel. I also adhered the raindrop-embossed piece of vellum to the edge of the fold-back panel and then adhered it to the card front. On the exposed portion of the inside message panel, I chose the topography patterned sheet from the Take to the Sky designer series paper pack — the coordinating DSP to Adventurous Sky that will release in May.

The plane is cut from the Silver and Berry Burst sheets of Holographic specialty paper using the Adventurous Sky dies. But you might be thinking that it doesn’t look red. This particular sheet of paper looks blue when it’s cut into smaller pieces and from certain angles in larger pieces, and so by diecutting and then putting the plane on the diagonal, you see blue in this design. Neat, huh?! To give the illusion of a spinning prop, I cut a circle from vellum using the smallest die in the Everyday Details set. The center of the prop is made with the soon-to-be-released Industrial Trinkets piece.

The sentiments from Happy Little Things are stamped on white cardstock that is diecut from white cardstock using the Deckled Rectangles dies. A twist of silver & white sheer ribbon and the white sequins tie with the metallic elements of the plane and finish the visual triangle across the card design.

I hope you’ll fly by tomorrow to get a better look at the full Take to the Sky suite — paper, stamps, dies, and embellishments!

Products used in today’s design:
Balmy Blue, Basic White, vellum cardstock
Holographic Trio, Take to the Sky (coming soon!) DSP
Happy Little Things stamps
Deckled Rectangles, Adventurous Sky (coming soon!) dies
Raindrops embossing folder
Sequins trio, Industrial Trinkets (coming soon!)
Silver & white sheer ribbon
Dimensionals
Adhesives