Nutz about Stamping

Tomorrow is your last chance - don't miss out on the great savings

Stampin' Up!s Designer Series Paper Sale is a fantastic opportunity for you to stock up and save on paper, especially with Christmas card crafting time just around the corner!

There is no limit to how many these select packages of Designer Series Paper you can purchase during this promotion. (yay!) You can even add packs to your Starter Kit and save more = no shipping costs. (double yay!)

But this sale ends tomorrow! 

Here are the juicy details: AC means Annual Catalog, A-D means August to December Mini

ITEM	PAGE	DESCRIPTION	PRICE
152495	148 (AC)	ARTISTRY BLOOMS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153489	31 (A-D)	TIS THE SEASON 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152492	148 (AC)	FOREVER GREENERY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153487	15 (A-D)	POINSETTIA PLACE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153491	25 (A-D)	TRIMMING THE TOWN DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153527	57 (A-D)	PLAID TIDINGS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
150432	34 (A-D)	TOILE TIDINGS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152483	149 (AC)	PEONY GARDEN DESIGNERS SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152460	150 (AC)	WHALE OF A TIME 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153492	9 (A-D)	HEARTWARMING HUGS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153517	53 (A-D)	MAGIC IN THIS NIGHT DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153512	37 (A-D)	SNOWFLAKE SPLENDOR DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152494	148 (AC)	IN GOOD TASTE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$21.00 $17.85
152490	149 (AC)	PLAYING WITH PATTERNS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152489	149 (AC)	PLAYFUL PETS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78

Click on the photo below to download the sale PDF to your device!

Have questions? Please ask!

You need to try this unusual card layout

This week's card map is really unusual - with a triangle being the main focus. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what to create:

I ended up taking a lot of creative liberties too. Right off I chose Night of Navy as my card base with a layer of Brightly Gleaming paper on top:

I knew that I wanted to make my card a Christmas theme so next I set out looking for a phrase, which I found in the Poinsettia Petals stamp set:

This bundle is one of the most popular in the August-December Mini Catalog - and I can see why. 

I had a tough time thinking of how to create a triangle and this is where things veered off track a bit. I decided to make a banner instead of a triangle, the strip I put in a different spot and I chose a star instead of a circle. Finally I chose not to add sequins or jewels because the Brightly Gleaming paper has shiny stars all over it already. And as you can see below I make my layout landscape instead of portrait. Despite all these changes, I love my card! 

Here it is:

What would you create using this card map? If you want to see what the other design crew members created, click here. We'd love for you to take up our challenge and share your card idea over there too!

Looking for holiday gift ideas to fit your budget? Look no more!

Here are some great gift idea suggestions from the current (2020-21) Stampin' Up! catalog. Think anniversary, birthday, graduation, Christmas and just because! 

 

I love purchasing some of these items as 'stocking stuffers' too.

$10 – $20

• Paper Snips, #103579, $10.00, Page 159
• Game On Stamp Set, #1526464, $19.00, Page 28
• Many Mates Stamp Set #152633, $23.00, Page 43
• Embossing
  • VersaMark Pad, #102283, $7.50, Page 146
  • VersaMark Refill, #102193, $4.00, Page 146
• Take Your Pick Tool, #144107, $10.00, Page 159
• Paper Pumpkin Kits, $19.95 per month
• Gift Bag Punch Board, #135862, $20.00, Page 150

$21 and up

• Banner Triple Punch, #138292, $23.00, Page 166
• Paper Pumpkin Kits, $19.95 per month
• Basic Tools – $28.25
  • Stampin Seal, #152813, $8.00, Page 162
  • Seal Refill, #152814, $5.50, Page 162
  • Mini Glue Dots, #103683, $5.25, Page 162
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals, #104430, $4.00, Page 162
  • Bone Folder, #102300, $7.00, Page 159
• Timeless Tulips Bundle, #153793, $32.25, Page 21
• Whale Done Bundle, #154053, $31.50, Page 96
• Paper Trimmer, #152392, $25.00, Page 151
• Heat Tool, #129053, $30.00, Page 146

All Inclusive Card Kits:

• Simply Citrus $32.00, Page 7
• Looking Up $29.00, Page 7

2020-2022 In Color Collection – $60.25 – 84.25 (Page 144, 160)

• Cardstock 8-1/2 x11” Assortment #153074, $9.00
• Ink Pad Collection, #154957, $33.75
• 6×6 Designer Series Paper Stack, #153070, $11.50
• 1/4” Ribbon, #153622,152482,153621,153623,153624 – $6.00 each (page 160)

And one final idea: Paper Pumpkin! This is a GREAT gift idea that keeps on giving. Click on the photo below to learn more. 

How to create a colorful optical illusion on your cards

For today's card and video I am going to show you the Split Circle technique and show you how this technique creates a fun optical illusion. 

There are so many ways to create colorful cards using the Split Circle technique and for my card I chose to make a fun Christmas card - I have the perfect person in mind to get my card this year!

I could have stamped a phrase on the front of my card but I chose, instead, to use my Playful Alphabet dies:

I also used the Dainty Diamonds embossing folder to give texture and visual interest to my card.

You can use your favorite embossing folder when you give this technique a try. I recommend that you pick a folder that give a subtle look so that the technique is the star of your card. 

What you do need for the Split Circle technique is the Layering Circles dies - a pack of dies with different sizes of circles. These circles are the main event for this technique. 

Ready to give this idea a try? I have listed everything you need below and then watch my video to see, step-by-step how to create this technique. 

Split Circle Christmas card

Here's a side view:

Stamp set: none

Ink: none

Paper and cutting dimensions:
        Real Red: 5 1/4" x 4"; 1" x 2 1/4"; 2 1/4" square, 3 1/4" sure, 1 3/4" square
        Whisper White: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2; 5" x 1" 
        Garden Green: 1" x 2 1/4"; 2 1/4" square, 3 1/4" sure, 1 3/4" square

Other: Playful Alphabet dies (152706); Dainty Diamonds embossing folder (152702); Layering Circles dies (151770); Multipurpose Glue, Stampin' Seal, Paper Trimmer, Woven Threads Sequins (149498)

Here's my video - have fun giving this idea a try!

 

How to get free crafting project ideas every week

Would you like TWO free crafting projects every week (no strings attached) using products featuring this seasonal (fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!) catalog...

or this Annual catalog?

Then subscribe to my free newsletters!

Every week I share a Mini Catalog or Annual Catalog project idea along with all the supplies that were used (including ordering numbers!) and a full set of step-by-step instructions. I also share tips, tricks, techniques and products I am nutz about. 

Why join my mailing list? Here are 7+ great reasons:

• exclusive card samples with photos and step-by-step instructions
• stamping techniques
• tool tips featuring brand new products or my all-time faves
• customer Q&A's - perhaps some you have been secretly asking too!
• information on upcoming classes with registration and payment links
• card maps and challenges
• special offers and surprises sprinkled in
• and much, more

If you are not on my mailing list and would like to be, here's what you do:

1. Look for the Join My Mailing List heading in the right column of this blog

2. Type your name and email address in the boxes and click the "go" button

3. In a few minutes, check your email. I use a confirmed opt-in subscription process to guarantee that you do want to subscribe. Please watch your email and respond to the confirmation notice that you will receive.

BONUS: As a thank you, I will send a link for you to download three exclusive project ideas 

Let all your crafty (and crafty wannbe) friends and family members know about my free newsletters and subscribe today to let the stampin', scrappin' and paper craftin' fun ideas begin!

Here's a project that I recently shared with my newsletter subscribers:

See the perfect time and way to save money!

Stampin' Up!s Designer Series Paper Sale is a fantastic opportunity for you to stock up and save on paper, especially with Christmas card crafting time just around the corner!

There is no limit to how many these select packages of Designer Series Paper you can purchase during this promotion. (yay!) You can even add packs to your Starter Kit and save more = no shipping costs. (double yay!)

Here are the juicy details: AC means Annual Catalog, A-D means August to December Mini

ITEM	PAGE	DESCRIPTION	PRICE
152495	148 (AC)	ARTISTRY BLOOMS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153489	31 (A-D)	TIS THE SEASON 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152492	148 (AC)	FOREVER GREENERY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153487	15 (A-D)	POINSETTIA PLACE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153491	25 (A-D)	TRIMMING THE TOWN DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153527	57 (A-D)	PLAID TIDINGS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
150432	34 (A-D)	TOILE TIDINGS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152483	149 (AC)	PEONY GARDEN DESIGNERS SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152460	150 (AC)	WHALE OF A TIME 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153492	9 (A-D)	HEARTWARMING HUGS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153517	53 (A-D)	MAGIC IN THIS NIGHT DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
153512	37 (A-D)	SNOWFLAKE SPLENDOR DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152494	148 (AC)	IN GOOD TASTE DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$21.00 $17.85
152490	149 (AC)	PLAYING WITH PATTERNS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78
152489	149 (AC)	PLAYFUL PETS DESIGNER SERIES PAPER	$11.50 $9.78

Click on the photo below to download the sale PDF to your device!

Have questions? Please ask!

What would you pick for this interesting triangle card challenge?

What a cool card map this week! I was really pumped to give it a try.....until I realized that I don't have any triangle dies, lol. 

Then enthusiasm was taken over by determination and I decided to look through all my stamping products until I found something that would work. 

And I did. I realized that some of the images in the Coming Home bundle have triangles:

Can you see the triangles? I thought it would be really fun to give this a try, so I stamped, colored the images with my Stampin' Blends and then layered the houses to make the triangles more visible. 

Next the layer under the triangles - which embossing folder to use? I decided on the Dainty Diamonds embossing folder because it looks like stars or snowflakes, you decide:

Next I chose the Trimming the Town paper as a layer on my card - it will pull the colors together and add a fun touch behind the houses. 

The card came together quickly and for fun I added a trimmed phrase from the Trimming the Town paper that has a bunch of phrases on it. I chose a long phrase and cut it into smaller strips to attach to my card front. 

Here's my card:

If you want to see what the other design crew members created, click here to link over to the Paper Craft Crew site. If you give our card map challenge a try, we would love to see it - you can add it to the Paper Craft Crew site too! Have fun!

How to create fun memories with this pick five challenge

I cannot believe it was almost two years ago that I was in Malta. It feels like it was just a few months ago. I truly feel in love with these two islands and would love to go back some day. 

I chose to scrapbook two of my Malta photos for this weekend's Pick Five challenge:

• Masculine theme
• Gears
• Pattern papers (at least two)
• Banner
• Two word title

I started by choosing my photos first and once those were printed I chose the Garden Green 12x12 page base to match the green color in the water. I knew that I wanted to choose patterned paper that had Night of Navy in them - to match to the water in the photos and act as a nice compliment to Garden Green.

My paper choices came from the In Good Taste pack...

...and a retired strip I had left over from last year's catalog. It is important to use up what is lying around, right?

I decided that the Garden Green page base was too plain and thought it would be fun to stamp, using Versamark, the large sailboat from the Sailing Home stamp set. I really like how the stamped images look.

But then those gears.....hmmmm. Until I remembered that the Smooth Sailing dies have a 'steering wheel' in the pack and it looks close to a gear - so I chose to die-cut 5 wheels to add to my page. 

I did a bit of a cheat for the title - I trimmed down one of the World of Good cards because I thought it would be fun as a title - yes it it three words but close enough. 

The final element - banner - I created three - two small ones (can you spot them?) and one larger one that I used to note where the photos came from and what year. That's when I got a shock that this fun trip happened two years ago! Wow how time flies. 

Here's my page! 

Now it's your turn - try this Pick Five challenge to make a card or a scrapbook page. You just might love how it turns out too!

Want to learn how to create a gorgeous Christmas card?

For today's card and video tutorial I am going to show you how to create a gorgeous Christmas card using the Poinsettia Petals bundle. I love, love, love the dies in this bundle because the dies create a subtle visual texture on the flowers and leaves! (super cool - watch my video below to see how this works)

Nothing says classy like Christmas poinsettias in your home so why not make a card using them as well? 

Here's the Poinsettia Petals bundle - that I used for the phrase and the flower on my card:

I also used the Tin Tile 3D embossing folder to add texture to the Real Red layer but also because it has a matching embossed flower image:

When selecting my colors for this card I went with the traditional: Real Red and Old Olive. At the end of my video I show you a second color combination. Which pair do you like best? Leave me a comment below to let me know! 

Here's my Poinsettia Petals Christmas card:

 

And here's a side view so you can see the lovely effect of using Stampin' Dimensionals on the Poinsettia:

Here's what you need to make this card at home - and don't miss the video that shows you step by step how to make the card, along with some bonus tips along the way:

Stamp set: Poinsettia Petals bundle (153487)

Ink: Old Olive

Paper and cutting dimensions:
        Old Olive: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; 1" x 5"; 3 1/4" x 2 1/2" (for leaves); 3 1/4" square 
        Real Red: 3 3/4" square, 3" square; 2 3/4" square; 5" x 3 3/4"

Other: Stitched Shapes dies (145372); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430); Tin Tile 3D embossing folder (151801); Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653); Basic Pearls Jewels (144219); Stampin’ Seal (152813)

Here's my video - I hope you will try this card at home! 

 

I have the perfect gift idea for you!

Are you starting to create your Christmas gift list for the coming holiday season? I have the perfect gift idea for you, one that just keeps on giving hours of creative fun each month! Consider a Paper Pumpkin kit subscription for those who need a little indoor creative fun in the coming year. 

Take a closer look at Paper Pumpkin. Have a look at the October kit, which would make a great birthday gift idea for this fall. And then check out the June 2020 kit video below so you can see what this kit looks like. That way you have an idea of what a gift subscription can offer to your crafty (or crafty wannabe) friends and family! 

The Joy to the World kit has been thoughtfully created for the season of spreading joy. October’s Paper Pumpkin kit was designed to bring people together—connecting them with one another and spreading joy with each other around the world!

 

 

With die-cut sentiments in English, French, and German, you can send holiday cheer to your friends across the globe—in their language.

To connect and spread joy with international customers and demonstrators through the Joy to the World Paper Pumpkin Kit, Stampin' Up! has even created a Facebook group: Joy of Paper Pumpkin! When connecting with your new friends, don’t forget to share your experience with the #joyofpaperpumpkin hashtag.

The fine details:

• This kit contains enough supplies to create eight cards—four each of two designs—and coordinating envelopes.
• Includes die-cut pieces in English, French, and German. This will allow you to create cards you can use to connect with other customers and demonstrators around the world—in their language! To learn more about how to do this, read the “The Joy of Paper Pumpkin” section on this page.
  • Card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.8 x 14 cm)
  • Envelope size: 4-1/2" x 5-3/4" (11.4 x 14.6 cm)
• Coordinating Colors: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Just Jade, Soft Sea Foam

What is Paper Pumpkin, you ask?

Paper Pumpkin is our monthly subscription service that offers fun ‘n’ easy papercrafting projects for crafters of any skill level! Each kit is all-inclusive: subscribers receive pre-cut paper pieces, embellishments, ink, and an exclusive stamp set. As the subscription continues, you will quickly have a collection of cards and other creations for a variety of occasions, in addition to a stockpile of supplies!

***Subscribe to the Joy to the World Paper Pumpkin Kit between 11 September and 10 October.

Subscribe now to get your Joy to the World kit!

Click here to subscribe

Here's a peek at the June 2020 kit - see the variety of possibilities a Paper Pumpkin kit can offer?

 

Fasten your seatbelts this holiday season is going to be amazing!

Why you ask? Because of the Christmas stamp sets and paper just waiting for your creativity.

One of the biggest sellers this year is the Poinsettia Petals bundle. Send warm wishes from your home this season with cards you make using this set. The images include custom poinsettias and messages to personalize your cards. 

The dies not only cut but they emboss as well which is super cool. Today's card uses heat embossing to make the poinsettia flower a real stand out. I love heat embossing on Christmas cards - it adds a fancy touch and makes each card super special. 

Pair the paper with the embossed flower, add an embossed layer, some ribbon and embellishments and WOW, this card is ah-mazing!

Did you know that the Poinsettia Place paper used on today's card is on sale this month?

 

Yes it is - along with 14 other packs of paper! Click here to see all the packs on sale - but only until 31 October. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Poinsettia Petals Bundle (155148)
• Card Stock – Thick Whisper White (140272); Old Olive (100702); Vellum Cardstock (101856)
• Stamp Pads – Soft Suede (147115); Whisper White Craft ink & Refill (147277)
• Misc. – Poinsettia Place Designer Series Paper (DSP): (153487); Gold Foil Sheets (132622); All the Trimmings Ribbon Combo Pack (153541); Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder (152718); White Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109132); Lovely Labels Pick a Punch (152883); Heat Tool (129053); Wink of Stella (141897); Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Mini Glue dots (103683; Stampin’ Seal (152813)

Measurements:  

• Thick Whisper White:         11” x 41/4”     5 1/4" x 4”      3/4" x 2 7/8”
• Old Olive:                               1” x 3”
• Vellum Cardstock:               6” x 6” square
• Gold Foil                                3/4” x 5 1/4” plus scrap for berry branch & poinsettia centre
• DSP:                                       1 3/4”  x 5 1/4"
• Ribbon: 6”                            6 1/4" for bow          

Instructions:

1. Score card base at 5 1/2".
2. Glue DSP approximately 1” from top edge of 5 1/4" x 4” Thick Whisper White panel. Glue Gold Foil piece below, butting the edge to the lower edge of the DSP.
3. Add layer from Step 2 into the Tasteful Textile 3E Embossing Folder and run through the Die Cutting Machine.
4. Stamp small & large poinsettia petals onto Vellum using White Craft Ink. Sprinkle with White Emboss powder. Heat set using the Heat Tool. Cut out both poinsettias using the matching dies and die cut machine. Cut berry branch and poinsettia centre from Gold Foil.
5. Glue poinsettia flower centre to middle of smaller poinsettia flower. Use Dimensional to adhere to larger flower. Add Wink of Stella to all petals and set aside.
6. Use Lovely Labels Pick a punch to one end of both the Old Olive & Thick Whisper White banner pieces. Using Soft Suede ink, stamp greeting onto Thick Whisper White banner. Glue the Thick Whisper White banner to the top of the Old Olive banner.
7. Wrap 6” of Old Olive ribbon around embossed Whisper White layer and adhere on back of panel. Make a small bow from remaining 6 1/4" of ribbon. Add Dimensionals to the back of the Old Olive banner and position on the card front, centering over the ribbon and setting the right edge of banner approximately 1/2" from right edge of DSP/Gold Foil. Make a tiny bow from the remaining 6 1/4" piece of ribbon and attach to the right side of the Thick Whisper White banner using a Mini Glue Dot.
8. Adhere the Gold Foil berry branch to the back of the poinsettia flower using Stampin’ Seal. Add a Dimensional to the under side of the poinsettia flower and adhere near the top left of the DSP layer.

Add a personalized greeting inside the card and enjoy sending your beautiful project to someone special.

What would you choose for this fun color challenge?

This week's Paper Craft Crew challenge is a color challenge:

I love the Plaid Tidings paper and use it all the time. (Just cruise back through my blog to see all the samples I have created in the last few months.)

 

When I saw the colors in this week's color challenge I immediately went to this pack and selected a plaid that would work perfectly. 

The colors in the plaid I selected has:

• Bumblebee
• Pumkin Pie
• Blackberry Bliss

I decided this piece would be a card front layer on top of a Pumpkin Pie layer and then a Bumblebee card base. That was the way part. It was at this point that I decided a main feature for my card would the a phrase. My brother has a birthday in November so I chose birthday phrase from the Best Year stamp set - another set you will see me use all the time. 

My final quandary was what to use for embellishments. After a bit of digging around I decided to add some fall leaves from the Forever Fern bundle:

After those decisions were made and all the pieces organized I was able to put my card together.

Here it is:

Do you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's color challenge? Click here to head over to the Paper Craft Crew site. We'd love to see what you created if you join our challenge - post your card over there for all of us to see!

Join the creative fun with this mystery stamping challenge

This past weekend I participated in something brand new for me - it is called Mystery Stamping. A bunch of Stampin' Up! demonstrators signed up for the challenge too which made it even more fun!

Here's how it works: someone volunteers to create the challenge for everyone to join. But. Nobody sees all the cards until the challenge is over and the challenge itself is step by step. 

1. Get ready - which is a list of everything you need *but not the basics, such as adhesive, bone folder, paper trimmer etc. We were told to grab a black ink pad, designer paper, a strip of foil or glimmer paper and a scrap of Whisper White or Very Vanilla
2. Clue #1 - is about getting your card base ready
3. Clue #2 - is about getting other sold pieces cut and ready
4. Clue #3 - used an embossing folder (your choice)
5. Clue #4 - tells you what to do with the designer paper
6. Clue #5  - has you being to assemble
7. Clue #6 - adding the foil strip
8. Clue #7 - creating a focal image and where to place it on the card
9. Clue #8 - stamping a phrase and placing it on the card

At that point everyone posts their final card so that we can see each other's product following the mystery steps. Super fun!

For my card I chose to use Mossy Meadow as my base and layer colors and then the World of Good designer paper for my main image. There is a pattern paper that has a large compass rose on it and I thought it would be fun to use one of those as my main focal image. 

For the stamp set I chose Forever Fern. I use the 'Hello' image from that set whenever I am not sure of the occasion I might need a card for:

To be honest I was really unsure about this whole idea and how my card might turn out. But I have to say, I LOVE it! 

What do you think?

Now that I know how to do a Mystery Stamping challenge, I would be happy to post one on my Facebook page. Would you like to join in? Leave me a comment to let me know. If I get enough people saying 'yes!' then I will organize one so you can join the fun too. 

Let me show you how to use up your colorful paper strips

For today's card and video, I am going to show you a really fun technique for making a birthday card that uses up all those paper strips that I know you have lying around. 

I absolutely love the Forever Greenery paper - I have almost used up an entire pack in the past three months - very unusual for me! The greens in it are fantastic together:

• Old Olive
• Garden Green
• Just Jade
• Pear Pizzazz
• Shaded Spruce
• Soft Sea Foam
• Pretty Peacock

 

Did you know that Stampin' Up! is having a paper sale this month? The Forever Greenery pack is just one of 15 that are discounted for a short time only! Click here for the juicy details! 

As this birthday card is going to my step-mother, I know really well how much she loves the color green. So that is why I chose the Forever Greenery paper for her card. I always try to match colors and designs with the person for whom I am creating a card. How about you? 

My stepmother loves to quilt and she often using the paper piecing quilting technique to create gorgeous quilts. So this paper piecing card technique is a perfect match!

One essential tool for this project is a Paper Trimmer:

Our Paper Trimmer cuts like butter - perfect for cutting and scoring paper for card making, scrapbooking, and other paper crafts. The extra-wide 7-3/4" (19.7 cm) cutting base and extendable 17" (43 cm) ruler accommodate large paper projects. The base of the paper trimmer includes both imperial and metric measurements, and the base has a midpoint ruler for small paper projects. The ruler and paper restraint snap into place for easy transport. A durable plastic cover protects the ruler and grid so measurements won’t wear off. It comes with 1 paper cutting blade and 1 paper scoring blade. Replacement cutting blades are available (sold separately).

You will see in my video below how to prepare the paper strips using the Paper Trimmer. The rest is super easy! 

Here's my Forever Greenery Paper Piecing technique birthday card: 

Stamp set: Best Year (152568)

Ink: Pretty Peacock

Paper and cutting dimensions:
        Whisper White: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; 3 3/4" x 5"
        Just Jade: 5 1/4" x 4"
        Forever Greenery: 5 strips: 12" x 12"; each strip cut 1/2" wide

Other: Woven Threads Sequins (149498); Forever Greenery designer series paper (152492); Fine Tip Glue Pen; Multipurpose Liquid Glue (154974); Paper Trimmer (152392)

And here's my video - thanks for watching!

The best saying for inside of a masculine card

I am often asked how I design the inside of my cards. Sometimes I remember to share my inside designs but to be honest I often wait until I know who is getting a card for me and then I choose my phrases and design. 

Masculine cards can be a bit more tricky. I have shared lots of ideas in the past years for the outside of masculine cards, but what about the insides?

Here are my top 4 tips and then I will share some stamp set suggestions for phrases. 

Tips:

• if you have used designer paper on the front of the card, add a thin strip of the same paper inside
• add a stamped image in the bottom right or left corner inside - not a word stamp, but an image stamp
• stamp a phrase/word on the inside and then add an small image either above or below the phrase/word
• don't be afraid to use trees on masculine cards with a few small flowers thrown in. This never concerned my dad. 

 

Here are some suggested stamp sets:

1. Geared Up Garage - sooo masculine and has coordinating dies. The Geared Up Garage set isn't just a Father's Day set. It's for all classic car lovers in your life. 
   
   
   
2. Sailing Home - no surprise there, right? Just look back on my blog beginning in July and you will see lots of ideas using this fab set. I think the phrases can be used for many generations too. Whether he is sailing home or going off to new adventures, the images and sentiments in this set will inspire him on his journey.
   
   
   
3. A Good Man  - the quintessential masculine set. Great for Father’s Day, birthdays, or any day you want to recognize and celebrate your men.
   
   
   
4. A Wish for Everything - I decided to add this set because of has 38 stamps that you can combine, giving you bunches of options! And one of them is perfect for that special man in your life. 
   
   
   

And as this blog title promises, here's the best saying for the inside of a masculine card: 

Being a good Dad starts with being a good man

After that, what more is there to say?