Nutz about Stamping

Do you know what to do with this odd looking die? Here's one idea to try.

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map is kind of fun! At first I thought - Christmas in June??? Hmmm. 

 

But then I saw 'any image' and immediately knew what I wanted to use:

 

I have been all over the Happiness Abounds bundle in the past few weeks, check out this card and this card for inspiration!

In the Blossoming Happiness die pack there is one odd-looking die: 

I have never used it before because I wasn't sure how. But when I saw today's challenge I thought: now is the time to give it a try! 

So I grabbed my sponges, the Parakeet Party card stock and ink and here's what I created:

Here's another view:

So what do you think? I am really happy with how my card turned out. Simple, but eye-catching.

Now it's your turn: give our card map challenge a try and see if there is a die that you haven't tried yet; perhaps now is the time! If you want to see what the other craft crew members created this week, click here to hop over to their website. We'd love for you to upload what you created over there too. 

Sprinkles of color make everyone happy so why not add them to your cards

What a fun Paper Craft Crew color challenge this week! 

We all love sprinkles so why not add sprinkles of color to your cards too? Choose 4 or more colors from the image above and see what you can design. 

I had seen a card layout idea recently and it gave me inspiration for my card today. I decided to use the Happiness Abounds stamp set:

And my Stampin' Blends to create a birthday card for my stepdaughter who lives in Canada. She loves color and flowers so will love the card I created. My design is super simple: I stamped the same image several times and then used

• Parakeet Party
• Orchid Oasis
• Tahitian Tide
• Sweet Sorbet
• Daffodil Delight

for my color choices. I also added a tiny bit of bling, can you see it on my card? 

And here's another view:

Now it's your turn. Try your color challenge and see if you can add 4 sprinkles of color on your next card design! If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. 

Which is the best product suite for masculine cards? This one!

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge has a bit of a feminine vibe but with Father's Day coming soon, I decided my card design would be masculine instead. 

And frankly, there is no better product suite for masculine cards than this one:

*click on the image above to order the suite at my online store! 

Creating cards for the people in your life is easier than ever with the He’s All That bundle. Combine vintage images and versatile greetings to make creations and make labels, circles, and banners with the versatile shapes in the All That eies. You can also use these dies to create a traditional argyle pattern, which is what I feature on my card design below. 

The He's the Man patterned paper is packed with bold patterns in neutral colors. Choose from antique cars, camping gear, suits and ties, or find versatile patterns such as diamonds, stripes, and plaids. Mix and match the patterns with the coordinating die-cut images. To coordinate colors you will need: Early Espresso, Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Sahara Sand and Soft Succulent. 

I love that the 'sticker's in the designer paper can be the main feature on your cards, like I have done here: 

Here's a simpler view:

And now it's your turn! Try this week's challenge and see what you can create. If you want to see what the other design crew members created, click here. 

I will be featuring lots more masculine card ideas this month, so come back soon! 

This is the perfect way to use up your beautiful leftover paper

This is such a fun card map challenge for the week: 

 

And the perfect way to use up those beautiful paper scraps and retired products like I am doing to do today. 

To help me with my card design I looked through my paper scrap box and spotted a full sheet of the Symbols of Fortune designer paper:

To coordinate I used my Crane of Fortune bundle. If you love this bundle as much as I do, check out more project ideas, here and here. And check out my Crane of Fortune Class of the Month here!

And of course I also used my Layering Circles dies. Here's what I created:

And two more photos, vertical, from different angles.

One:

And two:

And now it's your turn - try this week's card map challenge and see what left-over paper you can use on your card. My motto is 'out with the old and in with the new'. And speaking of new - the next new Mini Catalog is coming soon so let's use up lots of supplies so we can buy more! 

Would you like to see what the other Paper Craft Crew members created for this week's challenge? Click here! 

Which is the perfect set for so many different occasions? This one!

I don't think I have to do much more convincing that the Sending Smiles bundle is a fantastic value!

 

It is my go-to set for almost all the cards I have been creating lately. So, no big surprise that when I saw this week's card map challenge...

that I decided to use this bundle once again. It's perfect for more than one of the rows/columns too!

Why do I love Sending Smiles so much? It is the perfect set to:

• brighten someone’s day
• offer comfort and strength
• send a note of thanks
• wish someone beautiful birthday wishes.

Whatever the occasion, you can create beautiful cards with heartfelt thoughts that will bring a smile to whoever receives it! This set includes nine versatile sentiments and thirteen images that arrange to create a wide variety of floral designs. Mix and match to make simple or complex cards, backgrounds, borders, or centerpieces.

Can you figure out which row/column I selected for this week's card?

 

My challenge project was soooo easy to create and there is beauty in its simplicity. Tip: I used an embossing folder for the card front base - just to add a detailed touch. 

And now it's your turn. Try our card map challenge for the week and what you can create. If you want to share your final project or to see what the other design crew members created this week too, click here. 

 

 

 

This challenge map inspired me to create a beautiful monochromatic card

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge took me outside of my design comfort zone: 

 

I originally thought that I would use one of my punches to create the tag end on one of the layers but then realized it had retired - I try to show you products that are available for purchase to avoid disappointment!

Then I remembered that I have the Tailored Made Tags dies so thought it would be fun to use a large tag die on my card. 

And from here it got a bit crazy. Last week I introduced the new 2022-23 In Colors... 

• Tahitian Tide
• Parakeet Party
• Sweet Sorbet
• Starry Sky
• Orchid Oasis

...and showed how to use paper scraps of these colors to make a beautiful card idea.

I wanted to feature one of these colors, Orchid Oasis on today's card. And boy did I ever! Instead of the paper strip on the map, I chose one of the Blossoming Happiness dies, from the Happiness Abounds Bundle. This pack of dies is so much fun!

Here's my card! Soooo much purple but I still think it's fun. 

Why not give this week's card map challenge a try. You don't have to do purple OR monochromatic but do try to step outside your comfort zone and see what you create. 

If you want to see what the other design crew members created this week, click here to link over to that site. 

Got paper scraps? Then here's the perfect challenge for you

This week's Paper Craft Crew challenge is the perfect way to use up some of those paper scraps that I know you have lying around:

 

And it's kind of funny but I struggled with the angle and the shape of the scraps on this image. For a while. Then I let it go and decided not to worry about the small details, to have some fun and share an idea that is adapted from this map. 

At a team meeting event that I attended last weekend (see yesterday's blog post for the juicy details), I WON a prize. The table was filled with product options and I chose the 2022-23 In Color Designer Series Paper pack. An unusual choice for me but I decided on this because in all the years that Stampin' Up! has offered these packs I have never bought one. Free is good. 

 

 

 

The smaller sheets are ideal for handmade cards, mini scrapbook albums, and for use as colorful accents—cut them with our dies and punches for quick and easy embellishments!

I thought it would be fun to sample each of these new colors on my card:

• Sweet Sorbet
• Parakeet Party
• Tahitian Tide
• Starry Sky
• Orchid Opulence

***Did you know there is an In Color promotion for May only? Have a peek here. 

I also used the new Sending Smiles bunde to add an In Color embellishment to each row on my card.

 

Here's my card:

If you love paper scrap cards as much as I do, here's another project idea to try.

And now it's your turn: try our challenge for the week and see what you can create using this map. It's a great way to use up your scraps! If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, link over here. 

This 1 product is perfect for this card map challenge

Ohh what a fun challenge for this week - if you like shiny, that is! I am not a big bling person, I am more of a subtle bling person - a bit here, a bit there; something you have to look for or notice. 

But today's challenge is 'loud and proud' bling! So let's go for it! 

 

I knew exactly what I wanted to make, starting with some Silver Brushed Metallic paper (you can use Silver Foil or other shiny paper you have one hand) and my Hive 3D Embossing Folder. This product is perfect for today's challenge:

I also grabbed a phrase from my retired Tasteful Textures stamp set because I wanted a vertical phrase that could be used for masculine cards:

The rest was easy - and I love the new Starry Sky In Color.

Here's my challenge card, with a masculine (Father's Day perhaps?) flavor:

See how easy that was to create? Now it's your turn; give this Shiny challenge a try, using what you have at home. If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. 

Do you recognize this card layout? Take a good look.

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge should look familiar! 

 

I am not going to spill the beans or give you hint - perhaps my card will give you a clue! I decided to use the brand new Happiness Bounds bundle which you can find on page 109 in the new Annual Catalog. This bundle is part of the Hues of Happiness collection. And in this collection there is the fabulous Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper and the Glossy Dots Assortment, which are what I used on my card. 

The dies in the bundle match some of the flowers and leaves in the paper designs! This makes card making a breeze! I die-cut two flowers and three leaves and the paper border and presto, my card: 

The phrase also comes from the stamp set and there are 6 other phrases for a variety of occasions. Yum-o!

Now it's your turn: try our card map challenge and see what you can create. And if you want to see what the other design crew members created this week, click here to head on over to the Paper Craft Crew site. 

Let inspiration bubble to the surface with this card map challenge

There are times when I see a card map challenge and inspiration just comes bubbling to the surface and although I don't know exactly what the final product might be, I know the products I want to use. 

 

I chose the following products to help me with my creation:

• Meadow Dies
• Tailored Tag punch
• Paper strips: Calypso Coral, Sahara Sand
• Symbols of Fortune designer series paper
• In Color Jewels (2021-23)
• Timeworn Type embossing folder
• Timeless Tulips (for phrase)

And the layout just fell into place. The paper pattern determined that my card would be portrait instead of landscape and I love the texture of the Soft Succulent square, created by the embossing folder. 

The Tailored Tag punch also came to me at the last moment and I really like that it supported the vertical nature of the meadow flower and card base.

I am lovin' this card! 

Now it's your turn - try this card map challenge and see what you can create. If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this challenge, click here. 

4 featured images make this card a special challenge

Oh this is a fun one this week! I look forward to the Paper Craft Crew challenges each week; they help me to rethink my crafting style and challenge me to use up my products in new and different ways. 

 

There are so many possibilities, aren't there:

• butterflies .... or not
• 4 different colors.... or not
• Vellum phrase.... or not
• horizontal layout .... or not

I dug around in my stash for a bit and then remembered that the Pierced Blooms dies are retiring when this catalog comes to an end. (sob) I LOVE this pack of dies and all the flowers it can make so I decided to use it for this week's challenge. 

This set of dies was released with a stamp set but I never bought the stamps because this pack stands on its own. And I can use a phrase from my other stamp sets, which is what I did today. 

I chose a phrase from the Tasteful Touches stamp set, also retiring (also sob). 

I also did a little cheat; I used some leftover Simply Marbelous designer paper from Sale-a-bration last month and matched the colors for my flowers. 

Here's my card: 

Now it's your turn; see what you can create for this week's challenge, using what you have on hand. And if you want to see what the other Paper Craft Crew members made this week, click here to head over to the Paper Craft Crew site. 

There are so many fun color possibilities in this challenge

What a fun card map challenge for the week ahead. What makes it fun in my mind is that you have so many color possibilities! 

My first thought was - easy, I will use up some scraps of leftover cardstock and this will be a breeze. But I have already shown you several ways to use up paper scraps, like this blog post here and this blog post here. So maybe it's time for a new way to show how to create a rainbow effect. 

What popped to mind next was a different way, one that I had seen some other Stampin' Up! demonstrators create and share in our private Facebook group. I thought I would give it a try and share this technique with you too. 

Here's what you need:

Sponge Daubers

This tool is essential for the technique I am going to show you. You use this product to daub touches of Classic Stampin’ Ink on stamps or directly on projects. They fit onto your finger for great control. 5 daubers in a pack for only $5 - that's a great deal! (tip: click on the sponge dauber photo to order a pack at my online store)

Next you need an image that you can apply the color onto, using your Sponge Daubers. I chose one of the images from the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set:

It's kinda funny that when I got this stamp set for free at a Stampin' Up! event I was completely underwhelmed. And now I use it all the time (hehe)!

I chose the largest image in this set and used the following colors and my sponge daubers to apply each color, starting from the top and working my way down. 

Can you identify these colors? Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Balmy Blue and Highland Heather. 

And here's my Amazing Silhouettes card: 

 

Note: the phrase comes from the Art Gallery stamp set. You can never have too many birthday cards on the ready! And the background paper is from the Flowering Fields designer series paper pack. 

Now it's your turn: try this Rainbow card map challenge and see what you can create. If you'd like to see what the other Paper Craft Crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. And why not share your card over there too? We'd love to see your ideas; we can learn from each other. 

Not sure what to do with large paper designs?

Me either! But rather than have these sheets hang about in our crafting room, sometimes it is a good idea to give them a try. Like on today's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge:

 

I chose a bright and bold pattern from the Symbols of Fortune designer series paper pack:

I love 99% of the designs in this pack but the on the bottom using Calypso Coral and Evening Evergreen? Not my fave - I am not a bit fan of Calypso Coral I guess. 

So I decided to challenge myself with this card map challenge! Here's what I created:

I kept it as a notecard rather than add a phrase to the front. That way I can tuck it away and pull it out when needed, add a phrase inside and mail it off to someone special. 

Here a few tips for using large or bold designs:

• use them as layers when you can add a large die-cut image on top (like I did)
• add larger embellishments (like jewels, etc) so that the bold designs on the paper don't look even larger
• use embellishments to pull the eye around the card, making less of a focus on the bold designs
• use the designs to die-cut words (like on this card I created) 
• use the designs for boxes and bags - they are meant to be louder!

Want to see what the other Paper Craft Crew design team members created using this map? Click here to link over to that website - and join the fun too by sharing your card creation using today's card map challenge! 

This simple challenge is my way of showing that I care

I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and for so many reasons. I had no idea how many friends I would make along the way, even ones that don't speak my home and family language. 

When I joined Stampin' Up! in The Netherlands (I am still a demonstrator in the US too) I was so nervous as I did not speak Dutch. I still don't but I can understand more and more and I do practice a bit each day. 

With all that is going on in the world lately, I knew I had to participate in this challenge amongst the Netherlands team I am on: 

Hierbij de nieuwe challenge.
Geel-blauw

We zien het veel voorbijkomen de zonnebloemen.
Maar mijn challenge voor jullie is leef je uit met geel en blauw.

ALLEEN DEZE KLEUREN!!

Uiteraard mag basic white wel gewoon.

Ben benieuwd naar jullie resultaten, zou het leuk vinden er veel langs te zien komen.
Veel plezier met deze challenge!! 

Translation: 

Here's the new challenge.
Yellow blue

We see it a lot the sunflowers.
But my challenge for you is go wild with yellow and blue.

ONLY THESE COLORS!!

Of course basic white is allowed.

I'm curious about your results, would love to see a lot of them.
Have fun with this challenge!!

And so I did! On my recent YouTube video I used a patterned paper from the Flowering Fields pack - this pattern had blue and green, with a tinge of yellow on it and I thought it would make a great card front layer. 

I looked through my stamp sets for floral images and spotted the Color & Contour set, which comes bundled with a set of dies:

I thought the phrase 'here for you now' was appropriate and so chose it to use on my card but nothing else in the set or dies caught my attention. And then I remembered that I had the Pierced Blooms dies!!

And that sealed the deal! I would make yellow flowers and adhere them to the Flowering Fields background. I love how it turned out and I was proud to share my card idea for this challenge with the Netherlands demonstrator group - and to you too! 

Why not join this challenge and show your yellow and blue support on Social Media as well? 

Use your beautiful designer paper to make this stand-out card

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge is very simple in nature so here's how to make it stand-out. 

I suggest that you look through your favorite designed series papers and find a pretty pattern. Then let that pattern piece be your background. For my card I chose the Flowering Fields designer series paper. Not a big surprise though as I live in the Netherlands and very close to the gorgeous tulip fields. When I saw this paper pack and coordinating bundle, it was a no-brainer for me! 

Florals for spring? Yes, please! You won't want to miss the fresh florals of the Flowering Fields paper! You'll find an abundance of color with gouache hand-painted tulips and complementary patterns. The designs are scaled perfectly for cardmaking, so you can send these delightful tulips to all your friends!

Product colors: Calypso Coral, Evening Evergreen, Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather, Mango Melody, Pear Pizzazz, Petal Pink, Pool Party, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Soft Succulent

 

I chose to use Highland Heather and Rich Razzleberry for my card main colors and am very happy with how it turned out. For my phrase I used my Dragonfly Garden stamp set which you can bundle with a fun punch:

 

 

Are you ready to see my card? Here it is!

 

 

Now it's your turn - try our card map challenge and use up some of your pretty paper. If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's card map, click here to head over to the Paper Craft Crew site. 

 

 

This tic tac toe card challenge can provide hours of crafting fun

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge is a fun Tic-Tac-Toe board! 

 

I struggled a bit with my design, however. I decided right away that I wanted to use Animals but I have enough thank you cards so that left Patterned Paper and Blending. And I wasn't so keen on either. But...

I know that Sale-a-bration is ending next week so I decided to use, once again, the Simply Marbelous paper pack for my patterned paper. (see yesterday's blog post for another idea!)

The pack includes soft, pastel, realistic marble imagery, with one side revealing a more realistic marble and the other side a more artistic marble. Product colors: Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Bumblebee, Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Misty Moonlight, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, So Saffron. Did you know that you can earn this paper pack for FREE with a $50 (or €60) product order? But only until 28 February so don't miss out and be disappointed! 

For animals, I chose my Awesome Otters stamp set (again!). So cute, right! And it is another FREE choice until 28 February. So many free choices!!!
(click on the image below to link over to my online store) 

So. That left one choice left on my Tic-Tac-Toe board. Blending. So I grabbed my Stampin' Blends and colored up a storm on the Otter image. Add a phrase and a bit of bling and I am very happy with my card:

Think congratulations or friendship for this fun card idea. And now it's your turn - which row will you try the next time you craft? I hope that this Tic-Tac-Toe board will provide you with hours of crafting fun! 

If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's challenge, click here! We would love for you to share your creation over there too!