Nutz about Stamping

Happiness blooms on a beautiful, sunny day

After weeks of gloomy weather and not seeing the sun for days on end, things have taken a beautiful turn this weekend. The sun is out, everyone is walking their dogs, cycling or playing with their children and life seems good again. 

Let's celebrate another beautiful sunny day with a Sunny Days card and let Happiness Bloom with a bright happy design. 

Sunny Days Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$21.00

Happiness Blooms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$11.00

 

 

You can click on the small photos above to link over to my online store if you want to order these, or other Stampin' Up! products. 

Let's take the Sunny Days stamp set and Happiness Blooms paper and make a cheerful and bright card that is perfect for birthdays, friendship, congratulations or encouragement - depending on what you will stamp or write inside.

Under the card I have a full set of instructions and dimensions for cutting the layers. Isn't that single embellishment the last but perfect touch? 

 

Supplies: 

• Stamp Sets – Sunny Days (146735)
• Card Stock – Pineapple Punch  (146971); 
• Stamp Pads – Lovely Lipstick (147140); 
• Misc. – Happiness Blooms Designer Series Paper (DSP)  (148795); 2” Circle Punch (133782); Starburst Punch (143717); Dimensionals (104430); Happiness Blooms Enamel dots (148805); Snail Adhesive (104322); Organdy Ribbon Pack (Use Grapefruit Grove; SAB item) (149623)

 

Measurements:  

• Pineapple Punch Card Stock : 11” x 4 ¼”  plus 2 ¼” x 2 ¼” scrap for punching
• Whisper White Card Stock: Min 2 ¼” x 2 ¼” scrap for punching
• Happiness Blooms DSP:  4” x 5 ¼” 

 

Instructions:

1. Cut and score Pineapple Punch CS 11” x 4 ¼”, scoring at 5 ½”
2. Cut Happiness Blooms DSP to 4” x 5 ¼”; adhere to cardbase in upper left corner, leaving ¼” border around bottom and left sides. 
3. Tie Grapefruit Grove Organdy ribbon in a bow around bottom ⅔ area of card. 
4. Punch scrap of Pineapple Punch with Starburst Punch
5. Stamp “Wishing you Sunny Days ahead” sentiment on WW scrap and punch with 2” circle punch. 
6. Layer sentiment circle onto PP starburst piece and adhere with snail. Use dimensionals to add whole layer onto card over organdy ribbon. 
7. Add 3 enamel dots to card.

See this fun way to encourage a friend

Today I have a really fun card idea and video using the So Hoppy Together Sale-a-bration stamp set along with a really fun idea for using one of your embossing folders - sort of like a mini technique.

I love the So Hoppy Together stamp set - it has super cute images and encouraging phrases. And I think you can use bold and happy colors when crafting with this set too, as I did in the card below. 

The So Happy Together stamp set is offered as a free choice for any order $50 or more at my online store:

So Hoppy Together Cling Stamp Set
$0.00

The images are fun to color using your Watercolor pencils, ink pads and blender pens or you Stampin' Blends. Remember to use your Memento Jet Black ink or your StazOn ink when stamping the images to prevent smearing when coloring. 

Under the card photo I have a complete list of supplies can cutting dimensions - feel free to copy my idea and make this card at home! (change the phrase to match your needs)

So Hoppy Together friendship card

 

Stamp set: So Hoppy Together (149725 = free with a $50 order)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Highland Heather

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Whisper White: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; 2 3/4" square, scrap for small circle
          Gingham Gala (Lemon Lime Twist) (148554): 5" x 3"
          Lemon Lime Twist: 5 1/2" x 4"

Other: Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Stampin' Dimensionals, Layering Circles framelits (141705), Garden Trellis embossing folder (143741), Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack (149623 = free with a $50 order), Blender Pens (102845), Watercolor Pencils or Stampin' Blends, SNAIL adhesive, 1" circle punch (119868), Tear & Tape adhesive (138995)

And here's my video - thanks for watching!

How simple card layers make an outstanding design

This week's Paper Craft Crew card map challenge is a delight! I love the layers and embellishments and knew exactly what products I wanted to use to make it. 

Someone asked me recently how to make a simple card that looks complicated or sophisticated. Here's one way: use a variety of layers to add depth and interest:

First, I chose the Happiness Blooms designer paper for the strip across the front and that choice determined which colors I would use on my card: Pineapple Punch (I have used it a lot this week!), Night of Navy and Call Me Clover. 

Next I chose my stamp sets: Itty Bitty Greetings and Bloom by Bloom. Stampin' Up! coordinates sets, paper and embellishments to help with our card designs so I often purchase everything in a product suite for easy card making.

The one 'twist' I did make to the above card map was to turn my smallest square in its side to become a diamond and I didn't use the smallest strip at the bottom of the phrase layer. But consider a strip of coordinating designer paper or washi tape if you want to follow the map exactly. 

Here's my card! I complete the remaining bits by using the Itty Bitty Blooms punch pack and the Best Route Enamel Shapes for the three little dots.

Bloom by Bloom friendship card

If I wanted to add some ribbon, I would have two choices for 1/4" Grosgrain: Pineapple Punch and Call Me Clover. For now, I am happy with how my card turned out!

If you want to see what the other Paper Craft Crew design team members made for the above map, click here. And if you want to see other projects using the Happiness Blooms product suite, click here, here and here. 

How to find color inspiration for your next card

Recently a customer emailed me to ask where I find color inspiration for my cards. I am going to share one of my design tips today! 

In today's video (see the bottom of this blog post), I want to show you how to make a lovely thank you card, but you can change the phrase to make it a birthday card, thinking of you card, friendship card or any other occasion that you need. My card features the Bloom by Bloom stamp set found on page 25 of the Occasions Catalog:

Bloom By Bloom Photopolymer Stamp Set
$17.00

This super cute set has no phrases so combine the images here with phrases from other sets that you love. 

I was inspired for the colors on my card from the Happiness Blooms designer paper:

Happiness Blooms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$11.00

 

This paper has bold and bright florals and patterns, using the following Stampin' Up! colors: Call Me Clover, Calypso Coral, Lovely Lipstick, Night of Navy, and Pineapple Punch. So I chose two of these colors for my card. 

During my video I mention a stamping term: fussy cutting. Basically this means stamping and cutting out images using your paper snips, which is how I created the flower images for my card. A pair of high-quality scissors is a crafters must-have so don't cut costs for this item!

For my card I chose Lovely Lipstick and Pineapple Punch for my focus colors. Here's my card:

Bloom by Bloom greeting card

Supplies

Stamp sets: Bloom by Bloom #148820; Love What You Do #148042

Ink: Pineapple Punch, Lovely Lipstick

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Whisper White: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; 3 3/4" x 5"; three pieces 1 3/4" square (large flowers);
          three pieces 1 1/2" square (small   flowers)

Accessories: SNAIL adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips

And as promised, here's how I decorated the inside of my card - using one of the small stamps in the Bloom by Bloom set. 

Would you like to see how I created my card? Here's a video to show you how:

How to coordinate colors for your next card

Don't you love it when stamp sets match designer paper, or the other way around? Paper crafting doesn't have to be difficult and I love that Stampin' Up! coordinates everything for us busy crafters. 

As an example, the Happiness Blooms product suite. There are so many products that are color coordinated for you and you can even get a cardstock pack of the main colors: Call Me Clover, Lovely Lipstick and Night of Navy. Makes crafting easy doesn't it?

In the card below I simply layered solid and patterned paper, then added two coordinating colors and then added the phrase circle using the Stitched Shapes framelits. Do you like Call Me Clover as my ink choice?

Below my card is a list of instructions in case you want to copy my idea the next time you craft. And if you don't own the Happiness Blooms product suite, try my idea using products you have on hand!

 

Supplies

Stamp sets: Beauty Abounds (148726)

Ink: Call Me Clover (147139)

Paper: Whisper White (100730); Happiness Blooms designer series paper (148795), Calypso Coral (122925), Call Me Clover (146969)

Other: SNAIL adhesive (104332), Stitched Shapes framelits (145372), Big Shot (143263), Magnetic Platform (130658), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Measurements    

•   Whisper White: 3 3/8” x 5 1/8”; 2 1/4” square
•   Calypso Coral: 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”; 3 1/4” x 1/2”
•   Call Me Clover: 3 1/4” x 1/2”
•   Happiness Blooms: 3 1/4” x 5”

Instructions

1. Fold Calypso Coral card stock in half to create card base. 
2. Adhere Happiness Blooms layer to Whisper White layer, using SNAIL adhesive. 
3. Ink phrase using Call Me Clover ink and stamp onto Whisper White square. Diecut using Stitched Shapes circle. 
4. Adhere Call Me Clover strip across card front, adhering to Happiness Blooms paper. 
5. Adhere Calypso Coral strip across card front, having a bit hang over Happiness Blooms paper. 
6. To complete card, add phrase circle using Stampin’ Dimensionals. 

You need to see our beautiful textured stamps

This week I created a Facebook Live video to introduce Stampin' Up!s Distinktive stamps. Distinktive stamp sets are created using a special manufacturing process to create photo realistic images. Each stamp has a special texture to it, giving it depth and dimension - all in one stamp. 

These stamps are really fun to create with but when using them the first time there are some tricks you need to know. Click here to watch my video and see my inking trick. 

Now that you know how to ink these stamps, check out the card idea below - along with a full set of instructions:

Here's some exciting news! The Lasting Lily stamp set is FREE with a $50 product order at my online store! This set is part of Stampin' Up!s biggest promotion of the year: Sale-a-bration. Click here to read more about Sale-a-bation and to see the other products you can also earn for free!

Supplies: 

• Stamp Sets – Lasting Lily (149717)
• Card Stock – Whisper White (100730), Poppy Parade (119793)
• Stamp Pads – Poppy Parade (147050), Old Olive (147090), Basic Gray (149165)
• Misc. – Big Shot (143263), Lakeside Framelits (146351), Detailed Trio Punch (146320), Poppy Parade ¼” Striped Ribbon (146938), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Measurements:  

• Whisper White (base): 4 ¼” x 11”, score at 5 ½”
• Whisper White (layer): 3 ½” x 4 ¾”
• Whisper White” scrap
• Poppy Parade: 3 5/8” x 4 7/8”
• Ribbon: 20”

Instructions:

1. Stamp the single stem using Old Olive ink on the Whisper White cardstock layer. Stamp the twist, large leaf image using Old Olive ink, along the stem.
2. Stamp the stem/leaf image using Old Olive ink next to the previous stem.
3. Stamp the full lily image using Poppy Parade ink on each of the stems.
4. Adhere the Whisper White layer to the Poppy Parade layer. 
5. Stamp the greeting using Basic Gray ink on Whisper White scrap cardstock. Die cut the greeting using the label from the Lakeside Framelits.
6. Using the Detailed Trio Punch, punch a small hole on each side of the die cut label. Thread the ribbon through the holes, wrapping it around the cardstock layers. Finish by tying a bow on the left-hand side a shown. 
7. Adhere the cardstock layer to the card base using Dimensionals. 

How to be so hoppy together

I love having fun with words and so have such fun creating the titles for my blog posts too! The So Hoppy Together stamp set is one of your FREE Sale-a-bration selections and I thought you might like to see a super cute sample using this fun set:

This set is all the rage on Pinterest now and the best part is that you can choose it for free with a $50 order (ends March 31st). If you haven't heard about Sale-a-bration yet, click here to read about our biggest promotion of the year. 

There are so many occasions for this set:

• friendship
• child's birthday or greeting cards
• encouragement
• notecard (no phrase needed!)
• just a fun way to connect with a friend

If you love to color, grab your Stampin' Write markers or Stampin' Blends and have a blast creating this card. Don't miss the instructions and supplies list below!

If you love this card, please leave me a comment under this blog post - I love hearing from you!

Supplies: 

• Stamp Sets – So Hoppy Together (Sale-A-Bration 2019 #149725)
• Card Stock – Whisper White (#100730), Lemon Lime Twist (#144245)
• Stamp Pads – Pool Party (#147107), Tuxedo Black Memento (#132708)
• Misc. – Brights Stampin’ Write Markers (#147157), 2017-2019 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers (#144033), Regals Stampin’ Write Markers (#147155), Big Shot (#143263), Lakeside Framelits (#146351), Layering Ovals Framelits (#141706), Sponge Daubers (#133773), Clear Wink of Stella (#141897), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (#110755), Stampin’ Dimensionals (#104430), Pencil

Measurements:  

• Whisper White (base): 4 ¼” x 8 ½”, score at 4 ¼” 
• Whisper White (layer): 4” x 4”
• Whisper White: scraps
• Lemon Lime Twist: scrap

Instructions:

1. Die cut the smallest oval in the center of the Whisper White layer.
2. Apply a light layer of Pool Party ink in the center of the card base using the Sponge Dauber. 
3. Center and align the Whisper White layer on the card base. Use the pencil to lightly trace the oval onto the card base. Stamp the greeting using Memento ink in the center of the traced oval. Carefully erase any pencil lines that will be visible.
4. Adhere the Whisper White layer to the card base using Dimensionals. Be certain to place Dimensionals at the top and bottom of the oval so the card will not sag.
5. Stamp the frog image using Memento ink on Whisper White scrap cardstock. Color in the image using the Lemon Lime Twist marker and the spots using the Granny Apple Green marker. Cut out the frog using your scissors. 
6. Stamp the crown image using the Memento ink on Whisper White scrap cardstock. Color in the image using the Crushed Curry marker. Cut out the crown using your scissors.
7. Adhere the frog to the right side of the oval using Dimensionals. Adhere the crown in the frog’s hand using a half of a Dimensional. 
8. Die cut the sea grass using the Lemon Lime Twist scrap cardstock. Place a small amount of liquid glue at the bottom and top of the die cut image and adhere it slipping the end into the left side of the oval so the top is exposed, as shown. Let dry. 

You need to try the amazing Beauty Abounds bundle!

Today I am going to reintroduce the Beauty Abounds stamp set and partner it with the Butterfly Beauty thinlits dies to make a beautiful 'hello' card.

Butterflies are all the rage in the crafting world this year and I know this bundle will be a hot selling item in the Occasions catalog. So let me show you one card idea and how to make some magic with the framelits. 

My card is quite simple in that it doesn't require a lot of supplies:

Beauty Abounds Cling Bundle
$55.75

Needlepoint Nook 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$11.00

 

Beyond these two items you can use what you have on hand for embellishments. I have listed what I used below and have also made a video so you can see my steps. Don't miss the extra tips in my video!

Beauty Abounds card

Stamp set: Beauty Abounds bundle (150617) 

Ink: Night of Navy

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Needlepoint Nook designer series paper (148807): 4" x 5 1/4"
          Whisper White: 3 1/4" x 5" (layer); 1 1/2" square (phrase); 11" x 4 1/4"; 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (butterfly)
          Night of Navy: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (butterfly)

Accessories: Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (two pieces to match Night of Navy and Whisper White), SNAIL adhesive, 1" punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Metallic Pearls

Here's my video - have a look and then please answer my question below - I love hearing from you! 

What two colors would YOU use for this butterfly duo? Leave me a comment below to let me know - I am always looking for new ideas to try, including color combos!

How happiness blooms on a colorful greeting card

On a recent Facebook Live video I introduced my favorite product suite on pages 24-26 in the new Occasions catalog. It's called Happiness Blooms.

I love the jewel tones in the designer paper and I especially love the Happiness Blooms Memories and More card pack. In the video below I am going to show you how to create a fun greeting card using the card pack so you see that memory keeping products can also be used for other paper crafting projects. 

Happiness Blooms Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

 

A second product in this suite is a super cute set of punches, called Bitty Blooms. I used two of these punches on my card as well - to create two coordinating flower embellishments:

Bitty Blooms Punch Pack
$23.00

 

Combine the card pack with the punches and you can make this colorful greeting card in just a new minutes:

Happiness Blooms Friendship card

Stamp set: none

Ink: none

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Whisper White: 11" x 4 1/4"; scraps for punching
          Call Me Clover: scraps

Accessories: SNAIL adhesive, Fine Tip Glue pen, Bitty Blooms punch pack (148532), Happiness Blooms Memories & More card pack (148531)

Here's my video showing you how I created this card along with other stamping tips along the way:

 

Do you do memory keeping? Would you like me to start making videos showing you amazing page ideas? Let me know in the comment section under this blog post. I would love to hear from you!

See my favorite bundle in the Occasions catalog

I wonder if you can figure out what my favorite bundle is in the Occasions 2019 catalog? (smiles) It's a Piece of Cake! (wink)

Ok enough with being silly. I simply love this bundle (page 18) - you simply stamp, color, punch/cut, assemble and you are done. I also love the images - they have a very modern feel, don't they?

Piece Of Cake Photopolymer Stamp Set
$17.00

 

How many occasions can you see as possibilities? I see: wedding, birthday, friendship, engagement, anniversary...what am I missing? Tell me in the comments below this post and I will add your ideas to my list. 

What is your favorite Stampin' Up! color? I changed with the seasons but for now my favorite is Highland Heather so I chose this color to feature on my card below. And as I am a Lemon Lime Twist addict I used a touch of this on my card as well. 

Isn't this super cute? If you want to make this card at home, place an order HERE at my online store and then follow the instructions below. 

 

Supplies: 

• Stamp Sets – Piece of Cake (148610)
• Card Stock – Highland Heather (146986), Whisper White (100730)
• Ink: Lemon Lime Twist ( 147145), Highland Heather (147103), StazOn Jet Black (101406)
• Misc. – SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Big Shot (143263), Layering Circles framelits (141705), Magnetic Platform (130658), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack* (149623), Blender Pens (102845), Tear & Tape adhesive (138995)

Measurements: 
Highland Heather: 5 1/2” x 3 3/4”; 2 3/4” square; 2 1/2” x 6/8” (phrase)
Whisper White: 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”;  5 3/8” x 3 6/8”; 2 1/2” square; 2 1/4”  x 1/4” (phrase)

Highland Heather ribbon: 4 1/2” strip

 

Instructions:

1. Fold Whisper White card stock in half to create card base. 
2. Using SNAIL adhesive, adhere Highland Heather card stock to Whisper White card base.
3. Wrap Highland Heather ribbon around Whisper White card stock layer and adhere to back using Tear & Tape adhesive. Adhere this card layer to card front using SNAIL.
4. Ink cake stand and card top using StazOn ink and stamp onto Whisper White square. Color cake and stand using Blender Pens, and Lemon Lime Twist and Highland Heather ink pads. 
5. Die-cut cake using Layering Circles framelit. Die-cut Highland Heather using scallop circle framelit. Adhere cake circle to scallop circle using SNAIL. Adhere cake layer to card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals.
6. Ink phrase using Lemon Lime Twist ink. Stamp onto Whisper White strip. Layer to Highland Heather using SNAIL. Adhere to bottom of card front using SNAIL. 

* FREE Sale-a-bration 2019 product choice 

Let's celebrate a fabulous new year

Happy 2019! Let's celebrate a fabulous new year together and I made a card to honor the day. 

My card below was inspired by one I had seen on Pinterest but I bet you wouldn't know which card because mine ended up looking quite different. 

I chose the Celebrate You thinlits, the Labeler Alphabet stamp set, and the Tailored Tag punch - three products I rarely use. So it feels like a resolution is coming to pass - to use what I have to make beautiful card ideas!

Tailored Tag Punch
$18.00

Celebrate You Thinlit Dies
$23.00

Labeler Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp Set
$17.00

 

At first I struggled with the numbers until I went through the Annual Catalog and spotted the Labeler Alphabet which also has numbers. Whew. 

Design tips:

• Choose two colors that appeal to you - I decided on Highland Heather and Basic Black. I used these colors on last week's YouTube video - see that card here. 
• Punch several tags and lay them out in a style that appeals to you - horizontal or vertical
• Stamp the numbers using one of the colors and adhere it to the opposite colored tag. You can even make it a banner instead of a rectangle
• Once your layout is determined, adhere everything to the card front layer
• The final decision is to add embellishments: I used Basic Black Baker's Twine and three Metallic Sequins

The final step is to send your card to someone special - to wish them a Happy New Year! I wish you health, happiness and success in the coming year.

Thank you for reading my blog and for placing product orders through me. I appreciate your support. 

How to make 5 unique cards with 1 beautiful pack of paper

I know that your time is precious so today's post is going to feature how to take one pack of Sweet Soiree designer paper to create several unique card ideas. 

First let's start with the paper:

Sweet Soiree paper #145564: silver foil adds a textured look to these hand-painted designs. Silver foil accents on one side, colorful printed images on the other. Gorgeous! 

I know what you are thinking: wait a minute here - this paper is retired! Well yes, but.... no. It is now featured in my online store Clearance Rack and at half price too! So I thought you would like to see some card ideas for this paper, using some current and upcoming products!

First, let's start with my Pretty Kitty (#141864) card:

 

Design features:

• the bottom half of the card features the Sweet Soiree paper
• I colored the kitten stamp with Stampin' Blends to match the paper color
• New product alert: Gingham Gala designer paper - see page 35 of the Occasions Catalog (going to be a BIG hit!)

 

Next, here's my Bloom by Bloom #148820 card:

Design features:

• the top and bottom of the card layers are from the Sweet Soiree paper pack
• New product alert: Bloom by Bloom stamp set (flower) - see page 25 of the Occasions catalog
• New product alert: Beauty Abounds stamp set (for phrase) - see page 13 of the Occasions catalog

A customer recently asked me to show how I design the inside of my cards so here's what the inside of this Bloom by Bloom card looks like:

I added another strip of the Sweet Soiree paper on the inside layer to pull the whole card together. 

When I was making these cards I got on a crafting roll and created 3 additional card ideas and I would love to share them with you! I will email three additional card ideas to all of you who order the Sweet Soiree paper in my online store.

Click the link below to head over to my store and while on the Clearance Rack have a look at the great deals you can get on all sorts of other products! Note: these products are only while supplies last - so don't wait and be disappointed. 

Color your way to a wonderful friendship

If you love to color I have the perfect friendship card idea for you to make - using a brand new stamp set and designer paper!

The Beauty Abounds stamp set is going to be a *hot seller* from the upcoming Occasions Catalog - it has 7 phrases that are useful for many different occasions, making it a super value. The 'hello' stamp on the card below is just one of these phrases. Tip: use the 'hello' phrase on the front of your enveloped too to create a coordinated set. 

Pair this stamp set with the Botanical Butterfly designer paper and this card is a winner! But you won't see this paper offered in the Occasions catalog - it is one of your FREE Sale-a-bration choices. You can earn this paper for free with a $50 product order (USA) from January 3 - March 31, 2019! You are going to LOVE the Sale-a-bration catalog this year - guaranteed. 

In the card below you see a layer of the Botanical Butterfly paper and only one butterfly colored, using Stampin' Blends. Think about how quick and easy this card will be to make: you can color your way to a wonderful friendship. Make and mail this card to someone special next year. 

Don't miss a full set of instructions under the friendship card photo:

 

Supplies: 

• Stamp Set:  Beauty Abounds Stamp Set - 148726
• Cardstock: Basic Black – 121045, Mango Melody – 146989, Whisper White – 100730, Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper - 149622
• Stampin’ Pad: Mango Melody – 147093
• Misc: Mango Melody Dark Stampin' Blends – 147944, Pumpkin Pie Dark Stampin' Blends Marker – 144577, Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush – 141897, Multipurpose Liquid Glue – 110755, 1" Circle Punch – 119868, 1-1/4" Circle Punch – 119861, 1-1/2" Circle Punch – 138299

Measurement: 

• Basic Black 11 x 4¼ score at 4¼, 4 x 1, 1¼ circle 
• Mango Melody 5¼ x 4, 4 x ¼, 1½ circle 
• Whisper White 1” circle, 5¼ x 4 *inside 
• Botanical Butterfly Designer series paper 5-1/8 x 3-7/8 

Instruction: 

1. Color one butterfly on the Botanical Butterfly designer paper, using daffodil delight dark and mango melody dark stampin’ blends. 
2. Using the Wink of Stella color over the colored butterfly. 
3. Stamp the hello using mango melody ink onto the whisper white circle. 
4. Assemble is this order onto the front of the basic black card base. Mango melody, Botanical Butterfly designer paper, strip of basic black, circle mango melody, circle basic black, strip of mango melody and whisper white circle. 

Behind the scenes of a card map challenge

Today I want to share my behind the scenes thinking of this Paper Craft Crew card map challenge:

 

The map seems simple right? So I thought it would be easy to create a card following this map to share with you. And then my eye fell on two left-over diecut deer that were sitting on my table. 

Because I cannot throw anything out. I am pretty good at throwing out leftover bits of tiny paper but there were these two Night of Navy Dashing Deer that I was going to use on a card and then changed my mind so I had set them aside for 'future use'. Normally this situation would result in these bits sitting around for months but I decided to use them for this card map challenge. 

Decision time: where to put the deer? I had a leftover strip of Twinkle Twinkle designer paper so that would be the strip for the left-hand side of my card. Hm, but where to put the deer? I decided to use them as a focal point on my card, sitting right on top of the scalloped circles. 

At that point my card was quick to finish. I added a second strip of Twinkle Twinkle paper for the banner - it's the back side of the Night of Navy pattern I had already used. 

After I added the banner and popped up the deer on the scalloped circles I was left with two dilemmas: what would I do for the red circle and what about a phrase for my card? Not all cards need phrases on the front but I wanted this one to have a phrase. So I set about looking for a phrase and had a brain wave. The Flourishing Phrases stamp set has a very tiny 'hello' stamp and I wanted to make a card for to mail to my son (I write him a letter every week) and the two just blended into one idea. 

This card wouldn't be a Christmas card, it would be a 'hello' card and I would write my letter inside!

Here's my finished card - what do you think? Add a comment under this post to tell me - does it look Christmasy or does it pass for a friendship card idea? 

How to send beautiful smiles across the miles

Do you have long distance friends and family that you FaceTime or Skype with? Although that form of communication is fun and instant, what is longer lasting is sending them a card in the mail. 

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said to me: I still have that birthday/Christmas/friendship card you sent me. And I wish you could feel how awesome it is to hear that from someone I care about. 

The next time you craft, have that special person in mind and try the card layout below. For this idea, I had my son in mind so I chose colors that were more masculine:

• Basic Black
• Gray Granite
• Smoky Slate
• Melon Mambo - for a touch of color

 Regardless of masculine or feminine, the Lift Me Up stamp set would work fine:

Lift Me Up Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$21.00

This set is super because of the images and the phrases. And there are matching thinlits too. The background was too plain so I decided to add a Tin Tile embossed layer which took my card from 'ok' to 'wow'. 

As a final touch I added the banner and strip and then popped the hot air balloon up off the circles layers using a Stampin' Dimensional. 

Here's my card - don't miss the full instructions underneath:

Who will you send your next card to? Leave me a comment below and tell me: friend or family!

Supplies: 

• Stamp Sets – Lift Me Up (clear 142896, wood 142893)
• Card Stock – Mango Melody (146989), Gray Granite (146983), Whisper White (100730), Basic Gray (121044), Basic Black (121045)
• Ink: Basic Gray (149165)
• Stampin’ Write Markers: Mango Melody (147157, Brights Collection) Gray Granite (147158, Neutrals Collection)
• Misc. – SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Big Shot (143263), Up & Away thinlits (142748), Magnetic Platform (130658), Tin Tile Dynamic Impressions embossing folder (147906), Layering Circles framelits (141705), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Measurements: 
Mango Melody: 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”; 3” square (for circle); 1/4” x 5”
Whisper White: 2 3/4” square (for circle); 4 1/4” x 4 1/4”
Basic Gray: 5 1/2” x 1 1/4”
Gray Granite: 4 1/4” x 4"
Basic Black: 5" x 1"

Instructions:

1. Fold Mango Melody card stock in half to create card base. 
2. Enclose Gray Granite layer inside Tin Tile embossing folder and emboss using Big Shot.  Adhere to Whisper White layer and then to card front.
3. Cut banner end to Basic Gray strip. Adhere Mango Melody strip then adhere banner layer to card front. 
4. Diecut Whisper White circle and Mango Melody scallop circle. Adhere together.  
5. Ink and stamp Balloon on Whisper White card stock, using Mango Melody and Gray Granite Stampin’ Write markers. Diecut using Up & Away thinlits. Adhere to scallop circle using Stampin’ Dimensionals. 
6. Ink phrase using Basic Gray ink and stamp onto Mango Melody card front.