Nutz about Stamping

Let's have fun with the shape possibilities for this week's challenge

This week's card sketch challenge has so many possibilities! When I saw it I immediately thought: nope, not squares for me!

I recently got the Framet Florets stamp set and decided to use flowers instead of squares, and to stamp directly on the layer instead of die-cutting each one to pop it up (although that would be pretty). 

The Framed Florets bundle is an early release from the next Mini Catalog and it is gorgeous! If you love to color then this is the bundle for you! 

These delicate flowers can be used alone for a simple, elegant look. Or put them together in a variety of ways for a fancy floral bouquet—it’s up to you! And the best part? The open, line art images can be custom colored using your favorite Stampin’ Up! coloring technique! Pick your favorite florals, then add one of six heartfelt sentiments for a handcrafted card that says it all!

And that's exactly what I did for my challenge card. I chose the designer series paper and let those colors guide me for coloring the flowers with my Stampin' Blends: 

You know the drill: it's your turn to try our card sketch challenge and see what you can come up with. If you want to see what the other design crew members created this week, click here. It's always fun to see our different takes on the same sketch challenge. 

It's time to say goodbye to autumn with this fun card sketch challenge

Where I live it is definitely time to say goodbye to autumn! Our leaves are almost all gone and our weather has turned cold. The perfect timing for this week's card sketch challenge:

To be honest I struggled a bit with my design. I used my Beauty of Friendship stamp set and some fall color combos for ink. 

This set was designed to celebrate good times and good people. Choose a sentiment to help you say what you feel. Add a few hand-stamped trees, and you’ll make a card that will lift anyone’s spirits. This stamp set is also available in French.

This is a Two-Step Stampin’ set; it allows you to layer two or more images to create one final image with extra texture and dimension in the colors you want.

 

Here's my card: 

 

 

Now it's your turn! See what you can create with this week's card sketch -  your special design to say goodbye to fall. And if you want to see what the other design crew members created this week, click here. 

 

 

This is the perfect bundle to send friendly and welcoming messages

Introducing the Warm Welcome Bundle, which includes the Warm Welcome Stamp Set and the Warm Welcome Dies.

Send friendly and welcoming messages with this stamp and die bundle. Create layered looks using the dies, add details with the coordinating stamps, then color those cute line-art images with the colors of your choice! Celebrate special occasions or simply send a warm heartfelt note to a special someone.

WARM WELCOME PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET

Make people feel welcome and appreciated with the Warm Welcome Stamp Set. Perfect for all occasions, send welcoming messages using the adorable images and various greetings of the set, or use it to announce a big event, such as "Baby is on her way!" Use the door as the focal point of your projects, pair with other designs and greetings of the set to fit either inside or outside the doorway, and color your card with the color shades of your choice using your favorite coloring technique—you’ll love the creative possibilities this set offers! Let friends and family know that your door is always open, and say "Hello," "Welcome," "Yay!" and much more, with the cutest style! Inspired by Million Sales Achiever Jenni Pauli.

* 20 photopolymer stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): a, b, c, d, e

WARM WELCOME DIES (19 dies)

Add friendly and welcoming vibes to your handmade cards with the Warm Welcome Dies. The detailed dies of the set cut out a door, numbers, fun designs like a cat, a collection of family shoes, a bunch of flowers, and more, as well as useful little frames and shapes you’ll sure love to use as accents on your projects! Build your card front into a cute door to add versatility and depth, pair with the greetings of your choice, and you’re set to send welcoming messages to everyone!

Our coordinated craft bundles save you time and money! Buy the bundle and save 10% off the price of buying the stamp and tool separately. Plus, bundles will help you quickly cut out stamped images for a single project or create multiples of the same project with ease.

Here's one fun idea to try!

Supplies: 

Stamp Set – Warm Welcome (160698) (Warm Welcome Bundle Bundle (160704)); Trees For Sale (159785);
Let’s Set Sail (157906); Penguin Place (156410)

Card Stock – Basic White (159276); Basic Black (121045); Soft Suede (115318); Crumb Cake (120953);
Pale Papaya (155668)

Ink – Soft Suede (147115); Tuxedo Black Memento (132708); Mossy Meadow (147111); Shaded
Spruce; (147088); Balmy Blue (147106)

Misc. – Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Bone Folder (102300); Warm Welcome Dies (160703);
Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653); Paper Snips (103579), Paper Trimmer (152392); Rustic Metallic Adhesive-Backed Dots (159082); Rustic Harvest Designer Series Paper (DSP) (159633); Baker’s Twine Essentials (155475); Timber 3D Embossing Folder (156046); Assorted Blends; Blending Brushes (153611) 

Cutting dimensions: 

    Rustic Harvest DSP: 3 1⁄4” x 5 1/8” (wallpaper); scrap for door mat
    Pale Papaya Card Stock: 8 1⁄2” x 5 1⁄2”
    Basic Black Card Stock: 4” x 5 1⁄4”
    Basic White Card Stock: 3/8” x 5 1⁄4”; 2” x 3 1⁄4”; scraps for sentiment & cat
    Crumb Cake Card Stock: 1⁄2” x 5 1⁄4”
    Soft Suede Card Stock: 3 1⁄2” x 4 1⁄2”
    Black Bakers Twine: 8”

 

Instructions:

1. Fold Pale Papaya card base in half and score with bone folder.
2. Emboss the strip of Crumb Cake card stock with the Timber 3D Embossing Folder.
3. Adhere the Rustic Harvest DSP to the top area of the Basic Black card stock. Adhere the Crumb Cake strip to
   the bottom and the Basic White strip at the overlap – to resemble floor baseboard molding. Adhere this to the card front.
4. Stamp the door on the Soft Suede card stock with Soft Suede ink. Die cut shape using the corresponding shape from the Warm Welcome dies. Cut out the door opening with the corresponding die. Die cut a Basic White piece with the same door opening die.
5. Create an outdoor scene on the Basic White door opening. I used a blending brush and Balmy Blue ink for the sky, Black Memento ink and the birds from the Let’s Set Sail stamp set, the hill shape from Penguin Place in Shaded Spruce ink and a Trees For Sale tree in Mossy Meadow and Shaded Spruce inks. I filled in the grassy area with Shaded Spruce and Old Olive Blends. Stamp a cat in Memento Black and die cut with the cat shape die. Color with Smoky Slate and Petal Pink Blends.
6. Adhere the door to the card front and inset the door opening into the open space. Adhere the cat in the door opening. Stamp Welcome on the scrap of DSP, trim to the size of a door mat and adhere at bottom of door.
7. Stamp sentiment on scrap of Basic White, die cut with corresponding stitched rectangle shape and adhere with dimensionals.
8. Make a bow from the baker’s twine and adhere to card front. Add rustic metallic dot to the door for a doorknob.

Are you looking to say it all with beautiful flowers that last?

Say it all and more with the BRAND NEW Framed Florets stamp set. These delicate flowers can be used alone for a simple, elegant look. Or put them together in a variety of ways for a fancy floral bouquet—it’s up to you! And the best part? The open, line art images can be custom colored using your favorite Stampin’ Up! coloring technique! Pick your favorite florals, then add one of six heartfelt sentiments for a handcrafted card that says it all!

Add an unexpected touch to your next handcrafted card with these Framed Florets dies. Use them to quickly and easily die-cut a detailed frame and floral embellishments that are perfectly suited for all kinds of sentiments and greetings. The framed dies create detailed edges on both the outer frame and the inside oval, so none of your valuable paper goes to waste!

Tip: click on the photo above to order this bundle now! 

Here's a pretty card idea featuring this new bundle. Simple but beautiful, right?

Supplies:

• Stamps: Framed Florets (161815) bundle and save 10% (162407)
• Card Stock: Thick Basic White (159229); Evening Evergreen (155574); Soft Succulent (155776); Fitting Florets 12” x 12” Designer Series Paper [DSP] (161814)
• Stamp Pads: Soft Succulent (155778)
• Misc: Gold Adhesive-Backed Swirls (161822); Tailor Made Tag Dies (155563); Baker’s Twine Essential Pack (155475); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430); Multipurpose Glue (110755); Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653)

Measurements:

• Basic White: 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” scored at 4-1/4”
• Evening Evergreen: 1-1/2” x 3”
• Soft Succulent: 1-1/2” x 3”
• Fitting Florets DSP: Evening Evergreen Gingham 1-1/2” x 3”; die cut floral image and a couple fussy cut leaves
• White Twine: 16”

Instructions:

1. Die cut the Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent card stock and the gingham DSP using the 2^nd smallest tag from the Tailor Made Tag dies.
2. Stamp the leaf stamp from the Framed Florets stamp set using soft succulent ink onto the lower left corner of the card front. Stamp it 2 or 3 times so that you can see it peeking out from behind your floral image.
3. Add the die cut tags to the card front.
4. Add the twine to the back of the floral image and add that to the card front using dimensionals.
5. Tuck in a couple fussy cut leaves to fill it out a little.
6. Add three of the gold swirls.

This sweet card idea shows a unique way to use up leftover paper strips

I have a fun and really easy card idea to share with you today! I am going to show you a simple but very pretty way to use up leftover strips of cardstock. 

The main feature on my card comes from the Meadow dies:

 

You can re-create the look of a glorious meadow with the images in the Meadow dies. It's wildflowers galore with an abundance of beautiful blossoms; mix and match the different pieces to get the right look for your creation. In my card, however, I will be using only one of these dies. Try my idea and select the wildflower that you like best. 

I am also using the Tailor Made Tags dies as a standout background layer. 

Easily add die-cut tags to your papercrafting projects with these dies. You can mix, match, and layer tags in different sizes and colors. Create tags for any occasion you need: birthday cards, goodie bags, gift packages. Stamp sentiments from your favorite stamp sets, then cut out. It’s that easy to create custom tags!

Here's my card idea:

 

Want to make this card at home? Here's how.

Supplies:

Stamp Set(s): Beauty of Friendship (154983)

Card Stock: Basic White (159276); Basic Black (121045); Starry Sky (159263); Tahitian Tide (159261); Orchid Oasis (159267)

Ink: Starry Sky (159212); Memento Tuxedo Black (132708)

Misc: Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Tailored Made Dies (155563); Mini Stampin Dimensionals (144108); Meadow Dies (155852); All That Dies (159078); Matte Black Dots (154284); Baker’s Twine Essential Pack (155475)

 

Measurements:

• Starry Sky: 8 ½” x 5 ½”; (2) ¼” x 2 1/4”
• Basic White: 4” x 2 ¼”; 2” x 1 ½”
• Tahitian Tide: (3) ¼” x 2 1/4”
• Orchid Oasis: (2) ¼” x 2 1/4”
• Basic Black: 4” x 2”

 

Instructions:

1. Fold Starry Sky cardstock in half and score to create card base.
2. Die-cut Basic White tag and Basic Black flower.
3. Alternating colors and using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, adhere Starry Sky Tahitian Tide and Orchid Oasis strips to tag. Trim off overhang.
4. Using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, adhere Basic Black flower to tag.
5. Using Starry Sky ink, and the splatter stamp, stamp off and then stamp on the card base.
6. Ink phrase using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and stamp onto Basic White. Die-cut using All That oval.
7. Cut length of White Baker’s Twine and feed through hole in tag. Secure by passing ends through loop.
8. Adhere tag to card front. Attach phrase oval using Mini Stampin Dimensionals.
9. Add 3 Matte Black Dots to complete card.

Try these 3 card ideas using one simple but beautiful embossing folder

Embossing Folders are great value and are an economical way of adding detail to your projects.

The Leaf Fall 3D Embossing Folder is tucked away in the July – December mini catalogue and can be easily overlooked. But that is a real pity as it is a fabulous addition to your crafty stash.

Create texture and movement on your cardmaking and papercrafting projects with the Leaf Fall folder! This embossing folder mimics the falling leaves of the autumn season. Use this on rich autumn colored cardstock, or get creative and make the impression on white cardstock and color in the individual leaves with the many shades of fall! (tip: to order this folder at my store, click the photo above)

Here are 3 unique ways to use this folder to create cards:

Add Ink to the Folder

You can create a great effect by adding ink directly to the embossing folder and running it through your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss with cardstock.

I inked up both sides of this folder and you get a different effect on each side.

I cut four 3.5cm/ 1 3/8” square pieces from this cardstock and stuck them to a mat of Early Espresso card, with 2 pieces facing up one way and the other 2 pieces showing the reverse.

Emboss Metallic Cardstock

Metallic cardstock invariably has a wow factor when embossed and this Bronze Brushed Metallic card is no exception.

Simply layer onto a card base and a sentiment; some ribbon and a textural element is added to make a project which would make a great sympathy card.

Add Some Pastels

Embossing Basic White card stock with this folder opens up a whole host of opportunities for adding colour. You could use markers, watercolor pencils, blending brushes, water coloring with ink.

For this sample I have used the Soft Pastels. By scraping some of the pastel with the spatula end of my take a pick tool, a dust was created that was simply blended over the embossed leaves with my finger.

These projects are just some ideas for projects you could create with the Leaf Fall Embossing folder as a focal point. Of course, it is also invaluable for adding some texture and interest in the background of projects created with other stamps and dies.

All of the projects featured here used the “Go To greetings” stamp set to provide the sentiments.

What 3 colors would you choose for this week's card challenge?

I love a good color challenge because it helps me do something that I don't do very often: color! Which is odd to admit because I find coloring so satisfying - when it's done. So this week I rolled up my sleeves and decided to join the fun: 

 

When I looked at my stamp set collection, however, I realized why I don't color so much. I don't have many line art stamp set; I am more of a stamp and go crafter so most of my collection are solid images that don't take a lot of time to use. 

But. I do have the Happy Hedgehogs set and found a fun image to color. 

I chose of couple of these images and my Stampin' Blends: Crushed Curry, Old Olive and Crumb Cake. I also used 2 Brushed Brass Butterflies as my metallic choice - I deliberately added them a bit 'crooked' so that they look like they are in flight. 

When I first created the layers for my card and laid out the pieces, the base seemed really plain. So as a final touch I used my Splatter embossing folder (from the Stripes & Splatters embossing folder set) to add some texture and detail. 

Here's my card:

And now it is your turn - see what you can create this week using this fun color challenge. And if you want to see what the other design crew members create, click here to head over to the Paper Craft Crew site. 

How many ways can you use this week's card sketch challenge? Here's 1 possibility

This week's Paper Craft Crew card sketch has unlimited possibilities! I went for the obvious (that's me!) but I hope you will use your imagination when you give it a try. 

 

Of course, when I saw this sketch I immediately thought of the Tailor Made Tags:

You can mix, match, and layer tags in different sizes and colors which is what I decided to do. Create tags for any occasion you need: cards (not just birthday), goodie bags, gift packages. Stamp sentiments from your favorite stamp sets, then cut out. 

I also decided to use my Cottage Wreaths stamp set for the phrase.

 

Did you know that 1 October is World Card Making Day and Stampin' Up! is holding a special card making event? One of the sets they will be using is.....Cottage Wreaths! Read more about this event in yesterday's blog post. 

For my paper strip I chose to use a leftover strip from a paper pack that you could have earned for free in Stampin' Up!s July-August Sale-a-bration event, called: Rings of Love. I made a promise to myself that I would use up what I have on hand for each week's card sketch challenge and I am doing pretty well with this promise. 

To make the background a bit more interesting I used one of the Stripes & Splatters embossing folders. I love the texture this folder created!

Here's my challenge card: 

Now it's your turn! See what you can create using this week's card sketch, AND using up what you have on hand. If you want to see what the other design crew members created for this week's challenge, click here. 

See how to celebrate good times and good friends with this versatile set

This week's card map challenge will help you to see your sets and supplies in a different way! It's our....

What does this mean? Dust off your catalog and flip through to find samples using a stamp set or bundle that you own. Next look at the catalog samples. See one you like? Recreate it but.....add your own twist somewhere (or completely!). 

When I designed my card I chose a stamp set that was great for the fall and was a set that I haven't used in a while: Beauty of Friendship. 

 

 

Celebrate good times and good people with the Beauty of Friendship set. Choose a sentiment to help you say what you feel. Add a few hand-stamped trees, and you’ll make a card that will lift anyone’s spirits. This stamp set is also available in French.

The sample I chose to 'copy' is on page 104 of the Annual Catalog. It's the card in the top left corner. 

My card colors were decided by the paper scrap I decided to use, from the Boughs of Holly designer series paper:

There's a pattern in this pack that I thought would make a nice background layer. Then I chose my colors: Sahara Sand, Gray Granite, Mossy Meadow and Soft Suede. I added a bow, and taa daa, my card is done! 

Here's a second view:

And now it's your turn! Grab your catalog and see what you can make. And if you want to see what the other design crew members made for this week's challenge, click here! 

Here's a fun technique that you definitely need to try

Did you know that you can create a beautiful card idea using your clear blocks and ink pads? This ‘Clear Block stamping technique is easy to learn and can be applied using your favorite stamp sets and ink colors. Each time you try this technique you will get a different clear block result!

This card idea uses the Bamboo Beauty stamp set, a set that I feel is a hidden gem in the Annual Catalog. 

You can create a serene escape with the brushstroke style of this set. The bamboo images are sized perfectly for cardmaking; either stamp the branches in a random pattern for a minimal look or use the bamboo and branch images together to create a bamboo forest! The authentic kanji symbols translate to “friendship” so be sure to send a card to all your favorite friends as this stamp set is gender neutral.

As I didn't make a video of this card, I am going to walk you through using photos. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Bamboo Beauty (155478); Color & Contour (154994)
• Card Stock – Pear Pizzazz (131201); Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper (149612)
• Stamp Pads – Pear Pizzazz (147104); Soft Succulent (155778); Garden Green (147089); Night of Navy (147110)
• Misc. – Stampin’ Seal (152813); Clear Block (117147); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Water Painters (151298)

 

Measurements: 

• Pear Pizzazz 8 ½” x 5 ½”               
• Fluid 100 3” x 5 ½”
• Night of Navy (2) ¼” x 5 ½”

Instructions:

1. Fold Pear Pizzazz card stock in half and score to create card base.
2. Add water to barrel of Medium Water Painter.
3. Ink Clear Block B using Soft Succulent Ink. Add a drop of water from Water Painter and swish water around on block. Stamp into Fluid 100 layer. (image 2)
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Repeat step 2 using Pear Pizzazz and Garden Green ink, stamping each block to the right (create a row). 
   
   
   
   Note: yes, my block on the left looks a bit different because I smeared ink and had to start over! (it happens)
   
   

 

1. Ink Bamboo stamp using Night of Navy ink and stamp 1 image onto each ink color.
2. Ink splatter stamp using Night of Navy ink, stamp off onto scrap paper first, then stamp onto bamboo images. 
   
   
   
   
   
3. Ink phrase using Night of Navy ink and stamp to the right of the bamboo images.
4. Using Multipurpose Liquid Glue, adhere Night of Navy strips to back of Fluid 100 layer.
5. Using Stampin’ Seal, adhere Fluid 100 layer to card front to complete card. 

And here's my card - I hope you will give this idea a try! 

Have you discovered all the things you can do with this amazing die?

Have you discovered the Dots & Spots die from Stampin’ Up’s! Annual Catalog. It is a hidden gem.

 

This stand-alone die can be run through your Stampin’ Up! Cut & Emboss machine to create an all-over pattern of small holes. Today, I am sharing some ideas for simple projects to create using the die.

 

A Textured Strip

On this card, a narrow strip of dotty card has been layered on top of some Designer Series paper and beneath the sentiment strip. This adds a different texture to the card and draws the eye to the sentiment and the die cut flower from the Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper.

 

Just In The Background

In this sample, the dots are in Basic White and sitting on a Basic White card base. This creates a great textured background for this stamped and die cut flower and sentiment from the Sending Smiles Bundle.

 

Spots & Stripes

A great idea for using up odd bits of cardstock. Strips of card measuring ½” (1.5cm) wide have been adhered across a 5” x 3 ¾” (13.9cm x 9.5cm) piece of copy paper. The colours used here were Tahitian Tide, Parakeet Party, Sweet Sorbet and Daffodil Delight. This has then been die cut with the Dots & Spots die. The dotty piece was then layered over a 4” x 5 ¼” (14.4cm x 10cm) piece of Basic Black card before being stuck to a Daffodil Delight card base. The black card shows through the holes giving a bold effect.

The sentiments came from the Sending Smiles bundle.

 

A Touch of Metallics

This final card features a mat of dotty Basic Black card layered over some Brushed Metallic Gold card. The “sending” sentiment was also die cut in black and gold, whilst the “all good luck your way” was heat embossed. This gives an elegant look to the card. Of course, you can play around with any colours of metallics and card stock to give different looks.

This is such a fun die and a great addition to your crafty stash.

This easy technique is one that you should learn

Are you wondering what to do with leftover bits of designer paper? I have the perfect solution for that question. I am going to show you a super easy technique that packs a wow factor. So, let's get started!

 

It was really fun to dig through my paper stash and see what I could find and surprisingly I spotted a pattern in the Rings of Love paper that matched a stamp set that I have. I love these kinds of little surprises! 

 

The Rings of Love paper includes images of cottages, mushrooms, acorns, birds, tree rings, and flowers perfect for card fronts for your cards. Or you can cut out individual images to use as accents. These basic patterns will help you to create charming paper crafts all year long. Want to make it easier? You can cut out some of the images with the dies included in the coordinating Tree Rings Hybrid Embossing Folder.

Paper colors: Crushed Curry, Evening Evergreen, Mint Macaron, Night of Navy, Parakeet Party, Petal Pink, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede

What I realized when planning my video, is that the Happy Hedgehogs stamp set coordinates beautifully with this paper! 

 

 

This set has adorable hedgehogs, flowers, butterflies, forest mushrooms, and birds.  It's so easy—stamp the line-art images on a card front which is what we are going to do today, add the sentiment that expresses your feelings, and send!

 

I combined these products to make today's card. Watch the video below to see how easy this technique really is! 

Here's what you need to make my card, change out the paper and stamp set to use your leftover bits. 

Supplies

Stamp Set: Happy Hedgehogs (157983)

Ink:

Stampin' Blends: Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade

Paper and cutting dimensions:
            Basic White: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"; 3 3/4" x 5" 
            Rings of Love: 3 3/4" x 5" 
            Poppy Parade: 5 1/4" x 4" 

Misc: Rings of Love designer series paper (159939); Soft Succulent Stampin' Write Marker, Cotton Swab (optional); Stampin' Seal; Multipurpose Liquid Glue; embellishments (your choice!); Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

Here's my video - watch all the way through for my bonus tips and design ideas. 

Learn how to combine 2 simple products and create a beautiful card design

You should know by now how much I LOVE a card sketch, right? Today's project is a Thank-You card created using this card sketch:

Like all sketches, these act as a starting point for your creativity. You can change the orientation and get creative with the shapes and elements you add to them.

This card sketch has been used with the monochromatic Perfectly Pencilled Designer Series Paper.

This paper features sketchy flower designs alongside fabulous backgrounds, such as stripes, dots and other repeating patterns. The papers can be used as they are, or you can add colour to them by sponging or spritzing and you can also colour in the flowers with any of your colouring tools. For this project they have all been left as black and white designs.

To create this card, a piece of Designer Series paper with a small all-over flower design has been used for the background. A strip of striped paper has been added onto this horizontally and the corners trimmed. This is then added to a standard sized Basic Black card base.

Instead of circles, the mats in the centre of the card are stitched squares from the Stylish Shapes Dies. A bow of Black Twine was added to the back before they were stuck in place with dimensionals.

A section of flowers was cut from one of the papers and sections of this were cut out and layered onto the squares. Some pieces were added with liquid adhesives and other pieces raised up with dimensionals. Two butterflies from the paper were also cut out and added

A sentiment from the Nature’s Harvest stamp set was added to the bottom of the centre panel. To finish, a few Classic Matte dots were added in Black and White.

And here's the final card, thanks to this fun sketch!

These papers are beautiful and provide so many creative opportunities. Whether you use these papers, or experiment with a totally different selection of products do give the sketch a go. Just by changing elements and colours you can use the same basic layout yet create totally different looks.

How cute is this set? It's definitely in my top ten of 2022.

l mean how can someone NOT like this super cute Hippest Hippo stamp set and matching Hippo dies? I am so sad that these products will retire on 31 August - that's only 8 days from today! (panic)

 

Tip: click on the stamp set photo to earn it for FREE (with a $50+ product order) at my online store!

Your papercrafts are sure to be right "on point" when you use this set. These playful little cuties practically guarantee smiles all around! Stamp them individually or group them together to make your own bundle of happy, happy hippos! Add one of four fun sentiments, then customize them any way you like: color them using your favorite Stampin’ Up! coloring technique, add some embossing powder to add dimension to the ballerina’s tutu, and so much more—you simply can’t go wrong with a cute and hip hippo! Also available in French.

Tip: click on the dies photo above to earn it for FREE (with a $50+ product order) at my online store!

Create all kinds of fun scenes with the die cuts you make using these Hippo Dies. The hippos in the stamp set are ready to have fun! You can show them dancing, snorkeling, boating, playing in the water, dancing in the rain while holding an umbrella, and more—there are simply too many options to name them all! Die cut the pieces then color any way you like for hip little hippos having a frolicking good time on your cards and papercrafts.

We need to play with these products as much as possible. So I have a fun idea for you to try. Pair the hippos with your favorite designer paper patterns - each time your card will look so different. 

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Hippest Hippos * (159921)
• Card Stock – Crushed Curry (131199); Fresh Freesia (155613); Basic White (159276); Melon Mambo (15320); Pool Party (122924)
• Stamp Pads – Memento Tuxedo Black (132708)
• Misc. – Hues of Happiness Designer Series Paper (158822); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (149653); Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (144108); Stampin’ Seal (152813); Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends (154904); Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends (154883); Stitched Rectangles Dies (151820); All That Dies (159078), Melon Mambo Stampin’ Blends (153112); Pool Party Stampin’ Blends (154894); Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends (154885); Hippo Dies * (159928)

*Free with a $50 order

Measurements:  

• Crushed Curry: 8 ½” x 5 ½”; scraps
• Hues of Happiness: 4” x 5 ¼”
• Fresh Freesia: (3) 3” x 1 ¾”; scraps
• Basic White: (3) 2 ¼” x 1 ½”; 2” x ¾”
• Melon Mambo: scraps

Instructions:

1. Fold Crushed Curry cardstock in half and crease to create card base. Adhere Hues of Happiness layer using Multi-purpose Liquid Glue.
2. Die-cut 3 Fresh Freesia Stitched Rectangles and adhere to card front.
3. Die-cut Crushed Curry, Pool Party and Melon Mambo Flowers.
4. Ink Hippo image using Tuxedo Black ink and stamp onto Whisper White. Color using Stampin’ Blends. Die-cut. Attach to Fresh Freesia rectangles using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.
5. Adhere Crushed Curry, Pool Party and Melon Mambo flowers to card front.
6. Ink phrase using Tuxedo Black ink and stamp onto Whisper White. Die-cut using Banner die from All That dies pack. Attach to card front using Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Celebrate the friends that always make you smile with this playful set

If you are a fan of quirky, playful images, then you are going to love today's fun fold card, using the Glad We're Friends set. 

(click on the stamp set photo to order it at my online store)

This set includes five fun and quirky sentiments that pair perfectly with an animal friend or two. Tap into your pun potential by stamping a cute little corgi with a fan and the message, “I’m blown away by you!” like you see below. The simple line-art images are perfect for adding pops of color customized for each project. Let a loved one know that today is “guinea” be a great day with a guinea pig or two. Keep your crafts lighthearted and fun with so many unique combinations to brighten anyone’s day.

Here's one playful idea - guaranteed to bring a smile:

Supplies:

• Stamp Sets – Glad We’re Friends (158787)
• Card Stock (CS) – Evening Evergreen (155574); Basic White (159276)
• Ink Pads – Tuxedo Black Memento (132708)
• Misc. – Lovely Linen Designer Series Paper (DSP) (158644); Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends Marker Combo Pack (154904); Soft Succulent Stampin’ Blends Marker Combo Pack (155521); Petal Pink Stampin’ Blends Marker Combo Pack (154893); Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blends Marker Combo Pack (154884); Stylish Shapes Dies (159183); White ¼” Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon (151326); 2021-2023 In Color Opal Rounds (159185); Foam Adhesive Sheets (152815); Stampin’ Seal+ (149699); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755), Bone Folder (102300); Paper Snips (103579); Take Your Pick (144107)

Measurements:  

• Evening Evergreen CS: 4-1/4” x 8 1/2”, scored at 4-1/4”; 3” x 3”; 2-1/8” x 2-1/8”
• Basic White CS:             4” x 4”, plus scraps for die cutting
• DSP:                                     4” x 4”            

Instructions:

1. Burnish the fold in the card base using a Bone Folder.
2. Glue the 4” x 4” Basic White CS onto the inside of the card base.
3. Lay a 6” piece of ribbon across the DSP layer, wrap the ends to the back, and adhere using Stampin’ Seal+.
4. Tie a second piece of ribbon around the first one, near the left edge, and tie in a bow.
5. Glue the DSP layer onto the front of the card base.
6. Stamp the dog in Memento ink onto a scrap of Basic White CS, then die cut.
7. Stamp the sentiment in Memento ink onto a scrap of Basic White CS, then die cut.
8. Glue the die cut dog image onto the 3” x 3” Evening Evergreen CS.
9. Glue the die cut sentiment onto the 2-1/8” x 2-1/8” Evening Evergreen CS.
10. Close the card and line up the 3” x 3” Evening Evergreen CS at the top, centering it side to side, and extending past the top 1-1/4” (to make it 5-1/2” tall overall.)
11. Adhere it using a piece of Foam Adhesive Sheet cut to size – be sure to put adhesive only on the part that overlaps.
12. Adhere the sentiment over the ribbon using a piece of Foam Adhesive Sheet cut to size.
13. Apply three Opal Rounds, in Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen, onto the stamped layers using a Take Your Pick tool.

Combining 3 different products can bring an interesting result

I have to admit that the jury is out on today's card that I created using this week's card sketch challenge:

 

I think this challenge is one of the more unique ones and for a while I drew a blank. At first I thought that the paper strips could be designer paper, and they could. But that didn't speak to me so I cancelled out that idea. 

Then I spotted:

 

This canvas-looking Hues of Happiness paper features illustrated and painted flowers on one side with all-purpose patterns on the other side. Designed to represent the Stampin' Up! color spectrum, the repeating patterns can be used as focal images or as accent pieces on your card bases and scrapbook layouts. Or create elegant backgrounds with the color gradient patterned sheets. And that's what I decided to do! 

Fun Fact: If you are on Instagram, check out this official Stampin' Up! video, showing how the Hues of Happiness paper - so cool! 

Right. Paper chosen. 

Next: the strips. I immediately thought of my Sending dies. I chose the shorter tag die which I would use instead of paper strips. 

 

And now for the phrase. That also came easily - from the Beauty of Friendship stamp set:

 

 

Combine these three products and you can make this card too: 

I would love to see what you create using this sketch challenge, especially if you use uneven lengths of the strips. I just couldn't do it - maybe you are braver than I!