Cuckoo clocks always bring back childhood memories for me, and now we can make our own cuckoo clock moveable cards with the Cuckoo For You Bundle by Stampin’ Up!
When my dad was in Germany during World War II, he bought three cuckoo clocks to bring/send home. One was for my parents and one each for their parents. I remember exactly where all those cuckoo clocks hung in my grandparents’ homes and ours and at least for awhile, the cuckoo worked! My brother and I loved pulling those chains to keep the clock running.
This new Bundle from Stampin’ Up! has the Cuckoo For You Photopolymer Stamp Set and the Cuckoo Clock Dies. While you can make cute cards just with the stamp set, I bet if you are interested in cuckoo clocks you will want the die set as well to make it moveable just like a real cuckoo clock!
Watch this Stampin’ Up! video with Brian Pilling from the Home Office demonstrate how these dies work with the stamp set.
If you like cuckoo clocks, wouldn’t this be a fun card to make and send to someone (although I think you should make at least one to keep for yourself!)?!
Here is the Bundle with the stamp set and dies to make lots of cuckoo clock cards and projects! And of course you can use the bunny, squirrel, reindeer, bird, and tree for other cards unrelated to cuckoo clocks!
Here is a Daisy Card With the Scripty Embossed Background. It is rather simple as is (not that there is anything wrong with simple!) but I was really just making a card to showcase the Scripty 3D Embossing Folder.
As you may have noticed, Stampin’ Up! has come out with some new 3D embossing folders made by a different manufacturer than our previous one. These new 3D Embossing Folders are slightly thinner than our previous ones so you may have trouble running them through your Big Shot or another die-cutting machine.
As I wrote in THIS POST the other day, Stampin’ Up! has come out with a new plate, the 3D Embossing Folder Plate, that will likely make up that thickness difference. It is possible that depending on your machine, you may still need to add an additional shim, such as a thin piece of cardboard. You could use the thin piece that comes in your DSP.
In the meantime, I found that a sandwich of the Big Shot Platform, the squishy Silicone mat, then the embossing folder with the cardstock inside, and a Cutting Pad on top worked with my new Scripty 3D Embossing Folder.
Here is a photo of the pieces of the sandwich I used.
If you need a reminder of which mat this is, watch this video:
Remember, Stampin’ Up! is working on a new die-cutting machine for us. In the meantime, try the things you have, different platforms, different shims if you have trouble with your new 3D Embossing Folders. Don’t ever FORCE your machine. If it doesn’t go, don’t do it! Don’t break your machine! You can experiment, or you can add this new 3D Embossing Folder Plate to your next order and hopefully that will simplify using embossing folders for you!
Today, June 20th is World Productivity Day! I don’t think Stampin’ Up! has a stamp set for that, but here are 3 ways to maximize your creative time! We crafty people would probably all say we never have enough creative time because, for the most part, we would love to be playing with our stamping and crafting almost all day everyday! Forget the laundry and meals!!
Since we have limited time to be creative, here are some ways that might help you with the creative time you do have!
Determine your best creative time. Think about what the best time for you is to set aside some stamping time. If 10:00 am is really when you should be doing some household chores, then probably avoiding those while you make a card might not be the best time. Many crafters seem to find they feel very creative late at night, maybe because the day’s work is done and there is free time. However, if this prevents you from going to bed at a reasonable time or keeps you awake when you do go to bed because your mind is whirling with ideas, then perhaps an earlier time is better!
Plan ahead and know what you are going to make. If you like to look at lots of ideas, make note of things you want to make so that you don’t waste time trying to find that idea again! Either open a Word Document or Notepad on your computer or phone and make note of the links or ideas or email them to yourself (I do this a LOT!) (and I can never remember where I saw the idea in the first place even though I was positive I would!!). If you already have an idea of what to make, you don’t have to spend your precious crafting time browsing ideas and then run out of time or even cannot decide WHAT to make seeing so many possibilities! For some people, keeping a journal or notebook handy to write down ideas works well.
Keep your supplies handy! The craft supplies you use the most should be almost at the tip of your fingers! If you have to pull a box out of your closet in order to make something, you could just as easily decide it’s too much trouble and not do it. You don’t even need an elaborate craft room, just some space, even a tabletop or desk, where you know you will sit and craft. Then in whatever storage manner works for you, keep your supplies available to grab easily.
For me, I keep my current catalog products on a bookshelf in my utility room right by the kitchen table and other things on a nearby desk even though I actually stamp on the kitchen table. If you are an empty nester, you can probably shove your supplies to the other end of the table and still eat dinner there, but it helps if you know where each item gets put away so cleanup is quick and easy. All my older supplies go into another bedroom to use when I need them, but I’m mostly going to use my new stuff! When it all becomes available again, perhaps the new Storage by Stampin’ Up!will be helpful to you! (Check the Online Store – looks to me like some things are available now.)
And while you have your supplies out and are making a card, go ahead and make a couple more of the same card or just change one thing like the designer paper or greeting so you have something different but you don’t have to think up another design. And don’t fret over which ribbon or color or embellishment because the recipient is not going to question why you didn’t choose a different shade of yellow or another style of ribbon! They will just like the card that you took time to make for them!
I hope these ideas might help you to maximize your creative time when you have it so you can accomplish more and be more efficient in your crafting!
Something I think not getting very much attention in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog is the For the Love of Felt Project Kit by Stampin’ Up! Kits are great for new stampers and crafters who may not own a lot of materials yet or who find it easiest to have a project all planned for them. Kits are also good for experienced stampers who like to try something new and can enjoy making a project without planning it and designing it themselves first!
All the materials are included in this kit except for the stamp set, ink, and adhesive to make 12 cards, 4 each of 3 designs. Envelopes are included and embellishments. You get cute felt flowers to use on your cards with lots of texture and dimension.
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If you have procrastinated, here are some past Father’s Day card ideas made with stamp sets you might already have. Just change them up according to what supplies you have! You know the father in your life will appreciate it! Better than Hallmark!
Click photo to read post!
If you have this Tailored Tag Punch in your stash, use whatever paper you have to make something like this card. Or just use strips of designer paper for a background. Add a greeting!
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Surely you have the Lovely As A Tree Stamp Set that just retired! It’s very easy to make a card like this one with that stamp set!
One of the things in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog that I think you could easily overlook (because I did!) is the Bird Ballad Laser-Cut Cards & Tin on page 168. It’s the first item underneath “Cards and Envelopes”.
You get this very pretty tin holding twelve cards with the laser-cut front in Very Vanilla plus envelopes with a pretty scallop edge on the flap! Then just decorate however you like!
You can work with these cards one of two ways. If you want to add a color underneath the lacy laser-cut card front panel, you can cut a piece of cardstock just slightly smaller than the card and glue it underneath the card front. OR you can do what I did and glue the cardstock to the inside back panel of the card. That way the recipient can lift up just the laser-cut front by itself.
I used one of the new In Colors 2019-2021, Terracotta Tile. I think it is quite striking underneath the laser-cut design! That piece is adhered to the inside of the card.
To decorate the front of the card, since so many samples I’ve seen used the Bird Ballad Suite, I decided to do something different. I stamped a smaller floral image from the Bloom and Grow Stamp Set on Very Vanilla Cardstock in Memento Ink. Then I colored in the flowers with my Stampin’ Blends Markers. I wanted the flowers to match the In Colors somewhat if I could and since we don’t have a Terracotta Tile marker yet, I thought Calypso Coral was pretty close! The other flower is colored with Highland Heather and the leaves with Old Olive and touches of Daffodil Delight yellow.
The greeting is also in this stamp set, but the stamps are larger than they appear on the front of the stamp case. I decided to only stamp the word “Celebrate” from the stamp so I colored it with my Calypso Coral Stampin’ Write Marker. I used the Stamparatus to make sure the word got stamped well and in the correct position. That tool sure comes in handy for making sure something gets stamped right! Next, the greeting was die cut using the Stitched Nested Labels Dies.
The label piece had to be adhered to the card front with tiny dots of glue on the laser-cut front design. I first figured out where the label was going to go on the card front and applied the tiniest dots of Multipurpose Liquid Glue to the laser design. To keep the glue from getting everywhere, I placed the Silicone Craft Sheet underneath the front of the card.
After this label with the flowers was adhered, I die cut the next smaller size of Stitched Nested Label Dies. I stamped a birthday greeting on this from the Beautiful Day Stamp Set, again coloring it with the Calypso Coral Markers. I placed this on the underside of the flower label on the front and put tape on it. When I was sure I had it right, I closed the bottom of the card over it so it would be adhered underneath the flower label and not showing. I stamped a little extra flower on it as well!
And for a little embellishment, I added two In Color Faceted Dots to see how it would look!
This is actually a pretty easy card to make, at least the idea is easy! Try this Bird Ballad Laser-Cut Card With Bloom and Grow Flowers both ways, adhering the colored sheet attached to the back inside of the card or glued right on the back of the card front under the laser-cut design. Just think if you made an assortment of cards, placed them back in the tin, and gave it all for a gift! Check out the Bird Ballad Laser-Cut Card & Tin in the Stampin’ Up! Catalog today in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store!
This Magnolia Thinking of You Card is easy to make and so fun to do the coloring on the magnolia! The best thing is I found my missing Magnolia Memory Dies finally! Since I was keeping “new stuff” separate from my current, at the time, products the dies didn’t make it into the other room by my Big Shot. Instead, I kept them on a desk and they got covered by a stack of cards! Who would have thought to look under the stack of cards when a couple of loose dies from the set that I had used after getting my preorder were laying uncovered in another spot?! Anyway, I found them and was able to die-cut this gorgeous magnolia after stamping it.
The magnolia is stamped in Memento Ink and then colored with Stampin’ Blends. I used the Petal Pink colors on the flower and Granny Apple Green with a touch of yellow on the leaves. I just love coloring with these alcohol markers!
The greeting is from the Good Morning Magnolia Cling Stamp Set and is stamped in Petal Pink Ink. I also thought about using Early Espresso Ink so either would work! I die cut the greeting with one of the Stitched Nested Labels Dies. I think it looks pretty as is and stands out on the white so doesn’t need any layer.
The card base is Early Espresso and the designer paper is Magnolia Lane DSP. I added a Whisper White layer underneath the designer paper to make it stand out against the Early Espresso. In fact, I die cut the greeting out of the same Whisper White piece because it is hidden underneath the designer paper! I don’t always do this but sometimes I think about it ahead of time!
The beautiful magnolia is popped up with a bunch of Stampin’ Dimensionals® and the greeting is adhered flat on the card front. Since the Early Espresso is so dark for the card base, on the inside of the card I will add a layer of Whisper White Cardstock so I can stamp a sentiment or write a note inside. I can also stamp one of the flowers in the Good Morning Magnolia stamp set on that Whisper White layer or add a piece of the beautiful Magnolia Lane Designer Paper.
Here is the first card I made with the Magnolia Lane Designer Paper and a greeting. In this case, I cut out a flower from the designer paper!
Copy this Magnolia Thinking of You Card when you get your Good Morning Magnolia Bundle. You can change the designer paper and greeting but at least you have an easy design to use!
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 16th, so it is time to make a Father’s Day card for your father or husband or whoever you want to celebrate on this day. This card, Father’s Day Masculine Card With Rooted In Nature, I will probably give my husband, but as you can see, it could be for anyone anytime! You can say it’s a “masculine” card but really it could be for anybody. We just often feel challenged to make a card for men for some reason.
You can barely see in the photo, but the card base is Whisper White with a little extra margin before I added another layer of Whisper White stamped with the Buffalo Check stamp for a checked background. This was then layered on a piece of Crumb Cake with a narrow margin showing.
After I stamped the Buffalo Check design, I used a ruler and an Old Olive Stampin’ Write Marker to draw lines in between the checks for a little extra color and interest.
The greeting and the tree are from the Rooted in Nature Stamp Set. I don’t think I have a “Happy Father’s Day” stamp in my current stamp sets (and I didn’t want to dig in my retired stuff!) so this sentiment will be fine (and truthful!). It is stamped in Crumb Cake ink on a Whisper White strip, then layered on a piece of Garden Green Cardstock that was embossed with the Subtle Embossing Folder. I tied around a piece of Linen Thread (or a scrap of something I found that I think is Linen Thread!) and then popped up the tree on Stampin’ Dimensionals.
About the tree…..I inked up the tree not with ink pads but with a marker and Sponge Daubers! I chose several green ink pads, from light to dark, and used individual Sponge Daubers to tap on the tree leaves. It’s difficult to see where you have “daubed” on the ink and it looks like I mostly covered the lighter ink with the darker. But I like the tree anyway. Then I colored in the trunk with the Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker and tried to find a few branches inside the leaves to ink up. I think it turned out fine!
As I said, I have most likely made this card for my husband for Father’s Day on Sunday, unless I make another one I like better. He opens the card, looks at it, then puts it down (and I get a hug and kiss!). Then a few days later, I pick it up off his table and put it with my other sample cards I have made! But I think you can see that while this card will work for Father’s Day or a birthday card for a man in your world, this card could be for anyone anytime. I wanted to use a stamp set from the old catalog in case you don’t have your new stamp sets yet. Maybe you have this one!
And if you need another idea with this Rooted in Nature Stamp Set, here is another “masculine” card I made for a birthday, but again, just put on a Father’s Day greeting (or something similar) and you have a great Father’s Day card! And if you have Lovely As a Tree (retired), that’s another great stamp set for making a Father’s Day card!
This Garden Lane Daisy All-Occasion Card could be sent to a friend or loved one just to let them know you were thinking about them. It is a fairly easy card to make and you could make it even easier if you wanted to.
The card base is Mossy Meadow, one of the cardstock colors that coordinate with the new Garden Lane Designer Series Paper. I thought this paper was just pretty with all its greenery and small designs and would be good for many projects. Sometimes we don’t need the fanciest paper in the world!
I liked this simple little print paper on the Mossy Meadow cardstock. Since it has some white in the background, I punched a white daisy (two daisies) with the Daisy Punch and adhered it in the corner with a Gold Faceted Gem in the center.
For the greeting, I chose one that could be for an all-occasion card from the Good Morning Magnolia Stamp Set. I already had a Mossy Meadow die cut piece, which I used, and originally thought I would just put a stamped white strip across the middle of it. Then I thought why not die cut the tip of the white strip with the same Stitched Nested Labels Dies. That’s what I did, plus put the die cut piece right up against the edge of the designer paper.
Stampin’ Up! has made a better effort to display the designer paper patterns in this new catalog with larger photos. You can see the products in this Garden Lane Suite on pages 40-41.
This June Paper Pumpkin Kit from Stampin’ Up! makes it easy to spread a little sunshine this summer! If you would like a project that is beach-themed with a fresh, new look, then this kit is for you. The kit makes 16 fun-sized, beach-themed small cards plus comes with envelopes, of course, and an exclusive carrying case so you will have your cards on hand if you would like to pass them out wherever you go.
The idea is much like “random acts of kindness” except with little cards. Maybe your server at the restaurant was particularly nice, maybe a salesperson was especially helpful, maybe a co-worker could use a little happy card, maybe a neighbor would enjoy a plate of cookies and a little card. Just reach in your carrying case and hand out a little card!
Coordinating colors for this project are Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, and Old Olive. I guarantee you that if you do not want to use these cards as designed, other stampers online will be making alternative projects out of the kit! So you will find other ways to use the materials if you would prefer to use them another way.
These cards are too small to be mailable as is. However, you can always put them into a normal size envelope and send the card that way if you want to mail them.
To get this new June Paper Pumpkin Kit, you MUST be subscribed by Monday, June 10th! That is tomorrow! Click the link below to join Paper Pumpkin. (This is my personal link. If you have a Demonstrator you want to sign up under, them go to www.paperpumpkin.com and choose their name.)
You are free to cancel at any time or just skip a month and then continue. No risk, no obligation. Paper Pumpkin is worth trying even just for one month! But you will probably find that you enjoy getting your kit in your mailbox each month! It’s a gift you give yourself…..or someone else!
Supplies may be limited toward the end of the subscription period.
One thing you might overlook in the Stampin’ Up! catalog is the Note Cards & Envelopes on page 168 so I thought I would showcase them by making these Floral Essence Note Cards. These note cards are handy to have on hand for just doing some quick stamping and writing a short note to someone. They are a mailable size so that is not a problem!
I wanted to try out the flowers from the Floral Essence Stamp Set. I stamped the larger flower in Flirty Flamingo Ink first down in the lower right-hand corner on the bottom card and then the smaller flower in the upper left. I wanted to keep these note cards very simple. I took a chance stamping the leaves in Granny Apple Green, not sure how they would look or fit on a small card. I almost left the leaves just with the outline stamped, but then I used my Blender Pen and the lid of the ink pad to very lightly color in the leaves. The flower center is stamped with Crushed Curry. Not leaving well enough alone, I used the tip of the Blender Pen to just dot some green around the flower centers. The greeting comes in the stamp set.
For the second card, I ended up stamping the flower three times across the front of the notecard. Everything was the same as the other card except I wanted to use just a strip of designer paper on the card. The one from the Perennial Essence Designer Series Paper that looked the best was this strip of green, kind of looking like a vine, that I cut rather narrow and just glued to the bottom of the notecard. I thought I would leave the card plain and not put a greeting. This way the notecard can be used any way you like!
The Note Cards & Envelopes are rather inexpensive and come in Whisper White and Very Vanilla for you to choose which color you prefer or use the most. You could cut and make a small card around the same size out of cardstock, but these come with the envelope that is just the right size. These are very handy to have around!
This Easy Floral Thank You Card is made, I think, with one of the most beautiful papers Stampin’ Up! has ever had. The Perennial Essence Designer Series Paper has such pretty prints on every sheet. These papers were designed from handpainted impressionistic images. There will be thousands and thousands of beautiful cards and projects made with this paper!
To make this card I simply choose one of the papers and then chose Petal Pink for the card base. I considered using a purple color as another layer, but for today I liked just the pink card base.
The ribbon around the designer paper is the beautiful Petal Pink 5/8″ Organdy Striped Ribbon. This ribbon is currently on backorder but you can put it on your order anyway and they will mail it separately when it comes in. Or wait and put it on your order as soon as you see it is available. It really is so pretty you will want it in your stash! And with paper this pretty, the sheer ribbon just adds to the design, doesn’t cover up anything.
For the greeting, I got lucky and this Petal Pink circle, die cut from the Stitched Labels Dies, was already cut out and in the bag with the full sheets of cardstock so I thought I would try and use it. It was a good size for this card because I didn’t want much of the paper covered up. Then I stamped a greeting from the Free As a Bird Stamp Set. I needed one that would fit on a fairly small piece. This small circle was die cut with the second smallest circle in the Layering Circles Dies.
And since I usually can’t leave well enough alone, I added some Rhinestone Jewels to the greeting. I wanted them to be pink, though, and I knew I could color the plain rhinestones with Stampin’ Blends markers. The same pink really didn’t show up so I tried Flirty Flamingo. On the rhinestones, it give a pinkish color to them so it was perfect.
As a note, due to the new Big Shot and die situation changing, we don’t use the terms “framelits” and “thinlits” any more, which is fine with me! It is much easier to say “dies”. And since the Big Shot has retired, while we wait for a new machine, we will just refer to any “die-cutting machine” until we get our new one. Stampin’ Up! is working on it and from past experience, they will wait until they have a really good one before putting it on the market.
If you want to hoard your beautiful Perennial Essence Paper, look at THIS CARD and see how you can use just a strip of it to make a lovely card.
After you order this paper, you will be inspired to make lots of cards like my Easy Floral Thank You Card for many different occasions!
Yesterday the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog for 2019-2020 went LIVE! It was a pretty exciting day for all, as every new catalog launch is. We love our Stampin’ Up! products! Today is a good day to watch some of the Stampin’ Up! videos and get some perspective on a few new products. I know I happened to watch the Pressed Petals video yesterday and immediately put it on my order! I read that another Demonstrator did the same thing after watching the video! I love to get the backstory on some of these stamp sets, paper, or other products if there is one! I always like behind-the-scenes information!
So grab some popcorn and a coke, a cup of coffee and a donut, a Margarita, or if you live in Houston today, an umbrella and rain boots and watch these videos! (Yes, Hurricane Season started June 1st and today we are getting “tropical moisture” from a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico!) (Not as bad as all the flooding in the midwest, though, at all.)
You have to start with this super cute fun video!
If you enjoyed the Daisy Delight Stamp Set and Daisy Punch in the previous catalog, then you are probably interested in the Daisy Lane Stamp Set and the new Medium Daisy Punch! Watch this video!
You’ve GOT to see this Pressed Petals video and learn about the paper. We will all make beautiful things with this Suite of products!
If you love hot air balloons, then this stamp set and punch are for you! See how you can stamp and punch with proper placement.
And, like I said, I think the Good Morning Magnolia Bundle is going to be a hit! Watch this video and also learn how you can make a 3D magnolia with the Hot Air Balloon Punch!
I hope you enjoyed the videos! So much fun to have new products!
Today is the first day of the new 2019-2020 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog with new stamps, dies, embellishments and accessories! It’s the day we have been waiting for and the new catalog will be here this afternoon! This morning Stampin’ Up! is working to get the Online Store ready with the new products. It should be ready no later than Noon MT (1:00 PM CT).
I decided to make this card with the Good Morning Magnolia stamp on the front to celebrate the new catalog! I think this suite of products will be a big seller!
The card base is Mossy Meadow with a layer of Magnolia Lane Designer Series Paper. I think this package of paper is just gorgeous! I thought I was going to use two patterns on this card but once I laid this pink layer down I loved the way it looked and that was it! I used the really pretty 5/8″ Organdy Striped Ribbon across the card and under the flower. I may have gotten the last roll of it during our preorder! I was moving my products back and forth between my “order” and my “Stampin’ Rewards” and suddenly it wasn’t available! But I still had it listed on one of those places so I guess it was okay and I got it in my order! It is indeed backordered but they should have more available around June 24th.
I stamped the large magnolia flowers on Whisper White with the Memento Ink and colored it in with Stampin’ Blends. It was nearly dinner time and I was afraid it was going to take me a long time to color in this big flower and leaves, but it went very quickly! You don’t need to be real fussy about it or worry if it is absolutely correct. I think mine turned out fine! I started to cut it out with my Paper Snips when I remembered that there were dies! But I couldn’t find my Magnolia Memory dies, except for a few loose ones! So I obviously own them, I just have to find the rest of the package! In the interest of time and disorganization, I just went ahead and cut it out by hand. Easy enough!
I knew the large magnolia wasn’t going to show up extremely well against the patterned paper, but I liked the look anyway. I added a die cut large circle of Vellum Cardstock to put behind the flower. The magnolia is popped up on LOTS of Stampin’ Dimensionals!
The greeting is also in the Good Morning Magnolia Stamp Set and I die cut that with the new Stitched Nested Labels Dies. I was going to layer it on Mossy Meadow but there wasn’t much space and really, I just liked the greeting by itself. Funny how you don’t always know what card design you are going to come up with until you do!
Happy New Catalog Day (or afternoon!)! Check out the Online Store although expect there to be crowds of people there! Sometimes the website acts up on days like this! Once the Online Store is back up and running today, you can place an order!
