I think this stamp set, Painter’s Palette, is going to be a perfect one for us stampers, papercrafters and creative types! It actually gives us a “palette” to express ourselves like an artist.  There is so much possibility with this stamp set.  I made an easy version by just stamping on the front of this card, Painter’s Palette Card For a Friend. If you wanted to put more work into it, you could die cut the easel with the new Layering Squares Framelits Dies and make it 3D.

I was actually kind of missing the color Watermelon Wonder so I decided to use that color for the card base and to stamp the artist’s easel. I think it is a bright and unexpected color for this card.  I made the card so that the fold is at the top, so the cardstock is cut in half at 4 1/4″ vertically and scored on the 5 1/2″ line instead of the other way around. I chose some other Brights colors – Daffodil Delight and Tempting Turquoise along with some more Watermelon Wonder. I stamped these “paints” on the palette, some full strength and some stamped off to be a lighter shade. I put sticky notes on each side of the frame so that the paint colors would stay just on the palette. They caught the overstamping and then when I removed them, the frame didn’t have any stamping on it! The little splatters also come in the stamp set.  I always think those are fun for just adding a little something.

Check out this Painter’s Palette Stamp Set and see if it is one you want in your stamping collection!

The other day I made a card like this Pop of Pink Card for a Friend with the new Pop of Pink Specialty Designer Series Paper coming in the new Stampin’ Up! Catalog on Wednesday, June 1st. Today, for this card, I used the same paper pattern in Pop of Pink, but I cut off the bottom portion and turned it over to the pattern on the other side. Just for another accent and to cover up the cut line between the two papers, I cut a strip of a Gold Foil Sheet, which goes with this paper pack and with the matching washi tape on the card.  The card base is Melon Mambo with a Basic Black layer.  The Gold Foil sheets are also in the new catalog!

The tag is made with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch out of Melon Mambo and then a smaller piece of Whisper White layered on it.  I stamped the Melon Mambo flower and stamped the greeting both from the Birthday Blooms Stamp Set. Then I added some strips of the new Pop of PInk Designer Washi Tape to match. The ribbon I added is the Basic Black 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon which retired and is no longer available.

This weekend you can dig into your hoarded designer paper stash (!) and make some cards similar to this so you have a bunch ready to go out when you need them. Put a generic greeting on the front or leave it blank until you need a card and then you can just write a greeting and note inside for whatever occasion. Use the different patterns of paper as a background layer or but them to use both sides, straight or at an angle or whatever you come up with!  Use up some of your current or old paper because you KNOW you will want the new stuff when it comes out!!

If you are not vacationing this weekend (or even if you are), check through the retiring products while you wait in the TSA line or during the road trip!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online from Anywhere Anytime!

This Bohemian Designer Series Paper is one that I bought but wasn’t that crazy about, so I wanted to use it some more before it retires May 31 and ended up with this easy Bohemian thank you card! I think I saw an idea of punching circles out of the paper and used that inspiration on this card. Just grab various size punches, some larger ones and some medium and small – whatever you like! Besides the designer paper, I also punched a piece of cardstock in the color that coordinated with the paper, Island Indigo. I also used a Scallop Circle Punch for the background of the greeting.  The greeting is from Tin of Cards Stamp Set. I sure do love that stamp set!

The card base is Blackberry Bliss cardstock (one of the retiring In Colors) although you could use another coordinating color. The ribbon is an older one from the Holiday Catalog, but I saw it in my basket and decided to use it. Just substitute some other ribbon if you don’t have this one.

Use this idea for this Easy Bohemian Thank You Card to make a card with any cardstock, designer paper and colors you like!

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Today I decided to break out some new products and decided on the Pop of Pink Specialty Designer Series Paper and made this Pop of Pink easy card for a friend. I started with a card base of Melon Mambo, one of the coordinating colors), layered it with a piece of Basic Black and laid down the piece of designer paper to make sure I’d cut it the right size.  I intended to use the other side of the paper for the bottom portion on the front, but just laying this paper on the card as is, I liked it just fine!  The other side of the paper will have to wait for another project!

Next I decided to use the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch to make a Melon Mambo tag layered with Whisper White. I decided on the “Dear Friend” greeting in the Birthday Blooms Stamp Set and also stamped the little flower in the set with Melon Mambo.  What I really wanted to do at the very beginning of all this was to use the new Pop of Pink Designer Washi Tape so I finally had a place to use it on the bottom of the tag! I love washi tape, but don’t really use it often enough. I tied on a piece of Whisper White 5/8″ Organza Ribbon to the tag. This has always been my favorite ribbon because it is pretty, elegant, and white goes with most everything!  I’m so glad it will be in the new catalog!

Sometimes keeping things simple works the best!  Now I have to figure out another card using the backside of this pretty pattern in the Pop of Pink Designer Series Paper!

All these new things will be coming SOON, June 1, 2016! If you are interested in Stampin’ Up! products and do not have your own Demonstrator that you work with, please contact me and I would be happy to send you a new Stampin’ Up! Catalog and information.

Even if you are not a Demonstrator and do not have this new paper yet, choose something you do have and make a pretty card for a friend!  And mail it!

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One of the stamp sets I hate to see retire is this one called Big News. I love the very interesting words, fonts, and designs. You can make a card like this for lots of occasions! This stamp set, both clear-mount and wood-mount, has a discounted price during retirement!

I decided to try a different technique with this stamp to make it more colorful and interesting.  I stamped the word in Hello Honey Ink (retired), the whole stamp, and then stamped one end in Tangelo Twist Ink and the other end in Lost Lagoon Ink (retired). So the stamp is inked in all three colors at one time.  As long as you start with the lightest color, you can stamp into a darker ink pad.  Just don’t start with a dark color and then stamp into a light color ink pad!! I stamped the word onto Shimmery White Cardstock.

The stamped design is then layered onto Gold Glimmer Paper and then Lost Lagoon Cardstock. This is all layered on a piece of Hello Honey Cardstock embossed with the Lucky Stars Embossing Folder.

You could achieve this same look by coloring the stamp with various Stampin’ Write Markers. And certainly you can use lots of different combinations of ink colors. Just remember to use the lightest color first.

Remember, retiring products are only available while supplies last, although any stamps that run out will still be manufactured through May 22.

Stampin’ Up! Retiring List

Shop Retiring Products and More in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

If you are running behind, here is a quick and easy Mother’s Day card that is simple for anyone to make at the last minute! You can copy this exact idea or just use it for a starting point and give it your own twist.

After playing around with a couple of other ideas that honestly weren’t working out very well, I decided to just stamp three stems, stamp three flowers and use a die cut word I found in my stash of unused pieces I’d already made at one time or another.  You could just as easily stamp a greeting at the bottom instead of using a die cut.

The flowers are from the stamp set Flower Patch. Lots of flower designs to choose from in that stamp set. But if you don’t have that stamp set, just use another one. The die cut “enjoy” is from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies.  The card base is Blushing Bride with a layer of Whisper White.  The card is square at 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ but it fits in a regular size Whisper White Medium Envelope so no need for a square envelope. And for a little embellishment, I added Pearls to the center of each flower!  You could do rhinestones or candy dots or whatever you like.

This card is actually perfect for many other occasions, not just Mother’s Day, but if you are looking for a quick and easy Mother’s Day card today, something like this one will be much appreciated!