New Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine! And Clearance Rack Refresh!

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Today is the day! The new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine is here for you today, September 1st! Customers can now order this Standard Size machine in the Stampin’ Up! Online Store! (The Mini is not yet available.)

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Everything you need is included when you purchase the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine. Included are 1 Base Plate (Plate 1), 1 Die Plate (Plate 2), 2 Cutting Plates (Plate 3), and 1 Specialty Plate (Plate 4). You don’t have to purchase anything extra right away to use the machine.

However, if you would like, Stampin’ Up! just announced that the new Magnetic Plate (149656 $24) IS available for purchase TODAY!

“It is a thin, fully magnetic sheet with self-healing cutting surface. Magnetic Cutting Plate (Plate 5) holds dies securely in place, even nested dies. This slim, portable sheet replaces a Cutting Plate in your sandwich, making it even easier to take with you. Use with the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine.”

This means it is BETTER than the one we had with our old machine! On our old one, the magnets inside the platform were spaced around inside so when you sometimes put down a die, it would jump over a bit to the nearest magnet in the platform! This new one will have a full magnetic area. You do not NEED the Magnetic Plate with the machine BUT I highly recommend it. I’m ordering one!

So what sets our machines apart from the rest? Here are some of our favorite features:

  • Durable machines with high-quality results. The solid steel construction frame and rubber feet that securely grip the work surface produce crisp, clean, precise cutting and beautifully detailed embossing.
  • Easy to use. The machines and tools are designed for an intuitive die-cutting and embossing experience. For example, all plates are labeled with a number and are color-coded for easy reference and use when building your sandwich. And just like the name suggests, our Magnetic Cutting Plates have fully-magnetic surfaces to make it easy to securely position your dies and keep them in place.
  • Simple to store. The platforms on both machines fold for space-saving storage and they look pretty too–the sleek, clean design suits any crafting space.
  • Portable. You can use both machines at home or on the go with their folding platforms and ergonomic carrying handles. This makes it easy to showcase the product line in your classes and workshops! It’s also convenient for those of you who like to attend crops or other crafting get-togethers.

AND Stampin’ Up! added new items to the Clearance Rack (while supplies last!) so shop soon for the best selection!

Order your new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine today and beat the rush!

Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card

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Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card

You will absolutely love this fall designer paper in the Stampin’ Up! holiday catalog that I used on this Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card. I had to resist the urge to try to decorate it any further. Sometimes you just have to tell yourself to stop! The card already has a lot going on just in the papers so no need for more bling!

The card base is Mint Macaron which matches the Mint Macaron diagonally striped pattern of the Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper. This paper has gold and copper foil accents so it is very pretty but very difficult to photograph for a blog! All the shiny-ness of the foil makes for a lot of glare for a photograph, but in person is very pretty!

It looks like I covered the entire front of the card with the Mint Macaron striped paper, but in reality I just cut two 1″ strips and adhered them to each side of the card. The center panel with the leaf designs in gold and copper accents is cut at 3″ wide so that I could add Copper Foil strips along each side. The foil is cut at about 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. I luckily already had a strip of the foil that I only needed to cut the two lengths of. I lined everything up on my Grid Paper and adhered each copper foil strip to the side of the leaf paper, then adhered that directly to the card.

The greeting is from the Gather Together Stamp Set on page 47 in the holiday catalog. This was a favorite from last year and was carried over this year! It is stamped on Very Vanilla Cardstock in Mint Macaron Ink and then die-cut with an oval Stitched Shapes Die. This was then layered on a scalloped Layering Ovals Die cut out of Copper Foil.

For the inside of the card, I stamped a greeting from the same stamp set in Mint Macaron ink on a piece of Very Vanilla. I happened to have a tiny scrap of the same leaf design paper I have on the front of the card and the opposite side has these colored stripes. So I used that to adhere to the bottom of the card for a little interest when someone opens the card.

Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card Inside

All in all, a pretty easy card to make. The paper makes it look very fancy and special! You could make it even easier with just one of the papers as a layer on the front of the card plus the greeting. Here’s another card I made recently with the Gilded Autumn paper. These cards will be so nice to have for Thanksgiving or any time in the fall season.

Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card (1)

Try this Gilded Autumn Season of Thanks Fall Card or even change up the designer papers and make something with a different look.

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Pine Tree Punch Christmas Card

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Pine Tree Punch Christmas Card

Even though we always want new things, I was happy to see a few things I already purchased last year show up in the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. Two things I used on this Pine Tree Punch Christmas Card were the Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set for the greeting and the Pine Tree Punch for the Christmas trees.

I got the idea for this card by looking back at last year’s Holiday Catalog at a sample of a tag. I changed it a little bit plus made it into a card. Of course, I could have stamped the trees from the Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set and punched them out as they did on the sample from last year’s catalog, but instead, I wanted to use our new Plaid Tidings 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper for the trees. One punch and done!

Instead of doing all three trees in plaid, I punched one out of Gold Foil, but then I embossed it with the new Dainty Diamonds Embossing Folder. Two trees are adhered flat to the background and the front green and red plaid tree is popped up on Black Stampin’ Dimensionals.

The card base is Real Red with a layer of Shimmery White Cardstock. I love the Shimmery White Cardstock for its very subtle shimmer. It is basically white but just a tiny shade off-white. I embossed this layer with the new Winter Snow Embossing Folder.

The circle behind the trees is actually two die cuts in Real Red. The outer one is the largest Layering Circle Die with a scalloped edge and then a Stitched Shapes Die circle on top of that.

The greeting is stamped in Real Red Ink from the same Perfectly Plaid Stamp Set on Shimmery White. I got the idea to punch just the ends out of this narrow strip using the Everyday Label Punch.

Be sure you stick in the label from the top of the punch, not from the side like usual or you will punch both ends, unless that would happen to fit perfectly, but usually when you do a trick like this you have to punch one end at a time.

I tried various ways of layering some color underneath the greeting, even thinking about leaving the greeting without a layer, but finally, I came up with red just under the top and bottom of the greeting. Then I added a Red Rhinestone on each end. If you don’t have the Red Rhinestones, just color one of your clear rhinestones with a Stampin’ Blend marker! You can have rhinestones in any color!

I also added some Snowflake Sequins on the layer behind the trees and also on two of the trees. The gold embossed tree didn’t seem to need anything else! Mixed in with the sequins are other sequins that are not snowflakes so I used a few of those on the trees almost like ornaments. Put just the teeny tiniest dab of Multipurpose Liquid Glue where you want the sequin and place the sequin with the Take Your Pick tool. If you don’t already own this tool, you should put it on your next order! It is handy for picking up sequins with the sticky end and the pointy end or spatula end are great for picking rhinestones and other things up off their sheet getting underneath the adhesive. You will use it a lot!

Once you make one of this Christmas card, you could easily do an assembly-line process of making more. Get all the pieces punched or embossed or stamped and then just assemble. Don’t make one whole card at a time, except for maybe the first one for a sample. Cut all the strips for the greeting, emboss all the card layers, punch all the trees of one color, punch all the trees of the other color, etc. etc. In some ways, you almost get muscle-memory while you are working doing the same thing over and over and it makes assembly go faster! And it’s fun to make multiple cards without having to thing of designing each one! Try it with this Pine Tree Punch Christmas Card.

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Halloween Mini Pizza Box Colored Embossing

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Here’s a technique you can try if you want to make a Halloween treat box like this Halloween Mini Pizza Box Colored Embossing treat box. It’s a fun way to color the greeting on the box to make it look a little more interesting or spookier for Halloween!

The technique involved is easy. You can use it for greetings or other images. Just emboss with Versamark Ink and White Stampin’ Emboss Powder the way you normally would, using your Heat Tool to melt the powder.

After embossing, let cool for a second and then color right over the white embossed areas with Stampin’ Blends markers. Try not to get off the embossing or it will show on the paper, even black. If you do get some marker ink on the paper, use the Color Lifter to “move” the color back over very lightly. For this Halloween project, I used multiple colors on the Halloween sentiment.

I had a similar project on my recent newsletter, so if you would like to get ideas like this and more delivered every Tuesday to your Inbox, just sign up for my Mailing List in the red box in the right sidebar or scroll all the way down on your phone to get to it.

This project is made with the Mini Pizza Box. These are handy to have on hand. They are unassembled and store flat. You get 8 food-safe boxes, 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ in size. You can easily put the box together, the decorate for whatever occasion. Put some cookies inside, 3″ x 3″ notecards, or some other small gift or treat.

For this box, I stamped a piece of Pumpkin Pie Cardstock for the lid with images from the Ghoulish Goodies Stamp Set. Around the sides of the box, I used pieces of the Plaid Tidings Designer Paper. Since the paper is only 6″ wide, I cut four individual strips of paper. I was even fastidious enough to match the plaid lines before cutting, but you wouldn’t have to be so perfect.

The embossed sentiment is cut out with one of the Tasteful Labels Dies. For a little layer behind the sentiment I die cut another shape from the same dies and cut it in half so a little bit would show under the side of the sentiment. Before adhering the Pumpkin Pie paper to the top of the box, I adhered ends of the Black 3/8″ Glittered Organdy Ribbon to the underside and popped up the greeting with Dimensionals. Then I tied on a little knot on each side of the greeting with the ribbon. Love this Glittered Ribbon! For a little bling, I added three Holiday Rhinestones that I thought kind of matched the Halloween colors.

Who knows what kind of treats we will be able to give out this Halloween or if there will be trick-or-treating or Halloween parties, but these Mini Pizza Boxes are one of those good things to always have in your stash for when the need arises when you want to give a little treat or gift. Or order more if you have a certain occasion or gathering.

Here is another example of how to use these Mini Pizza Boxes for just a gift, not necessarily a certain occasion. I used the Peaceful Poppies Designer Series Paper (retired) to decorate this box and the Poppy Moments Dies.

These Mini Pizza Boxes are fun to decorate for many occasions. Try this fun technique of heat embossing white powder and then coloring with Stampin’ Blends markers right over the embossing to make this fun project, Halloween Mini Pizza Box Colored Embossing.

Arrange a Wreath Happy Birthday Card

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Arrange a Wreath Happy Birthday Card

I got several very nice cards for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and this Arrange a Wreath Happy Birthday Card was made by my dear, long-time friend who got me into Stampin’ Up! in the first place!

I still remember stopping by her house when we were in town to go to a wedding shower and her taking just a few minutes to show me some projects she had made at a party by this company called Stampin’ Up! that I had never heard of. I barely knew anything about rubber stamping and had not been successful in my stamping attempts with stamps from the craft store, but her projects were so cute!! She had just received her Starter Kit but hadn’t opened it yet and we didn’t have time that day anyway. When I went back later in the summer for our friend’s wedding, I got to spend time stamping with her and fell in love with it! I didn’t really want to go anywhere else or do anything else, just stay at her house and stamp or look at the cards and things she had made. A few months later, I think, I signed up to be a Demonstrator.

This card was made with the Arrange a Wreath Stamp Set and Wreath Builder Dies. You can purchase both together in a Bundle and save 10%. I have seen some really cute cards made with this Bundle so I just might have to purchase it myself someday!

The card base is Sahara Sand with a layer of designer paper. You could choose something from the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper that might look similar. The wreath is die cut with the Wreath Builder Die out of Old Olive Cardstock. Then you can diecut some flowers from the set in any colors you like to decorate the wreath She used some enamel dots for the flower centers. I think the little Happy Birthday sign hanging from he wreath is so cute!

Obviously you can use this wreath for LOTS of occasions and all the seasons of the year, making this a very versatile stamp set. I love this card!

The latest reports about Hurricane Laura are that Houston is “out of the cone” so we should just have minimal effects, maybe some bands of rain and some gusty winds. The storm will go in around the Texas-Louisiana border which is certainly bad for those people. I just hope our power stays on! We’ve been lucky through many storms but you never know when your power might go out seemingly for no reason! We were making hurricane preparations anyway when it looked like it was coming directly here, so we have batteries and candles and lanterns and a ton of chocolate chip cookies I baked last night!

Take a look at the Arrange a Wreath Bundle for your next Stampin’ Up! order. You’ll find it in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog on page 127 with the dies on page 173. Don’t forget to use your Bonus Coupons from July by August 31 when they expire.

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE TODAY!

Flowers For Every Season Monochromatic Slimline Card

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Flowers For Every Season Monochromatic Slimline Card

The latest cardmaking craze these days seem to be “slimline cards” so I made this Flowers For Every Season Monochromatic Slimline Card. Now I don’t really even know the exact details of a “slimline” card so maybe this technically isn’t one! But I made a long, narrow card as opposed to our normal 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card! This card is 3″ x 6″ so whatever it is called, that’s what I made!

The other day I was working with my Flowers For Every Season Designer Series Paper and realized all over again how pretty and bright it is and that I hadn’t used it in a long time. When I got out my paper to design a card, since the paper is 6″ x 6″ I thought, “Why not cut it in half and make a card out of a 6″ x 6” piece of cardstock folded in half?

The card base is Whisper White, as I said, cut at 6″ x 6″ and folded in half so that the card front is 3″ x 6″. I cut this blue pattern of the Flowers For Every Season designer paper the full 3″ x 6″. I debated about using ribbon, but decided to just use a 1/2″ strip of a dotted side of the designer paper instead.

The greeting, in the Blossoms In Bloom Stamp Set, was stamped in Misty Moonlight Ink, which matches the designer paper. It is die-cut with a Stitched Shapes Die.

I already had stamped the flower from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set. I adhered the greeting flat on the card but I popped up the flower with Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

For a little bling, I couldn’t resist adding a few Misty Moonlight 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots. I think these have been very popular since they came out in the Annual Catalog! As I write this, they are on “Low Inventory” so get yours while you can! They work so well because they are small and fairly flat.

Try this different style of card, no matter what size you want to make it, as long as it will fit in an envelope you have! Of course you can always make your own envelope. I’ve made this kind of card years ago, so what goes around comes back around again! You can make a card like this a few inches longer and about an inch taller, but since I was working with 6″ x 6″ designer paper, this Flowers For Every Season Monochromatic Slimline Card was the perfect size for me.

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Don’t forget! Last week to spend your Bonus Days Coupons!!

Gnome For The Holidays 3 Gnomes Christmas Card

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Gnome For The Holidays 3 Gnomes Christmas Card

This little gnome stamp set is just too cute so I made a Gnome For The Holidays 3 Gnomes Christmas Card. All three gnomes have come together to send holiday wishes on this card!

To make this card, I stamped each gnome in the Gnome For the Holidays Stamp Set side by side. Even though they are cling stamps, you can stamp them close together and likely not overlap them. The gnomes are stamped in Memento Ink because I knew I would use my Stampin’ Blends to color them in. I stamped them on a large scrap of Whisper White, not exactly knowing how I would die-cut them to put them on the front of the card.

After looking through my dies and the large size I needed to fit in all the gnomes, I decided to just cut the paper into a rectangle that would fit inside the Stitched So Sweetly scalloped rectangle die that I could use as a layer. Then I looked through the Heartwarming Hugs Designer Series Paper to see what paper I wanted to use with the gnomes. I really liked this red and green plaid!

The card base is Real Red with the Heartwarming Hugs DSP layer and then the gnomes focal point on top of that. I decided not to pop up anything but you could.

After adhering all the layers together, I stamped the greeting, also from the Gnome For the Holidays Stamp Set. I cut the strip down to 3/4″ wide and used the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch to punch each end of the greeting. Then I added a Red Rhinestone Basic Jewel to each end for a little “bling”!

You likely will want to put a Whisper White layer inside the card unless you want to stamp on the Real Red cardstock base. You could stamp one gnome or the house on this Whisper White piece or adhere a strip of the matching designer paper along the bottom edge.

If you like coloring and wanted to make a few more of these Gnome For The Holidays 3 Gnomes Christmas Cards, you could make this card pretty easily (except for lots of coloring!). Always plan to make multiple cards of the same design assembly-line fashion because it goes faster that way!

You will find the Gnome For the Holidays Stamp Set in the August-December 2020 Mini Catalog on page 23. It’s a simple little stamp set and has fun greetings. Here is a link to the first gnome Christmas card I made! I really like the little Christmas lights on the gnome house! So cute!

Be sure to use your July Bonus Coupons by August 31 on your Stampin’ Up! order!

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Sign Up For Hello, Pumpkin!

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Don’t you just want to reach into this photo and grab that pretty Paper Pumpkin Box and the pumpkins?! I do!! I can’t wait for this box to arrive in September! This one is called Hello, Pumpkin, and comes in this special box for fall!

Paper Pumpkin is our monthly subscription service that offers fun ‘n’ easy papercrafting projects for crafters of any skill level! In these themed all-inclusive kits, subscribers receive pre-cut paper pieces, embellishments, ink, and an exclusive stamp set. As the subscription continues, subscribers will have a collection of cards and other creations for a variety of occasions, in addition to a stockpile of supplies!

As the autumn season approaches, prepare to celebrate with the September Paper Pumpkin Kit! There’s so much to love about fall—some love the haunts of Halloween, many love the time to give thanks, and others love the changing colors and cooler temperatures. Whatever you love most about fall, September’s kit has everything you need to celebrate the season your way! Between a multi-occasion stamp set and enough supplies to design 20 cracker box treat packages, you can create custom fall crafts to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, and leaves. Whether you make them all the same or mix ‘n’ match your crafts, there’s something for everyone in this kit!

ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER KIT

  • Kit contains enough supplies to create 20 cracker box treat packages.
  • Each cracker box treat package can be customized to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, the autumn season, or all three!
  • Coordinating Colors: Bumblebee, Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Cinnamon Cider, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, white

Don’t miss out on all the fall fun! You can subscribe to the Hello Pumpkin Paper Pumpkin Kit between 11 August and 10 September.

Did you know you can also add a Prepaid Subscription to your regular Stampin’ Up! order? Just choose which length of time you would like. This adds to your Stampin’ Up! order so maybe you will reach Stampin’ Rewards! You can do this even if you have a monthly subscription already! It will just add on to your account.

Use my personalized link to join Paper Pumpkin so you don’t have to search for my name!

JOIN PAPER PUMPKIN TODAY!

Snowman Season in Plaid Tidings Christmas Card

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Snowman Season in Plaid Tidings

I had almost forgotten that this snowman stamp set from last year was still current this year, so when I came across the Snowman Season Stamp Set I knew I had to make this Snowman Season in Plaid Tidings Christmas Card.

You will find this Snowman Season Stamp Set in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. It was a favorite stamp set from last year – the cute snowmen and also the Snowman Builder Punch. You can’t but feel happy when you stamp with these snowmen in this set!

First I chose the plaid pattern I liked in the Plaid Tidings 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper. Then I chose the Seaside Spray Cardstock with a layer of Cherry Cobbler.

The snowman is stamped on a Tasteful Labels Die in Memento Ink. I colored with Stampin’ Blends but you could also use other coloring methods, like maybe Watercolor Pencils. I die-cut a stitched scalloped rectangle in the Stitched So Sweetly Dies out of Cherry Cobbler, but it seemed like too big an area behind the snowman. I decided to add a rectangle of Seaside Spray that would fit inside the stitched die and that solved the problem.

Before adhering the snowman pieces, I adhered a piece of Silver 3/8″ Metallic-Edge Ribbon from top to bottom of the Seaside Spray layer. Then the snowman die piece was popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals®. I tied a separate bow and adhered it to the top with Mini Glue Dots.

The greetings in the Snowman Season Stamp Set were a little too big, so I used one from the Itty Bitty Christmas Stamp Set. I simply stamped it on a narrow scrap of Whisper White and used the new Lovely Labels Pick a Punch to punch each end of the greeting. It is popped up with Dimensionals on each end so that it is the same level as the snowman piece. For a little bling, I could have used Snowflake Sequins around the snowman, but instead, I used the Elegant Faceted Gems in three spots to resemble snowflakes.

It was fun to find this stamp set from the Holiday Catalog last year and make something updated with it this year! Here is a link to a card I made last year with the set and the Snowman Builder Punch. Choose stamp sets and papers that bring you joy for making your holiday and Christmas cards so it will be a fun endeavor! This Snowman Season in Plaid Tidings Christmas Card will make you happy all day long while you make multiples, perhaps, of this card!

SHOP STAMPIN’ UP! ONLINE HERE!

Remember to use your Bonus Coupons during August if you earned some in July!

Gather Together Fall Leaves Card

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I used several products on this Gather Together Fall Leaves Card, as I thought about them while making the card. I probably started out with a simpler version in my head of making this fall card, and then I came up with more ideas as I worked on it. That’s probably the way a lot of us do our cardmaking!

The beginning of the card was simply the stamping and coloring of the leaves in the Gather Together Stamp Set. You may already have this set if you purchased it last year. Happily, it was carried over into this August-December 2020 Mini Catalog as a favorite from last year! I stamped a few leaves in Memento Ink first but I thought the black outline was too stark. Then I stamped some in Soft Suede Ink. In the end, after they were colored, I’m not sure it made much difference so I think you can do either.

To color the leaves, I used Sponge Daubers and various ink pads. Just choose whatever colors you like for fall. I used Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, and Granny Apple Green. I intended to leave parts of the leaves uncolored, but it didn’t so much turn out that way! I was sort of using a card on page 47 in the Mini as inspiration with the leaves. I didn’t try to be precise, especially as far as coloring “outside the lines” because I knew I would be cutting out the leaves anyway. I don’t own the dies but I don’t mind doing some “fussy-cutting” with my Paper Snips.

Gather Together Fall Leaves Card Coloring

The card base is Early Espresso Cardstock with a layer of Very Vanilla to offset the layer of Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper. This paper is so beautiful, it was difficult choosing which pattern to use. But I didn’t want to take too much away from the leaves so I chose a plainer pattern, not one with the gold and copper foil accents which are so pretty.

Next, I used a piece of Garden Green Cardstock to make a banner and embossed it with one of the Greenery Embossing Folders. These are narrower folders for smaller pieces you want to emboss. I also stamped the greeting in the Gather Together Stamp Set in Early Espresso Ink and die-cut it with a die in the Tasteful Labels Dies.

After adhering the layers together plus the banner on the card, I adhered two fall leaves with Stampin’ Dimensionals and added some of the gold foil pieces in the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper. I think they really add a little pop of pizzazz! The greeting was centered over everything, also popped up on Dimensionals. For a final touch, I added a bow made with the 3/16″ Braided Linen Trim.

Gather Together Fall Leaves Card Closeup

It’s time to start making some fall or autumn cards, maybe just to send to friends and family and maybe to save for Thanksgiving. Who knows if we will be able to “Gather Together” this Thanksgiving so we might want to have cards ready to send to those people we want to remember on the holiday. This Gather Together Fall Leaves Card would suit the purpose just fine!

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Remember to use your Bonus Coupons before August 31 if you have them from July!

Banner Year Halloween Card

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Banner Year Halloween Card

This Banner Year Halloween Card is one that I created simply by “playing around”! I won’t say it’s my best work or anywhere close, but I wanted to try out the stamp set and see what I could make!

The Banner Year Stamp Set has lots of smaller images and greetings for lots of occasions so it is a good stamp set to own. There is fall, Halloween, Christmas, and even Valentine’s Day. Of course, some of those can even be used any time of year. So I just decided I wanted to see if I could make a Halloween card with the appropriate images. That’s why I said I was playing around with the stamp set.

The card is a smaller square card, 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″, which I thought would help with the smaller images. The card base is Basic Black with a layer of Pumpkin Pie and stamping on Whisper White. Without knowing how I would place things, I stamped the little spider web up in the corner and the three bats in the sky. I was thinking of putting a strip of designer paper, maybe the new Plaid Tidings with the greeting on some kind of label across the designer paper. But then I saw the pumpkin stamps and thought why not put some green cardstock for grass across the bottom. I went back to one of our favorite old techniques of tearing the strip of cardstock to make a rougher edge. Hold the strip vertically in front of you and tear down toward yourself. That’s how you get the edge torn the way you want it.

The pumpkins are stamped in Pumpkin Pie and the little stems and leaves (one stamp) stamped in Old Olive. There is even a little jack-o-lantern face stamp in the set so I stamped one pumpkin with that!

Then I wondered what to do about the sky, since I wasn’t necessarily planning on a “scene” when I started! I grabbed my Sponge Daubers and used various colors of ink to scrub in for the sky. I used Night of Navy, Granny Apple Green, a little bit of some color of purple (Maybe Highland Heather) and some Balmy Blue over all of it. Just play with whatever colors you like because it’s Halloween after all, anything goes for a spooky sky!

I had wanted to use the “Happy Haunting” sentiment in the Banner Year Stamp Set but once I got the card stamped it looked a little large. After I stamped it, I decided to cut the words apart and adhere them in the sky. (That would also cover up part of the sky that looked less blended than I would have liked!)

For a finishing touch, I added several Gold Glitter Enamel Dots scattered around to look like stars in the sky or just for a little bling! Sometimes just added a little something to your card, like sequins or dots or glitter just finishes it off perfectly! I made some other cards recently that were cute enough as they were but when I added some sequins, it was a Wow!

Here is another Halloween card I made several years ago with smaller images and then filled up space with washi tape! You could also use strips of designer paper.

If you are looking for a stamp set that has small, but images for lots of occasions, this Banner Year Stamp Set just might appeal to you. It actually comes in a Bundle, the Banner Year Bundle. You get the stamp set and the Banners Pick A Punch together for a 10% savings. And certainly, the punch is handy to use in many cardmaking sessions! It won’t be long until we are making Halloween cards so use this Banner Year Halloween Card to help you get some ideas!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online HERE!

Snowflake Splendor Merry Christmas Card

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Snowflake Splendor Merry Christmas Card

I couldn’t help but carry on with the snowflake theme with this Snowflake Splendor Merry Christmas Card. When I made the snowflake die cuts in the card from yesterday’s post, I had these three beautiful snowflakes I could use on another card.

It might look like I watercolored the background of this card, but it is actually the Snowflake Splendor Designer Series Paper. I chose a portion of the paper that had the colors of blue and also the purple. It’s really a beautiful background and not quite the traditional Christmas colors.

The card base is Highland Heather Cardstock with another layer of Whisper White to help set off the designer paper. These are just 1/16″ margins rather than 1/8″ because I needed the width of the card for the three snowflakes. The snowflakes are die cut with the So Many Snowflakes Dies.

I adhered the three snowflakes to the designer paper with tiny dots of Multipurpose Liquid Glue. The greeting is stamped from the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set. Then I used the Lovely Labels Pick A Punch to punch each end of the stamped strip. This punch is like two punches in one so it is really fun to use! After I insert the strip, I turn the punch over to make sure the strip is fully inserted and that it is centered. You don’t really have to be this precise, but if I think of it, I like to double-check before punching.

I could have popped up the greeting, but since I thought I would probably put an embellishment at each end, I didn’t want it to be too thick for mailing. I used the lightest color, Coastal Cabana, in the Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels in the center of each snowflake and larger ones at each end of the greeting strip.

For the inside of the card, I added a Whisper White layer and stamped a greeting from the Poinsettia Petals Stamp Set. I had also die cut a snowflake, the same as the ones on the front of the card, out of a scrap of the same designer paper, but I thought it took up too much room on the inside Whisper White layer, so I adhered it to the inside of the back of the card front.

That’s all there is to this pretty card! It’s really just the die-cut snowflakes and the watercolor look of the designer paper. If you would like to make this Snowflake Splendor Merry Christmas Card, just visit the Stampin’ Up! Online Store!

Snowflake Splendor With So Many Snowflakes Dies

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Snowflake Splendor With Many Snowflakes Dies

Brand new designer paper, dies, ribbon, and even a new die-cutting machine to make this Snowflake Splendor With Many Snowflakes Dies card for the holidays! Actually, I am hoping the snowflakes will cool me off in this very hot Houston weather!

This card is actually pretty simple! The card base is Balmy Blue Cardstock and I used the new Snowflake Splendor Designer Series Paper as a layer underneath the die-cut snowflakes. The snowflakes are die-cut out of Whisper White Cardstock (Shimmery White Cardstock would be really pretty, too!) using the So Many Snowflakes Dies. As a bonus, I now have three beautifully die-cut snowflakes to use on another card or project!

The new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine, pictured in the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog is almost available! It will be available to customers on September 1, which is coming up soon! It IS available for preorder for Demonstrators (which is always a good reason to sign up!), but only the large machine. The cute Mini is not available and we don’t have a date yet. Mine just arrived and I’ve only played with it a little bit! I will post some quick photos I took of it, but I didn’t have the handle attached to it yet!

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine Closed
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine Open
Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine Both Sides

The Stampin’ Cut & Emboss comes separately from any order you also placed with it, in a box of its own, very well packed. There are some instructions and I encourage you to read them. The handle assembly instructions are just drawings, as most manuals are these days, but there is important information in the written information just inside the cover. Please read it so you don’t void your warranty and keep it handy. Be sure to save the little wrench that comes with the machine you need to attach the handle because you may need it in the future possibly.

The machine itself is gorgeous, especially the silver embossed Stampin’ Up! logos! It’s so nice the way the platform folds up on each side for storage or just to take up less space wherever you have it. Since mine is always out on the dining room table, this might neaten things up a bit!

The platform and plates are numbered and have directions printed on the platform for the sandwiches to use for dies, thinner embossing folders and the 3D embossing folders. That is so great! Before you start, though, take a good look at your beautiful, new clean clear plates with no marks on them yet!! Just admire the beauty before they get messed up with die-cutting marks! LOL!

I found the machine to work very well and did I mention how pretty it is?! My Big Shot is still working but is ten years old and has been overhauled once by my husband a few years ago so I wonder how much longer until it konks out. I will certainly keep it as it may work for many more years, but I did have to have the new one!!

But back to the card! I die-cut the three snowflakes and then tried various designer papers underneath to see what I liked. If you want to be real persnickety, you can see if you can line up any snowflake designs underneath your die-cuts. I kind of did that and drew a pencil line around the Whisper White die-cut layer on to the designer paper and cut it out by hand, but even that wasn’t perfect so I don’t know that I would bother with that again.

The greeting is stamped in Balmy Blue Ink and die cut, as well as the Balmy Blue Cardstock layer, with the Layering Circles Dies. I was trying to make the whole greeting as small as possible to avoid covering up my die-cut snowflakes, so if you were making this same card, you might try to plan ahead with the greeting and try to arrange your dies so you have the space available that you want for your greeting. It doesn’t hurt, though, if a tiny corner of the snowflake is covered. The greeting is from the Itty Bitty Christmas Stamp Set.

Since I had just received the Snowflake Splendor 1/4″ Ribbon, I wanted to use it and just zig-zagged it behind the greeting before adhering with Stampin’ Dimensionals. The ribbon is a little stiff and is making the greeting pop up so I probably need to work on that a little bit!

For some bling I added some Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels in Night of Navy to the center of each snowflake. You could use other things, too. Then I added a few Snowflake Sequins randomly on the card front and on the greeting. The Take Your Pick is handy for picking up these tiny snowflake sequins and placing them on the teeny tiny dot of Multipurpose Liquid Glue. I hope this Snowflake Splendor With Many Snowflakes Dies card has cooled you off from the summer heat and gotten you in the mood for holiday cardmaking!

Shop Stampin’ Up! Online in the New Store! Make sure you see my name as your Demonstrator since this is a new site. If you have questions, just let me know!

Gilded Autumn Gather Together Card For Fall

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This Gilded Autumn Gather Together Card For Fall is one I created by copying a fall card I made last year with the same stamp set but using this year’s new designer paper! You can take any card or project you’ve made in the past and update it with a new greeting, new colors, new paper, new embellishments.

Here is the card I was copying from last year. Click the card to see the blog post.

Gather Together Fall Card on the First Day of Fall

The new Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper in the Holiday August-December 2020 Mini Catalog is just beautiful this year with its earth tone colors and some copper and gold foil accents. I really like this paper! For the card base, I used Mint Macaron Cardstock because it goes with the pattern I wanted to use. This leafy pattern is what I used to cut out some leaves as embellishments.

Under the leafy pattern designer paper, I put a layer of Copper Foil. If you want to cheat, you can die-cut a piece out of the center of the foil, which will be hidden underneath the designer paper, if you want to use every bit of the foil sheets!

For the center of the card, to match the one from last year, I cut out a Copper Foil piece from the Stitched Nested Labels Dies. You can choose whichever size works best for your card.

The greeting, from the Gather Together Stamp Set, is stamped on Whisper White Cardstock in Mint Macaron Ink and die cut with a smaller Stitched Nested Labels Die. I added a little Gold Metallic Pearl on each side. The pumpkins and one gourd are cut out with Paper Snips by hand from the paper in the Gilded Autumn selection. I love the pattern with all the pumpkins and gourds! I just cut out three of them and a few leaves and adhered them to the front around the greeting. That’s all there is to it! Seems pretty simple, right?!

What is it about fall that makes us all so excited to expect it and to make fall projects like colored leaves and pumpkins and more?!

Be sure to check out the Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper in the new Stampin’ Up! Online Store because the photos of the paper are really great! Next best thing to seeing them in person!

The Gilded Autumn Paper and the Foil Sheets are so pretty that’s almost all you need on this Gilded Autumn Gather Together Card For Fall.

Blossoms In Bloom You Are Special Card

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Blossoms In Bloom You Are Special Card

I don’t know what blossom or flower this is in this blueish color, but since it is art it can be anything, right? It all began with die-cutting some designer paper for the fuller layer underneath the outline layer but that didn’t seem to be what I was looking for. Sometimes if you original idea doesn’t work out, you just have to keep going and see what else you can come up with and that’s how this Blossoms In Bloom You Are Special Card came to be!

When you get right down to it, this card is pretty simple to make! The floral outline is die-cut with the Many Layered Blossoms Dies. The die is almost as big as the card front! If you think of it ahead of time, it would be a good idea to use the Adhesive Sheets on the cardstock before you die-cut it so that it will be like a giant sticker and you don’t have to worry about adhering it. I used teeny tiny dots of Multipurpose Liquid Glue but it is a little tedious!

The card base is Pool Party Cardstock, which I didn’t choose until I had the front of the card made! The floral die-cut is Coastal Cabana Cardstock. To add some color, I stamped the blossoms in the Blossoms In Bloom Stamp Set in Pool Party Ink.

I think if you are making a card like this you need to take a minute to think about the direction you want things to lay out in since everything is so large. Since I had the outline die cut first, I laid that down on my card front to see which leaf was going at the top and which way everything was pointing. Then I would know pretty close how to stamp the blossom image that would go underneath the die. It’s not something you can plan perfectly, but just so you get things pretty much how they are going to fit in the end.

The front layer of the card is Shimmery White Cardstock because at first, I thought I might do some watercoloring. Shimmery White Cardstock holds up better to water than Whisper White Cardstock. Plus it is the prettiest paper with its very subtle glimmer. It’s a little more toward the ivory or off-white color than pure white but you can really use it for either way.

The greeting is stamped from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set. I used the Lovely Labels Pick A Punch which makes two different fancy ends to several sizes of paper strips. You can punch a 1/2″, 3/4″ or 1″ strip of paper. Just stick the length of cardstock way into the punch to get the fancy end. If you want to be extra careful, turn the punch over before punching and make sure the strip is all the way in and centered how you want it. Sometimes a tiny wiggle can get it off-center. I also cut a layer with the same punch with just a wider strip of paper. For a little bling, I used one Clear Epoxy Droplet. I think it was the perfect little bit of pizzazz on the card!

Don’t forget to use your July Bonus Coupons this month! You will see where to enter them on your order. I think you have to do one at a time if you have several to use. You can use all the coupons you have on one order, but you have to enter them one at a time. Before you submit your order, you will see that the coupon amount was taken off. Just remember, if you have a large order and reach Hostess rewards, when you enter your coupons that will bring down your total and you might have to add more to earn the Stampin’ Rewards.

Here is another way to use the Blossoms in Bloom Stamp Set along with the Many Layered Blossoms Dies. You can purchase the stamp set and dies. Then you will be all set to make something like my Blossoms In Bloom You Are Special Card.