It was a card by Jeanie Stark that started my obsession with this layout. I held my see-through quilting ruler up to my laptop’s screen to see if I could figure out the exact measurements. I think I came close; the sketch with the measurements I used is at the end of this post.
I love this Sunny Days Designer Series Paper from Sale-A-Bration 2024. It’s the perfect combination of colors, I think. Not too sweet.
The first (white) layer on the card front above is 4″ x 5¼”, but I omitted that layer on yesterday’s cards. The rest of the layout follows this sketch:
I’m sorry to say that the Heartfelt Hexagon punch (and then, the Heartfelt Hexagon bundle) is unavailable until the week of April 22.
I don’t know how it happened that it was Christmas one day, then the next day we were looking at the Last Chance lists. So I have felt unprepared for some of the changes coming up, including the retirement of the 2022-2024 In Colors. That was my motivation to use them immediately!
The Stamp Review Crew blog hop provided the perfect opportunity to use colors I love, Orchid Oasis and Starry Sky, as variations on this layout. The product list at the end of the post includes supplies for both cards.
These cards used a layout inspired by demonstrator Jeanie Stark, one that I first used for a February camp card. My post tomorrow will show you that card, and I will include measurements for the center panel. I hope you’ll enjoy using it as much as I have!
And speaking of sketches, one of the cool little features of the upcoming Stampin’ Up! 2024-2025 Annual Catalog is a selection of 22 card templates in sketch format. Those are great starting points!
I am hoping my real-life catalog arrives in the mail by Saturday. That way, after the Easter brunch leftovers are refrigerated or sent home with people; all the dishes are washed, dried, and put away; and we have said goodbye to our guests, I can put my jammies on and do some serious work on my wish list!
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Last week I shared an easy layout in one of my cards for the Stamp Review Crew’s blog hop featuring Kindest Expressions. (You can see my post here.) At the time I posted that, I already had designed this card for last weekend’s All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack. I could make this card using many, many different coordinating patterned papers and never get tired of it; this card uses the beautiful Countryside Inn Designer Series Paper.
My strategy for combining patterns is to provide contrast by using
A variation in scale (here, the center pattern is much smaller than those on either side).
One or two linear patterns (like the center one) and one or two floral or circular patterns.
This doesn’t get too busy because the color unifies the design.
This is such a simple layout: three 1″ x 5″ strips of patterned paper and a bold sentiment. Inside we used one of the stamps from Sweetly Scripted, a must-have set from the Online Exclusives.
The Misty Moonlight and silver baker’s twine was part of a combo pack several years ago. I’m sorry I have so little of it left in my stash!
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Stampin’ Up! offers several options for coloring line art, like the image here. Which option I use depends on the image and the result I want.
Let’s Color is a class that will offer you the opportunity to practice coloring with three types of media: Stampin’ Blends (alcohol markers), Watercolor Pencils, and Water Painters (for coloring with Stampin’ Up! Classic Ink). You will learn the differences between these coloring methods, how to decide which to use, and how to blend and shade.
You’ll take home a booklet with class notes and your practice samples, some of which will be suitable for projects you complete at home. You’ll use your own Watercolor Pencils and Stampin’ Blends (or you may choose the option to include them in your registration), but will share my other supplies.
Saturday, April 20 — 1:00-4:30 p.m. at my DeKalb home (322 Fairmont Dr) Note that registration is limited to 8 stampers.
Choose one of two class options:
With this class, you’ll also receive a 15% discount on Stampin’ Blends products purchased at the time of registration or at class. Note that some of these prices will be going up on May 1!
To register, send me a check and a note indicating which Combo Packs you’d like (see Option B, above), or register below via PayPal. I must have your registration and payment by Wednesday, April 10 in order to have your materials in time for class.
Here are the retiring product lists for the Stampin’ Up! January-April 2024 Mini Catalog and 2023-2024 Annual Catalog. These last-chance products will be available until April 30 or while supplies last only, so get your favorite items before they’re gone! Note that selected products are discounted, but those price reductions are only valid beginning on April 9.
Traditionally, dies, embossing folders, and all In-Color products will fly out of inventory — don’t be disappointed! And that’s the dilemma: whether to get items immediately so you’re not disappointed when they sell out or wait a few weeks to get a discount beginning on April 9. Time for some strategy — and a calculator!
Hi there, and welcome to another Stamp Review Crew blog hop! Today we’re sharing what we’ve done with Kindest Expressions, a set I got only recently. A set of just four red rubber cling stamps, Kindest Expressions has big, bold sentiments. For me, that means I need card backgrounds that can stand up to them!
There are only four of us on this hop, but I know you’ll see some great ideas from around the world. If you’re hopping in order, you just came from Australia (!) and the blog of Ellen Woodbridge. (Remember that the complete list of bloggers for this hop is here, or the banner at the top of this post.)
I have been busy getting ready for a stamp-a-stack later this week, so I took advantage of the simple-but-striking sentiments in this set to make a sympathy card for my file and a birthday card for mid-April. I’d rather not make a sympathy card that’s grim and depressing; my goal is to provide something lovely that will make the recipient feel a bit better. Flowers that look like spring seem appropriate. I always assumed I had lots of floral stamp sets on my shelf, but of course not the right one (can you relate?), so I created this slight variation of a note card I did last year using Petal Park:
The sympathy sentiment is the smallest of the four images, so I used a stronger background for this birthday card for our neighbor next door. It’s a simple layout, just three 1″ x 5″ strips of coordinating patterned paper and a tag or other shape for the bold sentiment:
Now I am back to my SAS prep so I have plenty of time later today to re-format and post (tomorrow) the Last Chance retiring lists from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalog and January-April 2024 Mini Catalog. When that’s done, I’ll take a quick look at the next Annual Catalog!
Next up inspiring you is Holly Krautkremer of Rubber Redneck. Enjoy!
I’ve been holding “stamp-a-stack” events for over 12 years, both Jingle Jumps for holiday cards and All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stacks for general cards. Yes, at these events you do stamp a “stack” of cards to help keep you supplied with handmade cards.
Here’s how a stamp-a-stack works:
Register for the session you want (there are three of them) and pay $22 to make 10 cards.
Bring your own adhesive and scissors. I’ll provide everything else you need to make your cards, including Grid Paper, stamps, ink, pre-cut paper, scraps for punching or die-cutting, and Stampin’ Dimensionals. Oh, and music to stamp by!
When you arrive at my house, walk right in through the garage and come downstairs (follow the noise!). There are railings on each side of the stairway.
Downstairs, hang up your coat, or throw it on the bed with anything else you don’t need to keep with you. Pick up the bag with your name on it and put the 10 card packs you want to make (there are six designs to choose from). You can make extra cards for $2 each.
In your bag, you’ll find a small booklet with basic instructions for the day, a picture and notes for each card design, details for upcoming events, and information on a limited-time ordering promotion available only to participants.
Find an empty chair and begin stamping! Usually, cards will take only about 10 minutes each to complete, but sometimes I might have a design that’s a bit more involved. You’ll work at your own pace — there’s no hurry.
When you’re done with one design, move to another station until your 10 cards are done.
I love to answer questions and offer assistance. That’s what I am there for!
Leave with a sense of satisfaction for a time of creativity and fellowship — and your stack of cards!
The next All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack is scheduled for March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The deadline to register is next Tuesday, March 12. To read all the details and register online, click HERE.
It’s kind of exciting to see new things once in a while, right? That’s why I love it when Stampin’ Up! adds new products to the Online Exclusives area. Those items are not in any catalog and (don’t forget this!) are only available while they last.
Well, today is the day you can check out just why I’ve been looking forward to sharing the brand-new products that have been added. In truth, I’ve had some of them in my hands for a few weeks (it’s one of the advantages of being a demonstrator), so I am ready to show them off at the All-Occasions Stamp-a-Stack later this month.
Click here to see the new Online Exclusives in my online storefront (the newest products are at the top of the list), and watch this SU! corporate video to see why I’m so excited:
We have a teeny tiny blog hop for you today, but I am confident you will find inspiration from those bloggers who are participating! Today we are featuring the beautiful Ink & Tiled stamp set, which debuted in the 2023-2024 Annual Catalog:
Before me on the hop list is Holly Krautkremer’s blog, Rubber Redneck. Because I am writing this way before the posting deadline (which is 5:00 a.m. in my time zone!), I have no idea what Holly is showing off — but I know it is wonderful!
I thought the Stamp Review Crew had already used this set for a hop, but if so, I was not a part of it. You can see other cards I have made with this set HERE and HERE. Today I focused on just one of the images and sentiments, and all-over, random stamping. Note that I will be posting my cards individually this week so I can give you some additional information and share the product lists.
“The end is near” for the 2022-2024 In Colors, so I thought I would revisit two of them before they are gone for good. Although it was difficult for me to capture the colors correctly, the card base here is Starry Sky and the stamped panels are Orchid Oasis.
I reversed the layout and the colors (more or less) for this next card:
I enjoyed myself so much with all the random stamping, I thought I’d revisit an old technique: Faux Crushed Silk. Here the stamping is done on tissue paper. (I’ll describe the technique in more detail later this week and give you a closeup of the result.) Demonstrator Mary Knabe was my inspiration for this card.
Again, please come back to heartfeltinkspiration.com this week to read more about these two cards. Now, off you go to Jay Soriano’s blog, Mitosu Crafts. Have fun!
I knew I wanted to create a custom background with this pretty two-step image, but I didn’t want to stamp a random pattern. So I took a more measured approach — literally! — making sure the repeat was pleasing to the eye. I used my Stamparatus and the “hinge-step” technique to stamp the leaf image and then the flower image three times. Then I moved the panel over for the next three sets. You better know I practiced on some scratch paper so I was sure it would work out on the size panel I was using. (Although Stampin’ Up! no longer carries the Stamparatus, this SU! video demonstrates the hinge-step technique.)
I was surprised and pleased with the results (and my husband made quite a fuss over it). My mistake? Only making one of these backgrounds before I cleaned and removed the stamps from the Stamparatus plates. The stamping inside the cards was done “by hand,” the old-fashioned way.
I cut the numbers from a piece of retired Rainbow Glimmer paper, after applying an Adhesive Sheet to the back. Adhering the die cuts to the Vellum panel was a cinch; I used my Glass Mat to make sure the numbers were straight and centered, easily repositioning them as needed. Once I was happy with them, I burnished the back of the Vellum to make sure they wouldn’t move in the mail.
Happy 105th birthday, Florence!
Click the images below to add current products for this card to your cart in my Stampin’ Up! online store. Disclosure: I get a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional charge to you. Thank you!