Here's to You Congrats - Stampin' Up!® Capturing Smiles

   The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge is back with a new set of colors for you to work with for you clean and simple designs.  Joanne has given us a beautifully bright set of colors this time: Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green and Blueberry Bushel!

  I wanted to ink up a new set called Capturing Smiles so I grabbed the small camera image and just let the colors do the work!  

  I used each of the challenge colors then added the cameras to a Stylish Shapes square die cut with dimensionals.

  The simple sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set and is stamped in Memento Black. 

  A truly 'clean and simple' card!  We hope to see your card in the gallery.  Remember to keep your project clean with minimal layers and the focus on the challenge colors.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. 

Stamps: Capturing Smiles (Online Exclusive), Banner Sayings (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Blueberry Bushel, Memento Black

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: Capturing Smiles dies (Online Exclusive), Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals

Tropical Blooms - Stampin' Up!® Simply Beautiful

   The Simply Beautiful bundle makes gorgeous layered flowers and my local stampers got to see for themselves at my last class when they made this bright tropical floral card.

  The supply packet for this project was quite boring with all Basic White cardstock pieces except for a small piece of Daffodil Delight.  But the fun of this card is getting to add all the color!

  The card base is Basic White thick, then a layer of Basic White embossed with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder. Then a strip of Basic White for the sentiment in Granny Apple Green.

  Finally the fun!  Using Daffodil Delight, Timid Tiger and Poppy Parade ink and blending brushes the ink is blended onto a panel of Basic White and then the flower layers are die cut from it.  This is a fun technique to get multi-colored flowers in whatever combo you'd like. The large flower is the 2 largest dies plus a smaller die.  There is a dimensional between the 2 larger layers.  The small flower is 2 layers also with a dimensional.  Both flowers have Daffodil Delight pistil and stamens.

  The leaves are made the same way with Granny Apple Green blended in and then the leaf image stamped over the top in the same ink.

  The final touch for this card is a pair of Pearlized Faceted Circles to add some sparkle.

  I shared a sped up video of this design coming together over on Instagram if you'd like to take a look!

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Simply Beautiful

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Timid Tiger, Poppy Parade

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Beautiful Pattern embossing folder, Simply Beautiful dies, dimensionals, Pearlized Faceted Circles

Nature Guy - Stampin' Up!® Nature's Symphony

   My stampers and I agree that making guy cards can be tough and we don't always have a lot of ideas.  I designed today's card for my last class to give them some starting points for a guy card.  This one shows off the Nature's Symphony bundle and Nature Walk DSP to make non-boring masculine card.

  Layering and texture are great things to incorporate into a masculine card because they add detail without froofiness (that's a word right?).  This card starts with a Crumb Cake base stamped with the Lasting Linen background stamp using Crumb Cake ink; nice detail, no froof.

  Next is a Pretty Peacock panel with 3 graduating sized strips of the Nature Walk DSP; interest and pattern, no froof.  This whole DSP pack is great and you could mix and match many of the patterns to make a variety of cards in this style.

  For texture the Lost Lagoon leaf die cut and Crumb Cake wood plank are added; wood is definitely not froofy here.

  The sentiment is stamped in Secret Sea on a strip of Very Vanilla with the edges torn; more texture.  A length of Secret Sea faux linen ribbon is tucked between the sentiment and plank die cut.  Now a bow would be froofy but a loop is not.

  Metallic embellishments usually work well for a masculine card so a few Faux Bronze Pentagons finish off the details.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Nature's Symphony 

Ink: Secret Sea, Crumb Cake

Paper: Crumb Cake, Pretty Peacock, Lost Lagoon, Nature Walk DSP, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, dimensionals, Faux Linen ribbon, Faux Bronze Pentagons

Hello Spring - Stampin' Up!® Simple Alphabet

 I was scrolling the list of challenges I regularly play along with and one of them had "weather" as the theme so I dug through my supplies, pulled a few things out and got to work and ended up with a decently cute card I think.  The only problem?  The challenge was supposed to be a clean and simple card but my finished product is not CAS. Oops!  I clearly was not paying enough attention but at least I have a card to share today!

  I was able to use some retired DSP as well as a panel that was embossed that was in my scrap bag.  It's always satisfying using some (hoarded) paper!

  The Rain or Shine DSP retired several years ago but I had a bit of the umbrella pattern left and thought that would fit the weather theme.  Looking at the colors in the paper Balmy Blue seemed like a good one to use to make a frame and as luck would have it I had a panel of it already embossed with the also retired Raindrops embossing folder.  I used the smaller of the Gallery Blooms frame dies.

  I wanted to to use a new alphabet stamp set that will be released soon as I hadn't gotten it inked up yet.  I love the font of the Simple Alphabet set and used Balmy Blue and Old Olive (another color in the DSP) to stamp and trim banners which I popped on dimensionals over the frame.  They are a great size for doing scrapbook page titles as well as greetings for cards.  

  Needing to add something else (and completely blanking on the fact that I should have been making a CAS card) I stamped the sun from the Choose Happy stamp set and colored, fussy cut and popped it up on a dimensional. A few blue iridescent sequins finish this design.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a * will be available in the March 2026 Online Exclusive release.

Stamps: Choose Happy, Simple Alphabet*

Ink: Memento Black, Balmy Blue, Old Olive

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark

Paper: Rain or Shine Specialty DSP, Balmy Blue, Basic White

Accessories: Gallery Blooms dies, dimensionals, Raindrops embossing folder (retired), Iridescent sequins (retired)

Beach Tote Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Notes & Totes Dies

 My card today is another one in my Stamping Book Club series which are cards inspired by books I've recently read.  I hope to make a card for each book I read this year and maybe also to inspire you to read a book and/or make a card!  I've used the Notes & Totes bundle for this beachy vibes card!

  The beach layout was a no brainer for this card inspired by the book Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum.  This one was a fairly quick read about a group of "friends" who summer on the same island and the drama that ensues one summer.  The story is part "rich people with too much money" and "looks can be deceiving".  The cover was top notch for inspiration and I knew right away I wanted to re-create the beach.

  After making the card I realized I should have used a different blue as the Night of Navy Two-Tone looks a bit dark.  But I used Crumb Cake Two-Tone with a torn edge for the white "wave" along with a piece of torn Basic White to make it a bit wider. I used the speckle stamp from the Notes & Totes stamp set for the "sand".

  After seeing the upcoming Rolling Waves bundle that will be released in the March Online Exclusives it would have been perfect for the black and white hat element but I decided to do a beach tote with black & white DSP and Pretty in Pink straps. The Notes & Totes bundle is still top of my list for a fun summer inspired bundle even in the dead of winter!

  The sentiment is embossed in white and accented with some retired adhesive dots.

  It's been fun combining 2 of my favorite hobbies for this card series.  To see the previous books and cards click HERE.

  Thank for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Notes & Totes, Simply Said

Ink: Versamark, Crumb Cake

Paper: Night of Navy Two-Toned cardstock, Basic White Crumb Cake Two-Toned cardstock, Pretty in Pink, Golden Honey Specialty DSP (retired), 2024-2026 In Color DSP (retired)

Accessories: Notes & Totes dies, dimensionals, white embossing powder, Adhesive-Backed Dots for Days (retired)

Let's Go Good Luck - Stampin' Up!® Match Day

 I wanted to make a good luck card for my son who is going to be trying out for high school soccer this coming week.  He's a bit nervous and I thought he might like to get a little bit of themed encouragement!  I preordered the Wonderful Match suite and intended to use it to scrapbook some of the many years worth of photos I have of both boys soccer days but so far I've only used it to make a few cards!  I'm using the Freshly Made Sketches layout which works perfectly for soccer balls!

  The papers in the Wonderful Match DSP are really fun and make great backgrounds.  I stamped the Let's Go sentiment on a piece of Basic White and added a die cut strip of grass below it.  Two die cut Timid Tiger cones with some white Posca paint pen highlights are added to help hide the fact that I stamped the sentiment off center and was too lazy to re-do it!  

  Finally I stamped the soccer balls in Versamark and embossed them in black.  They are nice and shiny though it doesn't show in the photo.

  Since the sketch is supposed to be clean and it's for a teenaged boy I didn't add any other embellishments.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available in the Stampin' Up!® March 2026 Online Exclusive release.

Stamps: Match Day*

Ink: Memento Black, Versamark

Paper: Wonderful Match DSP*, Basic White, Granny Apple Green, Timid Tiger

Accessories: Match Day dies*, black embossing powder, dimensionals, Posca White paint pen (non-SU)

Watercolor Blossom - Stampin' Up!® Simply Beautiful

   My stampers made this watercolor card at my last class using the Simply Beautiful Bundle.  This easy technique requires no painting experience!

  This one starts with a Crumb Cake base then a layer of Lovely & Beautiful DSP in a subtle Old Olive pattern.  Just under the edge of the DSP is a strip of Petunia Pop Two Toned cardstock with a torn edge.  To hide the seam of the 2 papers is a length of Old Olive Specialty RickRack adhered with Tear and Tape.

  The blossom is the star of the card!  It's stamped in Versamark onto watercolor paper and then embossed with gold embossing powder.  Water is then spritzed onto the flower until it puddles in the separate petals.  Then using a waterpainter and a small amount of reinker (this one uses Darling Duckling and Petunia Pop) the tip of the painter is touched to the puddles in the flower letting the ink spread out.  Once you like the look you can dry the water and ink with a heat tool or let it air dry before adding it to the card front.  The best part of this technique is that each one will be completely different depending on the amount of water and ink you add.

  A leaf is stamped in Old Olive ink onto the light side of the Old Olive Two Toned cardstock and is die cut and tucked under the edge of the blossom.  A simple sentiment is added just under the torn paper. Finally a few faceted sequins are added to bring in some more gold.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Simply Beautiful, Banner Sayings

Ink: Darling Duckling, Petunia Pop, Old Olive, Versamark

Paper: Crumb Cake, Watercolor paper, Lovely & Beautiful DSP, Two Toned Old Olive, Two Toned Petunia Pop

Accessories: Simply Beautiful Dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, Old Olive Specialty RickRack, Loose Gold Sequins

Bird Line Up Hello - Stampin' Up!® Cutest Crew

    The Cutest Crew bundle was tops on my list to order after seeing the demonstrator preorder for the upcoming Stampin' Up! ® March Online Exclusives!  This set has adorable little animal images and cute accent stamps as well as dies to go along.  I think the birds are what first caught my eye so I wanted to use them first!  The color combo at Color Dare Challenge just seemed like a perfect match!

  I started with a Soft Sea Foam base, then cut a slightly smaller panel of the same and stamped the little bird feet all over for a fun background.  I found them pretty easy to line up for an even, continuous look.

  Next I stamped the birds in Memento Black twice across a piece of Basic White and then colored them in with Blends along with the tufts of grass.  I popped this piece on dimensional onto another slightly wider piece of Basic White and adhered it all to the card front.

  The sentiment is also stamped in Memento black and I added a few pink dots for just a bit of embellishment.

  I can't wait to create more cards with this fun set!  Look for it to be released for all to order the first week of March!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Items marked with a * will be available with the release of the March 2026 Online Exclusives.

Stamps: Cutest Crew* (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black, Soft Sea Foam

Blends: Balmy Blue light & dark, Lemon Lolly light & dark, Flirty Flamingo light & dark, Soft Sea Foam light & dark, Daffodil Delight dark

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Basic White

Accessories: Cutest Crew dies* (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, Adhesive-Backed Dots for Days (retired)