Smiles for Father's Day - Stampin' Up!® Capturing Smiles

   This time of year is full of hand stamped card worthy events so I'm trying to keep up with them all and working ahead a bit for the ones I need.  Usually I'm a last minute stamper but I'm trying to be more organized by looking ahead on the calendar.  Up next for me is Father's Day and I thought the fun camera and film strip in the Capturing Smiles bundle would be a great masculine card.

 I started with some 2026-2028 In Color Painted Patterns DSP in a striped Peaceful Pine pattern.  I wanted to use some of the small nature scenes in the stamp set and the green was a good starting point.

 Next I cut 2 of the film strips and added stamped hearts, the sentiment and a beach scene and camping scene after coloring them with Blends markers.

  The camera is stamped on Balmy Blue cardstock with Memento black ink.  I used the Balmy Blue Blends dark marker to highlight a few areas of the camera image and then die cut it.  The lens and lens heart were stamped and die cut and added to the camera.

  I dug around in my retired sentiments to find one that that fit the vibe of the card and came up with Many Manly Occasions from the May 2016 Paper Pumpkin.  I stamped it in Timid Tiger and and trimmed it down to fit the space.  This could easily become a birthday card with a quick change of the sentiment too if you're stuck on a masculine birthday card idea!

  A few retired Faux Glass Dots are a nice simple embellishment to finish this card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Capturing Smiles (Online Exclusive), Many Manly Occasions (retired- Paper Pumpkin)

Ink: Memento Black, Timid Tiger, Peaceful Pine, Balmy Blue

Blends: Timid Tiger light & dark, Peaceful Pine light & dark, Balmy Blue light & dark

Paper: Basic White, Basic Black, Balmy Blue, 2026-2028 In Color Painted Patterns DSP

Accessories: Capturing Smiles dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, Faux Glass Dots (retired)

More Jaguar Graduation - Stampin' Up!® Cap & Gown

   The week of graduation activities has concluded and we have a high school graduate on our hands and summer has officially started!  I have to say I won't be sorry to delete all of the school related apps and notifications!  I ended up making several more graduation cards that I thought I would share all together instead of individually as you'd probably get sick of seeing them across multiple days!  I won't go into 'how to" details but the supplies are listed below each card.

Stamps: Cap & Gown (retired), Sending Salutations

Ink: Bermuda Bay (retired), Versamark

Paper: Basic Black, Basic White, Gold Glimmer (retired), 2024-2026 In Color DSP (retired), All Together DSP (retired)

Accessories: Party Banner dies, Forever Plaid embossing folder, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, star punches (retired)

Stamps: Cap & Gown (retired), Reason to Celebrate, Balloon Festoon

Ink: Memento Black, Bermuda Bay (retired), 

Paper: Basic White, Basic Black, Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (retired), Gold Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: dimensionals, star punches (retired)

Stamps: Cap & Gown (retired), Sending Salutations

Ink: Versamark, Memento Black, Bermuda Bay (retired), Summer Splash marker (retired)

Paper: Basic Black, Basic White, Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (retired), Bermuda Bay Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Deckled Rectangle dies (retired), black embossing power, Sunny Day Iridescent Dots (retired)

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Masculine Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

   The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team is back with a new challenge to get you inspired for clean and simple designs.  This time is color combo!  Rachel has given us Night of Navy, Gray Granite and Balmy Blue.  Perfect colors for a masculine card if you need a place to start for the men in your life!  As you can see that's how I used them!  

  I always need a little help getting a guy card started so that's what I went with so I could beef up my stash of birthday cards.  And the Balloon Festoon bundle was a great pairing!

  I simply cut a few balloons in graduated sizes in the challenge color, added a little bit of stamping to the blue ones and embossed the Gray Granite one with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder.

  I adhered them to a Basic White panel with the top two being popped on dimensionals.  I trimmed off the over hang and then hand drew the string with a marker.

  The sentiment from the Banner Sayings stamp set is stamped in Night of Navy at the bottom.  The whole panel is then adhered to a Basic White thick card base.

  Head over to the see the CAS Colours & Sketches design team inspiration and add your creation using these colors to the gallery.  Make sure to keep it clean and simple with minimal layers and patterns and lots of open space.

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Balloon Festoon, Banner Sayings

Ink: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy

Paper: Night of Navy, Gray Granite, Balmy Blue, Basic White, Basic White thick

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies, dimensionals, Beautiful Pattern embossing folder

Jaguar Graduation - Stampin' Up!® Cap & Gown

   With a graduating high school senior in our house this year I'm going to be making my share of graduation cards and I'm glad I held on to the retired Cap & Gown set.  Not only did I hold onto the stamp set I held onto my retired Bermuda Bay ink pad because it's a perfect match for the school colors!  I ran out of Bermuda Bay cardstock when my oldest graduated a few years ago but the ink pad is going strong and the just retired Summer Splash is close enough if needed (and I have a few sheets left thankfully!).

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then dug around in my retired DSPs and pulled out a black and white pattern from All Together and a Bermuda Bay pattern from Sunshine & Rainbows.  I backed them with opposite colored cardstock and then added the fun stuff.

 The larger sentiment is from Reason to Celebrate and the smaller sentiments are from Banner Sayings.  I tucked a bit of Bermuda Bay glimmer paper under the layers to jazz it up.

  The cap and gown are both stamped in Versamark on Basic White and then embossed in black.  I fussy cut the images and popped them on dimensionals onto the rectangle.

  The 'congratulations' from Sending Salutations is stamped in Bermuda Bay and then fussy cut.  It's popped on dimensionals as well.

  Finally a few Adhesive-backed Sparkle Gems and Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio are added for the last detail.

  Thanks for looking.  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Reason to Celebrate, Banner Sayings, Sending Salutations, Cap & Gown (retired)

Ink: Memento Black, Versamark, Bermuda Bay (retired)

Paper: Basic White, Basic White, Basic Black, Summer Splash (retired), All Together DSP (retired), Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (retired), Bermuda Bay Glimmer Paper (retired)

Accessories: black embossing powder, dimensionals, Adhesive-backed Sparkle Gems (retired), Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio (retired)

Fern Congratulations - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora Dies

     I'm continuing to pull out the Fern & Flora bundle for a lot of my stamping lately and I whipped this one up this afternoon for the current Freshly Made Sketches.  It seemed like the perfect time to use a piece of paper that I had set aside back in March.

  I participated in the Stampin' Up! OnStage After Hours event back in March and as part of the supply packet for the projects there was this 12x12 sheet in the front of the packet and it had a wide panel of one of the Moonlit Flora DSP patterns and I thought it was too nice to recycle after I was finished with the projects.  I cut it off and it's been sitting on my stamping desk ever since so today was the day to get some of it on a card!

  I started with a Golden Glow card base, then a layer of Golden Glow embossed with the Fern & Flora embossing folder.  Next I backed a panel of the "DSP" with Basic Black and popped it on dimensionals.

  Then a Peaceful Pine die cut fern is added to a Basic White rectangle die cut.  I added some of the fussy flowers in Golden Glow to bring more of that color to the front.

  To follow the sketch I needed to find a skinny sentiment and the Congratulations from Sunset Coast was perfect.

  3 Gold Glow In Color Dots are the only embellishment to finish off this "scraps" card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Sunset Coast

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Golden Glow, Basic Black, Basic White, Peaceful Pine

Accessories: Fern & Flora dies, Fern & Flora embossing folder, dimensionals, 2026-2028 In Color Dots, Stitched Rectangle dies (retired)

Mother's Day Flora - Stampin' Up!® Extraordinary Flora

   My card today is one I made for Mother's Day but it got buried down in the folder so I think it's high time to share it!  I used a bit of neglected product in the Extraordinary Flora bundle.  I still love this larger stamp with all the different flowers and leaves!

  I pulled together a bunch of different products for this softly colored floral beauty!  The card base and embossed background is Cloud Cover.  The embossing folder is Beautiful Pattern which is currently on the Last Chance list at a discount.  

  Next I stamped the Extraordinary Flora stamp onto a Basic White banner cut with the Party Banner dies.  I used Basic Gray for the stamping as that was a softer look than a black ink.  I used my Stampin' Blends to color the flowers, leaves and filled in the background.  That took a minute but I think the results are worth it.

  The Nature's Symphony dies were used to cut the Soft Sea Foam leaves which are tucked behind the sentiment label.  The sentiment is from the long retired Well Scripted stamp set.  The label is die cut using the retired Tasteful Label die set.

  I stamped an extra flower and colored it and die cut and popped it on dimensionals above the label.  I had a white seam binding fork bow in my stash of ribbon scraps and it fit perfectly in the corner.  A few Pool Party Opaque Faceted Gems match the Cloud Cover pretty closely for the final touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Extraordinary Flora, Well Scripted (retired)

Ink: Basic Gray, Blackberry Bliss

Blends: Cloud Cover light & dark, Soft Sea Foam light & dark, Blackberry Bliss light & dark

Paper: Cloud Cover, Basic White, Soft Sea Foam

Accessories: Beautiful Pattern embossing folder, Party Banner dies, Extraordinary Flora die, Nature's Symphony dies, Tasteful Label dies (retired), dimensionals, seam binding ribbon (retired), Opaque Faceted Gems (retired)

Soccer Field Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Match Day

  Hopping on quickly to share a fun birthday card using the Match Day bundle along with the Alphabet Challenge to use B for "balls".  This one could have quickly gone off the rails but I figure they are looking for sports related balls and not the other kind and really who wants a card like that anyway??!  

 

  I started with a Granny Apple Green card base, then a panel of the same but I cut some of the grass die cuts in Garden Green and adhered them in stripes.  A scrap of Basic Black highlights the edge of the 2 Granny Apple Green fields.

  

  The Match Day stamps and dies are so fun to use to make clusters of elements so I cut a few soccer balls, stamped and colored some flags and then added in a shiny gold trophy to group around the birthday sentiment.

 

  You could make endless versions of this by changing the colors around and mixing and matching the dies and stamp sets.

  A few gold Metallic Gems are added to play off the gold of the trophy.  

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Match Day (Online Exclusive), Reason to Celebrate

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Real Red light & dark

Paper: Granny Apple Green, Garden Green, Basic White, Gold Foil, Black Glimmer (retired)

Accessories: Match Day dies (Online Exclusive), Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Metallic Gems

So Many Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

 

  The new at SU blog hop team is back for our monthly showcase of projects from demonstrators around the world to inspire your creativity!  This month we are featuring the 2026-2028 In Colors!  As a long time demonstrator, getting new In Colors is always exciting and I can't wait to start using them to see what fun combinations I can come up with.  

  My project today features 3 of the new In Colors; Crisp Cantaloupe, Barely Blush and Hydrangea Hue and I've paired them with a new bundle, Balloon Festoon!

  This was a fun one to put together because I just kept die cutting 2 sizes of balloons in my 3 colors then stamping with the various inks and patterns and adding in some gold embossing until I had the whole background covered in balloons.

  I wanted the sentiment to stand out so I embossed it in gold onto Basic Black cardstock then used the balloon die to cut it out.  The sentiment can be found in another new set Sending Salutations.  It's popped on dimensionals, a die cut string is added, and some embellishments with ribbon and an In Color Dot.

  I hope you'll be inspired by our projects.  To make sure you don't miss a single one follow the links below to see the whole hop!  We love hearing from you so be sure to leave some love for everyone!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Balloon Festoon, Sending Salutations

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Barely Blush, Hydrangea Hue, Versamark

Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Barely Blush, Hydrangea Hue, Basic Black

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, Crisp Cantaloupe Bordered Ribbon, 2026-2028 In Color Dots

Simply Loved - Stampin' Up!® Simply Beautiful

  I'm not ready to let the Simply Beautiful bundle head to the retired products box just yet!  I've enjoyed creating with this fun floral set and if you still haven't gotten it you can still find it in the Last Chance section but only in the French version.  If you don't care about the sentiments being in French and only want the images and dies then order it soon before it sells out!  I used it to make a few of the Mother's Day cards that I needed this year.  I paired it up with some new products for a pretty spring card.

  I wanted to play around some more with the new In Color Hydrangea Hue so I pulled out my supplies and got to work.  I started with a Hydrangea Hue card base, then added a layer of Wood Textured Specialty paper which is also on the Last Chance list.  This paper gives a really great wood grain texture which doesn't show well in my photo but is a nice detail on a nature inspired card.  This paper is fun because you can blend it with ink to create any color wood texture that you would like!

  Next I added a panel of the new Paper Medley DSP which gives a sweet little background for the show stopping flower!  I stamped the flower in Versamark onto Hydrangea Hue cardstock then embossed it in gold.  I repeated the process with the leaf but used the new Peaceful Pine instead.  Using the same ink I blended a bit onto the center of the flower and the base of the leaf for depth.  Once they were die cut I popped them on the card front over a length of gold ribbon.  I used Gold Glimmer paper to die cut a flower center and popped that up on top of the embossing.

  The sentiment is from Banner Sayings and tucks in nicely next to the flower.  A gold bow and some retired Brushed Brass Butterflies are the perfect accent to 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.

Stamps: Simply Beautiful (English version retired, French version still available), Banner Sayings (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Versamark, Hydrangea Hue, Peaceful Pine

Paper: Hydrangea Hue, Peaceful Pine, Wood Textured Specialty paper, Paper Medley DSP, Basic White, Gold Glimmer (retired)

Accessories: Simply Beautiful dies, gold embossing powder, gold trim (retired), dimensionals, Brushed Brass Butterflies (retired)

Good Things Ferns - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

   Today's card is another one that features the Fern & Flora bundle.  If I haven't convinced you yet to add this bundle to your next order (if you don't already have it!) then keep stopping by to see what else I'm using it for because I think this versatile bundle should be in your stamp collection and I'm going to continue to show how I've been using it!

  This design came about after I saw the colors over at the Inspired By challenge and paired it up with some flowers and ferns!  I started with a Peaceful Pine card base, then a layer of Barely Blush.  On top of the Barely Blush I added a layer of Peaceful Pine embossed with the Fern & Flora embossing folder.  I added some Peaceful Pine ink along the edges using a blending brush.

  The sentiment from Banner Sayings is stamped on a band of Basic White in Secret Sea ink.  Next I cut out a fern in my 3 card colors and tucked them behind a Secret Sea die cut circle.

  The flower image from the Fern & Flora stamp set is stamped in Secret Sea ink and then colored in with Blends markers.  It's die cut then popped on dimensionals on the circle.

  A few 2026-2028 In Color Dots in Barely Blush are added as a final touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Fern & Flora, Banner Sayings

Ink: Secret Sea, Peaceful Pine

Blends: Peaceful Pine light, Barely Blush light & dark

Paper: Peaceful Pine, Barely Blush, Secret Sea, Basic White

Accessories: Fern & Flora embossing folder, Fern & Flora dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, 2026-2028 In Color Dots

Fern Love - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

   I'm back today with a great new challenge from CAS Colours & Sketches!  This time it's a great sketch with a fun diagonal element!  I can't wait to see how you all use this layout!  I'm continuing my obsession with the Fern & Flora bundle and used to make a sweet sending love card.

  It's simple but shows off the large fern stamp really well!

    I started with a piece of Soft Sea Foam and embossed it with the Fern & Flora embossing folder and added to the card front.  Next I cut a piece of Basic White on the diagonal and then trimmed it down to leave a gap between the pieces so that you can see the embossing.

  Using the retired Deckled Rectangle dies I cut a Pool Party panel and a smaller Basic White panel.  The fern is stamped in Lost Lagoon ink and then some Soft Sea Foam ink is lightly blended over it with a blending brush.  I popped this panel on the card front with dimensionals.

  The sentiment from the Prayers & Promises stamp set is stamped in Gray Granite ink.  A few Pressed Flower Motifs embellishments are added to the corner for a finishing touch.

  I hope you'll join in on using this great sketch for a clean and simple card of your own and share it with us in our CAS Colours & Sketches gallery!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Fern & Flora, Prayers & Promises

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Lost Lagoon, Gray Granite

Paper: Basic White, Soft Sea Foam, Pool Party

Accessories: Fern & Flora embossing folder, dimensionals, Pressed Flower Motifs embellishments, Deckled Rectangle dies (retired)

Happy Birthday Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

   I hope you all had a nice weekend!  Here in the US it was Mother's Day yesterday and I had a lovely relaxing day which included warm sunny weather, finishing a book, several meals that I didn't have to prepare and a pedicure.  So no complaints on my end lol!  I could have stamped but I decided it was too nice to be inside so I'm pulling out a card I made a few weeks back to share today.

  I had pulled out this color combo and forgot what it was for when I made this card and then after I realized it was for a design team challenge for a clean and simple card lol!  Obviously I made a different card for that (see it HERE)!  But I still love the fun bright feel of this birthday card.  Lots of pattern really makes it pop!

  The card base is Flirty Flamingo with the streamers also stamped in Flirty Flamingo ink.  The balloons are cut from Basic White and then stamped with the stars in 3 different colors.  The same color ink is sponged along the edges and matching die cut "strings" are added before the cluster is popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Versamark then embossed in white onto Lemon Lime Twist card stock.  It is then cut into a banner with the Stylish Shapes dies.  A few retired Adhesive-Backed Sequins give a bit of sparkle for the final touch.

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Balloon Festoon

Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lime Twist, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark

Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lime Twist, Pumpkin Pie, Basic White

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies, dimensionals, Stylish Shapes dies, white embossing powder, Adhesive-Backed Sequins (retired)

Simply Feminine - Stampin' Up!® Simply Beautiful

   The current Paper Players challenge caught my eye as I was designing the other day as I don't necessarily intend to design for "feminine" but that's the way a lot of my cards end up but this time I wanted to be intentional so I created this card with soft colors, gold and floral accents and a scripty font for the sentiment.

  I'm featuring two of the new In Colors on this card.  Barely Blush and Peaceful Pine look great with gold accents.  I used a Barely Blush card base, then I pulled out 3 different papers: the new Sunset Shimmer vellum in Barely Blush, a piece of Lovely & Beautiful DSP and a piece of Basic White embossed with the embossing folder (it's on the Last Chance list so don't wait!).  These panels are adhered to a piece of Basic White and are added to the card front.

  The leaves and flowers are from the Simply Beautiful set which is sold out in English but you can still order the French version if you want the images and aren't particular about the sentiments.  I embossed them in gold on Basic White then added a light layer of color using sponge daubers.  

  The flowers and leaves are popped up around the sentiment which is from the new Sending Salutations stamp set.  It's stamped in Peaceful Pine and the label is from the retired Unbounded Love dies.

  A few Barely Blush In Color Dots finish off this sweet 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.

Stamps: Simply Beautiful (retired), Sending Salutations

Ink: Peaceful Pine, Barely Blush, Versamark

Paper: Barely Blush, Basic White, Sunset Shimmer vellum, Lovely & Beautiful DSP, Peaceful Pine

Accessories: Simply Beautiful dies, Eyelet embossing folder, gold embossing powder, Unbounded Love dies (retired), dimensionals, 2026-2028 In Color Dots

Flora Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

 Now that the May - August 2026 Stampin' Up!® catalog is now available I hope that Fern & Flora was in your first order!  I've really enjoy creating with this bundle and I think it works for so many occasions.  I'm always trying to keep my birthday card stock up so used this bundle to add one more!

I decided to do a split embossed background using Soft Sea Foam and the new Peaceful Pine.  The Fern & Flora embossing folder gives a wonderful all over texture that is easy to line up.  I embossed the pieces of cardstock individually being sure to line them both up in the folder in the same spot.  Then I cut them both on the diagonal and matched up the panels on a Basic White card base.  Getting a second background is a nice bonus!

  Next I used the Perennial Postage dies to cut a piece of Basic White to build up my collage style element.  The lines are in stamped off Berry Burst and a Soft Sea Foam die cut fern is added for texture.  The label shape is stamped and die cut in Peaceful Pine.  The label is a nice spot to anchor the flower sprig and sentiment which are both popped on dimensionals.

    I colored in the flowers with the ink pads and a blender pen being sure to not over work the cardstock.  The flowers are small so it doesn't take a lot of ink to give them color.  The moths are stamped and die cut and are added around the flowers.

   Some retired sequins finish off this nature inspired birthday card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Fern & Flora, Banner Sayings (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Berry Burst, Peaceful Pine

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Peaceful Pine, Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: Fern & Flora dies, Fern & Flora embossing folder, Perennial Postage dies, dimensionals, Adhesive-Backed Sequins (retired)

Simple Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Simple Alphabet

  If you don't have an alphabet stamp set in your collection then I highly recommend the Simple Alphabet set!  I've used it for a number of cards and I am always pleased with the results.  I find it easy to line up, quick to fussy cut if that's your thing and super cute if you want to use the letters in a less structured way.  I used the Simple Alphabet set to create my own birthday greeting in a bright color palette for the Addicted to CAS challenge prompt of 'birthday'.  It would be great for scrapbook titles, personalized cards and whatever else you could use an alphabet stamp set for!

  The card base is Basic White thick and then a layer of Azure Afternoon.  All the fun happens on the top panel of Basic White.  I spelled out 'happy birthday' with the Simple Alphabet set and in a fun group of colors.  I didn't line up the letters perfectly straight and overlapped some edges for a less formal look.  This playful look goes nicely with the bright colors.  And yes, my first go at this I didn't give myself enough room for all of the letters in birthday.  But making mistakes is all part of creating!

  I used the Addressed to You stamp set to stamp the little bunch of balloons in Memento black and then colored them with Blends markers.  I added small highlights using a white gel pen.  The whole panel is popped on the card front with dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Simple Alphabet (Online Exclusive), Addressed to You (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black, Poppy Parade, Darling Duckling, Pool Party, Balmy Blue, Azure Afternoon

Blends: Darling Duckling, Poppy Parade, Azure Afternoon

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Azure Afternoon

Accessories: white gel pen, dimensionals

Retirement Sailing - Stampin' Up!® Sunset Coast

   I am trying to stock up on some cards for occasions besides the main ones like birthday, thank you and thinking of you so I pulled out the new Sunset Coast bundle and made a retirement card.  The front sentiment could be for a new job, graduation, moving/goodbye card or other occasion but my inside sentiment is a happy retirement one.  The blue and yellow prompt over at The Color Hues Challenge gave me the color combo. 

  I haven't done any ink techniques lately so I thought it would be fun to use some watercolor paper and a water painter to make my own background using blues and yellows.  I started at the top with Darling Duckling then Azure Afternoon and finally Night of Navy on the bottom.  I wet my water color paper first by spritzing it and then used the wide water painter and drops of reinker to spread the color all the way down. After I dried it with my heat tool I added it to a Basic White thick card base.

  Using the very cool Sunset Coast dies I cut the sailboat scene out of a panel of Night of Navy.  I wanted to jazz up the waves beneath the sailboat so I cut just that section out of some Peaceful Garden Glimmer paper (currently on the Last Chance list at a discount!) and inlaid the shimmer pieces to the openings in the big panel.  And to add a bit more shimmer the sails are covered with Wink of Stella.  The Sunset Coast bundle is available tomorrow when the Stampin' Up!® May-August 2026 catalog goes live.  

  A Darling Duckling band anchors the sentiment label and a few die cut shells out of more Peaceful Garden Glimmer paper are nice accents to the side.  

  I pulled out some retired Adhesive-Backed Milky Dots in Night of Navy to add to the 4 corners.

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Sunset Coast*

Ink: Darling Duckling, Azure Afternoon, Night of Navy

Paper: Basic White thick, watercolor paper, Night of Navy, Darling Duckling, Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper

Accessories: Sunset Coast dies*, dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Adhesive-Backed Milky Dots(retired), Tasteful Label dies (retired)

Moonlit Thanks - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

 As I've been waiting for the May-August 2026 catalog to go live I've enjoyed making samples using the new Fern & Flora bundle.  I loved the sketch over at Just Add Ink and thought the ferns would work well for the smaller circle elements.  This is what I came up with.

  For the background I used a piece of Moonlit Flora DSP. I liked this paper when I first saw it and have come to like it even more as I've gotten to use it.  I love the moody colors and nature vibe and it works so well for all kinds of cards.

  The Spotlight on Nature dies were perfect for the large circle.  I thought the cut outs look like little leaves and they are kind of the same shape as the light green fern in the DSP.

  For the 3 smaller circles in the sketch I used 3 of the different fern die cuts in 3 colors and arranged them along the side of the circle.  The tag border is stamped in Secret Sea and the sentiment in Peaceful Pine.  The label is die cut then ribbon is added to the back and it's popped on dimensionals.

  The finishing touch are a few Dewdrop 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 May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Fern & Flora*

Ink: Secret Sea, Peaceful Pine*

 

Paper: Moonlit Flora DSP*, Basic White, Mossy Meadow, Soft Sea Foam, Peaceful Pine*

Accessories: Fern & Flora dies*, Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Peaceful Pine Bordered Ribbon*, Dewdrop Embellishments*

Bright Balloons - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

   I don't know where the last 2 weeks have gone but it seems they have flown by and we are back again for the next CAS Colours & Sketches challenge!  We have a fun and bright color combo this time around.  You can use neutrals on your design but make sure that the challenge colors are the most prominent and you keep it clean and simple!

I decided to do a celebratory card with these fun colors and used the new Balloon Festoon bundle (coming May 5!) for a birthday card.

   This card couldn't be more simple and is a perfect way to use up some DSP scraps!  It starts with a piece of Basic White in which 3 of the smallest balloon shapes are cut out of it using the Balloon Festoon dies.  Then I dug through my stash of DSP to find a pattern in each of the 3 colors and adhered them on the backside of the Basic White panel.  That panel is adhered to a Flirty Flamingo card base which you can't see.

  The sentiment is stamped in Memento black and some retired sequins are added as the final touch.

  I told you it was a simple card!  I hope to see your card in the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge gallery.  You have until May 11 to try out these fun colors!

  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 ba available on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Balloon Festoon*

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Basic White, Made With Love DSP, Friends of the Ocean DSP (retired), Gingham Gala DSP (retired)

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies*, Adhesive-backed Sparkle Sequins (retired)

All Occasion Nature - Stampin' Up!® Nature's Symphony

   I'm sharing the third and final card my stampers made at my last class.  I do a lot of seasonal cards at class for upcoming holidays so it's nice to add in one that can be an all occasion card for whatever my stampers might need that isn't associated with a season or holiday.  We used the Nature's Symphony bundle for this one and used the Reason to Celebrate stamp set to add a sentiment of their choice or they could add one at home if they'd rather.

  I had noted down this color combo a while back and I'm not sure where it's from but I thought it was a bit different and would work for an all occasion card.  The card base is Secret Sea, then a layer of Soft Sea Foam embossed with the Soft Waves embossing folder which is currently Last Chance and on sale as of today.  Don't wait if you haven't gotten this one yet!  A narrow strip of Calypso Coral is added to the Soft Sea Foam layer.

  The branch is stamped in Soft Sea Foam and is die cut along with another branch in Fresh Freesia.  The branches are tucked together then adhered with dimensionals then added to the card front.  Using dimensionals to put the two branches together eliminates or reduces the need for glue or snail adhesive which can be hard to apply to the small leaves and the leaves with the die cut details.  The sentiment is stamped in Secret Sea and then the end is flagged before it's popped on a dimensional.

  A Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave ribbon knot is added to the stems with a glue dot. And finally a few Flat Pearls in Secret Sea are added.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Nature's Symphony, Reason to Celebrate

Ink: Secret Sea, Soft Sea Foam

Paper: Secret Sea, Soft Sea Foam, Fresh Freesia, Calypso Coral, Basic White

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, dimensionals, Soft Waves embossing folder, Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave ribbon, 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls, dimensionals

Berry Sweet Banner - Stampin' Up!® Filled With Sweetness

   Today's card is another one my stampers made at my last class and uses the Filled With Sweetness bundle along with the Party Banners dies for a sweet card to let someone know you love them.

  The card base which you can't see is Basic White thick and that is topped with a piece of Basic White embossed with the Ladybug Picnic embossing folder.

  The Party Banners dies and Misty Moonlight cardstock are used for the banner which will be a base for the other elements.  The little heart is stamped in the corners and Strawberry Slush ribbon is wrapped around with a knot added.  The label shape is die cut twice, once in Crushed Curry the second in Basic White.  The ends are trimmed from the Basic White one, the sentiment stamped in Strawberry Slush and then put back together with the Crushes Curry label for a seamless 2 colored look.

  The berries are stamped and colored with blends and once they are die cut are paired up with one of the jam jar images from the Homemade Sweetness DSP.  My stampers got to choose from the different images in the DSP to make the card their own.  Those that chose the Peach jam swapped the Crushed Curry Label for Calypso Coral.  The berries and jar are popped on dimensionals as is the whole banner.

  The finishing touches are a few Strawberries & Dots embellishments on the banner and some white gel pen highlights on the berries.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Filled With Sweetness (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Memento black, Misty Moonlight

Blends: Misty moonlight light & dark, Strawberry Slush light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Misty Moonlight, Crushed Curry, Homemade Sweetness DSP (Online Exclusive)

Accessories:  Filled With Sweetness dies (Online Exclusive), Party Banners dies, dimensionals, Strawberry Slush Faux Linen ribbon, Strawberries & Dots embellishments, Ladybug Picnic embossing folder (Online Exclusive)

Hello Spring Birds - Stampin' Up!® Cutest Crew

   My stampers made this design at my last class with the super popular Cutest Crew bundle.  This set has gone in and out of stock since February and it should be back again soon so if you haven't gotten it yet the wait won't be much longer.  Cute it is indeed! I paired it up with some fresh spring colors for a sweet hello card.

  This is a simple layout but I included 2 super easy "techniques" on it to add interest.  The Coastal Cabana layer not only has the little bird tracks stamped on it but the edges have been roughed up by running the paper snips blade along them for an easy way to add texture.

  The second "technique" is the paper pleating on the Granny Apple Green layer.  The 1/2" wide strip is folded back on itself all the way down the length of it and then adhered with a strip of tear and tape on the Made With Love DSP in the sweet Bubble Bath flower pattern.

  A Spotlight on Nature circle die cut is used for the sentiment.  The birds are also stamped in Memento Black and then colored in with Blends,. I love these fresh spring colors!  The birds are die cut then popped on 2 layers of dimensionals over the pleated "grass".

  A few new Sunset Sparkle sequins are added to the sentiment circle for the finishing touch.

  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 May 5.

Stamps: Cutest Crew (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black, Coastal Cabana

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark, Bubble Bath light & dark, Summer Splash light & dark, Granny Apple Green light & dark

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Basic White, Granny Apple Green, Made With Love DSP

Accessories: Cutest Crew dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, Sunset Sparkle Sequins*

Ferns x 4 - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

    I joke around that I am not great at stamping in the wild aka stamping away from my stamp room and the fact that I only got one card done at the Stampin' Up!® After Hours stamping event at OnStage really just proves it.  Maybe I can blame being tired after an already long day of fun or that I had a really hard time corralling the teeny tiny die cut pieces for the card I started with but I came home with the project packet mostly intact.  I decided to wait until I could order the new In Colors to finish up the set of cards and I'm really glad I did.  The projects are lovely and really show the Fern & Flora bundle well.  This suite of products will be available soon in the May-August 2026 catalog.

  The patterns in the Moonlit Flora bundle are beautiful, moody botanicals and make a great background to a simple layout.

  The B sides of the DSP are pretty, small patterns that can work for all sorts of themes, not just ferns like this one in the new In Color Golden Glow.  The Fern & Flora stamp set is a mix of images and sentiments.

  The larger fern stamp makes lovely backgrounds or focal images or both like in this third card.  New In Colors Peaceful Pine and Golden Glow are a nice pairing here.  They work well with current In Color Secret Sea.

  And this last card which is the one I started with originally that was all I could complete at the event.  This one has a healthy dose of the new Dew Drop embellishments for a finishing touch!  See those little die cut flowers?  They were what defeated me that night I think lol.  But I love the finished card and the different fern die cuts.

  I hope you'll take a look at the Moonlit Flora suite when it become available on May 5.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the products used to make these cards can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available May 5.

Stamps: Fern & Flora*

Ink: Peaceful Pine*,Golden Glow*, Secret Sea, Berry Burst

Paper: Moonlit Flora DSP*, Secret Sea, Misty Moonlight, Basic White, Golden Glow*, Peaceful Pine*, Mossy Meadow, Berry Burst, Gold Foil

Accessories: Fern & Flora dies*, dimensionals, Dew Drop embellishments*, 

Lovely Notecard Set - Stampin' Up!® Lovely & Beautiful DSP

  Just a quick post today between classes to show this sweet but quick set of notecards using a 6x6 one sheet wonder template.  If you went to the Stampin' Up! OnStage event in March you've got this template in your make and take packet so don't overlook what you can do with it.  This is a really fun way to make a set of coordinating cards.  I pulled all the colors for the flowers and ink from the Lovely & Beautiful DSP.  One sheet of 12x12 can be cut down to make 4 sets of cards using this template.  And if you've had your eye on the Simply Beautiful dies get them before they are sold out as they are on the Last Chance list.  The English version of the stamp set is sold out but the French one is still available if you only want the flower images and don't care about the sentiments.

The note cards come 20 in a pack with matching envelopes so that makes this one sheet wonder project even easier.

  I used a few colors of coordinating cardstock to make the flowers and leaves.  The Simply Beautiful dies were used to stamp the flowers. And some additional gems and ribbon gives this set a nice cohesive look.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make these cards can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a * will be available on May 5, 2026.

 Stamps: Sending Salutations*, Simply Beautiful (retired), 

Ink: Old Olive, Fresh Freesia, Calypso Coral

Paper: Basic White Note Cards, Old Olive, Fresh Freesia, Calypso Coral, Petal Pink, Peach Pie, Lovely & Beautiful DSP

Accessories: Simply Beautiful dies, dimensionals, Pearlized Faceted Gems, Old Olive Specialty RickRack

Big Celebration - Stampin' Up!® Balloon Festoon

    My birthday (or celebration/congratulations) card today is another sneak peek at the upcoming Balloon Festoon bundle which will be available on May 5.  I zeroed in on the die set as soon as I saw it in the catalog.  The are balloon dies from small to large!  Think of the Party Banner dies but in balloon shape!  The largest is almost 6" tall by almost 4 1/2" wide so that's a nice big size for banners or scrapbook pages or any other project you want balloons for, not just cards!  I used the largest one on an angle for this card.

  My colors today are from another closed challenge; the Color Hues fuchsia and navy which I translated to Berry Burst and Night of Navy in Stampin' Up! colors.

  The card base is Night of Navy then I cut the large balloon from Berry Burst.  The spots are stamped in Versamark then embossed with clear embossing powder which doesn't show up well in the photo but just stamping with colored ink would give a similar look.  I angled the balloon and trimmed off the overhang from the edges.

  I used the balloon stamp and stamped it in Night of Navy with a Basic White string.

  The 'celebrate' is stamped in Night of Navy with the Simple Alphabet stamp set and then the letters were fussy cut and popped on dimensionals.  

  I added a bakers twine bow to the large balloon and then a single retired Iridescent Adhesive-backed Disc to the last 'e'.  It gives a little bit of shine to go with the shine of the embossed dots.

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a * will be available on May 5, 2026

Stamps: Simple Alphabet (Online Exclusive), Balloon Festoon*

Ink: Night of Navy, Versamark

Paper: Night of Navy, Berry Burst, Basic White

Accessories: Balloon Festoon dies*, dimensionals, white baker's twine, clear embossing powder, Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Disc (retired)

Soccer Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Match Day

   I'm just padding out my birthday card selection with a masculine soccer card today.  The Online Exclusive Match Day bundle and Wonderful Match DSP is perfect for those sports lovers out there.  The Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge has a fun choice board with lots of themes to pick from and soccer was a no brainer this time!

  I used the colors from the just closed Paper Players challenge which is a fun one for a soccer theme.  Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate and Basic Black.

  I started with a Basic Black card base, then a layer of Smoky Slate then a piece of Wonderful Match DSP in the black and white pattern.  I used my Stampin' Blends to color some of the elements.

  Next I embossed the jersey and soccer ball in black embossing powder.  After they were die cut I used the new white gel pen (coming May 5) to color in bits of the jersey for added details.  This new gel pen works really well and I've been very pleased with it so far!

  A soccer net is die cut in Smoky Slate then the trophy is cut twice once in Basic Black and again in Daffodil Delight and I trimmed out the star and added it to the black trophy.  The star is colored with Wink of Stella which didn't show up in the photo.  I layered all the elements on the card front using dimensionals.

  The sentiment is from a new stamp set coming on May 5 called Balloon Festoon.  I thought the thin font went well with the sketched style of the images and the DSP.  I fussy cut it and popped it on dimensionals.  A few black sparkly gems are sprinkled around for a final touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Match Day (Online Exclusive), Balloon Festoon*

Ink: Versamark, Memento black

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark, Smoky Slate light & dark

Paper: Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Basic White, Wonderful Match DSP (Online Exclusive)

Accessories: Match Day dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, white gel pen*, black embossing powder, black gems (retired), Wink of Stella

Fern Illusion Thank You - Stampin' Up!® Fern & Flora

   My customers are the best and many of them have been supporting my little business for years so I always try to show gratitude wherever I can and one of the ways I do that is by sending hand stamped cards when they place an order.  I write a little note on a slip of paper and leave the card blank so they can use it themselves if they wish. So it's happy mail but also useful-in-the-future-mail!  It's not always a thank you card but this time it is because the little sentiment in the upcoming Fern & Flora bundle fit just right!

  I really had fun with all the layers on this design and it was a great chance to play around with the Fern & Flora bundle which will be available May 5.  I pulled the colors from the Painted Illusions DSP which was the February 2026 Product of the Month and as of today you can still get it for $5 when you place an order of $75 or more.  The layout is from a Paper Players sketch challenge from last month; perfect when you want a lot of layers!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base, then a layer of Lost Lagoon which I blended some ink around the edges and added some collage style stamping using the Fern in stamped off Granny Apple Green, the hatch marks in Lost Lagoon and the butterflies in stamped off Pretty Peacock.  

 Next is piece of vellum that is torn on both sides along with a piece of Petal Pink ribbon.  Then is the Painted Illusions DSP cut into a banner shape.  A Stitched Shape circle die cut is the perfect spot to gather the stamped flowers and 2 fern die cuts for the focal point of the card.  I stamped the image in Pretty Peacock and then colored with Blends.  The circle and flowers are both popped on dimensionals.  

  The sentiment is stamped in Pretty Peacock and then tucked under the circle.  I finished with a few Pretty Peacock sequins.

  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 on May 5, 2026.

Stamps: Fern & Flora*

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Lost Lagoon, Granny Apple Green

Blends: Petal Pink dark, Pretty in Pink light, Granny Apple Green light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Lost Lagoon, Vellum, Painted Illusions DSP (POM 2/2026), Basic White, Granny Apple Green

Accessories: Fern & Flora Dies*, Stitched Shapes dies, dimensionals, Petal Pink ribbon, (retired) Adhesive Backed Sequin Trio (retired)

Nature's Symphony Mini Album - Stampin' Up!® Nature's Symphony

 

  The New at SU blog hop is back this month with projects made using Flip Flaps!  We are an international group of Stampin' Up!® demonstrators sharing creative ways to use your supplies.  This month we are showing you fun ways to use Flip Flaps.  The hop list is at the end of my post so check out all the great ideas and leave some comment love!

  I'm not a scrapbooker nor do I tend to make 3D projects very often so when I saw we were to use Flip Flaps this month I just figured I would use one or 2 on a card to make a fun fold or shaker card.  But then I remembered an idea that used the Flip Flaps to make a mini album and thought that would be a fun way to use these photos I had tucked away.  

  I looked through my current papers and decided on the Nature Walk DSP to build my album.  The cover measures 10 1/2" x 6 1/2" - scored at 5 1/4" for the center fold.  The spine which I just used a piece of the same pattern but on the flip side is measured at 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" - scored at 3/4".

  I decorated the front and then started on the inside.

  I created a pocket out of another pattern of Nature Walk DSP to hold the journaling tag.  I embellished the front of the pocket as well.  The pocket measures 3 1/2" x 5" with the 2 short sides and one long side  scored at 1/2" to create the pocket. The journaling tag measures 3 3/4" x 4 1/2".

  Next I decided which photos were going where, added them and more DSP and embellishments to the Flip Flap pockets and peeled off the adhesive and stacked the pockets on top of each other starting from the back and working my way to the front.  I used 4 4"x6" and 2 3"x3" Flip Flaps. 

 I made this quick video showing each page and how the Flip Flaps are used for the photos and journaling.  This was a really fun project and a nice step outside my normal comfort zone.  This mini album comes together really quickly and is very simple to customize to whatever set of photos you want to use.

  Have fun hopping through with the New at SU! team!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Nature's Symphony

Ink: Old Olive, Lost Lagoon, Pretty Peacock, Crumb Cake

Paper: Nature Walk DSP, Crumb Cake, Basic White, Old Olive, Lost Lagoon, Pretty Peacock

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, Secret Sea Bordered Ribbon, Crumb Cake baker's twine, Faux Bronze Pentagons