Crafting Cupcake - Stampin' Up!® 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar

   I went to a crafting day organized by one of my downline last weekend and it's such a fun day of crafting and chatting and getting to focus on some paper crafting projects for the whole day.  The only problem is deciding just what projects and supplies to bring!  A lot of people do scrapbooking and are working on particular pages/books but I usually bring supplies to make cards.  I tend to design the cards at home and then just bring the paper and supplies to make multiples of the designs because it's really hard for me to not have ALL of my supplies right there lol!  But I decided to bring all of the products that came in the 2025 12 Days of Crafting Advent calendar and see what I could come up with.

  I did limit myself to to cardstock in the colors of the Advent calendar DSP so I did have a little bit of a focus.  I ended up making 4 of this design and I think it turned out pretty cute using limited supplies!

  I started with a Pretty in Pink base then added a layer of Basic White.  I cut 4 squares of the DSP and adhered them.  Before adhering the Basic White panel I wrapped a bit of baker's twine around it and tied a bow.

  The cupcake is stamped in Pretty and Pink and Basic Beige and then I fussy cut it and popped it on a postage stamp die cut which is adhered to a square of Misty Moonlight.  

  A little Misty Moonlight flower is also fussy cut and popped on the cupcake.

  I stamped the birthday sentiment below in Misty Moonlight ink and then added some of the gold dots that also came in the calendar.

  I really like how all the products coordinate with each other but can also be used on their own for all year round.  I'm looking forward to using more of the supplies soon!  If you're interested in the 12 Days of Advent Crafting Calendar it is still available but it is on the Last Chance List so there's no telling how long it will be available so don't wait if you have to have it!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

All supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * are from the 2025 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar.

Stamps: 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar stamp set*

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Misty Moonlight, Basic Beige

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Misty Moonlight, Basic White, 12 Days of Crafting Advent Calendar DSP*

Accessories: Postage Stamp die*, baker's twine*, Gold Dots*, dimensionals 

Scrappy Stripes - Stampin' Up!® Nature's Symphony

  It's been very cold here in central VA and just a bit ago around 5pm I saw my first few snowflakes so the storm is coming!  We spent some of the day preparing around the house.  I filled up some jugs and extra water bottles; it's probably overkill since we don't have well water but with 2 labradors we use a lot of water in a day!  I even did some laundry and vacuuming just in case the powder does go out; we be drowning in dog fur otherwise.  Since I was busy and didn't get any stamping in I was happy to have this card that I made last week using another one of my new Color Cube cards for inspiration.

  The new Nature's Symphony bundle has 2 beautiful large leaf/branch die cuts and they are perfect for highlighting all on their own.  After pulling out my colors I picked a neutral for the background in one of the wood grain patterns from the Country Woods pack.  I adhered it to a Basic White thick card base.

  Next comes 1/2" strips of color!  The closest matches to my Color Cube card were Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lime Twist, and Granny Apple Green.  This is a really great layout to use up a lot of scraps; a swap of colors would give a whole different look.  All blues would be lovely, pastels perfect for spring, dark jewel tones for fall.  Really any colors would look great!

  I die cut the large leaf in Basic White so it would pop against the brighter colors and adhered it with dimensionals.

  The sentiment from Nature's Symphony is stamped in Crumb Cake and die cut with a Spotlight on Nature die and the edge is tucked under the Granny Apple Green strip.  A few Poppy Parade Dear Dots are the only embellishment for this crisp card.

  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: Crumb Cake

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Country Woods DSP, Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Dear Dots

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

   Lots of hullabaloo around these parts as we're getting ready for a big storm this weekend.  It sounds like we're going to be getting quite a lot of ice which is worse than just straight snow so we've got to make sure we have gas for the generator and propane for the grill and enough dog food for the Labradors and plenty of stamping supplies in case we are without power and home bound for an extended period of time!  You know all the important things! In the meantime I'm sharing a card I made with the Nature's Symphony bundle and some of the coordinating Nature Walk DSP.

   The Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake and Pretty Peacock color combo is what I started with for this design and I just kept adding and playing around with different elements until I ended up here.

  The base is Pretty Peacock with a layer of Crumb Cake stamped with the Lasting Linen Background stamp.  I love that it adds a subtle look of texture.  Next I tore the edge off a scrap of Two-Toned Pretty Peacock and added it to the card front.

  I used the little hole die and a piece of vellum to add another layer.  Then I used the Stylish Shapes square die to cut some Nature Walk DSP for the last "background" part. One of them has a bit of linen thread tied around it because why not?

  The large branch/leaf is stamped onto Lost Lagoon with the same color ink and is then die cut.  I used a bunch of mini dimensionals to pop it up. The sentiment is from the Banner Sayings stamp set and is stamped in Pretty Peacock.  

  For the final touch I sprinkled some retired Pretty Peacock sequins around the branch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Nature's Symphony, Banner Sayings (Online Exclusive), Lasting Linen background (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake, Pretty Peacock

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake, Pretty Peacock Two Toned cardstock, vellum, Nature Walk DSP

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Nature's Symphony dies, dimensionals, linen thread, Adhesive-backed Sequin Trio (retired)

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

   Last year I came across some people on Instagram who were making crochet granny square blankets using the books that they read throughout the year as inspiration for each square.  They were using the covers as inspiration for the color combo and design of the squares.  As a reader I thought that it was such a cool idea to log all of your read books in a really tangible (and practical way) other than just checking things off on Goodreads.  I'm not a crocheter but I am a card maker and I thought I could try something along those lines in 2026 but using paper instead!  So I'm going to try to make a card using each book that I read as inspiration.  It will be my own little Stamping Book Club!  

  The first book I finished in 2026 was Exiles by Jane Harper.  It's the third in a trilogy that follows the story of protagonist Aaron Falk. I enjoyed this mystery set in Australia centered on old friends gathering together in their small hometown and all the secrets that have been kept over the years.  

  I thought the book cover was an excellent inspiration for a card with the way the sky was colored and then contrasted with the dark of the surrounding trees and vegetation.  

  I definitely wanted to try to re-create the sky with inkpads and blending brushes.  I used Lemon Lolly, Timid Tiger, Balmy Blue and a tiny bit of Blueberry Bushel to get the colors shown on the cover.  The branches are stamped over the ink blending in Memento Black using the Nature's Symphony stamp set.  If only I had the new Boardwalk Fun bundle I could have been very faithful to the cover!

  To create the vegetation in the foreground I used the large branch die and Basic Black to do a partial die cut so that the branch would still be attached to the band of cardstock.  I cut a second branch fully and then added that before popping up the partial die cut on dimensionals.

  Before adding the dimensionals I tied a length of Balmy Blue Sheer Ribbon around the panel.  I added another smaller branch which is tucked under the ribbon knot.

  I struggled on deciding what sentiment to use and finally landed on this one from the Prayers & Promises stamp set.  I embossed it in black for a but of shine and dimension.  No other embellishments were added for this one.

  Anyway I hope to keep up making a card for each book I've finished.  I think it could be fun to track my books in this way and maybe inspire some others to do the same!  If you give this a try please leave a comment or tag me on social media!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Prayers & Promises, Nature's Symphony

Ink: Memento Black, Lemon Lolly, Timid Tiger, Balmy Blue, Blueberry Bushel

Paper: Basic Black, Basic White

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, dimensionals, black embossing powder, Balmy Blue Sheer ribbon

 

Beautiful Wedding - Stampin' Up!® Simply Beautiful

   The New at SU! blog hop team is back this month with a really fun (and timely) theme!  We are focusing on Handcrafted Hearts, in other words, Love!  We are creating projects for Valentine's Day, Love, Wedding, Engagement etc. We hope you hop around with us to see the wonderful inspiration from around the world and get inspired to create your own project!  You can find the hop list at the end of my post!

  At first I was going to do the easy and more pressing project and focus on Valentine's Day but then I realized I don't have a single card that I could use for an engagement congratulations or a wedding card!  I guess where I am in my stage of life I don't have much need for them but I like to keep a well stocked selection of cards so off I went!  The Simply Beautiful bundle has perfect sentiments and the coordinating Lovely & Beautiful DSP just has "spring wedding" written all over it!

  A simple layout with the gorgeous DSP and a layered Fresh Freesia blossom is perfect for an engagement card!

  The gold accents on the paper as well as the gold sequins really makes for an elegant look.

  I created a second card with similar supplies but used Basic White and Calypso Coral ink to make the large layered flower for this wedding card.

  The layers of the flower are popped on dimensionals make for a really full look.

  I hope these cards have given you some inspiration to start thinking about your own project with a "Handcrafted Hearts" theme!  Hop around with us to see more inspiration!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Simply Beautiful

Ink: Basic Gray, Calypso Coral

Paper: Basic White, Fresh Freesia Two-Toned Cardstock, Old Olive Two-Toned cardstock, Darling Duckling, Peach Pie, Old Olive, Lovely & Beautiful DSP

Accessories: Simply Beautiful dies, dimensionals, gold sequins, Pearlized Faceted Circles

Angled X's & O's - Stampin' Up!® Endless Love

   I'm back today with the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team with a cool layout for you!  It's got a fun diagonal corner element and I can't wait to see what you do with it!  

  I'll be working hard the next few weeks to get all of my Valentine's Day cards made in plenty of time to get them mailed out so I took advantage of this layout to come up with another one using the Endless Love bundle.

    For the diagonal lines in the corner I decided to use the Endless Love "XO" dies and cut a bunch out of Coastal Cabana and Cloud Cover and alternated them and added some Pretty in Pink and Strawberry Slush hearts back to the O's.  I colored the mini hearts with some Wink of Stella for a subtle shimmer.

  For the rest of the layout I stamped the heart in Pretty in Pink onto the same color cardstock and popped it up then added the sentiment in Strawberry Slush along with a Summer Splash gem.

  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: Endless Love

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Pretty in Pink

Paper: Strawberry Slush, Basic White, Pretty in Pink, Cloud Cover, Coastal Cabana

Accessories: Endless Love dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella, faceted gem (retired)

  

Beautiful Birthday - Stampin'Up!® Simply Beautiful

 I'm enjoying the new Simply Beautiful bundle and have made a few cards with it but I've kept to the color palette of the coordinating Lovely & Beautiful DSP so I wanted to try some very different colors than what the samples show in the mini catalog.  My husband got me the Color Cubes for Christmas and I used them to pick out my palette for this card.  I used the Sunday Stamps Challenge for the layout; it was perfect to highlight the smaller flower and bud image in this bundle.

  I don't think I would have put these colors together but I love how they work!  The card base and next layer are both Secret Sea and the background layer is stamped with the flower bud image using Secret Sea ink for a nice tone on tone look.

  Next is a layer of Basic White embossed with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder.  The top edge has a bit of Calypso Coral tucked behind it which has a bit of a roughed up edge for more texture.

  The images are all stamped in Secret Sea and then colored in with Stampin' Blends markers.  I love how vibrant these colors are and how they pop against the darker background.  After they were die cut the two buds are adhered flat against the card front and the bigger flower is popped on dimensionals.

  I didn't want to cover up any of the image so I stamped a small birthday sentiment on a scrap of Basic White and popped it up on the bottom corner and accented it with a gem.

  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: Secret Sea

Blends: Calypso Coral light & dark, Petunia Pop light and dark, Summer Splash light & dark

Paper: Secret Sea, Basic White, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Simply Beautiful dies, Beautiful Pattern embossing folder, dimensionals, faceted gem

Winter Thanks - Stampin' Up!® Snowy Delights

   I combined a Last Chance stamp set with a brand new set from the new Stampin' Up!® January - April mini catalog for my Christmas thank you cards.  I wanted to get more use out of the Snowy Delights stamp set as well as get the new Endless Love set inky.

  The large snowflake embossed on a piece of Pool Party is a nice centerpiece for adding the rest of the elements.  The heart is stamped in Melon Mambo ink onto Melon Mambo cardstock.

  The sentiment is a combination of the "sending you" stamped in Pumpkin Pie from the Endless Love stamp set and the "thanks" stamped in Melon Mambo from the Simply Said stamp set.  The thanks is on a partial die cut circle.  Both pieces are popped on dimensionals over a length of retired Iridescent Striped trim.  A few retired iridescent sequins add a bit more sparkle around the snowflake.

  If you have been eyeing the Snowy Delights large snowflake stamp and coordinating masks don't wait to add them to your cart as they are on the Last Chance list and there's no telling how many are left!

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

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowy Delights, Simply Said, Endless Love

Ink: Versamark, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Melon Mambo, Pool Party

Accessories: white embossing powder, Endless Love dies, dimensionals, Stylish Shapes dies, Iridescent Striped trim (retired), Adhesive-Backed Sequins Trio (retired)

Nature's Sympathy - Stampin' Up!® Prayers & Promises

   Unfortunately I needed to send a few sympathy cards over the last few weeks and my stock was extremely low so I sat down to make a big batch of them so I would have them just in case.  I hope they end up gathering dust in the storage bin even though I think they are a nice design.

  I didn't use up all of the Peaceful Garden DSP for Christmas cards so I pulled out this nice pattern in Secret Sea and used another scrap from the back for the side strip.

  I was cleaning up my stamp room closest and found a folder with some long retired cardstock called Confetti White.  It's got some really nice subtle specks and I thought it would look great with the big leaf die cut from the new Nature's Symphony die set.  

  The sentiment is from a new stamp set; Prayers & Promises and I stamped it on Basic White and die cut with with the Spotlight on Nature dies.  I popped it up on dimensionals over a Secret Sea die cut in a fun wood pattern (also in the Nature's Symphony dies).

  I sprinkled some retired Earth Tones Shimmer Gems for a final subtle touch.

  The second design is very similar with just a different Peaceful Garden DSP pattern and the layout switched from portrait to landscape.

  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: Prayers & Promises

Ink: Secret Sea

Paper: Peaceful Garden DSP, Basic White, Secret Sea, Confetti White (retired)

Accessories: Nature's Symphony dies, Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Earth Tones Shimmer Gems (retired)

Happy New Year 2026 - Stampin' Up!® Reason to Celebrate

   I usually don't wait until the new year to make a few New Years cards but I wasn't inspired until after Christmas this time around.  But the colors from Global Design Project from a few weeks back jumped out at me and I combined it with the layout challenge I recently gave to my stampers as well as the Time Out Challenge of "All that Glitters".  But I should have looked closer because I accidentally swapped some of the elements to the opposite sides from the sketch.  Oh well!

  The new Reason to Celebrate stamp set is a great one for covering some of the first half of the year occasions as well as birthday and anniversary.  The mix and match style is fun and really versatile and many of the stamps are big enough to work on a scrapbook page as well.

  I combined some old and new products to put this one together.  The background is retired Dandy Designs DSP in a Balmy Blue polka dot pattern.  Next is an Azure Afternoon Textured Notes die cut, a layer of Secret Sea and another Textured Notes die cut in Basic White.

  On the white die cut I stamped the "happy" in Secret Sea and "new year" in Azure Afternoon from the Reasons to Celebrate set.  I die cut the numbers out of Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper using the retired Playful Alphabet dies.

  Now the stars in the corners should be in opposite corners if I was following the sketch as I should have been doing but they work where they ended up!  The stamped star is found in the Hope Love & Joy stamp set and I did the outline in Secret Sea then colored them in with Balmy Blue Blends.  I alternated with stamped and glimmer paper stars popping some on dimensionals. 

  The upper corner has a Night of Navy bakers twine bow for a final detail.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Reason to Celebrate, Hope Love & Joy

Ink: Secret Sea, Azure Afternoon

Blends: Balmy Blue light & dark

Paper: Basic White, Secret Sea, Azure Afternoon, Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper, Dandy Designs DSP (retired)

Accessories: Textured Notes dies, dimensionals, Night of Navy baker's twine (retired), Playful Alphabet dies (retired)

Snowy Thank You - Stampin' Up!® Snowy Delights

  I needed some thank you cards the other day and when I pulled out my card bin I didn't have any winter themed thank yous; there were quite a few autumn themed ones so I'm thinking maybe I didn't show as much gratitude during that season as I should have!? I'll have to try to do better next year....I certainly have enough cards to do so!  But on to the winter season thank yous!

  I pulled together a seasonal card using some retired products along with Last Chance and brand new!  I've got a little of it all here!

  The card base is Balmy Blue and I covered it with a full panel of the retired Snowflake Specialty Vellum from a few years back.  I think I hoarded this one a little too hard and I still have quite a bit left!  It makes a nice texture in the background.

  Next I used the Snowy Delights stamp set and decorative masks to create a large snowflake using Balmy Blue and Highland Heather ink.   The Snowy Delights stamp set and masks are still available on the Last Chance list at a reduced price so don't wait!  

  Once the snowflake was colored I used the now retired dies to cut it and a few other snowflakes out.  I layered them across the card front and then added the sentiment.

  The sentiment comes from the brand new Sunshine & Tulips stamp set which was just released in the Stampin' Up!® January - April 2026 mini catalog.  I used white embossing powder and Smoky Slate cardstock.  I tied the end with Balmy Blue sheer ribbon.

  The small Highland Heather snowflakes have retired Iridescent Faceted gems in the centers for some sparkle.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Snowy Delights, Sunshine & Tulips

Ink: Versamark, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue

Paper: Balmy Blue, Basic White, Highland Heather, Smoky Slate, Snowflake Specialty Vellum (retired)

Accessories: Snowy Delights dies (retired), dimensionals, white embossing powder, Balmy Blue sheer ribbon, Iridescent Faceted gems (retired)

Big Hugs & Kisses - Stampin' Up!® Endless Love

    I'm having a lot of fun with the great patterns in the Made With Love DSP. They are easy to mix and match and also look great on their own.  I'm using 3 on this card today and I think they make a nice background for this big Flirty Flamingo heart!

  The colors in the Made With Love DSP are perfect for playing along with the Color Dare challenge as their palette basically has all the colors in this pack and I've used Basic Gray for a neutral!  Perfect timing!

  The card base is Basic White thick and then I used 4 panels of the DSP cut to 4" x 1 3/4" each.

  Next I added the large heart die cut in Flirty Flamingo to have a good solid base for my other elements so they didn't get lost among the patterns. 

 

  The sentiments are stamped in Basic Gray and then trimmed down.  The X's and O's are stamped in Real Red and I fussy cut them and popped them on the card front with dimensionals.

  I dithered over adding some kind of ribbon but in the end decided to add some small heart die cuts that I colored with clear Wink of Stella.  The little red hearts were perfect for above the sentiment.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Endless Love

Ink: Basic Gray, Real Red

Paper: Basic White thick, Made With Love DSP, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White

Accessories: Endless Love dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella

Bear Hug Valentine - Stampin Up!® Valentine Kisses

   Since I'm surrounded by guys at home I always need to make some masculine-ish cards for occasions throughout the year.  And Valentine's Day is no exception of course so for this Testosterone Tuesday I've got a sweet but subdued card to give to one of my sons which hopefully won't scare him with too much overt affection or sappiness.  IYKYK! lol!

  Can you see how restrained this card of love is?? I pulled my colors right from the current Inspired By challenge and while I don't have anything "knit" on my card I do have a warm and cuddly bear so that counts I think!

  The card base is Secret Sea and then a panel of Basic White which is embossed with the Hearts of Love embossing folder.  Next I added 3/4" strips of cardstock with the 2 pieces of Basic Gray edged with a bit of Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave ribbon.  I embossed the sentiment and a some tiny hearts on the strips to fill the space on the right.

 The bear is stamped in Memento black and then colored in with Pecan Pie Stampin' Blends.  I added a heart to his arms and then popped him on dimensionals on the left.

 Finally I added a few retired adhesive-backed sparkle gems 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.

Stamps: Valentine Kisses (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Memento Black, Versamark

Blends: Ivory, Pecan Pie light & dark

Paper: Secret Sea, Basic White, Basic Gray

Accessories: Hearts of Love embossing folder, Valentine Kisses dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, white embossing powder, Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave ribbon, adhesive-backed sparkle gems (retired)

Spring Has Sprung - Stampin' Up!® Easter Basket

   My title might be a bit misleading as spring has not sprung in my area even if I can see the tips of some spring flower bulbs peeking out! Spring has only arrived on my card for today!  The new Easter Basket bundle is really adorable and has a lot of fun images that are great for coloring.  I didn't even use the basket die today but I see a lot of possibilities with this suite!

  I'm using a new to me challenge for this card. Color Dare Challenge has some great combos and the current challenge has the perfect colors to pair with the Easter Basket bundle! I ended up using all 5 from the prompt!

  The different sized images were perfect to do a collage style card using the Perennial Postage dies for the background panels for each grouping.  The Balmy Blue card base sets all of the colors off nicely.

  Each image is stamped in Basic Gray and then colored with Stampin' Blends.  They are the perfect colors for each of the images!  After the images were colored and die cut I popped each one up on it's panel and then added a few embellishments.

  The bunnies got baker's twine bows, the sentiment square got some grass and then center flowers each got an iridescent sequin.

  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: Easter Basket

Ink: Basic Gray

Blends: Pretty in Pink light & dark, Lemon Lolly light & dark, Peach Pie light & dark, Shy Shamrock light & dark, Balmy Blue light & dark

Paper: Balmy Blue, Basic White, Shy Shamrock

Accessories: Easter Basket dies, Perennial Postage dies, dimensionals, baker's twine (colors retired), Iridescent Sequins (2025 Crafting Advent Calendar)

Tulip Day Birthday - Stampin' Up!® Sunshine & Tulips

  The new Sunshine & Tulips bundle is quite cute and I love the full card front sized die that makes a wonderful tulip garden so it was perfect timing when I saw the newest Festive Friday challenge for National Tulip Day!  I had no problems incorporating items from the inspiration list!  Of course I've got tulips but I also have red, yellow, orange and a birthday sentiment.  The only problem with this fun die is that once you've got it set up you don't want to cover any of the flowers with a sentiment!

  Please excuse the crooked photo; I'm apparently still trying to get back into the swing of things after a long holiday break!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then used Granny Apple Green for the large die cut.  I used the same die to cut out the flowers and just laid strips of the colored cardstock across the flowers and cut the blossom.  Each color is added back to the card front using dimensionals to pop them up.

  I cut some small leaf details out of Old Olive cardstock to add to the Poppy Parade flower leaves for some extra dimension.  I used adhesive sheets as they are very small and I didn't trust my glue skills lol!

  The sentiment from Simply Said is stamped in Old Olive onto the label shape that is in the Sunshine & Tulips dies.  It's also popped on dimensionals with a length of Gold & White ribbon behind it. To add a little bit more gold a few retired Low Profile dots 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: Sunshine & Tulips, Simply Said

Ink: Old Olive

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Timid Tiger, Granny Apple Green, Old Olive

Accessories: Sunshine & Tulips dies, dimensionals, Gold & White ribbon, Low-Profile Dots (retired), adhesive sheets

Love Hearts - Stampin' Up!® Endless Love

   I'm trying to jump right into Valentine's Day cards so when I see a challenge (or 2) that inspire me I'm going to be getting deep into the hearts! I used the Endless Love bundle to to make today's card and used the Color Hues Challenge of red and gray along with the just closed Sunday Stamps Challenge layout for my design features.

   This one starts with a Basic White thick card base, then uses a piece of Made With Love DSP in a red polka dot pattern to cover about 3/4 of the card front.

  I stamped a bunch of hearts and then cut them out and arranged them along the edge of the DSP.  The fun part of this card comes with adding in the little details.  I cut out a few "XO" combos in Smoky Slate and then filled in the little hearts with red glimmer paper.  A few more red glimmer paper hearts are popped on dimensionals and are added around the larger hearts.  A smoky slate arrow is added to the second heart.

  Finally the sentiment is from the new Reason to Celebrate stamp set and I used both Real Red and Smoky Slate ink.

  I don't think you can go wrong with hearts and the color red for a Valentine's Day card and the Endless Love bundle gives you lots of options for creating!

  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: Endless Love, Reason to Celebrate

Ink: Real Red, Smoky Slate

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Real Red, Made With Love DSP, Smoky Slate, Real Red Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Endless Love dies, dimensionals

A Warm Hello - Stampin' Up!® Snowy Delights

 I'm delighted to be joining the CAS on Friday challenge as a guest designer for this new challenge! My clean and simple muscles have definitely gotten a workout this week and I was sweating a bit when I got the prompt but it all worked out!  We are making clean and simple (CAS) designs with a snowman!

 I had to dig into the archives to get this card made!  I didn't have any stamp sets (even in my retired bins!) with a snowman and after digging through lots of retired DSP I finally found something that would work!  The long retired Let It Snow Specialty DSP came to the rescue with this cute snowman!  I fussy cut the snowman and trees and arranged them to the side of a strip of Shaded Spruce on which I embossed the sentiment and small snowflakes.  

  The snowman and smaller tree are popped on dimensionals for some interest and a small baker's twine bow is the only embellishment.  

  I'm so glad I've become a bit of a paper hoarder or you might have been subjected to me trying to draw a snowman (the horrors! lol!).

  I hope you'll play along with this fun clean and simple challenge and add your card to the gallery!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowy Delights (sentiment), Woodland Scenery (small snowflakes)

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Shaded Spruce, Let It Snow Specialty DSP (retired)

Accessories: white embossing powder, dimensionals, baker's twine

Endless Hugs & Kisses - Stampin' Up!® Endless Love

  Now that Christmas is in our rearview mirror I'm looking ahead to Valentine's day when I will need another decent sized stack of cards to mail as well as hand deliver.  I got a little bit of a start designing for it at my holiday stamping party where I was able to introduce my stampers to the new Endless Love bundle.  We've got hearts galore as well as some mix and match sentiments; add in the Made With Love DSP and this set of products will definitely get you on the right track for Valentine's day!

  This one is pretty straightforward but shows off a lot of the products in the suite.  The card starts with a Real Red card base, then a piece of Basic White is embossed with the Hearts of Love embossing folder.  A piece of Made With Love DSP in a fun 'XO' pattern comes next.

  One of the Endless Love dies is a cute heart shape with a little tab on the top like a necklace locket and I've used it on this card in Flirty Flamingo cardstock.  A bit of Bubble Bath Faux Linen ribbon is tied in the hole and then a few hearts from the Loose Valentine's Assortment are glued to the larger heart.  The heart is then popped on dimensionals.

  To finish this a quick sentiment is stamped on a narrow piece of Basic White in Real Red.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Endless Love

Ink: Real Red

Paper: Real Red, Basic White, Flirty Flamingo, Made With Love DSP

Accessories: Endless Love dies, dimensionals, 1/8" Bubble Bath Faux Linen ribbon, Loose Valentine's Assortment, Hearts of Love embossing folder

Bone Folder Gift Sleeves - Stampin' Up!® Peaceful Garden DSP

 I shared the Christmas card I made for my downline on Monday and today I've got the coordinating gift that went along with it.  I decided that personalized bone folders would be fun (and useful). And who doesn't like something with their name on it?  It's like looking for the key chain or mini license plate with your name on it back in the day!  And of course I had to make a cute little wrapper before popping them in mail.

  I tried to keep the colors similar from the cards for coordination so I used the Peaceful Garden DSP which features Secret Sea in many of the patterns.

  I cut the DSP in 12" x 2 1/4" lengths and scored them at 6 1/2" and 11".  I rounded all four corners then added a bit or retired Old Olive ribbon around the smaller flap before adhering it down with tear and tape.  then I folded the front flap up and used tear and tape along the very edges of the larger front flap to adhere it and create the pocket.

I'm going to have to put on my thinking cap for next year's gift so if you have any good ideas please leave a comment!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: none

Ink: none

Paper: Peaceful Garden DSP

Accessories: corner rounder punch (retired), Tear and Tape, Old Olive ribbon (retired), Custom Bone folders from MyEnchantedDesigns.com

    

Stampin' Up!® January-April 2026 Mini Catalog

 

  Today is the day that the January-April 2026 Mini Catalog is live for customers!  You can view all of the newly released products in my ONLINE STORE

  Don't forget to check out the newest Product of the Month for only $5 when you place a $75 or more order.  

  And last but not least today is the start of Bonus Days!  For each $50 ordered between Jan. 6 - Feb. 2 you'll receive a coupon code for $5 off an order placed between February 3-28!

Tulip Thanks - Stampin' Up!® Sunshine & Tulips

 The CAS Colours & Sketches challenge team is back for 2026 and we have 2 challenges a month to help you get creative with your Clean and Simple designs! CAS means an uncluttered design with lots of open space and minimal layers and embellishments. We are starting the year off with a gorgeous set of colors from Nancy!  Cherry Cobbler, Secret Sea and Old Olive.

  I have so many new stamp sets from the just released Stampin' Up!® January-April 2025 mini catalog that it was a bit hard to narrow down what to use for this challenge.  I finally landed on the new Sunshine & Tulips bundle because who doesn't love a red tulip?

  I started with a clean Basic White thick card base, then added 2 label shapes, one in Secret Sea cut using the Traditional Label dies and the second in Basic White and cut with the Sunshine & Tulips dies.

  I stamped the leaves in Old Olive and drew the stem with my Stampin' Blends Old Olive dark marker.  I die cut the tulip flower shape and then stamped in the outer petals in full strength Cherry Cobbler ink and then did the center petal in stamped off Cherry Cobbler.  I then popped the flower up on the stem with dimensionals.  

 

  The flower panel is added to the card front over the Secret Sea label and is popped with more dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Secret Sea and the finishing touch of 2 Pressed Flower Motifs embellishments are added to accent the label.

  I hope to see your design in the challenge gallery!  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sunshine & Tulips

Ink: Secret Sea, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive

Blends: Old Olive dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Secret Sea

Accessories: Sunshine & Tulips dies, Traditional Labels dies, dimensionals, Pressed Flower Motifs

  

Joy to the World - Stampin' Up!® Hope Love & Joy

   Way back in December I broke out some of my January-April mini catalog preorder items to make Christmas cards for my team.  The Hope Love & Joy bundle works well for many different kinds of cards and I know I'll be using this one all year round.  I love how the 'O' in each word can be replaced with the different images so it's really easy to change up the look depending on the kind of card you're making.

  I started with a Secret Sea card base and then embossed a piece of Two Toned Olive Olive with the Beautiful Pattern embossing folder and tore of the edges.

  On a piece of Basic White the 'joy' is stamped in Secret Sea and then the smaller sentiment is stamped above it.  The world is stamped on a piece of scrap and then I used Stampin' Blends to color it in.  After it was die cut it's added with a dimensional.  Before adhering the whole panel to the card front I added a gold twine bow.

  Finally I sprinkled a few Traditional Sparkling Sequins around the images for the final touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Items marked with a * will be available starting January 6, 2026.

Stamps: Hope Love & Joy*

Ink: Secret Sea

Blends: Cloud Cover light, Old Olive light

Paper: Secret Sea, Basic White, Two-Toned Old Olive

Accessories: Hope Love & Joy dies*, dimensionals, gold twine (retired), Beautiful Pattern embossing folder, Traditional Sparkling Sequins