Quick Christmas cards and last-minute treats with Humble Home from Stampin’ Up!®

 

There are two types of crafters in the Stampin’ Up!® world, I find. Those who have sorted all their Christmas projects and are now thinking ahead to 2025. And those like me.

I was convinced I had enough Christmas cards left from previous years and from this year’s events, but it turned out the box contained some 3D projects which were making it look fuller than it was.

What I DID have was quite a big pile of stamped and punched Humble Home houses which I’d made for some 3D treat boxes. However, while making them, I got distracted and stamped FAR more than I needed.

So I quickly set aside what I needed to make the required treat boxes – more on those later – and used the remaining house fronts on Stampin’ Up!® Note Cards and Envelopes to make REALLY simple cards.

My pick of the Stampin Up!® discount craft kits sale

Are you looking for a Stampin’ Up!® bargain? Some amazing Christmas gifts? Some crafty inspiration? Look no further than the Last Chance sale at my Stampin’ Up!® store.

Last time I checked there were no fewer than 20 discount craft kits in the sale. Most of them are reduced by an amazing 50%. They would make fabulous Christmas presents – easy to wrap, too!

Stampin’ Up!® craft kits are great for:

• Taking on holiday (just add scissors)

• Gifting (see above)

• Beginner crafters

• Busy crafters

• Reawakening your mojo!

• Adding to your card stash quickly and easily

• Turning into EASY scrapbook pages

Take a look at some of the Stampin’ Up!® kits available and be quick because there’s free shipping until 11pm Wednesday when you spend £60 or more.

Here are some of my favourite discount craft kits in the Stampin’ Up!® Last Chance sale...

Winterly Tree Tops Christmas ornament

I love to make my own Stampin’ Up!® Christmas ornaments to hang on the tree, on door knobs, or even use as gift tags. This year’s Christmas decoration has a bird theme, thanks to the gorgeous Winterly Tree Tops bundle of stamps and dies (164066). 

Fun Christmas cracker tutorial

 

Today I have a Christmas gift idea using your Stampin’ Up!® cardstock and Reindeer Days Designer Series Paper. And if it looks familiar then I will remind you that there’s no such thing as a new idea... and certainly not in my head at the moment. We are having building work done and the stress and mess of it all has sapped my mojo.

But what is one of my best tips for a missing mojo? Remake something you’ve made before. In my defence, a quick glance through this blog shows me that it’s been three years since I last made this half cracker gift box for a Stampin’ Up!® Zoom class during the pandemic.

Rustic new home card using Stampin Up!’s Humble Home bundle

The Humble Home stamp set and coordinating punch from Stampin’ Up!® are so versatile. 

I’ve already used them for three very different cards for Christmas and thank yous. 

It goes without saying that this useful Stampin’ Up!® bundle will also work for birthdays.

For today’s blog post, I have used the Humble Home bundle for a new home card, which is perhaps the most obvious choice.

Vintage Christmas Stampin Up Yuletide Village

Are you looking for a special Christmas idea using the Yuletide Village stamp set from Stampin’ Up!®?

Make scrapbooking easy with card kits - yes, card kits!

Since Stampin’ Up!® took over the troubled Close to My Heart scrapbooking business earlier this year, I have started scrapbooking again after a break of many years.

Happily, the takeover and launch of a new range of exciting Stampin’ Up!® scrapbooking products coincided with three new babies in the family, giving me LOTS of photos to scrapbook.

Having said that, it's a myth that you need children and small babies to justify scrapbooking; you can scrapbook your holidays, days out, family occasions, and even your day-to-day life.

But I have pledged to create two albums by Christmas, so am sticking with the baby and toddler theme.

How to turn around lots of pages quickly? Kits!

And not just Stampin’ Up!®’s fabulous new scrapbooking kits. I have a few part-finished Stampin’ Up!® card kits so decided to see if I could use these to make quick and easy scrapbook pages.

Short answer: yes you can!

10 fabulous Stampin’ Up!® colour combinations for autumn

Do you struggle to put Stampin’ Up!® colours together? Do you wish you could find new and exciting colour combinations? I know some people don't feel confident putting different Stampin’ Up!® colours together, so as I’m having a week off from crafting, here are some tips – and 10 fabulous autumn colour combinations using your favourite Stampin’ Up!® colours. 

Not just for scrapbooking! Easy card ideas using Autumn to Remember

I love trees, and I love the colours of autumn, so needed no further excuse to make these cards using Stampin’ Up!®’s Autumn to Remember stamp set. 

Stampin Up sneak peek: Otterly Adorable Suite card and 12x12" scrapbook page

Do you love otters? Who doesn’t, right? I was so excited to see the new Otterly Adorable Suite Collection in the Stampin’ Up!® Online Exclusives Collection. This is available to demonstrators to pre-order now, and goes live to customers on 5th November 2024.

The Otterly Adorable Suite Collection from Stampin’ Up!® comprises the Otterly Amazing bundle of stamps and dies, Otterly Adorable Designer Series Paper, Lost Lagoon Soft Cording and Riverside Irregular Pearls.

I used the bundle and Designer Series Paper to create a 12x12" scrapbook page and a card.

Eight 12x12 scrapbook pages using Autumn to Remember Kit from Stampin’ Up!®

Have you tried one of the new Stampin’ Up!® scrapbooking workshop kits yet?

I dipped my toe in by ordering the Autumn to Remember Scrapbooking Workshop Kit (166502). I have never scrapbooked in this way, with kits and instructions, so I wanted to see how it works.

I was impressed! The Autumn to Remember Scrapbooking Workshop Kit makes six pages – three double-page spreads – with lots of leftover elements. Cutting instructions are really clear, so you know which way to cut and which way the pattern should go. There are clear photos of the finished projects, as well as paler versions of the projects with each piece clearly labelled (1A, 1B, etc) so you know which goes where.

In case you don’t have your photos ready – as I didn’t for most of these pages – there are photo place holders which are brilliant for getting your projects moving. I know I always used to get stuck by not having my photos ready.

The sheets of pop-out die-cuts are all labelled on the back, too, with the number of the relevant project. This is a really good detail if you like to stick closely to the instructions.

So did I stick closely to the instructions in the Autumn to Remember Scrapbooking Workshop Kit? What do you think?

14 ideas for Winterly Tree Tops – including a scrapbook page

 

Are you looking for ideas for the hugely versatile Nests of Winter Suite from Stampin’ Up!® This fabulous Suite includes the Winterly Tree Tops stamps and dies bundle, which was the basis for my Autumn Craft Day here in Derbyshire at the weekend.

Read on for 14 ideas for projects using the Winterly Tree Tops bundle and Nests of Winter Designer Series Paper.

Three card ideas for Humble Home bundle from Stampin’ Up!®

Humble Home is the Stampin’ Up!® stamp set I have been waiting for. So many times I have had to compromise when making a new home card – but no longer. 

Now I have a versatile set that works for new homes, thank yous and Christmas all in one.

Naturally, after wanting a set like this for so long and putting the Humble Home bundle (164094) at the top of my wish list, I forgot to order it. But I have it now and have have used Humble Home stamp set and matching punch to create three cards. They’re all linked by a simple white card base but they are all very different.

Four simple cards in one using Autumn to Remember Stampin’ Up!® stamp set

Sometimes life demands you keep things simple – and these cards made with the Stampin’ Up!® stamp set Autumn to Remember definitely fall into the simple category.

All I have used is the Autumn to Remember stamp set from the new Stampin’ Up!® Scrapbooking Brochure, four ink pads and some cardstock. 

Christmas scrapbooking made simple

With the launch of Stampin’ Up!®’s new Scrapbooking Brochure, scrapping is very much back on the menu in this house and, very soon I hope, on my class schedule too. The new product range makes scrapbooking really simple.

The launch of the new Stampin’ Up!® range could not have come at a better time for me because the arrival of two great-nieces and a great-nephew is giving me ample photo opportunities.

I have a year of great-niece Lily to scrapbook so I’m starting there, and wanted to show you how this can be achieved very easily with just a few products.

For this double-page spread I used some Crumb Cake 12"x12" cardstock from my stash, along with A Little Bit Festive Designer Series Paper and Joyful Sayings Ephemera Pack. This is without even touching the new Scrapbooking Brochure products as they were still in transit when I made these pages.

I’m a little rusty, scrapbooking-wise, so leaned heavily on the instructions from the Halloween Memories Scrapbooking Workshop kit in the Stampin’ Up!® Scrapbooking Brochure. But as I got into my stride, I went off-piste for the second page.

More Yuletide Village Christmas projects

 

I am having so much fun using the new Yuletide Village stamp set from the Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalogue.

Last week I showed you some subtle copper and white projects, but this week I have blasted my Yuletide Village (164310) projects with colour.

Shimmery Christmas card ideas using Yuletide Village from Stampin’ Up!®

The new Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalogue is going live soon so today I have two projects to show you using the new Christmas Stampin’ Up!® stamp set Yuletide Village, along with some really fun techniques.

Yuletide Village features in the September-December Mini Catalogue, which goes live on 4 September 2024.

Stampin Up Frames and Flowers card and scrapbook page - two in one.

Who likes a twofer? I do! This is when you get two projects in one go, and is what happened when I made this Stampin’ Up!® scrapbook page using Frames & Flowers Designer Series Paper.

Stampin’ Up!® is expanding its traditional scrapbooking range, following the rescue of scrapbook company Close to My Heart, so this is an excellent time to get back into scrapbooking.

Masking techniques with Musical Jamboree stamp set from Stampin' Up!®

When I saw the Musical Jamboree stamp set in the latest Stampin’ Up!® Annual Catalogue, I just had to have it because that wolf looks so much like my own dog.

So far I have made three cards using this fun stamp set, all of which you can see here.

Inspiring card ideas for Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper

Exciting news! There’s a Designer Series Paper sale starting today at Stampin’ Up!® and I have four fab fancy fold ideas to inspire you.

I have used Thoughtful Journey 6x6 Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!® but you could use almost any patterned paper from the 15% off sale with these versatile designs.

During the sale, which runs until the end of August, you can save 15% on standard 6x6 and 12x12 Designer Series Paper packs in the current 2024-2025 Annual Stampin’ Up!® Catalogue.

Check out the sale here 

Stepped-up projects using new Nests of Winter Suite from Stampin’ Up!®

There’s a new Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalogue coming our way soon, and I am lucky to have the Nests of Winter Suite, featuring Winterly Tree Tops stamps and dies, already.

This was available to demonstrators who signed up for the online global Creativity Now event. It was a fun opportunity to see an array of gorgeous projects using Winterly Tree Tops as well as some behind-the-scenes peeks at other products in the new September-December Mini Catalogue from Stampin’ Up!®.

Take a look at some of the projects I made. You could make these and more at my in-person Autumn Craft Day here in Derbyshire on 28th September. 

 

Find out more and reserve your spot here

Faux two-step stamping with Wildflower Designs

 

I have a really fun two-step stamping technique to show you today, using the Stampin’ Up!® stamp set Wildflower Designs, some Petunia Pop ink and a water spritzer.

Using a spritz of water, I turned Wildflower Designs into a two-step stamp.

It was a lot of fun – and mess – and I love the results. Read on to find out how I did it.

Three fun stencil projects using Stampin Up’ Frosted Forest bundle with masks

 

Combining Stampin’ Up!® stamps and Frosted Forest masks (they’re stencils!) – opens up a world of creative possibilities.

I love the brand new range of Stampin’ Up!® Online exclusives and the stamp set which jumped straight out at me was of course Frosted Forest as I cannot resist any tree-themed craft products.

I love that the Frosted Forest bundle comes not just with a photopolymer stamp set and coordinating dies, but with a set of six fabulous masks, which I personally would call stencils.

I had a fun craft session creating projects with this gorgeous Frosted Forest bundle. Take a look at the three very different cards I made, then check out the rest of the Stampin’ Up!® Online Exclusives here:

Stampin’ Up!® Online Exclusives

Getting started in cardmaking using Frames & Flowers Speciality Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!®

Have you seen the Frames & Flowers Speciality Designer Series Paper pack from Stampin’ Up!®? This is such a useful pack, which is ideal to help you get started in cardmaking or simply make quick and easy cards in a relaxing craft session.

The pack comprises three standard 12"x12" sheets of double-sided Designer Series Paper, plus three sheets of die-cuts, featuring frames, panels, borders, flowers, leaves and wreaths.

To keep your cardmaking really simple, just pop out the pieces, pop them on a card and finish off with a greeting.

I used this pack as the basis for a Summer Craft Day here in Derbyshire at the weekend. Everyone received a full pack in their kit, along with all the supplies needed to make 11 simple and relaxing projects using Stampin’ Up!® products.

At my events, everyone works at their own pace, which gives people time to chat, and skip any projects they are less keen on or think they won’t use. Guests can tackle the projects in any order, using the instructions provide. Read on to see all the projects, and read some tips for getting started in cardmaking in the UK.

A rainbow of colourful Wildflower Designs cards

I cannot get enough of Stampin’ Up!®’s Wildflower Designs stamp set at the moment!

This gorgeous stamp set lends itself perfectly to Blending Brush and masking techniques, so I had another play session with Wildflower Designs to create a set of colourful cards.

Three card ideas using Wildflower Designs from Stampin’ Up!®

 

I am always drawn to Stampin’ Up!® stamp sets featuring wildflowers, seed heads and big allium-style flowers, so it was inevitable that I would add Wildflower Designs to my craft stash.

This beautiful stamp set is part of the Wildly Flowering Suite. I thought I could get away with just purchasing the stamp set but no, I have since ordered the dies to complete the bundle at least.

If you’re on the hunt for quick and easy Stampin’ Up!® ideas, then look away now. But if you’re up for a big ole messy craft session featuring lots of ink splashing, then I am here for you!

Six card ideas using Full of Life Designer Series Paper

I don’t know about you but I love it when I can make two cards in one go, and this happened twice during a craft session with the STUNNING new Full of Life Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!®

The paper had completely passed me by until a customer ordered it. Once I saw her pack, I knew I had to have my own... and plan an online class around it too.

Although there are no actual images on the paper, the designs really are Full of Life – full of rainbows of colour and geometric patterns.

I have used various Stampin’ Up!® stamps and dies to make these cards because my focus was on the Full of Life Designer Series Paper. There is a coordinating bundle called Friends for Life but I don't have this so wanted to see what else I could use.

Enduring Beauty masks – floral card idea

One of the things I love about the new Stampin’ Up!® Annual Catalogue is the techniques pages.

These are perfect for building up your own craft skills and also lend themselves perfectly to classes. I recently held a Masterful Masking class, taking inspiration from pages 124 and 125 of the catalogue.

Cutest Onesie baby card with Painted Lavender

 

We have a new baby in the family! I am a great-aunt once again and it’s very exciting. No pinks for this baby girl so I made a lavender-themed card by combining two Stampin’ Up!® stamp sets.

Card ideas with Take to the Sky Designer Series Paper

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again... you don’t always need to buy the stamp set. This may feel like shocking advice from a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator but I know times are tough for many people right now and I would rather help you find ways to keep crafting than see you give it up for financial reasons.

Here are three cards I made using Take to the Sky Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!® I don’t have the coordinating Adventurous Sky stamp set because, frankly, I didn’t think I’d get much use from it. But I love the paper featuring masculine patterns, planes, maps and clouds, and think it could be extremely versatile.

Five cards using new Stampin' Up!® set Poised Peony

Today I have FIVE projects to show you, all using the new Stampin’ Up!® stamp set, Poised Peony.

Being floral, this is not my usual type of stamp set but I absolutely love the coordinating Frames & Flowers Speciality Designer Series Paper and this goes with it, so I have decided to base my Summer Craft Day on these products. 

Find out more about the Summer Craft Day

Fun card ideas using Tune In Stampin’ Up!® stamp set

If you know me, you’ll know I love everything retro. Retro music, retro colours, retro homewares, retro Stampin’ Up!® designs. So the new Stampin’ Up!® set Tune In went straight to the top of my shopping list. 

I love the retro TV image and the groovy stars and couldn’t wait to show off this fun stamp set at my Stampin’ Up!® Annual Catalogue launch party at the weekend.

Painted Lavender meets Under the Moon in a Stampin’ Up!® mash-up

 

 

When I get a new Stampin’ Up!® catalogue, I like to look for ways I can combine the old with the new. The new Under the Moon stamp set opens up a world of possibilities and one of the ways I wanted to use it is with a floral stamp set. 

Stampin’ Up!® Ephemera Packs – the new way to make cardmaking EASY

An exciting new product range in the new Stampin’ Up!® Annual Catalogue is the Mix and Match range, which includes four fun Ephemera Packs. Read on to see all the projects I’ve made with these fun packs... so far.

One of the things I love most about the catalogue, which goes live tomorrow, is that it is so accessible for new crafters.

There are lots of products in the early pages which are suitable for those who have never made a card before, and lots of tips to help them on their way.

I’ve been cardmaking for well over 25 years now but these Stampin’ Up!® Ephemera Packs – which some will view as “beginner” products – appeal to me, too. In fact they are perfect for anyone who is short of time, short of space or wants to pack up a little craft kit to take on holiday. And, drum roll please... Ephemera Packs are perfect for scrapbooking.

Stampin Up In Colors™ monochromatic cards with Under the Moon

 

I finally got round to using the new Stampin’ Up!® In Colors™ to make a set of monochromatic cards.

Sneak peek: three projects using Under the Moon, new Stampin' Up!® stamp set

Are you ready for a sneak peek? Today I have three projects using the brand new Under the Moon and Simply Said Stampin’ Up!® stamp sets plus two tiny peeks of two new colours. These fab products will be released to customers on Wednesday 1st May.

Retired Stampin’ Up!® product showcase: Sweet Thoughts Memories & More Cards

The Stampin’ Up!® Last Chance Sale begins today and there are some beautiful products available, some at amazing discounts.

Today I have four cards to show you using some of the fantastic retiring Stampin’ Up!® products which by happy coincidence are all reduced in price. This does mean that they are likely to sell out fast, so please don’t delay. And if you shop with me, I will give you a £10 voucher for every £10 you spend in April. You can use this voucher on my retired items in May.

Retiring Stampin’ Up!® In Colors™ meet Delicate Forest dies

 

Will you be sad to see the outgoing Stampin’ Up!® In Colors™ leave us at the end of this month? I know I will.

Two spring cards made with Garden Meadow Stampin’ Up!® stamp set

Have you seen the Garden Meadow stamps and dies in the Stampin’ Up!® Online Exclusives? This is a really beautiful bundle and perfect for this time of year.

Here in Derbyshire, spring keeps tantalising us then going away again! But that didn’t stop me making two spring-themed projects with the WI ladies the other week.

These ladies love to colour, so I knew the Garden Meadow stamp set would be popular with them.

Easter Bunny treat bags

Would you believe I have never bought an Easter stamp set before? Easter Bunny, which features in the January to April Stampin’ Up!® catalogue is my very first Easter set.

This year I was determined to make some cute little gifts and with Easter just around the corner, I thought I’d better get cracking! (See what I did there?)

NINE project ideas using Hooray for Surprises and Flight and Airy Designer Series Paper

Have you tried the Hooray for Surprises dies to add an extra fun element to your Stampin’ Up!® projects? They were the theme of my Spring Craft Day at the weekend.

Please bear with me here as I realise the Flight & Airy Designer Series Paper we used is no longer available, as it was a Sale-a-Bration item available free with a £45 Stampin’ Up!® order during January and February. I will show you most of the projects we made, and many can be adapted to use different Stampin’ Up!® Designer Series Paper.

At my all-day classes, guests are given a kit of Stampin’ Up!® supplies and a pack of tutorials. This allows them to work at their own pace and skip any projects they don’t like the look of.

For this event, I knew some people would relish the challenge of making interactive cards, while others were just there for a natter and a bit of light crafting. So there were LOTS of projects for them to choose from.

Here are some of them...

Two card ideas using new Stampin' Up!® Online Exclusive Happy Little Things

 

Today at Stampin’ Up!® we have a brand new collection of Online Exclusives going live!

There are products for the coffee-lover, for those who love big bright flowers, for nature-lovers, pet-lovers and those who make cards for children.

I was in need of some new sentiments so was thrilled to see two fabulous sentiment sets. One of them is called Happy Little Things and is really versatile.

I’ve used it here to create two fun cards for a celebration.

Perennial Lavender Stampin Up card ideas - and an online class for all UK crafters

The most popular Designer Series Paper in the current Stampin’ Up!® Mini Catalogue is Perennial Lavender – and with good reason. This beautiful paper from the Perennial Lavender Suite coordinates with the Painted Lavender stamp set; another popular Mini catalogue product.

I’ve been crafting with these Stampin’ Up!® products recently and absolutely love the gorgeous purple tones and fabulous Kraft background. I LOVE kraft, especially with speckles in it.

This paper will form the basis for a Perennial Lavender online class I am running in April. This will be open to anyone in the UK.

Four fab Stampin’ Up!® colour combinations for you to use

 

This is a bright fresh colour combination using Balmy Blue, Boho Blue, Sweet Sorbet and Petal Pink. Perfect for spring Stampin’ Up!® projects.

Six EASY cards using Sunny Days Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!®

Sale-a-Bration is a wonderful time of year for Stampin’ Up!® fans as we can earn lots of gorgeous free products.

One of them is this pack of Sunny Days Designer Series Paper, which I've used here to create six REALLY simple cards which anyone can make with no special equipment.

All I have used here is some Thick Basic White cardstock, Basic Black cardstock for layering, some Stampin’ Up!® greeting stamps, a paper trimmer and some ribbon. 

Five card ideas using Painted Lavender Stampin' Up!® stamp set

 

When I learned that the best-selling Stampin’ Up!® stamp set from the Jan-April Mini Catalogue is Painted Lavender, I was not in the slightest surprised. When I used it at my Catalogue Launch Party last month, several people placed orders for it and the coordinating Perennial Lavender Designer Series Paper.

Painted Lavender is a beautiful stamp set with lots of possibilities. Stamp it in different colours to create the look of other tall flowering plants such as hollyhocks, delphiniums, lupins and more.

For my cards I stuck to traditional lilacs and purples. Take a look at the cards I have been making with this gorgeous stamp set...