SIX card designs using Trusty Toolbox FREE Stampin’ Up!® Designer Series Paper

Did you know you can earn some fabulous FREE Stampin’ Up!® Designer Series Paper during January and February? Yes, it’s Sale-a-Bration, and one of the free gifts you can earn when you spend £45 is this gorgeous Trusty Toolbox Designer Series Paper. 

Read on for six easy ideas for making the most of this fabulous paper. 

Woodland-themed projects with FREE Rings of Love paper, and Ringed With Nature stamp set

Do you love free products? Even after nearly 15 years as a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator, I still get excited to earn free cardmaking products.

The free product I want to show you today is Rings of Love Designer Series Paper, which is FREE with a £45 purchase during Sale-a-Bration in July and August 2022.

Even more masculine card ideas – simple designs which are easy to adapt

 

I’m continuing my theme of masculine projects with some more made with the fab He’s the Man Suite from Stampin’ Up!®’s new Annual Catalogue. These ideas can all be adapted to use the supplies you already have.

More masculine card ideas – this time with Wildlife Wonder

 

I just can’t stop making masculine cards now I’ve started so I have another post of projects for you this week. All are birthday cards but all could easily be converted into Father’s Day cards if that’s what you need.

All the projects use the absolutely stunning New Horizons Designer Series Paper which I strongly urge you to grab now while you can, as it is in the January-June Mini Catalogue so won’t be around for much longer. 

Foolproof tips for masculine cardmaking

 

Lots of crafters tell me they really struggle to make masculine cards. While there are lots of images in the current Stampin’ Up!® catalogues designed specifically with men and boys in mind, they can’t cover every hobby and interest. And, let’s be honest here, sometimes you don’t want to invest in a stamp set for just one card.

Jan-June Mini Catalogue Blog Hop - masculine card with Wildlife Wonder

 

It’s been a long while since I took part in a blog hop but January always brigs with it good intentions so here I am. Today I invite you to hop around the world to see some amazing projects featuring brand new Stampin’ Up!® products from the January-June Mini Catalogue.

I have a project to show you today which uses the lovely Wildlife Wonder stamp set. We love bears, wolves and owls in this family, so I couldn’t resist adding this set to my order. Bears top that list so my first card with this set uses the lovely bear image. 

 

 

This is a Distinktive stamp set, which means you don’t have to do anything clever to get that amazing shaded image on the bear. Just ink it up in a colour of your choice – I used Early Espresso – and stamp. 

 

 

After fussy cutting the bear, I stamped a simple scene in Old Olive ink using the stamps in the set. There's a “splodge” which is useful to create a base for the bear to stand on, and a simple grassy sprig which can be used at different heights and angles to create a scene. 

 

 

I covered the whole of the front of the card base with some woodgrain paper from the Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper pack. This whole pack of paper from the Annual Catalogue is perfect to go with the animal images from this Wildlife Wonder stamp set. 

 

The moody sky was created using the fabulous Blending Brushes and some Daffodil Delight ink, blended into a little Old Olive at the base. These brushes are a delight to use and really raise your projects to the next level. 

 

 

The Wildlife Wonder set is a really great set for making masculine cards. I know a lot of people struggle to make cards for men but this will make it easy. I have to say though, as someone who loves bears, wolves and owls, I’d be more than happy to receive a card made with this set, too!

 

 

Have you had a good look at the Stampin’ Up!® January-June Mini Catalogue yet? Please visit the blogs in this hop to see lots more inspiration for stamp sets from this fab new collection. 

Is the Wildlife Wonder stamp set on your wish list? If you are in the UK, you can shop for any Stampin’ Up!® products at my online store and, if you use the current host code RNU3JCR9, I’ll send you a thank you next month. 

To make it easy for you, please shop using this link

Does your wish list come to more than £99? Please get in touch and I will help you get more for your money and unlock discounts all year round.  

 

Please message me via my website 

 

For the Guys All-inclusive kit from Stampin’ Up!®

I couldn’t let the week go by without showing you the projects I made with one of our wonderful new kits, which launched on Tuesday. This one is called For The Guys and it’s an absolute must for anyone who struggles with masculine projects as it’s all done for you.

 

 

Best of all, you get a really handy photopolymer stamp set featuring greetings for pretty well the full set of male family members. And because it’s photopolymer and they are all in capitals, you can mix and match to make Grandad or Granddad from Grandpa plus Dad. 

 

I had a very quick play with this set at the weekend and made one of each card design. These kits are designed to be copied exactly so that’s what I did... but I’m sure nobody would mind if you bought one and did your own thing, too. 

 

I love the fact that we now have something which is totally perfect for the new stamper, at an affordable price, and which includes stamps, ink, clear block and even adhesive. The kits like this one, which include stamps, are just £18. Those without stamps are an even more affordable £11.25.

These fab kits are also ideal for gifts and again, you won’t have to supplement your gift with a block, ink pads etc.

Take one on holiday and you won’t have to worry about forgetting anything, either. Just pack some scissors and you’ll have everything you need to keep you busy on a long journey or a rainy day. 

See how easy it is to make the projects in this kit in this video:

 

This kit is ideal for Father’s Day and beyond so if you are in the UK and would like to order this (or any other kit or product), please visit my store and, if you use the June host code HVTHW7HM, I’ll send you a thank you gift next month!

To make it easy for you, please shop using this link

Does your wish list come to more than £99? Please get in touch and I will help you get more for your money and unlock discounts all year round.  

 

Please message me via my website 

 

Christmas or not? In The Pines watercolour card

If you’re like me, you'll still be making Christmas cards like an elf on strong coffee, so this post is for you as it features a fun Christmas card idea.

But if you're one of The Other People, who has not only made their Christmas cards but – worse! – maybe even written or POSTED them, then this blog post is also for you as it shows you a fun tree-themed card idea using one of my favourite stamp sets, In The Pines. 

 

 

This is the first in a very short series of blog posts on the theme of “Christmas or not’... showing cards designs which can be used for a variety of occasions.

This beautiful card idea came from Julie Kettlewell of the Paper Haven, who told me that she got the idea from Artisan Design Team member Nina.

I loved it and sat down to make it immediately. You know how I love a messy watercolour technique. And trees. Put them together and we have a project which is so far up my street that you can see my front door.

It’s simply a case of stamping onto wet paper, in this case Shimmery White. This gives you a lovely washy look to the images, and you can then spread the ink around a little more using a paintbrush or water painter.  

 

Watch Nina's video here

When it’s dry, you can splash it with Whisper White Craft ink but be careful! I ended up with a Jackson Pollock-esque streaks on my project and lovely little snowflake dots all over everything else... the table, my phone, my clothes and my hands. 

In Nina’s video, she squeezes ink onto a clear block to use it for splashing. I prefer to use an old embellishment container so you can put the lid on and use any leftover ink again and again.

 

 

For the Christmas version, I added a tiny star to the top of the tree from the All The Trimmings Embellishments pack. Leaving this off keeps the card neutral, so you can use it for pretty much any other occasion. I’ve stamped “thank you” from Beautiful Autumn, because that’s the type of card I needed.

 

But it would also make a great masculine birthday card for a man who loves the outdoors. Or you could send it to me because I love trees, as may have already mentioned.

 

Both are finished off with some gorgeous Linen Thread, which never goes out of style. I hope this never retires as I use it all the time!

Now a warning: don’t delay!

In The Pines and Beautiful Autumn are both retiring soon so if you want to get either of them, please don’t delay. Shop the retiring list tomorrow (Tues 8th) as some items will be reduced (In The Pines is full price but Beautiful Autumn will be reduced, in the UK at least) and there are some mega bargains to be had. All products will only be available while supplies last and shipping may take longer due to Covid and Christmas, so I strongly urge you to do your shopping tomorrow to avoid disappointment.

If you're in the UK, please shop online using the December host code SX4NGWRH (unless you're spending over £150!). And as a thank you for using the code, I will send you a handmade card and a thank you gift.

 

Blog hop: Gilded Autumn projects

Would I like to take part in a blog hop showcasing the Gilded Autumn Suite? Yes please! This is my favourite suite from the August-December Mini Catalogue; I love autumn and love woodlands so both the colours and the images speak to me. And what were they saying? “Buy me!” of course.

 

 

These projects were made for my Crafty Friday event this month – waste not, want not! We made two cards; a W-fold card and an aperture card.

My classes are still taking place via Zoom so I’m having to provide creative ways of supplying kits which guests can add to with their own stamp sets. This time I was tardy so didn’t have time to order their optional extras of stamps and punches ahead of time so they had the unenviable task of fussy-cutting all those leaves and acorns out. I didn’t – I used the punches, which fit the images on the Gilded Autumn Designer Series Paper perfectly. 

We began with this W-fold card, decorating the front with some strategically placed Gilded Autumn Designer Series Paper and punched out images using the Autumn Punch Pack.

I used this large greeting from Happiest of Birthdays, stamping it in Mint Macaron and Early Espresso for a bit of variety. You can do this using the Stamparatus, or sponges, or simply by winging it with two ink pads. Just remember to start with the paler colour first, so you don’t cross-contaminate. 

Inside, it’s a simple case of adding some squares to a strip of cardstock, which you score in quarters. If you wish, you can download the class instructions here.

I’d sized the squares inside to fit the Stitched Shapes Dies, as I know almost all of my customers have those. But if they didn’t – or didn’t want to die-cut – they could cut them to size using a paper trimmer. I like the addition of a few popped up coloured leaves and acorns to embellish the metallic papers. 

I made two versions; one as a sample ahead of the class, then I changed things up a little on the day. Mainly because, although I am quite disorganised, even I don’t need to stockpile belated birthday cards! 

 

After the class I decided to go a step further by decorating the envelopes with some leftover strips of Designer Series Paper. This is simply a case of applying adhesive to the envelope flap, sticking it to the DSP and cutting around it carefully with scissors. 

Our second card was a simple aperture card – and the beauty of this is that you can cut any aperture in the front, depending on the dies or punches you have. 

Again, I changed the greeting on the day of the class to make a birthday card. I have lots of autumn birthdays so won’t struggle to find a suitable recipient. 

 

Cut the inside piece and hold it in place without sticking, then stamp the greeting through the aperture. This allows you to get it in position, while still giving you the opportunity to turn it over and have another go if it doesn’t stamp exactly how you planned.

I hope you have enjoyed these projects and are inspired to take a closer look at this gorgeous product suite. For more inspiration, please visit the other blogs in the hop here:

Masculine cards with World of Good Designer Series Paper

I’ve had the World of Good Designer Series Paper since pre-order back in May and *gasp* had never used it! Enough was enough, so I finally cracked it open.

The only issue is... I didn’t buy the Beautiful World stamp set to go with it, so would I be able to create anything without the benefit of Stampin’ Up!®’s amazing coordination? Of course I could! And it’s PERFECT for masculine cards – something I know many people struggle with.

For starters, that old favourite from last year, Sailing Home, goes perfectly. Here are two cards which tap into the nautical theme in traditional blues. 

I love how Sailing Home and the Smooth Sailing Dies are given a refresh with our new colour, Misty Moonlight. Die-cutting from Brass Foil sheets picks up the foiled accents from the DSP. 

They are product-heavy projects but if you have it, use it! I was also following this sketch – which is based on the card on page 87 of the current Annual Catalogue – for these projects, after setting my customers a challenge to do the same. 

And of course, Designer Series Paper on its own can help you make fabulous cards, too. Mixing things up a little, I made two more cards using the browns from the pack. This is where Cinnamon Cider cardstock and ribbon comes into play. The 21st birthday card is a total CASE from Ellen Woodbridge’s fabulous 50th birthday card.

I used the Playful Alphabet dies (an absolute must-have, in my opinion) and the equally essential Foam Adhesive Sheets. The greeting from Whale Done is just the job for a 21st birthday card, and the map design reflects the recipient’s love of travel. 

The final card showcases one of my favourite greeting stamps of all time, from Happiest of Birthdays. I sliced off half of the front of the card, then decorated the front panel and the inside with contrasting designs of World of Good Designer Series Paper. It’s finished off with Gilded Gems.

To get the shadow effect you see on the Happiest of Birthdays card, use the Stamparatus. Position your cardstock in the corner, then move it a hair’s breadth down and towards the centre (left or right, depending on how you use your Stamparatus). Hold it down with a magnet and stamp in your dark colour.

Then move the cardstock into the corner and repeat. You can do this with the same colour without reinking, to get a paler shade, or clean off the stamp and use a different shade, as I’ve done here. I used Early Espresso and Cinnamon Cider.