Gilded Autumn Suite - two beautiful cards for the best season of the year

 

 

It’s Monday! And let’s start the week with a look ahead to autumn, one of my favourite times of year.

Summer isn’t really my thing; I burn to a crisp in minutes and the heat just drags me down. Thankfully, not a major problem in the UK, although sadly becoming more of one. As the days shorten, I miss the long, light evenings, but I welcome the cooler weather and beautiful colours that autumn brings. 

It is no surprise, therefore, that the first products I bought from the new August-December Mini Catalogue was the whole of the Gilded Autumn Suite. I haven’t used every part of the Suite yet but I have been enjoying the Beautiful Autumn stamp set, the Autumn Punch Pack and the stunning Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper which has beautiful copper and gold foil on some designs, such as the one you see here. 

 

I have to say, the stamps line up beautifully. They are photopolymer, which helps, and lining up the leaf and acorn centres with the outlines is really easy, although they look good offset, too, if there’s enough of a colour contrast.

For this card, I used one of my favourite Annual Catalogue stamp sets, Happiest of Birthdays. This is SUCH a great stamp set and ideal for masculine and teen cards as the greeting does all the heavy lifting for you.

Yes, this is a product-heavy card; on top of all the Gilded Autumn goodies and the Happiest of Birthdays stamp set, it uses the Stitched Rectangles Dies to create a DSP frame around the words. I’ve embellished the frame using those beautiful stamped and punched leaves and acorns.

 

 

When it came to the second card, I had a bit of a wobble about my acorns, and decided the colours should be the other way round. Green cap, brown acorn. Then I checked with my husband, a keen naturalist (I said naturalist!!!!) and he confirmed that either is fine as they change colour over the course of the season. 

 

 

This little Very Vanilla Notecard used up some leftover punched pieces and DSP, and the Stitched Shapes Dies. It’s always great to be able to product a second card from the bits left on your craft table, isn’t it? 

 

I love the colours, the crispness and the images... yes I know I shouldn’t say so myself but why not? I made a card and I love it. If you receive this – or indeed the first card – in the post, you know you’re pretty high up in my estimation!

To get the three-colour greeting, I used the Stamparatus. Always start with the palest colour... inking the top of the stamp using your ink pad or sponges, or even a brayer if that’s easier.

Stamp it using the Stamparatus and then, without moving the cardstock (held down with the magnet), ink up with the next colour. It can be difficult to do this using an ink pad, and can give you a harsh line, which is where the sponges, sponge daubers or brayer come in handy. Even if you manage it with an ink pad, the sponge can soften the line. Stamp and repeat with the darkest colour at the bottom.

Using the Stamparatus allows you to avoid any gaps and go back and add more colour where required.

Retiring stamp set: Tropical Chic

 
Is that pink? What's happening to me? I saw a similar card to this created by a crafter called Yana Smakula and couldn’t resist making one of my own with the Tropical Chic stamp set before it retires at the end of this month.

I used Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight and Smoky Slate to create a DSP-style background. This would be great for a one-sheet wonder!

I also use the Share Sunshine PDF of greetings which has some fabulous sentiments for the current situation. You can download that here and all proceeds go to two very good causes helping to fight Covid-19.

There's a very small sneak peek on there, too – can you spot it? It’s the Flirty Flamingo die-cut on the card on the right. This is from the new Tasteful Labels set and I’m currently using it all the time. It’s going to be really popular, I’m sure.

My Smoky Slate ink pad desperately needed re-inking but, once I’d done so, I found it a bit dark (left card) so created another background by stamping off onto scrap paper first to get a paler look (right card). This is a good way of toning down colours which are too dominant and also a great way of getting more out of your ink pads, as you can get 2-3 shades from each colour.

Have another Quaran-tini!

It must be challenging being in lockdown alone, which is why Stampin’ Up!® has come up with this new image and greetings set so you can make cards to cheer people up. It’s part of the new Share Sunshine PDF which raises money for worth causes helping people affected by Covid-19.

Inside it says “it’s like a normal martini but you drink it at home, alone”. Perfect!

You can download the PDF here

When colouring images printed from your computer, for best results use Stampin’ Blends as these won’t smear your image. I tried to add Wink of Stella to the top of this image but had to take care as it was smudging the black ink.

Beautiful wildlife cards with Nature's Beauty

This stamp set is ideal for nature-lovers and, as yesterday was World Wildlife Day, it seems an appropriate time to share.

It’s also appropriate because these projects, inspired by Paula Dobson, were among my Stampy Buffet projects back in January, and I’ve just opened registration for my next card buffet event, which takes place in May.

Please click here for all of my upcoming events

The stamp set is Nature’s Beauty, which was launched in last year’s Autumn/Winter Catalogue but is still available as it is on the Carryover List. Even better, £2 from every sale will go to MIND, or a mental health charity within your own market, if you’re outside of the UK.

Notice the positioning of the animals on these cards. The rabbit sits on the left of the circle and looks to the right, while the fox sits on the right of the circle and looks to the left. Notice, too, the position of the circles on the cards.

Don’t worry, writing it down makes it sound more complicated than it really is. 

The simple formula is that both animals are looking into the circle and into the card. If they were positioned differently, they’d be looking off the edge of the card and, trust me, they just wouldn’t look right. I know I always say rules are there to be broken and they are, but some rules are there for a reason!

Sale-a-Bration swap card with free products

Swapping is a big part of being a demonstrator – and it’s a great way to pick up fabulous new ideas, often with stamp sets you don't own.

I joined a swap recently with the broad theme of both Sale-a-Bration and new products from the Spring/Summer catalogue. I went down the SAB route and made this project using not one but two SAB items: the Power of Hope bundle and Lily Impressions Designer Series Paper.

Now I need a design a project that uses all those die-cut rectangles I have left over from the centres of these cards!

I wanted to give my lady black hair but knew that would disappear into a shapeless blog, so I coloured her hair with Blackberry Bliss instead. Black hair never looks completely black anyway, does it? It reflects the colours around it. 

Snow Globe Scenes dies money wallet

Gifts of money or vouchers don’t have to be boring; you can give them a bespoke, handcrafted twist by making a simple wallet like this one.

This is made to fit in a standard C6 envelope, but you will only get one wallet from a sheet of A4 cardstock. Cut it down to 14.8cm x 26cm, then score at 10cm and 20.5cm. The belly band – mine is made from Silver Foil cardstock – is 2.5cm wide and 22.5cm long and embossed using the Tin Tile embossing folder.

The sponged panel is flicked with water to soak up some of the ink and give it a snowy sky effect. I used the Snow Globe dies to create the little scene – love it! In fact, I used three different die sets for this one project but it IS Christmas!

When creating a belly band to go around a project, I find that I can never get the scoring in the right place, so prefer to mould it around the card. When using cardstock (rather than Designer Series Paper), this can result in ugly creases. 

However, embossing the strip first can break down the fibres and make it more malleable. We used the Tin Tile embossing folder; one of my favourites and also easy to line up because you will need to emboss the strip twice; once from each end.

Cute triangle treat boxes with Christmastime is Here

 

I saw this cute project on Facebook and just had to have a go. It's by UK demonstrator Gez Carpenter, who has helpfully provided a tutorial here. 

I skipped the diagonal scorelines as I didn't find them necessary and they still turned out ok. Cute, aren’t they? I filled them with tiny chocolate Santas (from Lidl) but I stupidly forgot to include those in the photo. I say “filled”... you can only fit about three in but that’s ok because it meant there were some left for me to test!

The body of the box is made from Christmastime is Here Designer Series Paper and slides out of the Old Olive Sleeve. Again, I don’t have a photo of that - what I can I say? I can only apologise and and say, in my defence, I have been poorly!

This tip could be life-changing... when I bought the Christmastime is Here Designer Series Paper, I confess it didn’t “wow” me. It just wasn’t for me. However, I soon realised that this meant I had no qualms about cutting it up and have now used nearly the whole pack! So from now on, I may just start buying the DSP that I don’t love, because then I will be more inclined to use it!

Want a more practical tip? Ok... don’t make the outer sleeve too tight or it it will be difficult to slide the inner box in and out.

Repurposing the Bird Ballad tin for gift packaging

 
Reduce, reuse, recycle... it’s a challenge for us all but I’m doing my best and one of my targets this year is reusable gift packaging.

I bought a scarf for a friend and it just happened to be a similar colour to this tine, so I package it up inside. One of the first things she said was “can I keep the tin?” Yes, of course! That's exactly the plan.

The question for you though is: “Can you bear to give your tins away?” They are the Bird Ballad Laser-Cut Cards & Tin (149595) – £17 for 12 cards and this gorgeous tin.

 To turn your stamped flowers into these lovely cup shapes, place them in the palm of your hand and use the rounded end of a pencil (with rubber is best) to press into the centres. Don't be tempted to use anything sharp, but I'm sure nobody would be THAT daft, would they? (*whistles*)
  

Autumnal card with Snow Front

I do hope you like trees as much as I do because there are going to be many more woodland-themed projects coming from me! I think every stamp set I have ordered from the new Autumn/Winter catalogue has at least one tree image.

For this project, I used the new Snow Front stamp set to make a small card with autumn trees. The 'snow' stamp is perfect to make autumn leaves for these little trees and, thanks to my tree obsession, I had a choice of products to put with it, eventually settling on the Pinewood Planks embossing folder for my background.

Stamp your greeting before embossing the white cardstock for a really professional look. I love techniques like this, which may the recipient go "how...?"
 

Bird Ballad Laser-Cut Cards with So Saffron

These laser-cut cards are so gorgeous that I just had to run a class using them. They come in a beautiful presentation tin which means you can make them up as a lovely gift for someone, or use the cards and keep the tin for something else! It’s £17 for the tin with 12 cards, and the item code is 149595.  

To get this lovely ombre effect behind the laser-cut detail, simply sponge your piece of cardstock using ink of the same colour (So Saffron in this sample). It doesn't matter how rough it looks; I promise you it will look fabulous behind these beautiful cards.

Free As a Bird Christmas swap

Too early for Christmas crafting? I couldn't avoid this as I had agreed to take part in a swap, which turned out to have a festive theme.

I decided to have a go at turning this little bird from Free As a Bird into a Christmas robin. The beak is not right but I hope I’ve coloured the feathers properly. I stood him on some pine sprigs and cones from Winter Woods and hoped for the best. I have to say I'm not really feeling the Christmas vibe just yet!

The task of die-cutting all those circles for my swaps was reduced by sneakily cutting the Cherry Cobbler circles in half and simply tucking them behind the Whisper White layer. You can save time and supplies by following this mantra: “If you can’t see it, it’s not there!”

 

Beautiful Friendship swap cards

I’m going to spend this week celebrating Beautiful Friendship, an oft-missed stamp set hiding on page 123 of the catalogue.  I've been using this gorgeous stamp set in all my events this month, so it was the obvious choice to use for a swap, too.

Swapping isn't usually for me but I thought I'd give it a go so I could show my customers a greater variety of project. The brief was to use at least two new In Colors, so I turned once again to Rococo Rose, Seaside Spray and Pretty Peacock and the Beautiful Friendship stamp set. 

When you need to make several of the same card, the Stamparatus really comes into its own. I set it up to stamp the background and the greeting on the stitched ovals, but stamped the foliage on the ovals freehand. 

Free as a Bird thank you card in Petal Pink

This is my version of a beautiful card by New Zealand demonstrator Jan Clothier. I decided to use the new Scalloped Note Cards and envelopes, as they have been sitting unopened for a few weeks now. 

The Petal Pink notecard goes really well with this Bird Ballad Designer Series Paper to give you an overall serene and subtle card - yes you have come to the right place!

If you cut out the stamped leaves and then cut them up into groups of one, two or three leaves, you can get more variety for a more natural look. 

Beautiful Friendship with the new In Colors

I don't know why I’m not so keen on flower stamps. I love flowers in real life and I love receiving cards with flowers on. But floral stamp sets generally leave me pretty cold.

And then came Beautiful Friendship with one magical ingredient: a hydrangea stamp. I love hydrangeas... both in bloom and when they've gone past the first flush of youth to become faded and papery.

But still, I struggle with flower sets so began my travels with this stamp set by taking inspiration from the catalogue. That's what it's there for, after all!

Naturally, once I got started I went quite off-piste, but I think you can still see the resemblance.

Although hydrangeas come in many colours, Seaside Spray is the perfect place to start as it has that beautiful faded quality you're looking for.

If you position your main Whisper White layer carefully, you get a fun "dotted" border from the gingham checked Designer Series Paper in the new In Color packs.

Crafting with friends... and the Share What You Love DSP

Don’t miss out on the Share What You Love Designer Series Paper, as it’s really gorgeous – you get twice as many sheets as in a standard pack, so why not share with a friend?
  Crafting is always better with friends and I spent a lovely weekend with some crafty friends recently, where we each provided a project... not all cardmaking and not all Stampin' Up!® This, however, was a Stampin’ Up!® card project using beautiful products, some of which are retiring very soon.

I’ve used a variety of stamp sets – recognise any of them?