MORE Spruced Up Stampin' Up card ideas

 

 

This week I am returning to the Spruced Up bundle from Stampin’ Up!® for some more bright and funky Christmas cards.

But first I am happy to tell you it’s a really BIG day at Stampin’ Up!® today (Tues 4th Oct) with lots happening to get excited about.

🇮🇪 The biggest news for us in the UK is that Stampin’ Up!® is launching in Ireland! We are so happy that our neighbours on the Emerald Isle can finally enjoy Stampin’ Up!® products and I am looking forward to helping Irish crafters find what they need and maybe even join my team.

To coincide with the launch in Ireland (and in Belgium), there are TWO amazing offers, whether you want to shop or join. 

Autumn is here! Aspen Tree Dies sponged card

 

Autumn is upon us here in the UK so what better time to bring out the gorgeous Stampin’ Up!® Aspen Tree Dies?

Regular readers will know I am a little obsessed with tree-themed products – a love affair which no doubt began with Stampin’ Up!’s much-loved Lovely As A Tree stamp set. I know that set is much missed by many but there are plenty of other gorgeous tree-themed products available now which more than make up for the loss.

This obsession with trees makes autumn is one of my favourite seasons; we get to see stunning rich colours as the trees change, fascinating fungi growing in the woods and, best of all, it means no more heatwaves!

Spruced Up Stampin' Up card ideas

I’m a relative latecomer to the Spruced Up bundle from Stampin’ Up!® but then I’m a relative latecomer to Christmas cardmaking this year.

But after being seduced by all the gorgeous samples on Instagram, I was excited to receive my stamps and dies last week and got to crafting immediately.

The most amazing thing about the Spruced Up Outline dies in this bundle is that many of the dies – both trees, the parcel, baubles and snowflake – not only cut out the shape but create an outline too. 

Apple Harvest cards – and how to colour with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers

 

I’ve been seeing lots of gorgeous projects using Apple Harvest from Stampin’ Up!® so I just had to pop it on to my last order. It’s a beautiful stamp set but I confess there is one thing about it which irritates me... and that’s that you would never get an apple tree with fruit and flowers at the same time! Still, that’s artistic licence I suppose.

I created two cards using the Apple Harvest stamp set, one with green apples and one with red. Both were coloured using Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. 

Ringed With Nature anniversary card

I have a big Stampin’ Up!® order on the way to me this week. Admittedly most of it isn’t for me but I do have a couple of new stamp sets and two of the new kits coming. And you know what? Just knowing this renders me almost unable to create anything! Do you get that too? I just want to play with my new stuff! I know, first-world problems, right?

Caravan Christmas cards with Tree Lot Dies

 

There are only two days left of Sale-a-Bration so only two days left to earn these beautiful Tree Lot Dies.

I know they will be gone by Friday but I couldn’t resist using them for one last class this week. This is a Zoom class so I have done LOTS of die-cutting for the ladies attending so they can make these two camping-themed Christmas cards. 

Exclusive kit featuring Stampin’ Up!’s Storybook Gnomes Designer Series Paper

Scandi gnomes are HUGE this Christmas. Apparently traditional garden gnomes are big this year too – one article I read put garden gnomes in the top five trends for British gardens in 2022.

You won’t find any gnomes in my back yard but you will find then in my craft stash as I have just taken delivery of some Stampin’ Up!® Storybook Gnomes Designer Series Paper so I can create some fun cards to show you.

Let's Set Sail Slimline card ideas – with tips for lining up stamps with your punch

 

I’m very busy this week, prepping for an all-day Stampin’ Up!® craft event here in Derbyshire on Saturday. This event has a Let’s Set Sail theme and guests have preselected their projects... within reason, that is.

Out of three kits – cards, scrapbooking and home décor – they have chosen to make two and interestingly every single person has chosen cards.

Everyone will be using the Let’s Set Sail bundle and some have chosen to include the stamp set and/or the bundle (which includes the Sailboat Builder Punch) in their kits. 

In today’s blog post I have two slimline cards using the Let’s Set Sail bundle, along with Basic Border Dies to create waves, and Vellum Layering Designs to create a map background. I will also share tips for lining up your stamps with your punch, and for sticking vellum so it won’t show.

Two fun watercolouring techniques using Dragonfly Garden

 

Do you like creating your own watercoloured backgrounds for your Stampin' Up!® cards? It's one of my favourite things to do and I have some fall-back techniques I return to, time after time.

I used two of these techniques to make some cards using the Dragonfly Garden stamp set recently.

Four fun background techniques for Let's Set Sail from Stampin’ Up!®

 

I love using my Stampin’ Up!® supplies to branch out into other techniques so have been having lots of fun creating cool backgrounds to go with the Let’s Set Sail bundle.

I’ve always been a fan of nautical and seaside-themed products so this stamp set with matching punch really floats my boat. (See what I did there?)

Here are four cards I made with the Let’s Set Sail bundle, each showcasing a different background technique. Best of all, most of them don’t require any special equipment.