Find ideas, instructions and materials used to make a variety of paper-craft projects using Stampin' Up! products. As an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator in New Zealand I love to share my passion for creating things with paper including cards, boxes, gifts and decorations. I find that making things is a fun and relaxing past-time which relieves stress and gives me a purpose to be active every day. If you have any questions or want to learn more about Stampin' Up! feel free to contact me.
Whenever I cut my cardstock to make cards and other papercraft projects I end up with little strips of leftover pieces.
When I first started as an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator I didn't have a lot of cardstock so I saved every little piece of paper because I thought I might find a use for them . . .
and I have found lots of ways to use my leftover pieces.
I have layered them on a card front to make an interesting background and then I decorated it with die cut flowers, leaves and a punched sentiment.
My daughter die cut through layers of cardstock to make an cute tag for her school lanyard.
You can make a unique card by gluing different sized strips of coloured cardstock on a card front and then stamp it with an image. Just make sure the colours aren't too dark for the image you're stamping.
I've made quick and easy cards by gluing scraps of Designer Series Paper onto a card base and just adding a sentiment.
I wove together some black and white scrap pieces to make an interesting background for a stylish birthday card.
I've even used scrap pieces to add colour behind a die cut shape and to create a Christmas decoration.
I always end up with lots of strips of white cardstock which are the perfect size to create sentiment banners. I added some gold gilding to the space between the sentiment pieces tomake this card shine!
You can even create a theme for your cards by carefully selecting the type of sentiments you choose.
For my butterfly card I chose encouraging and loving sentiments which would make it a great Valentine's Day card.
I made a video showing how to use the Itty Bitty Birthdays stamp set to make a colourful birthday card decorated with a hummingbird from the Touch of Ink stamp set.
So next time you have scraps of cardstock remember to keep them, because you can create a wide range of interesting cards!
When I was a Brownie Leader, about 15 years ago, I used to print the Brownie promise, song and Girl Guiding rules onto a piece of paper and then with a bit of folding and one little cut I turned it into a mini booklet for the girls. I decided to revisit this idea and create mini booklets with Stampin' Up! products.
I started with an A4 sheet of Whisper White cardstock and scored it in the middle at 10.5 cm (4-1/8") and turned the page 90° to scored it again at 7.425 cm (2-7/8"), 14.85 cm (5-7/8") and 22.275 cm (8-3/4"). I folded it down the middle both ways and then folded each narrow end in towards the middle. I cut the centre scoreline (10.5 cm line) down to the outer fold lines. I then folded the paper on the 10.5 cm middle fold and holding each end, pushed the sides in to create a little booklet.
Sample of cutting and folding using a piece of printer paper
I used a piece of printer paper as a sample to create my design placement. If you are going to stamp on each section you need to do it while the cardstock is flat, before you put the booklet together. Other embellishments can be added when the booklet is folded up.
For my first booklet I used the Beautiful You Cling-Mount Stamps, the Under My Umbrella Photopolymer Stamps and the Umbrella Builder Punch.
Pages 1 and 2 of Umbrella booklet
The designer series paper I used was only available during Sale-A-Bration and the designs matched the Umbrella Builder Punch. I fussy cut the stamped flower images after colouring them with Stampin' Blends.
Pages 3 and 4 of Umbrella booklet
I used a bit of Balmy Blue cardstock and coloured in the stamped images with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink before colouring them in with Stampin' Blends using colours from the umbrella designer series paper.
Pages 5 and 6 of Umbrella booklet
On page five I sponged a bit of Daffodil Delight ink in a circle to create a little sun peeking out of the Balmy Blue cardstock which was die cut using the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.
In my video I show you how to make a mini booklet using Painted Poppies Cling Stamps, Peaceful Moments Cling Stamps, Painted Labels Dies, and Poppy Moments Dies.
Pages 1 and 2 of Poppy booklet
I stamped the images using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and decorated them with Poppy Parade and Old Olive colours.
Pages 3 and 4 of Poppy booklet
For the die cut flower I used Rich Razzleberry ink, stamping several times to get subtle colour changes in order to match the designer series paper peeking out of the floral die cut from the Poppy Moments Dies.
Pages 5 and 6 of Poppy booklet
I used one of the Peaceful Poppies Elements along with some die cut images from the Painted Labels Dies to decorate the final two pages. To get the black ribbon I coloured a length of Whisper White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon with the brush end of a Basic Black Dark Stampin' Blends pen.
In my video I show you lots of tips for partial image stamping as well as how to colour embellishments with a Dark Basic Black Stampin' Blend pen.
I hope you liked my little project and make your own little booklet to share with someone special!
I decided to make several cards to leave in my neighbours' letterboxes to bring a bit of cheer to them during New Zealand's countrywide lockdown. I copied an embossing technique I saw online from a fellow demonstrator in the USA, Connie Tumm.
It's a quick and easy card to make as long as you have six different embossing folders. If you don't have that many folders, or none at all, you can create the card without embossing the coloured cardstock or maybe just emboss a few pieces.
I used cardstock from the five 2018-2020 In Colors plus Gorgeous Grape to make a my 6-colour rainbow cards. I know there are 7 colours in a rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) but I didn't have enough room on my cards and I think it looks just as good without a second blue colour.
For the base of the cards I used Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes which are 5" x 3-1/2" (12.7 x 8.9 cm) and I cut a Basic Black cardstock mat to 4-1/2" x 3" (11.5 x 7.5 cm). I also used 4" x 2-3/4" (10 x 7 cm) coloured cardstock -- Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel, and Gorgeous Grape.
After embossing each coloured cardstock with a different 3-D Embossing folder (Brick & Mortar, Tin Tile,Hammered Metal, Country Floral, Scripty, Button Button) I cut each piece into 5/8" (1.5 cm) strips which gave me enough to make 6 cards.
I decorated the front of each card with a different sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink using the Stitched So Sweetly diesexcept for two cards which I fussy cut. Some of the cards were embellished with epoxy shapes or jewels to add a bit of sparkle to them. I even stamped the back of each envelope using my Stamparatus for accurate placement.
Back of envelope stamped with 'Stamping Your Way to the Top' stamp set
Instead of signing the cards and sealing the envelopes, I made up a poem to put inside so that the recipient could share the card with someone else.
This little card was made for you
to brighten up your day.
If it made you smile then its job is done
and you should send it on its way.
Please give it to someone you know
to pass along the cheer.
Since all of us need to know
there is always someone there!
Have a look at my video for more details on how to make your own rainbow cards and for lots of tips on using embossing folders.
Brightening someone's day by giving them a handmade card is very satisfying, even if you don't see the recipient's face when they open the envelope.
In New Zealand and Australia we celebrate ANZAC Day on April 25th every year to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our countries safe. ANZAC is the acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was created in WWI.
A symbol of this remembrance day is a red poppy known as Flanders' Poppy, which was the first plant to re-emerge from the churned up soil of soldiers' graves during the First World War. Most people wear a cloth poppy on their shirt on ANZAC day, and during the week leading up to the ceremonies, as a sign of respect for those who have fought in wars.
I decided to create a wreath of poppies using the Poppy Moments dies with the intention of laying it at my local war memorial or putting on my front door. I thought maybe others would like to create poppy wreaths as well so I have made my design into a Mailbag Make. This is a perfect project to be doing at home with the kids or if you are not able to get out to craft classes. I have made each poppy a little bit different using a variety of techniques with the ink and glue.
The Poppy Wreath Mailbag Make includes everything you need to get crafting straight out of the mailbag! You will receive several die cut poppy and leaf elements as well as a Fine Tip Glue Pen, a bottle of Real Red Ink Refill and a sponge dauber. You will also get a link to a private instructional video showing you how to put everything together including tips and techniques using the ink refill.
Have a look at this 'sneak peak' video for more information and details on how to order.
I hope you like my project and find a way to celebrate ANZAC day on April 25th!
I've been having so much fun with the new Tulip Builder Punch which is part of the Timeless Tulips Bundlefrom Stampin' Up!
I started off stamping and then punching out the flowers and leaves to give dimension to my cards but then I decided to take things to a another level with three dimensional flowers.
It is so quick and easy to make adorable tulips with this punch.
You can stamp the cardstock before punching or just decorate them using other techniques such as sponging, embossing, water colouring, blending, spritzing, or colourong with pencils or pens. You can also combine several of these techniques to add even more colour and depth to your tulips.
Tulip Builder Punch
To make these 3-D tulips all you need is some cardstock and the Tulip Builder Punch. You should punch out five flower pieces from a 2" x 6" piece of cardstock. Score the centre of each flower from the tip of the middle petal and fold each one in half lengthwise. If you want to decorate the flowers, you should do this now before gluing the sections together.
To decorate the tulips you will need some additional items besides just cardstock. Depending on the technique you use you may need some ink, pencils, pens, sponges, embossing folders, or daubers.
Glue all five flower pieces together to form the tulip, making sure you place a wooden skewer in the centre for the stem. You should colour the skewer with Stampin' Blends before attaching it to the flower. Punch out two leaf pieces from Garden Green cardstock and glue them together on the wooden stem. You could attach a banner with a sentiment to the stem if you wish.
Have a look at my video below to see how to put the flowers together along with other tips for decorating the tulips. I show samples of cards I've made at the end of the video as well as how to stamp the reverse image on a leaf using the Stamparatus.
If you like these tulips check out my other videos and blog posts using this stamp set!
I started off the New Year playing with my free stamp sets from the Sale-A-Bration brochure. There are so many wonderful projects which can be made from the new Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogues and in this post I showcase the Power of Hope Bundle which includes a stamp set and the Stone 3D Embossing folder. You can get both these items for free with a qualifying order until 31 March 2020.
I've made simple, casual and avid crafter projects to satisfy everyone with this stamp set. All you need is some cardstock, ink and the Power of Hope bundle to make some lovely cards and decorations for the new year.
Sometimes the simplest projects turn out to be the most elegant. My first card only used three colours of cardstock (Whisper White, Basic Black and Real Red) along with ink and the stamp set.
I stamped all the images from the set using Tuxedo Black Memento ink. I used the Stitched Rectangle dies to cut the three white pieces which I then layered on black cardstock to give some contrast.
I arranged the layered pieces on the red cardstock to decide where to put the sentiments and then used my Stamparatus for perfect placement. I left the inside of the card blank so it can be used for any occasion.
My next design was inspired by the paper lanterns I see at the Auckland Lantern Festival. I stamped the image on Petal Pink cardstock, cut it out with a circle die and then scrunched it up in my hands to give it a worn look. I used Lovely Lipstick cardstock for the top and bottom of the lantern, cut with the Stitched Rectangle dies.
The black centre section was embossed with the Stone 3D Embossing folder and layered on a piece of Lily Impressions designer series paper (also a Sale-A-Bration freebie). I used some Rose Metallic Thread as the handle for the lantern and behind the sentiment, which was heat embossed in black on Petal Pink cardstock.
I stepped things up a bit with my next card by turning it into an interactive card. When you press on the word 'power' in the sentiment on the front of the card the little lanterns light up!
The base of this card is basic black cardstock with whisper white layers. I stamped the front with Black Memento ink and then coloured each image with Stampin' Blends markers (Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, and Call Me Clover). I stamped the lady on a separate piece of thick Whisper White cardstock and coloured her in with Flirty Flamingo, Bermuda Bay, and Basic Black Stampin' Blends and then cut the image out so I could layer her on the front of the card.
I turned the front piece over and put copper tape, mini flat led lights and a battery on it to make the lanterns light up. I then used Foam Adhesive Strips to attach it to the front of the card. I watched several YouTube videos to see how to create the light up feature and this was the first time I had tried that technique. Since the Stampin' Blends bleed through the paper it was easy for me to place the led lights in the correct spots.
For my next project I made a little lantern on which I stamped the images with Memento black ink. I used a rectangle piece of Petal Pink vellum and left the ink to dry for several minutes before I cut strips into the sides. I then used some gold thread to attach the Petal Pink Tassel to the bottom of the lantern.
Putting Petal Pink cardstock at the bottom and top of the lantern helped to hide the joins and hold the gold thread in place. I used some Petal Pink cardstock for the handle as well. I then cut several blossom images with the Seasonal Layers dies on the vellum and cardstock to decorate the lantern and to hide the seams.
I had a little hanging light leftover from a lantern I got last year so I created a hanger for it out of a paper clip, bending it into the shape I needed. I had originally planned to use a battery-powered tea light for the lantern, but that idea had to change after I attached the tassel to the bottom.
I made a video to show the light up features for the card and the lantern because the pictures don't do these projects justice.
I plan to make more detailed videos on how to create these projects in the near future so subscribed to my YouTube channel if you'd like to see them. Don't forget to check back here soon for more Sale-A-Bration and Occasion catalogue projects!
