This easy fun fold card has a floral theme and is sure to brighten someone’s day!
Easy Fun Fold Floral Card
I am always on the hunt for effective card designs that aren’t too difficult to create and this one fits the bill! It’s an easy fun fold card – and I used some of my favourite retiring products. I used the Expressions in Ink Specialty Designer Series Paper as the main focal element for the card, and then used Magenta Madness (retiring 2020-2022 In Colour) for the card base. I always choose my colours for cardstock and ink from the colours used in the Designer Series Paper – Stampin’ Up! coordinating colours make it so easy! The sentiment is stamped in Garden Green, and I added the flower in the background for interest – but after I inked the stamp in Magenta Madness, I stamped it onto scrap paper a couple of times first so that the image was a faint background for the words.
Easy Fun Fold Card – Partially Opened
The Magenta Madness cardstock is cut to 4.25″ x 11″ and folded in half, and then the front of the card is cut to leave a strip along the bottom. The inner card is Basic White cardstock folded in half. One piece of Designer Series Paper is cut so there’s a smaller strip along the bottom that gets adhered to the Magenta Madness cardfront strip, and the rest goes onto the Basic White card – so that the pattern is continuous. I think that’s the big thing to take away when you’re using patterned paper and you cut it into smaller strips or pieces to use – try to keep the pattern in the right order so that when you put it down, the pattern is continuous across the pieces. It makes this easy fun fold card look more impressive!
If you’re interested in other fun fold or fancy fold cards, I currently have two online classes with this theme (and more to come!). They are some of the most popular online classes I have – there’s the Fancy Folds Class and the More Fancy Folds Class. Not sure what I’ll call the next one in this theme…LOL. Once you purchase access to the class, you’ll have lifetime access! If you have any questions, you can always contact me.
In the meantime, this weekend has an intersection of holidays – so whether you are celebrating Easter, Passover, Ramadan, or just celebrating spring, I hope that it is meaningful for you and you are able to spend it with those you love.
Waves of the Ocean is a Limited Time offering from Stampin’ Up! – available while supplies last or until 2 May 2022. It features the Waves of Inspiration Stamp Set and coordinating Waves Dies (also available together in a discounted bundle). These items are a sneak peek from the 2022-2023 Annual Catalogue. Other items available in this collection during the Promotion Period are the Waves of the Ocean Designer Series Paper featured on the side panels of this bridge card. They are actual images from acrylic pours that one of the Stampin’ Up! Concept Artists created – and they’re gorgeous. I die cut the wave images from the Blue Foils that were available in this collection and I love the effect. Unfortunately, the Foil sheets are sold out and no longer available. Also no longer available – the Rhinestone Wave Basic Jewels. So if you like the look of this Designer Series Paper – don’t hesitate, because you may miss out!
What I like about this Bridge Card design is that it fits into a regular Medium Stampin’ Up! envelope (the “usual” card sized envelope) but it’s a little fancier than your average card! We made this card in Stampers Club last month, and one tip when you’re making this card in advance – if you only stick down one side of the bridge strip, you can still easily write or decorate the middle panel, then stick the other side down when you’re ready to send it.
Our Stampers Club continues to meet virtually at this point in time, and the bonus to this is that out of towners can easily join in on the fun! The other bonus is that if any club member has to miss our usual get together, the recordings are available in our member site so can be watched later. We will likely meet in person again in the future, but may try to figure out a way to do a hybrid version so that there’s an option for those who can’t travel easily to Burlington! If you’d like to join Stampers Club, or have any questions, please contact me. You can find more information on club on the YamStamps Events Page as well. New members can start during any month –though if you want to join us starting in April, you’ll need to contact me ASAP so that I can prepare your class package in time!
Cut up your Designer Series Paper to make this Simple Patterned Paper Card!
I’ve always been of the belief that paper crafting doesn’t have to be difficult. So much of the rest of life can be hard, so why not do something that is fun and easy?
Simple Patterned Paper Card
This is just a section of a piece of the New Horizons Designer Series Paper, cut into thirds and then mounted onto cardstocks. Super quick, super simple. You can add some bling or ribbon if you want, but honestly, if you just need a quick card to send a note to someone, or to accompany a gift, whip up a simple patterned paper card like this one! I pulled the cardstock colours from those used in the Designer Series Paper – Evening Evergreen and I cheated and used Pear Pizzazz – it’s not listed as one of the colours, but I think when the colour gets diluted in the watercolour image, it’s a comparable tone.
Variations on a theme – cut the paper into different widths – they don’t all have to be the same – make one section wider than the others! Cut into squares or blocks, cut on the diagonal….whatever works for you! (Just keep them in the same order when you stick them in place so that the pattern is intact).
That’s my quick and easy take today – a simple patterned paper card. There are times when we may want to do a more challenging project, but there are times when we just need a nice card right away. Tuck this idea away (or pin it on Pinterest!) for when you need instant results, and come back to visit the YamStamps site for more crafting inspiration!
I was super happy with how this turned out, because it was pretty close to how I envisioned it – and I was also really happy with how easy it was to create!
piano card
I started piano lessons when I was 5 years old….and continued until I was in high school, though I switched focus to flute. (Sight reading on flute was so much easier than piano – only one line of notes to follow….LOL). World Piano Day is on the 88th day of the year, since there’s 88 keys on a full sized piano. To make this card, I simply cut strips of Basic White Cardstock (.75″ x 4″) and strips of Basic Black Cardstock (.5″ x 2″ I think? I don’t have the card in front of me as I write this…). I searched through my stamp sets and found one that referred to a note, so used that for the sentiment! It’s from the Enjoy the Moment stamp set – which is included in the Last Chance Sale that’s on right now. Selected retiring products are being offered at a discount, and this stamp set is one of them!
This piano card would be a great thank you for a piano teacher or to keep in touch with a musical friend. Check out this quick video on how it was made. (if you can’t see the video below, click here to watch it on youtube)
Fun, right? I was so pleased that it came together so easily. Truthfully, some of these “quick videos” can take a while to make – either because what I envisioned doesn’t actually happen (aka it’s a hot mess and I have to re-design it) or I mess up while constructing it and have to re-do it – but this one actually was a true one take from start to finish – I only had to make one version of this card!
If you want to get other fun project ideas and tutorials, be sure to sign up for the YamStamps Newsletter. Each week you’ll get paper crafting ideas, inspiration and information – straight to your inbox! Plus when you sign up, you’ll receive access to a subscriber only video tutorial. You can sign up here or by using the sign up boxes on the YamStamps site. The big multiproject newsletter goes out on Tuesday 5 April!
I love monochromatic themes, and used the one colour approach on this wedding wishes card.
wedding wishes card
I am partial to one colour cards – I always think they are so elegant. I like to add something to keep it interesting – and I think texture is a great way to do so.
For this card, I used the Forever Fern stamp set. I stamped the wider strip with the images of the leaves, varying first and second generation images in Soft Succulent ink so that I added some variation in the intensity of the image and colour. (First generation = inked the stamp and then stamped the cardstock; Second generation = inked the stamp, stamped off onto scrap paper once, then stamped onto the cardstock without re-inking the stamp). I then ran it through my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine with the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder to add some texture. I stamped the sentiment on another strip of Very Vanilla and left it unembossed so it stood out more on the embossed background. I added a few green toned Genial Gems to tie in to my one colour theme, and to give it some bling, since it is a wedding wishes card!
close up detail wedding wishes card
I am so sad that the Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder is retiring! It’s such a useful one to have to add just some subtle texture to my projects. If you don’t have this one in your crafting collection, it’s 20% off as part of the Last Chance Sale. Grab it before it’s gone – all retiring product is while supplies last or 2 May 2022, whichever comes first… The Genial Gems are 40% off so you can add lots of bling at a good price, too! You can download the Annual catalogue retiring lists from this post here. I’d recommend the spreadsheet version if you can – it’s sortable and the print is bigger!
I’m sad to see some favourites retire, but this only means there’s room for new items in the next Annual Catalogue, right? I am automatically sending catalogues to those who have placed orders with me during the last year, but if you’d like to get one (or be sure you’re on my list), you can complete this form. If you don’t already have a Stampin’ Up! Canadian demonstrator with whom you do business, I’d be happy to help you.
Stampin’ Up! has just released the last chance lists – here’s the list of products that will be retiring from the Annual Catalogue. Please note that in some cases, bundles of products will be discontinued, but the components will still be available individually in the next catalogue.
Could I pick a longer title? Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique is an accurate, if a little wordy description of my latest video upload on YouTube.
Blended Ink Stamped Background Technique Card
If you come up with a better description, please let me know….in the meantime, I showed how I created this card in the video. I used my Blending Brushes (hence the “blended ink”), and then I stamped with one of the stamps from the Amazing Silhouettes stamp set (hence the “stamped”). The picture is a little more vibrant than the card is in real life, but I still love the subtle effect of the “ghostly” leafy plant on the inked background. Since I used some of the Rainbow Glimmer Paper, I tried to add the same tones into the background that I created – so I used Coastal Cabana and Granny Apple Green. I love that I could come up with thousands of variations for this technique by varying the colours used. Easy and impressive – always my motto for crafting!
Stampin’ Up! will be releasing the Retiring List on Wednesday 23 March 2022. What do YOU think will be included on the list this year? Take your best guess and WIN!
Email me with your list of TEN stamp sets from the 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue that you believe will be on the retiring list (excluding Host stamp sets). Emails must be received by 10pm Eastern on Tuesday 22 March 2022 (that would be 22:00 because I liked the symmetry of it all!). Open to Canadian residents only.
The person with the most correct guesses will receive a $25 gift certificate for products or classes through YamStamps.com. In the case of a tie, the earlier submission will be declared the winning entry. (I’m pretty sure non-winning entries will receive some sort of compensation as well, though….just saying).
I’m partial to blue tones, and Misty Moonlight is one of my current favourites. It is also one of the 2020-2022 In Colours, so it will be retiring at the end of April – and I am really going to miss it! If you like it too, you’ll want to be sure to stock up on your supplies of it sooner rather than later. As with all retiring product, it will be “while supplies last” or until 2 May 2022 (the end of the sales period for the current Annual Catalogue) – whichever comes FIRST. In Colours usually sell out before the end of the catalogue period, so please don’t hesitate!
I am working on getting more videos onto my various social media channels, so I did a video celebrating circles and Pi Day by showing the Bokeh Technique used on this card. I posted the full video on the YamStamps YouTube channel.
Celebrating Circles – Bokeh Effect Tutorial Video for Pi Day 2022
You may have seen that I also did an Instagram Reel on this card. I could get addicted to doing reels – short videos with music, what’s not to like? Take a look at my Celebrating Circles Reel and let me know what you think – do you prefer the full length video or a mini length sped up version – or both?
I’m calling this the blended ink thank you card – because I can’t think of another way to describe it! It’s a super easy technique that gave this wonderful look. I have always loved monochromatic projects – I think there’s something elegant about focusing on one tone. Plus it’s easy….haha! This card features Stampin’ Up!’s Amazing Silhouettes Bundle.
I might make more of these – since I need to send thank you cards to those who have supported my Celebrating Sunflowers Fundraiser for the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal so far! Just a reminder that if you purchase the Celebrate Sunflowers Stamp Set, Sunflowers Dies or Discounted Bundle (which is only available this month), I’ll donate my income to the Red Cross fund noted. I chose the stamp set and dies because the sunflower is the national flower for Ukraine, and I chose the Canadian Red Cross’s Appeal because the Canadian government pledged to match all donations before 18 March up to $10 million (already met!). My personal fundraiser is going until 2 May 2022, which is the end of the sales period for the 2021-2022 Annual Catalogue.
Who do you want to thank? This blended ink thank you card is a quick and easy way to send a note of appreciation to someone. If you need supplies, you can go to the shortcut yamstamps.com/shop to shop in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store, or message me for assistance placing an order.
