Can I say that this “Thinking of You Card” goes out to everyone who stops by here? Especially since there’s been a bit of radio silence here on YamStamps.com for a little bit. Apologies, but know that I truly was thinking of you all, and I’m working on getting more consistent here. (I’ve been really good with my email newsletters <shameless plug – sign up here>, so there’s that, I suppose….)
Thinking of You Card
Working in Ontario home healthcare is my main occupation, though I reduced the days I work a number of years ago, in an effort to keep a bit of a balance in my life. Obviously for the past year like everyone else, I’ve been dealing with the COVID situation, and truthfully, I’m finding that my energy lags a bit and that also affects my creative mojo at times. This past weekend was a bit of a boost to me though, so I’m thankful for that.
On Saturday, I participated in Stampin’ Up!’s On Tour Demonstrator event. Originally designed to be a small event held in various locations around the Stampin’ Up! world, it was moved to an online format, but still had designated “locations”. Demonstrators could register for an event close to their geographic location so it was possible to meet up with other demos in your area (roughly). We watched presentations featuring product from the upcoming new Annual Catalogue and chatted with other demos in our breakout rooms – I realized that one of my favourite thing about demo events is meeting up with my demo friends – old and new. It was a boost to my spirits for sure. Can’t wait until we can meet up in person again!!!
So – back to the Thinking of You card…the Stitched Shapes Dies are on the Retiring List so are available while supplies last. They’re one of my favourite sets of dies because of the variety of shapes and the layering-ability. I combined them with the Art Gallery Bundle (which includes the Art Gallery Stamp Set and coordinating Floral Gallery Dies), the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder and the Fine Art Ribbon. All those items are from the January-June 2021 Mini Catalogue, so we have a bit more time before we have to worry about what’s retiring from that catalogue LOL.
Tonight I’ll be meeting online with my Stampers Club members and later this week with my “Eh” Team demonstrator group, so I’m looking forward to those events, which always give me a boost. Another <shameless plug> – if you’re interested in joining either of these groups, please click on the links or message me for more information!
I’ve made this pleated paper card in the past and pulled out this design again to revisit the technique! It’s a great way to show off Stampin’ Up!’s two sided patterned Designer Series Paper.
Pleated Paper Card
As usual, I picked the colours for my cardstocks and inks from the Designer Series Paper colours. In this case, I used the retiring Peony Garden Designer Series Paper so used Petal Pink and Grey Granite, since those are the colours in the paper design I used. I added a stitched oval from the retiring Stitched Shapes dies (insert my stifled sob here) and a sentiment and images from the Free as a Bird stamp set. To keep the background from being too plain, I embossed the strip at the top of the pleated paper with the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder.
pleated paper card – closeup
We did this card in Stampers Club, and I am mean enough to make everyone score and cut their own paper! I sent the original 3-1/2″ x 9″ strip and then together during the Zoom class we all scored the intervals, cut the paper on an angle and folded. I figure by having to do that part of the card (rather than me having done it ahead of time for all), each class member will have a good chance of being able to make one again in the future (and having access to the recording of our Zoom session should also help?). Essentially there’s a 1-1/4″ wide section alternating with a narrower section of 1/2″, repeated until the end of the paper, and then accordian fold.
pleated paper card
I am looking forward to making another pleated paper card (or two, or three) in the near future – in part, to use up my Designer Series Paper stash, and also to show off some new papers too! Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators get to preorder selected items from the new Annual Catalogue starting tomorrow, April 1st (no fooling!!). Did you know that if you purchase a starter kit in April you can also select preorder items for your product choices? Please message me or leave a comment below if you have questions about becoming a demonstrator with my team, or if you need assistance placing the starter kit order. I’d love for you to join our group of demos!
Available while supplies last. Stampin’ Up! has let us know that they will guarantee STAMP availability until April 23, otherwise everything is available while supplies last or May 3 (end of the catalogue sales period). Selected items are also available at a discount.
You can go to yamstamps.com/shop to order products and have them delivered to you in Canada, or you can message me with your order if you would like assistance placing it, or would like to pay by etransfer.
I love how quickly this easy and elegant card came together. It’s another one of those “looks like it’s more difficult than it actually is” type of techniques – aka my kind of technique!
Easy and Elegant Card
This card uses the Golden Garden Designer Specialty Acetate, which is available in the January-June 2021 Mini Catalogue. Trust me when I say the hardest part of this card is peeling off the layer of protective plastic from the back of the acetate. I actually thought that maybe these sheets didn’t have that layer because I couldn’t seem to catch the edge of it…but trust me, it’s there. And trust me, you need to take that layer off for this technique to work well.
Anyhow! Once I was able to peel of the plastic…..I simply added colour with my Stampin’ Blends alcohol based markers on the back of the acetate. I used Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry and Granny Apple Green, and I actually only used one of the shades – I didn’t do any shading/blending. The variation in the colours that you see is just from the way I coloured and the way that the ink collected on the acetate and I love the effect!
Easy and Elegant Card close up
You can see that the colouring doesn’t have to be super precise! I’m not sure that it shows very well, but the background paper has been embossed with the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder, just to add a little texture without distracting too much from the main image.
On the close up of my easy and elegant card, you may be able to pick out the Mini Glue Dots that I used to attach the acetate to the cardfront – I placed them in the centre of the flowers, because I figured even if they showed a bit, they just make the centres more distinctive.
If you’d like more ideas directly into your email inbox, please be sure to be signed up for the YamStamps email newsletters. You’ll get access to a video tutorial when you first sign up, and then every week you’ll get an email from me with paper crafting ideas, inspiration and tutorials.
I’ve spent the weekend in a virtual crafting session and it’s been so fun! In all honesty, I haven’t actually completed many of the projects, but it’s been great to watch the classes and get inspired. It’s also given me a bit of a kick in the pants to get working harder on -my- next online class offering! I think I actually prefer the online versions to the in person versions as a student….because there’s no rushing to get anywhere….and I can stay in my comfy clothes (which may or may not be my pyjamas…). Have you ever participated in an online class or retreat? I’ll be sure to let mailing list subscribers know when I’m ready to launch my next online class. Don’t forget that commenters have the opportunity to help me clear out my collection of sample cards! I’m randomly selecting a few commenters and sending some happy mail their way.
March 17th ONLY – free shipping on any $65CAD product order! When you place an order that includes $65 worth of product (after any coupons applied / before taxes) you will qualify for FREE shipping – but only if your order is placed TOMORROW, Wednesday, March 17th. Talk about luck!
Place your order at yamstamps.com/shop or message me and I will place your order for you. If you place an order in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store, you can pay by credit card. If I place the order for you, you also have the option of paying by etransfer.
March 17 2021 ONLY
This is a great time to stock up on the retiring In Colours or to purchase prepaid Paper Pumpkin Subscriptions. If you prepay your subscription, you can save some money depending on which package you purchase, but you normally also have to pay “shipping” fees – but not if you buy it March 17th! You’ll save even more, and you don’t have to redeem your subscription code right away either….
Please let me know if you have any questions – otherwise, happy shopping!
This is a clean and simple card (essentially)…using the Beautiful Moments stamp set. I love the outline images in this set – and you can choose to add colour or not.
Beautiful Moments card
For this quick card (it truly was a quick one, promise), I chose to add colour by using my Water Painters and some ink refills to watercolour the image. Watercolouring can be very forgiving – you don’t have to be perfectly within the lines – so that makes it a quick way to add colour. I stamped in Staz On Jet Black ink onto my Fluid 100 Watercolour Paper, and let it dry for a moment. You’ll want to be sure that your ink pad is well inked to stamp on the watercolour paper to get a good image. I find that my Staz On tends to need more frequent re-inking than some of my other ink pads, so I’d recommend purchasing the re-inker when you get the ink pad so you have it on hand.
One of the ways I like to add a background on my cards is by using patterned paper. For this card, I chose a more muted pattern from the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper. I liked the calm effect that seemed to go with the image. A bit of bling from the Blushing Bride 3/8″ Metallic Ribbon and some Rhinestone Basic Jewels to dress it up a little bit and I was happy with the resulting Beautiful Moments card. I added mattes in Basic Black because it seemed to go with the “arty” feel.
I just realized as well that I used the bottom right corner layout design again – that seems to be my “go to” right now?! I will have to try to mix it up a little bit more for the next card I share. Do you have a favourite card design layout? Leave me a comment – I obviously need some other layout ideas! LOL.
This Happy Mail Floral Card made me…happy! It was fun to create a card that primarily used stamps and ink. Sometimes I’m so focused on designing card for club and class that feature Designer Series Papers or different techniques that are not stamp-centric that I make a point of making a card that relies more on the beauty of the stamped images. (oh and read to the bottom to help me share my wealth of accumulated card samples…)
I love the watercolour effect of the images. By stamping full strength images (first generation) or stamping off onto scrap paper first and then onto the card (second generation images), you can vary the intensity of the tones and provide a bit more interest and dimension to the card. I had just re-inked my Highland Heather ink pad and was a little impatient so there was a lot of ink on the stamp initially so left a bit of a texture when I stamped off on scrap paper….but I personally don’t mind it! I added some Opal Rounds as a subtle accent for this Happy Mail Floral Card – kind of looks like dew drops I think?! If you are making this card, I might leave off the rounds if you’re planning on mailing it – kind of bumpy….
If you are looking to get some happy mail in your email inbox, be sure to be signed up for the YamStamps Newsletters!You’ll receive a video tutorial when you sign up, and then you’ll receive weekly emails featuring ideas and inspiration for your paper crafting. You can find out more details here or go straight to the sign up here.
I’m also looking to share the wealth of card samples that are starting to accumulate in my craft room – so starting with this post, if you leave a comment, I’ll select someone to receive a sample from my stash of cards!
OK I’m pretty sure that’s not the correct term for a group of butterflies, but March 2 brings the Butterfly Bouquet promotion to the Stampin’ Up! world. From now until May 3, you can order the Butterfly Brilliance bundle and some exclusive special papers too.
I’m not sure if you can see in this image – but the butterflies are actually all on one stamp – and the large die is all one piece -so you will be stamping all the images at the same time, plus die cutting at the same time as well (if you choose to do so). One other neat thing that was shared with us is that there is one design in the Butterfly Bijou papers that matches up with the dies as well. Demonstrators have had the chance to order the items in this promotion since February, and what another demonstrator shared is that they actually cut the stamp apart so they have many individual stamps. If you keep the outline rubber (that you punch the stamp out of), you could always use that as a guide if you want to “reassemble” the images into the original shape again. Or you could splurge and treat yourself to a second stamp set and keep one intact and cut up the other one.
Sale-a-Bration is ending on February 28th this year – which is earlier than previous Sale-a-Brations. There will be another Sale-a-Bration occuring in the summer, but this is your last chance to grab the January-February Sale-a-Bration items before they’re gone!
This curvy floral card was inspired by a swap I received from fellow demonstrator Kay Smith. While I do enjoy the design process, one of the things that Stampin’ Up! demonstrators do is share ideas – so then we can add our own twists (or not!). It’s great to see the beautiful work by others and get inspiration.
Curvy Floral Card
The floral paper is the Flower & Field Designer Series Paper that is a Level 1 Sale-a-Bration option. This means that if you place an order for $60 product, you could select it as your freebie. If you place an order for $120, you could get two packages…or one of the Level 2 Sale-a-Bration options (and so on, and so on…). The paper is cut with the curved edge die from the Curvy Dies. It’s layered on some Pool Party Cardstock that is embossed with the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder. A few layered Daisy Punch outs add some more floral accents. Can you tell what the centres of the daisies are? I actually used the centre of the “O” from the Playful Alphabet dies! Added a sentiment from the Dragonfly Garden stamp set onto a Stitched Shape oval. I love oval die cuts for sentiments. The Layering Ovals Dies are a great option as well. They tend to fit a number of sentiments and I always find that curved lines are more forgiving in terms of lining things up. Plus I figured the curved angle went well on this curvy floral card.
So – February 28th is your last chance to grab the Sale-a-Bration items of your choice with your qualifying product purchase – visit yamstamps.com/shop! Also – Feb 28th marks the last day to register for the March Online Card Class – so don’t miss out. Contact me to register for class or for assistance placing an order!
I don’t know about you, but I miss getting together and being creative. Thankfully, I get a “fix” through my Stampers Club. We’re currently meeting online, and while it’s not quite the same as getting together in person, it’s truly fun to see each other and catch up, and the bonus is that we get to make some cards at the same time! I’m going to be offering a regular Online Class now – read on to find out more.
Class Screenshot
The screenshot is from one of our last Club sessions – after everyone arrives and says hello, I switch to an overhead view so people can see how the cards are constructed. Some choose to make them along with me, and others choose to partially make them or just watch, and then go back to watch the recording later. The advantage of working with the recording is that you can stop/rewind/fastforward and work at your own speed.
Stampers Club has a 6 month commitment (you can find out more details here or message me with questions), and I know not everyone is ready for that serious a relationship haha! So – I’m going to offer an online class on a regular basis now. I’ve had classes by mail as an option, but I think that for those who like the interaction, and like to see how things are put together, this is a great alternative.
WHAT: Online Card Class WHEN:Wednesday, March 10 – 7pm Eastern and recording access afterward on a members only site REGISTRATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 28th WHERE: Online; using Zoom WHO: Registered Participants – including you?! WHY: Because it’s good to connect and create! HOW:to register….message me for a payment link. Cost is $20CAD and includes a class packet that has precut supplies for the cards we will be making. You supply the adhesive, and folding/cutting tools. You can use your stamps & ink that you have on hand to finish the card as desired with sentiments. If you need any of the basic supplies (adhesive, tools etc) – you can message me or shop the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store at YamStamps.com/shop Class fee payment options – etransfer or PayPal. You will receive your package via Canada Post and I will email the link for our Zoom class closer to the date, as well as information to access the Members Online site later for the recording.
I’m hoping that my Online Class will give another option to get creative on a month-by-month basis and you don’t have to be local to me (Burlington ON) – you can be anywhere in Canada! Your class spot is reserved once I have received your payment. REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MARCH CLASS IS FEBRUARY 28. Message me if you have questions or leave a comment below. Hope to see you in class!
