So apologies if that song is now stuck in your head…but I thought it was appropriate for this balloon card! It’s a fun and easy card to send to cheer someone up or celebrate an occasion.
Up, up and away with my beautiful balloon card
I love doing rainbow colours because they’re cheery and easy to figure out. ROYGBV! In this case, RYGB since there wasn’t quite enough room on the cardfront. Real Red, Mango Melody, Garden Green and Pacific Point to be precise. Once I cut the strips of cardstock, I texturized them using the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder. I used the Balloon Bouquet Punch on scraps of the same cardstocks, and then assembled my card. I decided to pop up the balloons using Stampin’ Dimensionals to make them stand out a little more. Adding dimension is the easiest way I know to give a card a little more “wow” factor.
In the meantime, I’m finishing up some customer thank you cards (which I’ve sadly fallen a bit behind on…) and also the Tutorial Bundles. Don’t forget that when you place a $50 order with me, you’ll (eventually?! LOL) get an exclusive tutorial bundle – different ones each month! You can place an order online at the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store (shortcut yamstamps.com/shop) or contact me. I can accept etransfers or credit cards for payment. If you’re looking for an easy way to get crafting, consider grabbing a Card Class to Go! This Balloon Card was in a previous card class. Contact me to purchase – $20 includes precut supplies to create 4 different cards. Just add adhesive! You can customize with whatever stamps and ink you have on hand or use the suggested inks/stamps listed on the supply list. Due to Stampin’ Up! regulations, open to Canadian residents only.
OK back to crafting for me – it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it, right?!
Thought I would share an autumn card with you today! This card was featured in the most recent Card Class to Go and Stampers Club.
This card is all about autumn colours and textures, the background is the Woodland Embossing Folder on Soft Suede Cardstock. The leaves are die cut and embossed with the Nature’s Root Dies, and I added one of the leaves from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper. I love that the paper features multiples of the same shapes so that I don’t feel the need to hoard them quite so much as I might… I used the Tasteful Labels dies to cut out the shapes for the sentiment from one of my current favourite all purpose sets, Banner Year.
One of my favourite thrifty tricks is to use to die cut or punch shapes out of the backing mat piece – and I used that trick here on my Autumn card. Noone will see the gap in the cardstock when it’s layered up like this!
There’s a couple of days left for the Get & Go Starter Kit Special! Until September 30th, you will receive 2 additional free stamp sets (Queen Anne’s Lace and So Much Love) plus 16 card kits and some bling with your starter kit order – which, as usual, will include $165 worth of product of your choice – plus all the basic business supplies you’ll need to get started! You can find out more information here about joining my group of demonstrators. There’s also some exciting things coming up in October…selected Designer Series Papers will be on sale…so be sure to come back to YamStamps.com for more details! I will share some more autumn cards…but you know that winter and holiday cards are going to be featured in the next few weeks!!
Now available to order – the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine!Stampin’ Up!’s standard sized machine is available for customer order starting today. This machine has a wide 6″ (15.2 cm) platform that works with all Stampin’ Up! dies and embossing folders. It comes with 1 Base Plate (Plate 1), 1 Die Plate (Plate 2), 2 Cutting Plates (Plate 3), and 1 Specialty Plate (Plate 4). All the plates are numbered so you know exactly which one goes where (and which one to use when, thanks to the printed instructions on the base plate!)
The machine platforms fold up so it’s compact for storage or portability. Also available today – the Magnetic Cutting Plate. While Demonstrators were able to order the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine in August, the Magnetic Cutting Plate was not available until now – so you can be sure that will be on my order today! Much as we loved the Magnetic Platform for the Big Shot – the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Magnetic Cutting Plate will replace one of the plates in the sandwich. Once I get my Magnetic Platform in hand, I’ll be sure to do a video to show it off! You can place your order in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada Store here, or contact me for assistance.
The Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine(Standard Size) is $163 CAD – so the other news is that you could select it in your Demonstrator Starter kit and pay just $135. During September, there’s a Get & Go promotion as well – new demonstrators will receive two stamp sets (Queen Anne’s Lace and So Much Love), a package of rhinestones and 16 precut card packages to create 8 cards of 2 different designs – or use to come up with your own creations! The kits are designed for you to either make cards to send to friends and family, or to help you share the fun of cardmaking with others in a class (virtual or socially distanced). Check out this FAQ about becoming a demonstrator with my group, or if you can go here or contact me if you’re ready to start the process!
Hi! Apparently I haven’t posted on the blog in a little while….oops! Here I am, asking for forgiveness by sharing this Ornate Garden Thank You Card. It’s made using the Early AccessOrnate Garden Suite of products that will be coming in the 2020-2021 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue.
It probably would would have been more appropriate to use the Ornate Garden Specialty Designer Series Paper…but in my defense, I really like the Parisian Blossoms paper. It is okay to mix and match suites of products to come up with something you like! In all reality, though, I think it’s because I had pulled out a few sheets to look at, and then moved everything to one side to clear a spot so I could work on a card design, and just grabbed a sheet that caught my eye. This is what happens when you tend to create in chaos, and are living through a pandemic that tends to sap your energy and mojo. Is it just me??!! Well, that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking with it.
Stampers Club is moving online this month. We usually get to meet in person and craft, but this month we’ll be meeting virtually, but still crafting together! If all goes well, I’m hoping to offer this format for future Monthly Card Classes as well. Club members (and some of my demonstrator group “Eh” Team members) are going to be the test run. Wish us luck! New club members can start their six month membership at any club meeting, so if you’re interested in joining us, you can message me for information, or see the description on the YamStamps Events Page.
The YamStamps Newsletter is out tomorrow, so if you’re subscribed, watch for it around 1pm Eastern! Just like the Ornate Garden Thank You Card says – thank you for making my day by stopping by!
Why is it that “springing forward” means I often will not have a spring in my step for the first few days?! Anyway – here’s a die cut poppy card to brighten your day, and here’s hoping you’re not as discombobulated as me today.
This card was less fussy to produce than you might think….really. The poppy background flower and detail die from the Poppy Moments Dies were both cut from Poppy Parade cardstock (because why think so hard when it’s given to you like that?!). To make the detail die cut stand out just a little bit, I sponged Poppy Parade ink onto it – it’s amazing how it just gives a little bit more depth to the cardstock colour and makes it distinctive but not distracting. I did the same for the leaves in Old Olive. To keep everything cohesive, I stamped the sentiment from So Sentimental onto one of the die cut leaves in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. The Tufted 3D Embossing Folder adds a bit more interest to the background, again without being too distracting.
To add the detail die cut on top of the background, I typically either use dots of the Multipurpose Liquid Glue in strategic spots (usually where the die cut is larger, because I’m messy…) or pick up some of the glue with a bit of a Stamping Sponge and dab it on the back of the die cut. I also work on top of one of the silicone craft sheets so 1) my die cut doesn’t get stuck down before I even get it onto the piece and 2) I don’t have a super sticky work surface afterward so everything else gets stuck down too.
Time is running out on Sale-a-Bration – it will end on March 31st, but remember that the freebies are also “while supplies last”. Three rewards are already gone forever – Golden Honey Designer Series Paper, Metallic Baker’s Twine & Sequins Combo, and the Kerchief Card Kit (see photos on the YamStamps Facebook Page in this post). Be sure to grab the rewards you want before they’re gone! Contact me if you have any questions or need assistance placing an order. Otherwise, you can shop online in the YamStamps Online Stampin’ Up! Canada store – shortcut yamstamps.com/shop.
I’m off to do work on an online class that I’m hoping to launch in the next few weeks, so stay tuned! I might also need to take a nap as well. What time is it? Enjoy the die cut poppy card in the meantime while I figure out which way is up.
Thanks to voters on the YamStamps Facebook Page – this is the preferred photo version of this thank you card. I put up a poll there just the other day and have received lots of responses – and the photo with the black background was voted as the favourite. (Well, so far, I guess the poll is still open but it seemed like it was fairly clear).
This fun card uses the Witty-cisms stamp set, and my latest product obsession, Shimmery Crystal Effects. The stamp set is from the Jan-June Mini Catalogue, and the Shimmery Crystal Effects were featured in the Holiday Catalogue, which has now retired, but this product was carried over and is still available to be ordered. I love the 3D effect and the shiny, glittery touch it adds to my projects. In the case of this strawberry, I coloured it with Stampin’ Blends and I’m not sure if maybe it looks lighter/brighter after the Shimmery Crystal Effects application. Not that it would have stopped me from using it…LOL.
The other product I love on this card is the Basket Weave 3D Embossing Folder. I still can’t get over how effective this texture is, and I thought it was perfect for a strawberry image. I was thinking of a basket, but Carol on Facebook pointed out it looked like the lattice work on a fruit pie!
Just FYI – there is a Die Cutting & Embossing Accessories flyer you can download that has the product details for additional Cutting Plates and the 3D Embossing Folder Plate. The 3D Embossing Plate is great if you have one of the “newer” 3D Embossing Folders from Stampin’ Up! (starting with the current Annual Catalogue) which are a little thinner than the ones from previous catalogues. You can just add a bit of a “shim” using cardstock but you know me, I like when it’s not too difficult – so the 3D Folder Plate is just a bit thicker with no shims required to get a great impression.
Just for reference – this is what the other background looked like. Do you agree with the Facebook Page majority?
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the thank you card photo on Facebook. If you want to get in on the next poll (whenever that might be LOL) be sure to “like” and “follow” the YamStamps Facebook Page!
