Check out these additional rewards available for redemption with qualifying purchase! Please note that these item codes are DIFFERENT than the ones in the catalogue – to designate them as the SAB rewards.
Go to www.yamstamps.com/shop to start shopping – or contact me if you live in Quebec (due to online ordering availability) or need assistance placing your order!
Happy Spring! The weather is definitely getting more mild, and today was filled with wind and rain, but also a bit of sun. Here’s a tulip card to celebrate spring – though I do know that tulips are one of the later blooming flowers, from my limited gardening experience. I gardened more when I was living in British Columbia because, well, it’s milder weather, so more enjoyable to be outside lots, and I had more time on my hands then….LOL.
This card features the Timeless Tulips Bundle which contains the Tulip Builder Punch and the Timeless Tulips stamp set. To make the positioning of the stems and flowers easy, I stamped & punched the tulip heads first, and then laid them out on the cardstock to figure out the placement. Once I was happy with it, I stamped the stems (working fairly quickly so I wouldn’t forget where I wanted them haha!!) and then added the leaves before adhering the punched tulips in place. It was a happy accident that the stems ended up converging in one area – that was not what I was going for, actually, but I’ll take it.
A design element I’ve been embracing a bit more is letting elements hang off the edge of the cardstock (but not the card, because then it won’t fit in an envelope if I ever get around to mailing it). It makes fitting everything on the cardfront a little easier. I left this card without a sentiment on the front because I liked the white space effect. Is it called vanilla space for this one since it’s Very Vanilla Cardstock? (oh dear – Can you tell I’ve been social distancing effectively?!!!)
I have done a couple of Facebook Lives this week on the YamStamps Facebook Page, because I have appreciated and been inspired by watching live videos from creative people that I follow on various platforms – it truly is a stress reliever! I will see how many I can continue to do – I had the luxury of being at home this week, since my travel plans were cancelled. I’m due to return to work next week so I imagine I won’t have quite as much time to myself as I’ve had this week! I did treat it like a vacation, and I am amazed at how little I can productively do in a 24 hour period…..LOL. Future me is not impressed with how little present me got done on those nagging jobs around the house….apparently my powers of procrastination are strong!!
I hope that you are keeping well, and doing things to keep your stress levels down. I need to work on a few new card designs so here’s hoping I find some creative inspiration and motivation somewhere….in the meantime, enjoy this tulip card until we get to see the real deal? Happy Spring and Hang In There!!
Love these meerkats – because we all need a reason to smile these days! I thought it was appropriate to make a stand alone pop up card for this card/sentiment…
Get it….stand up friend….stand up card? (The social distancing is obviously getting to me a bit more than I thought). Anyway….this card features the Sale-a-Bration Level 1 reward stamp set The Gang’s All Meer and the suuuper cute Birthday Bonanza Designer Series Paper from the Jan-June Mini Catalogue. This is one of those papers that it’s hard to pick a favourite side – since these papers are double sided. While the patterns are really functional for all sorts of cards, you are inevitably hiding a cute design on the other side (in this case I think we hid some koalas….).
I am planning on doing a facebook live for this card tomorrow (Thursday), I’ll do it on the YamStamps Facebook Page, so please “like” and “follow” the page to get notified when I go live. (Please note how close I am to a nice round number of “likes”, not that numbers are all I care about and all that it’s about, but come on). At this point I’m thinking late morning, depends on how my day is going. You know, jobs to avoid doing, dust bunnies to step around…I am actually amazed at how little I can truly get accomplished in one day, even when I’m not leaving the house – though I justify it by saying that I am on vacation (which I am)….but still. I’ll probably get a huge burst of initiative and inspiration on Sunday! LOL.
Anyway, I’ll show the construction of this card, and then I will post an instruction file in the Paper Crafting with YamStamps Facebook Group, (if you’re not a member, click on the link and request to join). Just a heads up if you want to craft along with me – You’ll need 4.5″ x 11″ piece of cardstock, plus a 3″ x 4.5″ and 2.75″ x 4.25″ (those last two measurements are off the top of my head right now, hoping I got it correct…I guess we’ll find out tomorrow). I hope that you can join me for a break in your day and make this stand alone pop up card with me live! See you then!
Here’s a great card design for those large background images – this two tone floral background card was inspired by a card I received in a swap from Betsy Rouw-Rundle. (Check the YamStamps Facebook Page on Sunday to see her card in my Swap Share Sunday Post!)
If you’re doing this and want a “cushion” when creating the two tone background, you could use cardstock larger than the stamped image, and then trim it down to size and proceed from there. This will also work if you use a wood mount background stamp, to ensure you can align the pattern easily.
Frugal Friday Tip Reminder – cut the scallop circle die cut from the middle of the Night of Navy backing cardstock. I just thought of this now – you could also cut the Whisper White circle from the stamped cardstock and then align it on the cardfront with the existing pattern! Maybe I will go back and re-do this – or do me a favour, if you do this, post it on the YamStamps Facebook Page!
Be sure to “like” and “follow” the YamStamps Facebook Page so that you can be notified when I do live videos. You’ll be able to watch from the comfort of your own home. I’ll also be releasing my next online class ASAP so watch for notifications. With so many events and travel plans being cancelled, I should have a bit more time on my hands to get some videos done… In the meantime, you can admire this two tone floral background card while you wash your hands for 20 seconds. Stay healthy, everyone!
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.
Starting today, there are more ways to Sale-a-Brate! Stampin’ Up! has released a new set of options for your Sale-a-Bration Rewards. This second release of products will be available to select with a qualifying order until March 31 or while supplies last.
This fun card was made using the second release stamp set Rise and Shine. It’s a Level 2 Reward so a $120 product order will qualify you to choose this for free! (and yes, there’s a “tea” stamp as well, so you can customize it!). Check out another fun sample in today’s YamStamps Newsletter (going out at 1pm Eastern) – it’s the big monthly projects newsletter with 4 different project tutorials! Click here to sign up if you’re not already subscribed.
If you’re looking for more ways to Sale-a-Brate, please note that there’s a few date changes on the YamStamps Events calendar this month due to March Break, so check out the YamStamps Events Page to keep up with those! Contact me if you’d like to join us at Monthly Card Class or Stampers Club this month or next. We’d love to have you join us!