Pansy Patch

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Pansy Patch

We finally made it home after a month-long visit to Florida. The place we went to is right on the gulf beach. Every night has beautiful sunsets. The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous. It rained one time for about 15 minutes and then cleared right up. My granddaughter was here last week and we went shelling. It was weird because there were very few shells that day but we did manage to get a few Sand Dollars. They were all over the beach.

Don’t worry. We didn’t take them all (although it may look like we did).

I started this card using a Basic White card base. I cut out a piece of Fresh Freesia card stock using the Scalloped Contour Dies and embossed it using the Tasteful Textiles 3D embossing folder (retired). I also cut out a piece of Basic White card stock using a smaller die from the same set. I backed that up with a 3″ x 4″ piece of Rich Razzleberry card stock.

I decided to pull out the stamp set called Pansy Patch along with the coordinating Pansy dies to make the rest of the card. You can save 10% if you purchase them in a bundle. I think this stamp set is so pretty. It is a two-step stamp set which means it takes two or more stamps to make an image. The larger Pansies actually take four different stamps. The colors I used for the flowers were Fresh Freesia, Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight. I used Soft Succulent for the leaves. Then I cut them out using the Pansy dies. I adhered them to the card using Multipurpose Glue. I like using this adhesive because it gives you some time to move things around if you don’t like it at first.

Lastly, I stamped the sentiment in Rich Razzleberry ink.

Product List

Pansy Patch Bundle (English)

[155674]

$51.25

Scalloped Contours Dies

[155560]

$35.00

Add All to Cart

Framed Florets

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Framed Florets

Tomorrow is the end of Sale-a-bration for 2023. Stampin’ Up! has decided to go back to having it just once a year instead of twice. Therefore, this is the last chance this year you can get products for free with a qualifying purchase! At the time of this writing, all the products were still available except for the Dainty Flowers Designer Series Paper. There are still stamp sets and other DSP packs such as Dandy Designs (one of my favorites!) still available.

Another favorite of mine is the Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper which is in the 2023 January – April Mini Catalog. This is a 6″ x 6″ pack of beautiful paper including the one I used on my card. I just love the colors of it.

I started this card with a Highland Heather card base. I cut a 1.5″ x 5.5″ piece of Pool Party card stock and embossed it using the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder. This folder is now retired but you can use any other current (or past) folder to add a little texture to the piece of card stock.

Next, I took a 3″ x 4″ piece of Gorgeous Grape card stock and layered a slightly smaller piece of Fancy Flora Designer Series Paper on top of it. I adhered that to the card base slightly off-center. Next, I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set called Framed Florets using Gorgeous Grape ink on a piece of Pool Party card stock and cut it out using the Stylish Shapes Dies. Then I cut out a larger square using the same die set. Lastly, I added some Opaque Adhesive-Backed Gems.

As a side note, if you purchase all the products I used on this card, you would be eligible for two $50 Sale-a-bration items or one $100 item such as the Dandy Designs Designer Series Paper is a huge pack of DSP (48 sheets)!

Highland Heather

Gorgeous Grape

Pool Party

Product List

Framed Florets Bundle (English)

[162407]

$54.00

Fancy Flora 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[160413]

$12.00

Opaque Adhesive Backed Gems

[160412]

$8.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

$30.00

Add All to Cart

Hues Of Happiness Fun Fold

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Susan Horr

Hues Of Happiness Fun Fold

As you know, I love Fun Fold cards. When I receive a card in the mail, it always makes me so happy but if it is a Fun Fold card, it really makes me smile. This card opens in two different ways. First, the front piece just opens as a normal card would like this:

Then, the inside piece also opens up the opposite way.

This Fun Fold card is very easy to make. First I took a Balmy Blue A2 card base (4.25″ x 5.5″) and added a piece of the same size of Country Gingham Designer Series Paper on the front. I find the best way to do this is to use Multipurpose Glue. The glue gives you a little bit of time to move the piece of DSP so it lines up perfectly. Don’t worry if you are off a bit because you can always cut a little bit off if you need to. After it dried I used a couple of dies from the Framed Florets die set to cut out the oval and the oval of hearts on the front of the card.

Next, I took an 8″ x 5.25″ piece of Basic White card stock and folded it in half. I adhered it to the inside of the Balmy Blue card base so it opened the opposite way from the front of the card. I cut the flowers and leaves from the Designer Series Paper called Hues Of Happiness using the Blossoming Happiness die set. I love how Stampin’ Up! designs their dies to do this. I used a pencil and lightly drew the oval shape from the front of the card onto the inside of the card so the flowers and leaves would fit inside the oval on the front. I layered these on top of the Basic White inside card. Then I erased the pencil marks so you could not see them. I stamped the Happy Birthday Sentiment and cut it out using a miscellaneous die and adhered the ends of it to the front of the card. You don’t want to add adhesive over the entire piece or it will stick to the inside piece too.

Next, I stamped the sentiment in Balmy Blue ink and added the flower and leaves from the DSP.

It really did not take a long time to make this card at all.

Product List

Hues Of Happiness Suite Collection (English)

[158828]

$69.50

Happiness Abounds Bundle (English)

[158824]

$49.50

Hues Of Happiness 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[158822]

$12.00

Framed Florets Dies

[160623]

$37.00

Add All to Cart

Sending Smiles & Clearance Rack UpDate

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Susan Horr

Before I begin my usual blog post, I wanted to let you know that the Clearance Rack has been updated. Stampin’ Up! included some stamp sets with this update, which is very unusual. If you want to see what is on sale, click HERE.

Stampin Up Sending Smiles

I don’t know about you, but I always have a lot of scraps after cutting card stock that I save. I especially have a lot of 1/4″ scraps because when I make a card, I usually use a 4″ x 5.25″ piece for the background on an A2 card which is 4.25″ x 5.5″. I decided it was time to use them on a card as a background.

To make this card I first took an A2 card base in Gorgeous Grape and added a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of Highland Heather card stock (which gave me a 1/4″ strip) on it. Then I took a 3.75″ x 5″ piece of Basic White card stock and added all those 1/4″ strips diagonally. The colors I used are Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay. I use strips larger than the piece of card stock. When I am done I use my Paper Trimmer to cut off the excess all at once. That makes them even on both sides.

Next, I used the stamp set called Sending Smiles and the Sending Dies to add the flowers and sentiment. If you use the bundle number to purchase these products you will get a 10% discount. I stamped the stems in Granny Apple Green ink and the flowers in Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay ink with a Daffodil Delight center. Then I cut them out using the coordinating dies. I adhered the stem to the card using Multipurpose Glue and the flowers using Dimensionals. Next, I cut the sentiment out using Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape card stock and layered them together. Before adding it to the card using Dimensionals, I first stamped the small sentiment on the card.

Product List

Sending Smiles Bundle (English)

[158707]

$49.50

Stampin’ Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

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Around The Bend

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Around The Bend

Red Tide has hit the Sarasota area and it is not much fun. A “red tide” is a common term used for a harmful algal bloom. In case you don’t know, harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The most common effect it has on people is that it makes us cough. A lot. I am not sure exactly what causes it but I am sure you could do a Google search if you want more information. In any case, when red tide comes to Sarasota when we are here, we end up staying inside because who wants to cough all day? Thankfully, today it is better so we can go out and enjoy the sunshine and warmth.

This is a quick and easy card I made a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I think the layout was included in the class I took last month, but I am not positive. In any case, the hardest part of this card for me was to tie the ribbon. I am sure many of you can sympathize with that.

I first took a 3″ x 4″ piece of Fresh Freesia card stock and layered a 2 7/8″ x 3 7/8″ piece of Designer Series Paper called Dandy Designs on top of it. Dandy Designs DSP is one of the products you can order for free with a qualifying order during Sale-a-bration. I love this paper because the colors are so bright and fun. You get 48 12″ x 12″ pieces in the pack and each piece has a different design on the front and back. As a side note, there are only two weeks left for Sale-a-bration so don’t miss out!

After adhering the piece of Fresh Freesia and Dandy Designs Designer Series paper to a Pale Papaya card base, I cut another 1″ x 4″ piece of it and layered that on top of a 1 1/8″ x 4″ piece of Pale Papaya card stock. I wrapped a piece of retired Pale Papaya ribbon around it and adhered it to my card. Next, I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set called Around The Bend and cut it out using one of the Stylish Shapes Dies set and glued it to the card using Dimensionals. Lastly, I added some Opaque Adhesive Backed Gems under the sentiment.

Product List

Around The Bend Bundle (English)

[162383]

$52.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

$30.00

Opaque Adhesive Backed Gems

[160412]

$8.00

Dandy Designs 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[160836]

Add All to Cart

Nature’s Prints

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Nature's Prints

Last weekend we had a great time when our friends from New York, Tom & Char came to visit us in Florida. We have been friends for more than 35 years and we always have the best time together. We went out for lunch a couple of times and of course, we had to go to the Tiki Bar! It was so much fun. Char is also a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and we do a lot of stamping together when we are home.

Sun Prints is a suite in the 2022/2023 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog. It includes the stamp set called Nature’s Prints, Natural Prints Dies, Sun Prints Designer Series Paper and the Fern 3D Embossing Folder. You can purchase everything in the suite using one item number (158805) or you can order the items separately. If you use the bundle item number or the suite item number you can save 10%.

To make this card I first ran a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of Basic White card stock through my Cut ‘N Emboss Machine using the Fern 3D Embossing Folder. I adhered that to a Night Of Navy card base. Next, I stamped the leaves in Night Of Navy and Old Olive ink and then cut them out using the coordinating dies. Then I cut out the third set of leaves in Fresh Freesia card stock. I added these to the card using Multipurpose Glue and Dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment in Night of Navy ink and cut it out using one of the dies from this bundle. I added that to the card using Dimensionals too. Lastly, I added some Classic Matte Dots that I colored using the Night Of Navy Dark Stampin’ Blends. I love that the Blends can change the color of embellishments.

There is only a couple of weeks left for Sale-a-bration! You can earn free merchandise from the Sale-a-bration Catalog with a qualifying order. There is no limit to how many items you can get for free. Plus Sale-a-bration is a great time to join Stampin’ Up! In addition to the already excellent value of the Starter Kit, if you decide to sign up as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration, you can choose from three incredible options:

Option 1: The exclusive Boho Blue Mini Machine ($63 value) + your choice of $175* of Stampin’ Up! products for only $129.
Option 2: The original white Mini Machine ($63 value) + your choice of $175* of Stampin’ Up! products for only $129.
Option 3: Your choice of $175* of Stampin’ Up! products for only $99.

*That’s $50 more product than the standard Starter Kit offer!

Click on the Join Now button to the right or feel free to contact me for more information.

Night of Navy

Old Olive

Fresh Freesia

Product List

Sun Prints Suite Collection (English)

[158805]

$76.75

Nature’s Prints Bundle (English)

[158801]

$55.75

Fern 3 D Embossing Folder

[158804]

$9.00

Classic Matte Dots

[158146]

$7.00

Night Of Navy Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[154891]

$9.00

Add All to Cart

Pansy Patch Diagonal Fun Fold

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Pansy Patch, Diagonal Fun Fold Card

I have to say we picked a great time to head to Florida. Tennesse had a mini ice storm right after we left. I call it mini because everything was covered with a thin layer of ice. The schools were closed for a day and the city shut down. When we lived in Northern New York an ice storm meant inches of ice on everything. The trees were breaking, power poles were down and the roads were unpassable. There was no power and no school for weeks. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Tennessee should not have reacted this way because it is all what you are used to. In any case, I am glad we missed it. It is 80 and sunny here and I am enjoying every minute of it.

The card I made for today is called a Diagonal Fun Fold Card. This is what it looks like when you open it.

The center portion opens to the right and then the diagonal front piece opens to the left. It was fairly simple to make.

First, I took a 5.5″ x 8.5″ piece of Basic White card stock that I folded in half. Then I cut from the fold down to the corner of the front of the card to make the diagonal part. I took a 5.25″ x 4″ piece of Dandy Designs Designer Series Paper and cut that in half diagonally and adhered it to the front of the card. I cut another piece of the same size and added that to the inside of the card. Dandy Designs DSP is one of the products you can get for free during Sale-a-bration. It is a huge pack (48 sheets) of 12″ x 12″ double-sided paper that has four sheets of each design. I absolutely love the colors of this paper. They are so soft and beautiful.

Next, I took an 8″ x 3″ piece of Basic White card stock and folded it in half. I added a 2.75″ x 3.75″ piece of Dandy Designs DSP to the back. If you look at the photo above you can see why it has to be on the back since it opens the opposite way. I used the stamp set called Pansy Patch and the coordinating Pansy Dies to make the flowers and leaves. The Pansy Patch stamp set is a two-step stamp set. That means it can take two or more stamps to make one image. I first stamped the outside of the pansy in Calypso Coral ink, the middle section in Pale Papaya and the center of the flower in Highland Heather. Then I cut them out using the coordinating die. I cut three leaves out of Soft Succulent card stock. The dies are different because they cut out the outside edge of the leaf and they emboss at the same time. I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set called Heron Habitat and cut it out using a die from Stylish Shapes.

Don’t forget there is only one month left to Sale-a-brate and earn free products! The products will be available while supplies last or until the end of February. Plus, Stampin’ Up! added more items on February 1st!

Product List

Pansy Patch Bundle (English)

[155674]

$51.25

Heron Habitat Cling Stamp Set (English)

[158889]

$22.00

Stylish Shapes Dies

[159183]

$30.00

Dandy Designs 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[160836]

Add All to Cart

Cup Of Tea

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Cup Of Tea

I know people think I am crazy because I don’t drink coffee. Actually, I have never had a cup of it in my life. I never even tasted it. I just can’t stand the smell. My parents did not drink coffee at all either and neither do my sisters. I guess it depends on how you were raised. I drink a cup of tea every day, though, and I do get a little cranky if I don’t have one (unlike a certain person who shall go unnamed who gets violent with no coffee). Ask me how I know! 🙂

The Tea Boutique Suite of products is in the Stampin’ Up! 2022-2023 Annual Catalog. The suite includes the Cup of Tea stamp set, Teacup Dies, Tea Boutique Designer Series Paper and Tea Boutique Cards & Envelopes. You can order the entire suite using one item number (158670) or you can order things separately. If you order the stamp set and the dies using the bundle item number (158667) you can save 10%. The Suite order number includes the 10% discount too.

To make this card, I first cut a 3.75″ x 5″ piece of the Tea Boutique Designer Series Paper and layered it onto a 4″ x 5.25″ piece of Fresh Freesia card stock and a Basic White card base. Next, I cut out the tag using the Tailor Made Tags and the same DSP. I stamped the tea cup using Orchid Oasis ink on a piece of Fresh Freesia card stock and cut it out using the coordinating die. I stamped the leaves in Garden Green ink and the flowers in Fresh Freesia and cut them out too. I adhered the flowers using Mini Dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment from the Sending Smiles stamp set and cut it out using a die from the Sending Dies. Lastly, I tied a quadruple bow using white Baker’s Twine and adhered it using a Glue Dot.

Let me know if your parents drank coffee when you were growing up and whether or not you do too. I would be interested in knowing if my hypothesis is correct or not.

Fresh Freesia

Orchid Oasis

Garden Green

Product List

Cup Of Tea Bundle (English)

[158667]

$45.00

Sending Smiles Bundle (English)

[158707]

$49.50

Tea Boutique 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[158659]

$12.00

Tailor Made Tags Dies

[155563]

$22.00

Baker’s Twine Essentials Pack

[155475]

$11.00

Add All to Cart

Sending Smiles Fun Fold

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Sending Smiles Fun Fold

A couple of weeks ago I told you how I signed up for a virtual card retreat put on by some other Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators. The retreat was last weekend. Although I did not join the retreat when it was live, we were all given PDF directions on how to make all the cards they were showing ahead of time. Plus we were given links so that we can go back and watch the videos on our own time. Most of the cards were fun folds (which I love!).

We were given the directions for this fun fold card (officially called a Corner Fun Fold) by Brandy Cox. If you know anything about Stampin’ Up! then you have heard of Brandy. She is the #1 Demonstrator for sales in the entire company (and has been for a few years). She used different papers, colors and stamp sets than I did but the design is the same

This is what my card looks like when you are opening it….

Stampin Up Sending Smiles Fun Fold

….and this is what it looks like completely open:

Stampin Up Sending Smiles Fun Fold

Isn’t that fun? It looks complicated but it really is not. The first thing you do is pick a piece of Designer Series Paper you want to use (I used Design A Daydream DSP) and cut it to 7″ x 8.25″. Then you score it as in the photo below ( I used Brandy’s photo).

Then fold the diagonal score lines back and the straight ones forward.

Here are the measurements for the rest of the cards

DSP: 7” x 8-1/4”
• Blackberry Bliss (2): 4-1/2” x 3-1/4”
• Old Olive (2): 4-1/4” x 3”
• Basic White (3): 4” x 2-3/4”
• Old Olive: 4-1/2” x 3-1/4”
• Blackberry Bliss: 4-1/4” x 3”
• Balmy Blue (envelope): 6” x 2-1/2”
• Scraps: Basic White, Balmy Blue

I used the stamp set called Sending Smiles to make my card. This stamp set has coordinating dies called Sending Dies. The colors I used were Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss and Blushing Bride.

It was a fun retreat to participate in. Look for more cards I made using the ideas from it in the future.

Product List

Sending Smiles Bundle (English)

[158707]

$49.50

Design A Daydream 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Host Designer Series Paper

[159161]

$18.00

Add All to Cart

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Art Gallery

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Susan Horr

Stampin Up Art Gallery

Before I forget, I need to let you know that I am scheduling a bunch of blog posts ahead of time because I won’t be able to blog for a few weeks. I wanted to let you know in case I happen to post something that may be unavailable to order due to the backorder situation. At the time of the post, the item would have been available but sometimes things run out. I apologize ahead of time if that happens.

I made this card using the stamp set called Art Gallery. This set has coordinating dies called Floral Gallery. You can’t get the discount on the bundle anymore since it has been in a few catalogs and the bundle discount is only available when it is in a catalog for the first time. Either way, it is a beautiful set. I stamped the flowers using Stampin’ Write Markers. The best way to do this is to use a Stamparatus. Sometimes when you color a stamp using markers you may miss a spot or two. If you use the Stamparatus you can just reink it and stamp again. Then I cut it out using the coordinating die. I also stamped the sentiment using the Art Gallery stamp set and Floral Gallery dies.

Next, I took a Mint Macaron card base and embossed it using the Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder. I know I have been using this embossing folder a lot and I just realized it is retired. Sorry about that but you can always use a different embossing folder. This one happens to be one of my favorites since it adds a subtle texture to card stock. There are a number of current embossing folders that can do the same thing. I cut the frame out of Basic White card stock using the Fabulous Frames dies. I backed the frame with a piece of the Design A Daydream Designer Series Paper. This DSP is a pack of 48 double-sided sheets and you can get it for $18 as a Host Gift with a $150 order.

Next, I cut another piece of Basic White card stock using the Scalloped Contours dies. I layered the flowers on top of that. I adhered the sentiment using Dimensionals. Lastly, I add some 2021-2022 In Color Opal Rounds.

Product List