Crafting Up the Coast

I have a confession to make. It’s hard for me to make a card without using a doily. I love how they instantly add a touch of polish without any cutting or stamping. They layer beautifully and are a simple, yet pretty way to highlight a focal image. Plus, they’re an inexpensive way to embellish your cards (especially when you factor in the per unit cost, which amounts to only pennies).

I was recently stamping with the Be Jolly, By Golly Stamp Set (item 142134) and found myself using all of the doilies that Stampin’ Up! offers, so I thought I’d share how you can use all three doily varieties with this fun set.

The Delicate White Doilies (item 141701) coordinate with just about any color palette. I often use pieces of them rather than include the whole doily on one card.

For this first card, I cut the doily in half and layered the two pieces under a strip of Real Red 3/4″ Stitched Edge Ribbon (item 141984) and Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper (item 141981). The focal image was embossed with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (item 109129) and cut out with the Big Shot (item 143263) and a Layering Circles Framelits Die (item 141705). Some gold twine from the Baker’s Twine Trio Pack (item 141999) was tied in a bow for a finishing touch. You’ll notice that I’m addicted to Baker’s Twine, too, but that will have to be discussed in another post!

Because you can never have too much of a good thing, it’s fun to layer different doily styles, as well.  With this next card, I layered a Cucumber Crush 2015–2017 In Color Doily (item 141674) over a Delicate White Doily.

The card base was made by stamping the Diagonal Stripe Stamp (item 141917) with Versamark ink (item 102283) on a piece of Real Red Cardstock (item 102482).The doilies and Baker’s Twine from Candy Cane Lane Baker’s Twine (item 141983) and the Baker’s Twine Trio Pack were layered with a strip of Warmth & Cheer Designer Series Paper (item 141991) and Gold Glimmer Paper (item 133719). Some gold Metallic Sequins (item 138390) and fun Mini Jingle Bells (142002) were added as finishing touches.

On this last card, I used one of the gold Metallic Foil Doilies (item 138392). These come in two sizes (both gold and silver) and the larger one was used here.

A piece of Candy Cane Lane Designer Series Paper was added to the card base, and a strip of Real Red 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon was looped underneath the focal image. This image was embossed with Real Red Glitter Stampin’ Emboss Powder (item 142635) and cut out with the Lots of Labels Framelits Die (item 138281).

Some sprigs of holly from the Holly Berry Happiness Stamp Set (item 142061) and Holly Berry Punch (item 141843) were then added with some gold Baker’s Twine and Brights Enamel Shapes (item 141680).

I hope these projects will inspire you to give all of the different doily styles that Stampin’ Up! offers a try.  I’d love to see how you incorporate these versatile accessories into your own projects!

Amy O’Neill
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016

Whether you’re planning Thanksgiving, Halloween, or other fall festivities, Paper Pumpkin has everything you need. This month’s kit, Something Good to Eat, includes 16 food-safe treat tubes plus stamps, stickers, and embellishments to help you dress them up for any occasion.

This kit comes together quickly so you can party right away. No tricks, just treats! Watch it in action at PumpkinHowTo.com.

While you’re experimenting with your trendy treat tubes, don’t forget to try some other projects. Here are some additional ideas to get you started.

For instance, if you’re going for a strictly spooky theme for Halloween, pull in some holiday catalog products like the Halloween Night Designer Washi Tape and Baker’s Twine. Then, stamp the Jack-o’-lantern face and bat from the Spooky Fun Photopolymer Stamp Set using a Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad.

The stamps in the kit are great for cardmaking too! Use the sentiment to stamp a fun background and banner. To achieve a two-tone pumpkin, stamp the solid pumpkin image on some scrap paper first, then (without re-inking) stamp it again to get a lighter tone. (This technique is called stamping off and it’s one that you can use again and again in your projects.) To finish, stamp the outline image on top of the solid image. (That’s called two-step stamping, another technique you’ll use a lot.)

Here’s another card with a completely different look, proving the versatility of this kit. When we were planning this stamp set, we couldn’t help but “oooh” and “ahhhh” over this adorable little sunflower! Isn’t it lovely? Use the Crumb Cake Note Cards & Envelopes to create a simply sunny card and you’re sure to put a smile on a friend’s face.

Now is a great time to stock up on refills so you can keep using the treat tubes for more projects this season. They’d be great filled with bath salts as a stocking stuffer or neighbor gift. Grab yours now before they disappear.

Speaking of disappearing, our BOGO offer will disappear on October 10! First-time subscribers can buy the October kit at regular price and get the November kit for FREE! Contact your demonstrator and use promo code “BOGO” at PaperPumpkin.com to get started. If you’re already a subscriber, be sure to tell your friends about this amazing offer before it’s too late!

*Fine Print: For first-time subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Offer invalid if subscription is suspended or cancelled during the first two months. After that, the subscription will continue for $19.95 USD/$26.95 CAD + tax per month (shipping included) unless cancelled or suspended. Offer ends October

For the first time ever, first-time subscribers can buy one month at the regular price of $19.95 US/$26.95 CAD and get the second month FREE! It’s a Paper Pumpkin BOGO deal that you don’t want to miss!

Paper Pumpkin is a monthly subscription service by Stampin’ Up! that delivers all the stamps, ink, and paper you need to create a papercrafting project. Everything is cut and ready to go so you can skip to the fun!

Contact your demonstrator and use promo code “BOGO” at PaperPumpkin.com to get started.

Fine Print: For first-time subscribers only, not valid on prepaid subscriptions. Offer invalid if subscription is suspended or cancelled during the first two months. After that, the subscription will continue for $19.95 USD/$26.95 CAD + tax per month (shipping included) unless cancelled or suspended. Offer ends October 10, 2016.

I always like to look for new projects, and I tend to use my Project Life cards for more than just scrapbooking; for instance, today I decided to put together a few 4″ x 4″ note cards using the Hello Lovely Project Life Card Collection (item 141668). All of the cards are very simple and easy to put together. I used the Hello Lovely Project Life Accessory Pack (item 142687) to complement the cards with a few embellishments.

I used our Silver Glimmer Paper (item 135314) and the Rose Garden Thinlits Dies (item 140619) to accent the cards. To create the little tags, I used Old Olive Cardstock (item 100702) along with some Basic Black Solid Baker’s Twine (item 141682). They’re super-simple cards to put together as there’s no stamping or cutting required. BONUS, right? That’s the beauty of Project Life.

Now, to add in a little extra fun, I made a Project Life frame. I’ve loved these kinds of projects lately, and I have decided to put together two walls of family love in our living room. Here is where this frame will be added.

Last fall we had family photos taken at an old barn near our house. Gosh, I am such a fan of vintage settings for photos; they never fail, I find. We had just gotten our little puppy a few months prior, so it was a perfect time to snap the family. Our kids were the focal point in these photos—as they usually are! How can they not be when they are just so sweet together? These times are precious as they only last for so long.

I used Fast Fuse Adhesive (item 129026) to glue down each of the cards, and yes, this is a permanent adhesive, but I was okay with that. If you don’t want it to be permanent, you can adhere the cards with Velcro®; this lets you reuse the cards for another project. I also used Stampin’ Dimensionals (item 104430) to adhere some of the cards and doubled up on a few to create more of a pop.

I hope you enjoyed my projects today and that I was able to inspire you to make a fun project using Project Life. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box; it will never fail to amaze you!

Joyce Fowler
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016

It seems like only yesterday that we announced the new annual catalog, and now we’re announcing another one: the holiday catalog! Some of the most wonderful times of the year are coming soon, and celebrating those moments is easy and fun with our newest products. Explore the new catalog now (US/CA).

There’s an old proverb that says “Seeing is believing.” In other words, one needs to physically see something before it can be accepted as real. I truly wouldn’t have to see it to believe that most of you have something that looks a bit like this . . . your very own collection of what I call Bits & Pieces!

I save every cast-off die cut—something that just didn’t work at the time. I vow to use it on the next project or the one after, but I don’t, and before long there are lots and lots of Bits & Pieces. I wanted to try to use them in a useful way, so I started with a bit of sorting—and then layering.

Then, using a few embellishments or simple stamped sentiments, adorable note cards and gift packaging were made quickly and easily!

For the bag I created a tag made using die cuts from Sliding Star Framelits (item 141820), Birds & Blooms Thinlits (item 141477), and Flourish Thinlits (item 141478) in Watermelon Wonder, Night of Navy, and Old Olive Cardstock. The Petite Café Gift Bag (item 135826) is wrapped with Watermelon Wonder 5/8″ Mini Striped Ribbon (item 141433) and the tag is tied on with Linen Thread (item 104199); Whisper White Mini Pompom Trim (item 141486) is also included as a fun accent.

Next, the simple card uses Night of Navy and Cucumber Crush Cardstock and Affectionately Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 141632) die-cut accents made using Stars Framelits (item 133723), Botanical Builder Framelits (item 140625), and Bold Butterflies Framelits (item 138135). The simple “Congratulations” sentiment from the Flourishing Phrases Stamp Set (item 141534) works perfectly with the silver Metallic Foil Doily (item 138392) and both a Metal Rimmed Pearl (item 138394) and Pearl Basic Jewels (item 119247).

The final project here includes a Sweet & Sassy Framelits (item 141707) die cut accent using 2015–2017 In Color Envelope Paper (item 141697) and a Flourish Thinlits die cut accent in Gold Glimmer Paper (item 133719). Embellished with a 2015–2017 In Color Doily (141674) and a Flourishing Phrases sentiment embossed on Emerald Envy Cardstock, this sweet element is perfect attached to a Glassine Gift Bag (item 141700).

I was thrilled to find just what I needed in my Bits & Pieces to create this coordinated card and gift box!  The little note card is simply made using Sliding Star Framelits, Birds & Blooms Thinlits, and Layering Squares Framelits (item 141708) die cuts and a Gold Glimmer Paper (item 133719) accent cut using the Stars Framelits Dies (item 133723). A touch of Sweet Sugarplum on the card inspired me to use the matching Sweet Sugarplum 3/8″ Ruched Ribbon (item 141428) to wrap the Clear Tiny Treat Box (item 141699)—where I also used die cuts from Birds & Blooms Thinlits and Flourish Thinlits. Soft Sky, Vellum, Bermuda Bay, and Crushed Curry Cardstock are also used in this sweet project.

Finally, I used Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (item 131527) to create this trio of note cards. Pieces include die-cut accents made using Flourish Thinlits, Everyday Jars Framelits (item 141490), Layering Squares Framelits, Sunshine Wishes Thinlits (item 141489), May Flowers Framelits (item 140276), and Botanical Builders Framelits. I chose cuts from the Playful Palette Designer Series Paper Stack (item 141657), Pop of Pink Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 141648), Kraft Cardstock (item Item 133674), and Gold Glimmer Paper—and Basic Black, Old Olive, and Soft Sky Cardstock. Embellishments include White Perfect Accents (item 138416), Gold Metallic Thread (item 138401), and stamped images with sentiments from the Watercolor Wings (item 139424), Rose Wonder (item 140697), and Sunburst Sayings (item 140725) Stamp Sets. I love that these cards were built so randomly but look seriously lovely together!

And now that you’ve seen it I hope you believe it! Bits & Pieces can easily become some of your favorite projects!

Sue Plote
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016