Crafting Up the Coast

You’ve probably already seen that our Starter Kits come with extra product credit, but this month we have even better news! In addition to the extra product credit, you’ll get two FREE stamp sets in your Starter Kit when you start your business in June. That’s an added value of up to $104 USD/$136 CAD, depending on which stamps you choose. We have amazing new stamps in the new annual catalog for you to choose from, and we know that you can start your business right when you have more stamps as a demonstrator.

If that’s not enough to get excited about, June is also the month of extra Stampin’ Rewards! You’ll get $35 USD/$40 CAD in extra Stampin’ Rewards when you host a stamping event  with $350 USD/$400 CAD or more in orders. So get creative! Have fun! You can use those extra Stampin’ Rewards to get more products from the new annual catalog or on your Starter Kit.

We’re more than excited about these offers, and we hope you are too! Don’t wait too long! June will be over before you know it.

Learn about becoming a demonstrator or join now. And remember to contact your demonstrator to take advantage of this month’s special offers.

Summertime is fun time and what better time for a beach-themed birthday party? I’m going to show you how to make this adorable beach ball and matching tag using the Cutie Pie Thinlits Dies (item 138273) and the Big Shot (item 143263).

First, you’ll need to die cut and assemble 10 pie boxes using the Cutie Pie Thinlits Dies. I recommend using Whisper White Thick Cardstock (item 140272) along with Daffodil Delight (item 119683), Cucumber Crush (item 138335), Pacific Point (item 111350), Tangerine Tango (item 111349), and Real Red Cardstock (item 102482).

Next, cut a template for the top of the box using the same die. Trace around the edges of some coordinating polka dot paper from the Brights (item 138434) and 2015–2017 In Color (item 138432) Designer Series Paper Stacks and cut by hand.

Glue the triangles to the top of the coordinating box.

Glue the sides of the boxes together to form a circle. Place a white box in between each of the colored boxes. (It’s easier to work in sections.)

Die cut two 2-15/16″ circles from Whisper White Thick Cardstock. Stamp the word “Sunshine” from the Crazy about You Stamp Set (item 138859) on one of the circles in Tangerine Tango ink (item 126946); glue it to the center of the box where the triangles come to a point. Glue the second circle to the center of the back for added stability. Die cut the word “Hello” from Pacific Point Cardstock using the Hello You Thinlits Dies (item 137363) and adhere it to the circle. Cut a small flower and leaves using the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies (item 141497).

To create the matching tag, cut 10 triangles using the small triangle from the Cutie Pie Thinlits Dies.

Glue the pieces (in the same order as before) to a piece of thin white copy paper. (Hint: Save one of the white triangles for last—just in case some of the edges don’t line up exactly.)

Use the same circle die as before to die cut a circle from the center. (You’ll have a lot of waste, so you may want to cut shorter triangles for future tags now that you know how big the pieces need to be.) Die cut an additional circle from Whisper White Thick Cardstock and glue it to the back of the tag for added stability. Use a 3/4″ Circle Punch (item 119873) to create the center of the tag from a piece of Whisper White Thick Cardstock. Punch a small hole in the top of the tag using a 1/8″ Circle Punch (item 134365) and tie the tag to the top of a 2″ x 8″ Cellophane Bag (item 141703) filled with colorful gumballs using Linen Thread (item 104199).

Finally, make some coordinating flowers from the same supplies using the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies (item 140625).

These projects are easy enough that you can get the kids involved, too. Have fun crafting this summer!

Connie Collins
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016

You’ve probably already seen that our Starter Kits come with extra product credit, but this month we have even better news! In addition to the extra product credit, you’ll get two FREE stamp sets in your Starter Kit when you start your business in June. That’s an added value of up to $104 USD/$136 CAD, depending on which stamps you choose. We have amazing new stamps in the new annual catalog for you to choose from, and we know that you can start your business right when you have more stamps as a demonstrator.If that’s not enough to get excited about, June is also the month of extra Stampin’ Rewards! You’ll get $35 USD/$40 CAD in extra Stampin’ Rewards when you host a stamping event  with $350 USD/$400 CAD or more in orders. So get creative! Have fun! You can use those extra Stampin’ Rewards to get more products from the new annual catalog or on your Starter Kit.We’re more than excited about these offers, and we hope you are too! Don’t wait too long! June will be over before you know it.

Learn about becoming a demonstrator or join now. And remember to contact your demonstrator to take advantage of this month’s special offers.

This year I’ve welcomed a number of participants to my monthly cardmaking workshops who are brand new to stamping. As a consequence I’ve been changing my approach to these sessions by offering designs that will suit beginner skill levels, but that can also be stepped up for my more experienced participants. I thought it would be fun to share with you a card idea that goes from simple to special by adding a host of subtle elements. Take a closer look and perhaps give some of these ideas a try for your next project!

My designs today feature the Affectionately Yours Specialty Designer Series Papers (item 141632), which will be available for purchase tomorrow in the brand, new annual catalog! Both versions start with a folded Whisper White card base (item 100730).

For the beginner’s version I’ve layered some of the patterned paper on the base. The butterfly silhouette was cut from a square of Whisper White Cardstock using the Elegant Butterfly Punch (item 127526) and layered over the floral pattern with Stampin’ Dimensionals (item 104430).  I’ve stamped the Sunburst Sayings (item 140725) sentiment in Night of Navy ink (item 126970) on a Crumb Cake Cardstock (item 120953) banner and adhered this beneath the butterfly to finish.

To step up the finished design I’ve added a few It’s My Party Enamel Dots (item 140554) for a fun pop of color to complement the yellow tones in the floral pattern. I also embossed the white panel around the butterfly using the Floral Affection Textured Embossing Folder (item 141713), which lends subtle interest to the project. For the sentiment in this version, I’ve heat embossed using White Stampin’ Emboss Powder (item 109132) on Night of Navy Cardstock (item 100867) versus the more basic stamping approach in the first version.

To finish I’ve bumped up the textural component with a little White Baker’s Twine bow (item 124262).

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas and that they inspire you to ‘step up’ your next project!

Jennifer Frost
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016

With June just around the corner, I’ve got Father’s Day on my mind. It’s a holiday that many paper crafters struggle with, as masculine cards can be a challenge for us all!

One of my favorite stamp sets for occasions like this is Guy Greetings (item 137178), and I’m SO glad to see that it’s not on the retiring list! I wanted to share some cards with you to inspire you to create for the men in your life. With that said, I’m also a big believer in first impressions, and that’s what your envelope is for—so let’s fancy that up a bit, shall we??

When I found my much-loved Typeset Designer Series Paper (item 133704) on the retiring list this year, I decided I was going to work to use it all before it expired. I really wanted to give it some extra love one last time! It’s a brilliant vintage, classic, neutral paper and it pairs so well with the fabulous vintage images in Guy Greetings. Using the Envelope Punch Board (item 133774), I whipped up an envelope with one of the sheets to add an extra-special touch.

Many of us give gift cards to the men in our life because (let’s face it!) they can be a bit difficult to buy for. Luckily, the measurement table on the Envelope Punch Board goes all the way down to gift card size! Using the beautiful striped paper in the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack (item 138435), I created a tiny, little envelope. (Tip: If you don’t like the other side of the paper—I found the florals on the other side decidedly unmasculine!—you can cut and score two pieces of paper and glue them back-to-back to create your choice of print for the inside.)

A belly band perfectly decorates the gift and holds the envelope closed without adhesive, and you can decorate both sides!

While you’ve got your Designer Series Paper Stack and your Envelope Punch Board out, you may as well create one more. This fabulous nautical card and envelope are a perfect pair!

Square cards and envelopes are a nice change from rectangles for an extra-special touch. And don’t forget—metallics are manly, too!

I hope these projects inspired you today to create for your fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons, and to use your favorite Designer Series Paper and Envelope Punch Board to make a beautiful first impression!

Cheers!

Shannon Lane
Artisan Design Team 2015–2016