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Stampin’ Up! Love of Leaves Bundle

Love of Leaves Bundle – Photopolymer stamps + coordinating dies

I adore the Love of Leaves Bundle in the latest Stampin’ Up mini catalog, so I’m unapologetically inducing a Fall vibe to compensate for how hot it is in SE Texas right now. I have no excuses for my brief break from blogging — just that life sometimes presents unavoidable realities and new daily routines have to be established. At the center of it all is a lingering hope to find light and goodness in the world. For me, the simple of act of stamping cards changes my mindset and pushes my thoughts outward as I consider who would like a “paper hug” in the form of a thoughtful sentiment with colorful, tactile elements.

Do you have favorite Fall colors? These are mine! My languishing knitting project matches my card projects too.

Mossy Meadow, So Saffron, Bumblebee, Crumb Cake, and Soft Seafoam were the coordinating ink and card stock colors I focused on. The sample card in the mini catalog was the jumping-off point, as was the plaid designer paper (I think plaid is my favorite color too)! Check back tomorrow for another inspired project with this set.

A Dad’s Day

I’m celebrating my husband today as we’ve experienced more than a few milestones and events since last Father’s Day. And just like that, we’re also empty nesters.

The card that inspired mine was this one, with a few tweaks of my own since I’ve only collected a few Stampin’ Blends so far. I used ink daubers with Mango Melody ink to create the darker shading in both the bottle and glass, along with Tasteful Touches wood-grain designer paper and black card base. Cheers and Happy Fathers Day if you’re in the United States.

Seriously the Best Cards for Friends

The Stampin’ Up! Seriously the Best stamp set is just that! I decided to make multiples of the same card design since I was already cutting the Designer Series Paper. My plan was to make as many cards as the 1″ strips of 5 different paper designs yielded. With minor changes to the design, this was an easy card to duplicate. The Stitched So Sweetly dies were perfect for this!

If you’re wondering whether making multiples of the same card is tedious . . . it’s not tedious at all! I love it. If you’d like to do something similar with the stamp set and multiple cards, I suggest the Seriously the Best Card Kit! It’s on sale through June 2, 2020.

Honey Bee Bundle – January 2020 Team Swap

For this card, I used the Honey Bee Bundle with Crumb Cake cardstock
as my card base and coordinated it with Terracotta Tile and Crushed Curry Ink and cardstock

I’m still posting non-chronologically in order to share my past swap cards, because some of the stamp/die bundles I used might retire or be unavailable on June 2, 2020. The theme for the January 2020 team swap was New/Current Catalog Product. The die that I used for the card front was a special release during Sale-A-Bration, an annual event that features free-with-purchase promotional items and one-time only coordinating product releases. My card design features one of the coordinating items! Even though it’s no longer available you can still adapt my design by using the Honey Bee Bundle – which is an item that will carry over to the upcoming June 3, 2020 Annual Catalog (but not as a discounted bundle — only as separate stamp and die sets). I chose not to use any Designer Series Paper, but I did use Honey Bee stamps and dies, along with my Stamparatus, to stamp multiples of the Honey Bee elements.

Stampin’ Up! Honey Bee Bundle – My in-process photo of preparing multiple card components for swapping with fellow demonstrators

I thoroughly enjoyed designing and creating these cards: honey bee and honeycomb images are trending right now in crafting and home decor.

Timeless Tropical March 2020 Team Swap

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.
— Georgia O’Keefe

I’m working backwards through my team swap photos because some of the stamp sets I’ve used are retiring on June 2, 2020, or are discontinued! This particular set – Timeless Tropical – will carry over to the new 2020 Annual Catalog. And although Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Papers (DSP) do not carry over from one catalog to the next, you have through June 2, 2020 to order DSP before they’re gone! I didn’t use DSP on these cards because I really enjoy stamping my own backgrounds, but at the end of this post, I’ll share a fast and easy Timeless Tropical card with coordinating DSP.

Timeless Tropical Bundle and Stitched So Sweetly dies with
Mango Melody, Crushed Curry, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, and Shaded Spruce coordinating inks and cardstock

In the midst of making these cards, my son left for USAF Basic Military Training, and because it was very hectic getting things done before and after his departure, I missed the mailing deadline by a day, and ended up sending these to the swappers individually. These cards were so enjoyable to make! I stamped the large hibiscus image with Versamark and heat-embossed with white embossing powder on Shimmery White cardstock, then watercolored with Classic Stampin’ Pads and a water brush, then sponged on more ink after the flower was dry. I let the paper curl naturally as it dried, and then coaxed the petals a little more when I adhered them to the top layer of the card with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

As promised, here’s a plain and simple card with Tropical Oasis Designer Series Paper as the first layer on a Shaded Spruce cardstock base.

Shaded Spruce Cardstock with Tropical Oasis DSP
and Timeless Tropical stamp set.
Colors are Petal Pink and Shaded Spruce

Very Versailles Swap Cards

Very Versailles stamp set, plus Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Rectangle Dies, and Stitched So Sweetly Dies along with coordinating colors Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, and Crumb Cake (card base), and my favorite linen thread

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
— Orson Welles

Almost two decades ago I was in a LiveJournal (now defunct) stamping group, and it was there that I started participating in card swaps. I loved swapping with others because it inspired me to try new techniques with my own supplies. Swappers made enough cards to share with everybody in the swap, including one for the coordinator (plus return postage). Within a couple of weeks, we all received our swaps — to either use or admire. I still have most of mine!

Since joining Stampin’ Up! last year, I’ve had several opportunities to swap with my fellow demonstrators, and like before, the swap guidelines challenge me to look at what I have in a different way, or to use something I haven’t tried yet. (Or to finally use my Pinterest boards and rediscover pins I saved for the stamp sets I have). The turnaround time is less than a week, because we include enough for return postage via USPS Priority Mail. This recent swap requirement was that we use supplies that will still be available in the new Annual Catalog, or to use new stamps sets demonstrators were able to preorder.

I chose Very Versailles because it met the swap guidelines and I couldn’t wait to use it! The card base is Crumb Cake, and layers are Whisper White, Old Olive, and Pretty Peacock. I stamped the white Stitched Nested Die in Old Olive and Soft Sea Foam with images from the stamp set. The decorative die cuts on the top layers are from the Stitched So Sweetly die set.

If you’d like to join my team and start swapping with us, please let me know in the comments!

Stitched Labels and Sheetloads

The Stitched Label dies and coordinating stamp set, Stitched All Around, are both retiring on June 2, 2020

As soon as I receive a 12×12 paper pack, I like to figure out how I’ll use it with my stamp sets. One of the easiest ways is finding card sketches on Pinterest, or lately, the Sheetload of Cards method conceived by Call Me Crafty Al. I also like to search for One Sheet Wonders or #loveitchopit on Instagram.

The template I used, along with download instructions and process videos can be found on YouTube: May 2020 Sheetload of Cards.

The Stitched Labels dies and Stitched All Around stamp set were must-haves when I joined Stampin’ Up!

For my decorative cardstock, I used the Ornate Garden Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up! My coordinating cardstock layers, card bases, and ink are Mint Macaron, Terracotta Tile, and Old Olive.

On the third set of cards, I used the stamps and punches in the Heartfelt Bundle with gold embellishments from the Ornate Garden Suite.

Heartfelt Bundle + Ornate Garden Designer Series Paper

I found so many fun ways to use this paper pack – I love gold as an accent color – and I can’t wait to share them!

Beautiful Friendship

A Congrats card for my upline for achieving Gold Elite

A few months ago I was the featured showcase designer in one of my Stampin’ Up! demonstrator communities. I received complimentary stamp sets for participating and one of them was Beautiful Friendship. It immediately earned a top spot as one of my all-time favorite stamp sets for creating the type of cards I enjoy – colorful, layered designs with bold stamped images.

Choose any five colors (I chose my five from the Subtles collection) plus a sentiment stamped in black and you have a super-quick card front.

The floral images are perfect for stamping a background design to cover an inexpensive composition book.

For a quick and easy birthday card, I chose three subtle ink colors, coordinating card stock, and an embossing folder.

Stampin’ Up! Beautiful Friendship Stamp Set with Petal Pink, Cherry Cobbler, and Pear Pizzazz

If you are just getting started with stamping and card making, I highly recommend Beautiful Friendship as one of your first stamp sets.

Hello, Friend

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde

Hello, Friends! Welcome to my online crafty space. I’m Janet – a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and creator of handmade, hand-stamped cards. Even though I mainly sell paper-crafting supplies online, I created this space to share all the creative possibilities in card making, even if you don’t have a lot of supplies. My full time day job is non-crafty and I don’t have a dedicated craft area – I just use my kitchen counter!

Maybe you used to be a scrapbooker or stamper and you own some supplies that you’ve neglected? Make some cards! They’re super easy and full of personality — it’s a delight to send and receive a handmade card. And if you need a jump-start, I recommend Paper Pumpkin – a monthly subscription kit containing an exclusive (and collectible) clear photopolymer stamp set and a Stampin’ Spot ink cube in a current or new Stampin’ Up! color. The monthly kit has everything you need to create all the projects inside, but keep some scissors handy – ribbon and thread are often included in the kit.

My monthly Paper Pumpkin subscribers become JanetStamps VIPs! You’ll receive a card designed especially for active subscribers who have received the current kit. When I create your cards that month, I’ll use supplies that coordinate with the stamps featured in your box. Right away, you’ll see an alternate use for your stamp set! These are created especially for my Paper Pumpkin subscribers and not shared here.

Subscribe before June 10, 2020 to receive the kit pictured below. The $22 monthly subscription includes free shipping, and sales tax is added to the total when it’s billed.