february swap cards

february swap cards

I LOVE getting HAPPY MAIL!
What is Happy Mail – for me it’s most anything sent by mail that is not advertising, junk or bills! When you get a hand written card in the mail doesn’t it bring you joy?
Demonstrator swaps are like that too! Every month I participate and cannot wait to get 10-20 cards in the mail from sister stampers that create some lovely cards for me to share with you all!

The first card is actually a late arrival from my January Swap that arrived in the mail after I posted my January Swap blog so this one features the most popular Sale-a-bration requested FREEBIE – the Bloom Impressions DSP. Carol S’s swap card uses that Sale-a-bration DSP paired with the Beautiful Butterflies dies and the Painted Plaster 3D embossing folder. For all of you that EARNED this gorgeous paper here is a lovely idea for how to use it on your own creations!

This Mediterranean Blooms DSP card from Lyn L shows an easy way to create a card using our gorgeous Designer Series papers as the main attraction! She used the coordinating bundle on top of the DSP.
Marie W’s swap card features the Linked Together bundle from the current January to April 2025 mini catalog products to create a lovely die cut creation full of colorful flowers and sentiment oval die set atop the neutral Country Woods DSP.
Judith P’s masculine swap card used the Terrific Toadstools bundle in neautral shades of Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla and Basic Black with splatters of Craft White ink over it to create a “magical” vibe!
Jeanna T’s swap card gives us an excellent peak at the newly released Online Exclusive suite Botanical Textures that features the Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder, gorgeous masculine paper showing textured textiles in neutral shades and great dies and stamps to coordinate!
The Thankful Garden Bundle with it’s coordinating die, masks and stamp set is featured on Veronica S’s swap card in Bubble Bath and Lemon Lime Twist set on a background of contrasting black and white for a stunning thank you card! This is the first time I have seen the Starburst Sequins from the Lovely Garden Suite and they are stunning!
STARBURST SEQUINS #165539 $7.50
* 180 adhesive-backed pieces
* 5 mm, 6mm
* Crushed Curry, Fresh Freesia, white
This delightful swap Thankful Garden card is from Carol S. Using the sentiment from the Country Birdhouse stamp set and the flowers and foliage from the new Thankful Garden bundle with masks for easy coloring this cards focal pieces pop in Melon Mambo and Garden Green set on Black and White! The rectangular dies from the Textured Notes bundle set the tone on both the front and inside of the card.
Susan W’s swap card in beautiful green hues features the Layering Florals embossing folder, the Winter Meadow DSP, the Everyday Details stamp set and the coordinating (retired) Everyday Details dies and the Shaded Spruce ribbon all set on a Shaded Spruce card stock base.
Robin C’s swap card features the lovely Wildflower Birthday Suite of products including the Wildflower Specialty Designer Series Paper and die cut sheets, the Spotlight on Nature dies, and the eyelet embossing folder for a fun Gatefold Offset fun fold card with coordinating envelope flap with an additional piece of Designer Series paper!
This Tower card fun fold from Nancy F uses a fun stand alone display card featuring the Lovely Garden DSP and the sentiment from the Bright Borders stamp set and the coordinating To the Point Label punch for a very springtime card! She also decorated her envelope flap with DSP – clever!
Lori V’s swap card uses a belly band with a die cut from the Mixed Labels bundle to close around this gorgeous DSP from the Mixed Media Suite. But the best is the surprise inside with a pop up floral arrangement from the Mixed Florals bundle over the Painted Plaster 3D embossing folder panels!
The last card in my February Swap collection is from my upline Denise W and she made a Tri-fold Shutter card – fancy! I will be highlighting my own version on one of my upcoming blog posts and I will teach you have to make this fun card! Denise used Petunia Pop In Color for the base card and the Meant To Bee bundle with coordinating DSP to complete the look!
Hopefully we inspired you with all these fabulous swap ideas and now it is your turn to go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

simple stamping – cut, flip and add a strip cards

simple stamping – cut, flip and add a strip cards

When you first start stamping coming up with a card design can be the most difficult thing. Perusing pinterest and blogs is fun but time consuming and if you are in a pinch and need a card in a hurry this is a fun little trick for fast, easy and beautiful designer series paper cards.

One of the tings I LOVE about our Designer Series Paper beside the fact that the artist’s designs are gorgeous works of art is the fact that the artists strive to make the front and backs of each piece of DSP coordinate! This technique plays into that strength!

This card making technique is called cut-flip and add a strip I first saw it years ago from a fellow demonstrator named Patti B and I thank her for the original inspiration!

Measurements:
BASE: Colored CS to coordinate with the DSP
5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ scored at 4 1/4″
DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″, 3/4″ x 4″
Basic White CS: scrap for the sentiments

I made four different cards in a flash with this technique! Three using the Fruit Salad Level One Sale-a-bration DSP and one using the Bloom Impressions Level One Sale-a-bration Rewards!

This one used Pumpkin Pie CS for the base.

I cut the ^” x 6″ piece of DSP to 6″ x 5 1/4″ cutting off the bottom 3/4″ then cut the remianing piece to a 4 ” x 5 1/4″ piece.

Cut the 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP piece into two sections 2″ x 4″ and 3 1/4″ x 4″.

I adhered the larger piece to the bottom of the card front.
Flip the smaller DSP piece over to the opposite pattern and adhere above the other DSP piece on the top of the card base.
Because I was making multiple cards I took the remaining 3/4″ x 6″ pieces cut from the bottoms of each of the cards and swapped them so I would have a different pattern of DSP for the strip piece but you could easily add a coordinating color of cardstock as the strip as I do in the last example – your choice!
I adhered the DSP strip over the place where the two pieces of DSP meet.
I stamped a sentiment and border from the Hugs for You bundle in coordinating Pumpkin Pie ink and punched it out with the bundle To the Point punch!
I popped up the sentiment punch on Stampin’ Dimensionals and added it over the strip.
I added Sunny Day Iridescent Dots embellishments to finish off this first card!
This second card uses the Fruit Salad Sale-a-bration DSP as well but I backed it on a Daffodil Delight CS base.
I cut and flipped and adhered the DSP to the card stock base.
I added a strip of DSP in between the two dsp pieces.
I stamped a different sentiment from the Hugs for Love bundle in Daffodil Delight with a different border around the words from the complimentary stamp set called Bright Borders which is also designed to work with the To the Point Punch from this bundle and popped it up over the center of the strip.
I added Sunny Day Iridescent Dots embellishments to finish this card as well.
The third card uses a Coastal Cabana base.
I also stamped the sentiment in Coastal Cabana to coordinate.
Cut the DSP as before flip and adhere to the card base.
Adhere the strip over where the two pieces of DSP come together.
I popped up the sentiment punch over the strip and added the Sunny Day Iridescent Dots in the blue hue.

This used the sentiment from the Hugs for Love stamp set and the border from the Bright Borders stamp set.

The last card uses the Bloom Impressions Sale-a-bration DSP and colored cardstock for the strip.
Cut the DSP and adhere the bottom piece to the base card.
Flip the smaller piece of DSP and adhere over the larger piece on the top half of the card base.
I used a 1″ x 4″ piece of Flirty Flamingo Colored cardstock over the area where the two pieces of DSP come together. Then I fussy cut both ends of a 3/4″ x 4″ piece of Berry Burst CS and adhered it over the Flirty Flamingo strip.
I stamped the sentiment in Berry Burst ink and punched out the stamped image with the To the Point punch. I popped it up on Stampin’ Dimensionals and placed it int he center of the strips. I added Sunny Day Iridescent Dots to finish off this last quick and easy card!

Try this technique to make designing a sweet DSP card a snap! Now go and create a card with some DSP you have lying around your craft space! Create some artwork – one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

fruit salad sale-a-bration double z fold card

fruit salad sale-a-bration double z fold card

Who doesn’t like fun folds? It is one of the most fun types of cards to make – some take a little extra time and materials but they are so worth it!
The Double Z Fold card is a fairly simple design that any card maker can achieve! Try one out and see!

Measurements:
BASE: Garden Green CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 2 3/4″ and 5 1/2″
second z fold strip 1 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 2 3/4″ and 5 1/2″
DSP: 6″ x 6″ piece
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″ inside layer
scrap for sentiment die cut
Colored CS: scraps for Mini Alphabet dies

To best utilize your DSP I got all pieces needed out of ONE 6″ x 6″ piece of DSP – cut it this way!
If your paper is directional decide first how you want the direction to run and cut accordingly!
I wanted the watermelon stripes running up and down on the 2 1/2″ x 4″ pieces so I made sure to position the paper that way.
I cut two 1″ strips off the bottom of the paper.
Cut the 4″ x 6″ piece of DSP in (2) 2 1/2″ x 4″ pieces this left me with a 1″ x 4″ strip which I also used.
Cut the 1″ strips into (1) 1″ x 5 1/4″ and
(2) 1″ x 2 1/2″ strips.

Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer to the inside of the 4 1/4″ x 11″ card base.
Adhere the 1″ x 4″ sttrip to the right-hand side of the Basic White layer I left a small border on the right-hand side.
Adhere the (2) 2 1/2″ x 4″ pieces of DSP onto the first two panels of the large base card.
Flip the smaller 1 1/4″ x 11″ piece so that the score lines are oppositely positioned from the large base card. (the larger panel will be adhered to the smaller front panel. This will make a difference if like my card your patterned paper is directional! I wanted my watermelon seeds to have the point side up so I made sure to position them accordingly before adhering onto the panels. Adhere the 1″ x 5 1/4″ strip to the larger left-hand side panel, then adhere the 1″ x 2 1/2″ strips to the two smaller panels on the right-hand side of the 1 1/4″ z-fold.
Match the edges of the smaller Z fold with the first small panel of the larger z fold base card and adhere the first 2 1/2″ portion of the 1″ x 5 1/4″ strip that will be attached to the card. **NOTE: if you put adhesive on the entire 5 1/4″ strip you will adhere the fun fold closed and it will not work because the adhesive will attach to the back of the smaller panel.**
Place adhesive on the back of the third smaller strip and close the card this will attach the smaller z-fold in the correct position.
I realized after I photographed this card that the die cut I grabbed out of my stash was from the retired Everyday Details die set but you can use the Stylish Shapes or Spotlight on Nature dies to get a similar look.
I stamped the sentiment from the Ice Cream Swirl stamp set and cut out the A from the “make a wish” sentiment.
I colored the die with a blending brush in Real Red before popping up the A on the die.
I used a Water Painter in Real Red ink and tapped it over the die cut piece with a bone folder to create a tone on tone splatter effect.
I adhered the circle die to the smaller front z-fold panel.
I took two pieces of Black twine from the Bakers Twine Essentials pack and tied a double bow and adhered it to the sentiment piece with a mini glue dot.
I had a bunch of letters die cut from a previous card in Melon Mambo and instead of wasting them I spelled out MELON and colored them with a blending brush in Real Red ink which gave them a depth of color and texture! Added BONUS!
I adhered the letter die cuts from the Mini Alphabet dies to the top of the second smaller z-fold panel.

I fussy cut three watermelon slices and adhered them to the inside panel of the z-fold and added Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs to finish off this fun fold card!

You do want to be conscious of the fact that some of the inside panel will be visible when the card front is closed so decorate accordingly!

Try this easy fun fold and see what you can come up with!

Now go and create some fun fold art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – melon mambo, peach pie and flirty flamingo

more color mondays – melon mambo, peach pie and flirty flamingo

This will be the final More Color Mondays Color Challenge for the 2025 Sale-a-bration catalog so I created a double fun fold card with the Heart Shaped Level Two Reward bundle in hues of Melon Mambo, Peach Pie and Flirty Flamingo taking the lead from one of the gorgeous pieces of Bloom Impressions Sale-a-bration DSP!

This double fun fold card features a hidden gate-fold card inside the card front as a sweet little surprise!

Measurements:
BASE: Melon Mambo CS: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″
3″ x 4″ for front matte
scraps for die cuts
Flirty Flamingo layer: 3 3/4″ x 4 3/4″
scraps for die cuts
Peach Pie CS Outside card: 3 1/4″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for die cuts
Inside DSP gate fold card: 4″ x 6″
scored at 1 1/2″ and 4 1/2″
scrap for die cut
Basic White CS inside layer: 2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″
scrap for die cut

Cut the Bloom Impressions DSP into a 4″ x 6″ piece.
Score at 1 1/2″ and 4 1/2″ and fold inward to create a gate fold mini card.
Cut a Basic White layer to 2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ and adhere three small flowers from the Heart Shaped die set in each of the More Color Monday color challenge colors of Melon Mambo, Peach Pie and Flirty Flamingo and adhere to the top of the white layer.
Stamp the “MY HEART LOVES YOUR HEART” sentiment in the middle of the layer and adhere to the inside middle panel of the DSP.
Cut the Peach Pie to 3 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ and score in half on the long side at 4 1/4″.
Adhere the DSP middle panel to the inside bottom of the Peach Pie card.
Emboss the Flirty Flamingo layer in the Soft Waves 3D embossing folder and adhere to the 1/4 sheet of Melon Mambo CS as the card base.
Adhere the Melon Mambo 3″ x 4″ front matte to the outside of the Peach Pie card front.
Adhere the Peach Pie card to the center of the Flirty Flamingo layer.
I stamped the “MY thoughts OF YOU ARE ALL heart SHAPED” sentiment in Melon mambo ink in the center of a Basic White CS negative heart die from the Heart Shaped bundle.
I die cut and saved the negative space from the Heart Shaped heart die in Peach Pie, Melon Mambo and the DSP.
I decided to add these under the white negative die cut sentiment heart to make it stand out more.
This is the completed hidden gate fold card inside and out.
I die cut the Heart Shaped die in the Bloom Impressions DSP and adhered it to the Melon Mambo matte layer.
I die cut two small flowers from each cardstock color and adhered them to the lower left-hand side of the heart die.
I adhered Iridescent Pears to the center of each small flower die, and stamped the “JUST BECAUSE I CARE” sentiment to the lower right-hand side of the layer to finish the card!
I loved this color combination and how this “surprise inside” card turned out. Thanks to the original inspiration from one of our new Artisan Design Team Members Pamela B who learned this from her upline Rhonda W. I love learning from other creative demonstrators and teaching you how to do these fun cards!

Would love to see your creations using this design! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

making a watercolor template – friendly seagulls watercolor card

making a watercolor template – friendly seagulls watercolor card

Today’s blog post is about creating a template with dies to use to watercolor through the negative space to create a unique background.
Today I wanted to create a segmented background of equal squares so i used the smallest square die from the Stylish Shapes die set and ran a 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer of Basic White through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine creating two rows of three die cuts resembling window panes.

Measurements:
BASE: Coastal Cabana CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Pool Party CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper: 1/2 sheet
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″ for mask/template
scraps for stamping

Using 3M Post-it Labeling and cover up tape I secured down one side of the template over the watercolor paper – because the Fluid 100 1/2 sheet is smaller than the template make sure that the template is evenly spaced on the watercolor paper.
Squeeze the lid of the Coastal Cabana ink pad and get some ink on the lid.
With a Water Painter place a few drops of water onto the lid and mix the ink and water with the brush. I used the medium brush size from the three piece set that comes with when you order the Water Painters #151298 3 painters in a set $13.00.
Brush the inside of each die opening with the watercolor wash.
Allow to dry before removing the template.
Remove the template and make sure the surface is totally dry before stamping.
I stamped in Tuxedo Black Momento ink the flying birds image in the top two boxes.
I stamped the fish image in the middle left-hand box and the shells image in the lower right-hand box.
On scraps of Basic White CS I stamped two of the birds from the Friendly Seagulls FREE Level One Sale-a-bration Rewards stamp set that you can earn with a $60 order. I think this is such a fun set!
I used Stampin’ Blends to color the birds: Pool Party Light and Dark to color the wings and Smoky Slate to shade the bellies and wings of the seagulls, Lemon Lolly for their beaks and webbed feet and crumb cake dark for the french fries.
I fussy cut the birds using the Stampin’ Up! Paper Snips which are the best knife edged scissors to fussy cut with as you can cut all the way to the tip!
I adhered the birds onto the remaining two boxes.
I stamped “hey friend” sentiment in the upper left-hand box to finish the stamping on the card!
I popped up the watercolored layer on Stampin’ Dimensionals and added it to the 4″ x 5 1/4″
Pool Party layer.
Opening the Paper Snips scissors and running one of the blades across the edges of the Pool Party layer I distressed the edges of this layer and then adhered it to the Coastal Cabana base card.
I finished off the card with the new Sparkle Gems but just as easily could have used the Riverside Irregular Pearls on this project as well
Which do you like better?
Try this water coloring template technique and show me what you create!
Which embellishment do you like better?

Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie