april guy swap

april guy swap

I hear from customers that the card ideas they struggle with the most are for guy or masculine cards! At least once a year our demonstrator swap group – shares masculine card ideas as it is one of the most requested types of designs!

Last month we did a card swap for the guys and these are the cards we all came up with!

My first sample swap card is from Lori V and she did a black and white Criss Cross fun fold card featuring the One More Year stamp set (#164777) that is still available on the Last Chance List.

My second swap card features the Layering Leaves stamp set which was on the Last Chance list and is now sold out and the Bough Punch (#157711) which is currently on the Last Chance list but is unavailable but they are asking interested customers to sign up for notification once the punch comes back in stock!
This swap card by Marie W. uses the Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder on Black cardstock and the Layering Leaves stamped in Old Olive and punched out and popped up on Dimensionals through a window cut out in th embossed layer – so clever!
Carrollann A cased a Rachel Tessman card from Stamp Your Art out .com for this Storybook Moments suite card using the Timeless plaid DSP. The lovely frame die cut on the card front came from the Storybook Friends Dies (#164674) and the Timeless Plaid DSP (#164678) make for a lovely guy themed card!
This next swap card designed by Judith P features the Bistro Burger bundle which are still available on the Last Chance list and discounted!

#163648
BISTRO BURGER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
Last Chance Item
BISTRO BURGER CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
discounted price $18.40
original price $23.00

#163649
Last Chance Item
BISTRO BURGER DIES
discount price $16.80
original price $28.00

This waterfall card featuring the Wooded Acres stamp set was desined by Jeanna T.

#165451
WOODED ACRES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET
price $17.00

Carol S’s swap card used Simple Birthday, The Right words and Textured Notes stamp sets.
It also features the Exposed Brick 3D embossing folder and the Timeless plaid DSP for a great masculine Birthday card!
This next swap card features a fun surprise pop up feature on the inside of the card and uses the Country Woods DSP and the Simple Birthday large format single stamp by Lyn L.
Kathi D’s swap card comes in a coordinating envelope using the Textured Notes bundle and the Woven Textures DSP as a lovely neutral background for a fabulous guy card vibe!
Andrea U’s swap card features another Last Chance stamp set called Beside Me that is deep discounted! There is a special origami pop out surprise on the inside of the card when you open it up!

#160780
Last Chance Item
BESIDE ME CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH)
Sale Price $13.00 Original Price $26.00

My last swap card is from our swap hostess and one of my uplines in the company – Denise W.
This card conveys simple elegance with the Country Woods DSP and The Right Words sentiment set on the Modern Oval punch!

I hope these guy cards inspired you and gave you a bunch of ideas for the next card you need to make for those special men in your life! No go out and design a guy card for someone special – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
Bough Punch [ 157711 ]
[157711]
$24.00
masculine textured notes card

masculine textured notes card

I recently participated in a guy card swap and this is the card that I designed for the group that I swap with!

I absolutely love black and white paper I am drawn to it and this Botanical Textures paper from the Botanical Textures Suite is a great one!

This Suite features two Designer Series packages – one that is the black and white paper and one that is neutral colored woven textured paper. According to sales the Woven Textures is the more popular of the two!

The Botanical Textures Suite Collection #165563 includes:

TEXTURED NOTES BUNDLE #165556

TEXTURED NOTES CLING STAMP SET (10% off)
#165548
* 7 cling stamps
* Suggested clear blocks (sold separately): b, c, d, h

TEXTURED NOTES DIES (10% off) #165555
* 8 dies
* Largest die: 5-3/16″ x 3-3/16″ (13.2 x 8 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

MINI CORRUGATED 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER
#165559
* 1 folder
* Size: 6″ x 6-1/4″ (15.2 x 15.9 cm)
* Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

BOTANICAL TEXTURES 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER #165545
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 2 each of 6 double-sided designs
* 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
* Acid free
* Lignin free

WOVEN TEXTURES 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER #165560
* 12 sheets of patterned paper: 3 each of 4 double-sided designs
* 12″ x 12″ (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
* Acid free
* Lignin free

WHITE 1/4″ (6.4 MM) RIBBON #165562
* Width: 1/4″ (6.4 mm)
* Length: 10 yards (9.1 m)

NEUTRAL MATTE DOTS #165561
* 160 adhesive-backed pieces
* 4 mm, 5 mm
* Basic Beige, black, Pecan Pie, white

Product colors: Basic Beige, Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Gray Granite, Pecan Pie, white

I stamped the leaf image in Smoky Slate on Basic White cardstock.

I used Post-it Labeling & Cover-up Tape to three consecutive Textured Notes dies – positioning them evenly.
Position it over the leaf image.
Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
scrap for sentiment die
4″ x 5 1/4″ for the 3 dies
Smoky Slate CS: 2″ x 5 1/2″
4″ x 5 1/4″ for the die (1 above the largest
three dies)
DSP: 2″ x 5 1/2″
Adhere the concentric three dies to the Smoky Slate Textured Notes dies.
Adhere the DSP layer to the left side of the card base.
Run the 2″ x 5 1/2″ Smoky Slate layer through the Mini Corrugated 3D embossing folder.
Adhere the 2″ Smoky Slate embossed layer to the right side of the base card.
Rub the corrugated side with a Blending Brush in Smoky Slate ink.
Place Stampin’ Dimensionals on the back of the Smoky Slate layer.
Place the die cut layers over the DSP and corrugated layer.
Stamp the sentiment in Smoky Slate ink and die cut with the smallest die in the Textured Notes die set.
Adhere the sentiment piece over the die cut layers.
Tap the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker on a bone folder over the card to make splatter patterns on the card.

Adhere 5 Basic Gray and Smoky Slate pearls to finish the card!

This is a great masculine card! Try making a guy card with your supplies – now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – wild wheat, berry burst and summer splash

more color mondays – wild wheat, berry burst and summer splash

For today’s color challenge we are touching on a little bit of color theory.
Stampin’ Up! has a great color tool called the Color Coach and it is a color wheel based on color theory. It is a very easy and effective way to determine which of our colors look best paired together. Whether you are looking for a monochromatic, analogous, complimentary or triadic color palette this color wheel makes it simple to devise a color plan for your cards and projects!

Today’s color palette is a triadic combination which means that the three colors I picked are in a triangular position from one another. If you look at the Color Coach in the picture below you will see the black lines in the center that point to the three inner windows – when you slide the white circle around the windows reveal the triadic combinations you can choose!

I picked Wild Wheat which is one of the 2023-2025 In Colors that will be retiring with this current annual catalog in May. This is a color that I grew to LOVE! It compliments so many other colors and is a lovely gold-ish brown! If you like any of these In Colors you will want to purchase them RIGHT AWAY because when they are gone they are gone! And do not forget the re-inkers!

The other thing I love about this card is that you can color Black and White DSP any way you like to create the best effect and color coordinate to any palette! I also colored the White Ribbon to color coordinate too!

Measurements:
BASE: Summer Splash CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″ and scrap for die
Berry Burst CS: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ and scrap for die
Wild Wheat CS: scraps for dies
DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″

I cut a piece of the black and white foliage design from the Botanical Textures Designer Series Paper to 4″ x 5 1/4″.
Taking a blending brush I colored the lower third of the DSP with Wild Wheat ink.
Taking a blending brush I colored the middle third of the DSP with Summer Splash ink.
Taking a blending brush I colored the upper third of the DSP with Berry Burst ink.
I cut a half sheet of Summer Splash to 4 1/4″ x 11″ and scored it at 5 1/2″.
I die cut the foliage stem from the Memorable Blooms die set in all three cardstock colors.
I cut a 1/4 sheet of card stock in Berry Burst to 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″.
I adhered the Berry Burst layer to the Summer Splash card front.
I adhered the DSP to the Berry Burst layer.
I stamped the “you are seriously the best” sentiment from the Textured Notes stamp set from the Botanical Textures Suite in Tuxedo Black memento ink on Wild Wheat scrap and die cut with the Botanical Textures dies.
I think this die set will be a new favorite of mine! It contains 8 rectangular frames that both cuts and embosses the edges in different patterns! SO FUN!
I adhered the foliage die cuts in each of the cardstock colors to the left side of the card front over the colored DSP.
I colored the white 1/4″ ribbon on both sides from the Botanical Textures Suite Collection with a Berry Burst Dark Stampin’ Blends marker and allowed it to dry.
I popped up the sentiment piece with Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals and placed the folded ribbon underneath one of the dimensionals to hold it in place. I adhered the sentiment piece about half way up the card front.
I placed 5 of the Pastel Adhesive-Backed Sequins on the card front to finish this color coordinated triadic card with a gold sparkle!
The color Coach is a great investment to step your color game up to the next level! Try it today on your next card – now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

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