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

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

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

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge picks the colors from the SALE-A-BRATION Fruit Salad DSP featuring Real Red, Peach Pie and Flirty Flamingo.
Measurements:
BASE: Petal Pink CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
DSP: 6″ x 6″ cut at 5 1/4″ and cut into two pieces
2″ x 5 1/4″ and 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White” scraps for punches and sentiment
and die
Early Espresso CS: 7/8″ x 4 1/4″
Cut the 6″ x 6″ DSP at 5 1/4″ then cut the remaining portion into 2 sections at 2″ and 4″.
Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP to the card base.
Die cut the tressel die from the Linked Together die set – cut in half and attach to the upper right hand corner.
Adhere the 2″ DSP piece over the cut section of the die.
Stamp the hello from the Layering Leaves stamp set in Real Red ink and use a blending brush to color the background.
Adhere the sentiment piece to the Early Espresso strip.
Pop up the strip across the card front.
Punch out two small bough sprigs from the scrap Basic White CS and slip one under the hello sentiment piece.
Stamp in Petal Pink ink the larger sprig from the Layering Leaves stamp set.
Punch out 2 sprigs and tuck under the Early Espresso strip.
Adhere 5 Basic Rhinestones on the card front to add a little bling. This color challenge was a stretch for me and it is always a creative exercise to create with set colors and these are not my favorite color combination and it was a challenge to design this card.
Try to stretch your creative potential and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time.

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

bloom impressions double panel z-fold card

bloom impressions double panel z-fold card

Today’s card is an easy variation on a simple Z fold fun fold card just by adding two layered panels you get an added look and lots of space to decorate and embellish!

Measurements:
BASE: Shy Shamrock CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 2 3/4″ and 5 1/2″
DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″ for inside BASE panel
and (2) 2 1/2″ x 4″ two left BASE panels
Melon Mambo CS: (2) 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″
Peach Pie CS: (2) 3″ x 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: (2) 2 3/4″ x 4″
scrap for large butterfly die

I grabbed a 4″ x 5 1/4″ scrap of Basic White and stamped the largest butterfly image from the new Beautiful Butterflies bundle in Memento Black ink.
I colored the butterfly with the Peach Pie and Melon Mambo Stampin’ Blends markers and then die cut the image.
PAPER SAVING TIP: Whenever you have multiple layers that will be adhered to a surface you can die cut from the middle and reduce the weight of the card and get extra embellishments and dies from the paper that would have been covered!
I die cut four detailed smaller butterflies from the Beautiful Butterflies die set from the middle of the Melon Mambo layers.
(HAPPY ACCIDENT: forgot that the front layer would only be half adhered! See the results at the end LOL!)
Adhere the panel layers together and decorate as you wish.

I die cut one of the Basic White layers with the lattice die from the new Linked Together bundle.

Then I adhered and stamped and decorated with the Beautiful Butterflies bundle!

I adhered the 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP to the inside BASE panel then I adhered the two smaller DSP panels to the two smaller left BASE panels.
I adhered the inside colored cardstock layered panels to the center of the back BASE panel over the 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP layer.
I adhered three Sunny Day Iridescent Dots Embellishments to the front layered panel and adhered it so that it covers the panel on the inside so it is a little surprise when you open up the card!
Make sure that you only place adhesive on the left side of the panel as half the panel will be hanging off the first Z fold panel!
I adhered one last detailed small butterfly die back into the area I die cut that I forgot would not be covered OOPS! but here is my HAPPY ACCIDENT – think it looks like I meant to do it!

Hoping you can turn all of your accidents into happy ones!

Sale-a-bration is in full swing and you can earn FREE merchandise or get an awesome deal on the Starter kit!

My Open House will be moved to next Friday as I am still settling back in from vacation I realized that I did not schedule the e-mail invitation correctly and it did not send to you all! Another OOPS! In my defense my brain is still on island time!

Now go and try this fun fold whenever you get a chance – it is snowing here so that is always a good time to create! Go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie