swap cards

swap cards

Today’s blog post is the accumulation of a couple different swaps, a potluck swap from November and an early bird swap for the new catalogs from December.

This first card uses the returning DSP in the annual catalog called Winter Meadow in a book bind fun fold and the Layering Leaves bundle from Carol S.

This next card from the November swap and Denise W uses the You are Beautiful stamp set and the Frames and Flowers DSP. This offset gate fold is scored at 1 1/4″ and fold the other side in tight using a bone folder. The modern label punch was used for the sentiment.
Robyn M’s card features the Sweet Pea stamp set and a masked circle to highlight the cutest image in the center of the card.
Marie W’s pretty in pink card uses the Pocket Thoughts bundle. The bundle creates a fun pocket and secret message!
This Shaded Spruce card from Susan W. features the Planted Paradise and Wonderful thoughts stamp set and Full of Life DSP, Fern Embossing folder and the Everyday Details Dies.
Judi M’s November swap card uses a new Online Exclusives Otterly Awesome suite in this Circle Wreath card fun fold design.
Andrea U’s Nov swap card uses the Winter Meadow fun fold on Basic Gray cardstock.
December’s early bird swap uses new products from the two new catalogs – Sale-a-bration and January to April 2025.

Sale-a-bration is a time to be able to earn FREE products – this card uses the 6″ x 6″ DSP Toadstool Gardens and the Terrific Toadstools bundle.

This early bird swap from Denise W. features the FREE Friendly Seagulls stamp set and the Timeless Plaid DSP from the new mini in this offset gate fold card.
Veronica S’s December swap card features With You in Mind stamp set.
Lori V’s swap card uses the Hugs for Love Bundle and the Bloom Impressions FREE sale-a-bration DSP.
Marie W’s swap card uses the Birthday Celebration Bundle and the Wildflower Birthday DSP and the 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems and the Eyelet 3D embossing folder.
Lyn L’s swap card features the new Darling Dinos bundle.
The FREE Sale-a-bration Corner in Bloom stamp set and Labeled in Love stamp set from the January to April 2025 mini catalog were used to bring Carol S’s swap card come to life.
Kathi D’s swap card features the Storybook Moments Suite and the Storybook Friends bundle make a sweet thank you card.
This last early bird swap card from Robin C’s features the Terrific Toadstools bundle for this center gate fold card.

There are so many ideas and that is one of the great advantages of demonstrator swaps.

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

sketched butterfly double z gate fold card

sketched butterfly double z gate fold card

This is a card that you can prop up on your desk and look at! I love fun folds and this is a fun one! It is called a double Z Gate fold card and was inspired by fellow demonstrator Connie S.’s video! Thanks for the inspiration. Thought I would share my version!

Measurements:
Basic White Base: 5 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 1 3/4″ and 3 1/2″ from each 5 1/4″
side
Gorgeous Grape CS: (2) 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″
(1) piece of 1 3/4″ x 5 1/2″
scrap for sentiment
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
DSP: 1 1/2″ x 5 1/4″

Score the Basic White CS and fold mountain fold at the 1 3/4″ on each side and a valley fold at the 3 1/2″ score line.
Adhere the large panel to one of the Gorgeous Grape 1/4 sheets of card stock.
Adhere the DSP to the Gorgeous Grape matte.
Adhere the DSP matted piece to the left hand panel of the Basic White card stock base.
On the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White card stock piece, stamp in Tuxedo Black Memento ink the medium sketched butterflies in random order.
Color one of the butterflies with your choice of watercolor pencils.
Brush the colored butterfly with a Water Painter to blend the watercolor pencils.
Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White card stock to the other Gorgeous Grape 1/4 sheet of card stock.
Die cut in Gorgeous Grape card stock the Nested Essentials.
Stamp the “wishing you a beautiful birthday” sentiment on the die with Tuxedo Black Memento ink.
I added three Purple Fine Shimmer Gems to the sentiment piece.
Run adhesive along the left-hand panel.
Adhere the matted panel to the left hand panel on the Basic White card stock base.
This is the 3D card – what a great way to display an extra special birthday card!

Try this fun and easy fold with your stash and go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

sweet pea is so stinking cute

sweet pea is so stinking cute

I borrowed this set from one of my downline the other day and can I just tell you it is SO STINKIN’ CUTE that I could not stop creating cards with it!

I have so many samples to share with you today – if you are looking for a fun stamp set that crosses generational lines this stamp set check all the boxes. Stinkin’ cute enough for kids cards but “Pun”ny enough for the adults – I seriously could not get enough of it! The images are so sweet!

This first card I combined the Sweet Pea set with the Full of Life 6″ x 6″ DSP. I stamped the two peas in a pod – literally LOL on a Nested Essentials die and colored with Real Red, Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends.
I cut a 2 3/4″ x 5 1/2” piece of Full of Life DSP adhered it to the center of an Azure Afternoon card base and popped up the Nested Essentials stamped and colored die over the center of the DSP. I added Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins to cap it all off!

I have a picture of the same card with the Crushed Curry card stock!
On a Poppy Parade card base I stamped the leaf tendril in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on the base. Stamped the same stamp on scrap Basic White paper, colored in with Lemon Lime Twist Light and Dark Stampin’ Blends and fussy cut four stems. I stamped the four peas in a pod and colored with Stampin’ Blends on a small Nested Essentials die. I popped up the die onto Stampin’ Dimensionsla in the middle of the sprigs. I stamped the You make me HaPEA on the bottom right-hand side of the card and added Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs to finish the card.
The next card uses a Basic White cardstock base and a Basic White layer that is embossed with the Distressed Tiles 3D embossing folder. I colored the card center with Lemon Lime Twist and a Blending Brush. I stamped the two peas in a pod and the You make me HaPEA sentiment in Tuxedo Black Memento ink on the largest circle of the Stylish Shapes die set. I colored them with Stampin’ Blends and popped it up on Stampin’ Dimensionals in the card center. Shiny Sequins finish off the card with coordinated sparkle.
This card uses a Crushed Curry cardstock base, a Basic White layer embossed with the Dotted Circle 3D embossing folder, a 2″ x 4″ piece of Full of Life DSP, and two scraps of Basic White for the two die cuts from Perennial Postage dies and Nested Essentials. The Adhesive-backed Shiny Sequins finishes this card.
This next card embossed the base Azure Afternoon card with the Dotted Circles 3D embossing folder. The stamped focal piece is a Deckled Rectangle die set, same Stampin’ Blends and Iridescent Discs.
This card starts with a Basic White Cardstock base and a Basic White layer embossed with the Dotted Circle 3D embossing folder that is colored with Lemon Lime Twist ink from a Blending Brush. Love this image Hello GrumPEA – too stinkin’ cute.
The Lemon Lime Twist card is the base for the next card. The smallest die from the Stylish Shapes is the focal point for the GrumPEA image.
This Sweet Pea card uses Gorgeous Grape card base, a 3 1/4″ x 4 3/4″ piece of Basic White negative die from the Nested Essentials die, a Brights 6″ x 6″ DSP cut to fit behind the negative space. The sweet pea image was colored with Stampin’ Blends and die cut with the Perennial Postage dies.
This card uses a 2 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ piece of Full of Life DSP on a Crushed Curry card base combined with two die cuts from Nested Essentials and Stylish Shapes die brushed with a blending brush and Shiny Sequins.
White on White is the base for this card. The frame is made from the Deckled Rectangle dies. Circle dies from Stylish Shapes and Spotlight on Nature make the focal points for the sweet pea image and sentiment. The Shiny Sequins finishes off this card.
The last card uses a Gorgeous Grape cardstock base, Brights 6″ x 6″ DSP pieces, and a circle die from Stylish Shapes with the sweet pea image finishes the card with Iridescent discs to accent!
Don’t you agree this is a STINKIN’ CUTE stamp set? It’s your turn to find a cute stamp set and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp set at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
wonderful wedding card

wonderful wedding card

Well tomorrow is a special day in our family, we gain a daughter and celebrate with a beautiful wedding for our eldest son! I wanted to make special cards for both my future daughter and my forever son! I talk about happy accidents all the time and I knew that I wanted to do an embossed silver and white on white card with vellum. I purchased the Painted Posies 3D embossing folder forever ago but never used it! So the very first time I used it was for these cards and it will always remind me of this special day! Happy Accident!

Measurements:
BASE” Basic White 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Vellum layer: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White scrap for the sentiment piece

Only a few items but I am so pleased with the finished product!

I wanted a smaller banner die that I had so I used the partial die cut process that I highlighted a while back. I used a scrap of Basic White cardstock and inked the Here’s to Beautiful Beginnings & Happily Every Afters sentiment in Versamark and sprinkled Silver embossing powder over it from our Metallics Embossing Powders pack.

Using a heat tool, I heat set the powder just until it melts creating a gorgeous embossed silver sentiment!
I used one of the banner dies from the Nested Essentials die set but I wanted it smaller to nestle around the sentiment so I die cut twice matching up the die edges to create a smaller banner!
I embossed the vellum layer with the absolutely gorgeous Painted Posies 3D embossing folder.
I placed Stampin’ Dimensionals behind the sentiment piece and added it to the Painted Posies embossed vellum layer and tied the White 1/2″ Iridescent ribbon below the sentiment.
Because vellum is tricky to attach without the adhesive showing I only placed adhesive on the back of the ribbon and behind the sentiment piece and adhered it to the base card!
I made one card for my future daughter with Iridescent Pearls.
I made my son’s card with the Iridescent Rhinestones.

Praying for a beautiful and memorable day!

Go and make a beautiful card today – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

creating a scene inside a mask

creating a scene inside a mask

Today we are creating a scene inside negative die space with strip scraps torn across the width to represent mountains and sky scenery.

Measurements:
BASE: Basic Gray 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White: layer 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ for die cut
4″ x 5 1/4″ for card front layer
and strip scraps for blending

you will notice in the picture I have two ink pads and blending brushes I switched out the Gray Granite for Smoky Slate ink to make the sky lighter.

Die cut a shape out of the 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ layer in the upper center space of the layer. Place the die cut layer over the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer for blending.

Tear strip scraps in mountainous shapes and lay each one down over the die space. Blending the mountainous strips with lightly colored Night of Navy ink in a circular motion. Remove the first strip and add another above the first and repeat the blending. Do the same with a different third strip scrap.

Add straighter torn strips for the sky portion. I added strips with Smoky Slate blending then added a little setting sun colors in Crushed Curry and Cameo Coral.
Remove the die layer and add a silhouette stamp from the Magical Meadows stamp set from the new September to December catalog and a sentiment – this one is from the Charming Sentiments stamp set. Wrap the Black and white Gingham ribbon around the bottom of the layer and tie a knot.
Adhere that layer to the Basic Gray base.
I added some Irridescent Pearls to the berries section of the silhouette stamp and the card is complete!

See what dies and scenes you can make with this technique – and go create some art of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie