double front flap fun fold card – boardwalk fun bundle

double front flap fun fold card – boardwalk fun bundle

Happy New Year! Normally I post on Monday-Wednesday – Friday of each week but I wanted to wish you all a great and creative NEW YEAR! Happy 2026 – can you believe it’s another new year? They seem to come faster and faster these days LOL!

Today’s card is a very simple double front flap fun fold card! Follow along and learn how to make one of your own!

Measurements:
BASE: Pretty in Pink CS: 5 1/2X 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Bubble Bath CS: 3 1/2″ x 4 3/4″
Flirty Flamingo CS: 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″
DSP: 3″ x 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: 1″ x 3 1/4″, 4″ x 5 1/4″

Thanks to Juli B. for the initial inspiration. I am using the Beach Boardwalk Suite Collection of products and just a reminder these will be available in this coming Tuesday and will not be able to be included in my photo links below until after their release to the general public. These are available in a starter kit and to active demonstrators currently!

Take the BASE and score in the center at 4 1/4″ then cut 1 1/4″ off the left-hand edge.
Score the 1 1/4″ cut piece at 3 1/2″.
Glue the smaller tab with Multipurpose liquid glue and match the score line up with the edge of the BASE paper’s right-hand edge. Adhere down at the level you want it to swing over the front.
Emboss the front flap – this could have been done at the beginning as well. I used the Beautiful Patterns 3D embossing folder which is an Online Exclusive from the Brushed with Beauty Suite.
Stamp the Celebrate on the right-hand edge of the 1″ Basic White piece and the Happy Birthday in the center of the 4″ Basic White layer in Pretty in Pink ink.
Adhere the 4″ Basic White layer on the inside of the card base to cover the Pretty in Pink flap insert.
Add ribbon in a knot around the left-hand edge of the 1″ Basic White piece and adhere to the small flap.
Adhere the DSP to the Flirty Flamingo layer and then adhere those to the Bubble Bath layer.

Adhere that flap layer to the card front being careful to measure where you want to adhere – sometimes I eyeball that but if you are uncertain you can place the layer where you want it and add a sticky note to the back edge then you will know where to place the glue only on the right-hand side of the sticky note and you will not inadvertently glue your card together!

I added three Pretty in Pink 2024-2026 In Color Flat Pearls (LOL – I actually added the 2025-2027 Strawberry Slush Pearls because that is what I had but the worked great with a slightly darker pink hue – use what you have!) to the card front for a coordinated bit of bling to finish this fun birthday card.

I always have a tendency in the winter especially after a large snow storm to make wistful summery cards – so here is your little bit of sunshine for today instead of all this snow outside my Stampin’ Studio!

Now go and create something fun today for the first day of the new year – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

gallery blooms card sketch #101 layout

gallery blooms card sketch #101 layout

Today’s blog post is the first in a series of cards using a card sketch. Card Sketches are a great starting point for creativity.

Sketch #101 starts with a base card with several layers including a natural element.

Measurements:
BASE: Secret Sea CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
Cloud Cover CS: 2″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: (2) 3″ x 4 1/2″ and 4″ x 5 1/4″

The trio of flowers image from the Gallery Blooms bundle has a long stem and I have a tip for proper placement for the coordinating die.

Gallery Blooms stamp set is a photopolymer stamp set and they can be repositioned so the stem might not be in the current position to be die cut. I die cut a scrap piece of Basic White cardstock with the trio floral stamp image. I put this die cut paper over the photopolymer stamp and adjusted the stem inside the die paper.

Take this positioned stamp image and ink it up in the Secret Sea ink and stamp on a scrap piece of Basic White CS.
Using a Blender Pen – which is a brush tip pen that contains clear ink – this clear ink can “re-wet” the Secret Sea ink of the trio flower image.
Draw the Blender Pen over the outlines of the flowers and spread the ink from the edges into the center.
Stamp the background stamp from Beautiful Motifs stamp set all across the front of the card base. Stamp in Secret Sea ink.
Color the edges of the card front in Secret Sea ink.
Emboss a 4″ x 5 1/4″ Cloud Cover CS piece with the Mini 3D embossing folder.
Cut the layer in half to 2″ x 5 1/4″.

Die cut the trio flower image with the coordinating die from the Gallery Blooms Bundle.

Adhere the embossed layer to the left hand side of the card base, mimicking the layer on the card sketch.
In card sketches, use your creative eye and know that you do not need to copy the sketch literally! For the circle in the sketch I added a rectangular layer instead of a circular image!

I die cut from the Textured Noted set of dies and stamped a sentiment from the Beautiful Motifs stamp set in the bottom right-hand corner.

I die cut the trio flower image from the Gallery Blooms stamp set and popped it up on the Textured Notes rectangular die cut.
This stamped image is the Natural element in the sketch – this element could be anything so use your imagination!
Adhere the rectangular die layer to the center and right of the embossed layer.
Stamp the flower tops on the bottom of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer Basic White CS and adhere it to the inside of the card.
I added three Secret Sea 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls to the card around the floral image and this is my take on Card Sketch #101.

Let me know what you come up with! Now grab some items from your personal stash and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – secret sea, boho blue and cloud cover

more color mondays – secret sea, boho blue and cloud cover

Today’s More Color Mondays color challenge is all about something old and something new – all in hues of blue! The 2023-2025 In Colors are making their last appearance and taking their final bows and going quickly as of writing this yesterday the Boho Blue ink, cardstock and refills, Pebbled Path cardstock and refill and Wild Wheat cardstock and refill are all SOLD OUT the rest are availabel while supplies last!

I am combining them with two debuting colors from the 2025-2027 In Colors collection: Secret Sea and Cloud Cover!

Also debuting on May 6 is a gorgeous new suite called Beautiful Gallery. The 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper steals the show with art gallery inspired painted and sketched designs.

Measurements:
BASE: Secret Sea CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 2 1/8″ and 4 1/2″
Boho Blue CS: (2) 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″
scrap for sentiment banner matte
Cloud Cover CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: 2″ x 5 1/5″ and
scrap for the sentiment piece
DSP: 6″ x 6″

I embossed the Cloud Cover layer in the beautiful new Damask Designs embossing folder and adhered it to one of the Boho Blue layers.
Base your cuts of the 6″ x 6″ DSP on the composition of the painting. You want to cut 3/4″ off of one end to make it 6″ x 5 1/4″ and then cut it into 2 pieces 2″ and 4″ basing the 4″ piece as the front of your finished card.

I cut the 2″ piece down to 1 1/4″ x 5″ as I wanted a little embossed layer border the entire way around the DSP layer.

Adhere the 2″ x 5″ DSP piece on the right-hand side of the embossed layer.

I used a 2″ x 4″ scrap piece of Basic White CS for the left-hand side of the embossed layer and stamped a sentiment from the Beautiful Motifs stamp set in Secret Sea ink – this is a beautiful deep misty navy quite different from our Night of Navy. I adhered it to the side of the DSP.
Adhere this embossed layer to the inside of the z-fold card.
Take the top portion of the 6″ x 6″ DSP piece that you initially cut off and cut it down to 3/4″ x 5 1/4″ and adhere to the 2″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Basic White CS to the middle. Adhere this piece to the middle layer of the z-fold card.
Take the 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of DSP and adhere it to the second layer of Boho Blue CS then place adhesive on the front panel of the z-fold and attach this layer so that the top, left-hand side and bottom are equally aligned to the front z-fold panel.
Using the back side of this DSP scrap stamp a “just a note” sentiment onto the scrap in Secret Sea ink and cut a banner edge on the right-hand edge. Adhere to a scrap piece of Boho Blue CS and cut a banner edge on the right-hand side to match the DSP banner edge.
Pop up the sentiment piece onto Stampin’ DImensionals and place in the upper left-hand corner of the card front or elsewhere depending on the DSP composition you choose.
I added five new In Color embellishments in Cloud Cover and Secret sea to the card front there are also embellishments which are part of this Beautiful Gallery suite called Pressed Flower motifs and they would have gone nicely with this project as well. All of this will be available to customers in early May! Love it and want to have it now? Join my team and you are able to order it in the pre-order period!

I love the way that extended Z-fold fun fold cards look like a normal card but surprise you when they are opened!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Reminder this post is going live prior to the new In Colors being available so the sneak peak items will not be in the order icons below – these are only available currently to current demonstrators to order in a pre-order but will be available once the 2025-2026 Annual Catalog goes live May 6th,2025!

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

peaceful seasons card – new mini catalog goes live

Happy New Mini Catalog day! Hope you all got your personal copy in the mail – I will have extra copies with me at my upcoming library classes coming this Monday 9/9 at the Margaret M Schontz Memorial Library in Conneaut Lake from 1-3pm or at the Greenville Area library on 9/17 NOTE the new time I moved the class earlier to accomodate people that do not want to drive home in the dark when we have the time change this Fall so the class will be 3 hours in length and you can come early or whenever you can get there if you work 4:30 – 7:30pm that way everyone will be able to come when they can! I will also be hostessing a September to December Mini Catalog Open House on Friday, September 13th from 12:30pm to 3:30 pm with lots of new samples and mini catalog products available to see. There will be FREE make-n-takes and prizes for all those that RSVP and extra prize drawing entries for those that attend and bring a friend that is new to me!

Today’s card truely shows that the creative process is not always straightforward and linear – LOL – I had an idea in mind for this card and it developed into something more as the card progressed!

Measurements:
BASE: Cherry Cobbler 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for the tag medallion die and word die
Basic Beige: 4″ x 5 1/4″
scrap for word matte die
DSP: 3″ x 5/14″

I originally started with the tag medallion die being cut from the Basic Beige cardstock but changed my mind.

I embossed the Basic Beige layer with the Distressed Tile 3D embossing folder and mounted it to the Cherry Cobbler base.
I stamped e merry wor dimage from the Peaceful season stamp set in Cherry Cobbler on the Basic Beige tag medallion die.
Then I decided there was not enough contrast and the tag would be lost on the embossed layer so I will save that for another project!
I die cut another tag medallion in the Cherry Cobbler cardstock and stamped the Merry in Versamark ink and sprinkled the gold embossing powder from our metallics embossing powder collection over the wet, sticky ink.
I heat set the powder with my Heat Tool and the heat melts the embossing powder to a shiny brilliant gold embossing!
The slits on the side of the tag lend itself well to looping ribbon through and I cut about an 8 inch piece of the new Cherry Cobbler and Gold satin ribbon and folded it in half and pushed it through the lower slit and behind the tag and through the top slit. I added Stampin’ Dimensionals to the back of the tag and added it to the card front center.
I added three Gold Textured Adhesive-Backed Dots to the card front and this made a sweet simple card but I decided I wanted to add more texture and color.
First I added Ink with a small blending brush and the Cherry Cobbler ink below where the tag medallion was resting on the card front and but the tag back on the card.
I still wanted a little more so I cut a 3″ x 5 1/4″ piece of the Cherry Cobbler Seasons of Elegance Specialty DSP and lifted the tag medallion one more time and added this to the card base.
LOL I pulled up everything one more time and using my Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blend marker I opened the brush tip marker side and taped the side of the marker on the edge of my bone folder while holding the tip about 2-3 inches above the card. Tap the bone folder on the side of the marker this will cause the marker tip to spray a fine mist of ink over the card surface. Now I am done LOL! Not always a straight line but I am happy with the outcome!
Sometimes adding just a little bit more is the answer if you are not satisfied with the original design. Do not be afraid to experiment and add a little something to your next project! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

creativity now fun

creativity now fun

Back on June 22nd, Stampin’ Up! hosted an event open to all demonstrators called Creativity Now. One of the objectives for this event was to have fun stamping virtually with other demonstrators from around the world and to give us a sneak peak into some of the new products and sets that would be coming in the upcoming September to December 2024 mini catalog!
One of my downline, Robyn joined me to watch the virtual broadcast and create all of the projects along with all of the guest demonstrator presenters!
The sneak peak set from the upcoming mini catalog is called Wintry Tree Tops Bundle and features a gorgeous set of wintry stamps and coordinating dies.
Join me in this sneak peak look at this great new set!
It is always fun to create but doing it with a friend is even better. Robyn and I listened to the presentations and crafted together and made all of the projects!
The first project shown below used the gorgeous frame die in Basic Grey as a background over a Misty Moonlight card base and colored in the bird stamp with watercolor pencils!
One of the Bonus projects used the Nests of Winter Suite collection DSP. We fussy cut out lovely birds from the upcoming Designer Series Paper called Nests of Winter and used the frame again but this time we cut the die out of Shaded Spruce cardstock for a totally different look!
It is hard to see in the photo but the crumb cake layer is embossed with the new Birch Wood 3D embossing folder and it adds so much to the background!
The next project shown features the double bird stamp also colored with watercolor pencils, die cut and layered onto Crumb Cake cardstock layer that is adhered to a Early Espresso card base.
This scalloped gift box was decorated with a smear of Metallic Enamel Effects Basics and then we added the sprigs in a wreath arrangement and we added Iridescent Pearls as the berries.
The second bonus card used some additional Nests of Winter Designer Series Paper as the background and the Wintry Sprigs in the foreground.
The last card I have to show you used the negative die of the frame as a mask! This created a unique background – I really like the way this mask created a great background from something many would just thrown away!
Creativity Now is a fun perk of being a demonstrator! Looking for a fun community? People to craft with? I would love to have you join us on the next creative retreat! If you would like to know anything about what we do and the many ways to do this art of papercrafting whether as a customer or a new team member do not hesitate to contact me for additional information.

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie