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

combining multiple stamp sets for a unique look

combining multiple stamp sets for a unique look

Sometimes you just get an inspiration and need to use multiple stamp sets and this card uses three! All are Online Exclusive stamp sets from the most recent release – which means these stamp sets DO NOT APPEAR in any of our print publications but can ONLY be found ONLINE!

Elements of Text Stamp set #164774
Spring Corners Bundle #164743
Spring Corners Stamp set #164738
Mixed Florals Bundle #164642
Mixed Florals Stamp set #164639

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″ and a 4″ x 5 1/4″ for die cut
Basic Black CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
DSP: 3 3/4″ x 5″

I used the Beautiful Bokeh 6″ x 6″ DSP for the Designer Series Layer.
I stamped the corner sentiment on a top and bottom diagonal corners of the DSP in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and the corner hatch marks in the opposite two corners in the same ink.

I added the circle Elements of Text image in the middle of the Spring Corners images on the DSP layer.

I stamped the daisy image from the Mixed Florals stamp set and colored the daisy petals with the Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends markers, the leaves in Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends markers and the smaller flower stems in Misty Moonlight Stampin’ Blends markers.
I adhered the DSP layer to the Basic Black layer.
I die cut the daisy image and adhered the DSP layer to the Basic White card front.
I popped up the daisy image onto Stampin’ Dimensionals and placed it on the right-hand side of the card front.
I colored the white pearlescent Adhesive-Backed Sequins Trio with the Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends marker to coordinate with the card and adhered them around the card front to finish off the coordinated look with a little sparkle!

I love the way this “always in your corner” card turned out! Try combining some of your stamp sets and see what interesting combinations you can create – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

bokeh background with golden greenery

bokeh background with golden greenery

Besides stamping, I love photography! The Bokeh effect has always reminded me of those pictures people take of Christmas lights where the lights are out of focus and there are loads of white circles covering the page – like the photo below!
For today’s blog post I am going to teach you an easy method for recreating this effect! All you need is a circle mask made from punches or dies and white ink!

Measurements:
BASE: Pretty Peacock: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
Basic White: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ for masks
4″ x 5 1/4″ for the outside layer
scraps for die cut and sentiment piece.

I did a watercolor wash on an acrylic block. I used the Stampin’ Up! E acrylic block and applied ink direct to the block from the lemon Lime Twist ink pad directly onto the E block in the center.

I added Lost Lagoon to the left side of the block and Pretty Peacock to the right side.
I misted the surface of the acrylic block with water.
Spray enough water so that the ink starts to run together and dose not have a lot of beading on the surface.
Place the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer over the acrylic block and rub gently so that the water and ink absorb into the paper. Pick up and place another paper on the ink – you usually can get two impressions from one ink application – the second will be lighter but still pretty!
Allow to air dry or if in a hurry dry with the Heat Tool.
Every paper turns out with slight variations – I simply LOVE this technique for creating awesome watercolored backgrounds!

Here are some of the papers I created.

Create a mask with multiple different sized circle openings – I used the four smallest circles from the Stylish Shapes die set!
Place over the dried watercolor paper.
Using a Blending brush and the Craft White ink – I squeezed a few drops of re-inker in the ink lid and brushed the ink onto the blending brush.
Using a circular motion I applied the ink over the mask – in a variety of sizes and depths of color.
Remove the mask – reposition and repeat the blending brush ink application until the desired Bokeh effect is achieved.
Stamp a sentiment I chose a sentiment from the new Online Exclusives Greetings of the Season in Pretty Peacock. I fussy cut the sentiment and blended Pretty Peacock ink over the cut surface of the sentiment! I also cut a die from the Golden Greenery die set in Basic White scrap.
I adhered the watercolored layer to the Pretty Peacock base. I popped up the fussy cut sentiment piece onto the lower left hand corcer of the card front.
I popped up the die on mini Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhered it to the top right corner.
I added some white pearlescent sequins from the Adhesive-Backed Sequins Trio to finish off the card.

This effect has always reminded me of Christmas lights so I thought it perfect for this first Christmas card of the season!

Try this Bokeh effect soon and let me know what

more color mondays – lost lagoon, berry burst, and soft sea foam

more color mondays – lost lagoon, berry burst, and soft sea foam

Did you know that you can make your own glimmer paint? In every Stampin’ Up! color? All you need is one of our light colored Pearlized Enamel Effects, the white and silver will work best! For today’s More Color Monday we will be making our Shimmer Paint and painting the Spotlight on Nature flowers!

Measurements:
BASE: Lost Lagoon: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
layer: 3″ x 4″ die cut, with deckled rectangle
Basic White layer: 4″ x 5 1/4″
scraps for three circles from Spotlight on Nature dies
Berry Burst: 1″ x 4″
Soft Sea Foam: 1/4″ x 4″

In three of the four palette squares of the Silicon Mat from the Glass Mat Studio place a squeeze of white Pearlized Enamel Effects in each. Place one drop of each color: Lost Lagoon, Berry Burst, and Soft Sea Foam and mix into the enamel effects.

Stamp the flowers with Black Staz-on on Lost Lagoon card stock. With a water painter, paint the flower petals in Lost Lagoon shimmer paint. Allow to dry and paint the lower part of the flower petals in Berry Burst.
Paint the leaves in Soft Sea Foam shimmer paint.
Die cut three circles from the Spotlight on Nature dies from Basic White scraps. Paint each circle with each shimmer paint color.
Emboss the Basic White layer with the So Swirly embossing folder.
Adhere the So Swirly embossed layer to the Lost Lagoon card base.
Adhere the three painted circle dies onto the So Swirly embossed layer.
Below are two pictures of the circles taken from the side to show the shimmer and shine from the shimmer enamel paint!
Die cut the painted flowers with one of the Deckled Rectangle dies.
Pop up the flower image Lost Lagoon layer onto Stampin’ Dimensionals over the painted circles.
Stamp the happy birthday from the Sweetly Scripted Online Exclusives sentiment set in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink onto the Berry Burst piece of cardstock. and adhere across the flower piece.
I adhered five Iridescent Adhesive-backed discs to the card front.
I added a 1/4″ x 4″ piece of Soft Sea Foam scrap to the underside of the sentiment piece to draw that color into the mixture to finish the card!

What color will you mix up and try? All you need is the Pearlized Enamel Effects Basics and an ink refill! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

for the guys swap cards

for the guys swap cards

Usually once a year in our demonstrator swap we do a guys swap and last month was our time to think of masculine ideas for cards. This is always one of the most challenging swaps for me to design for and it is a challenge for many of you as well! You are not alone so be comforted that we are all challenged on these designs and that I have several fun ideas for you to use for your future guy card needs!

My first card is from Veronica S and is for your male dog lover and is a simple stamped card using the single Doggone Friendly background stamp and a sentiment, stamped on Basic White with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. Mounted on a Basic Black card stock base and a few Iridescent pearls and Gingham ribbon for some embellishments!

My next guy swap card is for your outdoorsman! This card from Kathi D features a Mossy Meadow base and layer die cut from the In The Grove die set over the gorgeous new Thoughtful Journey 6″ x 6″ scenic DSP to create a lovely and easy card!
Using Copper Clay DSP lends a masculine feel for this guy swap card from Andrea U. She used the retired Circle Sayings stamp set for this Book Bind fun fold swap card!
This fun guy swap card was designed by swap organizer, Denise W and features the Online exclusive Heartfelt Hexagon punch bundle with the carryover DSP Countryside Inn for a great masculine birthday card!
Do you have a motorcycle guy that you know and love? This great guy card from Lori V features the Legendary Ride dies with the Grassy Grove stamp set and dies in the background using Basic Beige ink and mounted on Basic Beige cardstock base.
Marcy W’s guy swap card features the Quiet Reflections and Notes of Nature stamp sets, the retired Foursquare Masks, Petic Expressions and Meadering Meadows DSPs and Thoughtful Expressions dies.
Trusty Tools stamp set and dies make this detailed Love you card such a creative and masculine way to say the four letter word, designed by Marie W for our guy swap.
Do you have a guy in your life that loves to fish?
I do my brother-in-law and this will be the perfect Father’s Day card fro him! Lyn L’s guy swap card used a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Gone Fishing DSP sliced down the middle about 1 1/2″ and bent on a diagonal to form a collar – so easy and cute! Just pay attention to the direction of the DSP if there is one – OOPS!
Hopefully Keith will not notice – LOL!
Judith P’s guy swap card is such a fun birthday card featuring the retired Hey Chuck bundle!
The Online Exclusives bundle Fluffiest Friends and the Grove Dies for the background creates a woodland scene for the out of doors guy in your life from Vickie G. Use the edge of your Stampin’ Snips to create that distressed edge on the Crumb Cake layer!
This last swap card reminds me of my childhood summers growing up near Presque Isle park in Erie, Pennsylvania! This will make a perfect birthday card for my father – whose birthday is today! Thanks to Susan W for this great swap card idea using the Beside Me stamp set which is awesome for all types of masculine cards and Under the Moon new in this current catalog!
My card for this swap I highlighted back on More Color Mondays April 22nd post featured the awesome new suite Take to the Sky Suite which is the best new masculine set in my opinion!
So when you sit down to create those precious works of art do not forget about those special guys in your life – they love to be appreciated and thought about! Now go create – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
Grove Dies
[157844]
$39.00