more than just cards – party banners and party alphabets

more than just cards – party banners and party alphabets

Stamps and Dies are such a great investment they are for SO MUCH more than just cards.
I use my products for scrapbooking and when the children were younger I was VERY popular around science fair time LOL!

Today’s post is all about the Party Banners and Party Alphabet. As many of you know my mother passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago and tomorrow is her funeral Mass and luncheon. She was forever gardening and cooking and taking care of everyone. I made some picture boards for the luncheon and a used some retired Designer Series Paper called Forever Greenery – it is perfect for my plant loving mom.

I created four boards of baby, teen, college and marriage and grandchildren and entitled them Celebrating a Life Well Lived.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers!

The first few photos are of the individual banners and letters…

This is the first board entitled “Celebrating” and has her pictures as a youngster.
Here is the second board – a little older and it’s entitled “A Life”

The third board is of college and young married life and is entitled “Well”
The last board would have been her favorite her family, children and grandchildren – entitled “Lived!”

Thanks for stopping by come back for More Color Mondays in a few days!

Happy Stampin’ (stampin’ through the happy and the sad!)
Natalie

winter meadow easel card

winter meadow easel card

Well, I don’t usually highlight retired products and i pulled the Winter Meadow DSP out and started designing this card and totally forgot it is retired. OOPS! but the card is so pretty I had to show you the finished result!

It is still a good teaching moment – I will teach you how to make an easel 3D fun fold card and you can try it with your stash of DSP – retired or current!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic Grey CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 1 1/4″ and 3″
Secret Sea CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, 3/4″x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″, scrap for the die
DSP: 3 3/4″ x 5″, 1/2″ x 5″

Adhere the 1/2″ x 5″ DSP piece to the Secret Sea matte 3/4″ x 5 1/4″, then adhere Foam Adhesive strips to the back.
Adhere the large DSP layer to the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Secret Sea matte.
Score the card base at 1 1/4″ and 3″ on the long side.

Adhere the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer to the inside of the card and then pop up the small DSP matte to the bottom of the Basic White layer.

Place adhesive on the outside edge of the small panel.
Die cut the small sentiment piece from the Snowflake Kisses bundle and stamp “let it snow” in Secret Sea ink. Pop it up on the DSP.

Adhere the large DSP matte to the front panel.

Adhere three Secret Sea 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls to the outside of the easel around the sentiment.
The front panel tucks into the raised smaller DSP piece to stand up for an easel effect hence the fun fold name!
This is a side view of the card!
Have a pretty piece of DSP or artwork that you would like to display then try this easel card fun fold and do just that!

Now go and create some artwork of your very own that you would like to display – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

getting the most out of your designer series paper

getting the most out of your designer series paper

When you cut your Designer Series Paper efficiently it can go a long way! And this card is a perfect example of that efficiency!

I cut the 6″ x 6″ Subtle DSP from four sheets in half at 3″ and then at 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1″ sections depending upon the color, stretching the amount of cards you can do with just a few sheets of paper!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Layer: 3″ x 5″
Basic Black CS: 4″ x 5 1/4″
DSP: 3″ x 1/2″, 3″ x 3/4″, 3″ x 1″
Lemon Lolly CS: 3″ x 1 1/4″

On the long 5 1/2″ side, rub the upper edge of the paper with an embossing buddy from the embossing accessories kit. Stamp the Wishing open sentiment in Versamark and sprinkle with the White embossing powder and heat set with the Heat Tool until melted.
Adhere to the Basic White card base, this will have the wishing turned to a vertical position.
Adhere the top strip of DSP to the 3″ x 5″ Basic White layer, leaving an even border on the top edge.
Then adhere the bottom strip, leaving an even 1/4″ border on the edge.
Stamp the open script YOU on the Lemon Lolly CS and adhere to the center of the Basic White layer.
Then adhere the remaining two pieces of DSP in the spaces in between the Lemon Lolly and the top and bottom DSP pieces. This will help get even spacing.
Wrap some Basic White Twine around the top portion of the 3″ x 5″ Basic White layer and tie in a knot.
Adhere this layer to the right of the embossed Wishing sentiment on the Basic Black CS layer.
Pick your coordinating sentiment and stamp on the Soft Seafoam DSP.

What a fun way to use some of your Designer Series Paper! Try this easy card design and let me see what you create!

Now go and make 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
more color mondays – orchid oasis, starry sky and parakeet party

more color mondays – orchid oasis, starry sky and parakeet party

I used a large F acrylic bloc and placed reinker drops all over the surface – Parakeet Party drops on the bottom and Orchid Oasis and Starry sky intermingled on the top portion.
I sprayed it with water and placed scraps of Basic White cardstock over it to absorb the color and the water.
Every year around this time, Stampin’ Up! starts to prepare for the new annual catalog release and the retiring list which will be out soon. We anxiously await the release of all the fun new products but the sneak peak at the new In Colors is the most highly anticipated! While we don’t know in advance what the colors are – we do know that the 2022-2024 In Colors will be on the retiring list and these are some of my favorites In Colors ever – I am a Brights girl and I will be very sad to see all five of these colors go away! So today’s More Color Mondays Color Challenge is all about 3 of the 5 of these retiring colors. That being said if these are some of your favorites or you have these ink pads and did not buy the re-inkers yet I would highly recommend that you purchase them NOW!! They always sell out fast!

Measurements:
BASE: Starry Sky CS 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″ and scraps for circle dies
Basic White: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
scrap for watercoloring
Orchid Oasis: scraps for circle dies
Parakeet Party: scraps for circle dies

I used the two smallest circles dies in the Everyday Details die set and placed them inside one another to create a dotted circle frame and a smaller circle.

I stamped the open flower outline and the leaf outline stamp from the Color and Contour stamp set over the dried watercolor wash paper. I die cut the flower and fussy cut the leaves.
I scored and folded the Starry Sky base and added a strip of Stampin’ Seal tape on the two sides of the Basic White layer.
Starting on one end of the tape I wrapped one color at a time around the front of the card stock and attached it to the other tape on the opposite side on the back and cut the end off the twine spool. I repeated with other two colors until I was happy with the design to fill the middle of the card and adhered it to the card base.
I stamped the thank you sentiment to the upper right hand corner.
I adhered the open circle dies to the left hand side of the card front overlapping starting with the Orchid Oasis on top, Parakeet Party in the center and the Starry Sky on the bottom.
I popped up two of the watercolor wash flowers on Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhered them in between the open circle dies. I adhered three of the fussy cut watercolor wash leaves under the flowers.
I added some 2022-2024 In Color Pearls to the card front in all three colors.
Whenever I have a very dark cardstock as the base I add a Basic White layer to the inside of the card base and I added the small circle dies and a scrap strip of the watercolor wash to the inside to decorate it. I cut the circles as I adhered them overlapping the edge to create some depth and dimension and decided to add those to the card front to finish it off!
Here is the finished card front I love these colors and will miss them a lot! Please order the reinkers if you have these ink pads and if you go to my stampin’ up!website at
https://nataliestamps.stampinup.net click on SHOP BY then click COLOR then click 2022 – 2024 IN COLORS and you will see all of the products that contain these colors. Most years we retire all of our DSP and most of the DSP with any of the In Colors will likely be retired as well – so scoop it up while you can. Remember these are all while supplies last and they will NOT be replenished if they are retiring items!

If you have these colors grab them and make a card of your own and inspire and share with us on my Facebook post in the comment section!