christmas (fun fold) in july

christmas (fun fold) in july

It’s Christmas in July – and here is a Double Flap fun fold card featuring the adorable Woodland Wishes stamp set.

I love coloring – as a child I had loads of coloring books and I continued to love it as an adult – our Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers and so fun to color with – whether just straight coloring between the lines or fancier blending and shading – they can do it all! I made this card for this month’s Christmas and Holiday Demonstrator’s swap and I colored in all the animals in this set and had so much fun doing all the coloring for these cards!

Measurements:
BASE: Poppy Parade CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″, 2 3/4″ x
5 1/2″, large scrap for circle die, 3/4″ x 5 1/4″
Crumb Cake CS: 2 3/4″ x 5 1/2″
DSP: 2″ x 5 1/4″
Basic White CS: 2 1/2″ x 5 1/4″, 4″ x 5 1/4″, scrap
for circle die, 1/2″ x 4″, scraps for animal
stamps

Score the base card at 5 1/2″ and fold. Cut 2 3/4″ off the left side of the fold line.
Stamp the Woodland Wishes “animal” Christmas Tree in Hybrid Black ink and cut to 2 1/2″ x 5 1/4″ if not already that size.
Score the 2 3/4″ x 5 1/2″ piece of Crumb Cake CS at 1/4″.

Cut a piece of DSP to 2 1/2″ x 5″.

Adhere the DSP to the large panel.

Adhere the 1/4″ tab to the center back of the short side of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White piece.

Put Stampin’ Seal around the back of the 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer including the 1/4″ tab.

Adhere the DSP to the Crumb Cake cardstock if not done already.
Adhere the Basic White layer to the inside panel of the card base.
Stamp the inside sentiment in Poppy Parade ink and the little hedgehog image in Crumb Cake ink to the left side of the sentiment on the 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer.
Stamp the outside sentiment in Hybrid Black ink on the Basic White strip.

Adhere to the Poppy Parade strip and cut into banner edges on either side.

Die cut a large circle from the Spotlight on Nature dies in Poppy Parade CS and then next one down in Basic White CS.

Splatter the Basic White circle with a Water Painter and the Poppy Parade ink.

Adhere the Basic White circle to the Poppy Parade circle and then adhere the strip sentiment to the circles.

Color the animals on the Christmas tree image with your choice of Stampin’ Blends.

I colored the cardinal and the Christmas bulbs in Real Red, Pecan Pie for the bear, Smoky Slate for the squirrel, Crumb Cake for the doves in light and reindeer in dark, fox in Cajun Craze, owl and stars in Golden Glow, greenery in Granny Apple Green and asterick in Balmy Blue.

Adhere the tree image to the outside panel of the card base.
Flip the Crumb Cake flap over the Poppy Parade flap.
Adhere the sentiment circle dies to the Crumb Cake flap.
I colored and fussy cut one bear, one fox and one deer for around the outside flap and sentiment circles.

Adhere these animals around the sentiment.

Adhere some Natural Matte Dots to the finished card and you have a great Christmas fun fold.

Now it’s your turn to make a Christmas card to celebrate Christmas in July or to start planning the cards and supplies you are going to need for this Fall to start making your Christmas cards to send to all those special people.

Now it’s your turn to create some Christmas artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

card sketch #128 – capturing smiles card

card sketch #128 – capturing smiles card

Today’s blog post is a simple fun camera card with pops of Poppy Parade red!

I got the Capturing Smiles bundle a while ago to use for both card making and scrapbooking and hadn’t used it yet so I tried out a card for you all today!

Today is also a sketch challenge #128!
Try your hand at this fun card sketch!

Measurements:
BASE: Poppy Parade CS: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White CS: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″, scraps for dies

Stamp multiple small camera images in Poppy Parade ink.
Stamp the large camera base image in basic Gray.
Stamp the open lens circle in Basic Gray and the inner lense image in poppy Parade.

Die cut all of the stamped images and one tag out of the scrap Basic White CS. Stamp the sentiment love this Smile in Poppy Parade ink inside the tag die cut.

Color the camera base image with Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends markers.
Adhere the open Basic Gray die cut to the center of the camera base.
Emboss one of the Basic White 4″ x 5 1/4″ layers with the Forever Plaid 3D embossing folder.

Adhere to the Poppy Parade cardstock base.

Adhere the Poppy Parade center shutter image on Stampin’ Dimensionals in the center of the Basic Gray open lense circle.
Adhere the camera base to the embossed layer on the card.
Adhere three smaller Poppy Parade camera images to the left hand side of the embossed layer.

Pop up the sentiment tag with ribbon or Real Red and White Twine through the tag hole over the larger camera image.

Adhere the last two smaller Poppy Parade camera images to the other 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White layer and adhere to the inside of the card base.
Add three Sunset Sparkle sequins to the card to finish it off.

I love this little sketch so many possibilities for those little boxes to the right – stamped images or pieces of DSP…

Try your hand at this sketch and show me what you create! Now it’s your turn to create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

sneak peak – nature walk suite card

sneak peak – nature walk suite card

Today’s blog post is a gorgeous monochromatic SNEAK PEAK card from the Nature Walk Suite Collection of products and I didn’t even use half of the cool things in this Suite! This is a beautiful suite for Nature’s lovers and a great set for making masculine cards with ease!

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
Pretty Peacock CS: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″, 3 1/2″ x 4 1/2″
for the leaf die
Vellum CS: 2″ x 5 1/4″, scrap for circle die
DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″ 1 1/2″ x 4″

Using a Basic White BASE eliminates the need for an extra Basic White layer on the inside with darker colored cardstock colors.

I adhered the 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP to the Pretty Peacock layer.

There is a very cool cross hatch patterned die in the Nature’s Symphony die set that cuts a pattern into the cardstock without totally cutting it off the cardstock layer. I die cut this patter into opposite corners of the 2″ x 51/4″ piece of vellum cardstock.

I adhered the 1 1/2″ piece of DSP to the front of the vellum and then I could add adhesive under the DSP to attach both pieces.

Attaching Vellum can be tricky because it is translucent. Because you can partially see through the material that means you usually can see the mode of adhesion too!

TIP: There are several ways around this!

1. Hiding the adhesive under non translucent paper attached to the vellum as I did in this example!
2. Hiding glue dots under wisely placed embellishments!
3. Adding Multipurpose liquid glue with a sponge or Q-tip to the entire back of the vellum
4. If you emboss vellum it creates a pattern and makes the vellum white and a little less translucent making it easier to hide adhesive as you will see I did to attach the sentiment piece!

Using a scrap of vellum stamp the sentiment from the Nature’s Symphony stamp set in Pretty Peacock ink.
I die cut the leaf die from the Nature’s Symphony die set in Pretty Peacock cardstock and mounted it with glue to the right-hand side of the card.

I die cut a circle around the sentiment from the Spotlight on Nature dies and using a silicone mat I squeezed a dollop of Multipurpose Liquid Glue onto the silicone matte and applied glue around the embossed edges of the circle die where it is less likely to show and attached the die to the center of the card above the leaf die and DSP layer.

I used the Balmy Blue gingham ribbon – did you know you can take any light colored ribbon and color it with darker Stampin’ Blends?
I love this technique! You can color coordinate ribbon to any project with the coordinating Stampin’ Blend!
Place Tear-n-Tape on the lower back edges of the Pretty Peacock and wrap the colored ribbon around the front of the layer attaching it on the tape on the back of the Pretty Peacock layer.

Then glue the layer onto the card front.

Using the Pretty Peacock Stampin’ Blends, color the Iridescent Pearls for a coordinated embellishment look!
I added five colored pearls to the card.

I added one larger and one small on either side of the sentiment piece and then added the last small one to the dot on the “i” in “smile”.

On this version I added the fifth pearl to the right of the sentiment end.

Which do you like better?

Try adding vellum to your cards for an elevated and elegant look – now go and create some artwork of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

REMINDER: the SNEAK PEAK items in the Nature Walk Suite Collection and the Balmy Blue Gingham ribbon are only available to demonstrators and in starter kits until January 6th so there will not be photo links below until they are released.

august 2025 swap cards

august 2025 swap cards

Our August Demonstrator Swap cards are all in and they all feature new stamp collections from the September to December 2025 mini catalog and the newly released Online Exclusives that are Fall and Holiday themed!

And what gorgeous samples and ideas do I have to show you today!

My first swap card comes from CarrollAnn A. and uses the new Amber Autumn Bundle. It contains a lovely large die with a card size cut out of Fall Leaves – she die cut that in Crushed Curry and colored around the edges with Shaded Spruce ink and a blending brush and adhered it to a Pumpkin Pie base. She colored the pumpkin and squash focal piece with Stampin’ Blends markers and popped it and the sentiment up on Stampin’ Dimensionals for a great Fall wishes card.

Ginger S’s swap card features the Fright Night bundle embossed and cut out on Timid Tiger CS and Basic Black CS. The image is heat embossed in black embossing powder for extra depth and dimension! This fun fold front flap card uses the Spooky Sweet Specialty Designer Series paper and lots of fun extras – like the caldron cut out from the DSP!
Tractor and Co. Bundle was used to make Patty J’s swap card. The tractor is stamped and set on the Thoughtful journeys 6″ x 6″ DSP for a fabulous Fall scene.
My next demonstrator swap card is from My upline Denise W. and she used the Happy Place mini catalog stamp set.

She made a homemade rainbow pad using a wet wipe and Azure Afternoon, Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, and Balmy Blue ink refills to ink up the Happy Stamp!

She used Azure Afternoon, Darling Duckling and Basic White cardstock, the So Swirly embossing folder and the Darling Duckling In Color 6″ x 6″ DSP for the “For You” sentiment strip.

My last Fall swap card came from Kathi D and features the Gathering Together Suite collection of products including the Gathering Together Specialty Designer Series paper and great large fall foliage dies.
Judith P’s swap card is a gatefold fun fold card using the Jars of Joy bundle and the Traditions of Christmas DSP.
The Peaceful Garden Suite was used by Marie W and features a clever partial cut die in the center to make a small lift up card on a 1/4 sheet sized base!

The small branch that the dove is carrying is die cut from the Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper and the soft Cloud Cover layer is embossed with the coordinating Peaceful Greenery 3D embossing folder!

The Peaceful Garden Suite was used by Marie W and features a clever partial cut die in the center to make a small lift up card on a 1/4 sheet sized base!
Carol S’s Traditional Labels swap card is stunning in it’s traditional Red and Green dies that pop on the Traditional Wreath 3D embossing folder background in Basic White cardstock!
And my last sample is a swap card from Lori V featuring the Peaceful Garden Suite of products in gold foil with a coordinating heat embossed Peace on Earth in the center. The background is complimented with the gorgeous Seasons of Elegance Specialty Designer Series Paper and Gold Striped Mesh Ribbon!
Hope these demonstrator swap cards inspired you – now is the time to start those Christmas cards! It is so much nicer to receive a handmade card than a store bought one because it takes time and effort. For that reason it’s good to start early!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

Product List
Paper Snips
[103579]
$12.00
fold over card –  card sketch #112

fold over card – card sketch #112

This simple card features a fold down technique that is made extra easy and special with our two-tone cardstock! This cardstock is now available in all of the Stampin’ Up! Exclusive colors and is printed with a true color on one side and a lighter version on the other – because it is printed and not dyed the entire way through like our signature cardstock – it has a white core that can be used in many unique ways.

I am using the two tones and white core to my advantage with this card design today!

Measurements:
BASE” Basic White CS: 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″, scrap for sentiment die
Real Red Two-tone cardstock: 4″ x 5 1/4″

Cut the two-tone cardstock to 4″ x 5 1/4″ and then score from the top left corner to about 2″ down on the opposite side of the layer.

I embossed the Real Red Two-tone cardstock in the Dotted Circles 3D embossing folder and because it is 3D it breaks the paper fibers and reveals the white core of the cardstock in the process.

Fold at the score line.
Adhere the flap down onto the layer revealing the lighter side of the two-tone cardstock.
Stamp the flowers from the Gallery Blooms stamp set in the right-hand corner of the card base in real Red ink.

Adhere the embossed two-tone cardstock layer to the card base.

Without re-inking stamp the flower stamp from the Gallery Blooms stamp set on the smaller Stylish Shapes circle die. This is called second generation stamping or stamping off which creates a lighter version of the ink color.

Stamp the You’re so kind sentiment from The Right Words stamp set in full Real Red ink over the faded floral image on the sentiment die.

Pop the sentiment circle on Stampin’ Dimensionals and place over the folded turned down point of the embossed layer.

I colored one of the Iridescent Pearls with Real Red Stampin’ Blends Dark marker and placed it on the sentiment circle die. I added two more Iridescent Pearls not colored on the folded down section of the card to finish this easy card off with a little elegance!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie