wanted to say in color strip background

wanted to say in color strip background

I LOVE showing you creative ways to use your things that you purchased! Instead of throwing away the strips that you cut while making cards and layers here is a creative way to use them as background paper.

If you take Adhesive Sheets this is an easy way to tie all of those scraps together to make your own designer series paper!

Lay the strips down onto the Adhesive Sheet leaving no space between the strips.
Build the paper in a pattern or randomly your choice! I chose to use a repeating pattern of the five 2022-2024 In Colors: Starry Sky, Orchid Oasis, Parakeet Party, Sweet Sorbet and Tahitian Tide in that order!
I die cut the background for the word dies from the Wanted to Say die set using the Happy Birthday sentiment. I also die cut two of the star dies.
I then die cut the Happy Birthday words in Basic Black cardstock.
Measurements for this card:
BASE: Starry Sky Card stock 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
Basic White layer: (2) 4″ x 5 1/4″
since we are using dark card stock I add a
Basic White layer to the inside as well as the
card front
plenty of In Color 1/4″ strips
Adhesive Sheets cut to 8 1/2″
Sweet Sorbet scrap for Everyday Details circle
I die cut the medium circle from the Everyday Details die set in Sweet Sorbet and adhered the Basic Black Happy Birthday to the multicolor strip background and then mounted that onto the die to create the focal point for the card front!
I ran the first Basic White layer through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine with the polka dotted folder from the Basics 3D embossing folder and adhered that layer to the Starry Sky card base.
Then I mounted the focal point with Stampin’ Dimensionals to pop it up from the card.
I adhered two star dies to the upper and lower diagonals of the card front.
I added three Sweet Sorbet 2022-2024 In Color Pearls to the card front to finish it off nicely with coordinating embellishments.

I love the cheery effect this strip background brings to the card!

Try this with your scraps and create a beautiful card of your own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

designing a card from a template

designing a card from a template

Were do you get your inspiration? That’s a question I get often from my customers. Inspiration can come from everywhere, really! Many paper crafters find inspiration from card sketches. Easy cards are made easier when you use sketches as a starting point.

Measurements:
BASE: Basic White CS 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
scrap for the largest rectangular in Everyday
Details Dies
strips 4 1/4″ x 1/2″, 4 1/4″ x 3/4″

Below is a card template as a starting point.

Fold the card base at the score line and place adhesive in the top portions of the card. Place the first wild wheat cardstock strip across the center of the card area that has your adhesive on it from left edge to right edge straight across.
Add two identical copper clay strips above and below the wild wheat cs strip in the center.
Lay down the last color of strips above and below the copper clay in Boho Blue cardstock strips.
This adds color and a foundation for a simple card background.
Die cut a scrap of Basic White cardstock with the largest rectangular die in the Everyday Details die set.
I stamped one of the twig stamps from the Layering Leaves stamp set from Million Dollar sales achiever, fellow demonstrator Rachel Tessman in Wild Wheat ink at an angle on the upper left hand side of the die.
I stamped the open leaf twig in Boho Blue lower and angled towards the opposite corner on the rectangular die cut out.
Next I stamped the sentiment Sending Hugs from the Layering Leaves stamp set below the two stamped twig images in Boho Blue.
Using a small Blending Brush I edged the perimeter of the die cut out in Wild Wheat ink by brushing the edges in a perpendicular downward brush stroke against the edge.
I cut a 6″ scrap of Wild Wheat Textured ribbon and looped it on one end and adhered it down over the strip background.
I popped up the sentiment die cut on Stampin’ Dimensionals and popped it up over the ribbon piece.
I added In Color Dots in Wild Wheat around the sentiment to finish off this easy card inspired from the template.
I used the negative space of the rectangle and adhered tape around the backside of the frame using similar color palette from the 2023-2025 In Colors cardstock strips pushed up next to one another.
I stamped a sentiment across the strips in Pebbled path ink.
Then I ran it through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine using the 3D Basics embossing folder with the hatch marks to give it a textured linen look.
I Popped up the layer on Stampin’ Dimensionals and added it to a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Basic White cardstock scored and folded at 5 1/2″ in landscape mode.
I added three Pebbled Path In Color dots to finish this card.
This card used the template as a starting point but I changed the orientation of the strips and added some embossing and a frame. So many possibilities!
This card started with a Gorgeous Grape Colored Cardstock base and used white and Pool Party strips as the starting point for the card background and added the focal point and the sentiment in the circle from the Circle Sayings Bundle. I added the In Color Pearls in Tahitian Tide to compliment the Pool Party strips and colored the cupcake image with Watercolor Pencils and Water Painters.
My last sample using this template started with a Mambo Melon base and Basic White, Gorgeous Grape and mambo Melon strips as the centerpiece background and added a Paper Butterfly Accent colored with blending brushes and ink as the focal point. I popped up a Gorgeous Grape die cut from the Deckled rectangles die set and embossed the sentiment from the Layering Leaves stamp set in white embossing powder. I added Iridescent Rhinestones to finish off this elegant and easy strip card inspired by the template.

Try designing some artwork of your very own from this template or one of your choosing – let me know what you come up with! Now go and create your own art – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

more color mondays – berry burst, highland heather and gorgeous grape

more color mondays – berry burst, highland heather and gorgeous grape

I cannot believe how fast the weeks go by! Hard to believe that the first month of the new year is more than 3/4 of the way gone! I am loving our new catalogs and getting to show you all fun samples of cards using all the new materials!

Today is another More Color Monday and it features an array of purples to play with! Berry Burst, Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape are three of the fabulous shades of purple in the new Perennial Lavender Designer Series paper that makes this card an easy WOW card!

Measurements:
BASE: Highland Heather CS 4 1/4″ x 11″
scored at 5 1/2″
DSP: (2) 2″ x 5 1/4″ (2) 2″ x 3/4″
Basic White: 4″ x 5 1/4″ for inside
scrap for Heartfelt Hexagon punch and dies
Berry Burst strip scrap 1/4″ x 5 1/4″

Take a scrap piece of Basic White cardstock and stamp the double lined outline of the Heartfelt Hexagon image in Gorgeous Grape ink.
Choose a sentiment from the Heartfelt Hexagon stamp set and stamp it inside the Gorgeous grape hexagon in the Berry burst ink color.
Using the Heartfelt Hexagon punch, punch out the hexagon.
Score the Highland Heather base card at 5 1/2″ and fold with a bone folder for a nice crisp fold.
Adhere the Basic White 4″ x 5 1/4″ layer to the inside of the card.
Adhere the two small pieces of DSP left over from cutting the DSP down to 5 1/4 in length and adhere a 1/4″ x 4″ strip of Berry Burst across the bottom and over that adhere one of the 2″ x 3/4″ rectangle pieces of DSP.
Adhere the other small rectangular DSP piece to the opposite corner of the Basic White layer.
On the card front, adhere the 2″ x 5 1/4″ piece of DSP to the left side, leaving an even border on the top, bottom and left edge of the cardstock.
Flip over the other piece of 2″ x 5 1/4″ DSP to the other pattern and adhere to the right side of the card front leaving an even border around the outside edges.
Adhere the 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ Berry burst strip to the middle where the edges meet from the two pieces of DSP.
Pop up the Heartfelt Hexagon punch out onto Stampin’ Dimensionals and place in the upper middle above the Berry Burst strip.
Punch out the two lavender sprigs in Basic White scrap cardstock and using a blending brush in Gorgeous Grape and Berry Burst inks color each stem in a separate color.
Adhere diagonally under the hexagon punch.
In the Perennial Lavender Suite are these stunning Shimmer Gems called Purple Fine Shimmer Gems and up close they are amazing! The catalog does not do them justice!
These gems come in the three colors for today’s challenge so I used each color on the card!
The shimmer Gems finish off this bright and cheerful card! Hope you enjoyed this easy DSP card and try it with some of your own stash today! Now go and create some artwork of your very own – one piece of DSP or one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

woven gate strip card

woven gate strip card

I love finding new ways to use my strips! Today is a strip weaving example.

Measurements:
BASE: Lemon Lime Twist 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″
scrap for sentiment piece and branch die
Basic White strips (14) 1/2″ x 11″
Lemon Lolly scrap for daisy dies

Lay 6 strips side by side on a flat surface.

Weave the first strip through the six alternating above and below the strips laying horizontally.
Weave the second vertical strip in the opposite way than the first strip (my first strip starting on the left hand side starts above then below and alternates from there then the second strip starts below the first horizontal strip on the left and alternates above, below, above etc.)
Continue this alternating pattern until you have eight strips criss-crossing the six original strips!
Turn the weaving over to the back side and using Tear & Tape make a rectangle around the outer strips.
Cut the strips on the small sides (6 strip sides) down to about 1/2-3/4 of an inch.
Take off the Taer & Tape release paper on one side and bend the tabs inward and adhere to the Tear & Tape.
Place another piece of Tear & Tape over the folded tabs and peel off the release paper.
Bend the outside bottom strip up over the side tabs to help hold them securely in place.
Finish the other short side following those same steps – release the Tear & Tape, bend the tabs in to adhere and then add more Tear & Tape and secure the bottom strip over the tabs.
Cut the middle bottom strips to about 1/2″ in length hang over and remove the release paper and adhere inward. (cover any exposed tape with a spare strip if you are planning on embossing as I did so that you do not get Tape on the inside of your embossing folder. Leave the last Tear & Tape strip sealed until after the embossing)
Cut the top strips into points that resemble the tops of garden gate wood.
Using Crumb Cake ink and a blending brush add ink to the gate.
I embossed my finished gate in the 3D Exposed Brick embossing folder.
Remove the top Tear & Tape release paper add more Stampin’ Seal to the back of the gate and add to the Lemon Lime Twist card base.
Add a sentiment in shaded spruce to the Nested Essentials die and add Cheerful Daisies dies to embellish the front of the gate.
I added the green Adhesive-backed Glitter Sequins from the new September to December mini catalog for the finishing touch of sparkle!
What ideas and ways to use your 1/2″ strip scraps do you come up with – let me know!

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

Happy Stampin’
Natalie

fractured masculine christmas card

fractured masculine christmas card

This is a stepped up card based on the June 21st post of the DSP four corner card. This starts out with a different shape in the center instead of a square for this card I used the Countryside Corners dies. The shutter or fracture extends from the points of the geometric shapes you decide to use – the possibilities are endless!

Measurements:
BASE: Shaded Spruce 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
scored at 4 1/4″ scrap for 2nd largest
Countryside Corners die and 1/8″ strips
Distressed Gold Specialty paper: die cut 3rd
largest Countryside Corners die
Joyful Specialty DSP cut to openings

Die cut the Shaded Spruce scrap with the third largest Countryside Corners die and stamp in Versamark the Peace on Earth and the pine bough from the Christmas Classics stamp set. Sprinkle with Gold embossing powder and heat set until it is shiny with the Heat Tool. I photographed it before heat embossing – it will look granular as you heat it hold the Heat Tool several inches away from the paper so as not to scorch the surface of the paper and move when the powder melts and turns shiny.
Die cut the second largest die from the Countryside Corners die set with the Distressed Gold Specialty paper and pop up the Shaded Spruce die cut on Stampin’ Dimensionals and adhere to the center of the Gold die cut.
Adhere the gold die cut to the center of the card front.
Cut 1/8″ strips of Shaded Spruce cardstock and snip an angle on the end and place at each corner extending to the end of the cardstock front.
Place the Green and Gold foiled piece of Joyful Specialty paper inside the strip sections.
Complete the DSP strips on the card front.
Add embellishments to the card front I chose the gold sequins from the Neutrals Adhesive-Backed sequins which highlights the gold foiling on the Specialty paper!

Love this masculine Christmas card!

Try the fractured card technique soon it is a fun and different way to inset DSP paper strips. Go and create some art of your very own – one stamp at a time!

Happy Stampin’
Natalie