Stampin' Saturday, Create a Faux Quilt Square Card that Says Boo!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for stopping in. Today I'm sharing some cardmaking inspiration on my Saturday Stampin'. I see so many creative projects and the Celebration New Year's card created by my friend, Susan really caught my eye. 

Susan's stunning card uses the Shining Brightly 12" x 12" Specialty Designer paper and the Light the Sky Bundle both found in the September-December 2023 Mini Catalog. There are so many wonderful products in this year's mini.

The layout of Susan's card reminds me of quilting, so I'm calling it the Faux Quilt Square card (even though it's not a square). This is created by using strips of the DSP to outline the central focus. I decided since I was created Halloween and fall cards recently, I would create a card using the Them Bones 12" x 12" Designer Series paper and a few other goodies from the mini catalog as well. 

Them Bones DSP is such a wonderful package of paper! There are so many great designs and the pages the have the image cards is wonderful! You can simply cut apart these cards and use them for a layer or in the center as I did on my card.

The added die-cut bats, ghost, and skeleton dog really made this card Boo!

To make this Faux Quilt Square card, you simply need some of your wonderful designer series papers, sentiments, and a paper trimmer. 

To Make This card layout: 

• 1" x 2 5/8" (x2) DSP 
• 1" x 3 7/8" (x2) DSP
• 4" x 5 1/4" (layer on Base)
• 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" (Base)

When you create this card, everyone you create will look so different depending on what DSP you decide to use. I'd love to see what you create, so do share. You can find more details on my video if you would like to see the card in action. 

Thanks again for stopping in. I've listed the products I used for my Stampin' Saturday inspiration. You can click to purchase any of these from my online store. 

Happy Stampin'

Mary Blocher

Mary's Stampin' Café

Stampin' Saturday - Create a Beautiful Gratitude Journal Plus a Card to Match

Hi Everyone,

It is a crisp, fall morning and I'm so glad to do my Stampin' Saturday post with 2 great fall projects. I have a quick gratitude journal and a coordinating card to go along with it. The Autumn Leaves Bundle from the September-December 2023 Mini Catalog is so wonderful. I am so obsessed with the leaves that I can stamp and die cut as well as the dies that you die cut with colored cardstock for all sorts of wonderful cardmaking.

To make the gratitude journal, I picked up these already made small notebooks at the local craft store. They have 32 blank pages and a beautiful fall plaid front that's perfect for my journals. The black chalk label is also from the craft store. I love to look for things I can use to create quick crafting when I am making a lot of one project. 

About every three pages, I stamped one of the beautiful leaf images, so the fall feeling continues through the book. With the pages being blank, it is easy to simply jot down some thoughts about gratitude, but you can also list tasks or sketch out some cardmaking ideas. 

Because these journals were store bought, I wanted to share a way that you can create at home with the craft supplies you already have. I wanted to share a card that almost matches the front of the gratitude journal with all Stampin' Up! products.

For this card, I used the Sketched Plaid background stamp to mimic the plaid background on the journal. I then added some more texture using one of the stamps from the Gorgeously Made Stamp set with Crushed Curry. I also used Basic Black cardstock to die cut out the label from the Autumn Leaves dies and heat embossed with White embossing powder. I decided to add a bit more bling on the card by adding the Oxidized Copper veins on the leaf and an additional leaf.

I hope you enjoyed my projects today. It's fun to see what crafting things are at local craft stores and to think about how you can create similar projects with your Stampin' Up! supplies at home. You can check out my video for more details on these projects. 

I also have listed out all the supplies I used for my card project as well. when you shop with me in September, using the Host Code listed on my blog or clicking the shop with me link, 20% off all sales will go the a local Autism Advocacy Network as part of September "Give Back". 

Thanks again for stopping in, and be sure to give gratitude daily for all the blessings around you. 

Happy Stampin',

Mary Blocher

Mary's Stampin' Café

Beginning Stamper? No Worries, I've Got you Covered

 

Hi Everyone,

I remember when I went to my very first Stampin' Up! party over 25 years ago. I was excited about all the wonderful products in the catalog that was shared and when the demonstrator shared some projects, I simply ordered everything she shared. Well needless to say, when I go my order, I really didn't know what to do with the things I purchased. I didn't have basic supplies to help me either. Fast forward 25 years later, and I have great suggestions on how to begin a successful crafting area, so you can have quick and easy success with cardmaking. 

There are four things that you need to get started and be able to create many wonderful cards for all occasions. Let's take a look at these four "must haves".

• Stamps (with a clear block too)
• Ink 
• Paper
• Adhesive

Stamps: 

If you start to explore stamps, you will become overwhelmed quickly. Remember, you want to be able to stamp easily and spend little money, but get a lot for what you spend. I would suggest looking for stamp sets that are all occasions, so you will get images and sentiments that can be used for a variety of occasions.

The Circle Sayings Bundle would be a fabulous beginning stamp set with a Circle Punch to add a bit more variety to the projects you create. This stamp set includes many sentiments that cover lots of occasions too. 

With all stamps, you will need a clear acrylic block. For the Circle Sayings Bundle, the "B", "C", and "D" blocks will work for all of your stamping. If you just want to purchase one clear block, you should order "D". This block will fit the largest image in the Circle Sayings Bundle and will then work for any of the others in the set. 

Inks:

There are so many types of inks, so it's important to get the right ink to support the stamps you purchase. The majority of the stamps in the Circle Sayings Bundle can be stamped with Memento Black ink. You can then add color with color pencils or markers you may already have on hand. If not, I would suggest a set of Stampin' Up! Watercolor Pencils. They are so nice and you can color smoothly with them. 

If you like a bit more color, you can also purchase a collection of Stampin' Spots. These are small ink cubes in a variety of colors. This is a great way to get a taste of colors and create projects quickly without taking time to color. These are cost saving and don't take up much room.

Paper: 

One of the wonderful things about Stampin' Up! is that they have such perfect color coordination. You can get colored cardstock that matches the ink and matches the accessories and embellishments. To start your cardmaking, you many want to purchase the Cards & Envelope packs. These come in Basic White or Vanilla. These packages have 20 precut and scored card bases and envelopes. This is perfect for a beginning stamper. You don't have to have a paper cutter or storage for all sorts of color cardstock. If you want a little more color to add to add to your notecards & envelopes, you can purchase one package of a cardstock variety pack or a package of designer series paper if you want. 

Adhesives:

Just like the other products I've taked about, there are many adhesives to decide on. If you begin with the note cards & Envelopes, you won't need any adhesive to create great cards. If you want to add a layer onto the note card or punch out your image to add to the card, you will want adhesive. I would suggest the Mulit-Purpose Liquid glue to start with. You might want to also add a package of Stampin' Dimensionals to add a bit of interest and pop up an image. 

I hope that my suggestions have made it easy for you to get started in cardmaking and having success. I've listed the products below for easy shopping. Be sure to reach out if you have any questions or would like some card ideas for your purchase. 

Happy Stampin',

Mary Blocher

Mary's Stampin' Café