Category Archives: All Occassion

COLOUR CHALLENGES: COLOUR INKSPIRATION #189

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My friends at Colour INKspirations know how to set up a proper challenge! This combination was a tough one, as Melon Mambo generally doesn’t get much my attention. But by toning it down using daubers, I came up with a project that met the challenge!

  • Stamps: Impressions Abloom, Elements of Text, Perfectly Pears, Inspiring Imperfections
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Darling Duckling, Melon Mambo, Cloud Cover, Secret Sea
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Impressions Abloom dies, Perennial Postage dies, Gallery Blooms dies, Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder, Kintsugi Inspirations DSP, Dauber, White Bakers Twine, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Here’s the inspiration photo. I knew right away I was going to have to be “INKspired” to work in that Melon Mambo! And while I adore Secret Sea, it’s a very bold color, so I used it sparingly as an accent.

Looking for elements for this card, I pulled out some treasures that are still available but have been sidelined in favor of newer releases. That 3D Exposed Brick EF is one of my absolute GO-TO elements. White Bakers twine is too, although it will never replace my beloved Linen Twine.

I used our Fine Tip Glue pen to add shine to the centers of those flowers. They have a little Cloud Cover daubed in the center to soften the white-white-white and tie in with the background DSP. My FTGP has lost its Fine Tip, so I unscrew the cap and use my trusty bamboo skewer to paint the glue over the circle. The skewer lets me control the amount I apply but doesn’t leave brush strokes or messy cleanup.

Cloud Cover ink has been a bit of a heartbreak, as it turns out the formula reacts with the foam in our ink pads, causing instability. The solution is to use one of our un-inked spots and Cloud Cover Ink Refill. It takes a bit longer to ink larger stamps, but I think it’s worth the effort!

There’s still a little time to join the challenge. It closes at 7pm Monday AEST (remember, for the US they are a day ahead). I’d love to see what you do with Melon Mambo!

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Easy Gate-Fold Card Tutorial with Kintsugi Inspirations

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Do you have a Designer Series Paper stash? Mine is threatening a semi-hostile take over, but that doesn’t stop me from adding to my collection. I loved Kintsugi Inspirations the moment I set eyes on it at OnStage 2025 in Brisbane, and I couldn’t wait to cut into it and make something!

This is an easy gate-fold card that uses narrow strips of DSP. I find I have a lot of those when I cut larger pieces for card fronts. I love using up those scraps!

Here are the measurements you’ll need to make this card:

  1. Cut a piece of card stock to 5 1/2″ x 11″ for your card base.
  2. Score the long side at 2″, 3 3/4″, 7 1/4″ and 9“.
  3. Fold the 2″ and 9” outer panels towards the back and the 3 3/4″ and 7 1/4″ scores towards the center of the card. This creates the gate fold shape.
  4. Cut 2 each of DSP, choosing coordinating papers: 1 3/4″ x 5 1/4″ and 1 1/2″ x 5 1/4″
  5. Cut 2 each of coordinating card stock: 1 7/8″ x 5 3/8″ and 1 5/8″ x 5 3/8″
  6. Layer the DSP on the card stock panels. Adhere the narrower panels to the inside folds and the wider panels to the front. Add a focal point, embellish, and admire your beautiful work!

Gate folds often have some kind of closure, but I prefer the simplicity of this card as it is. Ready to give it a try? Your choice of Designer Series Paper will determine the mood of your card. Have some fun with it, and enjoy using up those scraps!

Suites and suite products are BOGO this month in the Online Store. Learn more about Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper HERE.

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Discover Colour Inkspiration #188: Crafting with Vibrant Colors

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Oh, it has been a long time since I’ve done a challenge! We have enjoyed a LOT of travel in the first half of 2025. It’s been WONDERFUL, but it’s meant a lot of time away from crafting. It’s great to be home, to sit with all my crafty things and to be inspired!

This is ColourInkspiration #188. The challenge colours are Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger, Coastal Cabana, and Gray Granite. This is a lively bunch of colours if I do say so myself!

  • Stamps: Pattern of Friendship
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger, Coastal Cabana, Gray Granite
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Beautiful Motif dies, Daubers, retired flat dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Here’s the inspiration photo:

This image has lots going on but it’s filled with things I love: the sea, beautiful landscape, flowers, and lots of books! I wouldn’t mind spending a little time in that cove.

I confess: the splatters are from an ancient Stampin’ Up! tool. I *think* it was called the Color Spritzer, and it works by funneling a blast of air past the tip of a Stampin’ Write marker. I love how fine a splatter it creates – more a spritz, if in fact that was the name.

I’m not usually a super-bright color-combo crafter, so this was a bit of a stretch for me. I cut a variety of pieces with the Beautiful Motif dies and played with them until I liked them. I chopped quite a few of them into smaller pieces, allowing me to blend the colours more. And I used our daubers to add a little extra ink to the die cuts for dimension.

Pattern of Friendship is an Online Exclusive bundle. I bought it for the die – oh, just you wait, there are projects coming – but the stamps are all sentiments. I’ve decided I liked them better once they were in my hands. Does that ever happen to you, or is it just me?

Colour Inkspirations is a really fun challenge group. There’s plenty of time to create for each one, assuming you’re not galavanting around the globe. Plus it’s the nicest group of crafters you’ll find anywhere. Check them out, and give it a try!

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Mass Produce Cards Using Everyday You + Me Bundle

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I had the gorgeous Everyday Happiness DSP on my desk after making my Brisbane swap, and I decided to switch up the paper a bit. I’m not sure which version of this card I like better, but this one might have an advantage with a little Wink of Stella. 😉

  • Stamps: Everyday You + Me, Translucent Florals (sentiment, Last Chance)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Lost Lagoon, Wild Wheat, Pretty Peacock
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Spotlight on Nature dies, Everyday You + Me dies, Wink of Stella, Jute Twine (Last Chance), Stampin’ Dimensionals

The narrow strips are varying widths but they’re all cut at the same angle. You can see the layout is quite similar to the swap from #OnStage2025Brisbane. This card is pretty easy to mass produce once you’ve done the die cutting!

I really love the Everyday You + Me bundle, both for the images and the large format sentiments. The Designer Series Paper is a little heavier weight, and it’s packaged as 12 sheets with 3 design sets (2 designs front and back) and 4 pages of each set. It’s great for making multiples!

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EVERYDAY YOU + ME SWAP #ONSTAGE2025BRISBANE

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This is the card I took to Brisbane for general swapping. I wanted something that would pack well (which means it also mails well). The 3D Mini Corrugated Embossing Folder actually provides a little cushion for the card when you send it through the mail.

  • Stamps: Country Flowers (Last Chance. I love this sentiment – font, punctuation, all of it)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Wild Wheat, Pretty Peacock, Lost Lagoon
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Spotlight on Nature dies, Mini-Corrugated 3D Embossing Folder, Citrus Blooms (Last Chance – the leaves), Everyday Happiness DSP, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I cut a LOT of those branches 😳 but I loved the way they looked together.

I gave them all away, and as I looked at this photo I realized it’s missing the jute twine! Check the Swap Board below – the completed card is in the bottom right corner. And you can shop the Online Store if you’re inspired!

Some days are like that. Even in Australia. 💕

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A BOUQUET OF GALLERY BLOOMS

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Do you ever finish a card and sit back and sigh with delight? That’s what happened when I finished this one. It’s not quite the picture I had in mind when I started, but guess what: IT’S BETTER. That doesn’t happen every time!

  • Stamps: Gallery Blooms, Beautiful Motifs
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Highland Heather, Strawberry Slush, Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Gallery Blooms dies, Dauber, Blender Pens, paint brush, Bakers Twine 3 color pack, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Gallery Blooms are perfect for coloring, and I chose to use Blender Pens. It’s been a while since I pulled them out. but I wanted more control over the shading. I was quite happy with the results, and to be honest, it was faster and easier than using Stampin’ Blends in this case!

I Inked and colored the largest flower with Highland Heather ink, but the spray was inked in Melon Mambo and then colored with Strawberry Slush. With those small, repeated blossoms, I found I liked the deeper outline.

The final touch was ink splatters with a paint brush. Smash the closed lid of your ink pad to transfer ink to the lid. Open it and add a few drops of water. Pick up that dilute solution with a paint brush and splish splash!

It’s easier than it looks. Give it a try! All products are available in the Online Store.

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BEAUTIFUL GALLERY #2

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I tell you, I can’t get enough of the Beautiful Gallery DSP! It has a little bit of everything and today’s card showcases that variety. I chose one of the “B” sides of the paper – a brushed gradient of grays. I had lots of inspiration for focal points, but ultimately decided to use the largest floral image from the stamp set.

  • Stamps: Gallery Blooms
  • Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Gray Granite, Petal Pink
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Gallery Blooms dies, Petal Pink 3/8″ Scalloped ribbon, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Blends , Stampin’ Dimensionals

I colored the blossom in Petal Pink and the leaves in Gray Granite. Then I took the Gray Granite Blend and went all the way around the edges of the die cut, covering any white paper. The card base is Very Vanilla, but I chose to use Basic White for the die cut to keep the colors true.

The ribbon is tied through a small opening in the die cut and looped once. I used Glue Dots to hold the edges of the ribbon in place.

I considered adding a sentiment to the front, but decided I would wait until I decided who would get this card. I love having a stash of blank cards!

Shop the Online Store for this beautiful new suite.

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BEAUTIFUL GALLERY DSP; LET THE PAPER DO THE WORK

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The Beautiful Gallery DSP is absolutely stunning. These 6×6 images are Old World masters quality, and they shine on the front of a card. I have two floral designs to share with you today, and the pair of cards took me less than 10 minutes to create.

  • Stamps: Layers of Beauty
  • Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Mossy Meadow
  • Accessories: Beautiful Gallery DSP, Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Textured Notes dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I cut the rectangle with the Textured Notes dies and added the sentiment. I scored one side of the rectangle and tucked it in between the layers. I added Linen Thread before securing the panel to the card front.

The sentiment on this card is from the Textured Notes stamps set, and the Basic Black mat is replaced by a Pecan Pie layer. That’s it!

Shop the Online Store for this beautiful suite.

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ALONG THESE LINES: A SINGLE ROSE

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I have one more image to share from Along These Lines. I love the elegant vertical lines of this rose, and decided to pair it with the stunning Woven Textures DSP. To me, these linear images seem to work well with softer tones, so I chose Petal Pink for my rose.

  • Stamps: Along These Lines, Happy Hibiscus
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Note cards and envelopes, Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Textured Notes dies, Stampin’ Blends, Woven Textures DSP, Paper Snips, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is our smaller format Note Card. I used my snips to trim out just the word THANKS from the sentiment from Happy Hibiscus. I chose the soft linen-look design from the DSP pack so it wouldn’t overpower the rose. It has the feeling of matted artwork, don’t you think?

Shop the Online store for all your paper crafting needs!

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ALONG THESE LINES: BIKES

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I received Along These Lines as a Prize Patrol at #OnStage2025Brisbane. I’ll confess that initially, I was not especially excited about the images. But of course, it was a gift, and I was happy to have it – and when I started to think about how I might use it, I felt inspired.

  • Stamps: Along These Lines, With You in Mind
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Poppy Parade, Gray Granite, Basic Black
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Masking Paper

I began by cutting a few masks of the bike. Next I stamped a couple of images, masked them, and stamped a couple more. I wanted the feeling of a race, but without racers – just the bikes.

I added just a little emphasis with the Gray Granite Stampin’ Blend around the wheels and handlebars. My pop of color was the seat to help each bike stand out.

I want to try this again with multiple colors for the seat, and perhaps with another monochromatic color. I’m thinking I’ll try Azure Afternoon or Crushed Curry – what do you think?

You’ll find Along These Lines – along with a lot of other new products – in the Online Store.

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