SILLY OLD BEAR AND THE WORLD OF POOH

Deb Smeak runs a mystery stamping event on Facebook, and she offered this concept in February. I just discovered it, and I knew it would be perfect for the Silly Old Bear.

I created a second project because I wanted to put the book title on the spine. It turned out very “Winnie-the-Pooh”-like, a bit wobbly. I used an old alphabet set and I’ve sadly lost the name.

I changed the inside, too. Not sure which one I like best – let’s vote! Leave a comment as to which one you like best.

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BEACH SCENES WITH THE ROLLING WAVES DIES

I brushed the Water mask with Pool Party ink on Pool Party card stock. I also added a little Petal Pink ink to the shells with a dauber. These small additions give the card depth and keep it from feeling flat.

I’ve found so many uses for Rolling Waves! Take another look beyond the sea foam.

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION 213 – ON THE BEACH WITH ROLLING WAVES

This reminds me of the color scheme of the local diner when I was in high school, and let’s just say that was the Flower Power Era. I struggled for a bit with those bold, bright colors, but decided a beach umbrella seemed like the perfect image.

There are Rolling Waves dies to make a solid umbrella as well as a set of concentric shapes that coordinate with it. I alternated the shapes as well as the base colors of the umbrella.

Our 12×12 Water and Dotted Line masks made perfect, subtle backgrounds for this bright card. I find myself reaching for them a LOT – expect to see them again!

Colour INKspirations is a Facebook based color challenge group. Take a minute to check out the CI#213 entries as well as previous color challenges – there are some very talented crafters participating in this group!

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EXCITING TIMES BACKGROUNDS

If you’d like to replicate this concept, I have a few tips for you:

  • Choose 3 colors with similar color value (all light/medium/dark)
  • Create continuity by using the same color for the card base, sentiment, and accents
  • Use a Stampin’ Blend around the edge of the Bordered Rectangle punched sentiment to create a faux layer
  • Take a look at the 3 photos below for help in placing each color!

Does that help? I hope so!!

The Exciting Times bundle is currently showing as low inventory, so now is a good time to add it to your cart. Don’t forget the Stampin’ Blend to coordinate with your color palette – we’ve got all the colors!

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FLOWERS FAIR WITH A GINGHAM DSP

  • Color Palette: Basic White, Peaceful Pine, Hydrangea Hue, Golden Glow, Barely Blush, Hybrid Black
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Everyday Arches dies, 26-28 In Color Dots, Gingham Gallery DSP (coming July 1), 26-28 In Color Ribbon, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I am absolutely smitten with Flowers Fair and love experimenting with new color combinations. I have a stamped stack of images sitting on my craft desk for whenever I’m inspired!

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FLOWER FAIR: GET TWO CARDS FROM ONE IMAGE

Don’t you love getting double the results from one image? A large image like Flowers Fair is a great candidate for double dipping. Take a look at what I did:

After I’d colored the original image, I cut out middle with the Everyday Arches dies and used it for the second card. It was easy to cover the opening on the first card with a matted second image, and I stamped the same full image for the second card in Lemon Lime Twist to keep it softly in the background.

I kept the focal panel for the first card simple with plenty of white since the background was so colorful. The little butterflies from Cutest Crew fit perfectly on the edges.

Keeping the background softer allowed the focal panel to, well, be the focus. I stamped the sentiment in black to mute what was otherwise a very colorful card.

Flowers Fair was released during the March 2026 Online Exclusives. It’s a keeper – have some fun with it!

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LAST CHANCE DEALS FOR CRAFT LOVERS: BIG SAVINGS!

Handmade and Heartfelt is my favorite kit – I’ve purchased multiples – and it’s only $16. It makes a fantastic gift, too.

This bundle and DSP – Sunshine/Boho Vibes – is fun, colorful, and perfect for cheery cards. Buy the stamps ($9) and dies ($15) separately, not in the bundle, and save big bucks. The DSP is just $7.50!

Pro tip: Watch for Two Tone Card Stock Assortments to go to Last Chance. It’s a great way to build a small collection and try out this awesome product!

Enjoy shopping, my Crafty Friends.

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ENHANCE YOUR CRAFTING WITH MOONLIT FLORA DSP

I’ve added some shimmer to the fern die cut with our new Shimmer Brush. I got the idea after I’d adhered the fern to the card front, so the accent isn’t as precise as I’d like. In my house we call this Delayed Intelligence. Sigh.

All of the Fern & Flora images are beautiful, but I chose to use just the paper and the die cuts for this card. This layout is very simple – it uses 2 pieces of DSP and a strip of Secret Sea run through the Fern & Flora embossing folder. The hardest part is choosing which papers to feature!

Give this one a try with the Moonlit Flora DSP or any other paper you have in your stash. You’ll love the results!

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION #210: GUEST DESIGNER!

It took me a while to decide where to start as I love all five 26-28 In Colours. I ultimately chose to begin with Crisp Cantaloupe, as it’s a returning colour from the 2013-2015 Palette. Anyone else who has been around that long??

Flowers Fair can be used so many ways. Here I’ve coloured it, then cut it with one of the arch dies. Stampin’ Blends are my favorite way to colour these images, but you could use Watercolour Pencils, Blending Brushes, Watercolour, or even daubers to fill in the colour.

I decided to emboss the greeting with White Embossing Powder on a Peaceful Pine panel. I’m happy with the way the embossing makes the greeting “pop” on the card front.

Take a look at what the Design Team has created for this great colour challenge. If you’ve never played along, I hope you’ll give it a try! You can’t go wrong with such a gorgeous set of colours.

*Although I’m in the US and the standard spelling is “COLOR”, I’ve chosen to use the alternative spelling of “COLOUR” in recognition of the group identity. I’m sure you can make the translation. 😆

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A NEW CATALOG, NEW ONLINE EXCLUSIVES, AND TWO NEW KITS!

Let’s start with the new 2026 May-August catalog. It’s a brand new format, with lots of brand new products – including the 2026-2028 In Color Collection. Click on the catalog above to see a digital copy, or click HERE to shop the Online Store.

The star of the May 2026 Online Exclusives is definitely the Silly Old Bear Suite. I predict this to be a very hot seller – don’t wait to get yours!

This Specialty DSP is likely to be another hot seller. It’s just $5 with a qualifying order – don’t miss the chance to add it to your cart.

These two new kits are just the thing for that last minute card – they’re both stamping kits, which means you can use the included sentiments or substitute your own. Choose Serene Scenes, choose Pretty Party, or choose them both!

Before you place that order, take a look at the bonus you’ll earn when you become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator in May. In addition to all the kit benefits, you’ll get all five NEW Magnetic Ink Pads in the 2026-2028 In Colors! It’s a sweet deal – message me if you want to chat about whether or not it’s a good fit for you.

Happy Browsing, Shopping, and Deciding!! Get started HERE.

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