Category Archives: Tips and Techniques

TWO TONE CARD STOCK AND ROLLING WAVES V2

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Déja vu? Not quite – this is a variation on my first Rolling Waves/Two Tone Card Stock card. It’s simplified a bit, and it has a bit of a color pop with the sea stars added on the bottom. But the colors and the layout are quite similar.

The technique is quite similar – tear the paper, alternate sides as you apply it, and finish with the Rolling Waves die cut. I changed the sentiment panel to a Stylish Shapes banner, and the color palette is Pool Party and Coastal Cabana instead of Cloud Cover and Lost Lagoon.

We made this card in my crafting groups, and one of our members shared a hilarious story about someone in an aquarium rather arrogantly correcting her children: they are NOT Star Fish, they are not fish at all, they are Sea Stars. Oh my gosh, we laughed so hard – you had to be there.

That’s why we make cards together, isn’t it? For the fun, the laughter, and the connection.

Maybe you could send a birthday card to someone this week. It will bring a little joy to both of you. If you need supplies, shop the Online Store.

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LOVELY BLOSSOM DESIGNER SERIES PAPER IS READY TO ROLL!!

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The Lovely Blossom DSP has pages with panels ready to be cut and put to use right away. Some of them are card front sized, but the ones I’m using today are perfect little squares. All the coordinating is done for you – just cut and paste!

I know I said the puppies were the most fun to color, but I think I’ve changed my mind. The birdies can be any kind of crazy colors, and they still sort of make sense. That fact allowed me to match them to this beautiful DSP despite the face the result is somewhat improbable.

There’s been a tiny nest of Japanese White Eyes just over the fence at Mary-Next-Door’s house. We can hear the babies peeping, and unfortunately, so can Bella. She is obsessed, but for the time being the stucco wall is too far away, and the branches of the shrub are too small to hold her. Let’s hope it stays that way!

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PUPPIES! PUPPIES! PUPPIES!

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Don’t you think puppies are perfect for a card? Especially a birthday card – and this one could say Happy Birthday inside – but also for a “I’m just thinking of you today, here’s a card” kind of card. And the paw prints on the envelope are such a fun sneak peek.

I think the puppies are the most fun to color, although the birdies are right behind them (and there are only 3 birdies so they go faster 😆). Stampin’ Blends make it quick and colorful work.

The Woodgrain Wonder DSP is gorgeous, and the patterns are more uniform. It’s a versatile neutral paper that has lots of potential. Have some fun with it!

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ANOTHER ROUND OF HELLOS

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I used the February Product of the Month Designer Series paper with A Round Of Hellos again. I like the pairing. I like having “HELLO” cards on hand because they’re so easy to customize.

  • Stamps: A Round of Hellos
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Misty Moonlight, Night of Navy
  • Accessories: Circle Punches (2 1/2, 2 3/8, 1 7/8, 1 3/4); Linen Thread, Low Profile Sparkle Dots (retired), True Blue DSP (Product of the Month, retired) Stampin’ Dimensionals

This True Blue DSP has sold out, as have the Daffodil Delight Sparkle Dots. I’ll be honest: it’s hard to keep everything current with our more fluid product releases. The good news is that there’s always something new, and you can almost always find a substitute for what you see here. If you have these products, here’s a great way to use them. If you don’t, challenge yourself to find something in your stash that will work. It’s usually just a matter of changing the color palette.

This is a great geometric layout that lets the Designer Series Paper do most of the work. Helpful hint: when you’re stamping the floral image, begin with the flower (this one is in Misty Moonlight). It’s much easier to align the dot at the top and the leaves below with the flower in place – at least for me!

Go ahead: Dig through your stash and find some DSP that is just begging to be used. If you’re one of the few paper crafters in the world without a DSP stash, well, you can always search the Online Store.

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THE CUTEST CREW BIRDIES: SO GLAD WE’RE FRIENDS

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I can’t seem to let go of Cutest Crew! It’s perfect for so many types of cards. Though it’s quite well suited to cards for children, I think it’s also smashing for adults. Who wouldn’t love to get this in the mail??

  • Stamps: Cutest Crew
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Pretty in Pink, Pool Party, Lemon Lime Twist, Darling Duckling
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Cutest Crew dies, Everyday Arches dies, Blending Brushes, Stampin’ Blends, Stripes and Dots DSP (Demo Exclusive), Dear Dots (retired), Ink Refill, Paintbrush and Bone Folder, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I resisted the Everyday Arches dies for much too long. They are GLORIOUS and I wish I’d taken the leap earlier – there was a sort of stubbornness about not having bought them right away. Sometimes my purchasing decisions are based on rather ridiculous ideas!!! But never mind, I have them now and I love them. In fact, I highly recommend them!.

No less an authority than the New York Times (Well Newsletter) is advocating hand written letters. A letter increases engagement and connection, and can provide comfort to the recipient. I won’t argue with that!

I recently learned a spritz-tip – sorry, it was late-night doom-scrolling and I can’t acknowledge the brilliant crafter. When you load up a paintbrush with diluted Stampin’ Up! ink refill, tap it on a bone folder instead of your finger for more satisfying speckles. Try it, it works!!

Shop the Online Store and create a memory you can send through the post.

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION 206: PUMPKIN PIE, SHADED SPRUCE AND GRAY GRANITE

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Time for another Colour Challenge – this is CI #206 at Colour INKspirations! It’s taken me some time to wrap my head around these colours. Shaded Spruce and Pumpkin Pie are strong and bold hues – thank goodness for Gray Granite! I let that be the dominant tone, and added Shaded Spruce and Pumpkin Pie as accents.

  • Stamps: Fern & Flora (May – August 2026 Stampin’ Up! catalog)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shaded Spruce, Pumpkin Pie, Gray Granite
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Fern & Flora dies, Blender pen, Gray Granite Variegated Trim, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I chose to use Blender Pens to color this image with these saturated hues. The Blender Pen allows a lot more control over the depth of color, and it’s easy to layer the color for more saturation. These are small images, so it was quick coloring.

I love this new Variegated Trim from the March 2026 Online Exclusive release. It’s like a wide Linen Thread – and we know how I feel about that.

Stop by the Colour INKspirations page to see the gorgeous entries to this challenge. You have time to create one yourself!

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: APRIL 2026 – CUTEST CREW

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Welcome back to DIY Calendars for another month of hand-made desk top calendars. The crew has some beautiful spring designs for your pleasure and inspiration. My choice this month is the delightful Cutest Crew bundle.

  • Stamps: Cutest Crew
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Peach Pie, Smoky Slate, Granny Apple Green, Lost Lagoon
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine , Cutest Crew dies, Stampin’ Blends, Blending Brushes, Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I gave the kittens a bit of a wash so they had a nice place to roll, and I added a little Wink of Stella because, well, Wink of Stella. I made the butterflies the same colors as the wash (Granny Apple Green and Lost Lagoon) so it would look properly planned.

5 kittens were a little long for the calendar page, so I trimmed off the leading feline and popped it under the month. I couldn’t leave it off altogether now, could I?

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon and Cheryl have created this month. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

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A BUNNY WITH A FULL BASKET!

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This little bun-bun has more eggs than she can manage, so she’s set them rolling across the front of my card – Easter is on the way!

  • Stamps: Easter Basket
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Petal Pink, Timid Tiger, Crumb Cake, Balmy Blue, Soft Sea Foam, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Easter Basket dies (no longer available) , Stampin’ Blends, White Ribbon (retired), Stripes and Dots DSP (Demonstrator Exclusive) Stampin’ Dimensionals

This DSP is a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator exclusive – yes, we have perks! However, you can find an alternative. Our Color Family DSP packs deliver a similar tone-on-tone look. I layered a 1 1/2″ piece of Basic White card stock on the Timid Tiger Panel, then added the DSP above and below it. The lower piece of DSP is 1 1/4″, the upper piece is 1 3/4″

There are multiple bunnies in this set to add to the front, but the little chick is also adorable. This layout lends itself to different small images rolling through the middle!

I’m sorry to say that the Easter Basket dies have been discontinued. The stamps are still available, and the shapes aren’t difficult to fussy cut, so don’t be afraid to choose just the stamps!

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WOOLLY FRIENDS MINUS THE SHEEP

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Stampin’ Up! puts a lot of versatility into our stamp sets – check out this design using Woolly Friends. There isn’t a sheep in sight! When you mix and match stamps with one of our lush Designer Series Paper designs, the possibilities are endless.

  • Stamps: Woolly Friends, Fabulous Sayings (Product of the Month, no longer available)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Cloud Cover, Old Olive
  • Accessories: Lovely Blossoms DSP, Moody Palette Glossy Dots, Cloud Cover Textured Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I lined up the flower outlines, then added the color fill. I stamped off the Old Olive for the leaves to keep it soft and balanced with the Cloud Cover. I’m sorry to say the Fabulous Sayings Product of the Month has sold out – don’t wait on these products, their supply is not guaranteed!

And I just checked: The Woolly Friends bundle is due in the warehouse the week of April 20th.

The Lovely Blossoms DSP is a gorgeous background for a simple design. There are panels ready for you to cut and apply to your card front, or you can just trim a piece of the 12×12 design as I’ve done here. I love how DSP does the work for me! If you’ve been “saving” some for a special day, save no more – get out your trimmer and make a card!

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A ROUND OF HELLOS – IN THE ROUND!

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I like to send surprise cards – not for birthdays or other significant moments, but out-of-the-blue cards. I don’t know about you, but 70% of what I find in my mailbox is junk, 20% is solicitations from realtors or insurance, and 10% is actually for me. Most of that is bills, notices and statements! So getting a Real Card from a real person is a treat!

  • Stamps: A Round of Hellos
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Balmy Blue, Secret Sea
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Stylish Shapes dies, Spotlight on Nature dies, Balmy Blue Gingham Ribbon, Low Profile Sparkle Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The Stylish Shapes and Spotlight on Nature dies nest beautifully. I like a narrow reveal on my mats, and these two dies were the perfect solution. I find stamping the blossom (the yellow image) first works well. I found it easier to snuggle the base into the blossom than to center the blossom on the base. Does that make sense?

This Balmy Blue and Daffodil combination is my second of this design – the first one was on a Pretty in Pink panel, and I just didn’t love it. Color choices make such a difference!

Don’t overlook A Round of Hellos – it’s in the Online Store.

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