Crafty Thursday # 6: Explosion Cards Fun Folds

 Confession: I really love the creativity of Fun Fold cards. L.O.V.E. it!

But…some are really hard! 😏 I’ll show you both of my attempts.

NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE: AUJPKKWY

This was the easier one. The inner piece is called a squash fold, and it’s fairly easy to make. More about that below; I was able to liberally use my favorite stamp set, Circle Sayings, I just love that little cupcake! I chose not to color it this time, I liked the look of the tone-on-tone vibe I had going with the fun Bright and Beautiful papers. I used Bubble Bath card stock for the base, and stamped with Fresh Freesia. I love the color combo!

One great thing about the squash fold piece is that you can make it any size so long that it’s a square. I made some fun ornaments with this fold, too. They can be given or used for Christmas, birthdays or any other occasion where you may want a fun alternative to a card. The designer series paper is the perfect weight to use for this very fun fold! You can use card stock, but it’s a bit bulky, and if using in a card, will require extra postage.  

To create the squash fold: You need a 6 in x 6 inch square. Score at 3 inches on both sides, creating 4 squares. Then, score diagonally, once across. You can see the folds in the above photo. Fold the piece in half, keeping the pattern you want to show on the INSIDE of the fold. Do the same for the other horizontal side, keeping the chosen pattern inside. You will have a 2 3/4 in square. Open it back up,  then fold on the diagonal the opposite way, so the chosen pattern is on the outside. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, and I hope I’m explaining it well here. You can see in the picture how it pops out, creating the “explosion” when you open the card.

The next card is the one I had some trouble with. I made several templates before I attempted the card. The squash fold is up in the corner, and it’s not quite as easy to create as the simple squash fold. I used a thinner piece of white card stock from Hobby Lobby to create the base, as I found that a bit easier to work that tricky corner.

I’m holding it closed so you can see the front and how it opens up to the right. I put the round greeting on a square, to keep the linear look. 
As you can see in the second picture, there was plenty of room to decorate this card. I probably got a bit caried away 😁 I’m not sure that I have this one down, and after a few failed attempts, my hubby told me to set it aside and try again another day. So, I listened to his wisdom and made dinner!
Creating is all about the process, and sometimes the process doesn’t quite
work the way you intend it to. My grandkids will love the card, and never know that it’s “not perfect.” Perfect cards are available in the stores; imperfections are the love you put into it. 
 
I’m going to leave you a link to Really Robin Stamps’s You Tube tutorial on the corner fold card. She explains it so much better than I think I can, and makes it look easy. 😉 
All supplies can be purchased in my online store or you can use my shopping link here. If you use my host code at the top of this post, and spend $50 or more on product, you will receive a thank you gift directly from me. The Seasonal Sale ends today, so if you want anything, hurry over to shop!
Thanks for spending some time with me today. I hope you try BOTH of these cards, and if you do, let me know how they turned out. You can post a picture of them in the comments for this post on my Facebook page.
A tutorial sheet for the Explosion Card and Squash fold (first card) is available right here.
Till next time, have a blessed and wonderful day!
Barbara
*all Stampin’ Up! links are mine, and I earn a commission.

In the Word Wednesday #5: Thankful for Restoration

 Happy Wednesday, my friends!

I love reflecting on all to be thankful for, and it’s a wonderful practice all year long, not just in November. There are many verses in Scripture that tell us to be thankful always, in all circumstances.

I’d like to share with you a recent restoration that I am most thankful for. The restoration of my creativity. 

Last week I shared what the last 5 years have been like for our family. It has been a season of amazing growth in my faith. Something, however, had gone missing.

Since childhood, I’ve been telling stories (no, not lying, lol). To my toys, friends, in school…I’ve always loved to read and tell stories. I’ve been known to stay up all night long reading books or writing. About 12 years ago I was able to fulfill a dream and publish my first book. See, I even have an Amazon author page! My only classes in high school that I aced were writing and art. (I was a solid low B in all my others except math, but this post is not about my math deficiencies.) Creating, be it in writing or other forms, has been with me my whole life.

When our daughter stepped into eternity, the gift of writing left. I have tried, over the past 5 years, to reclaim that somehow. I forced myself to finish the fifth book in my Lakeville series, and couldn’t do the work of formatting it for print, so that one is only available on Kindle. I lost my passion for sitting, creating, doing the work to get it done.

I was dry.

 I was still journaling, but nothing creative; lots of “Help me, Lord” and lists. I tried coloring books, and other things. I was working as a teacher’s assistant  and that gave me some creativity is working on bulletin boards and classroom decor.

I found You Tube videos about book binding, and from there, card making. That really caught my attention, and strangely enough, rubber stamping has never been one of the artsy things I’ve ever done, outside of the required making rubber stamps from erasers in school. In His graciousness, He restored creativity in my life. I am so very thankful.

What are you thankful that the Lord has restored in your life? I would love to hear about it.

Thank you for stopping by,

In His Wonderful Grace,

Barbara 

Just a Reminder! Seasonal Sale!

 Starts TOMORROW!

Get on early so you don’t miss out on papers, inks, embellishments and more! It’s also a great time to join as a demonstrator and get a nice discount off your Starter Kit! 

My Shopping Link and November 2023 HOST CODE AUJPKKWY

Sales Period: November 14-16 2023

Ordering Deadlines

Phone: November 16 2023 at 6:59 p.m. (MT)

Online: November 16 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (MT) 

  • 10% off ribbons and trims.
  • 15% off inks, including pads, refills, markers, and Blends. Bundles are not included.
  • 20% off papers, including cardstock, specialty paper, and Designer Series Paper.
  • Shop online to see the full selection of discounted products available. This is a limited time offer.
  • Discounts are automatically applied when sale items are added to any order, including Starter Kits.
  • Please keep in mind that due to the high volume of orders, the distribution center may fall behind our typical shipping timeframes. We will do everything we can to return to our regular service levels as quickly as possible.

Please note: Some items may sell out due to high demand. The discount will automatically be applied to qualifying items that are in stock. Per our updated policy, backorders are not available. 

Thank you and have fun shopping! Don’t forget orders of $50 or more gets a freebie gift directly from me! 

Surprise Sale! 🥳

Hey, friends! That’s my 16 pages of post-it notes Stampin’ Up! wish list…and, guess what??

November 14-16, 2023 is a SALE!!! 🎉🥳
⭐️ 10% off ribbons and trim
⭐️ 15% off inks
⭐️ 20% off paper
All from the 2023-2024 Annual catalog!
Discounts are automatically applied when items are added to order. Some items may sell out due to high demand; sale will not be applied to items that go on backorder. Keep in mind that the distribution center might fall behind due to high order volume.
This is a great time to shop for quality Stampin’ Up! products. Maybe I can knock a page or two off that list 😉 How about you? 
Please use the following:
November 2023 Host Code: AUJPKKWY
*Orders over $50 get a freebie thank you from me personally!
If you’re order is over $150, don’t use the host code, enjoy your own shopping rewards! 

Happy Shopping! 

Crafty Thursday #5: Eight Cards in ONE HOUR! Assembly Line Technique

 Yes, you read that correctly! I made 8 cards in one hour, including the matching envelopes! 

*NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE: AUJPKKWY

These were fun cards to create, and a great return for an hour of work! (Okay, making cards isn’t really work, but you know what I mean!)

I know the assembly line isn’t a new idea, after all, that’s what made Henry Ford a rich man! It’s a great technique in card making, especially when you want to make lots of cards in a little bit of time. This is a great idea to make gift sets. Using the premade cards and matching envelope set certainly helped the process, that was one step already done! The premade cards and envelopes are a great deal. 

I decided to make Christmas cards after watching a video by Lisa Freeman. I chose Winter Meadow Designer Series Paper and my favorite Christmas stamp set, Christmas Classics and got to work!

I cut all my coordinating card stock pieces first with the Paper Trimmer (LOVE that tool!). The packaging of the DSP lists all the Stampin’ Up! colors used in the papers, so it’s very easy to match your card stock with your DSP. Same with the ink! I double checked my measurements, then cut my DSP pieces.


Next came the front sentiments. I love the Modern Oval punch, and made fast work of popping out the white and colored ovals. I stamped the sentiment in coordinating ink, then glued them to the backing. I did the same on the inside of the cards, as well as the back flap. I love the font used for the set, and the Seasons Greetings stamp is perfect for the flap! I used the pine bough and berries to give it a bit more oomph, and copied that on the front. I kept the same color palette on the envelopes, too. I really like the looks of it, and it would be a great set to gift!

The assembly of the cards was super quick; first gluing the strips to the card stock, then gluing the panel to the card fronts. Using the Stampin’ dimensionals, I placed the oval sentiments on the fronts. Easy as pie!
In an hour, I had 8 simple, beautiful cards. I was pretty happy!
I hope you try this technique. A free project sheet is available HERE.
Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Barbara 
Read the Beatitudes and see who is blessed! 
*To order, please use the host code for November, 2023 AUJPKKWY. If your order is over $150 in product, don’t use the code, enjoy your own rewards! Orders over $50 will receive a free pack of embellishments from me personally as a Thank You!

All product links are my demonstrator links, and I earn products when you use them to shop, thank you!

In the Word Wednesday, #4 Thankfulness in November

 Good day to all!

 I hope you’re week was full of small and great moments in which you were thankful. As usual, my week was up and down, yet we are called to be thankful in all things (…give thanks in all circumstances; this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 ).

I have learned to be thankful in all. I like to think that I always have been, and I’m sure I have, but maybe not in the harder things. 

In the last 5 years, we have lost an adult child, had a cancer diagnosis, been through a bone marrow transplant, moved, and had a hip replacement. Goodness, I’m exhausted typing all of that; there’s enough there for anyone to say, “What? Really? Listen, God, I’m not sure this is anything to be thankful for.”

Yes, there is. 

I am thankful that I have a God, the GOD of all creation, Who cares about me. Who listens when I cry out. Not only listens, He answers. 

God walked with me through the darkest valley of my life. Only in Him, was I able to put one foot in front of the other and get on with life. Two and a half years after my daughter stepped into eternity, my husband had a cancer diagnosis. That was 18 months of radiation, chemo and a bone marrow transplant. We had to move from the house we’d lived in for almost 10 years soon after and just this past August, I had a hip replacement. 

I share all of that to share that God never left me. I always had something, big or small, to be thankful for in those times. Just a quick text from a friend, a good night of sleep, a hot bath. One of my kids bringing home dinner, or vacuuming. The immense generosity of my husband’s former co-workers bringing meals, offers to drive us  to appointments, financial gifts. My job allowed me to take family leave time, and held my position for me, and allowed me to return just a few hours daily until my hubby was in a better state. The prayers of friends, the “you’ve got to get out” friends who whisked me away to walk, get a pedicure or just go have coffee. 

I am incredibly thankful for the honor of going through a deep and difficult time. I have been able to praise God in all circumstances…really and truly praise Him. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Please share with me times when you were thankful in the dark days.

Thank you for coming by. May your day be filled with thankful moments.

Blessings,

Barb

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart, by Don Moen

Crafty Thursday #4: Back Fold Card

 *NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE: AUJPKKWY

Hello! Welcome back to Crafty Thursday. Todays featured card is a Back Fold Card. 

Let me explain the Host Code above, before I jump into the card instructions. If you place an order in the month of November, and you use the code, you help me earn fun stuffs! You will have a place to enter the code when you check out. I appreciate your support! If you’d like to host an online event, you can earn fun stuffs, too! Contact me at stampinopolous@gmail.com and we’ll get it set up. If you use my host code this month, orders over $50 will get a freebie embellishment pack directly from me as a thank you!

I watch a lot of card making tutorials on You Tube, and scan The Pin on a fairly regular basis. I saw this card on one of the channels I frequent, and thought it was simple and fun. The gal I watched made a Christmas card, but I had that Bright and Beautiful DSP to use again, because it is just so much fun! 

What’s more fun than a cupcake? I use this stamp and set  frequently, and I think Stampin’ Up! needs to make a punch for it! The cupcake made the perfect focal point for the Lemon Lolly card, and I colored it with alcohol markers. 

Inside, I used the tone-on-tone stamping technique, choosing a fun “Smile” saying and randomly stamping all over. It gives a bit more interest and whole lotta fun! The inside sentiment is also from the great Circle Sayings stamp set. That was a fun, fun card to make. 

The Highland Heather card I made as a congratulations card, using a retired stamp set and the Modern Oval punch. Using the card stock, I punched 2 ovals, cut them in half, one horizontal and one vertical, to back the focal sentiment. The inside simple says “Congratulations!” in the same pretty font as the front. 

Using Stampin’ Dimensionals on the closure/focal image gives the appearance of the card needing to be opened mechanically. I really liked the design of it! If you’ll be making this card, be careful about the placement of the dimensionals. I didn’t use them on the yellow card, and I just may have glued the card shut! Hahaha, mistakes happen when crafting! But, I was able to gently pry it open once it dried.

Card instructions available here.

Card inspired by SueStampfield on You Tube

Next week: Eight cards in ONE HOUR! 

Thanks for coming by! Till next time, #createandblessothers

Barbara 

Read here about the awesomeness of God! *not an affiliate link

In the Word Wednesday, #3

Good morning!

The Thanksgiving season is upon us! Of course, the stores are chock full of Christmas decor, and discount Halloween candy, but we know better! The most wonderful time is Thanksgiving! With all our planning full of meals, family gatherings, treats, and who gets the wishbone, we need to recall the REASON we are thankful.

A quick search of your Bible’s concordance, or an online resources like Blue Letter Bible, will pull up many references to thanksgiving, thanks, thankfulness, etc. We are to have grateful hearts for the provisions of our gracious and merciful God. There are many, many places in scripture where we’re told to give thanks. 

There are many places online where you can find gratitude lists for the month, featuring 30 verses to pray, for your journaling time, read and meditate on or you can make a list of your own. Becky at the So Very Blessed blog has a 30 day gratitude challenge you can access here. 

No matter how you do it, find a way to be thankful each and every day. It changes your heart and perspective. Transformation is what Jesus is all about; transforming your hearts and minds to be more like Him.

The thankful theme will continue this month, so let me know how you are being thankful this month!

Thank you for coming by!

Be blessed, and #createandblessothers,

Barbara

*The graphic is from Family Radio, a wonderful station if you are looking for uplifting and encouraging music and teachings. You can find your local station at this link.

Monday Product Review #1: Stampin' Up! Stamp Blocks

Quick Review and comparison of Stampin’ Up! stamp blocks and Fiskars Stamp Blocks

When I first caught stampin’ fever, I had been binging on the MayMay Made It! You Tube channel. Based in Alabama, she has a brick and mortar store and crafting studio in a quaint small town, Clanton. My first supplies were purchased from their online store, and I picked up a set of Fiskars stamp blocks* to be used with my first ever photopolymer cling stamps. I have never used more than a wood-mounted rubber stamp prior to 2023, and I felt these worked fine. They are flat, thin plastic, approximately 1/4 in thick, and have a grid marking which is nice to get your stamping placement straight. They have curved handles on the sides where you hold them to do your stamping. With the exception of the smallest one, you need two hands to use them. Alongside of the odd “oops, stuck my finger in the stamp pad” issues, I’ve gotten used to them.

Since I purchased (another) new stamp set, I wanted to try out a few of the Stampin Up! stamp blocks, too. I purchased the three that were suggested in the catalog under the set listing. The difference working with them is real. The blocks are comfortable in my hand, and are simple to use one-handed, all which make it much easier to place and stamp. They are approximately an inch thick, and come in several sizes, both square and rectangular. I tend to have a heavy hand, and it was very easy for me to lighten my touch. I was skeptical, but after an afternoon of using them, I will be collecting more! 

Price point to consider: the Fiskars set, sizes 1×1, 2×2, 3×3 and a large 2×6.5 inches, is $23. You can use them all for most of your hobby needs. If you purchase 2 sets you won’t need to constantly change out your stamps if you’ll be creating more than one or two cards. The Stampin Up! clear acrylic blocks * are riced as a bundle of 9 sizes at $81, the smallest block being just a hair under 1.5×1.5 and the largest at 5×6, big enough for their background stamps. The prices of the individual blocks run from $5-$20. The bundle is a great option if you have the finances to get them all up front. In the catalogs, when you purchase a stamp set or bundle, the suggested sized blocks are listed. 

The Fiskars set is a great set to begin with. MayMay’s online store also has an inexpensive set of acrylic stamp blocks  (under $10) if you want to try out acrylic blocks. If you decide to move from casual to avid stamper, upgrade to the Stampin Up! blocks. 

I hope this was helpful if you are considering taking up this amazing craft!

Till next time, be blessed, and don’t forget to #createandblessothers 

Barb 

*Full disclosure, as a Stampin Up! demonstrator, I will make a commission if you use my SU links. Links to MayMay Made It! are not affiliate links. I will always tell you if any link is an affiliate link. 

Crafty Thursday #2 Gift Card Pocket Fold Variation

 Hello and welcome to Crafty Thursday! 

I hope you had a wonderful and creative week. I happened to get a Happy Mail delivery today from Stampin’ Up! so that helped get my creative mood flowing. So many fun, fun things! 

I am completely geeking out over those A-Dorable Ink Spots! They are 1 inch square and come in the classic colors like Real Red, Gorgeous Grape, Daffodil Delight, etc. They also have an option to purchase blank Ink Spots and the refill inks, so you can create your own set. It’s a great and economical way to build a nice ink collection.

I needed to replenish my Dimensionals, grabbed a few Stamp Blocks, embossing powders and VersaMark Ink for embossing and tone-on-tone stamping. 

After thoroughly examining all my new supplies, I got down to it.

The card I’m featuring today is a variation of the Gift Card Pocket Fold. It’s a nice, easy one to make if you’re just beginning your card making, or if you have minimal supplies on hand. It’s not a “standard” card size, which is okay since I’m not going to be mailing it. I do believe it will fit in a large envelope. You can find many, many printable lists of standard card sizes online. This one is on Pinterest. I used an odd piece of black card stock that I had on hand, and it folded up to a nice almost 6 in x 3 1/2 in card.

I used the new stamp set, Stamped With Love, which has the adorable letter and pen. The mailbox is fun, too and it has some nice, simple sentiments included. “I Like You” and “Love You Always” has a pretty script font, and sounds like something you’d actually write. I was also waiting for the Bright and Beautiful paper, just look at all those fabulous patterns! I wanted to make a dozen more cards with it just because it’s so darn fun.

The bright colors really popped against the black. I just love that adorable envelope and pen! You can use so many of other sentiments in there, but I used one from the set. After I stamped that, I added the red heart (possibly the smallest stamp ever created) and colored the pen with alcohol markers. Then I fussy cut around it, added dimensionals, and boom, the front was complete. It’s nice to have a quick and clean look, especially with the bold DSP

Inside, I added some fun stripes to the pocket, which is the opposite side of the paper. There are so many GREAT patterns with this set, there are so many combinations you can use. 

I love the humor of the inside sentiment, “so you get a card.” I added another tiny heart, and an extra strip of the front paper. I can tuck a gift card or some cash in the bottom pocket and have plenty of room to write a greeting. I think I’ll wrap it up in some plain craft paper and give it along with a cupcake. Because, who doesn’t love a cupcake on their birthday?

Well, I know this has been a longer post, so thank you for reading through. As always, a free instruction sheet is available right here. I hope you enjoyed the post, and please let me know if you made this card for someone you like! 😉

Till next time,

Be blessed

Barbara

Read about the free gift of salvation in Jesus that God gave to all, because He loves us.