Crafty Thursday #10: Bookmarks!

Who doesn’t love a bookmark?

Bookmarks are a quick and easy project and great for gifting; they can be tucked into a card, hand delivered or tucked into a book for gifting. I’ve been making them and giving them to my wonderful Bible study friends, and a few ladies here at my complex who I meet with some days for crafting.

They are also very, very versatile, for many occasions. Mix your stamp sets and papers, and you create unique gifts. If you use plain card stock, you can shadow stamp on that, too, for a completely different look. So many options! These are also pretty great for using odd scraps or retired DSP that you may not think you have a purpose for.

The measurements are so simple, it doesn’t require a whole instruction sheet 😁

Supplies needed:

Stamp set

Card stock or Designer Series Paper

White or vanilla card stock

Glue, or adhesive of choice

Hole punch and ribbon

Base for your bookmark is 2 inches wide by 6 inches long. Cut this from colored card stock or any designer series paper.

Cut your white or vanilla card stock for center 1.5 inches by 6 inches. You can make it a bit shorter if you want a border on the top and bottom.

Decorate your center piece with your stamp set of choice.

Glue your pieces together. I like glue for this, so it will stand up to use. If you use wet glue, let dry completely before next step.

Punch hole at top, and add your ribbon. This is, of course, optional. One of my study friends immediately takes the ribbon off of her bookmark.

Here are some of my recent creations; a friend ordered 3 dozen!

I hope this gives you an idea for last minute gifts or small ways to bless others. After all, isn’t that what crafting is all about?

I will be “off” next week as we have a few appointments and, of course, last minute Christmas shopping!

I hope that you all have the most wonderful of holidays, and come back December 28th for a “rocking” fun birthday card!

Glory to the new born King!

Blessings, Barb

Crafty Thursday #9 Pleat Fold Christmas Cards

*December Host Code M6C34D2G: see below for details

Hello friends!

I appreciate you coming along on my crafting and card making journey. I have found such joy in creating cards, and I hope that I inspire you to get your hands a little inky, get some glue in your hair and create, too!

Believe it or not, I’m done with my Christmas cards! *release confetti!* Of course, I have a few spares, just in case I may have overlooked someone. I was so excited when my order with the Heartfelt Hexagon bundle, the Boho Blue Mini emboss and die machine, and the Cheery Patterns embossing folders arrived, because I was able to finish up my cards! The Hexagon punch was perfect to use with my favorite Christmas stamp set, too.

Just look at these beauties! And, they did not require extra postage! 🙂

I have loved creating with this gorgeous Winter Meadow DSP, which is staying in stock! Yay! Hurry and grab some! I was a bit intimidated by the 12×12 sheets at first, but once you slice into it, the inspirations abound. I’ve made quite a few Christmas cards with this paper, and I still have some left for other wintery projects.

Speaking of wintery projects…I am so very ready for bright colors and fun new papers…and that is exactly what will be coming via UPSanta today! So many beautiful new papers, fun dies and stamp sets, all from the new Mini Catalog and Sale-A-Bration, which both begin availability on January 4, 2024. One of the perks of being a demonstrator is getting the chance to pre-order and start playing with all the new products. There are plenty of others, too, and I’m happy to talk to you about it more!

I’m so looking forward to making new, fun projects to share, and the very first video will be…

Ah! You’ll have to subscribe to the channel to see the premier! 😁 Trust me, it will be a rockin’ good time. I’m planning to be on mid-January, barring anything urgent that comes up and I can figure out the whole tripod, 2 screen thing.

All of my personal shopping links are above in the post, if you’d like any of the products I used for these cards. Instead of an instruction sheet, I refer you to the Suestampfield blog post , who is the designer of these lovely cards.

Thanks for joining me today! Have a blessed and wonderful weekend. Let me know in the comments if you went to any Christmas parties! 🎄

Barbara

*By using the Host Code at the top of the post, I have the opportunity to earn some free products. You can host an online class and earn free products, too. Email me with any questions and we can set up an online class. stampinoplous@gmail.com

If you use my Host Code, and spend $50 or more in product, before tax and shipping, you will receive a thank you gift from me personally. Code on this post is valid for December 2023 only.

Crafty Thursday #7, Corner Flip-Fold Card

Happy Crafty Thursday on Friday! I hope you all had a great day, watched the Macy’s parade, and didn’t eat TOO much. My hubby and I had a quiet day and enjoyed the parade, and old favorite movie, March of the Wooden Soldiers, and ate stuffed shells, meatballs and garlic bread. I’m making some turkey over the weekend, when I’m sure we’ll see some or all of the grandkids and kids who live here in Colorado.

*NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE AUJPKKWY

I received my happy mail, and oh, what fun I’ve been having! I can hardly wait for my next happy mail, coming from my terrific team leader, Lorraine. She takes such good care of us all, and I hope to build my team as well as she does for ours! My featured card today, the Corner Flip-Fold is one that I CASE’d from her You Tube and blog. (CASE: Copy And Share Everywhere)

Aren’t they cute?

I had a great time trying my hand at this fun fold. I was a bit nervous cutting the first one. One of my first (failed) attempts at a fun fold card still sits in my file basket, and I try not to look at it too often. I think that in my exuberance and inexperience, I tried one that was a bit too complicated. This one looks a bit advanced, but it’s really not that difficult at all. The biggest part was overcoming the nervousness of cutting into the card base.

I started with some of my fun new papers, the Inked Botanicals designer series paper. The patterns and colors in this series is so beautiful, and I wanted to dig in right away. This card is perfect to really let that DSP shine!

It matched really well with the Azure Afternoon and Poppy Parade card stock as the card bases. Those are both in the Brights collection, which has all the matching inks, etc. If you get the assortment package, you get 2 pieces of each color, for a total of 20 sheets. It’s a great price to try out all the color options! And, here’s a tip: when you shop, you can look in the description for the colors that SU uses in their designer series papers, so you can then order the coordinating card stock, ink, and markers. In the catalogs, there’s a color bar somewhere on the page when you shop for bundles that include DSP.

When you do your flip corner, you see some of that gorgeous paper on the inside of the card. On two I chose to let it ride, and the other two I chose a coordinating paper to feature. I love to bring some of that fun to the inside of the card as well. I even added an extra strip on one card.

I kept the sentiments simple: I didn’t use any on two of the cards fronts, and just a small one on the other two. I used my favorite stamp sets, and, yes…that cute little heart showed up again!

Speaking of papers, inks and stamp sets, Stampin’ Up has released their lists of carryover and retiring products. If you have seen anything in the September-December 2023 Mini catalog, NOW is the time to shop! Many products are retiring, and will only be available while supplies last. Some items have been marked down as much as 60%. Some bundles are being retired, but the products will still be available, but not at the great discount price. I just ordered the Heartfelt Hexagon bundle, stamp set and punch, that I’ve had my eye on for a bit. Both products will carry over, but not as a bundle. You can also shop the Clearance Rack and Online Exclusives for more terrific items that aren’t in the catalogs, or won’t be coming back. Lots of new kits are available, as well as the Paper Pumpkin subscription boxes. It’s a good time to grab a few gifts for that crafter in your life.

It’s also a pretty good time to join as a demonstrator. You’ll get a big discount on your starter kit, and a special thank you gift from me, personally. You don’t have to sell, write blogs or appear on You Tube. You can simple enjoy the discount on products. I would love to have you on Team Stampinopolous if you are a beginning stamper or want to create your own team. You can email me at stampinopolous@gmail.com for more info. I am here to help you in whatever your goals are.

I’d LOVE to see your card creations! If you go to my Facebook page, Stampinopolous, you can add your photos under the post featuring this card.

COMING IN JANUARY:

➤ Newsletter sign ups: I will publish a monthly newsletter with card tutorials, Stampin’ Up news and maybe ever a recipe or two!

➤ If all goes well, my You Tube channel will go live. With more than the 16 second trial video that’s on there right now. 🙂

As always, a free instruction sheet is available at this link. I added pictures to help you “see” the cuts and fold.

Thank you for stopping in, reading and commenting. I appreciate you all!
Till next time, be blessed beyond measure!

Barb

*This week is the last week to use the NOVEMBER 2023 HOST CODE when you order. All orders of $50 or over in product before taxes receive a thank you package of embellishments from me personally. If your order is over $150 in product before taxes, do not use the host code and enjoy your own Stampin’ Rewards!

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.

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:

My shopping link and the

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!

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

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.