Facebook LIVE Card Class February 9

Hello crafty friends!

Join me on the Stampinopolous Facebook page on Friday, February 9th at 1PM, Mountain Time for a live card class. I’ll walk you through making three cards, two fun ones and one that can be considered elegant. I’ll be using products from the Bee Mine Suite, the Perennial Postage bundle and the beautiful Most Adored Specialty Designer Series Paper. The Most Adored paper is a Sale-A-Bration exclusive, available free with a $50 or more product purchase.

Kits to craft along will have everything needed to create the cards except the STAMPED IMAGES/STAMP SETS*. This includes all die cut pieces, card bases, DSP*, any embellishments and dimensionals. Below is a list of other supplies you may want to consider purchasing.

*Bee Mine and Most Adored DSP designs may vary

Available for several purchase options:

~ Purchase Option #1: Place an order for the Bee Mine Suite Collection (#162560), $75 by Friday, JANUARY 26, using the Valentine Live Host Code AVDT69RX , and I will send you the kit and instruction sheet via email. You will qualify for a Sale-A-Bration $50 level free product with this option. The highlighted LINK or HOST CODE must be used, as it is specific to this live class. That is how I will know who to send the kit to. Supplies for 6 cards, 3 different designs (2 each).

~ Purchase Option #2: Place an order for the Perennial Postage Stamp and Die Bundle (162608) $51.25, by Friday, JANUARY 26, using the Valentine Live Host Code AVDT69RX, and I will send the kit and instruction sheet via email. You will qualify for a Sale-A-Bration $50 level free product with this option. The highlighted LINK or HOST CODE must be used, as it is specific to this live class. That is how I will know who to send the kit to. Supplies for 6 cards, 3 different designs (2 each).

~ Purchase Option #3: Place an order for the Bee Mine Stamp Set and Punch Bundle (#162554), $38.50, by Friday, JANUARY 26, using the Valentine Live Host Code AVDT69RX, and I will send you the kit and instruction sheet via email. The highlighted LINK or HOST CODE must be used, as it is specific to this live class. That is how I will know who to send the kit to. Supplies for 4 cards, 2 different designs (2 each).

~ Purchase Option #4: You may purchase a kit from me for $40 PPD. Supplies for thee cards, one of each design. Contact me: stampinopolous@gmail.com, Valentine Card Kit in the subject box.

I’m excited for you to join me!

Blessings,

Barbara

*Stampin’ Up! policy: Images are the copyright property of Stampin’ Up! and may be purchased through Stampin’ Up! or a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. Individual stamped images are not for sale.

Most Adored Specialty Designer Series Paper, #162976, Sale-A.Bration $50 Exclusive Free Item

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad, #132708 – $6.50

Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Ink Pad #147094 – $9.00

Real Red Stampin’ Ink Pad #187084 – $9.00

Clear Stamp Blocks I #188488 (5 7/8 in x 2 1/4 in) $13;

C #118486 (2 in x 2 in) $8.00;

D #118485 (2 7/8 in x 2 11/16 in) $9.50

Simply Shammy Stamp Cleaner #147042 – $8.50

Bone Folder #102300 – $7.00

Stampin’ Seal + #149699 – $12.00 (

Multipurpose Liquid Glue #110755 – $5.50

Mini Glue Dots #103683 $5.75

Stampin’ Dimensionals #104430 $4.25

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.

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.