Chipboard flower

Here is a very simple card made using chipboard. The 'love' sentiment was stamped using olive ink on white cardstock. The chipboard flower has been covered in rose red designer paper and trimmed to give a neat edge, and the leaf done the same way using olive designer paper. These have then been positioned on the card so that the sentiment looks like the flower stem. The cardstock has been pierced in the corners, then added to the rose red card base.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - Wonderful Words
• Ink - Old Olive
• Cardstock - Rose red, Whisper White
• Other - Prints Designer paper (Rose Red and Old Olive), Chipboard (Blossoms and Basics)

Many thanks!

I decided to make several cards with the same design, but using different colours of cardstock and ink. These would be ideal to package as a small gift, and altering the sentiment would mean that the recipient has a supply of ready made cards for several occasions ready to hand. There is a card for each colour family, each card using several colours from that particular family.

The flower stamp has been inked using a colour for the flower and green for the stem, then stamped several times on white cardstock. The ‘heartfelt’ sentiment has been added using black Stazon, the image matted onto matching green cardstock then mounted onto the coloured card base using dimensionals. The ‘thanks’ sentiment has been stamped in the matching ink for a subtle effect. A small piece of grosgrain ribbon has been tied to the oval-shaped clip, which has then been added to the side of the image panel.

Products used (all Stampin‘ Up!):

• Stamps – Heartfelt
• Ink - Pixie Pink, Green Galore, Pale Plum, Mellow Moss, Ruby Red, Old Olive, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, black Stazon
• Cardstock – Pixie Pink, Green Galore, Pale Plum, Mellow Moss, Ruby Red, Old Olive, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
• Other – Hodgepodge Hardware, ¼” grosgrain ribbon

Fluttering butterflies

This card was inspired by one in an older Stampin' Up catalogue. The card base is sage with a strip of vanilla added to the bottom. The join is hidden by a piece of chocolate grosgrain ribbon which has been threaded with a piece of hardware. The sentiment is stamped in chocolate, and the bottom butterfly in sage. The butterfly above the ribbon has been stamped in chocolate on close to cocoa cardstock, then cut out and attached with dimensionals to give a bit of height. The flowers have been stamped in chocolate on vanilla cardstock, the centres coloured with sage ink and a watercolour pen, and placed onto the card (one of the flowers is also on dimensionals). If I was making this card again, I would probably use a background stamp (perhaps Canvas or En Francais) to add some texture.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Touch of Nature
• Ink: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow
• Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa
• Other: 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware

Another oak card

Here is another card made using the Lovely as a Tree set. As I said in a previous post, this set really lends itself to many occasions and is brilliant for a man's card, whether it be birthday, anniversary, thank you etc.

The oak leaf and acorn have been coloured using watercolour crayons on white cardstock. 2 jumbo eyelets have been added to the green panel, and a piece of string (non- SU!) has been threaded through them. The rust card has been stamped with rust ink using the Sanded background, and the sentiment stamped in black Stazon to make it more prominent.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless stated):

• Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations, Sanded BG
• Ink: Black Stazon, Really Rust
• Cardstock: Really Rust, Garden Green, Whisper White
• Other: Watercolour Wonder Crayons, jumbo eyelets, string (non-SU)

Brown silhouettes

Here is a card I made using Garden Silhouettes. This is such a beautiful set of stamps which can be used for a wide variety of cards but, as it is a Hostess set, you can only get receive it by holding a qualifying workshop. So what are you waiting for?! Book a workshop with a Stampin' Up demo today and get your hot little hands on this set!

The image was stamped in chocolate ink onto pink cardstock, then stamped again without re-inking the stamp. This produces a paler image and is known as 'stamping off'. This layer has been lightly sponged using chocolate ink to soften the edges slightly, and the corners have been cut using a circle punch to show off the pierced corners of the chocolate layer underneath. This has then been placed on a white cardstock base, with the sentiment stamped in chocolate. A square spiral (is there such a thing?!), complete with a knot of pink taffeta ribbon, has been to added to complete the card.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Chocolate Chip
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
• Other: Hodgepodge Hardware, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon

Kickstand card

Here is a slightly different card style for you to try, it is called a kickstand card. The card base is folded at the top and a portion of the bottom of your card front is cut off, then a panel added. The panel can be any shape you like - round, oval, square, or rectangular as seen here.

A piece of Cutie Pie designer paper has been added to the front of the rose red card. The image, stamped in black Stazon on white cardstock, has been coloured using inkpads and a watercolour pen, but markers could also be used. This has been matted onto a piece of banana cardstock, and the bottom edge lined up with the bottom of the card base to ensure the card stands securely. Make sure you don't place any adhesive on the bottom part of the panel or the card won't open - trust me, the voice of experience! The sentiment was stamped in black Stazon on celery cardstock and placed on the kickstand panel.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Simply Said
• Ink: black Stazon, Rose Red, Certainly celery
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Rose Red, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery
• Other: Cutie Pie designer paper

Watercoloured oak tree

Here is a card I made using one of the stamps from Lovely as a Tree. This set is really versatile - it can be used for Christmas cards, sympathy cards and cards for men (always difficult!)




The oak tree has been stamped on watercolour paper with black Stazon, then colored using watercolour crayons. These are really easy to use and blend beautifully. The colour can be added in several different ways:

• draw over the image with different coloured crayons, then use a watercolor pen or brush to blend the colours together,
• run the damp watercolour pen or brush over the crayon and use like proper watercolours.

The main image has been layered onto mustard and green cardstock and added to the navy card. A strip of mustard cardstock, with the sentiment from Sincere Salutations stamped in navy, has been added to the side of the image. The leaf from Lovely as a Tree has been stamped in navy ink over the navy card, though this is difficult to see in the picture.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless stated)

• Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Not quite Navy
• Cardstock: More Mustard, Garden Green, Not quite Navy
• Other: watercolour paper (non SU), Watercolour Wonder Crayons

May special offer

Here's a great special offer from Stampin' Up! During May, if you buy a pre-selected stamp set, you will receive the co-ordinating jumbo wheel at half price. Here are the sets included in this offer:

• Carte Postale bundle - includes Carte Postale stamp set and the Leaves a la Carte jumbo wheel (pages 56-57) £29.93
• Seeing Spots bundle - includes Seeing Spots stamp set and the Spot On jumbo wheel (page 52) £19.93
• Polka Dots & Paisley bundle - includes the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set and the Petals jumbo wheel (page 51) £22.93
• Close as a Memory/Vine bundle - includes the Close as a Memory stamp set and the Watercolor Vine jumbo wheel (page 40) £22.93
• Close as a Memory/Joy bundleIncludes the Close as a Memory stamp set and the Watercolor Joy standard wheel (page 40) £21.93

The wheels are really easy to use - simply place the wheel on the correct size handle, roll over your inkpad, then over your cardstock. Alternatively, ink cartridges are available to produce a continuous image - this enables you to use the wheels for your scrapbook pages or to create your own customised wrapping paper.

Here is a card I made using the Leaves a la Carte jumbo wheel.

The wheel was inked using a Rose Red inkpad, then rolled over the white cardstock. This was trimmed and placed on a mat of Rose Red cardstock, then a piece of white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon was tied round and knotted. This was then attached to the coral cardstock base, and the sentiment (from Sincere Salutations) stamped in Rose Red to complete the card. Nice and easy!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: leaves a la Carte, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Rose Red
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Rose Red
• Other: white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

Baby bears

Here are two cards I made in different colours using the same stamp and layout.

The bear image has been stamped in black Stazon on white cardstock, coloured using a watercolour pen and inkpads, then mounted on a mat of Brilliant Blue or Rose Red cardstock. A piece of Petals and Paisley designer paper in the appropriate color has been added to the Bashful Blue/Pretty in Pink cardstock base, with a piece of the blue/pink taffeta ribbon knotted just above the designer paper.

The sentiment has been stamped in Brilliant Blue/Rose Red, then punched out with the 1 1/4" circle punch and mounted on a 1 3/8" circle mat of Brilliant Blue/Rose Red. An eyelet enables the tag to be suspended from the ribbon using a silver thread.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Bundle of Joy
• Ink: black Stazon, Brilliant Blue, Rose Red
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red
• Other: Bashful Blue and Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon