May 2020 - The Maine Stamper

2020-2022 In Color Welcome

May 29, 2020

New 2020-2022 In Colors Revealed

Every year, with the new Annual Catalog, Stampin’ Up! releases a set of five new In Colors into the color family realm. Anticipation builds months before, as we wonder what colors will be available for the next two years.

I have the excitement of a child opening a new box of crayons to see what color draws my eye first. And this year did not disappoint! The new 2020-2022 In Colors are truly fantastic!

This year we gladly welcome the following 2020-2022 In Colors: Cinnamon Cider, a delicious warm brown, just as the name implies. Just Jade, a washed green that evokes sea glass. Bumblebee, a divine golden yellow. Magenta Madness, the brightest fuchsia pink you can imagine. And Misty Moonlight, a perfect blue jean blue.

Celebrate With The 2020-2022 In Colors!

I couldn’t wait to work with the new 2020-2022 In Colors, so with some cardstock and designer series paper in hand, I went to work on my first card creations to showcase these fantastic colors.

The new stamp set, Celebrate Sunflowers, and the coordinating Sunflower Dies, helped me to bring my design to life. I wanted to be sure to make at least one card base in every 2020-2022 In Color, while mixing in the remaining colors as well.

In Color Designer

The card recipe is simple and I repeated it 8 times, each with a different result by changing up the coordinating 2020-2022 In Colors used. Certain portions remained constant, however. You will note on each card the following details:

-The card base and 4 x 4″ (top) DSP are the same In Color.

-The bottom 1/2 x 4″ DSP is the same In Color used for the 3 1/4″ square framing the stamped sunflower, and the die cut sunflower.

While changing things up, there remains some continuity.

In Color Card Assembly

These fun 2020-2022 In Color Cards were so easy to make in a large batch. Once I knew what size pieces I wanted to use and how the card lay-out would be, it was just a matter of playing with color combinations in a dry fit style. Kind of like trying on new clothes and mixing them with other things in your wardrobe!

Dry fit for 2020-2022 In Color Cards — Playing with 2020-2022 In Color designs.

Thanks A Bunch, Stamparatus

There was not a lot of room to add an additional paper sentiment, so I found the words “Thanks a bunch” from the Celebrate Sunflowers Stamp Set the perfect fit to stamp directly onto the DSP.

I took advantage of my Stamparatus for the sentiment stamping, and it paid off big time! Because I needed to ink and stamp @4 times to get the words dark enough to be seen on the patterned paper, the Stamparatus lined up my stamp perfectly every time.

I lined up the DSP using the grid paper to mark the exact placement, held the DSP in place with the included magnet, and repeatedly inked and stamped my sentiment. Perfect stamping every time, and a breeze to change paper in between…just re-align the new paper on the grid marks!

Stamparatus in open position — Here the Stamparatus is open, with the clear plate holding the stamp off to the side. Notice I have the Memento Ink cover under the clear plate. This helps to hold the plate at a better angle while I re-ink my stamp. This sentiment is not dark enough yet, it needs a couple more applications of stamping.

In Color Sunflowers

The sunflowers are the main focus on my card (did you think the main focus was the new 2020-2022 In Colors, if so you are not wrong there, either!).

Because the new In Color Ink Pads were not available for pre-order (but coming soon: June 3, 2020), I stamped the sunflower using Memento Black Ink on a 3″ square of Whisper White Cardstock. Some of the petals overflow the paper. Notice the adorable petal bend in the stamped image, there is some depth created with it that I love!

Stamping Sunflower from Celebrate Sunflower Stamp Set

To add the touch of In Color I desired, I die cut the sunflower image in 2020-2022 In Color cardstock variety.

Sunflower Die and Magenta Madness Cardstock

After die cutting with my Big Shot, I used my Take Your Pick Die Brush and the foam pad to clean up the bits and pieces that were loose but needed help completely removing. There were a lot of confetti pieces of paper left behind!

Foam Pad for Take Your Pick Die Brush — Colorful paper bits are extra fun in the craft room! These could be saved for shaker cards or other projects as well.

In Color, Altogether

Once my card parts and pieces were trimmed, stamped and die cut, it was time to assemble. I simply adhered everything flat, and there are no embellishments on this card, so it is easily mailed.

The die cut sunflowers in the 2020-2022 In Colors do have a floating effect. The only place to adhere them to the card was in the center of each. This provides interest without added bulk.

The inside of my cards needed a little love. I like to add a white insert when using a color card base. Then I stamp a little something in the inner corner as well. For these cards, I used the smaller sunflower stamp and Memento Ink.

2020-2022 In Color Card, inside stamping

In Color Sunflowers, You Pick

These 2020-2022 In Color sunflower cards are as cheerful as real sunflowers. It is hard to pick just one as my favorite. Here are some comparisons of similar yet different results in my card making:

2020-2022 In Color Magentat Madness Cards — Both of these card bases feature Magenta Madness. The use of the additional 2020-2022 In Colors made them look so different from each other!

2020-2022 In Color Cinnamon Cider cards — These card bases are made with Cinnamon Cider. Again, alike and yet different with a change of colors to compliment!

2020-2022 In Color Bumblebee cards — Here, I feature the In Color Bumblebee as the base. Yet one looks masculine and one looks feminine by changing accent colors.

2020-2022 In Colors Misty Moonlight and Just Jade cards — My last two cards are in Misty Moonlight and Just Jade. Of all the new 2020-2022 In Colors, the Misty Moonlight DSP was the most difficult to stamp a saying on for visibility purpose.

2020-2022 In Colors Coming Soon To You!

As I write this post and create these sample cards, it is almost time to be able to order from the new 2020-2021 Annual Catalog. On June 3, 2020, the new In Colors and papers (as well as the sunflower stamp set and coordinating dies) will be available in my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net. Be sure to shop early, items are predicted to back-order quickly.

If you are an In Color fan, or just really love this set of colors, consider joining my 2020-2022 Online In Color Club. As a member, you will build your 2020-2022 In Color supplies from July thru November, paying an easy installment monthly. Each month we will explore one of the In Colors in depth, as you receive your In Color products, as well as bonus gifts from me! For more info and to sign up, click here.

The best news regarding the fabulous new 2020-2022 In Colors is that we have the next 2 years to enjoy them. I hope my samples have inspired you to do just that!

Take Your Pick Tool

May 27, 2020

Those tiny sequins and small embellishments can be trouble for many. Our fumbling fingers don’t always work. But where there is a paper-crafter, there is a tool! And pick up style tools are popular in many shapes and forms.

How do you know which one is right for you? Or even where to start? I will cover some of the basics to help you get the right tool in your hands to help you pick up those little project decorations. And maybe assist you in keeping them off the floor, where the vacuum finds them days later!

Helping Hands

Of course the first tool at your disposal, as you work, is your own hands. And more importantly, your fingers. Some of my fellow crafters swear that long fingernails are helpful, while others say they just get in the way.

It is really hard to get a good grasp on the tiny embellishments and sequins, let alone position them properly onto our paper. Why do they make cute things so small?

So, even though hands and fingers work some of the time, there are better ways to go. And tools are the answer!

Scissors Vs. Tweezers

Take your pick of tools: scissors or tweezers — Both scissors and tweezers can be useful pick up tools.

The battle over scissors and tweezers as top pick up tool is a tough one. They both essentially do the same work when used for small embellishments.

When you hold either of them in your hand, you approach your chosen item and then close the tweezers or scissors under and around the embellishment to scoop it up. While it is still in play on the tool, you position the embellishment onto your project and ease it into place.

Scissors

The best thing about using scissors as your pick up tool is that you already should have them in your craft area. Obviously they are useful in many ways!

Sometimes it can be hard to get the right grip on an embellishment using the scissors. The hold requires fingers and thumbs to complete, plus some dexterity. And practice.

Things I Use Scissors For

Cutting paper
Opening packages

Tweezers

This is another item you probably already have somewhere in your home, if not particularly in the craft room. So they would be a good choice for a pick-up tool in a bind or on a budget.

Tweezers need a different grip from scissors, but again there is a motion needed for opening and closing. With the tweezers, you have a little more ease of grabbing hold of small items and moving them around as needed.

Things I Use Tweezers For

Removing splinters
Playing Hasbro Game, Operation

Placement Tools

I find it interesting that when there is a need, there is a product. Therefore, placement tools were invented. And crafters bought them and there was much rejoicing.

QuickStik

The first placement tool I bought is called the QuickStik. It is sold by a company called We R Memory Keepers. There are 2 functions to this tool. One end has a sticky putty substance that grabs small items, and the other has a hard plastic spatula that scoops things up quickly and easily.

While I rarely use the putty end, I love the hard plastic spatula. Could it be wider? Yes. The important thing is that it is firm, unwavering. I compliment it on the solid nature of its existence.

Take Your Pick Tool

After I had owned and loved my QuickStik for some time, Stampin’ Up joined the pick up tool game and offered a new tool. This one is called the Take Your Pick Tool. It is the jack-knife of pick up tools!

The Pros of the Take Your Pick Tool

Like the QuickStik, the Take Your Pick Tool is handy for scooping up small embellishments with the spatula end. And it has a putty end as well. In fact, the Take Your Pick Tool comes with 2 of the putty ends, so you have a replacement right away! (Of course, additional refill packs are available if needed).

But wait…there’s more!

I did mention the jack-knife like resemblance, right? This tool also has a paper piercer (known as a pokey tool), small and large stylus (for scoring), and protective end caps. Sold separately is the Take Your Pick Die Brush (with 2 foam pads), that also easily attaches to the tool. This is useful for cleaning small paper stuck in your dies and on die cut paper itself.

So with a quick change of attachments, you have the ability to do 6 different jobs with one tool. One tool. And super useful, as space in the craft room is typically limited (here I speak for myself as I have a tremendous amount of supplies!).

The Cons Of The Take Your Pick Tool

If I could change 1 thing about the Take Your Pick Tool, it would be the metal spatula end. I like that it is wider than the Quickstik, but I don’t like that it is flimsier. It has some give and bend to it that I am not necessarily a fan of.

And while I really appreciate that there are so many attachments to this tool, they have to be kept somewhere. Yes, they are small and easily inter-changed. But I am the type of person who bought 2 of these tools, just so I can keep all my job functions at the ready. Immediate gratification!

Take Your Pick Tool with Take Your Pick Die Brush Attachment — Both of my Take Your Pick Tools have various job functions covered. I can easily switch the large stylus to the small, and the spatula to the paper piercer. The die brush and putty ends of each remain constant in place.

Your Job, Your Tool

As you can see, there are many options to use when picking a tool to help you place those tiny embellishments. I am sure if you look around your kitchen or regular tool box, you can come up with ingenious everyday items to aid in your crafty work.

But if you want to use the Take Your Pick Tool, item # 144107, in your craft room, you can find it in my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net. Be sure to add this handy item to your next order, and craft like a pro!

Share Sunshine Day Of Service

May 22, 2020

Virtual Day Of Service

Current social distancing practices make it hard for employees and demonstrators of Stampin’ Up! to gather for a good cause. But not impossible!

The world is suddenly virtual, and we continue being social online to connect. It is also still possible to donate our time and effort into making products to serve others. So, for this years Day Of Service, Stampin’ Up! did just that, and shared sunshine abundantly!

On May 21, 2020, cardmakers spent time creating, together from their homes, using the Share Sunshine PDF Download (from the COVID-19 Give-Back, see more here), and a specific designer arrangement. The ingredients needed were simple: card bases, designer series paper, the digital stamp set, embellishments of choice and adhesive.

In an effort to make and send (or donate) cards to loved ones, frontline workers, nursing homes, hospitals and churches, Stampin’ Up! provided each employee with the Share Sunshine PDF Download and contributed $12 per employee as part of their COVID-19 giveback. This resulted in a company donation of $5,820 for Day of Service!

Demonstrators, like me, and Stampin’ Up! customers joined in the global craft party. It was wonderful to have a basic recipe to follow to cut the DSP, and I am sharing it with you, so you can try this with any 12 x 12 paper you have on hand! Using the cuts as indicated, a full pack of DSP will net you enough pieces for 100 cards!

Designer Series Paper 12×12″ Recipe

DSP Recipe — From one sheet of 12×12″ paper, you will cut 6 @ 5 x 3 3/4″, 2 @ 5 x 3/4″ and 4 @ 2 x 3″. The samples in image #2 show the three different cuts applied to the card bases.

My Day Of Service Cards

I chose to work with the Bird Ballad DSP, item # 149592. It is currently on the retirement list, and on sale for $8.05 (originally $11.50). I pulled card bases in the core colors listed on the back of the Designer Series Paper pack.

FUN FACT: Not only are the coordinating colors listed on the designer series label, they are listed in alphabetical order.

Once I had my card bases, it was easy to cut the DSP in sizes according to the recipe. Then, I lined up the patterned paper to the cardstock base that I thought matched best.

Next, I grabbed my Share Sunshine PDF printed stamps and some punches. I focused on the sentiments that could be used at any time, for any occasion, leaving the “social distancing thoughts” behind. Keep in mind, you can replicate this procedure with any stamps you have!

Some of my sentiments were punched out, while I used my Paper Trimmer on others. I did pull out the occasional scrap of cardstock to add to my cards, as I am a layering kind of cardmaker by nature. I also used washi tape, ribbon and adhesive-style embellishments to dress up my cards.

Adding Punch Layers

I wanted my punched sentiments to stand out, so I decided to add a color base behind them. To do so, I simply punched cardstock in my color of choice with the same punch used on the sentiment. Next, I cut the color ‘background’ punched piece in half. This doesn’t need to be perfect, as only a small bit of it will be seen.

After the punched piece is cut in half, I attached glue to the back of the sentiment top and layered one of the colored halves behind it, letting the color show beyond the sentiment piece. I did the same steps with the bottom. Here is my layering at the half-way point:

Half way thru the punch layering process

The Finished Cards

These cards were quick and easy to put together! The hardest part was deciding which side of the designer series paper to put facing up (each side has a different pattern). Take a look at my results:

As you can see, I used many of the same sentiments, but in different font colors from the Share Sunshine PDF Download. By changing the card base color and the DSP, each card is very unique. And the range of elegant to masculine to just plain fun is amazing! All this from one pack of designer series paper…

Get Some Sunshine Today

Sunshine makes everything so much better, so using this term to send love is as natural as the sun itself. I know that when I send a homemade card to someone, it makes me feel good. And when I receive one from someone else, I feel even better.

What could be nicer than sending some sunshine to someone you love today? Make a card, send a card. It really is that simple. My online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net, is always open if you need some basic supplies.

And it’s not too late to sign up for a very special Paper Pumpkin Kit, titled Share Sunshine. It will come in a bright yellow box, with a label to turn it into gift packaging. Make and send the cards, you get to keep the stamps and ink included. For more info, or to sign up, click here. Just be sure to do so by June 10, 2020 or earlier (some kits sell out before the cut off date!).

Share Sunshine Paper Pumpkin Kit — This kit will make 8 cards. The coordinating colors are Basic Black, Bumblebee, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, Shaded Spruce, White and Gold.

Let’s keep the sunshine rolling! Share your cards on social media using the hashtags #ShareSunshine and #SUDifferenceMaker. The world truly is a brighter place for our efforts.

How To Clean Your Stamps

May 20, 2020

What Cleaning Method Should I Use?

If you have stamps, and use those stamps, you need to clean them! There are a lot of methods and products available to clean your stamps, so it can be confusing to understand what is actually best for the health of your stamp sets.

I will provide some insight on different ways to clean your stamps, using Stampin’ Up! products and home-made diy products. And, I will discuss the one thing you are probably using now, but should not be, and why.

Stampin’ Scrub

The Stampin’ Scrub (item #126200) has been around for a long time. So long, in fact, that I have the original version (with two 5 1/2 x 7″ scrub mats) and the newer version (upgraded in size to mats of 7″ square). Both still clean my stamps well!

The mats are securely attached to a hard, black plastic case that closes when not in use. There is a raindrop symbol on one side corner (for washing) and a sunshine symbol in the other (for drying).

To use this, I simply spray the Stampin’ Mist Stamp Cleaner on the wash pad as needed to keep it damp. I never need a lot of the cleaner, it goes a very long way (refills are available as needed). The plush fiber scrub pads do a great job of quickly cleaning and drying my stamps.

The Pros

I love the slim folding profile for storage. It works efficiently, getting my stamps clean with a scrubbing motion. After cleaning and drying on the opposite mat, I can put my stamps away immediately. I also love the smell of the cleaner; the description reads “lightly scented” and it reminds me of baby lotion.

The Cons

You do need the specialty cleaner (another product to buy, even though it is lovely and used minimally). And the current version of the Stampin’ Scrub does not have removable pads for cleaning. So, when it is time to clean the cleaning pad, the whole unit needs to be run under water and rubbed until the ink is gone. Then, the unit needs to be propped open (tent style) to dry.

Simply Shammy

This reusable mat makes stamp cleaning effortless. When it arrives, it is a perfect pale purple, looking for water to moisten it. Like any shammy, if it dries out, just wet it back down before use.

This shammy is 5 x 7″, durable and thick (about a quarter inch). It will fit very nicely into a Standard Stamp Case (dvd style) for storage.

The Pros

It easily cleans my stamps with no chemicals, just water. It will not leave a lint residue behind. I like to pick the Simply Shammy up as needed to bend and fold it around the stamp I am cleaning, but it is so lush that it works well flat too. The storage case fits inside my cardmaking kit, so if I go, it goes too.

The Cons

After use, this purple shammy is not pretty. The ink will stain it. A lot. This does not affect the shammy’s cleaning use and will not transfer ink. And there is a fine line between dry and moist. If it is kept continuously too wet, it smells like gym socks in a bad way (only if you smell it close up, not from across the room). If it dries out completely, it requires a soaking water bath to recover pliability.

Stazon Cleaner

If you have ever used Stazon Ink, you know that cleaning it off your stamps is a challenge. The ink really stays on! That is why there is a specialty cleaner for this kind of ink.

The Stazon Cleaner has a soft scrub head underneath the bottle’s twist open cap. When I use this liquid cleaner, I just invert the bottle and rub the cleaning head over my dirty stamp. The specialty stamp cleaner dissolves the Stazon Ink pretty quickly, like magic.

The Pros

Stazon Cleaner is the only stamp cleaner that is tough enough to remove Stazon Ink stains from stamps. It is also a stamp conditioner, as it is oily in nature. I like that the cleaner and the scrubber are contained in easy to use unit. I also have gotten a lot of mileage from one small bottle.

The Cons

The Stazon Cleaner is not refillable, so when you run out, you need a complete new unit. When used with cling stamps, you need to immediately rinse the stamp with water to protect the adhesive on the label. It is not recommended to use with photopolymer stamps, as it may damage them.

Stamp Cleaning Pad

Don’t blink or you will miss it! This newly offered product rolled out with the annual catalog in 2019, and is retiring in May of 2020. It is a small case style stamp cleaner, 2 1/2 x 4″ in size, pre-filled with a cleaning solution.

This stamp cleaner removes classic water based ink and craft ink from rubber and photopolymer stamps. A refill of the cleaning solution is also available until the end of this month.

The Pros

I like the small, enclosed stature of this stamp cleaning pad, and that it comes with cleaner installed. I also appreciate that a separate refill is available. The most exciting thing with this cleaner is its use for tackling photopolymer stamps. I ran the following experiment:

Photopolymer Stamp stained before cleaning — First time use of a photopolymer stamp, inked twice in Lovely Lipstick Ink, then cleaned with the Stampin’ Scrub and Stampin’ Mist Cleaner. The stamp is lightly stained after the initial cleaning process.

Photopolymer Stamp after cleaning with Stamp Cleaning Pad — Here is the same photopolymer stamp after rubbing it on the Stamp Cleaning Pad. The staining is almost completely gone! This type of cleaning is very effective with immediate use. I tried to use an older red-stained stamp, and found that some of the stains came out, but not completely as indicated here.

The Cons

The Stamp Cleaning Pad looks dingy and dirty with use, as mine was once ivory in (pristine) color. It is recommended to rinse cling stamps with water immediately after cleaning, for the security of the adhesive label. Sadly, this cleaner is retiring before it got off the ground, therefore, many will miss out on it!

Home-Made Shammy Cleaner

Most crafters know that home-made is best! This stamp cleaner falls in that category. I created this crafty tool using a piece of regular car-washing style shammy material.

In fact, the whole kit and kaboodle was part of a stamp event I held one summer. My attendees received a piece of shammy, 6 1/2 x 8″ in size and decorated their own storage cases. This shammy folds nicely into the Standard Stamp Case, as the Simply Shammy above does. I included a handy cleaning chart as well.

Decorated Stamp Case For Cleaning Shammy — Designer Series Paper 7 x 10 1/2″ fits nicely in the sleeve of the stamp case. Decorate to your hearts content! And change styles as your mood changes. Don’t have a DVD style stamp case? Think outside the box and into a spare container…butter, coolwhip, lunchmeat, jelly or pickle jar. They can all be decorated with paper and ribbon too.

The Pros

The best thing about this shammy stamp cleaner is the limited expense involved. In fact, if you already have a shammy for other household uses, you just need a piece of it for your stamps. It uses water for cleaning. It wets down quickly for re-use. You can pick it up and scrub the nooks and crannies of your stamps. And no annoying lint left behind.

The Cons

Sometimes home-made is a little fourth grade quality. It really depends on what you prefer in your craft area. This shammy does dry out pretty quickly, even in the plastic stamp case. The ink stains are permanent as well (though this does not affect use). After using the Simply Shammy (purple), this one is thin in comparison.

Baby Wipes: NOT For Stamp Cleaning

Yes but…they are so convenient. Everyone uses them. Why do you have them in your craft room, Julie, if you say “do not use them on your stamps”?

Been there, done that! For a very long time, I used baby wipes to clean my stamps. Even after I lovingly adopted other stamp cleaners, this was my easy go-to instant stamp cleaner. Until…

The fuzzies started to attack my ink pads! Baby wipes leave lint all over your stamps when they are rubbed and scrubbed. The lint is hard to see, until you use your stamps repeatedly in ink and the fuzzies wind up there.

It soon becomes a fuzzy frenzy. Fuzz on stamps, fuzz on ink pads, then onto other stamps, horrible stamped images that contain fuzz. The fuzzing must stop!

My solution: take a strip (or more as needed) of masking or painters tape and de-fuzz your ink pads. Yes, you will pick up some ink, but more importantly, you will pick up the fuzz.

Next, stop using baby wipes for your stamp cleaning purposes. I realize this may be a hard good-bye, but your ink pads will appreciate your efforts. Think of the money you will save when you don’t need to buy more one-time-use baby wipes…you can buy more stamps or paper instead!

And those baby wipes in my craft room…are best used on my inky fingers. Maybe even the corner of the clear block that picked up extra ink from the ink pad. But that is it.

Stamp Cleaning Options

There are so many options when it comes to stamp cleaning. The important thing, of course, is to clean your stamps. They are a great investment, take good care of them!

If you want to check out the cleaning solutions that Stampin’ Up! has to offer, visit my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net, at your convenience. And if you have any great stamp cleaning tips, be sure to share them in the comments. We all need good, clean advice from time to time!

Beautiful Day In Rococo Rose

May 18, 2020

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be

Monday’s are hard, but in this cardmaking series, I will show you that stamping shouldn’t be. In fact, it’s quite easy. And with minimal supplies and minimal efforts, you can get fabulous results!

Today’s Monday Card features the stamp set, Beautiful Day. This stamp set only contains 5 stamps, but I managed to use all of them in my card (something new for me!). If you would like to see another floral project that features a Monday style card, click here.

Beautiful Day Stamp Set, item # 145915 — Beautiful Day Stamp Set, item #145915

As always, I use 1 stamp set for my minimal supplies card. I also use 2 ink pads, and for this card I feature Early Espresso and Rococo Rose. Additionally, this card is completed with 2 colors of cardstock, Rococo Rose and Very Vanilla. Minimal supplies for a Beautiful Day, indeed!

A Monday Card

The Card Recipe

Rococo Rose CS: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2″, score at 4 1/4″ for card base.

Rococo Rose CS: 2 3/4 x 3 1/2″ and 1 x 5″

Very Vanilla CS: 4 x 5 1/4″ x 2 (one for inside, optional)

Very Vanilla CS: 3 x 3 3/4″ and 3/4 x 1 1/2″

Stamp And Assemble

This Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be Card starts out with the typical “fold in half” and score with your bonefolder to get a great crisp card base. Let’s not break tradition.

However, my TIP to you is to score once, invert the fold and score again. Your inner crease is now as crisp as the outer one. This makes for a professional looking card base!

Create Your Own Designer Series Paper

With the minimal supplies used in this card, we are not adding designer series paper to it. We are making our own! This great background pattern can be used with any stamp sets you own.

I suggest stamping on scrap paper, as this technique has you stamping off the edge of your cardstock. Starting at the top, I stamped the big flower from the Beautiful Day Stamp Set in Rococo Rose Ink. I applied the image 4 times around one of the 4 x 5 1/4″ Very Vanilla CS pieces.

Large Flower stamp from Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Next, I stamped the Beautiful Day phrase “Always thinking of you” in Early Espresso Ink onto the Very Vanilla CS in the remainder of the space available. I varied the placement of letters from the stamp phrase along the edge of my paper as well. The middle will be covered in layers later on, so don’t focus on that!

Sentiment Stamp from Beautiful Day and Early Espresso Ink

Flag Me

A great way to add paper elements to cards without the use of punches or dies (this is a minimal supplies card, after all) is adding a flagged piece. On my 1 x 5″ Rococo Rose CS, I used my Paper Snips to flag one end. I always start in one corner and cut toward the middle. Next, I cut in from the other corner, continuing each side cut until the flag is complete.

It’s time to add some pieces to our card front. I adhered the stamped Very Vanilla piece down first. After that, I attached the flagged piece on the right side of the card front.

Remember that little triangle piece that was cut away when I did my flagging? I added that on top of the flagged cardstock, giving the look of a fancy fold paper. I encourage you to use all your scraps on your projects in unique ways.

Butterfly Focus

The focus piece of the card is always the most fun part to work on. For this card, I stamped the large butterfly stamp from the Beautiful Day Stamp Set in Early Espresso Ink onto the 2 3/4 x 3 1/2″ Rococo Rose CS. I angled the butterfly, allowing the image to fall off the edges.

Butterfly Stamp from Beautiful Day Stamp Set

After stamping the butterfly, I added the trio of flowers stamp in a random pattern on the same cardstock. This time, I used Rococo Rose Ink. I tried to focus on the outer edges of my paper. This little stamp is adorable, it reminds me of sequins, with the small open center on each flower.

Trio of small flowers stamp from Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Once this stamping was completed, I adhered the Rococo Rose CS to the 3 x 3 3/4″ layer of Very Vanilla. I love to frame my pieces with additional cardstock, giving them an air of importance. This assembly attaches flat to the card front as well.

Finishing Touches

It’s time to stamp some more words. This is the fifth and final stamp in the Beautiful Day Stamp Set. Because I wanted the sentiment to be a smaller image on my card front, I chose to mask off part of the stamp.

This is optional, of course. For the masked version, I used a piece of Very Vanilla CS measuring 3/4 x 3 1/4″. If you choose not to mask and want to use the entire stamp image, it is easily completed on a 1 x 3 1/4″.

The Art Of Masking

Masking part of a stamp allows us to use part of the image. This can be done using masking tape, painters tape or washi tape. I prefer painters tape, as it is less sticky than masking tape and stickier than washi. Happy medium!

First, place the tape over the part of the stamp that you don’t want to use. In this case, I am keeping Happy Birthday open for inking and closing off the remainder of the sentiment.

Second, ink up your stamp, tape and all. Just pretend the tape doesn’t exist. Make sure the rubber image you want to use has enough ink on it before stamping.

Third, and most important step! Remove the tape before you stamp your image. If you forget this step and leave the tape on, you will have a splotchy mess under the image you wanted.

Fourth and final step, apply the stamp to your paper. I focused on centering the Happy Birthday portion on my cardstock, rather than the complete stamp.

Happy Birthday Stamp from Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Masked Sentiment

Un-Masked Sentiment

The Insider Job

Now that your card is beautiful on the outside, with the addition of your stamped sentiment piece, let’s add some glamour to the inside. I love to mimic some of the stamped images from the front of the card and carry them to the inner layer.

For this card using the Beautiful Day Stamp Set, I stamped the large flower image in Rococo Rose onto the bottom corner of the remaining 4 x 5 1/4″ Very Vanilla CS. Next, I used the smaller trio of flowers in Rococo Rose Ink, stamping them off first before adding them, for a lighter ink image.

Inside Stamping With Beautiful Day Stamp Set

Step It Up!

I like to feature the same Monday Card Recipe with the addition of a few extra details, in an effort to show you that you can always add more. For my stepped up version, I added some Scalloped Linen Ribbon in Rococo Rose under the sentiment popped up by dimensionals.

Other new features here include 2 butterfly punched images, the larger in Very Vanilla CS and the smaller in 2019-2021 DSP, adhered together and given a lift with a dimensional. On top of my butterflies, I added a 2019-2021 Faceted Dot in Rococo Rose.

Stepped Up Version of Beautiful Day Card

Stampin’ Up makes color coordination easy with so many items to choose from. If you need any of the products I used for this card, head over to my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net/, and get them while you can. Some of these items are retiring very soon, so don’t miss out!

I hope you enjoyed making this easy card on a hard Monday with me. My video tutorial can be found on my FaceBook page, as well as my YouTube channel. See you next Monday for another installment of:

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be!