Month: June 2020

Painted Poppies in Poppy Parade

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be

Painted Poppies Card

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!

Painted Poppies Stamp Set

Today’s Monday Card features the Painted Poppies Stamp Set. This is a popular stamp set that was carried over from the January-June 2020 Mini Catalog from Stampin’ Up!. If you would like to see another floral Monday card, click here.

You can purchase the Painted Poppies Stamp Set as a bundle with the Painted Labels Dies and save 10%. However, since we are using minimal supplies, this Monday Card only uses the stamp set.

Painted Poppies Stamp Set, item #151599

That’s right, one stamp set, Painted Poppies, two ink pads, Poppy Parade and Memento Tuxedo Black, and two colors of cardstock, Poppy Parade and Whisper White. Please follow along!

A Monday Card

The Card Recipe

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

Poppy Parade CS: 3-1/8 x 5-1/8″, 1-7/8 x 5″, (3 of) 3 x 1-1/2″

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

Whisper White CS: 3 x 5″, 1-3/4 x 5″, (3 of) 3 x 1-1/4″

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!

Poppy Parade card base and bonefolder

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!

I began by stamping the image of mulitple poppies on their long stems, from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set. I used Memento Black Ink and the 3 x 5″ piece of Whisper White CS.

First, I turned the cardstock in the landscape position, and stamped the image twice, going across and keeping the taller poppies close to the paper’s edge. Next, I rotated the paper and did the same stamping on the opposite side. It is okay to overlap the ink coverage in the middle.

Stamping with Painted Poppies stamp set

Floral Details

The next bit of stamping creates the tiny details. I used 3 pieces of Whisper White CS, 1-1/4″ square. Using the large open poppy stamp from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set and Memento Black Ink, I stamped 2 of the 3 squares. I tried to get different coverage on each, and since the stamp is so much bigger than the paper, there is a lot of overflow!

For the third square, I stamped in Memento Black Ink using the smaller of the open poppy stamps from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set. This image fits better into the small space of the square, overflowing slightly.

Stamping with the open poppy stamps from Painted Poppies Stamp Set

Colorful Poppy Stamping

Our poppies need some color, and I used the Poppy Parade ink to fill them in. Using the solid shading stamp from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set, I stamped off once before stamping on to each of the three squares. This gives the ink coverage a lighter tone.

Stamping Off with the Painted Poppies Stamp Set shading stamp

To add additional color to my poppies and really make them “pop” I used the smaller splotchy stamp from the Painted Poppies Stamp Set and full strength Poppy Parade Ink. I stamped this image 3 times around the black center of each poppy. If you need to stamp 4 times to get complete coverage, that works fine as well.

Stamping the small splotch stamp from Painted Poppies Stamp Set around the center of the flower.

Layering Layers

This great card has a lot of layers! And they go together very easily. First, I adhered one of the 4 x 5-1/4″ Whisper White CS panels to the front of the card base. I also layered the stamped poppies in black to the Poppy Parade CS mat, sized 3-1/8 x 5-1/8″.

First Step layering for card

The matted poppies are ready for the card front, and I began to layer my next pieces together. This time, the plain Poppy Parade, 1-7/8 x 5″, and the plain Whisper White, 1-3/4 x 5″, went together. Notice that the height of both of these pieces is the same, so the matting is actually only along the sides here.

Layering card front part 2

Once the plain layers are added to the middle of the stamped poppies, the flower images look nice on either side and the messy middle is no longer visible. And the plain layer now looks like it has its own matted border along the top, due to paper sizing!

Layering card front pieces part 3

Each of the small white squares with a poppy gets its own Poppy Parade mat, size 1-1/2″ square as well. And this completes our layering process.

Squares Like Diamonds

The hardest part of making this easy card is lining up the poppy squares in a diamond pattern. I started with a dry fitting and moved the pieces around to get the right placement.

I chose to put the 2 similar poppy images on top and bottom, leaving the smaller stamped poppy in the middle. It is helpful to take advantage of the Poppy Parade CS mat edge when lining up the squares. I made sure the corner of each square did not go past the “red line”.

From there, it was just a matter of spacing in between each square. I adhered each one without moving the others off the card front, so I remembered where each one needed to be fit back on the card.

Finished card front using Painted Poppies Stamp Set

The Insider Job

Your card is beautiful on the outside, now lets make it pretty inside too! I like to mimic some of the outer stamping into a corner of the inside card. This way the card has continuity and there is still lots of room to add your own sentiment or written thoughts.

Here, I used the same technique from the stamping of the large poppy image and filler color from the Painted Poppy Stamp Set to add that inside interest.

Stamping inside the card with the Painted Poppies Stamp Set

Step It Up!

Sometimes more is more. If you have ribbon or adhesive gems in your craft room, they go so nicely with this card. Here, I used some retired Poppy Parade ribbon and the Frosted Epoxy Droplets (item #147801) to dress it up.

Dressed up Painted Poppy Card

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. If you need any supplies for this card, please feel free to visit my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, at any time. See you next Monday for another installment of:

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

Daisy Lane In Pool Party

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be

Daisy Lane Stamp Set

Daisy Lane Card In Pool Party

Monday’s are hard, but with the Daisy Lane Stamp Set and this card making 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, Daisy Lane, item #149325. This stamp set is not new to the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog from Stampin’ Up, but it is current. If you would like to see another easy Monday card featuring flowers, click here.

You can purchase 2 separate punches to coordinate with the Daisy Lane Stamp Set. There is a Daisy Punch, item #143713, for the larger daisy stamp and a Medium Daisy Punch, item #149517, for the smaller daisy stamp. However, since we are using minimal supplies, this Monday Card only uses the stamp set.

Daisy Lane Stamp Set

That’s right, one stamp set, Daisy Lane, two ink pads, Bermuda Bay and Shaded Spruce, and two colors of cardstock, Pool Party and Whisper White. Please follow along!

A Monday Card

The Card Recipe

Pool Party CS: 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″, score at 4-1/4″ for card base.

Pool Party CS: 3-1/4 x 4″, 3/4 x 4″″ and 2 x 4-3/4″

Whisper White CS: 4 x 5 1/4″ (for inside, optional)

Whisper White CS: 2-1/4 x 5″, 1-3/4 x 4-1/2″, 1-1/4 x 4″, and 1/2 x 2-1/2″

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 bone folder 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!

Pool Party Card Base and Bone Folder

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 with the 3-1/4 x 4″ Pool Party CS, stamp the fern leaf using Shaded Spruce Ink over the entire surface. Do the same with the 3/4 x 4″ Pool Party CS.

Fern leaf stamp from Daisy Lane Stamp Set
This stamp works well when overlapped, so don’t worry about stamping it as such!

Floral Details

Next, I worked with the focal point flower. I used the 1-3/4 x 4-1/2 piece of Whisper White CS. First, I stamped the stem from the Daisy Lane Stamp Set in Shaded Spruce. Next, I used Bermuda Bay Ink and the daisy flower stamp, stamping off, then on to the top of the stem. This creates a lighter flower image.

Because the flower image was stamped off and is lighter, the sentiment stamp “friend” from the Daisy Lane Stamp Set is well defined when stamped in full strength Bermuda Bay Ink at the top of the stem.

Daisy Flower stamped from Daisy Lane Stamp Set

Sentimental Use

I love to use sentiment stamps in unusual ways, and in this card, they keep coming! To accent my focal flower, I stamped the saying “It’s your time to shine” from the Daisy Lane Stamp Set using Shaded Spruce Ink on the 1/2 x 2-1/2″ white cs.

Cutting apart sentiment from Daisy Lane Stamp Set
Small leftover paper scraps from cutting cardstock to size work perfect for this.

Next, I used my Paper Snips to cut each individual word apart and trimmed them. Lastly, I adhered each word in the proper phrase order to the top of the leaves on my flower stem. I prefer Tombow Liquid Adhesive Glue for small jobs like this.

Adding sentiment to card

For the next bit of stamping, I used the sentiment, “The best moments in my life happen with you”, from the Daisy Lane Stamp Set. I stamped it 3 times in Shaded Spruce Ink on the 1-1/4 x 4″ white cs. I started on the left, stamped in the middle and finished on the right.

Following that, I stamped the medium open petal daisy stamp from the Daisy Lane Stamp Set over each stamped sentiment. For this inking, and to get a very light image, I used the Bermuda Bay Ink and stamped off twice before stamping on my white cs.

Sentiment and daisy stamping using the Daisy Lane Stamp Set

Putting It All Together

With the stamping for the outside completed, it is just a matter of putting the card puzzle pieces together. I began with the leafy background stamped images, choosing the largest one to adhere first. The smallest one fits on the bottom of the card front, with the long sentiment piece tucked in between.

Front of card assembly

The focal flower piece has additional matting to it. You can choose to omit some of the matting if you prefer. After putting my cardstock together, I added it to the front of the card toward the right . One “best moments” sentiment is clearly visible, while the additional two are only peeking out and implied.

The Insider Job

Your card is beautiful on the outside, now lets make it pretty inside too! I like to mimic some of the outer stamping into a corner of the inside card. This way the card has continuity and there is still lots of room to add your own sentiment or written thoughts.

Here, I used the same technique from the stamping of the stem in Shaded Spruce Ink and daisy flower in Bermuda Bay Ink, to add that inside interest. Because I was not stamping the friend sentiment, I did not stamp off when using the flower stamp. This gave me a bolder inside flower.

Inside stamping

Another Easy Monday

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. If you need any supplies for this card, please feel free to visit my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, at any time. See you next Monday for another installment of:

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

C.A.S.E. This Card

What Does C.A.S.E Mean?

If you are a card maker, you have probably C.A.S.E’d a card or two, maybe without even knowing it! The initials stand for “Copy And Share Everything”. It is the “copy cat” of copying.

All card makers enjoy looking at each other’s work. I have spent many hours on Pinterest myself. If you have a particular stamp set or theme and need ideas on using it, there are plenty out there!

How To C.A.S.E.

C.A.S.E.-ing is simple. First, find a card you love. Next, re-create it, just like it is pictured. I find great card samples in the Stampin’ Up! catalog, on Pinterest or on someone’s FaceBook page or blog.

It is highly encouraged to C.A.S.E.. Many card artists who design cards are flattered when someone “copies” their work. It is a sign of a great card if other card makers want to make it too.

The “Do Not” of C.A.S.E.-Ing

The number one “do not” when C.A.S.E-ing a card is to claim that you are the original designer of the card. While C.A.S.E-ing is encouraged, it is also recommended that you give credit to the person who created it.

Cards and card designs are not copyrighted. It really can be difficult to track down the original source, especially if a particular card has been C.A.S.E’d over and over. If you are not sure where the design originated, give credit from the last known source.

Copy And Slightly Edit

The initials C.A.S.E. can also be construed as “Copy And Slightly Edit” as well. This analogy is also very common. How many times have you looked at a card design and thought to yourself, “I would change this or that”?

When you slightly edit, you are taking the original design and changing a thing or two. Perhaps you are rearranging the lay-out just a bit. Maybe you are adding something extra in. The changes for a slight edit are minimal, and the original design is evident.

Fine Lines

There can be a fine line between slightly editing and making your own design with forethought in mind of a previous card you have seen. It is up to you to decide if you should claim the card as your own design, or say you were “inspired by” the original card creator.

There are a lot of cards out in the world. A lot. And even if you are creating your own designs, chances are that someone, somewhere, has a similar card as well, without any C.A.S.E-ing happening. After all, great minds really do think alike!

My C.A.S.E’d Cards

Even though I prefer to create my own designs (I share my own card recipes with every Monday’s Are Hard Stamping, Shouldn’t Be Cards, and pass on project information in my monthly newsletter) I also C.A.S.E. cards from time to time.

Why does someone who has the creativity to design cards C.A.S.E. them? The answer is two-fold:

TIME

It can take a lot of time to come up with an original idea. When I design a card, I can spend hours on just one! I play with parts and pieces and colors, setting aside things that don’t work and trying more ideas. If I am commissioned to make a card for someone, I am typically pressed for a timely delivery.

DESIGNER BLOCK

Ever heard of writer’s block? Card design can get blocked too. Sometimes I need lay-out inspiration, or visuals on how certain stamps were used by others. There are times when I want the quick answer on how intricate parts assemble, without having to figure it out on my own.

Card CASE 1

Julie Makson, The Maine Stamper, Images Stampin’ Up!

This card was cased from Jeanie Stark. I made quite a few changes, but loved her original design.

Jeanie Start, Images Stampin’ Up!

Card CASE 2

Julie Makson, The Maine Stamper, Images Stampin’ Up!.

When looking for inspiration for a 90th birthday card, I found it in Sandy Mathis’ card. Again, I changed many things, but the overall design is similar.

Sandy Mathis, Images Stampin’ Up!.

What Will You C.A.S.E.?

There is no shame is C.A.S.E-ing. Often times, using other card ideas as starting points for creativity is best. Your card may inspire someone else!

Card making and clothes shopping have this in common: You see something on the rack at the store (or a card on Pinterest) and you take it home (or go to your craft room) and add different accessories or clothing pieces (or different embellishments or card making supplies) and create your own look. You may be inspired by what you see, and make it your own!

So, shop and C.A.S.E. away! If you need stamping supplies, my online store is always open, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net/. Be sure to follow my blog for easy Monday card recipes, and sign up for my email to get additional tutorials. I also love to inspire you!

Tasteful Touches In Cherry Cobbler

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! To see another Monday style card, click here.

Today’s Monday Card features the stamp set, Tasteful Touches. This is a new stamp set in the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog from Stampin’ Up!. The stamp set is composed of 9 cling (red rubber) stamps.

Tasteful Touches Stamp Set
Tasteful Touches Stamp Set, Item #152562

You can purchase the Tasteful Touches Bundle, which includes the Tasteful Labels Dies, and save 10%. However, since we are using minimal supplies, this Monday Card only uses the stamp set.

Tasteful Labels Dies
The Tasteful Labels Dies, item # 152886, are available separately or bundled with the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set. To order the Tasteful Touches Bundle, use item #154098.

This Monday card is made with one stamp set, Tasteful Touches, two ink pads, Cherry Cobbler and Blushing Bride, and two colors of cardstock, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White. Please follow along!

A Monday Card

The Card Recipe

Whisper White CS: 5-1/2 x 8-1/2″, score at 4-1/4″ for card base.

Whisper White CS: 3-3/4 x 5″, 2-1/2 x 2-1/2″, 1 x 3-1/2″, (3) of 1/2 x 5″

Cherry Cobbler CS: 4 x 5-1/4″, 2-3/4 x 2-3/4″, 1-1/4 x 3-3/4″

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 bone folder 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!

White Card Base and Bone Folder

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 is a great way to put all the stamps in your stamp set to good use.

I suggest stamping on scrap paper, as this technique has you stamping off the edge of your cardstock. Starting at the bottom left of the 3-1/2 x 5″ Whisper White CS, stamp the leaf sprig from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set in Cherry Cobbler Ink, up toward the top. I was able to get 3 full images and a partial along the edge.

Tasteful Touches stamp. leaf sprig and Cherry Cobbler Ink

This is the perfect time to stamp the same leaves in Cherry Cobbler along one of the 1/2 x 5″ Whisper White strips of paper. This is also a wonderful use of those tiny strips of paper leftover from larger cuts!

More stamping in Cherry Cobler with leaf sprig from Tasteful Touches Stamp Set

Lastly, I stamped the floral background pattern from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set in Blushing Bride on the remaining two strips of 1/2 x 5″ white cs. I placed the two strips side by side, to stamp them at the same time. You could stamp them one at a time if you prefer. It helps to hold one end of the paper down as you stamp.

Stamping a background image from Tasteful Touches Stamp Set in Blushing Bride

Floral Details

The focus of this great Monday card is the flower stamp from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set. It really looks great in any color, but here we continue to use Cherry Cobbler Ink. I stamped it in the center of the 2-1/2 x 2-1/2″ Whisper White CS.

Flower Stamp from Tasteful Touches Stamp Set and Cherry Cobbler Ink

Next, to add additional interest, I stamped the flower background image along the top and bottom of the white cs. To create a lighter image, I stamped off after inking up with Blushing Bride, then used the second and third generation ink. The darker and lighter stamping matches in opposite corners.

Second and third generation stamping using the Tasteful Touches background flower stamp

So Sentimental

The last bit of stamping for the card front is the sentiment. I chose the stamp phrase “the good things in life are better with you” from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set. I stamped this in the middle of the 1 x 3-1/2″ Whisper White CS, using Cherry Cobbler Ink.

Easy Assembly Required

Now that the stamping is done, it is time to assemble the card. The layers for this card go together very easily. I started by adhering the larger leaf sprig stamped cardstock to the Cherry Cobbler CS, sized 4 x 5-1/4″. Then, I placed this on my card base.

Beginning layers of card on base

Next, I added the 3 strips of 1/2 x 5″ stamped pieces. I began with the Cherry Cobbler leaf sprig stamped piece, and centered that, leaving room to add the Blushing Bride stamped pieces on either side. I also made sure to leave a small edge of white showing on the outer edge.

Phase 2 of layering the card pieces

The last two stamped pieces each have a Cherry Cobbler mat to be adhered to. I attached them together before adding them to the card front.

Adding Cherry Cobbler CS mats to stamped images from the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set

For the final step in creating the card front, I added the sentiment toward the bottom, leaving a half-inch of background stamping showing; after that, I added the flower piece, again leaving a half-inch of background stamping showing, this time from the top.

Finished card front

The Insider Job

This card is absolutely beautiful on the outside, lets make it pretty on the inside as well. I like to mimic some of the outer stamping into a corner of the inside card. This way the card has continuity and there is still lots of room to add your own sentiment or written thoughts.

Inside card stamping used Tasteful Touches Stamp Set

Here, I stamped the large flower in Cherry Cobbler Ink in the bottom corner of the inside. Next, I stamped the floral background image in Blushing Bride on either side. I only stamped half of the image (2 rows, instead of 4).

Colorful Combinations

This card went together so fast and easy, it inspired me to create more of the same, using different color combinations. The first example uses the same stamping colors as above, but I used Blushing Bride CS instead of Cherry Cobbler.

Tasteful Touches Card in Blushing Bride

My next example features the blues, Night of Navy and Seaside Spray to be exact. Same card recipe, different ink and cardstock.

Tasteful Touches Card in Night of Navy

For the next example, I turned to purple, Rich Razzleberry and Purple Posy. Because the Tasteful Touches Stamp Set is cling (red rubber), I was able to use my Purple Posy Stampin’ Write Marker to ink the stamp with for the lighter tones here.

Tasteful Touches Card in Rich Razzleberry

My last card example uses greens, Garden Green and Soft Sea Foam. This great card recipe made every card in any color combo quick to create.

Tasteful Touches Card in Garden Green

Get Inspired

I always get inspired by color when I create a new card. Having a stamp set like Tasteful Touches made this creation easy to complete as well.

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. If you need any supplies for this card, please feel free to visit my online store, https://www.juliemakson.stampinup.net, at any time. See you next Monday for another installment of:

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

Flowers For Every Season

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Memories & More Card Pack

Cards made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.
These cards feature the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

June Mystery Host Thank You Cards

I appreciate everyone who places an order of Stampin’ Up! merchandise thru me. And to show my gratitude, I send out a homemade card to my customers every time they order.

I needed to make a batch of cards to thank all who placed an order with me during my June Mystery Host Party, and I turned to the new In Colors and the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

I try to make multi-purpose cards, useful for any occasion. Because I leave the inside blank and unsigned, the card I send is perfect for my customer to pass along to someone else. Unless they keep it for themselves!

Mass Production, Craft Room Style

When I need to make a lot of cards, I look for some shortcuts. This makes the overall process quicker and easier. And there is nothing easier than a pack of Memories & More Cards, like the Flowers For Every Season variety I used for the cards shown here.

Stampin’ Up!’s Memories & More Card Packs tie into their like-color families for simple mixing and matching, no guesswork required. The cards are double sided, so there are lots of options in design. Each Memories & More Card Pack has a mix of sizes in 3 x 4″ and 4 x 6″.

I find the 3 x 4″ size perfect for card fronts, and the 4 x 6″ is quickly cut in half to make two 3 x 4″ pieces! In fact, this is what I did when creating my batch of thank you cards.

Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Cards
When using Memories & More Cards, there is less paper trimming needed versus a regular paper stack. The 3 x 4″ pieces are ready to be instantly added to any project!

Mini Embossing Folder For Big Impact

I love to add an embossed design to my cards. Creating texture is visually appealing to the eye, and impacts the card with a rich and valuable factor. There are times when I use more than one kind of embossing folder on a single card.

The new 2020-2021 Annual Stampin’ Up! Catalog debuted some “mini” embossing folders. These folders are sold as a pack of two different designs, in a smaller size of 3-3/8 x 6-1/4″ each. They will work in your standard die-cutting machine as well.

I worked with the Greenery Embossing Folders, choosing the leafy variety option, peeking from top and bottom. Instead of embossing directly on my card front, I used a piece of Whisper White CS, 3 x 5-1/4″ in size. I really enjoy creating layers!

Greenery Embossing Folder

A Little Stamping

There was not a whole lot of stamping required for these thank you cards, but the stamped images played a part just the same.

From the Forever Fern Stamp Set, I used the berry sprig. This stamp set is one of Stampin’ Up!’s DistINKtive stamp sets. The stamps ink and image with great shading to create depth and dimension. These are great stamps for beginners, because they stamp so beautifully every time without effort.

For the sentiment stamp, I picked “for you” from the Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set. My version is the wood-block mount stamp; if ordering this stamp set today, it will come in red rubber cling mount only. This small sentiment fit perfectly in the smallest stitched circle from the Tasteful Labels Dies.

Forever Fern Stamp Set and Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Set

A Lot Of Die-Cutting

Both of my stamped images required die cutting, and I used the Forever Flourishing Dies along with the Tasteful Labels Dies to get the job done.

Besides the stamped images, I also die cut plain cardstock, using a cohesive color blending scheme for each card. I spent some time with ink and paper color choices to perfect my outcome.

All dies on big shot platform

I was able to die cut all four pieces needed for each card, with one pass thru my Big Shot machine. Time saver! I also developed a habit of making specific piles of paper scraps, dies and die cuts. No dies were lost in the making of these cards by ending up in the wrong pile!

Piles of dies, paper scraps and die cuts.

In Color Ribbons

I love buying ribbon, but I don’t use it often. With that in mind, I am determined to use it more on my projects. I have noticed others use it folded and tucked behind a sentiment, so I have mimicked that design for my cards. Each card features @7″ of ribbon.

The new 2020-2022 In Colors, which are showcased here along with Terra Cotta Tile, a 2019-2021 In Color, each have a ribbon to their name. By using the In Color Ribbon, the In Color Cardstock (as a layer behind the Memories & More Card) as well as the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack that features the new In Colors, I have great continuity.

2020-2022 In Color Ribbons, plus Terra Cotta Tile
Ribbons in the In Colors: Terra Cotta Tile, Misty Moonlight, Magenta Madness, Just Jade, Bumblebee, and Cinnamon Cider.

Putting It All Together

These thank you cards for my customers went together quite fast, once I had all the pieces in order. It really was simple layering, and I kept everything flat for mailing purposes. Tombow Multi-Purpose Liquid Adhesive is my glue of choice, for its durability in adhesion.

I made 2 of each color, knowing that some of my recipients are partial to certain colors. It is fun for me to create with a specific person in mind, even when making the same design over and over.

I have a hard time looking at this great collection of cards and picking my favorite color combo. Here is a close up of each one, maybe you can decide which one you like best!

Cinnamon Cider

Cinnamon Cider Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Bumblebee

Bumblebee Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Just Jade

Just Jade Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Magenta Madness

Magenta Madness Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Misty Moonlight

Misty Moonlight Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Terra Cotta Tile

Terra Cotta Tile Card made with the Flowers For Every Season Memories & More Card Pack.

Elegant Card, Ecstatic Thanks!

I am very hopeful that all who placed a Stampin’ Up! order with me during my June Mystery Host Party will enjoy the card I send to them.

Remember, I will send a card to everyone who places an order with me, so be sure to stop by my online store, https://juliemakson.stampinup.net, to place your order and get on my card list! Now is a great time to shop for so many new items in the just-released catalog, some of which I used on the cards made here.

Loving the new In Colors shown with my cards, but looking for a way to budget the purchase of all 2020-2022 In Color related items? Be sure to check out my Online In Color Club, starting July 2020. Sign up today!