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My Thoughts On The Slimline Card Rage

August 20, 2020

Slimline Cards

Have you seen all of the slimline cards popping up everywhere lately? In fact, I tried the slimline card fad during my last “Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be” Series (which you can see here in case you missed it. P.S., adorable zebra alert!).

And I have to admit, it was kind of cool. Different and unique.

Size Matters

You may be wondering “why the sudden demand for an odd size card?”. Card makers typically cut a full sheet of 8-1/2 x 11″ piece of cardstock in half and make two A2 card bases.

Two A2 card bases from one sheet of 8-1/2 x 11" cardstock. — The A2 card measures 4-1/4 x 5-1/2″ when folded and closed.

Suddenly, we are cutting our cardstock a little differently. Now, instead of cutting it in half, we are chopping off a 4″ piece from the 11″ length and folding the remaining cardstock in half. This gives us a closed slimline card base measuring 3-1/2 x 8-1/2″.

The slimline card base and remaining cardstock from an 8-1/2 x 11" sheet of paper. — The slimline card base, taken from an 8-1/2 x 11″ piece of cardstock will leave a remnant of 4 x 8-1/2″.

Weird? Or genus?

The Great Appeal

Perhaps the great appeal over slimline cards is that they are unique. After all, as card makers we are choosing to be different. Before I started making my own cards, giving someone a store bought card that someone else had picked out too made my card seem…very ordinary.

The size of a slimline card is unexpected. The stature is tall, stately and elegant. Because a slimline card is so long, it appears more valuable. And lets face it, because they are relatively new to the card making scene, they are novel as well.

Slimline Challenges

You would think cutting cardstock and decorating it to create a card should be easy, no matter the card base size. Slimline cards come with their own difficulties just the same.

First, you have to get over the fact that one sheet of 8-1/2 x 11″ cardstock will not yield you 2 card bases. And getting value out of Designer Series Paper that comes in sizes 6 x 6″ or 12 x 12″ is hard too. Of course it can be done! But the frugal crafter in me struggles with this a bit.

Then, there is design and spacing to address. With the narrowness of the slimline card, many stamps and dies may not actually fit well.

Autumn Greeting Stamp Set and Autumn Essentials Dies — Some of these stamps and dies from the Autumn Greetings Stamp Set and Autumn Essentials Dies will work on a slimline card, but some will be too large.

And when it comes to dry embossing on paper, embossing folders will run short. Most embossing folders are @4 x 6″ or 6 x 6″ in size. The cardstock shown here is 3-1/4 x 8-1/4″, cut to fit as the first layer over the slimline card base.

Using embossing folders with slimline card dimensions can be a challenge. — This cardstock, intended for slimline card layers, overhangs the Old World Paper and Dainty Diamonds Embossing Folders.

Getting Crafty With Slimline Cards

When has a challenge or two ever stopped a determined card maker? There are ways and work-arounds in the diverse world of crafting! And getting creative is really what it is all about, anyway.

I find the slimline cards perfect for the small to medium size stamps and dies. My first few slimline card attempts all used the same card layout, involving 3 evenly spaced rectangles. By starting with this design, I was able to focus on each section individually. I did not get overwhelmed with the large blank canvas the slimline card provides.

Autumn themed slimline card. — The dimensions, or basic card recipe, for this slimline card is listed here. This card features the Basket Of Blooms Stamp Set.

The Envelope, Please

Is it weird that one of my favorite things about the slimline card style is that it fits into a business size envelope?

The Peel & Seel envelopes do not self-seal in humidity, and don’t require any licking for sticking!

There are so many envelope sizes available, and of course I want one that fits my homemade card well. Not too big that my card is swimming, and not too small that the card barely fits inside.

You may make your own envelopes if you want the perfect size. My personal idea of bliss is opening my office supply drawer and pulling out a business size envelope and calling it a day. These types of envelopes are so easy to come by. I love that.

My Slimline Card Journey Continues

I have just gotten started in my dive into slimline cards. Next, I plan to involve the entire card front in one cohesive design, without breaking up the scheme. And the process of something new and exciting is a pleasing one.

Do slimline cards excite you, too? If you haven’t tried it yet, I encourage you to get crafty. My online store is always open if you need some supplies to help you with your creativity adventure.

Make sure you come back to see me, and find out what I have been up to as I continue to explore slimline cards, and more!

Slimline Zany Zebra Card

August 17, 2020

Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be

Monday’s are hard, but in 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 is a little bit different! I am combining the latest fad, Slimline Cards, with easy Monday stamping. And to help me out, I called upon some adorable zebras for my Slimline Zany Zebra Card.

Minimal supplies for this Slimline Zany Zebra Card include one stamp set, Zany Zebras, and one ink pad, Memento Black Ink. The cardstock colors are black and white, and for fun I mixed in lots of colorful scraps. This card is a great way to use up some of your stash in style!

A Monday Card

Slimline Card Recipe

Basic Black CS: 8-1/2 x 7″, score 7″ side at 3-1/2″

Basic Black CS: 5/8 x 2″

Whisper White CS: 8-1/4 x 3-1/4″ x 2 (one for inside)

Whisper White CS: 2-1/4 x 2-1/2″ (x 3), 1/2 x 1-7/8″

Multi Color CS: 2-1/2 x 2-3/4″ (x 3), 3/4 x 3/4″ (x 6), scraps for hats

Slimline Card Base Tips

To create a slimline card base, you need cardstock sized 8-1/2 x 7″. The easiest way to accomplish this is to cut 4″ off the 11″ end of your 8-1/2 x 11″ sheet of paper. That way you won’t need to “open up” your paper trimmer to get past the typical 6″ of measurement.

Cutting cardstock for the slimline card base

Next, you will need to fold the base in half. I find it best to keep the paper in my trimmer as oriented and cut above, and score at 3-1/2″. You can also use your bone folder to fold and burnish your card base. Just make sure it is the 7″ side you are folding in half.

Let’s Get Stamping!

This easy Monday Slimline Zany Zebra Card only uses one ink color, black, so it is easy to stamp everything at once. I started by stamping each of the three zebra images from the Zany Zebra Stamp Set onto pieces of 2-1/4 x 2-1/2″ Whisper White CS. The 2-1/4″ width is the top and the 2-1/2″ length is the side.

While the ink is still out, I stamped my sentiment, “kick up your heels!” onto the 1/2 x 1-7/8″ Whisper White CS. There are 4 additional sentiments in the Zany Zebra Stamp Set to choose from.

Additional stamping with the Zany Zebra Stamp Set

I also used some colorful cardstock scraps to make party hats. After stamping my hats, I used my Paper Snips to fussy cut them. This is not as hard as it looks, and I was able to do it quickly.

Assemble With Ease

Now it is time for the assembly process. I started by adhering one of the 8-1/4 x 3-1/4″ Whisper White panels to the front of the card base. Next, I adhered my stamped sentiment to the 5/8 x 2″ piece of Basic Black CS, giving it a matted look.

I also attached each stamped zany zebra to a piece of colorful 2-1/2 x 2-3/4″ cardstock. In my sample card, I used Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape and Granny Apple Green. After dry fitting the zebras to the front of my card, I glued them in place.

Assembling layers for the Slimline Colorful Zany Zebra card

Enhancing With Color

Because my Slimline Zany Zebra Card is mostly black and white, I wanted to add color thru my use of cardstock. I chose this option rather than a coloring medium like watercolor pencils, markers or even additional ink pads. It is a great way to use up small scraps!

For every 3/4 x 3/4″ colorful scrap, I was able to get 2 perfect triangle corners. I used my Paper Snips to cut directly from one point diagonally to the opposite corner. By cutting in one complete motion, you will have a better opportunity to get straight and even triangles.

Creating triangle accent pieces with coloful cardstock for the Slimline Zany Zebra Card — For this card I used Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Flirty Flamingo, Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Balmy Blue Cardstock.

I added 2 triangle colors to each of my zany zebra pieces, keeping the same color in opposite corners. It is best to play around and find the color combination you prefer before you start permanently adhering them. And this is good advice in regards to the zebra party hats as well!

The last thing I added to the card front was the sentiment piece. I placed glue adhesive on the triangles it rests on, instead of the entire back of the sentiment surface. Because the sentiment sits up on the triangles, not all of the back of it touches the card base.

The Insider Job

You may know that I like to continue stamping on the inside of my cards, bringing continuity from the front. For the slimline style cards, there is plenty of room on the inside to stamp!

Stamping Zany Zebras on the inside of the card

Here, I chose one of the zany zebras to stamp. I also added some small stars in the upper corner, and squiggly ground next to my zebra’s hooves. Earlier, I had cut out quite a variety of party hats, so one of my “left-overs” worked perfectly for my inside zebra.

Inside card stamping and envelope stamping using Zany Zebras stamp set

Don’t forget to give your envelope some love! The slimline cards fit well into a regular business size envelope (the envelope measures the standard 4.13 x 9.5″). This gives great appeal to slimline cards, as the envelopes are so easy to come by. I simply raided my office supplies for mine.

Mail A Slimline Card Today

Slimline cards are really easy to make. Perhaps the allure is the different shape to work with, long and rectangular. As card artists, we seem to enjoy mixing it up whenever we can.

Out of curiosity, and because I like to make a hefty card with lots of layers, I pulled out my scale to weigh my card in it’s envelope. This slimline card just made the weight limit for one first class postage stamp. If you add any additional elements to my recipe above, you may need additional postage.

Slimline Options

There are lots of options when it comes to a slimline card profile. Slimline cards are very on trend right now, so a quick search will yield you tons of ideas. I took this same card recipe and changed it up a bit, myself.

As you can see in my autumn card, the recipe is the same, minus the corner pieces. I swapped out the layer of Whisper White CS for Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper (item #153520). I added die cut leaves (Gathered Leaves Dies, item #150662) using Brushed Metallic CS (item #153524), Embroidered Ribbon (item #153554) and Metallic Pearls (item #146282). Finally, I heat embossed the sentiment from the Gather Together Stamp Set (item #150589) in Gold Embossing Powder (item #109129).

Slimline Inspiration

I hope my Monday card (and alternate card) have inspired you to try making a slimline card as well. My video tutorial can be found on my FaceBook page, as well as my YouTube channel.

As always, my online store is open at any time to get the supplies you need to create beautiful projects in your own craft room. Be sure to share what you love to make with others!

And see you next Monday for another installment of: Monday’s Are Hard, Stamping Shouldn’t Be. We will continue to explore easy cards for the hardest day of the week!

How To Organize Those Stampin’ Blends

August 13, 2020

Do you have a growing collection of Stampin’ Blends from Stampin’ Up? If you do, you may be wondering how, exactly, to organize those Stampin’ Blends.

Stampin’ Blends

Stampin’ Up! currently sells 39 different combo packs of the Stampin’ Blends, plus the single “Color Lifter”. Each combo pack consists of a light and a dark shade of one of Stampin’ Up!’s particular colors. The color lifter (white cap) helps to add highlights and dimension, and minimize coloring outside the line done in error.

I use these alcohol based markers for the majority of my coloring needs on stamped projects. They provide instant ink coverage and make blending colors a breeze. And because I am reaching for them all the time, I need to be able to find them quickly and easily.

Organiztional Tools

When I started collecting my Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Up! did not sell a specific storage solution for them. The one I purchased is from a company called Stamp -n- Storage. It is natural wood, and holds 90 Stampin’ Blends total. My storage unit holds some retired Stampin’ Blends colors, and is almost full!

Stampin' Blends assortment ready for organization

Soon, I will have to make the decision to purchase another Stamp -n- Storage organizer, or move on to the organization provided by Stampin’ Up!. The Stampin’ Blends Storage Trays (item #149169) are a set of 5 white plastic trays, each storing 6 blends. I have similar storage from Stampin’ Up! for my ink pads and markers, and I love that they are white and appreciate that they stack well.

Stampin' Blends Storage Trays, perfect for organizing Stampin' Blends

Detailed Organizing

I love having my blends in rainbow color order, stored in the proper horizontal position and ready to pull out for action. But, I couldn’t tell which blend was Real Red, Cherry Cobbler or Poppy Parade from the end cap color! Instead, I had to pull out each blend individually to read the color name listed on the barrel.

Along came a brilliant idea from a fellow Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, Cindy Johnson. She shared her version of coding the end caps with initials to help determine Real Red (RR) from Cherry Cobbler (CC) from Poppy Parade (PP). Working from her idea, I initiated my own brand of organizing Stampin’ Blends!

Labeling Stampin’ Blends

Step 1

First, I created and printed a word document with the capitalized initials of each of my Stampin’ Blends color names. I only used 2 initials for each, so Granny Apple Green became GA, for example. I enhanced the letters to bold, and used font size 11.

Later, I realized the MM’s were too wide for my circle punch, so I re-created them in font size 8. This kept the finished size of my punched circle the same, and the font size difference is not overly noticeable.

Step 2

In order to make the mini initial circles stick to the Stampin’ Blends end caps, I took advantage of my Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets. I still have small remnants from when Stampin’ Up! carried them a few years back. I cut my initials by long rows and added adhesive strips. They were prefect for this job!

Adhesive Sheets for instant stickers — The latest version is called Adhesive Sheets (item #152334), and does the same thing: creates a “sticker” for easy adhering.

Step 3

Next, I needed a circle punch to cut out each of my blends initials. I started with my office hole punch, but it is old and wasn’t cutting thru the paper nicely. So, I searched thru my punch collection to find one that was just right in size. I wanted the labels to be visible on the end caps, but not overpower the color of the cap itself by being too large.

Choosing the proper size circle punch can be a challenge

I ended up using the small circle from the combo circle/oval mini punch. It was 1 of 4 included in the Bitty Blooms Punch Pack from the Stampin’ Up! 2019 Spring Catalog, now retired.

Handy Tip:

If your punch is not giving you a clean cut, try “sharpening” it by punching thru aluminum foil repeatedly.

Step 4

Let me tell you, those tiny punched circles are super…tiny. I used the spatula from my Take Your Pick Tool (item #144107) to aid in removing the back of the adhesive paper from the small circles. It was also super handy in getting the circles centered on the blends caps.

Using the Take Your Pick Tool to help center the labels on the blends caps.

Organization Off The Chart!

After all of my Stampin’ Blends were labeled and nestled in their designated holder, I realized I would never remember the order in which they were so perfectly displayed if I took them out to use them. Therefore, I decided I needed a handy reference chart so I knew what order to return them to.

I typed up the name of each color in the order of my organization (size 12 font, bold) and after printing my list, adhered it to a piece of Balmy Blue Cardstock. I added this handy chart to the side of my blends holder using Tear & Tape. Now, I can quickly refer to the color order when putting my blends away.

Organizational Thoughts

Yes, organizing can be hard work, but so rewarding when the job is done! Here are some pros and cons and thoughts on this particular blends organization:

Pros

I can quickly find the color I need at a glance, knowing the names of the colors to begin with.
By keeping the labels to the same end of each blend, I know which end is the smaller tip and which end is the brush tip.
If I need to replace my Stampin’ Blend when it runs dry, I can swap out the end cap without needing to make a new label.

Cons

Making tiny labels can be frustrating and time-consuming.
The paper labels have the potential to get dirty. (You could combat this by adding a layer of clear tape over the initials before punching them out.)
Many of the labels have identical initials. You need to know your Calypso Coral from your Cinnamon Cider! But generally speaking, if you are looking for Misty Moonlight in the blue section, you won’t be bothered by Mint Macaron in the green section.

Organize Those Blends Today

So, whether you have a few Stampin’ Blends, or a lot, get started on organizing them today! And if you need some additional storage (or additional blends), be sure to check out my online store anytime!

Now that my Stampin’ Blends are so organized, I think it is time to stamp and color. Not only am I confident that I will be able to find the color I want instantly, I will be able to put it back just as easily in the right location. I can stamp happy! Your turn…

The Maine Stamper

Julie Makson Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator