Dainty Delight Sending Love Card

Dainty Delight Card Class, Card 2

Dainty Delight Sending Love Card

We are on to the next card from my Weekly Card Class From ME. And this week features the Dainty Delight Bundle by Stampin’ Up!. While this card is bold in color, the flowers I stamped using the Dainty Delight Stamp Set are….well, dainty.

Want to see our first card in softer spring-like colors using the Dainty Delight Bundle? Click here.

Bold Blocks of Color

The Flowers & More Host Designer Series Paper Pack may not be your first choice when making a card with the Dainty Delight Bundle. (To be honest, it wasn’t my first card either, but it was the second one!)

These bold patterns have something else going for them: bright colors that are background style prints.

Some of these patterns worked really well for the front of my card. I started with Orchid Oasis (Blue or Purple? You decide). I brightened up my card by putting my busy layers on White Cardstock mats.

Block Orientation Your Way

The fun part about creativity is the ability to change things up! And that is just what I did as I made this card during my live demo. Instead of using landscape style blocks, I took the same papers and went horizontal.

You can see how great this card recipe looks no matter what direction you style it in!

Get Your Dainty Delight Card Class From ME

This Dainty Delight Card is just one in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from this class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Sweetest Ever Special Offer

Your Sweetest Ever Special Offer

During this week of Valentine’s Day and spreading “Love”, I am ready to offer you something extra sweet! As a papercrafter, I know all about the love of paper. And I have just the thing for you. Read on for all the great details!

Normally, I hold a weekly Card Class From ME, and focus on a particular Stampin’ Up! bundle to demonstrate with, while making 3 cards. Then, I send you card kits in the mail based on my online class, with a qualifying purchase in my online stamping store.

Special Week, Special Card, Special Offer

But, this week I am changing it all up! Instead of 3 cards, I only demonstrated 1 . Instead of just ordinary handmade A2 sized cards, I chose a fun fold card. Want to see my live demo for this Joy-Fold card? Click this link.

Along with my special Monday night class, featuring the Love Cats Stamp Set, I have a very special offer just for you during this week of love!

Designer Series Paper Stacks

My Sweetest Ever Special Offer involves designer series paper. And nobody does DSP better than Stampin’ Up!. Each paper pack has a great variety of double sided designs in colors that work well together. If you aren’t thrilled with a particular pattern, flip the paper over and try the other side!

With my Sweetest Ever Special Offer, you will receive a sampler pack made up of 24 6″ x 6″ sheets of Dandy Designs Sale-A-Bration DSP (normally you would spend $100 to get this entire paper pack of 48 12′ x 12″ sheets for free!).

You will also get a sampler pack of 24 6″ x 6″ sheets of Flowers & More Host DSP (normally you would spend $180 to get this entire paper pack of 48 12′ x 12″ sheets for free!).

Free Mystery Embellishment

And to sweeten this Sweetest Ever Special Offer, I am also sending you a Free Mystery Embellishment. Wondering what you will get? Maybe ribbon, or gems… or something completely different? Your extra freebie will be fancily packaged up and fill you with excitement to open your gift from me.

Get Your Sweetest Ever Special Offer Now

Wondering how you can get your FREE designer series paper and embellishment gift from me?

Just spend $50 (before shipping and tax) in my online stamping store between February 13 – 17, using Host Code THTFACP3 at checkout. Remember, this is a limited time offer, so don’t wait and miss out!

Get A Sale-A-Bration Freebie Too

And the cherry on the top of this Sweetest Ever Special Offer? Sale-A-Bration is still happening. When you spend $50 with me this week, you are getting 48 sheets of 6″ x 6″ designer series paper and a Free Mystery Embellishment from me, and also a Sale-A-Bration freebie from Stampin’ Up! (choose yours at checkout).

Start Shopping Now

With all these sweet offers right now, it is definitely time to shop. Be sure to make the most out of this limited time Sweetest Ever Special Offer by heading to my online stamping store now. I am looking forward to mailing you your designer series paper and mystery embellishment!

Sweet Citrus Sweeter Things

Sweet Citrus Card Class, Card 2

Sweet Citrus, Sweeter Things In Life

We are on to the next card from my Weekly Card Class From ME, featuring the Sweet Citrus Bundle by Stampin’ Up!. With the word “sweeter” in the sentiment phrase, I just knew this card had to have some pink in it. After all, what could be sweeter?

And not just any pink color would do. I chose a bright and bold pink, Melon Mambo. To coordinate with the citrus side of things, I pulled out Pumpkin Pie. Looking for a card more on the masculine side of things? Check out the first card from this card class here.

Move Over Lemons

While we did some two-step stamping in card #1 from my Weekly Card Class From ME, these citrus fruits did not require any stamping at all. You may be wondering how we got so much color (perhaps too much, but more on that later) without doing any stamping to apply ink.

I shared a lot of ways to use the Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder, which is made up of an actual embossing folder and dies that work together at the same time. For this Sweet Citrus Sweeter Things Card, we used the hybrid to do most of the work first.

You can find my post with additional tips on using the Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder here.

Making Citrus Choices

Okay, I am not going to lie. My Sweet Citrus fruits (which I thought would be grapefruit) turned out more like blood oranges, but not on purpose. Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie make some mighty dark citrus edibles. I even tried to “lighten up” on the ink during my live demonstration as seen in the card above.

After some thought and a few brutally honest opinions from other crafters, I went back to the drawing board long after my live demo card class. Looking for the video replay? Click here to see it.

Sweet Citrus Fruits, 2.0

The secret to the Sweet Citrus fruits for this card lies in ink pads and sponge daubers. Like I said earlier, no stamping at all.

First, I ran some White Cardstock thru my Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine using the Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder with the coordinating dies inside. Afterwards, I had completely plain white die cuts with great embossing details, just waiting for ink.

I used Sponge Daubers and selected ink pads to color in my citrus fruits. Beginning in the middle, I swirled on some ink (Melon Mambo for the dark version and Flirty Flamingo for the light version). Next, I added ink to the citrus fruit rinds (Pumpkin Pie for the dark version and Pale Papaya with a little Pumpkin Pie for the light version).

Layers of Sweet Citrus Goodness

This Sweet Citrus Sweeter Things card is not only heavy on sweet citrus, but also great layers. As you can see, I like to add a lot of variety in designer series paper that coordinate colors, but vary in patterns to create interest.

For this card, I chose paper selections from Enjoy the Journey and Flowers & More Host Designer Series Paper. Stampin’ Up! makes it really easy to coordinate designs using different product lines.

Get Your Sweet Citrus Card Class From ME

This Sweet Citrus Sweeter Things Card is just one in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Sweet Citrus Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Two-Tone Flora Thanks Card

Two-Tone Flora Card Class, Card 2

I am back at it with the Two-Tone Flora Bundle this week. For the second card in my Weekly Card Class From ME, I chose a more tropical vibe. Did you miss my first card using the Two-Tone Flora Bundle? Click here to see it.

Perhaps it is the cold Maine winter (our low temp will be -20 tomorrow night!), but I felt more “Aloha” than “Hot Chocolate” during my design process for this Two-Tone Flora Thanks Card.

Tropical-Tone Colors

I love the In Color, Tahitian Tide for its bold and bright blue tone. It is the perfect backdrop for my row of pretty posies. I used the smallest flower stamp in the Two-Tone Flora Stamp Set, along with the matching die from the Two-Tone Flora Dies.

Colorful Color Palette

Here is a look at the colors from my Two-Tone Flora Thanks Card: Tahitian Tide, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade and Granny Apple Green.

For my flowers, I stamped off each color with the background flower stamp image. This gave me a lighter shade on White Cardstock. And while this makes the flowers look “pale”, the final result is worth it!

Next, I stamped the detailed stamp over my previous images. But this time I used fully inked shades in the exact same colors. The contrast of first and second generation ink is amazing.

Not-So-Basic Vellum

Vellum is one of those papers that is demure and understated. But it really adds a richness to your card projects when you add a little in.

You may have missed the new Vellum Basics from the January-April 2023 Stampin’ Up! Mini Catalog. After all, it doesn’t have the shine, shimmer or color to compete with all the rest of the new paper options.

I don’t find this new Vellum to be very basic, however. There are subtle patterns of stripes, polka dots and leaves on individual 12 x 12″ sheets. That takes them from basic to beautiful in my opinion.

The Secrets Of Adhering Vellum

I used a piece of the polka-dot Vellum for my Two-Tone Flora Thanks Card. When I layered it over the striped blue pattern paper from the Flowers & More Host DSP, the two completely different patterns worked perfectly together.

We all know it is difficult to adhere Vellum to a card front since our tape or glue will show thru the translucent paper. But it is easy to hide the adhesive when you add enough layers, and that is exactly what I did on this card!

Get Your Two-Tone Flora Card Class From ME

This Two-Tone Flora Hello Card is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Two-Tone Flora Card Class, as well as my bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook, for more cardmaking inspiration and ideas.

Gnome One Better Card

Gnome Card 1, using the Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set, gnome with flowers in his beard.

Friendly Gnomes Card Class, Card 1

Welcome to another weekly Card Class From ME! This time, I am featuring the Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set and Coordinating Gnomes Dies. I find it amazing that Stampin’ Up! was able to bring the Gnomes Dies back for another set of adorable gnome stamps!

In fact, I compared both stamp sets, the retired Kindest Gnomes (red rubber cling style), to the current Friendly Gnomes (photopolymer style) during my class. Watch the video here.

While there are 4 dies designed to cut out gnome shapes, there are only 3 gnome shapes in the current Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set. Each gnome has unique qualities (like our gnome with flowers in his beard!) and gives us a lot of cute options to work with.

Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set and Gnomes Dies.

Floating Eclipse Technique

While I like to pack my card kits with lots of cool elements for you, the Floating Eclipse Technique is something new to me. I thought these funky die cut circles would be the perfect backdrop for one of my gnome cards.

To begin, cut a piece of Vellum a little larger than your intended die cut. I used the biggest circle die from the Stylish Shapes Dies. I adore anything with a stitched edge!

Next, adhere strips of designer series paper, a half inch thick, to the Vellum. Be sure to leave a little space in between your dsp rows. Lastly, die cut your shape. This results in the look of “floating” dsp as the Vellum base fades into the background.

Floating Eclipse Technique.

Get To Gnome Your Card Kit

Let’s break down what your first gnome card kit holds in store, besides the awesome eclipse die cut circles.

Flowers & More Host DSP

This isn’t the first card class I have used this fabulous designer series paper, Flowers & More, on (see my previous card class here). I thought the bright and fun patterns in this paper pack would be perfect for my gnome card. Purple and posies just felt right for this gnome with flowers in his beard.

Flowers & More Host DSP.

Painted Texture Embossing Folder

I love adding an embossed piece to my card fronts. It is quick and easy, and provides great texture too. For this card from my Friendly Gnomes Card Class, I chose the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder. I didn’t want something too detailed or specific in pattern to compete with my flower dsp.

And by embossing with White Cardstock, it helps to provide a neutral spot for the background of what could quickly become a very busy card front.

The Star Of The Card, Our Friendly Gnome

With 3 different gnomes to choose from, how did I arrive at the gnome on this card? That was pretty easy! With my flower theme paper, I simply picked the gnome with flowers in his beard.

My favorite way to color stamped images, like this friendly gnome, is with Stampin’ Blends. Make sure you stamp you image in Memento Black Ink first, and add the color with a protected background behind it (like scrap paper), as the oil-based ink will bleed thru the paper.

Here is the color palette I used for my gnome:

HAT: Calypso Coral (Light and Dark)

SKIN: SU 800

BEARD: SU 200

FLOWERS: Light Daffodil Delight, Light Calypso Coral

SLEEVES: Dark Daffodil Delight

PANTS/SHOES: Dark Old Olive

Get Your Friendly Gnomes Card Class From ME

This is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link. For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Friendly Gnomes Card Class, as well as my alternate cards and bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook.