Saturday Card Sketch 832 - Zany Zebras Celebration

There's something bold, something bright in today's post!  And I've typed out a tutorial for my Zany Zebras card so that you can recreate it if you like.  The card is based on this week's Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge.  Don't forget to pin it!  Do you have a Pinterest board for sketches?  Having these ideas at the ready makes stamping so much easier!

I love the bright colors of Magenta Madness and Granny Apple Green!  The Basic Black accentuates the brightness of those two hues.  Celebration cards are easy to make with this color palette.

👇👇👇

Place a $35 order by midnight Sunday December 20 and I'll send you a packet to make THREE of these gift card holders (patterns will vary). ORDER HERE: http://bit.ly/ShopNicolesStore and USE HOST CODE QJXPTGRD

Select retiring products from the Holiday Catalog are being discounted up to 50%Shop my store to see everything on sale!  NOTE: if you can't find specific items in my store then that product has sold out.  Retiring products are sold while supplies last.

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Make cards, spread joy!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Easy Last Minute Gift Card Holder Idea

Every Thursday at 11 AM ET I go live on The Joyful Stamper Facebook Page.  Everyone is invited for some stamping fun!  After the Live class, I'll post the replay below.  

Today I'm using 'Tis The Season 6"x6" Designer Series Paper (item 153489) to make gift card holders that look like presents.  They're easy to make, so you can create a stack while watching a Christmas movie to have on hand for last-minute gifts.  That's what I plan to do!

 This is the gift card holder closed.  Doesn't it look fun to open?

And here it is with the lid pulled up, without a gift card inside.  The sentiments are from For Unto Us.  That stamp set is all sentiments, which is what I need for a lot of my Christmas projects!

And here it is, opened with a gift card inside.  I love clever packaging - it can really elevate a gift!

Place a $35 order by midnight Sunday December 20 and I'll send you a packet to make THREE of these gift card holders. ORDER HERE: http://bit.ly/ShopNicolesStore and USE HOST CODE QJXPTGRD

Gift card holder measurements:

Bottom - 5-1/2x6; score at 3" on long side; score at 1/2" and 5" on short side

Lid - 5-1/2x3; score at 1/4" and 5-1/2" on long side; score at 1/2" on short side

Inside - 4x4-3/4; score at 1" on long side

DSP pieces - 4-3/8x2-7/8; 1-3/8x4-7/8; 1x4-1/2

Message piece - 2x3-3/4

Select retiring products from the Holiday Catalog are being discounted up to 50% (including the 'Tis The Season paper used on today's gift card holders).  Shop my store to see everything on sale!  NOTE: if you can't find specific items in my store then that product has sold out.  Retiring products are sold while supplies last.

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Make cards, spread joy!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Double Embossed Shaker Card + Stampin' Up! Year-End Close-Out Sale

I saw Wendy Cranford of Luvin' Stampin' use this double embossing technique on a shaker card and LOVED it!!   

Here are the two embossing techniques:

1. Place a 4"x5-1/4" piece of Vellum cardstock in the embossing folder (Winter Snow used here) and run it through a die-cut machine.  Remove the vellum from the folder and admire the pure white of the embossed snowflakes!
2. Press an ink pad on the inside of the same embossing folder used in the first technique (I used Real Red).  Press it on the side that has the Stampin' Up! logo.  Lay a 4"x5-1/4" piece of Whisper White cardstock on the non-inked side, close the folder, and run it through your die-cut machine.  Remove the cardstock and clean the folder with a baby wipe or by running it under water.  The cardstock will be Real Red in the debossed areas and the embossed/raised snowflakes will be white.  Very pretty look!  

To make the shaker card, first glue the inked embossed piece to a 5-1/2"x8-1/2" Thick Whisper White card base.  

Next, nest 2 Rectangle Stitched Dies on a 5-3/8"x4-1/8" piece of Whisper White cardstock and run it through a die-cut machine.  This creates the frame.  Glue the embossed vellum to the back of the frame.  

Now apply Foam Adhesive Strips on the back side of the frame, along the inside edge.  Make sure there are no gaps (gaps will allow your shaker pieces to fall out and we don't want that).  

Put a couple pinches of Sequins For Everything on the card base (these no-hole sequins are SO fun to use in shaker cards!).

Remove the liner from the Foam Adhesive Strips and attach that panel to the card base.  Press firmly along all four sides to create a tight seal.  That's it!  Have fun shaking your card and hearing the sequins rattle!

The other items used on this card are:

• For Unto Us stamp set
• Red Foil
• Stitched So Sweetly Dies (sentiment)
• Versamark ink, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, and a Heat Tool (for the sentiment)
• Snowflake Adhesive-Backed Embellishments
• So Many Snowflakes Dies

👇👇👇👇👇

Shop the Supply List for this card - All supplies are in my store!  Just click the link to see the full list.

Heads Up!  Sale Begins Tomorrow!

Select retiring products from the Holiday Catalog are being discounted up to 50% (including the Plush Poinsettia paper used on today's card).  Check my store tomorrow to see everything on sale!

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Joy in being creative, community in sharing a common interest, purpose in what we make - this is stamping at its best!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Saturday Card Sketch 829 - Plush Poinsettia paper

As my 3 daughters get older, I'm discovering a beautiful thing - and you more seasoned parents out there will know I haven't found anything new but am merely stepping in to a new phase.  My oldest girl turned 20 yesterday and it struck me that we're relating to each other far more as friends than as parent/child.  

It's beautiful because I can stop focusing on the disciplining, correcting, and guiding and more on just being.  Being with her.  Being in her light.  Being present knowing the parental heavy lifting is done.  I love listening to her tell me about her dreams, about her friends, about her passion for photography and the business she's started with it.  About her running goals.  And I can do so knowing Brian and I did our best with God's help in raising her and that her choices are her own from here on out, that I don't bear the burden of having to decide for her.  And I trust her to make wise, godly decisions.    

That had nothing to do with stamping, but I enjoy writing and if you keep coming to my blog, I'm assuming you don't mind me sharing, either.  Thanks, friend 😀  My card today is based on the Splitcoaststampers sketch #829.  Yes, it uses some retired products but I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator who just loves their products, retired or not.  And while I am thoroughly grateful for the orders that come my way and love to show my appreciation, my goal is for you to enjoy stamping.

God's Peace is the set I used on this card, along with Gold Faceted Gems.  There's also a bit of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter sprinkled on the pointsettia.  

Layering the Plush Poinsettia Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) over a Cherry Cobbler card base is a stunning look with the muted color showing through.  That narrow 3/4"x5-1/2" strip of 'Tis The Season DSP helps the eye focus on the image and sentiment.

 

Stampin' Blends - my favorite coloring tool - were used on the image.  Some things to note:

• Outline your images in a light Stampin' Blends color to make them stand out.  On this card, I used Light So Saffron and it adds a gorgeous soft glow.
• Create the warmth of candlelight with Stampin' Blends by using various shades of yellow.  I used Light & Dark Daffodil Delight and Light Mango Melody for the halo.  The flame uses Light Mango Melody with a bit of Light Pumpkin Pie at the base of the flame.

Mix up your greens, too!  The sentiment is stamped in Shaded Spruce on Soft Sea Foam cardstock.  I never imagined those 2 colors together until I saw them lying together on my desk.  Be fearless with your stamping, friends!

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Joy in being creative, community in sharing a common interest, purpose in what we make - this is stamping at its best!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Gnome For The Holidays Card #3

I must confess something: I was born in the wrong time period.  Being an avid reader of biographies and historical fiction, I've long sensed that my soul resides somewhere a few hundred years ago.

I've binge-watched the first 3 seasons of Outlander in the past 2 weeks and oh.my.word.  I need to find those Craig Na Dun stones and get me to the 1740s now.  Watching TV is not a regular pastime of mine, but I did read the first book in the Outlander series years ago, so when I heard Dena Rekow of The Creativity Cave mention how good the tv series was, I tuned in.  Wow.  Just WOW.  Every human emotion is covered in those shows.  And because I know the books are always better, they are all finding their way into my home soon.  

It's a very good thing I made my Gnome For The Holidays cards several weeks ago because there has been NO stamping done since then.  I'm still emotionally recovering from leaving Scotland and Jamie and Claire.

BUT, the 1740s didn't have cardmaking as we know it, so it's probably a good thing I live now.

Isn't this a fun little color combination?  Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Night Of Navy, Misty Moonlight, and a pinch of Flirty Flamingo.

A Few Tips to Up Your Card-Making Game:

• Cut or punch the same shape multiple times in a variety of colors, then randomly glue them across the card (die used here is from Ornate Frames).  Paint a few with a Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush for extra sparkle.
• Use a piece of felt from the Festive Felt Sheets Combo Pack in place of a cardstock mat to add soft texture (Whisper White used here).
• Randomly fill in sentiment letters with either a Stampin' Write or Stampin' Blends marker.  It playfully highlights a greeting (Flirty Flamingo used here).
• Tie cord, ribbon, or twine around the card base at a slight angle to add to the playfulness of the gnomes.

👇👇👇👇👇

Shop the Supply List for this card - All supplies are in my store!  Just click the link to see the full list.

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Joy in being creative, community in sharing a common interest, purpose in what we make - this is stamping at its best!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Gnome For The Holidays Card #2

IT'S SNOWING!!!  I can hear many of you cringing, but I LOVE winter!  It's my favorite season.  As I type this and look out my window with a mug of hot tea at my side, dainty snowflakes are falling and I'm itching to go for a run.  Running in the snow is serene, calming, and beautiful.

But, again, many of you are saying, "No, Nicole. Stamping inside while it's snowing outside is serene, calming, and beautiful."  I agree with that, too!  And I have more adorable gnomes to hopefully inspire you to pull out your stamps, paper, and ink for a calming stamp therapy session.

 

Just like Monday's card, I used Stampin' Blends to color the gnomes from the Gnome For The Holidays set.  What I was really going for, though, on this card was texture - lots of texture!  Notice the embossed background, the distressed edges of the 'Tis The Season Designer Series Paper, and the soft white felt the gnomes lay on.  Yes, that's felt!  

You may have missed this in the Mini Catalog - Festive Felt Sheet Combo Pack.  The four colors of  Early Espresso, Just Jade, Real Red, and Whisper White can be used together or separately.  The felt can be die-cut and embossed, too!  It has a thicker weight to it so it feels extra-soft and touchable.

To get the different shades in my coloring, I used both the light & dark versions of each Stampin' Blends combo pack.  I like to color with the light marker first, add a bit of the dark marker to areas that would naturally be shadowed, then go over it all again with the light marker.  

🌞Joyful Stamper Tip: Don't be afraid to color!  I am not a coloring expert.  I do not have special training and I never took classes to learn this.  I'm just a girl who loves to play with paper, ink, and color.  Here's what to do - grab a sheet of Whisper White cardstock, a Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad, and a stamp set with open images (like Gnome For The Holidays).  Fill the sheet with stamped images, turn on a podcast or TV show, and just color.  You'll love some, you'll trash some, but it will be fun and you'll have a treasure trove of ready-to-apply images to your next card!

Card Recipe (supply list link is below these steps)

• Fold in half at 4-1/4" a 5-1/2"x8-1/2" piece of Garden Green cardstock.
• Emboss a 5-1/8"x4-1/8" piece of Garden Green cardstock with any folder and glue to card base.
• Die-cut from Real Red cardstock a border using the Ornate Borders Dies.
• Glue the border to the left edge of a 2"x4-1/4" piece of 'Tis The Season Designer Series Paper (DSP).  Glue finished piece to the left side of the card.
• Glue (2) 1/4"x2-3/4" pieces of Real Red cardstock to the DSP, towards the right side of it.
• Stamp a greeting in Real Red on a Whisper White piece die-cut from the Stitched Shapes Dies.  Glue to the card.
• Glue a 4"x2-1/4" piece of Whisper White felt to the card.
• Cut a 1/4"x2-3/4" strip of Real Red cardstock and glue to the left side of the felt.  Add 3 Holiday Basics Rhinestone jewels.
• Stamp in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Whisper White cardstock the 3 gnome images.  Color with Stampin' Blends.  Trim with Paper Snips and glue to the felt.

👇👇👇👇👇

Shop the Supply List for this card - All supplies are in my store!  Just click the link to see the full list.

If you'd like a catalog package for the new January-June Mini and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com 

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a catalog package here, if you don't already have a demonstrator you love.
• Subscribe to Stampin' News, a weekly email that delivers fun, tips, and specials right to you.  Get a free exclusive Stampin' News Subscriber pdf tutorial as a sign-up thank you!
• Shop my store and to save money check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles.
• Use this month's Reward Code to earn points towards a $50 shopping spree - read the details here.
• Join me every Thursday at 11 AM ET for my weekly Happy Half Hour Live stamping show on my Facebook page.  

Joy in being creative, community in sharing a common interest, purpose in what we make - this is stamping at its best!  Thank you, friends, for choosing me as your demonstrator!