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!

Saturday Card Sketch 826 - Toile Christmas Vintage Card

This week's Splitcoaststampers sketch is easy to work with and gives you the opportunity to add many layers of loveliness, whether with patterned or specialty papers or a rainbow of colored cardstock.

I went with layers of Designer Series Paper.  Specifically, the wonderfully vintage and nostalgic Toile Tidings DSP.  I also used the stamp set Toile Christmas - it has many classic images!

I LOVE piling layers on my cards and I love letting everything "fall where it may" so that it looks natural and organic.  It doesn't always work out so that it looks nice, but when it does....YES!  

See that gold lattice behind the cardinal?  That is a Square Vellum Doily heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder!  Just smoosh a Versamark ink pad all over a doily, sprinkle on gold powder, then melt with a Heat Tool.  Beautiful magic!  

Watch the video below to learn how to create this vintage look, how to distress your paper edges, and how to heat emboss the Square Vellum Doily.  **Note: Unknown to me, the video abruptly shut off.  Fortunately, the entire card was made and all you'll miss is me stamping the envelope.**

Pin, print, or save the tutorial for this card.  Full supply list is in this tutorial.  

November's Creativity Kit registration is open until November 10.  Read the details here.

👇👇👇👇👇

Use the special code shown in Thursday's Live when you email me your Creativity Kit registration and I'll send you the Bonus Idea packet for your kit!  Order both Creativity Kits and save $5 and get the packets for BOTH these Bonus Ideas!

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 823 -Zany Zebras Birthday Card

There are 2 ways to interpret the sketch this week - as flat triangular layers, or as an Arrow Fold card.  Since the Arrow Fold is new to me, I decided to go that route.  I made a video and wrote a tutorial so that you could make one, too!

 

The Arrow Fold is pretty easy - it's just few diagonal score lines folded into that triangular shape.  Then you use adhesive to keep the folds shut.

🌞Joyful Stamper Tip: save paper by die-cutting pieces from the center of your cardstock mats.  In this card, I die-cut the Stitched Nested Label that the zebras are on from the center of the Whisper White mat.  The cut-out portion is covered by the Just Jade Designer Series Paper.

• Cut the card base to 5-1/2"x11" and score in half on the long side at 5-1/2"
• Mark the short side at 2-3/4".
• Mark the left and right long sides at 1-7/8", 3-3/4", and 5-1/2".
• Score from the 2-3/4" mark to each of the marks on the long side, both left and right sides.  You'll have 6 diagonal score lines when you are finished (3 on the left and 3 on the right), all radiating from the 2-3/4" mark.
• Watch the video to see how it's done!

Zany Zebras makes the cutest cards!  I wanted something fun and bright for my twin nephews' 6th birthdays.  After stamping the zebras, I went over them with a Blender Pen to fill in the image a bit with the stamped ink.  This is one of my all-time favorite techniques!  Add a pack of Blender Pens to your next order and give it a try - you'll see why it's a favorite! 

 

Pin, print, or save the tutorial for this card.  Measurements and supply list are included in the tutorial.

👇👇👇👇👇

Place a $35 order (before shipping and tax) in my store by midnight Sunday October 18 and I'll send you the packets to make my Facebook Live projects from Thursday's class.  You must use the October Host Code 4JHNU9Z when ordering. 

GIVEAWAY!  Sign up in October to receive Paper Pumpkin and be entered to win a 1 month Paper Pumpkin prepaid code!  Subscribe with me (Nicole Steele) to be entered.

Designer Series Paper Sale

October 1 - 30 | Shop your favorites!

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 822 - Free As A Bird Sweet & Simple Card

It's time for another card sketch from Splitcoaststampers!  I look forward to these each week because this is how I so often begin a card or scrapbook page.  Sketches are THE BEST for inspiration...big fan here!

What I see when I look at this sketch: 

• There's a large background that could showcase a piece of beautiful Designer Series Paper (some of which is on sale right now!).
• Those two vertical lines could be ribbon or twine wrapped once or twice around the card.
• I've got lots of 1/2" wide strips left over from trimming down cardstock for mats - Layer 4 would be the perfect use for them as sentiment pieces.

  

A cheerful, bright card was what I was feeling so out came this sheet from the Ornate Garden Designer Series Paper pack and the Free As A Bird stamp set.  What could be more cheerful than a sweet little bird?

🌞Joyful Stamper Tip: Look at your dies in fresh ways.  That Cinnamon Cider "nest" is actually a die from Painted Labels!

I've got lots more tips for you, so watch the video below!

Pin, print, or save the tutorial for this card.  Measurements and supply list are included in the tutorial.

Sunday October 11 is the last day to sign up for October's Creativity Kit.  This month's kit features the beautiful Poinsettia Petals Bundle.  Details here.

Place a $35 order (before shipping and tax) in my store by midnight Sunday October 11 and I'll send you the packets to make my Facebook Live projects from Thursday's class.  You must use the October Host Code 4JHNU9Z when ordering.  

Designer Series Paper Sale

October 1 - 30 | Shop your favorites!

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 Sketch 812 - Zany Zebras

It's time for another Saturday sketch!  Every Wednesday, Splitcoaststampers posts a card sketch and it's the challenge I participate in the most.  Sometimes beginning a project can seem daunting because you just don't know where to start.  That's where sketches swoop in for the win - they give you a place to start so all you have to do is pull out your paper, ink, and stamps!  You're still being creative AND you're enjoying yourself.

The stamp set I used for this week's card was #1 on my list when the Annual Catalog was released in June - Zany Zebras!  These little guys are so frisky and cute!  Maybe zebras aren't like that in real life, but with stamps, anything is possible.

How can anyone resist this little zebra's joy?  He/she almost reminds me of a puppy.  

Here's an easy coloring tip: stamp the zebra in Melon Mambo ink, then use a Blender Pen to go over the image.  The Blender Pen will pull the ink around the image to fill it in.  I mention this tip in the video below.  

Watch the video to see how to make this card.

Save the written tutorial in your idea file or Pin to your Cute Critter boards.

Card Kits To Go are back!  

Read the details of what's included and how to get one.

BOGO Sale!  August 6 - 8  

Get the details.

Shop from now through August 3 to earn $5 coupons - no limit!  And you can earn Joyful Stamper Rewards, too!

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 Sketch 810 - Toile Christmas vintage card

Did you ever have moments that are in stark contrast to each other?  That was my yesterday.  

My youngest daughter Alaina and I threw our kayaks into my mom's truck and spent several hours paddling around a local park.  It was incredibly relaxing floating in the water with the sun beating down, observing baby ducks, watching lily pads drift by, checking out the unusual birds, and having weird conversations.  I felt so in-the-moment alive and happy.  

And I thought, as I was paddling around, about how tomorrow morning is my grandmother's memorial service.  She passed June 18 at the age of 89 and had a very good life.  And I was fortunate to spend nearly every week of my 45 years with her.  And I thought about the photos I'd recently gone through to create a memory board for her service and how she was young once and alive and enjoying moments like I was experiencing out on the lake right then.  And now she's not here.  But she'd be the first to tell you how very, very good God was to her.  And I thought, too, how very, very good God is to me.  He was good in gifting me with my grandmother and He was good in gifting me with the kayaking on the lake with Alaina.  He will continue to be good.  Just look for it, right in the moment you are in.

It's Saturday Sketch time!  The sketch is brought to you by Splitcoaststampers (if you make a card using this sketch, please post it in the thread I've linked to.  We love to see them).  Read on to see what I made using this sketch.  There's also a video demo and written tutorial - watch to see how I made the Very Vanilla ribbon Real Red!

I love that giant cardinal from Toile Christmas.  There are dies to cut him out (Christmas Cardinal dies) but I used Paper Snips.  I find hand-cutting relaxing, but if you don't, by all means use the dies.  They also cut out the branches.

See how fluffy those branches are?  I wanted them to look natural and full, so I put Mini Glue Dots on the bottoms of the branches only and left the part with the leaves and berries unadhered.

To get the multi-colored look on the branches, use Stampin' Write markers to color directly on the red rubber of the stamp.  Gently breathe on it just before stamping it on the cardstock.  It's one of my favorite techniques!

And I LOVE this tip ♥ color your ribbon with the brush tip of any Stampin' Blend marker!!!  It's easy, fast, and not messy.  Plus, you can have ribbon in any color with just one spool!!

I used an Ornate Layers die to cut a Very Vanilla piece for the inside of the card, then stamped a sentiment and swirls from the Toile Christmas set.

Watch the video demo to see this card made

Save the written tutorial in your idea file or Pin to your Christmas boards.



It's stamping with a twist and it's free to everyone!  Get the details here.

Shop from now through August 3 to earn $5 coupons - no limit!  And you can earn Joyful Stamper Rewards, too!

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!

Card Sketch #SC802

Mystery Stamping Hour was a hit last night!  Thank you to all who played.  If you couldn't be there in the Facebook group last night, I'm having another next Friday May 29 at 8 PM ET.  It's free and you'll love it!  

Today's card has a mix of old and new elements.  It's incredibly fun to rummage through stamping supplies that haven't seen love in a long while.  It's like looking at a box of photos taken a decade or more ago and being delightfully surprised at the memories you'd temporarily forgotten.    

My card began with this week's Splitcoaststampers card sketch.  The panels labelled 3 are layered over the panel labelled 2.  The beauty of this sketch is that it can be kept clean and simple with a strong background, or it can be dressed up with distressed and sponged layers and lots of embellishments.

I stuck to mostly simple.  Showing off the retiring Peaceful Poppies Designer Series Paper (DSP) was my objective.  The Sparkle Glimmer Paper pairs beautifully with the Blackberry Bliss in the DSP.  My sentiment, die-cut and punched butterflies, and pearls are from my retired stash but I list current product below that will allow you to still make this.

Here's the card recipe, so you can make it, too:

• Blackberry Bliss cardstock - 4-1/4" x 11", folded in half at 5-1/2"
• Sparkle Glimmer Paper - 4" x 5-1/4"
• Peaceful Poppies Designer Series Paper - 4-1/4" x 4"; random sized pieces to fit your butterfly punches and dies
• Whisper White cardstock - 1/2" wide strip for the sentiment
• Blackberry Bliss ink pad
• Share What You Love Artisan Pearls (retired) - a good substitute is to use Basics Pearls and color with Light Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blend.
• Springtime Impressions Dies discounted to $11.60 from $29- use the large butterfly die for the top butterfly
• Butterfly Duet Punch - punches out medium and small butterflies
• Itty Bitty Greetings - 32 small greetings that cover pretty much every occasion
• Paper Trimmer - helpful for cutting diagonally

Directions for cutting the DSP diagonally:

• cut paper to 4-1/4" x 4"
• measure 1" down the right long (4-1/4") side and mark with a pencil
• measure 2-1/2" down the left long (4-1/4") side and mark with a pencil
• Place paper in trimmer with both pencil marks aligned in the trimmer track (the paper will be diagonal in your trimmer).
• Cut the paper.

May Reward Code = New In Color Sampler

Use the May Reward Code on orders placed in my store of $50 or more (before shipping and tax) to get a free 2020-2022 New Stampin' Up! In Color sampler!  Sampler packs will be sent out by the end of May PLUS you'll get a new catalog package from me! 

New Catalog Alert: If you have ordered from me since November, you are automatically on my list to receive a new Annual Catalog package next month.  If you'd like one and haven't ordered since November, place an order of any size to be automatically included or email me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com.

If you are enjoying The Joyful Stamper site

• Request a free catalog package by emailing me at nicole@thejoyfulstamper.com or with this form.
• Subscribe to The Joyful Stamper 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 anytime to give yourself the best crafting experience.  Check out the Clearance Rack and Discounted Bundles while you're there.
• You'll love my crafting videos on The Joyful Stamper YouTube channel!  Subscribe while you're there and click the bell so that you always have fresh inspiration.
• Looking for community, a hobby, or a way to make extra money?  My team of My Joyful Stampers has a place for you!  Read more here.

I love stamping and I love Stampin' Up!  Thank you so much for choosing me as your demonstrator.  I am grateful for YOU!