Welcome to this week’s Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop.
Today’s hop is a Color Challenge which I often find challenging unless there is a Designer Series Paper to use. The obvious choice was the retiring Merry Bold & Bright paper, but it is unfortunately retired and sold out.
Instead, today I am using the Softly Sophisticated Bundle, which you can receive FREE with a $100 order during Sale-A-Bration 4 Jan through 29 Feb 2024. The bundle includes a two-step stamp set and an embossing folder. Well, you know me by now – I’m all about texture and the embossing folders – so I had to order the Softly Sophisticated Bundle right away. I’m glad I did because the more I play with the Softly Sophisticated Bundle I realize just how versatile it is.
Since we had such a beautiful color palette to work with, I chose to stamp my own background for this card. I started with a 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ piece of Basic White with a plan to trim after I stamped. For me, starting larger and trimming the panel just works better.
I selected the largest image, the bushier stems, to begin stamping with. I stamped the large stems in Granny Apple Green, stamping off once each time I inked before stamping on my Basic White. I turned the paper, but not the stamp, and stamped several more times on the Basic White panel. I then added the coordinating large flowers to the stems. For these flowers, I inked the flowers with Poppy Parade and stamped off once before lining the flowers up with the stems and stamping each one.
Now on to the smaller stems. I used Shaded Spruce for the stems and again stamped off once before stamping in open areas on the Basic White panel. I did turn both the paper and my stamp so I had some of the smaller stems facing both the inside and outside of the panel. Once I had the stems filled in, I stamped the flowers with Crushed Curry, stamping off once each time. On the pictured sample card my stems and flowers are well placed, but if I’d had any open white spots I would have used any texture or spatter stamp and stamped in Melon Mambo (stamp off once each time).
I trimmed the stamped panel to 5-1/4″ x 4″ (save the trimmings for the inside). With the Basic Borders dies and the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine, I die cut the lower edge of the Basic White panel about 1-1/2″ from the bottom. I then used the Softly Sophisticated Embossing Folder to emboss the Basic White panel. I experimented with the embossing folder before and after cutting with the border die and felt that I got a better impression doing it after die cutting as running an already embossed piece through the machine to die cut did lessen the embossing folder impression slightly.
Before adhering the Softly Sophisticated embossed panel to the Melon Mambo mat, I placed the panel where I wanted it so I could determine where to stamp the sentiment. I used Versamark ink and stamped the Softly Sophisticated stamp set “Hello There” sentiment in the middle of the Melon Mambo mat. I sprinkled the White Basics Embossing Powder on the sentiment and used my Heat Tool to heat the embossing powder to a glorious shiny white. Once the Softly Sophisticated stamp set sentiment had a little time to cool, I adhered the Basic White stamped layer to the Melon Mambo layer with liquid glue. I adhered a linen thread triple bow to the front of the card with liquid glue and added three Melon Mambo Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs to the card front. I then adhered the layered card front panel to the card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
For the inside layer I kept it simple. I used a piece of the stamped layer trimmed to 1/2″ x 4″ and adhered it to the basic white inside layer with liquid glue. I adhered the inside layer to the Blueberry Bushel cardbase with Stampin’ Seal.
For the envelope flap, I stayed with stamping using the same stamps and colors from the Basic White front layer. After I stamped the envelope flap, I used the Softly Sophisticated embossing folder to emboss the envleope flap only. I then reversed my color usage and stamped a large flower bush in Shaded Spruce with Crushed Curry flowers on the front of the envelope.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you have an opportunity to make your own DSP by stamping with any stamp set. See the printable instructions if you’d like to make this card.
Next up on the Happy Inkin’ Thursday Blog Hop is Amy Koenders. Click the Next button to go to her blog. If you missed anyone on the hop, you can click their name below to go to their blog.
- Amy Koenders
- Mary Deatherage
- Jaimie Babarczy
- Karen Finkle
- Akiko Sudano
- Karen Ksenzakovic
- Tara Carpenter
- Terry Lynn Bright
- Carol Buckalew
- Nel Thames – This is me 🙂
Available FREE with a $100 purchase during Sale-A-Bration (4 Jan 2024 – 29 Feb 2024)
- Softly Sophisticated Bundle – 162947
Host Code
May 1 – May 31: Host Code: KGRFRDQK
If you do not already have a demonstrator, I’d be honored to be your Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.
Use my host code when you order $50 (before tax and shipping) or greater and receive five (5) handmade cards and a variety of 6″ x 6″ double sided Designer Series Paper (a $20 value) FREE from me. You will also receive the monthly online tutorial. The May tutorial features the Adventurous Sky Bundle.
***Make sure that you can see my name, Nel Thames, on the final checkout page listed as your Demonstrator when you order so that you know that you’re ordering with me and you’ll get my rewards! If you forget to add the host code I am not able to add it for you due to privacy reasons. You can call Stampin’ Up! and requested that it be added. Thank you for understanding.
Product Shares – Jan – Apr 2024 Mini Catalog
LAST CHANCE – Order by January 2, 2024
Woo Hoo! A new catalog is available starting 4 Jan 2024. New catalog time at Stampin’ Up!® is such exciting time with bunches of new product to play with. I think you’re going to love so much about the Jan – Apr 2024 catalog. If you’re anything like me, you want one of everything. Product shares are a way to get a sample of all the Designer Series Paper, Ribbon and Embellishments in the catalog without buying full size products.
I’m excited to be offering product shares for this catalog. Here are my offerings:
Designer Series Paper
6″ x 6″ paper (12 double sided sheets of each paper)
- Bee Mine
- Just Kiddin’
- Perennial Lavender
- Poetic Expressions
- Rock & Roll
- Lighter Than Air
6 x 6 Specialty Paper (12 double sided sheets of each paper)
- Forever Love Specialty DSP
- Nature’s Sweetness Specialty DSP
Designer Series Paper Shares are $33 + $9 shipping. You are invited to order more than one for a single shipping fee.
You’ll get 96 – 6″ x 6″ sheets of beautiful new Designer Series Papers and fun new Specialty Papers, too! To buy one of each of these packs of papers would cost you about $108 – plus shipping!
DSP will be packaged with the name, product number and coordinating colors to make using them a breeze.
PLUS! Get a FREE Gift From Me! – All share participants will get a sampling of some of the fun papers from the Jan – Feb 2024 Sale-A-Bration Catalog! Everyone who orders one of my shares will get a sampler of papers from the Softly Stippled DSP, Trusty Toolbox DSP, Flight & Airy DSP and Most Adored DSP! YEAH!
Accents & Embellishments
Ribbon and Twine (1/4 package):
- Bakers Twine Three Color Pack
- Gold 1/8″ Faux Letter Trim
- Pretty Peacock & Gold 3/8″ Metallic Ribbon
- Sweet Sorbet 1/4″ Bordered Ribbon
Embellishments:
- Adhesive-Backed Cork Rounds
- Adhesive-Backed Hearts & Flowers
- Adhesive-Backed Lightning & Stars
- Champagne Iridescent Dots
- Iridescent Foil Gems
- Paper Butterfly Accents
- Petal Pink & Pretty Peacock Foiled Gems
- Purple Fine Shimmer Gems
- Rainbow Adhesive Backed Dots
Shares of Accents and Embellishments are $25 each plus $5 shipping. Feel free to order more than one share for a single shipping fee.
Designer Series Paper AND Accents & Embellishments
Want everything (this is always what I pick!) – Get one share of everything – Designer Series Paper, Ribbon and Twine and Embellishments – for $60 + $9 shipping. Order two Want Everything shares and receive FREE shipping! There will be no limits on your creativity with this share.
Some important details:
- I’ll submit the order on 4 Jan 2024 when the Catalog goes Live. I’ll expedite the order so I can get them delivered, cut and packaged and back out the door to you just as quick as I can!!
- You’ll receive a PayPal Invoice around 28 Dec (or when I get your order if you place it after the 28th). I’ll need payment before I submit the shares.
- Anyone is welcome to join in my share (please note, I can only ship to addresses within the US or Military APOs) including demonstrators.
Deadline to sign up for the shares is TUESDAY, 2 JAN 2024 at 8pm CST
***NOTE REGARDING PRODUCT AVAILABILITY: Stampin’ Up! has advised us that there may be items that are unavailable when the catalog launches due to the continuing global shipping delays. If any items that I’m offering in my shares are not available when I place my order on 4 January 2024, I’ll refund you the amount for that item. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to order everything for you, but…wanted to have a plan in place if needed.
Retired Stampin’ Up! Products
My online Stampin’ Up! retired product store has been refreshed with additional products. I will be adding more retired products as I come across them. I have a variety of stamps, dies and embellishments. My stamps and dies are all gently used and most were purchased within the last two years (although some may be “vintage”). Dies might be on magnet cards as I did not start saving the original packaging until just recently. Designer Series Paper and embellishments are new in unopened packages unless otherwise stated.
Due to Stampin’ Up! policies, I can only ship to U. S. addresses.
Shop my online store here.
Last Chance Sale 21 Nov 2023 to 3 Jan 2024
A new catalog is exciting, but it also means we have to say goodbye to some products. Beginning 21 November 2023 through 3 Jan 2024, Last Chance Products will be on sale. Not every product on the retiring list will be leaving (bundles, for example, may be retiring, but the individual pieces might still be available) but what is retiring will go quickly. Make sure you get your favorites before they are gone forever.
Below are the Last Chance Sale carryover and retiring lists in Excel format. The retiring list is in landscape to allow for increased font size. These lists were last updated on 27 Dec 2023 at 8:00 pm.
Your stamped background is perfect, Nel, and so pretty. Love your card design, too! TFS!
So pretty!! I love your stamping, the colors are really soft and this stamp set is perfect for this! 😊
Thank you so much, Akiko.
So pretty Nel! Love the little flower images and the scalloped edge on the card front! 🙂
Thanks, Amy. Love those border dies to change things up a little.
Lovely card! I love the stamped background! TFS
Thanks for stopping by, Tara.
Beautiful Nel 🙂 Love how you make your card front and created your own ‘DSP’
Thanks, Karen.
Just beautiful! Love that stamped card front – simply perfect, especially with the pretty edge on the panel below! 🙂
Thank you, Mary.