February Crafternoon Card Class #2: Stippled Swirled Birthday Card (Times Two)

As soon as I saw the Nature's Walk suite, I knew that I was going to have so much fun creating with it!  This card design was part of the Connect & Create Online Creative Retreat Jan. 2026 that I participated in, and I have permission to recreate/share.  I love learning new things from other demonstrators (or from wherever I learn them)!

Both cards use the same stippled swirled DSP from the collection.  The first, darker card was my "practice" card and class "stample"/model.

The second card I made with my crafternoon ladies to walk them through each step.  It uses the same DSP, just the lighter design.  I haven't crumpled paper and applied ink direct-to-paper in a long time.  Those old techniques still look great

Which one do you prefer?

Free Shipping Feb. 18-20!

Free shipping on orders of $75 or more are available February 18-20 HERE!  Combine orders with friends to reach the $75 (which also makes you eligible to purchase the February Product of the Month, Painted Illusions DSP, for only $5!).

Monday Scrapbooking

A lovely group of ladies meets at a local library on the 3rd Monday of the month to craft, and I was able to join them yesterday since I had the day off.  It was a lot of fun, and I already knew most of them!

I brought my Weekend Adventures DSP and sticker sheet and was able to create another layout from our trip to Alaska last year (finishing the title at home).

I got most of my Thanksgiving layout put together there but then added the stamped sentiment and title at home.

If you're local and free, you should join them to craft on the third Mondays of the month!  Let me know if you need the details. 

February Crafternoon Card Class #1: Green Nature's Walk Card

My February Crafternoon Card Class featured the Nature's Walk suite.  Our first card used some of the green DSP with coordinating cardstock, stamped die cuts, and ribbon.

 I really like the addition of the black cardstock behind the long DSP panel.

In addition to a little stamping and DSP added to the inside of the card, we also stamped the same leaf cluster on the envelope.  (I love to stamp a large stamp on the fold of the opened envelope so that part of it is on the front at the return address area and part is on the back flap.)

Today, I'm giving a shout out for a happy birthday to my cousin Bjarne and a happy anniversary to my sister Amy and brother-in-love Jason!

Easter Basket Sketch Card (Two Ways)

Working with sketches is always inspires me and helps me quickly get inky without a lot of thought and effort, so for Thursday's Live at 7:30 PM on my Facebook page, I used this sketch as my inspiration. 

Rather than make a tag, I made a card using the Easter Joy suite, including both the Easter Joy DSP and the Pleasant Patterns Specialty DSP, the stamp set, and dies.  I had fun coloring my Easter basket items with Stampin' Blends markers!

I thought that this version had a little too much white at the top, so I added some Balmy Blue ink with a blending brush.  I also decided to make this card again with a few tweaks.

Which one do you prefer?

To a Great Guy Card

My great guy deserves a Valentine, so I made this card for him today using the #GDP534 sketch as my inspiration.

I started with my stack of Thoughtful Journey 6"x6" DSP and selected this wintry scene.  (Hurry!  Low inventory of this DSP so it's definitely only available while supplies last!) I grabbed my Nature's Walk bundle (stamp set and dies), Misty Moonlight and Basic White cardstock, plus Misty Moonlight and Blackberry Bliss ink.  Those beautiful watercolor leaves are just the gorgeous DSP!  I used Misty Moonlight & Silver ribbon behind my leaves cluster but you really couldn't see it so I added a quick little knot on top.

I crossed out the "like" in the sentiment and wrote in LOVE to fit today- and honestly every day!  My guy isn't a hearts and flowers kind of guy so hopefully he will love this card as much as I loved making it for him.

The Everyday Arches dies made this card sketch come together quickly.  
 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕 I hope you have a special day!

A Paper Pumpkin subscription makes it so easy to create pretty cards! 

One Card, Five Ways

It's always a win when I work smarter than rather harder, so I love recreating a card sketch in different ways.  I had fun doing just that on a recent Facebook Live (Thursdays at 7:30 PM EST) on my Facebook page with the Nature's Symphony suite.

My first card only uses Very Vanilla, Pretty Peacock, and Old Olive cardstock, Pretty Peacock and Old Olive ink; and the Nature's Walk stamp set (plus some faux bronze pentagons).

The second card has the addition of the coordinating DSP.

The third card adds in coordinating die cuts.

I created two more in a different color scheme (Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and Old Olive.

Do you prefer simple or more advanced?

Cheers to Another Year!

Today is my sister's birthday, so I made this fun fold birthday card for her.

I used scraps from the Memories in Bloom Scrapbooking Workshop Kit paired with Lemon Lolly, Basic White, and Pretty in Pink cardstock.  I stamped the front with the Arched Wishes stamp set in Peach Pie, Lemon Lolly, and Black inks.  I fussy cut the balloon from Pretty in Pink cardstock and the cupcake with scraps from the scrapbooking workshop kit and some Lemon Lolly DSP.

The front panel and Peach Pie glimmer paper arches were cut with the Everyday Arches dies.

The Party Dots and Tinsel Gems embellishments add some fun!

How fun is the easel fold?  I stamped the inside sentiment from the With You in Mind stamp set in Peach Pie and added a few more Party Dots.  Both the stamped arched panel and the inside panel were raised with Dimensionals.  I really love this fun fold and how this card turned out!

On another note, earlier this week would have been my 26th anniversary with Close To My Heart!  I'm sharing here because some of you have been with me from the beginning.  I'm grateful for this chapter with Stampin' Up!  We have a great demonstrator join offer this month, so if you'd like to know more about the benefits of being a demonstrator, reach out please.

New Month, New Opportunities!

February has an awesome Stampin' Up! JOIN offer that begins today, plus you can now see/order the February Product of the Month.  

Two new kits also launch today!  Don't forget to redeem those Bonus Days coupons you earned last month!

Also, if you didn't get my newsletter (which also includes my class schedule), let me know so that I can email it to you.  Thanks!

Virtual Card Making Retreat ‘26: Card #2

The Virtual Card Making Retreat 2026 product bundle is still available, along with the instructional videos, and you will be amazed by how your creativity is stretched!  For the second card, we used the frame die in such a creative, unusual way!

We colored the flowers with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers (and were supposed to color the leaves that way also, but instead, I used the solid leaf stamp in Secret Sea).  If you look closely, you'll see "dew" drops created with the color lifter.

Do you enjoy coloring lined images?  If so, what is your favorite medium?  I am definitely still working on my Stampin' Blends (alcohol markers) techniques.

Elegant Congrats Card

Inspired by the Virtual Card Making Retreat card #3, I made this card on my Facebook Live recently using the Lovely & Beautiful DSP, the Virtual Card Making Retreat stamp set, and the Simply Beautiful and Beautifully Celebrated dies for my school's Teacher of the Year. Our school colors are purple and gold.

I heat embossed the sentiment in gold, and also added gold heat embossed accents to the flower centers.

Be sure to decorate the inside of your card and your envelope!

I think this is the first time I've added ribbon to the inside(-ish?) of a card, but I thought that flower blossom needed a little grounding.

If you'd like all the details, you can watch how I made this card on my Facebook page or on my YouTube channel.