Cascade Cards featuring FREE paper during Sale-A-Bration

I recieved this very beautiful Christmas card from my friend and team mate, Satomi and it inspired me to make a couple of Cascade Cards using beautiful papers that I received FREE with my $90+ purchase.  Gotta love Sale-A-Bration!  It runs from 5 January to 28 February 2023.

The gorgeous Christmas card I received from Satomi

Cascade card featuring Dainty Flowers paper - FREE during Sale-A-Bration
5 January - 28 February 2023

The card above also features flowers cut with the Organic Beauty dies and roughly coloured with watercolour pencils.  I used Blushing Bride and Rich Razzleberry cardstock to coordinate with the paper.  I kept this one simple using only one paper design to decorate the card.

Cascade card featuring Favoured Flowers paper - FREE during Sale-A-Bration
5 January-28 February 2023

For the card above, I used two designs from the paper pack and cut flowers and foliage with the Harvest dies and Chic dies since I do not yet have the Fragrant Flowers Bundle from the new mini catalogue that coordinates with this paper.

I did, however, use the Flat Adhesive-backed Pearls from the new Mini Catalogue that are absolutely stunning!  I couldn't do them justice with my photo 

I used Evening Evergreen, Blackberry Bliss and Fresh Freesia cardstock to coordinate with the colours in the paper.

I calculated my dimensions for the card to maximise the size whilst still fitting into a C6 envelope.

Please contact me if you would like more details and I'll be happy to email a tutorial.

Click here for more information about Sale-A-Bration and keep an eye out for the new Mini Catalogue that runs from 5 January to 1 May 2023.  If you live in Australia and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator - contact me if you'd like a copy of these catalogues.

'Til next time

Stephanie Fischer
The Crafty Thinker

Kindest Gnomes Suite Christmas cards

A Diamond Fold card decorated with the Storybook Gnomes paper

To decorate the diamond fold card, I used the coordinating Gnomes dies to cut out the gnome from the Storybook Gnomes Designer Series Paper.  I hand cut the little toadstools from the paper and I added strips of the paper to each side.

To finish the central diamond, I used a now retired embossing folder to add falling snow flakes and enhanced them with a dampened white watercolour pencil.  Having adhered the gnome and toadstools, I added some texture with Snowfall Accents Puff Paint.

Gnome Dies & coordinating Storybook Gnomes paper

This is an incredibly quick and easy card - perfect for the Christmas rush!

The Gnome Dies coordinate beautifully with both the Kindest Gnomes stamp set and Storybook Gnomes Designer Series Paper.

For this card I used some scraps of cardstock and the dies that build a gnome - cute isn't he?!  I did add some shading and red trousers with a few Stampin' Blends alcohol markers.

The greeting is from the Kindest Gnomes stamp set - but what I love is that I'll be able to use this set year round because the greetings cover many situations ... this is the only overtly Christmas greeting.

I cut the greeting from Pool Party cardstock using a die from the All That die set - I just used this technique to extend it.  I used the same technique to cut out the Sahara Sand label with one of the Painted Labels dies.

Another Christmas card made with the Storybook Gnomes paper and coordinating Gnomes dies

                       

Another quick and easy card courtesy of the Kindest Gnomes suite!  I die cut the gnome and his toadstool house from the coordinating Storybook Gnomes Designer Series Paper and adhered them to a layer of another sheet from the paper pack.  I finished the card with an application of the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint.

I hope you've enjoyed these cards

Until another time!

Stephanie

The Crafty Thinker

Kindest Gnomes Christmas Waterfall card

A Christmas Waterfall card featuring Kindest Gnomes

I made this card as a sample for a class teaching Waterfall cards - and because it's that time of year when I start the Christmas card making process.

I changed the dimensions for the waterfall to accommodate these gorgeous gnomes - the ones that I promised myself I wasn't going to buy ....!

Each of the "flip" sections features a different gnome

The waterfall mechanism is made from Real Red cardstock and perfectly fits my normal size base card (1/2 sheet of A4 folded in half).  The base card is also Real Red, with mats of Old Olive.  The Designer Series Paper is from the July-December 2022 Mini Catalogue and is called Boughs of Holly.

There are four gnome images in the stamp set along with a "dwelling"

I used Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Blends alcohol markers to coordinate with the paper.  The ribbon picks out the darker green splodges in the paper and is also in the Mini Catalogue in the Real Red & Garden Green 1cm ribbon combo pack.

The stamp set is very versatile with greetings covering a variety of occasions, not just Christmas

I made the Whisper White pieces 2 1/2" square to accommodate the gnome without seeing lots of feet in the waterfall!  The Real Red mats are 2 3/4" which means I also made the waterfall mechanism strip 2 3/4" wide.  See image below for the full dimensions.  Although I've changed the dimensions, the method for making the waterfall card remains as per usual.

I wanted to shape the pull tag and decided to use this die from the Painted Labels die set.  I just wanted to shape the very end, so I lined up the die with edge of the card and then placed the top cutting plate just over that edge so that only the end would cut (see below).

I used a label die to trim and shape just the end of the waterfall mechanism

These are the dimensions I used for my waterfall mechanism

I hope you've enjoyed this card.  I have not included full waterfall card instructions since there are many great video tutorials to be found but will be happy to supply my written tutorial if requested.

Until another time!

Stephanie

The Crafty Thinker

Calming Camellia Twisted Easel Card

 

Twisted Easel fun fold card featuring Calming Camellia stamp and Summer Shadows dies

Calming Camellia has now officially been added to my list of all-time favourite stamp sets!  This distinktive stamp is perfect just as is and also looks beautiful with the addition of a little simple colouring.  It's also perfect for multiple occasions or purposes.

For this card, I stamped with Evening Evergreen ink onto Whisper White card and then enhanced it a little with some Stampin' Blend alcohol markers.

The Twisted Easel is such a simple, versatile and effective fun fold!  I cut the base and several layers from Evening Evergreen cardstock, adding layers of Blushing Bride and Simply Marbleous Designer Series Paper (that I got free in Sale-A-Bration).

The base card measures 5 3/4" square (cut the cardstock to 5 3/4" x 11 1/2" and score the long side at 5 3/4".  Score a diagonal from the top right corner to bottom left corner of the card front) and I cut the layer that adheres to the lower section of the base card a little smaller at 5 1/2" square so did not apply adhesive all the way to the edge of the base card.

Diagram for Twisted Easel base card

The flowers and foliage that decorate the corner of the inside of the card were created with the Summer Shadows dies.  The centre flower is popped up on a Dimensional to form a prop to hold open the easel.

Thank you for visiting.

Until next time!

Stephanie

Grassy Grove Calamity

 

Grassy Gove Bundle paired with Mountain Air stamp set & Harvest Dies

The greatest joys that Stampin' Up has brought me are the wonderful and supportive people that I have met - mostly in a virtual way.   We have celebrated successes, inspired each other and in the bleaker times their messages have brought love, comfort and the knowledge that I'm not alone.  And then something really magical happens and a bond forged in mutual interests and creativity develops into a warm friendship that goes way beyond card-making. 

This card was inspired by my friend RaeDeen and I really wish I'd done a better job!!

My dislike of wastage is well-documented but the embarrassing step by step photos below (which I share as a cautionary tale!) are testament to the fact that a certain amount of planning is beneficial.  My lack of planning, and poor choice of left over bits of card to use, created unnecessary challenges that kept me problem-solving each step of the way!

'Til next time
Stephanie

I hereby invite you to have some fun at my expense!

It started out OK with some sponging, white craft ink and the Mountain Air stamp

Having spent a few minutes kicking myself, I decided to rescue the piece rather than waste the card
so I proceeded to stipple the tree canopy with ink and colour the trunks with Stampin' Blends

For my next blooper!  Clearly this was not the best piece of card to have used!  A few more bruises added to my shins, another decision to not waste the card and another rescue mission required!

The ovals covered the problems at the lower extremity but that left a couple of problems to fix to the left of the card.  The Harvest dies seemed to offer the possibility of building a foreground tree with similar branches and canopy.

The "canopy" was looking a bit like a mess of green meringues so I tried to add some shading to bring it together a bit more.  I reckon I could have done a better job but at this point my problem-solving brain cells had rolled onto their backs with their legs in the air!

Crane of Good Fortune

Crane of Fortune Bundle

I was immediately drawn to this distinktive stamp set in the Mini Catalogue January to June 2022.  But, there is something about the drawing that bugs me a bit - so today I added a bit of shading to the lower part of the wing and I think it helped a bit.  

I had experimented with clear embossing the crane onto black cardstock and decided that it didn't really work (I'm going to try it on Basic Gray though!).  As you might know, I hate to waste anything, so that unfortunate crane now forms a shadow behind the star of the card.

If you're wondering about that label: I used a die from the now retired (sorry!) Vine Design Bundle and trimmed it to the size I wanted.

'Til next time

Stephanie

In The Moment by the window

 

In the moment stamp set

Oh dear, it's been a while, hasn't it!

I'm not going to make excuses - I've just been taking care of myself by removing the pressure to create, photograph and blog.  I've just returned to my craft room and am having fun with some new bits and pieces.

This is one of the images from the In The Moment stamp set.  

I stamped the image, masked it (yes, it was a little bit fiddly to cut out the window panes but not as bad as I had expected) and then stamped the trees from the Winter Woods stamp set.  I sponged the trees and sky before I removed the mask.  

Then I coloured the image with Stampin' Blends alcohol markers.

NOTE:
When I was making the mask - I extended the window panes.  Once I removed the mask, I simply extended the lines with a fine black pen.

I cut the little scene out with one of the Layering Square dies and sponged around the edges with some Smoky Slate ink.

Bye for now - I'll pop in from time to time when I feel up to tackling technology and feel I have something worthwhile to share.

See you then!

Stephanie
The Crafty Thinker