We have a new 3-D flower – Daffodils! I wanted to show you quickly how to make these pretty flowers and so I made a really simple card. But to show you how I made the flowers, I have put together some photos and instructions. There are several pictures that are printer friendly. I hope this helps.

Now that we have these die cut and our wholes and bits are glued together, [glue or liquid adhesive works well here so you have some wiggle room to maneuver the die cuts around to line them up straight] let’s make two flowers and a bud.

I used liquid adhesive to put the petals together (B,C &D) but to attach the main bud (A), I used mini dimensionals. Next we can cut out the stems and leaves with Granny Apple Green, Old Olive or your favorite green and have Happy Daffodils. Happy Die Cutting.

I’ve been so bad about updating this blog . . . I’ve been so focused on my videos and have forgotten to write. . . So, New Year – New Start! Hopefully New Attitude. I’d like to start thinking of my blog as not a separate entity, but as part of my videos. . . I’ll let you know how that goes. Thanks friends for those of you who have stuck with me. I hope you have had an amazing New Year so far! A new Catalog is Live! I can’t wait for us to talk about it.

I have been using more and more DSP since I ‘ve put my mind to it. But today, I wanted to blend, and blend and blend. I love the look of this card, a blended rainbow. The blending only took me a few minutes, but what took the most time was setting up the card and masking off where I didn’t want the blending. I sketched my card out on graph cardstock and found out that if I made 3/4 of an inch sections, I’d have exactly 9 sections for a panel on a 5×7 card. Perfect. Algebra really saved the day today. Next since I didn’t have 3/4 of a inch of purple tape, I had to use the grid paper again to create the 3/4 of a inch section. . . its hard to explain, its best to watch my video on how I did this. This card is definitely not one I’d make multiples of.

Next after some experimenting, I decided to use the heart stamp from Strong of Heart stamp set which is in the new Mini Catalog witch will be available August 3rd, 2021. I used VersaMark Ink and embossed the heart with bronze embossing powder and heat set it. Finally I decided to use the saying “Love you, friend” from the set Summer Shadows.

Remember that the Summer Shadows stamp set has coordinating dies available for free during Sale-a-bration. Don’t forget that Sale-a-bration is just around the corner as well as the start of the new Mini Catalog. This catalog is filled with fun sets for Halloween, Fall and Christmas. So many great sets and papers that I’m currently looking into a Brother Scan-n-Cut DX so that I don’t have to fussy cut so many items.

Let me know what you think of this sketch and what I did with it. Thanks

I am a frugal crafter; some might say I’m cheap, but I prefer to say I’m money wise. I never like to buy anything that is not on sale, most importantly my craft supplies. Which is the primary reason I’m a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator – for the discount. But if I can get a sale on top of my discount? Yes, thank you!!

Stampin’ Up! is marking several of their DSP which are in the Annual Catalog 15% off! In the past, I bought DSP, only to have it collect dust, but lately I have been using DSP in almost every one of my cards. I love when I make a plan to do something and I actually achieve it. This is not something that happens often, so I need to take my wins where I get them.

The following DSP is on Sale for $9.78:

• Beauty of the Earth
• Bloom Where You’re Planted
• Hand Penned
• In the Wild
• Pansy Petals
• Sweet Symmetry
• Tidings of Christmas
• You’re a Peach

The In Good Taste DSP is on sale for $ 17.85

Hurry, this sale only lasts until August 2, 2021 11:59 MST

If you’d like to save on some DSP, please use my host code for July: KNZVJXYS

I appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks Amanda

The GDP Challenge is an easy way to get your creative juices flowing. The challenge always comes out on Mondays, and I always says I’m going to do the challenge for the week. Usually, the week comes and then it goes and I forget to create or many times I just forget to post my creation for the week. But this week I’m on it. Well, I mean I created my card on Tuesday and today is late Saturday so I guess I mean I’m almost on it.

One of my subscribers to my YouTube Channel asked me to kindly post my cards dimensions, so it appears I need to be better at posting blogs and instagram pics and not just videos. So I’m going to put my best effort into it.

I chose the In Bloom set and Pierced Bloom die set to create my card. This is one of my favorite sets, especially the dies! I really struggled with this card. Even though I had a card sketch picked out, the flowers and the placement of the flowers really threw me off. I’m not sure if its because I had already made 3 other cards this day, or if the layering of blooms caused it or if I was just having an off card, but this card was definitely a labor of love. And it turns out I’m really happy with this clean and simple card design. I could have added some splatter, added a few other embellishments in the background, but sometimes less is more. Let me know what you think.

My card is of course a 5×7 card. The white panel is cut to 4 x 6 3/4 inches, the stripes are 1/4 inch wide and 3/4 inch long. The Fresh Freesia DSP is cut at 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 and is matted with Fresh Freesia cut 1/8 inch bigger at 2 5/8 x 2 5/8.

The sentiment and label die is from the same In Bloom set and Pierced Bloom dies.

One of my very favorite things to come out each year are Stampin’ Up!’s new In-colors. I’m going to be honest with you, sometimes and love all of them, sometimes I hate most of them, and sometimes I don’t know I love them until the 2nd year and then I hate to see them go. Well here we are, that time again, and Stampin’ Up! has given us 5 new In-colors. I have not seen them yet in person, but here are their names:

As a demonstrator I am privileged to purchase items from upcoming catalogs about a month prior to the catalog becoming “live” or until -customers can order from it. I love being able to get my hands on new items, so this is a big plus for me. The Annual catalog releases every May and this year our pre-order period is from April 1 – May 3rd. One small downside is that Stampin’ Up! does not offer up every stamp set and item to be purchased during the Annual Catalog’s preorder period.

I have my list of must-haves as well as those stamp sets, bundles, dies, punches and other fun things that I think I would love to have. I am a bit bummed that I will not be able to share with you all of my “must haves” before May 4th, 2021. But what I can do is show you the samples of my favorite stamp sets, dies and punches.

Below are pictures of cards that were used making my favorite stamp sets, punches and dies that I was not able to pre-purchase. Let me know what you think!

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Are you excited to see the new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog? Need a copy? Please contact me for your free copy and to discuss my generous rewards program. Hope you guys stay well!!!

It’s almost here, Stampin’ Up!’s new Catalog Here is a quick taste of somethings you might see in this year’s new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog 2021-2022. Let me show you some of the pretty . . .

I recently had a negative comment on my channel that made me think about how I edited and recorded my voice overs. The comment pretty much implied that she was new to making cards and was lost during my video. I’m of course paraphrasing her comment.

I usually come at my editing and recording my voice overs that the watchers know what I’m using and how to use the elements. In other words, that my watchers are expert level card makers. I really didn’t think I was doing that, but now that I have watched them after her comment, I can see where she is coming from a lot easier. I was showing my cards and not teaching how to make my cards to a beginner.

In my defense, I don’t think there is much to making a card. Yes there are lots of techniques that can be done, but making a card is something anyone can do. But even for the techniques in my videos, I was glossing over the steps to create them.

I was wondering why I had so many demonstrators as watchers, and now I know, its because I was not teaching my cards, I was showing my cards.

So how do I change my ways now? I’m not sure I can really. Those 300 subscribers are going to wonder what in the world is going on and if they are watching the same channel. But if I want to help others who are new and actually help others learn, well I’m going to have to start back at the basics . . . . Oh Boy!

A pretty easy sketch I think. So how do you dress it up? Well for one, colors that are stunning and adding something that is just unique. What would you have done with this sketch?

For me, the one unique element was partial die cutting. I stamped a “Thank You” sentiment and stamped a butterfuly nearby. Since this is an A2 size card, I added the sentiment “Thank You,” as that is the only cards I make as an A2 size card. Then I partial die cut an oval around the sentiment and butterfly. Next, Next I used my Wink of Stella pen to add some Rococo Rose ink to the embossed butterfly. I embossed my butterfly using a black pigment ink and then covering with clear embossing powder. I HATE black embossing powder. It is pure evil.

I chose some reds and pinks that I could achieve an Ombre effect with, Stampin’ Up!’s Cherry Cobbler, Rococo Rose, Flirty Flamingo and Petal Pink. I finally added 3 matte black dots and popped up the sentiment oval with dimentionals. This card is actually an A2 card and for me that is really hard to do. I again was surprised how limited space there actually is on an A2 size card. I wonder how long it will surprise me every time I do an A2 size card – probably forever. I hope this card has inspired you to add a unique element to your cards to jazz them up a bit.

I will be showing my process video on Youtube. I will attach the link here when its done.