Yellow Bear Stamping

Technique Tuesday – Inlaid Embossing

By Paula Reid | January 12, 2021

Hi there

Today’s technique carry’s on from last weeks Dry Embossing technique. I’ve combined dry embossing with dies cuts and stamped images to create a technique known as Inlaid Embossing. The colour combo comes from this months SU! Colour Challenge – head on over and see the various creations made with the below colours and while you’re there why not join in the fun.

When I’ve made cards in the past with the Inlaid Embossing technique I’ve gone with circles cut from cardstock but thought I’d try adding die cut images and stamped images – and they work really well.

If you’ve checked out the new January-June Mini catalogue you may recognise the above – it’s the Pretty Perennial bundle from page 31.

Here I’ve stamped the images on Whisper White in Pacific Point, Coastal Cabana and Daffodil Delight then die cut them with the coordinating die. The centres and leaves have been die cut from cardstock. I placed my images on the Whisper White cardstock (10cm x 14.3cm) moving them around until I was happy with the placement then adhered them with liquid glue. Allow it to dry a bit before running it through the embossing machine with your chosen embossing folder. I’ve gone with the Tasteful Textile folder. The embossing merges the two layers together to create a cool effect. Add your sentiment and some bling and your creation is complete. How easy but effective is that?

My next card uses the same principle but this time it’s done with just the die cuts – no stamping (other than the sentiment)

You get two different looking cards from the same technique. The measurements for this card are Whisper White mat – 9.5cm x 13.8cm, Pacific Point mat – 10cm x 14.3cm which has been adhered to a Thick Whisper White base.

The sentiment is from the Approaching Perfection Sale-A-Bration set which you can select as your FREE item when you place an order with me of NZD$110 or more between now and the 28th February. One of my most used die sets is the Rectangle Stitched dies – if you don’t own this set yet I would highly recommend you adding it to your shopping list.

Well that’s all for now – check back again soon for more crafting creations.

Until then …

Colour INKspiration Challenge – CI#91

By Paula Reid | January 10, 2021

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Hi there

It’s ages since I participated in a challenge – colour or sketch – and this weekend I’ve created cards for two different colour challenges. My first card is for the Colour INKspiration challenge. I needed two boy (15 year olds) cards so this combo was perfect.

I chose Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay, Pretty Peacock and Gorgeous Grape for my colours and then I found a layout on Pinterest so married the two together and this is what I created.

Using scraps of cardstock I die cut three different styles of triangles from the Stitched Triangle dies. The ‘Happy’ has been die cut using the Playful Alphabet dies and the Foam Adhesive Sheets.

I wanted a solid image for the ‘Birthday’ so went with one of the Sale-A-Bration sets ‘Approaching Perfection’. The stamp actually has ‘Happy Birthday!’ so I used a Post It note to cover the bits I didn’t want before inking it up with VersaMark and then heat embossing in White. I then die cut it using the Tasteful Touches dies

And for the inside you need some candles so the ‘Approaching Perfection’ set was used again.

Seeing the ‘boys’ are turning fifteen I stamped the image three times using Gorgeous Grape, Bermuda Bay and Mango Melody.

Check back on Tuesday night for the second colour challenge card which also has a technique.

Until then …

Fun Fold Friday – Fold Back Card

By Paula Reid | January 8, 2021

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Hi There

Are you ready for another easy fun fold card. This card is similar to last weeks Fun Fold but instead of folding the front back on itself in half this week we fold back 1/3 of the card front so that when the card is closed you get to see three different designs of paper.

The additional score line is scored at 3.5cm. You will need to cut 3 pieces of DSP – 2 of 3cm x 14.3cm and 1 of 6.5cm x 14.3cm. You will also need a piece of Whisper White measuring 6.5cm x 14.3cm for the inside of the card. Last up you will need scraps for your sentiment and floral arrangement.

Hopefully from this photo you can see where all the pieces get adhered.

The card base for the card is Just Jade and the images have been stamped in Just Jade and Pear Pizzazz.

For the front decorative piece I used the Forever Fern Bundle stamp set and the dies (page 110 AC). There are 14 dies in this set 6 of which coordinate with stamps. The ‘greenery’ pieces have bee die cut from Pretty Peacock. When I first got the new Gilded Gems (page 157 AC) I thought they were too high but now that I’ve used them on a number of projects I like them :). I die cut the second largest Stitched Circle to adhere all my components too which was adhered with dimensionals to the card front.

I created a second card in this style but instead of adding the sentiment and greenery to the card I created a bellyband and used elements from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper (page 152 AC).

And here’s what the card looks like without the bellyband on.

I hope you’re inspired to give this fold a go and come up with your own creations for decorating the front.

Until next time …

Technique Tuesday – Dry Embossing Designer Series Paper

By Paula Reid | January 5, 2021

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Hi there

Warning – this is a longer than usual post. For ages I’ve wanted to create a Techniques Folder of the many techniques we use on our cards with a short explanation and sample of the technique. So my plan is to share a different technique every Tuesday – I may need your help to keep me accountable on this :). I’m sure this will be an invaluable resource to have on hand. My plan is to use our 6″ x 8″ album (144203) along with the Variety Pack 6″ x 8″ Photo Pocket Pages (144205) – you can find both of these products on page 154 of the Annual Catalogue.

So my first technique to share with you is dry embossing. Dry embossing is a great way to add dimension and texture to your projects. It requires the use of an embossing machine – like our Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine on page 170 and an embossing folder. We have a range of embossing folders on pages 184 and 185 of the Annual Catalogue. When we talk of dry embossing we usually think of embossing cardstock but we can also emboss our Designer Series Paper. Here are a couple of examples.

Dry Embossing Designer Series Paper
Left – Brick & Mortar 3D, Top – Tasteful Textile 3D, Bottom – Hammered Metal 3D

The left and top images show the paper before and after embossing so you can see the effect the embossing folder has on the paper.

I decided to mix and match these papers and created four masculine cards using the A Good Man stamps set and Stampin Blends.

Dry Embossing DSP – Tasteful Textiles and Hammered Metal

Dry Embossing DSP – Brick & Mortar and Hammered Metal

I used a range of Stampin Blends – Card #1 – Night of Navy, Cinnamon Cider, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Ivory. Card # 2 – Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Shaded Spruce, Cinnamon Cider, Crumb Cake and Ivory. Card # 3 – Mango Melody, Night of Navy, Cinnamon Cider, Seaside Spray, Crumb Cake and Ivory. Card #4 – Seaside Spray, Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade, Crumb Cake and Ivory. The embellishments are from the In Good Taste Elements.

For the inside of each of the cards I used the words from Pretty Perennials – page 31 of the Jan-June Mini.

I was having so much fun I did a feminine version using the Old World Paper Embossing Folder and Tasteful Touches stamp set.

The sentiment is from Peaceful Moments and has been stamped in Rococo Rose on die cuts from Stitched So Sweetly. The flower has been stamped in Rococo Rose and been ‘fussy cut’. This image and the ones used for the inside of the card are from Tasteful Touches. The greenery has been die cut in Mint Macaron using the Forever Flourishing dies.

I hope you give this technique a go – it adds extra texture to your papers and projects.

The new January to June mini is live as of today. If you haven’t received a copy please let me know and I can send one to you or you can hop on over to my Catalogues page to download the pdf version. During January and February for every order you place of NZD$110 you get to pick a FREE product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure.

Well that’s all for now – remember to check back again next Tuesday for another technique.

Until next time …

Fun Fold Friday – Sneak Peak – Flower & Fields DSP

By Paula Reid | January 1, 2021

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Hi there and Happy New Year 🙂

This afternoon I sat down and managed to make 5 fun fold cards – that’s because I couldn’t decide which pattern paper I liked best from the upcoming Flower & Field Designer Series Paper featured in the January – February Sale-A-Bration brochure.

I’ve paired this paper with one of the cool sentiments from the ‘Ridiculously Awesome’ stamp set which was inspired by Million Sales Achiever Ronda Wade. Check out this stamp set on page 90 of the Annual Catalogue.

I have chosen a coordinating colour from the paper for the mat which teams up really well with a Basic Black base.

The card base is a standard 14.8cm x 21cm scored at 10.5cm then the front is folded back on itself to create the fun fold. The coloured mat is 10cm x 14.4cm and the DSP (Designer Series Paper) is 9.5cm x 13.8cm. Only the lefthand half of the coloured mat has been adhered to the fold back portion of the card base – hopefully you can see from the photo above how the righthand side is not attached.

On the inside of the card I stamped three ‘stars’ (also included in this stamp set) in the same colour as the mat. The sentiment has been die cut using the Layering Ovals and adhered with Mini Dimensionals. You can’t wrong with a little ‘bling’ so I’ve randomly added some Rhinestones to each card front.

Here are the rest of my cards

I think the Just Jade one is my favourite. Leave me a comment and let me know which one is your favourite.

The new January to June Mini Catalogue will be ‘Live’ from Tuesday 5 January. For every NZD$110 that you spend between 5 January and 28 February 2021 you will be able to choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration product from the brochure. I’ll have more details on this promotion in the coming days. If you haven’t got a copy of the new Mini Catalogue then please contact me and I can get one to you.

Until next time …

Farewell to 2020

By Paula Reid | December 31, 2020

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Hi there

Well we have finally made it to the end of 2020. It’s certainly been a trying year for us all – adjusting to life with COVID-19. On top of COVID we’ve had some major family health issues to deal with hence not many blog posts from me of late. My MIL (86) ended up in hospital for 7 weeks and then needed to be moved to a rest home after having been living independently – a big adjustment for her. We came up for air after that only to have hubby diagnosed with cancer. He is recovering well from surgery with a positive outlook ahead.

I am hoping to get back into posting regularly now that life is settling back into routine. We have a new mini catalogue due out on the 5th January. If you haven’t received a copy please let me know and I’ll get one to you.

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas – here’s to a brighter 2021.

Happy New Year everyone

Giant Year-End Closeout

By Paula Reid | December 8, 2020

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If you love great deals, our Giant Year-End Closeout event is the perfect time to shop. There are fabulous discounts on some of your favorite August–December 2020 Mini Catalog items. The Year-End Closeout happens only once a year, so don’t delay—items are ‘while stocks last’. Hop on over to my online store to check out the deals.

Merry and Bright Online Extravaganza – 24 hour sale

By Paula Reid | November 24, 2020

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For 24-hours only, Stampin’ Up! are discounting annual catalogue products by 10%! Some items are excluded – click the link to see the excluded items. Be sure to place your order on Tuesday 24 November and save!

You can place an order via my online store or contact me directly by 8pm (NZT).

November Promotions – Paper Pumpkin Kit and Curvy Celebrations Sneak Peek

By Paula Reid | November 12, 2020

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We have two promotions running during November so hop on over to my promotions page to check out what’s on offer.

Paper Pumpkin Kit – with a specially-designed box and enough supplies to create eight elegant Christmas cards, this one-of-a-kind kit will inspire you to spread peace, joy, and love to friends, family, and neighbours. The Joy to the World Paper Pumpkin Kit is an exclusive Christmastime-themed kit.

KIT INFORMATION

Details:

Kit contains enough supplies to create eight cards—four each of two designs—and coordinating envelopes.
Card size: 5-7/8 x 4-1/8 (14.9cm x 10.47cm)
Envelope size: 6-3/8 x 4-7/16 (16.19cm x 11.27cm)
Coordinating Colours: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Just Jade, Soft Sea Foam

24 hour Stamp Sale 2020 – 23 September 2020

By Paula Reid | September 22, 2020

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THE HOTTEST STAMP SALE OF THE YEAR!

For 24 hours only – Wednesday 23 September (12:00am – 11:59pm) – you can stock up on stamp sets at a stellar price! For one day only, you can purchase selected cling and photopolymer stamp sets at a 15% discount. This short, stamp-tacular sale only happens once a year—you won’t want to miss out on these super savings! You can order online via my online store or contact me before 7:00pm on the 23rd so I can place your order.

Check out the list of stamps available by clicking here and if you’d like to see the image of the set see below:

Dressed to Impress – Shoe Shopping

By Paula Reid | August 10, 2020

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Hi there

Last month one of my work colleagues had a birthday and the Dressed to Impress stamp set was perfect for her. Back in May I shared this card I made for her so shoes are her thing 🙂

I CASED the design of this card from a fellow demo Linda Heller. This card involves reverse stamping and die cutting so that you get a left and a right shoe. Linda has a great video on her blog.

I’ve used two different embossing folders – Parisian Flourish for the ‘wallpaper’ and Pinewood Planks for the ‘floor’. A white ‘skirting’ board joins the two embossed pieces together. The shoe outlines were stamped in Mint Macaron then coloured in with Stampin’ Blends.

My ‘shoe box’ uses a scrap of the retired paper that coordinated with this bundle from the 2020 Mini Catalogue with a Blackberry Bliss lid.

One of my favourite items from the 2020-2021 Annual Catalogue is the Lovely Labels Pick A Punch – it is SO versatile and coordinates with a number of sentiments already on my shelf.

Well that’s all for now – until next time …

Tasteful Touches – Cinnamon Cider

By Paula Reid | August 2, 2020

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The In Good Taste Suite on pages 122-124 was the first suite I purchased from the new Annual Catalogue. Today I’m going to share two cards I’ve made using the Tasteful Touches Bundle from this suite. The first card is a ‘simple stamping’ card and the the second card is a stepped up card adding a die cut from the Tasteful Labels dies.

This card is a ‘simple stamping’ card as that is all that is involved in creating it. The sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso, the feathers in Soft Suede and the ‘texture’ image in the new 2020-2022 In Colour Cinnamon Cider. To create the two shades for the feathers I used the ‘stamped off’ technique. This is where you stamp the first image at full strength and then stamp the image again without reinking it. As the second feather is lighter it looks as though it is behind the original stamped feather creating some depth to the card.

The card base is Soft Suede with a mat of Cinnamon Cider and the card front is Very Vanilla. You can just see the inside of the card where I’ve stamped the ‘texture’ image in the bottom corner. You can always add some ‘bling’ to a card and the Champagne Rhinestones work perfectly to finish off this card.

This next card is a stepped up card – no longer is it just stamping. I’ve added a die cut from the Tasteful Labels Dies on page 179. This label had been die cut from Cinnamon Cider with the sentiment stamped in Early Espresso and the feathers stamped in Soft Suede (full strength). The ‘texture’ image has again been stamped in Cinnamon Cider – I rotated the image for top and bottom. The label has then been adhered to the card with dimensionals.

The card base for this card is Cinnamon Cider, a mat of Early Espresso and the front of Very Vanilla. Again can’t go without some bling – I do love the colour of the Champagne Rhinestones – check them out on page 156.

I CASED these cards from a US demo – Jolanda Johnson – and made them for a table swap at our training back in June.

Well that’s all from me – my bed is calling me. Until next time …

Lovely Labels Pick A Punch

By Paula Reid | July 26, 2020

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Hi there

Here’s a quick video provided by Stampin’ Up showing how easy it is to create labels using the new Lovely Labels Pick A Punch.

Here are a couple of tips I’ve found useful: I added the top label to my punch so I can always remember the widths to cut my cardstock. I find that using the metric measurements to cut my banners works better than the imperial measurements. The bottom one reminds me how much I need to add to the length of my banner (before punching the ends). For example in my previous post here the finished length of my Whisper White banner needed to be 12cm so I cut the cardstock at 12.6cm. After punching the two ends the finished length of the banner was 12cm. Each end cut removes 3mm of cardstock.

I hope you find these measurements helpful when you use your Lovely Labels Pick A Punch.

Until next time …

Lovely You Bundle

By Paula Reid | July 20, 2020

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Hi there

I hope you enjoyed seeing yesterday’s post – I love all the components in the Forever Greenery Suite. Today’s post features the Lovely You bundle. With a bundle you get to save 10% off the price of the two items – this bundle includes a stamp set (Lovely You) and a really cool punch (Lovely Labels Pick a Punch).

Like yesterday’s post, I taught the Notecard version at my workshop and then also made it into a full sized card by adding a few mats with the new In Colours – Misty Moonlight and Bumblebee.

The measurements (again a mix of metric and imperial) for this card are: Whisper White – 3 1/4″ x 4 3/4″, Cinnamon Cider – 2.5cm x 13cm and Whisper White 1.9cm x 12cm.

I had originally wanted to use all the new In Colours but it was just too much so I removed Just Jade and Magenta Madness from my palette. To find the best colours to complete my palette I visited a great site for some help – http://colorlab.mycreateink.com/. This site has all the Stampin’ Up! colours including the In Colours. I entered in Misty Moonlight, Bumblebee and Cinnanmon Cider. It suggested Seaside Spray and then I added Daffodil Delight. Seaside Spray is a lovely colour and I’m starting to use it more in projects.

For my full sized card I added a double mat of Bumblebee – 3 1/2″ x 5″ and Misty Moonlight – 3 7/8″ x 5 3/8″. A quick tip before you start stamping – place the Cinnamon Cider banner piece on top of your Whisper White and add a pencil mark on either side – left and right ends. Draw a light line to join the marks. This will help you know where to stamp your images so that they won’t get covered up by the banner when you adhere it.

Did you notice the different ends to the banners between the Notecard and the full sized card? The Lovely Labels Pick a Punch has six different options all in the one punch. There are three different widths you can create – 1.3cm (1/2″), 1.9cm (3/4″) and 2.5cm (1″). You then get to choose two different ‘ends’ for your banner. I have used this punch so much already and we’re only two months into the catalogue. Check out the punch and stamp set on page 22 of the catalogue.

Well that’s all for now. Until next time …

Forever Fern – Notecard and Card Design

By Paula Reid | July 19, 2020

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Hi there

Last month I had my first ‘in person’ gathering since March and it was so lovely to reconnect in person with my lovely group of crafters. We made two cards – one using the Forever Fern Suite (pages 108 – 110) and one using the Lovely You Bundle (page 22).

Today I’ll share the Forever Fern card. We used the Notecards and Envelopes but I also created a full sized card using the same layout.

The measurements (a mix of metric and imperial) for the Notecard are: Whisper White – 3 3/8″ x 4 7/8″ – dry embossed using the new Greenery Embossing Folder, Pretty Peacock mat – 6cm x 9.5cm, Whisper White – die cut using the 4th largest Stitched Rectangle Die, scrap of Whisper White to stamp the image and then die cut with the Forever Flourishing Die.

The new Greenery Embossing Folder is the new narrower type of embossing folder and is the perfect width for using with Notecards. You can see a strip of the Forever Greenery Designer Series Paper on the inside of the Notecard. This card uses almost all the products from the suite. The finishing touch on the front is the bow using the Gold Trim.

I also used the same design and measurements to create a full sized card with an additional mat and adhering it to a card base with dimensionals. The additional mat measures 3 5/8″ x 5 1/8″.

The Forever Fern stamp set has great images and sentiments. This set is a Distinkive stamp set which gives great definition to the images. I’ve used Pretty Peacock, Garden Green and Pear Pizzaz for my colours. There are six different ‘greens’ used in the paper pack – Garden Green, Just Jade, Pear Pizzazz, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce and Soft Sea Foam.

Well that’s all for now. Check back tomorrow to see the cards we made using the Lovely You Bundle. Until then …