Stuck On You Valentine Card

This Valentine card uses an image from Miss Kate Cuttables and a sentiment from an Art Impressions stamp set and follows the sketch from MFT Sketch Challenge. I thought those little cactus plants were just darling and wanted to use them in a Valentine card. 

Challenges I'm entering:

Welcome to Wednesday: Save 40% Sitewide + 50% off All Featured Blitzda – MFT Stamps (ends 1/31)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love (ends at the end of the month)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): CAS (1/3; ends Feb. 5) C10

You Are One in a Melon Card

The design for this card comes from the MFT Sketch Challenge. I used an image from Miss Kate Cuttables (the watermelons) and then stamps from Paper Sweeties (the sentiment and the watermelon border). The stitched circle and stitched heart dies I used are from Gina Marie Designs. I used my Copic markers to color the border. I added some embellishments to the top to finish it off. 

Creations in Pink: ATG in mainly pink (3/3; ends Feb. 15) 

Welcome to Wednesday: Save 40% Sitewide + 50% off All Featured Blitzda – MFT Stamps (ends 1/31)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love (ends at the end of the month)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge: Food and/or drink (1/5; ends Feb. 6)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge: ATG (4/5; ends Feb. 1)
 

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite color and why: I love pink for Valentine cards as it's so iconic as a color to represent love. (1/3; ends Feb.8)

Love You A Bunch Card

The MFT sketch for this week is a fun one, so I'm playing along! I decided to use my new Thanks A Bunch Stampin' Up! stamp set to create a card following the sketch. First, I used my ink blending brushes to add some yellow circles where the sketch features 3 circles of varying size. The sketch also features a horizontal line near the center, so I stamped one of the smaller stamps 6 times in a line to create that part of the card. Then I stamped the carrots and their green tops and the two sentiments. So quick and easy to make! If you're interested in earning the Thanks A Bunch stamp set for free (it's part of Sale-A-Bration and is free with a $50 purchase), check out this link to my friend Debbie Mageed's Stampin' Up! page here: Sale-A-Bration (stampinup.com)

Thanks A Bunch stamp set:

Challenges I'm entering:

Welcome to Wednesday: Save 40% Sitewide + 50% off All Featured Blitzda – MFT Stamps (ends 1/31)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love (ends at the end of the month)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge: Food and/or drink (2/5; ends Feb. 6)
 

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge: ATG (5/5; ends Feb. 1) Random winner 2/1/23

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): CAS (2/3; ends Feb. 5) C10

Lawn Fawn Slimline Valentine Card

 Challenges | Lawn Fawnatics: Lots of heart (ends Feb. 5)

Creations in Pink: ATG in mainly pink (2/3; ends Feb. 15)

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite color and why: I love pink for Valentine cards as it's so iconic as a color to represent love. (2/3; ends Feb.8)

My Love for You Ocean-Themed Card

I recently did a pop-up ocean scene card for my youngest daughter, and when I used the Whale Done Stampin' Up! set for that card, I made a note to make a Valentine card with the same set because I loved the "My love for you is bigger than the ocean" sentiment. 

I wanted to use the colors in the MFT color challenge, so I stamped the sentiment in a light pink and used a darker pink for the whale and hearts. I used gray card stock for the base and then adhered a piece of watercolor paper that I stamped using Tim Holtz's distress paint dabbers and then trimmed to size. I fussy cut the whale and larger hearts and then adhered them to the card and added two tiny hearts that came from the Framed Florets die that cuts a frame of hearts in an oval shape. I saved a few of the tiny hearts from the last time I used that die, and I colored two of them with a Copic marker and then adhered them along with the other hearts above the whale. 

It’s Time for a New Color Challenge! Join In for a Chance to Win $50 i – MFT Stamps: Light and dark pink, gray, and blue (ends Feb. 1)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love

 

You're A Legend Valentine Card

Sometimes I have a card in mind that just doesn't go according to plan. In this case, I wanted to have the Big Foot, Loch Ness Monster, and Kraken from Lawn Fawn's Lovable Legends stamp set all peek out of the heart-shaped window cut outs from Lawn Fawn's Scalloped Slimline with Hearts die, but unfortunately, the characters were really too big to make that work. So instead, I made a slimline card just using that die and then made this fun Big Foot card in pink. 

After stamping everything (I used one of the tiny heart stamps from the set to decorate the card a little), I decided to add XOXO using Lawn Fawn's Oliver's Stitched Alphabet Dies, and I colored Big Foot and the hearts with a Copic marker. It turned out to be a cute card, but I think I will revisit the idea of using all three mythical creatures in another card. The set is primarily designed for birthday cards, and I love the "have an unbelievable birthday" sentiment, but I like to stretch my stamp sets for different occasions, and I'm thinking I could use it for most holidays by just starting with the "have an unbelievable" sentiment and then adding the holiday name. I could put some snow on the trees for a Christmas card😂. Jennifer Maguire recently mentioned in a youtube video that she likes to think of 5 different ways she can use a stamp or die set before purchasing it, and I think that's a great idea. I'll have to come back to this cute set soon.

Close up of the stitched letters:

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Challenges | Lawn Fawnatics: Lots of heart (1/4; ends Feb. 5)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love (ends at the end of the month)

Creations in Pink: ATG in mainly pink (1/3; ends Feb. 15)

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite color and why: I love pink for Valentine cards as it's so iconic as a color to represent love. (3/3; ends Feb.8)

I Love You More Than Books Card

My husband knows how much I love to read (after making cards, reading is my favorite pastime!), so I'm sure he'll understand how special he is when he reads this book-themed card😄. 

To make the card, I started by creating a side fold A2 card base out of light blue card stock. Then I die cut the Hero Arts Book Window Fancy Die and Stacked Books Fancy Die out of white card stock. I fussy cut the edges of the window die so that I could adhere it to the dark pink card stock I had chosen as the background. I wanted to follow the color challenge over at MFT, which includes a light and dark pink, a light blue, and a dark gray, so I chose my Copic and Chameleon alcohol markers to match the colors and colored the die cuts using those specific colors. Then I adhered the window die to the front of the card and stamped the "I love you more than books" sentiment in the center. I added a few sequins in matching colors for a bit of sparkle. 

For the inside of the card, I cut the bottom two books from the stack so I could have a couple books on the left side of the card with the "You're tops in my book" sentiment and then have the rest of the stack paired with the "You are literally the best" sentiment on the right side. I used a Gina Marie stitched circle die for the "You're tops in my book" sentiment and popped it up on foam tape. 

My husband is one of the best blessings the Lord has ever given me, and I thank the Lord every day for him. We recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, but he's been my Valentine for the last 32 years. Having a Christian husband to pray with me and for me on a daily basis and to share life's joys and sorrows is such a gift!

Front of the card: 

Inside of the card:

Close up of the left side:

Close up of the right side:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: January 2023 Challenge | Hero Arts: Love (ends at the end of the  month)

It’s Time for a New Color Challenge! Join In for a Chance to Win $50 i – MFT Stamps: light and dark pink, light blue, gray (ends Feb. 1)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (5/5 for the week; ends Feb 1)

Random Winner at There's A Stamp for That FB group for January

"Hello, Winter" Floating Gap Card

This is another card I designed for the free card-making class I led recently. I die cut and fussy cut elements from winter-themed card stock and paired them with 3 pieces of 12X12 card stock that I cut using the November 2022 Sheetload of Cards design.  The women in my class really seemed to like this fun floating gap card. If you'd like to view the video on creating a floating gap card, here's the link: November 2022 SheetLoad of Cards | Debut & FREE Printable | Split Panel Cards #SLCTNov2022 - YouTube. 3 pieces of patterned 12X12 card stock will make 18 cards. You'll also need white card stock for the card bases and then any embellishments you'd like to use, but Crafy Al's design is brilliant for minimizing any waste of card stock. 

Here's the inside of the card:

Close up of the inside sentiment:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Craft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Winter (ends Feb. 15)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (1/4; ends Feb. 11)

Let's Craft and Create (letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends Feb. 5)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG with option of winter theme (ends Feb. 3)

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Winter Fun (1/3; ends Feb. 5)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge ...; ATG (1/3; ends Feb. 5)

Crafty Gals Corner (craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com): Winter (1/3; ends Feb. 6)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Snow (I hope the snowflake on the front of the card counts) (1/3; ends Jan. 28)

The Paper Shelter: Something Cold

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG 

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Cold Outside (1/3; ends Feb. 6)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG (1/6; ends 1/30/23)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (4/5 for the week; ends Feb 1)
 

Our Thoughts And Prayers Are With You Card

I recently volunteered to do a free card class on Jan. 16 for 10 women and had fun choosing the cards we would make and then sharing my love of cardmaking with the group. This is one of the cards we made, and it's a 6X6 inch square card with a pretty blue base and some patterned pieces of cardstock I've been wanting to use for ages. I think they were printable invitations of some sort, but they've sat in a drawer for years until now! They were the perfect background for the stamping and die cuts I wanted to use. 

I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment (it's a Hero Arts stamp and die set, but instead of die cutting the word "prayers," I used the stamp that came in the set as an alternative to die cutting that word. I think I will get a lot of use out of the set as there are many wonderful sentiments that pair well with the word "prayers.")

I wanted to add some pretty die cuts and chose a butterfly (I think it's a Gina Marie die, but I'm afraid I don't remember for sure) and a set of flowers from the SU! Potted Geraniums bundle. I used a small piece of foam tape to adhere just the body of the butterfly to the card so I could bend its wings up slightly. For the inside of the card, I chose an elegant flower die that is usually too big to fit on my cards, so I'm thrilled to be able to use it here.  The flower is die cut out of a lovely shimmery card stock. I popped up the sympathy sentiment inside the card with foam tape. That sentiment is from a retired Close to My Heart stamp set. I stamped it and then die cut it using Gina Marie Designs stitched oval dies. 

Inside the card:

I also made the card using a yellow base:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; ends Feb. 1)

Dream Valley Challenges: Hip to be Square (1/3; ends Feb. 4)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends Jan. 30)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers (3/8; ends Feb. 15)

 

Twisted Gatefold Get Well Card

This is the second twisted gatefold card I made today. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out two card bases and multiple layers and then created a birthday card for my mother-in-law that you can see here: Carrie's Custom Cards: Twisted Gatefold Birthday Card (carriescustomcards.blogspot.com) and then I used the opposite side of the design paper to create this get well card. 

Since I already gave the instructions about how to create the card base in my last blog post, I'll just describe what I used for the stamps and die cuts here. I used Stampin' Up!'s Beautifully Happy stamp set which is currently free with any $50 purchase until Feb. 28. Here's a link to the Sale-A-Bration catalog if you are interested in making an order: Sale-A-Bration (stampinup.com). The flowers are a two-step stamp set with an outline stamp and then another stamp to fill in the leaves, flowers, and flower centers. For the inside of the card, I just stamped the outline of the small flower twice. I adhered the flower focal piece with liquid glue to the right half of the gatefold and then adhered the sentiment with foam tape on the left half of the gatefold. I added an orange gem to the center of the largest flower to finish it up. 

Front of the card:

When the card is open:

Close up of the flower stamp on the front:

Views of the back:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; ends Feb. 1)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (2/5; ends Feb. 1)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge: Beautiful Blooms (2/5; ends Jan. 30)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Fancy fold, flowers, free (2/2; ends Feb. 2)

Try Stampin' On Tuesday (trystampinontuesday.blogspot.com): I used layering (ends Feb. 7)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends Feb. 3)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends Feb. 2) C10

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends Feb. 6)
 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers (2/8; ends Feb. 15)

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com): Add some sparkle (I added a gem to the center of my flower on the front of the card) (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

No more challenges

Twisted Gatefold Birthday Card

My mother-in-law's birthday is at the end of the month, and I wanted to make a pretty birthday card to give her this weekend when she and my father-in-law and several of our children and their families gather for a birthday dinner to celebrate together. I wanted to use my new Stampin' Up! stamp sets: Beautifully Happy and Framed Florets, so I designed a card to feature them. Beautifully Happy is part of Stampin' Up's Sale-A-Bration catalog. If you spend at least $50 on SU! products from now until Feb. 28, you can choose from an array of stamps and designer papers in the Sale-A-Bration catalog as free gifts. Beautifully Happy has stamps for both the outline and the inside of the flowers and leaves (and even the center of the flowers!). Here's a link to the Sale-A-Bration catalog if you are interested in making an order: Sale-A-Bration (stampinup.com). 

I found the idea for this twisted gatefold card design here: Twisted Gatefold Cards [Rain or Shine Series #8 & 9] | Stampin Up (stampwithtami.com). I'm so grateful for card designers who post instructions for making fun fold cards! I took Tami's measurements and created a cut file using my Silhouette Design Studio software and then resized the card base and layers slightly so that I could fit 2 card bases on my virtual mat. I made the second card I cut from this paper into a get well card that I'll feature on my next blog post. 

I cut all the layers and adhered them and then stamped and fussy cut all the flowers and then added the sentiments and some gems. 

Closed: 

Partially open:

Fully open:

Close up of the flowers with gems in the centers:

Close up of the inside sentiment (the "Celebrate" and "Wishes for a beautiful birthday" sentiments as well as the die that cut the frame around the birthday sentiment all come from  SU!'s Framed Florets bundle):

The back of the card:

Challenges I'm entering:

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #49 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (ends Feb. 3)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; ends Feb. 1)

little red wagon (lilredwagon.blogspot.com): Birthday (ends Feb. 1)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (1/5; ends Feb. 1)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge: Beautiful Blooms (1/5; ends Jan. 30)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Fancy fold, flowers, free (1/2; ends Feb. 2)

Try Stampin' On Tuesday (trystampinontuesday.blogspot.com): I used layering (ends Feb. 7)

AAA Birthday: Anything birthday goes (ends Jan. 31)

{Cupcake Inspirations}:Polkadots (the yellow card stock I used has polka dots) (1/3; ends Feb. 3)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: Rules & Guidelines (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com) ATG (3/3; ends Jan. 30) C10
 

No more challenges

Gatefold Double Pop-Up Card

I was recently a winner at the Creative Creases Challenge, and the Stampin' Up! prize I chose was the Whale Done stamp set. (Thanks so much for the prize, Debbie!) I knew I wanted to create a special card for my daughter's upcoming graduation from the final stage of her 18- month training in the Navy's nuclear power program, and this ocean-themed stamp set with the fun "Whale Done" and "You're Kind of a Big Deal" sentiments seemed perfect to celebrate my favorite Sailor's graduation! 

Now that I had the stamp set picked out, I needed to decide on a fun fold card design. I ended up choosing to try my hand at a gatefold double pop-up card. The inspiration for this type of card design came from Miriam Napier's video here:  (1) Gate Fold Double Pop-Up Card - YouTube. I used her measurements to create a cut file in my Silhouette Design Studio software to make this card. Thanks, Miriam!

After creating the cut file for the card, I chose the papers I would use. I happened to have one sheet left of an adorable whale-themed paper that I used for the outside of the card. Then came the most challenging part of making this card: the ocean scene inside the card. I had purchased a 6X6 rubber background stamp that depicted an underwater scene soon after I requested the Whale Done stamp set because I thought it would pair well with that set. I don't have much experience with using such a large stamp, and let me tell you, I was grateful for my MISTI stamping platform! The stamp had places that didn't want to stamp despite my best efforts at inking it up evenly, but eventually I was able to create 2 6X6 panels that I cut to size for the inside of this card to create the ocean background. 

Then I had fun playing with the Whale Done stamp set and stamped the whale, a couple sentiments (one for the belly band in front and one for the inside of the card), several sea horses, a jellyfish, a turtle, some bubbles, a couple ocean plants, and several schools of fish. Some I stamped on white card stock squares (for the belly band and the 2 pop-ups inside the card) and the rest I fussy cut and adhered to the ocean background to add some color and interest to the flat scene created by the 6X6 stamp. Then I assembled all the pieces I had cut out using my Silhouette Cameo 4. It was a bit challenging to line up the pop-ups properly, but I was able to get everything in place after doing a practice card first. I have learned the hard way not to use my good card stock the first time I'm trying a new card design 😂! I have also started keeping a sample copy of each new fun fold card style I've designed with a post-it note labeling it so I can find the file again on my external hard drive where I save card files I've made using my Silhouette Design Studio software. It's great to have a sample of the cards to see the sizing of all the details and figure out what stamps/word art would work well with the design.

I added one green and several blue gems to the front and the inside of the card as a finishing touch. 

Here's the card front with the belly band:

Video of me opening the card: 

Close up of the sentiment on the belly band:

Views of the inside of the card: 

Can you spot the jellyfish?

Here's the back of the card:

Here's a look at the stamp set I used. If you'd like to purchase it, please visit Debbie Mageed's SU! link here: Whale Stamp, Turtle Stamp & Seahorse Stamp SET | Stampin' Up! (stampinup.com)

Challenges I'm entering: 

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #49 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (ends Feb. 3)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; ends Feb. 1)

Dream Valley Challenges: Hip to be Square (2/3; ends Feb. 4)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends Jan. 30)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

Crafting Happiness Challenges

The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog: Blue (1/3; ends Feb. 6)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends Jan. 30) C10

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/2; ends Feb. 2)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends 2/2/23) C10

No more challenges