ThePowerOfACard

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Introducing Product of the Month

There is something new at Stampin' Up - even more than the new release of On-line products and the January - April Mini Catalog! In December, they launched a new program called Product of the Month (POTM). There will be a new offering each month and it's available for purchase ($5) when you reach a qualifying order of $75 (in the United States). There is a limit of one per customer and it will only be available while supplies last. You won't know in advance what it will be and I don't even know (as a demonstrator) ahead of time. If there are still December items available in January, you will have your choice between January's or December's offering.

Since the December POTM is a paper pack with designs in Night of Navy and Balmy Blue, I thought I'd made some cards to showcase the paper. I'm also using a few new items that will be arriving next Month, just to pique your interest. I won't be able to put all the links in my video or blog until the products are released, but I can update it in January.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Crumb 8-1/2" x 5-1/2 scored at 4-1/4"; Basic White 4" x 5-1/4", 1" x 4-3/4". scrap; Night of Navy 4-1/8" x 3-1/8"; Product of the Month DSP 4" x 3", 4" x 1-3/4"
Stamp Bundle: Greenery Lane
Stamp: Prayers & Promises
Ink: Night of Navy
Adhesive and Tools

I love the simplicity of this card layout and I especially love that it maximizes usage of your 12" DSP because we cut a four inch strip (and you can get three of those per sheet). Fold your card base and crease with a bone folder. From the piece of Night of Navy, cut out the branch in the center, then adhere the DSP to this layer, which hides your die cut hole! Adhere this to your card front.

Before stamping the sentiment on the white strip, lay out the rest of your card so you will know where the sentiment needs to be stamped. Then stamp in Night of Navy and adhere the strip across the lower portion of the DSP piece. While your stamp set is open, stamp the two flowers on the scrap of white and the inside panel with the big leafy branch and the inside sentiment, as well as a stamped-off leafy branch on the envelope.

Add the smaller piece of DSP so it crosses the white strip and the larger layer of DSP - this can either be just adhered on top of the other layers, or popped up with Dimensionals. On top of this, add the leafy branch. (It is a subtle addition and shows up better in real life than in the photograph.) After cutting out the two little flowers with the dies, add them to the sentiment strip. Finish by adhering the inside panel.

When I make a gate fold card, I like to only score the left side of the card base at 2-1/8". Then I fold the other side so that the edges meet. I find that this is a better method than scoring both sides because sometimes, they don't quite meet right! For this card, I used sentiments from Simply Said and cut the circles with 2" and 2-1/4" circle punches. I find the paper so pretty that I didn't think it needed anything else.

For the next card, I used a new embossing folder called Beautiful Pattern 3D. I love that it gives a subtle, geometric pattern which is great for backgrounds. The circle die is from Spotlight on Nature and the sentiment is from a new set called Delicate Framing. I fussy cut the flowers and leaves from the DSP for my accent elements on both the outside and inside. A few Rhinestone Basic Jewels finish the card. If I were to make this one again, I think I would have chosen a little smaller circle from the die set.

Here's another favorite layout of mine! I cut five 3-3/4" x 1" strips of two different patterns of the DSP and placed them on a white rectangle at jaunty angles from one another. A sentiment strip goes across the lower portion with the saying from Fragrant Layers. The cute bow is made from the new Balmy Blue Gingham ribbon and the flower on the envelope is also from Fragrant Layers.

While the papers are all blue, I made a cute baby card by pairing the DSP with Pretty in Pink cardstock. This is another favorite layout of mine - strips of DSP across a panel of white. I chose three prints and cut a 3/4" strip of each. When adding them to the white panel, I start with the center strip, then add pieces on either side of it, leaving a little gap between the strips. I used the new Woolly Friends bundle (stamp set and punch) to make a little pink lamb and popped her up on a 2-1/4" circle of Basic White. After adding a little banner sentiment, I popped the entire circle unit on my card front. I chose the Congratulations from Sunrise Sailing and inked it half and half in Balmy Blue and Pretty in Pink. I think this card is the most adorable thing to sent to someone who doesn't know the gender of their baby!

Lastly, I paired a strip of another pattern along the left side of the Balmy Blue card front. Then I added a smaller strip of a striped pattern - it was the perfect addition of contrast for this card. I added a Balmy Blue stripe to the inside white panel too. The banner label is from Nested Essentials dies and the words are from The Right Words. I put a little Balmy Blue Sheer ribbon (Last Chance List!) to give it the final touch.

I hope you're excited about this new POTM program - I know I am! As the year draws to a close and this is my last blog and video for 2025, I'd like to wish you all the Merriest of Christmases and Happy Holidays! May our new year be filled with lots of card making, learning new techniques, and bringing joy to others as we share in our creativity!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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The new rewards program is here! For any purchase above $20, you will earn 10% in rewards to spend on a future purchase. And you don’t have to use them all at once as you can save up rewards to get something big for free! If you don’t have an on-line account with me as your demonstrator, please go to my store and get one.

Product List

More items will be added once they are release in January.

Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[120953]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[100867]

$14.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[147110]

$9.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Patterned Paper Crazy Quilts

When I recently delivered some goodies to one of my customers, Sue Martin, she shared some cards she was making with scraps of paper. She had sorted them into bags by color and then pieced them together in a crazy quilt fashion to make a beautiful background for her cards. I loved the idea and thought I'd give it a try. I'm not sure if my technique is the same one she uses, but it worked for me and I know it will work for you too! Enjoy the video!

I am a quilter, but I've never made a crazy quilt (but I have used a lot of scraps!). So Sue's idea really inspired me to try. I decided to not add the decorative "stitching" that is common in actual quilts because I thought it wouldn't work well with the scale of my "quilt", or the patterns of the paper. While I chose to stay within a single pack of DSP, you could certainly mix and match all of your papers. The process is fun and the results are different each time.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Basic Beige 8-1/2" x 5-1/2 scored at 4-1/4"; Basic Beige 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 4" x 2-1/2"; Gathering Together Specialty DSP a variety of scraps
Stamp Bundles: Gathering Moments, Words of Beauty
Die: Branching Out
Inks: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight
Embellishment: Cajun Craze & Gold Dots
Adhesive and Tools

Fold your card base and press the fold with your bone folder. From the rectangle of Basic Beige, cut out the center with one of the Branching Out dies. You can use the label another time, but for this card, we need the "hole" in the center. Place this piece on the card front and lightly trace the cutout onto the card front. This will help you know the exact area you have to cover with your scraps of paper.

Start by adhering the first scrap in place. Then continue adding bits of paper at a variety of angles all over the card front until the pencilled area is covered. Trim pieces as needed, especially if they might get too close to the edge of the card. I typically like to adjoin pieces together, but also overlap some of them as the whimsy hits!

Add the Beige rectangle with Dimensionals on the card front - this will frame the beautiful crazy quilt you just pieced together. Stamp the sentiment in Old Olive and the large leaf in Cajun Craze; cut with the dies. Adhere the sentiment with Mini Dimensionals and glue the leaf in the corner. Finish the card by stamping some additional leaves (in Cajun Craze and Daffodil Delight) on the inside of the card as well as the envelope corner. Stamp the inside sentiment with Old Olive. The last touch is to add embellishments in the corners of your opening.

When I first tried the technique, I wasn't sure I would like it, so I used some retired patterned paper (Take a Bow). I made the opening with the Peace on Earth Dies (this bundle is on the Last Chance List and so worth getting!). The sentiments and holly are from Jolly Holly and I embellished with Real Red & White Adhesive-backed Peppermints. After this first one, I knew I'd be making more!

Next came the Modern Christmas Specialty DSP pack. I chose the Nested Essentials dies to make a very large opening to showcase the gorgeous black/white/gold paper! I used the Ornamental Christmas bundle for the sentiments, tree and star. As a fun tip, you can add tiny dots of glue on the tree, cover them with gold embossing powder, let dry and then melt with the Heat Tool to make ornaments on the tree! I love how this turned out, especially on the black card base!

As you know from last week's video, I really love the Elegant Pine Snowflakes DSP, so of course, I had to make a card with that! My opening is a circle from the Stylish Shapes dies and the snowflake and sentiments are from the Delicate Pines Bundle.

Changing it up a bit for this one - I used Celebratory Sips DSP to cover a rectangle of paper instead of filling in the space below an opening. This was even easier to do because when you're done adding the scraps, you just trim off the edges before adding it to the card front panel. I used the Cheers & Sips and With You in Mind stamp sets for the sayings.

Lastly, I used the Beautiful Bokeh paper pack, which is filled with soft pastel patterns. I filled the opening made from the Stylish Shapes dies, then stamped flowers from the 12 Days of Advent Crafting Calendar onto some of the same paper and cut them out with the coordinating die. This was so fun to do! All of my examples are so different from one another - it's hard to pick a favorite! Thanks again Sue for the inspiration!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

Shop my Store!

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

Find me on Facebook - The Power of a Card or

Join my Facebook Group (The Power of a Cardmaker): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042676296088278/?ref=share

Product List

Gathering Moments Bundle (English)

[165980]

$56.50

Words Of Beauty Bundle (English)

[167090]

$45.75

Basic Beige 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[164511]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Gathering Together 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[165969]

$16.50

Branching Out Dies

[165775]

$29.00

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

[147090]

$9.00

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad

[147085]

$9.00

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

[147094]

$9.00

Cajun Craze & Gold Dots

[165984]

$9.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Delicate Pines + Elegant Pine Snowflakes DSP = Amazing Cards!

I don't need any more snowflake sets, I don't need any more snowflake sets - I do need the Delicate Pines Bundle! How many times have you said you weren't going to get a set, then see someone use it to make great cards, and then order it? I cannot tell you how many times that has happened to me! This bundle, along with the coordinating Designer Series Paper (DSP) is a perfect example!

At my recent team retreat, I saw this paper and bundle in action and fell in love with it. There are 14 stamps including pine bough snowflakes, pine cones, branches and some great sentiments. The die set has 22 pieces! Most of them are easy to figure out, but in my video, I do show you how to use two of them that are less obvious. The paper is so beautiful and while I didn't show you every piece, you can see them in the large variety of cards I made - I just couldn't stop making pretty cards!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2 scored at 4-1/4"; Basic White 4" x 5-1/4", 4" x 3-3/4"; Elegant Pine Snowflakes DSP a variety of strips 1/2" - 3/4" wide, at least 3-3/4" long
Stamp Bundle: Delicate Pines
Ink: Old Olive
Ribbon: Early Espresso & Old Olive Linen Thread 30"
Adhesive and Tools

While at the retreat, I made a card designed by my friend Sharon Chin. Taking that as my first inspiration, I designed a snowflake card with the same concept. You'll need strips of the DSP in varying widths from 1/2" - 3/4" wide and at least 3-3/4" long. On the piece of Basic White that is 4" tall x 3-3/4" wide, start adhering the strips along the bottom. I like to use tiny amounts of glue all over the area under the strip. If you get the first strip square with the bottom, the rest of the strips will line up nicely. Continue adding strips, making sure to get good glue coverage until you reach the top. If you don't want to use glue, you can use an adhesive sheet that is just smaller than the white piece. Trim off the excess strips so that your final piece is 4" x 3-3/4".

My Inspiration card designed by Sharon

Using the largest snowflake outline die, place it in the middle of the striped piece and cut it out on the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. After cutting, leave the snowflake in place, turn it over, and then cut it half vertically. I find it's easier to see where to cut on the white side over the patterned side. Adhere the left side of the background to the 4" x 5-1/4" white panel, about 1/2" from the left side. Then add the right side of the snowflake. I find it's easy to align this part if I place the left side of the snowflake in the "hole" - it gives a solid edge to place the right side, then pops out to leave the space desired.

Stamp the sentiment in the lower left side in Old Olive ink. Wrap the Old Olive linen thread around twice and tie in a bow. The reverse tweezers from the Embossing Additions kit is a handy tool to help hold the ribbon as you tie the bow. Pop this piece up with Dimensionals onto the card base, which was folded in half and creased with the bone folder. Decorate the inside and envelope with another sentiment and some pine boughs.

I created a second card using the leftover pieces of the snowflake (who doesn't love a two for one card?), but used Old Olive as a card base. Which version do you like better?

As I said in the intro, I have so many card samples to share with you! This first one is so simple and easy to make if you have a lot of cards you want to send. I used the Mossy Meadow & Gold Trim and love how the sparkle adds just the right touch to this simple card.

For this next one, I stamped one large and three medium snowflakes using Shaded Spruce, stamped off. After cutting them out, I used the two dies that look like arrows to cut out the "inside" of the snowflake. When I first saw these dies, I was uncertain about how to use them. The wider one is for the large snowflake. After placing my snowflakes on the card front with Dimensionals, I trimmed off the overhang. I was able to use the trimmed off piece on the inside - a great way to use the excess. I used Frosted Iridescent Dots as accents.

Another card featuring Shaded Spruce - this time, I used the dies to cut out the boughs and assembled them to make a beautiful pine snowflake. A simple sentiment strip keeps the main focus on the evergreen snowflake. I used the little snowflake to surround my inside sentiment and on the envelope, stamping both full strength and stamped off.

This next card features Secret Sea and Pretty Peacock. I stamped the medium snowflake in Secret and Sea and filled in the space between the branches with the stamp that matches the paper. I really love these two colors together - it's very non-traditional, but so very lovely! I spritzed the entire card front with Wink of Stella to add just a little sparkle.

I am so happy that vellum is back in my store! I stamped the same snowflake as on my last card, but this time, I used Versamark ink and White Embossing Powder on vellum. I also embossed the sentiment on Garden Green and fussy cut it out. The ribbon, Garden Green & White Chevron, adds a nice touch on the strip of Garden Green behind the vellum. I embossed the smallest snowflake on a strip of green for the inside and left it without a sentiment. Sometimes, you just want to send a hand written message and this card is perfect for that.

On the front of this Crumb Cake card base, I stamped pine boughs in Old Olive and pinecones in Pecan Pie. My piece of DSP is 3" square, which means you can get 16 from just one sheet of DSP! This layout is another great one to make when you need a lot of cards! I did use Merry Christmas from Jolly Holly on the inside just to add some variety to my sentiments!

My last card looks like DSP, but it actually stamped. I Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce and Old Olive to stamp my large and medium snowflakes, then filled in the white space with small snowflakes stamped in Pool Party. Like some of my other cards, I kept the sentiment to a thin strip so I wouldn't cover up much of my stamped background.

My last project, which I forgot to show during my original filming and had to be added in afterwards, is also based on a project we made at the retreat. Instead of making a shaker card, I made a snowflake diorama! I used secret sea as my base and Cloud Cover DSP in the background, stamped with little snowflakes. I added more snowflakes and mixed up how I attached them - some directly on the back, some with Mini Glue Dots, some with Dimensionals, and even one with doubled Dimensionals! I put a square folded card on the back so this can set on someone's desk.

Ok that was probably over the top, but as I mentioned, once I got these products and started playing, I just kept coming up with more and more card designs! Since it's almost Thanksgiving, it is definitely the season to start making and mailing our Christmas cards - this video should provide you with lots of inspritation!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

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Product List