ThePowerOfACard

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Fun With Vellum

When I was thinking of a title for this video, I thought of Big Bang Theory and Amy and Sheldon's Fun With Flags. While I probably won't make you laugh as much as they did, I do hope you will learn some fun ways to incorporate vellum into your card making repertoire. I will be showing you seven different ways to use vellum, plus a bunch of tips and techniques along the way.

I've been a fan of vellum for a long time and was disappointed when it was discontinued by Stampin' Up!. When it returned (👏🏻 and jump for joy!), it was now in a 12" x 12" size. I love how thick it is - sturdy enough for all of the ways I'm going to show you how to use it. I know my video is a bit longer than normal, but I do hope you'll watch all of it and learn some fun ways you can use vellum in your cards too.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Melon Mambo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" scored at 4-1/4" and a scrap strip; Vellum Specialty Paper 3" x 5-3/4" (cut into 3" x 4-1/4" and 3" x 1-1/2"); Basic White (2) 4" x 5-1/4", 3" x 4-1/4" and a scrap strip, Granny Apple Green 2-15/16" x 4-3/16", Adhesive Sheet 3" x 4-1/4"
Stamps: Fragrant Layers and Paradise Garden
Inks: Memento Black, Melon Mambo, Granny Apple Green
Embossing Folder: Paradise Garden Hybrid
Watercolor Pencils: Assortment 1 and 2
Other: Basics Embossing Powder and Embossing Buddy
Adhesive and Tools, including the Blender Pens and Heat Tool

1. Stained Glass

I have two different ways to do stained glass, and two different ways to attach this to your card. Let's start out by folding your card base and creasing the fold with a Bone Folder. Emboss one of the large white rectangles with the embossing folder and attach to the front of the card with glue.

Use the Embossing Buddy on the large piece of vellum to remove any static, then stamp the large floral image with Memento Black ink. Since the ink stays wet longer on vellum, you can sprinkle it with the clear embossing powder and it will stick just as if you had used Versamark! Use the Heat Tool to melt the powder and when done, you'll see it looks like a medium gray color rather than black. I love that you can get this softer look by using Memento Black ink! Of course, if you want black, just use the Black embossing powder.

For this first sample, I decided to use Watercolor Pencils. These are so versatile because there are lots of colors and they can be blended together to get even more colors. When you use them, make sure you have a good point and color on the back side (non-embossed side) of the vellum. You don't have to be perfect, or even fill in the petals or leaves completely. Next, use the Blender Pen to blend the pencil marks and smooth out the color. Make sure to make marks on a scrap paper to remove the color from the pen tip before switching to the next color.

There are several ways I like to adhere my vellum. The first way is to use Adhesive Sheets. Use a piece the same size as the vellum. I peel off part of the backing and adhere it a bit at a time. Then peel off another section of the backing and press it down. This way, it's a little easier to manage than having a large sticky piece to add! Next peel off the rest of the backing and add this to the white rectangle of the same size. I wasn't thinking right when I was filming and did my trimming too early!). After the vellum is adhered, trim this down to be 2-3/4" x 4". Glue this to the Granny Apple Green piece and add Dimensionals to the back. Then add it the card front at an angle.

Stamp the small sentiment in Granny Apple Green on the small strip of white and trim as desired. Mat this with the Melon Mambo strip and trim. Add this with a Mini Dimensional and glue as shown. Stamp the large sentiment in Melon Mambo on the remaining piece of white and add to the inside. For the small flower and leaves, I colored them and fussy cut them out. To add them to the inside panel, I used my fine tip glue bottle to add a little glue and then spread it around with the tip. You could also use my trick of a silicon mat and trimmed pastry brush to apply uniform glue. To finish the envelope, stamp another flower/leaves and color with the pencils.

My second card utilized Stampin' Blends to color the flowers. I started with the Flowers Flair background stamp set and embossed the vellum with black embossing powder. After coloring the flowers, you will see they are more vibrant than the pencils, and that the brush strokes show up a bit more. I used an adhesive sheet to add the vellum to the white panel, then tied some Strawberry Slush Faux Linen Ribbon around it before adding it to my Blueberry Bushel cardstock with Dimensionals. The sentiment is from Beautiful Motifs. I used the background stamp to add a light Smoky Slate design on the inside and envelope too. As a tip, the Stampin' Positioner (available to order in May) makes using a large background stamp super easy!

2. Dry Embossing

When you dry emboss vellum, you get white edges so it looks two tone. For this sample, I used the Lazy Daisy 3D embossing folder. With the texture, I just used Seal to attach it to the Daffodil Delight base and you can't even see it. The labels are from the Nested Essentials dies and the sentiments are from Nature's Symphony stamp set. The Misty Moonlight Checkered Trim adds the final touch.

3. Card Base

Trim the vellum to be 4-1/4" x 11" and score at 5-1/2". I then cut out a large rectangle from the Product of the Month Painted Illusions Designer Series Paper (DSP) with the Perennial Postage dies and added it to the card front with a little bit of Seal in the corners. Depending on the pattern on the reverse side, or if you see the adhesive too much, you could add another piece of white the same size to cover it on the inside flap. I used a smaller die to cut out white postage label, then added a rectangle of white that I colored with blending brushes to coordinate with the DSP. The sentiment is from the Greenery Lane stamp set and the ribbon is Darling Duckling Faux Linen.

4. Alcohol Backgrounds Using Blends

I must forewarn you - this can get addicting! For the first sample, I added swipes of color diagonally down the vellum. Then I spritzed it with 91% rubbing alcohol to activate the ink. I blew on it to move the colors around. You will get different looks each time you try this technique as the alcohol spritzing is unpredictable! I used glue to adhere the vellum and spread it around with the trimmed silicon pastry brush. The sentiment is from Paradise Garden (fussy cut) and the gems are the 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls.

The second sample used Secret Sea and Cloud Cover Stampin' Blends where I covered the entire piece of vellum. Then I used a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol and dabbed it on the colored vellum to activate the ink. My Happy Birthday is from a retired set of dies (Cloud Cover and Secret Sea cardstock) and the inside sentiment is from The Right Words. I love how this masculine card turned out! I mentioned this video which shows a lot more of the process of using Blends and alcohol to make backgrounds - it's an old one but I think you'll find it helpful.

5. Soften a Busy Background

I love showcasing our DSP, but sometimes, you just need a little buffer between the paper and your sentiment or design element. In this card, I used the Florals in Bloom DSP. The outside sentiment is from the Thoughtful Moments Hybrid embossing folder. The layer of vellum between the "love you" and the paper is just enough to set off the words. The lovely ribbon is Berry Burst Shiny Ribbon (my new fav!) and the card base is Secret Sea. My inside sentiment is from the Paradise Garden set. I added a few Natural Matte Dots for the finishing touch.

6. Floral or Greenery Elements

When you are making floral or botanical cards, you don't always want to have them in the color they are in nature. Vellum is the perfect solution! My first sample features paper from the Splash of Sparkles Specialty DPS pack in Timid Tiger and Bubble Bath. I used the Springtime Scenes bundle and making the leaves out of vellum kept the color scheme while adding texture and interest around my cluster of flowers.

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com Karen Sliwinski ©Stampin’ Up!

For the second card, I used vellum for parts of the flowers and the leaves (Petals of Beauty bundle). My card base is Petal Pink and the Poppy Parade Two Tone cardstock, folded over on the corner, makes the perfect backdrop for those pretty flowers (base is from the Garden Poetry DSP). The centers are the Moody Palette Glossy Dots. The sentiment is embossed in white and comes from the 2026 Virtual Cardmaking Retreat stamp set. I also used the Paradise Garden stamp set for my interior sentiment.

7. Embossed Sentiments

Lastly is this sample where I embossed my sentiment (Paradise Garden again 😉) with white on a strip of vellum. I wrapped a strip of Strawberry Slush Faux Linen ribbon around a rectangle of Mixed Up Patterns DSP, then wrapped the vellum just a little below it and adhered it to the back side. Even though there isn't any adhesive holding the sentiment down on the front, it is secure enough to stay in place due to being held down on the back. After adding this panel to a piece of white, I popped it up on the card base. The vellum leaf is from Nature's Symphony dies and I adhered it with rolled up Mini Glue Dots.

Whew! That was a lot of ways to use vellum! Were any of these new to you? If so, which one will you try? And which card was your favorite? I love so many of them - thanks for watching!

Karen

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Product List

Fragrant Layers Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167150]

$24.00

Paradise Garden Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167114]

$24.00

Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[115320]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146990]

$14.00

Vellum 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

[167099]

$10.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

$8.00

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

[147051]

$9.00

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

[147095]

$9.00

Embossing Additions Tool Kit

[159971]

$27.00

Basics Embossing Powders

[155554]

$18.00

Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1

[161700]

$18.00

Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2

[149014]

$14.00

Blender Pens

[102845]

$14.00

Paradise Garden Hybrid Embossing Folder

[167120]

$44.00

Adhesive Sheets

[152334]

$11.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

[129053]

$32.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Introducing the Garden Poetry Suite

A new batch of On-line Exclusive products were just released yesterday. Someone compared these releases to the secret menu at Starbucks and I thought that was a great way to look at them! We have three catalogs each year that are in print format and "secret" menu releases that come out every other month! Isn't it fun to check out what treats you can find here? This suite was my favorite and the first thing I wanted to show off!

If you love florals, you will love this suite of products! The pack of Designer Series Paper (DSP) is called Garden Party and it is simply stunning! One side has luscious watercolor flowers and leaves in Berry Burst, Blueberry Bushel, Shaded Spruce, Flirty Flamingo, Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry and more. The reverse side has solid-ish patterns to coordinate. Then there is a pack of Specialty Foil paper called Garden Textures (Berry Burst, Shaded Spruce and Blueberry Bushel) - it is so rich looking! The stamp bundle consists of 14 stamps (including four sentiments) and 13 dies (including three labels). There is a hybrid embossing folder with a lovely leaf background (I adore this one!). Finishing off the suite is Berry Burst Shiny Ribbon and fun Garden Epoxy Dots.

Here is 4" x 5-1/4" paper embossed and cut with the die (the hybrid combo) and simply embossed. One thing to pay attention to when using the dies are the edge parts that may get cut off. I simply added a little glue and put them back where they belonged. When you cut a larger piece, as you'll see in one of my samples, less of the leaves get cut off.

In my video, I am making a simple Fun Fold card. My first sample featured the DSP and foil, but in the video, I am making a mono chromatic card with just the DSP. I'm also showing you how to customize ribbon to match your card. Plus, I have lots of samples to share and some more tips along the way. I knew I would love this suite as soon as I saw it, and I think you will too.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Calypso Coral 4-1/4" x 11" scored at 2-1/8", 4-1/4" and 5-1/2"; Garden Poetry DSP 3" x 4", (2) 1" x 4", 1-7/8" x 4"; Basic White 3" x 4", 1-1/2" x 4-1/2"
Stamp Bundle: Paradise Garden
Inks: Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade
Ribbon: Basic Beige Classic Ribbon 11"
Stampin' Blends: L Calypso Coral
Adhesive and Tools, including a Sponge Dauber

I love this simple Fun Fold because it's easy to make and the measurements are simple. Start by scoring your card base and pressing the folds with a bone folder. The section closest to the center fold gets glued together. Add the 1" pieces to the top left side and inside right side as I demonstrate. Open the card and add the 1-7/8" piece of DSP to the section to the left of the fold. Finally, add the largest piece of DSP to the Calypso Coral piece.

One thing that is wonderful about sentiments made out of photopolymer is that you can bend them as you adhere them to the block. I took the Thank You sentiment and bent it to match the shape of the wavy die cut label. Then I inked it in Calypso Coral, added Poppy Parade ink to the bottom with a sponge dauber, "huffed" on it and stamped it on the long Basic White rectangle. I used the die to cut it out on my Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. I did the same inking technique with the inside sentiment on the remaining piece of Basic White. This panel was then adhered right next to the DSP strip.

While I adore the ribbon that comes in this suite, I didn't feel it was a good fit for my card. Instead, I took a piece of the Basic Beige ribbon and colored it with my light Calypso Coral Stampin' Blend. I colored both sides of the ribbon using the brush tip of the marker. When you color with alcohol markers, it takes a few minutes to dry and usually, the ribbon is stiffer. Before attaching it to the back of my label, I ran it through my fingers a bit to soften it. Then I made a zig zag and attached it to the back of the label with Seal adhesive. As a side note, I used Cloud Cover ribbon and colored it with Shaded Spruce and Blueberry Bushel Stampin' Blends for this sample.

For the final assembly, fold the outside flap back toward the card fold and add glue to this surface. Then add the floral DSP panel so it is evenly spaced left to right. It will extend about 1/8" to the left side of the flap (I show this in the video). My first sample did not extend beyond the flap and if you look closely, you can see that it slightly off center, which annoys my engineering brain! Add the label/ribbon with Dimensionals, centering it from top to bottom. Lastly, stamp a flower in both colors on the envelope.

I have lots of samples to share with you and most of them are self explanatory. However, I do have a few tips along the way. The first card features my favorite paper. The top part of the card is short so that the Berry Burst foil, which is adhered to the inside of the card, shows when the card is closed. For the green leafy card, I embossed vellum for the top half of the card. The label was stamped in Shaded Spruce, then Versamark so I could add clear embossing powder to get an embossed sentiment.

I cut three circles with the Stylish Shapes dies, two from DSP and one from peach Pie cardstock, which was them embossed. I cut each in half and layered them together for the offset circles. For the next card, I stamped smaller images on strips of Basic White to match the color of the 1/4" strips of foil which separated them.

This card used a quarter sheet of paper for the hybrid embossing and has a Blackberry Bliss card base. I think the dark layer underneath helps to show off the lift on the leaves.

Both of these feature the embossing folder - the first one has it embossed and the second one has it debossed. I used a sponge dauber to add Crushed Curry to the inside of the flowers and Poppy Parade to the outside. I also sponged Granny Apple Green and Garden Green on the leaves connected to the flowers. For the blue card, I cut the inner circle with a circle from the Spotlight on Nature dies before embossing. Then from a second piece of the foil, I cut the same circle and the next larger one to make the frame. Because the foil has a white core, I used a sponge dauber to add more ink to the inner edges to hide the white from showing.

Lastly, I have a really fun card design from Southridge Sudio's Facebook page. It is partially embossed and cut so that just a small strip of the top gets adhered to the inside of the card, leaving a gap in the front panel. The flowers and label keep both parts of the front working together as a single layer. How fun is that?? If you haven't seen this one, make sure you watch to the end of the video to see me open it! Again, I used a sponge dauber to add some Bubble Bath ink to the center of the flowers and sentiment.