ThePowerOfACard

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.

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

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.

Thanks so much for watching my video and reading my blog - I appreciate you and hope I've inspired you to make cards with this fabulous suite!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List

Garden Poetry Suite Collection (English)

[167127]

$100.00

Paradise Garden Bundle (English)

[167121]

$61.00

Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[122925]

$14.00

Garden Poetry 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[167113]

$12.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad

[147101]

$9.00

Poppy Parade Classic Stampin' Pad

[147050]

$9.00

Sponge Daubers

[133773]

$7.50

Basic Beige 3/8" (1 Cm) Classic Ribbon

[165216]

$9.50

Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154881]

$11.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Seal

[152813]

$8.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Garden Textures 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Foil Sheets

[167125]

$10.50

Berry Burst 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Shiny Ribbon

[167126]

$8.00

Garden Epoxy Dots

[167124]

$8.00

Paradise Garden Hybrid Embossing Folder

[167120]

$44.00

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Flip Over Fun Fold

I love this fun fold because it's easy (only a few cuts and score lines) and it requires little fuss to make it gorgeous! I'm not sure this is the official name, but it is descriptive of how it functions, so that's what I called it. Here is the basic template for making the card base. You could change it up to make the flap smaller, or higher/lower if you needed it to be so.

I start by scoring the 4-1/4" line for folding the card in half. Then place the right edge at the 1-1/4" line on the Paper Trimmer and cut down from the top and up from the bottom 1-1/2". There are lines on the cutter and on the cutting guide to assist you. Then use the scoring tool to score in-between the cuts. Flip the card 90º and place the edge at 1-1/2" (at the end of the grid). Cut down from the top to the cut line - just go slowly and you can feel where the blade meets the previously cut line. Flip it over and repeat on the other corner. I like to use my bone folder to smooth out the cut lines, something you always get with this trimmer. Fold the card in half, then fold the flap back toward the fold - crease the folds well.

The paper I'm using in my card today is called Painted Illusions and it's the Product of the Month (POM) for February. Each month, Stampin' Up! has a new POM and it's announced on the first ordering day each month, making it a surprise for demonstrators and customers alike! In order to get one, all you have to do is spend $75 in my store (see the links below) and the POM is yours for just $5! This pack of 12" DSP has three sheets of each of four two-sided papers. It's full of swirls, watercolor washes and beautifully color blended patterns - I love it!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" x 5-1/2 scored and cut as described above; Painted Illusions DSP 2-3/4" x 5-1/4", 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White (2) 2-1/4" x 3-1/2", 2-1/2" x 3-3/4"; Flirty Flamingo 2-1/2" x 3-3/4"
Stamp: Fragrant Layers
Inks: Misty Moonlight, Flirty Flamingo, Pretty Peacock, Darling Duckling
Embellishment: 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls
Adhesive and Tools

After cutting and scoring your card base as I show in the video and describe above, add the two pieces of DSP to the card. The smaller piece goes on the front and the large piece goes on the inside, even though we typically don't put a large patterned piece on the inside! On one of the smaller pieces of Basic White, stamp the sentiment in Misty Moonlight ink, then attach this to the piece of Flirty Flamingo.

On the larger piece of Basic White, stamp the flower outline three times with Flirty Flamingo. Fill in petals with the same color and the center with stamped off Darling Duckling. Stamp three leaf pairs with Pretty Peacock and fill in with stamped off Pretty Peacock. Fussy cut these out. (There are dies, but they do not cut the outlines of these flowers and leaves.) Attach the leaves to each flower, then add them to the panel with the sentiment with Dimensionals. Add a few Darling Duckling Pearls.

To attach this panel to the card front and flap, I find it easiest if you use a bit of low tack tape rolled up to hold the flap down first. Then add adhesive to the flap and add the decorated piece on top, centering top to bottom and left to right. Once the adhesive is set, you can remove the tape.

Decorate the remaining Basic White panel and the envelope with another flower and leaves. The easiest way to add the decorated panel to the inside of the card is to open the card, lay the panel upside down on the Flirty Flamingo rectangle, then add glue to the exposed backside of this piece and close the card. This will give you a place to write on the inside, but won't be visible when the card is closed.

My first sample could have been a Valentine's Day card, but instead, is just a lovely heart inspired card to send to someone you care about. I used the Lovely Doilies for my focal point, with a 2-3/8" circle of Basic White to give it support and help it attach to the flap. I did trim down the flap a bit by cutting off a little triangle on each side so it wouldn't show behind the doilie. The sentiment is from a new set coming out soon called Forever Florals and it has great fonts! I also used the Made with Love DSP, Two-Tone Bubblebath and the Hearts of Love embossing folder.

This next one was a card we made at my January Card Class. It features the Friendly Foilage stamp set and happy little flowers cut from the Fragrant Layers dies. I used the Love Notes DSP and some retired Brights 6" x 6" DPS to decorate the card. My sentiment is stamped on a label from the Stylish Shapes dies. The final touch are some tiny Iridescent Pearls in the flower centers.

The Sunflower embossing folder has been super popular and you can see why in this card! I really wanted to showcase the beauty of this embossed piece, so my focal point is much larger than my other cards. Using the debossed side (the pattern dips down instead of being raised), I colored the petals with Lemon Lolly and Darling Duckling Blends. The leaves were done in Old Olive and the flower centers in Pecan Pie and Cinnamon Cider (retired). Then I lightly swiped my Mossy Meadow ink pad over the top. This adds dark color to the flat surfaces and lines of texture on some of the flower parts, making it very striking! My sentiment on the inside (which in simply a piece of Basic White with a strip of embossed sunflowers on the bottom) is from the January POM, Fabulous Sayings.

Switching gears a bit, I decided to make my focal point with circles cut from the Stylish Shapes dies. I used Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock for the mat colors and the Greenery Lane Washi tape (on Basic White) for the centers. Instead of DSP for the front panel, I used the Exposed Brick embossing folder on a piece of Crumb Cake, the same as the card base. I think this subtle texture is a great backdrop for the leafy patterns. I cut out a few leaves to decorate the inside of the card and skipped adding another piece of paper.

So far, all of my samples have been been vertical cards, but this design can be flipped to be horizontal. I decorated a piece of Basic White cut with the Textured Notes Dies and the Aspen Grove stamp set. I matted this with Granny Apple Green cut from the next larger die. Instead of using DSP or and embossed panel for the part behind the flap, I stamped more trees to match those on the focal point. I love the final look of my Aspen forrest! My sentiments are from the Fabulous Sayings.

Going a bit rogue on this next sample! I use the Splash of Sparkles DSP and fussy cut one of the groupings of color blocks. The irregular edges make a very interesting focal piece! I added some texture using the Natures's Symphony dies before matting it on Gorgeous Grape and fussy cutting it again. The sentiments and large leaf are also from the Nature's Symphony Bundle. The embellishments are the Moody Palette Glossy Dots.

My last sample features the Sweet as a Bug DSP and the Everyday Arches dies. This pack of paper is great to make cards quickly because there are so many bugs that can be cut with the dies (Sweet as a Bug bundle) and lots of little scenes/backgrounds. I chose one of the scenes as the backdrop for my bugs and matted it in Cloud Cover. For the inside of the card, I die cut a few mushrooms, did a little ink blending and added another bug and some flowers - so cute!! My paper for the card front and envelope flap is Neutrals 6" x 6" DSP, which is a subtle texture that makes the other DSP shine.

That's it for this Fun Fold! Give it a try and see just how easy it is to make. Thanks for watching my video!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List