ThePowerOfACard: July 2024

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The Changing Leaves Bundle - It's Not Just for Fall

As part of the On-line Exclusives released this month, the Changing Leaves Bundle is a great three part bundle. The stamp set has 8 stamps, the dies cut out 10 shapes and there is a hybrid embossing folder that is simply stunning. While the name of this bundle makes you think of autumn, you'll see that I've got many cards that aren't fall at all. Here is a chart that shows the stamps and dies:

In case you haven't used a hybrid embossing folder before - it is an embossing folder that holds dies so you can cut and emboss at the same time. The dies cut out three of the gorgeous leaves, but can be used to cut out stamped images too. Of course, the embossing folder can be used without the dies and honestly, I'm not sure which side is nicer - the embossed or debossed side! I have examples using both in my video. This photo shows the embossed side and my first card will show the debossed side.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Shy Shamrock 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 4-1/2" x 5-1/4", 4" x 5-1/4", 1" x 4"
Stamp Bundle: Changing Leaves
Stamp Set: Everyday Greetings - used in many of my samples
Ink: Shy Shamrock
Adhesive and Tools, including the Stampin' Brayer

I haven't used the brayer in a video before, so there are a few helpful tips when using it. First of all, there are little "feet" on each end. When inking the roller, have the feet facing up and when resting the inked brayer on your table, turn the feet down to hold the inky roller off the surface. As you ink the roller, don't go back and forth on the ink pad, but rather roll, lift, roll again, and repeat until you have good coverage on the roller.

For our card, emboss the larger Basic White rectangle. Ink the brayer with Shy Shamrock and roll it over the debossed side of the panel. You will get uneven coverage (part of the charm of using the brayer) and ink will mostly cover the area surrounding the leaves, as well as a little of the texture on the leaves. Trim this panel down to 4" wide and save the 1/2" piece for the inside of the card. To clean the brayer, just run it under the faucet.

Stamp the sentiment on the 1" strip of Basic White. I use a longer piece of white and then center it on my embossed panel before trimming. Adhere the embossed panel to the card base, which has been folded in half and creased with the bone folder. Pop up the sentiment strip towards the bottom. Add the 1/2" embossed strip on the other Basic White panel and add to the inside of the card. I chose not to add a sentiment at this time to make this card more versatile. I can always add one later when I know the specific event for which I'm offering congratulations. To complete the card, stamp one of the leaves onto the envelope. Both of my samples were monochromatic, but you could certainly adapt this card to use several colors.

So as I started to play with this bundle, I went right into the traditional fall color scheme. I started with a piece of Fluid 100 Watercolor paper (wider than the 4" width so I could cut off a strip for the inside) and my Water Painters. I used the ink from the lids of the ink pads to color each leaf/stem, using Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Lemon Lime Twist, Poppy Parade, Real Red and Pumpkin Pie. For the background, I used Pecan Pie to give an uneven shading and make the leaves pop. When everything was dry, I spritzed with Poppy Parade and Pecan Pie. I used Linen Thread to tie around the leaves before mounting the sentiment label. For the inside, I added the cut off strip of leaves and stamped a Thank You sentiment. On the envelope, I added a die cut leaf that was cut from watercolor paper and inked in the same leaf colors as the card front.

This next sample is simply elegant - gold and white. I used the Nature's Sweetness Specialty DSP for the three panels of gold in the background. the large leaf is the focal point of the card and the addition of a gold bow (Simply Elegant Trim - retired) and the little label, embossed in gold are all you need to add. I embossed leaves on the inside and on the envelope. While this one is aimed at encouragement, it could easily become a gorgeous wedding card!

This card uses the debossed side of the embossing folder for the background piece of Basic Beige. I used Misty Moonlight to cut out the leaf and mounted that with the embossed side up - I like the look of seeing both versions at the same time. The Night of Navy & Gold Glittered Ribbon added behind the sentiment add just a touch of bling. For the inside, I embossed just the top inch of the Basic White insert and then added a small strip of Misty Moonlight where the embossing and plain part meet. I also embossed the flap of the envelope. In case you don't know how to do that, here is a short video showing you how.

I love the freshness of this card - the large leaf was stamped with Granny Apple Green and Lemon Lime Twist and mounted on Garden Green. The Sentiment is accented with a small solid die cut leaf and the ribbon is the Iridescent Striped Trim. I stamped the large leaves on the envelope flap too - I just love this look!

My next card is a total departure - no leaves at all! It does use the long rounded label die, but not for a sentiment! I used a sheet of paper from the Full of Life 6" x 6" DSP pack and cut out seven labels as the colors merged from yellow to pink. I then staggered them across the front of my card and placed a 1/2" strip across the entire front with my simple sentiment. What else do you need? Both the envelope flap and inside use up the remaining piece of the DSP - very efficient indeed!

For the last example, I went back to watercolor paper. After misting the paper with water, I stamped the maple leaf in Pumpkin Pie, Berry Burst and Blackberry Bliss. If your colors don't bleed very much, you may need to mist to add more water. If they bleed too much, you may need to stamp again after it's mostly dry, then add a tiny bit more mist. I love how these colors blend together! You will need to allow this into dry completely before adding it to the Crumb Cake base. To complete the front, I used sponge daubers to add the three colors onto the stamp, then cut out three sprigs to add behind the trim-color leaf. I stamped Thank You in Pumpkin Pie, but didn't want the label to be so long, so I shortened it. Here is a quick video that shows you how to shorten or lengthen a die cut label. I stamped more leaves on the inside, added another sentiment and finished the card by stamping more leaves on the envelope flap. I do believe this was my favorite card - what is yours?

For those of us who live in North America, we are just in the middle of summer. I'm not ready for fall just yet, but I hope this bundle will inspire you to get Changing Leaves and use it now and into the cooler autumn days ahead!

Karen

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Product List

Changing Leaves Bundle (English)

[164139]

$54.00

Everyday Greetings Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[165084]

$21.00

Shy Shamrock 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[163795]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$13.00

Shy Shamrock Classic Stampin Pad

[163808]

$9.00

Stampin' Brayer

[162936]

$16.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Paper Snips

[103579]

$12.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$130.00

Basic White Medium Envelopes

[159236]

$11.00

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Unbounded Love Dies - So Many Possibilities

If you've followed me for any length of time, you know how much I love a good die set and this one certainly qualifies as a good one! While this is part of a bundle, I am really focusing on the dies in this video. You can pair so many sentiments with these dies, which makes them very versatile.

There are sixteen dies in this set, but some of them cut two shapes at once, so you have even more choices. I have created my die sheet to illustrate how each of the dies looks when cut. Several of the pieces are very thin and for these, I really like to cut multiples and glue them together (which makes them almost like chipboard). The dies are also great for combining (I could have done more with this, but after having twelve cards to show, I had to limit myself!). Several of them are also good for shortening or lengthening (you'll see two examples where I shortened the die cut piece).

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Melon Mambo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 3-7/8" x 5-1/8", 4" x 5-1/4", 2" x 2-3/4"; Unbounded Beauty DSP (3) 1-1/8" x 4-7/8", 1/2" x 5-1/4"
Stamp Sets: Unbounded Love and Flowers of Beauty
Dies: Unbounded Love
Ink: Melon Mambo
Ribbon: Peach Pie Bordered Ribbon 5"
Embellishment: 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems
Adhesive and Tools

There are so many gorgeous papers in this pack of DSP, I had a difficult time choosing which ones to use for the video. I made my sample with Summer Splash and Petunia Pop, but paired the Peach Pie papers with Melon Mambo and I love them both! I'm sure you will find a variety of combinations, all just as gorgeous.

For the front of the card, add the three strips of DSP to the 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" rectangle of Basic White. I like to start with the two outer pieces, leaving an even border on the top, bottom and side. Then it's easy to place the center panel in between them and get it evenly spaced. Wrap the ribbon around this panel, securing it on the back side with Seal. Then mount this piece onto your card base with Dimensionals.

Glue the 1/2" strip of DSP to the inside White rectangle. Stamp both the interior sentiment and Happy Birthday sentiment on the label with Melon Mambo Ink. While the paper coordinates with Pretty in Pink, I really like how the Melon Mambo makes it pop! Add the label over the ribbon with Dimensionals, and glue the inside panel in to finish the card. For the envelope, I stamped the flower image that matches the paper. You could also use a piece of the DSP to cover the flap like I did for my Summer Splash version.

The next sample is a lovely fun fold that really shows off the Thoughtful Journey 6" x 6" DSP. I love how you feel almost the full sheet of the scene on this card! As you'll notice, I shortened the die to fit my sentiment - it's quite easy to do this and having a smaller label allows more of the scenery to show. I used Mossy Meadow for the card base, which coordinates so well with the trees.

The scalloped rectangle die used on this pretty floral card is one that makes two shapes with one cut. After stamping my sentiment on the interior piece, I popped that up on the card with Dimensionals before adding the border part of the die around it. The stamp bundle used to make the flowers is Layers of Beauty and they were inked in Peach Pie, Pumpkin Pie Cajun Craze, and Lemon Lime Twist. The background paper is Basic Beige and the Cajun Craze panel is embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D folder.

Next is a bright and happy birthday card using the smaller of the two circle dies. I cut 10 circles from scraps of cardstock (mostly from the Brights color family). I also used the Flowers of Beauty Dies to cut out small white flowers. I love that die because it cuts out a so many flowers in one strip. I adhered the circles the Basic White panel, then matted this with a thin layer of Basic Black and added the flowers with glue dots. The sentiments are from the Best Family Ever. I drew a straight line on either side of the sentiment for a quick enhancement. My tenth circle was used on the inside, along with another label that I shortened to fit the word Friend. Rhinestone Basic jewels add the final touch.

Often, the DSP from Stampin' Up! is so gorgeous that you don't need to add much more to make a beautiful card. Such is the case with this next example. I cut out two layers of Gorgeous Grape and one layer of DSP for my floral oval frame. After sticking them together, all I needed to add was my sentiment (from So Sincere) and a few gems (Purple Fine Shimmer Dots). I used some of the individual flower stems (some from the DSP and some from plain cardstock) to decorate the inside and envelope.

My next sample is fun because it uses the dies in a different way. From Basic White, I cut several of the leaf frames and stacked them together. Then, I colored the frame with Stampin' Blends in Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock. I kept one piece of the white interior panel for my sentiment, which is from Thoughtful Wishes. Then, I cut the two individual leaf dies in white and used them to stencil leaves on a panel of Lost Lagoon. I used a Blending Brush to add Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock to fill the panel with leaves. I also did that on a strip of White to use on the inside. The final fun part is that I adhered the leaves used to stencil (now totally covered in the two colors) onto the envelope for a decorative touch.

This card is quick and easy and uses the odd shaped die near the top of my chart in a totally different way - as a bow! The package is from the Bright & Beautiful DSP, the "ribbon" is a 1/4" strip of Bubble Bath and it's mounted on a panel of Berry Burst. I used my bone folder to help bend the die to form the two sides of the bow. The sentiments are from Sweetly Scripted and Hooray for Surprises and are surrounded with Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins.

As I mentioned, I really love stacking the thin dies to give dimension. I cut out three of this die in Basic White and one more in Pretty Peacock. The sentiment (Something Fancy) was embossed in Silver on the Pretty Peacock interior piece. I saved the white interior pieces for another card. The Silver & White Sheer ribbon is added to the panel of Thoughtful Designs Specialty DSP which was matted with Pretty Peacock. The Adhesive-Backed Pearl Trio adds a touch of bling and the Pretty Peacock frame die was used on the inside of the card to surround that sentiment (So Sincere).

The leftover interior parts from the previous card were stacked together and stamped in Misty Moonlight ink using the Simply Said stamp set. I put them on top of another die, which I colored with Pool Party ink and a Blending Brush. The paper is the County Woods DSP and the ribbon accent is the Basic Beige Bordered ribbon. The interior sentiment is from Hooray for Surprises (which I love using for birthday cards!).

This card uses the parts that you might throw away after cutting out the lovely scalloped oval. When I saw them, I immediately thought of comic books (like Batman and Superman) and that gave me the inspiration for this fun card. I used my Mini Alphabet dies to cut out the letters in Basic White. It is far easier to cut all the letters out in white and color them with Blends than cutting them out in each color! FYI, I colored in Blueberry Bushel, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade and Shy Shamrock. The sentiment (Happiest Day) was embossed in white on Basic Black cardstock.

My last sample is another fun fold, also featuring the same paper used in my demonstration. I embossed a panel of Petunia Pop with the Distressed Tile 3D folder and mounted that to a quarter sheet of cardstock. The fun fold part is from Berry Burst and four panels of DSP. The belly Band holds the pretty die cut label. You guessed it - I cut four of them and used the insides for the previous card and the rest for this card! My sentiments are from So Sincere and Something Fancy and the envelope was stamped with Flowers of Beauty.

I hope this video and blog have inspired you to get this wonderful set of dies and have fun with them! You will continue to see cards I've made with them and I know they will be a staple for a long time to come in my stamp room.