ThePowerOfACard: May 2025

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Graduation Card with Encircled with Love

Graduation season is upon us! In my video today, I am making a simple graduation card that has a holder for a gift card or cash. I am using the Encircled with Love stamp set, a new one from the Annual Catalog. It is reasonably priced and has a good variety of sentiments, making it a great addition to your stamp collection.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Crumb Cake 8-1/2" x 5-1/2", Basic White (2) 4" x 5-1/4", 4-1/4" x 2", scored on three sides at 1/4", scrap to cut a 2" circle; Regals 6" x 6" DSP (Blueberry Bushel pattern) 4" x 3-3/4"; Blueberry Bushel 1/4" x 5-1/4"
Stamps: Encircled with Love, Sunrise Sailing, Choose Happy
Ink: Blueberry Bushel
Punch: 2" Circle
Adhesive and Tools

Fold the card base in half and crease with the bone folder. For the DSP, I cut my piece at 4" and then at an angle. This will leave you with another piece for the next card and all you need to do is trim off some from the end. Add this to one of the pieces of large basic white. Add a little glue next to the DSP and add the strip of Blueberry Bushel paper so that it meets the DSP. Trim with your snips.

On the scrap of Basic White, stamp the Way to Go sentiment in Blueberry Bushel. Use the circle punch to cut it out, then pop it up on the card front with Dimensionals. Add a few stars from the Choose Happy stamp set. (While I had the stamp out, I also stamped the stars down the left side of my envelope.) Add this panel to the front of the card.

To make the gift card holder, score the smaller rectangle of Basic White at 1/4" on both sides and the bottom. With your snips, cut at an angle to the point where the score lines meet, them pivot a bit before completing the cut. As I show, this will leave the tiniest of space when the flaps are folded back, making the corner perfect. Before adding the gift card holder, stamp the A Little Something for You sentiment. Fold all the flaps to the back, add glue to the flaps and adhere to the inside front side of the card.

Finish the card by stamping the Congratulations sentiment to the remaining piece of Basic White. Add a few more stars and adhere to the inside of the card. This card would be super easy to make in the school colors of your graduate!

My first sample features new In Colors and a new DSP called Boho Vibes. My card base is Cloud Cover and I paired it with Cajun Craze and Secret Sea to coordinate with the DSP. I also used a little of the Faux Linen Ribbon to accent my circle. The strip of Cajun Craze is embossed with the Exposed Brick embossing folder and the inside sentiments are from The Right Words.

My next card is all about circles! I stamped my Thank You sentiment in Granny Apple Green. I cut a little larger circle from Lemon Lime Twist and embossed it with Soft Waves embossing folder. The largest circle is from Irresistible Designs 12" Specialty DSP. This is gorgeous paper that is embossed white on white in three different patterns. When I used a blending brush on top of it, the design really pops! The ribbon is knotted around a piece of Granny Apple Green. After the circles were adhered, I added a few Holographic Resin Dots.

If you haven't noticed, I really love using Basic Black for card bases because I love how the colors pop! I used a strip of the same DSP I used in the video, but this time in Pumpkin Pie. I added two tiny strips of Pumpkin Pie on either side and under my Happy Birthday Wishes circle. For the inside, I added a little more of the DSP and a greeting from Hooray for Surprises.

My next card goes back to the Boho Vibes DSP and Secret Sea (both card base and ribbon). I stamped my sentiment in Darling Duckling (another new In Color) and the inside has a sentiment from The Right Words. You can't get much easier than this one!

The With Love stamp is stamped with Strawberry Slush (yet another new In Color) and matted with a larger circle of the same color. I used the Mini Corrugated embossing folder on a piece of Pretty in Pink, then added a strip of the Floral Impressions DSP on the left. The bow is from the Faux Linen ribbon (available in all five In Colors) and the embellishments are Strawberry Slush and Pretty in Pink Gems. The Right Words (isn't this such a versatile stamp set?) and a fussy cut flower adorn the inside.

My last one is the only card where I'm not using circles! I used the Perennial Postage Dies to stamp three of the flowers (only the center one with the word Sorry). The strip of DSP is from Florals in Bloom and it is adhered to the panel of Summer Splash. I tied a bow with the white from the Baker's Twine Essentials. The inside sentiment is from The Right Words and I added another piece of DSP. I think I forgot to mention in the video, but I did add Wink of Stella to the flowers.

Super easy cards. Super versatile stamp set. Get ready for those graduation parties and impress them with your card making skills!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List

Encircled With Love Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[165338]

$20.00

Sunrise Sailing Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[165491]

$20.00

Choose Happy Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[163701]

$21.00

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

[120953]

$11.50

Regals 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[165304]

$12.50

Blueberry Bushel 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[146968]

$11.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad

[147138]

$9.00

2" (5.1 Cm) Circle Punch

[133782]

$23.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Paper Snips

[103579]

$12.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Cheers & Sips and Tips for Filling your Glasses

When the new On-line Exclusives were first announced, I immediately fell in love with this collection of products! In my video, I am focusing on the bundle and the DSP pack, but there are more items in the suite collection, including a two-pack of embossing folders, ribbon and embellishments. There are 20 stamps and 15 dies in the bundle and it was even better than I imagined after I started playing with all of them.

Instead of making a card, I decided to show you different ways you could fill your glasses (as well as adding ice, shine and texture) - I hope you don't mind! I do show some completed cards (so plenty of ideas to inspire you), but I think you'll find my demonstration useful when you start using this bundle.

Let's begin with the three ways to fill your glasses. The first way is to stamp on the DSP sheet that is full of color blocks. Usually I use Smoky Slate for stamping the glass, but you could also stamp in black. If you plan on using the die to cut out your glass, I recommend cutting the DSP into smaller widths, either two or three blocks wide. This will allow the paper to easily fit into the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. Stamp the glass so that the top rim is above the color block, then cut out with the die. (Sample notes: Yellow glass has ice cubes embossed in clear.)

The next way is to stamp on Basic White and then color with Blends. Start with drawing a line where the top edge of your liquid will be, then fill in the rest. I usually use several colors and shade it a little darker near the bottom and sides. (Sample notes: Both of them have the added texture. The yellow one was colored with Lemon Lolly, has Smoky Slate ice cubes, and was shined up with Wink of Stella. The pink one was colored in Flirty Flamingo and adorned with a little strawberry.)

The third way is to use a sponge and add color from your ink pad. The way I did this was by first stamping my glass on a sheet of copy paper. Then I cut out the middle portion (it is helpful to cut out a circle from the middle of the glass first so that you can easily use your snips to cut). Cut right on the stamped line of the glass, and leave space at the top that is uncut. You could use sponge daubers, or even blending brushes, but I liked the look of the sponge. This method came to be because the first card I made was in Strawberry Slush and I didn't have the Blends yet - so this way, I could have a strawberry colored drink. (Sample notes: Here is the "mask" I made from copy paper which allowed me to color in the middle of the glass.)

Now let's add some ice - you can stamp ice cubes in Smoky Slate ink or with VersaMark to emboss, either with white or clear. For so many of my glasses, I tended to add the ice cubes at the bottom of the glass - that was just craziness because ice cubes float! (Sample notes: All three were sponged with the technique above. Ice cubes left to right are Smoky Slate, embossed in white and embossed in clear. The mint julep also shines compliments of Wink of Stella.)

On to adding shine! The first way is to use packing tape - simply add the tape over the stamped or paper image, then cut out with scissors or the die. Remember to press well with bone folder to get a perfectly shiny glass. (Sample notes: The glass on the right was colored with a Cherry Cobbler Blend to give it the appearance of wine. Both are covered in Packing tape, but the shine doesn't really show in the photograph.)

The next way to add shine is to emboss the entire surface. For this technique, it is helpful to have a bit of a "handle" to hold onto while pressing the glass into the VersaMark ink, then adding clear embossing powder and heating to melt. After it's cool, you can cut out your glass. The last way to add shine is to use Wink of Stella to get a nice overall sparkle. (Sample notes: You can see the texture, especially on the one on the right. If you want a smoother look, add a second or third layer of clear embossing and it will smooth out the surface.)

The last thing I showed in the video was to add texture to the glass. There is a die for the tall glass that adds a starburst sort of design to the glass. This reminds me of the fancy cocktail glasses you might see in a restaurant.

Here's the first card I made with my bundle. I colored my glass with the sponging technique and Strawberry Slush ink, then added ice cubes that are embossed in white. I also used the Painted Stripes, Spring Corners and With You in Mind stamp sets. I really love this one!

For my next sample, I fussy cut out glasses from the sheet of DSP with big glasses. While there are some that can be cut with the dies, many have fun things sticking out. I even used a few that were at the edge of the paper and by running my glasses edge to edge, it was a great way to use that partial glass. For the bottom of my white panel, I used the texture die to add a "surface" for the glasses to sit upon - a good way to expand usage of this die.

My next two cards use the paper with color blocks. The first one was stamped with black and cut out. I added some ice cubes with clear embossing (at the bottom of my glass - ugh) and then decorated with some extra blackberries. The sentiment is from Sweet Jar and the die is from Nested Essentials. The other one uses the color blocks as a background and the glasses were cut from the DSP (and their ice cubes in the red drink are at the bottom too!). I added the two cherries and a little umbrella and sentiments from The Right Words and Beautiful Motifs.

The paper in this pack is so gorgeous (I've already purchased two packs!) and these next two cards show it off. The die is from Textured Notes and the sentiment is from With You in Mind. While I was fussy cutting the glass, I also cut a few of the little flowers sprinkled in-between the glasses - they add a little extra touch. Lastly, I had to show the fun fold I made in my video from two weeks ago because it shows off more of the paper (and I love it).

Which technique will you try first? I bet that once you get started, you'll try them all in no time at all! Have fun with the Cheers & Sips Bundle and Celebratory Sips DSP!