ThePowerOfACard: October 2025

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Builder Blossoms - An Unexpected Good Find

When I first looked at the Fall Mini Catalog, I skipped right over Builder Blossoms and it wasn't until I saw my upline (Dena Rekow) make some cards with it that I changed my mind! So when we had the stamp sale last month, I got it and started playing. While the samples in the catalog didn't grab my attention, I hope that the samples I show you inspire you to get this one. I think it's the sleeper set of the catalog!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Darling Duckling 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Pecan Pie 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 3-3/4" x 5", 4" x 5-1/4", 1" x 2"
Stamps: Builder Blossoms, Peace on Earth
Inks: Pecan Pie, Darling Duckling
Embellishment: Cajun Craze & Gold Dots
Adhesive and Tools

I'm making a sympathy card today as it seems like I'm always needing them lately. Because Builder Blossoms has no sentiments, you can pair it with your favorites. Lately, that has been Peace on Earth, which is a fabulous set for Christmas, but also good for sympathy, retirement and encouragement too.

I've made this card in a bunch of colors and for this video, I'm keeping to a fall color scheme. Start by stamping one flower center in Pecan Pie near the top left corner of the 3-3/4" x 5" white panel. Then add the petals with the base of the petal just about touching the centermost circle of the flower center. You can do the petals one of two ways - for mine, I did six petals so there is more overlap. You could also do five and use the center shapes as a guide.

After completing the first flower, stamp the second and third ones as shown (near the lower right edge and in the lower left corner). Add the flower panel to the piece of Pecan Pie and add to your card base, which is Darling Duckling (8-1/2" x 5-1/2", folded in half). On the small piece of Basic White, stamp the sentiment in Pecan Pie, then trim at an angle. Add to the card front with Dimensionals. Complete the flowers by adding the Cajun Craze & Gold Dots.

For the inside of the card, stamp a flower in the lower right corner. Stamp "Heartfelt prayers" in Darling Duckling and "sending" in Pecan Pie. Add this panel to the inside. Finish by stamping one more flower in the corner of the envelope. I love how this is a simple card to make but so very pretty! There are so many sentiments that would work in place of sympathy, making this a very versatile layout.

This card uses the same flower center, but in a totally different way! I stamped just the center in Azure Afternoon (full strength and stamped off) on a panel of white. I then matted it with a piece of Two Tone Cardstock in Blueberry Bushel. For the sentiment, I used Layered Thoughts in Blueberry Bushel and trimmed it with a torn piece of the same Two Tone Cardstock. My bow is 1/4" White Ribbon (on the Last Chance List). To complete the card, I used a sentiment from Label me Grateful on the inside, along with a strip of more flower centers. By doing so, it almost looks like my paper is Designer Series Paper (DSP)!

For my next sample I used the die from the Label me Grateful bundle and stamped the larger flower center in Early Espresso. I then added the large petals stamped in Berry Burst. One thing to note is that there are two different stamps with the large sized petals - a group of three and a single. For my personal taste, I didn't like the gap left when using the threesome, so I added the single to fill in the gap. I then added stamped off Berry Burst "splatter" and the sentiment in Early Espresso. The DSP is the Neutrals 6" x 6" pack and the linen thread is from the Early Espresso & Old Olive pack.

Similar to my second sample, I decided to use the large flower center to decorate a panel of white - this time in two colors (Petunia Pop and Pretty in Pink) and only on the left side. Again, I used the Peace on Earth stamp set for my sentiment. Before adding this to my card base (Petunia Pop), I used the label die (also from Peace on Earth) to make a partial cut over my sentiment. Then I adhered the large piece to my base. Before popping up the label, I added a zig zag of Petunia Pop Bordered ribbon (retired). It's almost like an eclipse card, just with a label!

Next is another simple card using the Peace on Earth bundle for the assist. I stamped the small center in Daffodil Delight and the smallest petals in Strawberry Slush on the smaller label. The sentiment was stamped in Memento Black, then popped it up on the larger label of Strawberry Slush. I used the Strawberry Slush Faux Linen ribbon and the 2025-2027 In Color 6" x 6" DSP. I like how you get orange near the center where the petal and center colors overlap.

Similar to my very first card, I stamped a 4-1/2" x 3-1/2" panel with the small center and medium petals in Cherry Cobbler ink. Then I cut the panel into three 1-1/2" strips before popping them up on a 3-3/4" x 5" Cherry Cobbler panel. For my centers, I decided to use a center from the Impressions Abloom set (Last Chance) in Daffodil Delight. A simple center is one thing I wish was in the Builder Blossoms set. For the circle sentiment, I used my 1-3/4" circle punch and the Sunrise Sailing stamp set.

I love this next one! I used the large center and a sponge dauber to add Pecan Pie in the center and Early Espresso on the outside. The petals were stamped in Daffodil Delight to make a very large sunflower. I fussy cut that out and adhered it to a belly band of Old Olive. The gatefold card was made in Pecan Pie with panels cut from Gathering Together Specialty DSP. My sentiments are from Beautiful Pumpkins and I can't wait to send this to a good friend!

For my last two cards, my initial thought was to make a bunch of small flowers in bright and happy colors and make a colorful card for birthday or get well. After stamping the petals, I fussy cut them out. I decided to use the small flower center but fussy cut (again!) only part of it to pop up on the flowers. I used the Low Profile Dots to complete the flower. The problem I had was they were bigger than I expected and really looked too crowded on one card. My solution - make two cards! For the first one, I used the Nested Essentials dies, Simply Said and Linen Thread to make my label. For the other card, I took advantage of my exclusive dies available to Paper Pumpkin Subscribers to make a fabulous retirement or moving on to another home/job card.

Now that you've seen some more ideas using the Builder Blossoms, what do you think? Isn't it way better than you thought when you first saw this set? You're welcome!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List

Builder Blossoms Photopolymer Stamp Set

[165835]

$18.00

Peace On Earth Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[165918]

$19.00

Darling Duckling 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165622]

$14.00

Pecan Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[161717]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

[161665]

$9.00

Darling Duckling Classic Stampin' Pad

[165277]

$9.00

Cajun Craze & Gold Dots

[165984]

$9.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Two Fun Techniques Featuring the Modern Christmas Suite

This is a new suite of products from the On-Line Exclusive section of my store. It has a stamp bundle with 8 stamps and 11 dies, two rolls of baker's twine in black/white/gold, stunning paper with gold foil designs on one side and black and white on the reverse, and gold rings that are perfect for making ornaments. I had a lot of fun making cards and ornaments and I think you will too. The font in the sentiments is so pretty and the gold paired with black and white makes for very classy cards.

I have two (and almost a third) technique to show you in today's video. The first uses an ink blended panel which is distressed with water. But it's not water spritzing that is commonly used - it uses plastic wrap and the result is more controlled and predictable. I'd like to give a shout out to Alysa Tilsner from Australia for introducing this technique to me. The second technique uses embossing powder and multi purpose glue! This unusual technique is a fabulous way to add lights or baubles to the Christmas trees. The "almost" technique uses clear embossing powder and one of the stamps to add strands of glimmer to a tree. All of the techniques are easy to do and help make some very fun cards!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 3-3/4" x 5", 3" x 3", 1/2" x 5-1/2", 1" x 4-1/2"; Real Red 3-15/16" x 5-3/16"; Gold Foil 1" x 1"
Stamp Bundle: Ornamental Christmas
Stamp: Words of the Season
Inks: Real Red, Versamark
Ribbon: Black & White & Gold Baker's Twine 2", Gold Striped Mesh 10"
Embellishment: Metallics Embossing Powder
Adhesive and Tools, including blending brush, transparent tape and plastic wrap

Fold the card base and set it aside. Then use a blending brush and add Real Red to the large rectangle of ink, blending it from dark to light. As I add color, I use a block to hold the paper - this helps prevent getting ink on your fingers and fingerprints on your paper. I found my best results when there was a lot of ink on the paper. For the water distressing technique, you'll need a very wet, but not dripping paper towel. I placed mine in a plastic container, but you could also put it on a plate. Then take a large square of plastic wrap, ball it up and then dab it on the wet paper towel before putting it on the ink blended paper. Keep dabbing until you get a beautifully blotchy background. I would recommend testing your color on a scrap before committing to your card panel - some colors work better than others (as I found out with Blueberry Bushel shown below versus Garden Green). Before putting the plastic wrap away, ink blend the two remaining strips and distress them.

While waiting for the inky background to dry, stamp Merry Christmas on the square of white in Versamark ink, add Gold embossing powder and heat with the Heat Tool. At the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine, cut the embossed piece with the circle shaped die and the ornament topper from the Gold Foil. Attach the topper to the ornament with glue.

After the blended background is dry, add it to the Real Red panel. Add a Mini Glue Dot near the top center and attach the little piece of baker's twine. Wrap it around the back side and adhere with transparent tape. Add the ornament with Dimensionals (I used Mini Dimensionals on the back of the foil piece so the baker's twine would lay between them). Finish by making a bow with the ribbon and adding it to the top of the foil topper.

Add the thin strip to the inside of the card along the right side. Stamp the sentiment from Words for the Season stamp set in Real Red. Complete the card by adding the final inked piece on the left side of the envelope and trim.

For my second technique, I stamped the evergreen tree in Garden Green. Then I used my fine tip glue dispenser (a bonus gift when you buy my adhesive bundle) to add little dots of Multi-purpose Glue. On top of the glue, I added gold embossing powder. Let this dry a little before heating it with the Heat Tool. You'll end up with little gold embossed lights on your tree! For this card, I fussy cut the tree because I wanted more feathering, but there is a die to cut it out if you prefer. I embossed the sentiments on both the label and inside to coordinate with the gold on the tree. Isn't this a cool technique?

This next card has the other tree in the set. After ink blending, stamping and cutting out the tree, I used the stamp with the curved lines to stamp with Versamark on the tree. Then I added clear embossing powder and melted it. I think it adds just a little special touch to the tree - almost looks like tinsel!

This card on the left was one we made at last month's card class. I fussy cut the trees and popped them up on the ornament, which was cut from one of the sheets of DSP. The other ornament card was super easy to make because the gold ornament paper sets a pretty backdrop to a larger white ornament. I simply added a little Poppy Parade paper behind the openings in the center. I fussy cut the sentiment to show off more of the paper.

I love this layout (can you tell it's one of my favorites??) because it's easy to do and shows off patterned paper. After wrapping the baker's twine around a few times, I popped up the star cut from Basic White. The simple banner with the sentiment in Black looks great on top.

My last card starts out as a 4-1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock. After scoring at 5-1/2", cut the top in half (2-3/4"). This piece is used for the panel that is added to the front flap - very efficient use of paper! I colored the panel of mistletoe with Lemon Lime Twist Blends, then did a few more and fussy cut them out for the decoration on the sentiment panel. I also ink blended my sentiment to add just a touch more color.

We've had gold rings before, but not this big! They make gorgeous ornaments. For the first one, I cut two circles from the Fa La La DSP. Then I added a small circle in white and topped it with trees (fussy cut from the paper). When adhering the baker's twine, I found it easiest to add a rolled up Mini Glue Dot to the top and bottom where the baker's twine connects to the ring. Once the twine is in place, adhere the back side of the ornament with transparent tape. Then add the top side of the ornament with glue. Add a bow a the top for the finishing touch.

These last two ornaments use the other shapes and are done in a similar fashion. The first one has a free floating star that is the same front and back and the second one was inspired from a sample on the Stampin' Up! website. Unlike my other ornaments, I punched a tiny hole in the star so I could dangle it from the ring.

I know Christmas is months away, but I always like to give you lots of ideas for your holiday card making. Additionally, I like having a lot of cards made that I can use myself when it gets time to send them! I adore this suite of products and plan to make even more cards for Christmas and beyond (black and white patterns are always a good choice in my book). I also hope you try the techniques - I used it on the card for my daughter and son-in-law's anniversary and it was stunning in Gorgeous Grape!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List