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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Valley in Bloom Suite Plus Zig Zag Strips Technique

I grew up in Western New York and across the street from my home were woods where Lily of the Valley flowers grew wild - they smell so sweet and are lovely to see! So when I saw this suite of products from the new May - August mini catalog, I knew I had to order it! In addition to the stamp bundle, there are two packs of paper, an embossing folder, and a pack of embellishments. The colors are bright and fresh - so reminiscent of spring!

When playing with this wonderful collection of new products, I had lots of fun making cards. In fact, I made sixteen different ones to show! I don't know if that's because I'm retired now and have more time to play, or if it's because this is such and easy suite to work with. Regardless, I have plenty of inspiration for you. The card I chose to recreate in the video is a technique I saw from Heidi Collins. It uses strips of paper (can be stamped, embossed, or printed), which is great for us paper hoarders! One half of the design is flush with the background paper, and the other half is elevated with either dimensionals or foam tape. As you see in the video, this is a simple technique, but looks very impressive! I hope you enjoy all of the inspiration!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" scored at 4-1/4"; Garden Green 4" x 5-1/4"; Basic White 2" x 2", (2) 1/2" x 5" ish; Darling Duckling 1-1/2" x 2"; Valley in Bloom DSP and Luxe White Specialty DSP variety of strips 1/2" - 3/4" wide and 3" long; Valley in Bloom DSP 7/8" x 5-1/2" (this can be thinner as it is just for the inside)
Stamp Bundle: Lily of the Valley
Die: Nested Essentials
Inks: Garden Green and Darling Duckling
Embellishment: Shimmering Dots
Blends: Granny Apple Green and Dark Lemon Lolly
Adhesive and Tools

The first version I made with this technique (shown to the right) has a greater variety of colors of DSP (and none of the Luxe White), was placed on a Basic White background and has a vertical orientation. In the video, I decided to change the orientation to horizontal and keep the color palette Darling Duckling and white with a touch of green. To make these stand out, I used a Garden Green panel instead of white.

To begin, arrange your strips in the order you would like them. Depending on the width of the strips, you'll need 9-10 of them. Start by adhering part of the first strip at the bottom right corner of your base cardstock. This strip should be placed less than half way across and will stick off the right side. Adhere the next piece so that the pieces are adjacent to one another, but so the ends do not align. Keep adding strips up the side of the card, changing the placement to form the zig zag edge. What's important is that the strips touch at the edges with no gaps. When you get to the top, it's normal for the last piece to extend beyond the top edge - don't worry about that now as we will trim it later.

Turn this piece over and adhere the strips of basic white (or any color cardstock - I just use these because I have so many of them from trimming paper!). These strips will keep all the pieces together when we cut them from the cardstock panel. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't want these white strips showing beyond the DSP strips when you turn it over. (You'll note in the video that I had to trim a little bit so it wouldn't show). At this point, you can trim off the excess strips from the top, and then trim along the right side of the base cardstock. Add Dimensionals on the back of strips.

Alternatively, you could just add strips of foam adhesive to the back of the strips like Heidi did. This will hold them together and give lift at the same time. I chose not to do this because foam strips are thicker than Dimensionals. Remove the backings from the Dimensionals and add this to the front of the panel on the left side. The papers will match perfectly to your right side but be elevated! Since this is a horizontal card, decide which side you want elevated (top or bottom) and adhere the panel to the card base.

Use the smallest rounded rectangle from the Nested Essentials dies to cut the label out of Darling Duckling. Stamp the sentiment in Garden Green on the right side of the label. Stamp the small flower cluster in Garden Green on the piece of Basic White. Color with Blends and cut with the matching die. Add the label to the card front (only add Dimensionals to the part that is not touching the raised side of the zig zags), then add the flower on the left side of the label. Finish off the front by adding a few of the Shimmering Dots.

For the inside, position your strip of DSP at the bottom to help you know where to stamp the flower cluster. Stamp both the flower cluster and sentiment in darling Duckling in the lower left corner, then adhere the strip of DSP below them. Add another flower cluster to the corner of the envelope.

For my many samples, I won't give much description, except to note when I used additional products or have a comment about the technique. If you need more detail for a particular card, please reach out to me.

For the card on the left, the banner is Two Tone Pool Party and all the stamping was done with Pretty Peacock. Wink of Stella was all I added to these flowers. I used the Stylish Shapes dies on the card with the torn DSP and lightly ink blended the top with Pool Party and the bottom with Lemon Lime Twist. I also added a touch of Pool Party (Blends) and Wink of Stella to the flowers.

Party Banners dies was used here, and like the card above, has a little ink blended color. The Gray Granite Baker's Twine is from the Basics set. For the card on the right, I used the Sweet Words & Labels dies and Garden Green Chevron Ribbon.

The small squares of Lemon Lime Twist and Lemon Lolly are cut with the Stylish Shapes dies and the flowers have a touch of Lemon Lolly to make them pop. The Luxe White paper was colored with Blends in an ombré manner using Garden Green at the bottom and working up with Granny Apple Green and Lemon Lime Twist. I stamped the words in each of those colors and cut them apart to decorate this simple (masculine) card.

More ink blending on the Luxe White DPS - this time with Lemon Lime Twist and Pool Party. The flowers were lightly colored with the a Pool Party Blend. The sentiment on the inside of the Darling Duckling card is from Words & Wishes.

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

The first Basic Beige panel is embossed with the Stone & Vine embossing folder and just the stems of the flowers are colored with Blends. The Basic Beige panel on the right is done with the Forever Plaid embossing folder. The strips of DSP are folded back to form a pinwheel and the card is embellished with Antique Pearls and Basic Beige Classic ribbon (Last Chance) that was cut in half before tying in a bow.

The Fresh Freesia and DSP were cut using the Everyday Arches Dies and the sentiment was stamped on torn Two Tone Darling Duckling cardstock. The white Baker's Twine is from the Basics pack. The flowers on the right were enhanced by adding additional flowers (cut with the individual die) and popped up with Mini Dimensionals.

The Floral Spray 3D Embossing Folder is so lovely on its own, I thought it would make a gorgeous anniversary (or wedding) card. I added layers of white and tied it together with the Gold Striped Mesh ribbon. The sentiments, which were embossed in gold, are from the Phrases & Frames set and the gold embellishments are Adhesive Backed Metallic Gems.

To make this card pop with color, I first used Versamark and my brayer to cover the debossed side of the embossing folder. Then I added Pool Party ink with the brayer over the Versamark. After you add your white panel and emboss in the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine, you get this beautiful panel of white flowers on a colored background. The addition of Versamark before the ink helps get better coverage. I stamped some texture on the Pool Party Two Tone cardstock with the Gears & Textures stamp set.

My last sample was one we made at my April Card Class. Thin layers of Pool Party and Basic White are used to mat the Granny Apple square that was embossed. More Baker's Twine was used to add a sweet bow. I know I showed you a lot of cards, but I could have make more! There's even more products that coordinate with an emphasis on scrapbooking - Valley in Bloom DSP and Sticker Sheet, Life in Bloom Two Tone Cardstock pack, the Life in Bloom bundle and a Life in Bloom Scrapbooking Workshop Kit! I think you'll find lots of enjoyment like I did!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List

Valley In Bloom Suite Collection (English)

[167951]

$93.00

Lily Of The Valley Bundle (English)

[167943]

$49.50

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock

[159229]

$17.00

Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[102584]

$14.00

Valley In Bloom 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

[167935]

$13.00

Luxe White 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

[167947]

$10.00

Darling Duckling 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[165622]

$14.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

[147089]

$9.00

Darling Duckling Classic Stampin' Pad

[165277]

$11.00

Nested Essentials Dies

[161597]

$34.00

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

[154885]

$12.00

Lemon Lolly Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[161673]

$12.00

Shimmering Dots

[167949]

$8.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

[144108]

$4.25

Take Your Pick

[144107]

$12.00

Basic White Medium Envelopes

[159236]

$11.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

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.