The Year of the Rat – Chinese New Year 2020

 

January 25th marks the beginning of Chinese New Year, and this year it is the Year of the Rat!  Based on the lunar calendar, the Year of the Rat is the first in the Chinese zodiac cycle and occurs every 12 years.

While it may be more of a cute little mouse than ‘rat,’ I have used the stamp from the ‘Special Someone’ stamp set as well as some of the stamps from the ‘Power of Hope’ stamp set and the traditional colors of the Chinese New year to create this cute card for theYear of the Rat. Count back 12 years – do you know anyone born in 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948… that you could send this card to?

 

 

Cut Cardstock:
  • Card Base: Basic Black – 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, score at 4 1/4″
  • First Layer: Real Red – 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″, cut two
  • Second Layer for card front: Gold Foil – 5 1/8″ x 3 7/8″
  • Second Layer for Inside: Whisper White – 5 1/8″ x 3 7/8″
  • Third Layer:

 

Assembly:

Attach one piece of Real Red cardstock to the card front with snail. Layer the Gold Foil onto the Real Red cardstock.

Use Memento ink to stamp the 4 7/8′ x 3 5/8″ piece of Whisper White cardstock as follows: Stamp the lantern from the Power of Hope stamp set three times near the top of the Whisper White cardstock.

Use the Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker to draw a curved line connecting the lanterns.

 

 

Stamp the pagoda from the Power of Hope stamp set and the mouse from the Special Someone stamp set toward the bottom of the cardstock.

Stamp the mouse again onto the scrap of Whisper White cardstock.

Stamp the greeting from the Power of Hope stamp set.

 

 

Using Stampin’ Blends markers, color the lanterns and part of the pagoda with Dark Real Red, part of the pagoda and inside of mouse’s ears with Light Flirty Flamingo, the mouse with Light Crumb Cake, and the grass with Light Old Olive.  Refer to photo for coloring,

Use your Paper Snips to fussy cut the mouse on the scrap cardstock and use a dimensional to attach directly on top of the mouse on the stamped piece.  Snail the stamped piece to the card front.

Place a Red Rhinestone on top of the pagoda.

Place a Gold Metallic Pearl on top of each of the lanterns.

 

Inside:

Snail the remaining piece of Real Red cardstock to the inside of the card.

Use Memento ink to stamp two lanterns near the top of the remaining piece of Whisper White cardtock. Use the Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker to draw a line connecting the lanterns. Color the lanterns with the Dark Real Red Stampin’ Blends marker.

Use Memento ink to stamp the Happy Birthday greeting and the mouse from the Special Someone stamp set. Refer to photo for placement.

Color the inside of the mouse ears with Light Flirty Flamingo and the body with the Light Crumb Cake Stampin’ Blends markers.

Snail the completed piece to the inside of the card.

 

 

Envelope:

Using Memento ink, stamp a mouse on the lower left corner of the envelope and color as before.

 

 

Hope you enjoy making this fun card. Maybe it’s not a traditional birthday card, but it’s fun one for someone especially born during a Year of the Rat!

 

Product List

Special Someone Photopolymer Stamp Set

Power Of Hope Bundle

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Gold Foil Sheets

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Whisper White Medium Envelopes

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Real Red Dark Stampin' Blends

Flirty Flamingo Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Crumb Cake Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Old Olive Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker

Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Metallic Pearls

Paper Snips

Snail Adhesive

Stampin' Dimensionals

Clear Block B

Clear Block D

Time4Stamping Tip: Using Reversible Stamps

 

Stampin’Up! has recently introduced stamp sets that are reversible, the latest one being ‘Mountain Air’ (which is in the 2020 Mini Catalog). One side of the stamp is solid and the other side is detailed. Have you tried using any reversible stamps yet? They are not hard to use, and the Mountain Air stamp set especially gives a certain level of depth to your design.

I’ve made a couple cards using this set, and you can see how the difference in the stamps gives it a 3D look. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your Mountain Air stamp set.

 

 

First of all, since this is a larger stamp and is photopolymer, it is important to place a foam mat or silicon mat under the cardstock you are stamping. I like to use the Stampin’ Pierce mat. It gives you even pressure and ink coverage when using photopolymer stamps. Also, because it is a larger stamp, hold the stamp on the cardstock just a few seconds longer to give the all ink time to transfer to the cardstock.

Use the solid side of the stamp first in creating your design. To give the mountains the illusion of depth, you should stamp several layers of color starting with the lightest color first. For the card with the purple mountains, I actually stamped the solid stamp of mountains four times. For the first layer, I chose to use Highland Heather ink.

 

 

Next, I used Gorgeous Grape ink and stamped off on a piece of scrap paper before stamping the cardstock. Stamp this layer a bit lower than the first layer, overlapping slightly.

 

 

For the third layer of color, I used Gorgeous Grape ink, and again, stamped the solid stamp a bit lower onto the cardstock.

 

 

For the final layer of the solid stamp, I went with Blueberry Bushel ink, which really provides a nice contrast to the purple colors of the previous layers.

 

 

Now, we will clean the stamp and flip it over on the block so that the detailed side will be stamped. For this layer, I chose to use Night of Navy ink which balances out the blue and purples of the previous layers. I stamped the mountains on a scrap piece of cardstock.

 

 

 I used the coordinating dies to crop the mountains.

 

 

I attached the cropped mountains with dimensionals to give it even more depth.  (You will have to trim this piece to match the size of the cardstock you are using.)

 

 

The rest of the card was finished using other stamps from the Mountain Air stamp set.

 

 

Note that you don’t have to use exactly four layers of the solid mountain stamp to create the illusion of depth! For the next card, I used Sahara Sand ink stamped off for the first layer, Crumb Cake ink for the second layer, and used the detailed side of the stamp with Gray Granite ink to make two layers with the detailed mountains stamp.  I snailed the detailed mountains onto the card rather than using dimensionals, and it still gives you a 3D effect. I added a top layer of the small poppies from the Painted Poppies stamp set to really make the mountains seem like they are far away.

 

 

Try using different colors for the mountains, or even go with several layers of one color for a different effect. I hope you give reversible stamps a try, and I would love to see how you used this set!

 

Product List

Mountain Air Bundle

Painted Poppies Cling Stamp Set

Highland Heather Classic Stampin' Pad

Gorgeous Grape Classic Stampin' Pad

Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad

Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad

Stampin' Pierce Mat

Stampin' Dimensionals

Snail Adhesive

Tutorial: Little Ladybug Fun-fold Birthday Card

 

This sweet little ladybug looks right at home with the poppies on this fun-fold card. Many layers on the card help make it look so special.

 

 

Cut Cardstock:
Assembly:

Fold the Whisper White card base into a Z-fold by folding in half, then folding back on the second score line.

 

 

Snail the smaller fold together to make a firm front half of the card.

 

 

Using snail, layer the following pieces onto the half portion on the card base: Basic Black 4 1/8″ x 2 5/8″, Poppy Parade 4″ x 2 1/2″, Peaceful Poppies Designer Paper 3 7/8″ x 2 3/8″.

 

 

NOTE: Complete the inside of the card before finishing the front.

On the inside of the card, use snail to adhere the following layers: Basic Black 5 3/8″ x 4 1/8″, Poppy Parade 5 1/4″ x 4″.

 

Using Memento ink, stamp the smaller poppy outline stamp from the Painted Poppies stamp set several times onto the 5 1/8″ x 3 7?8″ piece of Whisper White cardstock, then snail to the inside of the card.

 

 

Use Memento ink to stamp the ‘Hey Lady’ and ‘Happy Birthday’ sentiments from the Little Ladybug stamp set onto the 3 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock, then snail to the 3 3/8″ x 2 3/8″ piece of Poppy Parade cardstock.  Snail this to the 3 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ piece of Basic Black cardstock.  Snail the completed piece to the center of the inside of the card.

 

 

To finish the card front, use Memento ink to stamp the small poppies stamp from the Painted Poppies stamp set onto the 3 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock. Color the poppies with the Dark Poppy Parade Stampin’ Blends marker. Snail this piece to the 3 3/8″ x 2 3/8″ piece of Poppy Parade cardstock, then snail this to the remaining piece of Basic Black cardstock.

 

 

Place Dimensionals on the left half of this piece. With the card front closed, place the stamped poppies piece onto the card, matching it to the stamped piece on the inside so that when it is closed it covers the inside sentiment.

 

 

Use Memento ink to stamp the ladybug holding the flower from the Little Ladybug stamp set onto the 2″ x 2″ piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Color the ladybug with the Dark Poppy Parade and Dark Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blends markers. Fill in the ladybug’s dots and legs with the Basic Black Dark Stampin’ Blends marker.

Use your paper snips to fussy cut the ladybug.

 

 

Place a dimensional on the left side of the ladybug and snail on the right side. Attach to the card front partially on top of the Designer Paper and the stamped poppies piece.

 

 

Envelope:

Use Memento ink to stamp the tiny ladybugs from the Little Ladybug stamp set onto the lower left corner of the envelope. Color the ladybugs with the Dark Poppy Parade Stampin’ Blends marker.

I hope you enjoyed making this fun card!  I’m sure whoever receives it will love it!

 

 

Product List

Painted Poppies Cling Stamp Set

Little Ladybug Host Cling Stamp Set (English)

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Poppy Parade 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Peaceful Poppies Designer Series Paper

Whisper White Medium Envelopes

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Poppy Parade Dark Stampin' Blends Marker

Flirty Flamingo Dark Stampin' Blends Marker

Basic Black Dark Stampin' Blends

Clear Block E

Clear Block C

Paper Snips

Snail Adhesive

Stampin' Dimensionals

Card Tutorial: Heartfelt Valentine

The Heartfelt Bundle is one of the new Valentine sets in the current mini catalog, and when paired with the From My Heart Designer Paper, it can make a gorgeous classic Valentine for someone special in your life! Here’s one that I created that uses lots of layers and traditional colors.

 

 

Cut Cardstock:

 

Assembly:

Use snail to adhere a layer of 5 1/4″ x 4″ Real Red cardstock and the 5″ x 3  3/4″ piece of Designer Paper to the card front.

 

 

Snail the striped piece of Designer Paper to the card front vertically in the center.

 

 

Using the second to the last largest scalloped square die from the Layering Squares Framelits, crop the 3 1/4″ square piece of Real Red cardstock. Using the largest square from the Stitched Shapes framelits, crop the 3″ square piece of Whisper White cardstock.

 

 

Snail the two squares together. Trim the ends diagonally of the 3 1/2″ red foil strip and snail to the center of the square.

 

 

Using Real Red ink, stamp the detailed heart shape from the Heartfelt stamp set to a scrap of Whisper White cardstock and punch out with the scalloped heart punch.

Use Flirty Flamingo ink to stamp the Happy Valentines Day heart stamp from the Heartfelt stamp set onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock and punch out with the heart punch.

 

 

Attach Flirty Flamingo heart to the Real Red heart with Dimensionals.

 

 

Attach the heart to the square using Dimensionals.

 

 

Use the Light Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blend marker to color a 3″ piece of Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon.

 

 

Form a small loop with the ribbon and attach to the center back of the square.  Attach the square to the card front using Dimensionals.

Place a Red Rhinestone in each corner of the white square.

 

 

Inside:

Use Real Red ink to stamp the sentiment from the Heartfelt stamp set to the remaining piece of Whisper White cardstock. Use Real Red ink to stamp some small hearts near the sentiment. Snail the 3 3/4″ Red Foil strip near the top of this piece.

 

 

Snail the stamped piece to the remaining piece of Real Red cardstock, then snail to the inside of the card.

 

 

Envelope: 

Use Real Red ink to stamp a couple of the small hearts from the Heartfelt stamp set to the lower left corner of the envelope.

 

 

Product List

Heartfelt Bundle (English)

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

From My Heart Specialty Designer Series Paper

Whisper White Medium Envelopes

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad

Stitched Shapes Dies

Layering Squares Dies

Flirty Flamingo Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Silver 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon

Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Snail Adhesive

Stampin' Dimensionals

Clear Block A

Clear Block D

Chinese New Year

 

Last week we ushered in 2020 by celebrating in various ways. Many people attended or hosted parties, had a special “night on the town,” went to dinner and a movie, or stayed home and watched TV to see the ball drop in Times Square. However you celebrated, I hope that 2020 brings you much happiness and good health!

Another very important New Year is Chinese New Year, and it begins on January 25th this year. The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and is one of the most important festivals that is celebrated in Chinese culture. The actual beginning date varies from year to year but generally falls sometime in January or February, and the festival lasts about two weeks.

There are many traditions and symbols associated with the Chinese New Year – fireworks being one of the highlights, as well as lanterns adorning the streets. Red is the traditional color, used for decorations and gifts to promote good luck in the coming year.

In honor of the Chinese New Year, I have created some cards using the Power of Hope stamp set that is one of the free stamps sets available during Sale-a-bration. The stamp set is bundled with a beautiful embossing folder and is free with any $100 order!

 

 

I have used Real Red cardstock and Stampin’ Blends markers, as well as gold embossing powder and gold foil paper as the main elements for these cards. I also added some red rhinestones for a little extra added bling.

I love how these cards turned out, using the simple yet bold combination of red, gold, black and white.  I hope you will give this color combination a try as well! While these cards were designed for Chinese New Year, the sentiments, which are also from the Power of Hope stamp set, are appropriate for us even now as we are beginning 2020.

Have you created any cards for the new year (by any calendar)? Let me know in the comments!

The Color of the Year

 

Color plays a very integral role in designing cards and other papercraft projects – they can be bright or subtle, light or dark, bold or pastel. The Pantone Color Institute recently announced the Color of the Year for 2020 and it is called ‘Classic Blue.’

The Pantone color matching system is used by many industries such as printing, graphic design, and fashion to assure the consistency of color. Pantone suggests that the Classic Blue color may evoke a sense of reassurance, confidence, and connection that people may be searching for in today’s world.

This year, look for a lot of this color and similar blue tones to play a big part in fashion, home interior design, magazine spreads, craft supplies, etc.

While not an exact match, I have found that the Stampin’Up! color, Blueberry Bushel, is very close to the Classic Blue that Pantone picked as the color of the year.

Blueberry Bushel is a Stampin’Up! In Color that was introduced in 2018 and will be available until June of 2020. With that in mind, I have created several cards using Blueberry Bushel as the main color for the card stock and ink, paying tribute to the Pantone color of the year.

Notice the different feelings that the color may invoke – the boldness of the flower vases, the calming soft blue rose against the deeper blue background, the “cool” blue background for the penguin… and the blue tropical leaves is just sheer whimsy.

These are just a few ideas for using blue in your projects. Think outside the box and experiment using this trendy color for your projects!

 

 

Happy New Year!

As we begin another New Year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your support in following me on Facebook, Pinterest and my blog. Thanks also to those of you who are local and attend my classes and order supplies from me.

To those of you on my team, thank you for joining Stampin’Up! and allowing me to be your upline. I appreciate each and every one of you and I hope that we can continue to grow together this year as Stampin’Up! friends!

 

 

January is here, and that means exciting things are happening at Stampin’Up! The new 2020 Mini Catalog is here and has a sleek new look. There are so many fun products in it and I can’t wait to show you more ideas using them! View the catalog online – or if you do not have a demonstrator you work with, contact me and I will get a catalog to you.

Sale-a-bration has started and runs through the end of March. What does this mean?

First – you can easily earn free products! For every $50 you spend, you can choose a free stamp set, paper, embellishments or a beautiful card kit from the Sale-a-bration brochure. There is no limit to the amount of products you can earn. Midway through Sale-a-bration, Stampin’Up! will add more free products to the list as well!

Again,  you can view the brochure online, but if you do not have a demonstrator you work with and would like a brochure, contact me and I will get one to you. Here are just a few of the free stamp sets available with a $50 order.

 

 

During Sale-a-bration, which runs from January 3 – March 31, 2020, there is a special incentive to join Stampin’Up! As always, choose $125 worth of any product in any current catalog for only $99 as your ‘starter kit’! Shipping is free for your starter kit.

As a bonus for joining now, you also can choose an additional ANY one stamp set from the catalog PLUS receive a mini-paper trimmer PLUS a sampler pack of every Designer Paper in the new mini-catalog!

And of course, you will receive a 20-25% discount on all future orders. Whether you want to become a part of the Stampin’Up! family to start a small home business or just to receive the discount, this is a great time to join! There are many other benefits to being a demonstrator, and I am happy to answer any questions you have about joining my team and help you get started.

Here’s a look at a card I designed for a friend using the free ‘Happy Birthday To You’ stamp set. I gold embossed the cake and the sentiment and used Stampin Blends markers to color it. The embossed background cardstock, Designer paper, and Sprigs add just enough to make the card special without distracting form the focal point.

 

 

A goal I have set for myself this year is to showcase more projects using Facebook Live. I will be publishing these videos on my Facebook group, so be sure to join my group if you’d like to view the videos. You can join here: Friends Who Like Time4Stamping.

Wishing you a Very Happy and Healthy New Year with lots of time to enjoy crafting!

 

Happy Snowman Z-fold Card

 

I made this card as a cute Christmas card, but change the inside sentiment and you have a cute winter birthday card as well!

 

 

Cut Cardstock:

 

Assembly:   

Fold card base on score lines to form the Z-fold, then use multipurpose glue or snail the smaller half together.

 

 

Emboss the 4″x 2 1/2″ piece of Whisper White cardstock with the Swirls and Curls embossing folder and snail onto the left side of the card base.

*NOTE–Complete the inside of the card before finishing the card front.

 

Inside:

Emboss the 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock with the Swirls and Curls embossing folder and snail to the inside of the card.

Use Coastal Cabana ink to stamp the greeting and snowflakes from the Snowman Season stamp set onto the 3 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock, then snail to the 3 3/4″ x 3″ piece of Coastal Cabana cardstock. Carefully snail this piece to the center of the inside of the card.

 

 

Finish the card front as follows:

Snail the Designer Paper to the remaining piece of Coastal Cabana cardstock. Apply glue or snail to the left side of this piece. Close the card and align this piece with the inside stamped piece, then adhere to the card front.

 

 

Using Memento ink, stamp the small snowman from the Snowman Season stamp set to the 2 3/4″ square piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Color the carrot nose with the Dark Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends marker. Shade the snowman and the ground snow with  the Light Pool Party Stampin’ Blends marker.

Crop this piece with the third largest circle from the Stitched Shapes dies. Use dimensionals to attach to the card front.

Using the snowflake dies from the Frosted Frames dies, crop the snowflakes from a scrap of Whisper White cardstock and glue to the card front. See photo for placement. Place a small rhinestone on the center of each snowflake.

 

 

Apply a small amount of glue to the snowflakes and ground under the snowman. Sprinkle with the Ice Glitter and shake off excess. 

 

Envelope:

Use Coastal Cabana ink to stamp the snowflakes from the Snowman Season stamp set onto the lower left corner of the envelope.

 

 

Hope you enjoy making this card. It’s sure to bring a smile to the special someone who receives it!

 

Product List

Snowman Season Photopolymer Stamp Set (En)

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Let It Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper

Whisper White Medium Envelopes

Stitched Shapes Dies

Frosted Frames Dies

Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder

Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Pumpkin Pie Dark Stampin' Blends Marker

Pool Party Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Snail Adhesive

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Stampin' Dimensionals

Ice Stampin' Glitter

FB Live Recap: Holiday Napkin Holder

 

Here is the Holiday Napkin Holder I created on my Facebook Group page, Friends Who Like Time4Stamping. If you missed my live presentation of the instructions, you can catch the replay here.

Make sure to join my group page to enjoy future broadcasts!

Here are the supplies needed to create one napkin holder:

 

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Let It Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper

Cherry Cobbler 3/8" (1 Cm) Diagonal Stripe Ribbon

Tear & Tape Adhesive

Layering Circles Dies

Mini Glue Dots

 

Tutorial: Light and Peace Angel

 

You can’t go wrong with angels when you want to make an elegant Christmas card. This angel from the Light and Peace stamp set is simple yet elegant when gold embossed and highlighted with just a hint of color.

 

 

Cut Cardstock:

 

Assembly:

Emboss the Gold Foil paper with the Swirls and Curls embossing folder, then snail or glue to the card base. I find that glue works better than snail at adhering the foil paper.

Using Versamark ink, stamp the angel from the Light and Peace stamp set onto the 4 5/” x 3 1/2″ piece of Whisper White cardstock. See photo for placement. Sprinkle with Gold embossing powder and set with heat tool.

Color the angel’s hair with the Light Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends marker. Highlight the angel’s gown using the Light Seaside Spray Stampin’ Blends marker.

Using the Golden Glitz Metallic ink, stamp the sentiment from the God’s Peace stamp set to the right of the angel. Optional – briefly use the heat tool to speed up the drying of the metallic ink. Snail to card front.

Place a gold metallic pearl on the upper left and lower right corners of the stamped piece.

 

Inside:

Snail or glue the gold strip near the left side of the 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Using the Golden Glitz Metallic ink, stamp “Merry Christmas” from the Christmas Rose stamp set.

 

 

I hope you enjoy making this card. It makes up rather quickly, so it’s a great card if you want to multiples of the same card.

 

Product List

Light & Peace Cling Stamp Set

God's Peace Cling Stamp Set (En)

Christmas Rose Stamp Set (English)

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Gold Foil Sheets

Whisper White Medium Envelopes

Golden Glitz Delicata Metallic Ink Pad

Versamark Pad

Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder

Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

Seaside Spray Light Stampin’ Blends Marker

Daffodil Delight Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Metallic Pearls

Snail Adhesive

Multipurpose Liquid Glue