Categories
Watercoloring background Uncategorized

Learn to Watercolor Easily: Start With a Watercolor Wash to Make Beautiful Cards!

Blue card with watercolor wash background, pink circle, succulent die cuts, reading "wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been" by Mark Twain, designed by CJ Card Creations
This card features a Pacific Point watercolor wash and the Potted Succulents Dies, both of which are retiring on May 1.
Blue card with watercolor ombre background, pink circle, succulent die cuts, reading "wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been" by Mark Twain, designed by CJ Card Creations
This card features a Pacific Point watercolor wash with the Stepping Stones stamps and the Potted Succulents Dies, both of which are retiring on May 1.

Have you seen beautiful watercolor projects and thought, “That requires more talent than I have!”? Well, let’s set the record straight – a watercolor wash is an easy and fun way to start watercoloring!

Getting started

First, the paper you use is critical to your watercoloring success. The Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper from Stampin’ Up! is made with cotton fibers and is very high-quality. It comes in 5″ x 7″ panels.

Next, you need to have water (as I practice and watercolor more, I’m finding a jar of water to be really helpful). The Water Painters have a hollow barrel to fill with water and squeeze through the brush as you paint. The barrel holds enough water for small projects, but you’ll have better control of the quantity of water by using a jar to dip your brush in. Water Painters from Stampin’ Up! come in a set of 3, each with a different type of brush. For a watercolor wash, the wide, flat brush is my preference.

You can see the ink pad lid used as a palette here, along with the fine tip Water Painter.

You’ll also need a rag or a few paper towels to clean your brush and to soak up excess water from the brush and from your project.

Finally, you need ink! For this week’s Facebook Live, I chose to use Pacific Point (one of the retiring colors). I squeezed the ink pad to transfer some ink to the lid and used that as a palette. You can see this process in the video. You can also use a drop of ink from the Reinker if you’d rather – just be sure to dilute it sufficiently.

The process

I cut the Fluid 100 to 3 3/4″ x 5″ for this project. Then, I painted the panel with clear water to get ready for the ink. Adding ink to a wet surface prevents blobs of ink that are difficult to spread. Finally, I picked up ink with the Water Painter and painted the panel. I added a lot of ink at the bottom of the panel and then spread it out and diluted it as I worked towards the top of the panel. Watercoloring is great because you can add and remove color as needed to create the look you want.

It’s important to let your watercoloring project dry completely before doing anything else to it. You can either let that happen over time, or you can speed up the process with a Heat Tool. Using the Heat Tool also allows you to dry from both sides of the panel, helping to flatten it out if it curled some during the painting process.

Because you’re watercoloring, it’s important to use a solvent-based ink like StazOn for any stamping that you don’t want to bleed. Once my panel was dry, I stamped my sentiment (from the Stepping Stones stamp set) in StazOn Black ink. While this isn’t strictly necessary for this project, because the watercoloring was dry when I stamped, it’s good practice to use the proper inks so it becomes habit.

The Finished Project

Finally, I decorated my project using the White Frayed Ribbon and die cuts (from the Potted Succulents Dies) from Mint Macaron, Pacific Point, and Dry Brush Metallic 12″ x 12″ Specialty papers. I arranged the die cuts on a 2″ circle of Blushing Bride Brushstrokes 12″ x 12″ Specialty Paper.

I hope you enjoyed today’s project! If you need to purchase any supplies to create your own watercolor project, I’d truly appreciate it if you shop my online store. And, if you make a project with a watercolor wash, I’d love to see it in my CJ Cards Stampers Group over on Facebook!

Categories
Fun Fold Designer Series Paper General Heat Embossing Ribbon Texture

Send a Card that Gets to the Point!

Gray card with teal and white patterned paper, a satin ribbon accent, and a detailed pink flower with the greeting "hello".
Learn how to create an easy fun fold and do some heat embossing!
Gray card with teal and white patterned paper, a satin ribbon accent, and a detailed pink flower with the greeting "hello".
Triangle Point Belly Band Card

Hello! Let’s get right to the “point” – this week on my Facebook Live Class, I taught how to create this Triangle Point Belly Band card. It’s an easy fun fold that closes with two points and a belly band. I CASEd the fold from Jackie Bolhuis over at Klompen Stampers, and I think it’s a lot of fun!

To start, it’s just an easy 5 ½” x 11” piece of cardstock – so it does use more cardstock than a regular card base of 5 ½” x 8 ½”. But I promise it’s worth it! You’ll score at 3 ½” from each end. Then, make a few cuts with your Paper Trimmer. Boom! You’ve got the foundation of a neat card.

When we’re talking fun folds, I always say that a non-crafter needs to be able to open it without an engineering degree – and I never want the inside writing to be visible on the outside of the card. This fold fits the bill completely.

I used the beautiful Delicate Desert Designer Series Paper for this project. I really like that I was able to incorporate THREE different patterns! Sometimes you can only use 1-2 patterns before it feels too busy.

The Delicate Desert DSP features Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Cajun Craze, Pale Papaya, Soft Succulent, and Gray Granite. Individually, some of these colors don’t appear in my crafting very often. But somehow, Stampin’ Up! has put them together and created something wonderful! The patterns are full of texture, and several patterns remind me of textiles you’d find in the American Southwest.

I took inspiration for my project’s colors from the Designer Series Paper itself and used Gray Granite, a color that I tend to struggle to use. I think that, since it has both gray and brown undertones, I’m never sure what colors will mesh well. With the Soft Succulent in the Designer Series Paper, it’s gorgeous! And of course, I had to incorporate a pop of pink!

As far as techniques in this card, I did a simple heat-embossed sentiment. For the flower, I don’t know what you’d call the technique, but I used my Stamparatus and stamped in Gray Granite – it is a light enough color that it allowed me to see the image to color but not really stand out. After coloring with my Stampin’ Blends to get some variations in the depth of color, I stamped the image again in Versamark ink and heat embossed with Black Embossing Powder.

The inside of a card showing the pointed flaps, a green background with a rectangle of white for writing and accented with a piece of the pattern from the card front.

The fonts in the Irresistible Blooms stamp set are so lovely! And the line images for the flowers are seriously so gorgeous. I have used this stamp set A TON since they released it to demonstrators back in February, and there are still so many projects I want to CASE or design on my own!

If you haven’t gotten Irresistible Blooms for yourself yet, I can’t recommend it enough. And when the dies come back in stock in a couple of weeks, you’ll want to grab those, too – they cut out the stamp images, and there are also a couple of detailed dies that are “irresistible”! I think the beaded curtain piece (at least, that’s what I’m calling it) is my favorite, but the circle window with beading is really great too.

Do you struggle with card design inspiration? Or just enjoy watching others create to find some ideas for your own crafting? I’d love to have you follow me over on YouTube. Click this link to watch the video for this week’s project, and be sure to subscribe to my channel while you’re there! Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I’ll be back soon with more design inspo for your crafting!

Categories
Designer Series Paper Die Cutting Project layers Texture

Check out 3 “Irresistible” projects to send to friends today!

three images using flowers, gorgeous fonts, and fun colors.
The Hello, Irresistible collection projects I made on Facebook Live this week.

Have you checked out the new Online Exclusives from Stampin’ Up!? One of my favorites is the “Hello, Irresistible” collection – it has stamps and dies along with coordinating Designer Series Paper and Loose Frosted Dots. <swoon> I have teamed up with two amazing demonstrators, Stampin’ With Leah and Life Is Good, Stamp On to host a Stamp Camp on April 1 using this beautiful collection – make sure you are registered by March 11! To show even more about WHY you need this collection, I decided to use it for this week’s Facebook Live. I created three cards that I think you’re going to love!

A peek at some of the new products Stampin’ Up! released this week. The pictures on the left are items in the Hello, Irresistible collection!

First, I designed this soft, sweet card. I think the Soft Sea Foam and Petal Pink combo is gorgeous, and the delicate leaf dies and the “beaded curtain” die add so much texture. As usual, the splatter stamp is one of my favorites from the set – I used it here to make the background less flat without distracting from the beautiful flowers and sentiment. I love how easy it is to build a bouquet with the stamped images and die cuts! The toughest part of this card is getting your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine to cooperate on camera with the beaded curtain die – since I didn’t want to cut it out entirely (as it was designed), I had to be very careful with placing the die and cardstock on the cutting plates. See the video for details.

Second, I created this beautiful project. Based on a layout I CASEd from Ange McKay, the North Shore Stamper, I used the Soft Sea Foam leaf pattern of Designer Series Paper for the background, added a splash of color with the Flirty Flamingo mat, and layered on the Flirty Flamingo and Daffodil Delight floating flowers pattern. A banner with a sweet sentiment, a bright Flirty Flamingo flower, and five Frosted Dots create a lovely but relatively simple project.

Finally, I just had to share this awesome fun fold. I CASEd it from a project my upline, Erica Cerwin over at Pink Buckaroo Designs, did with us for a training in January. While it has a lot of pieces and can stand on its own, it folds down to fit into a regular envelope. So, with a little extra postage, you can totally mail this knock-out card to someone special! For the sample in the photographs, I used the Enjoy the Journey Designer Series Paper. Generally speaking, I prefer brighter colors for my projects. However, the color combo for the Hello, Irresistible DSP is gorgeous, so I had to make this card again using the color palette from the new DSP. Check out the video for the final result!

I hope you love the projects I shared this week! I would love it if you registered for my Stamp Camp – you can get all the details and register here. And let me know if you have any questions or fun ideas for using the Hello, Irresistible collection in your own crafting!

Categories
Designer Series Paper Paper Pumpkin

Two Sunshine & Smiles Paper Pumpkin Alternate Projects You Need to Make Now!

The Sunshine and Smiles Paper Pumpkin kit (February 2023) is adorable! It also coordinates with the Playing in the Rain Bundle from the January – April Mini Catalog, which I love. Such cute little animal characters, sunny sentiments, and bright colors. Here’s a look:

The projects included in the February Paper Pumpkin kit, Sunshine & Smiles

The cards that were designed for the Paper Pumpkin kit are great – pretty gingham backgrounds, those cute little animals (already colored and die cut for you!), and the peek-through concept they used all work really well together.

For my first alternate project, I created a book fold card. Because all the stamps in this set are pretty small, I wanted to be able to highlight the little frog without losing him on a regular sized card. So, I cut a 3” x 3” panel to use as my focal point. I created a background with the flowers stamp, a torn piece of Granny Apple Green cardstock, and a pencil-colored sky. Then I stamped and colored the frog on scrap paper, cut him out, and popped him up off my background. A sweet sentiment, a few gems and a bow, and this card is ready to go!

For my second alternate project, I wanted to use some of the FREE Dandy Designs 12” x 12” Designer Series – the colors included in the paper are so great, and every pattern is fun and happy. I did a super-simple fun fold: cut the DSP 4” x 12”, score the long side at 5 ¼” and 10 ½”, and adhere the back of the middle panel to a piece of coordinating cardstock cut 4 ¼” x 5 ½”. The pattern of paper that I chose has pretty daisies in a Fresh Freesia background, and I love how the kite creates a fun, simple focal point. Finished up with a simple “hello” and some gems, this card is ready to “fly away” to cheer up a friend! (And don’t forget – Feb 28 is the LAST CHANCE to get a stack of that Designer Series Paper for yourself!)

Pro Tip: Order your 3-, 6-, or 12-month prepaid subscription to Paper Pumpkin now and earn Saleabration items on this awesome, all-inclusive crafting kit!

Don’t forget to join me again LIVE on Facebook next Thursday, March 2 at 7:30 MT – I’ll have three beautiful projects using the brand-new Hello, Irresistible bundle!

Categories
Designer Series Paper Dry Embossing Project layers

Fun Folds with Enjoy The Journey Designer Series Paper – a FREE Saleabration Item!

collage of three projects in bright colors
Facebook Live Projects

Enjoy the Journey Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up! is so beautiful! It uses bright colors to share mountain imagery as well as different repeating shapes and patterns. Every 12” x 12” Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack has 12 sheets of paper, 2 each of 6 double-sided designs. And even better, right now you can receive this pack of DSP for FREE with a $50 order during Saleabration!

Embossing, Designer Series Paper, and a large focal image combine to create this simple yet stunning card.

My first card uses just a 2” strip of one pattern of DSP to guide the color selection: I also chose a larger image (from Simply Succulents) to serve as the focal point for this card. I love line image stamps because they’re so versatile – I can stamp them in any color to keep it simple, or I can stamp and then color with Stampin’ Blends. Here, I chose to keep it simple, and I love how it turned out! The fonts used for the sentiment (also from Simply Succulents) are really striking, too.

Purples and blues in this fun fold project create a soothing mountain image.

My second card, the first fun fold for this class, has a totally different color scheme. Using Highland Heather and Starry Sky, along with a purple-tones panel of DSP, created a very soothing card any friend will be happy to receive. (And, purple is my favorite color! So of course this project made me really happy.) While fun folds can often be challenging to make AND difficult to figure out how to open, this fold is very accessible to crafters of any level.

Finally, the fold I’m sharing for my last card is a little more advanced but still totally doable. I CASEd it from Jackie Bolhuis at Klompen Stampers, and I love how you see two really great DSP patterns. Plus the recipient has a little fun opening it as it is a card-within-a-card!

Make sure to head over to my YouTube channel to watch the replay – and subscribe while you’re there so you don’t miss any of my videos!

Categories
Sampler Designer Series Paper Dry Embossing Project layers Ribbon

Favored Flowers Sampler

Sampler with four panels using black, Calypso Coral, and Petal Pink
Favored Flowers Sampler

Good morning! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend, whether you were enjoying the big game or getting in some good crafting!

Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to watch my Live from last Thursday. You can catch the replay here. I shared how to create this inspirational paper crafting sampler using the Sending Support stamp set and the Favored Flowers Designer Series Paper (both FREE items during Saleabration!).

Samplers are a great paper crafting project because they allow you to showcase several different patterns from a stack of Designer Series Paper, and they also make a great gift! This sampler can be used in an 8” x 8” frame, or you can mount it on an additional piece of Designer Series Paper to fit it in a 9” x 9” or 12” x 12” frame.

I especially love using Vellum on my samplers (and cards) to add texture and shapes without adding distracting colors or covering up that Designer Series Paper. We actually have several Vellum options right now – the Vellum Basics leaf pattern is what I used for the top left panel, and for the bottom right panel I embossed a piece of regular Vellum Cardstock using a new (SNEAK PEEK ALERT!) embossing folder that will be available on March 1: the Basics 3D Embossing Folders are a set of three folders that you’ll have to have!

Vellum Basics panel
Vellum Cardstock dry embossed with Basics 3D Embossing Folder

The Dry Brushed Metallic Specialty Designer Series Paper was a great addition to the bottom left panel, as it added a lot of shine, a little complementary color, and some flair. And finally, I brought in the 5/8” Rose Gold and White Ribbon for the bow in the top right panel – it’s a wide ribbon, so tying it in a bow is too bulky for cards. It was just right for this project!

Dry Brushed Metallic Specialty Paper
Rose Gold & White 5/8″ Ribbon

If you’d like to receive the kit to create this sampler yourself, make sure to place your $50 order TODAY in my online store – and please use host code SFMHQYVT at checkout so I know you want the kit! This order will qualify for a free Saleabration item, too! Orders of $75 or more will also receive a pack of the Pastel Adhesive-Backed Sequins as a thank you from me.

Please reach out if you have any questions. Until Thursday, happy stamping!

Categories
Die Cutting Dry Embossing Tools

Top Tips for Success when Die Cutting and Dry Embossing with the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Stampin' Cut & Emboss and Mini Cut & Emboss machines at work cutting out stamped images with coordinating dies for die cutting cardstock
Die cutting and dry embossing are easy with the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machines!

Have you met the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine? This machine makes die cutting and dry embossing easy, all with one machine. It is a hefty but elegant piece of equipment that will drastically improve your card-making game! It is an investment, but once you have it, you’ll never look back!

Stampin' Cut & Emboss and Mini Cut & Emboss machines at work cutting out stamped images with coordinating dies for die cutting cardstock
Die cutting and dry embossing are easy with the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machines!

However, there is also a MINI Cut & Emboss Machine! It is the perfect size for taking with you to crafting events, in the RV, or wherever else you like to take your crafting. At half the price of the full-size machine, the Mini C&E provides great value without sacrificing much functionality – the only tools that won’t work are the full-size embossing folders and some of the largest dies.

To have your machine do both die cutting and dry embossing, it includes several plates of different thicknesses.  These plates help adapt your cardstock and tools to fit the machine so you successfully create the desired effect with a single pass.  Let’s take a look.

What is especially nice about the included plates is that they have instructions printed on them, so you’ll never wonder which piece goes with what! Your combination of plates, cardstock, and tool creates your “sandwich”, which then runs through the machine with the hand crank.

  • Die cutting: Plate 1, Plate 2, Plate 3, cardstock, die (with cutting edge down), and Plate 3
  • Dry embossing with a regular embossing folder: Plate 1, Plate 3, Embossing Folder with cardstock, Plate 3
  • Dry embossing with a 3D embossing folder: Plate 1, 3D Embossing Folder with cardstock, Plate 4

As every machine is slightly different, over time you’ll get to know what your machine needs to be successful. Here are some tips for troubleshooting:

  • If your sandwich is too thick to crank through the machine, and you’ve already double-checked that you’re using the recommended plates, you may need to try removing Plate 2
  • If your sandwich goes through without enough pressure, your cardstock won’t be effectively cut/embossed. Sometimes, adding a “shim”, such as another piece of cardstock or even simple printer paper, will be all you need to do. Other times, you may need to swap out plates to make the sandwich thick enough.
  • If your sandwich is perfect, but it seems like you can’t get the plates to catch in the roller, you may need to EITHER stagger the front edges of the plates OR align them flush with each other.

Sound like there’s not a definite answer?! As I said, you’ll learn what your machine needs, so don’t give up on it! If you’ve tried all these suggestions to no avail, contact your demonstrator or go directly to Stampin’ Up!’s customer support. On the rare occasion that there is something wrong with your machine, it does come with a warranty of 3 years, and one of the many things I love about Stampin’ Up! is that they stand behind their products 100%.

Here are several other tips to help you craft successfully with your Cut & Emboss Machine.

  • If you find your cardstock cracking when dry embossing, spritz the cardstock lightly with water before putting it into the embossing folder
  • Run the embossing folder through the machine hinge-first
  • Make sure the die cutting edge is down on the cardstock
  • Use washi tape or post-it notes to secure your die to your stamped image so that nothing shifts as you run it through the machine
  • Dies with straight edges can cause a loud cracking sound if put through the machine improperly; for shapes like a square or rectangle, try putting the die on the plate so that the shape goes through at an angle (this also improves die cutting results). For very detailed dies, you may need to take more than one pass through the machine. In this case, I like to carefully rotate the die and cardstock on the plate after the first pass, as this changes the distribution of pressure on the die and leads to a more defined cut.
  • Storing your plates rolled halfway into the machine will help minimize the warping/curving that occurs to the clear plates over time.
  • Don’t wait too long to replace those clear plates! Eventually, clear plates appear almost white from all the cut marks, and these marks can also leave an imprint your cardstock. You may also notice that bits of cardstock stuck in the cuts transfers to the cardstock you are using for your current project.

If you’ve found these tips and tricks helpful, make sure to follow me on YouTube to see more techniques in action!

Categories
background stamp background

Learn to create your own beautiful background for card projects using just stamps, ink, and paper

Daisy Garden background stamp mounted on a block
Background stamps can be used to add visual interest to your projects.

If you’re looking for a way to add texture without using a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine, look no further than your stamp collection! While Stampin’ Up! does offer true “background stamps”, you can turn virtually any set of images into a unique background with my tips.

Background Stamps

Background stamps are typically large (slightly larger than an A2 card front) and allow you to cover the entire panel of cardstock with one stamp. Depending on the look you’re hoping to achieve, you can stamp in the same or slightly darker color as the cardstock, or you can use bright colors on Basic White cardstock for a more dramatic effect.

To use a background stamp successfully, I have two methods for you to try. First, you can leave the stamp mounted in its case. With the stamp face up, hold the ink pad and apply ink all over the stamp. Then, lay a piece of cardstock on the stamp. Cover your cardstock with a piece of scrap paper and rub all over the stamp to make sure the ink transfers evenly. Remove your scrap paper, lift your cardstock, and look at your beautifully stamped panel!

For my second method of using a background stamp, pull out your Stamparatus. Mount your background stamp to one of the clear plates. Place a piece of cardstock that is larger than the stamp on the platform and secure with magnets. Ink stamp as described above, then flip the plate to stamp the image. Once you’re satisfied with the stamped image, remove the cardstock panel and trim to desired size.

Stamparatus holding cardstock in place to stamp accurately each time.
The Stamparatus holds cardstock in place, so stamping an image multiple times and stamping multiple panels become easy tasks!

Using the Stamparatus for background stamps is my preferred method for two reasons:

  • First, if the image doesn’t stamp as completely or darkly as desired, it’s easy to repeat the process until you achieve the desired results.
  • Second, while there are blocks that are large enough to hold a background stamp, these can be difficult to hold and maneuver. Achieving a full image is also more challenging because you can’t rub over the stamp as easily.

The Stamparatus does the stamping easily with the plate and hinges. Once you’ve flipped the plate onto the cardstock, it’s very easy to rub over the back of the plate, ensuring good contact between the cardstock and all points of the stamp. I’ve also written a full post about the uses of the Stamparatus.

Repeated Image Stamping

You can also choose smaller stamps to create your own background. For this method, I start by choosing two or three different sized stamps. While all three can be from one stamp set, you can also mix and match stamp sets, creating endless possibilities.

To make this technique more visually appealing, be sure to rotate the stamps between each stamping. Also, stamp off the edges of the cardstock panel, creating the impression that the pattern continues outside of the panel. Using these tips also creates a more random look to the background.

For one of my favorite examples of this technique, I use a flower, a leaf, and a small texture stamp (like a cluster of dots for a flower center). I use one ink color for each stamp. Starting with the largest stamp and working to the smallest makes it easy to cover the panel evenly. After finishing with the largest stamp, begin to fill in white space with the mid-sized stamp. Finally, fill remaining gaps with the smallest, textural stamp. Using this method allows you to create your own piece of Designer Series Paper to coordinate with your preferred color scheme and style.

light blue card with white background covered in green foliage, yellow flowers, and blue berries with green and white tags on front featuring a 3D yellow flower and the sentiment "thinking of you"
Stamp your own background design

I hope you’ve found these tips about stamping backgrounds helpful! For video tutorials, make sure to follow the link below to watch my YouTube series on backgrounds for card projects.

Youtube background series

Categories
Ribbon embellishment Texture Twine

Using Stampin’ Up! Ribbons in Your Paper Crafting: Add Textures You Itch To Run Your Fingers Across

Ribbons wrapped around kraft tags
These ribbons are different widths and textures so your project can be tailored to your vision.

Ribbon is an easy way to take your project beyond “just a card.”  Stampin’ Up!, which is known for its color coordination, carries ribbons that match the ink/cardstock colors! Being able to decorate a project with a coordinating ribbon gives your project a polished look when it’s complete.

Ribbons wrapped around kraft tags
Stampin’ Up! ribbons are different widths and textures so your project can be tailored to your vision.

Stampin’ Up! ribbons are available in many colors, as I mentioned. There are also many different materials, textures, and styles, so you always have a ribbon for your needs.

I find the Linen Thread and Baker’s Twines to be the easiest ribbons to work with. Tying a bow is very similar to tying your shoes, so you won’t feel like you’re having to learn a new skill just to decorate your card. Whether you tie a bow directly off the bolt of twine and attach it with a glue dot, or you wrap it around a panel of cardstock first, your bow is guaranteed to look great without a lot of fuss.

I have a couple more options for tying bows with twine. First, you can double the length of twine before tying, resulting in a double bow. Second, you can wrap your twine around a panel of cardstock several times before tying the bow. Both options add a lot of texture without adding much weight or thickness to your project.

Twine is also a great way to secure certain embellishments (like leaf or jingle bell trinkets) to a project. Simply thread the twine through the eye of the trinket before tying a bow or knot to secure it to the project.

One last idea: wrap twine around your fingers 3-4 times, secure the coil to your project with a couple of glue dots, and add a label over part of the coil. This looks fancy and doesn’t require any tying!

Christmas Greetings card with red Designer Series Paper, three pine trees, and gold twine coiled behind sentiment banner
Gold trim coiled on card and secured under sentiment banner.

Now to ribbons. There are probably as many ways to tie bows as there are crafters! No matter your method, you will want to practice tying a few bows before tying one on a project. Loosen and tighten the loops until they are the desired size, both loops are equal, and the loops and tails sit on the project the way you want. For extra security, you can secure the completed bow with a glue dot if desired. One other tip: use a pair of reverse tweezers to hold the first knot tight while you tie the loops to your satisfaction.

In this short video, I show how to use reverse tweezers as an extra set of hands when tying a bow.

Now to some ideas that don’t use bows.

  • Wrap a piece of ribbon around a panel of cardstock, securing ends on the back side with glue dots or scotch tape – this adds ribbon but doesn’t add bulk to your project
  • Wrap ribbon around a panel of cardstock, tying in a knot – this method can be useful for masculine cards
  • After determining where you want ribbon on your project, put down a couple of glue dots or a bit of adhesive runner, lay ribbon on top in a “z” pattern, and add a sentiment strip or label on top of the ribbon. This method gives a different look and adds less bulk than a bow
  • Wide ribbon can be cut lengthwise and left with threads hanging to give a shabby chic effect
  • Some ribbon can be deconstructed entirely, leaving just threads to be tied into a bow or knot
  • Certain ribbons gather nicely to create a ruffle on your project – use adhesive runner and glue dots to secure this completely

Finally, to make sure that your project looks polished, trim the ends of your ribbon: for wider ribbon, either flag the ends or cut at an angle; narrow ribbon looks best with ends cut at an angle.

I hope you’ve found some of these ideas inspiring! Make sure to check out this article for other crafting ideas you can incorporate in your projects.

Categories
Designer Series Paper background Project layers

Learn To Effectively Cut and Use Designer Series Paper From Stampin’ Up! For Your Next Paper Crafting Project

Several projects, a stack of designer series paper, and a piece of designer series paper on the Stampin" Trimmer ready to be cut.

Designer Series Paper (also called patterned paper or DSP) is any piece of paper that has a design printed on it. Stampin’ Up! sells DSP that is two-sided, meaning that one side has one pattern, and there is a different pattern on the other side.

Aside from their high quality, Stampin’ Up! products overall are wonderful because of the color coordination across product types. This means that the colors of cardstock match the colors of ink, which match the colors in the Designer Series Papers.

Several projects, a stack of designer series paper, and a piece of designer series paper on the Stampin" Trimmer ready to be cut.
Designer Series Paper ready to be cut with Stampin’ Trimmer.

Your chosen piece of DSP can be one of several layers on your card, the main image on your card, or just a small piece that also inspires your card’s color palette. Using multiple patterns of DSP on your project adds visual interest. The more you use your DSP, the more you’re going to love it!

Before the First Cut

DSP is sold in packs with several designs, sized in 6”x6” or 12”x12” pieces. The colors within a pack of DSP all coordinate and are consistent throughout the pack.

To start, choose a piece of DSP and have a project in mind (card vs. 3D vs. scrapbook page), as the type of project can impact what cuts you make. You will also want to pay attention to whether your piece of DSP has a particular orientation – that is, do the images have a clearly defined top and bottom. If so, make sure that you also decide on the orientation (portrait or landscape) of your final project before cutting that DSP.

Cutting 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper

To create a standard A2 card, the first layer is typically 4” x 5 ¼”.  Because of this, I like to make the first cut at 4” on a 12” square sheet.  This will help maximize how many usable pieces you have from one sheet because, unless you plan well and/or are doing a One Sheet Wonder, there will inevitably be some scraps that seem too small to bother with. 

Once that 4” cut is made, you can rotate the strip of DSP 90 degrees and cut at 5 ¼”, giving you two full layers from one strip. That 1 ½” x 4” piece is great cut in half, leaving two ¾” x 4” strips to add to the card liners to carry the imagery through the entire project (insert image)!

In the case of a directional piece of DSP to be used for a landscape card, you will want to cut at 4” parallel to the top of the sheet of DSP. For a portrait orientation with directional paper, that 4” cut will be perpendicular to the top of the sheet of DSP.

Cutting 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper

If you are using DSP that is 6” x 6”, your cutting results will change just a bit. Here, I cut at 4” first (again paying attention to directionality if needed), as this preserves the length of the remaining 2” piece. Then, I trim off that bottom ¾” x 4” piece to use for the card liner.

With the 2” x 6” piece, you can cut it into three squares to arrange on another card. Or you can do one of my favorite card layouts, which uses a 2” x 5 ½” strip of DSP adhered to the left side of the card front. At this point, I toss the remaining ½” x 2” strip, as my craft room only has so much space and I have limited time to create! However, I have seen lots of beautiful projects using all different sized strips of DSP, so that is another avenue you can explore.

Another cut that makes exceptional use of your 6” x 6” paper is to cut into equal quarters. These squares then make wonderful smaller layers for your project or work well on samplers.

Using Designer Series Paper on Projects

I shared a couple of ideas for using your DSP as I discussed the cutting process. There are, of course, many more options!

  • Panels of DSP can be dry embossed with an embossing folder and your Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine to achieve additional texture on your project without adding layers.
  • I often forget that I can stamp directly ON my DSP! It just seems like the paper is perfect as it is. However, some patterns really lend themselves to stamping. For this, I like to use Memento Black or a dark ink that coordinates well. This is also a great opportunity to use your Stamparatus (the stamp positioning tool from Stampin’ Up!), as you can easily guarantee straight stamping and you have the option to stamp 2-3 times to get the image/sentiment as dark as you want.
  • DSP from Stampin’ Up! is much thinner than the cardstock, so using it doesn’t add significant weight or thickness to your projects. Keep this in mind as you score your Designer Series Paper – it takes much less pressure to achieve a good score line. If you apply too much pressure when scoring, you can punch a hole in or tear the DSP.
  • Many DSP patterns from Stampin’ Up! coordinate with dies, too. This allows you to die cut an image from the DSP rather than stamping and coloring the image yourself. For this, I recommend trimming out the section you want to use with your paper snips. Then, just that small piece runs through your die cutting machine, preserving as much of the original piece of DSP as possible for other uses.
  • Another great use of DSP is to punch or die cut shapes of different sizes to layer with cardstock on your project. Circles work great for this process.
Several projects using Designer Series Paper cut out with a punch
Designer Series Paper can be punched out for focal images on projects.

If you’ve found these suggestions and tips helpful, please join my email list! As a thank you for signing up, I’ll send my FIVE favorite card sketches to use as inspiration for your projects.