A Touch of Ink Birthday Card Set

I had lots of fun creating this set of birthday cards. First I used A Touch of Ink set to cover a whole 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheet of Basic White cardstock with Memento Black ink. Then I added in the small leaf from the same set. The “fill” is stamped with Pear Pizzazz for the small leaf and Petal Pink for the flowers. Then I came in with a sponge dauber and added some interest in the center of the flowers with Calypso Coral. Finally, I added the splatter stamp in Daffodil Delight. I think it turned out pretty cute!

I cut this sheet down to four sheets of 4-3/4″ x 3-1/2″, saving a number of long 1/2″ strips to decorate the insides. I cut both black and white layers for each card at 4-7/8″ x 3-5/8″, black for the front layer and white for the inside layer. I used 1/2″ x 4-7/8″ strips of Basic Black to stamp the Happy Birthday greeting from Posted for You in Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. Those strips are on black dimensionals and all the layers adhered together. Then I stamped some mini butterflies from Butterfly Gala with Memento and Daffodil and punched out with the Butterfly Duet punch. I love putting these butterflies on cards using mini glue dots so the wings stick up! Such a nice touch.

Since the card uses 4 colors besides black and white I used all four of those as base colors: Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz. I couldn’t decide which I liked best so I did them all! 🙂

I used the saved 1/2″ strips of the front design on 5/8″ strips of black and glued these to the inside white layer along the top. I also stamped a sentiment from Butterfly Gala along with another mini butterfly on the inside.

Since this was a set of four, I put them in our clear acetate card boxes. It showcases the cards and the matching envelopes perfectly since it’s clear! I added a little slip on the back that shows the inside sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by to check out this fun project! It would make a great gift too. You can purchase any of these items by clicking on them below to take you to my store. A Touch of Ink set is FREE and only available until the end of February 2021, less than two weeks away! For any orders under $150 please use Host Code JTVK4JCJ until the end of February. Happy stamping!

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Magnetic Gift Card Holder

I just love magnetic closures. It’s so satisfying hearing the ‘click’ closed. This project uses the Posted for You bundle in the Annual catalog. You can save 10% on this both the stamp set and punch if you get them bundled through May 3, 2021. I love this stamp set and the punch is a MUST HAVE for sentiments. It can pair with so many things and stamp shapes are super cute. Did you know you can make a smaller size punched image by inserting it back into the punch? They keep releasing other stamp sets to coordinate with it as well, like the Festive Post (retired) from the recent holiday catalog and the new Snailed It bundle in the new spring mini so I feel like it is extra versatile.

The measurements for this project:

Base: 11″ x 4-1/4″ (half a piece of cardstock), scored on the long side halfway at 5-1/2″, flipped over and scored from both ends at 3″ – Fold into a W fold.

DSP: 2-7/8″ x 4-1/8″, corners rounded on one long side (Use one for the front and two for the inside, optional for the back)

I used the Classic label punch and 1-1/2″ circle punch to punch the hole for the gift card. You can watch my tutorial on YouTube for a visual on how it goes together. I show an alternate version at the end of the video using the Heartfelt stamp and punches bundle. I also LOVE these layering heart punches. Check out the video to see the Navy and Calypso Coral Valentine’s version. ❤

You can purchase any of these products by clicking the links below to take you to my store. Please use Host Code JTVK4JCJ through the end of February 2021 for any orders under $150.

***Don’t forget you can get FREE Sale-a-bration items for every increment of $50 before tax and shipping that you spend by February 28. To see your free SAB choices click HERE.***

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Paper Pumpkin Alternative – Mailbox Treats!

Mailboxes are especially cute because we send cards. And when we get to make tiny ones and fill them with candy and deliver a mailbox…gah, adorable. We had fun on the Live today making these little treats, even though my camera wouldn’t orient the correct way! We powered through and made it work anyway. You can view the video here on YouTube:

Here are the mailbox measurements:

Patterned paper: 5-1/2″ x 3-1/4″, scored at 1/2″ on each shorter side

Plain coordinating Cardstock: 6″ x 5-1/2″

1. Place the plain cardstock in the trimmer with the 5-1/2″ side up and cut at 3/4″, set aside strip.

2. Rotate to 6″ side up and cut at 3″. You’ll have 2 equal pieces, set one aside.

3. Place one piece on the 4-3/4″ side up and cut at 3-1/4″. Discard cut off.

4. Turn same back to 3″ side up and cut at 1-1/2″ to get two equal pieces at 1-1/2 x 3-1/4″

5. Bring back other 4-3/4″ x 3″ and score on all sides at 3/4″

6. Cut flaps and notch them. Cut them on the long side so they tuck into the sides and not the front of the box.

7. Add adhesive to flaps and assemble box.

8. Bring back 3/4″ strip with 6″ side up. Score at 1/2″, and then move over to almost 1-1/4″ and cut. This is the front pull tab.

9. Cut two more pieces at 1/2″ to create two sides of the flag.

10. Rotate short side up and cut a strip at 1/4″

11. Trim this 1/4″ piece to 2″, this is the flag pole.

12. Assemble according to video. 🙂

I used Poppy Parade as my cardstock color along with the January 2021 Paper Pumpkin Kit – Sending Hearts and the optional add on. Email me at debjoysmeak@delightofmyart.com with any questions, to request a catalog or to be added to the email list. Join me on Facebook or YouTube at Delight of my Art.

Happy stamping!

New ‘Hey Chick’ Bundles Available TODAY!

In 2017 the stamp set Hey Chick was available as a Sale-a-bration item and it was very popular. These funny chickens were popping up all over the place. I especially love the one with the poofy head popping in from the side, haha! I was thrilled to see the Hey Birthday Chick stamp set in the new spring mini with the same chickens from 2017 in different poses. But wait there’s more! They decided to add dies to complement it AND bring back the 2017 set AND make dies for that one too! Hooray! They will be available starting today, February 2, 2021, until the end of June or while supplies last.

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Chickens are such funny creatures: the noises they make, the hilarious waddle-run because they’re so fluffy and chunky, the excitement (eggcitement?) about treats. ❤ We got chickens for the first time in March of 2020. They are pretty easy to care for and so fun to watch. I love finding eggs in the nesting boxes because it means I get to eat fresh chicken eggs every morning. Should I make them a thank you card? Hahaha!

Here are some more samples using these bundles. Which chicken is your favorite? Leave a comment below.

Fun Swing Fold Card with Berry Blessings

I am LOVING this free Berry Blessings stamp set and even more so the gorgeous paper that comes free with it in a big fun freebie bundle. I decided to do it justice and create a fun fold card with it. It just so happens to be National Blueberry Pancake Day today, ha! How fun is that? If you’d like these items for free too all you need to do is place an order of $100 or more and choose them as your free gift.

Card base: 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2″, scored on the long side at 4-1/4″ and 2-1/8″

DSP layers: 4″ x 5-1/4″ and 1-7/8″ x 5-1/4″

Layering die cuts: 3 large (2 colored and 1 white) and 2 smaller (white) I used the Stitched Rectangle Dies and used the middle two sizes of the 8 layering rectangles. (Not the three largest or the three smallest: the center two!) You can experiment with different shape dies.

I hope you play along with me! I would love to see your swing fold card either with these items or what you have on hand. You can see a video tutorial on YouTube.

If you are interested in the Berry Delightful Bundle I would be so grateful for your business. You can shop by clicking any item below. Please use the host code JTVK4JCJ for the month of January 2021 if your order is less than $150. For a new code or any other questions, please feel free to email me at debjoysmeak@delightofmyart.com and I’d be happy to help. Happy stamping!

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Valentine’s Day favors

I made these a few years ago for a craft fair and they were a hit. They are simple to put together, but are so stinking cute for the easy effort. I have a tutorial on YouTube here, or you can watch it on my Facebook page here and make comments and post your own versions. Here are the dimensions again for reference:

Base – 1″ x 3 5/8″, scored at 1 1/8″ at each end, corners rounded

Wrap – 1 3/8″ x 4 1/2″, score at 3/4″ on one end

Flag – 1″ x 1/4″ plus a mini punched heart

Some of the DSP is retired, but that’s the beauty of this project. You can use what you have on hand to create it as long as you have a paper pattern you like and a matching color cardstock. I listed the current and retired patterns I used below and also the one that’s coming in a couple of days that I ordered to use on this project: Love You Always Specialty Designer Series Paper (which will also be GORGEOUS for other things as well). I’ll post pictures of the mailboxes made with the new paper on Facebook after my order comes in in a few days. If you do wish to place any orders, cash in on Sale-a-bration and earn free stuff, please use host code JTVK4JCJ during January 2021. (If your order is over $150, don’t use the host code.)

If you make some of these mailboxes I would be thrilled to see them! You’re welcome to post pictures under the Facebook Live video HERE. This is a no-stamping project, but I still wish you Happy Stamping! 😊

Product List
All My Love 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
All My Love 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
[148576]
Sending Love Designer Series Paper Stack
Sending Love Designer Series Paper Stack
[142733]
Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack
Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack
[137779]

Freebies for shopping? Yes, please!

I LOVE January because it’s full of brand new goodies and freebies from Stampin’ Up! Today kicks off our new mini catalog, the release of the new Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine AND my favorite: SALE-a-bration!

For those new to Stampin’ Up!, SALE-a-bration (SAB) is when your crafty purchases add up to even more freebies. Every $50 or $100 increment earns you free gifts out of the SAB brochure. This SAB promotion is only during January and February.

“What? Last year it was three months long. What gives?”

We are getting TWO SALE-a-brations this year! Whoop whoop! So the items available in this SAB brochure are only available for January and February, there are no second release products and we’ll get new choices for freebies later in the year. So exciting!

To check out the available SAB items you can earn for FREE right now click HERE.

We also are launching the new Mini January – June catalog. This has a bunch of spring items, Valentine’s, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, lots of flowers for all occasions as well as great every day items. I’ve just done a detailed catalog walkthrough on Facebook Live if you’ve got your favorite beverage (it’s a long one!). You can view that walkthrough HERE. Let me know what your favorite bundles are! I love the Sweet Strawberry bundle with matching freebies from the SAB brochure, among lots of others, haha! You can see all the NEW products from the January – June mini catalog in my online store HERE.

We also have a replacement for our Whisper White! Starting today you can order our brand new Basic White products in 7 different products. Those are available here. I’m sooo glad that I have a thick white cardstock available

Please let me know if you would like the annual catalog (the big one) or if you need these two new catalogs: the mini and the SAB. I’d be happy to send you complimentary catalogs. Right now with every catalog bundle I send out I’m also including a unique “artist trading card” as a mini preview of something new from the catalogs. I’ll be showing these on my Facebook page throughout the month. When you see the one you received, make sure to take a selfie with it and post it! You’ll get a discount on your first order from me through the end of February. More free stuff, yay!

One more thing! The Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (I’m going to call this the mini boss) is available starting today! Here’s the blurb from the website: Spend your time crafting, not cutting! The Stampin’ Up! Mini Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine makes precise cuts and detailed embossed images every time. Use with dies and embossing folders to easily create accents and elements for cards, scrapbook pages, party invitations, classroom projects, and more.

This mini boss folds up just like the new big boss. Both of these machines can be seen HERE. If you order either one of these from me I will gift you a free embossing folder of your choice. Yes, there are a few choices of embossing folders, even for the mini boss! You can place your order and let me know which folder you want. The next time I order I will order it for you and mail or deliver it to you when it arrives. I use my big boss on nearly every project I make, usually a stitched tag shape. If you are new to either machine I highly recommend the Stitched Shapes dies as you’ll get a great variety: four each of circles, ovals and squares with stitched details. I have used this die set the most out of all my dies. (Tip: If you get the mini boss and these dies, make sure you add another $10 to your order to get more in SAB freebies!!)

STITCHED SHAPES DIES

Stampin’ Rewards! If your order is over $150 (or you have a party and all orders together are over $150) then you receive rewards based on the total according to this chart. If your order is under $150, please use the January host code JTVK4JCJ and I’ll send you a free card in the mail.

As an additional bonus during SAB there is also a free stamp set at the $300 level. It’s called Punch Party and it’s super cute. It coordinates with quite a few of our current punches (sold separately): Rectangular Postage Stamp, Double Oval Punch, Heart Punch Pack. The best way to earn this is to get together with friends and host a party. You can even do this online! Let me know if you’re interested by emailing me at debjoysmeak@delightofmyart.com.

PUNCH PARTY HOST PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH)

Happy shopping!!

12 Weeks of Christmas

I can’t believe it’s almost October. That means it’s about time to start the countdown to Christmas. Christmas is only 13 weeks away! Are you ready?

Starting next week Wednesday October 7th at 1 pm, these exclusive email tutorials will start going out. Make sure you sign up right here on the side bar so you don’t miss any of these free projects. Happy stamping!

What’s inside the NEW catalog?

Annual Catalog 2020-2021

It’s always exciting to see the new items available in the Stampin’ Up! catalog. Where are my stamp geeks at? This is the annual catalog which will be available for the entire year from June 3, 2020 to May 3, 2021. The catalog program is switching up just a bit which I think will be fantastic. The annual catalog is actually a smidge smaller than years prior BUT the two supplement catalogs will be bigger and around for longer than before. That is great news. More time with the Christmas catalog? Yes, please! (It starts in August. Wow!)

There is also a Beginner Brochure which is small and easy to navigate. This is intended to make it easier for beginners to know where to start. There are actually two stamp sets in there that aren’t even in the annual catalog so everyone will be getting BOTH catalogs when you request a catalog because I don’t want you to miss out on anything.

Here are links for you to view the annual catalog and the beginner brochure.

There are a few promotions going on in June as well that I want you to be aware of. For any party or personal order that reaches $250+, the hostess or orderer gets an additional $25 free in Stampin’ Rewards! So instead of getting $25, you’ll be getting $50!

If you are looking through the catalog and your wish list is SUPER LONG like mine is you might consider getting the starter kit which has an additional awesome bonus in the month of June. The starter kit is always the best deal in the catalog. You get $125 worth of product for only $99. You’ll enjoy free shipping on this order, a free past Paper Pumpkin kit, business supplies, and a box of current catalogs to hand out to your friends. Plus you can enjoy a 20% discount on your future orders. As a demo I get to view and order from catalogs at least a month early. There is NO OBLIGATION to sell or have parties and you’ll get no pressure from me to do so. If you want to continue getting the discount you can meet the quarterly quota and if you don’t you just get to be my customer again. BONUS: In the month of June you get to pick ANY bundle from the catalog for FREE on top of all the other goodies you pick out. I love that Stampin’ Up! lets you pick your own starter kit instead of picking it for you. You get what YOU want! So if you want everything, consider this option and join my team #spreadthejoy. <3

PS. You can stack these two offers together! Get the starter kit for $99, get the extra bundle AND host a party/place an order over $250 and enjoy all the extra Stampin’ Rewards yourself! Gotta love freebies. You have until the end of June!

Information on the Starter Kit

Join me on Facebook for a catalog walk-through today, which will stay posted for viewing later. Enjoy your day and happy crafting!

Easy Paper Pumpkin Storage Solution

Paper Pumpkin kits are so much fun to get in the mail. But if you find yourself not getting around to making and sending the whole kit every month (or even if you do), you might be susceptible to “red box pile up.” I found a storage method that not only saves space, but makes my stamps easier to access so I end up using them more. Win win!

I use the Avery 23011 5.5″ x 8.5″ binders with an extra storage pouch inside. I found mine on clearance at a local store, but they are still sold on Amazon. And the sheet protectors are Avery 77004 found on Amazon here. I do have to trim down my Paper Pumpkin instruction sheet to fit the sleeves: a quarter of an inch off each side and half an inch off the bottom. If I lose any words from the instructions (rare) I just trim them out of the scrap I cut off and tape them back inside my instruction sheet. I put the instruction sheet in a page protector sleeve and put the matching stamp set in the back of the sleeve. I only keep the instructions and stamps in the binders so they are easy to page through. I find that each binder holds a year’s worth of Paper Pumpkin quite nicely. If I’m wondering what colors coordinate with a kit, what ink spot came with what kit or where an embellishment came from, it’s easy to see with a glance at the back of each sleeve. And since March kits have featured an additional free stamp set for the past two years (whoop whoop!), I put those in the front pouch.

I store all the paper and embellishments in our 6″ x 8″ cellophane bags and label it with my label maker. I use little craft bags I found at Walmart to store little punch outs and embellishments. You can find them at your local Walmart store in the craft section near the beads. (Each bag size is sold as 100 bags for $1-$2 so they are really economical and handy to have for other craft ideas as well.) I can store a year’s worth of the labeled Paper Pumkpin bags in a Walmart shoebox size clear tote bin, even with twine and other bulky items. These are only a $1 at Walmart and I use them to bring stamping supplies with me on vacation, stamp parties and events. I probably have about 20 or more in the house for various uses.

**Side note: I can fit 2 of the Walmart clear shoebox totes with lids on inside a Thirty One Zip-Top Organizing Utility Tote style 4451. I find these bags are very durable and work great for toting my supplies to and from craft fairs, especially that big Deluxe Utility Tote style 4441. It holds 6 of the Walmart shoebox clear tote bins! I don’t sell Thirty One bags, but you can buy through your local Thirty One rep or use my friend Amy Masi from these links.**

I hope this helps you get organized with your Paper Pumpkin kits and gets you using the awesome stamp sets more often. They really are a great value and you should keep on using them. Tune in to my Facebook page for live Paper Pumpkin videos and a video walk through of this organization idea. If you would like to sign up for Paper Pumpkin for yourself or as a gift you can sign up for a code here. Thanks for stopping by! #spreadthejoy

If you have an organization tip for your Paper Pumpkin kits or other crafts, please let us know by leaving a comment below.