She Stamps A Lot | Crystal Miller | Stampin' Up! Demonstrator -

Nature’s Harvest

Posted by Crystal

· Tuesday, September 21st, 2021

CASUAL
To make the casual card, stamp the floral images in Crumb Cake ink on Basic White Thick Cardstock, then add color using Watercolor Pencils. Pro tip: Vary the pressure on your pencil to change the depth of color and use an Early Espresso pencil to increase the shading. (Notice the eye-catching use of Stampin’ Dimensionals for this card. The flowers practically jump off the page!)

AVID
We’re a little bit in love with the Designer Series Paper combination on this card. And the look is so easy to achieve. Simply use the Harvest Dies to cut the strips of Designer Series Paper. Stamp “Merci” on one of the strips for one more pretty layer. Pull on the Gold 3/8″ (1 cm) Shimmer Ribbon edges to create a gorgeous accent.

ARTFULLY AVID
Our artfully avid version includes deep, rich colors created with the wide brush Water Painter to make the Linen Specialty Paper really come to life. Use Paper Snips to clean strings off the edges of the paper, and there you have it! Is this not a stunning card? You may want to make this one to frame and hang on your wall!

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CASE = Copy and Share Everything

Posted by Crystal

· Tuesday, July 20th, 2021

Are you shy about CASEing? Seeing what Stampin’ Up! artists copy and share might help you feel a little more at ease and give you the courage to start employing this handy method for jumpstarting your own creativity. We suggest copying the layout, color scheme, or technique, but you can copy anything that makes you feel like pulling out your crafting supplies and starting on a project!

For the Je souris à la vie card, we CASEd the card’s eye-catching layout with its lovely layers and accents. We also feature a great technique that you can add to your papercrafting knowledge base: Use cornstarch or baby powder on the back of stickers when you want to remove the stickiness. This makes it easy to pop them up using Stampin’ Dimensionals. (We love trying new things!)

We CASEd a breathtaking color combo (Basic Black, Basic White, gold, Pale Papaya, and Soft Succulent) to create the Wunderbar card. Isn’t that color combination striking? We also used the new 5-5/16″ x 4″ (13.5 x 10.2 cm) Flower Market Die to make a perfect layer, allowing you to enhance a card front with lattice-like intricacy and detail. As you can see, we added cardstock scraps to the back to pull in extra color and create interest. You’ll love that effect in your cards!

On the Gecondoleerd card, we CASEd stamping and coloring on Designer Series Paper, and we think the Fresh Freesia and Mossy Meadow Stampin’ Blends look lovely together! And our new Pale Papaya & White 1/2″ (1.3 cm) Ribbon adds just the right touch of softness to complete the card.

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In CASE of Emergency…

Posted by Crystal

· Friday, May 21st, 2021

CASEing means Copy and Share Everything, but it also means “sanity saver” on days when you desperately want to create something handmade but don’t have the time (or the energy) to brainstorm.

If you’re having a papercrafting emergency, this is our tried-and-true method for achieving immediate relief. Look through the catalog, find a project you love, then . . .

Copy the layout. Copy the color scheme. Copy the technique.

Whatever you do, copy SOMETHING and you will be well on your way to making a project that you can proudly share.

We CASEd the pretty layout for the Bamboo card and added fussy-cut bamboo stems for an eye-catching focal point. Simple, yet lovely.

To create the Danke card, we borrowed the Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, and Polished Pink color combo. (Pro tip: Always keep a list of favorite color combos on hand—in CASE of emergency.) Additional tip: Stamp the flower in Polished Pink ink, then use a light Stampin’ Blend of the same color to add dimension to the flower petals, leaving the edges white.

For the Coucou bonheur card, our concept artist CASEd a terrific technique: She inked up the Brilliant Wings Dies with light and dark Calypso Coral, Flirty Flamingo, and Petal Pink Stampin’ Blends to fashion richly hued butterfly wings. Gorgeous!

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Floating & Fluttering Stepped Up

Posted by Crystal

· Tuesday, May 11th, 2021

CASUAL
To make the casual card, stamp the butterfly images in Tuxedo Black Memento ink directly on the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper, then use the two-step images to add color and depth. Stamp off the ink on a piece of scrap paper to create varying ink tones. Then, die cut a few butterflies and pop them up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

AVID
Step this card up by adding more color to your butterfly menagerie with Bumblebee ink. Cut a label from Bumblebee Cardstock using the Fluttering Dies, then stamp it with VersaMark ink to create a sophisticated tone-on-tone effect. Finish with an elegant tag made using Basic Black Cardstock and White Stampin’ Emboss Powder. (All the butterflies on this card are die cut and adhered using Stampin’ Dimensionals!) The Gilded Gems are the perfect finishing touch.

ARTFULLY AVID
Our artfully avid card features distressed edges on the Designer Series Paper layer and embossing on the Bumblebee Cardstock label. Our concept artist colored the butterflies with Watercolor Pencils, and the subtle ink splatter (made using a Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker) adds a lovely vintage look.

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#SimpleStamping with Hydrangea Haven

Posted by Crystal

· Wednesday, April 28th, 2021

Hydrangeas are certainly one of the most beautiful flowers on Earth. Like delicate globes filled with tightly packed blooms and quizzical names like mophead and lacecap, these flowers have the ability to change color over a period of days. To see one is to be transported back to a simpler, more romantic era when the pace of life was slow and there was time to take meditative walks in a well-cultivated garden.

Our homage to this nostalgic, floral favorite includes the Hydrangea Haven Stamp Set with coordinating Hydrangea Dies (buy them in a bundle for savings!), Hydrangea Hill Designer Series Paper, Hydrangea Hill Mercury Glass Designer Acetate, Gorgeous Grape 3/8″ (1 cm) Sheer Ribbon, and finally—luminous, adhesive-backed Pastel Pearls to add a touch of elegance to any project. Coordinating colors reflect traditional hydrangea colors and include Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, and Rococo Rose.

To create this month’s #SimpleStamping projects, we used Designer Series Paper to create fun backgrounds, as with the Le Monde and Du Bist Meine Heldin cards. Layering the paper in strips creates an especially eye-catching effect. The Voor een bijzonder iemand card demonstrates how to make an image stand out when you use White Craft ink against richly hued cardstock.

The Hydrangea Haven Bundle is a must-have for anyone who loves vintage chic or dramatic floral focal points, and the stamp set contains lovely sentiments to match the look.

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What do you do with parts & pieces?

Posted by Crystal

· Friday, April 23rd, 2021

Today we’re featuring masculine-themed projects made using the Handsomely Suited Stamp Set.

Speaking of masculine themes, have you ever wondered where bow ties came from? It all started long ago, during the Thirty Years War in the 17th century. Croatian mercenaries wore scarves to close their shirt fronts, and the French aristocracy spotted that dashing look on French soldiers coming home from the war. They adapted it and called the neckwear “cravats.” Over time, cravats evolved into what we know today as bow ties. Fun fact!

Our bow ties are made with pretty ink, and we’ve carefully stamped them close together to create our own Designer Series Paper. We’ve mixed and matched paper layers to create different looks, but the same size parts and pieces were used to make all three standard cards:

Basic White Cardstock: 1‑1/2″ x 1‑1/2″ (3.8 x 3.8 cm); 1‑1/2″ x 5‑1/2″ (3.8 x 14 cm) Smoky Slate Cardstock: 1‑3/4″ x 1‑3/4″ (4.4 x 4.4 cm); 5‑1/2″ x 4″ (14 x 10.2 cm) Handsomely Suited Designer Series Paper: 2″ x 5‑1/2″ (5.1 x 14 cm)

We chose the striped look for our cards, but there are many manly options in the Handsomely Suited Designer Series Paper. This paper collection boasts a little history of its own: It was inspired by the shirts and ties in our creative director’s closet and includes many rugged prints and patterns.

Have fun creating cards and showing love to your favorite dads. Whether they’re nerds, sports nuts, or barbecue masters—they’ll surely love your thoughtfulness!

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Dandy Wishes

Posted by Crystal

· Tuesday, April 13th, 2021

Enjoy Creativity

Dandy Wishes Step-by-Step

Is it okay to love dandelions? We certainly think so! There’s something about the silhouette and the wish-giving lore surrounding this golden flower that lend it special charm. (Did you know that the Victorians prepared sandwiches with it for afternoon high tea? P.S. It is actually considered an herb with many beneficial properties—so feel free to appreciate!)

CASUAL
As you see here with our dreamy dandelion cards (made using the Garden Wishes Stamp Set), this beautiful plant can be highlighted in many ways. Here our artist used the marker-to-stamp method to add rich color to the dandelion image.

Important note: Don’t worry that the ink will dry before you can transfer it to paper. Simply huff on the stamp to reactivate the ink and you’ll have a beautifully colored image.

AVID
We stepped up the second card by using the marker-to-stamp technique described above; this time, however, we used Sponge Daubers and coordinating inks to deepen the color of the Coastal Cabana Cardstock layer and the Daffodil Delight Cardstock tag. This additional step is simple to do and instantly enhances the card’s visual appeal.

ARTFULLY AVID
For our pièce de résistance (the artfully avid card!) we used the marker-to-stamp technique—with a twist! This time we spritzed the stamp with water before stamping. To add more color, clean the stamp and repeat. Die cut using the Dandy Wishes Dies. Isn’t it lovely? You may even want to use it for a Victorian tea party invitation!

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Memory Keeping: Forever & Always

Posted by Crystal

· Sunday, April 4th, 2021

Preserving memories through memory keeping has to be one of the most satisfying ways to feed that creative urge. Not only does it let you express love for the important people in your life, but you can also surround beloved photos with your own creative touches—adding an embellishment here, a Designer Series Paper layer there—until you feel that you’ve honored your loved one and created a work of art at the same time.

We think our Always Together page would be a treasured gift—maybe to copy, frame, and share with family! Our concept artist added some love to her project by inking up the True Love Designer Series Paper background layers. How did she achieve the flowers’ rich color? First, she colored the images with Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends, then added a blush of color on top using the dark Petal Pink Stampin’ Blend marker. She also created a bit of depth by adhering a Vellum Cardstock layer behind the photo, then made the page pop with a sprinkling of Artistry Blooms Sequins.

And let’s not forget that beautiful “Always” sentiment! She made it by stamping with VersaMark ink on Bumblebee Cardstock and heat embossing using White Stampin’ Emboss Powder. (Heat embossing is much easier than it looks! Give it a try if you haven’t already!)

What can you do with your boxes of photos gathering dust on the shelf? We challenge you to keep the memories fresh, pull out your papercrafting supplies, and start making a few precious scrapbook pages today. You’ll be glad you did!

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Fun Friday Challenge

Posted by Crystal

· Friday, March 26th, 2021

A Simple Card Could Lead to a Million Things

Have you ever heard the saying “A simple hello could lead to a million things?” The same applies to a simple card. Sharing your best wishes could make someone’s day—or it could change their whole life! That’s why we think everyone should have plenty of simple cards on hand—so you’re ready to make a difference whenever you can. I CHALLENGE YOU TO SEND OUT ONE CARD TODAY!

We’ve got a trio of fun, easy cards that you could create in an hour or less. And fancying up a card with a little trick here or there is easier than you might think. For instance, our concept artist used Watercolor Pencils to color the cute flower images on the Bonheur card—no water or blending needed!

To create the You Make Me Happy card, we designed our own patterned paper with tone-on-tone stamping. Note: Though the background images are meant to be flower centers or small clusters of flowers, we used them to create playful design elements. There are no hard and fast rules with stamping. Just have fun with it!

For the Freude card we used classic stamping off to create a dynamic background using a single ink pad. Isn’t it gorgeous? And the technique is so simple and fast.

For all of you avid stampers out there: Do you have a craft room full of supplies that you could use in unusual ways? What can you create with minimal supplies to achieve standout results? Whether your work is simple or detailed, post it on social media so we can all be inspired!

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#9 CASE-ing Challenge

Posted by Crystal

· Friday, March 26th, 2021

CASE-ing Tuesday #9 (2021 Jan-Jun Mini Catalog, p 46) How to play along? Makeover the card (pictured below). You can change a lot, a little or make the card just as it is in the catalog. Then post it to the thread on my FB group or email them to me. You can use the sketch as a guide when creating your card. I can’t wait to see your cards.

My 2 takes on the challenge…

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