Only 2 more days and Sale-A-Bration will be over for another year. This is honestly the best sale that Stampin' Up! offers all year with free stamps and accessories and extra goodies in the demonstrator starter kit. If one of the Sale-A-Bration items is on your wish list, be sure to order today so that you don't miss out! 

All of the cards I have to share with you today use one (or more!) Sale-A-Bration items.

Inks: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Accessories: Linen Thread

Inks: Granny Apple Green
Accessories:

• Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends combo pack
  
• Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Combo pack
  
• Mango Melody Stampin' Blends combo pack
  
• Daffodil Delight Rushed Ribbon
  
• Layering circle dies

Cardstock:

• Purple Posy: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, plus a piece cut with the Stitched So Sweetly dies
• Rococo Rose: 5 3/16" x 3 15/16", 5" x 3 3/4"
• Whisper White: cut with the Stitched So Sweetly dies
• Woven Threads DSP: strips cut from different patterns

Inks: Rococo Rose
Accessories: 

• Stitched So Sweetly dies
• Whisper White Crinkled Seam Binding

Cardstock:

• Sahara Sand: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, plus a piece cut with the Wild Rose dies
• Rococo Rose: 5 3/16" x 3 15/16"
• Woven Threads DSP: 5" x 3 3/4"
• Whisper White: pieces cut with the Wild Rose dies
• Soft Suede: cut with the Wild Rose dies and the Well Written dies
• Pear Pizzazz: cut with the Wild Rose dies

Inks:

• Rococo Rose
• Terracotta Tile
• Pear Pizzazz
• Soft Suede

Accessories:

• Wild Rose dies
• Well Written Dies
• Linen Thread
• Retired Pearls

Since Bruno Bertucci introduced his scrappy strip technique a couple of weeks ago, the Stampin' Up! world has been crazy about scrappy strips, even Sara's (Stampin' Up!'s CEO) husband got in on the trend last week. So, I decided I'd better try it too. I combined the Country Club DSP with the Well Dressed stamp set (Sale-A-Bration Freebie!) and the Dinoroar DSP (currently FREE with a $50 order!) with the Dino Days stamp set. 

This technique is quick and easy! Start by cutting strips of DSP that are at least 4 1/2" long. You could cut them straight, but it's fun to cut the strips at an angle. Then, cut a piece of coordinating cardstock to be 3 3/4" x 5". Glue the strips to the cardstock leaving a thin gap between each strip. Go ahead and let the ends hang off your cardstock. After all of the strips have been attached and your glue has dried if you're using liquid adhesive, turn the cardstock over and trim the edges of the DSP strips to match the edges of the cardstock. Finally, adhered DSP covered cardstock to a 3 15/16" x 5 3/16" piece of cardstock in the same color and adhere it to your card front.

Once your background is finished, you can finish the card however you want. It can be as simple as adding a sentiment or you can add an image. I didn't have any large sentiments, so I chose to use an image as well. It's a quick and easy way to make multiple cards!

Tips: I stamped the tie with Poppy Parade ink on the piece of Whisper White cardstock that I had cut with the Stitched Rectangle die. Then, I stamped it again with Night of Navy ink on a scrap of Whisper White. I cut out the shirt color and adhered it over the Poppy Parade tie using mini dimensionals. The sentiment is also attached with Stampin' Dimensionals. Finally, I added a small blue rhinestone to mimic a tie clip. 

Stamps: Well Worn (Sale-A-Bration), Check You Out (for the sentiment)
Accessories: 

• Ruched Daffodil Delight ribbon
• Stitched Rectangle dies
• Stampin' Dimensionals

Inks: Lovely Lipstick
​Stamps: Dino Days
Accessories: 

• Pretty Peacock Scalloped Linen Ribbon
• Stitched so Sweetly dies
• Dino dies
• Label Me Fancy punch

Tips: I cut the dinosaur image from one of the pieces of Dinoroar Designer Series Paper using the Dino dies. This paper is awesome because the dies will cut all of the dinosaur images! 

Tips: To attach the Silver Metallic Thread, I put Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the sentiment and peal the backs off. Then, I wrap the thread around 3 of my fingers 3 times. I slide it off, twist it and attach the twisted center area to one of the Stampin' Dimensionals. Then I attach the sentiment to the card front.

Spring has sprung! Even though it doesn't feel like it yet here in Michigan. To celebrate, I made three cards using the Thoughtful Blooms Sale-A-Bration stamp set. From Simple using only stamps, inks, and paper, to Chic using punches and ribbon, all the way to Oh là là adding the Stitched So Sweetly dies. All of the cards use cardstock in Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and Whisper White as well as Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam, Pear Pizzazz, and So Saffron ink. 

Have you seen the NEW Flowering Foil Specialty Designer Series Paper? This awesome paper is available FREE through the end of March with any $50 order. It is white with foil designs that you can leave white or color to match your project. I've been having so much fun coloring it that I couldn't stop at 2 or 3 cards. All of these cards feature Sale-A-Bration stamp sets that you could also choose FREE with a $50 order through the end of March, The Gang's All Meer, Sending You Thoughts, and Thoughtful Blooms. I love Sale-A-Bration because you can order paper, ink, and accessories and get the stamps for FREE.

Remember that Sale-A-Bration items are only available while supplies last. Accessories, like DSP, are especially prone to selling out. If this DSP is on your wish list, I wouldn't wait to order!
​

Inks: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, and Pumpkin Pie
Accessories:

• Old Olive Combo Stampin' Blends
• Daffodil Delight Combo Stampin' Blends
• Pumpkin Pie light Stampin' Blends
• Crumb Cake light Stampin' Blends
• Metallic Baker's Twine and Sequins Combo pack (sold out Sale-A-Bration item)
• 2" Circle Punch
• Layering Circle dies

Inks: Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green
Accessories:

• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Stitched Shapes dies
• Metallic Baker's Twine & Sequins combo pack (sold out Sale-A-Bration item)

Inks: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: 

• Daffodil Delight Ruched Ribbon
• Stitched Shape dies
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Cardstock: Gorgeous Grape, Silver Foil, Flowering Foils DSP, Whisper White
Inks: Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:

• Stitched So Sweetly dies
• Label Me Fancy punch
• Whisper White Crinkle Seam Binding
• Sponge Daubers

Cardstock: Petal Pink, Flowering Foils DSP, Whisper White
Inks: Versamark
Accessories:

• Petal Pink Combo Stampin' Blends
• Light Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blend
• Light Old Olive Stampin' Blend
• Granny Apple Green combo Stampin' Blend
• Copper embossing powder
• Stitched Rectangle Dies
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Stampin' Dimensionals

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Copper foil, Flowering Foils DSP, Whisper White
Inks: Pumpkin Pie
Accessories:

• Pumpkin Pie Combo Stampin' Blends
• Old Olive Combo Stampin' Blends
• Daffodil Delight Combo Stampin' Blends
• Stitched Shapes dies
• Silver Metallic Thread
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Stampin' Dimensionals

To order any of these products, click the button below or contact me via e-mail for help, stampin_heid@yahoo.com. 

I love Monet's waterlilies and their invocation of a peaceful day quietly sitting by the pond. The Lily Impressions Designer Series Paper, available FREE with a $50 order, mimics these famous paintings and creates a beautiful backdrop for the cattails from the Friendly Silhouettes dies. 

Ink: Blackberry Bliss
Accessories:

• Friendly Silhouettes dies
• Stitched Rectangle dies
• Subtle 3D embossing folder
• Silver metallic thread
• Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Check You Out stamp set
• Friend Like You stamp set

Notes:

• I cut the cattail silhouette from Basic Black cardstock using the Friendly Silhouettes dies first. Then, I adhered it to a piece of Lily Impressions DSP before cutting the rectangle using the Stitched Rectangle dies. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to attach this piece to the card front.
• I used the Subtle 3D embossing folder on the 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Blackberry Bliss cardstock.

Accessories:

• Friendly Silhouette dies
• Stitched Shapes dies
• Stitched Rectangle dies
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Whisper White Baker's Twine
• Friend Like You stamp set

Notes:

• Again, I cut the cattails from Soft Suede cardstock first, adhered it to a piece of Lily Impressions DSP, and then cut it with a circle from the Stitched Shapes dies. The circle is attached to the card front with Stampin' Dimensionals.
• I cut the edges of the skinny strips of Pretty Peacock cardstock with the edge of one of the large rectangles from the Stitched Rectangle dies so that there is "stitching" along one edge.
• The dragonflies are stamped with Coastal Cabana ink while the greeting is stamped with Pretty Peacock ink.

Aren't these little ladybugs adorable? You can get them FREE right now through Sale-A-Bration when you host a workshop - virtual or live - totally at least $300. 

Did you know that in the US, you can get stamp sets in French as well as English? While these are primarily for the Canadian market, they will ship to addresses in the US as well. I have a number of French friends, so I love having a few stamp sets in French.

For these samples, I used three different methods of coloring the ladybugs to show you their differences: Stampin' Blends, watercolor pencils, and Aqua Painters with ink from a stamp pad. Each method gives a little bit different look to the ladybug. 

I colored the ladybug with watercolor pencils. These colored pencils are fabulous because when they get wet, the color softens and looks more like watercolor paint than colored pencil. After coloring, you can use either an Aqua Painter or a Blender Pen to turn it into a watercolor. When doing any type of watercolor, it is important to use a permanent ink like the Jet Black Stazon. As you can see, I colored two different ladybugs. Then, I colored over the one on the left with an Aqua Painter and the one on the right with a Blender Pen. As you can see, they give similar results. 

With the Aqua Painter, you want to make sure that the tip isn't too wet. If it is very wet, the color may run too much. The Aqua Painter is also at a higher price point, but will last for a very long time as you can refill it with water.

The Blender Pen cost less and comes in a pack of three. However, they are not refillable and will eventually dry out. When the pen becomes a little too dry, the pencil lines will not fade away as much and the colors won't blend. 
​

Cardstock:

• Poppy Parade: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, 5 5/16" x 4 1/16"
• Granny Apple Green: scraps cut with a circle from the Stitched Shapes and Well Written dies
• Poppy Parade DSP: 3 3/4" x 3/4"
• Whisper White: scraps

Ink: ​​Jet Black Stazon
Accessories:

• Well Written dies
• Stitched Shape dies
• Basic Rhinestones
• Retired Polka Dot embossing folder
• Watercolor pencils assortment 1 & 2
• Blender Pens or Aqua Painter
• Stampin' Dimensionals

Cardstock:

• Poppy Parade: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, 5 3/16" x 3 15/16"
• Whisper White: 5" x 3 3/4", 1/2" x 3 1/2", scraps
• Daffodil Delight DSP: two strips 3" x 1/2"
• Poppy Parade DSP: 3/4" x 1 1/2"

Inks:

• Versamark
• Poppy Parade
• Daffodil Delight
• Granny Apple Green
• Balmy Blue
• Early Espresso
• Crumb Cake

Accessories:

• Black embossing powder
• Whisper White Baker's Twine
• Stampin' Dimensionals

Cardstock:

• Granny Apple Green: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half
• Poppy Parade: 
• Poppy Parade DSP:
• Granny Apple Green DSP: 
• Whisper White:

​Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
Stampin' Blends:

• Poppy Parade light and dark
• Crumb Cake light and dark
• Soft Suede light and dark
• Daffodil Delight light and dark
• Granny Apple Green light and dark
• Petal Pink dark
• Color lifter

Accessories:

• Red cotton ribbon
• White Polka Dot Tulle ribbon
• 2" Circle Punch

New Sale-A-Bration items are coming in March! Stampin’ Up! is releasing a second batch of brand-new limited-edition FREEbies will be here soon, including the So Very Vellum pack. There are three different colors, Pool Party, Soft Sea Foam, and Purple Posy, and each one features this cool dot pattern that feels both delicate and industrial mixed in with a little pop. I pushed the design in each of these directions for these cards featuring the So Very Vellum.

I combined this with a simple image from the Varied Vases stamp set stamped with Pool Party and Highland Heather ink with the outline stamped in Jet Black Memento. I added the centers to the flowers with the Light Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blend and tied a piece of Baker's Twine around the front. The card front is attached to a Pool Party card base. ​

I stamped the roses from the To A Wild Rose stamp set in Petal Pink ink on Whisper White cardstock. I added the centers with Crumb Cake ink. I cut these out with the Wild Rose dies. I also cut leaves from the Soft Sea Foam So Very Vellum as well as other leaves from Soft Sea Foam cardstock. I layered these on the card front. 

I cut a tag from the Soft Sea Foam So Very Vellum using the Wild Rose dies. I adhered this to the card front by putting liquid adhesive where the greeting would be added. This way, the sides of the vellum are loose and you can't see where it is attached. I tied the card front with a piece of White Seam Binding that I colored using a Light Petal Pink Stampin' Blend. Then, I added an oval cut with the Stitched Shape dies and stamped with "thanks" from the Here's a Card Stamp Set. Finally, I adhered the card front to card base using Crumb Cake cardstock.

For the Eiffel Tower itself, I used the Parisian Dies from the January-June 2020 Mini Catalog. I cut the tower from Gray Granite cardstock then I heat embossed it by sponging the front with Versmark ink and covering it with silver embossing powder. To age the Eiffel Tower, while the silver embossing powder was still hot, I sprinkled on Copper embossing powder and heated it again.

To a Blackberry Bliss card base I added a Blackberry Bliss card front that I had run through my Big Shot with the Subtle 3D embossing folder. I added the sunset to the front of that and then the Eiffel Tower.

The sentiment is from the Parisian Beauty stamp set. I stamped it in Blackberry Bliss ink on Whisper White cardstock and layered it on Basic Black cardstock. I attached it to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals.

I can't wait for these products to become available for FREE in March! Check back here on March 3 for more details.

To get the Meerkat stamp set, be sure to check the Sale-A-Bration rewards in the lower left of your screen after you've ordered at least $50 in product. 

 Tips:
Cut the larger circle out of the piece of Crumb Cake cardstock first. Then, adhere the Crumb Cake cardstock to your card front. Next, cut the smaller circle from the Soft Suede card front by positioning a smaller circle die inside the hole already cut from the Crumb Cake cardstock. Adhere the piece of Whisper White on the interior of the card. Finally, close the card and stamp the meerkat in the middle of the circular hole. 

Use the Light Crumb Cake Stampin' Blend to color the sand under the meerkat. Then go over it with the Color Lifter to make it lighter. Add a little Light Flirty Flamingo to the meerkat's cheeks to give him extra personality!

Tips: 
The full sentiment stamp says: Happy Birthday to a Stand Up Guy. Carefully ink only the "Happy Birthday" and stamp it on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. Then, stamp the greeting above it and cut with the smallest circle from the Stitched Shapes dies.

Adhere the Whisper White card front to the piece of Flirty Flamingo. Wrap a piece of Linen Thread around these 3 times and secure with tape on the back. Adhere this card front using Stampin' Dimensionals to the card front. Also use Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the greeting. 

Color the sand under their feet with the Light Crumb Cake. Then, go over it with the Color Lifter to make it lighter. 

The Golden Honey Bee Specialty Designer Series Paper is golden goodness! (Plus, you can get it FREE with any $50 order. More about that later!) I couldn't resist making these elegant cards drenched in gold. Make sure to read all the way through to the end for a bonus 4th card.
​

I stamped the curved greeting from the Honey Bee stamp set on Whisper White with the same Memento ink pad. To cut it out, I used two different circles from the Layering Circles dies. Then, I trimmed the sides to the right length. I cut the hive from gold cardstock with the Detailed Bee dies as well. I layered everything and added some black grosgrain ribbon from my stash. The card front is adhered to a Basic Black card base.
​

After I cut the hive from gold cardstock, I embossed it with the Corrugated 3D embossing folder. I love this look! It really gives the hive dimension. The "thanks" is cut using the Well Written dies. Everything is layered on a Basic Black card base with a black strip and a black bee cut with the Detailed Bee dies.

One of the best things about the Golden Honey Bee Specialty DSP is that you can get it FREE during Sale-A-Bration. If you order the Honey Bee Bundle (the stamp set and dies) plus a package of gold foil sheets and a combo pack of Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends, you can choose the Golden Honey Bee DSP as your FREE Sale-A-Bration item!

​I just can't get enough of the Golden Honey Bee Specialty DSP. It is just so elegant and striking. It makes me want to gobble it up, just like honey!