Cards by A Cook

Birthday Cards

Rainbow of Happiness Z fold Card

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Rainbow of Happiness is such a fantastic name for a new stamp set and bundle. Stampin' Up! has created a fun and happy rainbow stamp set for both young and old stampers. The coordinating paper, Sunshine and Rainbows 6x6 Designer Series Paper, includes fun patterns in bright colours. Most of the paper has rainbows on one side and a pattern on the other. This Z fold card is easy to make with the measurements in my card tutorial below. If you love Z fold cards, see my Sparkle of the Season Z fold card HERE. Keep reading to see how the paper perfectly co-ordinates with the Brilliant Rainbow dies by Stampin' Up!

Fun and cheery card with Rainbow of Happiness stamp set. Z fold card is easy to create with full measurements below
Rainbows of Happiness stamp set

Coordinating Sunshine and Rainbow paper

The Brilliant Rainbow dies match not only the stamp set but the free sale-a-bration paper as well. The Sunshine and Rainbow paper will be available in January and February with a qualifying order of $60. A perk of being a demonstrator is that I am able to order some wonderful products early. The dies come with cute little clouds, a fantastic border, shaker style rainbow cut outs and a wonderful medium sized rainbow. The medium rainbow is what I used for this card. It fits perfectly on the rainbows printed on one of the papers.

See how easy it is to create a fun rainbow!

This is the easiest way to make a rainbow. Unfortunately, I was being particular about matching colours and wanted to replace the Granny Apple Green. Pool Party cardstock matched the paper in my Rainbow of Happiness card better. I used the same rainbow die to cut out a Pool Party rainbow piece, glued it down and had a perfectly matched rainbow to go on my Z fold card.

Cut out the Pool Party - it fits perfectly and can be adhered easily with the fine tip glue pen.

I'm looking forward to making many more cards with the Brilliant Rainbow dies and the Rainbow of Happiness stamp set. If you can't wait to buy it, and live in Canada, sign up to be a demonstrator and you will be able to order it as early as December 1st. I am happy to answer your questions! You would be joining a community of positive and supportive group of stampers that love to create, become a discount shopper with a minimum 20% off of your orders, attend events and most importantly, have fun!

Rainbow of Happiness Z fold card

Create this fun and bright Z fold card easily and quickly. Stampin' Up!'s Brilliant Rainbow Dies are wonderful to use along with the matching Sunshine and Rainbows 6x6 Designer Series paper.
Print Instructions Pin Recipe
Level of Difficulty Intermediate
Total Time 25 mins

Tools

Supplies
  

  • Rainbow of Happiness bundle
  • Sunshine and Rainbows 6x6 designer series paper
  • Basic White 8 ½ x 11 cardstock
  • Bermuda Bay 8 ½ x 11 cardstock and inkpad
  • Melon Mambo 8 ½ x 11 cardstock
  • Pool Party 8 ½ x 11 cardstock

Instructions
 

Cut paper to the following sizes:

  • Designer Series Paper: 2 pieces:3 ¾” x 2 ¼“ and 3 ¾” x 2 ¾“
  • Cut one strip of the rainbow piece of designer series paper. Then cut one rainbow out. Leave space around it to allow you to adhere it to the Basic White rectangle.
  • Bermuda Bay: 4¼ “ x 11” scored at 5½“ and 2¾“ folded as shown below
  • Basic White: 3 pieces: 4 x 5 ¼“; 3½ x 2½”; 2½ x 4”
  • Melon Mambo: 3 ¾ x 2 ¾“
  • Pool Party: small scrap for rainbow layer

Die Cut:

  • Use the medium rainbow die and the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine to cut out a rainbow in the centre of the 3½ x 2½ piece of Basic White. (a little high is ok)
  • Die cut the Pool Party cardstock scrap with the medium rainbow die

Stamping:

  • Stamp the sentiment with Bermuda Bay ink underneath the die cut rainbow on the Basic White cardstock.

Assembly:

  • Lay the Bermuda Bay card base horizontally with the 2 scores to the left hand side.
  • Adhere the largest piece of Basic White cardstock to the right side of the Bermuda Bay card front – the side with no scoring. 
  • Adhere the widest piece of patterned paper to the far right of the basic white, leaving a small, even border as shown.
  • Layer the patterned paper onto the other Basic White rectangle.  Similarly, there should an even border around the perimeter. 
  • Adhere the Basic White and patterned paper layer onto the far left of the Bermuda Bay card front.  The score line/fold should be next to this and it should have an even border. 
  • Adhere the single rainbow from the patterned paper onto the die cut rainbow. Layer and adhere this to the Melon Mambo cardstock.
  • Use the fine tip glue pen to adhere the Pool Party Rainbow strip to the medium rainbow to cover up the green strip. (make sure you choose the correct size rainbow layer)
  • Using adhesive on only the left hand side of the Cherry Cobbler piece, adhere to the very front of the card when it is folded as shown.
  • Add some sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen.
Keyword birthday card, just because card, papercrafting, Stampin' Up!
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Cork meets All Squared Away

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The "All Squared Away" bundle from Stampin' Up! is easy to miss in the annual catalogue. It contains four floral squares that are each whimsical or more modern, depending on your point of view. I will be sharing many different cards over the next little while featuring the all squared away bundle. Why? Because I love the modern look and how easy it is to create fantastic cards with it.

I am starting with my favourite card with my favourite new paper - yes, the cork 12x12 specialty paper is being featured again. Find more card ideas using the cork paper HERE and HERE. The texture takes this card from a good design to a great design!

greeting card featuring the all squared away bundle
All Squared Away bundle by Stampin' Up!

Make it yourself:

The matching stamp set contains a fun font and sentiments that especially suit birthdays. Choose your favourite colour combinations for the strips. I chose slightly earthy colours to coordinate with the cork 12x12 specialty paper. Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz and So Saffron go very well with each other.

The hardest part of this card is weaving the strips through the floral square in the All Squared Away bundle. I added the Baker's twine to tie the white together. The twine suits the earthy feel of the cork paper.

Scroll down for a complete tutorial to print or save.

If you are in Canada and would like to make this yourself you can purchase the supplies needed HERE in my store.

greeting card featuring the all squared away bundle

All Squared Away Birthday Card

Create a cute but great birthday card quick and easily with Stampin' Up!'s All Squared Away bundle.
Print Instructions Pin Recipe
Level of Difficulty Beginner
Total Time 20 mins

Tools

Supplies
  

Instructions
 

Cut paper to the following sizes:

  • Basic White (base): 5 ½” x 4 ¼” and (for die cut): 2” x 2”
  • So Saffron: 5 ¼” x 4” and ½” x 3 ¾” strip
  • Cork 12x12 Specialty paper: 3 ¾“ x 5”
  • Pear Pizzazz: ½” x 3 ¾” strip
  • Calypso Coral: ½” x 3 ¾” strip

Instructions:

  • Score card base at 4 ¼“ and fold.
  • Adhere the Cork Specialty paper to the So Saffron cardstock.
  • Wrap the white twine several times around the right-hand side, adhering with Stampin’ Seal adhesive on the back.
  • Adhere to the Basic White card base.
  • Die cut the square flower image out of the Basic White.
  • Stamp the saying on the Pear Pizzazz strip, to the far left, with VersaMark ink. Sprinkle with White Embossing Powder and then heat set.
  • Cut the ends of each strip on an angle.
  • Adhere the So Saffron and Calypso Coral strips to the card front leaving ½”, or slightly less, between them.
  • Weave the Pear Pizzazz strip through the flower die and attach both with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Keyword autumn card, birthday card, fall, greeting card
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Create Cheerful Cards with Flowers of Friendship

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I love cheerful cards. Create this card, featuring the Flowers of Friendship stamp set, to give to a friend for encouragement, to cheer them up or for a birthday. The bright pink is the new in color, Polished Pink. The touch of black provides some needed contrast and creates a very cheerful card. I used Stampin' Up's Flowers of Friendship stamp set and the coordinating punch. I love how easy it is to punch out the matching flowers!

The main flower image could be coloured in as I did in this card HERE, but for this cheerful card I used it as a background. I stamped the cardstock using versamark ink first and then ran it through the embossing folder to give some texture. It is difficult to stamp onto textured paper so make sure you always stamp first.

Make it yourself:

Stamp the background first and then run it through your favourite embossing folder. You could skip this step but once you start using using the Stampin' Cut and Emboss machine to easily add texture you won't be able to stop!

I used the new Tailor Made Tags die set for the sentiment and for the background tag. The saying "Life is better with friends like you" fits perfectly. The Tailor Made Tag set includes four tags each in two designs that vary a small amount in size for easy layering. One set has curved ends as shown above and the other set is more angular for a more masculine look.

The flower on the bottom of the tag was stamped in black and then cut out using the coordinating punch. I love how the punch matches the images in the Flowers of Friendship stamp set. To finish off the card, matching ribbon in Polished Pink was added to the tag. If you live in Canada and would like to purchase any of the supplies, please contact me. I am always happy to answer questions and help out. Enjoy creating this card yourself and feel free to use different colours. Share a picture in the comments.

Happy Stamping!

Amy

Flowers of Friendship Card

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The flowers in Stampin' Up!'s "Flowers of Friendship" stamp set is easy to use as outlines as featured HERE or to colour as shown below. Make beautiful cards by adding just a hint of colour to the flower images. Coastal Cabana is a such a pretty and cheerful colour! It suits my daughter, Leah, perfectly. This card was given to her to congratulate her on her recent profession of faith at church. A bright card for a happy occasion!

Greeting card made with flowers of friendship stamp set by Stampin' Up!
Flowers of Friendship greeting card

To design the card, start with your favourite piece of patterned paper. I chose a pattern from Stampin' Up!'s Pattern Party 12 x12 Designer Series Paper. Choose your favourite colour from the patterned paper to use for the flowers. I used the stitched greenery die for the background but an embossing folder would also work very well. The white baker's twine adds a little something without being too fancy like ribbon may be.

Colouring Tips:

To colour the "Flowers of Friendship" stamp, I used watercolour pencils. The instructions I provide below include Stampin' Blends. Both work and have pros and cons. The watercolour pencils blend beautifully using a just a touch of water or a blender pen. I used white shimmer paper as it does not pill or curl as easily as basic white cardstock. Shimmer paper is my favourite paper to use when colouring! Watercolouring gives a more muted colour. It is important to not use too much water. To add some brightness, I pencilled over the coloured in flowers when they were almost dry.

Using Blends markers is easier and gives stronger, more bold colour. I recommend adding only a small amount of the dark shade and then blending with the light tone. You can also lighten up the colours by using the color lifter.

Give yourself permission to play with various colouring mediums and see what you like best! Be sure to let me know in the comments your favourite medium for colouring and to save the card recipe below.

Happy Stamping,

Amy

Greeting card created with Flowers of Friendship stamp set by Stampin' Up!

Flowers of Friendship Card

Create a bright and cheery card for a friend! Stampin' Up!'s Flowers of Friendship stamp set is great for beginners to learn to colour as the line images are small. Create this card using your favourite patterned paper and matching cardstock to create this card quickly and easily.
Print Instructions Pin Recipe
Level of Difficulty Beginner
Total Time 20 mins

Tools

Supplies
  

  • Flowers of Friendship stamp set
  • Thick Basic White: cardstock
  • Coastal Cabana cardstock
  • Shimmer White cardstock
  • Pattern Party 12”x12” designer series paper (hostess)
  • Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
  • Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends combo pack markers
  • Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Blends combo pack markers

Instructions
 

Cut paper to the following sizes:

  • Thick Basic White: 5 ½“ x 8 ½“ scored at 4 ¼“ and folded in half for card front
  • Coastal Cabana: 4 x 5 ¼“
  • Shimmer White: 4 x 2 ¾ “
  • Pattern Party Designer Series Paper: 3½” x 4 ½”

Stamp and Assembly:

  • Align the Coastal Cabana layer with the Stitched Greenery die and run through the Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine.  Adhere to the Thick Basic White card front. 
  • Adhere the Pattern Party designer series paper to the front of card as shown.
  • Stamp flower image several times across the Shimmer White piece with the Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Feel free to go off the edge and not stamp in a perfect line.  
  • Add hints of colour with the Bermuda Bay and Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blends.
  • Tie white twine around the bottom of the Shimmer White piece and adhere to the designer series paper with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Keyword greeting card, just because card, papercrafting, Stampin' Up!
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The Picture This dies make cards easy to create.

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This card is perfect for the plant lover in your life. Regardless of whether they have a green thumb or not, anyone who enjoys plants will love this card. Stampin' Up!'s Plentiful Plants bundle and the Picture This dies make this plant lover card easier to create than it appears. I had fun cutting out a variety of plants and pots and then arranging them on the shelves. The 3 shelves are created quickly and easily with the Picture This dies. Scroll to the bottom for complete instructions in my "card recipe"

I love how the Plentiful Plants bundle can be used for a variety of occasions. The sentiment I chose today, To a Dear Friend, begs for a handwritten note inside. What would you write? A note of encouragement, a birthday greeting, your condolences or a much needed thank you?

Plentiful Plants bundle with Picture This dies

The Picture This dies make this card super easy to create. The dies come with both a rectangular and circular dies that cut the openings with only one pass through the Stampin' Cut and Emboss machine. You can then use the cut out rectangles or circles on another card. I used the brick patterned paper from the Bloom Where You are Planted designer series paper to create the look of shelves on a wall. The brick pattern makes it difficult to see the stitched detail on the cut outs from the Picture This dies. Love the stitching - see it more clearly on my next card.

Picture This dies by Stampin' Up!

Create it yourself!

To create this card I used the same colour pots throughout to avoid the card looking too busy. I used a similar strategy on this card shown HERE where I used Evening Evergreen for all the pots. I recommend always repeating the same few colours in your card design. Repeating colours gives your design unity and prevents it from looking too childish. Of course, with any design rules, I am sure there are some great designs that use an electric mix of colour and break the rules.

I've chosen to stick to warm earth tones in this card. The Cajun Craze colour is a warm, earthy tone that suits the pots. This combines well with the Cinnamon Cider tone of the brick to give a look that stands out without competing with the brick for attention. I've used a mixed of greens to give the illusion of depth to the plants.

I used the Perfect Plants dies to cut out all the pots and plants which is super easy! No fussy cutting for me - Yay! The stamp set, Plentiful Plants and the die set, Perfect Plants dies is available as a bundle with 10% saving. If you live in Canada, you can order this HERE and help support my passion for creating cards. I am always happy to help answer your questions.

Happy Stamping,

Amy

greeting card featuring plants

Picture This Dies make card easy to make

The Picture This dies make creating these shelves easy to make. Fill with your favourite plants and you will have an amazing card created quickly and easily.
Print Instructions Pin Recipe
Level of Difficulty Intermediate
Total Time 30 mins

Tools

Supplies
  

Stamps and Dies

  • 1 Plentiful Plants Bundle Stamp set and matching dies
  • 1 Picture This dies

Paper and Ink

  • 1 piece Basic White 8 ½ x 11 cardstock
  • 1 scrap* Cajun Craze 8 ½ x 11 cardstock *and ink pad
  • 1 scrap* Garden Green 8 ½ x 11 cardstock *and ink pad
  • 1 scrap Evening Evergreen 8 ½ x 11 cardstock
  • 1 Old Olive ink pad
  • ⅙ piece Bloom Where You are Planted 12" X 12" Designer Series Paper

Other

  • Stampin' Dimensionals

Instructions
 

Cut paper to the following sizes:

  • Basic White: Cut in half for card base - 5½ x 8½; score at 4¼"
  • Brick Patterned Paper: 4" x 5¼"

Stamp:

  • Stamp your choice of leaves in both Garden Green and Old Olive onto the basic white cardstock. Cut out with the coordinating dies and your Stampin' Up Cut and Emboss machine
  • Stamp the plant pots on Basic White with Cajun Craze ink. Cut out with the coordinating Perfect Plant dies.

More cutting:

  • Cut out 2 different plant pots using the Perfect Plant dies and Cajun Craze cardstock
  • Cut out different plant leaves as shown with both Garden Green and Evening Evergreen cardstock using the Perfect Plant dies.
  • Align the Picture This rectangular die on the brick patterned paper and cut out using the Stampin' Cut and Emboss machine.

Assemble:

  • Fold the Basic White card front in half along scoring.
  • Adhere the Bloom Where you are Planted Patterned brick paper layer to the card front using your favourite adhesive.
  • Carefully stamp your chosen sentiment to the left of the middle rectangular cut out with Cajun Craze ink. You may wish to practice on scrap paper first.
  • Have fun arranging the plants on the shelves. Play with the arrangement until you are happy with it. You may follow my example or play with your own placement. Adhere with a mix of adhesive and Stampin' Dimensionals to give a variety of heights and depth to the card.
Keyword greeting card, just because card, papercrafting, plant, Stampin' Up!
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Plentiful Plants card for the Plant Lover in your Life

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The new Plentiful Plants bundle by Stampin' Up! is so much fun to play with. I love using the matching dies to quickly and easily cut out either my stamped images or ones from the coordinating Bloom Where You are Planted designer series paper. Today's card is easy and fast to make as there is very little stamping. Simply cut out your choice of plant and pot from the patterned paper to create an amazing plant card.

Create this card yourself - see instructions at the bottom of post

The paper lattice creates added texture, much like the Bloom Where You are Planted card featured HERE. The sentiment is stamped in Cinnamon Cider ink which matches the pot and the paper lattice very well. You could stamp any saying you like such as Happy Birthday, Thinking of you or use the other sayings that come with the Plentiful Plants stamp set.

These are the wonderful sentiments in the Plentiful Plants stamp set:

plentiful plant stamp set by Stampin' Up!
Plentiful Plant stamp set by Stampin' Up!

The stamp set can be purchased individually or as a group of products in a suite. The Bloom Where You are Planted Suite includes the stamp set, coordinating dies, matching patterned paper and the paper lattice accent featured on this card.

This card design would work well using any of the patterns in the paper pack. If you make it, be sure to comment below with a picture of your completed card.

If you live in Canada, any of the links above will bring you to my online store to purchase products to create this card. I appreciate your support and am happy to answer questions and help you.

Happy Stamping,

Amy

Plentiful Plants card

Plentiful Plants Card

Do you love plants? Do you have a friend that loves plants? Create this card for them to show how much you care. I love how this card is suitable for anyone and any occasion! A wonderfully versatile card!
Print Instructions Pin Recipe
Level of Difficulty Intermediate
Total Time 20 mins

Tools

Supplies
  

  • ½ piece Thick Basic White: 8½ x11" cardstock
  • ¼ piece Evening Evergreen 8½ x11" cardstock
  • ⅛ piece Soft Succulent 8½ x11" cardstock
  • scrap piece Basic White 8½ x11" cardstock
  • 1 piece Paper Lattice
  • 1 piece Bloom Where You are Planted Designer Series Paper Pot & Leaf images to die-cut
  • Linen Thread
  • Genial Gems

Instructions
 

Cut paper to the following sizes:

  • Thick Basic White: 5-½” x 8-½” scored at 4-¼”
  • Evening Evergreen: 2-⅛” x 5”
  • Soft Succulent: 3” x 4-¼”
  • Basic White: ½” x 3”
  • Paper Lattice: ⅞” x 3”

Stamp:

  • Stamp saying of choice on the Basic White cardstock strip with the Cinnamon Cider ink. Cut a notch in the end with a punch or your scissors to create a banner.

Assembly:

  • Adhere the Evening Evergreen cardstock to the card base.
  • Layer the Bloom Where You’re Planted patterned paper to the Soft Succulent cardstock and adhere to card base.
  • Use paper snips to tidy up the Paper Lattice piece to make both top and bottom match. Adhere to Bloom Where You’re Planted patterned paper with Multipurpose Liquid Glue approximately 1 ½” from bottom edge.
  • Use Stampin' dimensionals to attach the stamped banner to the paper lattice piece.
  • Die-cut your choice of plant images from the Bloom Where You’re Planted designer series paper with the coordinating dies. Adhere to right side of card with Stampin' dimensionals
  • Finish the card with three Genial Gems and a Linen Thread bow attached to pot with a mini glue dot.
Keyword greeting card, just because card, papercrafting, plant, Stampin' Up!, stamping up
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Way to Goat Birthday Card

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I am loving this card design! This design is the same as the previous "Way to Goat" birthday card but turned vertical instead of horizontal. The card measurements are the same as this card that includes the tutorial.

Way to Goat Birthday Card

I love how bright and fun the paper is and how well it goes with the old goat! This design would work with any patterned paper - use one side for the top and the other side for the bottom. Pick a colour to match and use to border the sentiment die cut. I used the tasteful label dies from Stampin' Up! to cut out the saying. They are very versatile shapes that I use on a regular basis.

showing tasteful labels dies from Stampin' Up!
tasteful labels dies

To create the bumblebee yellow border, I used the die on the bottom right of the photo above and cut it in half. The goat was coloured with smoky slate Stampin' Blends. These alcohol markers blend effortlessly and come in a package of two - light and dark. This image is easy to colour as you can simply follow the markings on the goat to add some shading. I like "popping" up the goat and used Stampin' dimensionals to add dimension the card.

Way to Goat stamp set

If you live in Canada and want to make this card yourself, contact me or see the supplies needed HERE. I appreciate your support.

Happy Stamping,

Amy

Way to Goat creates funny cards for Old Friends

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My good friend just had a birthday and I like to tease her since she is older than me. Stampin' Up!'s Way to Goat stamp set is the perfect choice for funny cards for friends - especially old friends!

I enjoyed colouring the goat to pair with the Ornate Garden designer series paper. The patterns remind me of spring and goats! I can imagine goats eating the pretty flowers in this paper. I purposefully chose the daisy paper and coloured the flower to match the paper. The more the elements in a card coordinate with each other, the more professional your card will look. Using Stampin' Up's designer series paper makes choosing colours easy as you simply need to pick a couple colours from the paper for a great colour combination.

Way to Goat and Stampin' Blends

Colouring the goat was fun. I used Cinnamon Cider and Crumb cake to add hints of colour along the lines provided in the image. Colouring images like this is easier than it looks as you don't need to colour the entire goat in. When learning to colour, remember to have fun with it and play and try out different combinations. To create this card, I stamped three goats. One I coloured with greys that you can see in this card here. One I wasn't too happy with and the other you see above. Feel free to stamp ten goats if that is what you need to feel confident with your colouring!

Fussy cutting the goat with scissors was not too fun but isn't too bad either. If you look close enough, you will notice it is not perfect - and that's ok! My motto when card making is to have fun and it is not to be a source of stress.

Create this fun card yourself:

I've created a tutorial with supplies, measurements and instructions to help you creat this card yourself. Download the tutorial HERE.

If you are in Canada and would like to order supplies to create it, I would love to help. Contact me or order online. The list of supplies is found in the tutorial as well as HERE. I have omitted some of the supplies you may already own such as a paper cutter, scissors and adhesive. I did include the Stampin' Up! Cut & Emboss machine to cut out the label shape for the sentiment. You could simplify the card and use a rectangle in place of the tasteful label dies.

Enjoy stamping!

Amy

Love of Leaves Thank you Card

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The fall colours are almost finished in Southern Ontario where I live. I love the leaves all decked out in oranges and reds. Yellow has never been my favourite but rather I view it as a backdrop to make the reds more vivid. I created this card to showcase the new Love of Leaves stamp set bundle from Stampin' Up! The stitching is what sold me - I couldn't resist the detail the Stitched Leaves dies provide.

This stamp set is perfect for masculine cards. The Love of Leaves bundle not only makes beautiful fall theme cards but is fantastic for the men in your life. This post is titled "thank you card" but could easily be used for a birthday card for your Dad, brother or of course, your husband.

Do you send more thank you cards at Thanksgiving? I missed sending by the holiday this year, but that won't stop me from sending a card as a random act of kindness.

Love of Leaves card
Love of Leaves Bundle
Create this card yourself

This card is simpler to make then it looks thanks to the Love of Leaves bundle by Stampin' Up! Three leaves are stamped in Early Espresso ink, Mint Macaron ink and Cajun Craze ink colours. The stamped image is then run through the Stampin die cut and embossing machine with the coordinating die to make the stitched detail on each. A small strip of Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper is added to the bottom - with matching colours. Some linen thread adds some nice texture to the card and draws attention to the saying "I'm so glad you're in my life."

Download the instructions here:
Project Sheet Available Here
Product List
Love Of Leaves Bundle (English)
[155195]
$64.75
Gilded Autumn Specialty Designer Series Paper
[153520]
$20.00
Lovely Labels Pick A Punch
[152883]
$31.00
Linen Thread
[104199]
$6.75
Cajun Craze 8-½" X 11" Cardstock
[119684]
$12.00
Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad
[147085]
$10.25
Crumb Cake 8-½" X 11" Cardstock
[120953]
$12.00
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad
[147116]
$10.25
Very Vanilla 8-½" X 11" Cardstock
[101650]
$13.25
Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad
[147106]
$10.25
Add All to Cart
Purchase the card instead:

Cards are shipped via regular mail in a "stay flat" mailer to arrive in perfect condition. A regular envelope is included for you to use to give to someone you care about.

Perfect Card for Dog Lovers

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Some of you may like cats but I am definitely team dog. We have a puppy which is now 9 months old and has become more of a teenager. My daughter has been going to obedience training but it is going to take a lot more time before she will sit like the beautiful dog in this card. (Unless you have food...then she will do anything). Even if you are team cat, the Happy Tails stamp set and matching punch bundle makes fantastic cards for the dog lovers in your life.

Just fur you❤️

Dog lover card featuring Happy Tails stamp set from Stampin’ Up!

I used the smoky slate Stampin’ blends (alcohol markers) to add touches of colour to the dog before punching out the image effortlessly with the coordinating punch. The punch also includes the little heart pictured. I love the pop of red!

The 6x6 pack of brights designer series paper creates a great background. The card itself, uses retired paper but if you look at the picture the new designer series paper is displayed. The paper pack includes all the bright colours so that you can pick which colour suits the recipient best. I chose pacific point as this bright blue is cheery and is wonderful for a birthday card for a young dog lover or someone young at heart.

This card for dog lovers design is amazing and is one of my favourites. Try casing the design and replacing the dog with a birthday cake, flower or any other image suitable to the occasion. Send me a picture of your card using this design in the comments, I would love to see it! Check back tomorrow for a completely different card using the same design.

You can purchase this card!

If you need a card for the dog lovers you know, I am selling these cards and will colour the dog image to match the real thing. ( within artistic boundaries). Email me at amy@cardsbyacook.com for more information and to choose colours.

For the Special Men in your Life

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Creating cards for men is difficult. This simple card design is meant for the men in your life. It isn’t too fussy with bows and embellishments and that’s ok. My special guy appreciates it when I take the time to create cards for him but doesn’t want intricate details or bling.

Simple card for a guy
Watercolour pencils are easy to use

Making cards for men using the Stampin’ Up! set, A Good Man, is simple. The designs are beautifully sketched and it is easy to add bits of colour to create wonderful cards.

Watercolour tip

Using Aqua Painters with watercolour pencils in Stampin’ Up! matching colours on watercolour paper makes creating these cards easy and fun. Using some diluted blue around the image gives it more depth while adding brown to the bottom grounds it. Even when an image does not include ground, adding a shadow under it prevents it from appearing to float and will improve your water colouring technique.

The 6x6 pack of neutral designer series paper in Night of Navy adds to the background. Tying the whisper white twine around the middle ties in the white without being too feminine. Similarly, using garden green to border the image ties in to the green shirt.

I really like the sentiment “relax your way” as this is suitable for so many occasions. This card can be used for a masculine birthday card, a thank you or a Father’s Day card. The set contains many images for all of these occasions. I like how the stamp set features both a little girl and a little boy. A couple of the images are perfect for Father’s Day but I needed a birthday card so chose the guy relaxing.

A good man stamp set by Stampin’ Up! Good set for special Men in your life
A Good Man

Like what you see and live in Canada? Contact me to order or go to my online store. I will help you choose what products you need.

Create a Pretty Faux Stitched Background card

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I created this pretty and simple faux stitched background card for my aunt's birthday. She loves embroidery and needlepoint and I'm sure she will enjoy receiving this card in the mail.

faux stitched background card is pretty and simple to make
The Crushed Curry card has a pretty faux stiched background.

The new Needlepoint Nook suite from Stampin' Up! makes this card simpler to create than it looks. It was one of my must haves in the new occasions catalogue and includes the Needle and Thread stamp set and coordinating Needlepoint Elements Framelits Dies along with the so pretty Needlepoint Nook designer series paper. I also couldn't resist the matching buttons and old olive linen thread.

The entire suite has an embroidered look to it that is pretty without being dated. I especially love how the patterned paper includes both primary colours along with pinks. The suite is definitely feminine but due to the colours, can be pretty without being too sweet. Today's card features Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade and Old Olive but check back next week for a birthday card featuring the same Needlepoint Nook Designer Series Paper but with Berry Bliss as the feature colour.

Needlepoint Elements Framelits SU Stampin' Up! create faux stitched background card stamping up
Needlepoint Elements Framelits create the faux stitched background card effortlessly

If you look in the top right corner of the above photo you can see the die used to make this pretty faux stitched background card. I placed the framelit on a diagonal using the big shot and the magnetic platform. You could make the background stitching straight or have 1 faux stitched flower pattern in the centre rather than repeating the design.

The other needlepoint element framelits are also fantastic! All the flowers can be cut out with the big shot along with coordinating stitches, backgrounds for words and leaves. I especially love how the leaf stamp has all the leaves on one stamp so that you can stamp multiple leaves and cut them out all in one step.

needlepoint elements framelits leaf leaves cut out together
Cut out all 3 leaves with one framelit - sweet!

I couldn't resist stamping the inside. I chose "Happiest Birthday to You" and used the stitched patterned stamp to make sure the inside coordinated with the faux stitched background.

Needle and Thread Stamp Set by Stampin' Up!
Matching the inside adds that extra special touch.

Make it yourself!

If you live in Canada, you can create this card yourself by ordering the following products from Stampin' Up! through my online store.

If you are local to me or need some help you can also email me to order at amy@cardsbyacook.com

Pretty Birthday, Anniversary or Wedding -You Pick!

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The new cake soirée stamp set from Stampin’ Up! is so pretty!  The cake reminds me of a wedding cake but since I don’t know of any weddings coming up I think it’s perfect for Anniversaries or a special birthday.  I can picture it for a 50th wedding anniversary or a 75 birthday celebration especially.

wedding, anniversary, birthday card Stampin' Up!
Anniversary or Wedding Card

I embossed the cake in silver embossing powder onto powder pink card stock.   Adding touches of colour with a blender pen was fun.  Matching the silver cake stand to the hints of silver in the cake really makes the card.  I also love how the crinkle ribbon has a touch of shine.  All the shiny elements help tie this pretty cake card together.

Berry Burst is used as the card base as well as the ribbon and touches of colour on the cake.  I love this colour but was concerned it might be a bit dark to write your message on.  This problem is easy to fix with a white inside stamped to coordinate with the outside.  The cake soiree stamp set comes with pretty flower stamps that match the cake so it was easy to coordinate.

A matching inside always makes a card extra special!

If you're making an anniversary or wedding card this would be fun to change out the colours to match the wedding colours.  I think friends and relatives would enjoy retelling wedding stories if you asked about the bridesmaid gowns and what their wedding was like.  What were your wedding colours?  What Stampin' Up! colour matches best?  Comment below and let me know what SU colour combinations would work for a wedding card.

 

New Year - Time to stock up on Birthday Cards

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Picture Perfect Stamp Set makes a pretty and simple card.  I've given up on making New Year's resolutions I can't keep - but I really would like to send more birthday cards out to friends and family this year.  A simple card like this takes little time to make and will be a good start to my plan.  It also suits many different ages and would be perfect for my niece.

A simple and pretty card using Stampin' Up! Picture Perfect Birthday Photopolymer stamp set
A Picture Perfect Birthday

To make this card I started by picking my favourite piece of coordinating 6X6 page of Picture Perfect paper - cutting a strip and then matching the colours to that.  I love pool party with berry bliss!  The pool party layer is embossed with the new scattered sequins embossing folder.  It gives a deeply embossed impression that adds the perfect touch to the card.  If you don't own a big shot - this step could be skipped and the card would still be pretty.

When making the candle greeting I stamped the candles off once onto my scrap paper before stamping onto the whisper white card stock.  This allows the colours of the candles to be light enough for the greeting to be stamped on top.  The photopolymer stamps make it easy to line up the candle flames.

 

Picture Perfect Birthday photopolymer stamp set by Stampin Up!
Noise maker adds some fun to the inside.

I matched the inside of the card to the outside by stamping a noise maker.  The same stamps that make the candles can be used to make these cute party noise makes.  (is that the proper name for these thing a majigs?) I stamped the solid part first in lemon lime twist then added bermuda bay polka dots on top.

 

Hope you enjoy this paper and matching stamp set as much as I do.  I encourage you to make this year, the year you send more cards!

 

 

Perfect Birthday card for a Coffee Lover

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I love coffee.  I used to be a double double girl but now I love it black.  I love lattes too and whipped cream just makes it more special.  This is a great birthday card for any coffee lover in your life.  I gave this card out for a birthday back in August so made it into an iced coffee.  The Stampin Up! set Coffee Cafe' includes everyhong you need and it comes with matching framelits so you don't need to cut it out.

Stampin Up! Coffee cafe' stamp set
Perfect birthday card for a coffee lover

I used the coordinating Coffee Break designer series paper and cut only the pool party parts so that I could stick to two colours.   I didn't waste much paper at all though...as underneath the coffee cup is split in two rather than one large piece.