Easel card with Playing in the Rain by Stampin' Up!®

 I love a good fun fold. It's even better when it is simple but has a big WOW factor. Check out the easel card. With a little scoring and creative placement of a popped up piece inside, your card can turn into an easel. Then the recipient can display your beautiful card. 

We created this card during my Coffee and a Card Facebook live. I just love how this little fox is front and center. On the live we talked about color and how they work together. The group choose orange and yellow to go with the Misty Moonlight base and Pool Party designer series paper I had picked. My fox and flowers are colored in with Stampin' Blends. 

Measurements:

1. Card base: 4 1/4" x 11", score at 5 1/2" and 2 3/4". This is just like a Z fold card. You just fold the small flap in instead of back onto itself. This creates the part that folds up into the easel. 
2. Patterned paper layer: 5 1/4" x 4". I kept my layer whole so I scored it at 2 5/8" to line up with my score line on the easel part. This step is optional but I find it helps me line up my pieces and they fold easier.  I cut two of these as I wanted one on the inside.  
3. Rectangle Mat: I used the Textured Notes dies (#3 from the largest) to cut this layer. If you don't have a rectangle die you can use a 4 1/4" x 2 3/4".
4. Stamping layer: I used the Textured Notes dies (#4) to cut this layer. You could use a 3 3/4" x 2 1/4" rectangle.
5. Inside white layer: 4 3/4" x 3 1/2"
6. Backstop mat: 2" x 1 1/4". This piece can vary in size to fit the image or greeting you want to use. 
7. Backstop layer: 1 3/4" x 1"
8. Greeting strip: I use scraps for this and cut it to fit after I stamp my greeting. 1" x 1/2" for this card.

Products used:

• Playing in the Rain stamp set by Stampin' Up!® *This set is leaving and is in the Last Chance while supplies last
• Country Woods designer series paper
• Cardstocks: Misty Moonlight and Basic White
• Basic Gray Classic ink pad
• Stampin' Blends in Peach Pie, dark Daffodil Delight, light Pool Party, light Smoky Slate, light Gray Granite, dark Boho Blue
• Stampin' Write marker in Basic Gray
• Beautiful Motifs stamp set by Stampin' Up! (greeting). * This set is available in my store on May 6, 2025
• Textured Notes dies
• liquid glue and dimensionals

Watch how this card came together on the replay:

Here's another card I created with the same basic parts except the backstop is a little different. Have some fun and change this area up to fit your card. I used the Coffee with Friends stamp set by Stampin' Up!® It is sold out. I colored my image with Stampin' Blends markers and instead of an image for the backstop I used a greeting. 

Thank you so much for visiting. I hope you give this fun fold a try. Need Stampin' Up! supplies? Jump on over to my online store and have a look around. 

Have a wonderful day!

~ Beth 

Sneak peek of May 2025 Paper Pumpkin

 What's Paper Pumpkin? 

It is a monthly subscription kit by Stampin' Up!®. You get a cute little box in the mail each month with a project inside.  Subscribe now for May Mountain Majesties. Subscription deadline is the 10th of each month. You can skip or cancel anytime. 

What's included in the box?

• a photopolymer stamp set
• Classic Stampin’ Spot™
• all the bits and pieces, pre-cut cardstock and cardbases to complete the project 
• step-by-step instructions to complete exclusive paper craft projects

Your first box will include a clear block for your stamps. You'll reuse this each month with the stamps provided. Sometimes you may need scissors and you'll want a cloth to clean your stamps. 

Details on this box:

 • Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs with 9 coordinating envelopes 

 • Pre-cut vellum and paper pieces 

 • Watercolor card bases and coordinating envelopes

 • Coordinating colors: Basic Black, Lost Lagoon, Misty Moonlight (Classic Stampin’ Spot), Mossy Meadow, Pecan Pie, Petal Pink

                                                                             

Love this color scheme. You can give it a try while you patiently (🤣) wait for your May box to arrive. 

I have a new bundle on the way that reminds me of the images in this peek. It's called the Scenic Adventure bundle and will be available to customers on May 6th as a May online exclusive. I can try it out with these colors while I wait. May kits start shipping on May 11th. 

Grab your subscription here before May 10th. There's an add-on die set that coordinates with each of the kits (3 of them) for the quarter. May is the second box of the quarter. You can buy the dies if you have a subscription. Check them out here. They are sold separately in my online store. 

Thanks for stopping by! Post any questions in the comments. 

~ Beth 

                                                                                              

Faux Stained Glass Technique with Country Birdhouse stamp set

 Do you love card techniques? Here's one to put on your list to try- Faux Stained Glass. I love this technique and the shiny end result. You can use your favorite stamp images, colors and greeting with this technique and create a truly unique card. 

I love the look of stained glass. It is so beautiful and such a fun way to make art. So I created a faux stained glass card technique. You can use any stamps you like, any color combos you like and a few additional supplies to create a faux stained glass look. For this card, I used Country Birdhouse stamp set by Stampin' Up!®. I stamped my images in Memento Black ink. Then I drew in lines with a Basic Black Stampin' Write marker. You can draw in lines with a pencil first and then trace over them. If I want a greeting I stamp that too. After I have my lines drawn in, I use a color tool to add different colors to my sections. I prefer Stampin' Blends markers, however, you can use whatever you have. Don't be afraid to leave white space.  When you're done adding color, it's time for the magic to happen. Apply versamark ink all over your layer. *see video. Then cover it with clear embossing powder. This can be a tad tricky as you need to hold onto the very edge carefully. I lay mine down on my grid paper to heat set it. Once all the powder has been melted, tilt it around to make sure you didn't miss any spots with the heat. Let your layer cool for a minute. Now you repeat the embossing process. I do at least 2 coats of clear embossing. You can do 3 or 4 if you like. Don't have versamark or embossing powder? That's ok. Skip this step. You'll still have a beautiful and unique card. 

Here's an up-close view of the finished layer. You can see all the little imperfections in the finish. This gives it a true stained glass look. Layering the clear embossing several times, helps you achieve this look. Isn't it just beautiful?! 

Let your layer cool for a few minutes. The edge may curl a bit. mine usually do. I added my layer to a piece of Basic Black cardstock. If you don't want an extra layer or don't have black cardstock, You can finish off the edge with your black marker to make a border. ** You'll need to do this before you heat emboss. 

Because you've heated the layer several times and it can be a bit unruly, you'll want to use a strong adhesive to help it adhere to your black layer or card base. I prefer liquid multipurpose glue or tear n' tape adhesive. The liquid glue gives you a little wiggle room to get your layer straight but needs help while drying to stay put. I place clean, clear blocks on top of my layer while it dries. Tear n' Tape bonds instantly and doesn't need extra weight to adhere. Use what you have and what you are comfortable with. You can also use Seal+.

Here's another card I made with Citrus Blooms stamp set by Stampin' Up!®. I absolutely love the oranges. You can see all the texture in the up-close pic of the layer. I just love the finished look of the faux stained glass technique. 

Watch the Facebook Live replay here or over on my YouTube Channel.

Want to see more ideas with this technique? Check out my Stained Glass Card Technique- Check out this amazing technique post. 

Supplies I used for this card:

• Country Birdhouse stamp set by Stampin' Up!®
• Memento Tuxedo Black ink
• Basic Black Stampin' Write marker
• Stampin' Blends Markers: Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green, Smoky Slate, Balmy Blue, Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel, Natural Tones Medium, Medium Deep and Deep, and Pecan Pie.
• Versamark watermark ink
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Basic White, Basic Black and Azure Afternoon cardstocks
• Basic card making supplies: trimmer, clear blocks, grid paper
• Tear n' Tape adhesive or liquid glue

Card Measurements:

1. Card base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" scored at 4 1/4"
2. Basic Black: 5 1/4" x 4"
3. Basic White: 5" x 3 3/4" (2, one for inside)

Browse my online store to see stamps and the other supplies I used. *Country Birdhouse stamp set is on the Last Chance section so it's retiring soon and while supplies last. 

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Beth 

How-to: stack of cards with my one sheet wonder template #4

 Do you find yourself collecting designer series paper (patterned) and not using it on cards?

Using a template to cut it up and make a stack of cards is a great way to use that beautiful paper you've been collecting and send it out into the world. For some in the card making world, this is called a One Sheet Wonder. It's simply cutting up your patterned paper with a template to make a stack of cards. You can use any patterned paper you have. Some templates are simple, some are complex. I like to keep it simple. Here's a set of cards I made with a new template I designed. The Wildly Flowering paper is absolutely beautiful and works for many occasions. 

I have loads of pretty papers on hand. This new template uses every piece cut from a 12"x12" piece of patterned paper to make a card. Love that there's no waste. Then I can add these finished cards to my stash to use or bundle them up and gift them. *reminder- if you gift cards, Stampin' Up!® asks that your observe their angel policy. You can find it here.

Below is a pic of the template. You can save it to your Pinterest board for future reference. You may also download the One Sheet Wonder Template 4 to print off. This template makes 11 to 12 cards. All the cutting instructions are listed in the pdf printable.

Supplies you'll need:

• Designer Series (patterned) paper that is 12"x12"
• Cardstock that matches your patterned paper for card bases and mats.
• Strips of white or light colored cardstock to stamp greetings
• Greeting stamps
• Inks (neutral or colors that match you papers)
• Basic card making tools
• Trimmer
• Adhesives (I prefer liquid glue and dimensionals) 

To step up your cards, you can add die cuts for greetings, ribbon, embellishments as well as die cut images. Not ready for all that? Try stepping it up a little by adding dimensionals to your greetings, lifting them up a little from your patterned layer. 

Watch the Facebook replay tutorial to see how I made this set of cards:

Here's another set I made using the Wildly Flowering designer series paper

If you have any questions about how to do a one sheet wonder or my template, please leave a comment on this post.

To browse or shop designer series papers and other card making supplies, visit my online store. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

~ Beth 

Tri-fold card with Everyday Arches dies

 I love a good fun fold that's simple and has a big wow factor. This tri-fold card is one of my favorites. I saw a tri-fold card with the Everyday Arches Dies by Stampin' Up!® on Tami White's facebook page and wanted to try it out. Here's my version. 

What you'll need to construct this card:

• 3 of the largest arch dies
• 3 of the 3rd largest arch dies
• 3 of the 4th largest arch dies
• cardstock hinges or scored piece of cardstock to connect your arch panels. *I discuss different options in my video. I used several sizes. You can use 3" x 2" cardstock pieces scored at 1" on the short side or a bigger piece of cardstock 2 1/2" x 11" scored at 3 1/2" from each end. 

I used some new 2025-27 in-colors too. Secret Sea, Cloud Cover and Timid Tiger make an awesome color combo. Don't you agree? I love blues with orange. The floral image from Layers of Beauty stamp set adds a wonderful design for my Basic White panels. It really fills the space and with the coordinating masks, you can add color right where it needs to go.  This is the card that I made on my Facebook live Coffee and a Card used the color combo of Secret Sea, Cloud Cover, Timid Tiger, Peach Pie, Old Olive and Gray Granite. The floral image is stamped on the arched panels with Gray Granite after I stamped off once first. Then I used the coordinating masks to add color to the flowers and leaves. 

I used the classic ink pads and small blending brushes to apply the ink in this order:

1. Mask 1: Peach Pie ink for the roses. I covered the daisy flowers with post-it masking tape. 
2. Mask 2: Peach Pie ink for the roses. I covered the daisy flowers with post-it masking tape. 
3. Mask 3: Timid Tiger ink for the roses. I covered the flower middles with post-it masking tape.
4. Mask 4: Old Olive ink for the leaves.
5. Mask 5: Old Olive ink for the leaf details. 
6. Color flower middles with Cloud Cover Stampin' Write marker 

The arched front panel is mostly covered with the floral image. I stamped the greeting in Secret Sea ink. The middle arched panel has room at the top for another greeting or phrase stamped in Secret Sea ink. The back arched panel just has the floral image on the corner leaving room to write a short message. If you'd like to have a private space or more space for a message, you could add another arch die cut to the back of the 3rd panel. 

Have fun using different stamps or designer series papers to fill. your arched panels. 

Here's another version I made with blues using Boho Blue, Misty Moonlight and Secret Sea. 

Watch the replay

Note: You can try this with other dies. If you want a connector piece that is a full strip of cardstock, you can find the scoring dimensions by measuring your die cut. Then the section of the connector that holds the middle die cut needs to fit between your two score lines. For example, the largest arch die measures just shy of 4". So my score lines for a 2 1/2" x 11" piece of cardstock are 3 1/2" and 7 1/2. If you just want hinges, just use a 3" x 2" piece of cardstock scored in half. The hinge works for most other shaped die cuts and you can adjust it to fit your shape. 

Thanks for stopping by! Give this fun fold a try and let me know if the comments what stamps you used.

~ Beth 

Handmade cards: a simple gesture with a big impact

Want to create heartfelt handmade cards that make your friends and family smile?

There’s something magical about receiving a handmade card. It’s not just the design—it’s the love and effort that goes into all the bits and pieces of every card. I remember the first time I tried making cards. I was excited to try something new and seeing the smiles they brought made all the effort worth it. Making handmade cards is easier (and more fun) than you think!

Why Sending Handmade Cards Matters:

1. Personal Touch – A text or email is nice, but a handmade card shows thought, effort, and love. It’s something tangible that people can hold onto.

2. Makes People Feel Special – When someone receives a personalized, handcrafted card, they feel valued and appreciated.

3. Creates Lasting Memories – Handmade cards often become cherished keepsakes.

4. Strengthens Connections – Sending a card, especially when it’s unexpected, keeps relationships strong

5. Shows Gratitude in a Meaningful Way – A card adds warmth and sincerity that words alone can’t always express.

6. Encourages Creativity and Mindfulness – Making cards allows you to slow down, get creative, and put your heart into something meaningful.

7. Brightens Someone’s Day – Happy mail can totally change someone’s mood.

8. Perfect for Any Occasion (or No Occasion at All!) – There’s always a reason to send a little love.

9. Promotes Handwritten Communication – In a digital world, a handwritten note feels extra special.

10. Makes a Difference During Tough Times – A thoughtful note can provide comfort, encouragement, and support.

Ready to make your own? Here’s a few things you'll need to get started:

1. Choose the type of card you want to make: Birthdays, holidays, or just because. You can stamp greetings or write them. 

2. Pick Your Supplies: Grab cardstock, patterned paper, stamps, inks, markers, and embellishments. You'll need some basic card making tools as well such as a trimmer, scissors, and adhesive.

3. Add Personal Touches: Stamp images and greetings. Add handwritten messages to your card. You can add wink of stella (glitter pen) or glitter to make it extra special. 

4. Seal with Love: Pop it in the mail and make someone smile.

Not ready to make them on your own? Try a class or all-inclusive kit. You can browse kits in my online store. I have free live videos each week on my Facebook page Stamp and Create with Beth as well as a collection of videos on my YouTube channel Stamp and Create with Beth. 

Want to know more card-making? Drop a question in the comments and I’ll share my favorite supplies.

Thanks for stopping by today. 

~ Beth 

Faux Tile technique with vintage flair

 I love vintage things. They have a feel of beautiful, warm memories filled with love. I can imagine the worn picture that's been held and looked at many times, maybe even carried in a wallet. I can imagine the fond memories of a favorite toy. I can imagine the happy times remembered when you touch a length of lace that was worn on a special day. When I give my cards a vintage flair, I think of all these things and try to convey this in my card. Have you tried a vintage themed card?

Today's cards pair the vintage theme with a fun technique- faux tile. I love this technique because it takes your simple stamped card (stamps, inks, papers) up a notch and doesn't require any extra tools. It's a simple scoring technique that has a WOW result. 

For a vintage look, I like to use Very Vanilla or Basic Beige cardstock for my stamping layer. Stampin' Up!® offers a range of browns or colors with a brown tone to help with the vintage feel. I suggest Basic Beige, Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie, Early Espresso and Gray Granite. You could also throw in Wild Wheat (it's going to retire May 6th since it's an in-color). For a fun pop of color add a muted blue, pink or green color like Petal Pink, Balmy Blue or Soft Sea Foam.

You can use your favorite images and add in ribbons that match a neutral color scheme. For my pear card, I used watercolor pencils in Old Olive, Crushed Curry and Coastal Cabana to add color to my stamped outline images. 

The faux tile technique is scored lines at equal intervals on your cardstock layer. I use a 1" interval for a 5" x 4" piece. You can change this up and experiment based on your card layer size. After you score your layer, you stamp your images over the lines. Make sure your stamping on the side that the scored lines are indented and not raised. This leaves a white or colored line (depending on your cardstock color) and makes the image look divided like it is tiled. This is a simple technique that changes the look and feel of your card without any extra tools. You can do the scoring on your trimmer with a scoring blade or use the Simply Scored Scoring Tool by Stampin' Up!®.  Check out the Simply Scored Scoring tool in my online store. 

After you stamp your layer, you can add a greeting on a separate strip of cardstock or stamp directly into one of your squares. I like to use the same colored cardstock as my layer and then pop it up with dimensionals.  Stamp your inside layer (5 1/4" x 4") with a few images or greeting to finish off your card. 

For the sand dollar card, I stamped the stand dollars in Crumb Cake Classic ink onto a Basic Beige cardstock layer (5 1/4" x 4"). The star fish are stamped in Pecan Pie Classic ink. The sea glass is stamped in Basic Beige Classic ink for a tone-on-tone look. I added some splatters with Early Espresso Classic ink and the greeting is stamped in Early Espresso. "hello" is from the Citrus Blooms stamp set by Stampin' Up!®. The card base is Early Espresso cardstock. 

For the Penciled Pears card, I used a Basic Beige piece of cardstock (5" x 4"). I scored at 1" increments in both directions. So the 5" side was scored at 1, 2, 3 and 4. The 4" side was scored at 1, 2 and 3. Then I stamped the large pear image in Crumb Cake Classic ink. I colored the images (careful not to go down into the indent) with watercolor pencils in Old Olive, Crushed Curry and Coastal Cabana. I stamped the inside layer ( 5 1/4" x 4") with the group of 4 pears in Crumb Cake Classic ink. Then I colored those with the same pencils. "hello" is from the Citrus Blooms stamp set by Stampin' Up!®. 

Watch the replay of the Facebook live for these two cards:

Here are some more cards I created using the faux tile technique. I love that you can use whatever images you want. 

Everyday You & Me stamp set

Under the Moon stamp set

Penciled Pear stamp set

Seaside Wishes stamp set

Enjoy this technique and take your simple stamped cards (one layer) to the next level. 

Up-close pic of the scored lines, stamping and coloring of my pears.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I hope you've enjoyed the faux tile technique and have some fresh inspiration to give it a try. Please leave any questions in the comments. 

Need Stampin' Up!® supplies or just want to browse what's new? Head on over to my online store. 

Enjoy!  ~ Beth