Kim Thompson, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator: 2021

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Wise Men and Daffodils

Greetings of the Season from the Creative Card-iology Team bloggers! Thank you for celebrating with us this month as we share our love for stamping and the Stampin’ Up! products with you!

You can hop along with us by clicking on the links to my teammates’ blogs toward the bottom of this post. We always appreciate your thoughts, so please leave a comment and let us know you've stopped by.

You might wonder from the title of my post what wise men and daffodils have in common, and here it has to do with our blog hop theme this month - gift card or treat packaging. This theme came at a perfect time for me as my sister had asked me to make cards where she would be able to include a gift card or gift certificate. With just a simple cut and a few scores, you can create a card for any occasion that includes a pop-up gift card holder, and in this post you’ll see one made with retiring products and one made with products from the new January-June 2022 Mini Catolog – Wise Men and Daffodils.

Some of the products you’ll see today have already been retired, and some won’t be available to order for a couple weeks yet (unless you join the Stampin’ Up! team of demonstrators and take advantage of the demonstrator pre-ordering benefit), but the great thing about this project is that you can use any stamp set or paper!

I turned to Pinterest as I often do to search for ideas. I knew what I had in mind, I was just looking to see if someone had already figured out measurements and how-tos. I found a post by Jeanie Stark of juststampin.com (thank you Jeanie!) that had just what I was looking for.

The pop up gift card holder starts with a card base measuring 5 ½” x 11”, scored at 4 ¼”, 5 ½” and 6 ¾”. I folded along the 5 ½” score line first, and then folded the opposite way along the other 2 score lines. I placed Tear ‘n Tape along the top edge of one of the folded score lines and sealed the folded piece together. I then used the fourth smallest Stitched Rectangle Die to die cut an opening to hold a gift card or cash. I ran my die and card through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine several times to make sure my die cut all the way through the layers. I trimmed any excess paper left with my Paper Snips.

I used the Great Tidings bundle and paired it with the Peaceful Place Specialty Designer Series Paper for my sister’s cards. I cut a piece of the Peaceful Place DSP and matted it onto a layer of Basic Black cardstock. I die cut three wise men from Blackberry Bliss, Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler and embossed them with the Timeworn Type embossing folder. I also die cut a star from silver foil paper and placed a Basic Rhinestone Gem in the center of this start and a couple gems on the Peaceful Place DSP layer. My “Wise men still seek Him” sentiment was stamped on a piece of Basic White and punched with the Lovely Labels Pick-A-Punch and then layered onto a punched Basic Black label.

On the inside of my card, I added a Basic White layer for my inside sentiment. I also adhered an embossed wise man die cut to the pop up and a piece of DSP for a background.

A 20” piece of White Glittered Organdy ribbon was adhered to the back of my card. This ties in the front to hold the card closed.

I made a second version of this card using the new Daffodil Daydream bundle and the Daffodil Afternoon DSP (a free with $50 Sale-A-Bration item) to make a Birthday pop up gift card holder. I die cut a frame using the Scalloped contours
dies to frame the beautiful new Daffodil Afternoon DSP (really love this free DSP!) and colored Petal Pink Frayed Grosgrain ribbon with Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends to match my choice of cardstock and ink for this version. I also used Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow and Old Olive Stampin' Blends to color my daffodils on the inside of the card and the coordinating envelope.

Hope is also something wise men and daffodils have in common. At Christmas we celebrate the joy the wise men felt when they saw the star (Matthew 2:10) that led them to find Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior. Daffodils symbolize hope and new birth and growth with the coming of Spring, which is the season where we celebrate the Savior’s resurrection from the dead that gives us “new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).

Hope is the theme of the January Encountering Joy box collection! These boxes make a great gift for a friend or yourself as a tool for focus and reflection. Each box includes a mini journal/album, 5 note cards and envelopes to send out, and cards with scripture to reflect on the theme of Hope. If you’d like more information on this monthly box kit, click here.

If you'd like to check out the products used for my project, you can click on the links below or stop by my online shop. The December 2021 host code is YNTJPFJ2.

I'd love to connect with you through my newsletter and share inspiration, updates on what's happening with Stampin' Up! and information on any scheduled classes. Just click here to fill out the form to opt in to my newsletter and receive a free tutorial as well!

Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for hopping along with us today! Don't forget to let me know you were here by leaving a comment and check out my teammates' blogs by clicking on the links below.

Diana's Blog

Jessica's Blog

Product List

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Eden's Garden

Happy Thanksgiving from the Creative Card-iology Team bloggers - we are so grateful for you and the opportunity to share our love for stamping and the Stampin’ Up! products with you!

We are celebrating the Eden’s Garden collection with our projects this month. The stamp set and dies in this collection will be carrying over to the new mini catalog coming in January, but the Ever Eden Specialty Designer Series Paper, the Ever Eden Cotton Paper, and the Garden Gems are only available through the end of November or while supplies last, so you won’t want to wait to order these items!

Thanksgiving is a great time to gather and celebrate with family and friends or to reach out and make new connections with people you may not yet know well. I’m hoping my project this month, a packaging tag, will help me celebrate and connect as I share some gingerbread mini donuts (recipe from fearlessdining.com recipe link).

When I looked at the stamp set to decide on a project, I saw the smaller leaf/foliage stamps had a little bit of a curve to them and immediate thought of making a wreath with them. I used one of the Layering Circle dies to trace a 2-1/8” circle (you can use a pencil or the score tip of the Take Your Pick tool) onto a 2-3/4” square of Basic White cardstock. Then I stamped my first spray of leaves in Soft Succulent ink four (4) times around the circle. My next step was to fill in between these sprays with a smaller spray stamped in Cajun Craze ink. I had to experiment quite a bit until I was satisfied with how my wreath looked!

Once I had my wreath stamped to my satisfaction, I glued it to a slightly larger square (2-7/8”) of Cajun Craze cardstock and then onto a 3-1/8” square of Soft Succulent cardstock.

I made a bow with the Soft Succulent Open Weave ribbon and adhered it to the top of my wreath with glue dots. Then I stamped the “Hello There”

sentiment onto a ½” x 2-3/4” piece of Basic White with Soft Succulent ink. I cut a piece of Cajun Craze measuring 5/8” x 2-7/8” and punched the edges of both with the Lovely Labels Pick-A-Punch. The pieces were layered together with Stampin’ Seal and then adhered to the center of the wreath with glue dots.

Using the largest die of the scalloped dies from the Tailor Made Tag Dies collection, I die cut tags from Soft Succulent cardstock and from the Ever Eden Specialty Designer Series Paper. I adhered these together with Stampin’ Seal, offsetting them from each other a bit.

I punched a hole through the top of the layered square pieces and fastened them together with my square piece with some of the gold Simply Elegant Trim. And now my tag is ready to fasten to my package of donuts!

This wreath design can be stamped in any color and will be so versatile for any occasion all year long. The tag will make a great addition to any packaging – gift bags, wrapped boxes, or our Mini Paper Pumpkin Boxes. It could even be added to the front of a card for a beautiful focal point!

Speaking of Mini Paper Pumpkin Boxes – The December Advent themed box kit is almost ready! These boxes make a great gift for a friend or yourself as a tool for focus and reflection. Each box includes a mini journal/album, 5 note cards and envelopes to send out, and cards with scripture to reflect on the messages of Advent - Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. If you’d like more information on this monthly box kit, click here.

Thanks for hopping along with us today! Don't forget to let me know you were here by leaving a comment and check out my teammates' blogs by clicking on the links below!

If you'd like to check out the products used for my project, you can click on the links below or stop by my online shop here. Don't forget to order the Eden's Garden Collection!

Diana's Blog

Jessica's Blog

Product List

157823

$23.00

Ever Eden 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Designer Series Paper

159996

$15.00

159276

$9.75

119684

$8.75

155776

$8.75

147085

$7.50

155778

$7.50

155766

$7.50

Soft Succulent 3/8" (1 Cm) Open Weave Ribbon

155780

$7.00

152883

$23.00

103579

$10.00

152392

$25.00

155563

$22.00

151770

$35.00

144107

$10.00

103683

$5.25

152813

$8.00

147042

$8.00

118487

$4.00

117147

$6.00

118489

$4.50

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Autumn Gorgeous Leaves Card and Gratitude Box Invite

Welcome to the Creative Card-iology Team October Blog Hop - we are so glad you've joined us! You can hop along with us by clicking on the links to my teammates’ blogs toward the bottom of this post. We always appreciate your thoughts, so please leave a comment and let us know you've stopped by.

What is your favorite season of the year – Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter? Mine is Autumn for so many reasons! I love the colors of the leaves and the crispness of the cooler air after a hot summer. I have lots of fond memories of time with family and friends around bonfires, hayrides and hikes during this season.

We are celebrating Autumn with our blog hop projects this month, and I have a simple stamping card and an invitation for you.

If you’re looking for an easy, cost-effective card making solution, you’ll want to check out the Notecards and Envelopes. These come in a pack of 20 note cards (perfect for card bases) and envelopes and are available in Basic White and Very Vanilla. You can stamp directly on the notecard itself or add more color and dimension with layers of cardstock and embellishments.

My simple stamping card features the Gorgeous Leaves and Free as a Bird stamp sets. I inked up my leaf stamp set with Merry Merlot ink and stamped it first in the center of a 4 ¼” x 2 ¾” Basic White layer, and then immediately stamping again to each side of the center stamp (without inking up again). I then stamped my sentiment from the Free as a Bird collection of stamps in Cinnamon Cider ink in the lower right corner.

I then adhered my stamped layer to a piece of Merry Merlot cardstock measuring 4-3/8” x 2-7/8”, and then onto a Cinnamon Cider layer measuring 4-1/2” x 3”. These matted layers were then adhered to the front of my notecard. I finished off my envelope by stamping leaves and textures with more stamps from the Gorgeous Leaves set.

The Notecards and Envelopes fit perfectly in the Mini Paper Pumpkin Boxes, and a collection of hand-stamped cards and envelopes in a decorated box make a great gift!

So that’s my simple stamping card – now for the invitation! I was very inspired by the August Paper Pumpkin Hope Box kit, which was a collection of supplies to make cards and to decorate the Paper Pumpkin box to keep or gift to someone else. The idea was to fill it with items that would inspire hope and joy. I loved that idea so much that I’ve been continuing to make “hope” boxes with the Mini Paper Pumpkin boxes, and I’d like to invite you to join me in making and sharing inspiring boxes with others on a monthly basis. Each box will include a mini journal/album, 5 note cards and envelopes, and a cards with scripture to reflect on related to the theme. If you’d like more information on this monthly box kit, click here.

Thanks for hopping along with us today! Don't forget to let me know you were here by leaving a comment and check out my teammates' blogs by clicking on the links below!

Diana's Blog

Jessica's Blog

If you'd like to check out the products used for my project, you can click on the links below or stop by my online shop here. I'd love to connect with you through my newsletter and share inspiration, updates on what's happening with Stampin' Up! and information on any scheduled classes. Just click here to fill out the form to opt in to my newsletter and receive a free tutorial as well!

Product List

153365

$21.00

149468

$22.00

153114

$7.50

147112

$7.50

153078

$8.75

146979

$8.75

131527

$7.00

152813

$8.00

152392

$25.00

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Farewell Sale-A-Bration

It's time for the Creative Card-iology Blog Hop again! We are so glad you've joined us for our September salute to Sale-A-Bration! There are only a few more days to earn get the Free Sale-A-Bration products with purchases of $50 or $100. Our goal this month is to share just a little idea of what you can create with these limited edition products. We hope you enjoy hopping along with us this month as we say farewell to this season’s Sale-A-Bration.

I chose the Feels Like Home stamp set for my project this month. This set evokes a lot of fond memories from my younger years and special times with family. I love all the detail in the stamped image and the also the scripty font used for the sentiments. The sentiments included in this set offer options for various occasions, making it a set I can reach for over and over again. If you love to color, this set is for you as the image is great for coloring with Stampin’ Blends or water coloring with pencils or ink. I haven’t yet tried embossing with this set, but just the thought of trying it makes me want to set this blog aside and reach for my Versamark, embossing powder and heat tool just to see what happens!

I’d already created a card pairing this set with the Layering Diorama Dies, so for this blog I decided to try a framed picture this time using the same die collection. I also wanted to create that sense of long ago days with a blending brush, Crumb Cake cardstock and Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Early Espresso ink.

I had a dollar store frame that I thought would work pretty well, so I measured and found I needed a 6 ½” x 6 ½” Crumb Cake cardstock base. I cut 2 pieces of Crumb Cake cardstock, one measuring 5 ¼” x 5 ¼” and the second measuring 4 ⁷/₈” x 4 ⁷/₈” to cut frames using the Layering Diorama Dies, and 2 pieces measuring 4” x 5 ¼” to stamp the image on with Crumb Cake ink.

Using Stampin’ Blends, I colored the door, the stone wall, and the sidewalk of one stamped image, and the bicycle, plants and tree on the second stamped image. You can see my choices of Blends in the product list below. After coloring, I cut out the bicycle, hanging plant and tree with planters from the second piece. I chose two dies from the Layering Diorama Dies that framed the stamped image well to create a frame from each of the squares.

To create the antique look on my frames, I first dabbed my blending brush onto my Crumb Cake ink pad and then brushed the ink on my cardstock frame working from the outside edge in toward the center with circular motion, and then along the die cut frame edge out a bit. I then did the same thing with Soft Suede ink, this time keeping closer to the edges and not working my brush as far into the center. I followed the same procedure with the smaller square frame, but kept the coloring on this frame a lot lighter. Because I also wanted to highlight the dimension, I distressed just the outer edge of this second frame with Early Espresso ink using a sponge dauber.

I cut three pieces of the ¼” Early Espresso Faux Suede Trim to embellish two corners of my smaller frame and add a bow to the top right corner. Once I had this trim adhered, I was ready to piece it all together.

I placed Dimensionals around the open area of the larger frame and adhered my stamped image with the colored door to the back of the frame. I then placed foam adhesive strips around the outer edge of this layered piece to attach it to the base. Dimensionals were also placed on the back of the cut out bicycle, tree and hanging planter, which were then adhered over the same images on the first stamped piece. I then adhered the smaller square frame to the other layers, centering this frame on the larger framed piece. I added metallic pearls to the bicycle wheels and on the top left corner of the framed image.

To complete my picture, I stamped my sentiment “Your friendship feels like home to me” onto a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock in Early Espresso ink and punched it out with the Label Me Fancy Punch. I also punched a label from Early Espresso cardstock, cut this label in half and adhered half to the top back of my punched sentiment and half to the bottom creating a framed matted sentiment that I adhered to the bottom right corner of my picture.

There are a lot of people I would claim as friends, but I think there are fewer that fit this sentiment – friends that feel like home, friends that know who you are and love you because of and in spite of who you are. Friends you feel comfortable with. As I thought about what qualities and experiences make that kind of friendship, my thoughts turned inward a bit asking myself if I’m that type of friend, and how can I continue to grow in being that kind of friend. I’m grateful for how those friendships have impacted my life!

Don't forget to check out the current mini catalog and Sale-A-Bration products when you visit my online store. To check out the products used for today’s blog project, you can click on the links below.

There're still a few days left to take advantage of all that Sale-A-Bration has to offer. Along with the exlusive free products with purchase, Sale-A-Bration brings great hosting benefits and also a great join special - $125 in product for just $99 plus a free bundle from the July-December 2021 Mini Catalog. If you’d like to hear more about this awesome opportunity to share your love of stamping, you can click here: Tell me more!, comment below or reach out to me through email at kimskeepsakecreations@gmail.com.

Thanks for hopping along with us today! Don’t forget to check out my teammates’ blogs by following the links below!

Diana’s Blog

Jessica's Blog

Product List