Using A4 (metric) card stock to make a gatefold card

I'm not sure if I'm the only person in the world that wishes our card stock was just plain inches, it would make cutting and scoring a lot easier.

Anyhow I shared a cool gatefold card that a friend taught me the other day using the Geared Up to Celebrate stamp set & I thought I would share the cutting dimensions as going metric isn't that easy.

So to get started take a piece of A5 card stock (21 cm x 14.85cm). I find the easiest way to do the half measurements is go to the bigger number then bring it back a teeny bit.

Score in from each end at 5.25cm mark. I just used my paper trimmer that has a scoring blade as an attachment otherwise the Stampin' Up! metric scoring plate has a grove at 5.25cm.

Other cutting dimesions for card above two pieces of 14.35 x 4.75cm (card stock) and 2 pieces of 13.85 x 4.25cm (DSP)

I used the largest layering oval framelit for the biggest oval, I then used 2 ovals smaller to make the hold in it as I wanted it to be sturdy. Then I could have used 1 oval smaller but I used the 2nd largest Stitched Shapes Oval as I wanted the stitched details.

I've used On To Adventure  stamp set for the cute wee golfer (149334) which goes nicely with the very cool Country Club DSP in our current mini catalogue, as well as cool golf-themed papers there are some lovely plaids etc for masculine cards. The only other trick is when gluing down the oval enclosure is to only glue half the oval, attach the largest oval ring first.

• All my bits & bobs to start constructing. 

• I've flipped over my oval ring so you can see I have only attached the Tombow mono glue to one half of the oval.

•  It's a good tip to have the silicone craft mat under your work surface so it doesn't get sticky.

• This is what it looks like open at this stage. 

• I added the glue to the RHS half stamped image which is attached to the Crushed Curry oval. I found it easier to close the card down & pop the oval straight through the hole to line it all up.

•  Again just an image to show you what it looks like from inside at the moment.

• The completed card I have added a scrap of the plaid DSP underneath the white mat for the inner.

The colours in the DSP are Night of Navy, Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade (& Whisper white). I also saw on a You Tube video a good tip for making a wee closure if you want something to close which is using an embossing buddy on a mini glue dot, it's not really necessary for this card as it is actually a really snug closure.

Well I sincerely hope everyone is safe & locked down. I have tidies up most of my crafting room & it's a much nicer space to play in :)

Inky hugs
✿ Karen ✿

The last 7 days of Sale-a-bration

Sale-a-bration is coming to an end and SU! have added items from the main catalogue that you can earn for FREE with a qualifying order of $110 (level 1) or $220 (level 2)

We can now earn for FREE

• 2 sheets of red rhinestone basic jewels (level 1)
• 2x mini shipping boxes (level 1)
• Follow Your Art Designer Series Paper (level 1)
• Dinoroar Designer Series Paper (level 1)
• Woven Threads Designer Series Paper (level 1)
• Shimmer Detailed Laser Cut Speciality Paper (level 1)
• Rococo Rose Stamping Blends Combo Pack (level 1)
• Butterfly Duet Punch (level 2)
• and this is what excites me the most Wild Rose Dies (level 2)

Many of the items from the first and second release are still available to earn for free but some have already sold out and are no longer available. So if you click HERE or on the picture above it takes you directly to my online shop & you can then click on learn more about Sale-a-bration to see what is actually currently available.

Sale-a-bration finishes March 31st and also the bestest offer to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator with all the extra goodies also ends on March 31st.

I know the times are scary but the offer to join at the moment is really the best-est item on sale and to be honest we maybe stuck at home an awful long time. There are no guarantees for how long we have to stay in self-isolation in New Zealand and maybe we need to stock up on our crafting supplies as well as toilet paper. What do you get if you join my team during Sale-a-bration:

• a fully customisable starting kit which is $285 of products from the current catalogues for $189
• a free stamp on top of that (this is where you chose the stamp set on your wish-list which costs the most to buy)
• the cutest mini trimmer
• a 6x6" pack of Designer series paper with a lot of DSP in it!

There is no obligation to buy anything after you buy the starting kit (which also comes with all your business supplies to get started).Throughout the year, Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators also enjoy:

• Product at a 20-25% discount (before GST)
• Access to Stampin’ Up! demo-only website content
• Exclusive pre-order privileges to new upcoming product before customers
• Eligibility to attend amazing OnStage international and local events
• Chances to earn performance rewards such as free product, exciting trips/cruises, and more
• Loads of social friendships

You can click HERE to learn more about joining Stampin! Up! or contact me directly for more information.

Once again stay safe and if you can, share some handmade love to brighten someone's day.
✿ Karen ✿

Geared up to celebrate with a vroom

Just a quick post sharing the fabulous gatefold card my friend Denise Allison taught me that was just perfect for my car-mad man!!

Apart from the absolutely classic masculine images in the set Geared Up Garage and the cool closure using the oval dies; what I really loved the most was her thinking outside the tool-box & using tourist maps she had picked up on her travels for our DSP!! What a fab idea Denise & Pete though the card was awesome!

Recipe:
Stamps: Geared Up Garage (148590)
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, street maps from her travels as DSP
Dies: Layering Ovals
Technique: Gatefold card

Well I hope everyone stays safe and well. The only good thing I can say about being self-contained is we can spend some time crafting. I am on shift at my hospital job this weekend so it's business as "usual" though there is nothing usual about the times we find ourselves in just now.

Inky hugs
✿ Karen ✿

Another Centre Step card

I shared a few days ago the card I made for Neville's 80th & I'm sharing an even more special card given to me by a fellow demonstrator when we swapped cards at the Creative Inkers stamp camp recently in Rotorua. It's an absolute fab, fun card and another masculine one. Little did I know when I received this card that the demo that swapped with me would die unexpectedly a week later. This has been a huge shock for those that knew her personally and even for myself who had just meet her it also makes you realise how precious life is, so I'm actually thrilled in someways to have something that Janice McConnell made and happy to share what a talented card maker she was.

Life is all a bit surreal at the moment with life as we know it changing so rapidly with COVID19 so being able to take some time out for oneself each day is a blessing & hopefully some of my KReations will give the recipients as much pleasure as Janice's card does to me.

Supply List:
Stamps: Mountain Air, Pedal to the Metal, Itty Bitty Birthdays, Peaceful Place
Ink/Markers: Basic Gray, Memento Black, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Old Expresso
Dies: Majestic Mountain, Wiggly Bugs
Punches: Classic Label
Other: Dimensionals
✿ Karen ✿

Happy 80th Birthday Neville

It was my friend & neighbour Neville's 80th birthday last week so I had just the perfect card for him saved in my stash.

Neville was a keen sailor & I felt the saying on the card was perfect as he's about to move to the next phase of his life; moving to a retirement village later this year.

This card was taught to me at a Creative Inkers Extravaganza event in 2019 by Rachael Knight, Heather Stewart & Christine Gedye. It was one of my favs on the day as it is always nice to have a few masculine cards in our stash.

This is a Centre Step card & if you've never made one before there is a very cool tutorial on SplitCoastStampers which you can view if you click HERE.

Recipe/Supply List:
Stamps: Sailing Away
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Balmy Blue, Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Soft Suede, Mossy Meadow
Paper: Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Whisper White, Come Sail Away DSP
Die: Smooth Sailing
Other: Baker's Twine (Night of Navy/Sahara Sand), Denim ribbon, Sail Away Trinkets, mini glue dots, dimensionals

Well Neville had a fun afternoon surrounded by family & friends & I certainly hope the direction his life is taking him this year leads to much happiness.

✿ Karen ✿

My official Stampin' Up! site

Hi all and I sincerely hope your week is going well, as the weekend is approaching fast I'm thinking of a few projects I want to try as well as share here. My blog is my personal place to share what I love but I also have an OFFICIAL Stampin' Up! site where you can view what currently is happening at Stampin' Up! and also shop directly with me anytime 24/7. You can click on the picture above or click HERE to view.

✿ Karen ✿

Uplifting Umbrella

It was a grey & gloomy day in Auckland yesterday and I had sometime to do a bit of blog hopping & saw a few simple challenges at AAA Cards (Clean and Simple Challenges) and The Paper Players which seemed a nice way to spend the afternoon. I was thinking I may need an umbrella real soon when I decided to make this card.

• I've black embossed the umbrella on the reverse of a paper from the Birthday Bonanza DSP pack (the other side has lions on it) as I loved the Terracotta Tile/Grapefruit Grove colours which seemed so cheery. 
• The gumboots I just black embossed them on thick Whisper White cardstock & then stamped one of the sweet wee flowers all over it with Gray Granite Ink. 
• I've then fussy cut out the gumboots and then coloured it in with alcohol markers & the cheery centre is a Melon Mambo Stampin' Write marker. 
• I punched out the umbrella using the punch and the handle I just punched out of black card stock. 

So a really quick & easy but hopeful it adds a "bit of sunshine" to the recipient it sure did to my day.

Supply List (all products Stampin' Up! apart from the Copic Markers):
Stamps: Under My Umbrella (Photopolymer)
Ink: Versamark, Gray Granite, Melon Mambo marker, various Copic markers
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black, Birthday Bonanza DSP
Punches: Umbrella Builder
Other: Black EP, Dimensionals (mini & normal), EMBOSSING BUDDY (very important as black embossing on white cardstock)

 If you buy the stamp set & punch as a bundle you save 10% - Under My Umbrella Bundle (153786) $64.75

I found a really cool site that matches the Copic Markers to Stampin' Up! Blends as for those of you that have been following me for awhile know I discovered colouring & Copic markers whilst I was no longer a demo in the middle of 2016. For complicated colouring I'd have to say Copics are amazing but for simple colouring of small images for cards I wish SU! had their blends available years ago I would have saved a whole lot of money! As I have invested in 2/3 of the Copic range there is no turning back for me & I am very grateful Kim from Joyful Creations from Kim has all the matches on her site. For those of you starting on the colouring journey SU! offers blending markers in a much smaller range which offers the ease & versatility of blending with alcohol and the marker colour will also match the card stock, ribbon, DSP etc (all the things we/I love about SU!) and I'm happy to say thick whisper white card stock is possible to blend on, I wouldn't personally recommend it on regular whisper white.

Anyhow onto the Challenges; maximum white space and heat embossing - 2 of my favourite things to do on a card.

✿ Karen ✿

Sale-a-bration Update

Stampin' Up! Have released new items to finish the best party of the year off with a bang.

Please click on the image in the right hand column to see what the extra items are but I have my eyes on Well Dressed and the So very Vellum Specialty DSP or you can click HERE.

Sale-a-bration (SAB) finishes on March 31st and you can earn free items if you spend a minimum of $110 (there's no limit to how much you can earn).

It is really worthwhile to stock up on your basics or if there's something in the new mini catalogues you love, this is the time to grab it as who doesn't love FREE.

Orders over $300 qualify for host rewards, which start off at 10% to spend on anything & if you spend $575 you earn an extra free stamp set automatically as an extra too, it's so cute called Little Ladybug.

It even has a corresponding die you can purchase which actually helps you earn it. It's product number is 153588 and its a 15 piece set for $61. Anyhow if you'd like to place an order to earn some FREE goodies I'd be happy to help you.

Stampin' Up! have chosen to highlight the Well Dressed SAB set (item 152300) too. It is a Level 1 Sale-A-Bration item which features a retro 40s vibe and is perfect if you like distinctive, masculine stamp sets. It’s great for Father’s Day, birthdays, or just to make that handsome guy in your life feel loved. It's only available to March 31st and it's free with any order of $110 or more.

✿ Karen ✿

My March Newsletter is about to be released tomorrow.

I've just finished doing my March Newsletter, all I'm waiting for is the update from Stampin' Up! to go live tomorrow so I can do the final links. I'm sharing my first tutorial with step-by-step instructions & pictures too for the featured card you can see; so if you haven't signed up for my monthly newsletter already and you'd like to know what's going in with Stampin' Up! in NZ and a monthly tutorial delivered to your Inbox please subscribe to my newsletter in the top right hand column.

Happy KReatin'
✿ Karen ✿