Tutorial: Stepping Up Your Projects
Each week Stampin’ Up! demonstrators are sent an email with helpful information. Sometimes there is an inspiring story about a fellow demonstrator, or the latest business advice, or info about the latest promotion, and often there is creative inspiration. A while ago they shared the following three projects featuring the Sending Smiles and Pretty Birds Bundles.
I took a deep-dive into how these cards were made and am sharing that with you today. There are some fantastic ideas here that I know will come in handy!

I love how the projects are stepped up for casual crafters, through to the more experienced avid crafters.
This is a great reminder that your cards can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Sometimes we like to make clean & simple cards with minimal supplies. Other times we like to let our creativity loose and spend all day on a project! What is your favourite style?

On the first card, the bird image was coloured with Watercolor Pencils. The concept artist then created their own patterned paper by stamping out the bird cage image on Basic White Cardstock, taking care to line up the chain of each bird cage with the base of the cage above it.

The next card was stepped up by adding a few extra layers of patterned paper, and adhering Mossy Meadow Cardstock to a Foam Adhesive Sheet, which was then used that to die cut the word “Sending.” The “Sending” word shadow was die cut in Vellum and adhered behind the die-cut word, and finished off with some Brushed Metallic Dots.

This third card is a WOW card! The concept artist used the Deckled Rectangles Dies to cut three rectangles from the Texture Chic Designer Series Paper, then layered them on the card base, offsetting each layer. Next, the large bird cage was die cut three times from Crushed Curry Cardstock and once from Pearlescent Specialty Paper. All the die cuts were adhered together with the specialty paper on top, creating a thick die-cut piece. Such a cool technique!
Finally, the “Sending” word shadow was created by blending Mossy Meadow and Soft Succulent ink on Basic White Thick Cardstock with Blending Brushes then adding a few water drops with a Stampin’ Spritzer.
- Learn more about joining Stampin’ Up! so you can access these fantastic resources, as well as the awesome ongoing discount on every order.
- We are in the final week of the September Weekly Deals. Check out the latest specials here.
- Have you seen the latest all-inclusive kits? Fantastic new Christmas kits have recently been added.
- Brand new LIMITED EDITION cutting dies have been added for September. Check them out here. Note: They are only available until the end of September and won’t be offered again in the future.
- Less than 3 months until Christmas! Woohooo…. time to start the Christmas cards 🙂
Happy stamping,

