I love the scenes that can be created by combining a couple of the stamp and die sets.  Embellishing with the little metal birds and "rocks" are a fun finishing touch.

  

Half of 2025 is now over............WOW!  Thank you for coming by today!

 

I have been seeing some very pretty cards using layered mask designs. I didn't have any so decided to take a chance on the ones from Stampin' UP!.   This is the only one I have made so far.  Not sure how I feel about it.  I might try some different colors to compare.  What do you think?

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At the time I was working with the other cards with the arches dies,  I also made this card but didn't post it because we were going to give it to a family friend.  I'm pretty sure she has no idea about my blog, but didn't want to take a chance.  

I've seen various videos showing how to make this one.  It's very easy and presents a fun card for the recipient to display.  Die cutting the butterfly from the same dsp was a great idea.

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I saw a card that used a Stampin' Up! image that they used with black ink on the Thoughtful Journey dsp to create a really neat scene.  I didn't have that stamp, but used one from Penny Black to do the same thing.  (Use what you have!)

This was done with another Penny Black stamp to create a different scene.

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The last of my cards using the arches dies - at least for now.

If you look close, you can see I embossed the 4" x  5 1/4" white layer.

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Three samples of just using pretty dsp with the arches dies.

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Very simple. I embossed a 4" x 5 1/4" of white card stock with the Painted Texture folder and added it to the white card base.  I cut the arched piece of dsp and added it along with the sentiment.  The dsp is great to use with the arch dies.

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I cannot take credit for the design on this card.  Cindy Brumbaugh had one on Pinterest.  I pretty much followed hers to the letter.  It was so different than any design I had ever made and I just love it.

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 A few days ago I showed a picture giving you a hint of a project in progress.  This is the reveal...........

Julie Heitz does these quilt patterns.  This piece started as an 8" x 8" piece of card stock and then the strips and triangles are added to it.  If you like to "quilt" on cards, you can see the full instructions HERE

When all of the pieces have been added, it is cut into four 4" x 4" pieces for four cards.  She chose to use the book binder fold so I did as well.  

I didn't place the square on the card in the upper right hand corner for a reason.  Before adding the squares to card bases, I wanted to decide what I was going to do with the "spine" of the card.  The dsp I was going to be using looked better, I thought, if the square was rotated as shown.  If the cards are used individually, no one will ever know.

The squares and the piece for the "spines" on these two cards were matted which gives a bit more dimension.  The square on the right also has embossing over the spine and the square which gives it a real quilting affect.  Julie hadn't "quilted" any of her squares.

These two have dsp strips on the spine and one has the sheer ribbon.

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Two simple cards.  I stamped the same but then changed the bows and reversed the colors of the card base and mats.

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I decided I wanted to pull out a stamp/die set I hadn't used in a long time.  The Forever Fern set is one of my favorites.  The card I saw used the stamps and dies for the designs on the squares.  If I make another one, I would just stamp the designs right onto the squares instead of having to die cut them.  I like the card but not sure how I feel about how "heavy" it is to the bottom of the base.  It might make a better square card. (I send square cards in an A2 envelope instead of paying the extra postage.)

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The new arches dies are really fun to work with.  Rita Holmes recently made a card with this layout so I decided to make one as well.  

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A very simple card.  I added a strip of Moody Mauve card stock down the front of the card base.  Then I stamped the design from Dainty Delight stamp set and colored the flowers with Moody Mauve and  light green and yellow markers.

 Thank you for coming by today!  (See below for project coming soon.)

This strip of Thoughtful Journey dsp made me think of a beach area so I added the die cut beachy design.  I'll keep this back as a card to use for someone's retirement.  The die cut is from Taylored Expressions.

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The flower is a die cut from a Memory Box design. The butterflies are from a Martha Stewart punch and the sentiment is from the Stampin' Up! "Love & Sympathy" stamp set.

Two more cards using this idea.....

These last two were done with a die cut design.

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 I used a scrap of the Thoughtful Journey dsp behind this die cut from Taylored Expresions.  A little deer finished off the scene.

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This was another idea I had from Pinterest while I was making sympathy cards.  The Soft Suede and Early Espresso color combination worked well for the card.

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This piece of the Thoughtful Journey dsp made me think of a body of water so I simply stamped some branches on the bottom half of the paper with an old stamp I have from Stampscapes Inc called "Prickly Branches."  The birds were added along with the little sentiment and the card was done.

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A simple Thank You card.  I took a 3" x 5 1/4" piece of this dsp and added a narrow white mat.  Then I stamped the trees on the horizon and added birds flying over the peaceful scene.  Before adding it to the card base, I used one of the designs from the On the Horizon set to stamp along both the left and right hand side of the base.  It might be hard to see in the picture.

I had the other 3" piece of that sheet and cut it down to make this card and stepped it up by adding the die cut fence and greenery pieces. Note the little "rocks" by the gap in the fence.

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I added a "Twiggy Tree" die cut to the Thoughtful Journey dsp along with a die cut dee which looks like it is getting a sip of water.  

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More Thoughtful Journey dsp on these two cards.  (I'm really trying to use up some of this paper because I bought two packages!)

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I saw the idea for these two cards on Pinterest using the Thoughtful Journey dsp strips.  I didn't have the same die for the black trees, but the unbranded one I have worked great.  I've debated about adding a sentiment on a narrow strip but might leave them as is.

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The die used for this card is from Penny Black..."Framed Flowers". The die cut has a very narrow border which made it more difficult to add adhesive and keep it straight.  Using a heavier card stock would have given it more "body".  

I added texture to the white mat with an embossing folder before die cutting the white piece.  Embossing after die cutting would have damaged the stitched border.  

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The Thoughtful Journey dsp has great pieces to use for cards with silhouette designs.

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 This card uses a square from the Thoughtful Journey dsp.  I added birds from the On the Horizon collection.  The sentiment is from Wonderful Thoughts stamps and dies.  I think this card could also be used if I needed a sympathy card.

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The "Love and Sympathy" stamp set  is one of my favorite sets to use for sympathy cards.  I did this one using Crumb Cake and Navy color combination.  I actually still had some of the little Navy candy dots to embellish the upper corner.  (I wish they still made those little dots since they lay so nice and flat.)

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 I've made this card before but decided to make one again.  I used Crumb Cake ink and card stock.  The mat is Early Espresso.   I stamped the leaves from the retired Forever Fern stamp set.  I'm not sure what stamp set I used for the four "swish" impressions because I have several sets that have those types of stamps.

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 The New Horizon dsp (which is retired) has some great pieces that work well for sympathy cards.  This is a CASE of one I saw on Pinterest.

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Unfortunately I have needed several sympathy cards lately.  Usually I make a card specifically for certain families, but time has been quite busy so I spent a couple of days making up cards to have in my reserve.  This was a very easy card to make.  I stamped the leaves once with Mossy Meadow and then stamped a second time for the lighter shade.  The sentiment was added and three of the little metal butterflies.  The design was matted with Mossy Meadow card stock and then added to a white card base.

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I'm posting these on Tuesday, June 3rd although I intended to have them show on June 1st.  The idea for these came from a post I saw on Pinterest.

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