For this card I used the yardstick from the  Thoughtful Journey Memories and More card pack. By using the paper in the card pack, this card  was so simple and fast to create!  I kid you not, I did this in about 20 minutes. I love the patterns in the Memories & More packs and have had fun making cards with several of them. They are created for pocket scrapbooking, but I find they are terrific for making quick and easy cards. There are two options available now that coordinate back to Suites so you  have lots of options with these. You can see all Memories & More available HERE.

Today’s card uses a darling dot pattern cut down to fit a card size. The top layer is a 3′ x 4″ card cut down to 2.5″ x 3.75.  The sentiment was stamped an then punched using the Modern Oval Punch. So quick. The butterflies were stamped and fussy cut. I will give you a tip. When you have small items like this to fussy cut, stamp them on Thick Basic White Card Stock.  This gives you a better cut and the element will hold up better on the card.

I have done many, many cards with the Memories & More. They are a small investment that creates big results!

Supplies Used For This Card

Whenever I need a quick card, my first go to will always be my patterned papers. I keep swatch books on my desk and I can always flip through these to find an idea. With Stampin’ Up! beautiful Designer Series Paper (DSP), I can always find something to help me create a quick and simple card. In fact being able to create a card and especially for the recipient it one of the joys of being a paper crafter. You can lift someone’s spirit with s simple gesture like a handmade card.

For this card, I went right to the Thoughtful Journey DSP.  This paper was just what I was looking for. It was the right mix of subdued, yet comforting, hopeful colors, which worked perfect for what I wanted to convey in this card. All I had to do was add a sentiment and the card was done. I added some extra interest with a Petunia Pop ribbon under the sentiment and the Brass Butterflies seemed perfect for the design in this paper. And I like that butterflies symbolize hope. It was a nice touch for this card.

Supplies Used For This Card

I know it’s the dead heat of summer, but for me it is time to start thinking about making holiday cards!  I decided to look at doing some Halloween cards that did not require the typical Halloween stamps.  I decided to keep the color scheme simple and stayed with Basic Black and Pumpkin Pie since that color combination is the most “Halloween” of them all! The card above was very simple to do and used the Sketched Plaid stamped on Pumpkin Pie with a sentiment from the Throughout The Year set.  I added some die cut leaves from the Thoughtful Wishes dies and a bit of black twine. The envelope is decorated using the online exclusive stamp set Of Art & Texture. The “eek! sentiment is from a retired set named Spooky Fun. One of my secrets in doing this card is that I almost always use Basic Gray instead of Black ink when I have large areas to cover. I like the Stampin’ Up! ink better than the Memento Ink. And I think the Basic Gray has a better look for stamping large areas than a black ink.

The card below uses the Of Art & Texture stamp set and the sentiment from Throughout The Year. The Die cuts were made from the Flowers of Beauty dies. It’s a little more somber looking than I usually like for a Halloween card. But I think it works. And stretching my creativity a bit with the Of Art & Texture stamp set was fun.

The Halloween themed card shown below is made using the  Under The Moon stamp set. This set is designed as a nautical or ocean themed set, but I thought the full moon and clouds looked very “Halloween Night.  I added a border using the Of Art & Texture stamp set and again, the sentiment was from Throughout the Year.  This is a little somber too, but I thought it matched the sentiment and conveyed the feeling of a Halloween night.

Well, these are some of my ideas for starting Halloween without much in the way of Halloween sets or paper to work from. We have gotten the news that there is no Halloween shown in the Holiday mini catalog everyone will be getting next month. But the good news is that there are two Halloween sets online in the “Online Exclusives”. We also got the word that there will be a new release with paper and die cuts coming in September! I hope you can take some inspiration from the cards shown today and get your holiday cards started!

SuppliesUsed to Make This Card