Embellish

Learn to make these gorgeous beachy gift cards for your friends!

This card is one of eight brand new layouts included in the April 2021 Class of the Month club projects, featuring the Friends are Like Seashells set and die bundle! Click to see more samples. I had so much fun coming up with class and out of the box ideas for all these shells!

If you're interested in my Class of the Month Club, here's the complete details. It's a fantastic way to stick to a crafting budget and build your collection in a sustained and systematic way. In a nutshell, you can participate any month you want to, just by using that month's club code to order at least $35 or more Stampin' Up supplies at http://bit.ly/shopwithLyssa 

Join my club in April! Participate ONLY when you want that month's class.

*****Join just by shopping with the monthly code 32KXRKVH before you checkout****

The Sand & Sea suite is sooo elegantly created, I'm featuring this collection as next month's Suite Sampler, too! There will be more card and page ideas you can make with this bundle and all the pretty accessories, embossing folder and coordinating trims.

I'm dreaming of the next time I'll get to put my piggies in the ocean, can you tell? Don't wake me up!

Trifold Pop Up Gift Card Holder

Wait until you see this baby in action! It looks like a normal card, but when you open it the gift card stands up by itself! And it's all thanks to some EASY scores in just the right places. Let's learn to make it together!

To begin, you'll need:

• a 12 x 5.5 inch piece of double-sided patterned paper
• Simply Scored or your Paper Trimmer with a scoring blade
• Tear & Tape or other strong adhesive
• a 3.75 x 5.25 inch piece of Basic White cardstock
• Mini Stampin' Dimensionals
• Stamps and ink plus dies or punches to decorate
• a gift card!

 

Isn't that just so fun? And it works with any paper for any occasion--weddings, baby showers, party invitations, etc. AND it fits inside a regular medium envelope to boot.

Here's a square cardstock version of this card I made years ago.... pardon the video production quality, or shall I say lack thereof!

Plus, the possibilities for pop-up elements are pretty much endless. How would Grandma like being greeted by a pop-up picture of her grandbaby? Or a little row of tulips? Oh yeah--time to go play in the stamp room! Have fun!

Press On with more coffee loving fun!

Confession time: if there's a coffee-themed set in the Stampin' Up collection, I've got to have it. What can I say? Some people collect certain  animal stamps, or trucks or butterflies... my obsession is coffee!

Don't ask me how many coffee lover's sets I have in my collection. Not tellin'!

So after making the video on the Double Packet Pocket Card, I had several extra Just Jade card bases to use up. I had fun using two beverage-related stamp sets, Press On and Nothing Better Than, to finish them up. Cute!

Did you try this fancy fold yet? It's soooo easy and very economical. The sky's the limit for what will fit in the two pockets. I was thinking they'd even make great wedding favors, maybe with a seed or spice blend packet in the large pocket. Let me know what YOU put in YOUR version!

PSST....the best way not to miss any of my video tutorials is to subscribe to my once-weekly email list!

July 2020 Class of the Month Club is here! Nothing's Better Than

I could seriously play for hours and hours with this new set and not get bored!! In fact, I HAVE played for hours and hours with it, and compiled the best of my cardmaking session into this month's class. The July 2020 Class of the Month features the adorably retro Nothing's Better Than stamp set and coordinating dies (optional). It is a MUST for any coffee addicts, chocolate lovers, and cookie fans!

This month's class has four complete projects, plus three bonus layouts AND a bonus sheet on how to make the cutest little chocolate box using punches and a clear acetate window sheet. Start making your address list now, because you are going to want to send EVERYONE on your list one of these cards!

Never participated in my online rewards club before? You're in for a treat!

The perks begin when you place an order of at least $35 or more at my online Stampin' Up store: http://bit.ly/shopwithLyssa and use the special JULY2020 code SQCKAURU. I get notification of that order and automatically email you the club project files for the month!

I also send you a handmade "Lyssa original" card using the same stamp set, so you have yet another cute idea! Inside you'll find samples of fun new papers and embellishments for you to try out and see if you'd like to add to your wishlist for next time. 

The last thing I do each month is keep track of who played along. Each time you participate by using the club code when you order, you get a point towards a shopping spree where I pay the shipping! Play five times and redeem $30 worth of new toys. Play ten times and get $60 in products of your choice! I LOVE spoiling my club members. Complete online club details here

 ****All you have to do to join my club is use the monthly code SQCKAURU before you checkout****

and your perks will automatically begin. Click here to Shop with Lyssa!

Suggested new products to consider:

• Nothing's Better Than stamp set alone [152507] $22.00
• Nothing's Better Than stamps and dies bundle 10% off [154061] $46.75
• Fancy Tag Topper Punch [152711] $23.00 OR other Tag Topper Punch of choice
• OR any Stampin' Up products totaling at least $35 before shipping and tax.
• Don't forget BONUS DAYS! Get a $5 coupon for August for every $50 spent in July!

I can't wait to see what YOU make with this bundle and the unique ideas and versatile layouts in my class!

Got questions or need a Stampin' Up catalog? Email me anytime: [email protected]

The last thing I do each month is keep track of who played along. Each time you participate by using the club code when you order, you get a point towards a shopping spree where I pay the shipping! Play five times and redeem $30 worth of new toys. Play ten times and get $60 in products of your choice! I LOVE spoiling my club members. Complete online club details here

 ****All you have to do to join my club is use the monthly code SQCKAURU before you checkout****

and your perks will automatically begin. Click here to Shop with Lyssa!

Suggested new products to consider:

• Nothing's Better Than stamp set alone [152507] $22.00
• Nothing's Better Than stamps and dies bundle 10% off [154061] $46.75
• Fancy Tag Topper Punch [152711] $23.00 OR other Tag Topper Punch of choice
• OR any Stampin' Up products totaling at least $35 before shipping and tax.
• Don't forget BONUS DAYS! Get a $5 coupon for August for every $50 spent in July!

I can't wait to see what YOU make with this bundle and the unique ideas and versatile layouts in my class!

Got questions or need a Stampin' Up catalog? Email me anytime: [email protected]

Easy and cute retro layouts to make tonight!

I love the 40's and 50's sense of graphic art style and their fun, bright color combos. It makes me smile whenever I see a retro advertisement or pause to admire a pink or turquoise kitchen appliance in an antique shop!

 

 

Crumb Cake

 

Blushing Bride

 

Mint Macaron

 

Whisper White

 

Soft Suede

www.songofmyheartstampers.com

That's what the new bundle "Nothing's Better Than..." made me think of, so when I sat down to play with my new stamps, I pulled out baby pink, brown and mint green for my color combo! And then proceeded to have two hilarious hours making the CUTEST CARDS EVER!

Look at all the adorable images and phrase combos in this set:

I can't wait to play some more! I've already decided this bundle will be the July 2020 Class of the Month, so be sure it goes on your next order so you'll be ready to dive in with the instructions provided. 

Here's my favorite of the projects from that afternoon.

Aaaaah I am having SO MUCH FUN I can't stand it!

Seriously, girlfriend, you need to get in on this.

Right now, in addition to the Starter Kit, you get to pick ANY bundle free in June 2020 when you join my team. So you could get this Nothing's Better Than bundle at ZERO cost, plus any other $125 worth you pick out, for $99 plus tax--NO shipping. List of bundles here.

Click here to join! In about 10 minutes flat you'll be part of the fun: http://bit.ly/joinSUnow

Psst... not ready to join just now, but want to stay informed when Starter Kit specials pop up? Subscribe to my newsletter to stay in the loop about opportunities and extra add-ons!

Snowman gift card holder is perfect for easy holiday gifting!

I can't believe I've gotten this far into the season and only just had time to break out my new Snowman Builder Punch! It's so cute--can't wait to make my gift tags with it. For this project I used the coordinating Snowman Season bundle with the Let it Snow specialty glittered papers. It was a shortcut to super cute!

Here's some simple instructions for the gift card holder. I am going to use this idea year-round, I'm sure.

• Base cardstock: 4.25 x 5.5 inches (fits regular medium envelope)
• Whisper White cardstock: 7.75 x 5 inches
• Score at 2.25 and 6 inches on the long side
• Pattered paper: 4.75 x 1.5 inches (for the smaller flap)
• Adhere the back of the Whisper White to the card base. 
• Fold up the smaller flap and secure the sides ONLY with strong adhesive.
• Stamp and decorate as desired!

I hope you find this project useful for your holiday gifting to co-workers, neighbors, friends and family. Happy Christmas Creating!

Best Ever Monster Bash! Stranger Things and a sweet scrapbook suite

Whoo hoo!! We made it! If you're just joining us and wondering if you're at Song of My Heart or clicked into some alternate universe, never fear--you found me! But all this week I've been plotting with my Stampin' Up assistant and BFF Penni Litwiller to bring you happy Halloween ideas that are quick and inexpensive to make in an afternoon.

Today is our LAST DAY (sniff!) of Halloween projects! Be sure to click on the Cards, Misc Holidays and Party Decor & More blog categories to see awesome ideas from the past few years we have been doing this series.

Penni has been working on cards, and came up with this adorable Ghiradelli chocolate holder using the Pocket die and the Wonderfully Wicked stamp set and die bundle.

That pocket die is super handy for holding gift cards and cash, too, as well as chocolate and other flat things like gum, temporary tattoos, magnets, and chocolate and... did I mention chocolate? Because chocolate is always a good idea.

Next my very creative friend tried her hand at making a Stranger Things card. She nailed it with the Making Christmas Bright stamp set--so clever! No one who's ever seen the show can forget this scene.

The juices were flowing then, I guess, because we wound up with a Gorgon head made from the Perennial Flower punch and the White Chalk Marker... and a waffle card made from circle punches and the Basket Weave embossing folder!

My last project was a scrapbook spread to document everyone's cute costumes this year. I had so much fun with the Spooktacular Bash bundle and mixing the bright colors in my two-page "wreath" layout. Even if you don't do anything else handmade for this holiday, I hope you WILL document it with photos of your little ghosts and goblins!

The stamps in this set transfer nicely from cards and favors to a scrapbook page. To make the small frames and monster "portraits" have more presence on the page, I grouped them together with other small elements, and sprinkled my embellishments near them. One other tip (which doesn't show up in the photos) is to spritz a heavy squirt of Shimmer Spray (recipe here) on those groupings so they really stand out from the matte photos and cardstock.

One last not-so-spooky party food idea from the interwebz... this one made us laugh! And again, nice counterpoint to all the candy.

We also like it because it's perfect for a nice big centerpiece, but not something we have to store or attempt to use again. Bonus--we'll have chunked up fruit for our smoothies all next week!

Well there you are, my friends! Thanks for joining me and "Halloween Baby" Penni for our annual blog series. I wish you could come over for the afternoon and craft with us some time... we'd have soooo much fun!

Just a reminder, your last chance for the free Holiday Haul stamp set with any $75 purchase using the code Y4KJ7QN3 needs to be completed by Monday night, October 9th, 2019, to qualify. It will come separately from your order, in the regular mail.  Click to shop with Lyssa!

Rollercoaster of Love! Ready for a thrill ride pop up card?

Penni and I were planning to feature this cute little coaster during our Valentine blog series last week and just never got it done. It's not a Valentine stamp set, but I had to share it with you before the holiday anyway. It was more work than I usually put into a card, but the end results are spectacularly cute! We used red, pink, vanilla and pale aqua on our projects, along with a little Red Glimmer Paper.

The really amazing thing to me is, just one die cuts all this intricate structure out--just one run through the Big Shot. Somebody way smarter than me designed that!!

The coaster has two separate levels to put cars on, yet still folds almost perfectly flat. You will want to either hand-deliver this one, or send it in a special envelope with a little more postage than normal. I tried to keep the front cover of my card pretty flat to help with the bulk.

Stampin' Up made a great video of this set of dies, which you should definitely watch if you decide to purchase them. There's a couple of tricks that will make like a lot easier and your end results even more professional. The birthday options are TOO. CUTE. And guess what?? You can slip a gift card behind there, too! That makes this card even more versatile.

 Happy Heart's Day, friends! Have fun expressing your love to family and friends, this week, and all year long.

Penni & Lyssa's Not-So-Spooky Crafting Adventure: Day Two gift cards & goodies

Hey everyone! Thanks for joining us for Day Two of our Halloween blog series! We're focusing on gift card holders and goodie envelopes using the adorable Merry Cafe companion set to the Coffee Cups Framelits. These provide not only a no-fuss way to mail some fun to those who don't live near, but also to get even more mileage out of some surprising tools.

Penni whipped up a "witches brew with scream and sugar" and the fun Spooky Night papers. The bubbling "mad scientist" beakers and tubes in the background are perfect for this card! And I like how the Pinewood Planks embossing folder adds texture without making the card busy.

Merry Cafe has stamps for all the fall and winter holidays, including Christmas. I had fun making up some gift card holders for upcoming craft fairs. It's so easy with the Envelope Punch Board and a 5x5 square of double-sided paper. You can make them open at the end or along the side like a traditional envelope.

You can also stick the gift card envelope right on the front or inside of a regular card, like I did with these apple cider cards. BONUS TIME-- the flat Ghiradelli squares also fit in this size of envelope. But you'll need to hand-deliver those (and hide them from hubby). Actually, any flat candies would fit--Laffy Taffy, Twizzlers, packs of gum... and for a more grown-up goodie, individual chai or apple spice tea bags, fun post-it notes, or a funny office magnet.

One last project, because I just had to show off the best stamp in the Merry Cafe set: "it's pumpkin spice season!" I made this whole card and decided it was finished, and then what do you know, the Cat Punch leaped onto it and wouldn't budge. And I am ok with that. He's so cute, I cannot WAIT to see what other sets Stampin' Up comes out with to match him.

Ready to recreate the look at home? Here's what you'll need to gather: 

Merry Café Photopolymer Stamp Set	Coffee Cups Framelits Dies	Spooky Night Designer Series Paper
NEW Cat Punch	Envelope Punch Board	Pinewood Planks  Embossing Folder
Basic Black 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon	Black Rhinestone Jewels	Basic Black Metallic Thread
Basic Black Baker's Twine	Black Mini Sequin Trim	Silver Mini Sequin Trim

We still have three more days of ideas--IF we can fit them all in!--so we'll see you back here again tomorrow for Day Three of Penni & Lyssa's Not-So-Spooky Halloween Adventure! Not a fan of Halloween? Hang in there--I'll still be posting other projects this week, and our series will end on Friday.

August 2017 Class of the Month Code is here!

Ready to learn something new? I'm super excited to announce this round of Song of My Heart's awesome "no commitment" club, Class of the Month! Learn new layouts, tips and tricks in the comfort of you own home, with me as your personal stampin' instructor! Complete online club details here.

****No need to sign up or register! Just shop with the code, which tells me you want to play along. I'll email to welcome you to the club and keep track of your participation points! ZERO HASSLE!!****

All six of the projects created for you this month use Coffee Cafe, our featured stamp set (or die-cut bundle!!!) for August 2017.

I hope you'll play along with our fun new online club whenever you can--and remember, every fifth time you participate, you get a $30 shopping spree and I pay the shipping! Read all the details about the club and how it works here. The August code is NG7DH42N.

See an August sneak peek above! This is just ONE of the seven projects featured in this month's COTM Club PDF files.

The August 2017 COTM Club "Suggested Order" Total is: $35.50

• Coffee Cafe 16-piece photopolymer stamp set, $21.00
• Coffee Break Designer Series 12x12 papers, $11.00
• Corrugated Elements embellishments, $3.50
• OR any product(s) of your choice, totaling at least $35.50 before shipping & tax
• DON'T FORGET: if you have a Bonus Days coupon to use, your order must still total $35.50 or more after the coupon has been applied.
• And PSSST....Coffee Cafe is also available in a bundle with the coordinating Framelits! Save 10% off regular price.

Ready to participate? The August COTM Code is NG7DH42N. To join, just place your order of at least $35.50 (before shipping and tax) at http://bit.ly/shopwithLyssa no later than August 25th, and the project files will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours. You'll also be receiving a hand-stamped thank you card from me, with the FREE Product Sample of the Month inside, something new and fun to try! 

What will you learn this month as a VIP club member?

Join the club and take the class along with us!

 

Last chance to get July's Class of the Month! Are you one of my VIP Club members?

It's the final chance to join Song of My Heart's new "no commitment" club, Class of the Month, for July 2017!! All SEVEN (yes, there's a special bonus fancy fold this month!) of the projects created for you this month use Daisy Delight, our adorable new featured stamp set. The deadline is the 25th of each month. PSST...that's today!

I hope you'll play along with our fun new program whenever you can--and remember, every fifth time you participate, you get a $30 shopping spree and I pay the shipping! Read all the details about the club and how it works here.

See some sneak peeks above! These are just a couple of the seven projects featured in this month's COTM Club PDF. The cards range from easy to intermediate and even advanced. You'll love growing your skills as you build your collection with solid product choices and plenty of inspiration!

The July 2017 COTM Club Suggested Order Total is: $34.50

• ORDER any product(s) of your choice, totaling at least $34.50 before shipping & tax. It doesn't have to be the Daisy stamps.
• DON'T FORGET: July is Bonus Days at Stampin' Up! Every $50 spent gets you a $5 coupon to use on anything in August. Your club order counts! Add a little more to bump it up and enjoy redeeming the coupon(s) next month during a special Christmas preorder.

Ready to participate? The July COTM Code is M4GRT6WB. To join, just place your order of at least $34.50 (before shipping and tax) at http://bit.ly/shopwithLyssa no later than July 25th, and the project files will be emailed to you within 24 hours. You'll also be receiving a hand-stamped thank you card from me, with the FREE Product Sample of the Month inside, something new and fun to try! 

What will you learn this month as a VIP Class of the Month member?

Take the class along with us!

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Four cups of coffee, please!

Ahhh... today is just one of those days where the coffee/bloodstream ratio is just not optimal! Here's four delightful cups to entertain you today while I'm working TOP SECRET projects for 31 Pages in 31 Days!

These are all sample swaps from my fantastic business demonstrator group on Facebook. If you've ever wondered where we all get our ideas... well, now you know! There are tens of thousands of us out there playing and feeding off each others' ideas. Enjoy these CUTE cards using Coffee Break suite from pages 30-31 of the new Stampin' Up 2017-18 Idea Book & Catalog. In order, the swaps are from Nina Vesel, Sheila Roberts, Becky Taylor and Cindy Westerink.

Gotta see this one stood up, to show off the window sheet panel in the front:

Gotta see this one standing up as well. Cute fold! I'll make a tutorial of it to add to the library here at Song of My Heart, soon.

There you go! If that doesn't perk you up, nothing will. Check out the entire Coffee Break Suite in my Stampin' Up Store and please shop with Lyssa!

 

Product List

Coffee Café Photopolymer Stamp Set $21.00	Coffee Cups Framelits Big Shot Dies $30.00	Coffee Café Photopolymer Bundle $45.75
Coffee Break 12x12 Designer Series Paper $11.00	Coffee Break 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Asst. Pack $8.00	Corrugated Elements 24-pieces Embellishments $3.50

YOU keep me in business every time you like, share, comment and shop in my Etsy Store or my Stampin' Up webstore. I appreciate you!

Enjoy your coffee! Do you like yours hot or cold?

Life Happens, Coffee Helps

I promised you more ideas for the Coffee Cafe stamp set and Coffee Cup Framelits! I am having way too much fun with this great bundle form Stampin' Up. I don't always buy the paper and everything that matches, but I did with the Coffee Break suite and I'm glad.

One cool thing about the paper pack is that the patterns are intentionally created with coffee-themed designs on one side, and nice neutral masculine type patterns on the other side (just in time for Father's Day!) So it's really quite versatile--kind of like getting a half pack each for two different occasions. So well thought-out! 

Click any link to shop in my Stampin' Up store! Here's what you'll need to make these cute coffee-themed cards at home:

Coffee Café Photopolymer Stamp Set $21.00	Coffee Cups Framelits Dies for Big Shot $30.00	Coffee Café Photopolymer Bundle w/dies $45.75
Coffee Break 12x12 Designer Series Paper $11.00	Early Espresso Classic Ink Stampin' Pad $6.50	Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock $8.00
Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock $8.00	Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock $9.00
Soft Sky 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock $8.00	Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers $23.00	Glitter Enamel Dots 160-pcs $7.00
Linen Thread 15 yards $4.50	Pool Party 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon $7.00	Pool Party Baker’s Twine $3.00
Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder $10.00	Big Shot Die-Cutting System with plates $110.00	Layering Circles & Scallops Framelits Dies $35.00

This next card is a gift card holder using the concept behind this technique, where you just score and fold back a part of the cover to create a pocket on the back of the front cover. I forgot to take a photo of the inside of it! But gift cards and a coffee-theme stamp set are a natural pairing!

Whew! Today is already a scorcher, so I'll take my mocha ICED, thank you very much! Stay cool, friends, and happy stampin'!

Blog Hoppin' with the Control Freaks! May 2017

Hey friends! I'm playing once again with the Control Freaks, a special group of stampers committed to producing top-notch work to share with others. Welcome to the May 2017 blop hop, featuring sneak peeks from the NEW 2017-18 Idea Book & Catalog.

You may have come here from Melissa's blog, or this may be your first stop--either way, just click the button at the end of my post to go to the next stop on the hop. Keep going until you wind up back here, or as long as you can before you have to quit!

Now, on to my contribution to the creative fun!

I chose to feature a cute new punch and stamp set bundle called Label Me Pretty and the Pretty Label Punch. The punch is a great size for both cardmaking and scrapbooking, so I knew I'd use it a lot. Throughout the hop, I used the new In Colors Fresh Fig and Powder Pink, with Whisper White for my neutral. The patterned Fresh Fig papers are from the 2017-19 In Colors "Fresh Florals" Designer Series Paper Stack.

I started off simple, with a gift tag and card using the cute kitchen stamp. I also discovered, to my delight, that the new Finely Woven Ribbon, which comes in the new In Colors, can be curled! All you need to do is wrap it around a pencil or wooden dowel, and heat it with your Heat Tool. It took a little bit longer than some of the other ribbons with a higher synthetic count, but it did work.

Next I kicked it up a notch with some fancier cards. The center of the label punch is round, so it coordinates with all your circle punches and Framelits. Hooray! I often layered my Pretty Label punch with a second punch behind it, sliced down the middle and spread apart slightly so it showed like a mat around my punch. You can use the Pretty Label punch horizontally or vertically, which is nice and versatile, too.

BONUS: you can also use the Pretty Label punch for a wide corner rounder (seen on the card on the right above, and the kitchen gift tag). How fun to have all those functions in one punch?

Lastly, I made a fun stationery box with pen (Edited to Add: tutorial here!) that holds four cards and envelopes. It was so easy to pull together with those pretty papers and the quick, punched focal points for both the box and the cards inside. It would make a great gift for anyone!

Did you notice the pen matches? I unscrewed an R.S.V.P. pen and inserted a tightly-rolled strip of coordinating paper into the clear tube. So fun to personalize even the pens this way! And look, the stationery box even has a little pocket for address labels and postage stamps. Nifty! Be sure to visit again next week to see the tutorial. (Edited to Add: tutorial here)

That's it from me--click this button to go see what my friend Debbie has in store for you on the next Control Freaks blog stop! Thanks for visiting Song of My Heart Stampers today.

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Mini Photo Tutorial: Standing Triple Panel Card

I'm telling ya, my friends are geniuses... Cindy swapped samples with me and I got this gorgeous new fancy fold and immediately knew you all would need the tutorial! It's called the Standing Triple Panel card and it's so ridiculously easy and ridiculously cute!

Not only is this all done with just four easy score lines, it also folds completely flat and fits in a regular medium envelope with no trouble. Love it! Grab your Simply Scored and let's party!

To begin, you'll need to gather:

• 5.5 x 8.5 inch cardstock (regular size card base) (Pear Pizzazz shown here)
• Simply Scored or other scoring tools
• Patterned paper (Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper)
• Stamps, ink, punches, etc, to embellish as desired (Oh So Succulent stamp set and Succulent Framelit dies shown here. Bundle both and save 10% now through May 31st!)
• Note: you'll probably want to cut a plain 2 x 5.25 inch strip of neutral colored cardstock for the back of the main panel, so you can write your message (not shown). Otherwise, just write on any empty panel.

Score the cardstock base at 2, 3 and 1/8th, 5 and 3/8ths, and 6.5 inches on the long side.

Fold towards the back on the two inner scores, and towards the front on the two outer scores.

Next, cut patterned paper panels to the following measurements:

• cut two 1.75 x 5.25 inch panels (sides)
• cut one 2 x 5.25 inch panel (middle)

Then, just decorate as desired! It's fun to have some of the front panel elements overlap the side panels, as Cindy did here. Just be sure not to put adhesive on the outer edges of those elements--you'll accidentally adhere your card shut!

Love it! So thankful for sharing friends who spread joy and inspiration with every "folded hug" they send. Wouldn't you just love to be part of this group of women? If you're ready to take the next step in sharing, and become a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd be honored to be your number one cheerleader as you learn how simple and easy it is to teach rubber stamping to others. Today's technology makes it even easier to build a group of stampers who are eager to add new techniques and quick projects to their repertoire.

I love, love, LOVE being a demonstrator. And there's definitely room for you in our world! You don't have to have a teaching degree to become a creative coach or crafting instructor. That's a good thing, because you KNOW we'd spend all our dough on craft supplies instead of paying back student loans!! Whoopsie : )

No experience necessary. Thank goodness, or I never would have had the courage to try all those years ago. I hope you'll let me help you walk through what being a stampin & scrapbookin' teacher looks like. It's one of the best moves I ever made.

Could it be that for you, too?

Photo Tutorial: Easiest Gift Card Holder Ever

Let's face it--money cards are the go-to gift of choice for both givers and recipient, these days! Why not make a rather perfunctory gift something extra special, with a quick gift card holder? Dress it up with the Easiest Gift Card Holder Ever--so simple it can be done on your way out the door!

Ready to begin? Here's what you'll need: 

• 4.25 x 11 inch cardstock base
• Simply Scored or other scoring tools
• Tear N Tape or other strong adhesive
• Duet Banner Punch or other large, gently curving circle/oval punch
• patterned paper, stamps and ink to decorate (B.Y.O.P "Buy Your Own Present", shown here)

Score the cardstock at 2 and 5.5 inches on the long side. Use your Duet Banner punch to notch out a little tab area directly in the middle of the short end with the 2-inch panel (below).

Use Tear & Tape or other strong adhesive just on the edges of that panel (so it won't interfere with the gift card sliding in and out). Fold down flat, creating a pocket on the inside of the front cover of the card.

Decorate the card front as desired. You'll want to cut a piece of patterned or stamped paper to 4 x 2 inches to adhere to the inside back of the card, as this will show even when the card is closed.

That's it! I told you it was the easiest gift card ever! Click here for more fun and fabulously FREE tutorials. I LOVE collecting the best of the best "real-life papercrafting" tips and tricks for you. I try to share ONLY projects that normal crafters can actually make without owning everything in the catalog! Thanks for sharing the love when you pin, click and comment.

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Penni & Lyssa's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures: Formal Fancy-ness & Scrap Layout!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to Day Four of Song of My Heart's Real-Life Valentine Crafting Adventures blog series! Penni and I are sharing our personal Valentine cards today and we hope you're enjoying all the cool tips and ideas we've been posting this week. Missed a day? No problem! Click here for Day One, here for Day Two, and here for yesterday.

I wish we could give away a crafting session with the two of us! Wouldn't that be a ball?! But you'll have to settle for free Glimmer Paper and a selection of the projects from this series, if you win. Enter once on each post by leaving a comment (up to five chances to win) by Sunday night, and we'll draw the winner next week!

On to today's inspiration!

If you like to go over-the-top now and again for a special occasion, these first two cards are for you! I made this Victorian-inspired faux "hanging" heart on the left and the woven strips background card on the right. Both were a little more time-consuming and both admittedly do use Valentine-specific stamps (Bloomin' Love stamp set and matching Bloomin' Heart Framelits). You could easily adapt either layout for a spring card. It's all layered up with the new Stitched Shapes Thinlets.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #1: we are crazy for the new cardstock (not paper) Lace Doilies from the Spring 2017 Occasions Catalog. They are white on one side and vanilla on the other, so no more being limited to one color when you craft! And being made from cardstock makes them so much sturdier and nicer than the thin tissue ones. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to doilies.

Penni and I went a little less formal for our other Valentine needs. She made gift card holders with the Gift Card Envelope & Trims dies and heart-shaped balloon cards with the Balloon Builders stamp set and sayings. The cool Stitched Diagonal Stripes layout is a design from Cheat Sheets Collection #5.

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #2: Penni cleverly repeated a tiny stamp image from Sweet Stack along a banner. Repeating a small image gives it more weight and "presence" on a card. In this case it allowed a little stamp to become a much bigger element than it actually is. So if all you have that is appropriate for a holiday is one little stamp, remember this tip and you're still good to go!

For my casual Valentines, I have been making a lot of these Fan Deck Cards from Cheat Sheets Collection #20. They are easy and fast! and the covers are small and I can use up a lot of little scraps to decorate them.

Penni is way more up to date with her scrapbooking than I am... ironically the scrapbook teacher is too busy designing for her class members to keep up with my own kids! This is a great page with lots of space for photos and some fun little details that draw the eye, like the Enamel Shapes hearts; the engraved flat wooden Sending Love Embellishments; the Metallic Doily in the gold finish; and the sweet new Sending Love grosgrain ribbon combo pack. Together with the Sending Love Designer Series Paper stack and a Pink Pirouette base page, she's all ready to snap, print and paste her photos in after the holiday!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #3: Stampin' Up suites save you money! Never worry again about coordinating colors and whether or not the paper will match the ink, the cardstock will match the paper, the ribbon will match anything, etc. Sending Love is a good one because hearts are versatile and can be used year-round, and the patterns on the paper stack are not too Valentine-specific to be used for other occasions.

My last Valentine card shares my favorite tip for today--making custom embellishments from any punched shape. Check out the side view of this rather ordinary-looking card.... we've got some KILLER dimension goin' on here!

Real-Life Tips & Tricks #4: save your money and create a custom embellishment in any color you need, using any punch shape! I used the Sweetheart Punch and layers of Real Red and Whisper White cardstock to stack one on top of the other until I had the height I wanted. Use Liquid Multipurpose Glue so that you have the time to play with positioning and get it extremely straight before it dries. I glued one last extra Real Red heart on top, and when it was dry, pulled off the top layer to reveal the fuzzy inner core (a technique called faux suede). Fun! You can top them with sparkly Glimmer Paper, too, like I did in the photo below.

Wow! I think we crammed in as many projects as we could on one post! I hope you're getting so much good from our blog series. Can't believe tomorrow is already Day Five!

Now, today's assignment is to leave us a comment and let us know what upcoming holiday we should collaborate on for our NEXT adventure! Mother's Day, Easter, Fourth of July??? Give us a couple months to recover from this one. What could you use a whole week's worth of concentrated inspiration for?

Falling in Love with coordinated DIY wedding invitation products

I was recently in a demonstrator-only sample swap and got some gorgeous examples of cards made with the Falling in Love coordinating product suite. These would be perfect for your Pinterest-worthy, totally custom wedding! Just think, you could make everything match, from the save the date cards, to the invites themselves, to the table cards, favors boxes, programs, menus and even the thank-you notes.

I love that soft, vintage-inspired colors are making a comeback this year--vanilla and cream and blush and sandy taupe, pale coral, soft sky blue and a smokey mauve.

Suggested Color Combination:

Blushing Bride

Sahara Sand

Very Vanilla

Soft Sky

Sweet Sugarplum

   Falling in Love Suite Coordinating Products

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Orders take about one week to arrive. Expedited shipping is available!

Falling In Love Designer Series 12x12 Paper Asst. Pack	Falling In Love 12x12 Cardstock Pack in Blush, Sky and Sand	Falling Petals Embossing Folder for Big Shot/Cuttlebug
Falling For You Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Falling For You Cling-Mount Stamp Set	So In Love Wood-Mount Stamp Set
So In Love Cling-Mount Stamp Set	So In Love Wood-Mount Bundle w/dies	So In Love Clear-Mount Bundle w/ dies
So Detailed Thinlits Dies for Big Shot or Cuttlebug	Falling In Love Embellishments 12-pk, 11/16th of an inch across	Very Vanilla 1/4" Satin Ribbon 10 yard spool
Very Vanilla 1/2" Lace Trim 5 yds.	Metal Rimmed Pearls 24 pack	Delicate White Doilies 24 pack

I don't have any weddings booked this summer because we are going to Thailand for 15 days in July, courtesy of Stampin' Up!! But I hope to be able to throw a couple of showers and engagement parties and will use some of these ideas, for sure.

Do you have any milestone events coming up? Maybe a wedding anniversary or even a brand new baby? Use your talents to create a one-of-a-kind, amazing celebration they will never forget. And then don't forget to scrapbook it! : )

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Penni & Lyssa's Excellent (Halloween) Boo-tiful Banners & Bags

We have arrived at the last day of our week of creepy cuteness! Penni and I thank you for playing and hope you've gotten some fun ideas, if not for Halloween, maybe for the fall and winter season of home decor and party supplies. This has been our first major (public) collaboration, and if you like it, please leave us a comment and let us know you'd enjoy seeing more! But Penni is locked into doing a Valentine series with me in January since I did one for Halloween for her! : )

Bonus when you leave a comment--you'll be entered to win some of the projects seen this week as well as a FREE "Something Good to Eat" Test Tube candy treat-making kit, last month's subscription-only Paper Pumpkin craft kit by mail. So get typing!

If Tuesday's wreath didn't wow you, maybe today's party banner will! It ain't a party without pennants!

Our party banner is decorated with cute characters from the Cookie Cutter Halloween stamp set and coordinating punch, plus phrases stamped with the Layered Letters Alphabet. Sequins and rhinestones add a little sparkly bling, with buttons and faux stitching for texture.

Suggested Color Combination:

Pumpkin Pie

Basic Black

Whisper White

Wild Wasabi

Basic Gray

Here's a banner-making tip for you: Cut the majority of the pennants the same size, but leave one set of pieces odd. This helps break up the visual repetition to add detail and interest. For this banner, the gray/black/white striped papers (from Pop of Pink) and Pumpkin Pie cardstock are 3x4 inch rectangles, and the Wild Wasabi pennants are 2x4 inches. There's still plenty of continuity in the color distribution and the repeated elements, but that little bit of size difference has an impact when viewed as a whole.

Here's another banner-related tip for you: when your event is over, if you don't want to save the banner for next year, you can unstring it and use the individual pennants for tags, as bag toppers, or on card fronts.

Our final project of this series is some EASY treat bags that are simple enough to be mass-produced for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Since you'll need a LOT of them, you'll need an economical and fast way to create them, assembly-line style.

These projects were make with the new Halloween Night Designer Series specialty papers and the coordinating Halloween Night Baker's Twine. The mummy bag on the left was created with the Treat Bag Thinlets for the Big Shot, a simple two-part die-cut held together with Tear N Tape.You can step it up with the accessories for the Cookie Cutter Halloween stamp set or it's cute just how it is.

Our ghost candy folder, on the right, is even easier--just a two-inch wide strip folded just short of in half, with baker's twine wrapped snugly around it--no adhesive necessary! The enamel dots are just for looks. When the candy is slid into the folder, the tension on the paper and twine holds it securely in place. Your house will be the talk of the neighborhood--and only you and I will know how incredibly simple it was!

Ok! That's it from us this year. I'll leave you with a reminder about my October special offer--there are eight kits remaining! I'd love to ship you one for free, or if you're desperate for them (they're sold out!) shoot me an email and I'll make you a deal. I want to get these all distributed in time for whatever occasion you'd like. [email protected]

Thanks for joining us!

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Snazz up a gift card with a colorful sleeve-style holder

It's gift card central around here this time of year, with a busy schedule and all sorts of things to celebrate like graduations and birthdays. I love the convenience of grabbing a gift card, and I'm sure the recipient enjoys getting to pick something they truly want and will use. But it still feels like cheating a little bit, doesn't it? So I usually compensate with a nice handmade gift card holder. This gift card sleeve fits the bill perfectly!

The insert pulls all the way out and you attach the gift card with a couple mini glue dots. You can see a fun graduation version here, using the same supplies and the same BYOP stamp set. These would make fantastic party invitations, wouldn't they? You could print out the inserts on your computer. And the holders fit right into any regular-sized envelopes for mailing, too.

Here's the supplies I used, if you'd like to make your own!

Big Shot Home die-cutting system	Big Shot Magnetic Platform (optional)	Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies
Melon Mambo 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock	Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad	B.Y.O.P. Photopolymer Stamp Set	Brights Candy Dots
Tear & Tape Adhesive	Stampin' Dimensionals	Fine-Tip Glue Pen
Hexagon Punch	Banner Triple Punch	Banner Punch

One more project to share today! When I cut my 12x12 papers in half to run through the Big Shot with the Treat Bag framelits, cutting one bag leaves a good-sized strip of paper unused at the end. So for each card sleeve I make, I have an extra chunk to make another project with (I love leftovers!). So here's what I made with one of those scraps, matted on a coordinating color, with a simple sentiment and three star punches. Super quick and super cute!

Thank you so much for stopping in to Song of My Heart today to see what I've been up to! Your comments keep me encouraged and posting. Have a fantastic day today, friend!