Mini Slimline Instagram Hop – Sunflower Black Ice Card

Welcome to this month's Mini Slimline Instagram Hop! The hop takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at 1:00 PM Eastern, and it's always filled with creative inspiration using the fun mini slimline card size. Be sure to hop over to Instagram and see what everyone has created! You can find me @jeanspaperjewels.

For my card this month, I wanted to showcase one of my favorite embossing techniques—the Black Ice Technique—using the gorgeous Sunflower Embossing Folder.

I started with a Crumb Cake card base measuring 6" x 7", scored and folded in half at 3½". The embossed sunflower panel measures 5¾" x 3¼" and is layered onto a Garden Green mat measuring 5⅞" x 3⅜".

To create the sunflower panel, I embossed the cardstock and worked on the de-bossed side, adding color with sponge daubers using Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, and Garden Green inks. Once I was happy with the coloring, I gently dragged a Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad across the surface. This colors only the raised areas, leaving the beautiful colored design underneath and creating the striking Black Ice effect. It's an easy technique that adds incredible depth and drama to an embossed image.

The greeting and coordinating label are from the Sweet Words & Labels Bundle, part of the adorable Silly Old Bear Mega Suite, available in the Online Exclusives section of my online store. A small piece of Linen Thread tucked behind the sentiment adds just the right finishing touch.

Inside the card, I added a Basic White panel measuring 5¾" x 3⅓" for a handwritten message. Along the bottom is a Garden Green strip measuring 5¾" x 1¼", embossed with the beautiful new Softly Woven Embossing Folder, which will be available beginning in September.

Card Measurements

• Card Base: Crumb Cake – 6" x 7", score at 3½"
• Garden Green Layer: 5⅞" x 3⅜"
• Embossed Sunflower Panel: 5¾" x 3¼"
• Inside Basic White Panel: 5¾" x 31/4"
• Inside Garden Green Strip: 5¾" x 1¼"

I also have a step-by-step instructional video on YouTube showing exactly how I created this card and the Black Ice technique. I hope you'll give it a try—it looks much more complicated than it really is!

After you've watched the video, be sure to hop over to Instagram and enjoy all of the beautiful Mini Slimline Card inspiration from this month's talented participants. I'd love to hear which design is your favorite!

Happy Stamping,

Jean's Paper Jewels

 

Craft Roulette Episode 330 – Tag With Pocket Challenge

Some weeks the Craft Roulette wheel gives me an idea right away...and then there are weeks like Episode 330! This challenge definitely had me scratching my head, so I decided to take the project requirement literally and create a Tag With Pocket.

I used the Everyday Arches Dies to create a large tag and added a pocket at the bottom. The pocket was created with paper from the Spooktacular 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper, and I customized it by coloring the images with my Stampin' Blends.

This Week's Parameters

Project: Tag With Pocket
I created a large tag with a functional pocket attached to the bottom.

Colors: Trick or Treat
I chose traditional Halloween colors—Black, Purple, Orange, and Yellow—to bring the spooky theme to life.

Element: Robots
For this parameter, I cut a second tag and stamped Roulette the Robot from the exclusive Mug Club stamp set. I was thrilled to earn this set after reaching 100 Craft Roulette submissions and becoming a Mug Club member!

Random: 3 Strips of Paper
My sentiment is layered using three strips of paper. The top strip features a sentiment created with the Sweetly Sentimental Hot Foil Die Set using Gold Foil on Basic Black, with two coordinating strips underneath. I love keeping these sentiments on hand because one die creates 11 beautiful foiled sentiments ready for future projects.

I also created a YouTube highlight video so you can take a closer look at my finished tag and hear more about how I interpreted this week's challenge.

Craft Roulette airs every Friday at 6:10 PM Central Time, and I hope you'll join us in the Chatterbox for this FUNNcard-making challenge! Be warned—you may need your stretchy pants because the creative wheel can really make you think!

Have you played Craft Roulette yet? I'd love to see how you interpreted this week's parameters. Happy stamping!

 

Craft Roulette Episode 329 – Bookbinding Card with Waterside Retreat

Welcome back to another Craft Roulette challenge! Episode 329 inspired me to create one of my favorite fun folds—a Horizontal Bookbinding Card. This design is simple to make, stands beautifully for display, and is always a favorite for card makers of every skill level.

For this week's parameters, I incorporated all four challenges into my design:

• Project: Bookbinding Card
• Colors: Roadside Market – Cucumber Green, Blueberry, and Cantaloupe
• Element: Plant(s)
• Random: Grid

The beautiful Waterside Retreat Designer Series Paper made creating this peaceful fishing-themed birthday card so easy. I fussy cut several individual fish from the paper and layered three of them over the matching background using Stampin' Dimensionals for added depth. To give the fish a subtle shimmer, I brushed each one with Wink of Stella, creating the look of sunlight reflecting on the water.

For the birthday greeting, I used the Relaxing Waterside Stamp Set, keeping the design clean and allowing the gorgeous patterned paper to take center stage. Sea plants appear on both the front and inside of the card, tying in perfectly with this week's plant element.

To satisfy the Grid parameter, I added a strip of Peaceful Pine Gingham Gallery Designer Series Paper along the inside panel. It provides just the right finishing touch without taking away from the focal point.

Card Measurements

• Card Base: 4-1/4" x 11"
• Score at 4-1/4" and 5-1/2"
• Front & Inside Basic White Panels: 4" x 4"
• Side Strip: 1" x 4"

I also have a new YouTube video showcasing this card. In the video description, I've linked an earlier tutorial with complete step-by-step instructions for making this easy Bookbinding Card.

If you've never watched Craft Roulette, it's a live YouTube show every Friday at 6:10 PM Central Time, where four surprise crafting parameters are revealed by Mr. Wheel. It's always exciting to see what creative challenge comes next!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this project inspires you to give the Bookbinding Card a try. If you make one, I'd love to see your version!

Happy crafting!

Jean

 

Christmas in July Milano Cookie Treat Holders | Easy Handmade Holiday Gift Idea

Happy Christmas in July!

Today's Christmas in July Instagram Hop is all about inspiring you to get a head start on your holiday papercrafting. As papercrafters, we love creating handmade cards, tags, gift boxes, treat holders, gift bags, wrapping paper, and scrapbook pages. Whether you celebrate Christmas in July or simply like to stay ahead of the busy holiday season, now is the perfect time to begin creating!

For today's project, I made these festive Milano Cookie Treat Holders. I was inspired by Brenda Quintana's design but changed them up to make them my own.

I used Peaceful Pine Cardstock for the base and added coordinating Gingham Gallery Designer Series Paper to the sides and top for a classic holiday look. The elegant tag was created using the beautiful Flourish and Frames Hot Foil Dies, adding a touch of luxurious shine. The sentiment comes from the retired Holly Jolly Stamp Set, stamped in Golden Glow Ink. To finish the tag, I added holly leaves and berries from the Spellbinders Make It Merry Florals set.

One little trick I used was covering the Milano cookie package labels with strips of Christmas Holly Washi Tape, giving the treats a polished, coordinated appearance.

These treat holders are quick to assemble and make wonderful gifts for neighbors, teachers, coworkers, party favors, or stocking stuffers. Best of all, this design isn't limited to Christmas! Simply change the papers, colors, and sentiment to create treat holders for birthdays, thank-you gifts, baby showers, weddings, or any special occasion.

Measurements

Base

• 7¼" × 3¼"
• Score on the long side at:
  • 1½"
  • 2⅝"
  • 4⅝"
  • 5¾"

Designer Series Paper

• Two pieces: 3" × ⅞" (side panels)
• One piece: 3" × 1¾" (top panel)

I found the individual Milano cookie packs in a box of ten at Walmart, but many of their other individually wrapped cookies fit this holder as well.

I hope this project inspires you to get an early start on your Christmas crafting—or adapt the design for any season, any reason! If you create one, I'd love to see it.

Happy crafting!

Jean

 

Magical Metallic Elegance with the New Stampin' Up! Foiling System

I'm so excited to share one of the projects we'll be creating in my upcoming Card Making Class! This elegant card showcases the amazing new Stampin' Up! Foiling System, adding beautiful metallic shine that truly makes this design special.

The card begins with a Thick Basic White A2 card base and is layered with a Basic Black panel cut using the largest Perennial Postage Die, creating a striking frame for the vibrant focal panel.

The star of this project is the Botanical Glow Hot Foil Dies, which create a stunning gold foiled botanical design on a Lemon Lime Twist panel. The shimmering gold adds incredible depth and elegance against the bright background.

For the greeting, I used the Sweet Sentiments Dies with gold foil on Basic Black Two-Tone Cardstock, creating a bold sentiment that perfectly complements the card's luxurious look.

To finish the design, I added a beautiful butterfly created with the Butterfly Flight Foiling & Cutting Dies, foiled in gorgeous pink foil on Berry Burst Cardstock. The metallic butterfly adds the perfect finishing touch and ties all of the foiled elements together beautifully.

Even the inside of the card receives a coordinating finish with a 4¼" x 1½" Berry Burst cardstock strip layered with a 4" x 1¼" piece of Moonlit Flora Designer Series Paper along the bottom.

This project is full of magical metallic details that showcase just how versatile and stunning the new Stampin' Up! Foiling System can be. Whether you're new to hot foiling or already love adding metallic accents to your handmade cards, you'll enjoy creating this elegant design.

I hope you'll give this beautiful technique a try and discover how easy it is to add professional-looking foil accents to your cardmaking projects!

Happy Stamping,

Jean

 

Craft Roulette Episode 328 – Bright Tutti Frutti Bicycle Card

Friday night means Craft Roulette, and Episode 328 gave us another fun set of creative parameters! One of my favorite things about Craft Roulette is seeing how everyone interprets the same four prompts in completely different ways.

Here are this week's parameters and how I used them:

Project – A2
My card is a standard A2 card, created from half of an 8½" x 11" piece of cardstock, scored and folded at 4¼".

Colors – Tutti Frutti
I filled my card with bright, cheerful orange, yellow, blue, green, and pink—perfect Tutti Frutti-inspired colors that make this design feel fresh and happy.

Element – Container
The adorable bicycle basket serves as my container, overflowing with colorful flowers.

Random – Unusual Color
I gave a couple of the daisies a bright blue color, something you don't often see in nature, and even colored the road tealfor another unexpected pop of color.

The cheerful sentiment comes from our July Product of the Month, the Begonia Belle Stamp Set. I stamped it on a stitched cloud die cut from the retired Bright Skies Dies, adding a whimsical touch to the scene.

The bicycle and flowers are from Dare 2B Artzy and were colored with Stampin' Blends markers. I layered everything using the Perennial Postage Dies, which frame the design beautifully and add wonderful texture.

This card was so much fun to create, and I love how the bright colors and playful details came together!

If you've never watched Craft Roulette, I hope you'll join us Friday evenings at 6:10 PM Central Time as host Mary Gunn and her special guest spin the wheel to reveal four brand-new creative parameters. You never know what the wheel will come up with, and that's what makes it so much fun!

I'd love to hear how you would interpret this week's parameters. Thanks for stopping by, and happy crafting!

Happy Stamping,

Jean

 

Craft Roulette Episode #327 – Floating Panel Interactive Card

It's time for another Craft Roulette challenge! Episode 327 gave us another fun combination of creative parameters, and I had a great time bringing them together in this interactive Floating Panel Card.

This week's parameters were:

• Project: Interactive Card
• Colors: Summer
• Element: Here Comes the Bride
• Random: Ink Edging

For my interactive card, I chose to create a Floating Panel Card. This is such a fun fold because the center panel appears to float when the card is opened, creating a delightful surprise for the recipient. If you'd like to make one yourself, I have a YouTube video tutorial that walks you through the entire process.

To capture the feeling of summer, I selected beautiful flowers that would be in bloom during the season. The focal point features a lovely bridal bouquet, and I added a wedding ring set beside it to represent the "Here Comes the Bride" element.

For the Ink Edging parameter, I used a sponge dauber to softly ink the edges of the pink arch and the sentiment, giving both pieces added depth and definition.

I combined several wonderful Stampin' Up! products for this project, including:

• Meant For You Ephemera Pack
• Everyday Essentials Designer Series Paper
• Sweetly Sentimental Hot Foil Dies for the greeting
• Everyday Arches Dies to create the floating panel
• Stone & Vine Embossing Folder for the decorative stopper inside the card

I always enjoy seeing how the four random parameters inspire completely different creations from everyone participating. That's one of the things that makes Craft Roulette so much fun!

Be sure to watch my YouTube tutorial to see exactly how this interactive card comes together, and if you've never watched Craft Roulette before, I invite you to join us every Friday at 7:10 PM Central Time. It's always exciting to see what the spin of the wheel will bring!

Happy stamping!

Jean's Paper Jewels