SImple Fancy Fold card idea with New at SU bloghop

 

I'm back with the New at Su blog hop and sharing a card using a very simple fancy fold along with an idea for those ever challenging cards for the men and boys in our lives.  Gardening may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think it often happens in most of our lives even if it's just cutting the grass.  

For my card I've use the Help Me Grow bundle of products that gives lots of options for anyone with even the smallest interest in this age old pastime.  The plant pots come in two sizes and the smaller has a die that cuts a slit so they are easily stackable.  However for the larger one here at the bottom of the pile I used the craft knife add on from  my Take Your Pick tool kit, to cut my own slit 'carefully'.

 

For the background I've used up left over pieces from my craft table to create a colour coordinated backdrop.  It's a great way to get full use of all your lovely papers.  

The tool heads have a metallic effect by using Lunar Lustre specialty paper.  I layered three die cuts for each tool to give a little more strength to them.  The only thing missing is the mud I guess, but this gardener is only just about to get going.  

HOW TO CREATE THE FANCY FOLD

So you want to know the fancy fold.  Take your base card  fold it in half to create a book cover type of card base ie opens like a book.  Then all you need to do is fold the front cover back on itself so that the right edge meets the fold on the left.  It's the simplest you could imagine.  Your panel can then be adhered to the folded back layer.  How easy is that?

You can decorate your card to suit your theme and the decorated background stands out as the fold is opened for standing up on a table.  You can also add a bold sentiment, white embossing on black card,  to make the message 'pop' and adding simple trims like a piece of tied linen thread to the handle of the shears make all the difference too without being overpowering.  You can also just see that to calm the bright white layer inside the card I added some splatters using my Golden Glow Shimmer Pen which I tapped on the side of a bone folder.  Important tip though place your card in a box to do this so the splatters cover the card and not you or your work surface.  I make these mistakes so you don't have to......! ha ha.  

Thank you for joining me today and enjoy the hop.  You can find out more about supplies used below or use my contact form to join my mailing list.  

Happy stamping

Zoe x

Supplies Used

Help Me Grow Bundle

Lunar Lustre 12 x 12" specialty paper

In Color 2026 - 2027 12 x 12" papers

Golden Glow ink pad

Cut and Emboss Machine

Your Birthday Song - adapt your stamping

Years ago I changed a fun Meerkat stamped image by adding clothing to the Meerkats.  Heres a link to The Gangs All Meer post.  Some 6 years later I had the same thought to 'alter' or should I say 'dress' these Flamingos or Flingos as our daughter used to call them when she was little.  

I started with a Stampin' Up! journalling pen to add skirts, tops and necklaces ant then coloured them in with Stampin' Blends.  I added the feathers using a stamp set that was recently gifted to all demonstrators that registered for a demonstrator only event happening in August.  One of the stamps just said feathers to me and so I stamped it and added some lines to give the feather effect and when the ink was fully dry I used one of our new gel pens to add a little more obvious detail.  I also redid the initial add on outlines with the journalling pen.  

The feathers I used that all purpose die called scissors,  (LOL!! my favourite die), to fussy cut them out.  To fit them around the head of each individual 'flingo' I stamped the top of the head onto the bottom of the feathers and cut the line i stamped so that it wrapped over the top of each bird.  They are all different so you'll need to do it for each one.  

The stamp set called Your Birthday Song was released today as one of our new batch of online exclusive products.  You can see them all on the ONLINE EXCLUSIVES page.  Click on newest to find them.      

I then shared with a friend who suggested putting feathers on them as skirts so I created this additional card.  Which one is your favourite?

Something else that is new is that you can join Stampin' Up! and receive access to demonstrator only events, craft with others and join our team.  You can find out more about how to Join Stampin' Up!. 

Happy stamping

Zoe x 

Join Today 

Supplies Used

Your Birthday Song 

Gel Pens

Journalling Pens

Mirror Stamping Tutorial for Totally Techniques Blog Hop

 

Welcome to my share for the Totally Techniques blog hop of Mirror Stamping.  This is a technique where you can reverse your image to make it look like it is a mirror image of itself.  

I've also used heat embossing for my image to make it stand out on the Secret Sea card.  I have included a video below for this technique from a previous share of this technique and you follow the same simple steps.  One thing you ideally need is a silicon mat for stamping onto to then add your card to take the ink off to get the reverse image.  It's easy enough to do although if you have a brain like mine,  sometimes fuddled, it might take a few minutes to get it to play along with the process.  

I've used a stamp set as a sneak peek that has been released to demonstrators only for a demonstrator only event that I registered for.  It includes another set that was an exclusive gift for you if you registered.  If you like the sound of joining events like this then please do contact me for more information as joining is also about to get more exciting from July with a new gift box and the opportunity to start your discounted shopping from the moment you receive your box full of surprises.  

The stamp set I've used is part of a bundle that will be released later in the year to everyone.  It's called Notes of Collage and will be great for some of those always challenging masculine cards.  I've also included some of the Nature Walk DSP for the scripted piece of my design.  I really like the Secret Sea card which i'm finding is my new Old Olive that goes with just about everything including a little Early Espresso for matt layers and my Basic Beige base card which incidentally is 5.5" x 5.5".

Enjoy the hop and keep stamping

Zoe x

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Supplies  Used

Secret Sea Ink Pad

Secret Sea cardstock   Basic Beige Cardstock  Early Espresso Cardstock

Moody Palette Glossy Dots

Nature Walk DSP

WOW Metallic Embossing Powder Trio

New at SU blog hop Two-Tone Summer

I'm delighted to be back joining the New at SU! monthly blog hop.  I've been away for awhile as we had various other things going on in life that took my time, but I'm back for my first hop of 2026.

We're sharing some fabulous ideas and tips for using the relatively new to Stampin' Up! card stock.  I've chosen to use one of the beautiful new In Colors which is called Hydrangea Hue.  It's a mix of Blue, Lilac and hints of Purple, but is just so so pretty and doesn't it look great with Cajun Craze!  I saw the Duchess of Edinburgh in the media for a recent royal visit wearing a very smart dress in just this colour and she teamed it with a Cinnamon/Cajun Craze coloured hat and she looked stunning and so that was me sold and ready with my colour combo for this hop. 

I made the above card in advance of the hop, but have created a similar version in my youtube tutorial below.  On the day of filming my phone decided it was full so there are a couple of selective edits, but I'm sure it now flows and you can pick up my tips.  I hope you enjoy it. 

Two-tone cardstock is so flexible.  It comes in 12 x 12 inch sheets and is between Stampin' Up!'s usual card stock weight and our designer series papers.  Each sheet has as it says on the tin 2 tones one lighter than the other on one side and the slightly darker on the other.  You can flip a piece to add a frame to the other tone, emboss it and sand it as you'll see in the video, it's lighter for matt layers and therefore cheaper for postage potentially and you can stamp on it, heat emboss on it and more.  You can buy individual colour packs or mixed packs with a couple of sheets each of a selection of colours.  What more could a paper crafter want.  

On a  previous POST I used the Barely Blush for a girly sailing card using the Sunset Coast bundle.  There are even more ideas as you click around the hop using the links below.  

 Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the hop.

Happy stamping

Zoe x

Blog Hop Index

Supplies Used

Hydrangea Hue two-tone cardstock

Springtime scenes bundle

Flower accents

Try this eclipse card technique with your favourite stamps

 

I recently created this Eclipse technique card and had several people ask me how to create this effect.  I decided to make a tutorial using a different stamp set and have also shared below a sympathy card I made using the same technique.  For the card above I used the last chance list stamp set called Simply Beautiful and added a sentiment from the Sincerely Noted mix and match ephemera pack.  A sentiment from the same pack was used on the card below which features the Layers of Beauty stamp set.  Both sets are on the last chance list at low prices if you like a bargain and want options for creating this technique. 

You can use different colours, stampes and card layouts in terms of portrait or landscape and so the options are varied and numerous.  Great way to use matting layers that you may not usually try.  

Above I've team white with Secret Sea - my new Old Olive type colour that goes with just about anything - and Darling Duckling which is not always my go to colour as I'm not a fan of mucky yellows, but this one actually works for me.  

Below I've used Crumb Cake for the stamping and added a new In Color called Barely Blush and it really is barely pink, but it is just enough for a card like this and for the message it sends.  

So have I tempted you to try this technique? Here's my short video of another colour way and stamp for you to find out the how to and tips.  

There are so many ways you could create different versions of this technique.  I hope you have fun having a go with your favourite stamps.  

Happy stamping

Zoe x

Supplies used can be currently found in the Last Chance List with some amazing prices and for the next three days 11 to 13th June you can enjoy free shipping for orders of £60 or more and if you spend £70 or more be sure to look at the Product of the month which you can buy for £5.  

SHOP LAST CHANCE