Welcome to the October, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge # 177! Thank you very much for all the participants for our September challenge! Our host for this month’s challenge, Helen, chose Non-traditional Colors for the theme. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
Here’s my gold, Pretty Peacock, and Lost Lagoon card:
As always with a fun fold card, I will be adding this to the Creative Creases Challenge where the theme is always Anything Goes with a Fun Fold.
Yet another latch fold card:
As you probably already know, I love the latch fold card! Once you’ve created a couple of these cards, you can adjust the front to your heart’s content! You can see a couple of my other latch fold cards here, and here, and here. I’m also going to be posting another latch fold card on Friday as a guest designer for the Creative Creases Challenge. Please come back for that one as well.
Here’s the basic template I use for the latch fold card:
Heat-embossing HINTS:
One of the most important steps when using embossing powder is to wipe down the cardstock using your embossing buddy, which is available in the Embossing Additions Tool kit
Another important thing to remember is to use the sticky end of your Take Your Pick tool to remove stray flecks of embossing powder before heat embossing
Make sure to let your embossed sentiments dry completely before trying to crop the sentiments, otherwise you might smear your beautiful embossed sentiment
While my heat tool is warming up (especially helpful with metallic powders) I will warm the underside of the cardstock to help keep the warping to a minimum
The Loopy Loop Bow:
I was able to watch Mary Deatherage’s, from Stamps -n- Lingers, Perfectly Pears tutorial. In that video, she showed her loopy-loop bow. That’s what I used for the front of my card. I’m bow-challenged and this technique allows me to relatively easily add ribbon without adding the bulk of a tied bow. If you’ve never seen her videos, you owe it to yourself to watch them. I think she’s the Queen of the Collage. Gorgeous cards!!
This post is short, but hopefully sweet and helpful. As Robert Frost said in his poem Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening, “ I have miles to go before I sleep. ” That poem, and especially that line, has lived rent-free in my brain since seventh grade English class.
Thank you for stopping by today!
Have a Peachy Day!
Sue
If you live in the U.S. and don’t already have a Stampin’ UP! demo from whom you order, I would be honored to work with you. You can reach me at my justpeachystamping@gmail.com.
Welcome to the September, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge # 176! Our host for this month’s challenge, Deb, chose Let’s See Some Holly for the theme. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
Here’s my holly card:
I am posting this a couple of days late. In the U.S. we just finished a three day holiday weekend to celebrate Labor Day for the workers who keep us going in so many, many different ways. You think I would’ve had something click because my birthday was Labor Day, September 1st. I always thought it was kind of ironic that I was born on Labor Day, so my birthday rolls around on the holiday weekend every 6 years or so. Anyway, I am 2 days late. This whole post is going to be short and sweet because I used retired products as they are the only things I had with holly. I am going to have to rectify that situation.
Measurements and More:
The card base measures 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, scored at 4-1/4 inches
The Mossy Meadow DSP (designer series paper) for the background measures 4-1/8 by 5-3/8 inches
Trim a piece of the Mossy Meadow DSP to 6 by 2-1/2 inches for the envelope flap
I trimmed the diagonal silver and white DSP to 5-3/8 by 1/2 inch
The holly DSP measures 1-1/2 by 5-3/8 inches
I cropped the sentiment circle and the mat circle using the Stylish Shapes die set, the pink DSP is the reverse side of the holly DSP
Next, I punched a 1 -inch circle of the pink DSP for the envelope seal and ran it through my XYRON create-a-sticker
I stamped the holly leaves and berries using black ink on scraps of white cardstock for the front of the card
After trimming a piece of white cardstock to 5-1/4 by 4 inches for the inside, I stamped the sentiment in Mossy Meadow and the holly leaves & berries using black ink
I colored the leaves using the light Mossy Meadow blend and the berries with the light Polished Pink blend and a clear Wink of Stella brush
The loopy-loop Mint Macaron ribbon is retired, but I love using the loopy-loop so I couldn’t resist
I used glue dots for the loopy loop bow
Next, I added dimensionals to the back of the sentiment circle and the pink mat circle as well as the holly and berry piece
I used multipurpose liquid glue to adhere the rest of the pieces
With that, I’d finished this coordinated card, envelope, and envelope seal set.
Welcome to the August, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! Our host for this month’s challenge, Debbie, chose Add a Tree for the theme. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
I want to thank everyone who played along with my July theme. It was so difficult to choose just three winners and one special mention.
Once I started making a card for this month’s challenge, I couldn’t stop. I wound up with one card for the challenge blog today, and three others using different colors and front sentiment.
First, here’s the original card:
Here are the next three cards:
What I Did:
The bases all measure 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, scored at 4-1/4 inches
For the envelope flaps, I trimmed DSP to 6 by 2-1/2 inches
Then I punched 1-inch circles from coordinating DSP for each envelope and ran them through the XYRON create-a-sticker for the envelope seal
After I ran the white cardstock through my Cut & Emboss using the Painted Trees 3D embossing folder (retired), I trimmed each to 4-1/8 by 5-3/8 inches
Then, I used the clear Wink of Stella brush and “painted” the raised part of the embossed trees
I used the retired Countryside Corners die set to crop the center from each of the embossed white cardstock, but using the Textured Notes dies or the arches dies would also work
Using a larger Countryside Corners die, I cropped the cardstock for the mat of the cropped white cardstock
I stamped each sentiment using the ink color to match the cardstock, and the three are cropped from Stylish Shapes banner die
I cropped the cropped Peace on Earth sentiment using a nested essential die
Each sentiment die was outlined with the coordinating Stampin’ Write markers
The sentiments for the three additional cards comes from the retired Whimsical Trees stamp set
The Christmas trees on the inside were from a retired Christmas set as well which I’ve purged so, sadly, I don’t know the name of the set
I adhered the loopy-loop bows, from Mary Deatherage, using glue dots
i used dimensionals to adhere the sentiments
Finally, I added the enamel dots
With that, I’d finished these 4 coordinated card, envelope, and envelope seal sets
HINT: When I am working on mass producing cards, I do each element of the cards together. For example, trim all the bases, emboss all the white cardstock, use the Wink of Stella on all the embossed trees, etc. Therefore, when it’s time to put each together, I just grab pieces and finish off the cards.
The Loopy Loop Bow:
I was able to watch Mary Deatherage’s, from Stamps -n- Lingers, Perfectly Pears tutorial. In that video, she showed her loopy-loop bow. That’s what I used for the front of my card. I’m bow-challenged and this technique allows me to relatively easily add ribbon without adding the bulk of a tied bow. If you’ve never seen her videos, you owe it to yourself to watch them. I think she’s the Queen of the Collage. Gorgeous cards!!
Halloween in July? My daughter certainly thinks so!
I normally do not need very much in the way of Halloween sets, but I just can’t help myself! I’ve already purchased this Spooky Sweet DSP pack, which includes patterned paper, precut images, and cut-apart scenes and elements. It’s perfect for creating tags and gift packaging for Halloween goodies, accents for scrapbooks, or other spooky-cute paper crafts.
Take a look at all this cuteness! The first page has all the precut images. So cute!
I could’ve stopped there, and would’ve had more than I needed for Halloween. However, I didn’t stop there. I got this Fright Night bundle as well.
If you live in the U.S. and don’t already have a Stampin’ UP! demo from whom you order, I would be honored to work with you.
Welcome to the July, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! I’m hosting this month’s challenge, and I chose Christmas Sparkle for the theme. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
For the April, 2025, Sparkles Challenge, I gave you a sneak peek of an upcoming Christmas Suite of products. You can see that card here. Today’s card uses more products from that gorgeous suite!
Here’s my card:
Here’s the information for the soon to be released products I used in this card:
Peaceful Garden 12″ x 12″ Glimmer paper (blue, dark gray, soft green) – #165929
Peace on Earth Stamp Set – #165918 & Peace on Earth Die Set – #165924
This will be available as a bundle – #165925
Hues of Blue self-adhesive flowers – # 165930
Misty Moonlight Silver-Edged Ribbon – #165931
Measurements:
Trim a piece of Cloud Cover cardstock to 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, scored at 4-1/4 inches
Trim a piece of the dark gray (really looks like Secret Sea to me) glimmer paper to 4-1/8 by 5-3/8 inches
HINT: I cropped the sentiment banner mat from the center of this piece of glimmer paper; once adhered no one will see the hole in the center of the glimmer paper
As with all other SU! glimmer papers, this DSP doesn’t shed glitter, but it is easier and neater to trim if you do it with the back side of the DSP facing up
Next, trim a piece of the doves Peace on Earth DSP to 4 by 5-1/4 inches
Trim a piece of the same DSP to 6 by 2-1/2 inches for the envelope flap
Punch a 1-inch circle from a piece of coordinating DSP for the envelope seal
Run the circle through a XYRON create-a-sticker to create the seal
I was able to use scrap white cardstock for the sentiment banner and dove
Trim a piece of white cardstock to 4 by 5-1/4 inches for the inside of the card
OPTIONAL: trim a piece of DSP to 3/4 by 4 inches to adhere to the bottom of the white cardstock on the inside of the card
Cut a length of ribbon to 5 inches, and another one to 4 inches for the bow
In addition to the Peace on Earth Suite Products, I used the following:
Kits Collection
Maritime Moments Kit:
Let your creativity set sail with the Maritime Moments Kit. Drift in the soothing watercolors and costal imagery of these cards that can be either feminine or masculine. With printed sentiments, twine, and a stamp set of nautical images, this kit comes with everything you need to make cards for your favorite sailors.
DETAILS – Makes 6 cards: 2 each of 3 designs – Folded card size: 4.3″ x 5.5″ (10.8 x 14 cm) – Colors: Balmy Blue, Cajun Craze, Garden Green, Granny Apple Green, Gray Granite, Night of Navy, Pecan Pie, Pool Party – Sentiments printed in Dutch, English, French, and German
Here’s the unboxing video:
Beautiful Blues Kit:
Product detail
Craft timeless handmade cards for sharing messages of friendship, support, and sympathy with the Beautiful Blues Kit. This all-inclusive crafting kit comes with everything you need to create nine lovely cards featuring hand-painted floral designs and a palette of soothing blues.
DETAILS – Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs – Folded card size: 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ (14 x 10.8 cm) – Colors: Basic White, Blueberry Bushel, Night of Navy – Also available in French
Welcome to the April, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! The theme for this month chosen by our host, Melanie, is Use the Word “Merry”. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
Here’s my sneak peek Merry card:
In just a few weeks, Stampin’ Up! demonstrators will be enjoying an online opportunity to participate in Creativity Now. The participants were able to purchase the holiday suite of products in advance so we can create along with the facilitators. This embossing folder and die set are included in the suite. I decided to create a simple card to showcase both of these products.
I am looking forward to both the Creativity Now event and the release of these new products! I can’t wait to share the suite with you!
What I Did:
The Basic White base measures 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, scored at 4-1/4 inches
Trim a piece of Real Red cardstock to 5-3/8 by 4-1/8 inches
Run the Real Red cardstock through the Cut & Emboss Machine using the Peaceful Greenery 3D embossing folder
Stamp the sentiment, from the retired Framed & Festive stamp set, using Real Red ink on a 4-1/4 by 5-1/2 inch piece of white cardstock
Crop the sentiment panel and the white branches using the Peace on Earth Dies
Dry fit the placement of the branches and the sentiment panel on the front of the card
Add dimensionals to the back of the sentiment panel and adhere it to the center of the embossed Real Red cardstock
Add the branches under the sentiment panel and adhere using multipurpose liquid glue
I have some retired red dots left and added five to the front of the card
Stamp your inside sentiment in Real Red ink
With that, I’d finished this simple, but elegant, Merry Christmas card
First up – The Beautiful Blues Kit retailing for $23.00 USD, product # 165658.
Craft timeless handmade cards for sharing messages of friendship, support, and sympathy with the Beautiful Blues Kit. This all-inclusive crafting kit comes with everything you need to create nine lovely cards featuring hand-painted floral designs and a palette of soothing blues.
These colors, DSP, and die cuts are strikingly gorgeous!
Here’s the video for the Beautiful Blues Kit:
Second – the Share a Smile Kit, retailing for $14.00 USD, product # 165637.
Want to make a difference in someone’s day? Have an uplifting card ready to go at a moment’s notice with the Share a Smile Kit! This all-inclusive crafting kit offers fun, no-fuss crafting, with card bases, envelopes, and precut paper pieces for making bright and cheery designs. Store the completed cards in the included notecard box until you’re ready to give them out!
Check out these adorable cards which are sure to bring a smile to the recipient’s face!
Welcome to the April, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! The theme for this month chosen by our host, Dawn, is Christmas Foliage. When you get finished here, I hope you will visit the challenge site to view the creations from the very talented members of our design team. After you’ve created your own themed card, please don’t forget to upload it to our gallery.
Here’s my fun fold Christmas Foliage card:
This is one of my favorite fun folds, and I’ve already posted a number of cards using this fold, especially when using 6 x 6 ” DSP (designer series paper). You can see other cards using this fold here, and here, and here.
I have no earthly idea why I didn’t save the tutorial video for this card, but I have searched my Pinterest and saved video tutorials on YouTube for more than 30 minutes and can’t find it. If you recognize the fold, please let me know so I can give credit to the original designer. I will be using this fold for many 6 x 6 inch DSP pages! The paper absolutely does all the work here!
Creating a Card Using a Template:
I created a template for myself so I wouldn’t have to look up the measurements every time I wanted to use this layout, which is quite often.
Here’s my template:
The mats for both flaps measure 3-1/8 by 5-3/8.
Trim 1/4 inch from either the top or bottom of your 6 x 6″ DSP. Then, cut the DSP down the middle so you have 2 pieces measuring 3 by 5-1/4 inches.
If you like the idea of quick and easy cards but don’t know where to start, try our KITS COLLECTION!
Here are three examples of the all-inclusive kits available now!
First, this PAINTED WISHES KIT retails for $14.00 (USD) and contains enough supplies to create NINE cards!
The second kit I’m showcasing is the ALPINE AIR KIT which retails for $22.00 (USD) and it also contains enough supplies for NINE cards! I’ve already posted some cards I’ve made using this kit, which you can see here.
Finally, this BY YOUR SIDE KIT retails for $22.00 (USD) and contains enough supplies for EIGHT cards. I love this kit and have posted cards using it which you can see here, here and here.
If you live in the U.S. and don’t already have a Stampin’ UP! demo from whom you order, I would be honored to work with you.
When ordering, please enter the following HOST CODE when prompted:
Welcome to Just Peachy Stamping by Sue Jackson: an independent Stampin' Up demonstrator.
Through Stampin' Up!, I happily share my love of papercrafting through sales, classes, small stamping group meet-ups and workshops. I think that being a teacher in my "real life", I have a unique approach to sharing my fantastic hobby. I look forward to connecting with you!
