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 the February, 2025 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! The theme for this month, chosen by Melissa, is A Christmas Cup of Tea. 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 am not a tea drinker, and didn’t have anything tea related, so I am using coffee for my card. Here’s my card:
3 images: the coffee cup, and 2 different foam images
2 patterned papersin Cherry Cobbler and Basic Beige
1 sentiment that makes me smile – a cozy day certainly meets that requirement
Measurements:
I outlined all the pieces using a gold Wink of Stella brush
The Cherry Cobbler base measures 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches
The Cherry Cobbler and gold flecked DSP (designer series paper) measures 4-1/8 by 5-3/8 inches
I trimmed another piece of DSP to 6 by 2-/2 inches for the envelope flap
Then, I punched a 1-inch circle from the Basic Beige and ran it through my XYRON create-a-sticker for the envelope seal
Trim a piece of Basic Beige to 4 by 5-1/4 inches for the inside of the card
The Basic Beige vertical strip measures 1 inch by 5-3/8 inches
The Basic Beige square in the middle measures 2-1/2 inches square, for which I then rounded the corners
I used scraps of the Cherry Cobbler and Basic Beige DSP for the cups, foam images, and sentiment
Stamping, Cropping, and Assembly:
I stamped all the images from the Latte Love stamp set and sentiment from the Frozen Edges stamp setin VersaMark ink and covered them all with gold embossing powder, which needed to be heat set
Crop the coffee cup and foam images using dies from Latte Love
Crop the sentiment using a tag die from the Greetings of the Season die set
Add gold thread to the hole in the sentiment tag
I used multipurpose glue to adhere pieces unless otherwise noted
Adhere the Basic Beige strip, square, and foam pieces to the Cherry Cobbler DSP
Add dimensionals to the back of the gold and Cherry Cobbler DSP, the sentiment, and the coffee cup and adhere
After stamping the inside sentiment, adhere to the inside of the base of the card
With that, I’d finished this coordinated card, envelope, and envelope seal set.
Welcome to the December, 2024 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! I’m hosting this month’s challenge and I chose Snowflakes for our 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 card based on a Christmas song:
It Pays to be a Paper Collector:
At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do for this challenge theme. In the end, I think it turned out great.
Sometimes it really comes in handy to be a collector of DSP (designer series paper), even though I have purged an incredible amount of paper in the past 6 months. I did keep just a bit of retired Christmas DSP, and this paper comes from that stash. As a matter of fact, the DSP, embossing folder, Poppy Parade ribbon, and stamp set are all retired. I guess it’s time to purge some more. I’ll make two girls very happy, again, when they get yet more hand-me-downs of craft supplies.
The current products are the deckled rectangle die set, which I used to crop the DSP on the front. The deckled circle dies used to crop out the Shaded Spruce mat and the white cardstock sentiment circles are also current.
Thank you very much for stopping by today!
Have a Peachy Day!
Sue
Two fabulous new kits!
This new Layered Landscapes kit is absolutely fabulous! Just take a look:
Here’s the unboxing video:
Of course, this kit comes with step-by-step instructions, as seen below:
If you like to water-color, this next kit is for you!
Product Details:
Embrace your creative side with the Nature’s Paintings Kit. This unique kit includes everything you need for a fun creative experience: a coloring book, watercolor pencils, and a water painter. All you need is some imagination and water! Create lovely, picturesque images using advanced coloring techniques with this craft kit. Or make something that’s never been seen before—like green flowers with purple leaves. Keep it realistic or color outside the lines—it’s up to you. And once you’re done, you can use your finished artwork to create a one-of-a-kind card front!
Kit includes: * Predesigned projects * Line art illustrations * Step-by-step instructions * 24 watercolor paper pages, 2 each of 12 designs * 8 Watercolor Pencils * 1 Water Painter * Coloring Book: 4-1/2″ x 6″ x 1/2″ (11.4 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm) * A 9-7/8″ x 6-1/2″ x 1-3/4″ (25.1 x 16.5 x 4.4 cm) printed designer box for storage or crafting on the go
Product colors: Berry Burst, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Flirty Flamingo, Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie, Red
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 the November, 2024 edition of the Sparkles Christmas Challenge! I’m hosting this month’s challenge and I chose Snowflakes for our 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.
Lost Lagoon is one of my favorite colors, and this monochromatic card turned out beautifully.
Here’s my card:
I used retired Stampin’ Up! products, but love these snowflakes. The snowflake on the front was from a package of white shiny snowflakes. I used my Lost Lagoon ink pad and a blending brush to color the reverse side of the snowflakes. Don’t try to color on the shiny side ~ trust me, it doesn’t work well at all. I added about three layers of clear Wink of Stella on the individual snowflakes. Here’s a couple of close-ups of the difference Wink of Stella made:
The first photo is after the layers of DSP. The right is the snowflake before the Wink of Stella.
Hints:
I made this card at the same time I made and posted the polar bear cards, which you can see in the following gallery:
Karen Titus is a U.S. Stampin’ UP! demonstrator and her cards, templates, and videos are always step-by-step and easy to follow. Here’s her video:
You can see my total inspiration in the above video cover photo. It’s about time I create some more of these super simple One Sheet Wonder cards!
Thank you for stopping by today!
Have a Peachy Day!
Sue
If you are a scrapbooker, or a cardmaker who loves a fabulous deal, check out the Close to My Heart items now offered by Stampin’ Up!
You can find the whole set of products here. In the meantime, here’s a sample of CTMH items:
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!
