How Not to Get Overwhelmed By Your New Products! Tips for Designing Cards with NEW STUFF!

 Hello! This blog is going to be short and sweet or I should say citrus sweet!

Cup of Tea Bundle

I have 6 Tips To Creating Cards with New Stuff. When you purchase new products especially from a new catalog like we just had with 2022-2023 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog, it can be overwhelming when we look at all of that stuff in the box.

• Tip 1: Create a Designer Series Paper SAMPLER
• Tip 2: Cut Out Every Die
• Tip 3: Put the Dies Back (in an organized way so you can create quickly later)
• Tip 4: Put the Stickers on Your New Ink Pads ASAP (Make them easy to use and identify)
• Tip 5: Stamp every stamp so you can see and get a feel for the images and how they look
• Tip 6: Put the stamps back so they are easy to access next time (and clean them)

The 6 tips are all about getting to know the new products you bought. 

You'll be amazed when you start to do this how the ideas start to flow. You might feel drawn to a particular piece of designer paper or a certain stamp image. When I think of the phrase "tea boutique" or "cup of tea" I don't think of Summer necessarily but when I laid out all of the paper and started to see the red and the blues and the yellows and the lemon and the citrus slices, I felt like I could create Summer projects and once my mind made that connection I wanted to create the citrus theme cards you see here. 

This is my standard process. I stamp all of the images. I cut all of the dies. I create reference sheets. I cut sampler pieces of the designer paper. I work with any new In Colors and really get a sense of how to make my new set of cards. It is fun and it's so rewarding to use the new products you invested in but, best of all, the recipients will appreciate the cards (and tea) you send them or deliver in person at your next gathering.

How to Make the Citrus Cards

Lime Card

Card Measurements:

• Parakeet Party Card Base - 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 and scored at 4-1/4"
• Layer 1: Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4"
• Layer 2: Pocket - 2022-2024 In Color DSP (in Parakeet Party stripes) 3 x 6 and scored at 3
• Die Cut 1: Vellum Tea Cup
• Die Cut 2: Parakeet Party Tea Cup
• Tea Cup Tag
• Lime Slice Die Cut (Detail and Base Piece) in Parakeet Party Cardstock
• 2022-2024 In Color Twine in Parakeet Party
• I recommend another Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4" for the inside of your card

This is the standard A2 Card Size. Use Parakeet Party Ink to stamp your lime slices all over the the Basic White layer and then using a sponge dauber just sponge some additional color around the edges. Make a pocket easily with a little tear and tape adhesive. Take the In Color DSP, score in half and seal about half way up the pocket on either side so you can tuck a tea bag in there. I decided this was a bit too narrow so on the lemon card the pocket is a bit wider. This is not meant to hold anything heavy. Adhere your layers. On the Parakeet Party tea cup die cut I sponged some color on to make it look like there was liquid and then layered the vellum over the Parakeet Party cup. I love how it turned out. Use the twine for your teabag tag. I edged the color around the tag too and that's where the sentiment is on this particular card! Put together your lime slice die cut for the finishing touch.

Lemon Card

Card Measurements:

• Daffodil Delight Card Base - 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 and scored at 4-1/4"
• Layer 1: Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4"
• Layer 2: Basic White 4-1/8 x 5-5/16
• Layer 2: Pocket - Tea Boutique DSP (in yellow) 3-3/4 x 5 and scored at 2-1/2"
• Die Cut 1: Vellum Tea Cup
• Die Cut 2: Daffodil Delight Tea Cup
• Tea Cup Mini Tag
• Lemon Slice Die Cut in Daffodil Delight
• Stitched Rectangle 1-3/4 x 3-1/8"
• White Baker's Twine for Teabag Tag
• I recommend another Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4" for the inside of your card

Stamp your lemon slices all over Basic White layer in Daffodil Delight. This DSP you'll cut a little wider and shorter to make your pocket piece to hold your tea bag. I switched to the smaller tea bag tag and stamped it in the coordinating size stamp in Daffodil Delight. With the vellum tea cup, to make it look like it had liquid in it, I pressed it half way onto the ink pad until it was saturated and let dry. Ink on vellum tends not to dry so either you need to heat set or layer it like I did. I backed the vellum tea cup die onto the daffodil delight teacup. Your lemon slice will be just like the lime slice.

Orange Card

Card Measurements:

• Pumpkin Pie Card Base - 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 and scored at 4-1/4"
• Layer 1: Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4"
• Layer 2: Basic White 4-1/8 x 5-5/16
• Layer 2: Pocket - Vellum 3-1/2 x 6 and scored at 3"
• Die Cut 1: Basic White Detail Tea Cup Die Cut
• Die Cut 2: Pumpkin Pie Tea Cup
• Orange Slice Die Cut in Pumpkin Pie
• Stitched Rectangle 1-3/4 x 3-1/8"
• I recommend another Basic White Cardstock 4 x 5-1/4" for the inside of your card

This version is very similar to the lemon card. I will caution that the vellum pocket wasn't as functional as I'd hoped. Vellum doesn't love glue so you may want to stitch it shut or use brads on either side or go back to a coordinating piece of DSP. My pocket (after making it) kept coming apart so full disclosure there. Measurements are only slightly different. This time I didn't use a teabag tag. I used the fancy die cut layer over the teacup instead (its so beautiful) I tried stamping the orange slices whole but I was a bit impatient and didn't get a perfect line up every time. It was a fun experiment. You can just do half slices of your oranges too to keep it simple. Assemble your card and add your garnish! All done! 

I hope you enjoyed today's cards. Before you go, did you know about the In Color Starter Kit Special in May?

This month only, you can get just under $200 in products for $99 (before tax) plus FREE SHIPPING

A typical Starter Kit is $125 in products (that you choose) and only pay $99 ($26 savings)

In May, you also get $66.50 in In Color Products FREE as well and a Paper Pumpkin Kit!

The graphic shows all of the products. Don't miss this offer! It's fantastic!

Ready to purchase your starter kit? Start here: https://www.stampinup.com/join?demoid=2212777

Questions? Email me: stampingwithhart@gmail.com. Only three weeks left on this offer!

Have a great day and happy crafting!