Ink and Inspiration Blog Hop - October 2021 | Some of My Favorite Tools

 

Happy Thursday, y'all!  I'm so glad that you're here and hope you are having a wonderful day!  Today I am hopping with the Ink & Inspiration Blog Hop as we share inspiration for you about Stampin' Up! tools!  There are several of us hopping today - you will find the list to follow along towards the bottom of my blog post - so sit back and enjoy your favorite coffee, tea, water, or smoothie as we share some handmade projects with you!

Today's Project

Tools, tools, tools!  There are so many tools that I use every day to create the cards that I love to share with you here on my blog and through the mail.  Today, I chose to create a card for some friends featuring the tools that I could not live without as I use them every day - the Paper Trimmer, Bone Folder, Clear Block(s), and Paper Snips.  I also use the Stamparatus, Small Grid Paper and Grid Paper every day but I feature them so much already that I needed to let the other tools shine.

Project Details

I was shown how to create this Double Diamond Fold Card that fits in our Medium Envelopes during an online class with one of my Stampin' Up! buddies!  I am crazy enough to get up at 5:00 AM once a week to attend her classes... yes, it's amazing what we stampers will do to stamp with friends!  Hopefully, one day I will have some friends just as crazy as me wanting to stamp with me in my online classes!  **wink**  There is nothing like stamping with friends whether it's in person or online! Now on to my favorite everyday, must have tools that helped create this fun card.  

Cut a piece of Basic White Thick cardstock to 4" x 10-5/8" with the Paper Trimmer.  Use the score blade (the light gray blade) and score at 2" down the middle and on each side.  Make tick marks with a pencil at 4" from the end along the length using the middle ruler on the trimmer as a level line and making the tick marks through the clear trimmer blade along the cutting groove.  Fold the Basic White Thick Cardstock in half along the lengthwise 2" score line to create a mountain and burnish with the Bone Folder.  Align the fold below the middle ruler on the trimmer and make tick marks from each end at 3-5/8" along the fold using the cutting groove as a guide.

Unfold and align the tick marks along the cutting groove using the clear Blade Guide to assist with the alignment.  Once aligned, score with the Bone Folder through the clear Blade Guide.  Repeat three times creating four scored diagonals.   Create mountain folds at the 2" score lines on each end and burnish with the Bone Folder.  Unfold.  Fold in half and gently fold along the diagonals back and forth.  

Now comes the fun part!  Open the cardstock to a plain.  Fold the ends down, pinch the center to a mountain now slowly fold inwards collapsing the diagonals inwards to form the double diamonds.  I like to imagine that I am folding a paper finger game from my early school days... I'm sure you may have played this game yourself... if you folded it wrong, it would not work right... so be patient while forming the diamonds.  TIP: You might wish to play with this fold with copy paper until you are familiar with the fold.  

Adhere a Basic White Cardstock square to a Cinnamon Cider Cardstock square.  With the small Clear Block off stamp the leaves in Cinnamon Cider and Evening Evergreen within the diagonal lines and across the bottom for the front. Stamp the leaf details with Cinnamon Cider and Evening Evergreen.  Stamp some extras to fussy cut with Paper Snips.  Stamp the sentiment with Cinnamon Cider and fussy cut.  The fussy-cut squirrel was an extra from another project so he was my time saver.  **wink**

Stamp the leaves on four Basic White squares to compliment the leaves stamped on the card base.  Emboss with the Bark 3D Embossing Folder with the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine.  Adhere to four Cinnamon Cider squares.  TIP:   When adhering the embossed layers, be mindful to keep the direction of the embossing all in one direction.

The back panel is left blank for corresponding to the sentiment.  An additional triangle was added on the back of the Cinnamon Cider panel for additional writing space.  Lining the envelope with coordinating Designer Series Paper is always a special touch I love to add for so many cards.  I use my retired envelope liner dies; however, if you do not have them yourself...  it's easy to replicate with a 6" square of DSP and your paper snips!  Trim the DSP around the flap and snip an angle to compliment your envelope sides.  Trim the bottom enough to tuck inside the envelope adhering the trimmed top directly below the gummed seal for the flap.

More Inspiration

I hope this project using some of my favorite Stampin' Up! tools has inspired you and brightened your day.  You are currently visiting Angie McKenzie at #10.  Please see the list below and hop through all of the people on the list to see all our projects.  You don't want to miss any!

Thanks so much for stopping by my little corner of the world!

Have a blessed day!

 

You Can Make This Card!

Here's What You'll Need to Get Started...

BASICS

• Clear Blocks A, D; Stamparatus; Small Grid Paper; Paper Trimmer; Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine; Paper Snips; Bone Folder; Multipurpose Liquid Adhesive

STAMPS

• Nuts About Squirrels Photopolymer Stamp Set; Flowers of Friendship Cling Stamp Set  

INK

• Cinnamon Cider and Evening Evergreen Classic Stampin' Pads; Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad: Bronze & Ivory, Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Combo Packs 

PAPER

• Basic White, Cinnamon Cider and Basic White Thick Cardstocks; Basic White Medium Envelopes; 2021-2023 In Color 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper

OTHER

• Bark 3D Embossing Folder

tams# 65368

You can purchase any of these supplies from my online store if you live in the USA and do not already have a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator.

Time to Use Your Paper Trimmer!

PAPER CUTS

• Basic White - 1-3/4" x 1-3/4" (x4); 2-5/8" x 2-5/8" (x2); scraps for stamping and fussy-cutting
• Cinnamon Cider - 1-7/8" x 1-7/8" (x4); 2-3/4" x 2-3/4" 
• Basic White Thick - 4" x 10-5/8" scored along all sides at 2"; tick marks made along the long side at 4" on each side by flipping and rotating cardstock; fold lengthwise along the scored line and make tick marks along the fold 3-1/8" from each side; connect the dots and score the diagonals (card base)

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