I’ve got a secret, and I’m dying to share it. The new Stampin’ Up! catalog has been released to demonstrators and will be available to everyone on May 2nd, 2023. Please drop me a note at stampimpossiblethings@gmail.com if you want to see the gorgeous new products.

So while I wait impatiently for my new product to arrive, I decided to reach back into the archives of paper I live with and pull out a beauty. The New Horizons DSP and the March 2022 Paper Pumpkin kit have been waiting for just the right inspiration to bloom into a card. I needed some “Thank You” cards for my customers, and I had just the right fold to bring this gorgeous paper to life. The watercolor background hint at wonderful scenery.

This card uses the retiring Label me Lovely punch. I’ve had so much use out of this punch, I’ll be missing it when it’s gone, but you can still pick it up *at a discount* at the link above.

So, let’s get started!

First, we begin with the card base from the March 2022 Paper Pumpkin. I’ve trimmed this to 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″ and matted it on a piece of Blackberry Bliss 4″ x 5-1/4″. The flowers in the print are Blackberry Bliss. I love Blackberry Bliss, I even used it as one of my wedding colors. I try to use it any chance I get.

Next, we will cut the matching hole in the Misty Moonlight card base. To start, I put a small amount of adhesive on the blackberry bliss cardstock and positioned the card front to the base. Then, I traced the opening from the card front onto the base. Then, remove the card front and position the punch to cut the hole in the card base in the same position as the hole on the card front. Using Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue , attach the card front to the base, carefully aligning the holes. All the pencil marks can then be erased.

Next I created the layered greeting to be used inside the window we’ve created. The Blackberry Bliss layer, cut from the card front can be discarded. Attach the Misty Moonlight label to the back of the printed sky label cut from the card front. I also cut a 1-3/4″ circle from a Misty Moonlight scrap to layer the greeting. I’m quite excited that there are circle punches in the new catalog. Dies are nice, but punches can do the job so much quicker, that I lean toward using them when I can. Misty Moonlight is a retired In-Color from 2020-2022, but it’s coming back as a part of the 2023 Color Refresh and will be slotting into the Neutrals color family in the new catalog. We’ll also be welcoming back the 2021-2023 In-Color Fresh Freesia that was due to retire at the end of this month. I’m using both of these colors in this card. On a scrap of basic white card stock, I used the large circle from the Watercolor Shapes stamp set. I’m going to miss having Watercolor Shapes to create simple backgrounds for my cards, now that is has retired and sold out. I stamped the circle with Fresh Freesia ink. Then I used the “Wildly Grateful” sentiment from the Lovely You stamp set, also now retired. With the lovely pastoral scenes in the New Horizons DSP, I love the Wildly Grateful sentiment, conjuring the wilderness. I stamped this sentiment in Misty Moonlight over the Fresh Freesia background. I then punched the sentiment out with a 1-3/8″ circle punch. I layered the three layers, each centered on the other.

Next, we move to the interior of the card. Starting with a Basic White card stock, 5-3/8″ x 8″, scored at 2″ and 4″, as shown below. The inside sentiment will be stamped on the left side of the 4″ section, in Misty Moonlight ink. I used the sentiment from the retired Berry Blessings set. I love the rhyming saying. It feels like a song, just made to put a smile on your face.

Next we will take a sheet of the 6″ x 6″ New Horizons DSP. I chose this one because the colors blended so well with the card front, but any of the prints would work in this design. I cut the sheet to 5-1/4″ tall, then trimmed 3 sections 1-7/8″ wide. These three panels are attached, in order to the sections of the card interior. Fold along the two score lines, as shown to create the accordion interior. Then, attach the card interior to the card base, centering the left hand panel on the right hand panel of the base.

Next we will attach the front sentiment into the window in the card front. Close the card, with the accordion panels closed. First, trace the opening onto the right most panel, a little inside the opening, so that it will be covered once the sentiment is attached. Open the card, and using the Multipurpose Glue, place glue inside the lines drawn, only on the right most panel. Then, close the card. All of the glue will be in the window. Then, place the layered sentiment into the window, and it will adhere to the glue. And we have a basic card!

Time to add just a few embellishments to make this card shine (literally). To start, I added 2 of the die cut embellishments from the March 2022 Paper Pumpkin. It only takes a small amount of the Multipurpose glue to stick these down. Just make sure you’re careful to leave the adhesive off of the area where the sentiment is! Then I added the Pebbles Enamel Shapes to ground the die cuts. These Pebbles are a steal right now in the Last Chance Shop at only $3.00. A little Wink of Stella added to the sky and water on the front, as well as the water on the interior scene bring that lovely shimmery light to this pastoral card.

So, what DSP would you choose to use from the current Catalog to recreate this card? How would you use this fold to make your own thank you?

I put together one more card using current products too! I used the Fancy Flora DSP and the Something Fancy sentiments and dies, and the Dainty Delights stamps and dies. The Dainty Delights are so fun to color with the blends.