Home Is Where The Heart Is!

Hello!  Today I am sharing a few projects I worked on this week using several "home" related products from Stampin' Up!®, including the "haunted house" die from the Online Exclusives Spooky Halloween dies (item 166198), the retiring - and currently available as one of the discounted Last Chance Products - Humble Home photopolymer stamp set (item 164286), and the recently retired Humble Home Builder Punch (item 164093).

Additional current, retiring, and recently retired Stampin' Up!® products I used to complete the projects:

• Online Exclusives Impressions Abloom dies (item 165610);

• Online Exclusives Scenic Adventure dies (item 165467);

• Online Exclusives Everyday Arches dies (item 164629);

• Stylish Shapes dies (item 159183) - circle and square die cuts, including square frame die cut;

• Gallery Blooms dies (item 165212);

• retiring - and currently available as one of the discounted Last Chance Products - Around It All dies (item 164725);

• recently retired Adventurous Sky dies (item 163446) - clouds;

• recently retired Timber 3D Embossing Folder (item 156406);

• retired Stitched Greenery die (item 155451) - to add stitched detail to paper "quilted" pieces;

• retired Frightful Tags dies (item 156492 - featured in the July-December 2021 Mini Catalogue) - tree base;

• Pumpkin Pie shaded paper from Full Of Life 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper (item 163357) - window backing panels for "haunted house" die cut;

• Lost Lagoon/Boho Blue patterned paper from Timeless Plaid 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper (item 164678) - window shades for "haunted house" die cut;

• two patterns from the Online Exclusives Floral Delight 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 164700) - "quilted" punched house;

• Old Olive striped patterned paper from the Online Exclusives Floral Impressions 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 165603) - large background panel for framed punch house project, and for one of the three papers used in the "quilted" Around It All tree top;

• Old Olive/Mossy Meadow patterned papers from the recently retired Season Of Green & Gold 12" x 12" Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 164324) - "quilted" punch house, and "quilted" Around It All tree top; and

• Misty Moonlight wood grain patterned paper from Country Woods 12" x 12" Designer Series Paper (item 163393) for matting panel on framed "haunted house" project.

Evergreen tree and foliage die cuts were cut from Lemon Lime Twist cardstock (item 144245), Old Olive cardstock (item 100702), and Mossy Meadow cardstock (item 133676), and shaded with Mossy Meadow ink (item 147111).  For shading the cardstock die cuts I used Small Blending Brushes (item 160518 - package of three) to apply the ink.  For a little additional visual texture I quite often lightly misted the shaded cardstock die cuts with water using one of the Stampin' Spritzers (item 126185 - package of two), letting them either air dry or blotting them dry with paper towel.

All images and sentiments were stamped using StāzOn Jet Black Ink (item 101406).

For all card bases - including the "Archie" card - I used Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229).

A few weeks ago on a "thrifting" excursion I lucked into a treasure trove of old Stampin' Up!® stamp sets - wood mounted, and either only very gently used or never used - and I used a few of these stamps to complete several of my projects (for reference purposes I have included images that I was able to find on the internet of these stamp sets):

• Simple Shapes (item 103606) - featured in the 2005|2006 Idea Book & Catalogue;

• Seeing Spots (item 107007) - featured in the Spring Summer Collection 2008 Catalogue (amongst others); and

• Pick A Petal (item 115042) - featured in the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue (amongst others);

There is one individual sketchy flower stamp from my haul that I used on the framed punch house project - fussy cut and added to an Impressions Abloom die cut stem - for which I have not yet been able to identify the stamp set . . . but the search will continue!

Just a quick note regarding additional basic tools and supplies I used to complete my projects this week:

• Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (item 149653) for all die cutting and embossing; 
• Paper Trimmer (item 152392) - for trimming cardstock, watercolour paper, and DSP, and for scoring card fold lines.  To ensure crisp folds I used my Bone Folder (item 102300) to burnish the scored and folded lines;
• Paper Snips Scissors (item 103579) - these sharp little scissors - which unfortunately are no longer available - are great for fussy cutting, and doing any necessary trimming of die cuts;
• Take Your Pick Tool (item 144107) - the spatula and tacky putty tips are definitely a great help for manipulating and placing small die cuts and embellishments; and
• for the main adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue (item 110755).  On one of the projects I had to glue DSP to a larger cardboard base, and in that instance I first used an old paint brush to spread the glue over the base, and immediately after laying the DSP over the prepared base used a brayer (Stampin' Brayer - item 162936) to roll over the DSP to ensure even coverage of the liquid glue and good even adhesion of the DSP to the base surface. The Multipurpose Liquid Glue bottle is duel tipped:  a pen tip and a broad tip.  The broad tip at the base of the bottle is great for applying the glue over a larger surface.  I do transfer some of the contents of each new glue bottle to a smaller bottle equipped with a very fine tip and pin stopper, as a very fine tip gives me more control in dispensing glue - and anything that can help relieve the stress of applying liquid glue to a small or detailed die cut is very much appreciated!  

On with the projects!

I used a slightly distressed thrift store wood frame, glass removed, with inside back dimensions of 5" x 4" to frame this small decor project featuring the "haunted house" and Scenic Adventure die cuts.  I used the large oval die from the Impressions Abloom dies to cut the window opening in the Country Woods DSP panel, and the inset Impressions Abloom oval frame was die cut from Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) - the frame die cut fit very nicely into the slight indentation that the oval die left around the window opening in the DSP panel.  For the scene backing panel I used a trimmed watercolour paper panel that had been coloured using Daffodil Delight ink refill (item 119672) - a combination of "ink smooshing" and then applying darker stripes using a flat tipped paint brush. The little flowers were die cut from leftover strips of the Daffodil Delight coloured watercolour paper panel.  The house and fence were both die cut from Smoky Slate cardstock (item 131202), and shaded with Crumb Cake ink (item 147116) and Early Espresso ink (item 147114).  Before die cutting the house I embossed the cardstock using the Timber 3D Embossing Folder, and before embossing I dragged my Basic Gray ink pad (item 149165) over the raised design on one inside panel of the Embossing Folder.  I added the two patterns of DSP behind the windows of the house die cut, and a small scrap of Basic Black cardstock behind the door opening.  I attached the foreground and tree die cuts to the house die cut and used strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815) behind the house and the evergreen trees to attach them to the watercolour paper background panel - the Adventurous Sky watercolour paper clouds were glued directly to the panel.  I added one of the small Adhesive-Backed Textured Dots (item 163338) to the door.

Additional supplies used to complete the second small decor project, which was framed using a slightly distressed wood thrift store frame, glass removed, with inside back dimensions of 7" x 5":

• watercolour paper coloured by "ink smooshing" with Real Red ink (item 147084) for the punched house, and the two stamped flowers.  The Seeing Spots flower was die cut using the smallest circle die from the Stylish Shapes dies; and
• Mossy Meadow cardstock (item 133676) for the Everyday Arches frame.  I used low-tack tape to hold the two Everyday Arches dies together while I passed the dies and cardstock through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine.

*For the "ink smooshing" technique I use an ink pad (or drops of ink refill) to apply ink directly to a silicone sheet (Silicone Craft Sheet - item 127853), adding water to the ink by spritzing the ink with water (Stampin' Spritzers), then "smooshing" or dragging the watercolour paper into/over the ink and water mixture.  The "smooshing" can be done several times to build up colour/texture, and I usually use a heat gun (Heat Tool - item 129053) to dry the watercolour paper panel between "smooshes".  After the "ink smooshed" panel is dry I will often lightly spritz the panel with a little more water, blotting dry with paper towel to create the lighter circles of colour.*

For both the punch house and the Around It All tree top for this 5" x 4" top-fold card I glued strips of DSP to a cardstock base, then adding the stitched detail using the Stitched Greenery die before punching and die cutting the shapes.  To die cut the tree top I used the third smallest die from the Around It All dies.  The Frightful Tags tree base was die cut from Pecan Pie cardstock (item 161717), and shaded with both Pecan Pie ink (item 161665) and Early Espresso ink (item 147114).  The small flowers were trimmed from die cuts from Daffodil Delight/Lemon Lolly toned portions of patterned papers from the Floral Delight DSP.  I used Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229) for both the Everyday Arches frame, and the frame's embossed background panel that was embossed using the Timber 3D Embossing Folder.  The Adventurous Sky clouds were die cut from watercolour paper.  After assembling the scene on the Mixed Media Florals DSP panel I used strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815) to attach the panel to the framed embossed panel, which was then secured to the card front with more strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets.  The little heart was punched from a leftover piece of Real Red ink (item 147084) "ink smooshed" watercolour paper, shaded around the edges with additional Real Red ink. 

The houses on these two top-fold cards (3 1/2" square and 3" square respectively) were punched from watercolour paper coloured using Real Red ink (item 147084), and stamped using a few of my thrift store stamps.  Each house was attached to the card front with strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815), and I added small and large white dots from the Online Exclusives Neutral Matte Dots (item 165561) to each house.  Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) was used for the Stylish Shapes square frame on the second card, and I added one small and one large of the black dots from the Neutral Matte Dots to this card as well.

I was having a lot of fun playing with my thrift store stamps so decided to make a couple more cards inspired by some HomeSense art - you always have to be on the lookout for inspiration!  For the first card (4 1/4" square) I stamped over watercolour paper that I had coloured by "ink smooshing" with Blueberry Bushel ink refill (item 147176).  I added Basic Black cardstock (121045) and Basic White Thick cardstock (item 159229) matting panels with windows cut using Stylish Shapes square dies.  The fully matted image panel was secured to the card front with strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets (item 152815), and I added two large and one small of the white dots from Neutral Matte Dots (item 165561) to the image panel.  For the second card (4" square) I used one of the Around It All dies to die cut a window in a trimmed panel of Masking Paper (item 155480 - package of twelve 5" x 7" sheets), which I used as a stencil through which I applied Daffodil Delight ink (item 147094) and Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086) to a watercolour paper panel using Small Blending Brushes (item 160518).  Before removing the Masking Paper stencil I lightly spritzed the inked area with water (Stampin' Spritzers - item 126185), immediately blotting dry with paper towel.  After removing the stencil I stamped images using, in addition to the Simple Shapes stamp set, the Comfort & Hope stamp set (item 152509 - featured in the June 3, 2020-May 3, 2021 Annual Catalogue), the Textures & Frames stamp set (August 3-September 30, 2021 Sale-A-Bration item 156616), and the current Online Exclusives Elements Of Text stamp set (item 164774).  I used the Around It All dies to cut a frame from Basic Black cardstock, and used strips trimmed from Foam Adhesive Sheets to attach the framed image panel to the card front.  To the image panel I added one large and three small white dots from Neutral Matte Dots.

I kept it very simple for my "Archie" project this week, included at the bottom of this blog post.  For this 3 1/2" square top-fold card I used Pumpkin Pie ink (item 147086) and Real Red ink (item 147084) to colour the demur feline from the retired Online Exclusives Pets & More stamp set (item 163607), which was stamped on watercolour paper.  I stamped the "C is for cat" sentiment, from the long-retired C Is For Cat stamp set (item 115764) that was featured in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue, directly on the card front, framing it with a Basic Black cardstock (item 121045) frame cut using the Around It All dies.  I glued the fussy cut feline image to the side of the cardstock frame, and added one large and one small black dot from the Neutral Matte Dots (item 165561) to the inside bottom of the cardstock frame. 

2025-2027 In Colours Sale!

If you haven't had an opportunity yet to check out the five new In Colours for 2025-2027 (Cloud Cover, Secret Sea, Darling Duckling, Strawberry Slush, and Timid Tiger) - or already have your favourite(s) and want to stock up on supplies - this Sale offers the perfect opportunity for you!  From August 5 through to August 31, 2025, Stampin' Up! will be offering select products featuring the 2025-2027 In Colours for 15% off!  Select products include Designer Series Papers, cardstock (including two-tone cardstock), inks, ink refills, Stampin' Blends Combo Packs, Stampin' Write Markers, ribbon, embellishments, and kits! You can view the full range of products featuring the 2025-2027 In Colours on my website by selecting from "Menu":

1. "Shop By"
2. "Colour"
3. "In Colours 2025-2027"
4. select "Shop All" if you would like to see the full product selection, or click on one of the individual colours if you would like to see only products in or featuring your favourite colour!

Thank you for visiting my blog!  I certainly enjoyed working on these projects, and having fun with some of my thrift store stamp haul!

Stampin' Up! advises that the following products I used this week are not currently available, but I have included the date that Stampin' Up! expects the products to again be available for ordering:

• StāzOn Jet Black Ink (item 101406) - week of August 11, 2025; and
• Impressions Abloom dies (item 165610) - week of August 11, 2025.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the available Stampin’ Up!® products I have used in my projects, and you live in Canada and do not have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, please do not hesitate to visit my online store found on my website https://archiesatelier.stampinup.net/ at your convenience, or simply click under the "Shop With Me" tab on the right sidebar of my blog, which will take you directly to my website and online store.  I very much appreciate your business and would be very pleased to be your demonstrator! If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me (lmccoyarchie@gmail.com) and I will try my best to help!  The digital version of the May 2025-April 2026 Annual Catalogue is available for you to access at your convenience on my website.  If visiting the online store don't forget to check out the entire line of Online Exclusives products as well as all the Last Chance Products!  Just a reminder that all Last Chance Products remain available only while supplies last! 

Have fun creating!

Laurel

*It has come to my attention that quite often email correspondence from me is delivered to the recipient's spam or junk mail folder - if you have corresponded with me I have replied so be sure to check your spam or junk mail folder!  Thank you!! 

"When I feel bad, I just look at my cats and my courage returns."

- Charles Bukowski -