Real Red Peace Poinsettias For Colour Inkspiration 200

by Joanne James4. December 2025 08:00

Today I'm sharing a card for the current challenge over at Colour Inkspiration where they are celebrating their 200th challenge - congratulations!

May be a graphic of text that says "HELP US CELEBRATE 200 CHALLENGES... SHOWCASE YOUR FAVOURITE STAMPIN' UP!® COLOUR /PIRATIOM L____ CHALLENGES #200"   May be a graphic of text that says "HELP US CELEBRATE 200 CHALLENGES... SHOWCASE YOUR FAVOURITE STAMPIN' UP!® COLOUR /PIRATIOM L____ CHALLENGES #200"

This card ended up becoming a set of 6 so I'm also entering the card set challenge over at TGIF Challenges - more on that shortly. First up, this was my initial card:

 

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Real Red Forever - As my dear friend Jan said when she made her DT card for this challenge, being asked to choose your favourite SU colour is a little like being asked to choose your favourite child - impossible, right? I decided to answer this question, I would take a look at which colour of cardstock I had the most of - because this is a sure sign that this is a colour I use a lot! The answer was hands down, Real Red - which also happens to be one of the first three ink pad colours I ever purchased at the start of my SU journey (the others were Pacific Point - now retired although replaced in my affections with blueberry Bushel - and Old Olive - still current but usurped by Shaded Spruce, my favourite green ever!) I use the other reds too, but Real Red will always be my favourite - a true scarlet red that works for so many occasions. 

Having chosen my colour, this also gave me the opportunity to use my favourite sheet of red and gold poinsettias in the Traditions of Christmas specialty DSP pack that I had yet to cut into. I decided to use the paper as a base, then add a simple diecut label using the Branching Out Dies, and finish with a simple layered sentiment using my Concorde & 9th Holiday Sayings Dies:

 

Di you know that the poinsettia is a flower that is believed to symbolise peace? This simple greeting seemed therefore appropriate, layered in gold foil and the DSP behind. A simple sentiment completes the inside of my card - this is the only stamping on today's card:

 

Make The Most Of Your DSP - Having cut the pieces for my initial card, I was struck by how much of the pattern I was ultimately going to cover with my label; so before I stuck the pieces down, I cut another smaller label from the patterned paper and backed this with one in gold foil, to create a second card design that was the reverse of the first one:

 

This time, I added my sentiment in Real Red, backed with gold foil:

 

This is a great way to get two cards out of one piece of DSP. Here's a photo of both cards together:

 

A Card Set - I had cut a single length of paper from my initial 12x12 DSP sheet, which enabled me to make three cards. Using the above 2-for-1 principle, I managed to make a set of 6 cards, 3 of each of the 2 designs:

 

I really wanted the designer paper and the colour to take centre stage, so didn't add any thing else in the way of embellishments to my card. A great way to produce a set of cards that would make a lovely gift. Which card design do you prefer? I think I ended up liking the second card design even more than the first!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

 

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Enjoy your day; I'm off to my pilates class this morning and am going out for my first Christmas night out this evening with one of my closest friends, so looking forward to that. In between time, I need to stop making Christmas cards and start writing some! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Traditions Of Christmas Tri-Panel Card PP765

by Joanne James23. November 2025 08:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Ann to host this week and she has my favourite, a sketch challenge for us to work with:

    

So many possibilities with this sketch! I chose to keep the basic layout and showcase one of my favourite festive designer series papers that I've been waiting for an opportunity to cut into - take a look:

 

Here's the low-down on today's card:

There are two patterns in the Traditions of Christmas specialty paper that I absolutely love: the gold embossed red poinsettia sheet and this pattern, combining red poinsettias with Christmas roses and foliage. The gold embossing, and unusual colour combination incorporating Secret Sea and Pool Party into the mix, make for a stunning pattern that should be showcased in all its festive glory, so the three panels of Ann's sketch were perfect. A simple base and a diecut Words For The Season sentiment in gold foil, popped up using adhesive sheet were all that I needed to really allow it to shine:

I liked this card so much I made a whole bunch of them, adding some alternative sentiments - this one was using another of my Big Type Greetings Dies by Kristina Werner:

I like this version because you can see even more of that fabulous paper! I am linking today's card up with the lovely ladies over at Just Add Ink where they are looking for stencils, dies or both on their cards this week - for me it's just dies today, but great word dies nevertheless!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

 

You can see all of my Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

Enjoy your day; I have been taking a break from the craft room re-occupation over the last few days as I have been enjoying the company of James Junior, who has been home from university for the weekend. We will be heading back for his last stint before Christmas this afternoon, with him fed, watered and a fully laundered and ironed wardrobe of clothing - can't be bad! I'll be back in a couple of days with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Traditions of Christmas Festive Bouquet

by Joanne James5. November 2025 22:00

Today I'm sharing a card that was initially inspired by the colour palette at Hand Stamped Sentiments along with the 'O is for Oval and One Word Sentiment' over at the Alphabet Challenge blog, that quickly became a candidate for the current style challenge over at TGIF Challenges this week too:

      

The HSS colours all appear in the Traditions of Christmas designer series paper pack so I knew that would be my starting point; take a look at what I came up with:

 

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I started out by fussy cutting one of the floral bouquets from the paper, then added in another for good measure, and added them to a Pool Party stitched oval base. I chose a Secret Sea patterned base panel, but decided that my bouquet needed something 'extra'; I ended up taking three wooden foliage sprigs from my stash and adding gold leaf to each of them for some textured shine and layered these in beneath my bouquets. I added a twist of gold-trimmed Cherry Cobbler satin ribbon and a large diecut sentiment, then added some flat gold enamel dots for a final flourish:

Now that's a lot of layers, with much more in the way of embellishments than I would normally go for, but sometimes more really is more, right?! I really love this finished card too - perfect for special festive wishes.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

 

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I am late posting today; I finally embarked on emptying my craft room so that I could decorate and reorganise it. I emptied it on Sunday and have spent the last 3 days painting and decorating. A few finishing touches tomorrow, then I'm waiting for some new flooring to be fitted before sorting out the mountain of items that came out of it and restocking it with only those things I now need. My craft room is officially out of action for a little while, but I have a few projects made and ready to share with you in the coming weeks so all is not lost! Enjoy your evening and I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

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About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! Stampin' Up! is a registered trademark of Stampin' up! Inc. I hope you find my blog a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.