AWH Heart of Christmas - #3

 Christmas with Rejoice, All Wrapped Up and Some Vellum

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea. 

A group of creative friends from the Art with Heart team are back this year with our Annual Heart of Christmas blog hop for 2026. We are sharing Christmas inspiration each Monday evening until the end of November. I do hope you will check us out as often as you can.

I missed the first two 2026 Blog Hops, so thought I would share two quite different cards this week that I had started creating a couple of weeks ago. Both were created with another end in mind but the goal posts changed and so the part finished cards just sat on my desk. I fiddled a bit with them this week and here they are. I hope you find them of interest.

CARD 1:

The first card is a nativity scene from the Rejoice stamp set that was gold heat embossed on Vellum. I love Stampin' Up!s Vellum as its a good quality and copes well with heat embossing. 

Firstly a hole was cut in the front of the card base and a Basic White background panel using the Tile Garden dies. These dies were also used to cut frames from both Woodgrain Wonders Designer Series Paper (DSP) and Basic White cardstock. The background panel was embossed with the Textured Tree Ring 3D Embossing Folder.

A number of oval pine wreaths were die cut (Noel Tidings set) from both Basic White cardstock and the Woodgrain Wonders DSP. The top layer was coloured with Old Olive Classic ink and used to frame the Nativity Scene. It sits underneath the raised Woodgrain frame.

The sentiment is from the Rejoice stamp set and it was white heat embossed on Crumb Cake cardstock. A double Linen twine bow was tucked beneath the sentiment. A few Gold Adhesive-backed Dots and Cherry Cobbler coloured Rhinestone Basic Jewels, finished the card design.

When the card opens it reveals a Basic Beige flap with another ink stamped Nativity scene that was coloured with Stampin' Blends Combos. Pieces of the oval Noel Tidings pine wreath have been laid at the top and bottom of the panel.

The Basic Beige panel opens to the right to reveal a panel to write a personal message. This was decorated with a gold embossed sentiment and image from the Rejoice stamp set.

CARD 2:

This second card features some of the All Wrapped Up Speciality Designer Series Paper. The background is a gorgeous tartan. Some Basic White Softly Woven 3D embossed panels were added to the card front with Dimensionals.

Lettering was prepared using the Luxe Alphabet & Numbers dies, Opal foil and Misty Moonlight cardstock to coordinate with the tartan background. A frame was also hot foiled with the Silver Foil and then die cut also using the Flourish & Frames dies. Part of the rest of the sentiment was stamped and white heat embossed on Misty Moonlight cardstock using the Home for Christmas stamp set before being fussy cut.

The sentiment and label layers needed something more so small pine boughs and bows were fussy cut from other designs of the All Wrapped Up Speciality DSP. The final touch - a few silver Adhesive Backed Sparkle Sequins.

The inside of the card was simply decorated with a thin strip of the tartan SDSP. Two hot foil lines were added at the top and bottom of the Basic White inner panel. I was practicing a different technique of placing touches of hot foil exactly in the right spot.

Thank you so much for dropping in to check out my Christmas cards. I hope you have found some ideas for Christmas creating.

There is more Christmas creativity, so do continue on with this blog hop. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of the lovely Helen Reeve. I always look forward to checking out Helen’s creation(s). I do love seeing everyone’s' projects - there is so much gorgeous inspiration.

Also, many of us participate in the Colour Creations InstaHop that goes live every Wednesday night on Instagram where we showcase one of Stampin’ Up!s colours each week. We would love you to check in on us for more creative inspiration.

Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself.

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or would like to view the full list of participants, go to Sharon Davern’s blog @ Rhapsody in Craft. Sharon is our amazing Art With Heart Team Heart of Christmas Coordinator.  Check out her delightful creation while you are there.

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of the Stampin' Up 2026 September-December Catalogue, then let me know and I will be delighted to send it to you.  Please don't hesitate to make contact regarding any queries about these projects or Stampin' Up!. 

#heartofchristmas  #heartofchristmas2026 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #artwithheartteam  #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations   #artisandesignteam  #artisandesignteam2025  #rejoice  #allwrappedup. #luxealphabetnumbers #flourishframes

Be Inspired - July 2026 - Creating Backgrounds

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop

CREATING BACKGROUNDS

Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the July Be Inspired Blog Hop where we are focusing on projects that show wonderful backgrounds. However you have arrived here, whether from Melanie Hocking or directly here, I am so delighted that you are here.

As I was thinking about the type of background I would use my minds flittered around thinking “oo, I could do that; and then - well how about that … or that …. There are many types of backgrounds to try and many old favourites. In the end I decided to share one of my favourite backgrounds, that is Dry Embossed backgrounds. I love the subtle tone on tone texture that allows the focal point to shine while providing interest to the project.

You may recognise the gorgeous Floral Spray 3D Embossing Folder that was used to emboss the Basic White background. This is a wonderful embossing folder. I love that some parts of the background are left in-embossed to contrast with the embossed sections.

To provide a simple focal point a Party Banner die was used to cut the end of the Basic White banner that was mounted on Hydrangea Hue In Color Shimmer Speciality Paper. Violets were both stamped and die cut using the Pressed Violets bundle. I love working with this bundle as it brings warm childhood memories of picking violets for my Mum. The violets were coloured in Hydrangea Hue and the leaves in Soft Sea Foam with a touch of Peaceful Pine to add a little shading & depth.

Iridescent Pearls Basic Jewels add a little shimmer to the flower centres and around the sentiment. White ribbon was cut in half lengthwise and tied into a double bow then ticked in between the violets and sentiment.

The card inner was simply stamped with it of the violet stamps in Secret Sea Classic ink. I often use this ink instead of black. If you have time, the violets could be coloured with Stampin’ Blends, but my time was running away with speed so it is simply stamped.

A Stampin’ Basic White C6 envelope was also stamped with the violets in Secret Sea ink.

Thank you so much for dropping in on your way around the July Be Inspired Blog Hop. I so appreciate you.

I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created for the Creating Backgrounds Blog Hop.  Next in line is the amazing Angela Meiritz-Reid. Just click on the "Next" graphic below to head over to Angela’s blog.

The full list of those participating in this Blog hop is:

Andrea Sargent <you are here

Angela Meiritz-Reid

Annette Ball

Annette Elias

Brian King

Emma Goddard

Lynn Cheesmur

Maheswari Rajaguru  

Melanie Hockin

 

CASEing the Catty #578 - Case July On-line Exclusives

CASE Stampin’ Up!s July On-line Exclusives meets Butterfly Flight

Hello, welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea & #578 Challenge with CASEing the Catty.

I am so glad you have dropped by. You may have come from Peta Stephen, as you take this week’s Blog Hop or perhaps arrived directly here; either way I am delighted you are here. At the end of my blog, I have linked to Judy May so you can continue with the Blog Hop.

At CASEing the Catty we love to use the samples from the Stampin' Up! Catalogues and On-line Exclusives as inspiration and each week we have a different theme to guide our CASEing. To CASE is to "Copy And Selectively Edit" or some say "Copy And Share Everything". This week we are CASE-ing the samples created to show the newly released On-line Exclusives. So many wonderful products.

As you can see, I more closely CASED the layout as well as the butterfly concept of a sample to showcase the Gilded Wings Accents. I had opened my new Stampin' Hot Foil System yesterday and was wanting to play with the Butterfly Flight bundle. It is a delightful layout. I also love how the DSP covers the whole card front.

The gorgeous Valley in Bloom Designer Series Paper was used as the background of the card as well as for the background for the butterfly panel.

My butterflies were hot foiled on to Basic White card-stock using Gold Foil and the stunning Butterfly Flight Hot Foil Dies. This bundle comes with a set of Decorative Masks. They are amazing. I used Fresh Freesia, Cloud Cover and Blackberry Bliss (the latter being one of the colours named in the DSP). The sentiments from the Sweetly Sentimental bundle incorporate a range of different sentiments. It is brilliant, you make a handful of sentiments in one process. The dies align so well.

Extra butterflies were die cut from Pearlised 2026-2028 In Colour Speciality Paper. Extra wings were added beneath the large butterflies and 2 small butterflies are flying around. Some foliage was also cut from the Peaceful Pine Pearlised Speciality Paper.

A Gold Striped Mesh Ribbon was tied into a bow and tucked to the side under butterfly wings. A few Pearlised Faceted Circles were scattered around.

Very simple decoration was added inside the card, including a left over foiled butterfly and another of the foiled sentiments.

Some of the DSP was also added to the envelope flap. I do appreciate the quality of the Stampin' Up! C6 envelopes and love to ensure they coordinate in some way to the card they carry. I remember Shelly saying - you must never have a naked envelope!

Thank you so much for dropping by on your way around the CASEing the Catty Blog Hop to launch Challenge #578. There are so many gorgeous products in the July On-Line Exclusives and as always so much inspiration created by Stampin' Up!

Don’t miss any of the inspiration from this creative CASEing The Catty Crew. The next blog in the hop is by the wonderful Judy May. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to her blog. I wonder which project she has CASEd - I am sure her project will be something special.

Join In The Challenge: We would love you to share a project that you create for this Challenge which has been inspired by the July Online Exclusives release. To share, all you need to do is go to the CASEing The Catty Challenge Group on Facebook. If you aren't a member, it’s easy to request to join and once anpproved all you need to do is upload a photo of your project to the main section. You can click on the graphic below to be taken to the group on Facebook. We would so love to see your creation.

 

#ctc578 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations  #butterflyflight  #sweetlysentimental #gildedwings  #caseingthecatty #artisandesignteam2026  #artisandesignteam #hotfoilsystem

Be Inspired - June 2026 - Creative Sentiments

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop

Creative Ways to Use Sentiments

Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the June Be Inspired Blog Hop where we are focusing on projects that demonstrate Creative Ways To Use Sentiments . However you have arrived here, whether from Maheswari or directly here, I am so delighted that you are here.

Generally, I use a sentiment to pull my design to a focal point and to set the reason for sending a card. This card is to help a friend celebrate her birthday. To add some creativeness in the use of a sentiment I have also used a sentiment from the Words & Wishes bundle in the background, that is, repeatedly die cut the word "Happy" and adhere it randomly over the background panel to give tone on tone texture and to subtly reinforce that sentiment, ie try to heighten a wish for happiness on the recipients birthday. To add a little depth to part of the background and show the sentiment technique a little more , some Berry Burst ink blending was added to the edges of a Bubble Bath background.

The Lily of the Valley bundle was used for the focal piece and one of the Nested Essential dies was used to cut a background piece to "ground" this focal panel. It was cut from the Moonlit Flora Designer Series Paper. 

Leaves and flowers were both stamped & gold heat embossed and die cut. Both were coloured with a fine water painter and Bubble Bath, Berry Burst and Peaceful Pine inks. 

The sentiment was white heat embossed on Blackberry Bliss cardstock and fussy cut. Sunset Sparkle Sequins add a little sparkle and retired Gold Twisted Thread was sued for a double bow.

The inner panel for writing one's personal message was repeatedly stamped with a sentiment down the LHS of the panel. This is another way to use a sentiment creatively.

Some subtle Bubble Bath stamping on a C6 Basic White envelope using the smaller Lily of the Valley image ties the envelope to the card it will hold.

Thank you so much for dropping in on your way around the Be Inspired Blog Hop. I so appreciate you spending time with me.

I am so looking forward to seeing what other members of the team have created and to check out how they have used sentiments creatively.

Next in line is the amazing Angela Meiritz-Reid. Just click on the "Next" graphic below to head over to Angela’s blog.

The full list of those participating in this Blog hop is:

Andrea Sargent  <you are here

Angela Meiritz-Reid

Annette Ball

Annette Elias

Brian King

Jaqueline Tobiczyk - only on Instagram

Lynn Cheesmur

Maheswari Rajaguru 

The list of Be Inspired Design Team Members hopping over on Instagram this month are:

Andrea Sargent @andreaksargent

Annette Ball @stampinwiththebees05

Annette Elias @de_kijkkast

Jaqueline Tobiczyk @touchofjoycs

Lynn Cheesmur @lynncheesmur

Maheswari Rajaguru @maheswarirajaguru

#instahop #cardmakersofinstagram #stampinupaustralia #ADT2026 #artisandesignteam2026 #stampinupdemonstrator #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupofficial #InstaHop #valleyinspirationswithandrea #beinspired