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

Be Inspired - March 2026

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop

STAMPING TECHNIQUES TO USE FOREVER

Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the March Be Inspired Blog Hop where we are focusing on projects that showcase Stamping Techniques To Use Forever . 

However you have arrived here, whether from Stesha Bloodhart or directly here, I am so delighted that you are here.

I didn't need to think long about which stamping technique to choose - I adore Heat Embossing! 

I often add Heat Embossing to my creations. No doubt you know what I mean but in case someone is wondering - you stamp the image using a sticky ink, like Versamark; and sprinkle Wow Emboss Powder over the sticky ink and cardstock; then shake off the loose powder. The remaining powder on the cardstock is heated with a Heat Tool. It is always a delight to see the emboss powder melt and change. The impact is wonderfull

For my project I gold embossed the Flowers Fair stamp onto Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper and on the bottom of a Basic White card front.

The images were watercolored with a Fine Water Painter and Pretty in Pink, Petunia Pop, Lemon Lolly and Granny Apple Green Classic Stampin' inks (the first 2 are retiring In Colours that i am going to miss). Some of the flowers were fussy cut from the Fluid 100 panel and added to the central panel. The centre panel was cut with a Textured Notes rectangular die and mounted on a slightly larger piece of Pretty in Pink card-stock.

A gold embossed sentiment using the Springtime Scenes stamp set was also fussy cut and added with Dimensionals. Gold & White Ribbon and Pretty in Pink Gems gave the finishing touches.

The Basic White card inner was gold embossed with the top section of the Flowers Fair stamp.

Similarly, a Basic White C6 Envelope was also gold embossed with the same stamp. I do like to simply coordinate the card inner and envelope.

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

I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created for the Stamping Techniques to Use Forever 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

Heather Thomas

Lynn Cheesmur

Maheswari Rajaguru 

Stesha Bloodhart

#beinspired  #beinspireddesignteam  #stampinup   #stampinupofficial  #stampinupaustralia #valleyinspirations  #artisandesignteam #artisandesignteam2026  #flowersfair  #stampinupofficial #springtimescenes

CASEing the Catty #555 CASE a Template

CASE Mini Catalogue's Templates meets Fragrant Layers

Hello, welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea & #555 Challenge with CASEing the Catty.

I am so glad you have dropped by. You may have come from Rebecca Scurr, 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 Monique Fielder so you can continue with the Blog Hop.

At CASEing the Catty we love to use the samples from the Stampin' Up! Catalogues & Online 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 sketches found on page 17 of the 2026 Stampin' Up! January - April Mini Catalogue.

For my CASE this week I chose a scrapbook page layout - the one in the lower RHS. I converted it into a landscape card and am featuring the gorgeous On-line Exclusive Fragrant Layers bundle. Check my card out below:

The larger stamp from the bundle was gold heat embossed onto Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper before being water-coloured with the fine Water Painter using Strawberry Slush, Pretty Peacock, Basic Beige Classic inks and a touch of Pool Party ink around the image.

When dry, the image was fussy cut out and layered over a similar arrangement that was die cut with the coordinating Fragrant Layers dies. A few little leaves were also die cut. The watercolored image and die cuts were arranged over a Branching Out Basic White label that had been mounted on a slightly larger piece of Pretty Peacock card-stock.

The Basic White background panel was 3/4 covered with small Basic White card-stock die cuts, including little double leaves, little flowers and a detailed flower outline. I used these die cuts to mimic the different sized circles on the Scrapbook page background. 

A bow tied with retired Gold twine was tucked under a flower. A sentiment from the Fragrant Layers stamps was white heat embossed on Pretty Peacock card-stock. This was die cut with a label die from the bundle. The final touch was a sprinkling of a few of the Valentines Assortment embellishments.

The card inner and envelope were partially stamped and gold heat embossed using the floral arrangement used as the focal water-coloured design on the card front.

Thank you so so much for calling in on your way around the Blog Hop for Challenge #555 CASEing the Catty Sunday Challenge. Do keep hopping around all the participants from this creative CASEing The Catty Crew.  You won't want to miss the many creative ideas that will inspire.

The next blog in the hop is by the wonderful Monique Fielder. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to her blog. I wonder which template she has CASEd - I am sure her project will be special.

Join In The Challenge: We would love you to share a project that you have created for this Challenge which has been inspired by the templates on page 17 of the January-April Mini Catalogue. 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.

 

#ctc555 #stampinup #stampinupofficial #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #valleyinspirations  #fragrantlayers  #branchingout  #caseingthecatty #artisandesignteam2026  #artisandesignteam

Be Inspired - Masculine Makes

 Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop

Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the September Be Inspired Blog Hop where we are focusing on Masculine projects. However you have arrived here, whether from Annette Elias or directly here, I do so appreciate that you are here.

With a theme of Masculine Makes my mind went to the current “Autumn” products. I love leaves and colouring them in autumnal colours, even, like know we in Australia are heading into spring. I hadn’t used the Gathering Moments bundle and don’t currently have the coordinating DSP. As I was thinking about what to create I remembered something that I had seen many years ago but hadn’t had the right products to give it a go - but the current offerings are perfect. I have created a seen within a leaf shaped die cut card front.

I started with a Basic Beige card base and a Country Woods Designer Series Paper background that was mounted on a slightly larger piece of Crumb cake card-stock. One of the large leaf dies from the Gathering Moments dies was used to cut a hole in the card background panel.

A piece of Basic White card-stock was coloured with autumn colours to create an unusually coloured sky. Blending Brushes were used with Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze and Secret Sea. Mountains, trees and larger trees were cut from Basic White card-stock and then the mountains were coloured with Crushed Curry and a little Pumpkin Pie; the trees with Old Olive - in different strengths. A small piece of the Soft Sea Foam Peace on Earth Glimmer Paper was die cut to be some water glimmering in the light of the moon. It was also coloured with autumn little Crushed Curry and a Blending Brush.

The blended panel was adhered to the Basic Beige card-base and the mountains, trees and water were arranged while regularly checking how the scene would look through the die cut hole.

Some leaves were stamped in Old Olive, Cajun Craze with touches of Pumpkin Pie were stamped using the Gathering Moments stamp set. I adore the effect created by these stamps. The sentiment is similar to one in the mentioned stamp set, however, this one was laying on my workstation  so trimmed it down and popped it up on Mini Dimensionals.

The design for the card was finished with a little Old Olive Linen Thread bow and some gorgeous Cajun Craze & Gold Dots.

The card inner simply used some stamped leaves and a little Mossy Meadows splatter.

Thank you so much for calling in on your way around the Be Inspired Blog Hop. 

I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created for the Masculine Makes theme.  Next in line is the amazing Lynn Cheesmur. Just click on the graphic below to head over to Lynn’s blog.

The full list of those participating in this hop is:

Angela Meiritz-Ried

Annette Elias

Andrea Sargent <you are here 

Lynn Cheesmur

#beinspired  #beinspireddesignteam  #stampinup   #stampinupofficial  #stampinupaustralia #valleyinspirations  #artisandesignteam #artisandesignteam2025  #light&wonder  #stampinupofficial #gatheringmoments