Be Inspired - September 2026 - Neutrals Only

 Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop

USING ONLY NEUTRALS

Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the September Be Inspired Blog Hop where we are focusing on a colour challenge to showcase only Neutrals. However you have arrived here, whether from Melanie Hockin or directly here, I am so delighted that you are here.

While I love Neutrals and incorporate many in projects; to create a project with only Neutrals has been a bit of a challenge. To give myself a little leeway I decided to select from the Stampin' Up!s family of Neutrals. A number of years ago Stampin' up combined four deep colours to the Neutral Colour Family. They are Night of Navy, Misty Moonlight, Mossy Meadow and Blackberry Bliss. Beautiful colours that work so will with a range of colours.

This year is a year for Christmas Neutrals; so I have created a Christmas card featuring Noel Tidings and Welcome Noel bundles together with the Neutral Noel Speciality Designer Series Papers. The bundles and paper is part of an amazing suite that incorporates pine, houses and trees.

A Pecan Pie, Gold and pine design of the Neutral Noel SDSP forms the background on a Very Vanilla cardstock card base. A panel of Very Vanilla cardstock was embossed with the Textured Tree Ring 3D Embossing Folder. This panel was mounted on a slightly larger piece of Basic White cardstock and popped up on Dimensioinals. It forms the base for the focal design.

Tiny houses from the Welcome Noel dies were die cut from Basic Beige cardstock together with the pine wreath from the Noel Tidings dies. Some blending was added to each one, ie the long house with Crumb Cake ink; the tall house with Blackberry Bliss ink and the pine oval wreath with Pecan Pie ink. Trees from the Welcome Noel stamps were stamped in Pecan Pie ink and 2nd generation Pecan Pie. They were die cut out too. As I was arranging the pieces, I felt something else was needed so fussy cut pine/pine cones from the Winter Alpine Designer Series Papers (it’s an Online Exclusive).

White Craft ink was splattered over the card. A sentiment from Noel Tidings stamps was stamped in Pecan Pie ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock. A double Linen twine bow was tucked under the sentiment strip and some Gold Adhesive-backed Dots were scattered around.

The card inner was simply decorated with a left over strip of background SDSP, a second generation tree and a little house. Another sentiment was stamped inside too. A Basic White C6 envelope was stamped with a number of trees to bring some coordination with the card.

Thank you so much for spending some time here with me.

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

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

Andrea Sargent <you are here

Angela Meiritz-Reid

Annette Ball

Annette Elias

Brian King

Emma Goddard

Heather Thomas

Jaqualine Tobiczyk - Instagram Only

Maheswari Rajaguru 

Melanie Hockin

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

Andrea Sargent @andreaksargent

Angela Meiritz-Reid  @stampingbeautynz

Annette Ball @stampinwiththebees05

Annette Elias @de_kijkkast

Emma Goddard @coastalcrafter

Jaqueline Tobiczyk @touchofjoycs

Maheswari Rajaguru @maheswarirajaguru

Melanie Hockin @melsinkyfingers

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

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

 

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