Dazzling Diamonds Bloomin’ Heart Cards

Current Events

• Stamp-of-the-Month Class—Featuring Bloomin' Love. Register by January 11. 
• Occasions Catalog Kickoff Party—20 Cards! Register by January 11. 
• Occasions Catalog Samplers—Sample all the papers & accents in the catalog!
  
• Sale-a-Bration Celebration Exclusive Event—Earn this FREE April event!

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• Browse The 2015 Annual Catalog—See the latest products!
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• 3-Month Paper Pumpkin Subscription Sale—$55 plus FREE Sale-a-Bration item.

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Hi Stamping Friends! 

Yesterday was a great big day in the stamping world!  I had lots of exciting announcements to share, so if you missed it, be sure to take a look at yesterday's post. 

The NEW 2016 Occasions Catalog is already off to an amazing start!  I've heard it over and over from my stamping friends…they LOVE the bundles in this new catalog!  Stampin' Up! went bundle-crazy! 

One of my favorites (at least for this week) is the Bloomin' Love Bundle featuring the intricate Bloomin' Heart Thinlits.  That die-cut is so pretty.  I tried it with some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper for today's projects and it turned out truly stunning.

Learn some tips & tricks about the Bloomin' Heart Thinlits Dies in this video:

Watch the Bloomin' Hearts Thinlits Dies Video now.

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Dazzling Bloomin' Heart Cards

Oh, how I wish you could see these cards in person!  I love that Bloomin' Heart die-cut in the white Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper!  It's sparkly goodness looks fabulous on solid color backgrounds and it's super-elegant backed with Whisper White!  We'll be doing this card at my "Last Thursdays" class coming up on January 28! 

Background Basics—My card begins with a  3-3/4" x 5" piece of Wisteria Wonder for the background, matted onto a 3-7/8" x 5-1/8" piece of Whisper White for a thin white border.  I tied a 3/8" Whisper White Stitched Satin Ribbon around the layer and into a double-knot faux bow. 

Dazzling Heart Die-Cut—I cut the Bloomin' Heart die-cut from the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper and adhered it to the card front with the Fine-Tip Glue Pen. 

Intricate Thinlit Cutting Tips—The Bloomin' Heart is a super-intricate die, which can sometimes make it a little tricky to get a clean cut, especially in the center of the die. I have several tips to help you do it successfully:

• TIP #1 Use The Precision Base Plate—This is a steel plate that replaces your bottom cutting pad and it helps achieve clean cuts.  It's specifically designed to work with intricate thinlit dies.  Here are some helpful hints about this plate: Precision Base Plate Tips & Tricks Video.
  
• TIP #2 Use The Magnetic Platform—Normally, it is recommended to only use the Precision Base Plate with the Multipurpose Platform, but for this die, Stampin' Up! is recommending pairing it with the Magnetic Platform for a little extra pressure.
•  TIP #3 Run It Through Several Times—I always like to run intricate thinlits through at least 2-3 times to assure that the cuts are clean.  Always check your cuts before pulling your die-cut from the die, and run it through again, if needed.
  
• TIP #4 Use A Shim If Needed—Every Big Shot machine is hand-calibrated, so all Big Shots can vary in actual pressure.  Even a fraction of millimeter can make a difference.  My personal machine tends to be a tiny bit looser than that average, so I often need to add a shim of the thinner White card stock, or even the heavier colored card stock, to tighten the pressure a little bit. The handle will turn hard, but if it doesn't want to crank at all, do not force it!
  

• TIP #5 Try The Die Brush—The new Die Brush will make your die-cutting life easier!  It mostly helps the die-cut release from the die, and starts the process of getting all of the little pieces out of the die-cut.  If you follow the preceding tips, the rest of the pieces should pop out very easily. Occasionally, you may still need to use a Paper Piercer to finish the job.
  

Petite Flower Accents—I stamped the small Bloomin' Love blooms in Elegant Eggplant, Lost Lagoon & Rich Razzleberry inks onto Whisper White card stock, then die-cut the flowers with the tiny coordinating Bloomin' Heart Thinlits.  TIP: Notice that there are little arrows on both the photopolymer stamps and thinlits to help you accurately line up the images for cutting.

I popped the flowers up with Dimensionals, then added some Rhinestone Jewels for more sparkle!

Sweet Sentiment—I finished the card by stamping a Bloomin' Love one-word sentiment in Elegant Eggplant, then popped it up onto a Lost Lagoon card base.  This is a lovely Valentine card, but hearts can be used for all kinds of occasions!

Download Dazzling Diamonds Bloomin Heart Cards Instruction PDF

Two Cool—I created another version that has more of a wedding or anniversary feel to it!  This tone-on-tone white is magnificent!  It looks crisp, clean and wintery, perfect for the season!  The mat layer is in Pool Party for a lighter look.

White Sparkly Goodness—Seriously!  This photo doesn't begin to show the prettiness factor!  Gorgeous!

Complete Supplies List—"Clear" means a rubber stamp on a clear block. "Photopolymer" is see-thru. 

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3 Ways To Earn FREE Sale-A-Bration Goodies!

• Shop! Select a FREE SAB item for EVERY $50 you spend! Shop Online!
• Host! Earn $25 extra Hostess Dollars for your $250 workshop or individual order!  Contact me to schedule your private class or online catalog party!  See regular Stampin' Rewards.
• Join! Select $30 additional items with your $99 Starter Kit—that's $155 in items, plus FREE shipping! Join Now!

See The Sale-A-Bation Brochure For Details!

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Sale-A-Brate Now…To Celebrate Later!

Learn how you can EARN this exclusive FREE event when you Shop, Host & Join during Sale-a-Bration!

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NEW 2016 Occasions Catalog Paper & Accents Samplers

• Amazing Variety of Papers & Accents!
• Try It Before You Buy It! 
• Budget-Friendly Price!

See Complete Catalog Samplers Information!  

Contact Me To Participate By January 31!

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2016 Occasions Catalog & Sale-A-Bration Kickoff Party!

Sunday, January 17, 1-5pm  •  Register by January 11

Get your hands on AMAZING new products from the 2016 Occasions Catalog?!  Create 20 DIFFERENT CARDS featuring dozens of new stamp sets, papers, tools and embellishments, as well as Sale-A-Bration items!  Plus, receive a Bonus Goodie Bag filled with over $15 in awesome products! 

Get All The Catalog Kickoff Party Details!

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January's Stamp-of-the-Month: Bloomin' Love

Tuesday, January 19, 6:30pm OR Class-To-Go Kit

Your Class Kit includes Bloomin' Love photopolymer stamp set, a 1/2 pack of 6×6" Love Blossoms Designer Series Paper stack, a pack of Pearl Jewels, a 5-pack of Sponge Daubers & all the pre-cut supplies and instructions needed to create 6 lovely heart cards! Demonstrators, try my Cards-Only Kit option!

See Bloomin' Love Class Details!  Contact Me To Register By January 11!