Thank You Cards Gift Set

I was playing around with the textured cardstock to make boxes for sets of gift cards.
This is the result.
(Sorry some of the pictures are split. I've got to upgrade my camera/ memory card.)

Here's the box decorated with Mellow Moss Taffeta Ribbon as well as a tag cut using the Big Shot and the Tag Dies.

I put a set of 4 cards & envelopes in this custom box. I wanted the cards to be plain because they were designed for a man (even if the tag on the box is a little fancy).

Birthday Floral Pop-Up Card

Stampin' Up! has great card stock. It holds its color better and is stronger than the regular card stock you find at big box craft store. There are over 60 colors of card stock that coordinate with ink, ribbon, and other accessories. You have the classic 48 colors grouped into 4 color families, 7 neutrals, and 6 In-Colors that change each year.

In addition to all these, Stampin' Up! also offers other specialty cardstock. So this card features Shimmery White card stock, and this is the first time I've used it. One of my friends used some on her card, and it looked absolutley fabulous. It's very glossy on one side, almost like photo paper, and is flat (as in not shiny) on the other. (See how shiny it is in the picture.)

So here's the card without the glare. Yes, it's for another family birthday: for a special person, my twin sister. She's classy, so I decided to use the simple elegance of the flowers from Fifth Avenue Floral and couple it with the Shimmery White card stock. The outside looks pretty simple, but the inside has a surprise!

It pops up! As I was browsing blogs, I saw a tutorial for pop-up cards and could hardly wait to make a card using this technique.

Here's a closer look. Contact me to learn even more techniques or how to get some specialty card stock for your next project.

Stamp Sets: Fifth Avenue Floral, Teeny Tiny Greetings
Materials: Brocade Blue card stock and coordinating ribbon, Whisper White card stock, Crystal Effects (for the center of the flower), and the Word Window punch (for the greeting and for the pop-up effect)

Designer Series Paper Cards

In the summer I did a DSP swap so that I would get a sample of all the Designer Series Paper available. Well, instead of letting the samples just sit in baggies forever, I opened them up and decided to see what I could do with them.
These pieces of DSP are from the Urban Garden collection and I paired them up with some In-Color card stock. I was inspired by my sister-in-law who was looking for some easy, but elegant birthday cards.

CS: Baja Breeze and Whisper White
DSP: Urban Garden (112042) $9.95
Stamp Set: Sincere Salutations (105156) $20.95
Ink: Baja Breeze (111833) $5.25
Accessories: Whisper White taffeta ribbon (109071) $6.95, Large Oval Punch (107305) $15.95, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads (109111) $10.95, and dimensionals.

CS: Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White
DSP: Urban Garden (112042) $9.95
Stamp Set: Sincere Salutations (105156) $20.95
Ink: Kiwi Kiss (111835) $5.25
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla satin ribbon (111879) $7.95, Large Oval Punch (107305) $15.95, Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads (109111) $10.95, and dimensionals.