Saturday, May 30, 2026

Dry Emboss and Sanding - Totally Techniques - May Blog Hop

 


This month we are featuring the beautiful technique of dry embossing and sanding on Stampin’ Up! Two-Tone Card stock.

Hello and welcome to another Totally Techniques International Design Team Blog Hop.



For my card today I wanted something soft, elegant and very shimmery, and the gorgeous Valley in Bloom suite was perfect for this technique. From the suite I used the Floral Spray 3D Embossing Folder and the Lily of the Valley bundle.

I started with a piece of Granny Apple Green Two-Tone Cardstock and embossed it using the Floral Spray 3D Embossing Folder. Once embossed, I lightly sanded over the raised areas which revealed the white core of the cardstock and really highlighted all that gorgeous texture. I used an old sanding block from Stampin' Up!, but you can use any type of sanding block or light sanding paper or even a nail buffer. 

This embossing folder is huge - it is 6" x 8" so you can cut it up and make several cards out of on embossed piece of cardstock. You could even you it on a scrapbook page. 

I cut this piece of cardstock on an angle, backed it with a couple of strips of Blackberry Bliss cardstock and adhered to a Basic White card base. 


The focal image was created using the Lily of the Valley Bundle. I die cut leaves with the single leaf die in the die set. I cut them out of the two-tone cardstock and alternated them light and dark. For the 2 on the outside I ink blended with a bit of Granny Apple Green ink for a bit of added depth. I cut the detailed flower die in Basic White cardstock . I then started with a Basic White tag shape and added the leaves and flower stem. I added soft Blackberry Bliss ink blending to the flowers as well as around the edges of the tag to create a delicate glow and a little extra depth.

I stamped the little 'happy for you' greeting from the Lily of the Valley stamp set in the corner of the tag in Blackberry Bliss ink.


To finish the flowers, I 'painted' them with
Wink of Stella for a beautiful sparkle, then splattered Wink of Stella across the entire card for lots of shimmer. It is incredibly sparkly in real life and catches the light beautifully!




Have you tried the new Stampin’ Up! Two-Tone Cardstock yet? 

It is such a fun addition to cardmaking! The cardstock has a different shade on each side with a white core in the middle, which makes it perfect for adding extra texture and special effects to your projects. You can emboss and sand it (like I did on today’s card), tear the edges to reveal the lighter core, crumple it for a distressed look, or even use it for die cutting and layering to create extra depth and dimension. It is amazing how one simple product can give so many creative possibilities. It is a lighter weight than our standard cardstock so it is great for layering without adding too much bulk, this is great if you are posting your cards and for scrapbook pages where you want to limit bulk and weight. Two-tone cardstock comes in 12x12 and in both single and mixed colour packs. Check out the range here.

Products used today





Don't forget that Paper Pumpkin is now available in Australia - read more here!

If you are ready to see what the Paper Pumpkin fuss is about and why all demonstrators are super excited about this finally coming to Australia click here to start your subscription.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope this project inspires you to try embossing and sanding with Two-Tone Cardstock - it is such an easy way to add texture and interest to your cards.

Be sure to continue hopping along with the rest of the Totally Techniques International Design Team for even more creative inspiration!

Happy Stamping

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Friday, May 29, 2026

Paper Pumpkin has arrived in Australia

Paper Pumpkin Has Arrived in Australia!

I am so excited to finally share that Paper Pumpkin is now available in Australia!

If you haven’t heard of Paper Pumpkin before, it is a monthly all-inclusive papercrafting subscription box filled with coordinating projects and exclusive products. Each kit includes everything you need to create beautiful cards, tags or other paper projects - precut pieces, stamps, ink, embellishments, adhesive and full step-by-step instructions.




And because it is Stampin' Up! kits coordinate with other products in our catalogues and online and it is the same great colours and quality we know and love.

It really is happy mail for crafters!

How does it work?

Paper Pumpkin is available in two ways:

Pay-As-You-Go Subscription

  • Your subscription automatically renews each month, so you never miss a kit. You can pause or cancel when needed.

Prepaid Subscription Options

  • You can also choose a prepaid option for:
    • 3 months
    • 6 months
    • 12 months

This is a fantastic option for gifts or if you prefer to pay upfront.

To receive the next month’s kit, you need to subscribe by the 10th of the month.

Payments for ongoing subscriptions are processed on the 11th of each month, and kits usually ship a few business days later.

The June kit is called Bikes and Blooms



Every Paper Pumpkin kit is designed to be simple, coordinated and fun. Your first kit even includes a clear acrylic block to use with future stamp sets.

Subscribers also get access to:

  • exclusive add-on products
  • coordinating dies and embellishments
  • refill kits (while supplies last)
  • past kits and subscriber exclusives

Some months even feature optional coordinating dies that take the projects even further - perfect for avid crafters who love stretching their kits with alternate projects and scrapbook layouts.

One of my favourite things about Paper Pumpkin is that everything coordinates beautifully and is ready to use straight out of the box. It’s perfect for:

  • busy crafters
  • beginners
  • travelling
  • quick creative sessions
  • trying new colour combinations and styles

And of course, if you love alternative projects, you can easily combine your kit with products already in your craft room for even more creativity.

You can check out all the subscription options and current add-ons here

I cannot wait to see what everyone creates with these kits now that Paper Pumpkin is finally here in Australia!