Christmas Parade of Cards Part One

Hello and welcome to my blog.  Well, here we are in mid-September already, and it's amazing to feel the shift from the warm days of summer, to the cool down of Fall.  While the days are getting shorter, the daytime sunshine and warmth is welcome.

I'm well ahead of having my 50 Christmas Cards finished before the end of September goal.  I only have two more to finish.  So I thought it would be a good time to start sharing what I've made.  All of these cards have a few things in common:

• Products from the Holiday Mini 2025
• Simple designs that are quick and easy to complete
• Combine old and new products such as stamps and dies
• They were made with love! 

Click here to see PDF Version of the Holiday Mini Catalogue 

The one thing in common with all four of these cards is they have a banner layered matte that's been embossed with the mini corrugated embossing folder and die cut with the retired Banner Die Set from Stampin' Up. The banners which were cut from Real Red, Garden Green of Crumb Cake cardstock measure 4 1/8" x 2 1/4". If you don't have the die, these are easy to cut from scratch. These banners form the foundation for the focal point on each of the designs.

Card #1: 

I like to add coordinating ephemera stickers to the insides and the backs of my cards for a finishing touch. These stickers are from the Christmas Tags & More  pack #165907.

• For this card I started with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Garden Green cardstock base, that is scored at 4 1/4".   
• The first matte is a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Basic White cardstock.
• The Designer Series matte measures 3 3/4" x 5".  The plaid design comes from the Greetings Cards and Envelopes #165907.  This pack comes with 10 envelopes and card bases and there are 5 Crumb Cake and 5 Garden Green designs.  These cards are big - 4 1/4" x 6 1/4" and the design printing is on both the front and back of the card.  I generally cut the card bases in half and then cut the half down to whatever size I need. There are always scraps you can use from the leftovers for die cuts or to add a border on a matte. 

• The next matte layer measures 4 1/8" x 2 1/4" and is the banner focal point in Real Red.  There is a smaller matte measuring 2" x 3" of Garden Green gingham paper cut from the Christmas Tags and More Specialty Designer Paper #165907.  This 6 x 6 DSP package offers 8 each of 4 reversable designed papers plus 2 pre-cut pages of ephemera that coordinate with the colours in the dsp:  Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Real Red and Soft Seafoam.  
• To finish off this focal point I added a picture of a bear carrying presents from the North Pole Delivery 12 x 12 paper pack #165837.  He's mounted on dimensionals, and is oh so cute! The sentiment is from the Greetings for you Mix and Match Ephemera Pack - LOVE THESE!  And, the sequins are from the Traditional Sparkling Sequins #165875 package.  

Card #2:

Additional strips of coordinating cardstock come in handy for adding a border to the bottom of a card.  The sweet little red bow on this card is from the Gingerbread Man die set. 

• For this card the front and inside matte are cut from Soft Sea Foam card stock.  I seldom use this colour, however it matches so beautifully with the DSP and ephemera that it was a "must use more often" discovery.  

Card #3: 

Card #4: 

• For this card I embossed the second matte with a retired Stampin' Up! embossing folder called Holly.  The square which features three stips of dsp measures 2 5/8" x 2 5/8".  I used a small strip of gold glimmer paper to enhance the sentiment strip and add a little dazzle to the card front. 

Instead of using cardstock for a matte on this card, I used a piece of DSP measuring 4 x 5 1/4".  I like how this looks. 

All four of these cards took only a few minutes to make due to the prep I had done prior to sitting down to make cards. All the banners were pre-cut from the base matte and embossed, which gave me a good start.  I keep the ephemera in trays so its handy, as well as the matte layers.  It's simply assembly and a bit of stamping. 

I hope you enjoyed these cards today.  I'd love to hear from you.  Let me know if you have a favourite or if you have questions about the products used.  

Please come back again next week to see another series of Christmas cards featuring products from the Holiday Mini.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

September 18 - 24 Hour Stamp Sale

24-Hour Stamp Sale – September 18 Only!​

​Are you in the market for some new stamp sets or tools? If so, get ready to take advantage of this promotion. On Thursday September 18th you can get 15% off all stamps and stamp tools*. This once-a-year sale is the perfect chance to stock up on your favorites.

Important to Know:

• This stamp sale only happens once a year and will run for just 24 hours!
• The sale will run for 24 hours.
• The 15% discount will apply to all stamps and stamp tools.
• Bundles are not included in this sale.
• Stamp sets and tools are only available while supplies last.
• See and shop all qualifying products in the online store.
• Excludes Last Chance products.

Promotion Details:

Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025
Time: 12:00 a.m.–11:59 p.m. (MT)
Phone Orders: By 6:59 p.m. (MT)
Online Orders: By 11:59 p.m. (MT)

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens Stampin' Spot

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

Gingerbread Man FMS#703

It's time once again for the latest Freshly Made Sketch by Karren. The Design team has done a fabulous take on this sketch, so make sure you go and check out

Here is my Card:

Since I'm still into making Christmas cards, I decided to incorporate Karren's arches into another Gingerbread Man card.  

I realized after I finished this card, that I had only used one arch instead of two.  Oh well that's part of the creative expression.  

Supplies: 

Stamps and Dies: 

• Gingerbread Man Bundle Stamps and Dies 
• Arch Dies 

Cardstock and Paper: 

• Pecan Pie 4 x 5 1/4" piece for Gingerbread Man 
• 4 x 5 1/4" Real Red for mat and scrap for the toque 
• Garden Green scraps for scarf and toque 
• Basic White 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 for card base 
• 4" by 5 1/4 inch Basic White for Arch 
• Christmas Greetings Mix and Match Specialty cards and envelopes #165908.  One side of a card front cut down to 5" x 3 3/4" for mat on card front. 

Ink:

• Real Red
• Versamark for Embossing Image 

Accessories:  

• Delightful Decorative Dots # 165915
• Embossing Powder White 
• Heat Gun
• Starform Red and Gold Sticker embellishments non Stampin' Up 
• Mini Corrugated Embossing Folder 
• Greetings for You Mix and Match Ephemera #166208

Well that's it for today's card.  Hope you like it and will leave a comment.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT 

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up Demo since 2006 

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

North Pole Delivery Strip Card Challenge AHSC #646

Welcome and thanks for dropping by.  I'm continuing my quest to complete 50 Christmas cards before the end of September, and can happily say the end is very close indeed. I began two weeks ago and have been using a mix of products from the Mini Catalogue - September to December 2025.  

So after making these many cards you could speculate I'd have a lot of bit's and pieces of cardstock and paper left over, and you'd be 100 percent correct. 

One of the papers that I used a lot was the North Pole Delivery 12 x 12 designer series paper and ephemera.  I thought this would be a perfect design mix to use for this week's sketch by Atlantic Hearts.    

Here's this week's sketch challenge from Atlantic Hearts #646: 

This card design utilizes strips of paper in a variety of sizes from 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" in width.  The paper strips can go in any direction as long as the  whole sheet is filled, right down to the most fiddle corners.  The strips are glued on and overlap the edges of the mat, and then are cut off as sections of the card are completed.  The strips can be laid down in any direction, but they must but up against one another and there can't be any gaps.  The end product usually looks like a quilt design.  

Here's My Card: 

Supplies: 

Stamps & Dies:

• Traditional Labels Die and Stamp Bundle  #165865

Cardstock and DSP:

• Garden Green mat 5 3/8" x 4 1/8" for front mat.  The decorative mat was cut from the center of this layer using the Colourful Contour dies.
• Petal Pink 4" x 5 1/4" mat for front layer and 2" x 3 3/8" mat for sentiment layer 
• Strips of Poppy Parade and Petal Pink for quilted pattern 1/2" and 3/4" bands
  
• North Pole Delivery  #165837 12 x 12 DSP cut into 1/2", 3/4" strips 

Ink and Blends: 

• Poppy Parade 

Accessories: 

• Delightful Decorative Dots #165915 

I hope you enjoyed today's stamping challenge card.  If you've never tried one of these cards before they are a lot of fun and a great way to use up those paper scraps that are always left over.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT 

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo Since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 online shop

Gingerbread Men - so cute!

Hi everyone, thanks for stopping by.  Have you  checked out the Mini Catalogue September - December 2025 released last week by Stampin' Up!  If not, you can click here to see a PDF copy.  If you live in the Abbotsford/Fraser Valley area, let me know if you would like a catalogue by dropping me an email.  

As a demonstrator we get early access to all the catalogues and products, so I was able to order enough supplies to make all my Christmas cards, tags and decor for this holiday season, and it didn't break the bank.  Here's what I bought:

• Greetings For You Mix & Match Ephemera Pack #166208 pg 15
• Christmas Greetings Mix & Match Specialty cards & envelopes #165908
• Christmas Tags & More 6"x 6" Speciality DSP #165907 pg 15
• Traditional Labels Bundle #165865 pg 23
• Traditional Sparkling Sequins #165875 pg 23 
• North Pole Delivery 12 x 12 Specialty DSP pg 29
• Gingerbread Man Bundle #165785 pg 54
• Delightful Decorative Dots #165915 pg 55

I currently have made 40 of my 50 card goal for September using a mish mash of all of these products and I'll proudly be sharing samples with you over the next few weeks.  So I hope you'll continue to come back to check out my posts and provide me with feedback as to what you like.  

One of the first stamp and die bundles I chose is on page 54 of the catalogue and is called the "Gingerbread Man" #165784.  

Here are some cards I made and some tips for using this fantastic combo of stamps and dies.  

While I love most of the stamps and dies in the Gingerbread Man stamp bundle, the toque is what captured my heart and gave me reason to buy it. Here is a card featuring three of the toques.  Adorable! 

Here's a view of the inside and back of this card. 

My next cards feature the Gingerbread Man.  What fun these were to make.  I began stamping and due cutting all of the images before I started to assemble and make these cards.  When you're making batches of cards this is the way to go, and it's fun to do all the gluing and fiddly stuff while I'm watching my favourite Prime or Netflix series.  

I used Pecan Pie cardstock for all of my gingerbread men because it seems to be the closest colour to an actual gingerbread cookie.  It's a very warm and rich shade of brown.   I cut several pieces of Pecan Pie cardstock to 4" x 5 1/4".  

Tips for Cutting Out, Stamping and Embossing the Gingerbread Man:  

If you want to have a gingerbread man (GBM) that's joined at the hands, you'll need a larger size of cardstock than what I use.  I found I could cut two GBM at a time by stacking two 4 x 5 1/4" sheets of cardstock and placing only one of the GBM on the die on top of the cardstock.  There will be a little overlap on the arm, but that's good.  

Your image will have a small piece of the arm from the second GBM left in tact.  Just imagine there's a line there and cut around it to keep the arm rounded.   

Or you can stamp your GBM image onto the cut out first and then trim around the white outline.  Whatever works best for you.  

There are four different facial expression stamps and coordinating dies in the kit, so you can choose which expression you want as well as what color you want these features to be. 

Because I don't have a basic white ink pad I chose to stamp the GBM's image in Versa Mark Ink and then layer on some Basic White Embossing powder to create the white image.  Remember to use your anti static pad on the GBM before you stamp and emboss on it, so you can remove any additional little white specs.  

Here's how my cards turned out: 

For most of my Christmas cards I started with a Basic White 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" card base that was scored at 4 1/4".  The mat layer was either in Shaded Spruce or Real Red cardstock and measured 4" x 5 1/4".  

For the gingerbread image I cut 1/4 sheets of Pecan Pie ( 4" x 5 1/4").  The beige plaid dsp layers on all the cards measure  3 3/4" x 5" and were cut from the Christmas Greetings cardstock on page 15 of the catalogue. 

I like my cards to have a real finished look inside and out  and I often add ephemera or a stamped image to the insides and back of the card that matches the theme.  

Prior to sitting down to make a batch of cards I prepare my card base layer by cutting and scoring it and then I stamp my Logo on the back of each card base.  I generally cut and prepare ten card bases at a time.  

I cut at least ten of each colour of mat that I am using and extend the use of my cardstock and lighten the weight by cutting out the centers of the cards with a variety of shape dies. For these cards I cut touques, candy and bow ties, so there was no waste and I had a variety of circle, square, banner dies on hand as well.  

I've  stamped the sentiment "May your holidays be wrapped in happiness and trimmed with the love of family and friends" in Real Red ink.  I love this christmas message from the retired "More Merry Messages" stamp set by Stampin' Up!  Once I've cut ten of these mats 3 3/4" x 5" I stamp each one with a sentiment and apply the ephemera.  Then adhere the mats to the inside of the card.  

I hope you enjoyed today's cards and will let me know which Gingerbread Man won over your heart.  I love them all 

My goal is to make fifty Christmas cards by the end of September, so I will be having lots of samples to show you over the coming weeks.  I hope you'll come back again and when you're here be sure to leave me a comment, I love to get feedback.  

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Shop 

Cozy Christmas - October Paper Pumpkin Kit

October Paper Pumpkin Kit: Cozy Christmas

Subscribe between September 11–October 10 

Step into the warmth of the season with Cozy Christmas, the October Paper Pumpkin kit that gives your holiday cards a classic charm with a cozy twist. Perfect for giving—or keeping for your own holiday stash!

Click here to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin

What’s in this kit?

• Create 9 beautiful cards (3 each of 3 designs) with 9 coordinating envelopes
• Pre-cut paper pieces featuring soft, stitched-look flocking that add rich texture and a tactile feel
• Shiny red sequin embellishments for sparkle
• A complimentary Classic Stampin’ Spot in Real Red so you’re ready to stamp right away
• Coordinating colors: Basic Beige, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Pecan Pie

These materials make it easy to craft heartfelt, festive greetings that stand out—whether you’re a beginner or stamping veteran.

Coordinate with a Matching Die Set:

Abundant Joy #167855 $16.50

These Add On dies are designed to work with the October (Cozy Christmas), November( Wrapped in Cheer) and the December (Watercolor in Bloom) 2025 kits. These dies can also be used with other Stampin’ Up! products for even more creative options!

What's Included: 

• 6 dies
• Largest die: 2-7/8" x 1-1/2" (7.3 x 3.8 cm)
• Use with a Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (sold separately)

Note: You must be a current Paper Pumpkin subscriber to purchase this item. To become a subscriber, visit www.pennyhanuszak.stampinup.net/paperpumpkin or for past kit add-ons click here.

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up Demo since 2017

Click here to visit my 24/7 Online Store

Welcome September and New Holiday Mini Catalogue

Happy September everyone.  Hope you all had an enjoyable Labour Day long weekend.  Here's some news from Stampin' Up! to get this month started! 

Holiday Mini Catalogue is now Live! 

Today is the big day, and the new holiday mini has now gone live. To order on my site click here, this link will take you directly to the Shop Now portion of my online store.  You can view the PDF catalogue here.  There's also a quick link on the side panel of my blog.  Once you've clicked on it just scroll to the bottom of the page and click on  Catalogue link for PDF version.  

If you are one of my regular customers and have placed at least one order of $50 during the past calendar year, you should have automatically received the mini holiday catalogue in your mail.  If you're not a regular customer but would like to receive a catalogue you can add one to your order for $2.00 and it will be sent with your order.  But remember anytime you place an order valued at $50 or more you will be added to my mailing list and receive all active catalogues within the calendar year.  If you need a catalogue and live in the Abbotsford, Langley, Aldergrove area just drop me a note and I can arrange to provide you with a  catalogue. 

To view the Holiday Mini Catalogue online click here.

September Kit Release: 

Two new kits just joined our Kits Collection: Handmade & Heartfelt and Road to Christmas, and they’re available for you and your customers to order now! And don’t forget to remind your customers to shop all the new products in the September–December catalog and September Online Exclusives.

Handmade and Heartfelt Kit:  Make 10 cards - 2 each of 5 designs.  Card storage box included in kit.  $44.00 

and Road to Christmas  make 8 cards 4  each of 2 designs.  Great value at $20.00

September Paper Pumpkin. 

Don't miss out, only available until September 10th to ensure availability and delivery.

Coordinates with Circle of Seasons die set:  

Great value die set for just $16.00.  These additional dies are designed to work with THREE Paper Pumpkin Kits: the Sweeter with You Paper Pumpkin Kit, the Farmhouse Florals Paper Pumpkin Kit, and the Fall for Toile Paper Pumpkin Kit.

HAPPY STAMPING!

PENNY TOKENS STAMPIN' SPOT

Penny Hanuszak, CDN Stampin' Up! Demo since 2006

Click here to visit my online shop 24/7

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