CSF Saturday Blog Hop - New Favorite July 2026 Online Exclusive

 Good Morning, Stampers!

Welcome to the Create with Stampin' Friends Saturday

 Blog Hop! This week, the team is sharing some of their

favories from the upcoming July Online Exclusives Collection.

Get those wishlists ready - there are a lot of exciting new products coming!

The July Online Exclusives release is packed with goodies, but the one that leaped straight into my cart  was the Merriest Tags Bundle. I’m a sucker for a good tag set — especially one that layers, coordinates, and practically begs to be turned into quick, charming projects. This bundle checks every box! It'll

be a staple for holiday crafting in the month's ahead!

SU!pplies:

Stamps: Merriest Tags

Ink: Basic Black, Soft Seafoam

Paper: Thick Basic White, Shaded Spruce, Real Red

Accessories: Real Red Stitched ribbon, Spotlight on Nature dies, Bordered in Beauty dies, Water Painter, Basic Rhinestones

Stampin' Blends: Shaded Spruce, Real Red

Happie Stampin'!

Check out the team's favorite picks! Go 

NEXT to see what Connie created or

BACK to see what Libby created!

rubberFUNatics Weekly Challenge #396

 Good Morning, Stampers!

(click photo to enlarge)

I'm giving this week's rubberFUNatics Weekly Challenge a holiday spin with this clean and simple sketch design. I'm featuring the NEW Stitched Stocking bundle from the upcoming July Online Exclusives release. The images in this bundle give a warm and cozy feel - perfect for any theme during the holiday season.

Now it’s your turn to bring this simple sketch to life! Whether you feature 

stockings, snowflakes, ornaments, or something completely unexpected,

I hope this week's challenge gives you a creative jumpstart!

SU!pplies:
Stamps: Stitched Stocking

Ink: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Real Red, Soft Seafoam, Early Espresso

Paper: Basic White, Real Red, Old Olive

Accessories: Water Painter, Merriest Tags dies, Real Red Stitched ribbon, Old Olive Rick Rack

Thanks so much for joining me this week!

Happie Stampin'!
~Melissa

Warm Winter Wishes Coming Soon!

 Good Morning, Stampers!

There’s something extra merry about crafting with a brand‑new bundle—especially one that practically jingles with charm. The Stitched Stocking bundle from the July Online Exclusives Collection will be arriving in my online store in a few weeks, but I wanted to share a sneak peek with you today!  It's a simple pop-up panel card that you can use to showcase any pretty papers, embossed panels or stamped images. Add this bundle to your wishlist for Christmas in July holiday crafting!

Card Base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Score along the 8 1/2" side at 2" and 3 1/8", 5 3/8" and 6 1/2".

Decorate with designer paper or a stamped/embossed panel.

Fun for any occasion!

SU!pplies:

Stamps: Stitched Stockin

Ink: Secret Sea, Craft White

Paper: Basic White, Secret Sea, A Stitched Season DSP

Accessories: Stitched Stocking dies, Secret Sea Stampin' Blends, Basic Rhinestones

Happie Stampin'!
~Melissa

Paper Craft Crew Weekly Challenge #677

 Good Morning, Stampers!

(click to enlarge)

I love the way a handful of hues can set the entire mood of a project, spark an idea, or nudge your creativity in a direction you didn’t expect. This week’s Paper Craft Crew Weekly Challenge invites us to play with a curated palette and let those colors guide our design choices.Color challenges always feel like opening a fresh box of inks: full of possibility, full of personality, and full of ways to let your creativity bloom!

I reached for my Balloon Festoon stamp set and decided to experiment with a fun technique: a baby wipe ink pad. By adding drops of reinker directly onto a folded baby wipe, I created a custom, marbled ink pad that blended the challenge colors in unexpected ways. The result is the main sentiment has a beautiful marbled look— a mix of soft transitions and bold pops that make the entire design boom with patriotic colors!

Add drops of ink the size of the 

stamp/image and litlghly tap your 

stamp back and forth to ink up.

SU!pplies:
Stamps: Balloon Festoon

Ink: Poppy Parate (and reinker) , Smoky Slate, Blueberry Bushel (and reinker)

Paper: Basic White, Poppy Parate, Smoky Slate, Blueberry Bushel

Accessories: Water Painter, Balloon festoon dies, White baker's twine

Misc.: Baby wipes

Happie Stampin'!
~Melissa

Check out more ideas featuring this week's color challenge:

A Little Spooky Heading Your Way!

 Good Morning, Stampers!

Create Halloween paper crafts that are so cute, they're scary. The Oh My Fright stamp set is the newest addtion to the Online Exclusives Collection coming to my online store in July. It features ghosts, bats, cats, and spiderwebs along with playful sentiments to adorn your spooky season designs. Spooky season will start early in the craft room this year!

Happie Stampin'!
~Melissa

NEW! Extraordinary Life Card Class to Go

 Good Morning, Stampers!

If your creative heart is craving something fresh, uplifting, and beautifully simple to assemble, my Extraordinary Life Card Class To Go is ready to land right on your craft table! I've paired the Banner Sayings stamp set for these cards, but you can customize your cards with any of your favorite sentiments. Whether you’re crafting for birthdays, encouragement, celebrations, or those “just because” moments, these banner‑style greetings add the perfect touch of personality to every project.

(click photo to enlarge)

SU!pplies Needed to Complete:

Stamps: Extraordinary Life

Ink: Basic Black, Craft White, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Flirty Flamingo

Accessories: Extraordinary Life dies, Blending Brush

Stampin' Blends: Pool Party, Barely Blush, Pretty Peacock, Daffodil Delight,Flirty Flamingo

(optional - or use your favorite sentiments!)

Kit W/ BUNDLE - $77.00 (includes shipping) contact me directly

KIT ONLY - $25.00 (includes shipping) HERE

KIT ONLY - $20.00 (local porch pick-up) HERE

PDF ONLY - $6.95 - HERE

(kits/PDF ship by 6/26)

Happie Stampin'! ~Melissa

Dip Dye Technique

 Good Morning, Stampers!

Searching for a fun and quick watercolor technique? Dip-dying is one of those bingeworthy techniques with broad appeal and many uses—from vintage grunge to chic minimalist. To create layers, simply immerse your paper in inky water, let it dry, and repeat. Instant ombre! Give it a try!

Dip tip: dip-dyed paper is pretty paired with metallics and Designer Series Paper!

(click photo to enlarge)

Have fun with this technique!

Happie Stampin'!
~Melissa

CSF Saturday Blog Hop - Birthday Bonanza

 Good Morning, Stampers!

Welcome to the Create with Stampin' Friends Saturday Blog Hop! It's a heartfelt Birthday Bonanza celebration — in honor of Connie’s birthday! What better way to mark the occasion than with a handmade card that feels like a bouquet in paper form? The Lily of the Valley design captures the gentle elegance of friendship and the joy of another year in bloom!

SU!pplies:
Stamps: Lily of the Valley, Banner Sayings

Ink: Garden Green, Golden Glow

Paper: Basic White, Vellum, Valley in Bloom DSP

Accessories: Lily ot the Valley dies, Wink of Stella, Linen Thread, Stylish Shapes dies, water painter, Dewdrop embellishments

Happie Stampin'!

Ready for more birthady ideas?

Go NEXT to see what Connie created or 

BACK to see what Libby created!