DIY Card Making:  How to Make a Congratulations Card with Stampin' Up's Kaleidoscope

If you need to make a Congratulations card and want a fun idea, start with Stampin' Up's Kaleidoscope patterned paper, which is perfect for this kind of DIY card making project.

The color palette for this card was super easy – one of the things that drew me to and has kept me with Stampin' Up is the color coordination.  Several years ago, Stampin' Up made an awesome change and started listing the coordinating colors for ALL of their patterned paper not only in the catalog, but on the white backing sheet that comes in your package of patterned paper.  So you will know in a moments notice what colors you can use with that patterned paper for a perfectly coordinated look.

Stampin' Up recommends with it's Kaleidoscope paper that you use Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Strawberry Slush and Whisper White – all custom colors of Stampin' Up of course.  That is where I started, but I deviated.  I am not a Crushed Curry fan.  Out of all the Stampin' Up colors, that is probably my least favorite.  That or Cajun Craze, it is a toss up.  Since I wasn't using a pattern that had the yellow in it, it was easy to switch out for another yellow – and I went with Summer Starburst.

The other day on Facebook, I shared a photo of what I have left from the Kaleidoscope paper, there isn't much left – I need to get more before it is discontinued – and I asked what kind of cards they would make.  What type of sentiment/occasion did that paper scream to them.  And I got several congratulations suggestions.

So now I have my theme, I have my colors, it was time to move onto my stamps.

I dusted off a set called Happy Hour from Stampin' Up.  This is odd that I had to dust this one off.  It was a set that I bought quite a while back and was so excited to get it.  I quickly made one card with it, and then nothing.  And I have no idea why I haven't used it since.  But today was the day that it was getting used again!

For the stamping, you will want to stamp your little fruity drink cup twice.  Once in Black Staz-On and once in Strawberry Slush.  So why not just use markers and stamp once and be done?  Because it isn't as bright a result.  I love the brightness you get for this type of image better when you use ink pads.  Before I cut out the fruity drink part from the stamped Strawberry Slush one and stuck it onto the Black Staz-On, I did use my markers (Crumb Cake and Summer Starfruit) – because there was no way I was cutting out that little umbrella – to ink up the umbrella and have it coming out of the cup.

Then the sentiment was also stamped in Black Staz-On onto a Summer Starfruit square.

Then it was time for punching and die cutting!  I used the 1-3/4″ Circle Punch for the fruity drink layer and backed it with a 2″ Circle from the Circle #2 die.

Now onto the layout…

The base for the card is Bermuda Bay and there is a piece of Whisper White on top of that.  A 3/4″ strip of the Kaleidoscope paper is backed with a scallop die cut from the Tasteful Trim die and secured to the left hand side.  And strips of the Bermuda Bay are chevroned out to make the little banners.

The inside of the card is a strip of Basic Black that I ran through the Tasteful Trim die, but instead of throwing out the two pieces you might when you are done die cutting, I used them around the scallop – just a unique touch.

I love how this card turned out!  Patterned paper can be scary, but honestly I think it is easier to use scraps of patterned paper so that you are staring at that huge piece of 12″ x 12″ paper trying to figure out what to do.  But the patterned paper is not only used as fun accents on this card, it also helped me decide on my color palette.

Can you think of someone that needs this card?  If this is a card that you want to recreate, then here are the supplies that you will need to get started.  To order, click the links below and add them to your shopping cart.  The order will ship directly to you, and you will have them in just about a week.

Click on images to view and to order:

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Thank you so much for joining me this Monday morning DIY Card.  I hope that you have enjoyed learning how to make it using the Kaleidoscope paper from Stampin' Up!  Remember, when you have someone that deserves a congratulations card, it is one thing to send one, it is another to MAKE it and send it!