Paper Seedlings: THE GANG'S ALL MEER

As you all know, the Stampin' Up! community (that means YOU!) is smack dab in the middle of the fun annual promotion, Sale-A-Bration. During this time, whenever anyone places a minimum order of $50 before shipping and handling, you earn free goodies.

One of the most awesome offerings this year is the cute stamp set, The Gang's All Meer, found on page 3 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure. I wouldn't be surprised if Stampin' Up! runs out of this adorable set before the end of the promotion.

The set includes a group of five meerkats all smiling at the camera. You can see the card I made for my January Stamp-In Workshop shows a group much larger than meer-ly five.

To get this huge group of meerkats, you use masking. With this technique, it is so easy to get a very large group, simply by masking off some that you've already stamped and then stamping again.

I actually like the little guy who is trying so hard to be seen above the head of the kat in front of him. That's usually how it turns out when taking a big group photograph.

Once the full group is stamped, it is easy to fussy cut around it, leaving a white border. By popping it up with Stampin' Dimensionals, it gives the card a bit of dimension and lifts the group away enough from the bulky ribbon.

For the inside of the card, I stamped the single meerkat that comes in the set and popped a party hat onto his head. The sentiment is from an old retired set. Do you like the funny little lizard in the bottom corner of the card? He is part of the set too!

Keep on reading and I will share with you a tutorial on how to re-create a card similar to this one.

SUPPLIES:

Night of Navy cardstock

Whisper White cardstock

Night of Navy-based Designer Series Paper

The Gang's All Meer (page 3 of the Sale-A-Bration brochure)

Retired snetiments inside and out

Black ink

Two fussy cut masks of the original gang of five on Post It Notes

Night of Navy corduroy ribbon

Black rhinestones

Stampin' Dimensionals

Paper Snips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Fold a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of Whisper White cardstock in half, creasing it well with a bone folder.

To a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Night of Navy cardstock, adhere a 2 3/4" 5" piece of Night of Navy based Designer Series Paper, leaving even margins at the sides and the top.

Stamp the sentiment in black onto a 1 1/4" x 5" piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Add this stamped piece to the remainder of the Night of Navy piece, leaving an even margin at the sides and the bottom.

Cut a 6" piece of the navy corduroy ribbon. Add adhesive to the back of it, center it over the seam between the two papers, and tape the ends of the ribbon to the back.

Adhere this completed piece to the card base.

The gang of meerkats will be done on a 3" x 5" piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Starting with the group image, stamp it once in the center near the bottom. Take one of the precut masks and cover the first stamped image. Stamp the gang again, but this time to the right and raised about 1/2". You are building your crowd.

Cover these first two groups with both of the precut masks. Stamp it again, this time to the left and raised about 1/4". Peel off the masks, and you should have a nice sized gang.

Stamp the single guy coming out of the hole at the bottom on the right.

Easy to do, cut around the entire gang, leaving a nice white edge.

With Stampin' Dimensionals, attach this piece to the card overlapping the ribbon as needed.

Add three black rhinestones to the sentiment piece.

If you choose, finish the inside of the card as in my sample or as desired.