It's in the Mail Challenge #421 Week #1

Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to our It's in the Mail Challenge!

This time, we're all about envelopes and mailboxes.

Stamps, dies, embossing folders, embellishments.

As long as your handmade project contains a mailbox or envelope of some sort, along with stamps, dies or paper from Art Impressions, then you might be the next winner of a free stamp set from Ai.

As we announced before our last challenge...

Please take note,
we have a new requirement.

We're not a large corporation like Simon Says Stamp that sells MANY brands.

Art Impressions is a family run company that designs ALL of their own stamps, dies and designer paper.

Therefore, moving forward, we're going to ask that you use some sort of Art Impressions product on your challenge entries. Everything else remains the same. Please see the full list of rules below.

After checking out the absolutely adorable baby bear card from our Featured Designer Janet, scroll down to see who won our last challenge.

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Hello and welcome to the feature post for the, "It's in the Mail Challenge." It's a Slider Double Pop-Up Easel card. Although I own a die set for this style of card, I wanted to show you how to make one without anything special. The twist on the card is that it has two stand up panels instead of just one. I want to credit Connie Stewart of Simply Simple Stamping for the measurements and inspiration for the project I'm sharing with you today.

Follow along with my instructions below. If you have questions or get stuck on anything, leave your question as a comment and I'll respond.

To start this one, I stamped, colored and cut out the baby images from 6103 - Baby Keepsake Set. Then I worked on the scalloped background by cutting it out with 6048 - Scalloped Rectangle Dies. This is the only die I used for the card base and it's for decoration. You can cut it without a die if desired but it looks awesome with it. The size is approximately 2 1/8" x 3 1/4." I stamped the mailbox with 5575 - Mailbox and Birdhouse Set and colored it and the grassy scene with Copic markers.

Once all of the elements were ready, I tucked the baby items into the basket and glued them to the basket to hold them in place. A nice feature of the 6102 - Baby Keepsake set is that the die slices open the top of the basket so you can load it up with accessories. It can also be used on it's own if desired too so it's very versatile.

Once the elements above are ready, I set them aside to work on the pieces of the card. Cardstock cut and scored as shown forms the base of the card that will support the pop-up mechanisms and mats. To make this card have more interest, I incorporated patterned papers from 6057 - Baby Girl Paper Pack. The patterns are so soft and sweet. They also have some heft to them so you can use them for interactive cards and not worry that they won't withstand the workout these cards have to sustain. 

Next cut and score this set of mats and strips. 

The first step is secure the baby girl patterned paper to the 9 1/2" pink strip. The pencil mark is just to help you see that this strip is centered to the patterned paper. Note that in the second picture I used a narrow oval punch to cut the notch shape that makes the tab opening.

The next part of the instructions makes the slider part of the card. The pink 3 3/4" x 3 1/4" piece is the sentiment area. Just to jazz it up a little, I stamped a message, blocks and booties on it. This will appear at the bottom of the card when the tab is pulled so as a little surprise to the recipient.

Once set, go ahead and pull the tab. It should reveal the message and make the Oh Baby card panel pop up.

Now comes the twist. Grab the 5 1/2" x 1 1/2" pink strip with the four score lines. Fold where scored to form a box at the bottom. Glue the last fold to secure the box shape. This is the second pop-up mechanism for the card.

Once the glue is set, activate the slider mechanism by pulling the tab. The tab forces the middle panel to stand up and the pop-up mechanism connected to the middle and front panels helps it stand. This action also creates a space between the 1st and middle panel. It's a cool 3D effect with two stand-up panels instead of the typical single panel. 

Below is the completed card in its closed position. It doesn't fold completely flat, but it's close and it will fit in a mailing envelope without a problem. I added another of the Oh Baby papers to the pink strip as both a mat and a sentiment. I used my scissor to trim the patterned paper to match the tab opening and glue it in place. This is an optional step. If you want to do this, you should do it before adding the box mechanism and top mat in case the box ends up being glued on it. This same area will fit a sentiment banner if you would prefer that.

And there you have it! I think this design is very nice and I plan to make more of this style in different themes. I hope you'll give it a try. 

Now it's your turn! Submit a card that has any reference to mail using Ai Stamps and get a chance to win free stamps. Wishing everyone who participates good luck.

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

Thank you Janet for the sweet card and the wonderful tutorial.

Now, let's see who won our Love, Love Me Do challenge.

For our Top Spot we selected:
Consuelo G.

5820 KH – My Favorite Birds Set

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Be sure to grab your winner's badge to display on your social media.

Our Lucky Random Winner was:

#8 Bonnie W.

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Be sure to grab your winner's badge to display on your social media.

Congratulations to both of our winners!

Now for our new challenge!

 ✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation using either stamps, dies and or designer paper from Art Impressions. You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards! (unless specified)

✻ Limit two submissions per person.

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission. You may include your entire last name, but it's not necessary.

✻We love to comment on your entries, but keep in mind if you use a private group or a platform that you need to sign up for, we probably won't be able to.

✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!

✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!

✻ Share the Ai love if you can, by clicking and commenting on your fellow crafters.

✻ Make sure to get your link up by the deadline to enter your creations.

✻ Good luck and happy stamping! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Valentine Gnome and treat box by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Valentines Day AI Friends!

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a treat box within my "Sunshine" post dated Jan. 22, 2026.  I used the front and back gnomes from the #5785 - Gnomes set.  My daughter loves gnomes so I filled it with the scotchmallow from See's candy, also her favorite.  She fell in love with the little treat box and asked if I would make some for my granddaughter's preschool teachers as well as her co-workers.  Needless to say, I will do anything for my grandbabies.  😍  So, I made several (see below).  They are fun and easy to put together.  Check out my post from January. 

I decided to make a card to match the little treat box using the same stamp set.  It's a card within a card that adds a nice twist to the standard A2 card. 

To start, I stamped and colored the images with copic markers listed below.  I die cut the images with the corresponding dies that are included in the sets.

I created a standard A2 card using the #5741 - Valentine PP.   I also die cut 3 red panels using the stitched square dies #5061 and a square side-fold card from white cardstock, just slightly larger than one of the red panels to provide a border.  I positioned the smaller card to open from left to right and adhered the back side to the inside of the A2 card.  The right side of the smaller card will then close over the front of the A2 card.  I adhered a red panel to the front of the square card, one to the inside front and one to the front of the A2 card to be covered by the smaller card front.  I then decorated with the gnome images and the heart dies.  Placed a small white string bow on the front with a few scattered mini hearts to finalize the card.

Here are the 10 little treat boxes.  I used the #5721 - Nested Heart dies to cover the front and back of the treat box.  I just love the way these turned out. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day today and a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Copics used:  C0, C1, C2, C3

 E93

R20, R22, R24, R27

R81, R83, R85

G40, G43, G46

Y13, Y15, Y17

Vellum Flowers - Creating, Coloring and Sculpting by Lynn Dionne

Happy Wednesday Ai Fans!

Watch video tutorial here!

In today's video I will be showing you a fun and easy way to color, sculpt and layer your vellum flowers! There are a few fun tips and tricks that I will share with you today as well.

Let's begin by die cutting the vellum flowers and leaves from the Ai Flower & Bug Set (6041) and the Ai Corner Bookmark Dies (6042). This will give us three sizes of the flowers which we can stack together for a full and dimensional flower. Again, I will share with you in the video how these are colored and shaped for some really unique and beautiful florals.

Next, we can die cut the Ai Scalloped Square Dies (6047) using some white 100lb cardstock and then cut a square to fit inside this scalloped frame. We will emboss this panel with a pretty flourish embossing folder. Now we can attach these two together.

Let's then add a silver panel and attach all of this to a square white card base. I will give you all of the dimensions in the video.

We can add our beautiful flowers to the corners of the card and add a sentiment. For the sentiment we will be using the Ai Encouragement Sentiment Promo Stamps (5956) and die cutting the ovals from the Ai Scalloped Oval Dies (6046) and the Ai Nested Oval Dies (5727). The "Thinking of You" sentiment will be embossed with a pretty Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

Let's pop up the sentiment onto the center of the card front and add a few metallic silver gems to the center of each of the flowers and around the sentiment.

Thank you so much for joining me today!  Have a fun and crafty day!

Ai Flower & Bug Set (6041)

Ai Corner Bookmark Dies (6042)

Ai Scalloped Square Dies (6047)

Ai Scalloped Oval Dies (6046)

Ai Nested Oval Dies (5727)

Ai Encouragement Sentiment Promo (5956)

Hoppy Spring! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

I've always loved frogs, possibly because they're green, which is my favorite color.
This newest frog from Art Impressions is just the most darling little creature ever!

I layered up lots of Ai dies to add some fun dimension to my card.
We've been in a deep freeze here in the northeast. I can't wait for spring and flowers
and green grass again.

Cold hands...warm heart by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? I just love all the hearts and smooches in pinks and reds!  I'm just a big old sap! LOL! So I have another  super simple Valentine card to show you today, and this one I used the fun #6107 Snowman Hugs Set. I just love this image out of set! I created the card base with the new Scalloped Rectangle Dies #6048. I stamped the image onto a Copic friendly paper and then colored it using Copic markers which are listed below. Other than rounding the corners of the papers, I simply added a bow using red silk ribbon along with a couple little red hearts to show the love. 

So that's it for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copic markers used:

R22, 24, 27, 81, 83, and 85

E21, 23, 97, and 99

C1 and 2

Y23 and 26

Love Is In the Air by Gennette Houghton

 

Hello, and Welcome to Watercolor Weekend! Valentine’s Day is next weekend and I have a couple of cards today perfect for the occasion. February is usually one of our coldest months, but I decided to go with a warmer scene this year. I decided I wanted to use both 5054 WC Little Boys, and 5053 WC Little Girls. These sets are great for so many occasions and are a great add to your stamp collection.

 For my first card I chose the two that are standing. I first took my 5063 Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies and used the 3^rd largest to trace for a guide. Since I wanted to make sure they were positioned the way I wanted, I used the stamp positioner for both, inking both in Distress Ink Lost Shadow. For the skin tones I used 850, 910, and for the shadowed areas a touch of 912.  I started with the skin first so that I wasn’t risking other colors bleeding into the area.  Once that was done, I started with the little girl’s hair. I started with 990 as a base to help tone down the yellow, I then added some 025 and darkened areas with 026. For the bands in her hair I used 725.  Next I did the skirt with N52, I love this gray as it has a hint of blue to it.  I then went over the shirt lightly with 725, adding a touch more in the shaded areas, and then used the same color to add tiny little dots for texture.  I also used 725 on the hat, making it a bit darker than the shirt.  For the boy, I decided I wanted to leave his shirt white, so I used N52 for some shading and contours. I then painted the pants with 565, and added a bit of detail to the pocket with the same color.  For the hair I started with 947 and then added some 969. 856 was used on the hat. N52 and 565 was used on his shoes.  

A light wash of 177 for the ground, going darker at the base of the feet and out at an angle for a shadow. I then used 526 for the sky, staying within my guidelines I already penciled in.  I painted the grass in the background with 228, just to give a hint of being there, and then masked off the edges with post-it tape. 5826 WC Large Tree Set 2 for the grass in the foreground with a mix of 126 and 177.  Softened lightly with a damp brush.  I then used Bleed Proof White for what was supposed to be a cloud, but I got a little too precise with it trying to get it to show up on a lighter background, but it doesn’t look to bad.  With the edges still masked I used 5126 WC Foliage Set 4, I inked the leaf branch in two colors, first with 126 and then brought a line up through the stamp with 177. For the very edge I did the same with 177 and 249. I find this gives a more organic look to the leaves.  Adding a touch of water to soften and bring out the colors. I removed the post-it tape and erased my pencil lines. Using the same die I used for the guidelines I then cut my image out.   I matted the image with gold and pink card stock and matted my card base with paper from 5741 Valentines Paper Pack and finished the card.

 For my second card, I used the same boy and girl sets, this time with the ones that are sitting.  I used the same die as in the first card in a horizontal position for my guidelines, and used the stamp positioner to place both the boy and girl where I wanted them.  The skin tones are the same as the first two, 850, 910, and a touch of 912. For the boy I used 992 and 969 for the hair, 312 for the shirt, and 969 for his pants.  The girl I used 947 for the hair, 905 and N52 for the shirt, and 565 for her pants.  I then used a wash of 177 for the ground, darkening it under and behind the kids. For the water I used 565 first and then added a bit of 526 to brighten some of the areas.  I darkened the area right next to the shore with more 565 to give contrast between the two.  After masking off the sides, 5424 WC Pond Set was used for the cattails. I first stamped in the leaves using 177 and stamped twice each time. I then added the cattails using 177 and 969. 5826 WC Large Tree Set 2 for the grass, inked in 177 and a touch of 969 right at the base of the stamp in two small spots. 

I used this at the base of the cattails and in each of the bottom corners. I then used a damp brush to soften all of the foliage and blended out a bit at the base of each.   Bleed Proof White was used to add a bit of highlights in the water and then created tiny heart flowers in the grass.  Removing the post-it tape, I erased the lines and used the same die to cut out the image.  The image was matted with gold and dark brown cardstock, and matted the card base with paper from 5835 Mini Paper Pack, completing my second card.  Thank you so much for joining me today, I hope you enjoyed my cards and that I inspired you to give these sets a try. Until next time, Create….Share….Inspire!

Small Box, Big Love: A Handmade Valentine’s Treat Box by Janet

Valentine’s Day is all about those "little something" gifts that show someone you’re thinking of them. Today, I’m sharing a project that proves great things really do come in small packages! This handmade treat box is perfectly sized for a trio of chocolates and uses some of my favorite versatile dies.

The base of this project is the 5805-Mini Journal Box. While this die was originally designed to house mini journals, it’s a total craft-room chameleon! It measures 2 5/8" x 2 1/4", which happens to be the ideal footprint for three decadent chocolates.

To give a sneak peek of the goodies inside, I used one of the dies from the set to cut a window in the top of the box. There’s something so professional about a window box—it instantly levels up the presentation.

I used a stunning rose pattern from the 6182-Valentines Series 2-Cover PP to form the box. It provides that vintage, elegant vibe that Valentine's Day deserves. I decorated the sides of the box with pink cardstock border patterns cut with the die set. It adds a lovely structural contrast to the floral paper.

No gift is complete without a tag! I cut a matching pink cardstock tag (another gem from the die set) to feature a feathered friend. I perched the adorable little duck from the 6106-Spring Keepsake Set right on the front.

Pro-Tip: Every Valentine needs a heart! I added a tiny red pearl heart to the duck’s chest for that essential pop of festive color.

 Once the box was glued together and the chocolates were nestled inside, I went for a bit of shimmer. I wrapped the entire box in thin silver cording, threading the tag through as I went. I finished it off with a multi-looped bow in the same silver cord to give it some height and "wow" factor.

This project turned out so sweet, and it’s a wonderful way to use your journal dies in a fresh, sugary  sweet new way.

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

Love You Beary Much Card by Tasha

 Happy Friday, Art Impressions friends! 

Tasha here, and today I’m sharing a Valentine’s Day card featuring the new 6103-Baby Keepsake Set. This sweet little bear was the inspiration for the whole design and I couldn’t resist adding tiny hearts to the bear’s top, they are just too cute and perfect for Valentine’s Day.

To keep with the holiday theme, I added a heart patterned paper frame and stenciled soft pink puffy clouds onto pastel pink cardstock. When I think of Valentine’s Day, I always picture hearts, pink and red tones, and a little sparkle, so I tucked in some silver glitter paper for shine.

For extra dimension, I used foam tape to pop up the bear, the flowers, and the “I Love You” sentiment. It adds so much depth and really makes the card come to life.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this card brings a little Valentine’s inspiration your way!