26/7/26 - Christmas in July with the Stitched Stocking stamp set

Alison Culliver

Jul 26

10 min read

Three different ways to use the Stitched Stocking stamp set.

Hello & welcome to my blog. I hope you are all well.

My name is Alison & I live in beautiful Melbourne, Australia & I am an independent Stampin' Up® demonstrator.

I love to create beautiful things to share with people that I love but I also sell me creations. I have been creating things in one way or another for most of my life - knitting, sewing, cooking, card making, gardening, scrap booking & hand made gifts & in 2020 after joining Stampin' Up® I decided to share my passion in a blog (craftedbyalison@blogspot.com).

In 2025 I retired & decided to spread my creative wings a little more by combining my blog, products that I had been selling on FaceBook & launching a newsletter. Some of these things I had already been doing but this time they are all in the one place. (All previous posts can be found at my blogspot address above if you would to read any of them.)

Today I have three lovely cards for you made with the same stamp set - Stitched Stocking - but they are all different. I decided on this particular stamp set because it's really cute but also because I wanted to get you thinking about Christmas. I know it's still 5 months away but you know what happens, you cruise along and then all of a sudden its November & you haven't even started!!! Hopefully these cards will inspire you to start planning or at least thinking about it.

For my first card design evokes a quilt. The paper does all the work on this one with the sentiment being the only stamping.

I chose some of the paper that comes from the same suite (A Stitched Season) & trimmed it into 4 squares. I edged them with Real Red card stock to look like the binding on a quilt then added basic white matte before adding it to a Peaceful Pine base. I then stamped a sentiment in Basic Gray & diecut in a banner design with the banner die from Stitched Stocking & raised it on dimensionals.

The final step were some cute red Adhesive Backed Mini Christmas buttons.

This card is not a regular size due to the sizing of the quilt squares. It measures 12cm x 14.5cm. I will be making an envelope to fit it later.

Card #2 uses Hydrangea Hue and white for a non-traditional Christmas colour scheme.

It has beautiful Luxe White specialty paper as a matte on a Hydrangea Hue base. I took a second, smaller piece of Hydangea Hue & embossed one of the small patterns from the stamp set all over with silver then diecut the bottom with one of the Bordered in Beauty dies. Before attaching this to the card I wrapped some Hydrangea Hue bordered ribbon around the join.

The sentiment is stamped in Hydrangea Hue on Basic White, punched out with the 2" punch before attaching it to a silver foil label diecut with the Filled with Sweetness dies.

I used dimensionals to attach it to the base & added a bow to complete it.

My final card has the most work on it.

To create the equal spaced squares I measured the size of the stamps, added 5mm between each one & created a faint grid to stamp the 3 designs into. The matte size is 12cm x 12cm. The colours used are Hydrangea Hue, Golden Glow & Strawberry Slush.

Once all were stamped I used a ruler to add a dotted line around each square then erased the pencil lines.

To add some more depth to the images I blended a little of each colour over the stamp.

This matte was added to a 12.5cm x 12.5cm Basic Black matte then a 13cm square Strawberry Slush base.

The sentiment was heat embossed in black on Basic White & diecut with a banner from Stylish Shapes. The size of the die was too small for the sentiment so I extended it by placing the plate over part of the die, running it through the machine, moving the die to the end of the sentiment then running through again with the plate only over the section to be cut.

A larger Basic Black banner was added & the sentiment was then added to the card with dimensionals. The final touch were a couple of pink Array of Dots.

So, that gives you an idea of how this stamp set can be used in different ways. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I made.

Now, let's check in with what else is happening in the Stampin' Up® crafting world.

Stampin' Up® have many ways of shopping with a physical catalogue, online shopping & in person events. When items are about to be retired or are running low they are put on the 'Last Chance' list which means that there is limited stock & when it runs out, it's gone.

Stampin' Up® 's Annual Catalogue has a 3 step format - sectioned to have Beginners, which is a step by step collection of materials in kits, then there is Quick & Easy where you select base materials & packs of pre-printed or diecut materials plus some stamp sets then there is Create your way where you choose all the materials, stamps etc yourself & Create Your Way! In the Quick & Easy section Stampin' Up® have also provided some inspiration with a colour wheel & information of various ways to use colour combinations. The other cool feature is that they provide card sketch & scrapbook layout ideas for you. This is great for any times that you need a little inspiration.

If you'd like to browse the catalogue online then click here. If you'd like a copy to hold in your hands, leaf through & put little notes all over it of what's on your wish list then shoot me an email at craftedbyalison@gmail.com or message me on my facebook page at craftedbyalison.

Stampin' Up® have a great range of Kits including crafting, card making & gift giving. There are brand new kits added to the collection every month. Click here to check them all out in my online shop. As Stampin' Up® have so many beautiful kits available I feature a different kit in each

Sunday blog so that you can see the range.

This week the feature kit is the beautiful Butterflies Garden kit & is on the Last Chance list. It creates 9 beautiful cards & has all the pre cut images, a stamp set & ink spot.

Here's how Stampin' Up® describe it...

Create uplifting cards filled with messages of hope and support using the Butterfly Garden Kit. Featuring hand-illustrated butterflies and heartfelt sentiments, it’s perfect for sending encouragement to friends and loved ones. The kit includes everything you need to craft meaningful cards that truly brighten someone’s day.

If you feel that you need to add this to your list then click here to purchase one from my online store.

There are some great ways to craft on offer at the moment which I will go through one at a time.

Ready for the latest news?

1.Stampin' Up® has a range of Online Craft Classes that allow you to craft along with some of the staff from the head office in Utah, or create at your own pace by watching the recorded videos from classes that have already been held.

The current classes that are available are Lovely Blossoms, Paper Mixer, Scenic Coast & Pretty Poinsettia which has just been released. The other brand new craft class, Metallic Magic, is designed to use with their brand new Hot Foil system. More info on that further on in this section.

All of the classes are available in my shop by clicking here or on the links above. They are a great way for you to learn from the professionals & a load of fun.

Once you purchase any of the Craft Classes you will receive an email with a link to an exclusive Facebook group when the event is hosted.

2. Stampin' Up® held their first ever Virtual Card Making Retreat over two days earlier this year. It was designed for experienced or advanced crafters in mind but also had a heap of tips & ideas for those wanting to explore more detailed card designing. You can still be a part of this event! But be quick as it is on the 'Last Chance' list. To participate you just need to purchase the Retreat kit ($288AU) & this provides you with all of the materials you need & access to an exclusive FaceBook group where the videos from the event are stored. It sounds like a bit of expense but from past experience, what you take away from these type of events is well worth it. You can also download & print the pre event cutting instructions as well as having a cutting video & recordings of all of the cards that were made.

Here's some more info on how to join this retreat.

To craft along with the Stampin' Up® presenters and make 15 beautiful, all-occasion cards, you’ll want to purchase the 2026 Virtual Card Making Retreat kit. Everyone who purchases a kit will receive a link to the exclusive Facebook group where the live event will stream. We only have a limited number of kits, so make sure to order yours ASAP!

3. Starting last December, Stampin' Up® introduced a special 'Product of the Month' item that is only available with eligible purchases. There is a new item every month with details released before the new item will be released so you can plan your shopping. Each month it's a surprise what it could be - stamps, dies, papers - a complete surprise every month. You will be able to receive each month's product for just $9 when you spend $125 in one order. I have been able to order all of the products so far which have DSPs, stamp sets, a gorgeous background die with a pretty eyelet pattern, stunning printed Vellum DSP, a whimsical animal themed stamp set and the current Product of the Month for July is a floral stamp set.

If you would like to add any of these products (that are still available) to your collection, get your shopping list out & place a qualifying order & you will be prompted before checkout to add it to your shopping trolley. Each product requires a minimum spend to be able to purchase them & it is only while there is stock available.

The new May - Aug '26 catalogue is full of lots of gorgeous new product along with some carry over items. One of the major changes that will be rolled in is that the stamp pads are being changed from fabric pads with a fold out opening to a felt pad & magnetic case. The new pads will be introduced with the new In Colours & more colours will be changed over gradually. Demonstrators have been able to purchase items from the next (Sept - Dec '26) catalogue which is one of the great perks of being a demonstrator. I will play around with the items that I have ordered & share them with you in the coming weeks.
Paper Pumpkin is now available to order in the South Pacific after only be available in the North American market. Paper Pumpkin kits are similar to the crafting kits available in the shop but are a surprise each month & come with everything you need to complete the kit. There are also add ons that can be used to stretch the supplies in the kit. Many people also make the suggested projects with half of the supplies then use the remaining products with some extra supplies to create alternative projects.
You can purchase the kits as an individual order or subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months. Subscriptions are dispatched from the 11th day of each month & you can change or cancel your subscription at any time as long as it is done before the cut off date - the 10th of the month.

The latest Scrapbook Virtual Retreat has wrapped up. It is called Happiness is Here & has supplies to create 10 double page spreads (20 pages in total) including inks, stamps, papers, gel & shimmer pens, embellishments, flip flaps & page protectors. There are also detailed instructions & recorded videos that you can access for at least a year. To access the videos there is a private FaceBook group that you can access via a QR code when your kit arrives.
If you are interested you can purchase your own kit by clicking on this link.
Metallic Magic Hot Foil system!! Stampin' Up!® have now released their brand new Hot Foil system that is used in conjunction with the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. There are specific dies to use with the system as well as 3 foil rolls - Gold, Silver & Hot Pink. If you purchase the system you will also receive the Metallic Magic craft class for FREE! To find out more, head over to my store to check it all out. I have the system but I'm waiting for the foil rolls & some more dies & stamps to arrive before I play around with it & share it.

Stampin' Up!® has a 'Rewards' program that gives all customers who place an order with a qualifying amount a credit of 10% of their order to use on future orders. This will be displayed during the checkout process or your order.

Lastly, there have been lots of great items added to the clearance rack which is now called Last Chance items so make sure you check them out using this link to my online store as there are some great discounts.

If you would like to purchase any of my creations that I feature in my blogs they can be found in my shop along with lots of different designs including feminine, masculine, special occasions, everyday events, something for the juniors or you can order something unique.

I hope you've enjoyed today's post.

My next post will be on Wednesday and looks at how to use up scraps when creating.

In next Sunday's post I will share some of the alternative creations I have made with the July, Hooray for Birthdays, Paper Pumpkin kit.

I hope you can join me for both of them & come back for more.

Til next time, take care & keep creating.

XX Alison

Here are some links to the products that I used today & some craft room essentials.

Shop with me

Stamps, Dies, Embossing folders & punches