29/3 DSP spotlight - Cute as a Bug
- Alison Culliver
- Mar 29
- 9 min read
Learn how I created 3 beautiful cards with the gorgeous Cute as a Bug DSP as the hero.
Hello & welcome to my blog.
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.)
And here we are at my new site!
My husband & I travelled to Echuca, on the border between Victoria & New South Wales for a bowls tournament last week with friends & only got back yesterday. It was a very busy week but also relaxing as I was able to enjoy time exploring the area with some of the other wives while the men bowled. We did watch some of their games though! LOL. Luckily I was able to prepare most of this post ahead of time. Technology can be such a wonderful tool.
Every month I get together with a group of ladies to craft & enjoy some friendship & at the last day together I had a lovely play with the adorable Cute as a Bug suite. It has a gorgeous pack of paper which can be sliced for card fronts & fussy cut to decorate some of the pre sized card front pieces that are quickly cut to size.
Here are my creations...
As you can see, I was able to make 3 super cute cards with just a few of the cut pieces from one sheet of DSP. I used the step up method where you start with a simple design or DSP & step up the level of difficulty. I'll now go through them one at a time.
The first card is very simple. There is a Blackberry Bliss base & I attached a trimmed piece of DSP to the base. I stamped a sentiment from the soon to be released Phrases & Frames stamp set in Blackberry Bliss on Basic White, diecutting it using a banner die from the Words of Beauty dies. I diecut a second banner in Blackberry Bliss & adhered it behind the sentiment at an angle. I then added some clear dots from the Ladybug Garden epoxy shapes on some of the leaves for a raindrop effect.
I like to decorate the insides of cards & envelopes so I added some blended green inside on a white layer, added some tufts of grass with Mossy Meadow & Old Olivemarkers & adhered a cute bug cut out over this.
And that's the first card done!
The second card is a step up from the first as it has a DSP layer like the first but I added some diecut bugs & flowers on dimensionals for a 3D effect. For a little bit of bling I coloured some of the clear epoxy dots with a Blackberry Bliss Stampin' Blend® & added them along with two of the cute epoxy ladybugs.
The inside is decorated similarly to the first card & I also decorated the envelope with some blending & a fussy cut image.
So now for the third card - a trifold with a number of smaller pieces of DSP.
The base is Old Olive, 10.5cm x 29.7cm, scored at 5.25cm & 10.5cm.
I trimmed 3 of the smaller DSP pieces to fit the three panels & added a panel of Basic White to the base also.
On the front panel I added some fussy cut insects on dimensionals, some mushrooms & a few Dewdrops embellishments. The last embellishment on the front is a small strawberry in the hand of the green bug which is from the Easter Assortment pack.
The inside panel of the card has a Basic White matte on check DSP with a few mushrooms & a sentiment from Phrases & Frames stamped in Basic Gray. I coloured the mushrooms in with SU500, SU 700 & Light & Dark Crumbcake Stampin' Blends®.
The last panel is a scenic piece with some fussy cut marching ants adhered. I stamped some dots on the Basic White & at the bottom of the ants.
So that's the last of my three cards. I hope you enjoyed seeing this beautiful paper & what you can do with it.
Now for some more news from Stampin' Up®.
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 is 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. I explored this in a bit more detail in some of my previous blogs on Blogspot. 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. The new catalogue will launch on the 5th May.
The mini catalogue is now available online & in printed form. There are loads of gorgeous new products in there. There's scrapbooking ideas & products, love & Easter themed products and some lovely outdoor themed suites. If you'd like me to send you a copy before it finishes at the end of April then send me an email at craftedbyalison@gmail.com.
The new catalogue will go live on the 5th April so if you'd like me to send you a copy, get in touch!
Stampin' Up® also have loads of additional products available only online. These are called Online exclusives & have no end date, when the stock is sold out, that's the end of it.
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 usually feature a different kit in each
Sunday blog so that you can see the range.
This week the feature kit is called Bunch of Thanks & is perfect for when you need to send a Thank You card. It is an all inclusive kit with a stamp set, block, ink spot & all the supplies you need to make 8 cards.
Here's how Stampin' Up® describe it...
Brighten someone’s day with handmade floral cards from the Bunch of Thanks Kit. With hand-drawn designs, heartfelt gratitude sentiments, and preprinted pieces, this all-inclusive card making kit helps you craft stunning cards in minutes—no extra supplies needed.
If you feel that you need to add this to your list then click here to purchase one from my online store, but be quick as this kit is on the last chance list!
If you shop with me then there are some changes last year to the rewards program that you should know about. In the past we were able to create a host code & group together individual orders & pass on the 'hostess' benefits to customers with qualifying orders. This has now been replaced with 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. Stampin' Up® feel that this is a fairer way of rewarding all customers.
There are some new ways to craft on offer at the moment which I will go through one at a time.
Ready?
1.Stampin' Up® has now held 3 Online Craft Classes with the Traditions of Christmas craftalong, Brushed with Beauty Suite on November 21st and the most recent one is called Lovely Blossoms & is available right now! It co-ordinates with the Lovely Blossoms suite & you can order the class & suite by clicking on the links. It was held on the 20th February. I have purchased both of the previous classes & 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. Can't wait to craft along again & see what designs the team come up with!
2. Stampin' Up® held their first ever Virtual Card Making Retreat over two days recently. 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! 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 just before the new item will be released. 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. December was some lovely blue toned DSP & January was a very versatile stamp set. I will share some creations with you in future posts. February was a stunning DSP pack filled with Beautiful watercoloured patterns and whimsical designs that make beautiful projects. I featured some creations in my midweek post a few weeks ago.
The March Product of the Month is a lovely, whimsical stamp set.
If you would like to add this stamp set 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.
The new catalogue is only a few weeks away & is full of lots of gorgeous new product along with some carry over items. I can't share any of the new catalogue with you yet, apart from the front cover until it is officially released to the public but I will be able to share some of the creations I made with products I received at OnStage and in the pre-order period. Some of the stamps & dies have been used for this weeks projects as well as previous projects but more info & projects will be shared shortly.
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 & will be sharing one of the scrapbook layouts provided by Stampin' Up® in their Jan - Apr '26 mini catalogue.
In next Sunday's post I will share a gorgeous stamp & die bundle that is perfect for those who like to cook preserves or give gifts in jars.
I hope you can join me for both of them & come back for more.
Til next take, take care & keep creating.
XX Alison
Here are some links to the products that I used today & some craft room essentials.
Stamps, Dies, Embossing folders & punches
Cute as a Bug stamp set
Cute as a Bug dies
Cute as a Bug bundle 10% saving!
Cardstock, DSP & paper goods
Inks & Markers
Embellishments
Dewdrops embellishments Coming in the May - Aug '26 catalogue
Adhesives
Tools
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