Working with theBeautiful Ordinary Life DSP

Alison Culliver
May 24
11 min read

Join me to see how easy it is to create with Designer Series Paper

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.)

And here we are at my new site!

Today I am sharing two cards I created with the Beautiful Ordinary Life Designer Series Paper.

This paper has some beautiful colours & patterns but also has black & white patterns on the reverse so that you can create your own unique papers with a little bit of colouring or keep them as they are.

I have chosen 5 of the coloured patterned sheets in my creations today but will play around with the reverse patterns & post my creations in a future post. I have also included DSP on the envelopes & to decorate the inside of the cards.

There is a simple, straightforward card to start with that uses 4 patterns with co-ordinating cardstock then a card with a little more work with only 3 patterns but it does have a couple of surprise elements to it.

So let's start with the first, simpler card.

CARD #1

When I looked at the colours included in the DSP I decided that Pretty Peacock & Golden Glow (2026-28 new In Colour) would work perfectly.

The base is Golden Glow & I chose a top opening easel fold for a change.

Next is a matte of Pretty Peacock then a matte of the lovely watercolour effect DSP.

To create the 'triangles' I simply cut 3 x 5cm squares from Pretty Peacock & 3 x 4.5cm squares using 3 different patterns from the pack & adhered them.

Using my Glass Mat so that I could align things more neatly, I centred the top triangle & adhered it then the bottom one. By adhering it flush with the Pretty Peacock matte I was able to align both perfectly without any overhang.

The third pattern was then added over the centre of the first two triangles with some liquid glue where it touched the firs triangles & glue dots where it overhangs the card front. This gave a more balanced finish.

The sentiment comes from A Rainbow of Thanks stamp set & is stamped in Pretty Peacock on a strip of scrap Basic White. I trimmed the ends to have an arrow or banner effect so that it tied in with the shape of the triangles.

This was raised on dimensionals & a few soft Array of Dots were the finishing touch for the card front.

My final touch was to adhere a strip of matching DSP to the inside Basic White matte & on the flap of an envelope.

Card number 1 finished in a flash! It's now ready to go out to a customer to thank them for their order.

CARD #2

The scoring for this card is a little different to a regular base. It is scored at5.25cm & 15.75cm so that you have a gate fold design.

There are four pieces of DSP for the panels - 2 for the front & 2 for the inside, measuring 4.75cm x 14.35cm. I cut them so that the patterns flows across the card.

Once they were adhered I added a 10cm x 14.35cm piece with a different pattern to the bottom inside of the card as well as a Basic White matte measuring 9cm x 9cm. Beforing adhering it though I had stamped some little teardrop petals from the Playful Packaging stamp set in Pretty Peacock, Crisp Canteloupe & Golden Glow.

The next step was to create the small card for the front & closure.

I used a 12cm x 6cm piece of Pretty Peacock, scored at 6cm & added a Basic White matte with the same teardrop petals in Crisp Canteloupe & a Pretty Peacock sentiment from the Phrases & Frames stamp set.

Before adhering it to the mini card & added a small Flirty Flaming tab made with a die from Bordered in Beauty that has a small white twine tassel to help with opening.

So that the card could be used to hold the front closed I adhered half of the base to the right panel & faced it so that the opening was on the left.

Nearly at the finish line!

For the sentiment I chose a different one from Phrases & Frames & white heat embossed it on a scrap of Pretty Peacock. I trimmed the edge & poked a hole for some white twine. This was added to the mini card so that it hung over a little, allowing me to add a Velcro closure tab to hold it closed.

Last but not least was the envelope - a little bit of DSP to the flap - & a different colour from the Array of Dots & it was done!

Yay. Love how these both turned out. One quick & easy, the other a little more special.

Fun fact, both of the cards have the same DSP sheet for the front!

So, that's it for my creations. Now for some 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 has now retired! Stampin' Up® used to have a large annual catalogue & then release two mini catalogues during the year. As of the 5th May, they have launched a new system of presenting their products & will have 3 catalogues a year but they will all be of similar size. They will still be a similar 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® 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 feature a different kit in each

Sunday blog so that you can see the range.

This week the feature kit is called Best Ever. It's designed to recognise people who need a special mention or thanks. There is no stamping in this kit - it's just choose, arrange & stick it down. All the pieces are pre stamped, pre cut & using the easy to follow instructions you can make 6 cards or if you head over to Pinterest you can get loads of ideas for alternatives to help your kit extend & make even more fun cards.

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

Celebrate your #1s—Mom, Dad, and all the everyday heroes—with the Best Ever Kit. Foam fingers, ribbons, and trophies make it a winner for cards, tags, and paper crafts that show big-time appreciation. It’s playful, easy to use, and full of ways to craft your own heartfelt celebration.

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 great 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 class. The current classes that are available are Lovely Blossoms & the brand new Paper Mixer craft class has just been released. They are both 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.

The Paper Mixer class is designed to show you how to mix in the new Paper Medley DSP with other Designer Papers.

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 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 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. February was a stunning DSP pack filled with Beautiful water coloured patterns and whimsical designs that make beautiful projects. I featured some creations in one of my midweek post earlier this year. The March Product of the Month was a lovely, whimsical stamp set & April's offering is a gorgeous background die with a pretty eyelet pattern. For May they are offering some Vellum DSP which looks gorgeous. Mine hasn't arrived as yet but I can't wait to play around with it!

If you would like to add this Vellum DSP 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 May - Aug '26 catalogue is now available & 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.
There is a great Starter Kit offer available right now if you are interested in joining & getting a discount off all of your shopping. You pay just $169 but receive a full set of the new In Colours AS WELL AS the products YOU want to the value of $235! This is a great offer. Contact me if you'd like to know more.
Paper Pumpkin! It's officially 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 latest Scrapbook Virtual Retreat has just 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.

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 & a technique focus with the Faux Tile effect.

In next Sunday's post I will be spotlightling a gorgeous & very useful new stamp & die bundle - Playful Packaging.

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.

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Stamps, Dies, Embossing folders & punches