Winter Cards 4 Kids and Last Post for Send A Smile 4 Kids

The theme this month at Send A Smile 4 Kids is Winter Cards 4 Kids and I had fun creating this card with an open diagonal slit and an adorable winter bird and a cute winter sentiment from Stampendous.

This posting is a bit bittersweet for me as it is the last one I will do for Send A Smile 4 Kids. Back in 2011, I was looking for a place to donate my cards and I was happy to find Send A Smile 4 Kids. They were (and still are) collecting handmade cards for kids who are inpatient in many children’s hospitals. I joined their design team in April of 2011 and very shortly after that, the previous owner and coordinator asked me to take over running SAS4Kids as she was stepping away. I said yes and was the owner, volunteer coordinator and challenge DT leader for almost 9 years.

I was happy and proud to lead SAS4Kids for those years as we grew and cheered many kids and their families with handmade joy. At the end of 2020, I stepped aside as the owner and leader of the volunteer and challenge sides, and two wonderful ladies from the team stepped up and have done an awesome job continuing to grow and maintain Send A Smile 4 Kids. I thank Jen and Sybrina for that, and wish them the best as they keep Send a Smile 4 Kids going into the future.

I have been on the DT now for almost 12 years and it is time for me to step aside, and thank our volunteers and design team and everyone who has sent in cards for our kids and joined in our challenges through the years.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

 

Many More Holiday Cards Made In Just Minutes

I could not resist the gorgeous Nordic Ornaments die set from Spellbinders as I am Norwegian, and made this quick and easy Peace card with that set and a Clear Views transparency. I needed some more quick holiday cards for my stash and my new video, and this is one of my favorites. I am posting the rest of the cards I made in just a day in this blogpost, so there are a bunch of photos.

Jennifer McGuire recently posted some cards with strips and embossed backgrounds and here are two cards I made with that idea: 

The Nordic Dove on the first one is from poppy stamps and the second one was made with new products from Stampin up. 

These two cards were made with a beautiful set of stencils from Picket Fence Studios. And the following cards were made with recycled cards I received in the mail from a promotional company that were too beautiful to throw out as well as some Easy 3D Toppers:

I share these and many more cards with foiled beauty in my newest video here. I hope my cards inspire you to give some of these ideas and products a try and then send some your own handmade joy out into this world. 

I am entering the first card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Easy To Make Holiday Cards with Picket Fence Studios Toner Foil Products

Yesterday I had 3 problems - not enough Christmas cards made, not enough time to make them and many new holiday products I bought this year but have not played with. Today I over ten beautiful cards made and I share all of them in my newest video here.

I recently learned about a new foiling product from Picket Fence Studios called Fabulous Foiling Toner Cardstock which is colored rather than just plain black.  So after foiling a toner patterned card front, the second step can have different colors other than just black. The card above is the card I made in just minutes step by step in the new video and the Mega Joy die is from Frantic Stamper. The second generation foiling is just too pretty to waste any of it, so I punched some snowflakes and added them to the center of this card with another foiled sentiment:

I also made a gold version with the same technique and products:

Here are a couple more cards I shared in the new video featuring Picket Fence Studios toner card fronts and colored toner sheets:

These cards are so easy to make and sparkle with foil beauty. To see these and many other cards I made in minutes, watch the new video here. 

I am entering the 2nd card in Make It Sparkle challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

The Easiest 3D Holiday Ornaments You'll Ever Make!

Christmas ornaments make beautiful gifts and decorations and I bet you have never made easier 3D ornaments than the ones I share in my newest video made with Crealies dies. There are four different Varia 3D Christmas ornament die sets and above are the bell and Christmas tree. I have three friends I love to give handmade gifts to at Christmas and so I made three "friend" ornaments.  Here are the 3D Bauble Round and Bauble Pointy:

All the dies you see here and in the new video are from Crealies which is a company out of the Netherlands with hundreds of awesome dies. If you are in the USA, you can find Crealies dies here at the Frantic Stamper website.

I thought it might be fun to put a 3D surprise inside a circle gatefold card and I show step by step how I made this card in the new video:

I used the new Frame and Inlay Nina die set on the front of the Circle Gatefold Card with some holly and a layered sentiment. But the best part is when the recipient opens the card:

Instead of gluing the 3D bell ornament together as the last step, I glued the right side inside the circle gatefold card over another Nina frame. On the left side is a magnet that will create the 3D Christmas bell, and the card will stand up for a pretty Christmas display. 

To see how easy the 3D ornaments from Crealies are to make, watch the new video here, and then send some of your handmade joy out into this world.

November Class Gift Cards and Christmas Cards

Christmas and gift giving is the theme of the cards I taught this month at Harts n Scraps and I was asked to share 5 projects instead of 4 so this first card is a simple embossed white on white (mostly) card I made with the Divinity Designs lantern die and several embossing folders. 

I taught the faux leather technique and then we made a card and a wallet with it. The peach and joy dies are from a set by Tim Holtz and Sizzix.

I also taught how to make a tunnel card with a fun set of dies and matching embossing folder from Crafter's Companion. 

And then I taught how to use the regular size and mini size Envelope Punch Boards to make a gift card holder in a matching envelope. 

I had great fun sharing ideas with the classes at Harts n Scraps and after taking a month off, will be right back at in the New Year. 

Sending Joy in Joy Fold Holiday Card

I am honored to be a guest design team member at Frantic Stamper and recently had a play with their pinprick or stitched background dies for a video I shared here. On the front you see the subtle lovely texture created with the Frantic Stamper Pinprick Snowflake Background die. Here is a look at the inside of this joy fold card sharing more joy:

Joy is my favorite holiday word, and the Mega Joy die from Frantic Stamper is perfect for the inside of this joy fold card. 

More Pop Up Surprise Cards From My New Video

This blessings card is pretty with the script layered die from Tonic Studios and the gold foiled kraft cardstock, but as I show in my new video, the real fun happens when the card is opened:

The Oven Pop up and Oven Extras dies from Karen Burniston create this pop up scene complete with a turkey for the perfect Thanksgiving card! 

My grandson has a birthday coming up and he loves dinosaurs, so I made this card for him with new dies and stamps from Stamps of Life. The Bam Box from Karen Burniston makes the inside pieces pop up BAM and here is what that looks like when opened:

To really see these and all the pop up cards POP, it is best to watch the new video here. I had great fun creating all these interactive pop up cards and hope they inspire you to give some of the ideas and products a try.