Easy Iris Folding with Almost Any Open Shape Die You Own

In my newest video I share many tips for easy iris folding and inexpensive sources for the thin paper needed and show how to make this card. While researching different ways to do iris folding,  I found some inexpensive plastic templates at Paper Wishes that can be used with any open die or the shape templates provided. All I did was cut the star with a die from Dies...to Die For out of gorgeous patterned mirri card from Hunkydory, turn the piece of and attach to the template. I cut strips of wrapping paper from the Dollar Store one inch wide, folded in half and taped in place. As I show in the new video, it is so easy and fun and the result is awesome. Here is another card I made that way with an open stitched butterfly die:

I embossed the card front with an embossing folder from Paper Roses but wished I had done that before the iris folding because it squished the folds down making them not as dimensional. 

On this slimline card, I simply used two square dies to create a birthday cake opening and then used the Pentagon Iris Folding Template to add the iris folding pattern with Dollar Store wrapping paper. Here is an example that shows you don't even need templates or patterns to add iris folding interest to a card:

All the dies on this card are from Dies...to Die For and I am going to give it to the host of a 4th of July party I am going to. 

What is your favorite of all the cards I show in the new video?  You could win that card (except the flag card) and a big supply of iris folding paper simply by watching the video and commenting per instructions before July 4, 2022. I will draw two lucky commenters so be sure to watch and comment here. 

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

Easy Iris Folding and Mirri Card - What a Combo!

I have always wanted to learn how to do iris folding on my cards but hesitated because it looked too difficult and time consuming. Guess what - it's not if you have the right tools and tips as I share in my newest video here. I decided to try iris folding after watching a Webisode at Paper Wishes featuring special dies from Hunkydory with iris folding templates to match. Here is the first card I made easily with the hummingbird die:

Isn't that lovely? All the cards in the new video also feature Hunkydory patterned mirri card that I also found at Paper Wishes here and I added a sentiment cut with a die from Karen Burniston. Here is another card I made so easily with another die and iris folding template from Hunkydory and Paper Wishes:

The patterned mirri card and the paper used in the iris folding strips are all from Hunkydory and Paper Wishes. Here is the card I show how to make with these Hunkydory supplies in my newest video:

I love how this card turned out and decided to wait until sending to add a sentiment so I could use it for a thank you, thinking of you, birthday or any special day for a special person. 

In the new video I also show an easy way to do iris folding on any open shaped die you might own and a tip for where to find the thin paper needed really cheap. You could even win a bunch of that paper and your favorite card from the video if you watch here and comment before July 4 per instructions!

I hope you have a great week and have some time to play and then send some handmade joy out into the world!

Altenew June Inspiration Challenge Card With Gilders Paste Wax

I have been playing with Gilder's Paste Wax for an upcoming video and noticed the Rust color was very similar to the rusty orange on this photo for the June 2022 Altenew challenge I have been thinking of creating a card for. I pulled out a beloved Altenew Layered Floral Die Set and created this card: 

I cut Cover Die B out of white cardstock and covered it with Rust Gilders Paste Wax. Layer A was cut out of a pink cardstock and I paper pieced in the leaves with green following the color prompts in the challenge picture. I added texture to the white cardbase with Altenew's Dotted Starburst Debossing Cover Die. The punched butterflies are also embossed with Rust Gilders Paste Wax on them for highlights. Here is another view of this card:

I am entering this card into the June 2022 Inspiration Challenge at Altenew. 

Drinks and Cocktails 3D Toppers on Tri-Fold Cards

I have many friends who love an occasional alcoholic drink or wine, so I had fun easily adding 3D embellishments to these cards from the Drinks and Cocktails Easy 3D Toppers from Hearty Crafts. I added three embellishments to this trifold card cut with the new Fabulous Folded Tri-Fold Surprise die set. I just got this die as part of my Fabulous Folded monthly subscription.  Each of the dies are available without subscribing, but I save 10% and get my die set earlier plus a freebie each month. 

I show in the new video how to make a card similar to this one. The front features another 3D embellishment, a stamp from  My Favorite Things and a card front cut with the new Short Rectangle Crosshatch die from Karen Burniston. As is the case with many cards made with Karen Burniston's dies, the most fun happens when the card is opened: 

This card would be perfect for a wine lover with it's pretty wine 3D pictures, fun stamps from MFT and Accordion fun folds and other dies from Karen Burniston. To see many more fun fold cards with 3D Easy Toppers, watch the new video here. 

Accordion Folds With Easy 3D Accents New Video

Have you ever created a many layered fun fold card only to struggle with how to decorate all those layers? I recently discovered some super easy super dimensional embellishments for our cards, and paired them up with the new Landscape Rectangle Accordion die set from Karen Burniston to make many cards for my newest video here. The layered 3D pictures are from Hearty Crafts called Easy 3D Toppers. My first card features the Jewel Dragonfly set:

The Easy 3D dragonflies are just a bit big for the Rectangle Accordion pieces so I just cut them apart and put some of the pieces behind the 3 layers of the dragonfly. Just look at what happens when this card is opened:

Here are some close-ups to see the 3 sides and the 3D embellishments better:

The sentiment was cut with a die from Sue Wilson and I added a couple punched dragonflies to the center piece. I figured out how to add a front piece onto several accordion folds with plenty of room for more 3D Easy Topper pictures and here is the card I show step by step how to make in the new video:

I show how fast it is to put the pieces of this deer from the Stylish Winter World Easy 3D toppers set in the video, and this sentiment is also from Sue Wilson. Of course, the best part is when the card is opened: 

I put another old world 3D deer picture on the left side and left room for my signature. The Christmas wishes - Peace, Joy and Love  - were cut with dies from Quietfire Design, and I added some doves cut with several sets from Memory Box. 

In the new video I share many more fun fold cards with 3D toppers,  so head on over here and see them all.  Then have a play and send some of your handmade joy out into the world! 

I am entering the first card in the Add A Sentiment challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Monkeys and Gnomes Popping Up From My Newest Video

I am giving a big hint as to what is going to happen when this card is opened by my title and the cute monkey on the front of this card, but it is best to see in my new video here or in the mini video I am sharing here: 

(If you can't see the mini video in your subscriber email, just click on the title and go to the actual blogpost.) 

There are two new Mini Ball Add-Ons to go with the new Mini-Ball Pop-Up die set in the new Karen Burniston release. This monkey card was made with the Mini-Ball Add-ons 2 - Monkey and Lion set. The card size is A2 as now with the new Mini-Ball Pop-Up size we can easily make A2, slimline and mini-slimline cards as I share in the new video here.

There is also a new Karen Burniston set that makes an adorable girl or boy gnome, and on the front of my gnome card I feature a gnome Easy 3 D Topper from Hearty Crafts. Here is what pops up when this card is opened:

Isn't she cute? I can't wait to try all my other Animal Add-ons with this new size ball and to try a boy gnome and lion! To see all the pop up cards I made and how to make an adorable elephant pop up card in a size way easier to mail, watch the new video here. 

I am entering the first card in the Add A Sentiment challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Owls, Gnomes and Monkeys- What Else Is Popping Up In My Newest Video?

I love when Karen Burniston comes out with her new releases especially if there are new Add-On sets to make double ball pop ups! Even more exciting in this new release was the Mini-Ball Pop-Up set which means the double ball pop ups can  be made smaller and easier to mail! In my newest video here, I show many pop up cards and also show how to combine the Animal Add-on #2 Elephant pieces with the new Mini-Ball Pop-Up and other new sets to make this adorable elephant card: 

Of course these pop up cards can be seen so much better in the new video, but here is a mini video showing the pop up motion of this card:

(If you are a subscriber and the mini-videos are not showing up in your email version of this blogpost, you can go my actual blog to see them.) 

The new smaller size ball set can now fit into slimline, mini-slimline and A2 sized cards and I show each in the new video. Here is a couple pictures and another mini-video of an owl mini-slimline card I made with the new die sets in this release:

The pop-up owl can be made with pieces included in the new Mini-Ball Pop-Up Set from Karen Burniston. I also feature the new Long Flap and Closure dies, the new Short Rectangles-Crosshatch dies and the new Mini Alphabet and Numbers die set as well as an older Feathered Animals Owl. 

To see how to make the elephant card and many more pop up cards, watch the new video here. I hope you have a great week and find time to play and send some handmade joy out into the world!

I am entering the 2nd card in the Bright and Cheerful challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

Cut Apart A Double Stairstep Card For Endless Possibilities!

In my newest video, I show how to use the new Crealies On The Move die set with a double stairstep to make some very unique cards. But I also made some very unique cards by cutting the stairsteps apart and here is my first card. The front features a bird house and birds cut with more dies from Crealies May release. Just look at the fun stairstep side view on this card:

The double stairstep die from Crealies comes with several sizes of dies for the steps and the decorative side pieces in case you want to double layer or want smaller stitched pieces. I added some of the blue designer paper to the steps with the larger square dies and then attached the letters (from Dies...To Die For) to spell BIRD day for a play on words. Here is another way to use this versatile die set: 

There is an extra die in the Crealies die set so if we want to cut the double stairstep apart, we can easily add on a card front or any other piece you may want to use. The front of this graduation card looks like a regular card, but when it is opened there is a fun staircase with the word GRAD on it and a little envelope cut with the Mini Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers for a gift card or gift of cash. I like to put the year on the steps (for class of 2022), but I am not sure when I will use this card. The sentiment dies and alpha dies are from Karen Burniston. 

To see all the cards I made with both double and single stairsteps using the On The Move Stair Step Card 2x5 Steps, watch the new video here.

I am entering my 2nd card in the Bright and Cheerful challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Happy Bird Day Accordion Fold Card

I was playing with my new Landscape Rectangle Accordion die set from Karen Burniston and decided to decorate it with another new Parrot die from Sue Wilson and Creative Expressions. The parrot is cute, but I really loved the clever sentiment dies in the set, and when the card is opened you see another one:

This card is a double accordion, but we can also make a triple accordion as I will show in a new video soon. I used patterned mirri card from Hunkydory and Paper Wishes and put another parrot inside a frame that is part of the KB set. 

I am entering this card in the Critters challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday and the Bright and Cheerful challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday. 

Steppin' Up Your Cards with Double Stairsteps!

As an admitted die cut addict, I search high and low for unique dies and love die sets that can be used in many different ways to stretch my crafty budget and creativity! I discovered a website with many unique dies in the Netherlands a few years ago, and in the recent May release at Crealies, I saw a double stairstep die set I just had to have! Here is the first card I made with it for my newest video:

The double staircase with 5 steps is so easy to make using the new On The Move Stair Step Card 2x5 Steps die from Crealies as I show in the new video here. The stitched balloons were created with dies also from Crealies and the alphabet and balloon string dies are from Karen Burniston. Here are a couple more views of this fun double stairstep card:

I have seen 3 step stairstep dies but that number is too limiting for most words and even the year for a graduate. 4 step die cuts are better, but adding another step for 5 and another staircase to this die makes the designing possibilities endless! And, as I show in the new video, you can cut the two stairsteps apart to many many more unique cards! Here are a couple pictures of the double stairstep card I made in the new video start to finish: 

The beautiful cardstock I chose is from the Butterfly Blush collection at Paper Wishes and the acetate butterflies are also from Paper Wishes. The letters were cut again with the Karen Burniston die set. This Crealies die is priced at about $30 in US dollars which is very reasonable for all the pieces, and the shipping times and cost are similar to USA websites. 

I show how easy it is to make this card in the new video and then cut the two pieces apart for many more unique ways to make cards with this die set, so be sure to watch the new video here.