Diagonal Joy Fold Card for Father's Day with Frantic Stamper Dies and Stencils

I recently re-discovered the awesome dies, stencils and other products at the Frantic Stamper website when I learned she was now selling Crealies dies in the USA. Of course I had to go shopping and have made some cards with what I found for upcoming videos. I had been wanting to try the Diagonal Joy Fold because I love unique fun folds and this is the card I made. I started with a side folding A2 card and cut from the top left corner to the bottom right corner of the front before stenciling a fun background tone on tone with Frantic Samper's Banner Yet Wave stencil. 

The white piece in the center measures 3 x 8 and is folded in half over the diagonal cut front. I created the water sunny scene with a slimline stencil from Frantic Stamper called Slimline Wave and then attached her Sailboat die floating on the waves. Here is what the card looks like when opened: 

I could have made a nice A2 card with these supplies, but the diagonal joy fold just makes the card so much more interesting. The "Dad" die is from a Frantic Stamper set called "To My Father". 

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

Un-Grill-ievable Interactive Grill Cards 3 Ways

If you want to learn how to make interactive cards for a favorite grill master in your life, my newest video and cards are perfect for you! I made 3 different cards with the new Backyard BBQ die set and Un-grill-ievable Stamp Set from Trinity Stamps and show how each is interactive in a different way in the new video. My first BBQ Grill opens up with a brad to reveal a funny sentiment: 

I was inspired by a card from a Trinity Stamps design team member to try a slimline pull up lid grill card:

I didn't have a die for the pull up and no tutorial, but was able to figure out how to cut a slot under the grill top so it could be pulled up to finish the sentiment: "You're Not Old"...

LOL! I love stamp sets with humorous sentiments to match the die cut images! I was inspired by a card I made in a class taught by Amanda Stevens of Pear Blossom Press with this die set to make a light up version with her One Light units and show in the video how easy it was to make this card:

The grass was created with a die from Karen Burniston and the rest of the dies and stamps are from Trinity Stamps. Here is a picture of what happens when the "Push Here" button is pushed (but of course easier to see in the video here):

I had so much fun designing with these dies and stamps from Trinity Stamps and hope you will watch the video and give some of the ideas and products a try!

I am entering the 1st card in the Add A Sentiment challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

May Class Cards With Ranger/Distress Products

I have been having great fun teaching monthly classes at a local stamp shop called Hart n Scraps, and I wanted to share the cards here too. This month's cards feature Ranger and Distress products sold at the store. I am super busy right now so can't go into too much detail, but the first card above was created with Ranger's Distress Texture Paste and several colors of Tim Holtz's Embossing Glazes through a Visible Image stencil. The card below features Ranger Distress Oxide sprays through a dragonfly stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. The owner of ACLD kindly sent two of her awesome stencils for our class so we were able to use them and then give away as door prizes.

The following card and tag were made with Ranger Foundry Wax and more Distress Oxide sprays and Distress Texture Paste. 

I am entering the 2nd card in the Add A Sentiment challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Crealies Rectangle Scalloped Layers on Four Unique Cards

I love to find ways to use my Crealies dies in different ways to stretch my crafty budget. In my newest video, I am featuring the new Crealies Big Open Scallops Rectangles XXL dies on 4 cards in 4 different ways. One fun technique you can do with scalloped die is Spirelli which is a Dutch string art technique. I made this happy birthday card with copper thread and blue and copper mirror card.

Another fun way to use scalloped dies is to cut them out of two different colors and layer them as I have done on this card that I show how to make in the newvideo. After raising each layer of scalloped mirror card, I added a purple and gold swallowtail butterfly to the top.

Here are two more cards I made with the new Scalloped Rectangle dies from Crealies. One is simply embossed along with two die cut layers and on the other I cut the card front so the scallops are the fun shape of the card and then layered several more Crealies dies on top:

I had great fun designing these cards and hope you will watch the new video and try different ways to use your dies. 

 

Updating Another Older Product with Today's Cardmaking Tools

Can you guess what I used to get these sparkly colors popping out of the black background on this card? Remember scratch paper from years ago we could write messages on or draw a picture and magically the color appeared where you scratched? I love to find older products and use my current cardmaking tools like embossing folders and stencils to create gorgeous cards with them as I show in my newest video here.  I taped 4 squares of the Arteza Scratch paper in different colors together and then embossed them all in an older Cuttlebug roses embossing folder.  Then I simply scratched off where embossed to create this lovely card front. The "hello" die cut is from Gina K Designs.

I also show how to use stencils to create a pattern with the rainbow of colors appearing when a simple stick is used to scratch off the black coating. 

The Arteza scratch squares come in pink, blue, silver, gold and rainbow and I used the pink with a poinsettia embossing folder from Spellbinders to make this Christmas card. The sentiment die is from Karen Burniston. 

**Watch the video here for a chance to win a sample pack of the scratch off squares and your  favorite card from the video so you can give this a try!**

Scratching For Card Making Beauty!

Remember scratching messages and pictures on black scratch notes years ago? I wondered if I could use my cardmaking tools to make gorgeous colorful cards with them, and the answer is YES as I show in my newest video here. I used 4 colors of Arteza Scratch Notes to make this card step by step in the video with an embossing folder from Taylored Expressions. This card is even more sparkly and beautiful IRL and in the video. 

I also show in the video how to use a stencil to scratch off the black in a pretty pattern and how to write a message with these fun black squares from Arteza. 

**Watch the video here for a chance to win a sample pack of the scratch off squares and your  favorite card from the video so you can give this a try!**

Here is another card I shared in the video showing using die cuts and punched scratched and embossed images on this shaker slimline card. The shaker is full of multi-colored Ceya Broken Glass, the flowers diecuts are from Birch Press Designs and the slimline die is from Gina Marie Designs.

The scratch off pieces are 3 1/2 inches square which is not perfect for making cards, but I taped two together for this mini-slimline card (and taped four together for the first card above) before embossing with an embossing folder. This folder is from Sizzix. I found I liked using folders with larger parts embossed and raised as opposed to ones with very delicate lines. You should try this with the embossing folders and stencils you have and see what you think. The Arteza scratch off squares are inexpensive and fun to play with as I show in the new video here.

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

Seven More Ceramic Vases With Dies from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders

The new Ceramic Vases dies from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders inspired me so much that I created 16 different vases on 6 different cards for my newest video here. I show how to use pretty patterned paper backgrounds on many of the cards with Floral Friendship dp from Spellbinders and the new Zig Zag Chevron background die also from Simon Hurley. The vase on this card has gorgeous embossed texture created with a technique using embossing powders melted on two sided tape sheets. The sunflower, shelf and sentiment were all created with Spellbinders dies too.

I have been wanting to try Bibi Cameron's popular trellis card idea and thought the Ceramic Vases cut out of colored mirror card looked amazing on this trellis card front. The flowers were cut with Simon Hurley's new Floral Stems die set and the sentiment is from the Thanks Enclosed die set also from Spellbinders.

Here are some more Ceramic Vases created with the Faux Marbling Technique I share in the new video with stems from the Floral Stems die set. I explain in the video how to attach the patterned paper to two pieces of thick cardstock before die cutting with the Zig Zag background die when we don't want it to cut out all the way through. But the first time I tried it, I attached the dp to just one piece of thick cardstock and some of the pieces were cut through. Rather than toss the piece, I created a smaller card with the fun zig zag patterned background and some more of my faux marbled vases. 

I love how all of the cards and Ceramic Vases turned out and hope you will watch the video here and get inspired too!

A Baker's Dozen + of Ceramic Vase Cards - Dies By Simon Hurley and Spellbinders

Do you ever get new dies and get so inspired you make a bunch of cards in no time at all? That is exactly what happened to me when I received the brand new Ceramic Vases dies from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders this month, and I created cards with 16 different vases for my newest video here. This is the card I demoed in the video showing the technique to add the marbling to these gorgeous embossed vases: 

The shelf on this card was created with a die from Spellbinder's Stitched Fan Etched set and all the sentiments I used on my many cards are from the Thanks Enclosed die set also from Spellbinders. I also share in the video how to create a textured pattern with the new Simon Hurley Spellbinders Zig Zag Chevron Die without cutting it out completely. The patterned paper used on the backgrounds and in the flowers in the next card is from the Spellbinders Floral Friendship Paper Pad.

I created a white on white textured background with the Zig Zag Chevron die, black mirrored card vases with the new Ceramic Vases die set and flowers and greens using the new Floral Stems die sets all from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders and new this month.

The vases on this card were die cut with the Ceramic Vases die set and then I highlighted the embossing with Ranger's Foundry Waxes in Sterling and Mine colors. I had so much fun creating ceramic vases in different ways, and you can see three more cards and 7 more vases in my new video here.

I hope my cards encourage you to give some of these techniques and products a try and then send some of your handmade joy out into this world!

Cards 4 Dads at Send a Smile 4 Kids

It’s the first Saturday of a new month and time for another fun challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids! The theme for this challenge is Cards 4 Dads or Special Guys, but you can choose to participate in our challenge with any card appropriate for a child.

 The front of my card is simple with patterned paper, a bear diecut from Paper Wishes and a circle cut out. But when the card is opened, look what happens:

 

The inside circle flips open and stands up with the popped up bear die cut. The sentiment was cut with several dies from Karen Burniston.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cards from TEAM SAS here and we would love it if you entered our challenge.

 

More Colorful Floral Cards Made With No Mad Coloring Skill Needed

In my newest video here I show many beautiful floral cards I added color too easily with stencils and texture with embossing folders. This stencil and embossing folder set came from Gemini and is beautiful with or without the embossing folder as you can see here:

I used another floral embossing folder from Altenew on this easy to make card and added some gold and silver spattering and dots to complete the CAS card. 

Colorful Easy Floral Cards Without Mad Coloring Skills

I love flowers on my cards but to be honest I am not very good at coloring them. But with stencils, blending brushes and other products I can make gorgeous floral cards and so can you as I show in my newest video here. 

I die cut the flowers from Altenew's Zero-Waste 3D Floral Cover die out of white and used the leftovers to add texture to the background of this card. I added ink to the layered flowers with blending brushes and ended up with this lovely easy to make card. 

This is the card I show how to make in the new video with a brass stencil from Sweet Poppy Stencils. I show how to emboss with the brass stencil and then how to add the brushed on color on the Floral Crescent Moon image as well as to the layered sentiment (from Karen Burniston) and onto the punched butterflies.

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