More You Cards and a Do Over

Can I be honest and say I did not like the card I made in my new video? I like the 6 others I shared but the one I made step by step was not a favorite. So I tore it apart and came up with this one:

I put these 4 colors on the YOU together after finding the color combo on Pinterest, but then I put it on a bright pink background and that did not work. I like this better and did add some flowers from the same die set so all the pieces have been christened. 

I share many other cards in the new video and especially love the ones that I made with the inlay die cut technique combined with a bit of eclipse. Here is the one I showed how to make in the video:

Recognize "that paper"? I only used one layer of the die and raised it up on a fun foam shadow. "Thinking of" with their shadow was cut with a die from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders. Here are two more card made with die cut inlay of the one die:

I needed a special birthday card and a thank you card and after making them, kept playing as idea after idea came. I easily made 7 cards with this one die set in one day and could have kept going! I hope you will check out the video and maybe try some of the ideas yourself!

I am entering the 2nd card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Concord & 9th You and You and You Seven Ways!

I love a die set that can be used in many different ways and the new Everything About You die set from Concord & 9th stretches my creativity and crafty dollars! In my newest video here, I share seven different cards and ways to create with this unique die set. 

There are 3 different layers of "you" and a shadow layer and on this card I used all 4 plus some of the sprig dies in a fall colored card for a dear friend. Celebrate is a die from Karen Burniston and "friend" was cut with a die from Gina K Designs.  Another way to create a card is to use layer one on the card front and layer 2 and 3 behind it:

The stamped sentiment is from the matching Everything About You stamp set also from Concord & 9th. I added a little texture to the background with a cover die from Alex Syberia Designs.

Another awesome way to use this die set is to make a shaker with it using only one of the You dies along with the shadow die. 

In my new video here, I show seven different cards and many different layering options. I hope my cards encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try!

Pinkfresh Studios Twist Pattern Press Plate Cards

I am having great fun playing with my press plates in the Glimmer Machine from Spellbinders. I love a product that can be used several different ways and all my press plates can also be foiled! I also love press plates that are not flowers and could not resist the Twist Pattern Press Plate with its matching die from Pinkfresh Studios. I did combine it with their Honeysuckle press plate on the Best Wishes card but most of the time I admit I wish there were more non-flower press plates on the market. On the first card I simply foiled the Twist Pattern Press Plate for a subtle pretty background. On the second card I ran the Twist Pattern Press Plate through my BetterPress with no ink to create the blue embossed background. I also foiled  the twist pattern with rainbow foil and cut out with the matching die also from Pinkfresh Studios. I raised that twist pattern with foam adhesive strips and moved it over slightly for a double twist pattern.

Here are two more ways to create with this Twist Pattern Press Plate- attach a 2nd foiled pattern in the opposite direction and inlay some pieces in different colors. The foiled and die cut sentiments you see here are from a new press plate set from LDRS Creative. 

Spellbinders Handmade Holidays Many Ways

Spellbinders has released so many awesome collections in July and helped me to get a great start on my Christmas card making! I made the card above with the lovely Delivering Joy Sleigh Die Set over an embossed candy cane background (embossing folder also from Spellbinders.) The foiled sentiment is from another press plate and matching die from Spellbinders.

The gorgeous roses press plate with matching stencil set is called Winter Rose Background BetterPress Plate, but I didn't make any holiday or winter cards with it. I thought it would make a beautiful wedding card and a lovely Best Wishes card in purples like below:

I cut out the center and added color to just that part with the layering stencils included in this set. Both foiled sentiments on these cards are from the Spellbinders BetterPress New Beginnings Timeless Sentiments set. 

One easy way to use Spellbinders BetterPress Plates is to simply run it through the BetterPress system without any ink and it letterpresses it for a subtle embossed look. I fussy cut some of white foiled roses and added some leaves die cut with a Spellbinders die out of foiled black cardstock. 

Spellbinders Adorable Bibi's Pugs Cards and Tags

Oh My is this pug shaped card not adorable? I jumped at the chance to play with the new collection at Spellbinders called Bibi's Cats and Pugs. The Big Pug Die Set contains 24 dies that together make amazing pug cards. I chose to make a white pug and cut the shape of the card with the largest pug die. Here is the fun surprise when the card is opened:

The birthday pug inside is another of Bibi's adorable sets called Party Puggles. Below is a set of tags I made with both of the pugs sets of dies:

Easy Pop Up Piano Card with Karen Burniston Dies

I am a huge fan of Karen Burniston's pop up dies but will admit that some of them take more time and effort than others. I love to make an easy pop up card like these that are sure to impress the birthday boy or girl, and I show how easy these are to make in my new video here. 

The newest release by Karen Burniston included two add on die sets for the Lorna Label Pop Up die and as I show here they can be used with or without the pop up die. But of course the real magic happens when the card is opened:

It is much easier to see the pop up motion in the video of course but here is a side view showing the Piano Pop Up attached to the Lorna Label Pop Up with the famous song "Happy Birthday To You". I chose a side view even though there are some shadows so you can see how the two pop up pieces attach. I show step by step how to do that in the new video. 

One of the hardest parts of cardmaking for me is to pick out different color combinations that look good together. But now it is easy because I have Sarah Renae Clark's Color Box and I chose this color combo for the piano pop up card I made step by step in the video:

I had great fun playing with the new pop up dies from Karen Burniston and hope my cards will encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try1

Sailboats and Pirate Ships - Oh My!

I am a huge Karen Burniston fan and marvel every release at the amazing pop up dies she designs. This time it is pop up boats with a sailboat and a pirate ship add-ons. (She also has an amazing piano pop up which I will be playing with soon and will share.)

These card fronts are fun and all but the real magic happens when the boats pop up when the card is opened. My grandson is going to love the pirate ship:

I made a reel to show you how the magic happens when the cards are opened. Something on Blogger has changed because even the shortest reels now exceed their limits? So you can see it on my Instagram or Karen's Kreative Kards Facebook page. 

Christmas In July With My New Spellbinders Glimmer Machine

I resisted getting a hot foil system for years but after I started accumulating press plates and realized every one of them can also be foiled, I gave myself an early Christmas present and bought the Glimmer machine when  it was on sale at Spellbinders. 

ALERT - Spellbinders is running another great sale right now with up to 40% off many many BetterPress plates and supplies!

Here is one of the cards I share in my new video here. I foiled both of the Day and Night Pines Press Plates from the new Home For the Holidays collection at Spellbinders with a sparkly gold foil. The 3rd set of strips were run through my BettterPress with gold ink and I hot foiled the sentiment from a new set called Sending Joy Sentiments that includes matching dies. I saw this cool woven strips sketch on a Facebook group but there were no instructions. I made my strips 1/2 inch wide and also placed them 1/2 inch apart so it was not too hard to do. 

I am a newbie at hot foiling as I just got my Glimmer machine last week. But I watched some videos from Spellbinders and others and have found it to be not hard at all. Here is another card I shared in the new video:

I foiled on vellum with a speckled silver hot foil in my Glimmer machine before cutting it with Spellbinders Essential Arches with a silver frame too. I brushed on soft inks on the back and added a hot foiled silver Sending Joy sentiment. 

I love the foiled cards with these new Spellbinders press plates as well as the BetterPress cards so I had great fun making these lovely cards for my Christmas card stash. 

Spellbinders Color Mix Joy Holiday Cards

Joy is my favorite holiday word but I love to share joy all year round with handmade cards. The Christmas in July releases like Spellbinders Home For The Holidays remind us that it is never too early to start making Christmas cards so we are not stressed in December to get them done. My two cards today were made with the new Color Mix Joy Press Plates from Spellbinders. The registration plates allow us to change colors for each letter, and I chose two shades of blue and green for the O to make it into a wreath. The stitched snowflake is from Spellbinders Stitched Christmas Sweater set and I used another Spellbinders die set to cut the shaped card and card front.

I chose traditional Christmas colors for my second joy card and added a Happy Holidays pressed and cut out with the new Sending Joy Holiday Words set from Spellbinders.

Two more cards for my holiday card stash made easily and beautifully with the new Home For The Holidays collection from Spellbinders!

Joyful Press Plate Play Multiple Ways

Did you know every Spellbinders Press Plate (as well as those from other companies) can be used in at least three different ways on our cards and projects?! I played with the new Home for the Holidays press plates from Spellbinders and created many cards for my newest video here. I am featuring the new Day and Night Pines Press Plates and the Sending Joy sentiments. On the card above I created the background with one of the Pines press plates and no ink- so just letter pressed for an embossed look. The center strip shows the 2nd way to use our press plates- add ink and run through the BetterPress machine and I did both the strip and the sentiment with gold ink. 

This card shows the difference between the two pines plates very well- I did both with a green ink and cut out the holly with Spellbinders Stitched Poinsettia and Holly dies. I raised the top piece with adhesive strips and the pattern flows from the front to the darker green pattern below. 

This is the card I show how to make step by step in the new video. I show how I adding Lisa Horton's Cloud 9 Charcoal Gold Shimmer Interference ink on the Pines press plate and also how I hot foiled the sentiment before cutting it out. (Watch the video or check back on Wednesday to see more hot foiled cards- one more way to use the Spellbinders Press Plates!) 

The fun fold I taught is called the 4 Piece Puzzle Slider Card and I learned how to do it from  Suestampfield. The front pieces show the pines pattern continuing across the 4 pieces and here is a template I made to share if you want to make the card:

I now have a good start on my stash of Christmas cards so I will not be in a rush in December to make them. I hope my cards encourage you to give some of the products and ideas a try and you can get ahead on your holiday cards and spread joy too. 

First Card with My New Spellbinders Glimmer System

I tried a friend's hot foil system (not Spellbinders) a few years back with hot foil dies (or stamps) and had so much difficulty getting good images I swore I would never hot foil. But I now have quite a collection of press plates that work beautifully in my Spellbinders BetterPress and they all also can be hot foiled. Double the looks at no more expense? I was sorely tempted and a recent sale at Spellbinders was so good I gave myself an early Christmas present of the Spellbinders Glimmer Machine. 

In the Glimmer Machine box along with the machine and other equipment were two rolls of foil and a two Glimmer Plates. I love Rainbow Foil so I made my first hot foil impression and card with that roll and those two glimmer plates. I watched a bunch of videos from Yana and Jennifer McGuire and right from the start had good success. A little over-foiling can be brushed away with a stiff brush or erased with a sand eraser. I emphasized the "hello" with a Spellbinders/Simon Hurley layered die and cut the center out and raised it on a square card. 

I am hooked and you will see many more hot foiled cards with press plates here and on my YouTube channel soon.

Foiled and LetterPress Cards from Pinkfresh Studio's Online Class

I wanted to learn more about letterpress with my Spellbinder's BetterPress System and decided to take the online Create and Connect Hot Foil/Letterpress Virtual Event for that reason. We received a huge box full of press plates with matching stencils and dies and a full day of classes plus two extra make and take cards with instructions for each class. It was worth every penny and I highly recommend these online events from Pinkfresh Studios.

This is one of my favorite cards we created in one of the classes. I was unable to take the classes live on the scheduled day as I was out of town. I love that we can watch when it is convenient for us, stop as many times as we want and create at our own pace! I am not sure if you can tell in the picture, but in the floral frame at the top and the bottom, there is the sparkle of foil. I looked at all the sample cards made with the beauty of hot foil and with the help of a big sale at Spellbinders, I gave in and purchased a Glimmer Machine. I had resisted for years, but all of the press plates I have now in my collection can be foiled too! I can letter press OR foil them, so I treated myself. Most of the cards I share have larger foiled sentiments from Pinkfresh Studios and smaller foiled sentiments from Taylored Expressions.

My favorite class was taught by Emily Midgett and here are the two awesome cards she taught:

I loved the layouts and everything about these cards from her class. I changed the color to purple on the roses oval card just for fun. Here is another card I made with the oval rose and floral border from another class:

For each class we were taught two cards and then we received pictures and instructions for two more cards. I loved the arches set of press plates, stencils and dies and created these two beautiful card with their instructions. It is hard to see, but the lower card has gorgeous foiled leaves and flowers. Here is another card I made with instructions from the class:

I just love the layouts of these cards and would not have come up with them myself so I am so glad I took the classes! Here are the last two cards I made with a lovely floral press plate: