Stenciling on Waffle Flower's Piercing Panel Die Cut Backgrounds

I love the look of stenciling on perforated paper backgrounds but the perforated paper is hard to find and so expensive. So I was excited to discover that Waffle Flower has an A2 Piercing Panel Die that creates the look of perforated paper without the expense. I can make as many pierced backgrounds as I want and use for all sorts of cards. My favorite technique is to stencil on them, and I pulled out an older (but still available) Pretty Pink Posh Crocus stencil to make these two cards. 

I chose purple and yellow crocuses and am not sure which I love the best? What do you think?

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Altenew Doves in Flight Cards

I took a few minutes this week to play with new dies I have recently received and made two cards with Altenew's Doves in Flight layering die set. Altenew has a brilliant Key Hole System to make lining up the different layers so easy! I hadn't made a split circle background in a while so I die cut some patterned paper and gold shimmer paper with Tonic smaller scalloped circle dies. I cut them in half and layered as you see. Then I embossed the whole panel with a Spellbinders text embossing folder. I put the dove together and attached with a sentiment from the same die set.

Here is a card I made the same way with a white dove and grey semi-circle pieces.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

November Class Cards - Interactive with Clear View Transparencies

This month at Harts n Scraps we made interactive Christmas cards with Clear View Transparencies. I had two full classes and they loved the cards. Here are the front and insides of each:

In December we are going to do book folding- you can choose an angel or Christmas tree. Then in the new year, we are starting out with Thoughtful Stenciled cards.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Overlaying Amazing Sparkle on Toner Foiled Fun Folds

Have you seen the new kind of foils called Overlay Foils that add a mystical or magical shine and shimmer to toner sheets and your cards? In my new video here, I play with Overlay Foils from Gina K Designs, Brutus Monroe and Taylored Expressions. I show how to add the extra sparkle you see above by running the toner patterned cardstock and plain toner sheets through a MINC with Gina K's new Mystic Shine Overlay Foil. The card design is called Double Decker Pop Out card and is perfect for the three different layers of foiled beauty. The Toner Card Front I started with is called Design Haven and is from Deco Foil and Therm O Web. 

Here is another double decker fun fold I made with foiled panels. I started with a Flowers in the Breeze Foilable from Pink and Main that has a layered stencil to add blended color to the flowers. The second layer was not stenciled but I did add sparkle with a Gina K Designs Mystic Shine Overlay. The front layer was the 2nd generation of foiling with a Taylored Expressions Opalescent overlay on top. 

Here is a couple pictures of the template of the Double Decker Fun Fold I made in the video:

The new overlay foils also work great on toner printed pattern paper and I started with that on this card and added the GKD Mystic Shine to those panels as well as to the black toner sheet on layer two.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

One More Trinity Stamps Coffee Cup Shaped Card

I shared my Trinity Coffee Cup shaped dies and stencil with a friend and she made this card for me. Here is a pix of the inside of this adorable coffee cup shaped and themed card:

We still have a day or two of the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop, so I am entering this card into the 2025 Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

2026 Calendar with Taylored Expressions and Many Other Favorite Companies Products

Recognize this fabulous puppy in his fab purse? I shared two cards with the set from Spellbinders yesterday in my blog post and video. You can choose to stitch the purse or not and on this calendar page to start 2026, the purse is unstitched. 

We received the complete 12 months calendar and the wooden holder from Taylored Expressions as part of the Crop and Create Delivered box of crafty goodies. I made these pages with other parts of that box:

Here are the rest of the pages ready for the new year made with various stencils, dies and stamps:

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Veterans, Farmers, Special Men - You Are Appreciated!

Happy Veteran's Day to all our veterans! Today I am sharing a new video showing how quick and fun this card was to make:

I started with two favorite cardstocks from CutCardStock - kraft which is perfect for so many things especially men's cards, and green which is my favorite color. I chose CutCardStock's Emerald Green Linen Cardstock for the cardbase.

The perfect background was created with a Layered Camouflage Stencil set from A Colorful Life Designs. I cut out the shadow for the sentiment from the background and raised it up for the eclipse look. Then I die cut and attached Military Boots using a die cut from Dies...to Die For. Here is another look at the card I created in just minutes in this video:

I am  grateful for great cardstock, stencils and dies that made this card easy and fun to make. And I am grateful also for all the veterans on this day and everyday for their sacrifices and service.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Another Snowman Coffee Cup Card for Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

I couldn't resist the add on die set from Trinity Stamps that turned their shaped coffee cup die into a snowman and several other winter critters. I am entering this card into the 2025 Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

2025 Fall Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop Shaker Coffee Card

Today is the start of the 2025 Fall Winter Coffee Lover's Bloghop. I received the Coffee Cup die set from Trinity Stamps in the box of goodies from the Fall Crop and Create. I couldn't resist the add on set that makes a snowman and other wintry creatures. I made this card a shaker adding peppermint candy shakers also from Trinity Stamps. Here is another look at this card standing up:

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Fur-Ever Fabulous Spellbinders Stitching die Of the Month

I think the November Stitching Die of the Month from Spellbinders lives up to his name - Fur-ever Fabulous! It is a cute little puppy in a purse- just like you might see on Entertainment Tonight. The purse can be stitched or not- I did on this purse using gold metallic thread on a red mirror card. I embossed and inked the card front and pop up piece with an embossing folder also from Spellbinders. The puppy in both of the cards slides in and out and has a magnet on the back so the recipient could hang him on a frig or filing cabinet. Here is a look at the card flat to mail:

But as I show in my new video here, you can make a super cute card with this set and not stitch on the purse if time is tight. The holes and embossing make great texture on the purse even without stitching. Here is the Christmas version I made in the video for my grandson, son and daughter-in-law with the dog modeled after their new puppy:

Their new puppy is grey with light and dark grey parts and has floppy ears. I thought the sentiment from Poppystamps was perfect for their Christmas wish. This card is an easel too and will lay flat to mail. To see how easy this card came together, watch the new video here.

IF YOU LIKE THIS STITCHED DIE SET WITH THE ADORABLE PUPPY AND PURSE, YOU CAN GET IT BY JOINING THE SPELLBINDERS STITCHING DIE OF THE MONTH CLUB BEFORE THE 27TH OF THIS MONTH. If you can't join this month, it may be available after the 10th of next month if not sold out.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Crealies Home Sweet Home Cards

The newest release at Crealies is full of dies perfect for shaped and textured cards. My favorite of the new dies is the Double Card House which easily creates a shaped house card with many layers. Here is the first card I created with this and many of the other new dies in this release:

I added layers of icicles and a sentiment label. Then I added texture with any embossing folder and embossed the bricks on the chimney instead of cutting them. In my new video here, I show step by step how to change this die up to make a shaker card. 

I die cut out the windows and the shadow of "HOME" so the shaker bits could be seen as  they move around. All of the new dies you see are available in the new release at Crealies.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Eclipse Cards With New Papers

Ever since I discovered the Slatted Die Sets from Craft Addiction UK, I am on the look out for two pieces of identical patterned paper that I can make into a beautiful eclipse card. This one featured the new Beautifully Imperfect Paper Pack from Spellbinders  and the Checkerboard Die set. 

I also recently purchased some gorgeous scenes slimline paper from Divinity Designs which I cut down to create this lovely eclipse birthday card. I used the Slatted Square Die Set from Craft Addiction UK. I love that there are 4 different sizes to choose from and this one is the second largest choice. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

More New Beautifully Imperfect Cards with Spellbinders

When shopping the new Beautifully Imperfect Collection from Spellbinders, I couldn't resist the amazing papers and rub-ons. Today's cards feature them and this is my favorite of the cards I made with them. See all that texture? The paper and rub-ons create that illusion, although I did add one Tangled Thread and the holes in the top were from another die in that set. 

More amazing paper, rub-ons and dies from this collection made this card so easy to create. And the same applies to the card below:

I love how all these cards turned out and will be reaching for this Beautifully Imperfect Collection again and again soon.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Peace, Love, Joy- Holiday Stenciled Eclpsed Wishes

 

I love to stencil and also to create the eclipse look and in my newest video here, I combine those two loves on one easy to make beautiful card. I am sharing the video on my YouTube channel and on CutCardStock's channel. As I show in the video, I used Neenah Classic Crest Solar White from CutCardStock for the stencil blending as it is the best for blending. The card base is Midnight Blue linen also from CCS. 

I created the same stenciled piece twice with blue ink and the Snowflake Net stencil from A Colorful Life Designs. Then I cut Hero Arts Looking Glass Peace, Love and Joy out of one of them before darkening the words. I raised the top one and the pattern continues from the background to the front for the eclipse look. 

You can see how quickly this card came together when watching this short video and maybe you will decide to try one yourself for your holiday card stash.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Beautifully Imperfect From Spellbinders

When I saw the new Beautifully Imperfect Collection from Spellbinders I wanted it all! The collection includes fantastic dies, embossing folders, rub-ons, papers and press plates and I got most of it except for the press plates for now. Another new purchase waiting to be played with in my craft room was the Lindy's Magical Shaker Set from Katie Pertiet called Laurel Garden, and I combined those on the cards I am sharing today. 

I had this idea to die cut and create a stencil with the Deckled Edge Script die from Spellbinders and sprinkle some of the new Lindy's Magicals onto it and get two for one backgrounds. My favorite of the new Beautifully Imperfect dies is the Tangled Threads die set. I am not a fan of taking thread and winding it up and attaching some how to a card. These dies make that look so easy and fun to do. The sentiments on all the cards I am sharing today came from the Beautifully Imperfect Rub-ons and I cut them out with a deckle scissors. 

This is  the card I created with a piece of embossed watercolor paper under the stencil from above. The amazing new 3D embossing folder is called Crackle Paint and is also part of the Beautifully Imperfect Collection. I added more Tangled Threads and a rub-on sentiment. 

This set wasn't as bright as the first but too good to throw away, so I combined the two pieces for more texture, and again added some Tangled Threads and a rub-on sentiment. 

Come back tomorrow for some more cards with this amazing collection.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

New Waffle Flower Inspiration

I belong to the Waffle Flower Sneak Peak Club and each month I received a package full of products from the next month's release. Here is the card I made with new Snowcapped Pinecones stencils, stamps and dies:

This card is a gatefold with a floating surprise element inside. I learned how to make this fun fold recently from Jennifer McGuire. 

Another advantage to the Sneak Peak Club at Waffle Flower is that we can order early from each release and get them shipped for free with our Sneak Peak Package. I am from the turkey capital of the world and love turkey and pumpkin pie especially on Thanksgiving, so I couldn't resist the dies on this card:

Don't the roasted turkey and pies look good enough to eat? This card is another Floating Bridge Card and here is a look from the top so you can see how the bridge part "floats."

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen