New Waffle Flower Magic and My First Short

I had time this week to play with some new Waffle Flower Open Books dies and stencils but no time for a full length video. So I decided to make my first Short for YouTube and other social media. You can see it here. In the short, I show how I created this card for my grandson with the Waffle Flower Open Book Die set as well as the Dragon Castle Stencil Duo and Open Book Sentiments stamp set. 

In the newest release at Waffle Flower I couldn't resist the Open Book Poinsettia stencil set. The Open Book dies and stencils had been on my wish list for awhile so I purchased them all and made these cards. The die has two handwriting impressions I used on the inside of the pages on this card:

Got just a minute to see how easy these dies and stencils are to create an open book look? Watch the short here.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Creek Bank Creations Tunnel Cards

Another favorite die set I purchased in the Creek Bank Creations booth at the Novi MI show was the Free Standing Tunnel Card die set along with all the pretty dies to decorate it. I have tried to make tunnel cards in the past without dies but did not have much success. After watching the videos at Creek Bank Creations I made several very easily. 

Here is a horizontal version I made with their Village Edges dies. I put this one onto an A2 card base so I can write a message inside. 

There is a stitched oval tunnel add on at Creek Bank Creations I also could not resist and I love how this card turned out!

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Creek Bank Creations Spiral Pop Up Cards For Any Season

This week I am sharing all the cards I made after shopping in the Creek Bank Creations booth at Novi MI. This card front is lovely with the pretty paper from Creek Bank but just look what happens when the card is opened:

My favorite of all the dies I bought from Creek Bank Creations is the Spiral Pop Up Die which creates an acetate spiral where we can attach small die cut or punched pieces. In this card I attached pretty flowers and made a feminine birthday card for a special friend. 

I used inspiration from the Creek Bank Creations samples in their booth for this card I made with their Mini Fall Die Set and Circle Stamp Autumn Greetings. I remember making similar spiral cards years ago but using acetate is new to me. 

Here is a Christmas card I made with more inspiration found in the Creek Bank Creations videos. Julie made a starry night sky and I gave it my own twist with embossing powder on two sided tape paper heated with a heat gun for texture and then added some stars to that. 

The cardinal was created with a stencil and die set from Creek Bank Creations. The frame is from Penny Black and the sentiment from Sue Wilson. But as usual with these cards, the inside is the best part: 

I added punched snowflakes to my acetate spiral that pops up as the card is opened. That is hard to show with still pictures, so here is a mini video showing these cards:

(If for any reason you can't see this mini video if you subscribe, simply go to my blog or Instagam to watch it there.) 

Be sure to check back all week for more Creek Bank Creations cards with their amazing dies!

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Crealies Slimline Postage Collage Frame Dies Horizontal and Vertical

I love how Annelies of Crealies names her Postage Frame die sets after members of our design team. The newest one is called Nicole and is a Slimline Postage Frame Die Set that I used in both of my cards today. I also show step by step how to make this card in my new video:

As you know, there are many Christmas in July sales and events. I use it as an incentive to get some of my Christmas cards done early avoiding the rush at the end of the year. I made this slimline card a horizontal easel card and decorated it with the new Mini Christmas Partzz die set. Three of the stitched shapes were raised with the layering stitched dies. I used the new Banner Tags for the sentiments.

 

I love how with these Crealies Postage Frame dies you can choose to parts or all of the shapes for great dimension and also how the pattern flows from the background through the raised images. I made this card a vertical slimline thank you card. On both the cards I share in the new video, I created the card front with the new Slimline Postage Frame die. It is slightly larger than the slimline card base I created so the edges have the fun postage edge. Here is another view of this card:

 

It was so easy to create these dimensional slimline cards with the new Crealies dies you can find here on their website.  And you can see how fun and easy they are to create with in my new video here. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Rainbows, Sunshine and Surprises with CutCardStock Papers

Everyone loves rainbows, sunshine and surprises, right? I am combining all three of those on this card I have created for the CutCardStock blog with papers and cardstock from them.

Can you imagine the delight when this card is opened and the rainbow pops up? I made the rainbow with the Rainbow Add-on and the Arch Pop-up Die Sets from the newest release at Karen Burniston. The sentiments are also from the new release and I added gems from Gina Marie Designs to the inside and the front of the card. 

I added texture to the ombre yellow cardstock with a die from Memory Box. If you would like to read a tutorial step by step on how this card was made, visit the CutCardStock blog here and look for my blogpost. You can also find many card ideas and unique ways to create with CutCardStock products there. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, 

Karen 

Sealife Stained Glass Cards

There is a new release from Hot off the Press at Paper Wishes called Sealife Stained Glass  and it is perfect for the eclipse cards I have been making lately. This one was made with a checkerboard die I purchased from Eileen Walters on Etsy. The Sealife Stained Glass 12 x 12 papers also include many sentiment pieces I used on all of these cards. 

In the collection of Sealife Stained Glass is a set of dies and I cut out a sea weed and whale with it and some more of the patterned paper. The background was embossed with a new 3D embossing folder from Spellbinders. I cut a couple more sea creatures and seaweeds out of the paper pack and the sentiment and card front were made with more this perfect paper:

I used the checkerboard die on this card too, and the perfect sentiment on the front and inside. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Circle and Square Slatted Dies Make Gorgeous Eclipse Cards Too!

I recently purchased the 12 x 12 Sealife Stained Glass Cardstock from Hot Off The Press at Paper Wishes and found the stained class images perfect for the eclipse cards I made for my new video here. I started with two identical pieces of the stained glass sealife with a dolphin as the focal point. I cut one with the one of the sizes of Slatted Circles in a set from Craft Addiction UK and raised it with foam adhesive strips around the edge. Then I attach it so the pattern flows from the background through the raised image. I made this one into an easel card and a sentiment from that same paper pack holds up the easel top. 

Here is a totally different way to use the Slatted Circle Die Set with patterned paper. I made it an ornament. The sentiment on this card is from Karen Burniston.

I turned one of the square slatted dies to cut a diamond before raising the top piece over an identical piece so you can see the pretty seahorse on both. The embossed background was created with a new 3D embossing folder from Spellbinders. 

I had so much fun creating these eclipse cards with new slatted shape dies I ordered from Clipper Street.com from Canada here. I will be playing again soon and then will share more ways to use these innovative dies. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Slatted Eclipse Beauty In So Many Shapes and Sizes!

I have been fascinated by the eclipse look where the pattern flows from the back to the front of a raised image or letters for years. With the new slatted dies in so many shapes and sizes, eclipse can be done in more unique and beautiful ways as I show in my new video here. 

I recently discovered many new shapes and sizes of slatted dies from Craft Addiction UK and share many cards made with them in my video. I made the card above step by step in the video sharing 3 different ways to raised the objects for the eclipsed look. All three are easy to do with no need to try to cut strips to raise the slats. Here is another card I made with the Slatted Butterflies Die Set, a cute Tag Collection die also from Craft Addiction UK and different patterned paper:

There are many shapes and sizes in the Slatted Die Collection and I found mine at the North American Distributor for Craft Addiction UK which is Clipper Street.com out of Canada. The prices of these dies are so reasonable as are their shipping costs, and I got my dies in just days after they were shipped.

In addition to traditional shapes like circles and squares. Craft Addiction UK has slatted butterflies, hearts and stars which are my favorites. The love die on the card above is from Gina K Designs.

As I show in the video, all you need to created similar cards to these is two piece of identical patterned paper and the slatted dies. This time I used the Slatted Star shape. Each die set has many different sizes to choose from and each one has 3 dies - the outside die ,the stitched outline and the slatted piece. You can choose to use 1,2 or 3 of the dies. There are so many ways to use them, I barely scratched the surface. I will be playing and sharing more soon. The sentiment on this card is from Karen Burniston. 

Be sure to check back here later in the week when I share many more cards I made with more shapes from the Slatted Die Collection from Craft Addiction UK. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Christmas in July with Country Christmas Layered Die Cuts and CutCardStock

Do you start your Christmas cards early? Perhaps during all the hype over Christmas in July? I make Christmas cards all year round for my stash. I received two Christmas in July presents I am sharing on my cards today. I was asked to join the CutCardStock Design team and received a big box of cardstock!  And Spellbinders sent me some of the gorgeous new Country Christmas release by Annie Williams. 

I am sure you agree you can never have enough cardstock, right? And so you will want to check out the CutCardStock website for quality white and colored cardstock of all kinds at great prices. I decided to feature their Neenah Classic Solar Crest cardstock, black linen and and scenes from their Winter Wonderland Prints on my bridge card. 

I love layered die cuts like the Country Horse Drawn Wagon from Annie Williams but sometimes I don't have the time to cut all the pieces out in different colors. I decided to make my die cut images silhouettes and love the look. 

If you would like a detailed tutorial on how I made this card (and get much more inspiration there too!), visit the CutCardStock blog here.

I had so much fun creating the bridge card with silhouettes above, I created a second card. This one features Spellbinders Country Snowman with his friends, blue linen cardstock and another beautiful print from the Winter Wonderland pad both from CutCardStock.  

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, 

Karen 

Waffle Flower's Sneak Peak Hibiscus Cluster Stencils and Dies

When you join the Waffle Flower Sneak Peak Club, each month you will receive stencils, dies and sentiment strips that will be released the next month for everyone else to purchase. Not only did we receive the gorgeous Hibiscus Cluster Die Set and layering stencils to easily color them, we also received sample card and color inspiration which I used to make this card. We also have access to exclusive Facebook inspiration which also inspired me to go so bold in my color choices for this card. I loved it so much I repeated the color choices in this card:

The sentiment strips included make it so easy to add sentiments to our cards. Here is one I did in shades of purple:

It is so easy to make gorgeous cards with this set! You can join the Sneak Peak Club anytime or wait until early August to purchase these dies along with the rest of this release.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

More Foiling Magic From Therm O Web, Gina K and Picket Fence Studios

I made this card with Beautiful Flourish Foil-Mates from Gina K and Therm O Web for the first pass through the Mini Minc and then attached the remaining foil to a Picket Fence Studios Fabulous Foiling Toner Cardstock in yellow and oranges. This card is a Double Interlocking Gatefold Panel card I learned how to make from Dawn Griffith and it opens like this:

The colored toner cardstocks mean we aren't limited to white and black on the 2nd generation foiling. Both of the next two cards feature the Harvest Texture Foil-Mates and colored toner cardstock from Picket Fence Studios:

One more new product I feature in my new video this week (plus how to make an amazing pop up box card), is see through foils like Brutus Monroe Magical Shattered foil which works amazing on Fabulous Foiling Toner Cardstocks like this one called Birthday Bash:

The dies and stamps on this Epic card are from the new release at Karen Burniston. 

I had so much fun playing with the new/old Foil-Mates just re-released by Therm O Web and other newer foiling products now available for toner foiling magic. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Amazing Pop Up Box With New and Old Toner Foiling

The first time I ever saw foiling magic was when I watched Gina K show how to use her Foil-Mates and toner foil in a Therm O Web booth at a stamp show. I fell in love and purchased many of them. All of Gina’s Foil-Mates have just been re-released and I now own all of them again. In my new video, I share how to use new and old techniques and foiling products with them, and then share an amazing pop up idea you will want to try! Here is the card I made step by step in my new video:

I created the gorgeous foiled pieces with  the new/old Bountiful Flourish Foil-Mates from Gina K Designs and Therm O Web and an ombre colored Picket Fence Studios Fabulous Foiling Toner Cardstock. Guess what happens when the top part is twisted in the direction of the arrow? 

Very hard to show with still photos, but the box pops up! You will want to watch the full video to see all the foiling magic and how to make this box, but here is a mini video with several more cards I made with the same amazing pop up box idea:

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

I learned how to make this pop up box from the Vintage Journal on Tiktok. Here are some still pictures of the other two cards I made with pop up boxes:

As I explain in the new video, I show new products now available to make foiling with the re-release of Gina K's Foil-Mates even more fun. The first card above features Brutus Monroe's Magical Shattered Glass Foil which is see through and adds amazing foiled highlights to Pinkfresh Studios Fabulous Foiling Toner Cardstocks. The toner cardstocks are in many different colors rather than the usual white and black choices. The Christmas version was made with the new/old Holiday Flora Foil-Mates and red and silver foil. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs,

Karen

Spellbinders Country Rocking Chair Double Accordion Gatefold

The new Country Christmas Collection by Annie Williams at Spellbinders is full of comfort and warmth, and the Christmas Rocking Chair is featured on this card I made. I wanted to try making a Double Accordion Gatefold card but the template I had from Stamp With Tami made an A2 card. I adjusted the template to make a 5x7 so the front fold over piece was large enough for the rocking chair. Here is what happens when the card is opened:

The gatefold sides open up to reveal the folded card base center. Here is a closer look at the tree and Santa boots die cut I added to the pretty 49 and Market cardstock:

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, 

Karen 

Arch Pop Up Cards Sure to Amaze and Delight!

Can you imagine opening up a card and seeing this lovely arch full of butterflies and balloons pop up? I created this card with the brand new Arch Pop-up Die set from Karen Burniston. The gorgeous cardstock and sentiments are from the Reef Card Kit at Club Scrap. Here is the front of the card with more paper and sentiments from that kit:

This card would be perfect for the 4th of July or any celebration using Karen's Fireworks Die Set and sentiment die. And just look at what pops up when the card is opened:

To see all the new dies in this release, just click this link.