Special Class with Karen Burniston Dies

Everyone who knows me knows I love interactive dies from Karen Burniston and here are the fronts of two cards I taught in a special class at Harts N Scraps locally here. But of course the real magic happens when the cards are opened:

We used Karen's Playful Pop Up dies with the Cat and Dog Add-ons to make these cards and had so much fun! All the dies and stamps you see are also from Karen Burniston. The next special class I am teaching features the Karen Burniston Bitty Ball die set. If you are local and want to get in on the fun, be sure to stop by or call Harts N Scraps as space is limited.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Tiered Pop Out Cards

I get so excited when I find a new fun fold to try and I learned how to make this Tiered Wiper or Pop Out card from a video by Sam Calcott here. It looks ok here with a fun embossed layered card front created with an embossing folder from Spellbinders and a super fun die and stamp set from Concord & 9th called Toast Time. But look at what happens when the right side is pulled: 

The hidden layers pop out with more toast and fruit! I tried Sam's version but decided to go with 3 layers instead of 4 and embossing without patterned paper layers. On both of the  cards shown I started with my favorite Star Dream Metallic Cardstock from CutCardStock.

Here is another tiered pop out card I made with a shell die and shells from Mudd Puddles and little fish from a Hero Arts confetti die. Here are a couple more views of this card:

The sea animals were made with a die set from Karen Burniston. But still pictures just don't do these cards justice as the pop out motion is amazing. So I made a short reel to show you:

If you are a subscriber and can't see the video, click on my Instagram or Facebook icon on the right and you can see it there.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Spellbinders Sweater Weather Friend Interactive Card

The cozy sweater on this adorable reindeer was stitched for amazing texture using Spellbinders July  Stitching Die of the Month "Sweater Weather Friend." It is not sweater weather here but I do like the opportunity in July to get a few Christmas cards done for my stash. This card has a fun interactive element- just look at what happens when the top is pulled: 

To really see how to pull this adorable Christmas reindeer up and down here is a reel showing that motion:

If you love this Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month and want it right away, you can visit the website here and join the monthly club. You have until the 27^th of the month to sign up to receive this set and then look forward to getting a new stitching die set each month. But if you can’t commit to a monthly club right now, you can check the website after the 10^th of next month to purchase. If not sold out, the monthly kit products are available to buy then. However, the cost is higher and shipping is not free.

 I am a member of the Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month club, so each month this year I will share cards made with that month’s die set on this blog, on my Instagram and on my Facebook page.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

 

Mermazing Stage Pop Up Card

I have designed two cards recently for classes I am teaching locally at Harts N Scraps featuring Karen Burniston's Stage Pop Up. One uses the Grass Stage Add On and the other the Party Stage Add On. The add ons dies simply change out the outer part depending on what you want. I had not played with the Sea Stage Add On so I made this fun card with many older dies from my stash. 

What is amazing about the Stage Pop Up Die set is that it stands for display and then folds flat to mail. If you are local, be sure to check out the two others I will be teaching soon.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Honor Flight Cards with More New Dies

We are having a Honor Flight card drive at Harts N Scraps (where I teach classes) and so I am busy making more cards for the next flight our of our area. One of my favorite booths at the Novi MI show was Tall Mouse Cre8tive Artz and I bought several of their inexpensive cover Deal dies there. As you know I love the eclipse look so the stitched corner pieces were raised and inside strip is not. The saluting soldier and sentiment dies are from Dies...to Die For at ShopScrapbook101.com. 

Another Deal background die I bought from Tall Mouse was this stitched stars background that I made two more Honor Flight cards with. I added some stitched stars and the same sentiment as above. 

I used an older but unused die from my stash to make these three fun thank you cards for 3 of the veterans on the next Honor Flight. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Flower Dies To Shape or Not?

Susan Tierney-Cockburn is the queen of flower dies and she can make a realistic looking flower out of paper like no other. I watched her shape her new Primrose dies in a video and thought even I could make a beautiful 3D Primrose bouquet. Susan's Serenity Gardens release at Spellbinders this month includes many flower and other dies. I received both the Primrose and the Astrantia sets, and decided to show them both shaped and flat. This card is a fun fold, and here is a look at the card when it is opened:

The embossed pieces were created with Spellbinders Regal Lattice 3D embossing folder and the other dies on this card were also from Spellbinders. I used magnets to close the three layers and here is a reel showing how this card opens to reveal the lovely flower and layers on the inside:

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

June Interactive Class Cards at Harts N Scraps

My favorite of the interactive cards I taught at Harts N Scraps this weekend was this pop up peacock card made with dies from Karen Burniston. My students loved it too! Here are the rest of the cards I taught:

The last two cards are rocker cards and the flower spins and the ladybug does too along its track. 

Cardmaking Joy and Hugs, Karen 

New Goodies from Brass & Bliss and a New Fun Fold

There are many book lovers in my family and so I couldn't resist the Bookshelf Beauty die set and Between the Pages stamp set from Brass & Bliss when I was in their booth at the Novi MI show. I cut a bunch of books and made this anniversary card for my book loving husband. The fold is called Peak Through Diamond Fun Fold and here is how it looks when it is opened up:

Here is another similar card I made for my daughter:

If you follow me you know I love eclipse cards and when I saw Brass & Bliss Circle Stitch Cover Die I thought it would make a unique eclipse die. I cut it out of a sunset scenery paper, raised the stitched circles and glued in the other pieces to make this cool card.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Happy Wedding Day and Other Celebrations with Scrappy Tails Crafts

One of my favorite booths at the Novi MI show was Scrappy Tails Crafts and I took several classes from the owner and designer Sabrina. She just got married so I pulled out some of the new dies I purchased and made her this wedding card. This card features Scrappy Tails Gazebo Wrap Around and Wedding Couple and it stands up for display, but mails flat. 

Many of Sabrina's dies are dimensional which I love! I made this holiday card with Scrappy Tails Birch Tree Pop Up Tunnel die set. But of course we can always choose to make flat cards with their dies too. Sabrina wanted some flat cards for display in her booth, and I was honored she choose this card of mine for her booth:

The front of this card is made of acetate so you see through the Gazebo to the Water Fountain inside. 

Wishing Sabrina and Taylor a beautiful and creative future together!

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

Sending Musical Love With Spellbinders June Stitched Die of the Month

I had so much fun making this card with "Luau Beats" Spellbinders Stitched Die of the Month. I stitched the Hawaiian drum, leaves and guitar in just a few minutes. The embossed background was created with Spellbinders Favorite Song 3D embossing folder. The musical notes and stave is from Bibi Cameron's Musical Notes and Stave Pop-Up Die Set. 

If you love this Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month and want it right away, you can visit the website here and join the monthly club. You have until the 27^th of the month to sign up to receive this set and then look forward to getting a new stitching die set each month. But if you can’t commit to a monthly club right now, you can check the website after the 10^th of next month to purchase. If not sold out, the monthly kit products are available to buy then. However, the cost is higher and shipping is not free.

 I am a member of the Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month club, so each month this year I will share cards made with that month’s die set on this blog, on my Instagram and on my Facebook page.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

 

New Ways to Eclipse Your Cards with Dies...To Die For

My favorite technique of all time is the Eclipse Technique and in my new video here I share many easy ways to achieve the eclipse look. All the dies you see here and in the video are from Dies...To Die For at ShopScrapbook101.com. The slatted shape dies are available here and are my favorite way to create the eclipse look. You will note the unique shapes and the fact you get many varieties in each set for very reasonable prices. The card above is the one I show how to make in the new video in just a few minutes. The scenery card front is from Divinity Designs. The rectangle eclipse set also includes this choice which I made into a shaker card:

There are 3 hearts to choose from in the Hearts Eclipse die set at Dies...to Die For and I created this lovely sympathy card with one as well as the Rosary Die and a sympathy sentiment die. 

The eclipse look can be achieved with any background paper, solid image and even alphabet dies. I am participating in a card drive for our local Honor Flight and I created this card and the next for the veteran heroes:

This card shows a different way to use one of the rectangle eclipse dies. Here is another set of cards make simply with scenery paper from Crealies and more dies from Dies...To Die For:

And here is a fun card I designed with D...TDF's Soccer Net Background, their Soccer Ball and an alphabet set with shadow dies which were eclipsed:

I hope my cards encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

May Class Cards Featuring Taylored Expressions Create In Quads

Every other month I teach classes at Harts N Scraps with Jill Lemke's Clear View Transparencies and this month I combined them with stenciled card fronts and elements created with Taylored Expressions Create in Quads stencils. Of course each card featured a fun fold or creative ways to frame the transparencies as well. My students were very happy with the 4 cards they made.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

More Easy to Make Eclipse Cards

I have been having fun with the new Double Vision Eclipse Technique which is easy to do cutting and raising strips of either patterned paper or embossed cardstock as I did on this card. The pattern flows from one strip to the next with some raised on pop dots. The embossing folder I used is a favorite from Spellbinders and I featured the new Awareness Ribbon also from Spellbinders. 

I cut the strips on this card the same and popped up the same two, but I chose a beautiful 3D butterfly embossing folder also from Spellbinders. I cut out an embossed butterfly and popped it up.

I saw a card from StampinNotes like this one with 1/2 inch strips of a patterned scene paper on the front diagonal cut flap and on the inside. So again the pattern flows through the strips and onto the back too. Here is another view of this striking card:

This lovely scene paper is from Divinity Designs. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

New Ways to Eclipse with Double Stenciling

Hero Arts has a new release called You've Got a Friend and I got to play with several of the new stencils in that collection. The background stencil is called Check Please and is a perfect addition to anyone's stencil collection with classic checks. I combined it with the new layering stencil set called Bitty Floral and then cut strips raising every other one for a fun new way to eclipse.

I played with other ways to use the stencils on this shaped card cut out with Hero Arts Infinity Butterfly dies. I lightly added teal ink through the Check Please stencil, then moved it over and added some light yellow ink. I chose to overstencil with just two of the stencils in the Bitty Floral stencil and then cut another smaller butterfly out to raise and eclipse. The perfect addition to both of these cards were Spellbinders Color Essentials Gems.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen