Happy Holidays from Die-Versions Dies and Me!

Happy Holidays from Die-Versions and me! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine, and I am sharing the rest of my Die-Versions Christmas projects. My first picture above shows some of the tags I made with Die-Versions dies. I started with some basic tag shapes and then simply added Die-Version holiday sentiments and images, then tied with curling ribbon. The tags are so easy and fun to make with great dies. Here are a few more:

Here are pictures of two fun holiday cards I made with Die-Version dies and stencils: 

In both cards I featured the Cozy Fireplace die and “Happy Holidays” from the Holiday Complements set of sentiments. I have used and used this set of holiday sentiments (see most of the tags above.) On the first card, I sponged Fossilized Amber Distress Ink through a Memory Box stars stencil after attaching the cozy fireplace. Then I added the sentiment cut in gold paper. On the second card, I attached the cozy fireplace with temporary tape and also attached the sentiment cut in white cardstock. I sponged the same distress ink through a large snowflake stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and also through a stencil I created with acetate and smaller snowflake punches. Then I removed the cozy fireplace, sponged ink on the edges and re-attached with pop-dots to raise it.

**Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Versions great dies by simply using my discount code karen15 when you check out at the Die-Versions website.**

I am entering this card in the snowflakes challenge at Dies R Us, the holidays challenge at Scrapy Land (I used Die-Versions dies), die crazy challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge and the Christmas challenge at That Craft Place.

Die-Versions Old Mr. Owl Fall Card

Happy Monday! It's my turn to post on Die-Version's blog and mine. Today I am sharing a fall card featuring Die-Version’s Old Mr. Owl. I started with a background created with a Cutting Edge stencil and Hickory Smoke Distress Ink. I die cut Mr. Owl out of a black scrap and also out of a golden yellow. I applied tape to the back of the black open owl and inserted the golden yellow pieces back in the owl part. I added some pearls and attached him in his tree home on the white A2 card.

**Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Versions great dies by simply using my discount code karen15 when you check out at the Die-Versions website.**

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Simply Papercraft.

Heat Embossing Challenge at Repeat Impressions

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. It is Kathy’s turn and she is challenging the team and you to create a card using heat embossing. Why don’t you join us in this challenge and enter your card for a chance to win some awesome Repeat Impressions rubber? Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's projects for this DCC challenge. I have seen them and you do not want to miss them!

I created the background on this card with a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and two colors of blue ink. Then I stamped Repeat Impression’s Palm Pattern three times with Versamark and heat embossed with purple, blue and copper sparkly embossing powder from Stampamania. I also heat embossed the Live, Love, Laugh sentiment with gold embossing powder, cut it apart with deckle scissors, sponged and attached.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Craft Your Passion and 613 Avenue Create, and the Design Team Showcase.

And don’t forget: For a 10% discount on any size order at Repeat Impressions, just make a note of my discount code (rr10kh), click on the blog badge on the side of my blog and go to the website here to shop and save!

Bisters and Stencils

So as you know I am having fun designing with Bisters (for links to source, tutorial etc., scroll down to slightly earlier blog posts). I decided to try them with a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils. I taped the stencil down on watercolor paper, tapped the Bisters in various colors in the opening of the stencil and spritzed with water. This is how the background dried- some of the colors combined- each time you try it, you have a different result. So much fun! I die cut some flowers out of vellum with a Penny Black flower die, and added a die cut sentiment  from Penny Black and a couple butterflies also out of vellum.

I am entering this card in the Sentiments challenge at That Craft Place and the Anything Goes challenge at Suzy Bee's.

CAS Faux Chalk Hello Card

I am having so much fun with the faux chalk technique that Sandy Allnock came up with using open stencils, Copics and Copic blender fluid. I created a background on this card with Weathered Wood Distress Ink on a Hero Arts background stamp. Then I colored the outside edges of a butterfly stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils with various Copic markers. I doused a corner of a paper towel with Copic Blender Fluid and pulled the color into the opening in the butterfly stencil. I just love the soft look that creates! I cut a "hello" from Paper Smooches out and cut it again in black and popped that one into the hello opening. I layered the whole piece on an aqua blue card.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Sister Act,  Addicted to Stamps and More, and 613 Avenue Create. 

A New Technique with your Stencils

I have been having fun designing with my new Cutting Edge Stencils and recently I found a new technique here and a beautiful card using the technique here. Basically, you color around the opening in the stencil with your Copics (or other alcohol based markers), then pull in the color to the paper with a paper towel slightly damp with Copic colorless blender fluid. It results in a chalky look which is quite lovely. I tried it with the hummingbird stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and then cut it out with a white border. I attached it with mounting tape over a background stamp by Hero Arts and a leafy flourish from Cheery Lynn Designs cut in aqua vellum. I also tried the technique with a stencil I created with a die and acetate, and will share the results of that later this week.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Scribble and Scrap.

More Cutting Edge Stencil Cards and Winners Announced

I have had so much fun the last week or so playing with stencils from Cutting Edge Stencils and this is my favorite card so far. I love the Entwined stencil and the screen or panel card I learned how to make in the most recent Die Cut Crazy digital magazine.  I will share some details and a few more pix of this and other cards, but I know you are here to find out who won, right?

The winner of the $20 gift certificate for stencils at Cutting Edge Stencils is:   Berni Cuttino!!!  Here is her winning comment: "I am back with my favorite stencil. There were a few calling my name, but I especially am fond of Houndstooth Card Stencil Template. I am following Cutting Edge on Facebook and subscribe to their blog."

I added a prize from me (and Cutting Edge Stencils) after I saw all the wonderful comments about my cards and the contest. The winner of the prize of a set of 4 rubber grip stencil brushes from Crafter's Choice and a butterfly stencil is:   Robin who commented: "These are lovely cards! Thanks so much for a chance to win some stencils too. The one I liked the best is Lily Scroll Card Stencil Template. I really like the wall stuff too."

Berni- Cutting Edge Stencils will be in touch with you about your prize. Robin- I will email you about yours.

Here are a couple more pictures of the screen or panel card I made with the Entwined stencil. I sponged each panel with two colors of distress ink, and then decorated with various dies and stamps from Repeat Impressions and others. The panel is an 8 1/2" by 12" piece of card stock scored at 3, 6, and 9 inches, then punched at  the top with a border punch and a label punch at the bottom. The last pix shows the card closed ready to fit into a business sized envelope to mail.

My second card features the same Entwined stencil but with a totally different technique. I attached the stencil to a piece of water color paper with temporary tape. Then I applied Versamark ink through the stencil openings, sprinkled on clear embossing powder and melted the powder with my heat gun. Then I applied three colors of Adirondack ink refills to the water color paper with watercolor brushes. I let that dry, while I heated up my iron as hot as it would go with no water for steam. I covered the colored piece with a paper grocer's bag and ironed it, which melts and removes the embossing powder leaving the clear smooth off white swirls. Then I used pieces of the sheet I created for the background behind the scalloped circle, the smile die (which is inlaid in the white cover piece), the butterfly and the side strips. I added a couple sequins to complete this card.

Here is the front and inside of my last stencil card (for today anyway:) I applied black 3D Stamp Paint from Viva in the openings of the Birch Forest stencil on a birch tree designer paper. The 3D Stamp Paint gives the front of the card wonderful texture which is hard to see on a photo. I tore some snow drifts, added some deer and a Santa and a beautiful - so true!- sentiment on the front and the inside.

I had so much fun designing with the stencils from Cutting Edge Stencils and hope you will visit them real soon to check out all their stencils for crafting and decorating your home. I want to thank them for the stencils and brushes I received and for the prize for our winner!

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at Treasured Times and Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge.

Cutting Edge Stencil Review and Giveaway!

I was recently contacted by Cutting Edge Stencils and asked to do a review of their card stencils and a giveaway for my readers, and after taking a look at their website, I was thrilled to say yes! I love to make cards with plastic stencils and happy to find another stencil company with more stencil choices for us card makers and scrappers.

**Would you like to win a $20 Cutting Edge Stencil gift certificate and free shipping on the stencils you choose if you win? Of course you would! All you need to do is visit the Cutting Edge website, pick our your favorite stencil and leave a comment on this blog post with the name of your favorite stencil and your email address so you can be contacted if you win. (You can write it out like khasheck at gmail dot com to avoid spammers.) For a second chance to win, Follow Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook, and for a third chance to win, subscribe to their blog here.  Please leave an extra comment if you have chosen to follow them on Facebook or subscribe to their blog and you will receive extra chances to be the big winner. You have until Sunday, July 13th at noon CST to enter this giveaway. The winner will be announced on my blog Monday, July 14th when I post some more cards I made with Cutting Edge Stencils.**

EDITED TO ADD: You have all been so kind with your lovely comments, I have decided to add a second prize! A second randomly drawn winner from the comments will be drawn and he or she will win a set of 4 rubber grip Crafter's Choice Stencil Brushes and a beautiful butterfly stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils of course. All I ask is that you leave any comment and be a follower of my blog.

I used Cutting Edge Stencil's Birch Forest Card Stencil for the first card I am sharing today. The first thing I noticed when I opened the stencil package was how sturdy and flexible the stencil was, and that is was larger than most of the other card stencils I own. The card size design is 6 x 8 inches and the stencil itself is 9 x 11 inches. The bigger size can be an advantage if you are making a larger card (see below) and it makes it easy to tape it down outside of the cardstock piece you are stenciling. However, it was too large to emboss in my Big Shot machine and I even had to cut it down somewhat to run it through my Grand Calibur. If you visit the Cutting Edge Stencil website, you will see they have a long history of making high quality stencils for walls and decorating homes, and that quality is obvious in their card stencils too. The ones I received are sturdier and more flexible than others sold by companies just now getting into the stencil market.

I also received a package of Crafter's Choice stencil brushes with rubber grips. I usually don't use stencil brushes on my cards, but when a fuller softer brush and a sponge did not give me the dark look I wanted in between the kraft colored birch trees, I tried the largest stencil brush in the package and it worked beautifully. It was so easy to hold on the rubber grip. I used Ranger Archival black ink and that was a mistake, as the brush and the stencil did not come clean when I washed them after use. I am sure with a regular dye ink, it would have been fine. But the brush and the stencil can be used for any color next time, they just has a black edge now. Ranger's Archival black ink is my favorite as it is a true dark black and it is on my desk all the time, but it is much more permanent than other dye inks, so another black dye ink would be better to use for the stencil and brush.

I cut Memory Box's Serene Bird in grey, wet embossed Repeat Impression's bamboo in clear embossing powder, and attached with mounting tape to raise. I stamped Avery Elle's Hello and added a pearl to complete the card.

I have been wanting to get one (or more) of the lovely Prima doll stamps by Julie Nutting and recently I purchased "Kate" on line. When I opened the package, I realized just how big these Prima doll stamps are - Kate is 7 1/2 inches tall. Way to big for any standard size card, and if I used a standard size 6 x 6 stencil for a background, it would not be big enough. So the larger size of the Aladdin stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils was a real advantage for this card. You can also choose a page size stencil if you want it even bigger, like for scrapbooking. I prefer mine a little smaller usually for card making, and so am hoping Cutting Edge Stencils might add a third size like 6 x 6 with smaller image details too. But the ones I received worked great for the backgrounds I created.

I started with a business size cream colored card 8 1/4" tall by 8" wide and folded it in half. I attached a paint strip down the long way on the card and sponged Tea Dye Distress Ink on with the Tim Holtz distress sponging tool using the Aladdin stencil. I was going for an ombre look on the paint chip part. I stamped "Kate" on cream paper, paper pieced her hair, dress and shoes and attached her to the card. I stamped the Heidi Swapp "shine" to complete the card.

I have one more card to share today. I mentioned the stencils I received were too big to do one of my favorite techniques with stencils- emboss with my No More Shims thick embossing pad and then sponge while the stencil is still attached. However, Cutting Edge Stencils sent me a bonus smaller hummingbird stencil with my order, and so I was able to easily make this CAS fun card. I picked a subtle floral cardstock, attached the stencil and ran it through the Big Shot with my No More Shims thick embossing pad. The image is raised with nice dimension. Then I sponged the bird with Starry Skies Distress Ink (Ranger) and Tim Holtz's distress sponging tool. I cut the piece and attached at an angle on an A2 sized card base. I stamped the Soar (from CTMH) on vellum and attached at an angle too.

I do recommend you check out the stencils on the Cutting Edge Stencil website for card making, scrapbooking and also for any decorating you might want to do in your home. I am hoping they expand their card size choices and will be shopping there myself. Please stop back next Monday to see if you won the giveaway and to see some more cards I made with these great stencils.

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Scribble and Scrap.