Use Your Patterned Paper Out of Season And for Diecutting Animals

Do you have seasonal patterned paper pads that are stored away until the season arrives? We all do and I am encouraging you to use them now. Recently I was thinking ahead to Halloween cards. My favorite paper to use for Halloween cards is the Halloween 6x6 Stock Pad from American Crafts at CutCardStock.

Bones don't have to be for skeletons, right? The bones patterned paper in the Halloween pack reminded me of dogs, so I made this card with a floral puppy and bones:

The floral puppy is a die from Moonstone Hunkydory called Pretty Petals - Dog and the bone is from a set by Waffle Flower. The cardbase and card front was created with the gorgeous Stardream Metallic Lagoon cardstock from CutCardStock. I added texture and interest to card front with a die from Kat Scrappiness. 

The bones reminded me of treats and the birthday boy or girl is going to laugh when they see the inside of their card created with a die from Scrappy Tails:

I had so much fun creating with the patterned paper and Stardream Metallic paper as well as the Pretty Petals pets, I created two more cards with them:

I embossed the Stardream Metallic cardstocks with different textures and added a layered sentiment from the Pretty Petals- Cat die set from Moonstone and Hunkydory. I found both of the Pretty Petals Dog and Cat dies at Paper Wishes.

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Unique Ways to Make Cards for any Book Lover

As I show in my new video, the Concord & 9th True Story dies and stamps make perfect cards for any book lover you know. The dies cut the shapes of the books and also offer many options to decorate. This is the first card I made with various colors of Concord & 9th cardstock. I decorated the inside of the card as well with more books:

And this is a masculine version of the book card with more stamps and decorative elements from the same die and stamp set. The sentiment dies on both cards are Moonstone from Hunkydory and fit perfectly on the books. Since I was working with the books theme, I also made this card with smaller books on a shelf:

I had great fun designing with the Concord and 9th True Story Dies and Stamps. Many others loved  them too, so they might be sold out temporarily.  If you click on the link and either the die or stamp set is sold out, you can sign up for notification when they are back in stock. I hope my cards encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try. 

Perfect Cards For Any Book Lover

I know so many book lovers and so when I saw the new Concord & 9th True Story Dies and Stamps sets, I could not resist them. I had great fun creating many cards with these sets for my newest video here. Here is a look at the several layers of this tri-fold card:

I took a class at Let's Create recently where we played with various Tim Holtz Ranger Sprays like the Distress Mica Sprays. I took some of the pieces we made and cut books out of them for this card. I also embossed some of the books and added decorative pieces from the True Story Die Set. The Thinking of You die is from a set from Hunkydory and Moonstone. I made a joy fold Christmas card in the video step by step and made books with the die set and some smaller ones without. Here are several views of that card:

I folded the front of the A2 card base in half and cut the top of card with the Concord & 9th to form the book shape. I cut two sets of books out of decorative Christmas paper and glued them in place before decorating. I added the smaller joy fold card to the right side, layered some smaller books and the Christmas Blessings are Family, Friends and A Good Book. I decorated many of the books with 49 and Market Laser Elements. I spelled the words "A Good Book" with Spellbinders BetterPress Bestie Alphabet Beads. 

I also share several other cards I made with this die and stamp set perfect for book lovers in my new video. The stamp and die set have been so popular, they may be on back order when you click the link. You can have them notify you when they get back in stock- you won't regret it. It is such a great set of dies and stamps!

Fabulous Foiling (or not) with Flutter Flys

I fell in love with a card by Carol Hintermeier made with Picket Fence Studios Flutter Fly Toner Card Fronts and Layering Fauna Butterfly die so of course had to purchase both. I had a play with them for my newest video here and share 9 different cards. The toner sheets with different butterfly patterns can be foiled and most of my cards are, but this is one of the cards where the background was not foiled. I brushed on blue ink on the card front and pink and yellow on the die cut butterfly. 

After foiling the toner sheet with a rainbow foil I simply used some dies to make easy lovely cards. This one features strips created with Taylored Expressions Easy Strips dies. The sentiment die on both the above cards is from a set from Hunkydory. The card below has a sentiment die from Penny Black:

One more card shows simply a Picket Fence Studio Fabulous Foiled toner butterfly sheet with Twinkling Pink foil from Gina K Designs and an inked embossed card front:

Hunkydory Butterfly Window Pop Up Cards From My Newest Video

I saw a Webisode video on the Paper Wishes YouTube channel which featured Hunkydory's Butterfly Window Concept kit to make gorgeous pop up cards like this one and I immediately had to order the kit. Included in the kit are all the pieces to make 12 lovely butterfly pop up cards in different colors! Here is a look at the inside of this one:

In my new video I explain how easy it is to put these cards together, and also show how to do a pop and flip card without a kit or fancy dies. But I love these cards and the kit includes everything needed to make 12 of them! The foil and acetate highlights are just gorgeous! Here is another one I made:

Pop and Flip Fun Fold Cards Several Ways in a New Video

I had never heard of a Pop and Flip fun fold but after making some cards with a Hunkydory kit from Paper Wishes, I was inspired to try some both with the kit and without. Here is the card I make step by step in my newest video but with different papers:

The gorgeous scenery and wood designer papers and cut out bear die are from the Woodland Animals collection at Paper Wishes and I just love how this card turned out! I used both the positive and negative images of the bear scenery die and show how to create an easy pop and flip card. Here are several more versions all using that same designer paper and die set:

On all of these cards I used Crealies wavy wonky circle die to cut out the patterned paper and card front circle and the "thinking of you" and Happy Father's Day dies are from Karen Burniston.

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

I love showing how to use dies in different ways and hope my cards inspire you to watch the new video here, and try some of the ideas and products featured!

Easy Floral Shakers with Pinkfresh Studio and Foiled Acetate

I have a confession to make - I like flowers on my cards but don't like to color them. Pinkfresh Studio came to my rescue with many floral washi tapes and matching dies, and I use them along with patterned acetate to step up my shaker cards in my newest video here. Here is the card I show how to make step by step in the video:

I show how easy it is to make a shaker card with some of my favorite tips and also how the Pinkfresh Studio washi tape, matching dies and Glitter Drops are perfect for shaker cards. I started this card with a glimmer card front embossed with an embossing folder from Memory Box. The sentiment is from Sue Wilson and Creative Expressions. Here is another look at this card where the foiled acetate from Hunkydory is more visible:

I think using acetate with the foiled pattern makes the shaker so much more interesting. Of course on all of these cards I also used Pinkfresh Studios washi tape flowers and their Glitter Drops. This washi tape (with matching die) is called Whimsical Blooms and I used those on this card too:

I love using this cover die from Kat Scrappiness for shaker cards because I can separate the colors of the shaker gems- green glitter drops in the top section and gold in the bottom. Of course the pretty flowers are from Pinkfresh Studio and I added them on the inside of all my cards too as I show in the new video here.

I had great fun making my shaker cards with the Pinkfresh Studio washi tape flowers and patterned acetate from Hunkydory and hope my cards and video inspire you to give some of the ideas and products a try!

I am entering the first card in the Something New challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday (the washi tape and dies are new.) 

More Fun Fold Interlace Snowflake Cards - but only One Snowflake Among Them

I love snowflake dies and decorations for my house but not so much the real thing. I am done with Christmas cards for the year but couldn't resist the Hunkydory Moonstone Interlace Snowflake die set I found at Paper Wishes recently. I did make the pretty two sided snowflake above for my tree, but then challenged myself to use the die set in different ways that do not look like snowflakes for my newest video here.

What if I glued the Interlace Snowflake down and then cut it with a circle die? I used the pretty circle on an interactive card I learned from Jennifer McGuire and pops open like this when the pull tab is pulled:

The background was created with a die from Memory Box, the wonky circle is from Crealies and the sentiment is from IO. 

I created this purple diamond fold easel card with two sided thinner weight paper (and the  Interlace Snowflake die) from Hunkydory as well as a pretty "Thinking of You" die from Simon Says Stamp.  Here is another fun fold card I made with Creative Craft Products Diamond Fold Die Set and no snowflakes in sight:

Here is what the inside of this unique fun fold looks like with the layers perfectly cut using that Diamond Fold die set:

I hope the cards and new video here inspire you to look at your seasonal dies differently, and then you send some of your handmade joy out into the world!

I am entering the snowflake ornament in the Ice Cold Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

Fun Folds and Interlace Snowflakes That Are Not Snowflakes!

I live in central Wisconsin and am already tired of snow this year! I am done with my Christmas cards, but I couldn't resist the Hunkydory Moonstone Interlace Snowflake die set I found at Paper Wishes. I challenged myself to make fun fold cards that do not look like snowflakes with the die set for my newest video here.

Another Hunkydory product I love at Paper Wishes is the foiled patterned acetate and I have several sets of it which I use all the time instead of plain acetate. This is the fun fold acetate card I make in the new video step by step. I used some pretty two sided light weight patterned paper from Stampin' Up to make the interlace snowflake or medallion and also on the strips on the top and bottom. I made this a Love card and here is a look at the inside of this card:

The inside sentiment is an older one from Quietfire Design and the wonky square die is from Crealies. 

Here is another card I made with that same floating foiled acetate from Hunkydory, some elegant patterned paper from Tonic Studios and of course the Interlace Snowflake that is not a snowflake. 

I just received some gorgeous two sided wood grain paper from Paper Wishes and made this square z-fold card with it. I love how this card turned out! I added a wonky stitched circle from Crealies with a perfect sentiment wish from Sue Wilson and Creative Expression. Here is a peak at this card from the side opened: 

I had great fun stretching the use of the Interlace Snowflake die for these non-snowflake cards and hope my video and cards inspire you to give some of the ideas and products a try!