Letterpressed Three Layer Card and Problem Solved

I have a confession to make – I don’t like to stamp anymore at least not large background stamps. Even with a stamp positioner, it is just too difficult to get a good image. But I do find “stamping” with press plates so much easier than regular stamping. There is one major problem though- the cost of the 100% Cotton Cardstock.Today I am sharing a solution for that problem: CutCardStock sells their Savoy 100% Cotton Card Stock for less than a third of other cotton cardstocks! And it creates beautiful letterpress images as you can see on this card I created:

On the CutCardStock blog here, I have posted a detailed tutorial on how I made this card. Each layer has beautiful leafy letterpressed images created with Altenew's Modern Leaf Background Press Plate and Stencil Set in my Spellbinders BetterPress System. Here is a picture of the template I used to create this three layer card:

The three layers show the letterpress beauty with no ink or "embossed" as on this layer, and with simple inking and the addition of stenciled color. Here are pictures of the three layers and inside sentiments:

The "kindness matters" die is from Ellen Hutson, the stitched foilage dies are from Kat Scrappiness and the Thank You die is from Karen Burniston.

I hope this card inspires you to give this three layered card template and letterpress technique a try now that we know there is a solution to high priced 100% cotton cardstock. Then join me in sending some handmade joy out into our world!

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

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

April Waffle Flower Sneak Peak Cards

Every month I get a package from Waffle Flower with a Sneak Peak of the products being released in the next month. I always like everything I receive but I admit this month my favorite was the Tiny Square Texture Die and I used it in all the cards I am sharing today.

The Tiny Square Texture die adds the perfect amount of interest and texture on all these cards. But the dog silhouette is super sweet too and I made him into a shaker using some fun colored balls from Kat Scrappiness. Here is a photo trying to capture a little of the shaker movement:

It is easier to see the texture in this card and I added a fun stenciled pattern with the new Quilted Floral layered stencil. Then I cut the background with Waffle Flower's Postage Collage Block die and raised the shapes with pop dots. All the perfect sentiment strips are from Waffle Flower as well.

One of my favorite all time layered stencil sets from Waffle Flower is the Postage Collage Spring Breeze stencil set and I again added texture with the Tiny Square Texture Die before creating the fractured look with strips of black cardstock. 

Fabulous Foiled Fun Folds Featuring Deco Foil and Brutus Monroe

In my new video I show many cards I made after playing with all the fabulous new foils and Toner Card Fronts from Deco Foil and Brutus Monroe. I show how to do first, second and third generation foiling with no waste of any of the amazing foil. One of my favorites of the new foils from Brutus Monroe and Deco Foil is Gold Star and here is a telescoping circle card I made with that foil as well as some Red Static foil also from Brutus Monroe and Deco Foil:

The foiled stars on this card seem to move and the circle on the top (cut with a Kat Scrappiness die) is a 3rd generation of foiling as I show in the video. Here is how this card looks open:

The sentiments were created with the new Lots of Love Toner Sentiments. Here is another card I created with the new products:

Another of the new colors of foil from Brutus Monroe and Deco Foil is called Pewter Lane and is perfect for a masculine love card like this one for my husband. I did a 2nd generation of foiling with a black toner sheet and then added strips of Berry Crush, Gold Star and Indigo Dreams for a fun color change on the pewter strip. 

Another favorite of the new transfer foils from Deco Foil is called Candy Heart, and has tiny hearts that sparkle and move when the card is opened. I show in the video how to foil the Heartstrings Toner Card Front and then create a 2nd piece as we don't want to waste any of that gorgeous foil. But I didn't want the hearts and flowers to be black so I used a white Poly Glaze sheet from Gina K Designs instead of a Black Toner sheet and here is a look at that second piece up close:

This card is a Peek A Boo Tri-Fold Card that I closed with a brad and some gold string. Each of the cards I shared in the video have several layers to showcase all that sparkly foil in different ways. I hope my cards inspire you to give some of the ideas and products a try and then send some sparkle and love out into our world. 

Change Your Scraps into Squares, Triangles and Gorgeous Cards

I was inspired by some cards I found on Pinterest to turn my scraps into squares and triangles and then into beautiful cards which I share in my newest video here. I made this love bridge card step  by step after finding the 3 color heart pattern here. I created my stitched triangles with Concord & 9th's Pinwheel Quilt die set. the layered sentiment die is from Gina K Designs and the stitched heart cover die on the white strips is from Kat Scrappiness. 

I saw this heart pattern created also with triangles on a board of cards here and even without any instructions I was determined to figure out how to create it. The love sentiment die on this card is also from Gina K Designs. Here are two more cards I found inspiration for on Pinterest:

I love a classic sketch with positive and negative color use like on the first card and the rainbow of triangles created out of squares folded in half for dimension is such a fun idea which I found on this blogpost. I had leftover pieces from the Studio Katia Dotted Stitched Square Frame Die I used so I added a frame on the front and here is the inside of the card:

The squares left a tic-tac-do pattern so I added it to the inside of the card to challenge the recipient to a game and added some perfect sentiments from Karen Burniston. I had great fun using my scraps to make square, triangles and cards for this video and hope you will do the same soon. 

Pink and Main Shaker Covers With Gorgeous Embossed Texture

In the Crop and Create Cardmaking weekend of classes I participated in recently, Michelle of Pink and Main showed us how to make the easiest shaker card ever with her A2 Shaker Covers and mentioned they could be embossed in embossing folders. I was intrigued and loved the look when I embossed this one with a Spellbinders embossing folder we also received in our box of supplies. The paper and sentiment were from other kits. I decided I had to get more Pink and Main A2 Shaker covers and explore this idea further and here is the card I make step by step in my new video:

I used 49 and Market Rub On Transfers and Laser Elements to decorate this card both on the acetate itself and on the inside. The sentiment is from Concord and 9th and the shaker gems are from Kat Scrappiness. 

Here is another card I made with an embossed shaker cover and these beautiful rub-on transfers are from Graphic 45. And here is a card I made with the shaker cover from Pink and Main and 49 and Market laser elements and cardstock. 

As you can see these shaker covers are lovely with and without embossing with embossing folders. In the new video I show how these A2 Shaker Covers do not have to be used to make shakers and so many cards, I have to share them in a separate blogpost which you  can see on Wednesday of this week.

Booo-tiful Wrinkly Texture Without Embossing Folders

In my newest video, I am sharing a new technique that creates awesome wrinkly texture with two very common household items and no embossing folders needed. I also share many cards and make the one above step by step. All you need to create the wrinkly texture shown is parchment paper and common white glue. I attached the wrinkled parchment paper to black cardstock for the outside strips and to white cardstock for the center strip before I added orange Staz-on ink direct to paper just on the wrinkles. The adorable ghost and sentiment is from Spellbinders and is called Dancin' Ghost.

If you apply the wrinkled parchment paper to white cardstock without adding any ink, these textured backgrounds are perfect for winter cards. But I am in the mood for fall and Halloween, so I created the next two cards:

You can choose to add black ink to the wrinkles and that creates a look similar to a spider's web so I used that theme on the first card. I suggest not using a dye ink as that did not want to dry at all even after hours and heat setting. You could try a fixative, but I recommend using a permanent ink like Staz-on. 

I made the 2nd card with wrinkled parchment paper over orange cardstock and put it in a shaker packet before adding an alphabet sticker "hey" and "boo" from Kat Scrappiness. I do not bake so have parchment paper only for crafting. I did discover after making these cards that parchment paper also comes "unbleached" which is a light brown color. I bought some and made this card:

Over dark brown it looks somewhat golden and is another way to use parchment paper to make cool backgrounds. The leaves are 2nd generation hot foiling using Fall Leaves Press Plate from Spellbinders.

To see all the cards I made and how easy this technique is to do creating great wrinkly texture, watch the new video here. 

Give the Gift of Spring Flower Seeds with Vintage Napkins

Do you love vintage looking cards with patterned paper but not so much the cost of the designer paper? In my newest video here I share how to get the look for just pennies and how to make an easy shaker card with real flower seeds for a springtime gift! This is the card I make step by step in the video:

The patterned paper on the front is made for just pennies with a pretty napkin and I show the easiest way to attach napkins to cream cardstock and add some ink for the vintage look. In a 3 x 5 resealable bag is a packet of flower seeds which can be removed by my friend to plant in her garden! I was inspired by a card by Frenchie to make a flower seed gift card but put my own spin on it to make it even easier to make. 

Here is another vintage looking shaker card I made with a napkin and shared in the new video. The Shaker Dots in this card are new from Kat Scrappiness and they move really well in the shaker well. 

To see more cards and an easy way to make shaker cards with real flower seeds, watch the new video here. 

More Solar and Lunar Paste Beauties from My Newest Video

Solar Pastes from Simon Hurley make gorgeous backgrounds and are so easy to apply through a stencil for patterned shiny looks like the stars on this card. I used a Falling Stars stencil from Kat Scrappiness and then added a die cut background cut with a die from Gina Marie Designs. These are just a few of the many cards I share in my newest video here.

I had fun with a Spellbinders Diagonal Buffalo Plaid stencil to make this card. I applies Simon's Royal Flush purple Solar Paste through the first layer, then shifted the stencil and added some blue dye reinker to the same purple Solar Paste so the color shifts to blue or purple depending on how you look at it. I added some white spatters and pink Lunar Paste larger spatters before cutting it for a fun card front. 

Mixed media cards like the two above are not my typical style but I did have fun making them with these amazing pastes and some stencils from A Colorful Life Designs and Stamperia.

I hope my cards encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try and then send some of your handmade joy out into our world!

Glitter and Humor- Great Cardmaking Combo!

I recently discovered Ceya Glitter and combined their gorgeous glitters with stamps and dies from Riley and Company to make all the cards I share in my newest video here. 

Ha! This card will for sure bring a smile to the recipient's face! The Adult Beverages stamp set from Riley and Company is so funny and I paired it with a Dress Up Giraffe. 

My favorite of the glitters I got from Ceya is the Crushed Broken Glass in the Bronze color, although there are many more colors I know I will be ordering too. 

This is the shaker card I show how to make with 4 different colors of Ceya glitter in the new video. I started with Kat Scrappiness' Heart Sunburst Die and show how easy it is to keep the 4 colors separate. The stamp is from the Crafter's Dress Up Stamp Set from Riley and Company and I used it to dress up my glittery giraffe on the inside too:

I used Ceya's Ultrafine White Glitter on my crafty giraffe so the sentiment from Riley and Company is perfect! These two cards are sure to brighten someone's day and I had so much fun designing them for my new video. I hope they encourage you to give some of these products a try and then send some joy out into the world!