New Toner Card Fronts and Foils from Deco Foil and Therm O Web

Did you know Deco Foil recently released a bunch of new spring Toner Card Fronts and fresh new colors of foil? I had so much fun playing with them along with new dies and a brand new fun fold. 

The new floral Toner Card Fronts are called Fresh Florals and Hoppy Spring and I feature them along with the new pink Love Potion and Royal Carriage foils on this fun fold card. The focal point is a new die from Poppy Stamps called Nordic Cozy Tea Cup. This card folds flat to mail in an A2 envelope and then opens to look like this:

I also created another card with this fun fold and a new Toner Card Front called Birthday Wish:

And here are a couple more cards I created with the new toner card fronts and foils:

If you like super easy ways to add the sparkle of foil to your cards, I urge you to check out the new products here at Therm O Web. 

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen

Christmas Countdown Ornament Gift Card

Did you know Christmas is less than 3 months away? Today on my blog and on the CutCardStock blog I am continuing my Christmas Countdown to encourage you to start early with your holiday projects to avoid the last minute stress.

My favorite cardstock is CutCardStock's Stardream Metallic and on this ornament gift card holder I used both their Jupiter Red and Antique Gold. The ornament, top and hanging charm were cut with a die by Emily More Designs I found in the Starry Night Creations booth at a stamp show.

Sometimes even gorgeous metallic cardstock needs some texture to make it more interesting. I used my dies from Crealies and the rubber mat in my Spellbinders Platinum Six to add texture and a hidden holiday message on the ornament. For step by step instructions on how to make this ornament gift card holder, visit the CutCardStock blog here. 

I also added texture to the back of the ornament with Poppy Stamp's Scandinavian Snowflake Plate. Then I added a piece of white cardstock to write a personal message on and sign:

In no time at all I have another Christmas project done for my holiday stash. Less stress and more joy- my goal for you and me!

Cardmaking Joy & Hugs, Karen 

 

Creative Cards with New Dies and Stencils

My New Year's resolution is to play with all the new dies, stencils and other crafty goodies I have bought but never used and today I am sharing cards made with a set of dies called Standing Pop Up Card dies from Fabulous Folded Cards at Paper Wishes. Every month Hot Off the Press at Paper Wishes releases a set of very inexpensive dies that create fabulous folded cards. This was an older set that was on sale the end of the year and it makes cards that start like this:

When the ribbon is untied, the card pops open and displays like the first photo. I used 49 and Market cardstock along with some of their rub-on transfers to decorate my circle card for a special friend's birthday. Here are pictures of some of the inside views:

Another way to use this unique set of dies is to have two pop up together in the inside of a card as I did here. Also popping up are some acetate flowers from 49 and Market. I decorated the inside of this 5 x 7 card with a new Poppy Stamps Nordic Lace Plate. The front was created with a new 3D embossing folder with layering stencils from Simon Hurley and Spellbinders:

Peace, Love and Belly Rubs

I am making Christmas cards for my stash with dies I purchased last year and didn't use enough before putting away. This adorable Holiday Corgi and sentiment are from Poppystamps and I used them on a card I made with a pop out window idea from Jennifer McGuire. The inside piece (cut with Essential Arches layering dies from Spellbinders) is popped up following her instructions here. Here is another view showing the pop out window: 

Many More Holiday Cards Made In Just Minutes

I could not resist the gorgeous Nordic Ornaments die set from Spellbinders as I am Norwegian, and made this quick and easy Peace card with that set and a Clear Views transparency. I needed some more quick holiday cards for my stash and my new video, and this is one of my favorites. I am posting the rest of the cards I made in just a day in this blogpost, so there are a bunch of photos.

Jennifer McGuire recently posted some cards with strips and embossed backgrounds and here are two cards I made with that idea: 

The Nordic Dove on the first one is from poppy stamps and the second one was made with new products from Stampin up. 

These two cards were made with a beautiful set of stencils from Picket Fence Studios. And the following cards were made with recycled cards I received in the mail from a promotional company that were too beautiful to throw out as well as some Easy 3D Toppers:

I share these and many more cards with foiled beauty in my newest video here. I hope my cards inspire you to give some of these ideas and products a try and then send some your own handmade joy out into this world. 

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

Karen Burniston Pop Up Surprise Cards

I love when Karen Burniston has a new release because my favorite kind of card to make is interactive pop up surprise cards! In my newest video here I share many cards for Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays that pop up when the cards are opened. My favorite of the new dies is the Stocking Pop Up because it is great for Christmas with the Christmas stocking but it is a generic pop up die that can be decorated for any theme. Here is the front of the card I made step by step in the video for one of my siblings:

My Mom hung a stocking for each of us 8 kids and this card will bring a smile to the face of whichever brother or sister receives it. I decorated the front and inside with a pretty dp, the stockings are from the new Christmas Borders 2 from Karen Burniston and the sentiment is a die from Sue Wilson. But of course the best part of any KB card is the inside:

The love ornament pops up using the interactive dies in the Karen Burniston Stocking Pop Up die set and I show how to make that magic happen in the new video. The layered dove is a part of a beautiful new die set from Poppy Stamps. 

Here is another special card I share in the new video. The front has another sentiment from Sue Wilson and a lovely background die from Poppy Stamps. But just look at what pops up when this card is opened:

The adorable Holiday Corgi and sentiment are new dies from Poppy Stamps I just couldn't resist! It is best to see the pop up motion of these cards in the full video, but here is a mini video with these two cards:

(To my loyal subscribers - for some reason my mini videos do not show up in the emailed blogposts, so to see this mini video, go to my actual blog by clicking on the title.)

To see all the pop up cards I created and how easy these cards are to make, watch the new video here, and then send some handmade joy out into this world if you can.

Very Large Die Two Different Ways

I am a die cut addict and often buy dies on impulse without reading the small print or finding out the actual size. I loved the look of the Wave Crest Panel Die Set from TEXTures and Lou Collins that I found here on Paper Wishes. But when I received it, I tried cutting it and it is very large- too large even for a 5 x 7 card. I did glue it onto this 5 x 7 card base and trimmed off the sides before adding the whale die cut raised on pop dots. The whale and turtle below are also from the Deep Blue Collection from TEXTures by Lou Collins, and the sentiment is from A Colorful Life Designs. 

The size of cards I make the most is A2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 when folded) and that is the size of this card. I die cut the very large wave, glued it on and trimmed it down to fit the A2 cardbase. I popped up the sea turtle and stamped a perfect sentiment from poppystamps. 

I think my grandsons will love these cards and I will give to them to share with friends or family and spread joy and smiles. 

More Fun Easy to Make Postcards from My Newest Video

Here is another postcard made with the new A2 Postcard die from Kat Scrappiness that I share in my newest video here. I am die cut crazy and wanted to use some new dies I have recently purchased on some of the postcards. I was careful to glue them down completely, but if when I mail I am concerned that the diecuts might get ripped going through the machines at the post office, I can always just throw them in an A2 envelope to mail. The pretty Gilia Flower Frame die is from Memory Box, and the sentiment die is from Sue Wilson and Creative Expressions. Here is a look at the other side of this postcard with the same cloud cardstock and some rub on butterflies from 49 & Market:

This picture shows very well the stitching that the A2 Postcard Die from Kat Scrappiness does creating a place to write a message and address the postcard. Here is another postcard I made with a new die from Poppystamps and a Sizzix sentiment:

I recently purchased some Balloon Occasions dies from Sizzix with fun balloons and "strings" that are also scripty sentiments. I used them on this postcard making sure to glue them down very thoroughly:

The colorful sentiments and other decorative elements are Dazzles stickers from Paper Wishes. I had great fun making these postcards in just minutes and hope they inspired you to watch the new video and give some of the ideas and products featured a try!

I am entering the last postcard in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

What Else Can We Do With Our Embossing Powder Stash??

I recently watched this Masterclass video by Marion Emberson where she taught a new (to me) technique with embossing powders on folded parchment paper. Marion used WOW embossing powders and I have a few which I used in the  as well as some favorites from Stampendous and Nuvo. All the cards I am sharing include these unique pieces of art created with embossing powders, parchment paper and a heat gun. On the cards below, I also show embossing powders melted on sticky two sided sheets for a bumpy textured look such as on the strips on this card and the next: 

The sentiment on this card is from Quietfire Design. Here are two more cards I created  with both of these techniques:

Marion's video (linked above) is a great one to watch to learn this technique. If you would like to learn how to do my technique with two sided sticky sheets and embossing powder, watch this video here. 

On the background of these cards are pinpoint patterns created with dies from Birch Press Designs and Poppystamps. I had great fun playing with this new technique and the technique I discovered, and hope you will give it a try.