Christmas Sparkle from Nuvo and Tonic Studios

It’s my turn to post a project on Blog Tonic USA and here and I am sharing a Christmas card with some sneak peaks at the recently released and very exciting Nuvo sparkle! We all love sparkle, right? Nuvo has released 12 new colors of Glimmer Paste and 12 new colors of Sparkle Dust which is an ultra-fine gorgeous glitter! I could not wait to play with both and designed this Christmas card to share with you. I started with an 8 ½ inch by 10 inch dark green card. I drew a light line with a pencil at the 3 inch mark and placed my Happy Birthday Pansy Topper Circle die centered on that line. I decided this non Christmas die could be used as a wreath for the holidays- another example of Tonic Studios versatility! I did a partial die cut of the wreath by placing my top glass plate only on the right side of the die. The right half is cut and the left half is embossed only leaving a circle wreath on the fold for my Christmas Bauble. I die cut the Round Bauble and two Poinsettia Wreaths out of sticky two sided paper and applied the gorgeous new Hollywood Red and Gold Shine Nuvo Sparkle Dust ultra-fine glitter to them. I attached them to the front and added some Woodland Green and Bright Gold Crystal Drops and Ruby Slippers Glitter Drops to complete the front. Here is a look at the card opened:

I created a stencil out of acetate using the Merry Christmas Strip Die, then applying the new Golden Crystal Glimmer Paste through the stencil along the side of the card. I added a Merry Christmas sentiment cut out of Tonic’s red mirror cardstock. Here is a close up look at the inside sparkle:

If you love die cuts and crafty project inspiration and chances to win great Tonic Studios prizes, you will want to join the new Tonic Fanatics Facebook group!  Here is a link to the group or search Tonic Fanatics USA on Facebook and join up today!

Tonic Studios and Nuvo Products Used:  Rococo Round Bauble and Poinsettia Wreath dies, Happy Birthday Pansy Topper Die Set, Merry Christmas Strip Die,  Golden Crystal Nuvo Glimmer Paste, Nuvo Hollywood Red and Gold Shine Sparkle Dust, Nuvo Ruby Slippers Glitter Drops and Woodland Green and Bright Gold Crystal Drops,  Tonic Red Mirror Paper, Tonic Tangerine Die Machine, Tonic Advantage V Blade Trimmer, Tonic Funky Glue Pen; Other: two sided sticky paper, acetate for stencil

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Scrapy Land and the Holidays challenge at Live Love Cards.

Happy Holidays 4 Kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids!

It’s Saturday and time for another fun challenge here at Send a Smile 4 Kids! This time our challenge is: Happy Holidays 4 Kids! Create and link any holiday card appropriate for a child and you could win one of our great prizes. 

We have two very generous sponsors for this challenge: Crackerbox Palace is giving their winner 3 digi stamps of their choice! And the winner from Die-Versions receives a $15 gift certificate! TEAM S.A.S will also be choosing their favorite cards for our top three and the winners will receive a blog badge and an opportunity to be a guest design team member on a future challenge.

For this challenge, I created a sidestep card with some of my favorite holiday stamps from Crackerbox Palace. I paper pieced the snow buddies with some scraps of dp, and stamped the lovely sentiment, Santa's sleigh and the cute penguin. I added a few punched snowflakes to complete the card. 

Thankful Card with Favorite New Technique

If you follow me, you know I have had so much fun recently playing with a technique that features both dry embossing and heat embossing. I pulled out an old embossing folder from Sizzix with thankful words on it and embossed the aluminum foil covered background after applying Versamark to the inside of the folder. Before embossing the aluminum foil, I swiped on black and green Staz-on inks randomly. I dumped on some green and copper embossing powders and melted them. The result is this unique lovely background. I layered the finished card front onto a black card base and add the Fall Border die cut from Die-Versions. 

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at Scrapy Land and the Thankful challenge at Dies R Us.

Tonic Layering Dies and Nuvo Glimmer Pastes Peace Card

It’s my turn to post a project on Blog Tonic USA and here and I am sharing a card I made with Nuvo’s fantastic new Glimmer Pastes and Tonic Studios Mixed Edge Layering Die Sets. All 12 colors of the Nuvo Glimmer Pastes are beautiful, but I am fascinated with how some of them look so different depending on what color of cardstock is used with them. The Rising Dove on the front of this card was die cut out of a scrap of black cardstock and then I applied the Nuvo Tanzanite Lavender Glimmer Paste for a gorgeous glittery shine. Here is a close-up of the dove:

I also applied the same Tanzanite Lavender Glimmer Paste over a die cut of the Rising Dove on a white diamond shape cut out with the new Mixed Edge Diamond Layering Basics Die Set for the inside of the card.

That is the same color of Glimmer Paste but over white cardstock leaving the negative image of the peaceful dove for a totally different look!

We are also featuring this month another amazing release of Essentials dies from Tonic Studios. I love how Tonic has been listening to the card makers and crafters in this country and creating dies that fit on our typically smaller A2 cards. The Mixed Edge Diamond Layering Basics Die Set has 10 diamond shaped dies and every other one has a delicate scalloped edge. I die cut three layers out of a purple patterned cardstock and three scalloped layers out of white cardstock for the layers on the front of my card. I added a “peace” wish die cut out of the center of the Mistletoe Wreath Frame Die Set.

In addition to adding glittery shine to your cards and crafty projects, Nuvo’s new Glimmer Pastes are perfect for 3D and home decorating. I added some of the Garnet Red and Golden Crystal Glimmer Pastes to the tips of some pinecones for a beautiful fall centerpiece. Here is a close-up look at the brilliant shimmer and shine:

If you love die cuts and crafty project inspiration and chances to win great Tonic Studios prizes, you will want to join the new Tonic Fanatics Facebook group!  Here is a link to the group or search Tonic Fanatics USA on Facebook and join up today!

Tonic Studios and Nuvo Products Used:  Mixed Edge Diamond Layering Basics Die Set, Rococo Rising Dove and inside pieces of Mistletoe Wreath Frame dies, Nuvo Tanzanite Lavender Glimmer Paste, Tonic Tangerine Die Machine, Tonic Advantage V Blade Trimmer, Tonic Funky Glue Pen; Other: Core’dinations cardstock

CAS Hot Air Balloon Birthday with Die-Versions Dies

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine, and I am sharing this CAS card I created with a new favorite Die-Versions die for a stamp camp I recently hosted with beginning card makers. I love how simply using a fun die cut over a patterned paper or a background we create makes for a great card! I attached some cloudy sky paper over a white A2 card base. I die cut Die-Version’s Hot Air Balloon Birthday out of several colors of cork paper and simply attached them.  

**Remember you can get a 15% discount on any of Die-Version’s 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 Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Happy Birthday Cards for Young Children

I received a special request for birthday cards for very young children and these are the first two I created. I started with some favorite dies from Tonic Studios called Rococo Rubber Ducky and Rocking Horse. I added a fun "Happy Birthday" from Memory Box. The insides of both cards were created with the same interactive pop-up that I think young children (and their parents) would love: 

I die cut the Twist Circle Pop-up from Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Crafts and added some balloons from Avery Elle die cut in colorful scraps of designer paper. I added a "Celebrate" Miniature Moments sentiment from Tonic Studios to the inside of the card. Here are a couple more views of the pop-up center: 

This die from Karen Burniston is so easy to use and can be used in many different ways to add surprise pop-ups to the center of our cards. I will be sharing more cards using it very soon on my blog.

Happy Halloween!

Today I am sharing the last Halloween card I made this year. This one was for my BFF and I created the front using the double embossing on aluminum foil technique I have shared so often recently here on my blog. I embossed with an old Cuttlebug spider web embossing folder and added black and gold embossing powder melted with my heat gun. I added a googly eye "boo" just for fun. But the best part of this card happens when it is opened:

I used the pop up circle die from Karen Burneston of Elizabeth Crafts and an awesome witch Halloween wish die from Cheery Lynn to create an interactive pop up center when the card is opened. The spiders on the front and inside are made with a die from Impression Obsession. I signed the card for my friend before taking the picture, so I covered up that part of the inside. 

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