Endless Design Opportunities with Embossed Dies!

Did you know you can emboss with your dies as well as cut with them so you can double the designing possibilities for every die you own? I was reminded of that recently by the amazing Jennifer McGuire and was so excited to try it with my new Spellbinders Platinum Six with the Universal Plate System. I love my electronic machine for die cutting but embossing especially with 3D embossing folders and dies was difficult and time consuming. With this machine, I just simply followed the directions and all embossed images were perfect each time! I had so much fun I created many different cards for my newest video here. Here is the card I create in the video:

The technique works best with background dies like the gorgeous Scrolled Punch and Pierce plate from Spellbinders I used to emboss the background in the center piece of the tri-fold card. I embossed Spellbinders new Fresh Picked Berries for the front flap and die cut for the center piece and added ink with small blending brushes on both. So we can mix and match embossing and die cutting for many more design opportunities with each set! 

I embossed the background on this card with Simon Hurley's Zig Zag Chevron die from Spellbinders and then added some die cut zig zags for fun. I didn't have a zig zag embossing folder but now I do! The cherries (from the same Fresh Picked Berries set) were embossed rather than die cut- so many extra options are exciting! The sentiment dies on both of these cards are from Spellbinders Thanks Enclosed die set. 

I also do not own a small all over butterfly embossing folder but I do have Hero Arts Butterfly Confetti Fancy Die. I was able to easily emboss pink mirror card and white pieces, then make this card with the positive and negative images connecting and the same on the sentiment die from Sue Wilson. I added a few die cut butterflies on the white side. 

As you can tell I am very excited about doubling the design possibilities with my dies and hope you will watch the new video here and give this technique a try!

I am entering the first card in the Something New challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday.

Frantic Stamper January Release Guest DT Cards

I am honored to be a guest dt member at Frantic Stamper and I had fun playing with some new dies and stamps just released by Frantic Stamper. One of my favorites of the new sets is called House Plants, and I made a fractured card with a pretty house plant as the focal point. The stamped sentiment is from a new set called House & Home. I used both of these sets on the inside of this card too:

I used both sets and the same dp on this diagonal z-fold card. As you can see, there are many plants and vases to choose from. Here is a look at the center of this fun fold card:

I hope you will check out the whole release of new dies and stamps here at Frantic Stamper. Don't forget, in addition to their own Frantic Stamper line, this website has thousands of other cardmaking supplies and dies - even Crealies! 

I am entering the first card in the Something New challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday. 

Bonus Love Card with Karen Burniston Dies

The theme of my new video this week is Love Cards and Projects featuring new dies from Karen Burniston, and to see all of them just click the link and watch. I didn't get a chance to play with the new Heart Add-ons die set before I filmed the video but did make this wedding card in time to share this week. The new Hearts Add-on (and Birthday Candle Add-on which I will share when I can) work inside the Fancy Label Accordion and make fun folding accordion cards so easy. I have a special family wedding coming up this year and this card would be perfect for the wedding couple. It stands up for display as you see here and then folds flat so the front shows as seen here:

Love Cards and Gifts with New Karen Burniston Dies

Valentine's Day is perfect for sending or giving handmade love treats and surprise pop up cards, but so is any day, right? In my new video I share cute easy to make bags and boxes made with new dies from Karen Burniston. Here are the little bags I made for treats or gift cards with the new Mini Gift Bag die set:

In the new video, I show that making these boxes with the new Candy Hearts Box die set from Karen Burniston is quick and easy, and you can fill with candy or a gift card or cash. I think both of these would be perfect for a wedding favor or at a bridal shower.

My favorite dies from Karen Burniston are her interactive pop up dies, and in this release we got the new Raising Platform die set. Here is a picture of the inside of the card I made for my grandson in the video:

The heart in the middle pops up and the best way to see that is to watch the new video here. But here is a mini video showing that action:

I made two similar cards as I have two grandsons I adore and here is the front of both of them:

I embossed the white card front with the 3D Beveled Diamonds Embossing Folder from Spellbinders and then pounced on the red color with a Picket Fence pouncer through A Colorful Life Design's Flaming Love stencil.  The sentiment die with a new shadow die is also from Karen Burniston. Here is a picture of the inside of the 2nd pop up Valentine I made:

I cut hearts with a die set from Crealies called Hearts with Little Stripes, and pounced on red color with the same stencil and pouncer, then tucked in a gift for my grandson. What ever is raised on the Raising Platform has to be folded in half and I chose "love you" and conversation hearts on the hearts on the two cards I made. 

In the video I show how easy it is to create this interactive raising platform, and I know I will use this die again and again to add fun interactive motion to my cards. Happy New Year and Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Favorite Cards of 2023

Happy New Year! Each year I pick my favorite projects that I have made and blogged (and most were also shown in a video), and create a blog post to share them. It is a fun review and there is a link under each one if you would like some more details on how they were made. 

January 2 Karen Burniston Bam Box Gift

February 27 Crealies Gatefold Pop Up

March 28 card with Spellbinders dies

April 10 Spirelli Card

May 29 Light Up Grill Card 

June 5 Stencil and Stamped Card with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps

July 26 Karen Burniston House of Cards

August 28 The Greetery dies and stamps

September 18 Cover die technique with Technique Junkies stamp

October 9 with Spellbinders and Stampendous

November 20 Crealies ornaments

December 20 Solar Paste Embossed

I had great fun playing with all the awesome dies, stencils and stamps to make these and many more cards this year. Which is your favorite? 

A Holiday Discount For You From A Colorful Life Designs

I am the guest dt member at A Colorful Life Designs in December, and I had a great time creating many layered and pounced cards for my video here. I am posting a couple each week all month and here is some great news for you:

YOU CAN SHOP AT A COLORFUL LIFE DESIGNS ALL MONTH WITH MY DISCOUNT CODE "KARENH" AND SAVE 10%! 

But you just have a few more days to take advantage of that savings! I had great fun layering stencils for the many cards I made and the card above features the Halftone Circle and Scandinavian Flowers stencils from ACLD. I pounced on embossing ink through the top stencil and added Brutus Monroe Mic Drop Embossing Powder which sparkles IRL.

My favorite stencils from A Colorful Life Designs are their Split image stencils and I think I have all of them in my stash. Here is a layered card I made with two new ones - the Split Sprigs and Split Circle with one side made with green embossing powder and a sentiment stamp also from ACLD:

I love how all the cards turned out and highly recommend you check out all the awesome stencils at A Colorful Life Designs before the new year and use my discount code KarenH to save 10%!

More Solar Paste Embossed WOW Cards

I love how this card turned out that I made in the new video here with Simon's Hurley's Solar Paste, a 3D embossing folder from Spellbinders and the LOVE letters eclipsed. I had so much fun creating metallic shifting 3D embossed backgrounds, I made 9 cards to share in the new video! 

Here are 4 more cards with a few details on each one below the picture:

I used a Sizzix 3D embossing folder, 3 colors of Solar Paste on black cardstock and a vertical greeting from Crealies on this fun fold card. 

After I applied several colors of the Solar Paste to a black piece of cardstock, I embossed it with a Tim Holtz Sizzix alphabet 3D embossing folder. I cut a gold frame (from Kat Scrappiness), embossed it with the same embossing folder and raised it up when attaching in the same location as the card front. 

The embossing folder with matching die cuts is from Simon Says Stamp, the sentiment die is from Karen Burniston, and I added spatters created with the gold Solar Paste and water. 

And this embossing folder with matching dies is also from Simon Says Stamp.

I had so much fun creating all these gorgeous cards for my new video and hope they encourage you to give some of the ideas and products a try!