What Else Can We Do With Our Dies?

I am fascinated with coming up with different ways to use my Tonic Studios dies. I explored that idea in a Take 5 article that will be published in an upcoming Scrap and Stamp Arts issue and I will be teaching some of the cards I made for that article in a class April 29-30th at Let's Create in Wisconsin Rapids. More info on that to come. Today and tomorrow I am sharing 6 different cards using Tonic Studios Plush Peony Entwining Trellis Set. Here is a peak at what the die looks like:

There are seven pieces in this die set. The flowers can be cut inside or separately from the die. There are two different outside edges and you can cut the oval without the edges too.

For the card above, I cut the oval with the flowers along the fold of a card front. The beautiful oval trellis stands up when the card is folded in half. I also die cut some of the peonies out of white and green cardstock scraps. I sponged the green ones with Pine Needles Distress Ink, and sponged the white ones with a pink ink while the flowers were still in the die. I attached the flowers with pop dots and added Nuvo Sherbert Shimmer Glitter Drops to their centers. I added some Birthday Wishes (from Everyday Sentiments Two) and a little more pink Crystal Drops to complete this card.

Sometimes we want to make an A2 sized card with a larger die set like the Plush Peony Entwining Trellis Die. One easy way to do that is to create a stencil with it and sponge ink through part of it. I used my favorite new sponging tool, a Mini Smoothie from Creative Expressions (available at Let's Create) and aqua Distress Ink. I cut the top and bottom swirls off one of the die edges for the corners and stamped an "I Love You" tag from a  Indulgence Chalkboard set.

On my last card for today, I started by embossing only the trellis oval on a white A2 card front and sponging it with green ink. I sprinkled yellow, purple, blue and green Magenta Nuance colored powders on watercolor paper and spritzed with Shimmer Mist to activate the gorgeous colors. After it was dry, I die cut a bunch of the different sized of peonies and also a few greens from the outside edge of the die. After laying them down where I wanted them on the card, I covered the arrangement with Glad Press 'n Seal to hold them in place, took them off the card and applied glue. Then I flipped them back on the card and pressed down. Here are some pictures showing this brilliant idea I found on Pinterest:

I added some Woodland Green Crystal Drops on all the flowers to complete this card. Come back tomorrow for a few more cards using this same die set in different ways.

I am entering the last card in the "We can see clearly now" challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and the second card in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Anything Goes in my last Repeat Impressions Challenge Blogpost

Happy Wednesday everyone! It's time for another fun challenge at Repeat Impressions. If there is a 5^th Wednesday in the month, the challenge is my favorite: Anything Goes! Make any card and link it up for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! For all the details on what you can win and to see the other Rock Stars cards, please visit our blog.

I am fascinated with shaker cards especially when there are more than one shaker. I used the smallest square die in Repeat Impression’s Flip Die Set to cut the three diagonal openings in the card front. Then I laid the card front on a craft sheet on an electric griddle and melted some embossing powders around the edge for a fun look. I stamped “Dream Big” and then flipped the piece over on my Scor-buddy. I applied some acetate over the square holes and created individual shakers with two layers of mounting tape around each square.  I added some colored sequins and beads to each window. Here is a picture of how that looked, and also one with the shaker elements all shook up:

I find that attaching the front to a shaker card is easiest if it is the same size as the shaker layer and I push both layers into the left upper corner of the Scor-buddy (or any scoring tool) and attach them lining it up that way.

Today is my last day on the Repeat Impression’s design team. I have been a member of the Rock Stars for over five years now. Wendy gave me my first chance to be on a design team and I have enjoyed every minute of designing with her wonderful stamps. But it is time for a change and I decided I needed to free up some time to pursue some other adventures. I thank Wendy and Bill and Repeat Impressions for everything and hope to be a part of some blog hops occasionally with my friends on this wonderful team.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Craft Your Passion.

**Don’t Forget: for a 10% discount on any size order at Repeat Impressions, make a note of my discount code (rr10kh), click on the blog badge on the side of my blog and go to the website here to shop and save!**

Die-Versions Feathers and Embossing Powder Techniques

Hope you are having a great day! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine, and I am sharing a card featuring Die-Version’s gorgeous feather die and several embossing techniques I learned from Fran of Stampendous. I die cut the Die-Versions feather die twice out of chipboard and placed them on a craft sheet on an electric griddle. I layered thick clear and then several colors of embossing powders, let them melt and then stamped them with a background stamp. I also placed the card front on the electric griddle and sprinkled gold and light blue embossing powders around the edge and let them melt. I attached the feathers with glue dots and tied them with baker’s twine.

**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 challenges at Crafting from the Heart and Craft Your Passion.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Quick post as I prepare to spend Easter with my family. I found this appropriate card in my folder of cards not blogged yet and am sharing today. I created the subtle background with my Brushos and stamped the beautiful flowers twice in the center. I think the flower stamp and the die are from Penny Black.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at Creative Fingers and Jo's Scrap Shack.

Hope you have a lovely Easter weekend.

Tonic Studios Chelsea Handbags

I have been having so much fun lately playing with my Tonic Studio dies and these are the first Chelsea handbags that I made. This Girls Night Out Chelsea Shoulder Bag die makes a perfect little gift or table decoration. It is big enough to easily hold a gift card, cash gift or small goodie, and any big or little girl would love it! This is what the backs of the two Chelsea handbags look like:

The first Chelsea bag I made I die cut out of a watercolor sheet of paper I had sprinkled with Magenta Nuance colored powders and spritzed with water. The colors of Nuance I used were purple, turquoise, yellow, raspberry and violet. After it dried, I die cut two main purse pieces and one lacy overlay piece. I embossed half the purse in a We R Memory Keepers embossing folder and then put the purse together. I added a Plush Peony flower (from the Tonic die of the same name) and a gem, and closed the purse with a velcro circle.

My second Chelsea purse was cut out of aqua blue and white cardstock. I again embossed half and attached more of the beautiful lacy overlay pieces. I created a tissue flower out of the Plush Peony dies and tinged the edges with aqua blue ink. I added my favorite white Nuvo Crystal Drops and closed the purse with another velcro circle.

**If you have time this holiday weekend, you need to check out the Weekender Specials on new Tonic Studios dies at Create and Craft. If you watch Jodie demo these dies on the website or on TV, you will see why my mouth is just watering wanting all of the new Sew Pretty Corner and Strip dies! And all the layered dies too! I learn so much from Jodie's demos each time I watch her! Check it out if you can!**

I am entering these projects in the Anything Goes challenge at Julia Spiri and Little Miss Muffet.

Thank You for your Support

It’s Crackerbox Palace Friday and today I am sharing a feminine thank you card I made with Crackerbox Palace stamps. I started the card by sponging pink ink through a stencil called Check-mate by Wendy Vecchi for Studio 490. I stamped the bra on floral pink dp and cut it out. I created a clothesline with bakers twine and hung the bra with two pink clothespins. I stamped the perfect sentiment from Crackerbox Palace and layered the card front onto a pink card base. 

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenges at 613 Avenue Create and Retarte.

Come Rain or Shine- More Likely Snow:(

The challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is "Come Rain or Shine" and I am sharing this card with some of my favorite raindrops from Designs by Ryn. But here in central Wisconsin, we are expecting a major snow storm with up to a dozen inches of heavy snow. We had gotten rid of all our snow and today I saw my first robin, but Spring is going to be delayed a bit more now:(

I started this card by stamping the Designs by Ryn water droplets along with a rainy day couple and rain lines stamps by Local King Rubber Stamps on water color paper. Then I sprinkled on a couple shades of blue Brusho Coloured Crystals and spritzed with water to release the gorgeous colors. I highlighted the water droplets with a white gel pen.  I layered the completed piece on white and then onto a black card base.

I am entering this card in the March challenge at Designs by Ryn as well as the SSS Wednesday challenge.