Spooky Double Embossed Halloween Card with Die-Versions Dies

Happy Monday everyone! It's my turn to post a card on Die-Version's blog and mine, and I am sharing this spooky Halloween card featuring Die-Versions Spooky Fence Die. I created the background using a favorite new technique with embossing powders and embossing folders that I discovered here. I applied black and brown Staz-On ink directly on the aluminum foil I had wrapped around a thicker piece of cardstock. I applied Versamark ink to a spooky eyes embossing folder from Darice and ran it through my die cut/embossing machine. Then I dumped on black, gold and brown embossing powders in a random pattern and melted them with my heat gun. The last step in this technique is to sponge black archival or Staz-on ink around the edges and to highlight some of the embossed eyes. I cut the Spooky Fence die out of black glossy paper and attached it to complete this Halloween card. Here is a close-up of the spooky double embossed background:

 **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, and in the Halloween challenge at Simon Says Stamp  Monday Challenge.

Early Holiday Wishes 4 Kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids

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

We have two very generous sponsors for this challenge: Bugaboo is giving their winner 7 digis of their choice! And the winner from Dies R Us 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.

I used a super sweet colored digi from Bugaboo called Clyde's Christmas on my card for this challenge. I printed him and attached him to a red card base and added "Jingle Bells" from Die-Versions to complete the CAS card.

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

Tonic Studio Presents Two Very Different Ways

Today it’s my turn to post a project on Blog Tonic USA and here on my blog. I love it when a die is so versatile it can be used for Christmas cards during the holidays and for birthday cards anytime of the year! I also love fun folds so I am sharing two fun folds and also two uses for the Christmas Present Rococo Die. My first card is a four way card I learned how to make here. I cut two sides out of holiday cardstock from Tonic’s Winter Wonderland 8x8 Premium Paper Pack and two sides out of dark green cardstock. I die cut a large circle in the center of all four sides with a die from the Circle Layering Die Set. I die cut the Christmas Present twice out of dark green cardstock and applied the new soon to be released Nuvo Garnet Red Glimmer Paste to both sides. I attached a piece of thread between the layers as I glued them together. When you put the four sides together, the sparkly ornament hangs down on the thread and swings freely. I added my holiday wishes for everyone – Peace, Joy and Love – cut out from the Christmas Wishes 8x8 Paper Pack as shown in this view:

My second card is a 21st birthday card with a fun pop up center that I learned how to make here from the brilliant Edna on our sister Blog Tonic in the UK.  For the front of the card, I die cut two Christmas Presents but colored them with Pink Opal and Sapphire Blue Glimmer Pastes for a sparkly pastel finish. I die cut and attached the Happy Birthday Pansy Topper and added some English Mustard Crystal Drops and pre-made Purple Rain Glitter Drops (made on mini glue dots for so easy attachment whenever you are ready to use them.) The real fun part of this card is on the inside. Take a look:

 I discovered in coloring the front birthday presents using my finger tool with the soon to be released Glimmer Pastes that the negative image left on the paper below the die cut is even prettier than the positive die cut! I just love the look left behind! Check it out on the close up picture below. I die cut Happy (from the same Happy Birthday Pansy Topper Set) and the 21 with numeral dies from the Advent Treat Squeeze Box Set.

 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: Christmas Present Die, Circle Layering Die, Happy Birthday Pansy Topper Die Set, Advent Treat Squeeze Box Die Set, Garnet Red, Pink Opal and Sapphire Blue Nuvo Glimmer Pastes, Tonic Winter Wonderland and Christmas Wishes 8x8 Premium Paper Packs, Tonic Tangerine Die Machine, Tonic Advantage V Blade Trimmer, Tonic Funky Glue Pen; Other: mini glue dots

I am entering these cards in the Anything Goes challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Peaceful Church Christmas Card

We received so many beautiful dies this month in our Tonic USA blog package I could not stop with only three cards designed (which is the number we blog each month on the team.) I still had some BARC wood paper from last month's collaboration with ARC Crafts so I cut the Ornate Church and the inside peace dove (from the Mistletoe Wreath Frame Set) out of the BARC wood paper. We are featuring Nuvo embossing powders this month (from Tonic of course) so I decided to add some aging to the Ornate Church. I swiped some Versamark over just parts of the church and dumped Hot Chocolate Embossing Powder, then melted with my heat gun. I also applied and heat set Nuvo Classic Gold Embossing Powder to the cross. Here is a close up of the Ornate Church:

The green card base was cut 5 1/2" x 11" and I marked the center of the card without folding it. Then I die cut the Mistletoe Bow Header in the center of the cardbase, folded the card and added Autumn Red Crystal Drops to make berries on the Mistletoe. I die cut the beautiful Rising Dove out of Tonic gold mirror card and attached it with its wings raised for flight. 

I am entering this card in the Powder Power challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.

Peaceful Heated and Dry Embossing Christmas Card

The challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge is Powder Power- or to use embossing powder on our projects we link to the challenge. I am sharing a Christmas card using my favorite new embossing powder technique that I learned about on this blog post. The background is made with aluminum foil over a thicker cardstock piece and the first step is to apply Staz-On ink direct to the aluminum foil. I used black and green Staz-on on this piece. Then I applied Versamark ink to the front or flatter side of a Richard Garay pine needles embossing folder and put the aluminum foil piece face down on the Versamarked side and embossed it. I dumped green, copper and gold embossing powders randomly and heated them with my heat gun. The last step is to sponge the edges and highlight the embossing with black archival or Staz-on ink. I love this look! I attached the completed double embossed piece to a green card base. The red ornament was created using a piece of Tonic red mirror card attached to a thick cardstock with two sided tape paper. I did not want the inside pieces of the Memory Box ornament to fall out when the die was cut. I attached the ornament hanging on a thin washi tape and completed the card with a beautiful "peace" wish from Ellen Hutson. I am teaching this card in my in home classes this month and then it will be sent in to Scrap and Stamp Arts for an article on this technique.

Christmas Blessings Pull Charm Card

If you follow me, you know I love interactive and fun fold cards and I have been having so much fun playing with my new dies from Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Crafts! This is the card I designed for the classes I teach in my home. I used several designer cardstock weight papers as well as kraft and green cardstock and created the frame for the pull element. The little hanging tree is another Karen Burniston die which is part of the Holiday Charms collection. I stamped "Wishing You" (an old Printworks stamp) because when you pull the tab, this is what you see:

My Christmas wishes for you and all - Love, Hope and Peace. I punched a label in the green base and again in kraft, stamped the wishes (older stamp from CTMH) and then inlaid it so that it lays flat. I added another lovely Christmas die in the inside (from Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions) and am sharing another view of the front as well: 

Wine Lovers Interactive Birthday Card

I am having so much fun with the new Hanging Charm Pull Tab die by Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Crafts. For this wine lovers birthday card, I decided not to have a hanging element, but to attach a wine glass (cut with a die from My Creative Time) to the side of the pull up window frame. Here is a look at the card before the pull tab is pulled:

I cut the base and the frame of the Hanging Charm Pull Tab out of black cardstock with white script text on it. I cut the pull tab part out of red cardstock. All the wine stamps on this card are from a new set by Inspired by Stamping. The "Celebrate" was cut out with a die from Tonic Studios in red mirror card (also from Tonic.) I added some sequins on the front and the red pull tab. When the baker's twine is pulled, the top frame stands up like this: 

I stamped one more wine birthday wish from the same set by Inspired by Stamping that shows when the tab is pulled by it's recipient. I know many wine lovers who would love and display this card.

I am entering this card in the Happy Birthday challenge at Scrapy Land.