Do Frivolous Things - Always There Release by Simon Says Stamp

Hello crafty friends!  Today is the day for Simon Says Stamps' new release called Always There!  My card today features these products from this awesome release!

• Sunblush Flowers die set
• Sparkler Scallop Frames die set
• Dot Petal Pattern stencil
• Frankly, My Dear stamp set 

My first step was to make the stenciled background.  This is a pretty ombre texture paste background.  I tinted three dabs of texture paste by first smooshing Cheeky, Blush, and Pucker inks onto my glass craft mat.  After I mixed the inks into the paste I spread each shade through the Dot Petal Pattern stencil, darkest to lightest.  (All of the ink colors I used are in the list below.)

While that was drying, I die cut white cardstock with the dies in the Sunblush Flowers die set.  I used ink blending brushes and the same inks as above to color the flower die cuts.  To color the leaves I used Sprout and Fairway inks.  I adhered the layers together with glue.

Next I die cut vellum with a Sparkler Scallop Frames die.  Using my MISTI, after adding some anti-static powder, I stamped this sentiment from the Frankly, My Dear stamp set with clear embossing ink.  I added white embossing powder and heat set it.  You may think the sentiment looks a bit light, but in real life it’s just right and very easy to read.

Then I used a few drops of glue to adhere the Sunblush flowers and leaves to the vellum.  As you may know, it can be tricky to adhere vellum because it is semi-transparent and foam adhesive will show through.  Having the flowers on the vellum makes it easy to hide the foam adhesive by adding it directly behind the flowers.  I used some thick glue dots that I stretched out to be just under the top line of the sentiment.  Even in real life, I cannot see it!

I love the white embossed sentiment on vellum that allows the pretty pattern from the stencil to show through!  

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to head over the Simon's website to check out all of the other awesome products in this release!

I can't say how much I appreciate those of you who use my affiliate links to shop (there's never any additional cost to you)!

Gift Card Holder & Card With Loads Of Fun Textures!

Hello crafty friends!  Today I am happy to share with you this fabulous card and gift card holder I made featuring Honey Bee Stamps awesome Lovely Layers: Wallet Honey Cuts!  I love adding lots of texture to masculine cards since, obviously, I wouldn't use flowers for such a card, right?!  Haha!  Check out the details below.

Before I get into my card details, have you heard???  This evening the new Chapter & Charm CARD KIT will be available after the release party, scheduled for 7 pm CDT, on Honey Bee's YouTube channel.  Here is the caption of the description:

Turn the page to something special with our Chapter & Charm Card Kit.  Filled with beautifully coordinated book-themed stamps and dies, this charming collection is perfect for celebrating book lovers, teachers, librarians, and anyone who treasures a good story.

From cozy reading moments to heartfelt sentiments, Chapter & Charm, is designed to help you create cards and projects that are truly one for the books.

I began by constructing the wallet using the dies in the Lovely Layers: Wallet.  First I die cut the various pieces for the wallet from some medium gray cardstocks.

Next I pressed clear embossing ink onto the Tooled Leather 3D embossing folder.  Then I used a brayer to ink up the smooth side of the embossing folder with Weathered Wood Distress Oxide ink.  Then I placed the front part of the wallet die cut into the folder and ran it through my die cutting machine.  I repeated these steps for the back side of the wallet.

I wanted the Wallet to have an aged, well-worn look, so I used a blending brush and a couple different brown inks from my stash to ink the edges and a bit more into the middle portions too.

The die cuts for the inside of the Wallet were inked in the same manner, just not embossed.  I folded the scored tabs and added glue to the tabs to adhere the pieces inside the wallet.  There's a die cut included in the Lovely Layers: Wallet that is perfect to hold a gift card to fit into the open portion.

The card base is A7 size.  I used a dark brown-gray cardstock and a piece of patterned paper from the Urban Roots paper pad (a necessity I love for masculine cards) for the base layers.

I took another strip of the brown-gray cardstock, trimmed it to about 2", and tore the edge with my fingers.  Then I placed it into the Tooled Leather 3D embossing folder to emboss it.  I inked the edges with a dark brown ink and glued it to my card.

The sentiments are from the Heart Of Our Family stamp set.  I stamped them in brown ink onto gray cardstock and then cut them out with the coordinating dies.

To finish up, I added a few coordinating enamel dots on the wallet and around the sentiment.

So what do you think about all of the texture, embossing and inking?  I hope you like it as much as I do!  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope your day is crafty and very good!

P.S.:  Don't forget to check out the Chapter & Charm Card Kit--the kits sold out so fast last time!

I hope you know how much I appreciate it when you use my affiliate links to shop (never any additional cost to you)!

May The Future Bring You Much Success -- Scrappy Tails Crafts

Hey, crafty friends!  I have another card I made as a guest designer for Scrappy Tails Crafts.  This is a fun and dimensional pop-up tunnel card that I made that folds flat to fit into a 5" x 7" envelope!  I watched this YouTube to see exactly how to assemble this Japanese Cherry Blossom Square Tunnel Pop-Up Card die, which was a lot easier than I'd imagined!

If you are familiar with Scrappy Tails Crafts you know that they have some of the most unique and incredible dies to create unusual and amazing cards! 

I got very creative with the A7 Bamboo Cover Plate die and came up with an easy way to size it down to fit with the Japanese Cherry Blossom Square Tunnel Pop-Up Card die.

I die cut the Bamboo Cover Plate die three times--once each from white, green, and a darker green cardstock.  I used my Copics to color the white cardstock.

Next I used a ruler and pencil for the next steps.  I measured the Square Tunnel Pop-Up Card die for size.  Then I planned where each Bamboo layer needed to be trimmed and drew a pencil line.  I took a narrow strip of card stock and glued one just below the pencil line of each layer.  

Check out these process photos for a visual of this.

This blue panel is the back layer and what I used as a guide for measuring.

Strips glued along pencil line.

I turned this panel upside down so the bamboo would be off set from the other layers.

Once I had the strips glued in place, I used my guillotine paper trimmer to cut of the excess.  This was SO easy!!  I glued the small die cut bamboo leaves in place before assembly.

I die cut and glued together the layers of this cute panda that is the Panda Bear Freebie set, free with a qualifying purchase, while supplies last.

These bamboo panels were glued to the back of the openings of the Square Tunnel Pop-up Card base.  Note:  I die cut this four times.

The sentiment is from the Good Fortune Koi stamp set.  After I trimmed it into a strip, I added glue to adhere it.

I tucked a few extra bamboo leaves around the bear and sentiment for a little bit of extra something!

Here's one final photo showing the card flat and in an A7 envelope.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my card and the process of making it.  I'm still really surprised how easy this was to size down the A7 Bamboo Cover Plate die cuts!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I sure hope you will check out Scrappy Tails Crafts and support Sabrina and her small and wonderful company!

Celebrating You...Every Single Day

Hello crafty friends!  Do you ever make a card and just totally love it?  It doesn't happen as much as I like, but today's card is one!  I've used a few of Honey Bee Stamps latest release products, including the Lovely Layers: Mini Spring Florals, the Tooled Leather 3D embossing folder (how many times have I used it now?), and a couple other wonderful sets.

First I die cut white cardstock with the dies for the Bearded Iris and the stemmed floral that are in the Lovely Layers: Mini Spring Florals.  I used blending brushes and inks in coordinating shades of yellow, purple, and green to color the layers each Bearded Iris.  I used Bee Creative Glue to adhere the layers together.

I love adding these soft colors in one of my top color combinations!  Next I die cut more white cardstock with the dies for this cute bow that's in the Accessorize It: Charmed die set.  I used the same yellow inks to color the layers with blending brushes.  After I glued the layers together (the little knot is popped up with a foam from the new ¼" White Honeycomb Foam adhesive).  I used my white Gelly Roll 10 pen to add dots all over.

The card base is A2 sized and I embossed a white cardstock panel with, my now favorite, Tooled Leather 3D embossing folder.  I smooshed two of the mid-tone purple and yellow inks onto a large stamping block and diluted the ink with some water.  I added splatters of both colors along the embossed panel from the bottom left to the top right.  I made sure to dry one color with my heat tool before splattering the next color.

After I glued the embossed panel to my card base I began to arrange the Mini Spring Florals.  I used glue and a few foam adhesives to stick them to the card front.

The sweet sentiments are from the Heart Of Our Family stamp set, stamped in black pigment ink, cut out with the coordinating dies, and then popped up on the card with foam strips.

I love Bearded Irises and really like the soft colors of this card!  I hope you do too, and are inspired by my card!

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope is a good one for you!

I always so appreciate those of you that use my affiliate links to shop (never any additional cost to you)!

Congrats Card with Watercoloring, Texture Paste, and Stencils

Hello crafty friends!  Today I'm sharing my heat embossed and watercolored card I made with the gorgeous Perfect Peonies stamp set and Honey Cuts.

First I used a piece of the pink cardstock from the Hive Hues Garden Party cardstock pack.  I trimmed it to 4-¼" x 5-½" and then placed the Geometric stencil from the Luxurious Lines stencil set over the panel.

I spread some transparent matte texture paste through the stencil, applying it just to two corners.  I set it aside to dry and immediately cleaned up the stencil and the pallet tool.

When the texture paste had dried, I added just a bit of coordinating ink with an ink blending brush.  Then I added splatters with a very diluted solution of the same paint I used on the flowers.

Next I stamped one of the gorgeous florals from the Perfect Peonies stamp set with clear embossing ink onto Bristol Smooth cardstock.  Note:  I treated the cardstock panel with an anti-static pouch before stamping.

Then I added silver embossing powder over the stamped image and used my heat tool to set the powder.

Now let me tell you, my watercoloring skills are not very strong.  Therefore, I tried to keep the watercoloring very simple by first applying my lightest shade of color first.  After that dried I went in with a darker concentration of that same color to add just a bit of dimension.

Once my watercoloring had dried I cut it out with the coordinating Perfect Peonies die.  I added foam tape to the back to pop it up on the card front and trimmed off any leaves that were over the edges of the card.

The sentiment is one of six included with the Perfect Peonies stamp set.  After I heat embossed it in silver on white cardstock, I cut it out with the coordinating die.

I added a few coordinating Pastel Pearl Stickers around the sentiment and floral for a touch of bling.

I hope I've inspired you to try your hand at this simple watercoloring style!  It was actually very enjoyable for me.  Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out my reel I will have later today on my Instagram!

Thank you so much for shopping with my affiliate links (never any additional cost to you)!

Thanks For Being You -- Everyday City Holiday Collection by Yana Smakula For Spellbinders

Hello crafty friends!  Happy Sunday, and if you're a mom, happy Mother's Day!!  And happy release day for this new collection of add-ons for the City Holiday Collection die sets.  This collection is the Everyday City Holiday collection and was designed by the amazing Yana Smakula and these new sets give the adorable house all of the springtime feels!

I die cut colored and white cardstocks using the dies in the City Holiday, Everyday Awnings, and Everyday Windows, Curtains and Flower Boxes set.  These two add-on sets are also available in a bundle with savings.   For once, and I do not remember the last time, I did not add any type of shading with ink or markers!!!  Haha!  All of the colors of available cardstock I used are in the list below.

I wanted to keep this sweet card on a more pastel side, and finally, I think I succeeded!  I got my bright color in by using a pretty bright blue cardstock for the layer behind the City Holiday piece.

There is a coordinating Welcome Home Sentiments Press + Foil Plates & Die Set.  I don't have this set, but it's definitely in my wish list!  I found a sentiment that I loved for this card in the A Little Message Sentiments Press Plates & Die Set.  This set also foils beautifully!

I used Black Glimmer Foil and Glimmer Specialty Cardstock with my Glimmer System to create this sentiment.  I love how this gives the appearance of a stamped sentiment, but it is just so crisp and neat!  I used a few foam squares to pop it up on the card.

This set is just so fun and makes a gorgeous holiday card as well!  Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope it's a great day for you!

Thank you for using my affiliate links to shop (never any additional cost to you)!

Hope Your Summer Starts Off Right

Hello friends!  The Spellbinders May Club Kits are now open for new subscribers!!  This month's Club Kits are absolutely fun and perfect for the upcoming summer months of sun, fun, and travel!

My card features three of the May Club Kits:  Radiant Day (3D Embossing Folder), Ready To Roll (Small Die Club), and Burst Of Summer (Clear Stamp + Dies).

I love this little pup in the suitcase!  Our sweet Baxter, a Maltese, ALWAYS knows when I/we are going on a trip!  I feel certain that, if he could, he'd be right inside my suitcase!!!

This awesome background is white cardstock embossed with the May 3D Embossing Folder called Radiant Day.  I used glue to adhere it to an A2 card base.

Next I die cut the Ready To Roll (May's Small Die set) from white cardstock and a few different colored cardstocks.  On a few of the pieces, I used some Copic markers to add just a bit of shading.

After I glued the layers together, I added foam tape to the back of the piece to pop it up on the card front.

There are 14 sentiments in the Burst Of Summer, May's Clear Stamp + Die set!!!  I stamped two of them with black pigment ink and cut them out with the coordinating dies.   There are dies for all 14 sentiments!!

I added foam strips to the back of the sentiments to adhere them to my card.

This card is so adorable!  Also, I forgot to mention that there is are die to add a cute cat to the scene!  I'm somewhat allergic to cats, so understandably, I'm not as inclined to use those.  Haha!

Be sure to check out the details of how easy a Club Kit membership is!  I have been thrilled to create with these three Club Kits each month!!

I am so grateful when you use my affiliate links to shop (never any additional cost to you)!