80th Birthday

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

A friend recently had her 80th birthday, so of course I wanted to make a special birthday card for her.

To create her card I pulled out one of the Double Concertina Gatefold die set from the Made To Surprise by Sam Calcott's Showstoppers 3 Collection.

For the "H B 2 U" in the concertina portion of the card, I used the letters from the Chunky Alphabet die set. I added hearts on either side of the letters, using a heart die from Creative Craft Products, before attaching to the card I dry embossed the smaller heart using Spellbinders Rosette Burst 3D Embossing Folder.

For the sentiment on the left side of the card, I added one of the birthday sentiments included in the Moving Along stamp set. This was stamped using Catherine Pooler's Gold ink pad.

On the right hand panel, I added the "80th" using dies from Creative Craft Products Small Numbers Galore - 80th stamp & die set.

I kept the front of the card fairly simple as the focus is on the inside. I added the circle and filigree circle for my layers. I stamped the "birthday wishes" using gold ink to the lower section of the circle. I then added the "happy" which is from the All The Sentiments die & stamp set.

To finish off the front of the card, I added the presents using one of the stamps included in the Surprise Party stamp & die set.

On the back of the card, I added a white panel and added another birthday sentiment.  I also added another present, this time from the Bringing Gifts stamp & die set from Made To Surprise. This also gives us a place to add a handwritten sentiment.

Arched Happy Birthday

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing a fun shaped birthday card with you using dies from Spellbinders Paper Crafts.

For the Arch shaped card base & layers, I used the Arch Labels & Tag die set. I cut the larger arch from dark blue cardstock and also one from white. And then counting down from the large arch as "1" I took the 3rd and 4th arch die for the layers, so I could have a larger border between the silver and dark blue base.

For the blue arch that acts as the sky I Spellbinders Cascading Streamers Embossing folder to add texture, this was the Embossing Folder the Month for November 24. The Sloth, balloons. clouds etc are all from the Birthday Bliss die set which was the Small Die of the Month for November 24. I ended up ordering the caboodle meaning I got all the products for November at a cheaper price which I received for a Christmas present.

The sentiment along the bottom of the card is one using a banner die set included in Spellbinders Advent Calendar for 2024 ... there is a banner die included in the die set I used for the rest of the card but it said Birthday Blessings and I preferred Happy Birthday for this one.

For the inside of the card I added a birthday sentiment from the Confetti Wishes which was the Clear stamp of the month for November 24. I also added a bunch of balloons to the right hand side of the panel.

Deepest Sympathy

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing another sympathy card that I created recently with you. Last year when I pulled out my Betterpress supplies in readiness to make some Christmas cards, I discovered to card panels which had been either gold foiled or Betterpressed,  one was already coloured, the other diecut using a fancy rectangle die. Of course I pulled these both out and turned them both into sympathy cards which is what I need most to add to my stash of cards right now.

This card uses the Betterpress plate that came with the Betterpress System when I purchsed it some time ago. I had gold foiled it rather than put it through the Betterpress, which is one of the things I love about Betterpress plates ... you have option! It was already die cut using the largest die in Pinkfresh Studios Rounded & Braided Rectangles die set. After colouring the image, I layered it onto some gold cardstock, rounding two of the corners to match the white panel.

I created a 5 x 7 inch side folding card, and added a panel to the front which I embossed using Spellbinders Rosette Burst 3D Embossing Folder. I then added the floral panel to the card.

To finish off the card I added the sympathy senitment which is also gold foiled and is from Spellbinders Mini Everyday Messages Hot Glimmer Plate.

For the inside of the card, I added a panel the same as I used on the front of my card. I gold embossed a sentiment using Honey Bee Stamps Rainbow Bridge stamp set. 

Slimline Sympathy

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

I received a Spellbinders Scout Die Cutting Machine for Christmas, I love that it is slimline size having a Slimline length cutting plate. With the machine came a slimline embossing folder exclusive to the Blue Misty Scout that I received. Of course I wanted to play with it so I created these 5 Slimline Sympathy cards.

I needed to a few sympathy cards to my stash, they are not cards we like to make and hopefully won't need to use for a long time, but I like to have a few on hand so I have one when needed.

For my cards today I inked the debossed side of the embossing folder using Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide inks before running the panel though my Scout Die Cutting Machine. This machine even comes with plates for 3D embossing folders which by the way this plate is.

I layered the panel onto a piece of purple cardstock and then onto a side folding Slimline card.

I used Spellbinders Mini Everyday Sentiments Glimmer Hot Foil Plate to gold foil my sentiment, which I adhered to the lower portion of the card.

To finish the card I added some Pinkfresh Studios Glacier Jewels to the lower portion of the card.

For the inside of my card, I pulled out my Paper Inspirations Sympathy wood mounted stamp and stamped it using Catherine Pooler Gold Ink. This is my favourite sympathy sentiment I have and works perfectly on a slimline card being so long.

January 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our January Karen Burniston Designer Challenge.

Check out Karen Burniston's blog on Wednesday (US Time) when you will be able to see what all the designers created for the challenge this month, plus Karen will have an amazing video tutorial to share with us all.

Our challenge theme this month is ... "THE FIRST 100 DIES" - Make a card using any of our die sets with item numbers between 1001 and 1100.

My first thought when deciding what to create for this challenge was to make a card using the Katherine Label Pop-up, as this would have to be my most used die. But it was for this reason I decided not to use it and looked in another direction.

Instead I decided to pull out my Fancy Label Accordion die set as this would have been one of the very first Karen Burniston dies I purchased back in 2013 when Karen was designing for Sizzix. Of course there are many improvements on the newer dies from the thick steel rule dies of the past. 

I wanted a colourful card, so I selected the four striped colours included in a pattern paper pad I have and used a differed colour for each of the 4 panels.

To decorate my card I used the Ice Cream Sundae Pop-up die set, using the elements that make up the Ice Cream Sundae for the first and third panels of my card.

On the centre panel I added the "You're Sweet" Sentiment, layering it up to give it some dimension.

For something different, I decided to add a square panel at the end of the accordion card. I have done this before but it was a number of years ago. Besides being able to add another sentiment, it gives a place on the back to be able to write a personal greeting to the recipient.

I used the Ovals Crosshatch for the layers of my card and then added the "Happy Birthday" sentiment. This sentiment does now have a layering die which you can purchase separately, but as it didn't fit into the theme "The First 100 dies" I didn't use it. Everything I used on my card today are from the first 100 dies.

The hearts which I added to the last panel are from the Heart Pivot Panels die set.

Here is a look at my card when it is closed ready to be placed in an envelope.

Don't forget to visit Karen Burniston's blog on Wednesday (US Time) when you will be able to see what all the designers created for the challenge this month.

Another Year Older

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing a birthday card I created recently.

This card uses Made To Surprise by Sam Calcott's 5 x 7 Secret Messages die set. Rather than using the die to create a Secret Message Card, I added a few score lines to the centre portion of the card as per a video by Sam to create the Faceted Diamond Pop-up. 

I added the birthday sentiment to the centre of the card which is also one of Made To Surprise stamp sets.

For the front of the card, I added a yellow panel to my 5 x 7 card which I embossed using Spellbinders Rosette Burst 3D Embossing Folder. 

I used the "Happy" word from Made To Surprise's All the Sentiments die set to add the happy and the birthday is a stamp also included in this set.

To finish the card, I added some balloons using dies included in Spellbinders Birthday Bliss die set, which was the November small die of the month.

 

Let's Celebrate You

Hi Crafty Friends!

Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2025 is good for us all! 

For my card today I am sharing a Triple Tier Slider card, I have made a few of these over the years, but I love having a die set that cuts everything out for you. This is a 5 x 7 inch card and uses Made To Surprise by Sam Calcott’s Triple Tier Slider die set which was released a while back by Craft Stash. 

To decorate the main panel of my card, I used the cute mouse & boot which are two die sets from Elizabeth Craft Designs. 

When you pull the tab that is showing at the top of the card it reveals a sentiment. This is also from Made To Surprise.

Pulling the tab at the top once more reveals another panel that contains a birthday sentiment which is from the same stamp set.

To finish the card, I added the ‘eek’ word three times randomly around the mouse.

2024 Year In Review

  Hi Crafty Friends,

Well we only have a couple more days left of 2024, so as I have done in past years I will share some of my favourite creations I have made in the past year.

It is always hard to select just one or two cards / projects for each month, however this year due to illness I haven't been able to post as much as I normally would have. In fact there are some months where I didn't post anything at all. So while I normally would spread this review over two days I don't think I need to this year. Hopefully next year I will be able to post a little more then I have this year, fingers crossed anyway!

Here is the selection I came up with, if you click on the card it will take you to the original post.

January

February

March

April

July

October

November

December

Thanks for looking, if you got this far.

Supplies:

Please refer to the individual blog post for supply lists for any of the cards above.