September 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our September 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 ... "LETTER" - How will you interpret this challenge? Does "letter" meana piece of mail? Or does "letter" mean an actual letter? You decide!

As you can see I decide to opt for the "Piece of Mail" definition for this challenge. I pulled out both the Postage Pop-up and Mail Box Pop-up die sets to create a large pop-up postage stamp which features a mail or letter box which ever you prefer to call it.

I die cut the main die from the Postage Pop-up from white cardstock and also sky patterned paper, trimmed around the edge of the sky panel and layered the two together.

After adding my mailbox decoration to this panel, I decided to add some of the faux post stamps from the Special Delivery Clear Stamp set.

To decorate the card a little further, I added the fence from the Fence Add-ons die set and the fence along the edge of all three red polka dot panels. I added the grass from the die set and also added a row of envelopes/letters along the bottom of the card.

I added the sentiment to another panel from the postage pop-up die set adding the heart wings to the corner. I also added a paper airplane to the top right hand corner of the card.

For the front, I echoed much of what I did on the inside, adding the mail box behind the fence and changing up the colour, so it looked like another mailbox. I added another of the sentiments from the Special Delivery Clear Stamp set, to the fence.

I added another couple of envelopes/letters to each side of the fence and added another paper plane so it would appear to be landing on the mailbox.

August 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our August 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 ... "BOTTOM FOLD CARDS" - Let's flip things up and make some pop-ups in bottom fold cards.

For my card for this challenge I decided to create something that is a blast from the past… a file folder card. I made my card so the finished card measures 5 x 7 inches. I trimmed 1/2 inch from the top of the front of the card before adding my tabs. For the tabs I used my Envelope Punch Board from We R Memory Keepers, punching at the edge and then at 2 1/2 inches on both the front & the back.

For the inside of my card I added the Little Labels Pop-up die to create the pop up portion of the card. I madded the presents from the Big Birthday Charm die set to mimic the patterned paper on the front. The sentiment on the centre label is from the Seasons of Cheer Clear Stamp set.

On the lower panel on the inside I added the poinsettia using the Poinsettia die set. I added a large label from te Lorna Labels die set to add a personal message. 

To finish off my card I added the Merry Christmas sentiment using the Merry Christmas Lorna Add-ons die set.

July 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our July 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 ... "RAINBOW" - This can be an actual rainbow, or you can use it as a colour or shape prompt.

For my card today it wasn't hard to decide to use the new Arch Pop-up die set with the Rainbow Add-ons die set to create my rainbow themed card. As my previous card I made using this set was an A6 card, I decided to make a Slimline card this time around 4 inches x 8 1/2 inches. Last time I also created a pastel rainbow, so this time I went for the more traditional bright rainbow.

As suggested by Karen's Rainbow Assembly video, I create three rainbows using all my die cut pieces, I used the rainbow with the correct order for the pop-up on the inside of the card. I used the other two to decorate the back of the rainbow pop-up and the front of the card.

I used cloud patterned paper that I found in my stash recently for the base of my card. I used the grass die from the Curved Edges die set to create the grass along the bottom of the card.

The large clouds that have my sentiments were created by using the cloud die included in the Curved Edges die set. After die cutting the card once, I then repositioned the die to the bottom and kept diecutting until I got the shape I wanted.

As I wanted to make this a birthday card, I added presents using the present dies included in the Gift Pivot Panels die set which I added to the grass area.

I also added a few party hats using the Birthday Charms die set which i added to a few of the clouds.

Here is a few of my card when it is partly open, you can see how I used one of the other rainbows I created to decorate the back of the pop-up rainbow. It looks so much nicer than having a white backing piece.

For the front of the card, I used pretty much the same layout that I used on the inside, adding the cloud patterned paper and grass. 

I added one of the rainbows I created when I die cut all the rainbow pieces so it stretched from the sky to the grass. I decorated the rainbow with the sun and clouds included in the Rainbow Add-ons die set.

I added another rainbow themed sentiment using the Rainbow Greetings die set. The large cloud is another I created by diecutting the cloud die from the Curved Edges die set twice (top and bottom).

Finally to finish off the card, I added some presents to the bottom of the rainbow. If it's not a pot of gold, why not presents for a birthday!

June 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our June 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 ... "ANIMALS & CHARACTERS" - Use any of our Animal or Character dies (Gnomes and People count) for a card of any theme

My first thought when I started making my card was to create a baby card using the animals from the Safari Animals die set, but as you can see I ending up making a birthday card.

I used the Lorna Label Pop-up die set to create a double pop up. I used the grass from the Nature Edges die set to add grass to the top label of the pop up.

I gave the elephant a candle which is from the Big Birthday Charms die set, The balloons the giraffe is holding is from the Lorna Label Add-ons Happy Birthday die set.

Along the top edge of the card, I added the vines & monkey from the Monkryband Lion die set.

The sentiment on the lower label of the pop up is from the Birthday Belated Clear Stamp set.

To finish off the inside of the card I added two presents which are from the Big Birthday Charms die set.

I have been wanting to create a shaker card for some time, so for this card I created a full front shaker using packaging from a stamp set.

I added the birthday sentiment which is from the Lorna Label Add-ons Happy Birthday die set.

I added another giraffe, elephant and monkey to the front of the card. 

 

May 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our May 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 ... "MAKE IT FLUFFY" - You decide what's fluffy - is it an animal? Clouds? Something in the Kitchen? Incorporate something fluffy into your design.

When I started thinking about what could be classed as fluffy, I decided to go with cupcakes ... you have the yummy fluffy batter the cupcakes are made from and of course the frosting! For the cupcakes I used the Cupcake Add-Ons die set. 

For the pop-up mechanism, I used the Triple Platform Pop-up die set. I used the labels that came in the die set to add to each of the platform panels, plus one for a signature. I also added a cupcake themed sentiment using the Sweet Treats Clear Stamp set.

I also added the "You're Sweet!" sentiment to the lower left hand corner of the card.

As the focus of the card is the inside, I kept the front of my card simple. Adding two sentiments to the oval panels which were die cut using the Crosshatch Ovals die set. and then adding two more cupcakes.

The Sentiments are from the Sweet Treats and the Birthday/Belated Clear Stamp sets.

 

April 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our April 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 ... DESIGNER'S CHOICE" - it's a wide open challenge! Make whatever you want!

With Easter less than a couple of weeks away, I decided to create an Easter themed card for this months challenge. I thought all the tiny easter elements included in some of the smaller die sets (charms, etc) would work well with the Postage Pop-up die set, so I pulled that out to use for the main pop-up element of my card.

I like making 5 x 7 cards, which is what I made for my card today and seeing it is a larger size I decided to add two postage pop up elements on my card ... one of the right and one of the left.

The patterned paper I used for my card, I used the stripes horizontally for the background panels and then used the same paper but with the stripes going vertically for the postage pop up panels.

For the bunny and the chick in the egg I used dies from the Spring Animals die set. The Happy Easter and the pink and purple Easter eggs are from the Easter Charms die set.

The Easter Basket is from the Animal Add-ons 5 die set which I filled with Easter eggs using dies from the Easter Borders die set. The row of white bunnies is also from this die set.

Finally I added a large flower and leaves using dies from the Twist Flower Pop-up die set.

For the front of my card, I created an Easter Bunny ... I used the bunny elements from the Animal Add-ons 5 die set along with a large oval die from the Crosshatch Ovals die set. I surround the bunny with flowers using flowers from the Twist Flower Pop-up die set.

March 2025 Karen Burniston Designer Challenge

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to our March 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 ... "LAKE OR OCEAN" - Fish, Cruise, Sail or Row - where will you go?

As you can see by my card above, I decided to select the "Ocean" for my card this month. I was so excited last year when Karen release the Pirate Ship add-on die set to go with the Boat Pop-up die set ... I have quite a collection of pirate stamps and dies here. But because I was ill during that release I didn't get around to making anything with it. So I decided to pull it our for my card this time around.

For my card this month, I decided to create a Slimline Gatefold card. my card measures 4inches x 8 1/2 inches when closed. The pirate ship is just under 4 inches when it is folded in a card. so it just fits nicely. I made up the pirate ship before doing anything else, to make sure it fitted what i had in mind.

I didn't want to just have the pirate ship in the ocean, so I decided to have my slimline card as a gatefold card.  

Here is a better view of the pirate ship, I added three dolphins (one is behind the ship) to the card which are from the Set Sail Borders Die Set.

I added a birthday sentiment from the Pirates Sentiments Clear Stamp set to the Crosshatch Banner,  to the lower left side of my card. I added a pirate hat and sword to the banner both of which are from the Pirate Borders die set.

I also added an anchor to the ship which is also from the Set Sail Borders die set.

On the right hand side of the card, I added the beach scene, starting with the palm tree from the Palm Tree Pop-up die set. Fortunately, like the Pirate ship, the palm tree closes straight rather than at an angle so both work well in a slimline card. 

I added the pirates using the new Paper People die set as well as the Tiny Accessories die set for the bandana hat and eye path and the Pirate Borders for the swords and black pirate hat.

I also added the treasure chest and jewels which are all from the Pirate Borders die set.

I added another Crosshatch Banner to the top right hand side of my card, adding another sentiment from the sentiment stamp set and another of the hats and swords as I did on the previous banner.

I Ialso added another treasure chest to the bottom of the card. You can also see the boy pirate a little better in this photo above.

As the focus of this card is all on the inside, I kept the outside fairly simple. I added the water patterned paper to both flaps and added a belly band to keep the card closed.

I added two more sentiments to the Crosshatch Hexagon panels, along with another sword and pirate hat.

The front flap on the left side of my card is 5 inches and the front flap on the right is 3 3/4 inches, which gives a slight overlap .

And finally I added a panel on the back of the card, as a place to write a personal greeting for the recipient of the card. I added the skull & crossbone border along the bottom of the panel. This border is another from the Pirates Border die set.