All Kinds of Wonderful Card

 My goodness!  If you are a lover of stacking dies - Elephantastic is the way to go.  Altenew has a tiny arrow imbedded in this die, so when you layer them up, it's easy to place them perfectly.  Only the top layer doesn't have the arrow.  Meaning those dies that have a "helper" and the placement is not obvious - that arrow rocks!  When I first saw this die I was drawn to it, such perfect details.  Social Media is full of reels with baby elephants lately and I just can't look away.

This card came together with Ocean Waves Bold Back ground stamp in my MISTI using Grassy Knoll ink.  The trimmed piece is backed with black card stock.  Empress Elite makes die cutting Elephantastic on Fog Card stock easy peasy. Bearly Arts Glue is my glue of choice lately and like I said above those elephants were quick to assemble.  Finally Skinny Sentiment Strips 1 placed in my MISTI made stamping with Versafine Onyx ink fast and aligned.

Have a great day and keep on stamping!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Birthday Card Using My Stash

When I started card making there were a several favorite companies and one was The Stamps of Life.  Pulling out an oldie Die Set called Framelits Drop-Ins.  I searched for a link but alas, no luck.  I highly recommend The Stamps of Life Dies, especially the Flip-its, Step-Ups and other card bases, they are very versatile for many occasions, a true bang for your buck!

  

Hero Arts Star Confetti Fancy Die was a quick answer for the many stars I wanted.  I used a silver, teal and holographic paper for stars.  The blue paper is from My Favorite Things Sweet Celebrations and the Coral is from DCWV Cardstock Stack.

My go to supplies for assembly include the Best die cutting machine I've ever used Anna Griffin Empress Elite, Bearly Arts Glue and Foam Tape.  American Crafts Premium Ribbon that I bought forever ago at Michaels with a 40% off coupon.  Gosh, I miss those 40% coupons!  Nearly everything I bought in those early days came from Michaels, Hobby Lobby and JoAnns with a coupon.

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Hoosier Cabinets - Extreme Fun

 When I saw Honey Bee Stamps Hoosier Honey Cuts I was enchanted and terrified at the same time!  Why "terrified" you ask?  So many tiny dies and tiny pieces!  Guess what?  The first one was a bit trying but the second one - went super quick and the third was even faster.  Why oh why was I scared of tiny dies - pretty silly now.  My Anna Griffin Empress Elite makes it sooo much easier because the large die plates can hold A LOT of dies!  I did go ahead and purchase the smaller cutting sandwich and I love that one too, you can put that sandwich in the machine "sideways" meaning the long side can fit in the opening.  Yay!

So here are a few cards using Hoosier Cabinet.  Some of the cabinet doors open so you can add lots of hidden dishes and kitchen tools - Go ahead and buy the Baking Add On to include more kitchen tools/dishes.  

If you look closely at the second image you can see my boo boo - the rolling pin is hanging out. oops. This was my first try, once I got all the pieces where I wanted I used a plain cream card base.  This was the one change I wish I had made.  Besides the dies, cutting machine and scraps your best friends are a good glue and reverse tweezers.

For my second try, I had a basket with all the scraps I had used before and a better understanding of what I liked and where to try other die cuts. There are oodles of options and it really makes you question what you like/dislike.  We moved 2 years ago and at my old house my kitchen aid mixer sat on the counter - now it hides in a cabinet.  Isn't it wild how your mind thinks?  The options include decorative cabinet: plain, swirled vines and lattice. This card base went through an embossing folder (older one) and got some complimentary ink Mint.  These newer brushes ROCK!  Our Crafting Goddess, Jennifer McGuires recommendation, was spot on!  If you're not watching her videos, you are missing out.

Last card is very similar but does have a different embossing folder, cabinets covers and I think I like this one the best.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Happy Flappy Cards with Creek Bank Creations Card Base

 Hello, it's been a while.  You know when a life event changes the whole family dynamic - we had a few of those happen.  And as much as I love crafting, the blogging had to take a backseat.  The boat has stopped rocking, occasionally a ruffle in the ocean starts motion, but for the most part we have a new normal and smooth sailing.  

My family and I just celebrated 32 years living life with two heart transplants.  Wow, 32 years to watch my kids grow up and a host of experiences that wouldn't have happed - without the generous gifts of life.  Please have a conversation with your family about your wishes.  It's a gift, so let the Doctors decide what they can use!

Today's cards uses a nifty card base from Creek Bank Creations called Happy Flappy Card Base.  I was at a CKC convention where I happened on this Company's Booth.  They had a make and take and I was hooked!  Very clear instruction video on their site shows all the steps.

Fitting name for this Die set, don't you think? The second assembly goes quickly!  The Happy Mothers Day Sentiment Stamp provides a sentiment for all 3 places.  Didn't purchase the stamp set for "pull" so I improvised with what I had - definitely would look better with a size appropriate stamp set.

Warning, I dug into my stash of scrapbook paper, much of it was purchased many moons ago.  I tried finding links but alas - they gone!  For the card base I used Craftsmith Wedding Neutrals and the sparkly paper is from My Minds Eye - Laundry Line.  The flowers are from Be Bold Blooms and sentiments are stamped with Ballet Slipper.  The card front is raised with Foam Tape and my glue of choice lately is Bearly Arts Glue.  My latest purchase (drum roll please) Anna Griffin Empress Elite has taken die cutting to a whole new level.  More on that later....  Here's another card 

Products used on this version are DCWV Bahama Moma Pad,  Turquoise Ink, Honey Bee Stamps Tropical Bouquets Dies and a Micron 005 pen.  The sentiments are from the same Happy Mothers Sentiment Stamp.

Transplant Recipients have to be very careful of germs!  This time of year (cold and flu season) is hermit time for Bev, in the basement (my happy place) and I've been creating lots of cards lately, so there will be more blog posts.  

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Card with Stitched Flowers

 So I jumped on the stitched card band wagon.  Let me back track, I've sewn most of my life but this is the first time I've stitched on paper before.  I bought just one of Spellbinders stitching die and really enjoyed the mindless stitching.  The Stitched Flowers was small and was fast to stitch, plus you have so many options.    When you keep your hands busy it's easier to avoid snacking - BONUS!  lol

I had a pile of flowers and leaves and here is two cards I made.

The first card started with a card base and Ocean Waves Stamp and Misty Coast ink.  Next I die cut three Wood Frame Infinity dies and glued them together.  After I found a pleasing arrangement I attached them with glue.  A Momenta celebrate die was cut with metallic silver paper and again with white and attached them together.  Some flat sequins from my stash added a sparkle.

The second card used the center cut outs from the wood frame on the first.  I glued them together.  Next a scalloped border from Blueprint 27 in Simon Says Stamps Fog card stock was die cut.  All the elements were attached along with the same flat sequins.  Both of these cards went together pretty fast since the focal elements were ready to go.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Celebrate Shaker Card

 I've owned this celebrate die for quite a while and I'm just getting around to make some cards.   To start I stamped an ocean wave with a similar color to my card stock.  Then die cut with stitched rectangles in my gemini jr machine.  It adds a lovely white border when attached to the card base.

Now for the shaker element, the celebrate die was cut many times and adhered with bearly arts glue.  A layer of acetate and a final die cut on top makes the shaker element ready to fill.  Using up some sequin/bead mixture from my stash, I filled it up.  A second piece of acetate keeps the stamped image visable.  Time to adhere the filled shaker to the card.  I think I spent more time separating the die cut from it's negative pieces rather than putting the card together.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)

Birdie Friendship Card

 Today's card used white die cuts that I colored individually.  Heck, it's easier to die cut a bunch of white than finding the right color card stock and putting the right die on that paper.  So today, I pulled out my water media mat and some of those precut dies.  

Feathered Friends 4 is the bird and I chose Blending Brushes to color Summer Sky, Deep Ocean, Navy, Lemon Drop and Tuxedo black.  Once it was dry I glued all the parts together with Bearly Arts Glue.  So my bird needs a nest and the Grapevine Wreath is perfect - and I also had that precut in white card stock, so I grabbed two.  Cup O Joe was applied with a mini blending tool and really got into all those nooks and crannies.  Now I need a background...I pulled out the Tumbling Leaves stencil with blending brushes and Fresh Pear and Grassy Knoll.  Stitched rectangles trimmed that perfectly in my Gemini Jr.  Lastly, I need a sentiment so I chose one from Friendship Blooms and I stamped in my MISTI with Amalgam ink, then Versamark and clear embossing powder was melted.  I haven't had much luck with black embossing powder and sentiments so I like to add clear over a black stamped sentiment.

Have a great day and keep on crafting!

Affiliate links used at no cost to you.  Not all links are affiliate, I just want to share what I used.  All products were purchase by me unless noted.  I don’t sell anything nor am I employed.  This is my hobby and I hope to inspire you to play :)