Category: Die cutting

cardmaking · Die cutting · papercrafting

Spellbinders New Serenade of Autumn | Colorful Die Cut Cards

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Colorful Die Cut Autumn Cards using Spellbinders Serenade of Autumn Collection

Hello papercrafters, I am back with some lovely seasonal die-cut cards for Fall! I chose some traditional autumn colors and then added beautiful pops of blue. Spellbinders just released this fun collection called Autumn Serenade and I used the Autumn Sealed Sprigs dies along with the coordinating Chipboard Stickers and pre-printed Die Cut Shapes for my cards. I found the stickers and shapes to be real time savers when assembling my cards.

I just got back from a trip to Colorado, and I found the changing folliage was so inspirational for these projects.

Using Pre-Printed Stickers and Die Cut Shapes for Quicker DIY Cards

For my first card I used the Sprigs die kit and then added a sentiment plus heart die-cuts to finish my card. This Die Cut Shapes Kit includes 138 pre-printed pieces with lots of sentiments, botanicals, pumpkins, butterflies etc.

Seasonal Thinking of You Card with die cut leaves, Wheat and flowers.

For card #2 I used this showy Chipboard Hello Banner Sticker to complete my fall bouquet. The Chipboard set includes 27 chipboard stickers pre-printed with a variety of sentiments, gold embellishments, butterflies, birds, pumpkins, leaves and flowers. I love this little package and will be using it on future projects.

This Sealed Sprigs Collection reminds me of one of my 2022 Favorite Die Sets called Floral Reflections and you can see that Blog Post HERE.

Using Pre-printed Chipboard stickers for Quick Seasonal die cut cards.

My Process:

  • I started by selecting colors for my two cards. I used colored paper from two different sampler packs (listed below).
  • Next, I die cut my leaves and botanicals. I played around with layouts and then used the Press and Seal Method to keep my arrangement in place as I flipped it over and added foam adhessive squares to the back.
  • I knew I wanted a banner across the “crossed stems” on each card. The HELLO is a lovely chipboard sticker and the “Thinking of You” is a preprinted die cut. The gold accents add a nice bit of shine to the cards.

Products Used:

Interested in more…You can also find me at these spots too:

@karens_mini on Instagram

Pinterest: @karenabrown

FaceBook: Karens_Mini

YouTube: Karen Brown

cardmaking · Die cutting · Video

Altenew | Sweet Blossoms Floral Die Cut Card With Rainbow Stripe Background + Video

Karen BrownLeave a comment
How to create rainbow striped card backgrounds with colored cardstock strips + Altenew's Sweet Blossoms floral die set.

Die Cutting with Outline Dies

Die cut flower and leaf silhouettes over a rainbow striped background makes for a colorful high impact card. I love Altenew’s Sweet Blossom’s Layering Dies and wanted to play with them again (You can see my first card HERE). This time I wanted to use just the outline dies so you could see the beautiful background I created.

Altenew Sweet Blossoms Layering Die Set handmade card

I created a short video (below) to show how I made my background panel. I love rainbow striped backgrounds so I have two pouches (see final photo) where I keep my pre-cut colored cardstock strips. The pouch on the left has a variety of widths and all the strips in the right pouch are cut to 1/4″ widths. It is easy to take a paper trimmer and cut lots of strips and then it is so quick to make a colorful background. For this card, I used PaperTrey’s Perfect Match Colored Cardstock.

Click HERE to see a card where I used just 1/4″ strips.

For this card, I wanted variety so I used colored cardstock bands from both packets. I like to use Altenew’s Glue Tape Runner when making these types of backgrounds.

I wanted my flower bloom to sit on a stem, so I did a little surgery on the larger leaf die cut, and with scissors, I cut off the top three leaves. This left me with a stem and an additional little leaf cluster to use on my card.

I wanted substantial die cuts, so using the Sweet Blossoms and Vertical Greetings sets, I die cut each element three times and then glued them together.

Quick Video: How I Created This Rainbow Striped Background

Products and Supplies Used on this Card:

Altenew No Hassle Storage Pouches

Products Available on Amazon:

Tonic Studios paper trimmer

I am SO happy you stopped by today!

Karen

cardmaking · Die cutting

Spellbinders | Hugs Collection: 2 Easy Die Cut Cards

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Spellbinders Stampendous Hugs Collection handmade card with Kitty Hugs (S5-587) and Bear Hugs (S5-586).

How to Make Easy Die Cut Cards

Simple die-cuts can make high impact creations for cards, scrapbooking or any other papercrafts. Today, I created 2 quick and easy cards using Spellbinders + Stampendous new Hugs Collection.

Spellbinders Stampendous Kitty Hugs (S5-587) easy die cut Get Well card.

For Card #1, I made a Get Well card using the new Kitty Hugs (S5-587) etched die kit . I played around with layouts and in the end decided to keep my card very simple. I die cut my kitty from white card stock and then used my Stylish Ovals nesting dies to make a shaped background and card. The background is my alltime favorite Waterfall cardstock. I added a few pops of color with the facial features, bow tie, star and fish, which are all included with the die kit.

To make my shaped card, I took an A2 top folding card base and taped the top of the largest Stylish Oval die just above the fold, so the card base would remain in one piece, and then ran it through my die cutting machine. I hot foiled a quick sentiment and then assembled with adhessive squares.

Sweet Die Cut Card for a Baby Shower

Spellbinders Bear Hugs (STP-586) easy die card for a baby shower.

I am co-hosting a baby shower this month so Card #2 is for Baby Juliette. This die set is called Bear Hugs (STP-586). I love the simple sweetness of the pinks and whites.

The gift box , ribbon and bow are also from the Hugs Collection and the die set is called Hugs Accessories (S5-590). The set also contains several hearts, envelops, letters and a swag…very cute.

Spellbinders Stampendous Hugs Collection handmade card with Kitty Hugs (S5-587) and Bear Hugs (S5-586).

I can see so many occasions when I will use these sets again!

Products Used:

I am so pleased that you stopped by to see my creations.

Karen

cardmaking · Die cutting · papercrafting

Waffle Flowers | Flourish Panel Cover Die 2 Ways

Karen Brown2 Comments
Waffle Flower Crafts Flourish Panel Die: Cards Two Ways

Rainbow colors in cardmaking are always a good idea! I recently received a new cover die from Waffle Flower Crafts called Flourish Panel and it is a real beauty! I couldn’t decide whether to have the rainbow panel on the top layer or below the lattice so I opted to do it both ways. I still can’t choose which way I like it better. What do you think…..I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

How To Add Dimension on Die-Cut Cards

Waffle Flower Flourish Panel + Using inexpensive Crayola Watercolors in Cardmaking

I have step-by-step directions (with process photos) below. On one card I die-cut the watercolor panel and on the second card I used the rainbow colors as a background.

Waffle Flower Crafts Flourish Panel Die + Print and Script Happy Birthday Sentiment dies.

Cardmaking Tutorial: How I Made These Two Die Cut Cards

Step 1: Make Your Rainbow Watercolor Panel. Today, I used watercolors for my colorful focal point. On the panel with the rainbow on the top layer, I used Kuretake Watercolors to blend a rainbow. I went over the watercolor panel twice to get an intense color. On the second, panel, I used inexpensive Crayola Watercolors and it worked beautifully! You could also ink blend your background.

Step 2: Die-cut your top layer with Waffle Flowers Flourish Panel Die. I have an electric Gemini Junior die-cutting machine that I used.

Step 3: You could stop die-cutting here, but I wanted a lot of dimension, so I die cut two additional panels so I could stack my layers.

Step 4: Glue Your Layers Together. Using Bearly Glue, I glued three lattice layers together for a substantial top panel. Be sure to weight them down after gluing so they stay nice and flat. I have a large acrylic block that I use. I also adhered the layers to an A2 Top-folding card.

Step 5: Add A Sentiment. I always need Birthday Cards so I used Waffle Flowers new Print and Script Birthday Sentiment Dies. I love that they come with both a cursive and block font with coordinating shadow dies. I cut the sentiments from white cardstock and the shadows from Navy.

Now I have two bright cheerful birthday cards to share.

Products Used:

cardmaking · Die cutting · papercrafting

Waffle Flower | Four Festive Birthday Cards

Karen Brown37 Comments

Welcome to the Waffle Flower May Release Blog Hop! I’m happy to be hopping with the folks from Waffle Flower to show you all the fun new stuff awaiting you on the Waffle Flower website! Be sure to check out each stop in today’s blog hop for fun, inspiration, and chances to win some of these new release goodies! 

Waffle Flower Layered Party Hat (421360) die cut handmade birthday cards

Today I created four festive birthday cards for Waffle Flowers May 2023 Blog Hop. I hope you’ll “hop” along with us and visit each stop along the way.

Waffle Flower Layered Party Hat Die Set

Waffle Flower Layered Party Hat (421360) handmade card in bright festive colors.

I had so much fun with this Layered Party Hat die set and I cut loads of colorful elements. I posted two cards here but I have lots of leftovers that I plan to make into cards when I get back from my trip with friends.

I started by picking vibrant colored cardstock, then I die cut and started making combinations with the hats. For this post, I really liked using the darker color on the base and then adding a lighter shade on top. And the confetti made the hats even more fun! For my sentiment, I chose the new Print and Script Birthday Sentiment die set that has a fun cursive Happy Birthday and a coordinating shadow.

Die cut birthday hat card in bright colors: red, orange, pink and yellow

For my second card I wanted a rainbow grid look so I cut a 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ base and added 6 hats. I used a new Subsentiments Birthday Die Cut Embellishment for my sentiment. I love how easy it is to finish cards with preprinted sentiments.

Die Cut Grid Birthday Card featuring Waffle Flower Layered Party Hat (421360),

Pro Tip: Instead of adhering the hats with foam tape, I used craft foam. This allowed me to microadjust the hats to get them lined up the way I wanted. Putting liquid glue on the craft foam enabled me to wiggle and move the hats until I was happy with their placement.

Waffle Flower Layered Party Hat (421360) handmade Birthday card.

Waffle Flower Balloon Background Die and Stencil Trio

Waffle Flower Balloon Background Die and Stencil Trio: 421354 and 421355

If you love ink blending then you will adore these Festive Balloon Background Dies with coordinating stencils.

Color selection is one of my favorite parts about cardmaking so this card was extra fun for me. I chose 14 inks in rainbow colors and then started blending away.

PRO TIP: I found it easiest to lay my inks out in order so that I wouldn’t get confused during the ink blending process. I included a process photo to illustrate.

PRO TIP 2: Remember to turn your background for more even blending.

To compliment this release, Waffle Flower included two wonderful new birthday sentiments. One has a beautiful scripty font and the other is a bold print.

I love both new sentiments so I made a rainbow balloon card with each.

Waffle Flower Print and Script Happy Birthday cards: 421352

Don’t you just love cards that are so versatile? This is the type of card I love to keep on hand….each could be used for a friend, child, man, female.

Products Used in This Blog Post:

Didn’t you just love Jeanne’s creations?

Laurie Willison   is next on the hop!

Here are links to all of the Hop participants:

Waffle Flower Blog

Cathy Zielske

Galina Filippenko

Laura Bassen

JJ Bolton

Amanda Rochaix

Caly Person

Renee Day

Jeanne Jachna 

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Laurie Willison

Dana Kirby

Dilay Nacar

Amy Kolling

Laura Evangeline

Channin Pelletier

Giveaways:

For today’s hop, Waffle Flower is giving away $25 gift certificate to THREE lucky winners. You can leave a comment on this blog and along the hop by 11:59pm EST on Tuesday May 9th, 2023 for your chances to win. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on any of the posts in this blog hop and will be announced on the Waffle Flower Blog on 05/10/2023.

Additional Gift Certificate for One of My Commentors:

I am excited that there is an additional Gift Certificate for one lucky commentor on my Blog Post! I really love reading your comments…you all make me smile!

Specials:

From now till May 8th, 2023, all orders placed at waffleflower.com will receive a mysterious gift (No code required!).

For those of you who are new to Waffle Flower, they have a Last Chance section on their website that lists many goodies for 25% off until they are gone! This would be a great place to start your collection! And don’t forget to check out their monthly Flash Sales!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Die cutting · papercrafting

Spellbinders | Stylish Ovals Collection 4 Ways

Karen Brown1 Comment
Spellbinders Stylish Oval Hello You Floral Dies (S5-565) + Oval Nesting Dies (S5-562) on a handmade card.

Oval Shaped Cards

Shaped dies can really change the look of your cards and projects so I was excited to see Spellbinders new Stylish Ovals Collection. I created the first card for my mom’s upcoming birthday. Red is her signature color so I paired corally reds with aquas and greys for a very eye-catching color palette.

To make my oval cardbase, I used the largest oval die for the base. I took a white A2 top folding card base and put the top edge of the die just above the fold so that the die would cut around the top. I die cut the stem twice and glued together for added heft and stability.

Supplies Used:

Shaped Oval Card with Spellbinders Stylish Ovals Collection

Spellbinders Floral Die Cut Cards

Spellbinders Stylish Oval Hello You Floral Dies (S5-565) + Oval Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate Cover Die handmade card.

I needed a card for a bridal shower so I made a second oval shaped card with die cut flowers. This one is smaller than card 1, it is 5″ x 3 3/4″. I think it makes for a sweet gift encloser.

I used the same products as card one but added a pretty little oval frame from the Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate Cover Die. This die is so beautiful and a has an incredible amount of detail, but it cuts beautifully. I used just the middle section on this card and I used the other 2 sections on card #4 below.

Products Used:

White oval shaped card with die cut red flowers.

Die Cut Rainbow Arch Birthday Card

Colorful Rainbow Arch card with Spellbinders Stylish Oval Nesting Dies (S5-562) handmade card.

In case you haven’t noticed, I LOVE these oval nesting dies. Just for fun, I wanted to make a bright cheerful rainbow card so I selected 8 bright shades of cardstock and then die cut my rainbow elements.

This type of birthday card is so versatile that I love to keep them on hand. I could send this to anyone…man, woman or child.

Products Used:

Festive Rainbow Colored Die Cut Birthday card.

Spellbinders Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate Cover Die

Spellbinders Stylish Oval Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate Cover Die (S5-566) handmade card.

This cover die is gorgeous in person! I started by making a rainbow gradient background with inks and blending brushes. I then placed the center and exterior components of the cover die over the top and added two floral embellishments that echo the spring colors.

Supplies Used:

Oval pierced cover die with spring ink blending on a handmade card.

I hope I offered some inspiration for your crafting.

Karen

cardmaking · Die cutting

Spellbinders Cards | Be Bold Blooms Floral Die Kit 3 Ways

Karen Brown2 Comments
Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms Die Set (S5-502) handmade card.

Happy Birthday to me! I had several crafty items on my wish list that I received as birthday gifts:

I thought it would be fun to combine these products together for a birthday blog post.

Using Sarah Renae Clark’s Color Cubes and Catalogue

I love color so Sarah Renae Clark’s bundle has been so fun to explore! I started by looking for color inspiration in the Color Catalogue and then I pulled out several Color Cube Cards that I found inspiring. I like to start with the Color Catalogue where I can search by Color, Key Word or Collection. I wanted a bright springy card so I began by searching for combinations with hot pink/magenta. For my first card, I settled on combination #35. My second card uses #218.

Once I had my colors selected, I matched them up with hues in my new Papertrey Cardstock. I love that there are 36 colors in each package!

Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms handmade cards in Pinks and Yellows from Papertrey Perfect Match Cardstock.

Spellbinders Flowers | Be Bold Blooms Die-Cutting Tutorial

I started die cutting with my Be Bold Blooms kit. I love the variety of flowers included…they are fun and whimsical! I used my Papertrey paper plus some Spellbinders Brushed Gold. I like that the gold adds a rich elegance without being too shiny.

I wanted to experiment with backgrounds too. For Card 1, I “debossed” my background panel with an older Embossing Folder of the Month called Intertwined Lattice. For Card 2, I die cut a frame with an old favorite Spellbinders Essential Rectangles.

Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms Die cut handmade card in blues and yellows.

I played around with layouts and once I had the die-cuts they way I wanted I carefully applied Press-N-Seal wrap over the top, flipped it over and applied Instant Dimension Foam Tape to the bottom of each piece. All I had to do was flip it back over, place, add a bit of pressure and then gently peel back the Press-N-Seal. So much faster than laying out, disassembling, adding foam tape and then reassembling piece by piece.

Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms die cut handmade card in blues and yellows using Papertrey Perfect Match Cardstock.

I added my sentiments (hello is from a past club kit) and was done.

Elegant Die Cut floral Sympathy Card.

I needed a Sympathy Card so did another quick card with white, gold and pink die cuts.

Die Cut Sympathy Card.

Products Used:

Have a great week!

Karen

cardmaking · Die cutting · Hot Foiling

Spellbinders | Four Petal Collection

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Spellbinders Four Petal Bloom Reflection Die Kit: S4-1263 handmade card.

Hi friends, I am sharing two cards from Spellbinders new Four Petal Collection. The cards are very different but they are both so pretty!

Spellbinders Four Petal Bloom Reflection Die Kit: S4-1263

I adore die-cutting so The Four Petal Bloom Reflection Kit called to me. I love all the gorgeous detail on these dies! I added an extra metal shim while die-cutting which resulted in beautiful die-cut results. I framed the florals with the Essential Rectangles die as I liked the way it complimented the small die-cut circles on the fan flowers. I also embellished the white flowers with enamel dots.

Products Used:

Spellbinders Four Petal Bloom Reflection Die Kit: S4-1263 + Handmade Card

Spellbinders Four Petal Scroll Label Hot Foil Plate: GLP-370

Last year, I finally bought myself a foiling system and I really love the results! For this card, I used the new Four Petal Scroll Label Foil Plate. The shine can be difficult to photograph, but I did my best. This card just glows in person!

Spellbinders Four Petal Scroll Label Hot Foil Plate + handmade card

I used Gold Foil on Yupo paper and the results are beautiful! I then ink blended Lagoon and Parrot ink over the foiling and let the ink dry overnight so it would not smear. I like foiling on the slick Yupo paper but it does take longer for the ink to dry. The next day, I matted with Brushed Gold cardstock and added some Crystal Gems to further enhance the beautiful shine of the foiling. The sentiment is included in the kit.

Spellbinders Four Petal Scroll Label Hot Foil Plate: GLP-370 + ink blending over gold foil.

Products Used:

I am so happy you stopped by!

Karen