Category: cardmaking

Cardmaking Kit · stitching

Spellbinders | Stitching Die of the Month | March 2024

Karen Brown2 Comments
Spellbinders March 2024 Stitching Die of the Month Club Kit handmade card.

Spellbinders March 2024 Stitching Die Club Kit is another winner! I thought February would be hard to beat, but “Stitched Read and Sip” is a real favorite. I love to read, drink hot tea and stitch so add in some florals and this kit is a keeper. I’ll also be incorporating the versatile elements into future products as well.

Stitched Read and Sip Handmade Card

Beautiful stitched handmade card with a teacup, books and floral elements.

I really enjoyed making this card! I was going to the beach and thought I’d like to stitch this card on our balcony while I listened to the waves. Before we left, I die cut my elements. When stitching, I like sturdy substantial bases, so I die cut the teacup and ornate book two times and then glued them together.

Papercrafting and stitching at the beach.

My Stitching Process:

  • The kit has 17 dies and I started by cutting all my pieces.  I die cut the stitching elements twice and then glued them together for a sturdy substantial panel. This die cutting didn’t take long, but I think the extra effort was worth it. I recently purchased a Platinum 6 die cutting machine, and I have to say, I pull it out instead of my Gemini Junior. I wish I had bought one earlier.
  • Spellbinders has a nice selection of stitching accessories in their shop that you can find HERE. I used DMC Gold Thread for this project.
  • When I started stitching, I took two strands of floss, separated them one at a time, brought them together and then stroked and lengthened them until they seemed tame and ready to use.
  • I like to use 1/8th inch double sided liner tape to attach my floss to the die cut.
  • Remember to keep your floss taught as you stitch.
  • When I move from one area to the next, I run the floss through the just finished stitched area to keep the thread secure. This gives a nice look on the finished project.
  • Don’t stitch with threads that are too long or they are likely to knot. 
  • When I was done, I added a bit of Bearly Glue to the ends so that they would stay in place.
  • To finish my project I embossed white cardstock with the Tiny Dots Embossing Folder.
  • I arranged my scene and added a chipboard “Friend” sentiment from Serenade of Autumn Chipboard Stickers. I love how substantial these sentiments are!

A Few Notes About Spellbinders Club Kits

  • Clubs Preview on the 1st of each month.
  • Club members can cancel, upgrade or change clubs from the 1st-5th of each month. Popular Clubs frequently sell out during this period so club members get first dibs on everything.
  • NEW for 2024: Club Members get EARLY access to new releases on the 6th!
  • On the 6th, Clubs become available to non-members.
  • On the 27th, Club registration closes for the current month.
  • If a club did not sell out, you can buy under “Shop Past Clubs”. Past kits are available on the 10th of the FOLLOWING month.

Helpful Links:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Cardmaking Kit · Give Away

Hero Arts | My Monthly Hero March 2024 Blog Hop and Giveaway

Karen Brown45 Comments
Three colorful cards from Hero Arts March 2024 Release.

Boy do I love this March 2024 My Monthly Hero kit! I am sharing three cards today and they were all so fun to create. I think the Classic Kit is going to be wonderful for mixed media projects.

Classic Kit

Luscious orange mixed media card using Hero Arts March 2024 My Monthly Hero Classic Kit.

For today’s post, I created two cards using the Classic Kit. I recently discovered the wonderfulness of liquid watercolors and WOW, WOW WOW! What took me so long? So, Card #1 has a background created with the Classic Kit + three liquid watercolor colors.

My Process:

  • I added a small amount of Dandelion, Orange and Bright Pink liquid watercolor to my paint palette. With a wet brush, I painted bold strokes on my Luxe watercolor paper. I also added some drips to the panel. I dried and repeated the process one more time. I also put a large acrylic block on top for a bit so my panel would be nice and flat.
  • The Classic Kit contains two sheets of Rub-On transfers and I added portions of the transfers randomly to my background. Remember to leave a space for your sentiment.
  • I added a minimal amount of watercolor paint spatters.
  • Using Taffy and Fruit Punch inks, I stamped my sentiment and some images (crane, scribbles, bamboo leaf, character and reeds) from the included stamp set.
  • Next, I separated the circle inset from the rectangular plate with my snippers
  • Using just the rectangular plate (without the circle) I embossed my background and I love the subtle embossing and texture that it adds.
  • I painted a second piece of watercolor paper with just orange liquid watercolor. In some places I diluted the watercolor more and in others I added very saturated color so there was variation in my orange color. I dried and then weighted with an acrylic block.
  • I die cut my orange circle with the cover plate inset + a Circle Infinity Die for a medallion look. I liked this medallion so much that I created a few extras to have on hand for future mixed media projects. You can see one of them in the next photo.
  • I glued my medallion to my background and then trimmed the background with a Rounded Rectangle Infinity Die.
  • My final step was to lightly ink the edges with Tangerine Core Ink.

This card reminds me of summer and orange sherbet and I love how happy and bright it is.

Classic Kit Card Using the Included Ink Cubes

Colorful card using Hero Arts March 2024 My Monthly Hero Classic Kit with the included ink cubes.

For my second card, I followed the same process as Card #1, except I used the 3 ink cubes included in the Classic kit. I smooshed the ink on my craft mat and used a wet brush to paint my background. I also used the cover plate as it was designed and die cut the entire background panel, including the circular inset, at one time. I then backed the opening with a red panel that I created by going “direct to paper” in a circular motion with the Cherry ink cube.

Here is a photo of the contents in the March 2024 Classic Kit:

My Monthly Hero Classic Kit contents.

KIT VALUES
Classic Kit: $82 Value for $36.99
Premium Kit: $115 Value for $49.99

Subscription Options

Bonsai Die Cut Scene Card

Die Cut and ink blended Hero Arts Bonsai Tree showcased in the Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Die Set.

I LOVE die cutting so I really enjoyed making my third card featuring The Bonsai Fancy Die, which is March Add-On product. I die cut my components, ink blended a bit and popped onto a panel made using a favorite of mine, the Journaling Photo Frame Infinity Die Set. The sentiment is from the Ornate Frames Hero Transfer . If you’d like to see an additional card I made using the Photo Frame Set, click HERE.

March Get Them All Bundle

March Accessory Bundle

Lovely handmade die cut Bonsai Tree greeting card.

Supplies Used on My Bonsai Card:

Blog Hop and Giveaway:

We will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, March 10th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Hero Arts

Hero Arts Creative Team:
Natasha Vacca
Dana Joy
Michelle Short
Jennifer Kotas
Rosie Lopez
Heather Ruwe
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Polite
Channin Pelletier
Rachel Kleinman
Jeannie Lieu
Seeka
Karen Brown
Charlene Madrid
Pocono Pam
Kailash Naidoo
Lydia Fiedler

Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Emily Midgett
Kelly Taylor      

BetterPress · cardmaking

Spellbinders | Every Occasion Floral Alphabet | BetterPress Letter Press Cards

Karen Brown1 Comment
BetterPress Letterpress monogram K thank you notes in various shades of blue.

Spellbinders just released the lovely Every Occasion Floral Alphabet and I had so much fun handcrafting a pile of cards. Each kit comes with the floral uppercase letter + a separate corresponding sentiment. You can buy the complete alphabet or individual letters.

It’s my birthday today and I wanted to create some elegant thank you notes. I love the beauty and texture of letterpress so I used the Floral K to make a set of monogrammed cards in various shades of blue. The K also comes with a sentiment, You Are So Kind, but I did not use it on my cards.

I inked the plates well and rolled just one time through my BetterPress Machine for a nice crisp impression.

I have another post “9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for Spellbinders BetterPress Machine” that you can read HERE.

Products Used on My Monogram K Cards:

Versatile “For You” Card

Spellbinders Every Occasion Floral Alphabet F For You BetterPress letterpress card.

I love how versatile the “F For You” plates are so I pressed Clay ink onto creamy Bisque cardstock panel. In person, the ink is a beautiful copper color. I used the December 2022 Die of the Month Kit for the background. The mat is from PaperTrey’s Perfect Match cardstock sampler.

Elegant With Sympathy Card

Elegant With Sympathy BetterPress letterpress card.

I like to keep Sympathy cards on hand and the “W With Sympathy” plates are so elegant. I used Mulberry Ink on Bisque panels and added Crystal Gems to some of the flower centers.

Best Supplies for BetterPress Projects:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Mixed Media · Tutorial

Hero Arts | 2 Fun Mixed Media Cards

Karen Brown1 Comment
Hero Arts Mixed Media Cards using CM740 Vintage Postmarks and Tickets CM739 Vintage Maps and Ledger stamps.

Hero Arts Spring Catalog Release is live and I love all the new Mixed Media products that they added to their line. I used a bunch of them on these two cards.

Today is the last day for Hero Art’s Blog Hop, which you can find HERE.

Hero Arts Mixed Media card using Vintage Maps and Ledgers stamps.

My Recipe:

Products Used:

Other Tools:  Acrylic Stamping Block

Additional Products Used On Second Card: White Wax + SA263 Mandala Flower Pattern Stencil, Blue Iridescent Embossing Powder

I am so glad you dropped by!

cardmaking · Die cutting · papercrafting

Spellbinders Scene Card | Windows With A View

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Spellbinders Windows with a View + Backyard Haven die set + Vista View Window card for a baby shower.

I love a good scene card and when I saw Tina Smith’s Windows With A View Collection, I was immediately smitten! I needed a baby shower card and I knew the tire swing in this kit would be perfect. 

Special Scene Card for a Baby Shower

Spellbinders Windows with a View + Backyard Haven die set + Vista View Window card.

Spellbinder’s Backyard Haven View has 16 adorable dies that include the tree, tire swing, squirrel, owl, bird house, fence, bird bath + some other adorable details. So many possibilities that allow you to design a card for most any occasion….baby shower, new home, friendship, birthday etc.

The Vista View Window kit includes the 9 pane window + window box, window sill.

Friendship Card

Scene card with a brick house, window and a tree with a tire swing.

I made a second friendship card and used a “Friend” chipboard sentiment from Autumn Chipboard Stickers that I thought went well with my scene.  I love this chipboard set with its beautiful substantial elements.

Products Used:

I am so pleased you stopped by!

Karen

BetterPress · cardmaking

Best Supplies for BetterPress Letterpress Projects

Karen BrownLeave a comment
BetterPress letterpress Spring Bunnies in French Blue Ink.

I love classic letterpress elegance and think this single color Easter card evokes the vintage craftsmanship of years gone by. I used Simon Hurley’s new Spring Bunnies press plates for this card. The bundle includes 12 adorable press plates with corresponding dies. 

The key to letterpress is using a thick cottony paper and Spellbinders’s cotton cardstock panels work really well. I used Spellbinders BetterPress system in conjunction with their Platinum 6 machine. My ink is the lovely French Blue from the Nature Tones Set. I matted my card with a corresponding color of cardstock from PaperTrey’s Perfect Match cardstock. 

I also have a blog post about Tips and Tricks for Using Your Better Press System that you can read HERE.

Charming BetterPress letter press Easter Bunny Card.

Supplies Used on This Card:

Best Supplies for BetterPress Letterpress Projects:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Give Away · papercrafting

Hero Arts | Spring Catalog Collection Release + Blog Hop

Karen Brown53 Comments
Bright and colorful Smile Friend sentiment handmade card from Hero Arts.

I am so excited about Hero Arts Spring Catalog release, which goes live TODAY! There is so much wonderfulness that I can’t wait for you to see. To celebrate, Hero Arts is hosting a Blog Hop and Giveaway.

I wanted to start off with two fabulous new sentiment dies that I just love from Smile Friend Stamp and Cut XL. I went crazy die cutting a bunch so I will have them on hand for future cards.

Products Used on Smile Friend Card:

Flower Pattern Cover Die

Rainbow ink blending + Inlaid die cutting using Hero Arts Flower Pattern Cover Die.

I LOVE cover dies so I was excited to create with this Flower Pattern Cover Die, which is perfect for Spring and Summer. I started by ink blending a rainbow panel which I then die cut with the cover plate and then used the inlay technique to create a one layer background. This went more quickly than you would think because the die cuts fit like a good quality puzzle. My placement and gluing took about 20 minutes.

TIP: Keep your die-cuts in the panel until you start gluing so you know the orientation and position on your background.

Products Used on My Flower Pattern Cover Die Card:

Birthday Animals Stamps + Pointed Arches Infinity Dies

Fun and happy Copic colored Alligator Gator Birthday Card using Hero Arts Birthday Animal Stamps + Pointed Arches Infinity Dies.

Isn’t this Alligator the cutest? He is one 7 animal stamps included in the Birthday Animals Bundle. The set also includes 8 birthday/everyday sentiments. I combined the stamps with the Pointed Arches Infinity Dies. Infinity Dies are definitely staples in my craft room and I like the interest the arches add to projects. 

Products Used on The Gator Card:

Easy One Layer Sympathy Card

Easy one layer Sympathy Card Using With Sympathy Hero Rub-on Transfers.

I love everything about Rub-on transfers. I love how easy they are to use, the look they add to projects and how fun they are to apply! This Spring, Hero Arts included “Sympathy Transfers” in their release. I did some quick ink blending on my background and then added my Hero Transfers for a quick and easy card.

Products Used on My Sympathy Card:

Blog Hop and Giveaway Information:

Hero Arts will be giving away two $50 gift cards, drawn from the comments left along the hop. Comment on all the blogs for more chances to win! You have until Wednesday, February 21st at 11:59pm to enter. The winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog.

Kailash Naidoo is next on the hop and I have links to everyone below.

Hero Arts
Hero Arts Creative Team:
Mindy Eggen
Natasha Vacca
Ilina Crouse
Charlene Madrid
Lydia Fiedler
Heather Ruwe
Natasha Polite
Seeka
Jeannie Lieu
Dana Joy
Pocono Pam
Rachel Kleinman
Michelle Short
Jennifer Kotas
Rosie Lopez
Karen Brown
Kailash Naidoo
Channin Pelletier
Special Guests:
Nichol Spohr
Ralph Tyndall
Laurie Willison
Cathy Zielske
Laura Bassen
Caly Person

I am so glad you could join this Hop!

Mixed Media · papercrafting · Tutorial

Colorful Cityscape Mixed Media Card | Hero Arts

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Cityscape Hero Arts Mixed Media Card

I recently attended Hero Arts Mixed Media Stamp Along and found it so informative! This card was inspired by @cheiron and her wonderful class. I used different products and colors so my card doesn’t look anything like Cheiron’s, but her class gave me the creative spark for my card. Sometimes it is fun to get inky and messy!

For this card, I was trying to simulate a Dove flying over a city at sunrise. I knew I wanted a bold background to contrast with the white Dove. 

My Process:

  • I put 5 sunrise colors of reactive ink (colors listed below) on my craft mat and spritzed with a bit of water and then painted bands of vertical color all over my watercolor cardstock panel. There is no right or wrong way just start painting! I dried and repeated two more times. During the process I also added drips of color.
  • I love Hero Rub-On Transfers and I added parts of the city map from Collage Backgrounds to three spots on my background.
  • Using Indigo and Splash Inks, I stamped the city grid from the Mixed Textures stamp set.
  • I added texture with the Cobblestone Stencil. In some places I used just Gold Hero Paste and on others I rubbed just a bit of Black Hero Wax on the Stencil and then added Gold Hero Paste. I really love the black wax and gold paste combined together.
  • Using a splatter box (for me a repurposed cardboard box) I added three layers of splatters and dried in between each color. White, Blue Shimmer and Orange Shimmer. I love the complexity the shimmer splatters add!
  • I trimmed my background using the Rounded Rectangles Infinity Die set and then lightly inked the edges with Indigo Core Ink.
  • I die cut my Dove and sentiment 3 times and then glued the components together.
Handmade Card with Dove and Olive Branch Die - DF192

Supplies Used:

This card has LOTS of layers, but it did not take as long to complete as I would have guessed….60-90 minutes.

What do you think?

Cardmaking Kit · stitching · Tutorial

Spellbinders | Stitching Die of the Month | February 2024

Karen Brown1 Comment
Spellbinders Stitching Die of the Month Club Card - February 2024

Stitched Floral Focal Card Front

I am so excited about today’s share, Spellbinder’s Stitched Floral Card Front. I used the February Stitching Club Kit, which is beautiful, and I think the finished card is so very special. This card is going to one of my closest friends for her upcoming birthday.

This Floral Focal Stitched Kit is now available for puchase without a membership.

New members can sign up for clubs today!

Floral stitched card

My Stitching Process:

  • The kit has 5 dies and I started by cutting all my pieces. The flower center is pink, the flower is papaya, the background is waterfall and the overlay is blue. There is a lot of stitching this month, so I die cut all the elements twice and then glued them together for a sturdy substantial panel. This die cutting didn’t take long, but I think the extra effort was worth it. I recently purchased a Platinum 6 die cutting machine, and I have to say, I pull it out instead of my Gemini Junior. I wish I had bought one earlier.
  • Spellbinders has a nice selection of stitching accessories in their shop that you can find HERE.
  • When I started stitching, I took two strands of floss, separated them one at a time, brought them together and then stroked and lengthened them until they seemed tame and ready to use. I used DMC Aqua 598, Orange 741 and Pink 818.
  • I like to use 1/8th inch double sided liner tape to attach my floss to the die cut.
  • Remember to keep your floss taught as you stitch.
  • When I move from one area to the next, I run the floss through the just finished stitched area to keep the thread secure. This gives a nice look on the finished project.
  • Don’t stitch with threads that are too long or they are likely to knot. 
  • When I was done, I added a bit of Bearly Glue to the ends so that they would stay in place.
Stitched card in aqua, blue, orange, yellow and pink.

A Few Notes About Spellbinders Club Kits

  • Clubs Preview on the 1st of each month.
  • Club members can cancel, upgrade or change clubs from the 1st-5th of each month. Popular Clubs frequently sell out during this period so club members get first dibs on everything.
  • NEW for 2024: Club Members get EARLY access to new releases on the 6th!
  • On the 6th, Clubs become available to non-members.
  • On the 27th, Club registration closes for the current month.
  • If a club did not sell out, you can buy under “Shop Past Clubs”. Past kits are available on the 10th of the FOLLOWING month.

Helpful Links:

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Cardmaking Kit

Hero Arts | My Monthly Hero February 2024 Release + Blog Hop

Karen Brown32 Comments
2 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero February 2024 Classic Kit cards.

Have you seen the wonderful new Hero Arts My Monthly Hero Kit for February 2024? The theme is Peace, Love and Kindness which are mainstays for my craft room. Today, I used the February Classic Kit for my Peace cards.

MMH Classic Kit Contents – February 2024

KIT VALUES
Classic Kit: $73 Value for $36.99
Premium Kit: $113 Value for $49.99

Subscription Options

The theme for my post is Indigo Blue, which I have been using a lot lately. I find the color beautiful and calming.

Lovely Peace Sympathy and Encouragement Cards
Peace Encouragement and Sympathy card with Peace Lily.

The stamp and dies in this months kit are so pretty so I made a duo of Sympathy/Encouragement cards. For both cards I ink blended a background using Indigo Core Ink and then stamped, die cut and Copic colored my images. I especially love the graceful sentiments in this month’s kit.

Floral Sympathy Card

Supplies Used:

I shared this third card in my “Countdown” post which you can read HERE.

Pattern stamping Get Well Card.

Hope and Hugs Encouragement Card

Hope and Hugs Encouragement and Get Well Card.

Have you ever wanted to send a card to a friend going in for medical testing? I think my crisp white and Indigo blue card is perfect for this situation.  I think the card is beautiful and it came together very quickly.

Last month, I made a card using the Valentine Wreath Bundle and I thought the round Hope and Hugs sentiment from the Peace and Love bundle would look so pretty in the center. 

I cut down an A2 Top Folding Card to 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″, then stamped and die cut my wreath in Indigo Ink. I added craft foam to the back and glued the wreath to the card base. Using the same Indigo Ink, I stamped and die cut my sentiment. I also die cut two additional circles and glued them to the back of my sentiment for added dimension. 

Products Used:

GIVEAWAY
Hero Arts will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, February 11th at 11:59pm PT, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Blog Hop Order + Links:

Hero Arts

Hero Arts Creative Team:

Lydia Fiedler

Jeannie Lieu

Pocono Pam

Natasha Polite

Rachel Kleinman

Mindy Eggen

Seeka

Heather Ruwe

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Charlene Madrid

Channin Pelletier

Rosie Lopez

Dana Joy

Kailash Naidoo

Natasha Vacca

Michelle Short

Jennifer Kotas

Ilina Crouse

Special Guests:

Emily Midgett

Nichol Spohr

Kelly Taylor

Essie

I am so glad you could join us for this hop!