Tag: Sympathy card

cardmaking · Video

VIDEO: 3 Creative Ways to Stencil Butterfly Cards

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on how to make 3 creative cards using layering stencils.

Hello friends, Karen Brown here with a colorful new video. Butterflies and stencils—can you name a more dynamic duo? The December (Butterfly) Layering Stencil of the Month is SO much fun!

Or you can click HERE to watch the video.

Textured Flights of Fancy

In this post/video, we’re spreading our creative wings and sharing three unique ways to stencil butterflies that’ll make your cards flutter with charm. From bold and dramatic to soft and dreamy, these techniques will have your projects soaring to new heights! 🦋✨

The butterfly outline is layer one and then there are 3 additional detail layers to add on top to customize your projects. I show you how to use all three top layers in the video.

Beautiful butterfly cards created with layering stencils + Hero Wax and Hero Paste.

I thought it would be fun to make some non-traditional Christmas cards featuring butterflies AND pastel colors. I always love to stretch my supplies beyond the predictable!

For my first two cards, I stenciled a panel of Deluxe Smooth Cardstock with a gradient of 3 colors and then added White Hero Wax (card on the left) and Hero Glitter Paste (card on the right). I used Thistle, Taffy and Creamsicle for the card on the left. For the card on the right, I wanted a frosty, icy, wintry blend so I used Amethyst, Thistle and Splash.

The mats are Amethyst with a Granite base.

I also think the duo pictured above would make great Get Well, Thinking of You or Sympathy cards.

Let Your Creativity Soar

Stenciled and Ink blended non-traditional butterfly Christmas card.

And, I had to make at least one traditional green and red Christmas butterfly card. I stenciled with Fresh Lawn and Cherry Ink, matted with Crimson cardstock and added a sentiment from the Swirly Christmas Tree Bundle.

Other Supplies Used in the Video:

Hero Studio December Layering Stencil of the Month - 3 handmade butterfly cards.

The Final Flutter

With just a stencil and a splash of creativity, you can bring butterflies to life in endless, colorful ways. So, go ahead—spread your crafting wings, experiment with colors, and let your cards shine as bright and beautiful as a butterfly in full flight. Happy stenciling! 🦋✨

cardmaking · Die cutting · Stamping

It’s a Jungle! | August 2024 Hero Studio Release

Karen Brown13 Comments
3 cards created with Hero Arts August 2024 Jungle Theme Relsease.

I am so excited that it is Launch Day for Hero Studio’s playful August jungle theme release. I can’t wait to show you some of Hero Arts GORGEOUS new products, so kick back and hop along with the Creative Team.

Hero will give away a $50 gift card, drawn from the comments left across the hop. Enter by Sunday, August 11th at 11:59pm Pacific, and the winner will be announced on the Hero Arts blog the following week. Links to all the Hop Participants is below.

Create Your Own Jungle | Studio Card Kit of the Month

Colorful playful "have a wild birtthday" homemade card created with Hero Studio August 2024 Card Kit of the Month.

The August Card Kit of the Month is so playful with tons of wonderful elements to incorporate into your papercrafting projects. For my first card, I used the Heroscape stamp set to create a “wild” birthday card. I think the Nesting Postage Stamp Dies give an exotic travel feel to my card.

I masked and ink blended a tiny beach for my elephants to walk along, and then stamped the rest of my scene. I used Fawn (sand), Green Apple Core, Fresh Lawn Core, Pool Party, Deep Ocean, Pale Tomato and Tangerine. I then die cut my scene and a mat and adhered to my card base with craft foam.

What’s Inside the Kit?

Curious about this month’s kit? Let’s take a peek inside the August 2024 Hero Studio Card Kit.

KIT INCLUDES:
• Jungle HeroScape Clear Stamp Set, 6″ x 8″
• 12 Coordinating Dies
• 5 Fancy Dies
• Jungle Scenics Stencil, 6″ x 6″
• Olive Hero Wax
• White Plastic Palette Knife
• 3 Reactive Ink Cubes (Key Lime Fizz, Green Apple, Fruit Punch)
• 2 Reactive Glitz Ink Pads (French Pink, Byzantine Green)
• 5 Printed Sticker Sheets, 6″ x 6″

Kit Cost:

$46 with Subscription + FREE SHIPPING
$49.99 One-Time Purchase
While Supplies Last

5 Wonderful Kit Options:

For this blog post, I created with two kits and 1 Extraordinary Extra, but there there are 5 kits plus 5 Extras available. You can also buy the Whole Studio, which includes all 5 kits at a wonderful savings.

Jungle Serenity | August Extraordinary Extra

Colorful water lily card created with Hero Arts Jungle Serenity stamp and die bundle.

I used my favorite blues and greens for this cool and calm Jungle Serenity card. I stamped my images, colored with alcohol markers and layered my backdrop using my Rounded Rectangle Infinity Dies.

PRO TIP: There is a small die in the lower left corner that is easy to overlook when you are snipping your dies apart. Be sure to separate that piece before die cutting.

Jungle Serenity Stamp and Die Bundle

Colorful thkinkig of you sympathy card that is colored with alcohol markers and die cut.
Hero Studio Layering Stencil of the Month | Monthly Mini
Colorful laering stencil jungle foliage card with die cut accent elements.

If you want a background with loads of impact, then the August Layering Stencil of the Month is definitely for you!

I ink blended my background and then continued the foliage theme by adding die cuts and a sentiment from my August Card Kit of the Month. I love how the kit themes for each month all work together….endless possibilites!

Supplies Used:

Blog Hop Links:


Hero Arts

Seeka

Rosie Lopez

Rachel Kleinman

Natasha Vacca

Natasha Polite

Michelle Short

Lydia Fiedler

Karen Brown You Are Here!

Jennifer Kotas

Jeannie Lieu

Ilina Crouse

Heather Ruwe

Charlene Madrid

Channin Pelletier
I am so happy you stopped by today!

cardmaking

Fast, Easy and Elegant Embossed Sympathy Card | Spellbinders

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Creating a fast, easy elegant sympathy card with 3D Emboss and Cut folders: Spellbinders Mushrooms From Me to You 3D Emboss and Cut folder.

Creating a handmade sympathy card is a thoughtful way to express your condolences, showing the recipient that you care enough to make something special. An embossed card is particularly elegant, yet it can be surprisingly quick and simple to create. Here’s a guide to making a beautiful embossed sympathy card that’s both fast and easy.

Timesaving Tips for Cardmakers:

I started with the new Mushrooms From Me To You 3D Emboss and Cut Folder from Spellbinders that has several great attributes:

  • The first is that the folder embosses and die cuts with just one pass through the machine. This is a real timesaver!
  • The second, is that there are 3 templates on the folder so you create 3 components each time! YAY for 3 Fers!

How I created this card:

  • Using my paper trimmer, I cut a white card panel that was 8 3/4″ x 5 3/4″. I think white on white is always lovely for a sympathy card.
  • I wanted to tape my dies to the embossing folder to ensure there would be no shifting during the die-cutting. Using my Best Tape Ever, I tacked the 3 dies to the inside front cover with the cutting edge toward the interior of the sandwich. Then I added my pre-cut paper panel. I also taped the folder closed at the bottom to ensure everything stayed in place.
  • I ran the sandwich through my machine and viola, 3 cut and embossed elements with one pass through my machine!
  • I wanted to keep the card simple so I mounted the largest embossed die cut on an A2 top folding card with Bearly Glue and Craft Foam.
  • I added a simple premade Thinking of You Chipboard sentiment and the card was done. I wish I timed the process, because it was VERY quick!

Time Saving Tip #1: Use premade sentiment Chipboard Stickers like the one I used on this card. I also love the Bayfair Chipboard and Puffy Stickers. Here is one of my posts that uses the Bayfair Chipboard sentiments on my kite card and I used the puffy stickers on this stitched card.

Time Saving Tip #2: Use premade card bases like these A2 Top Fold or A2 side fold.

TIP FOR SUCCESS: Keep it Simple – Elegance often comes from simplicity. Stick to a few well-chosen elements rather than overloading the card with decorations.

Helpful Links:

Time Saving Tips for Cardmakers with Spellbinders Mushrooms From Me to You 3D Emboss and Cut folder hndmade sympathy card

Creating a handmade embossed sympathy card is a meaningful way to show your compassion and support. With a few simple steps and materials, you can craft a card that is not only fast and easy to make but also elegant and deeply personal.

See you next time!

Karen

BetterPress · cardmaking · papercrafting

Hero Arts | Antique Bee Letter Press Card Trio

Karen Brown1 Comment
3 Square BetterPress letter press Sympathy Cards featuring Hero Arts Antique Bee and Wreath.

I fell in love with Hero Arts Antique Bee LetterPress set. I find the plates to be both elegant and whimsical and thought they would make lovely sympathy cards. I used the gorgeous camel watercolor paper that came in my January MMH Classic kit but Hero Arts Handmade Watercolor Paper would be beautiful too. I stamped on my Message Strips Sentiment in coordinating ink. I trimmed my panel down with the pretty Square Scallop Infinity Die and popped onto a card base made from Cup O’ Joe cardstock.

Elegant LetterPress Sympathy Card

Square Thinking of You Card with Hero Arts Antique Bee and Wreath letter press plates.

I think letter press gives such a high-end result. On my first card I used Moss ink for my wreath.

Using handmade watercolor paper for BetterPress letter press printing.

For card #2, I used Bermuda Ink.

Square BetterPress letter press Thinking of You Sympathy Card.

For card #3 I used Amethyst Ink for the Bee and Pine for the wreath.

I adore the beauty and texture of letter press cards. I hope you enjoyed this post….thanks for stopping by!

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 · 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!

cardmaking · Die cutting

Spellbinders Cards | Be Bold Blooms Floral Die Kit 3 Ways

Karen Brown1 Comment
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 · papercrafting

Spellbinders | Home Sweet Quilts

Karen Brown3 Comments
Spellbinders Patchwork Petals Quilt Card. S5-537

Patchwork Petals Quilt Cards: S5-537

Becca Feeken has done it again with her Home Sweet Quilt Collection! I had so much fun planning and creating these colorful cards.

For my first card, I wanted a stained glass effect so I used the inlaid die cutting technique.

Achieving a stained glass effect with inlaid die cutting.

My Stained Glass Inlaid Die Cutting Technique

  • I started by cutting my Patchwork Petals (S5-537) frame out of navy cardstock and then die cut 5 more colors (aqua, lime, lavender, pink and orange).
  • I die cut two backgrounds: 5″ x 5 1/2″ and then die cut a square into one of the backgrounds so I could inlay the design.
  • Stamp your sentiment on the panel with the square opening. I used Ranger Denim ink to stamp my Waffle Flowers Rainbow sentiment. I think the sentiment has been discontinued, but it is a set I still love using.
  • Glue the background with the square opening and sentiment onto the second background.
  • Inset/glue the navy frame into the square opening. I used liquid glue.
  • Inset/glue each piece of the quilt.
  • Using craft foam, glue your card panel to a 5 1/2″ x 6″ card base.
Stained glass inlaid die cutting technique.

I had lots of extra pieces left over so I created a bright sympathy card by die cutting a white panel (frame and background) and then using three colors from my leftover pieces.

Die cut Sympathy Card with Spelllbinders Layered Windmill Quilt: S5-545

I added a hot foil sentiment: Spellbinders Mini Everyday Sentiment (GLP-260) with Pink Foil (GLF-006).

Spellbinders Layered Windmill Quilt Cards: S5-545

Layered Windmill Quilt Cards: S5-545

For the Layered Windmill, I created an Octagon shaped card, again with inlaid diecutting. I followed the same process as in Card #1, but then I trimmed the card’s edges with my paper trimmer so that I had a card with 8 sides.

Spellbinders Layered Windmill Quilt Octagon Cards: S5-545

I made two versions, one is white, blue, lime and orange and the other is blue, lime and white.

Products Used:

Octagon Shaped Quilt card with inlaid die cuttting in blue and lime.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Altenew | Craft Your Life Watercolor Flowers

Karen Brown5 Comments
Altenew Craft Your Life Watercolor Flowers Project Kit handmade card.

Altenew’s Craft-Your-Life Watercolor Flowers

I love Altenew’s Subscription kits and this month’s Craft Your Life Subscription Kit does not disappoint. It’s called Watercolor Flowers and there are two big beautiful stamps plus loads of great sentiments included.

For my first card, I used the coloring stencils and I love the graphic look on the finished card. The sentiment is included in the kit.

Using Altenew's Craft Your Life Watercolor Flowers coloring stencil.

I used Altenew Crisp Dye Inks in the following shades: Mango Smoothie, Warm Sunshine, Orange Crush, Mountain Mist, Volcano Lake, Lagoon and Mountain Pine when coloring with the stencil.

For my background, I used washi tape to tape off a border. Then, using Altenew’s Large Ink Blending Tool and Warm Sunshine Crisp Dye Ink, I blended a coordinating background. I die cut my floral panel, attached to the background with Instant Dimension Foam Tape and added Warm and Cozy Enamel Dots to the flower centers.

Yellow and aqua color scheme on Altenew's December 2022 Craft-Your-Life Project kit.

Altenew Beach Garden Set K Artist Alcohol Markers

Altenew just came out with their newest set of Alcohol Markers called Beach Garden (Set K) and I wanted to do a second card with this bright set. I love the aquas, blues, yellows and oranges. There are also some really pretty grays included. The only additional color I used on my card was a light Yellow (C004) for the buds on the right side. In addition to the regular brush, Altenew markers have a second fine coloring head for small areas. I used the fine nib a lot on this card and it is one of the reasons I usually reach for Altenew markers over other brands.

Altenew's Beach Garden (Set K) Artist Alcohol Markers.

I added a subtle background by running a bit of Embossing Paste through parts of the Bubble Wrap Stencil. I lightly heated the embossing paste. The longer you heat, the more the paste will bubble up. I assembled with Instant Dimension Foam Tape, stamped a sentiment using Altenew’s Label Love Stamp set and added Cool Summer Night Enamel Dots to the flower centers.

Altenew's Craft-Your-Life Watercolor Flowers in Orange and Aqua.

Watercolor Flowers Embossing Folder

Using 3D embossed scraps in cardmaking.

The Craft-Your-Life Embossing Folder is beautiful! I ink blended Persian Blue and Saphire Crisp Dye Inks on cardstock and then embossed it. I then added white pigment over the top of the embossing. I wanted to spotlight the embossing so I die cut 4 circular frames using Halftone Circles dies and then glued them together to form a substantial looking frame. Using one of the die cuts as a guide, I chose the portion of the embossed panel that I wanted to use on my card and then die cut a circle. I stacked the frames on top of the embossed circle and glued to a white A2 top-folding card. I added three enamel dots (Essential Black and White) to the flower centers and stamped a simple sentiment in corresponding ink. I think it makes for a fresh clean look.

Blue Ink Blending + White Pigment Ink on Craft Your Life Watercolor Flowers 3D Embossing Folder.

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear which card is your favorite.

Karen

cardmaking · Mixed Media · papercrafting

Visible Images “Live in the Moment” Stamped Dragonfly Cards

Karen BrownLeave a comment
Visible Images "Live in the Moment" stamped dragonfly sympathy card.

Don’t you just love Dragonflies? I really like how this sympathy card turned out. I heat embossed the dragonfly from Visible Images “Live in the Moment” stamp set on a gel press print and added a Rubbernecker Three Line Frame border.

Heat embossed dragonfly handmade card

My sister-in-law loves dragonflies too so I made this card for her birthday this month. I ink blended my background and then heat embossed the dragonflies and sentiment.

Handmade heat embossed dragonfly card with ink blend background.

I had a strip of background left over so I made a third card…I love bonus cards!

I am so glad you stopped by!

Karen