Not my proudest moment - Easter Cards

I planned to make and post Easter cards for all my friends and family. I thought long and hard about the designs, ordered everything I needed. But then, last Thursday my husband informed me it was Easter this weekend. The time just completely got away from me! Being in lockdown I just take it day by day and make the most out of the good weather as much as I can. And then, because of the delays in post I didn't receive most of my supplies. Disaster.
I still wanted to make Easter cards since I was really looking forward to it. And since it was too late to post anything I just made a few for friends who live nearby so I could hand deliver them. I had one Easter themed die set by Sizzix and that's what I used.

So I made eggs. Loads of them. For some I used pattern dies included in the set, but I kept most of them quite natural. I cut them out of white, pink and green cardstock and splattered them with pearlescent watercolour. For that I mixed red and green to get brownish colour, but the shine of the paint made it look a bit like rose gold.
 I also used die cut patterns as stencils to apply some crackle paste - just for a bit of variety. It worked out great, but the pattern really is too small for that. It was good to try it though and I'll definitely use this technique in the future.

I also added some feathers and sisal fibre.

For two of the cards I added bunny ears sticking out from the eggs (dies included in the set) to make them a bit more playful.

I wanted the eggs to look like they were arranged in a basket so I've added layers of foam tape behind them.

 So here they are, my last minute hand delivered Easter cards. They may be quick and easy, but they did bring some joy to the recipients. And that's most important, especially during this hard time.

Hope you're having great Easter and enjoy the company of your closest ones.

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

#cardmakingsuperpower Encouragment Cards Featuring Detail Foiling With no Heat

I love Jennifer McGuire's #cardmakingsuperpower movement. I love crafting, but I always asked myself what's the use of it in the world. And here it is. It's not just paper, it's personal. From personalised cards to movements like this when the times are tough. I had no second thoughts about jumping on board. And I had just the thing I needed.

I used an old Hero Arts layering stamp and die set. It features lovely goldfish and an encouragement sentiment perfect for the circumstances. Initially I wanted to create something simple and quick but I just couldn't help myself. So I've added a few details and eventually I'm happy with the results.

For the backround I used pearlescent watercolour on white cardstock. I just painted a whole sheet of cardstock and then die cut the irregular rectangle shapes, so some pieces were darker and some lighter, but all show variation in colour. Initially I was going to leave it at that, but it just wasn't enough. So I used an embossing folder from Papercraft Society January box by Olga Direktorenko. It was perfect for creating the waves effect.  I also used a couple of dies from the same box to serve as water plants.

I used Hero Arts mini ink set to stamp the fish and then stamped partially with black ink to accentuate the eyes. I wanted a bit of shine on the fish to make them look a bit more realistic and I couldn't decide what to use for that. Then I thought they were goldfish after all so I should add some gold. And foiling was perfect for this. I added just a little bit of gold foil detail - full details of the technique can be found below.

The gold detail really added to the stamps but they still looked a bit flat. So I used Dimensional Magic for the eyes. It really made them pop (wrong choice of words, sorry) and made the fish look even more realistic. 

Because I was making multiple cards I decided to vary them a bit and on some of the fish I added Wink of Stella shimmer.

Another variation was in the dimension. I mounted the blue bacground to white card base using craft foam. On some cards I just glued the diecuts directly to the background, but on others I mounted the larger fish with foam squares or stacked 3 dies together for added dimension. I was surprised how different the two ways look in the end. Although this is probably a nuance only a cardmaker would notice.

Here's the foam squares:

And stacked dies:

I used different combinations of water plants on each card and mounted the sentiment towards the bottom using foam squares again for dimension. Here's a few examples:

Now for the foiling technique. I used a way of adding foil which didn't require heat and also allowed me to add a small detail. And one way of adding foil is to use something sticky for the foil to attach to. It could be double sided adhesive, but it wouldn't work for me in this case. I used Zig's 2 Way Glue pen.

 It comes with a precision applicator similar to gel pens so it allows to only apply a small amount of glue. It also works two ways - when wet, directly after applying or when dry as it remains sticky. The glue is blue but turns clear when it dries. And it doesn't take long. I added a few small fish scale shapes and after it dried I placed the foil over it, nice shiny side up and pressed and rubbed it into the glue. It came out perfect!

The cards will be out on their way to our superheroes shortly and I really hope they'll bring them a smile.

Written in Wood - Engagement

When it comes to cards for couples - like engagement card for example, I like to keep it simple. I feel it needs to appeal to both man and a woman. And in this case I wanted to go for something romantic in a less conventional way. So here it is - written in wood. Like initials carved in a trunk of a tree to stay.

I used kraft cardstock for the base and the panel. I used some yellow, orange and light brown ink for some colour variation. I couldn't decide whether I should use background die or embossing folder for the woodgrain effect. So I did both and compared the overall look. I went with the die in the end, but here are pictures of both.

 I used Lil'inker Designs Stitched Woodgrain cover die. It's such a cute die and it was perfect for the card - did you notice the little heart in the pattern? I then die cut a heart shape and positioned it over cream card with the names of the couple printed. I mounted the panel on a craft foam for some dimension.

For the sentiment I used Mini Shadowed Sentiments by Sue Wilson. I used gold mirror cardstock for the shadow and cream for the sentiment. However the gold looked a bit too shiny and new for the rustic design I was going for and I wanted to make it look a bit tarnished. I used Antique Paste by Pentart which is a brilliant medium and can be used in many ways. If anything needs to look vintage, shabby chic or rustic - Antique Paste is your guy. I just rubbed some all over the die cut with a bit of sponge paying particular attention to the edges and let it dry. It muted the shine and gave it an antique gold effect. Depending on what it is applied with it can also leave some marks - like scratches or rust effect. 

Here's a close up of the finished sentiment. I should've taken a picture before I used the Antique Paste but I didn't think of it at the time.

I decided to add some dainty green branches with leaves for a bit of colour and interest. 

And here it is - the finished product.

The client was very happy with the final result and I hope the couple were too! 

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Lattice Cards

I really enjoyed making these. It's not a new technique and I've made cards see through or lattice cards before. I like the final result so much, I had to do it again and play around with it a bit. I used the layering dies for this. However any background dies could be used, as long as they're not solid.

I came across this technique on Jennifer McGuire's blog and YouTube channel. I love Jennifer, she's one of my cardmaking gurus. Here's link to this particular technique.

Note: I apologise for the quality of the photos in this post. I make cards for sale and these sold out so quickly I didn't really get the opportunity to take nicer pictures. I also wanted to deliver them to my clients as soon as I could as some of them may need to post them in the current situation, rather than hand deliver.

I die cut layering background die from coordinating cardstock - I used these beautiful shades of green and glued them together. I also die cut all 3 layers from white cardstock to form the back of my card and glued them together as well. I then scored the top frame of the die and attached it to the from green panel, so that it forms a top opening card. I used the oval stitched die for the sentiment and also as a space for the personal message inside.

The other dies I used had a lot more empty space and I decided to fill it with vellum, so they're not completely see through. And they can be lit up from behind, which makes them look like a lantern or stained glass.

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

More Shaker Cards

I did go a bit mad on shaker cards. But this is the last batch.

I used the same die as previously on one card and a different die from the same set, but this time I cut it out of mirror cardstock. I love the effect of an intricate die with mirror cardstock, this precious metal jewellery look. I used quite feminine paper with blue flowers and damask pattern. I distressed the smaller one of the cards for a bit of shabby chic look and kept the other one pristine and clean.  I'm not great with words, so I'll let the cards speak for themselves.

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Shaking up Mother's Day - again

I did mention in my last post that I went a bit mad on shaker cards. Here's more.

I used retro style patterned paper this time and placed sentiments inside the shaker window.
I used a round die to cut out the centre and die cut the shape from white cardstock. I coloured then with pearlescent watercolour paint.

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Shaking up Mother's Day

I took a looong break from the blog and also from crafting. I had to pack my craft stash away to make space for baby stuff. Yes, I became a mother. My little one is now 18 months old and I'm finally back to crafting.

And since Mother's Day is less than a month away I thought I'd share some card ideas for this special occasion.

I went a bit mad on shaker cards. I just LOVE a good shaker. And they aren't hard to make, once you practice a bit.

Here is the first lot.
I used  round dies with flowers. I cannot for the life of me remember where I got them - they were in my stash for a while but I just never got to use them. And for this I cut them out of mirror cardstock. I used double sided adhesive, I don't think I'd have the patience to apply glue, even with the precision applicator. I cut the opening in the card panel using the same die to make sure the die fits and lines up perfectly. Once I had acetate at the back of the panel I stuck the die cut at the front of the shaker window. For the back I used fun foam or double sided foam tape. I find tape so much easier as it already has adhesive. But then again - fun foam guarantees smooth surface and no dents. So here's a perfect solution - double sided foam sheets (Stix2 or Crafter's Companion) - on my shopping list already.
I used a sequin mix of light green and peachy pink. I thought it was a nice colour combination for the spring.
I combined white and ivory cardstock for a bit interest as the cards are simple enough. I mixed and matched with silver and gold and used different sentiments - some stamped, some die cut and some printed. So even though I made them in a batch they are all different.

I really like that large "thanks" die - it works so well on this card. I cut it three times and stacked them for added dimension and it helped it stand out a bit more. This die is from My Monthly Hero kit from a couple of years ago (if I remember correctly), but here is a similar one.

Which one is your favourite?


I'll be sharing more Mother's Day shaker cards next time - stay tuned!

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http://happylittlestampers.blogspot.com/2020/02/hls-february-cas-challenge.html