I am normally a very slow crafter, but I put my mind to making a couple sets of handmade note card gift sets that I was actually able to whip up in a day! With very limited supplies — scraps of paper, a few Diemond Dies die sets, and some old fabric washi (I’ve been hoarding these for so long that some of the adhesive has disintegrated!), some Recollections Bling on a Roll (for the purple base card), and handful of Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Dried Marigold, Milled Lavender, Twisted Citron, Squeezed Lemonade, and Broken China), I was able to create these 6 Shabby Chic or Prim style note cards. These are going to be gifted as two sets of 3 cards and mailed to crafty friends who love this style just to let them know I’m thinking of them (the one getting the ones with the garden tools is an avid gardener!).
There is a tutorial/process video below that shows everything in lots of detail, so I’ll just list the items I used here:
Diemond Dies Nesting Heart Die Set
Diemond Dies Nesting Tag Die Set
Diemond Dies Garden Tools Die Set
and you could have used any of the many Diemond Dies flower die sets, the Fluttering Butterfly Die Set, or even the Vintage Buttons Die Set to embellish these sweet cards.
GREAT COUPON!!!: My readers can get 20% off and free worldwide shipping on all Diemond Dies orders of $20 or more by using the coupon code: 30days
The following is a process video of making these card sets:
These cards are being entered into the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with Optional Add Glitter/Bling
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Fab ‘n’ Funky Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Twist Shabby Chic
CAS-ual Fridays Friendship Challenge
I first gathered all the left over flowers and lightly sprayed them with Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Sheer and Gold. Then I placed a paper towel over my mouse pad (so as not to get spray pigment on my mousepad) and used my Spellbinders Tool ‘n One with the medium sized stylus to hand emboss the flower petals into rounded curves from the back side of the flowers. Then I flipped over the flowers and pushed their centers with the stylus to get a simple shaped flower.
I then played with the placement of the various flower sizes, and decided that a small to large cluster of flowers forming a kind of swoop would look lush and luxe. Lastly I used self-adhesive flat back pearls to dot each flower center, using varying sizes to match the sizes of the flowers. To fill in a few gaps between the flowers I added a few extra flat back pearls to the card front. Easy peasy, clean and simple, super dimensional floral card that can be used for weddings, anniversaries, engagements or any time!
Diemond Dies SALES: My readers can get 15% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies through June 19, 2017 by using the coupon code spring15 (no minimum purchase required). Additionally, if you are interested in buying the whole May 2017 Bundled New Release, there is a special bundled sale price of just $59 (which is lowered to $50 if you also use the spring15 code — that’s 44% off the individual die prices!), good through June 25, 2017. After June 19, 2017, you can use my coupon code thankskristina for 10% off and free worldwide shipping on all orders of $35 or more.
The following is a Diemond Dies YouTube Hop Video sharing the process of making this card as well as the two cards from the previous post (watch and comment on YouTube for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate!):
These cards are being entered into the following challenges:
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Emboss It Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Touchy Feeling Challenge: shaker card
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Die Cuts or Punches
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Cards Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
This is not a nesting die set, nor is it a die set with separate flowers in varied sizes. This was an actual single die that had the flowers all connected together. How cool, right?!
I made the first card into a shaker card by cutting out two card stock card fronts, layering in a piece of plastic to create a kind of sandwiched window. Then I cut two fun foam layering pieces to adhere to the back of the card front assemblage to add enough depth to create little floral wells for shaker pieces. To make a rainbow of flowers, I filled each flower well with different colored seed beads, confetti pieces, vase fillers, well, you get the idea–little bits and pieces of whatever I had on hand in the right colors. After all the flower wells were filled, I adhered a card stock card base, careful not to disturb all those shaker pieces from their positions. For the sentiment, I used a Lawn Fawn stamp from the “Color My World” mini stamp set, and used the MISTI to make sure that I got good, solid ink coverage.
For the second card, I basically took advantage of the design of the die and cut out a card front and a single layer of fun foam to make floral windows in ascending size order. I thought about backing each flower window with a different colored patterned paper in rainbow order again, but then I came across a scrap of watercolor paper that I had in my scrap box that had some lovely mottled blues and blue-violets splatters. I backed all the flower windows with this one scrap, which just fit to cover all the openings. Then I adhered the whole front to a card base. For the sentiment, I stamped a simple phrase from the Cardz TV “Just Saying” stamp set that reads, “Just saying…” Then for the inside sentiment, I used an Inkadinkado “Kids Quotes” stamp set that reads, “If you’re feeling blue — try painting yourself a different color.”
Easy peasy, clean and simple floral cards and will be nice additions to my handmade card stash — ready to go when I want to send a little uplifting note to someone. 🙂
Diemond Dies SALES: My readers can get 15% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies through June 19, 2017 by using the coupon code spring15 (no minimum purchase required). Additionally, if you are interested in buying the whole May 2017 Bundled New Release, there is a special bundled sale price of just $59 (which is lowered to $50 if you also use the spring15 code — that’s 44% off the individual die prices!), good through June 25, 2017. After June 19, 2017, you can use my coupon code thankskristina for 10% off and free worldwide shipping on all orders of $35 or more.
These cards are being entered into the following challenges:
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Touchy Feeling Challenge: shaker card
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Die Cuts or Punches
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Cards Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
NOTE: Diemond Dies is having a sale, now thru June 19, 2017 so if you’ve been holding off on picking up some dies, now’s your chance to get some great deals. Use coupon code spring15 for 15% off and free worldwide shipping (no minimum purchase required).
To make a Fathers Day card for my dad, I decided to do a kind of family portrait with the foxes from the Lawn Fawn “Mom + Me” stamp set with the following Copic colors:
Adult foxes: W1, W7, YR04, and YR07
Fox pups: W1, W5, YR00, YR14, and YR04
To designate the female pups and momma fox, I also stamped out a few flowers from the stamp set, inking them up with a Distress Marker in Broken China and coloring the flower centers with Y13 and YR04. I used the accompanying dies to cut out all the foxes, but hand fussy cut out the flowers so they wouldn’t have the white edge around the flowers.
I wanted to shout out my thanks to my dad, who has given everything he has to be the best father to me and my siblings, so I started with the sentiment: “THANKS DAD!” stamped from part of the longer sentiment from The Greeting Farm “I Love Dad” stamp set that continues with, “for all you do”. I added an exclamation point with a Copic Multiliner pen in 0.1 pt and then cut it out into a speech bubble form.
I wanted this CAS card to have some umph, so I popped up the filmstrip of all the little foxes and the sentiment speech bubble up on thick double sided foam adhesive. I also wanted the card front to have a nice stitching detail, so I used the largest stitched rectangle from the MFT Blueprints 15 die set (this is the perfect A2 size) for the crisp white card front. I used some scrap orange polka dot patterned paper from my scrap box for the card base, so there is also a fun, surprising pattern when you open up the card.
For the inside liner sheet, I used a sorbet orange copy paper and printed out the silly sentiment, “THANKS FOR THE GENES THAT PROVIDED MY CRAZY GOOD LOOKS!” I know my dad will get a kick out of this funny sentiment because now at almost 83 years old he often talks about how he picked my mom as his wife because he knew she was really smart and he knew he had wanted to have smart, good looking kids. LOL
The following is a video share of this card:
This card is being entered into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Create a Container
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Furry Friends Challenge
Card Mania Life is Colorful Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards – One for the Boys Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Stencils
CASology Loud Challenge – loud colors (orange and blue), loud sentiment
MFT Card Color Challenge #70
Lawn Fawnatics Spring Inspiration Board Challenge – flowers, kitties (foxes), orange and blue colors
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After rummaging through my scrap box, I found great fun patterned scraps in beautiful secondary but deep/rich colors (I used 10 scraps up! Woot woot!) that I could die cut into a grassy hillside background with the MFT Die-namics Grassy Hills Die and a handful of little chickies with the Easter Die Set from Diemond Dies.
I added little dot eyes to the chickies with a Black Glaze Pen (love the subtle shine and dimension) and shimmery beaks with a Metallic Gold Gelly Roll Pen. I also inked all the edges of each die cut grass, sky and chick with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Mowed Lawn, Picked Raspberry or Salty Ocean to add a finished look. I printed out the sentiment from my computer and inked the edges of that too. The whole card front is adhered to a square corrugated kraft card base, which I think adds a nice subtle interest to this simple card.
This was s fun and fast little Easter card, and I love how it came out! I hope you all are having a wonderful spring! This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Spring Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge Optional Flowers
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Spring Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Easter Challenge
MFT Color Challenge #66
I made up this quick and silly card using the Easter Die Set (sorry, it’s out of stock right now). I just die cut two bunnies out, inked the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo, and then used a hole punch to take a “bite” from one bunny’s bottom and the other bunny’s ears. I printed out the sentiments “My butt hurts” and “Huh? What?” from my computer and just hand cut them into simple speech bubble shapes. LOL I added little dot eyes to the bunnies with a Black Glaze Pen (love the subtle shine and dimension).
The CAS background was made from scraps in my scrap box and the MFT Die-namics Grassy Hills Die. Since it was such a simple card, I thought I’d add some interest by making it a super long card. This fits into a legal sized envelope and it will be going to a crafty friend in Germany, filled with a sampling of US stamped images she can’t purchase there. I hope this brings a smile to her face. 🙂
This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS Smile Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Hip Hop Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Spring Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge Optional Flowers
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Spring Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Easter Challenge
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I started with some pearl finish silver Core’dinations card bases and cut 4 plain white card fronts from a single sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ card stock. I used my MISTI Stamp Tool to stamp out a beautiful script “thank you” from Studio Katia with black VersaFine Ink in the lower left of each card front. Then to add a little interest to the card fronts, I used two of the border dies from the Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 2 Die Set and cut away a bit from the left and right sides. This would not only add fun borders to the card fronts themselves, but would also add some depth by revealing the underlying card base color on either side. Then I looked through a variety of Diemond Dies nesting die sets (the video shares a bunch of dies that could work for this) and picked the Die-Normous Stack-Ems Nesting Circle Die Set and the Heart Nesting Die Set to cut out some windows in the upper 2/3 of each card front. I also positioned the card fronts on the card bases and re-aligned the dies to cut the same windows on the card base fronts.
Before assembling the cards together, I took the Diemond Dies Winter Snowflakes Die Set, the Snowflakes #1 Die and the Icy Snowflakes Die and cut out front and backs of each spinning snowflake. Because the dies are not perfectly symmetrical, I show in the video how to cut front and backs from patterned (or in my case, glittered) card stock so that the spinners would be perfectly aligned and not show any white edges.
I sandwiched some thin Gold DMC Metallic Embroidery Thread between each snowflake front and back and glued everything together, and attached the thread ends to the top and bottom of the die cut windows on the back side of the card fronts with strong invisible tape. Then it was just a matter of gluing the card fronts to the card base fronts. To add a little extra fun and sparkle, I die cut some extra snowflakes out of scrap white card stock, card base scraps, and glittered card stock to decorate the card fronts a bit more. Add a smattering of gold or silver Stickles dots, and voila! Quick and fun bulk thank you cards are done!
DIEMOND DIES SALE AND DISCOUNT: My readers can get 20% off and free worldwide shipping on all orders of $20 or more by using the coupon code “christmas20” through December 31, 2016. After that date, use the coupon code “thankskristina” for 10% off and free worldwide shipping on all orders of $35 or more.
The following is a start to finish process video on how to make these cards:
These cards are being entered into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional New Years
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes with Optional Holiday Happiness – WINNER
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I decided to use Icicle, Puddles and Birch to start getting into the holiday spirit. I inked them up with MFT Black Licorice Hybrid Ink because I knew I wanted to color them up with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and practice a little watercoloring (I’m still a beginner and figuring things out, but I share my limited experience in the video below–hope it’s helpful to you). These are the colors I used:
Icicle: Light Grey (091); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029) with light pink in the ears and on his cheeks using a Tim Holtz Distress Spun Sugar (I couldn’t find my Light Pink (026), which I think would have worked similarly)
Puddles: Light Grey (091); Beige (072); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029) with light pink on his cheeks using a Tim Holtz Distress Spun Sugar
Birch: Light Brown (061); Brown (060); Florescent Pink (003); Turquoise Green (042); Geranium Red (029); and Light Carmine (021) for blush
Ground: Light Grey (091) and Light Blue (036)
Next I ran a white card stock card base through my Big Shot with a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder to create a kind of wintery frame. I used 4th largest of the Diemond Dies Nesting Oval Die Set to cut out an opening on the card front. Then I used double sided foam adhesive to position the critters in the opening, recessed back just a tad from the card front.
Lastly, to add some wintery embellishments, I used the two smaller snowflakes from the Diemond Dies Winter Snowflake Die Set to die cut six snowflakes to cluster in the upper right and lower left of the frame. I heavily coated all the snowflakes with some Plaid Folk Art Extreme Glitter Acrylic Paint in Hologram to give them all a shimmery sparkly look to them. I also added a 1/4″ trim of hologram-painted card stock at the bottom edge of the card front to add a more finished, coordinated look.
Special Sale: My readers can get 15% off and free worldwide shipping at Diemond Dies through November 12, 2016 by using the coupon code: kristina15. After November 12, 2016, for orders of $35 or more, you can get 10% off and free worldwide shipping by using the coupon code: thankskristina
The following is a watercoloring process video:
This card is being entered into the following challenge:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More Make Your Mark Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes Challenge with Optional Anything But a Card
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Crafts Galore Encore Anything Goes Challenge
Crafty Gals Corner Anything Goes Challenge
MFT Card Sketch Challenge #304
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I won’t go into the detailed process here since my YouTube Video shares that, but here is a list all the supplies I used — notice, no stamps!
Diemond Dies: Deer Trio Die, Cross Stitched Squares Die Set, Word Die Set #1, Pine Tree Die Set, Grass Border Die
Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, Gathered Twigs and Old Paper for the deer and the pine tree trunks.
Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Pine Needles and Tumbled Glass for the trees, grass and sky.
Tim Holtz Distress Markers (I price compare as I need these and currently MarkerPOP is having a great sale so that is the link I provided): Picket Fence, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Pine Needles, Tea Dye and Gathered Twigs to add depth of shadows, visual texture and details to the die cuts.
Strathmore 140 lb watercolor paper, Big Shot die cutting machine, Spellbinder Tool ‘n One, Pentel water brush, Tim Holtz blending tools, sponge finger daubers, tissue, white Sakura Gelly Roll Pen (for the spots on the deer and fawn), Zig clear Wink of Stella (for some shimmer on the sentiment and in the tree tops), and Glossy Accents (for for the antlers, eyes, noses and hooves).
I’m so happy this experiment was a success (IMHO), and it was all with just ink blending and watercoloring layers of colors! Plus, I often struggle with masculine or cards for boys or men, but I like how fresh and outdoorsy this came out. YAY!
SUMMER HOP COUPON!: Now through July 10, 2016, Diemond Dies is offering 15% off and free worldwide shipping with no minimum purchase. Use the coupon code “hop15” at checkout for awesome savings!
The following is a tutorial video on how I created this card from start to finish:
This card is being entered into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Challenge – Sights of green meadow and blue skys and sounds of grass rustling as deer pass through
Not Just Cards Anything Goes Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Add Some Shimmer Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
Fab ‘n’ Funky Boys/Men Challenge
Through the Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes Challenge
Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge
Creatalicious Anything Goes with an Optional Focus on Animals Challenge
Virginia’s View All About Colors Challenge
Sam and Toby
The mostly white dog with light brown ears is colored with Copic markers: W1, W3, and E23. The black and white dog is colored up with W1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The two Santa hats are colored with R24, 29, and 39 with the white fluffy dimension added with some Deco Art Snow Writer Paint
For the card front, I used up an old scrap of pale green damask patterned paper from my scrap box. I layered it with a piece of vellum die cut with the largest rectangle from the My Favorite Things Cross Stitched STAX Rectangle Die Set, which I heat embossed with a nice, substantial “Happy Holidays” stamp from Unity’s Christmas Eve Chowder stamp set and some charcoal grey Zing! embossing powder.
Then I went to town designing the card with the Diemond Dies Pine Branch Die and the Diemond Dies Christmas Ornament Die. I die cut the branches with white card stock (rather than green) to give a more clean, winter wonderland look, and I die cut the ornaments from pale green an silver glitter paper to add sparkle and shine. I snipped off the top of the ornaments to alternate the colors and did the same for the stars and tiny dots that were die cut from the ornaments. I glued them back into the alternate colored ornaments to add a little extra interest. Lastly I used silver Stickles to draw in the strings for the ornaments.
Diemond Dies is having a Christmas/end-of-year sale through December 31, 2015. Use the code christmas15 and get 15% off your entire order, free worldwide shipping with no minimum purchase required! Now that’s a deal!
The following is a process video:
This card is being entered into the following challenges:
Whimsy Stamps Anything Goes Winter Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Winter Wonderland Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Die Crazy Challenge
Raisin Boat Christmas and New Years Challenge
Penny Black and More Anything Goes with a Stamp Challenge
Unity Be Inspired Challenge
613 Avenue Create Anything Goes Challenge
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes Challenge
The Shabby Tea Room Winter Wonderland Challenge – mostly 2 colors and little critters like in the inspiration photo:
Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous winter day! WOOF
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