Just in time for the holiday season, we’ve paired the exclusive products from our Seasons in Motion special with a couple of FREE card patterns to add a little animated spice to our holidays!
In order to achieve the animated effect, layer the stamped images with either an animation sheetor a paper piece you can now cut using the new animation window Thin Cuts die!
Also part of the Seasons in Motion special, which we used to create our example cards, is the Holiday Stack! The Holiday Stack is a pack of 48 6″ x 6″ patterned papers with designs from some of our past favorite 12″ x 12″ patterns.
These are not the original 12″ x 12″ papers cut into quarters, keeping the patterns the same size, but, rather, shrunken down versions of the classic favorites made to fit a 6″ x 6″ square!
Download our two free animated cardmaking patterns, here, and delight your loved ones with animated cards this coming holiday season!
We’ve got a FREE card pattern for you today to get you thinking outside the theme park as you craft with our magical Happiest Place collection!
With so many unique elements and designs, the Happiest Place collection is simply bursting with creative potential. When you combine that with a versatile card pattern, it’s easier than ever to create the cards of your dreams!
The pattern we’re sharing today made its original debut years ago with the Pear & Partridge cardmaking Workshops on the Go®. This classic pattern helps you take the Happiest Place collection to new heights and provides the perfect starting point for truly great cards.
Pattern and color combinations like the ones in this “You’re the Koalaest” card are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what can be done with the Happiest Place collection and the Pear & Partridge card pattern.
By combining the My Acrylix® A Koala-ty Day stamp set with the fun abstract designs and eye-catching silver foil stars on the Happiest Place papers, you’re left with an absolutely adorable card! Part of this card’s charm is the simple Glacier on Glacier color scheme, relying on the variation in patterns to set them apart.
If you want to get a bit more adventurous with your color combinations, then cards like this “Gnome-body Loves You Like I Do” card are a great way to go!
This card was also made using the Pear & Partridge pattern but with a completely different effect than the Koala card. By using the same pattern and simply switching up the color combinations and stamped images, you can easily create a countless number of unique cards. For this example, we chose the delightful My Acrylix® Gnome Matter stamp set paired with some brighter colors. Even though the Gnome Matter stamp set isn’t part of the Happiest Place collection, they fit together like two peas in a pod!
All it takes to create a card that’s all your own is a great pattern and a little imagination.
Using the exact same pattern from above, we created this sweet “Celebrating You” card. In order to get some added milage from your card patterns, consider turning them on their sides, changing the orientation from landscape to portrait.
With simple color combinations from the Happiest Place collection, the Pear & Partridge card pattern, and our Floral Celebration—August Stamp of the Month (available August 1–31), this adorable card has it all!
Proof that less is more, the timeless Pear & Partridge pattern is a great starting point for any card maker, regardless of experience. Click on the link below to download this free pattern and gear up for some serious crafting fun!
Let mom know just how much she means to you this Mother’s Day with personalized, hand-made cards (we have a free pattern below!) and scrapbook pages using any or all of three exclusive stamp sets designed specifically for her from our Love for Mother special!
A heartfelt card or fun scrapbook layout using these stamp sets from our Love for Mother sale is the perfect way to show a little extra love on her special day.
Not sure where to start? No worries, we’ve got you covered! Use the free card patterned below to duplicate one of our examples.
We used this pattern, which made it’s original debut with the Lollydoodle cardmaking Workshops on the Go™, and created a card using our Mix-in and Yesterday & Today papers (for a full list of products used, see the recipe provided at the end of this post).
Our timeless card patterns can be used for every celebration and any occasion with the right combination of papers, Complements, and sentiments. If you’re not sure how to mix and match these products, we’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation for you! For effortless coordination, simply choose one of our creative collections from our idea books and stick to just those products within the suite when making your cards. It really is that easy!
Download the pattern above, and share some love this Mother’s Day with a handmade card from the heart!
For even more timeless cardmaking patterns, check out our cardmaking how-to book, Make It from Your Heart™ volume 4. If you love the free patterns on the blog, you’re sure to be blown away by the beautiful, one-of-a-kind, patterns in this book!
We’re going to shake things up a bit today by taking a closer look at some innovative ways to use the shaker windows we all know and love!
For the most basic shaker windows (which are still so much fun!), sequins and paper confetti are placed over a plain or stamped background. However, you can take a shaker window to new heights by switching up your base and adding a few fun embellishments to the exterior of the window.
In this card, a few adhesive-backed dots from our Seas the Day collection turned a plain white overlay into a ship’s porthole. Looking into the window, you can see how artistically torn cardstock has formed white-cap waves by exposing the paper’s white core. When these elements come together, it creates a whimsical card any ocean lover will be thrilled with!
Another way to dress up your shaker windows is to fill them with unique elements. Replacing sequins or paper with a few unexpected parts is a great way to turn the tables on familiar shaker windows.
By bringing some sand home from a fun day at the beach, you can preserve a bit of the actual setting along with the memories you made there.
Any mocha enthusiast will love these fun coffee bean cards!
If you plan to include larger shaker elements in your windows, you should plan to double-stack your 3-D foam tape to leave enough room for the shaker elements inside to move around.
If you really want to add a unique flair to your shaker windows, you can try adding some small die-cut shapes to the interior of your shaker.
By combining these miniature stamped shapes with a few sequins pieces, it’s easy to put your own mark on your cards!
One last example to shake things up your windows is to use them in creative places. In this post, we’ve shown you how to incorporate shaker windows into cards and even scrapbook layouts, but in this example, you can see how a basic shaker window also makes an unforgettable gift tag.
How are you using windows in your paper crafts? Do you use them in cards, scrapbook pages, or in a unique way? Share your fun and innovative ideas with all of us, below!
Were any of you able to catch our Facebook live yesterday? If you did, you know that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts. Yep, you heard right! For the month of October we have an impressive set of holiday shaker cards for you to make and send to all of your favorite people this coming season! The best part—they are so easy to make that you can probably assemble all 12 that come in one kit in less than an hour!
These bright and festive Holiday Sparkle cards are part of our Cut Above® program, which means you get everything you need to assemble them in one convenient kit: printed card bases, die-cuts, stickers, loose sequins, window foam and acetate, envelopes, and easy-to-follow instructions—absolutely no cutting required! The detailed paper accents that we all love for our handmade cards are included right in your kit!
A shaker card, for those new to the idea, is a card that has a window compartment built into it that holds loose pieces, adding a little extra whimsy to the card design and a lot of fun for the recipient!
So how do the Holiday Sparkle cards come together? Take a look at the steps below to see just how easy it truly is to assemble these festive cards with their glistening windows!
The very first thing you’re going to do is lay one of the printed card bases flat on your working space. Do not fold the card base in half just yet. This will give you a flat surface to work with, which is especially helpful later when you’re adding the loose sequins.
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Next, carefully remove the outer foam ring from one of the window foam circles and attach it to your card front, on top of the printed circle.
Keeping your card base flat, add some of the loose sequins inside the circle frame you just created.
If you haven’t done so already, peel off the protective layer from the top of the foam tape ring to expose the adhesive.
Remove the protective film from one of the window acetate circles and lay it on top of the foam tape ring.
The last step in assembling the shaker window is to hide the foam frame by layering a faux-stitched circle sticker on top of it.
Now that your window is complete, all that is left is to embellish the card front as well as the envelopes using the included die-cuts, stickers, and any leftover sequins.
You’ll notice that we give you a solid circle of foam tape, not just the outer ring to use in the making of the window. The inside pieces are purposefully included, and pre-cut for your convenience. Use these pieces to attach some of your embellishments for even more dimension.
With all of the time you’re saving using the Holiday Sparkle Cut Above® kit for your holiday cards this year, you’ll have more time to spend on some of your other holiday projects! But you better act fast! These kits and its supporting stamp set (Love with All the Trimmings) are only available until the end of the month, while supplies last. We’ve got a feeling that they are going to be flying off the shelf, so make sure to get yourself at least one kit while you still can!
Your loved ones will surely be impressed when they receive a Holiday Sparkle card and find out that it is handmade! They don’t have to know how easily it comes together—that can be our little secret!
We have an early Valentine for all our loyal readers—three free card patterns for you to celebrate along with us and share the love!
We’ve taken these patterns, which originally made their debut with the White Pines Workshops on the Go®, and created new cards using our Whimsy Fundamentals creative collection and some cardstock—and we just love how they turned out!
These timeless patterns can be used for every celebration and occasion with the right combination of papers, Complements, and sentiments. If you’re not sure how to mix and match these products, we’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation for you! For effortless coordination, simply choose one of our creative collections from our idea books and stick to just those products within the suite when making your cards. It really is that easy!
Download the patterns below and share some love this Valentine’s day with a handmade card from the heart! <3
For even more timeless cardmaking patterns, check out our newest how-to book, Make It from Your Heart™ volume 4, which just debuted this January! If you love the free patterns on the blog, you’re sure to be blown away by the beautiful, one-of-a-kind, patterns in this book.
In honor of National Stamping Month, we thought it’d be fun to share with you some stamping techniques on the blog—because no crafter can ever have too many stamping tricks up her sleeve, right? 😉
Today’s post is going to teach you what we call the Split Stamping technique.
This technique is exactly what it sounds like: You split your stamp image. There are a few different ways to do this.
One of the easiest ways is to stamp an image onto a piece of cardstock and then cut it into pieces, like the elephant below.
Cutting up an image and reassembling it on your artwork is a unique way to draw more attention to your stamping.
Another way you can “split” your stamp is with masking. Not sure what we mean by “masking”? Masking is when you cover up part of your stamp or paper before stamping an image.
Here, we attached a strip of cardstock across the center of our card with just a little bit of adhesive so it wouldn’t slide around. Next, we stamped our flowers along the top and bottom of the card, overlapping them slightly with the strip. We then carefully peeled off the cardstock strip, removed any leftover adhesive with our Rub & Remove™ eraser, painted our flowers, and then stamped our sentiment.
For a more advanced spin on this technique, try incorporating the piece of cardstock you use for the masking!
For this card, we cut both pieces of White Daisy cardstock, attached the smaller piece to the center of the larger piece with a little bit of adhesive, and then stamped our flowers over both pieces. Next, we carefully separated the smaller piece of cardstock from the larger one, painted our flowers, and popped the piece up on Bashful cardstock with 3-D foam tape. To add even more dimension, we also stamped some of the blossoms on scrap paper, painted them, trimmed them out, and then attached them over the matching blossoms with 3-D foam tape.
What do you think of the Split Stamping technique? Tell us in the comments below! And be sure to follow the blog all month long to see even more stamping techniques! 🙂
September is National Stamping Month, and we’ve designed an incredible card kit with elegant, layered stamping to celebrate!
It’s called the From the Heart card kit, and if you love stamping, you’ll love all the ways you can play with the interchangeable stamp designs to achieve a variety of looks for your cards.
If the thought of creating cards like these feels a bit daunting, don’t worry! The kit comes with helpful instructions to walk you through the assembly—just take a look!
Here are the pieces you get in your kit. You get enough to create 12 cards, plus the beautiful From the Heart stamp set and 12 envelopes. Once you punch out these pieces, follow the instructions below to create your cards.
Step 1
All the folds come pre-scored, so all you have to do is fold along the score lines. Starting with your card base (A), turn the gold foil side down and sharply fold the two outside flaps inward. Add adhesive to the top of these flaps.
Step 2
Fold your card base in half along the score line, attaching the front of the card base to the top of the flaps. This will form a pocket.
Step 3
Starting with the detached end of the large flap, make sharp folds along the score lines, accordion style, as shown.
Step 4
Add adhesive to the bottom of first fold (the white side).
Step 5
Insert the pull insert (B) into the pocket in your card base (A), keeping B centered. Attach that first fold from step 5 to the edge of the pull insert, keeping the edges flush. Now when you pull on the insert piece in and out, the large flap should pop up and down!
Step 6
Slide your card closed and then add adhesive to top of first fold (over gold foil).
Step 7
Attach supporting piece (D) to the top of first fold. This supporting piece is a little bit larger than the area where you added the adhesive, so keep the top edge flush with the crease and center it on the flap. When it’s in place, the edges of the supporting piece should overlap the gold foil around the edges of your card.
Step 8
Stamp your choice of sentiment and flowers onto your card front (C). When stamping the layers of your flowers, add extra depth by using different colors for each layer.
Step 9
Stamp leaves and twigs in between flowers. Again, add depth by stamping all of the layers in different colors. This stamp set allows you to get incredible detail in your stamp images for a beautiful finished card.
Step 10
Set aside your card front and go back to the base for a moment. Slide your card open, and then stamp your choice of inside sentiment onto the card base. The From the Heart stamp set includes four large sentiments designed especially to fit this space.
Step 11
Once your stamping is dry, slide the card closed and add adhesive to second fold of large flap. This is the section right next to the supporting strip (D) that you attached, and it is where you will attach your card front.
Step 12
Attach your card front (C) to the second fold, lining up the edges with the supporting strip (D).
Make your own beautiful, interactive cards using this card kit, available only during September! If you have any questions about how to assemble these cards or about the card kit itself, tell us in the comments below!
Like the world of fashion, trends in papercrafting are always changing. One day it’s all about brads and buttons and the next it’s all about sparkles and shimmer!
Just because an artistic technique or aesthetic may no longer be “on trend” doesn’t mean that you can’t still use it. You just need to freshen it up!
To show you what we mean, we dug through our archives to find artwork created with some old-school techniques. We then asked our artists to create new artwork using these same techniques…with a modern-day spin!
They’ve come up with some amazing alterations to these techniques that will make your artwork amazing!
Old Technique:
Distressing the edges of your titles with ink. Remember when we did this for everything? Distress all the things! 🙂
New Spin:
Instead of distressing your titles, try stamping them using the rock n’ roll technique. It keeps your edges clean, which is the new trend, but just like distressing, it gives your titles dimension and color variation.
Old Technique:
Ripping and inking your edges, aka, making your artwork look like it’s 100 years old. And remember how burned edges were such a thing? Ripping and inking your edges with black ink mimicked that trend, which you can see on the card below.
New Spin:
Instead of inking your ripped edges, try leaving your ripped edges un-inked and inking your clean edges instead, using a color other than black or brown! The key is subtlety! You can see we added some faint pink inking to the edges of the pink paper here. It helps to add some depth to the paper without screaming “I’m distressed!”
Old Technique:
Stippled titles. Remember this one? You’d spell out your title with stickers, make a million little dots over the stickers with a marker, and then peel off your stickers to reveal your finished title.
New Spin:
Watercolored titles. Instead of stippling over your stickers with a marker, paint over them with a wide paintbrush and some watercolor paint. We used this technique with a “hello” sticker from our Springtime Complements to create the title below.
Pretty neat, right?
Just because papercrafting trends change doesn’t mean you need to throw out your bag of tricks. All you need to do is find a way to make your old tricks feel new again!
Which spin is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!
