Congratulations!

Hi, I'm over on the Elizabeth Craft Design blog with this CAS card.  Click on over for instructions and supply list.  Thank you so much!

CAS Kites fly highest

Hi, Diana here today with a super simple card featuring the Kites Rise Highest stamp.  I just didn't feel like it needed much besides a couple of kites high off in the corner.

I stamped the quote in the bottom right corner.  At first I masked off the kite before inking but then (SSHHH!!!) I cut off the kite with one clean cut.  I was too nervous some inking would mess up that clean white card when I stamped the two kites.

Do sponge a couple of clouds before stamping though! 

Kites Rise Highest mounted stamp

Shoot for the moon

So how are those New Year resolutions coming for you?  Did you have big ones or just small, realistic ones?  No judgement here - I didn't even get around to making any!  

But I did make this card - apparently it advocates dreaming big but any dream will do!

This was a really quick card (apparently my kind of card lately).  I started with dark blue card stock and splattered gold and silver Finetec paint on it.  Instant starry night sky!  The moon? Even easier - take a hole punch and then offset it, punch, and you get a crescent moon.

I added a trio of evergreens by Memory Box and added a large snow bank so that I would have room for this quote.   Hope you like it!

Soar Collection Clear Stamps

CAS Not all who wander

Hi, there!  How crazy has your December been?  Mine is just shy of hectic so when this simple card came together, it gave me such a good feeling.  Sometimes simpler is better - especially in December!

I rearranged my craft room (will share pics later) and I found so much scrap paper - including this bit that I made into a background.  I added the Memory Box Evergreen trio to the front and I just loved how it looked.  It was perfect for one of the quotes from the Every Day is a Journey stamp set.

I'm not one to wander into a forest with just the stars as my guide but this is exactly the feeling this background with the tree silhouettes remind me of - just a sense of wonderment.

The quote was embossed in white on brown cardstock and I had matted the background with a 1/16 matting of white cardstock.  I wish I knew who made that paper - I am thinking a Recollection - Christmas theme paper pack but you can reproduce something similar with any starry night sky inking or stamping.

Hope you like it and that your season has been merry and meaningful!

Every Day is a Journey stamp set.

"Always believe" 15 minute CAS (and elegant!) inspirational card

Hello Crafty Friends!

There are many reasons why I adore Quietfire Design stamps and dies.  Today's project is an example of one of those reasons: the elegant stamps and dies can make the simplest of cards stunning.

The focal point of the card front is the inspirational stamp, Always believe:

The below instructions can be used with many Quietfire Design stamps.  In a jam to get a card out quickly?  Follow the instructions below to create a card that the recipient will love!

Card instructions:

1. Create a 4.25 x 5.5 top fold card using ivory card stock.
2. Cut patterned paper smaller than card front.  Use black archival ink to stamp quote onto patterned paper.  Mount to card front.
3. Die cut frame using ivory card stock.  Mount to card front.  (I added a slight bend to the die cut to add some dimension.)
   
4. Create bow and mount to top of frame.
5. Done!

So easy!  And what elegant results!  Imagine doing this for your Christmas cards.  Pick your stamp and patterned paper, then create a stack of holiday cards in a flash.

Thank you for stopping by!
Have a happy, crafty day.
Big Hugs,
Kathy Jo

Thank you cards with Alcohol Ink backgrounds

Hello!  Today I'm sharing a set of notecards I made for my son to use as Thank You cards.  I'm running late so they needed to be really quick and easy.  But since I'm not big on mass producing, I needed a bit of variety to them.  Yay for Quietfire dies!  Did you know that there are 3 different "Thank you/Thanks" word dies available?  You would think you only need one but I find that having them in different sizes and arrangement really helps.

First, I finally jumped on the alcohol ink background so I had a bunch of them laying around.  Most were on the 5"x7" Yupo paper so I simply cut them in half and adhered them to a white card base.  And then I got a little more creative with cuts.

After deciding on the shape of the background layer, I die cut all of the different "thanks" type of die cuts to see which one would look best with the different layouts.  I came up with these 4 different cards:

For the first card, I simply die cut the new Thank you 3 metal die and placed in on the bottom of the triangle.  I did add a layer of Crystal Effects on the die to add just a bit of depth to the die cut.

For the second card, an older Thanks die went perfectly in the angled background.

For the third card, I embossed in silver and split the background along the diagonal.  

The last one is simply an oval with a bit of washi tape along the bottom. I'm really glad I had all these different dies that said essentially the same thing because it made the different layouts I had come together easily.  Which was your favorite? 

Thank you 2 metal die

Thanks metal die

Thank you metal die

3 Cards From One Background Die Cut

I apologize in advance for a very long post - but the good news is you don't have to read much and can just look at the pictures!  Lol!

But briefly, I got this Geometric Die from Elizabeth Craft Designs and was able to make 3 (!!!) cards out of one run of the die.  I am loving this method of making more with less.  Here is all 3 cards  - you can probably figure out how I did it but if you didn't, continue on!

I'll let the pictures do the talking and keep the explanations short:

Make a background.  I used Distress Oxides.  Die cut the sheet and leave everything intact on the cutting plate.  (Yes, my cutting plate is in dire need of replacing!)

Carefully lift up the thin outline portion and washi tape onto base layer.  Place the new Thank You die to the right. (A few of the triangles got stuck to the outline.)

Add foam tape to the rectangles that do not touch the word die.

Remove backing and carefully place all the rectangles back into the grid lines.  The outline helps to keep the spacing between the triangles precise.

Lift up the grid lines and voila - you've got a clean background and now you can adhere the Thank You die on there.  

You still have plenty of rectangles so now do the same thing with the "thank you" on the left.

And voila - you've got your second card.

For the third card, I noticed that the geometric background has a sort of symmetry to it and that there are 4 distinct blocks.  I cut out the 3rd block, leaving the border intact and added the Celebrate die to the center.  It was too busy for my taste to have all the lines in the background.

Just so you know, I still have all those triangles from the center of the die cut.  Don't be too surprised if you see a 4th card soon with those pieces!  These cards just make my mathematical background heart happy!

Geometric Background (from Elizabeth Craft Designs)

Thank you 2 die (Elizabeth Craft Designs | Quietfire Design)

Celebrate (Elizabeth Craft Designs | Quietfire Design)

Sneak Peek with Big Balloon and Surprise dies

I'm so excited to share a Sneak Peek at a project I created with the Big Balloon die and Surprise die from Suzanne Cannon's new collection of dies and stamps, available to view in its entirety on the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog and web site on June 5.

How many of you watch all those videos on making different backgrounds with distress and alcohol inks and you just never end up making a card with them?  *raises hand*  And despite all the cards you make, you're still in need of a quick one sometime?  *raises hand again*  I LOVE this new balloon die because I whipped out 3 cards in 30 minutes.  I grabbed those backgrounds, die cut out the balloon, sponged the edges so that it gave the balloon a more rounded look, slapped it on a white card base and glued the new Surprise and bow on there.  (You'll have to wait to see the other 2 cards because this is just a Sneak Peak, you know!)  So easy to personalize with any color palette and so many new word die choices coming - though the old ones work too!

You're going to want to check back every day this week so you don't miss all the Sneak Peeks and then the release on June 5th!

How far you've come with butterflies

Ah, Distress Oxide inks, butterflies, and Quietfire stamp - the card just practically make themselves... and I made 3!  I found this Recollection Butterfly Confetti die at Michaels and though I don't need any more butterfly dies (need - no, want - yes) I got it anyway because I loved the shapes and sizes that were in the die. 

I made a rainbow swatch over half a sheet of cardstock in a diagonal pattern and then die cut the butterflies out twice.  Once over the red/orange/yellow area and then another from the blue/greens.  The butterflies were arranged so they swirled around the quote.  I could not decide if I liked the black card base or the white and I didn't have to decide since I had enough butterflies for two cards. Nice, eh?

From the negative, I made another quick card using the You Are die.  Tune in tomorrow to see the other negative piece where I got the reds/orange/purple butterflies that I used.

On the inside, I can add stamps or dies to finish the sentiment.  Quietfire has a ton to choose from - see some below!

You are... brave, beautiful, amazing, family, a blessing fun...

The Only Time Mounted Stamp

You Are Perfect Dies

 

Amazing Beautiful Dies

Be Brave Bold Yourself