Thursday 31 July 2014

Elizabeth Craft Design's July Challenge: Stand Up Helpers

The challenge for the Elizabeth Craft Design Team this month is to use a Stand Up Helper. Elizabeth Craft Designs makes a variety of Stand Up Helper dies, including their new range of word ones - of which I used 'Best Wishes', combined with the Holiday House die set, also from ECD.

I used a plain white card base, measuring 5'' x 12'', which I folded in half, and then half again on one side. On the unfolded half of the card I used the Stand-up helper die.
I used another couple of rectangles of cardstock, to be the background for my house, and embossed the top layer.
I also cut an additional 'Best Wishes' with the Stand Up Helper, to stick on top of the one attached to the card.
The house elements were cut from papers from 'Hello Sunshine' 6x6 pad by Pink Paislee and 'Summer Bliss' 6x6 pad by Echo Park.

 I stuck all the house elements together, using some small square foam pads in between the layers, and also cut a little path, and added some clouds (cut with a die from the All Seasons Tree set.)
This is what the card looks like fully closed.

 I also added a bit of patterned paper to the foot of the card, and a shaped pink piece, using the Agatha edges die set. The heart is from the Spiral Circle Pull card die set.

Some of the products used:


   

Saturday 26 July 2014

Crazy 4 Challenges Double Flip-its Purple Onion Stamps Card

I saw this tutorial by Keryn Campbell a while ago on Pinterest, and when we had the challenge to create a card with more than one fold at Crazy 4 Challenges I thought I'd give it a go!

I used a Sizziz Flip-its die to make the cuts, roughly following Keryn's tutorial (I just looked at the pictures to be honest - I didn't measure anything). I used the dies in the set to cut the patterned paper layers.

For the centre patterned paper panel, I die cut the panel as usual with the die from the set, then trimmed it down on the right-hand side to the right width to fit the card. I then turned it upside down, and ran it through the die again to get the little in-cut shape on the right-hand side of the panel too. The paper is from 'Printshop' by Studio Calico, and the white panels were cut with a matching Framelits die set.

I used stamps from Purple Onion Designs, which I lightly coloured with Copic pens, cut out by hand, and glued sequins to. (The sun stamp is actually a setting sun stamp, stamped twice and stuck together in the middle.)

I like how when the card is folded up, the large cloud obscures the sun, then when you open it, the sun is revealed fully. Also, you have loads of room for writing a message or adding further decoration if you wanted to.

Products used:


   

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Karen Burniston's Poppy the Owl Pop It Ups/Stampin' Up Birthday Card

It's Karen Burniston's birthday today! ...inventor-extraordinaire of the Pop It Ups dies for Elizabeth Craft Designs. I've known Karen for about a year and a half now, and it's been such a pleasure! Happy Birthday Karen!

I made Karen this birthday card, using her Lucy Label Pop up die, and Poppy the Owl die set.

I made my own patterned paper for the pop up mechanism part of the card, with Stampin' Up's 'Handcarved' background stamp, and also used Stampin' Up's Little Letters Thinlits dies for Karen's name, and the Happy Birthday stamp from the 'Occasions 4 You' set. (The card stock, ink, heart stamp, spotty patterned paper and gold sequin trim is also from Stampin' Up... I may have placed a little order with them recently!!)
I cut the stars with a Tim Holtz moon die.

The speech bubble die is from Karen's new Lorna Label Popup set.

On the outside of the card, I used the outline Poppy the Owl die, and made a little tiara from a decorator die that comes with the Katie Label Accordion die set. The star mask is from Stampin' Up.

Some of the products used:


   

Sunday 20 July 2014

New Dies from The Stamps of Life - Mini Envelope and Basket

There are some sweet, sweet new die sets being released at The Stamps of Life today, and here are some cards I made with two of them... firstly the Mini Envelope Die.

I cut the envelope from vellum, and added some felt flowers cut with the Mini Flower Dies set, and a banner using a stamp from the minibanners2cut set.

Here I used the envelope along with the Hello from the Notebook Edge and Hello die set, and gorgeous papers from My Mind's Eye Sky's the Limit 12x12 collection. I used an old Sizzix Sizzlis set for the foliage, and a dressmaker's tracing wheel to add the 'stitches'.

This is a card using the Square Stand-ups die, the Mini Envelope die, and a stamp and tag from the Sizzix Framelits Flowers and Tags set. The zig-zag border is also from a Sizzix Framelits set.

The second new set is the Strawberry Basket die, which I used in this case with Easter Eggs (cut from papers from Simple Stories' SNAP Color Vibe 6x6 pad), and the Royal Stand-Ups die set by Sizzix.
The stamp set is alpha4banners.

And here's the Strawberry Basket die with some strawberries, cut with The Stamps of Life's Strawberry Club die set.

And lastly, another card using the Strawberry dies, and strawberries2stamp set.

Some of the products used:


   

Elizabeth Craft Designs Snowman Katie Label Accordion Card Tutorial

Hi everyone! Here's a tutorial which I am sharing on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Blog today. I know we have been seeing a lot of  ‘Christmas in July’ lately, but it’s hard to resist with all of Elizabeth Craft Designs’ wonderful new die releases! Starting your Christmas cards now is actually a pretty good idea. I always end up getting to the middle of December, with a grand total of about three cards made and a mad panic to make more!
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Directions:
1. Cut out two plain white Katie Label Accordion panels and eight border pieces from blue glitter card using the Katie Stars Frame Edges. Keep four of the tiny blue stars which are left over from cutting the borders.
2. Use the Katie Label Accordion die to cut blue patterned paper center pieces. Cut off the excess tabs by hand.
3. Cut out the various parts of the snowman as shown below including two snow drifts, a ‘Merry Christmas’, a large star and two snowflakes from the Spiral Circle Pull Card set. (Please note that the small black gems shown in the picture below didn’t end up being used!)
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4. Using a glue runner, glue pen, white glue and small adhesive foam pads, assemble all the card parts, leaving the joining tabs of the two Katie Label Accordion panels till last.
5. Use one of the Katie Stars Frame Edges to cut three tiny red stars for the center of the two snowflakes and for decoration on the larger star.
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And it’s done! I challenge you to also have a go at a Christmas card in July!
Some of the products used:

   


Saturday 19 July 2014

Crazy 4 Challenges Sketch Card - Stampin' Up & Elizabeth Craft Designs

 We have a sketch this week at Crazy 4 Challenges, and this is my interpretation of it...
I used some new products I just got from Stampin' Up - the giant dot embossing folder, three different flower punches, and the printed papers.

For the dragonfly, I used two dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

Some of the products used:


   

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Pop It Ups Holiday House Card

This die set was another of my favourites when I saw Karen Burniston's new range of Pop It Ups dies for Elizabeth Craft Designs... the Holiday House. 
For this card I didn't stick with a Holiday theme though, but went for sunny and cheerful.
I used the Pop 'n Cuts base die for the background pink card shape, and cut the Lucy Label Pop up card into some green gingham paper, to sit on top.

I cut all the house elements and some clouds (from the All Seasons Tree die set) from papers from Basic Grey's 'Fresh Cut' 6x6 pad, and some paper-backed burlap.
The star is from the Evergreen Pivot Card set.

I added a strip of patterned paper, and some more burlap for borders, then cut a couple of labels from the Kate Label Pivot Card set for my stamped sentiment (from Pink Paislee's 'Hello Sunshine' stamp set). 
The heart is from Spiral Circle Pull Card set.
I used Versamark ink for my stamps, and heat embossed fine white embossing powder.

The card front, with another stamp from the Pink Paislee 'Hello Sunshine' set.

Some of the products used:


   

New Karen Burniston Pop It Ups Dies and Elizabeth Craft Designs Summer 2014 Dies in Stock!!

Exciting news!!! The new Summer 2014  release of dies is now on sale here at Elizabeth Craft Designs!!
(And they ship worldwide, if you can't get them locally.)
Here is my lovely lot of the new dies...

Down the left hand side are all the word Stand Up Helpers, as used in this card of mine, (which also shows the new 'Rainy Day' - the umbrella & boots set):

There are lots of beautiful new Christmas dies, plus some fabulous all-year-round dies such as the Crystal flowers, Rubber Ducky and Wheelbarrow die sets.

Karen Burniston's wonderful new release of Pop It Ups dies is also now on sale here at Elizabeth Craft Designs!! 
I adore pretty much the whole lot!

A new PopUp card - The Lorna Label

The new Spiral Circle Pull card

A set of border dies (the little trees, in this pic)

A new Pivot card...

 Two new shaped Accordion cards... (The Katie Label, and Ring Accordion)

Three amazing character dies...

 Plus there are loads more which I haven't even had chance to play with yet - some great new border dies for Accordion cards, and the Clocks and Gears set, Props set, and Holiday House (which I will be showing you a new card of, shortly.)
Have a browse of all the loveliness on the Elizabeth Craft Designs site!

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Simple Evergreen Pivot Pop It Ups Christmas Cards

Karen Burniston challenged us to made a simpler card as well, for her July's Christmas Designer Challenge, and I came up with this one. (I made it while cooking dinner - during the in between bits - it was truly a very quick card!)
 I think the Evergreen Pivot Card die set is perfect for quick cards - one run through the die cutting machine for the pop out elements, another run through for the three layered trees, then just stick a few embellishments on. (The gift  & bow dies also comes with the Evergreen Pivot die set.) Most the dies used here are due out soon at Elizabeth Craft Designs.

I also chose to emboss my trees, and add a layer of glitter card stock at the bottom (cut with one of the new Outdoor Edges dies), plus 2 strips of the same patterned card stock to cover the gaps at the back of the card left by the pivot cut.

The card front.

I then decided to make the same card again, this time in different colours, and instead of gold confetti snowflakes, I used the snowflake dies from Karen's Spiral Circle Pull Card.


Some of the products used: