House Shaped Easel Card - Happy Diwali

I saw this house shaped card video by Jennifer McGuire and remembered I have a Top Dog Die (now out of business) that is a house shape. It's 5 x 7 so I knew I could make a shaped card out of it. So, I shopped my stash! I knew I had a lot of smaller dies I could use with this house but I did keep it pretty simple.

Easel cards is the theme of my next card making class. I did a slimline card class in October as my first class in 2 years. The kit was a repeat for those who didn't make it to my class in October 2019, but I did change up one of the card to use a new stamp set. But - that's a story for another day!

When I made the sample for my easel card class, I realized the string of lights could be perfect for Diwali! Lights play an important role in this holiday for several religions. I have a co-worker who celebrates both Diwali and Christmas. So, I made this card for her.

I have an alphabet set of "Lego-like" peg stamps that click together, so I knew I could spell out Diwali. For my Christmas versions of the house cards, I spelled out "holidays" to go with the "Happy". I also have a giant "Noel" stamp, so I cut that from the red satin finish cardstock and then spelled "Joyeux" to go with it so I have a French language option too! The size of the big word stamps fill the rooftops of these houses perfectly, or else they would have looked like a big void.

While my holiday houses have more greenery, I opted for more light strings for the Diwali version. I cut them from white cardstock and coloured them with copics and glitter pens. The bulbs are all glittery. I also used my lamp post die. I rarely get to use it, even though I love the lantern-style of the lamp posts. Behind these ones, I put some alcohol inked paper that I did over pearl card I made. So, it's a shiny alcohol ink blend of yellows and oranges.

I love how easel cards display themselves. This way, you can see the warm sentiment inside and enjoy the outside of the card at the same time!

There are A LOT of windows on this card, each with 3 steps: The window frame, some vellum, some blue cardstock. The vellum is very subtle but it does help give that window pane glass look.

I have lots of dies that can make shaped cards. I just never have the inspiration to get up and do it! But this time I did! I will try to remember to share my holiday versions later in the year!

Heat Embossing Techniques on Handmade Cards

 Hello crafty world! My creative crew wanted to practice some heat embossing techniques, so I've made some kits for 4 cards. These cards include:

• A regular, heat embossed sentiment
• A coloured, stamped sentiment overlaid with clear heat embossing
• Emboss Resist
• Watercolour emboss resist and lift
• A DIY embossing powder enamel shape
• Water splatter embossing
• Water coloured focal images with each image heat embossed on watercolour paper 
• Watermark stamping

My favourite is the water splatter embossing. The bear from Penny Black stamps is just so amazing. Penny Black makes great stamps for colouring because the spaces are big. I think that if you swap out the sentiment on this card, it could make a great sympathy card too.

 

The teddy bears from Penny Black are just adorable, including this tea cup one. This card features the emboss resist lift. First you colour the background, then you clear emboss on it, then you mist it with water and sop up some of the exposed colour. 

 

This one is the watermark - no embossing powder.

And this one is the same background stamp but as emboss resist. I clear embossed on plain white cardstock and then inkblended over top after. I put the house die cut in my mini pancake maker and melted gold embossing powder on it. Then I sprinkled on some white embossing powder and swirled it with a toothpick.

 Which one is your favourite card? Which technique is your favourite heat embossing technique?

DIY Mini Envelope

 I've been having fun using up paper scraps to make mini-envelopes as embellishments for my cards. I figured out how to make the medium sized one with the Envelope Punch Board. But I also wanted some mini ones so I figured how to do that on the Scor Pal score board, with out the Scor Envi guide.

Tah-dah! This size of DIY envelope is a bit smaller than the currently popular Envelope of Wonder die by Spellbinders. I did make one the same size as the Envelope of Wonder, but I find it a little big. I made this as my mother-in-law's birthday card. I used a few Penny Black stamps and went for a watercolour look. I watercoloured the bird and then the flowers are a solid stamp, designed to look like you watercoloured them. The newsprint paper is among the last of the scraps I have for it. I love that paper!

I think I did okay with the watercolour. It's not my style but I've tried a few more since then. I do love that you only need 1 colour to get the variations by diluting with water. But, you don't get the same degree of control that you do with alcohol markers. It was fun to play around with something different though!

Do you like making mini-envelopes? What do you use yours for?