Two craft dies, three ways

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Hi everyone, I put together a step by step tutorial for the Studio Calico blog with their Fairground card kit and add-ons. You'll notice in my kit gallery (Hey Girl Card; Let's Celebrate Card) that the particular combination of the Hey Girl and nested Diamond dies were a favorite for me.

I had used them with vellum, cardstock, wool felt and as a tool for dry embossing. Now, I have one more sample for you to use both together an a project. 

First up, I gathered my supplies (mostly) from Fairground kits with a particular color combo in mind: yellow, green, gold and white. 

Next, I die cut several diamond shapes from the Fairground card kit paper pad as well as my card sentiment with the "Hey Girl" die. The sentiment die was colored with a neon yellow ink dauber from Hero Arts but you could also dab it into your Color Theory ink pads to achieve the effect. 

My next step was it to arrange the diamond shapes on white card stock (size: 4.0 x 5.5 in). There are lot's of fun options here to vary the design. Once I settled for a diagonal arrangement, I glued the paper pieces down - a tiny amount of glue in the middle is sufficient to hold it down. 

When the glue was dry, I added a few of the gold stars from the card kit and sewed them down together with the paper diamonds. 

You could leave it there or add a strip of washi tape for a clear transition between the patterned paper and sentiment. In my last step, I adhered the sentiment with a glue pen and attached everything to a kraft card base (size 4.25 x 5.5 in). 

Thanks for joining me today. If you feel inspired to create your own card version of this die set combination, please link to it in the comments. I'd love to check out your ideas!

Bee Happy Shaker Card Tutorial

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How was your Memorial Day/Whitsunday Weekend, friends? I'm still in the catching up mode (when am I not?) but also found some time to relax and create some paper projects. Speaking of paper goods and catching up... 

Well, as always, I had a lot of fun goodies in my April Studio Calico kit box just couldn't take the time to give everything the attention it deserved in time for the official Creative Team gallery. One of these items was the super cute Bee Happy stamp set by Katie Thierjung (I've meanwhile posted a second card with this punny bee stamp set). Another thing that I had still out on my desk was a Easter Gift Tag Stamp & Die set we had as a Cirque kit add on. I saw the two next to each other and found the hexagon tag die would be perfect with the Bee Happy stamps... and it resulted in this fun shaker card above.  

I wrote my step by step process out for the Studio Calico blog a few weeks ago and finally found the time to post it on here, too, should you want to create something similar:

Step 1 - Cut a white cardstock mat a bit smaller than your card base and die cut the hexagon tag from it.

Step 2 - Use the same hexagon die on a full sheet of foam adhesive. 

Step 3 - Trace the hexagon from your mat onto the card base with a pencil.

Step 4 - On the card base, mask the edge where the mat would end and stamp over the pencil lines with your hexagon stamps from Bee Happy. 

Step 5 - Erase the pencil lines so that only a faint line is visible to you. Remove the bottom protective layer of the die cut foam adhesive frame and stick it down on the card base along the pencil lines. Fill your frame with glitter and sequins. 

Step 6 - Peel off the upper layer of the foam adhesive frame and add a piece of clear transparency to seal the window.

Step 7 - Stamp your mat with the bee and flight trail image in black ink and sprinkle it with Mister Huey mists. 

Step 8 - Stamp your sentiment in CT Flamingo ink on the left over cardstock hexagon tag. You can also fill the letters with coordinating watercolor paint. Add a twine bow through your tag and adhere it to the other hexagon tag you had cut from foam adhesive earlier to make the frame. 

Step 9 - Adhere the cardstock tag to your mat, then pop up the mat with more foam adhesive and place it over the shaker window.

Step 10 - Decorate the envelope with the hexagon stamp pattern and bee image. Slip your card into the envelope. Add a return address to the labels masking tape and seal the envelope with it. 

Step 11 - Mail your card off and make someones day :)

Hope you liked this quick step-by-step shaker card tutorial. If you have any questions, just leave me a comment and I'll be happy to answer them. 

How to | Shaker Card with Sequins and Glitter

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So, I'm not particularly a fan of interactive cards - that is, when I have to make them myself - but a shaker card with sequins and glitter? Yes, please! 

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

I was commissioned to make this for a friend and thought I'd quickly document the steps. If you want to make a card with this technique, too, you can follow my tutorial here.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 1 - Fold a card from cardstock and die-cut a window into it.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 2 - Cut a piece of acetate to size leaving it at least 1/4 in than the window in your card base, then glue it down on the inside, e.g. with Glossy Accents.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 3 - Decorate the window and card base to your liking and find a piece of patterned paper to find behind the window.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 4 - Before you glue to patterned paper on the back of the window, make sure you leave an inch without adhesive or if you also use glue tape, leave the backing on this portion. This will be, where you will fill the window later. Note: The glue tape will help to keep the glitter inside the shaker window. If you plan to only use sequins a few dabs of glue to hold the paper in place are absolutely fine.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 5  - Sew around the edges of the die-cut window. Make sure you leave out the portion where there is no glue so far.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 6 - Fill the shaker window with sequins and glitter. When your finished remove the backing from the strip of glue tape.

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Step 7 - Continue the sewing line around the window. Finished shaker window!

Sequin and glitter shaker card by @pixnglue (with tutorial)

Hope you find this helpful for your own crafting. If you like the patterned paper as much as I do, there's a deal to get this brand new kit at a discount until midnight tomorrow. Details and code can be found on the Studio Calico blog.

Thanks for coming by!


PS: Speaking of glitter and sequins, did you see Shanna's newest class "Sparkle"? That tiny sneak looks so fab already!


Supplies
Patterned Paper: Studio Calico Park Ave. card kit
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Rustic Cream
Other: Studio Calico gold sequins, Studio Calico die (banner from Penny Arcade card kit), Studio Calico Mister Huey spray mist (gold), sewing machine/thread, Martha Stewart glitter, American Crafts alphabet, typwriter, Glossy Accents, Depot glitter tape