Spotlight Technique, but With A Die Cut Image

 For this card, I really wanted to explore different ways of accomplishing the spotlight technique.  The main image I decided to add a spotlight to was a die cut.  I haven’t seen that done before.  It probably has been done, but I haven’t seen it.  I learned a couple of things.  First, the background and the die need to be the same color.  Also, darker or brighter colors in the background area really help make that area pop.  Once the spotlight is done, I think it is best to keep the rest of the card simple.  I had so much fun making this card.  This is something I will do again.

To see the video of this card beingcreated please head here.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you find things that inspire you. I love this hobby so much, so I enjoy sharing my cards with all of you. Hope to see you all soon. If you wish to support this channel even more, please see the buy me a coffee link over on the right banner. Have a great day! Happy Crafting!

 

This Combo Really Works

 I have found another completely successful card-making recipe. This combo really works. Bright colors, simple shapes that repeat. That is really it! Super cute, totally easy. You do give your die-cut machine a bit of a workout, but after that, it is just gluing it all down. Add a few gems, a sentiment, a surprise of some kind here or there. Voila! Success! This is perfect if you are just starting out in cardmaking or paper crafting. Seriously, give this one a try.

To see the video of this card being created please head here.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you find things that inspire you. I love this hobby so much, so I enjoy sharing my cards with all of you. Hope to see you all soon. If you wish to support this channel even more, please see the buy me a coffee link over on the right banner. Have a great day! Happy Crafting!

 

From a Baby Card to a Thank You Card Using Digital Paper

 I am so excited to use some digital paper that is in my Etsy Shop. The best part is it coordinated well with some scraps I had in my stash. The inspiration photo was a baby card. I really don’t have any need for a baby card. I decided instead to do a Thank You. But I did have a cute elephant die in my stash that reminded me of the inspiration card. That polka dot patterned paper worked so well with this die. I hope you check it out in my Etsy Shop. So, I was able to use the inspiration to go from a baby card to a thank you card so easily thanks to the cute digital paper and an elephant die.

To see the video of this card being created please head here.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you find things that inspire you. I love this hobby so much, so I enjoy sharing my cards with all of you. Hope to see you all soon. If you wish to support this channel even more, please see the buy me a coffee link over on the right banner. Have a great day! Happy Crafting!

 

Alter Your Die Cuts for a Different Look

I don’t know about you, but I must remind myself I can cut my die cuts to change it up. It is okay to take your stash and use it in a different way. This is the best way to get more bang for your craft spending buck. This die when I saw it, I could only think of one way to use it, for a shaker. But if it is going to make in my stash, I need to find several ways to use it. So, cutting it up was one of the solutions. I am so glad I did. I love how these cards turned out. They are fun. I think not only my crafty friends will enjoy getting these, but it may be great for teachers too.

To see the video of these cards being created please head here.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you find things that inspire you. I love this hobby so much, so I enjoy sharing my cards with all of you. Hope to see you all soon. If you wish to support this channel even more, please see the buy me a coffee link over on the right banner. Have a great day! Happy Crafting!

 

Got Coffee Loving Friends? Hope This Card Inspires

 I wish I was a coffee lover, but I am not. In fact, I am not really a person who likes any hot drinks except cocoa. It’s iced tea all the way for me. That has nothing to do with this card at all but thought I’d share. 😉

This was inspired by a Pin I have over on my sketch Pinterest Board, sure you got that. I have the link below if you want to follow any of my Pinterest Boards. Be prepared, they are arranged in very broad categories.

I have so many coffee die cuts that this was a perfect sketch to break those out for to add to this slim line card. I used Copics to color the coffee cups. So, this makes this diy very personalized, tying in the colors together.

I hope you enjoy this how-to, it really isn’t that hard, is it? I think this is a greeting card you can totally change to fit your style or any theme. That is what I love about card sketches, you get to make them your own.

Now, this would not be a card making idea to try if it did not have some washi tape in it. You know how I feel about washi tape. I must try to use it as much as possible since I have a huge washi tape stash.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you find things that inspire you. I love this hobby so much so I enjoy my cards with all of you. See the video for this card here.

How to turn stitched backgrounds into cards.

 I almost forgot to share this one before the fall season was over. Another stitched card panel was completed. Here is how I made it into a card. Love the alternate color scheme. To see the 1-minute video of this card please click here.

Negative Die Cuts

 I have to remember to use those negative die cuts. No need to let that goodness go to waste. I was able to use my sentiment from another card on this one today. I also got to use those scraped paint backgrounds I made. It was a double win! Here is hoping you get some crafting time in today.

The video for this card is found here.

Card Round Up for Inspiration

Just sharing a few cards that I have completed using up some scraps, die cuts, and ephemera I had ready to use. If you haven't tried that, if you have extras or scraps, take a minute to just put a few pieces together. It is amazing how quickly you can put together a card with things you just may have out on your desk. Hope this inspires you to go play today!

 

Use Your Scraps: Twine/String

 

You can save more than just paper scraps to use on another project. If you are new to cardmaking or papercrafts, you will find that most of us tend to do just that. Maybe even to a fault in some cases. For this project back in July, I had quite a bit of excess twine and string left over from another project. I really wanted to find a way to use that without having to waste it. Using a negative die cut was the answer in this case. I layered the string on strong double-sided tape. Then popping up the layer that I cut out a butterfly from, let all that string shine through. I kept the rest of the design simple to let this element be the focus. A simple sentiment, a little distressing with distress inks, a bit of contrasting cardstock...was all it needed. If you haven't given this a try I hope you will.

Please see the coordinating video which is < a minute here.

Repeating Elements: Great Impact for Card Design

 So inspiration struck while watching Emily in Paris on Netflix. It is amazing how where others may see a great piece of clothing, a nice wallpaper, a great tile pattern...and I see a great card design. I am obsessed I tell you.

But, as I "saw" the card design I was thinking of how impactful repeating elements in card design can be. They really draw me in I know for sure. They also can be simple shapes like the butterfly die I used on this card. Whether it die cuts, stamped images, or stencils, the repeating elements really can lead to a card that someone would love to receive but is so simple as well. If you are new to cardmaking, I hope you will try this out. It can be so much fun to make.

🤔Lining up Coordinating Dies and Stamps

 Here is a short video showing how I make sure my stamps line up with the coordinating die. If you are new to card making this might be useful. If you have been doing this a while I am sure you picked up this technique from Jennifer McGuire Just like I did. 😄 Either way I hope you enjoy it! Head on over to my YouTube Channel to watch.

Tips for Mass Producing Cards

 

Today I am taking you along as I make a set of cards for a dear friend of mine. I am also going to share with you a few tips along the way. When mass producing cards I like to plan out my design. The more I have to make the simpler the design for me. I also approach making the cards in an assembly line method. I like to have each part of the card ready to go before I sit down to put them together. So I get all the die-cutting done, then if there is stamping, all the stamping done, etc. Finally, I like to keep it fun so I don't get bored. Whether that is changing one element on the card, the color scheme, or in this case the sentiments. Changing things up helps keep it fun. When putting something like this together think also of how you are going to present them. Make a cute box or bag that matches. It really makes the project eye-catching for sure.

Sorry I didn't get pictures of each card...I forgot! 😐

Keep it Simple : Challenge Submission

 

Some of the cutest cards I make and see are just totally simple. I decided to keep it simple with this card I am entering into the
AAA Card Challenged # 208. The challenge was a color challenge of using Black and White along with 1 other color.

These daisies had leftover from another recent project were screaming to be used. So they became the focal point of this card. The Hello sentiment is a washi tape with hi and hello repeating as the pattern. I hope you are able to join the challenge as well. There are several more days left to join.

I also have a video to check out on my YouTube channel. You can find it here.

Partial Die Cut Magic: Creating a Semi-Shaped Card

 I added a nice heart topper to today's card using partial die-cutting. I had some 4 x 4 card blanks made from another project but wanted something a bit "extra". So I used a heart layering die to cut out the top portion in the heart shape using the partial die cutting method. This cuts down the area you have to write on on the inside of the card but you still have plenty of room for a short note. I used some of my scraps from my scrap bin (part of my New Year's Resolution for 2022). So, glad I rummaged through that bucket instead of looking for a whole piece of cardstock. To finish off the card after layering the other pieces of card stock I added a couple of pieces of washi tape. Stamped the sentiment in Momento's Tuxedo Black ink. For extra sparkle, I added some holographic pink sequins. I have a couple of valentines I plan on sending these cards to. Who are you sending Valentine's to this year?

I have a short video as well if you want to check it out.

Split Card Desing = 4 CARDs!

 I have done the split card design using half of the 8 1/2 x 11 inch card stock....but nothing says you can't use the whole thing.  Then you have 4 cards done in one sitting.  This worked out so well.  Thanks to Cricut design space and my Cricut Explore these beauties were put together in about 15-20 minutes.  Hope this inspires you to make a few cards today!

Check out the video here to see how I put these together.

CASE Card: Inspiration from other Cardmakers

 I love this industry so much.  The best part is seeing others create stunning cards...works of art really , day in and day out.  I really feel like I spend too much time daydreaming about cards, watching videos, scanning Pinterest.  But I can't help it!  It makes me happy.  I also love when I see someone like Anne over on Instagram blow me away constantly with her unique style in cardmaking.  You should really check her out (@annekortit).  Today's card I made after following her for over a year over on Instagram just bowled over whenever she posted a card.  They are just "her" ya know?  I love them.  So if you want to see me try to re-create her style head on over to my YouTube channel to watch the process here.

 

A Struggle

The two challenges I decided to combine, I thought...this should be pretty simple. But as I made my first attempt, I realized for me it was just not working.  I think my first mistake was to try to ink blend the three inks I chose.  I don't know why but when I try to ink blend more than two colors I just really don't like the result.  To make the matters worse the sentiment I chose which was already a pre-made sentiment when I laid it on the card was a different shade of white than the die cuts I had added.  That card got scrapped....

Finally, today after a couple of misses with some coloring on the die cuts I wanted to use things started to come together.  I decided to use distress oxide inks in Fired Brick, Fossilized Amber, and Salty Ocean to color my stacked die cuts.  Salty Ocean was used also to color the sentiment that is stacked on two other white layers of the die-cut. 

To ground the die cuts I used the Fossilized Amber in the corners applying over a stencil.  I also added a sub-sentiment in Salty Ocean.  I feel like this has a Moroccan feel to it.  💕

I am entering this card in two challenges:

Color Throwdown Challenge: #656 found here.

&

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge: #499 found here.

Attempting an Unusual Challenge

 I am not going to lie when I read the challenge over on AAA Cards I was a bit stumped😅 on what to do. 

I have never heard of a challenge that wants you to cover only 2 quarters of your card.  Well, the first thing I did was take a card base and section it off into quarters.  I knew I wanted to include the optional twist of using my favorite color (RED) for sure but what to do?  It finally came to me that if I had a repeating die or object that covered two OPPOSITE quarters it would look as if it was cascading.  At least, that was the look I was going to go for.  I decided then on my layering triangle dies.  I took scraps from my scrap bin in different hues of red, cut them out, and layered them.  I needed something...so I added some gold cardstock inlayed into parts of the triangles.

The sentiment I knew I wanted to straddle to two sections.  A sentiment in the July Spellbinders Card Kit was perfect.  A sentiment like to my friend...is so generic you could use it for anything.  

But I did fudge just a bit😆...but for a good reason.  When I erased all my pencil lines I made a bit of a bigger smudge in one area.  I needed to cover that up.  So I added some 4mm half-backed red pearls.  So technically down in the right-hand corner, I did go a bit over into a 3 quarter of the card.  OOPS!  🤷‍♀️

I am entering this card into 2 card challenges:

AAA Cards Game 196- Two Quarters and Optional Twist Favorite Colors found here.

&

Creative Craft Challenge # 143 No Patterned Paper found here.

Hello-Daisy Edition

 Spellbinders has come through again for my creative mojo. 🌼 I used the April Daisy dies to put together this simple card. It was a bit labor-intensive cutting out all the dies, then putting them on the card to make this background but it was so worth it. Daisies are my favorite flower. I never really understood why until I watched the movie "You've Got Mail" the first time. When Meg Ryan's character states that daisies are her favorite flower and points out "aren't daisies the happiest flower?"...I knew...I loved them because they do look happy and make me smile whenever I see them. I hope this card will make someone smile when they receive it. If you want to see me put this card together head on over to my YouTube Channel. The link is here.

Using up Scraps Part 4

 I am back today with more ideas of using up those pretty patterned paper scraps.  Cut them up!  Using die cuts...😍

You can get such pretty results using simple shapes or doing die cut inlay using those scraps you just can't part with.

I am entering this card into Creative Fingers Challenge # 157:  Anything Goes found here.

For more information check out my youtube video where I put one of the cards together at the bottom of this post.

 You can also find me on social media if you want to see what I am up to next.  

Blog: samanthadesigns.blogspot.com
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