While spending a lot of time at home in 2020, I crafted a LOT of cards – probably about 400 – trying new dies and stamps in fun themes, and all kinds of new techniques. It has really been a lifesaver for me, keeping my mind and hands busy, and keeping the worry away. And I hope the cards brightened the day of people who received them. Crafting with dies and stamps is definitely a different direction than my handmade paper cards and crafty projects, but I’m really enjoying how all the intricate shapes and beautiful colors come…
While crafting all these pretty cards, I have been learning new techniques as I go, and the latest is inking up a background to create a colorful base for stamping and collage. I’m usually a more of a precise crafter, so I had a lot of fun trying this freeform technique. You can also check out my last post on cardmaking techniques – edge dies. One way to ink up a background is to use water based ink pads and a blending tool to rub on the color. Some examples are Spectrum Noir Harmony Water Reactive Ink Pads…
After a long hiatus, I’m finally back to posting on Craft Picnic, and I’m here to tell you I’ve gone CARD CRAZY! During our stay-at-home spring and summer of 2020, I’ve been crafting away with so many new products and ideas that have given me inspiration and relaxation with all the stress and uncertainty spiraling around in the world. And the bonus is I can send these little gems to friends and family to hopefully brighten their day too. One of the crafty things I found and love are intricate dies that cut along…
I “picked” these new 2-sided rose and dahlia flower dies by Crafters Companion and had some fun crafting these cute cards for late summer. These dies create layered flowers and leaves, and have a nifty trick of cutting on both sides, so all four layers can be cut in my die cutting machine all at once. They have such a cool paint-by-numbers, dimensional look! I inherited a big stack of Close to My Heart cardstock years ago, and this project was the perfect chance to use all the fabulous colors! I also found the weight of the…