Right as Rain - Cardmaking and Scrapbooking with Jean Manis

Spellbinders | Floral Bunny Basket

Hello! Dive into the Easter spirit with the Spellbinders February 2024 Large Die of the Month Club Kit – “Floral Bunny Basket.” The card, created with the 18-piece set that includes dies to create a basket, a bunny, carrots, greenery and foliage for a beautiful Easter basket, effortlessly came together.

- To begin, dry-emboss a 5″ x 7″ panel of Sea Glass cardstock with the Tiny Dots folder. Attach to card base.
- Cut bunny, basket, carrots, foliage, and greenery with the dies in the Large Die of the Month Club Kit set from a variety of cardstock colors. Assemble.
- Use the BetterPress System to create the sentiment in Clay ink on Snowdrift cardstock with the Always and Forever Sentiment set. Use the coordinating die to cut.
- Use dot adhesive to add the sentiment to the card front.
- Add the assembled basket with the bunny to the card front with foam adhesive.
- Add carrots, foliage, and greenery to the basket; adhere with glue, dot adhesive, and foam adhesive, as required.

Birthday Cheers with Bear Hugs

Hello! Today, I am sharing a birthday card created with the charming Impression Obsession Cocoa Bear die set, which I was inspired to create after curating a roundup of birthday cards. Previously, I shared a winter-themed friendship card created with the Cocoa Bear die set HERE.

- Attach patterned paper from the Echo Park A Birthday Wish Boy Collection pad on to an A2-size card base.
- Cut Cocoa Bear from a variety of cardstock colors and textures (I cut the scarf from paper in the A Birthday Wish Boy Collection pad). Assemble. Cut a present for the bear to hold with a die in the Elizabeth Craft Designs Gnomes die set.
- Stamp the Bear Sayings sentiment on to a die-cut Polaroid frame. (I used one from Paper Smooches, which is now retired.) Back the frame with patterned paper.
- Add the frame to the card base. Add assembled bear to the front of the frame.
- Embellish with balloons cut with Penny Black dies – Uplifting and Balloons (strings).

A Showcase of Birthday Greetings

Hello! Following Christmas cards, birthday cards are the type I send most frequently. In this post, I’m excited to share a collection of birthday cards that I’ve crafted over the years.

Throughout this post, I’ll be using cards from my blog archive as examples. Click on the card image to be taken to the original post. Even if the specific products used on the cards may no longer be available, the focus is on how the theme is represented on the card.

A birthday card adorned with colorful balloons and a straightforward “Happy Birthday” sentiment holds visual appeal with its clean and simple design. The graphic elements create a sense of celebration without unnecessary complexity.

A decorated cake with candles is universally associated with birthdays, making it visually engaging for a broad audience. The colorful and decorative elements add a festive touch, enhancing the card’s appeal.

A card featuring cats in cupcakes combines whimsy and charm. This playful and cute depiction adds a unique and lighthearted touch to a birthday card that is particularly appealing to cat lovers.

Another card appealing to cat lovers, cats wearing party hats in a cozy setting creates a sense of warmth and celebration. The addition of balloons outside a window adds a touch of festivity.

A mix of adorable animals adds a playful quality to a birthday card, while party hats, presents, and balloons create a celebratory atmosphere.

Perfect for sending birthday joy to a dog enthusiast or someone who appreciates canine charm, a card showing dogs of various breeds at the park is heartwarming and festive.

A birthday card with a die-cut sentiment of “Happy Birthday Wishes” on a banner background, set against floral-patterned paper and adorned with die-cut floral clusters, is fittingly feminine.

Both visually appealing and elegant, a birthday card featuring watercolored florals is not just a card but a miniature work of art that captures the eye.

Whether you’re captivated by colorful balloons, charmed by watercolored florals, or amused by cats and dogs ready to celebrate, the diverse birthday cards showcased above offer a range of styles and sentiments. I hope these cards spark your imagination, encouraging you to infuse your personal touch into birthday greetings.

Elizabeth Craft | Gnome Valentine

Hello! After the creating the Valentine’s Day card roundup, which you can see HERE, and rediscovering treasures in my crafting supplies, I was inspired to create a new card for the holiday. Picture a charming gnome on top of a cart brimming with hearts paired with a sentiment that reads “Loads of Love.”

- To begin, create sentiment on your computer and print. Trim to an A2-size panel and apply Distress Oxide inks in Hickory Smoke and Tumbled Glass to establish the ground and sky. Attach panel to a card base.
- Apply Distress Oxide inks to Soft Finish Cardstock and cut pieces for the Gnome (I used the Farmer set for the eyes), Hay Ride (trailer), and hearts (various die sets listed below). Assemble the gnome and the trailer. (Note: I used a 1/2″ circle die to cut part of the wheel assembly.)
- Add die-cut hearts to trailer. I added the hearts on the bottom row first, then I put the trailer on to the card base and filled the cart until I was happy with the amount.
- Add gnome to cart.

You can see a similar autumn-themed card with several of the same Elizabeth Craft Designs supplies HERE.

Arctic Love: Polar Bear Valentine

Inspired by my recent Valentine’s Day card roundup, I crafted a Valentine featuring a polar bear nestled inside a heart, surrounded by a backdrop of red, pink, and blue circles. With a die-cut “XO XO” sentiment, this card is created solely with die cuts.

- Cut Reverse Confetti Big Polkas Cover Panel from Snowdrift cardstock. (This cover plate is now retired, and I have been unable to locate a source for it.) Cut 1″ circles (using a die from the Everlasting Circles set) from Pomegranate, Dahlia, Pink Sand, and Sea Glass cardstock). Tape the circles to the back of cover panel (trimming circles as necessary where there is overlap). Add assembly to an A2-size card base.
- Cut heart from Pomegranate cardstock with second largest die in the Essential Hearts set. Add to card.
- Cut Elizabeth Craft Designs Polar Bear (retired but still available at Frantic Stamper) from Snowdrift, Onyx, and gray (Bazzill Taffy) cardstock. (I used the retired Paper Smooches Snowman 2 die for the mouth.) Assemble.
- Cut sentiment from white glitter foam with the Journal Letter die set. Add to card.