Right as Rain - Cardmaking and Scrapbooking with Jean Manis

Duplicating Holiday Magic | Spellbinders October 2023 Small Die Kit Club

Hello and “Ho! Ho! Ho”! In the world of holiday paper crafting, there’s something magical about taking a single die set and creating variations. Today, I am showcasing the adorable Spellbinders Small Die of the Month kit titled “Big Jolly Santa.” This Santa is a standout that nicely fills an A2-size card. Keep reading for directions on how to make the two cards. You can also head HERE for a tutorial on how to use the set.

- To begin, create card front from Brushed Silver cardstock OR cut patterned paper (older Christmas paper from Echo Park in my stash). Add to A2-size card base.
- With the largest die in the Stylish Ovals set, cut Waterfall cardstock and dry-emboss with the Flurry of Snowflakes folder OR cut oval from patterned paper (flip side of the Echo Park Christmas paper used for the card front).
- Die-cut Santa pieces with the Big Jolly Santa set from a variety of cardstock materials. Cardstock in the Crushed Velvet Assortment pack was used for the Santa on the Waterfall background. Assemble. Add enamel dots for buttons. I used a Uni-Ball Signo Broad Point Gel Impact Pen White to create the catchlights in the eyes.
- With dies in the Big Jolly Santa set, cut sentiment sign from Brushed Gold cardstock OR heat-emboss sentiment in the Big Jolly Santa Sentiments set on Teal Topaz cardstock and cut with the banner die.
- Cut Glitter Foam OR Snowdrift cardstock with snowline die in the Camper Life set. Cut snow with largest die in the Stylish Ovals set and adhere to the oval background.
- Adhere Santas to cards. Embellish with snowflakes cut from Glitter Foam.

With just different cardstock colors and background choices, the feeling of the card changes!

Spellbinders | October 2023 Large Die of the Month

Hello and happy October! Today, I am sharing a Christmas card crafted with the Spellbinders October Large Die of the Month set – “Christmas Boutique” – slightly modified to make a charming house (rather than a storefront) adorned with Christmas florals. Read on to discover how to create the card. You can also head HERE for a tutorial on how to use the set.

- Glimmer foil blue cardstock in Gold with a sentiment in the Glitter Wishes set. The Large Die of the Month set includes a sentiment die to create the word “Noel.” I decided to use the glimmer-foiled sentiment at the base of the card front and consulted my post Prepping for Christmas Card Making for sentiment options. Trim panel to 5 1/2″ wide by 4 7/8″ tall and add to a card base.
- With a die in the Large Die of the Month set cut the house (boutique) base from green cardstock. Cut again from red cardstock and trim off the foliage on top. Cut floral and house pieces from a variety of cardstock colors. Add Rustic Wilderness ink to green cardstock elements (holly leaves, other leaves, Christmas trees) to differentiate from the green base color. Add enamel dots in red and white to the Christmas trees. Assemble.
- Add assembled house to card front.

Scarecrow Sweater: Papercrafted Fall Fashion

Hello! Today, I am showcasing Elizabeth Craft Designs products – the Sweater Season and Scarecrow die sets and Autumn Words stamp set – on a fall-themed card. I don’t own a fall novelty sweater, however, I can always craft one from paper!

To begin, dry-emboss a Persimmon cardstock panel, measuring 4 1/2″ square with cable folder (I used Cable Knit from Taylored Expressions). Attach to card base.
Cut sweater with dies in the Sweater Season set. Dry-emboss sweater body with SU Subtle folder (now retired). Alternatively, cut the sweater from textured cardstock. Add neckline, bottom hem, and cuffs, cut from white cardstock, to the sweater. Cut circles with a small circle die and add to sweater body for adornment.
Die-cut pieces for the Scarecrow head and hat from colored cardstock. Assemble. To create the mouth on the scarecrow, I cut a piece of cardstock with a 1/2-inch circle die. I used the negative portion to draw the mouth using a Faber Castell Pitt artist pen size XS pen. (I am writing this specifically so I will remember for next time.) Add assembled scarecrow face, with crow, to sweater front.
Stamp Autumn Words sentiment in black on to white cardstock and cut with the smallest die in the Small Stitched Rectangle Stackables set.
Add sentiment and assembled sweater to card front.

Previously, I used the Scarecrow die set on a fall-themed card HERE and the Sweater Season die set on a Christmas-themed card HERE.

Lawn Fawn | Spooky Cute

Hello! Today I am sharing a Halloween card created with a combination of Lawn Fawn dies. The scene of pink houses, whimsical ghosts, a silvery moon, bats, and a cat is captured in a Polaroid-like frame. Adding a pop of hot pink, the sentiment “BOO” stands out on the white frame. This card is for those who prefer a cute twist on the spooky season.

I discussed the use of frames in cardmaking HERE. In this post, I took a deep dive into the use of embossing folders for card backgrounds.

Dry-emboss A2-size Persimmon cardstock with Taylored Expressions Weathered folder.
Use Build-A-House Halloween Add-On and Scalloped Treat Box Haunted House Add-On die sets to cut cat, bats, and ghosts. Back ghosts with Onyx cardstock and cat with Teal Topaz cardstock.
Cut the Little Town Border from Pink Sand cardstock and back with Peony Pinks foam, glitter side down.
Use Cole’s ABCs set to cut letters from Peony Pinks foam, glitter side down.
Cut the Say Cheese, Again frame from Snowdrift cardstock. Adhere the Little Town Border to the back of the frame. Back assembly with Teal Topaz cardstock. Add sentiment letters to the front of the frame.
With a 1″ circle die, cut the moon from Brushed Silver cardstock.
Add ghosts, moon, bats, and cat to scene with foam and dot adhesive.

Newton’s Nook Designs | Fall Harvest Take Two

Hello! Today I am sharing two more cards created with the Newton’s Nook Designs Fall Harvest stamp set. I previously shared cards with this stamp and coordinating die set HERE. This time, I am using stenciled pumpkin backgrounds rather than patterned paper ones, applying ink through a stencil on to coordinating cardstock for a tone-on-tone background. You can read my post about creating stenciled backgrounds for cards HERE.

To create the focal images, stamp the Fall Harvest images with Versafine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper and heat set. Color the images with watercoloring mediums of choice. Once dry, cut the images with the dies in the coordinating set. (Check out my “Resources for Watercoloring Stamped Images” HERE.)
To create the card backgrounds, apply ink through the Pumpkin Patch stencil. For the background with the dog, I used Dried Marigold ink on SU Pumpkin cardstock, and on the other background with the cat, I used Wild Honey ink on SU More Mustard cardstock. Trim panels to A2-size and attach to card bases. (Next time, I will cut the cardstock to A2 size before applying ink through the stencil. The stencil pattern is 5 1/2″ square.)
Glimmer foil the sentiment in the Autumn Greetings set with Copper foil on white cardstock (I used Taylored Expressions Sugar Cube, as it is not stark white). Cut panel with a 2 3/4″ die in the Everlasting Circles set. Cut another circle from vellum with a 3″ die in the same set.
Assemble the focal images, add the images to the circle mats, and adhere to the card fronts.