Right as Rain - Cardmaking and Scrapbooking with Jean Manis

Spellbinders | Day of the Dead Mariachi Card

Hello! In the spirit of celebrating Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) and its rich traditions, I’m delighted to share a card that pays homage to the mariachi musician of the holiday. The card, in Halloween colors, features a skeleton mariachi musician -the Dancin’ Day of the Dead Boy (part of the Spellbinders Dancin’ Halloween Collection) – passionately playing the guitar and radiating a sense of liveliness and festive energy.

During Day of the Dead, practiced on November 1 and 2, the graves of loved ones are decorated, special foods are made, and special festivals and processions are held. You can read more about the celebration in this Smithsonian article. The sentiment, from the Dancin’ Halloween Sentiments set, translates to “Long live life.” I used a different sentiment from this sentiment set HERE on a card that showcased the Spellbinders Gnome Drive Collection.

The mariachi musician encapsulates the heart and soul of Dia de los Muertos as a symbol of the connection between life and death. While our loved ones may have passed, their spirit lives on through our joyful celebrations and cherished memories.

Spellbinders | Gnome in the Haunted Fast Lane

Hello! Imagine a Halloween gnome driving a sports car. I have brought that scene to life showcasing the new Spellbinders Gnome Drive Holiday and Halloween die sets. Gnome-themed designs are appealing and combining a gnome with a sports car on a Halloween card adds a fun twist.

The Halloween add-on die is one of several themed sets in the Gnome Drive Collection. The die set includes a cat, a ghost with a witch’s hat, a witch’s hat for the gnome, and a pumpkin balloon. I have paired the focal image with the sentiment – “Love you ’til the end” from the Dancin’ Halloween Sentiments set.

Scene Building with Sunny Studio Stamps

Hello! Today, I am discussing how to start a scene building collection. To explore the topic, I am using Sunny Studio Stamps products on a “Hello” card featuring the Birthday Mouse as the focal image.

I have only recently started to create with Sunny Studio Stamps products; I showcased the Birthday Cat stamp set HERE, HERE, and HERE. When I can, I like to use products from the same company on my cards for two main reasons: the products are designed to coordinate, and I like to support the company’s vision. Since my crafting budget is not endless, I started with a few key dies to create a simple scene.

To begin, stamp the mouse with Versafine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set. Color the mouse with watercoloring mediums of choice. (Check out my “Resources for Watercoloring Stamped Images” HERE.) Once dry, cut with the coordinating die.

Next, establish ground and sky for the scene, which can be achieved with a straight line or hill, for example. I purchased the Sunny Studio Stamps Slimline Nature Borders to cut a hill from Field Day cardstock. This five-piece die set includes two hills (both can be used in two ways), a wave, a cloud, and a grassy hill. I considered both a portrait and a landscape orientation for the card, choosing the portrait one because the mouse was lost in the landscape one.

To add detail and depth to the scene, I cut clouds with the Fluffy Clouds set from Snowdrift cardstock. Other scene building options include a fence, trees, a sun, a road, grass, a cityscape, doors, and windows.

Since I wasn’t creating a birthday card, I didn’t use the sentiment included in the Birthday Mouse set. Instead, to create the sentiment, I cut white Pop-Up Die Cutting Glitter Foam with the Journal Letter Die Set (glitter side down). Alternatively, I could have used small sentiment alpha stickers (of which I have plenty from my scrapbooking days).

What are your go-to scene building dies? What’s on your list to purchase next?

Blooming Pomegranate | Spellbinders August 2023 Large Die

Hello! Today, I am sharing a thank you card showcasing the Spellbinders August 2023 Large Die of the Month kit – “Blooming Pomegranate.” This die set includes 23 dies that allow you to create a captivating botanical illustration of a pomegranate. Yesterday I shared a project created with the Small Die of the Month kit HERE.

For the botanical illustration, I chose teal, dark orange, dark red, yellow-gold, and white cardstock after looking at pomegranate illustrations online.

To begin, dry-emboss Waterfall cardstock with Scattered Fall embossing folder and trim to A2-size; add to card base.
Next, cut Large Die of the Month pieces from a variety of cardstock colors and assemble.
Next, glimmer foil the sentiment from Mini Everyday Sentiments in copper on Snowdrift cardstock. Cut with a banner die in the sentiment set.
Finally, add the card elements to the dry-embossed base by adhering the fruits and greenery. Finish by embellishing with white flowers.

You can find more Large Die of the Month inspiration on the Spellbinders blog HERE.

Breezy Swing | Spellbinders August 2023 Small Die of the Month

Hello and happy August! I am delighted to share a card created with the Spellbinders August 2023 Small Die of the Month kit titled “Breezy Swing.” With this 15-piece die set, you can create a card suitable for a variety of occasions. Find more details and inspiration on the Spellbinders blog HERE.

I chose teal, dark orange, and yellow-gold cardstock colors to represent the change of seasons, from summer to fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The warm tones of orange and yellow evoke the anticipation of autumn’s golden hues.

To begin, dry-emboss Beeswax cardstock with Tiny Dots embossing folder and trim to A2-size; add to card base.
Next, cut Small Die of the Month pieces from a variety of cardstock colors and assemble.
Next, glimmer foil the sentiment from Sentiments for Everyday in teal on Snowdrift cardstock. Cut sentiment with On Cloud Nine die and cut additional clouds.
Finally, add the card elements to the dry-embossed base by adhering the woman on the swing assembly and clouds. Finish by embellishing with floral clusters.