Author: susanfoxbowen

Fall

Hello from Me to You

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Today, we continue to explore all of the ways we can use the current autumn products to make beautiful cards. Believe it or not, this card is a variation of yesterday’s design. Hang around and I’ll show you how we got from A to Z.

The base of this card is Early Espresso. The dark background helps make the copper elements in this design stand out. Because I wanted copper to be more prominent, the center panel of copper Tartan Foil went from a smaller accent-sized panel to encompassing most of the card front. The large sweetgum leaf is diecut from the copper and gold sheet of Oxidized Copper designer paper and stands prominently in the center of the design to give the eye a starting point when viewing the design. The smaller elm and sweetgum leaves were leftover from other projects and are scattered under the larger leaf to mimic the feeling of falling leaves. The sentiment panel is centered at the bottom of the card rather than offset in the center of the card. Rather than drawing the eye with a much lighter element, cutting the sentiment panel from the darker Early Espresso helps draw out all of the copper elements and draws the eye to the heat embossed sentiment. The scattered sequins help the eye move down and across the card to reinforce the feeling of the leaves falling.

I’m having lots of fun playing with all of the autumn-themed products. Hopefully you’ve been enjoying them. I’m planning to practice a little gratitude over the course of the month and will be mailing a lot of these designs out. Do you do anything to actively practice gratitude?

Products used:
Early Espresso cardstock
Tartan Foil, Oxidized Copper, All About Autumn DSP
Pansy Patch stamps
Tsukineko Cosmic Copper
Copper embossing powder
Neutrals sequins
Dimensionals
Adhesives

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Fall

A Pile of Thanks

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Have the leaves begun to change in your area? Fall is my favorite time of year. And I absolutely love it when the leaves begin to change colors. The main thoroughfare through our neighborhood is lined with a wide variety of trees that put on quite a show during the fall. The street looks like it’s lined with fire. I love to watch the process and am always awed by it. I find reasons to run errands every day as the leaves are changing.

I was super excited to receive a box of goodies last week, which included the beautiful Oxidized Copper designer paper, the Autumn Leaves die collection, and brushed metallic dots. When the Holiday Mini Catalog first released, I completely talked myself out of any of the fall products. But after participating in a team building event where we used them, I realized that I would find myself reaching for them more than I thought!

I was inspired by a card posted by i.heart.stamps over on Instagram and wanted to try my hand at recreating it with a few twists here and there. This card design begins with a base of Early Espresso cardstock. The beautiful woodgrain panel is from the All About Autumn designer series paper pack. The gorgeous leaves are diecut from Oxidized Copper designer paper using the Autumn Leaves dies. The sentiment panel consists of two layers. The base layer is gold glimmer paper diecut with the Deckled Rectangles set. The sentiment is heat embossed in copper atop Crumb Cake cardstock, which has been diecut using the Autumn Leaves dies. TIP: for richer color when heat embossing, whenever possible stamp in the same color ink that you will be embossing with. A twist of gold trim behind the smaller sentiment panel really helps unify the metallic elements and draw the eye to the sentiment. The brushed metallic dots allow the eye to pass across the card, following the path of the falling leaves.

I just love the details in the Autumn Leaves dies. The veining you see here is a part of those dies. There are also leaves without the vein detail embedded within the die but that include a separate die for the veins. The leaf duo under the bottom, left corner of the sentiment panel is an example of that combination of dies.

Products used:
Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, gold shimmer (retired) cardstock
All About Autumn DSP (sold out)
Oxidized Copper specialty paper
Tsukineko Cosmic Copper ink
Copper embossing powder
So Sincere stamps
Autumn Leaves, Deckled Rectangles dies
Gold trim
Brushed metallic dots
Dimensionals
Adhesives

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Fall · Fun Folds

Thanks, Pumpkin

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Do you participate in Thankful November? While I don’t always participate to the extent that I make social media posts, I do tend to find myself much more reflective through the month of November and try to turn my focus to giving thanks. Honestly, it’s such a wonderful practice that I really need to carry it forward throughout the entire year. How do you feel about it?

Inspiration for card designs reflecting thankfulness always seem to come much easier this time of year. And today’s design is no exception. This lovely peek-through fun fold card uses the All About Autumn designer series paper. This paper pack is so inspired — with its beautiful foiled patterns on one side and still life fall photographs on the other. I’m finding it hard to even begin to grow tired of it! And clearly LOTS of you agree because it is now completely sold out!

Today’s card begins with a base of Cajun Craze. Aside from the 1-inch peek-through section on the card front, the base is a standard 4 1/4-inch by 5 1/2-inch design (when closed). This design uses 3 separate sheets of All About Autumn designer paper. The sheet with the sweetgum leaves, the foiled side of the sheet with books, and the sheet with pumpkins. The sweetgum leaves sheet is cut to 3 1/8-inches by 5 3/8-inches and adhered to the front panel of the card base. I retained a 1-inch strip of the leaves and used it as an accent on the foiled panel on the inside of the card, and the small strip is matted with a scrap of the blue cardigan sheet from this paper pack — that I happened to have lying on the craft table. The pumpkin sheet that serves as the peek-through portion of this card measures approximately 2-inches wide. The sentiment panel is more understated in this design because I wanted it to complement more than stand out. The base panel of the sentiment is vellum that is diecut using the All That die set. The sentiment from Circle Sayings is stamped in Cajun Craze on Very Vanilla cardstock and then diecut using the oval from the All That die collection. Before adhering the sentiment to the vellum base, I elevated it on dimensionals and then set it atop some twists of gold cord. Glitter sequins and speckled spots add a little sparkle and visual interest and help guide the eye down and across the card design.

I don’t know about you, but when I have a pack of really gorgeous paper, my mind immediately turns on designs that allow me to showcase as much of the paper as I can. And so I naturally gravitate to fun folds. Do you like fun folds? Did you know that there are quite a few PDF tutorials for some of my favorite folds over on the Tutorial page of my website? Feel free to click here to check them all out!

Products used:
Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, vellum cardstock
All About Autumn DSP (sold out)
Circle Sayings stamp set
All That dies
Speckled dots
Glitter sequins
Gold cord
Dimensionals
Adhesives

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Gifting · Packaging

Did Someone Say Gift Cards?

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These days, it can be hard to know what to buy friends or family for that special occasion. And so gift cards or cash have become very popular options. But who says that you can’t wrap a gift card?

When we give gift cards in our family, we like to dress things up. And sometimes the recipient even has to go on a little scavenger hunt to get to the prize. I’ve found various ways to make these types of gifts feel special. And today, I’m highlighting just one way — the booklet envelope.

Long ago I purchased some pre-cut/pre-scored templates that serve as the booklet base for each envelope. And in hindsight, now that all of these templates are gone, I wish I had jotted down all of the measurements for the base to be able to make more on my own! Each booklet is then decorated using designer paper, ribbon, and embellishments. One 6-inch by 12-inch strip of designer paper covers the outside and both inside flaps of the envelope. I used scraps of DSP to cover any exposed portions of the base on the inside of the envelope up against the gift pocket. I found that a ribbon closure seemed to work best with this design and adhered the ribbon all the way around the outside of the booklet using tear tape. TIP: my favorite brand of tear tape is Sookwang because it’s super sticky, easy to tear, and comes in a variety of widths.

Do you like to dress up a gift card? How do you do it? Let me know in the comments!

birthday · Gifting

Spruce Up a Gift Bag

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As a paper crafter, I try not to miss an opportunity to add that special handmade touch to gifts. It’s incredibly simple to dress up those packages with a lovely little something. From beautiful ribbon to a unique gift tag, a gift can be jazzy in no time!

I recently whipped up these cute gift tags so I would be ready for the next birthday party. These designs may look fancy and a bit complicated, but each design came together quickly. Let’s see how these came together.

Candles. The tag base is Basic White cardstock diecut using the Merriest Trees dies. I used some older washi tape I had on hand to serve as the colorful grounding for the sentiment panel, which begins with a piece of vellum diecut using the circle from the All That die collection. The candles are stamped in multiple colors on white cardstock using the Big News stamps. I colored each one lightly with a coordinating watercolor pencil and then add a bit of sparkle to the flames of each one using Stickles. The “happy birthday” sentiment is stamped on white cardstock using the Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamps and then diecut using the Bunch of Banners dies. A few iridescent discs on either side of the sentiment keep the eye in the center of the tag.

Wish. The tag base is comprised of two layers. The base layer is cut from Oh So Ombre designer paper and the Crumb Cake is diecut using the Merry Tags dies. Next comes the silver star banner which is diecut from metallic silver cardstock using the Star Blast dies. The sentiment is a single Papertrey Ink die and cut from a sheet of Pretty Peacock. Everything is held together with glue from the precision glue pen.

Products used: Birthday candles
Basic White, vellum cardstock
Washi tape
PTI Birthday Basics stamps (retired)
Big News stamps (retired)
Merriest Trees, All That, Bunch of Banners (retired) dies
Watercolor pencils
Stickles
Iridescent discs
Dimensionals
Adhesives
Ribbon

Products used: Make a Wish
Crumb Cake, Pretty Peacock cardstock
Metallic silver cardstock (retired)
Oh So Ombre DSP (retired)
Circles Collection, Merry Tags, Star Blast dies (retired)
PTI Make a Wish die
Adhesives
Precision glue pen
Ribbon

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Fun Folds

Through the Garden Window

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Happy Monday, everyone! I’m popping in today to share another fun fold card using the Meandering Meadow designer paper which will be available in the Online Exclusives section of the online store tomorrow (November 7th)!

For today’s design, I decided to try my hand at a window card, which I combined with a flap fun fold. The design starts with a base of Balmy Blue cardstock cut to standard size and scored in the center. I chose the sheet of Meandering Meadow with the tree and bench as the focal image to peek through the window. I paired it with the sheet of moody blues — a combination of Night of Navy and Pretty Peacock — which would serve as the window panel. After trying several combinations, I felt that this moody sheet really drew out the darker hues of the garden scene, which felt more true to a peek through a window. And I just love how the whole feel of the garden scene changes from the view through the window to the open flap.

The moody blues sheet is adhered to the card front. Basic White cardstock serves as the base for the flap panel. Adhere the flap panel base to the inside of the Balmy Blue card base. With the inside flap closed, the garden scene paper is adhered to the front of the flap. The window is cut using the Deckled Rectangles die. (TIP: Run the die back and forth through your diecutting machine several times to ensure a clean cut through all layers.) I used the cut rectangle as a focal image for the inside of the flap next to the message panel and decorated the rectangle using the scenic side of the roughly 2-inch strip of moody blue cut from the larger 6 x 6 panel. The sentiment from the So Sincere stamp set is heat embossed in silver on a vellum panel diecut using the Autumn Leaves dies. Pops of sparkle are added to the card front using tinsel gems and on the garden scene using glitter sequins.

What do you think? To see this design come together from start to finish, check out the reel over on Instagram. Want to recreate this design on your own? Here is a PDF tutorial to walk you through the process from start to finish.

Have you been enjoying the sprinkling of fun folds and how-I-made-it videos? If you’d like to continue seeing more of this type of content, please Like or comment on this post to let me know.

Products used:
Balmy Blue, Basic White, vellum cardstock
Meandering Meadow DSP (Online Exclusive available November 7th)
So Sincere stamps
Deckled Rectangles, Autumn Leaves dies
Tinsel gems
Glitter sequins
Silver embossing powder
Adhesive

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Christmas

Wonderful Counselor

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Would you consider yourself to be an adventuresome person? It’s fair to say that I have a particular paper crafting style, but I’d like to think that I can do things differently every now and then. Today’s design is a good example. I love the angled Z-fold. And as a general rule, I would say I turn to this fold more for fun designs rather than more serious or thoughtful ones. But the angled Z-fold really lends itself well to all occasions.

This card begins with a base of Night of Navy cardstock. Shining Brightly designer paper provides the beautiful sparkle on the two front-facing panels. The front focal panel is a piece of vellum diecut using the Deckled Rectangles dies and the sentiment is then heat embossed in gold in the center. I tied a piece of gold twine at the top and adhered the vellum to the front card panel using my adhesive runner, allowing the top of the diecut panel to overhang at the top. I really liked the emphasis I felt this put on the focal sentiment. The inside center panel is left blank for a personal message, while the back panel has a small vellum Deckled Rectangle with a gold heat-embossed sentiment. I created a visual triangle around the sentiment on the bottom base panel with the gold sequins.

Wanna give the angled Z-fold a try? Hop over here for a PDF tutorial.

Products used:
Night of Navy, vellum, white cardstock
Shining Brightly DSP
Night Divine stamps
Gold embossing powder
Gold twine
Adhesive-backed sequins

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Christmas

Fear Not

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As I was recently preparing for a craft show, and specifically designing Christmas cards, I realized that I had a few older sets that hadn’t seen any ink yet. Do you ever have that happen, where you purchase a lovely stamp set that somehow gets lost in your stash?

Today’s design began with the stamp set called God’s Peace. Because the image and sentiments are so lovely, I wanted them to take center stage so the overall design of this card is quite simple. The card base is Cherry Cobbler and the sentiment panel is Basic White cardstock. The advent wreath image is stamped in black ink and colored using the Stampin’ Blends markers, and the sentiment is heat embossed in gold. I added Wink of Stella to the glow of the candles and a few sequins in opposing corners for added drama and sparkle. The entire focal panel is elevated on dimensionals to draw the eye and add interest.

I love the simplicity of this design and intend to incorporate it in my personal Christmas card designs this year!

Products used:
Cherry Cobbler, white cardstock
God’s Peace stamps (retired)
Stampin’ Blends markers
Wink of Stella
Adhesive-backed sequins
Dimensionals

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Christmas

Peace on Earth

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I love a clean and simple design, and today’s card fits the bill in every way. When preparing for craft shows or even for my own personal mailings, clean and simple designs can help speed production without sacrificing the grace and beauty of handmade designs.

Today’s card showcases another “lost” stamp set I recently found in my craft room. Nature’s Peace is a stunning set, and it’s hard to imagine that it’s gone uninked in my stash! I decided to keep the color palette simple — red and cream. I used Cherry Cobbler cardstock for the card base (scored at the top rather than left) and focal panel base. The focal image of this card design is a single stamp. The stamped image is heat embossed with pearl embossing powder. The focal panel is elevated on dimensionals with natural finish ribbon running behind the focal panel and around the base on the inside. A small piece of Cherry Cobbler twine holds the ribbon together and in place. I finished the design with a shimmer spray so that the entire card front sparkles, which is unfortunately impossible to capture in photos.

I just love how this turned out and am excited to get started on a full set of these for part of my Christmas mailing list this year.

Products used:
Cherry Cobbler cardstock
Nature’s Peace stamps (retired)
Pearl embossing powder
Natural finish trim
Twine
Dimensionals

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Fall · Fun Folds

Warm Hello

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We have a beautiful ash tree in our front yard, and just this week it has really begun to turn. This beautiful designer paper from the All About Autumn pack reminds me of our tree right now with the stunning yellow leaves strewn about.

This card design is set atop a piece of Cajun Craze cardstock. The z-fold design allows the use of the entire sheet of DSP, minus a small half-inch strip at the bottom. I kept the front sentiment panel small to ensure the inside message panel is easily accessible. The sentiment from Circle Sayings is stamped on a Very Vanilla panel diecut using the All That dies. To draw the eye, I used a small scrap of the foiled side of the tree sheet leftover from the Fabulous Friend card (see that design here) and added a small twine bow, along with some speckled dots and sequins.

I really wanted the gorgeous designer paper to be center stage, and I think the smaller sentiment panel does the trick. What do you think?

Wanna see how the design came together? Check out the reel over on Instagram.

Products used:
Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla cardstock
All About Autumn DSP
Circle Sayings stamps
All That dies
Adhesive-backed speckled dots, sequins
Linen thread
Dimensionals
Adhesives

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