Vellum Cards

Hello fellow stampers and card makers,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. It's hard to believe it's August already. Like most of you, I love using vellum when making cards. I think it adds a little something extra - don't you agree. Here are a few of my favorite cards using vellum.

The first card is monochromatic with just one small pop of color, or in this case black, along with the peach and vellum cardstock. The flowers and leaves are created with Versamark ink and white embossing powder. Don't be afraid of embossing on vellum - you just need to be a little more careful about how much heat you are applying. I then used the matching dies to cut them out once they cooled. I then layered the flowers around the corners and added the sentiment. For me the main flower focal point was a little too transparent so that particular flower has two layers of embossed vellum.

The next example uses the same embossing technique but with a different color scheme and sentiment. But this time I added some color to the back of the embossed image. I think it gives it a watercolor look. This technique is super easy and you don't have to worry about staying inside the lines.

For this next card, I used the vellum for my sentiment - in this case, Thank You. I like that you can still see the pretty trees through the stamped sentiment. You can use any kind of black ink that you have.  I do find that Stazon works the best. You do need to let the ink the dry before handling or it will smudge.

The challenge with using vellum is the adhesive shows through. And no one wants to see that. For the first two cards, I strategically placed the adhesive in densely embossed areas to cover. For the third card, I used copper brads to attach the vellum to the card. They serve two purposes - an embellishment and adhesive.

I hope you give vellum a try if you haven't already. I just love the look and I think you will too.

Happy stamping!

Kathie K.

Cards with die cut edges

Hello fellow crafters,

I love the Spellbinders Card Creator sets!  The die cut edges really add a classy and feminine touch to any card.  It really gives cards that one-of-a-kind feeling - making the recipient feel very special. The dies are designed to fit 4.25" and 5.5" card widths.  The notches on the dies give you perfect placement - no measuring needed.

The card below were made with the A2 Bracket Borders One set and the Stylish Stems Framelits from Stampin' Up.  You can use a single die to create the layered border.

The next card also uses the A2 Bracket Borders One.  On this card, I paired two dies together to produce this elegant edge on the white and navy cardstock.  The dies fit perfectly together providing different decorative options. This technique works great for monochromatic styles.  The layered circle dies are from Stampin' Up.  This is a great set - lots of layering options.

The third card was made with the A2 Curved Borders set.  On this card, the die cuts are used as an embellishment instead of on the edge.  This card takes a few minutes longer as you need to die cut three pieces of cardstock but the look is worth it.  The three layers are attached to a vanilla card - the vanilla shows through the intricate design.  The colors used are Elegant Eggplant, Crumb Cake and Mellow Moss with Altanew's Peony Bouquet stamp set. The background was stamped using a set from Inkadinkado.

I hope you get a chance to experiment with these dies from Spellbinders.  I just love all the ways they can be used to embellish cards.

Happy crafting!