Hi all,

my colleague lost her husband to cancer a few months ago. I am ashamed to say I never sent a card -I seriously meant to. I have never had to make sympathy cards (thankfully) and didn't really have anything appropriate. I am in the UK and she is in the US so that added a little complication. It sounds like an excuse but other things also got in the way - we are going through major lay-offs and everything is very messy. I really regret not sending something. She is coming over on a work trip in 4 weeks.

I really want to make something to try to "make up" for that. I want to make something that conveys my love for her, my regret for her situation and could hopefully lift her spirits. I want to make her a card that is maybe a little... more? I am prepared to spend hours - nay days - on a masterpiece. Honestly!

Does anyone have any inspiration they could share? I like the idea of something that could fold flat to travel home easily. Like a pop up vase of flowers? I just want to do more than a "simple"card. A really extravagant fun fold maybe?

I have a lot of the "major" releases the last few years from the main US card companies, stamps and dies. I have a Cricut, too.

I totally get that she would probably be very appreciative of a card I have hand made. I just really want to pour a lot of feeling into it. We have known each other for nearly 15 years. I want to make something really elaborate to help me convey my support, as I'm not good with words!

Thank you to nosypancakecat and Genius_Swaggg for the great tips that helped me fine-tune this card.

I'm disappointed that the skull turned out to be much too big to work but I'll find something else to do with it sometime.

I'm happy with this finally.

First of all thank you for all the advice on my last post. I've been reading over all of the comments multiple times and trying to watch all of the recommended videos! Link to the old post if you're curious

After many people recommended distress oxide, I went on a shopping spree and bought 10 colors: a full range and some cheap domed sponge blending brushes off of Amazon. The inks very nice to blend, but a little hard to clean off of stamps without water. I like the ease and less storage space of the foams compared to the brushes.

I decided to make swatch cards with my cricut, which would also serve as some blending practice. From the tips, starting off to the side and being patient really helped. Some of the gradients came out really good and the ones that didn’t, I know it was because I was impatient or accidentally put blender to paper directly. Any tips for getting to the corners? I kept trying, and ended up making the middles extra dark or accidentally blending too far so it wasnt really a gradient any more.

I also did swatch cards of my existing concord and 9th cubes as comparison and I think I just don’t love the colors as much. They’re very juicy and saturated. From the marketing, I had been expecting more muted/pastel colors, which I guess is possible on the light end of the blending but the stamping is just too saturated for my tastes.

I really like the chalky consistency of the distress oxides, but I kind of regret getting the full size because I found it very difficult to stamp with the big pads. I really like the small form factor better. but alas you have to buy the minis in preset bundles.

All in all, in love with the sponge blenders. Maybe out of love with my concord and 9th inks. My next step is trying out that waffle flower crafts stencil again with both concord and 9th and distress oxides.

Photo: first 10 swatch cards are distress oxides blended with foam blending tools, and the 9 swatch cards on the bottom right are the concord and 9th colors, blended with brush blending tools. Stamp is a stars cluster from a free Scrapbook com halloween stamp set.

I am helping a friend sort out his wife's card making supplies. She is suffering from dementia and can't craft anymore. There is so much stuff.

A million stampin up stamps and a roomfull of paper.

How do I do this? I appreciate any helpful ideas.

I cut the ghosts first from vellum but they disappeared into the background illustration. Then I cut them from glassine paper from little bags. Much better but I didn't get them all to completely synch up so there are some ghostly shadows. I guess these ghosts are zipping around through the night leaving their trail behind them.

I’m looking to up my card game but I’m severely lacking in background elements to give my cards some extra depth. Would love to know your favourites so I can grow my collection.

I prefer universal designs but Christmas & Birthday themed is okay too!

Here is an issue that is a little newer than the previous one I posted. I've included a letter to the editor lamenting the closing of Stampabarbara, an artist who embellished the New York Times, and a fancy fold card tutorial. This month's feature theme was the U.S. states. Also some tips about stamping on fabric.a couple of regular articles were the convention listing, and list of back issues available for purchase.

Looking for advice. I’ve wanted to put my most used nesting rectangle sets on a magnetic sheet on the inside of my shelf or right by my desk for easy access. Similar to what many of us do.

However, I can guarantee with my clumsiness that at some point they’ll drop and get mixed up.

For this reason I keep each set on magnetic sheets in separate plastic sleeves, again similar to what many of us do.

Having to take them in and out of the envelopes is getting annoying over the years.

A2 rectangles, additional A2 rectangles that fit between those, stitched rectangles, A7 rectangles…

Once I tried marking separate sets with a dot of acrylic paint marker but that wore off.

Any advice on how to mark them in a way that I can tell them apart without labeled packaging? So I can finally stop worrying about getting them mixed up and put them out on my shelf and grab as needed?

My friends are getting married this weekend!! I’ve never actually been to a wedding (20F) so I’m very excited and a bit nervous as this is all new to me. It was fun to get to make my first wedding cards though!

The shadow box is my present and the all white card is going to be from me. The shadow box has all been punched or cut from dies. I painted the top middle square to look like the couple. I did procrastinate making this as apart from a quilled shadow box it’s one of the biggest projects I’ve done. The second card is one I was commissioned to make for the wedding!

I’m going to be moving soon (yay!!) and I need a strategy for packing all my cardmaking supplies. I don’t want things damaged or leaking because I didn’t do things right. We’re moving halfway across the country and things will be in storage for 4-8 months. Lots of temperature changes.

I’ll be taking some things in the car so I have something to do while we’re waiting those several months. What things would be better to hand-carry than put on the truck?

Supplies include ink pads, alcohol markers and bottles, watercolor brush markers, embossing folders, stamp sets, dies, tons of paper (loose sheets and pads).

Any tips for keeping things safe appreciated! Thanks, y’all!

I've been trying to get this card togethe for a bit now. This large pumpkin stamp just arrived. If I pursue this route I'll stamp on white cardstock and add color to eliminate the orange in the stem.

The second pic is my first pass and I just don't think it works at all.

I've also ordered a stamp of a large skull to see if that's a better approach.

I'll get there eventually but I'd love to hear your thoughts about his effort.

What to put in the gold square?

Simon Says Stamp just dropped their Stamptember release. What are your thoughts on the release?

It’s all a bit…yawn…for me. Anything stick out to you? Looking forward to any collab releases this month?

Simple question, hopefully.
I found a Big Shot at the thrift store for super cheap, but without any of the plates or platforms. I intend to use it with thin dies, so I understand I need a couple of cutting plates, a thin die adapter, and a thicker platform piece... the first two things I can find for quite cheap from offbrand sellers online, but I can only find the thicker platform pieces available from big name scrapbooking brands for 60+ USD.

So, what's the deal? I can't find any descriptions of what those platforms are made of beyond "polypropylene plastic", and I can't find any kind of DIY/hack explanation of how to recreate what it does with other materials, even though there's plenty of hacks and tips out there for substituting the cutting plates. I haven't ever used a die-cutting machine before, so I haven't like... held the pieces in my hands, I don't know what makes them special.
Can anyone here clear this up for me?

Used the Simon Says Stamp Jubilee embossing folder with matching die cut. I made four similar cards with it for several friends. Sorry the picture turned out dark today.

He loves Pokémon, especially Charizard

Charizard is traced from Joronity on Pinterest :) Everything else is drawn by me!

I’ve been inspired to make Halloween mini cards and garlands as well.