Hello again, crafters!  I hope that you are all doing well, and having a happy July.  With all the sunshine and blooming flowers around, I was inspired to make a card featuring some of my favorite colors and papers.  I’m sure you have a special paper pad that you’ve been waiting to use, and pairing it with the new Kat Scrappiness Crafters Essentials #1 die set is the perfect way to showcase it.  Let’s dive into the details!

For my card I decided to use the large three-window die with stitched detailing.  I cut out a frame with some pink card stock, and will be keeping the three rectangle pieces from the die.  I’ll set two of them aside for future use, but decided to use one for my sentiment stamp.  It’s a nice size for a stacked sentiment like the one I used.  I stamped it with my VersaFine Onyx Black ink, then heat set it with Ranger’s Clear Embossing Powder.

As I usually do, I made a standard A2 sized card base (4.25 x 5.5″) and attached a piece of patterned paper for my background.  I cut the floral paper so that it was just large enough to fit behind my frame piece.  The nice part is that I still have enough of the floral paper piece for a second card project (this is always important for a paper hoarder like me!)

Since I really love the look of ribbon on cards, I decided to cut a piece of this lovely yellow grosgrain ribbon and run it along the side of my frame.  The ribbon is wide and a bit thick, so instead of tying a bow, I just used a second small piece of ribbon to tie a simple knot and clip the ends at an angle.  The backside was secured with some Scotch tape to keep things nice and flat.

Now you guys know that a Kat Scrappiness creation can’t truly be a Kat Scrappiness creation without adding some sequins and bling, right?  I decided on some pretty, green, flat sequins from the “Spring Leaves” mix, as well as a scattering of tiny “Pink Heart Confetti” pieces.  I just attached them with some very tiny dots of Ranger’s Multi Medium Matte, which dries quickly and clear (without the glossy shine of some liquid adhesives).  The sentiment piece was attached with some foam tape for just a bit of dimension.

And that is my completed card for today.  This can easily be mass produced with an assortment of coordinating papers if you’re making a set for someone, and customized with any number of sentiments and embellishments that you would like to use.  And the very best part of all?  This is just ONE of the dies that you get in the set of Crafters Essentials #1.  Can you imagine the huge variety of cards you can make with 13 dies at your fingertips?!  I would recommend this set to any crafter of any skill level – especially someone just starting to collect dies, or anyone looking to make the most of their craft budget.  Please be sure to use the following link to shop at the Kat Scrappiness website: http://www.katscrappiness.com?aff=121

Don’t forget to use discount code “CYNTHIA10” to save 10% on your entire order!  Thank you so much, and Happy Crafting!