3 WAYS to add Visual Interest on a Mixed Media Card: Crafty With Caly!
Hi everyone! It’s Caly Person here today!
Today’s project uses products from the Simon Says Stamp April 2025 Card Kit – Butterfly Blossoms. There’s mixed media involved and loads of fun!
I created my background first, since that requires the use of collage medium and texture paste. I tore a piece of Tim Holtz idea-ology Serendipity collage paper that I wanted to use and adhered it to the patterned paper from the Paper Rose Bees & Butterflies collection with some Simple Stories Color Palette Warm washi tape using Distress Collage Medium Matte. Be sure to check out the full video below to see it come together!
WATCH THE VIDEO:
I also added the Tim Holtz Sparkle Texture Paste to some butterflies on another piece of patterned paper to give them shimmer and planned to fussy-cut the butterflies to use later. While the background and butterflies dried, I worked on stamping the floral image from the Butterfly Blossoms set and ink-blended it with the coordinating Butterfly Blossoms stencils.
To add color to the background, I used Distress Pearl Mica Crayons in Tart Cranberry, Hocus Pocus, and Winterberry. Distress Crayons are so easy to use, especially over Distress Collage Medium Matte. I simply scribbled the color on and blended it with my index finger, rubbing into place.
I stamped the sentiment and distressed the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then matted both the background and the sentiment panel over some Honey cardstock, which was included in the kit. For added interest, I ran both panels through my sewing machine and added double stitching along the border. To finish, I fussy-cut some butterflies and added them to my card.
I hope you enjoyed this mixed media project! Thanks so much for visiting!
~Caly
SUPPLIES:
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Did you know?! We’ve made our card kit subscription BETTER THAN EVER!
Special April 2025 Subscriber PERK!
Learn more:
Here’s what makes our new service a crafting paradise:
Exclusive Access: As a subscriber, you get first dibs! Each month, you’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at our new kit, with the option to add more coordinating items to your cart, including handy replenishable supplies, all shipped together for your convenience.
Hassle-Free Payments: Say goodbye to monthly billings! Our automated system smoothly charges your preferred card, ensuring an uninterrupted flow of crafty goodness – unless you decide to pause, of course!
$5 Off Magic: Enjoy a special $5 discount off our kit’s retail price, exclusive to our beloved subscribers – no codes needed, just automatic savings!
Crafting Inspirations: Dive into a sea of creative ideas monthly, all tailored around your kit, to keep your inspiration flowing endlessly.
Flexibility First: Fear of commitment? Not here! Our subscription is as flexible as it gets – pause or cancel anytime, no strings attached.
Why wait? Step into the realm of our NEW Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit service. Welcome a box full of crafting marvels, right to your doorstep. Craft with ease and let creativity come to you!
Ready to elevate your craft? Subscribe Now and open the doors to boundless creativity!
We’re thrilled to have you in our crafting community and can’t wait to embark on this renewed creative adventure together!
Tips + Tricks to Mass Produce Cards: Yippee for Yana
Hi friends! Please join me in welcoming back the oh-so-talented and amazing Yana Smakula! (Please note: our dear friend Yana is Ukrainian. To show support to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please see Yana’s post HERE.)
Hello, crafters, this is Yana Smakula for Simon Says Stamp! Welcome back for another Yippee For Yana video!
In today’s Yippee for Yana episode, I’m sharing four cheerful Spring and Easter-themed cards featuring the Ear-resistibly Cute stamp set from the latest Simon release. These sweet little bunnies completely stole my heart, and I had such a great time creating with them!
Whether you’re sending Easter greetings or celebrating spring, these cards are perfect for spreading joy. Plus, I’m sharing one of my favorite simple strategies for mass-producing cards – so if you’re making a stack of handmade happiness this season, I’ve got you covered.
Meet the Ear-resistibly Cute Stamp Set
This brand-new 6″x8″ stamp set, complete with coordinating dies, is packed with adorable bunny images and sweet sentiments that are perfect for spring.
I stamped a whole bunch of bunnies on Neenah Solar White 80lb cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink (perfect for Copic coloring). A quick tip – don’t forget to re-ink your black ink pads! It makes a huge difference when you want those crisp, bold outlines.
Simple Copic Coloring for Easy Mass Production
Keeping things simple and repeatable was my goal, so I used warm gray Copic markers (W5, W3, W1) to color my bunnies, along with a colorless blender for smooth transitions. Their little noses, ears, and cheeks got a blush of soft pink (RV00), and I used E00 and E000 to add warmth to their sweet faces.
The embellishments – bows and flowers, were colored in a soft pink palette (RV14, RV13, RV11) with pops of green (YG67, YG17, YG03) and yellow (Y35, Y15).
Plan, Prep & Assemble: My Mass Production Process
I like to batch my work to streamline the card-making process:
- Stamp all images
- Color everything
- Die-cut everything
- Prepare card bases and panels
- Select and stamp sentiments
- Assemble the cards
Breaking things down into steps saves time and makes it easier to create multiples without feeling overwhelmed.
Bringing the Cards Together
At first, I planned on using white A2 card bases with cream panels, but I decided to add more color variety with cotton candy pink, fog, and classic white bases. My panels (cut to 3.25″ x 5″) are popped up with Simon Says Stamp foam sheets for dimension, and I used foam adhesive squares to pop up my bunnies and accessories.
I also stamped a few carrots (who can resist?) and tucked them into the designs, colored with YR18, YR15, Y35, and used little stamped hearts to fill the backgrounds. For sentiments, I used VersaFine Onyx Black Ink – it gives a beautifully crisp, dark impression that makes the greetings pop!
Once everything was in place, I had a sweet collection of Spring and Easter cards, ready to brighten mailboxes. Whether you’re making just one card or a whole batch, these little bunnies are irresistibly cute and so much fun to create with! Happy crafting!
WATCH THE VIDEO:
SUPPLIES:
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Ways to support Ukraine:
If you are looking for ways to support Ukraine, we encourage you to visit this page on Yana’s blog:
Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Yana for being our guest!
Butterfly Window Shaker Cards featuring our April 2025 Card Kit!
Hi friends! Happy Sunday! I’m delighted to welcome back special guest Heather Hoffman with even MORE gorgeous inspiration showcasing our April 2025 Card Kit, Butterflies and Blossoms! Read on for for more information and enjoy!
Hello! Shaker cards are so fun to create, and give such a wow factor for your cards as well. Adding pattern paper behind the shaker window is a fun way to bump that wow factor up even a bit more! I love how all the elements in the April card kit work so perfectly together!
I started off these cards by creating my shaker window, die cutting some arched windows in an A2 panel of white cardstock. I sized my arch so I could cut one piece of pattern paper in half, and get two shaker cards from that one piece. Before building the shaker, I stamped my sentiments from the Butterfly Blossoms stamp set at the bottom of the arches. Then I filled my shaker with some sparkly Pretty Pink Posh iridescent star confetti. I love these, because they are nice and small, and have lots of room to shake and move around!
Next, I stamped a few of the butterflies from the Butterfly Blossoms stamp and stencil set, and used the coordinating stencils and a combination of Zest and Honey inks to blend a bit of color on them. I fussy cut them out, and adhered them around the outside of the arched windows.
Finally, for a touch of added sparkle, I adhered a little row of Dazzling Gems in Prism towards the top of the arches. And that’s it – sparkly shaker fun with a spring vibe!
Do you like to create shaker cards? What is your favorite shaker filling?
SUPPLIES:
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Thank you so much for stopping by, and to Heather for being our guest!
Did you know?! We’ve made our card kit subscription BETTER THAN EVER!
Special April 2025 Subscriber PERK!
Learn more:
Here’s what makes our new service a crafting paradise:
Exclusive Access: As a subscriber, you get first dibs! Each month, you’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at our new kit, with the option to add more coordinating items to your cart, including handy replenishable supplies, all shipped together for your convenience.
Hassle-Free Payments: Say goodbye to monthly billings! Our automated system smoothly charges your preferred card, ensuring an uninterrupted flow of crafty goodness – unless you decide to pause, of course!
$5 Off Magic: Enjoy a special $5 discount off our kit’s retail price, exclusive to our beloved subscribers – no codes needed, just automatic savings!
Crafting Inspirations: Dive into a sea of creative ideas monthly, all tailored around your kit, to keep your inspiration flowing endlessly.
Flexibility First: Fear of commitment? Not here! Our subscription is as flexible as it gets – pause or cancel anytime, no strings attached.
Why wait? Step into the realm of our NEW Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit service. Welcome a box full of crafting marvels, right to your doorstep. Craft with ease and let creativity come to you!
Ready to elevate your craft? Subscribe Now and open the doors to boundless creativity!
We’re thrilled to have you in our crafting community and can’t wait to embark on this renewed creative adventure together!
