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Decor for Chipboard Tags

By KariV on August 31, 2024 in Favorite Things, Paper Crafting

Hello! Today I have a new love to share: chipboard tags! I am sharing some great ways to decorate your chipboard tags in my latest video.

Watch it below or in HD on YouTube:

These are super fun to decorate with inks or paints, and they come together so quickly! I am obsessed with these tag kits. Take a look at what I’ve made so far:

I think my favorite ways so far are Oxide Inks and Acrylic Paints (I used Dina Wakely acrylic paints). But I’ve also loved the results when you add gesso first…especially with inks over the top!

These tag kits are really something special. I hope you enjoy!

I’m often asked what supplies I use to make my cards and projects, so I’ve put together a list using affiliate links when possible. If you make a purchase with these links I may receive a small commission. These help me to keep up with blog costs and continue bringing you fun projects. Thank you so much for your support!

I WILL be making more tags soon! Thanks for stopping by.

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Your Existence Makes the World Better

By KariV on February 19, 2020 in Favorite Things, Paper Crafting

Yes it does! Hello again. Today I have the sweetest cards to share using a stamp set I’m completely in love with! I had the opportunity to meet the artist of this particular stamp and she is the greatest, too. You know how when you meet someone and you can just tell they are going to be a friend? Well, that’s how I feel about her.

When I saw this stamp I knew immediately what I wanted to create. First, a watercolor card. Then, a red/pink shaker card! So here’s what I made:

I’m loving these cards! I can already think of many, many people who I can send one of these to. Guess I need to make a few more cards with this one, right?!

I created a video to show you some tricks for pulling these cards together. Watch it below or on YouTube:

The first card is created using Zig clean color real brush markers. I used Bristol paper for this one because it seems to allow the watercolor to blend a little better. I can keep adding color and blending to add some darker areas, too. For some areas I used a waterbrush along with the Zigs, and for some I colored the Zigs on straight.

For the background on this one, I did some ink blending with Distress Oxides in matching colors. It really makes the panel pop, doesn’t it?!

I think these colors are so happy. I used a rectangle pierced die to cut out the panel before adding it to the background with fun foam.

The second card is colored with only pink and red Prismacolor pencils. I’m pretty sure I was inspired by Valentine’s day!

I cut the heart out on the center heart to create a shaker element to this card. And of course I had to add some glittery Stickles to all the lands in this world. That’s probably how my world would be, lol.

I hope you enjoyed these projects today! This stamp set is brand new from Trinity stamps, so be sure to head over to get one for yourself before they are all gone!

Thanks for stopping by! Your Existence Makes this World Better! (and a big thanks to Dani for creating this perfect stamp…I love it). See you soon!

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My Top 12 Crafty Supplies

By KariV on January 15, 2020 in Favorite Things, Paper Crafting

Hello! I’m back with my Top 12 crafty supplies for 2019. I really wanted to post this earlier….but hey, at least I’m getting it posted before Creativation (barely)!

It started out as My TOP 10, but I really couldn’t narrow it down to just 10. So it became 12. Lol.

I have some favorites to share that are new from 2019 or new to me! Watch the video below or on YouTube:

I hope you enjoy! I’ll be back with news from Creativation real soon!

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Our Daily Marker Road Trip Review

By KariV on October 23, 2018 in Favorite Things, Paper Crafting

I had the blessed opportunity to attend the Daily Marker Road trip in Glendale a few weeks ago. Since I’ve been so busy with my son’s wedding (which was October 19th…yay!) I haven’t had a chance to post a review about it.

If you ever have a chance to attend one of these with Kathy Racoosin, DO IT!! I was so impressed with the day, the people I got to meet, and the prizes. I learned a lot, had fun in the make and takes, and met some new life-long crafty friends.

The event was held at Kim Hughes’ new store Our Creative Escape in Glendale. Kim is the designer and creator of Paper Smooches stamps! So she had some fun stamps for sale AND a few in our goodie bags! (Thank you, Kim!)

Here’s a couple photos of the space we got to work in…it was so inspiring!

See all those canvas paintings? Those are some of the samples of the classes that Kim and her husband teach at the store…painting on canvases. This looks so fun and I definitely have to go back to try it out!

There’s also a little store with some Paper Smooches and other papercrafting products! (I loved that little jar.) You can bet that I picked up a few Paper Smooches products while I was there. *Wink*

Kim is an inspiration to me and her illustrations and stamps are what got me back into stamping and cardmaking all those years ago! In fact, I have quite a collection of Paper Smooches and now I’m inspired to get them out and color more of them up!

One of my favorite of Kathy’s techniques is what she calls “Color Plucking” or “Color Mashing.” Here my new friend Trina tried it out with colors you wouldn’t THINK would go together….but look how beautiful her coloring sample is turning out! So cool.

Here are some pictures of my new friends (and some I already “met” on instagram and finally got to meet in real life):

Angela and Seeka! (they came all the way from California!)

Jean Chaney! (from Arizona, too!)

And of course, Kathy! She’s just awesome. It was still quite hot here (even though it’s October!) and Kathy had just put her hair up. Yep, Arizona life!

I met so many more and unfortunately didn’t take pictures of everyone, but wait! Here’s the famous group picture:

You might recognize Anita, Tricia, Trina, Seeka, Angela, Jean, Kelly, Hellen, Jody, Teri, Kim, Kathy….and lots more!

It was a super fun day. And I have one more tip from Kathy. I was talking to her about what to carry my Copics in to go to Boot Camp (coming up in November….yay!! Who else will be there?)

And she recommended this Mini Meori traveling case. So I’ve got another on the way! I hope it gets here in time for Boot Camp! I’m linking here so you can see what I’m talking about. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this look at my experience with the Daily Marker Road Trip. I had such a great time! Next time Kathy is here I hope to make it again.

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One stamp, Five Polar Bear Valentines!

By KariV on January 11, 2018 in Favorite Things, Paper Crafting, Valentines

These MFT Polar Bears have got to be a new favorite! If you follow me, you already know that I have a soft spot in my heart for bear stamps (of any kind!) so I can make cards for my Dad…it’s become a thing. So yeah, I collect all the bear stamps I can find that I think he might like.

This year, I purchased this set called “Polar Pals” from My Favorite Things. When I got it in the mail, my 3-year-old nephew was with me and when he saw them, he exclaimed “Oh, I love polar bears!” Then he ran off with my stamp set! Lol. So I thought I’d better make a Polar Bear valentine for him.

I ended up making FIVE different valentines, using this stamp set and Stitched Alpha dies as the common theme. Here they are!

This was the card that started it all! I woke up one morning with the idea to have a bunch of Xs and Os in the background (white on white). Yes, I did quite a bit of die cutting that day!

Then, this cutie became one of the “Os” in this card. I colored up all the bears with Copic Markers. It may be hard to see…I used red glitter paper behind the die cut Xs and Os on this card, so it has a glittery pop!

This one HAD to hold up a heart! So, using that same glitter paper, I die cut a heart for him. Added a couple Xs and Os colored with the same Copic colors as his scarf, and put him standing on top of a snowy hill. The stencil background is a favorite of mine from Penny Black. And that frame is a new favorite from Our Daily Bread Designs.

This ice skating bear has got to be one of my favorite images from the bunch. I love it when a stamp set includes great images….so great that you love them all! Here, he is skating on a silver glitter “pond” with trees and snow in the background. I popped up the trees in the forefront so there is some good dimension to this card. Those Copic Colored Xs & Os really pop on the pink inked background!

And of course I had to make a shaker card! The cutest little red heart sequins are inside, along with a Valentine mix of sequins sure to make the recipient smile (I hope)!

I really enjoyed thinking of different ways to make a Valentine card with one stamp set! I hope you enjoyed and got inspired to make some of your own. 🙂

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