Uspy Daisy Masculine Pop-Up Birthday Card & Blog Hop Winner!

Hi everyone! Firstly I'd like to say thanks so much to everyone who participated in our Karen Burniston/Brutus Monroe blog hop last week, and for the lovely lovely comments that were left on my blog!

Using a random generator (I got my son Tom to do the technical bit!), a comment was selected which belongs to Louise, from 'My Discoveries' blog, so we're delighted to be sending her a Spinner Square Pop-up die set!

If you haven't heard yet, Karen has a new die sets release, which will be ready for shipping at the end of May. I have a card made with the new Upsy Daisy Pop-up set, to share with you today.

 This die set creates such a fun mechanism, and comes with lots of decorator dies, including the scalloped squares and banner.

The centre scalloped square is suspended on twine strung between more squares, which are lifted up on two arms, when the card opens.

I also used Karen's Happy Birthday die set, a cupcake from the Cupcake Pop-up die set, and stars from the Circle Charm Pop-up die set. The 'Uncle' is from Sizzix's 'Male Occasions' die set.

Product Links:

Karen Burniston & Brutus Monroe Blog Hop PLUS a Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our blog hop, where today I and the rest of Karen Burniston's Design Team are combining products from Karen Burniston and Brutus Monroe.

For my card, I used Karen's Spinner Square Pop-up die set along with Brutus Monroe's Butterfly Sentiments stamp set.

I wanted there to be a flurry of butterflies when the card opens, and Karen's moving arm mechanism really helps to achieve this.

Before I share some more details about the card, let me point you in the direction of Karen Burniston and the rest of her Design Team - they are a wonderful bunch of women, and I love being associated with them - they are also rather talented (I hope you can you spot my British understatedness there!!), so please do visit their blogs! Here's the line-up:

Karen Burniston
Karen Aicken
Frances Byrne 
Helen Cryer (You are here!!)
Fran Sabad
Kelly Booth
Summer Hills-Painter

Also, we are each giving away a fantastic Karen Burniston die set! Mine will be the Spinner Square Pop-up set which I used to make this card. Check out the rest of the Design Team's blogs, to see which sets they are giving away!

To be in with a chance of winning the Spinner Square Pop-up, just leave a comment on this blog post before Thursday 24th May, and I will use a random generator to pick a winner. I'll let you know who that is next Thursday, and get in touch with you. Just to make me smile, in your comment will you tell me one thing that made you smile this week! I'm making more of an effort to try and enjoy the little things!

OK, a bit more about my card...

I used papers from Carta Bella's 'Flora No.1' 6x6 pad, and, with dies from the Spinner Square Pop-up die set, cut a square window in the card front, and all the layered squares which sit on the pop-up part.

I stamped the Brutus Monroe Butterflies with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, using Tim Holtz's Stamp Platform, then coloured them with Copic markets, and cut them out by hand.

I used flowers and leaves from Karen's Flowers and Bee die set for the layered velum flowers.

Here's one of my not-very-good-one-handed videos to try and show you the movement of card's mechanism!

For the sentiment I used a calligraphy dip pen and white ink.

I covered the window in the front of the card with clear acetate, then added a border of patterned paper. I used Karen's brand new Crosshatch Squares die set (in stock at the end of this month), to cut the outer square of the frame, which gave it the lovely patterned embossed detail.

Well I really hope you liked seeing my card, and I encourage you to visit the next blog in our hop, which belongs to the very lovely Fran Sabad!

Product Links:

Karen Burniston Spring 2018 Release Sneak Peek!! Circle Charm Pop-Up Birthday Card

I am really excited for Karen Burniston's new Spring 2018 Release - it's full of such fantastic dies!!

And, yes, I have a sneak peek from it for you today!

My card uses Karen's new 'Circle Charm Pop-Up' die set, which creates a wonderful window in the card front, with a pivoting panel, which attaches to a central floating circle frame. The set comes with a load of lovely decorator dies, including the butterfly I used in the central floating circle.

It's a fantastic generic die set, which can be used for all occasions! So many design possibilities!

The new dies when ordered from the website, will be shipped the end of May.

Also, if you check back on my blog this Thursday (17th May), I will be participating in a blog hop in collaboration with Karen Burniston and Brutus Monroe, and have a Karen Burniston die set to give away - as will each of Karen's Design Team! Do join us!

Back to the card - for the centre panel, I added a circle of clear acetate for the butterfly to adhere to.

You can see the mechanism better in this shot below, and also see the multiple flower (using the 'Flowers and Bee' die set) and butterfly layers, which I cut from pink velum.

The stamp is from Reverse Confetti.

The front panel pivots round so that it is on display when the card closes.

I'll have some more cards made with Karen's Spring 2018 collection later this week!

Other products used:

Karen Burniston's 'Paradise' Design Team Challenge - Palm Tree Pop-Up Card

 It's Karen Burniston's Design Team Challenge day, with the delightful theme of 'Paradise'! Even the weather is co-operating today too - it's gorgeous!

I had an idea in mind for this card, of a curving beach line with some staggered palm trees, but I didn't anticipate the slightly funky patterns or the bunting in the trees!

I used Karen Burniston's Palm Tree Pop-up die set for the tree mechanisms. It's really simple to use but looks so effective in action!

I strung bunting flags on twine between the two trees and in the front tree.

The labels are from the Katherine Label Pop-up die set, with a Tim Holtz stamp for the sentiment. I used sunshine dies and wave border dies from the Tropical Scene set.

The patterned papers are from a variety of older American Craft pads.

 I designed the card so that the top smaller flap folds down, then the front of the card folds up. I had to leave enough space in between the trees to allow for them to fold down.

The card front (with more dies from the Katherine Label Pop-up and Tropical Scene die sets). You can see some leaves peeking out, but I don't really mind!

Product Links: