Spellbinders La Dolce Vita + Coloring Die Cuts with Alcohol Markers!

Hi friends!

Spellbinders has just released some amazing new products and I've had the joy to be playing with some of them! There are several new collections and you'll find all of them at 

June 2025 New Arrivals at Spellbinders

The products used in this post come from La Dolce Vita collection, a stunning collection with summer vacation and sea breeze feel! The products used here are only a small part of the collection, so make sure to check out all of the fun dies, embossing folder and press plates in Spellbinders store. 

Card 1 and 2:

Copic Coloring Die Cuts

One of my favorite ways to add my personal touch to die cuts is to use alcohol markers for coloring them in. Here I've used both Copics and Altenew markers. The stunning lady from Amalfi Breeze Edged Dies is perfect for this technique: the individual parts of the die are not too tiny to color and also there are beautiful curves you can accencuate with shading the curves darker (like the swimsuit for example). 

You can also create nice, lively looking skin with markers. I made my ladies similar color to myself (I call my color frozen turkey lol!) and used a blend of E04, E13, E11, E21, E00, R20. I varied the blend here and there to make the skin look even more realistic. I think the lady in the yellow swimsuit has burned a little bit in the sun! That easily happens to us turkey skin ladies lol! 

Card 3 and 4:

Highlighting products with clean and simple cards

Sometimes it's nice to make fairly simple cards with fun techniques. One of my favorite techniques for making simple cards is to use 3d embossing folders! 

Here I've played with the new Lemon Fresco 3d Embossing Folder both as a backround for the lemon dies of Citrus Spritz Edged Dies and as a focal point of the blue card. 

In the lemon card a basic white on white 3d embossed look is just so classic and stunning... And in the blue card I've played with some masking and white pigment ink. 

Let me know if you'd want to see a video of how I made the blue card, I'd be happy to recreate this look! It makes me think of mediterranean tiles! 

All Spellbinder Products used in the cards of this post:

Amalfi Breeze Edged Dies

La Dolce Vita Banners Edged Dies

Bamboo Screen 3d Ebossing Folder

A-2 Matting Basics Card Creator Edged Dies

Lemon Fresco 3d Embossing Folder 

Citrus Spritz Edged Dies

I've Got You Covered Sentiment Stamps

Thank you for popping by! I look forward hearing which card is your favorite! For more product details, do head on over to Spellbinders Paper Arts using the links above. 

*The product links in this post are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for visiting my blog and happy crafting!* 

New Release at Spellbinders + Ink Blending Die Cuts!

Hi friends!

Spellbinders has just released some amazing new products and I've had the joy to be playing with some of them! There are several new collections and you'll find all of them at 

June 2025 New Arrivals at Spellbinders

The products used in this post come from Cheerful Chirps Collection , a fun collection of bird dies, embossing folder, sentiment stamps and sequins with a slight tropical feel! I wanted to show you two different colorways for this fun birdie... And the question is, which bird friend do you like better!?! 

I've used various inks from my stash to ink the birds that I've cut from white card stock to start with. Choosing white card and blending ink on the white die cuts gives your die cuts a slightly softer look than using colored card stock for die cutting. 

If you want to have a very artsy, soft and blended look, leave your die cut edges white like I did with my blue bird and the green flowers. 

There's a fun video on ink blending die cuts HERE by Joy Baldwin using Spellbinders die cuts. If you are new to ink blending, check out that video! 

Products used from the new collection:

Flying High Edged Dies

Bamboo Screen 3d Ebossing Folder

Spread Your Wings Sentiment Stamps

Older Spellbinders essentials in these cards:

Essential Arches Edged Die

I've Got You Covered Sentiment Stamps

Rosie's Studio Golden Afternoon 6 x 6 Paper Pack

Thank you for popping by! I look forward hearing which bird is your favorite! For more product details, do head on over to Spellbinders Paper Arts using the links above. 

*The product links in this post are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for visiting my blog and happy crafting!* 

 

June Challenge at Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero!

Hello, friends!

I'm here with my DT card for the June challenge at Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero: 

Saturday in the Park

Create a Picnic or 4th of July themed card

I new exactly which Hero Arts stamp set to use for my card... I played with Picnic Basket Bundle stamps and dies. I colored my die cut stamped images with Copics and made a simple CAS card with the images. In the background I used the Daisy Mosaic Stencil with some simple masking and inking for CAS "sky and grass". Popping your center panel up with foam is a good CAS hack and is done with using Rectangle Infinity Dies. 

I hope to see you joining us! Play along and you could wih a $50 gift card to Hero Arts! 

I'd like to join:

Stamping Sensations: Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge: Anything Goes

I Spy With My Little Eye.. : At least one butterfly

 

Reminder for May Challenge at Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero!

Hello friends!

If you haven'tjoined the May Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero Challenge yet, you'd better do it fast! :) The challenge is still running for about one day. Our theme is a very fun one, "Can't Take my Eyes off You", create a project with eyes. My first DT project was with butterflies and I could not restrain myself... This one has butterflies too lol! I read somewhere that some butterflies have extra set of eyes in their wings. That's quite something!! 

I've used the following Hero Arts products: 

Special Day Butterfly Stamp and Cut from the Spring Whimsy Collection (butterflies)

It's Our Anniversary Stamp and Cut (sentiment) 

Swirls Confetti die (background)

Nesting Circle Infinity Dies (die cut circle for the sentiment)

I've colored the butterflies with Copics and added white gel pen details. The sentiment is heat embossed. The die cut background I've cut from white card and attached it on top of another piece of white card -one of my favorite ways to use background dies. 

I hope to see you joining us -doesn't creating a project with Hero Arts products (and with something that has eyes!) to start the weekend sound like the perfect plan?!? 

I'd like to join: 

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Emboss It 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge: Anything Goes

Ellibelle's I Spy With My Little Eye Challenge: Butterflies

Try It on Tuesday: Butterflies

 

Current Challenget at Time Out... Your Favorite Winged Thing!

Hi friends!

I'm a couple of days late with my post for Time Out Challenges... But better late than never! :)

Our current challenge is "Inspired by Your Favorite Winged Thing" and it was an easy choice for me... Definitely butterflies! 

I played with some sparkly and shiny water color backgrounds I had made with water color and shimmer powders. I embossed one of them with an Altenew folder and then swiped white pigment ink on top of the embossing to make it stand out even more. I cut the Honey Bee butterfly from a different water color panel. The sentiment, also by Honey Bee, is simply white heat embossed on black and cut out. I love how moody and "dark academia" with a pop of color this turned out! :) 

I hope to see you joining our challenge. There's lot's of more DT inspiration and all the challenge details available HERE. 

 

New Challenge at Time Out!

Hi friends!

Due to busy work schedules I haven't been making cards for all of my design teams in the past couple of months... But today I'm happy to be joining the new challenge at Time Out and hopefully my schedules permit me to join more often now! Making a card may only take some hours... But when one is very busy, those extra hours outside responsibilities tend to lack mojo and lean towards simply chilling! Are you familiar with the phenomenon? :) 

Our challenge is a very fun one:

May the 4th be With You! 

May 4th is celebrated as a Star Wars day and that's how we got the idea. However, you don't need Star Wars supplies. Think movie series, celestial, galaxy, sky, northern lights, etc.

My card started with making a watercolor background. I used Brusho powders and Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Sparkles -it's a pity you can't really see the beautiful shine that the background has! I then heat embossed a background stamp image by Echo Park, I've had this for years and I love it. The heat embossing powder is by Ranger and it's a new favorite, the shade is called Bubbly. It's like a creamy, slighty golden silver. Lighter than Liquid Platinum if you have that. It's a very beautiful shade!

The die cut sentiment comes from Textures by Lou Collins and goes well with the challenge I think! This will be fun to give a way as a little encouragement card. 

Please head on over to our challenge blog for all the challenge details and lots of more DT inspiration! 

 

Card for Hero Arts Collective Chellenge + Secret for Arranging Die Cuts in a Card Layout!

Hi friends!

Hero Arts released a challenge in their new Facebook group Hero Arts Collective and I couldn't wait to play along immediately! :) The challenge is simply to use your favorite Hero Arts products and post your card photo in the group before May 5th. I've been loving the dies from the Friendship Blooms collection and once again made a card with the floral dies from the collection... You'll find all of my Friendship Blooms cards by simply scrolling down for older post. Anyway -the products I used are:

Floral Pattern Cover Plate Die

Small Flower Layering Fancy Dies 

Large Flower Layering Fancy Dies

I also used for the first time a big die cut Celebrate-word from It's Our Anniversary Stamp and Cut from the Let's Celebrate collection. Very fun die!

I want to share my favorite tip for arranging die cuts on a card because I know it can be overwhelming to find a beautiful layout... Or choose in between the ideas that you have. What I tend to do is that while I'm trying different layouts, I snap photos of the arrangements I come up... And then choose with the help of the photos which one I like the best. The photos will also help you with forming the arrangement when you are re-creating it. Also, for some reason -at least for me it's easier to see from the photo if the arrangement looks good or not than to just look at the card in front of me in the table! Below are two photos -one of an arrangement that I ditched and one of that I chose and re-created! What do you think of this method? I encourage you to try it! 

I'd like to play along in a couple of other challenges too:

A Cut Above: April Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge: Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas: Flowers

Beautiful Blossoms: Anything Goes

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Make it Girly

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Blooming Blooms

Thank you for popping by! 

 

Reminder for April's Stay Crafty Challenge With a Blog Name Hero!

Hi friends!

I'm here today with a little reminder post... Our April Stay Crafty Challenge is still running for a couple of  weeks! Learn all about the challenge details HERE. The theme for April is a fun one: Opposites Attract. That means we are looking for either opposite colors of the color wheel... Or mirror images. 

I had fun playing with several Hero Arts dies, all come from the February release so they are pretty fresh out of the die oven lol! :) I worked with pinks and greens and white and black -opposite colors. The products used are

Rabbit Pair Fancy Dies

Floral Pattern Cover Plate Die

Small Flower Layering Fancy Dies

Happy Easter Stamp and Cut XL

I'd love to hear which version you like the best!

I'm joining:

A Cut Above: April Anything Goes

The Flower Challenge: Use Spring Colors

Allsorts Challenge: Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas: Flowers

Beautiful Blossoms: Anything Goes

I hope to see you joining the Stay Crafty Challenge With a Blog Named Hero! Happy Crafting!

 

April Stay Crafty Challenge at A Blog Named Hero!

Hi friends!

I'm here with my DT card for our new monthly Stay Crafty Challenge at A Blog Named Hero. In April our theme is "Oppsites Attract" which means we want to see either opposite colors on the color wheel or mirror images.

I went with mirror images and used a new Hero Arts floral die Morning Glory. I cut and colored it with Copics twice and made the die cuts face each other on top of the Hero Arts Trellis Window die. The sentiment comes from an older springy stamp set called Tulip Bouquet. 

Copic coloring die cuts is fast, easy and fun! With the Morning Glory die I added shading to the outlines of the die and the indented lines of the die. I've also added some gel pens to the flower centers for added fun! 

Shop the Hero Arts products I used:

Morning Glory fancy die from the in the Garden Collection 

Trellis Window die from the In the Garden Collection 

Tulip Bouquet Bundle

Thank you for popping by and I hope to see you playing along! Our randomly chosen winner will win a $50 gift card to Hero Arts, woot woot!! 

I'd like to join:

Die Cut Divas April Challenge: Flowers

Allsorts: Spring Flowers

 

A Reminder for March Challenge at A Blog Named Hero!

Hi friends!

I'm here to share my reminder card for the March Challenge at A Blog Named Hero. The challenge this month is a nice and easy one -create a card and mail it in March! So basically it's almost an Anything Goes challenge. :) Make sure to use Hero Arts products in your project for a chance to be our randomly chosen winner of $50 gift card to Hero Arts store! 

I made a shiny spring card to send to a friend. I used gold mirror card and scraps of pastel colored glittery card stocks from my stash in addition to basic Neenah solar white card stock. I love how this turned out! I'm using a bunch of fun Hero Arts products for die cutting:

Happy Easter Stamp and Cut XL sentiment stamp and die set

Small Flower Layering Fancy Dies from the Friendship Blooms Collection

Large Flower Layering Fancy Dies from the Friendship Blooms Collection

Swirls Confetti Dies

All of these dies are so detailed and fun that I didn't have to use any additional embellishments! I simply cut a bunch of flowers to go with my die cut and stamp sentiment, made an arrangement with them to frame the sentiment and voila, my card was done! :) Various sizes of foam dots made the card assembly very easy. 

If you haven't played along already, I'd love to see you joining us! Click HERE for all the challenge details, lots of DT inspiration and for adding your project to the gallery! Happy Crafting! 

I'd like to join:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Layer it Up

Everybody Art Challenge: Lots of Layers

Tuesday Taggers: Spring Fling

A Cut Above: Anything Die Cut Goes

Allsorts Challenge: Feminine

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

 

New Challenge at A Blog Named Hero!

Hi friends!

I'm here with my DT card for the March challenge at A Blog Named Hero! The challenge is now open and runs for about one month. The theme is a fun and easy one: something you'll mail in March. 

I decided to have a look at all sorts of festivities and happenings that take place in March and realized the World Book Day is celebrated on 6th of March... which was yesterday! I found some wonderful products from my Hero Arts stash to make this fairytale inspired card:

Literary Quotes Stamp Set

Fairy Window Fancy Die

Large Sprinkled Dots Stencil

Unicorn White Pigment Ink

Hero Hues Pitch Black Ink

I cut the Fairy Window die from two types of cardstock: white glitter card and red mirror card. I placed the red mirror card slightly off set behind the white glitter version and glued them together. 

My background is a bokeh-inspired and created with the Large Sprinkled Dots stencil and Hero Arts's white pigment ink that has been my go-to white pigment ink for years. You just can't beat that stuff!! 

After the background was dry I stamped the sentiment and attached the double die cut on top. I did have to cut a small portion of the die cut away to make more room for the sentiment... But I think it still works nicely! A very simple card but quite effective too with the different finishes!

I'd like to join:

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Use Your Favorite Technique (die cutting)

Die Cut Divas: Critters (I have a fairy, I'm not 100% sure if she counts as a critter... If not, simply ignore my card lol!) 

Thank you for popping by and I hope to see you joining us! 

 

New Challenge at Time Out!

Hi friends!

At Time Out Challenges we have a unique photo challenge for you... In the photo you'll see a purse by Running Stitch Design... And the winner of the challenge will receive this purse as a prize! Make sure to click HERE for all the challenge details and lots of DT inspiration. 

In my card I focused on the black background and white snowflakes... Along with red accents. I used mainly products by Honey Bee Stamps, apart from the sentiment die that comes from STAMPlorations. I dry embossed the Snowflakes 3d embossing folder for the background on black card and swiped white pigment ink on the raised areas to make the snowflakes pop. I then cut some flowers and branches from Mini Holiday Florals and placed them on top of a vellum oval, created with a die from Lovely Layers: Posted. The white frame is also cut with a die from the Posted set. 

I hope you like and thank you for popping by! 

 

 

Exciting News... Joining the team at Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero!

Hi friends!

I couldn't be more excited to let you know that I'm joining the Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero Design Team!! I've been a big Hero Arts fan since starting to join their Stamp Alongs several years ago... And I love the clean lines of their products and designs. Joining this extremely talented design team and challenge blog is certainly a crafty dream come true!

Stay Crafty With a Blog Named Hero is a monthly challenge blog. All products are welcome, but if you want to be in with a chance to win, please use at least one Hero Arts designed product (stamp, stencil, die, rub-on, hot foil or letterpress plate). There will be a $50 gift card for one random winner for grabs!

The theme for February is to create a flower themed project. My favorite kind of theme! 

In my card I've used two floral stamps by Hero Arts, the Sweetest stamp with matching die and Flowers and Bees Bold Prints for the background. (clickable links below). The Sweetest stamp I've colored with Copics, pencils and gel pens... And the background stamp is white heat embossed on black card stock. The Sweetest flower was a joy to color in!

Below is the list of Hero Arts products used. These links are affiliate, which means that if you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. 

The Sweetest Bundle

Flowers and Bees Bold Prints

Everyday Sentiment Strips

Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

I hope I'll see you joining the challenge! Thank you for popping by! 

 

New Challenge at Time Out!

Hi friends!

We have a new challenge for you at Time Out Challenges! The challenge is a new type of challenge in our rota of challenges and we are calling it "Pick Two". We provide you with a list of 6 words and your task is to pick two (or more) words and incorporate them to your project! This time the words are:

Please head on over to our challenge blog for all the challenge details and lots of DT inspiration. Our winner will receive a gift certificate to Newton's Nook and will also be called to guest design in a future challenge. This time our talented guest is Marcia Hill. Make sure to check out her card and leave her blog some love! 

I chose Stitch, Layer, Heart and Love. I used a very old Concord and 9th heart shaped floral stamp and colored the image with Copics and colored pencils. I cut the panel in two faux stitched rectangles and raised the inner one up to create more dimension. The sentiment die is one of my favorites, it's from Textures by Lou Collins. 

Thank you for popping by! I hope to see you joining us, Happy Crafting! 

 

New Challenge at Time Out!

Hi friends!

We have a new challenge for you at Time Out... It is to be Inspired by Your Favorite Thing to Do in January! There's lots of inspiration on how to interpret this theme in our challenge blog... Along with all the other challenge details and guidelines. Don't miss any of it, click HERE! By playing along you could win a prize from Lawn Fawn and you could also be called to guest design in a future challenge. This time our guest is Verena with a super fun CAS card! 

I live in Finland and January is one of our most wintry months. When it comes to card making in January, I usually try to make cards that reflect that and are wintry without being Christmas cards... And that can be sometimes tricky! Also the upcoming Valentine's Day is celebrated as a Friendship Day in Finland and I do like sending those cards... So most of my January cards are made for friends. 

I used a Waffle Flower cover plate and created 3 different white on white cards (there's a white on white theme in Simon Says Stamp Instagram challenge which gave me this idea). The "Hello Friend"-cards are a "two for one design" where I used paper with handmade quality (it has some small color variations) combined with white glitter card in the other and pearly white shimmery card in the other. The pearly white is an inlaid design and is maybe my favorite -after inlaying the pieces I ran the whole thing through my die cutiing machine with the embossing plates (I protected it with a folded piece of copy paper) and it just looks so smooth and lovely IRL! In the "Hello"-card I've embossed the die on white card and also then "flattened" it with the same method than the pearl card -love how that looks too. The white glitter version is simply a die cut panel glued on glitter card. It looks nice too, but the two other ones are more special! :) 

I hope to see you joining us and than you for popping by! xxx

 

New Challenge at Inkspirational!

Hi friends!

We have the first challenge of 2025 for you at Inkspirational and it's a super fun one!! Our team mate Julia has chosen "Pretty Quilt" and there's tons of inspiration for the theme in the challenge blog, as well as a link to tutorials. Don't miss any of the fun, click HERE.

I decided to be very literal with Julia's theme and created something that very much looks like an actual bed spread (or at least that's how I intended it!). I formed the quilt pattern from white card and patterned paper and then die cut it with an Altenew cover plate that gave it a sort of "stitched" feel. The white dry embossed snowflake background is made with a  Honey Bee folder and I found just the perfect sentiment from a stamp set from Three Room Studio. Making the quilt was so fun and I'm in love with the outcome. Thank you Julia for choosing this theme! xxx

I hope to see you joining us at Inkspirational!