using dies with the foil press

Did you know that you can use your low-profile dies with the Gemini Foil Press?

I love that my dies can do double duty, cutting and foiling! And I have to tell you a secret, I haven't found many hot foil dies (the dies that are designed for use with hot foil & the foil press,) that I dig soooo I'm extra happy that I can use my low-profile cutting dies.

The thickness of the cutting line on the dies often varies by brand so it's fun to test them out. These Hero Art heart dies have a really thin cutting line so it creates a very delicate foiled shape. You can see what I mean in this quick process video...

By the way, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Ellen Hutson is having a big, fun sale and you can stock up on some good tools including FOIL! You can check it out HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Carly

supplies:

affiliate links may be used at no additional cost to you. thank you!

Essentials by Ellen Dinomite Christmas stamps & dies

Essentials by Ellen Small Sayings stamps

Hero Arts Infinity Hearts dies

Gemini Foil Press

Gemini Cerise Foil

Be Creative Adhesive Sheets

Copic Markers RV00, RV10, YG41, G02, BG13, BG15 & BG32

Pretty Pink Posh Valentine Confetti

the stamp market's january release blog hop

Thanks so much for joining us for The Stamp Market's new release hop! (You should be arriving from Caly's wonderful blog).

This release is jam packed full of adorable stamps & dies and I want to show you everything but you have some hopping to do so let's start with Special Delivery!

The Special Delivery stamp & die set is so sweet! I was in a sparkly mood when I opened it so I started by created an infinity shaker...

For the background, I used low-tack tape to create a border. Then I used a rubber brayer to apply two shades of pink ink, Fresh Pink & Party Pink.

Over the pink, I applied a thin layer of Moonstone Glimmer Paste, removed the tape and let it dry before finishing the shaker pocket.

By the way, you can see more about creating an infinity shaker card in this video.

After I creating the shaker card, I got a crazy idea to make a little treat box...

The process is so wonderfully simple but I created a video for all you visual learners like me...

And for reference, here is the box formula...

Your next stop on the hop is Rebecca's awesome blog!

And you can check out all the new Stamp Market goodies HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Carly

supplies:

affiliate links may be used at no additional cost to you. thank you!

The Stamp Market Special Delivery Stamps & Die

The Stamp Market Fresh Pink & Party Pink Inks

The Stamp Market Crystal Confetti Sequins

Copic Markers RV04, BG11, BG32, C3, C5 & C6

Brayer

Moonstone Glimmer Paste

Purple Tape

Scor-Pal Scoring Board

Teflon Bone Folder

Be Creative Tape

how to be more creative

Creativity is a skill you can cultivate and here are 3 techniques I use to be more creative.

I agree with Maya Angelou 100% that you can't use up creativity but I've certainly been known to misplace it. Anyone else ever feel like their creative mojo has hit the road? 

Here are a few ways I sharpen my creative skills...

• Create without purpose. As a crafter, I am generally making for a reason like a birthday card for a friend, a holiday garland, etc. BUT when I'm not feeling super creative, sometimes it is just good to get out some paint or markers and PLAY. Just have fun experimenting.
• Challenge yourself with limited supplies. I'm not gonna lie, I have a lot of craft supplies. Like A LOT. And sometimes all the choices are actually a road block. I can spend hours just trying to choose a medium to use. As a fun creative exercise, sometimes I choose one medium, one simple color palette and 1-2 other tools to see how many different projects I can make. This is a great challenge for cards.
• Make a crafty goal list. One last thing I like to do is create a crafty project list for the year. Some people set fitness goals, I set craft goals (and that pretty much explains me, haha!) Here is my project list for 2020...

Felt Flowers

Rifle Inspired Wreath by Alison Michel on Etsy

Every time I see felt flowers I think, I NEED to make some of those! I already have so many wonderful die cuts that would work perfectly.

Flower Sweatshirt

Misusu Decorated Sweatshirt

Speaking of playing with felt and using my cardmaking supplies for other projects...how cute would it be to decorate a sweatshirt with felt flowers?!

Birthday Calendar

DIY Recipe Box Birthday Calendar by Tatertots & Jello

I am complete rubbish at remembering birthdays, which feels extra embarrassing as a cardmaker. I'm going to get myself organized with a birthday calendar like this one that can also hold the cards I make until I'm ready to send them.

So what sparks your creativity?