Those Beautiful Easel Cards

Beautiful easel cards. You can cut these out with a die and either a crank press or an automatic press. I use the BigKick hand crank die cut press to cut mine out. I used to have a Cuttlebug press but I traded up. I do have a mini press called the Spellbinder's Sapphire and I love it too for smaller dies.

I cut out my own press plates from plexiglass when I can't find the ready made ones and they work just the same. The ready made ones are just plexiglass that has the edges polished but you can do that with a fine emery cloth and save some money there. They are the same thickness. Where do you think they get them from?

Another little tip, if you don't have a rubber mat for embossing, you can use cardboard or spongy placemats instead. Just cut them to fit. Be aware that they probably will get cut marks in them though and not last as long. But they are good in a pinch.

More Than A Mild Obsession

NEW BLOG FRESH FOR A NEW YEAR

I've always loved flowers. Doesn't matter what kind. Herbs, bulbs, tubers, fibrous roots, garden plants, spring, summer, fall, annual, perennial, indoors, outdoors, roses and weeds - all colors, shapes and sizes. I love flowers! For several years I kept an annual garden blog and documented my gardens. And recently (just this past year) I have developed an obsession with card making too. So now I can combine two of my favorite hobbies into one.

I have a lot of interests and a lot of hobbies that I enjoy. I especially love being able to change them up when I get bored. But I always come back to my favorites and it usually involves flowers somehow.


A LITTLE BACKGROUND

I come from a graphic arts background. I've created print and web graphics in different formats and I ran a successful web site for several years selling collections of graphics, web applications and teaching people how to work with them. I also designed, developed and managed several web sites back in the day in an office cubicle as a daily grind with a steady paycheck.

I've never stopped working with arts and collecting graphics. And I've been playing with paper and making cards for years. Remember back when ATC trading cards were popular? I was in several groups and was even a trading hostess for a while.

Since my background is in graphic arts, I can even tell you a few secrets about how to make your own "kits" and collect your own vintage stash of graphics if you like to work with them yourself and print off your own.


BEING A GRIFFINITE

I discovered Anna Griffin cards and pre-cut kits just within the past year. So, as I'm enamoured with most vintage stuff from my previous work anyway, I naturally would admire her quality style of creating greeting cards and scrapbook layouts.

So I guess I'll start out just publishing a few pictures of the cards I've made inspired and/or made by Anna Griffin kits and die cuts. This is from her slider kit and it's one of my favorites. Needless to say, I'm a huge fan!