Layered die cuts...

Recently, I was sent this gorgeous new line by Elle's Studio called Little Moments! Elle's Studio is holding a new class in May, which will be a sketch class, and I was asked to make 2 cards with it. When I was finished, I couldn't put the line away! So colorful and fun, as ALL of Elle's products are! So I had to make one more thing, and used it as my post on the Scrapbook Expo blog yesterday on "layering die cuts".

The fun thing about Elle's products is that they are so easy to layer: they're very colorful, and the packages include lots of shapes and patterns in the Bits and Pieces, labels, journaling cards and even papers that you can trim labels from!

The card you see behind the "Hello Happiness" is one of the cards I made for the upcoming Elle's Studio sketch class, along with another one that isn't shown. Be on the look out for that class! Swing over to the Scrapbook Expo blog to see the tutorial on this, and for a few tips on layering die cuts! Have a great day!

Want to win a Craftsy online class?

Welcome to a special blog hop hosted by instructors at Craftsy.com, an online classroom platform that includes classes on scrapbooking, card making, paper crafting and much more! 

Spend a little time getting to know each instructor on this list and the classes they teach through Craftsy. You'll discover that some of your favorite teachers are now offering classes through this incredible platform. Look for special giveaways from the instructors and leave a comment on the participating blogs for your chance to win! Then join us on Craftsy for inspiring new ways to craft and learn!

A little about me:
Many of you have been blog readers of mine for some time now, but for those of you who are new to my work, I'd like to take a minute to introduce myself! My name is Danielle Flanders, and I've been paper crafting for about 15 years now. It all began when my first daughter was born. I wanted to document her life as a baby and create a memory book for her. Since then, I've worked for many paper and stamp manufacturers and am so grateful to have had my work published numerous times. Cardmaking is a favorite pasttime of mine as well. I love to send happy mail to make people smile! I would say my style is trendy, light and airy, clean - yet layered, girly and colorful.

About my Craftsy class:
The class I'm teaching with Craftsy is: Cards With Dimension: Lovely Layers, Textures and Embellishments.  By clicking the link, I'm happy to offer 1/2 off my class today! Sign up and watch the class anytime, at your own pace. Ask questions of the instructors and post pictures of your cards in the class platform as well! It's a great way to work on your cardmaking skills and gain feedback from the Craftsy instructors. You can read more about the class HERE. In the class, I focus on creative and simple ways to add texture to your cards with embossing, stitching, embellishing tips and ways to use vellum, tips on layering patterned papers and much more!

(Photos shown are actual cards from the class.)

Giveaway:

Would you like to win a spot in my online class? Please leave a comment. Let me know what would you would like to learn the most from an online paper crafting class? Giveaway will end Thursday, July 16 at midnight EDT. Next, hop on to the other instructors' blogs for more giveaways:

Wilna Furstenberg 

Jen Gallacher 

Nichol Magouirk 

Aly Dosdall 

Paige Evans

Danielle Flanders (you are here!)

It's National Craft Month!

Happy Monday! I am here recovering from this whirlwind Papertrey Ink release and getting my craft room back to normal! :) Were you inspired to create something fun over the weekend?

I wanted to pop in and share a peek of Betsy's next Make It Market kit called Party Pops. Visit the link for more information. We will be sharing more projects made with it at the end of the month, and the kit will be available on April 1st. I've made some party decor for the table here, but this kit can be used for SO much more! Pop up birthday cards, fun cupcake flowers for gift toppers, banners and garlands...really so many possibilities with it!

Also, I wanted to share a great deal with you today over at Craftsy.com. All of their classes are 50% off this weekend, and today is the last day of the sale for National Craft Month! If you've been thinking about watching a class, you won't be disappointed. There are so many great things about Craftsy. The classes stay online forever, so you can watch them at your own pace, anytime. You can chat with instructors and ask questions, and you can post pics of your own projects in the class platforms! (And you can get a free app to watch them on your mobile devices.) If you are on the fence, you can check out their free mini classes to see what Craftsy is all about!

Well, I am off to spend the day with my husband today. The girls have 4 days of school this week, then they are off for 10 days for spring break! I can't believe it's March already! This year is flying by so fast. What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Cards With Dimension: an online class...

After several months of hard work and patiently waiting for the final result, I'm finally able to reveal something that I worked on feverishly last fall...an online class with Craftsy.com! It's here, it's here! We'll be creating standout cards that are beautifully layered, textured and embellished. I'll offer you tips and tricks to achieve that elegant, professional look to your cards!

Cards With Dimension: Lovely Layers, Textures & Embellishments

(Fancy title, eh? They are so crafty at Craftsy.)

I am going to tell you a little secret! When Craftsy contacted me last fall, and I heard that I would be filmed on camera, my first reaction was, "Oh gosh, no. No, no, no." I'm not really one for being in the spotlight. I'm very quiet and shy (until I get to know you, then I talk up a storm! ha), so for me to go on camera was a huge stretch out of my comfort zone and my little studio at home! I'm much more comfortable being behind the scenes and behind the computer. Maybe I'm just used to it after all of these years of creating and blogging and doing my thing from home! After I gave it some thought... a lot of thought...and talked to my husband about it, he very much encouraged me to go for it. Try something new. Grow. Learn. Take some chances! Put myself out there a bit more. So...hesitantly...I said yes. After all, I love sharing ideas and inspiring others to bring out their creativity!

From that moment on, Craftsy was WONDERFUL to work with. My acquisitions editor worked with me weekly to develop the content and devise an outline of what I was going to teach. We also put together a mini kit that is optional to the class, and of course it is chock full of supplies that I adore! I used everything in the kit on my cards for the class (plus a few other things not in the kit, like some stamps and dies by Papertrey Ink). The great thing is that you can pick one or two items to buy, or you can grab ALL of the items to go with the class! OR you don't have to buy a thing. It's totally up to you. :) If you'd like to follow along and try some of the card ideas, grab a kit. You'll love it! Here's a sneak peek. Click here to see the kit items that I used, available at Craftsy.

In the class, there are approximately 30 never-before-seen projects, and I'll also show several more cards as extra examples of the lesson at the end of each chapter. So all together you'll see over 70 cards throughout the class! (And please...ignore my long, scraggly hair and the scared look on my face! Ha I have cut it short since then! And by the end of the class, I promise I'm not as scared of the camera. Hee)

We'll cover ways to incorporate patterned papers, how to mix and match them and how to layer. And let's be honest: as paper crafters, we all LOVE embellishments! They're fun to work with and make our designs to much more visually appealing. I'll share ideas for incorporating a variety of embellishments for cards that are multi-dimensional and absolutely captivating.

We'll also work with texture in several ways, and I can't wait to show you my process when creating a dimensional card.

Currently, the class is $29.99, however, as a huge thank you to you for being a blog reader of mine, I can offer the class to you for 50% off! YAY! Click HERE to purchase the class for 1/2 price.  You must create a log-in to see the description for the class, I believe. Thank you for letting me share about this journey with you. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to stretch myself, and truly hope you enjoy the class on techniques for creating dimension. xo

P.S. Have you seen the Vibrant Stamping class by Laura Bassen? She's so adorable and fun, you'll love her class!

Danielle

Letterpress...

Just popping in to let you know that sign ups for the Studio Calico Letterpress class have been extended until Sept. 15th, so get signed up today if you haven't already!

Meanwhile, here is a video showing you what it's all about. Letterpress is a technique that debosses your paper while stamping a design into the paper at the same time. As a cardmaker, I'm excited for the possibilities to get that "professional" look to my cards. The Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress system will work in your existing die cutting machine. (I have a Cuttlebug.) Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll do my best to answer them!

Letterpress...

Have you heard of letterpressing? It's one of the hottest trends in stationary right now, and it's making its way into scrapbooking. It's a printing technique that involves printing words or images with ink while at the same time debosses your paper. Let me show you a little sample I found on Pinterest...

(Source)

Isn't that pretty? So professional looking. I'm excited to see how it is going to change our way of scrapbooking!

Lifestyle Crafts has come out with a Letterpress kit that you can use at home with your personal die cutting machine. This will work with your existing Cuttlebug and Big Shot machines. Studio Calico will be getting these Letterpress systems in their shop soon, and HERE is a link to all of the fun new products at Studio Calico that go with the Letterpress system!

Now you can also learn how to incorporate Letterpress into your memory making with Tina Aszmus and contributors (including me!) in our upcoming September class...

Sign up today! While supplies last, you'll get a bonus class kit with a 4x3" Studio Calico letterpress plate, a pack of sample letterpress inks from Lifestyle Crafts and 4x6" letterpress paper in white and black. This kit will ship free no matter where you are. Visit the class page to read more about what you'll need to buy in addition to the class. Hope to see you there.

Put your tools to work for you...

Want to learn more about the tools in your crafty arsenal? 

Check out Studio Calico's TOOLBOX class! This class will show you cool tips on stitching, mixed media, misting and digital from four technique masters. Amy Tan, Celine Navarro, Geralyn Sy and Shanna Noel will each spend a week in August teaching you the ins and outs of their favorite techniques. I'll be contributing to the misting week, and I'm going to be sharing a card showcasing a beautiful technique using glue and mists!

Through 7/24, Studio Calico has a cool offer for everyone who signs up for Toolbox! They'll be able to pass a FREE spot in the class to a friend. 

Check out some of the sneaks and classroom files you get HERE. Super cute! You'll want to stop by Geralyn Sy's blog for a chance to win a spot in the class, and then pop over to the Studio Calico blog for more links to class sneaks and giveaways. See you in class!

You've Got Mail class and a giveaway...

"You've Got Mail!"
Isn't that the cutest title ever for a card class! Reminds of the days when I first had a computer in my little apartment and loved hearing that little jingle every time I received an email. It was so exciting!

Lisa Spangler and a team of contributors (including me!) have put together a month of card making tips, techniques and inspiration. The class begins March 1st and is $29. You can sign up for the class HERE.

While supplies last, you will receive a free 4x6" clear stamp set! Students will also receive printable accents from Hello Forever, a digital brush of the class stamps and window card, tag and accent from Kinsey Wilson. These will be available in the classroom on March 1st.

This is a peek at the CA-UTE printable accents you receive for free! 

WANT TO WIN A SPOT IN THE CLASS?

Studio Calico has generously offered each one of us contributors to give away one seat in the class! Leave a comment here to be entered to win. Comments will be closed 2/8/13 at midnight EST. Thanks!

Pop off the page.

Have you wondered how to be more effective at adding layers to your work? Studio Calico has asked me to be a part of their new class, Pop Off the Page. Join us to learn tips and techniques for adding detail to your scrapbooking and cards!

Meet the list of contributors: Jen Jockish, Christine Middlecamp, Danielle Flanders, Wilna Furstenburg, Sasha Farina, Stephanie Dagan, Keisha Campbell, Sophie Crespy, Rahel Menig, Kinsey Wilson, and Kim Stewart.

Ah, the lovely kit you receive for FREE when you join the online class!

Now for a sneak peek at one of my projects for the class...

Class spots are limited to the number of kits and the response has been overwhelming, so the kits are going quickly! Hope to see you in class Sept. 1st. Here is the link again for more information: Pop Off the Page.

I'd like to share a new class with you that I'm so excited about! The talented Jennifer Gallacher asked me to be a part of her new class called the Scrapbook Stamper's Workshop. You definitely won't want to miss this class and learn so many fun ways to use stamps on your layouts! Put those stamps in your stash to good use again!
Class description:

Learn to stamp on your layouts! Join Garden Girl Jen Gallacher for this self-paced, comprehensive course focusing on the following five stamp design styles: open, solid, alphabet, sentiment, and background stamps. Download the helpful 62 page "Scrapbook Stamper's Workbook" which includes five instructional chapters, 50 stamping tutorials, and 50 brand new page samples with complete supply lists and step-by-step instructions. Five helpful chapter videos are also included which walk you through each of the 50 stamping tutorials. The workbook and videos are designed to work hand-in-hand, helping the student become more comfortable with stamping on scrapbook layouts. Whether you're a cardmaker looking to make the transition to scrapbooking, or whether you want to learn more about stamping on your layouts, this class is for you!

The content of this workshop will be available immediately upon purchase. The lessons are available for you to work at your own pace and upon purchase can be accessed in the "Workshops" section under "Classes & Events." A private message board forum is also available to ask questions for Jen and to connect with other participants. Enjoy!

Cost: $25

Class Contents:

* 62 page "Scrapbook Stamper's Workbook"
* 50 stamping tutorials
* Five 25+ minute video tutorials
* A private message board forum
* 50 BRAND NEW layouts

Here is a tiny peek to my contribution:

Visit Jennifer's blog for your chance to win a seat in her class... or sign up HERE today!