Video: Layered Die Cuts… and Book Announcement Giveaway

Hello, stampers. Today’s video shows a fun way to add dimension to die cuts for a layered “celebrate” card. I also have some exciting news for a fellow crafter that includes book giveaways!

[All supplies are linked in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Click HERE to watch the video on YouTube.]

I am always looking for ways to give new and fresh looks to the dies I have on hand. For this card, I created lots of layer and dimension. After deciding the arrangement of the Paper Smooches balloons, I die cut three of the balloons from a white cardstock background panel. I then added small scraps of glitter paper behind the die cut windows, creating a “set back” look. Finally, I used pop dots to add balloons to the front. This results in lots of fun dimension. Oh – and that glitter paper? Isn’t it awesome?

I also used thin black string to attach the balloons to the Paper Smooches “celebrate” glitter die cut at the bottom of the card. The strings took a bit of time, but I felt it helped to pull it all together.

EXCITING NEWS + GIVEAWAY

Today I created a CELEBRATE card with good reason. My sweet friend and fellow cardmaker, Cristina Kowalczyk has some big things going on! She’s an author (she writes under her maiden name – Cristina Henriquez), and her novel, The Book of Unknown Americans, comes out TODAY! To celebrate, I, along with a few other crafty friends, are helping her spread the word. Check it out…

I was SO tickled to see her book listed on Amazon’s Top Picks for this month. WOW! I pre-ordered it back on March 9, so I am excited to get it in the mail tomorrow!

Here is a bit more about The Book of Unknown Americans:

Ben Fountain said it was “a triumph of storytelling,” Heidi Julavits called it “extraordinary,” and Amazon editor Chris Schluep chose it as his “must read for summer,” saying, “This novel snuck up on me. It’s moving and beautifully written, never overwrought, and I read it virtually in one sitting. It’s compelling, tragic, sometimes funny, uplifting and heart-wrenching. I can’t stop thinking about these people.”

Cristina is giving away 5 signed, first-edition copies of The Book of Unknown Americans. And because this is all about spreading the word, there are four ways to enter…

  1. Tweet about The Book of Unknown Americans (#UnknownAmericans)
  2. Write a Facebook post telling your friends about the book
  3. Pin the cover of the book on Pinterest
  4. Or simply leave a comment on Cristina’s blog

If you do all four of those, that’s four entries! (On Cristina’s blog, submit one comment per entry. For example: “I tweeted!” “I put it on FB!” “I pinned it!” etc.) From all the comments on her blog, Cristina will choose 5 people to win a copy of the novel. Plus, one lucky person will win the grand prize, a signed book plus a giant stash of craft supplies – stamps, dies, inks, you name it!

For more info about the book and other ways that you can show your support, head over to Cristina’s blog. Also be sure to check out what our other crafty friends are saying about Cristina: Julie, Virginia, Maile, Debby, Wida and Laura. (Cristina… I am so very proud of you and adore you tremendously!)

WINNERS

I have several winners of past giveaways. All winners have been emailed: Barbara H – Crafty Newbie (Wow! Embossing Powders), Michele Whimsical Creations (Avery Elle stamp sets), TracyM #6773 (two Hero Arts stamp sets) and Robin Ludwig (Peerless Watercolor).

SUPPLIES

Below are the products featured above. Click on the letters below the picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), and Amazon (AMZ)…

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | AZ)

 

 

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | AZ)

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | EH )

 

CLICK A SHOP:
(SSS | EH | AZ)

 

CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AMZ )