Welcome to Valley Oak Paper
I design handmade greeting cards.
Chrysanthemum Thanks & Smile
I chose sentiments, so I can use these cards when I send off giveaway prizes. Having received giveaway prizes that didn’t even come with a post-it, I’m even more determined to always include a handmade card!
So Very Merry 1
This week I’m participating in OnlineCardClasses.com’s holiday class. It’s Monday through Saturday, so there will be a lot of cardmaking this week. You may remember that I participated in another class about embossing folders back in May.
Snowdrop Shaker
The snowdrop plate is part of the January Set of Spellbinders Florals Through the Year Collection. So I created a snow-themed shaker card with it. This was very easy, using the Spellbinders Arch Shaker Dome.
First I foiled the snowdrops and the January plate with silver foil, then I foiled the negative with a solid hot foil plate. I added some green ink blending on the leaves and the tips of the petals.
Chrysanthemum Sympathy Cards
I associate chrysanthemums with cemeteries. So it was natural to use the November Chrysanthemum BetterPress Plates in the Florals Through The Year Collection for sympathy cards.
Christmas Boutique
When I got this die set I felt kind of meh about it. But now that I’ve created a card with it, I think it’s super cute! It was fun to put together, too.
Green Craftmas
I created three cards for a recycling-themed Instagram challenge. First I used my Pinkfresh Solid Hot Foil Plate with all the cool-toned leftover foil to make my own foiled cardstock. This time I foiled on cardstock colors that matches the foil.
For the Love of Paisley
Paisley is my hands-down favorite abstract pattern! So of course I needed the Glimmer Kit of the Month for June ‘22. It’s called Paisley Glimmer and it’s on sale for less than $10 right now.
A Stitch in Time
I’m not normally one for vertical writing, but I love the stitched texture of this die. It’s also great for stitching on the go. So I have a small collection of already-stitched die cuts in a drawer. The monthly Procraftinator Instagram Hop was an opportunity to turn them into cards.
Candy Cane Carton
The first time I used this Sizzix Seasonal House Gift Box Die Set, I didn’t use the included decorations at all. So I thought I’d do that in this week’s make.
Spellbinders Xmas in July Haul
Glimmer Hot Foil Roll - Red https://shrsl.com/4lziw
Glimmer Hot Foil Roll - Green https://shrsl.com/4lziu
Floral A and Sentiment Press Plate from the Every Occasion Floral Alphabet Collection https://shrsl.com/4lziq
Skating Into the Holidays Small Die of the Month https://shrsl.com/4lzif
Christmas Magic Sentiments Clear Stamp & Die of the Month https://shrsl.com/4lzil
Holly Flourish 2D Embossing Folder from the Christmas Flourish Collection by Becca Feeken https://shrsl.com/4lzin
Swatching Glimmer Hot Foils
The Satin Gold Glimmer Foil is from the Satin Metallics Variety Pack. Then we have Polished Brass (Essential Metallics) and just plain Gold (Holiday). The plain gold came with my Glimmer machine.
Color Catalog & Towering Blooms
Everything had the same intensity, so nothing was emphasized. Adding a white off-set layer to the bottom of most die cuts helped a lot.
Flutter Into Spring
Once I had laid out the scene on the Glimmer surface, it was easy to foil more, so I created one card with rainbow foil, and one with gold foil.
Foiling Textured Paper
The best cardstock for hot foiling is the smoothest. But you can make your own smooth cardstock in a few simple steps.
Single-layer gnome card
The adorable little gnome with her poinsettia is from Trinity Stamps’ From Our Gnome To Yours stamp and die set. Because it had to be a single-layer card, it took a couple of tries to get right.
Using up leftover foil
When the decorative elements “look” at the sentiment, it signals that the sentiment is important. That’s why the direction critters face is an important consideration when designing a card. Their gaze directs the viewers gaze, so use it to your advantage.
You Make My Heart Smile
For this card I used the Spellbinders Glimmer Hot Foil Kit of the Month for December 2023. Getting a new toy to play with every month is just so much fun!