Whimsical Garden

Hello crafty friends, I hope you are having a great day!

Today I have created a whimsical garden scene with the fabulous Gummiapan floral dies - the images are quite abstract and graphic and perfect for this type of projects.

I have used inlaid die cutting technique (with a twist!) to create a shaker frame that is actually a part of the scene. I have also used vellum instead of acetate. 

Watch the video tutorial below for all the tips and tricks on how to make this card - it's quite easy!

SUPPLIES:

Me and Teddy Cards

Hi crafty friends, 

Today's project is a pair of cards meant for children's birthdays - one for a boy and one for a girl. I have used a fabulous Me and Teddy die from Little Loves collection by Spellbinders as a focal image. The scene this die creates is so lovely and cute that I wanted to frame it - this is how the idea of these cards was born.

I have used a paper pad by Maja Design to add some color and floral pattern. A little curtain made from a paper doily finishes the card. 

Watch the beginning to end video tutorial below for more details!

SUPPLIES:

Creating Custom Shaped Shaker Window

Hi crafters, 

Today I'd like to demonstrate an experimental approach to creating a shaker window in a card. This time I used a border die plus some small balloon dies to create a shape of the window. This way the scene and the sentiment become a part of the frame and the window itself becomes a background. 


This might sound complicated but the card in fact is quite easy to create - watch step by step video tutorial below for detailed instructions!

Thanks for visiting today, I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and have a fantastic weekend!

SUPPLIES:

GIVEAWAY WINNER - Spellbinders blog hop (May 16, 2018)

Dear friends, 

Thank you so much for participating to Spellbinders blog hop and leaving your comments on my post (May 16, 2018).

The giveaway winner is Pratima Diwan. Congrats Pratima! 

Please contact me at olga.direktorenko@gmail.com ASAP to claim your prize!

Flamingo Love - Alcohol Inks + Die Cutting

Hi crafty friends, I hope you are having wonderful time!

The idea of a card I have made today couldn't be any simpler - it is just some die cuts stuck on top of a colorful background. It's the magic of alcohol inks and unique whimsical Gummiapan designs that make this card so special.

Want to know exactly how this card was created? Watch a step by step video tutorial below!

SUPPLIES:

Koi Tags - Alcohol Inks + Die Cutting

Hi crafty friends, I hope you are having a great week!

Today I have made a trio of tags combining alcohol inks and die cutting techniques. To start with I have created alcohol ink backgrounds on Yupo paper and since I'm not experienced with this type of inks I only used one color (slate) for all three backgrounds. Unexpectedly, as the ink was drying more colors developed like some shades of teal and purple - that was actually perfect for me as I was going for a watery look.

To tell you the truth, I was not particularly happy with the outcome and thought that those backgrounds themselves were not enough to make a project fabulous. But throwing them away was not an option too so how could I make them work for me? The answer is simple - die cutting! Die cutting is always a good idea so I added a negative pattern created with the collage die and it instantly brought everything together!

To create focal images I used Lovely Koi die with some foiled cardstocks plus added silver embossed sentiment strips and some sequins - and my tags were finally brought to life!


Watch the beginning to end video tutorial for more detailed instructions!

SUPPLIES:

Shabby Chic Cards

Hi there, I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! 

Today I would like to demonstrate how I made the two card featuring some dies from the latest Romancing the Swirl collection by Spellbinders.

One of the m is a shabby chic framed multi-layered card and the other one is a trifold card that also works as a gift card holder or a money holder. This one is much easier to create but is just as pretty and intricate as the first one.

I like the fact that although the label I used is quite large and covers up nearly the half of a card you can still see that background swirly pattern. That's the power of transparency!

As always, scroll down for some pictures and a video tutorial!

SUPPLIES:

Golden Sunshine - BLOG HOP + GIVEAWAY! (now closed)

Hi crafty friends! Today I am so excited to join Simon Says Stamp blog hop featuring a new SENDING SUNSHINE release! 

If you are hopping along you have arrived here from Lea Lawson's blog, but if you have just joined you can find the full list down below:

Simon Says Stamp Blog 

Debby Hughes

Laura Bassen

Yana Smakula

Heather Ruwe

Amy Rysavy

Barb Engler

Jean Manis

Bibi Cameron

Yoonsun Hur

Vicky Papaioannou

Lea Lawson

Olga Direktorenko

Kelly Latevola

GIVEAWAY

Please leave your comment on this post for a chance to win $25 COUPON to Simon Says Stamp online store. 

The giveaway is now closed. To view all the winners please check out THIS POST.

MORE EXCITING NEWS! 

Use the code SUNSHINE at checkout at Simon to get a FREE GIFT with your purchase!

The code is valid until Sunday, 5/20 11:59 pm ET.

Now to the project!

I have created a see through card featuring Marilyn Full Card cover plate die. I have used some glossy black cardstock and golden alcohol ink to make a shaped background to go only behind a particular part of a die cut pattern.

Please scroll down for some close up pictures and a beginning to end VIDEO TUTORIAL to learn how this card was made!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Your next stop on the hop is Kelly Latevola !

Notice that it's the DAY 2 of the hop so if you are looking for more inspiration make sure to visit Thursday's hop as well.

SUPPLIES:

Wall Clock with Die Cuts - BLOG HOP + GIVEAWAY! (now closed)

Hi crafty friends! Today's project is a part of Spellbinders May Blog Hop. I am featuring the dies from the new and fabulous Romancing the Swirl collection created by Becca Feeken.

If you are hopping along you must have arrived from Hussena Calcuttawala's blog, but if you have just found out about the hop I'll post the entire list of participants for you below:

Spellbinders Becca Feeken Yana Smakula Melissa Phillips Elena Salo Hussena Calcuttawala Olga Direktorenko Jacquie Dean Nichol Spohr Enza Gudor Zsoka Marko Jennifer Gallacher Keeway Tsao Emily Midgett

GIVEAWAY:

PRIZE #1 - $50 gift certificate to Spellbinders store 

For a chance to win it leave a comment on Spellbinders blog by Sunday, May 20th 11:59 pm EDT.

PRIZE #2 - $25 gift certificate to Spellbinders store

For a chance to win it comment on THIS POST below by Sunday, May 20th 11:59 pm EDT.

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Pratima Diwan.


The project I have created is a real wall clock. I have used a standard 6x6 picture frame and an insert clock as a base. To decorate the clock panel I have used Flourished Square and Hemstitch Circles die sets from Becca's collection. 
Besides being hung on the wall this clock frame can be used as a desktop or mantelpiece decoration.
Scroll down for some close ups and a video tutorial!

Thank you for stopping by! Hope I have given you some inspiration! Your next stop on the hop is super talented Jacquie Dean. Have fun and good luck!

SUPPLIES:

Masculine Steampunk Invitation Card

Hi crafty friends, 

The masculine card I am showcasing today is made using some dies by Swedish producers. The card is nearly one layer one and is pretty simple to create. 

Keyhole die cuts are attached right onto the card base after it's been embossed using a folder. A die cut key charm and some gears are stuck down on the inside of the card. The card shape is also crated with the die - see the supply list below.

I have turned this card into an invitation but it can be easily adapted to any occasion by changing a sentiment.

SUPPLIES:

Gatefold Card with Real Mirror

Hi crafty friends, 

Today's card has a real mirror incorporated into it. My original intention was to make a card with "You are beautiful" sentiment, but then I thought it would be more fun to add a real mirror and then just write "beautiful" below it - so that you'll know who the beauty is :)

This is a gatefold card with a sentiment written inside. I have used a bunch of dies from the latest Memory Box release to create it.

Scroll down for some close up, a video tutorial and a supply list!

SUPPLIES: