Handmade Valentine Made with Help of Toddler

Did you have a nice Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day is a great occasion to send all loved ones handmade valentines.

Handmade Valentine Made with Help of Toddler's Hand Prints: Handprint Heart

Handmade Valentine Made with Help of Toddler's Hand Prints: Handprint Heart

Inspired by this pin, I made a handmade valentine with the help of our toddler. The hardest part about working with a little one who isn't quite ready to craft yet is that they can't sit still long enough and they like to wave and smear their hands everywhere. So instead of paint, tracing the silhouette of her hands was more manageable. No cleaning of sticky fingers or messy paint from hands or clothing.

This valentine has another valentine inside, so after tracing one hand, just cut out three shapes by folding a piece of paper in three. For the front of the card, create a heart shape with one hand and add hand-lettering in the same of a heart on the other side.

On the inside is a mini card with two hands that flip to make a heart shaped card hanging off of string adhered by washi tape. When the hands are flipped up, there's a special message for my valentine.

If you want to keep it simple, just create that first card for a fun graphic handmade card.

Happy hands make happy cards!

Mama Elephant Highlight: Inline Letters

Good morning! I'm back again today for the last November

Mama Elephant

highlight. Inline Letters is an awesome set and has so many uses. The best part is that it comes with coordinating dies so you can cut virtually any word out!

Materials used: Mama Elephant Inline Letters, coordinating Inline Letters Creative Cuts dies, Many Thanks, Bold Banner Creative Cuts die

I created this card by stamping "thanks" on the white card base three times in Creative Color inks in Bubblegum and Smoke. Next, I used the Inline Letters Creative Cuts dies to cut the word "thanks" out from vellum paper and adhered it to the card base. I then die cut a Bold Banner from kraft paper, added light gold glitter speckles to it, and adhered it to the card base behind the die cut word "thanks". Lastly, I stamped the sentiment, "a million thanks" from the Many Thanks set in Bubblegum and adhered it to the front below the die cut letters.

Be sure to stop by the Mama Elephant blog for more inspiration from the rest of the design team!

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant Highlight: Fair Feathers

Hello! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Today I'm here to have a closer look at the Mama Elephant Fair Feathers set. I love this set because it has great outline and solid feathers along with perfectly coordinating dies.

Materials used: Mama Elephant Fair Feathers, coordinating Fair Feathers Creative Cuts dies, Embellished Tag Creative Cuts die

I created this card by stamping feather outlines on the white base of the card with Mama Elephant Creative Color inks in Lollipop, Sunshine, and Bubblegum. I then added a piece of kraft paper off set to the right of the card base. To give this card tons of dimension, I layered feathers on top of a die cut Embellished Tag and further stamped ink spots, sprinkled confetti, and added a small silver star for a touch of sparkle.

Don't forget to visit the Mama Elephant blog to see what the other design team members created!

Thanks for stopping by!

- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant & Studio Calico Cinnamon Spice Add-On Kit

Hello! I'm so excited to share that Mama Elephant has an exclusive stamp set in this month's Studio Calico Card add-on kit, Cinnamon Spice. Plus there's a giveaway on the Mama Elephant blog today, so be sure to stop by the ME blog to get all the details and to participate.

I'm already a Studio Calico Project Life subscriber so getting an extra kit this month to play with and to make cards with was such a treat! I love how the paper pad has perfect designs for holiday card making and my favorite of course is the Mama Elephant exclusive stamp set for the Studio Calico Cinnamon Spice November Card Add-On Kit.

"All is Calm, All is Bright" card: I started with the kraft card base from the kit. I stamped the Mama Elephant row of decorated houses onto the kraft paper for a subtle look. Then I used the white gel pen from the Mama Elephant white marker set to add snow trim to the houses. I really wanted to contrast a sparkly "all is bright" with a tone on tone "all is calm" neighborhood, so I sprinkled a bunch of gold, copper, silver, and clear peach sequins and adhered them to the card base. Now, I love sequins on cards, but they're not always great to send in the mail because they can pop off. So I decided to create a "window" to the card as a protective layer above the sequins using clear acetate.

I really love the Studio Calico white washed brick pattern paper because it reminds me of snow but has just enough texture appearance to make it a faint background. So I used this pattern paper to sandwich the acetate so that the calm and bright village can show through.

Materials used: Studio Calico November Cuppa Card Kit Cinnamon Spice November Card Add-On with exclusive Mama Elephant stamp set, Clearsnap ColorBox fluid chalk inkMama Elephant white pen setMemento ink in Tuxedo Black, sequins

"Joy to You and Me" card: For my second card, I also used the kraft card base that came in the kit. I stamped the Mama Elephant sentiment circle and then used a craft knife to cut a window out. I then stamped and embossed the wreathe image from the Studio Calico Cuppa Card Kit stamp set. I love the black sparkle embossing powder from Ranger! I then drew strings for the ornaments to suspend from and added the Studio Calico bows. To finish the front of the card, I stamped a bunch of snowflakes and stars from the Studio Calico exclusive Mama Elephant Cinnamon Spice stamp set and added a few black stars that came with the kit. Lastly, I stamped the circle sentiment on the inside of the card matching up to the window.

Materials used: Studio Calico November Cuppa Card Kit and Cinnamon Spice November Card Add-On with exclusive Mama Elephant stamp set, Memento ink in London FogTsukineko Embossing InkRanger Embossing Powder in Black Sparkle

Here's a closer look at the card when it's folded flush. The stamped sentiment peeks through perfectly like a dimensional ornament. This is also a better view of the black sparkle embossing powder -- I love the sharp black shimmer!

Be sure to check out the Mama Elephant blog for your chance at the giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl

Mama Elephant Stamp Previews & Party Kit Promo

Hi there! Just a reminder to make sure you visit the Mama Elephant blog to check out the October stamp previews! And if you're curious about the stamp set used to create the these cards below, then you MUST check out the Mama Elephant blog for more details on Party Kit -- a very special promo offered with this month's releases only or while supplies last!

Materials used: Mama Elephant Party Kit, washi tape

Here's a closer look at the heart balloons and the semi transparent layers. I just love the tassels in this set that really sets this stamp set apart. It's perfect with balloons of all shapes and great for celebrating any festive event!

And because I'm so psyched about the Party Kit stamp set, I created another card for a special birthday boy who celebrated his second birthday just this past weekend. This time, I used the round balloons and added complimentary green tassels in varying tones as well as the sentiments as the balloon strings. So fun and so versatile -- And that's why you'll want to get in on the Mama Elephant promotion!

Materials used: Mama Elephant Party Kit, Heidi Swapp Serendipity pattern paper, sequins

Thanks for stopping by!
- KRAFTY pearl