2025 Card 5 | Mosaic Background | Angie Blom Digital Designs | Getting Inspired By Others

Hey all.  Today I am sharing a card that was inspired by a card I saw on Facebook made by Angie Cimbalo.  It's such a cool card.  Not having the supplies she used, and not wanting to wait 3 months for them to arrive here in Sao Paulo, I wanted to try and make it using a digital stamp. 

You can check out how Angie made her card using a 3D embossing folder from Spellbinders by clicking HERE.  I hope she's okay with me using her as inspiration.   

Here we go....

• I started with a top-folding A2 white card base.
• I cut a piece of gold mirror cardstock, 1/2" wide, and adhered it from the upper right corner to the lower left corner.  You could also use gold washi tape or a glitter paper too.  

• I printed Mosaic Background from Angie Blom Digital Designs, at 100%, on a piece of white cardstock, die-cut the image using a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die, and then I cut the image in half on a diagonal.  
• Then, using 4 different colors of alcohol markers.  Yellow and blue for one side, and green and pink for the other.  I also only colored MOST of the mosaics, leaving some of them white.  

• I adhered the left side - with the yellow and blue colors - to the card front.  
• I adhered a piece of fun foam to the right side - with the green and pink colors - and then to the card front.  
• For my sentiment, I die-cut the word "hello" from the Oh Hello Again set from Memory Box.  I cut the word 4 times using yellow cardstock, glued them together, and then adhered the word to the card front.  This die set, from 2015, is long retired from Memory Box but you can still find them on the Frantic Stamper website by clicking HERE, if interested. 

After I finished this card, I was looking at it and thought, "Why not add some bling".  So I glued a tiny crystal to the center of each of the colored spaces and, honestly, I love it so much more!

Done!  I'd love to know what you think of this idea.  Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  If you like what you see here, you might like my other social media pages, which are all linked below if you want to follow me.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

2025 Card 4 | Woodblock Wednesday | Use Your Stash | Christmas Card Idea

 

Hello everyone and welcome to my first Woodblock Wednesday post of 2025.  This is the day of the week in which we try to set aside some time during the day to use some woodblock stamps that may not have been used in some time or, maybe, have never been used.  

For today's card, I pulled 2 VERY old woodblock stamps out of my stash: a snowy branch with a world ornament hanging off it - from Viva Las Vegas Stamps.  I searched high and low on their site for the stamp but could not find it.  I assume it's been retired.  

The other stamp is called Peace Bird (1697-H) from Rubber Soul - from 2008 and also long retired.  I remember buying both of these stamps from The Ink Pad in NYC (closed) just to make today's card.  It only took me 17 years.  

I started by stamping the snowy branch with the ornament on a piece of white cardstock using Onyx Black Versafine Ink and Mermaid Lagoon from Ranger.  White the inks were still wet I used clear embossing powder to emboss the image.    

Next, I stamped Peace Bird using the Onyx Black Versafine ink and embossed that with clear embossing powder.  Then I colored in the image where needed, die-cut it using a stitched rectangle die, and added some glitter glue for the snow, and set it aside to dry. 

While that was drying, I made a top-folding A2 card base using red cardstock.  I embossed it with the Cross Waves 3D embossing folder from Altenew, and I adhered a piece of stitched white cardstock to the inside.

Once the piece above was dry, I adhered a piece of fun foam to the back, then to the card front.  To finish the card off, I printed the "Peace on Earth" sentiment from a Christmas Sentiments digital stamp set I bought from Scrap Flower eStudio on Etsy, layered it on a piece of red cardstock, and then to the card front. 

I hope you have enjoyed the card idea and thank you for stopping by the blog today.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

2025 Card 2 | Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge | Snowflakes | Stamplorations

Today I would like to share with y'all my 2nd card for 2025 - a slimline "coffee-themed" Christmas card for the Caffeinated Christmas #37 card challenge on Coffee Loving Papercrafters. The theme is "snowflake" and, of course, it has to have a coffee, cocoa, or tea theme included also.  

Let me show you how I made this card. 

• I printed Coffee Cup Row from Stamplorations on a piece of white cardstock, die-cut it using a 2 5/8" x 7 5/8" slimline die, colored the cups using 5 different alcohol markers, and adhered a piece of fun foam to the back.

• Using a snowflake stamp I found in an old Avocado Arts (out of biz) stamp set, I stamped a snowflake on the front of each cup using Jet Black Archival Ink.   

• I made a top-folding 3" x 8" white slimline card base.
• I die-cut a piece of red cardstock using a stitched slimline die and adhered it to my card front.   
• I adhered my colored cups to the front of the card.
• I stamped 3 sentiments, die-cut them using stitched banner dies, adhered them to strips of red cardstock, and then adhered 1 to the card front and 2 to the inside of the card.  
• Lastly, I adhered a small crystal to the center of each snowflake. 

Besides entering this card in the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #37, I will also be entering the card in the following challenges if you want to add a card of your own.

A Perfect Time To Craft January Open Challenge #1

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #131

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie Challenge #200

The Four Seasons Challenge - Winter Season

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today.  Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael  

2025 Card 1 | You Make Me Smile | Angie Blom Digital Designs

 

Hello everyone and welcome to the year 2025.  

Made my first card of the year - a white on white card - using two digital sets from Angie Blom Digital Designs.  The flowers on the front of the card are from Magical Story.  After I pulled the image into my editing program, I duplicated the image and flipped it so the 2 images met in the center, and colored the images using some ultra fine tip BIC markers.

Then I printed one of the sentiments from Christmas Joy Mugs, die-cut it using a stitched banner die, layered it on a piece of purple cardstock, and adhered it across the center of the card where the 2 images met. 

All I added were some Yellow Stickles and little dots of Glossy Accents to the front.

Below are links to the stamps sets I used if you want to check them out.  

Magical Story:

https://angieblomdigitaldesigns.com/products/magical-story

Christmas Joy Mugs:

https://angieblomdigitaldesigns.com/products/christmas-joy-mugs

Here is a closeup of the card showing some of the shimmer from the stickles I used.

I'm entering this card in the following "Anything Goes Card Challenge Blogs" - 

A Perfect Time To Craft January Open Challenge #1

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #131

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie Challenge No. 200

I'd love to know what you think of this card.  Please, leave a comment below!  Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and enjoy the rest of your day. Until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Angie Blom Digital Designs | Bloom Grow Blossom | 3D Slimline Card

 

Hello everyone.  I hope y'all are doing well and have recovered from the holiday.  Today I am sharing a slimline card I made using Bloom Grow Blossom from Angie Blom Digital Designs.  What's great about Angie's kits is, that you not only get the individual images, but you also get a sheet or two with the images already put together like a card.  All you need to do is print that page, color it, and send it.  

To make this card:

• I made a top-folding slimline card using white cardstock - 3.5" x 8.5".
• I adhered a piece of decorative paper from my stash to the front of the card.
• I printed the slimline design that is part of the set, colored it using Tombow markers, layered it on a piece of black cardstock, then a piece of fun foam, and then to the card front.   The markers I used were 173/Willow Green, 761/Carnation, and 055/Process Yellow.

I liked it.  It was OK.  But it wasn't what was in my head.  It's too boring, too flat.    

• So I printed the image again, fussy cut the flowers with my small Martha Stewart Fine Tip scissor, and colored them using more Tombow markers.  This time I used 055/Process Yellow, which I blended with 946/Gold Ochre, and 761/Carnation, which I blended with 703 Pink Rose.

• I turned the fussy-cut flowers over, adhered some foam squares to the back, and then adhered them to the card front.  

Now I like it a lot.  I love the dimension.  All that's left is the center of the flowers.  

• I put the card in a box lid to catch the beads, added some glossy accents to the center of the pink flowers, and sprinkled on tiny yellow beads.  Then I set it aside to firm up.  Once they were firm, I put glossy accents on the yellow flowers and sprinkled tiny pink beads on top.  And set that aside to fully dry.    

The card is done.  I love it.  Here are photos of the finished card and a close-up of the beads in the center of the flowers.  

I hope you loved this card idea.  Angie Blom Digital Designs is having a 50% off sale right now and it goes through the end of the year.  No coupon is needed.  I have no affiliation with Angie Blom Digital Designs and earn nothing if you go shopping.  I am just sharing the brands that I love to use.  

Happy crafting everyone and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil - 

~Michael

Tulip Birthday Card | Angie Blom Digital Designs

 

Hello everyone.  Hope everyone had a nice Christmas or a nice first night of Hanukkah, if you celebrate.  Christmas day was a very quiet day.  While we watched Christmas holiday movies, I colored a bunch of new digital stamps from Angie Blom Digital Designs that I got the other day as an early birthday gift to myself.  She's having a sale y'all - 50% off site wide, no coupon needed, and it runs until the end of the year.  I have no affiliation with Angie Blom and just love to share with my followers the brands I love to use.    

I'm trying to get a jump on holidays/celebrations for 2025 and today I made a birthday card using stamps from 2 different sets - Tulip Hello and Let's Party Birthday.  

I printed one of the designs from Tulip Hello, die-cut it using a 3.75" x 5" stitched rectangle die from Pink & Main, and colored the image using some alcohol markers that I picked up here in Brasil. 

I knew I was going to use Diamond Glaze on the vase to give it a glossy/ceramic look.  So, I adhered a piece of white fun foam to the back of my colored image using 2" double-sided tape, then applied the Diamond Glaze to the vase, and set it aside to fully dry.  Using the fun foam with the tape makes the cardstock less likely to curl as the glossy accents drys.      

**If you do not have Diamond Glaze, you can use Glossy Accents or Nuvo Clear Crystal Glaze to give the same glossy look.  

While the Diamond Glaze was drying, I cut the rest of the pieces to finish the card.  I made a top-folding A2 card using white cardstock.  I also printed the sentiment "Happy Birthday" from the Let's Party Birthday set and die-cut it using a stitched banner die.  I also die-cut a piece of pink cardstock using a 4" x 5.25" stitched rectangle die and embossed it with an embossing folder from my stash.  Lastly, I die-cut another piece of the pink cardstock using a slightly larger stitched banner die.  

Once the Diamond Glaze dried, I adhered the colored tulips in a vase to the pink embossed cardstock, then to the card front, and then the sentiment layers.  

Done!  This was a fun card to make.  The hard part was waiting for the glaze to fully dry.  LOL  Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  Stay safe and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael

Draped Ornaments Slimline Christmas Card | Technique Junkies | BIG SALE!

 

Hello everyone.  I hope y'all are doing well this holiday season.  I've been busy giving some album classes to photography clubs and making special order albums for some people in town.  Today I just had to make a card for a change of pace.  The stamps I used are on sale and that info is at the end of today's post. 

Today's card is a slimline Christmas card using 2 stamps from Technique Junkies -Draped Ornaments and Dotted Merry Christmas.  I also used 2 dies from the Essentials: Slim Stitched Rectangle Die Set from Pink Fresh Studio.  

• I made a 3 5/8" x 8.25" slimline card base by cutting a piece of white cardstock, 7.25" x 8 5/8"", then scoring on the short side at 3 5/8".  Folded it in half, burnished well, and I had my base.  
• Using the largest of the slimline dies from the Pink Fresh Studio Slim Stitched Rectangle Die set, I die-cut a piece of red cardstock and adhered it to my card front.   If you do not have these dies, you can cut a piece of red cardstock, 3 5/8" x 8.5/8".
• I used the largest non-stitched die to cut a piece of white cardstock.  Then I stamped Draped Ornaments on the cardstock - twice - using a stamp positioner and black ink.  If you do not have this die, cut a piece of white cardstock, 3.25" x 8.25" and then do your stamping. 

• Then I colored all the ornaments using my Ultra Fine Tip BIC markers and stamped Dotted Merry Christmas in the lower right corner.
• I adhered a piece of fun foam to the back and then I adhered the colored ornaments to my card front.  If you don't have fun foam, you can use foam tape.  

To finish off the card...

• I adhered some small crystals to the larger dots in the image, on the strings that are holding the ornaments.
• Then I added various Stickles to the ornaments for even more bling. 

The 2 stamps I used on this card - Draped Ornaments and Dotted Merry Christmas, are part of the HUGE sale - everything on the Technique Junkies website is 30% off (no coupon code needed) and, if you use my code at checkout, TJ10Michael, you will save an additional 10%.  THAT...IS...A...DEAL.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  If you'd like, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think of the card.  As always, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil. 

~Michael

Harry Potter Mini Album | Your Book of Memories Tutorial | Paper House Productions Papers

 

Hello everyone!  Today I am thrilled to share a Harry Potter Mini Album I recently made for a "Find My Mojo Challenge " on the Your Book of Memories Community.  I had lost a bit of my mojo and we decided to have a 2-week challenge to make an album using the Ho Ho Hello Mini Album Tutorial with any themed paper collection we wanted to use.  I made a Harry Potter-themed album using some of the coolest Harry Potter papers from Paper House Productions.  

Below is a walkthrough of the album, which you can also find on my World of Michael Trent YouTube Channel.  Below the video are photos of the album, and, at the end of this post, are links to what I used as well as coupon codes for Your Book of Memories and Paper House Productions.   

 Photos of the book:

Front of album showing Hogwarts.

Back of album showing the Newspapers.

Spine of album. 

Inside pocket, photo mats, photo flip page.

More photo mats in deep pocket. 

5" x 7" Photo Insert

4 Vertical 5" x 7" Photo Pullouts

4 Horizontal 5" x 7" Photo Pullouts

Photo flip page

Photo booklet and insert

Check out all things "Your Book of Memories"

Your Book of Memories Website:

https://yourbookofmemories.art/

**Start a subscription at Your Book of Memories and get 25% off your 1st month by using the code: ALL4ME2C

Your Book of Memories Community:

https://yourbookofmemories.art/community

**Come learn or share your love of papercrafting and mini albums by joining the Your Book of Memories Community.  There is no cost to be part of the community.  

Your Book of Memories YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@yourbookofmemories

Your Book of Memories Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/yourbookofmemories_

Ho Ho Hello Mini Album Tutorial used to make this album. 

https://tinyurl.com/bdskj5vb

Paper House Productions Website:

https://paperhouseproductions.com/

**Use the code DEBRA22 at checkout to save 15%.  Please be aware that this code can end at any time so use it quickly.  

***Do a search for "Harry Potter" to see ALL the papers, stickers, washi tapes, planners, and other Harry Potter items you can use in your albums. 

Harry Potter Paper Collection:

https://tinyurl.com/28wbbb2x

Harry Potter Individual Papers/Stickers Used in this Album:

Hogwarts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7muk5d

Spells: https://tinyurl.com/4u3w54h7

Newspaper: https://tinyurl.com/4dmmjbdk

HP Pattern: https://tinyurl.com/4afj2ssx

Watercolor Tags/Journal Cards: https://tinyurl.com/3zdvu4af

Parchment Tags/Journal Cards: https://tinyurl.com/y2y2xr4n

Marauder's Map: https://tinyurl.com/2fh97pn8

Watercolor Crests: https://tinyurl.com/syefw26p

Papers and Proclamation Stickers: https://tinyurl.com/9yrwjv59

Here is a link to the video I made showing how I make my Raised Double Layered Album Covers:
https://youtu.be/0QshuwVOwXk?si=s9Z4Xf1FSbzjG0t5

I think I have it all covered.  LOL.  Thanks for watching the video and stopping by my blog.  I'd love to know what you think of the book, the papers, etc.  Below are links to all of my social media pages if you would like to follow me there too.    

World of Michael Trent 

Blog

Facebook Page

Instagram Page

YouTube Channel

Pinterest 

Take care and, until next time...

Hugs from Brasil.

~Michael