Karen Burniston Designer Challenge 93: Make it Fluffy!

Welcome to our May Designer Challenge with a theme of "Make it Fluffy". I challenged the team to interpret the word "Fluffy" in any way they wanted. I think you'll agree that their interpretations are spectacular! For my card and video I wanted to use a few fluffy things. The first thing I thought of was clouds, so I incorporated them throughout the card. I also thought that frosting, ice cream and marshmallows are pretty fluffy, so I went with a birthday "sweet treats" theme to this Pop 'n Swap card altered to create a quadruple pop.

Learn this card technique by watching the full YouTube tutorial here:

FULL YOUTUBE TUTORIAL COMING FRIDAY (I'm out of town and the internet is slow)

My card measures 4.5"x 5.25" when closed, and can be mailed in an A7 envelope. For the front of the card I combined Nature Edges, Postage Pop-up (plane), Big Birthday Charms (candles) and Special Delivery Clear Stamps to create a cloudy scene with a plane dropping candles onto the slice of cake. 

Open the card and the Pop 'n Swap reveals four swing arms, each decorated in a sweet birthday treat theme. I used Big Birthday Charms (candle, cake, streamers), Camping Charms (S'mores), Sweet Treats Charms (ice cream cone, donuts) and greetings from Sweet Treats and Photo Memories Clear Stamps. To continue the cloudy sky theme from the front of the card I added clouds in the background from Outdoor Scene.

One of the features of our brand is how well all dies coordinate so that as you build a collection you have more and more combinations to try. For this card I did not spare the dies and stamps - I just used anything and everything that worked for the Fluffy card I was creating. The technique itself, however, is made using just the Pop 'n Swap die set. From there you can decorate it in any theme for any style.

Ready to give this card a try? Here are the dies and supplies used in the video. 

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Now let's take a look at the wonderful Fluffy inspiration by our talented Design Team and guest designer. In each case you can click the designer's name to go to their blog or social media post where you'll find additional photos, supply lists and, in some cases, videos!

Kelly Booth has joined this month's challenge as our guest designer. Kelly was on our Design Team for many years and we're thrilled to welcome her back as a guest. For the Fluffy Challenge Kelly created two magnificent cards. The first is a Woven Basket Box Card featuring some fluffy animals (with googly-eyed peepers) and Bouquet Bits. 

For Kelly's second card she made a scrumptious Ice Cream Sundae Pop-up. I just love how Kelly uses color with the dies to add dimension.

Sue Small-Kreider had the most cleverest of clever ideas and created the 3-headed dog named Fluffy from the Harry Potter series! The motion she created on this dog is spectacular and I highly suggest a click over to her blog to watch the process video. Amazing!

Suzanne Smit used the Triple Platform for a cute and fluffy birthday card. I love her use of the Alphabet for the greeting where she created a shadow layer around her custom layout. Adding whipped cream to the fluffy bunnies is adorable! I love Suzanne's signature use of just a few cohesive colors. Click over to her blog for more about this wonderful card!

Frances Byrne went with fluffy cupcakes for her challenge card and chef's kiss to the result! She combined the Triple Platform with the Cupcake Add-ons for a scrumptiously fluffy sweet card. The stenciling on the cupcake liners is just perfect for tying in the colors of the patterned paper. Perfection!

Jen Webster decided to use the word fluffy to describe the pillows on a wonderful Garden Bench Pop-up birthday card. Jen's signature coloring is on full display with those gorgeous butterflies. She also cleverly used chopped up bluebonnets to create the pink flowers on the tree. Wonderful combination of dies here! 

Lois Bak thought of fluffy cats and fluffy pillows and combined both for a card that is the cat's meow! Love this use of the Lorna Label Pop-up to frame a fluffy scene. The color combo is so chic! Be sure to click over to Lois's blog to see the card front. Love it!

Sandy Diller made an adorable Little Twist Panel birthday card complete with a bunch of fluffy lambs. Everything about this card is Awwww-dorable and the "ewe" pun is perfect inside the card. I'm a fan!

Nicky Foden celebrates all types of fluffy farm animal with this adorable 1st birthday barnyard card. What a fun party inside the card! Nicky has posted a full pictorial tutorial for this card on her blog so be sure to click over. Amazing! 

 

What a wonderful challenge! I am so impressed with the ways the team interpreted the word "Fluffy". Join us next month on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 for our next Designer Challenge with a theme of ANIMALS & CHARACTERS. The team will be showing off our various animal/character-themed dies.

Happy Crafting!

 

 

Karen Burniston Designer Challenge 48: Stacked Pop 'n Swap Card

Happy August!

For this month's Designer Challenge the theme is ROCK, SPIN, POP, SWAP! I challenged the team to choose one of four motion dies (Spinner Square Pop-up, Rockin' Rectangle Pop-up, Parcel Pop-up or Pop 'n Swap) and make a card of any theme. I chose the Pop 'n Swap and the technique I'm teaching is how to stack two for double the popping and swapping!

Learn how to stack the Pop 'n Swap by watching this YouTube video:

My card measures 5" x 6" in the closed position and will mail in an A7 envelope. The front of the card features our new Hello die and Tiny Gnomes die, both available on our website starting August 9, 2021. The scalloped rectangle and frame come included in the Pop 'n Swap. In the closed position there is a gnomette visible at the top and an upside-down gnome visible at the bottom.

As the card opens the first two gnomes dive behind the pop-up and the opposite swing arms start to appear. 

Once open, two new gnomes swing into view at the top and bottom and another gnome is visible attached to the right side of the lower pop-up platform. The decorations for the top of the platforms are pieces included in the Pop 'n Swap. The flowers came from our Flower Pivot Panels die set.

This is a wonderfully generic technique that can be decorated for any theme. Ready to give it a try? Here are supply links for the products used on my card. The paper is an older Echo Park design called Family Floral. The links for the Tiny Gnomes and Hello dies won't start working until August 9, 2021.

NOTE: Amazon links are affiliate links where I receive a small commission on the sale at no cost to you. 

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Now let's take a look at the awesome motion cards created by our talented design team. For each of these cards there is a full blog post, supply list and, for some of the cards, a video as well. Click the designer's name to visit the blog post, which will open in a new window.

Kelly Booth created this lovely Rockin' Rectangle card featuring our Snowman die set plus the brand new (available next week) Word Set 13 - Snow. I love the punch of red on this sweet wintry card. Click over to Kelly's blog to see the card front.

Fran Sabad used a soft and pretty color scheme for this darling Rockin' Rectangle card featuring the new Tiny Gnomes. I adore how she used the Picnic Elements blanket to make the checkerboard background and the gnomes look especially cute holding gingerbread cookies. Click over to Fran's blog to see the card front. So sweet!

Karen Aicken honors the memory of her mother by sending ice cream cards every July. She combined the Parcel Pop-up with the Ice Cream Sundae Pop-up for this scrumptious card. Click over the Karen's blog to see a video of this card in action. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Frances Byrne When I saw Frances's card in action for this month's challenge I gasped in delight! What a wonderful scene she created with the Parcel Pop-up and then the new Iron Fence, Street Lantern Pop-up, Long Nature Edges 2, Hello and Tiny Gnomes from the new release. She also mixed in the Picnic Elements. Delightful!

Lois Bak is getting a jump on holiday cards with a festive Rockin' Rectangle card. On the front of the card (click to her blog to see) she's incorporated our new Gingerbread Tiny House Add-ons set from the August release. I love how the Snowflakes Pattern Plate is used as the background of the card and the wonderful color scheme. Fa la la la la!

Kelly Booth made a second card for the challenge while she had the Rockin' Rectangle out. This is a personalized card for her grandson, who loves to skateboard. The colors are vibrant and fun. Click over to her blog to see Nixen holding his personalized card from Mimi.

Sandy Diller was so excited (in the Arizona heat) to craft for next month's Snow theme that she posted it this month! She is showing off a new pop-up in the August Release. She's cleverly combined the new Snowman Pop-up with the Christmas Trees Pop Stand die set. Click over to her blog to see a full video tutorial for this card. Gorgeous!

Join us next month on September 8, 2021 for our next Designer Challenge with a theme of SUN OR SNOW! 

We started our Mission Poppable hashtag with Designer Challenge 45 and have been delighted with the projects posted. For the July challenge our winner (by random draw) is Hannah Marie, who posted a lovely floral double-high Tag Book.

Each challenge will bring a new mission and you have a month to complete it. You are welcome to post more than one card for the mission, which will increase your chances to win by random draw.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make your own card following this month's challenge theme of "ROCK, SPIN, POP, SWAP!" Make sure your card features our die(s) heavily and includes either the Spinner Square Pop-up, Rockin' Rectangle Pop-up, Parcel Pop-up or Pop 'n Swap. Post your card on Instagram using the hashtag #missionpoppable OR on our Facebook Group Karen Burniston Pop-up Peeps OR both. If posting in the Facebook group, please add it to the photo album for this month's challenge, which you'll find in the Media section of the group. You have until the next Designer Challenge date (September 8, 2021) to complete your mission. This message will not self-destruct because I don't know how to do that.

We will choose a winner by random draw from all the cards for a $25 credit to our website. The winner will be contacted via messenger or e-mail. 

Make sure if you're posting on the Karen Burniston Pop-up Peeps Facebook Group that you follow the rules of the group. Outside product is allowed, but not for the pop-up portion of the card. Cards posted on the group must heavily feature our brand. You can find us on Instagram @karenburnistonbrand and also my personal account @karenburniston

Happy Crafting!

Slimline Pop 'n Swap Card - Welcome Winter

For this month's Designer Challenge I taught a modification of the Pop 'n Swap die set to create a side swing arm. I mentioned in the video that this technique would work for any theme, so I thought I'd try a winter-themed version.

This is a slimline card measuring 3.5" x 8.5" when closed. The background is made using our new Snowflakes Pattern Plate and Crosshatch Long Rectangles die sets.

There are three styles of snowflakes in the pattern plate, so I cut it out of three colors and then snipped out matching snowflakes from each color to paste over a white pattern plate, creating the three-color plate. Then I repeated the process two more times with the remaining partial pieces so that I ended up with three full pattern plates, all with 3-colors of snowflakes. From there I just cut and spliced to fit my card.

Once the card is open two snowmen appear on the swing arms, the lower one peering through the window.

I used our new Slim Frames die set on this card for the window frame and the oval greeting frame. I also used the two snowflakes from the new Holiday Charms die set.

Learn the technique for this card by watching this Autumn-themed version full video tutorial:

Here are the dies I used on my winter version:

Karen Burniston Designer Challenge 39: Autumn Slimline Pop 'n Swap Card

Welcome to our November Designer Challenge. To celebrate the dies in our newest release that are designed for long cards, I challenged the team to make slimline-sized fall-themed cards. Their cards are, as usual, spectacular and you'll find the photos and links at the bottom of this post.

For my card and video I had an idea for a clear-front card where you'd be able to see through a window in the Pop 'n Swap die set in the closed position and then open it to swing the arms and reveal something underneath.

Learn how to make this card by watching the full YouTube tutorial below:

My card measures 3.5" x 8.5" in the closed position. The clear front to the card only extends 5" from the left side and tucks under a leaf to stay closed.

Open the card and the swing arms start to move. The main pop-up lifts and you can spy a new scene being revealed through the window.

Once open, the swing arms reveal a turkey, leaves and pumpkins while through the window a pumpkin/acorn scene is revealed.

This would be a great technique to try in other themes. A Christmas version might use greenery on the swing arms and a cute Santa, reindeer or mouse revealed through the window. Or how about a birthday version where an age swings out instead of the turkey? Balloons, candles and cupcakes could be used to create the scene.

Ready to give it a try? Here are the dies and supplies I used in the video. The patterned paper is a very old Bo Bunny design from my stash.

 

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Let's take a look at the awesome inspiration from the team for this month's challenge. Make sure you click their names to head over to the blog posts, where you will find additional photos, supply lists and even videos in some cases.

Sandy Diller cleverly adapted the Woven Basket Box Card into an apple basket that she animated inside a slimline using the Mini Pops Pop-up. I love all the beautiful fall colors and the mix of our autumn dies with the new Crosshatch Long Rectangles and Long Nature Edges.

Lois Bak combined our new Crosshatch Long Rectangles, Mini Pops Pop-up and Long Nature Edges die sets with our autumn dies and Woodland animals for a gorgeous pop-up pumpkin patch. I love her teal pumpkin and the apples in the mix. The inking is so vibrant and beautiful!

Fran Sabad has three cards to share this month, featuring our new Holiday House die set on a slimline. I just love her colorful villages! Make sure you click over to her blog to see the other two cards.

Kelly Booth created this gorgeous vertical slimline with a clever use of a circle element on the Flip Frame pop-up inside. Those bright happy clouds and the googly eyes on the fox add to the sweetness. Beautiful palette! 

Frances Byrne created this lovely top fold slimline featuring a mix of dies from our new release plus several previously-released dies. This is a great illustration of how our releases are always meant to coordinate with previous ideas plus create new combinations and looks. I love Frances's crumpled leaves and the Gnomes holding the leaves!

Karen Aicken made this absolutely stunning clear-panel slimline where an autumn-scene is visible when the card is closed and then it reveals a different scene upon opening, complete with spiral leaf pop-up. Definitely click over to Karen's blog to see a video of this card in action. Gorgeous!

Hopefully these cards have put you in a festive fall mood. Join us on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 for our next Designer Challenge with a theme of Mini Pops Pop-up. We'll be showing off this new generic pop-up die set in a variety of ways. 

Happy Crafting!

Karen Burniston July 2020 Die Release Blog Hop

Welcome to our July 2020 Release Blog Hop.

Hop along on the blogs of our Design Team to find inspiration for using these new die sets. Dies are available for pre-order now on our website with shipping starting the first week of August, 2020 in the order received. 

Leave comments on the blogs on the hops to be entered into a drawing for a $25 credit to our website. Each stop on the hop will draw a winner on July 27, 2020 and winners will be notified by e-mail. 

 

For my card I'm using the new Pop 'n Swap to create a "you are super" thank you card, complete with a superhero giraffe from the Safari Animals.

Here's the full video tutorial for this card:

My card measures 4.75" x 6" when closed. The front panel of the card is cut 2" shorter to allow the upper swing arm of the pop-up to be viewed when the card is closed. I rounded the corners with a 1/2" corner chomper. I used the new Safari Animals to create the giraffe, dressed as a mild-mannered cub reporter on the upper swing arm. I used the giraffe die to create the hair and clothes by cutting the body out of the appropriate color for hair, jacket, shirt and then snipping sections into the proper shapes. The collar and buttons are drawn on with a black pen. I added a pair of glasses from Tiny Accessories 1. The "you" die comes included in the Pop 'n Swap die set as does the heart. The "thank" is made using a Dymo label maker.

As the card opens the mild-mannered cub reporter starts to lower behind the pop-up rectangle while the other arm swings out from the bottom. Once again I used the "you" from the die set along with a label maker to create the greeting. The hearts and rectangles come included in the Pop 'n Swap.

Once the card is fully open the cub reporter is completely hidden and SuperGiraffe has appeared. I used the cape and mask from Tiny Accessories 2 and a tiny star from the Paper Frames Pop-up to dress the giraffe as a superhero. The patterned paper is an older piece of Basic Grey paper from my stash.

Ready for more inspiration for these new dies? Here are the other stops on the hop. Remember to leave a comment on each blog to be in on a drawing for a $25 credit to our website. Every stop on the hop will be drawing a winner on July 27, 2020.

Karen Burniston <----- YOU ARE HERE

Karen Aicken

Frances Byrne

Fran Sabad

Kelly Booth

Lois Bak

Sandy Diller

 

Here are the dies used on my Pop 'n Swap Thank You Card:

If you missed the preview video for the new release you can watch it here: