Many Multi-Layer Mandalas

Hi folks, it's Lauren here again! I was lucky enough to receive some incredibly cool layered mandala dies for my birthday, from my friend and fellow Eyelet Outlet designer Stephanie Severin, and of course my first thought was: how cool they would look when paired with Eyelet Outlet brads, washi tape and paper flowers! Here are a couple of cards that I think prove my point, lol:

My first idea was to cut each layer of the mandala in a different color, and reassemble them all using classic small 1/8" Round Brads and teeny 1/16" Round Brads as accents. Luckily both varieties come in loads of beautiful colors, so I had plenty of choice. As I was stacking up the embellished layers, I noticed that the smallest and largest of my Purple Paper Flowers were the perfect size to be incorporated into the design, and they added even more color and texture! When I was assembling the finished card, I realized that the one thing that was missing was *SPARKLE* so I added a border of Skinny Glitter Washi Tape to the mat under my mandala, and it was the perfect accent!

My second card was inspired by the leftover mandala layers, and how much I loved mixing them with the Paper Flowers. I started stacking them in different combinations, and instead of using the center from the die, I grabbed these fun Daisy Flower Brads, which are rather mandala-like, don't you think? I added Champagne Swirl Bling (though there were actually quite a few colors which looked equally cool!) and some Foil Dots Tape and called it good.

I hope you'll be inspired to look at your dies --and your EO Brads!-- and see lots of new possibilities. Meanwhile, there are always loads of ideas here on the Eyelet Outlet Blog. Why not scroll down and see what my Wednesday partner Carri is up to today? ♥

Lauren Bergold

has a bit of a thing about mandalas, 

as you can see from even a brief visit to her blog!

Really Big Cards...

...need really big envelopes, it stands to reason, doesn't it? You might see this as a hassle, but I (Lauren) consider it an opportunity to go really big with beautiful Eyelet Outlet embellishments, such as Solid Color Paper Flowers, 15mm Pearl Brads, and elegant Pearl Swirl Bling. A bit like this:

The card for which I made this particular envelope measures 5x10", so yeah... it's BIG! I like to make collages, and when you're working with original vintage items, they are whatever size they are. Luckily, it's super-easy to construct a custom-sized envelope. I started with a piece of vintage wallpaper measuring about 11x16", but you could use any oversized sheet of giftwrap, kraft paper from a roll, or even an old map. 

Neatly fold and crease one side so that it's slightly shorter than your card... this will be the pocket into which we slide the card. Next make another fold a couple of inches from the opposite end... this is just decorative, to give the top flap a nice clean edge. Finally, make a nice crisp fold just about in the center between the other two... and that's it! 

Secure each side of the pocket with adhesive, or machine stitch along each edge. Line the inner flap if you'd like to. Use a tiny bit of velcro, a magnetic closure, or some pretty ribbon to hold your envelope closed. And that's it! Now it's time for the fun part: EMBELLISHING!

I made a little cluster of  Solid Color Paper Flowers. Since each packet has three different sizes of blossom, and a total of 40 flowers, I could afford to be a bit lavish and stack some of them, securing the centers of the larger blooms with 15mm Pearl Brads, and the smaller ones with 5mm Pearl Brads. At the edges of the arrangement I used some gorgeous creamy Pearl Swirl Bling. These are absolutely beautiful right out of the package, but in this case, the flourishes were not quiiiiiite the right shape, so again, I went with the "customized" option. I left the swirls attached to their clear backing sheet, but snipped the swirls apart and re-arranged them. Once I had exactly the right positioning, I peeled them off their backer and added them to the design. Et voila! One special collage card in a very fancy presentation envelope!

I hope you'll be inspired to think outside the box of standard sized envelopes and give your own handmade cards the couture coverings they deserve!

Lauren Bergold lives in New Jersey,

daydreams about sparkly things,

and blogs at

"...all the GOOD blog names were taken..."

Design Team Monday with Anna

Hello, Anna here..
I'm waiting for spring. So I created some cards inspired by the colors and warmth of Spring. I can't wait to see...

 Beautiful flowers...

and colorful butterflies...

I love Spring and all that comes with the season.

Supplies:
Papers: Echo Park,

Brads: Eyelet Outlet: Fresh Flower Brads - Pastel, Fresh Flowers - Brigh, Butterfly Brads

Thanks for stopping by today.
 Have a nice day.
Anna.