Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Daisies and Dragonflies

Since it may be literally impossible to have too many birthday cards in one's stash, here's an easy, elegant one that combines Eyelet Outlet's beautiful White Daisy and Dragonfly Brads with stamped flowers and coordinating diecuts.


Shopping List:

Whether your card stash needs cards that are elegant, cute, masculine or funny, the Eyelet Outlet Store has all the embellishments you need to make it happen! 

 never, ever gets tired of Flower Brads!

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Getting Messy with Faux Water Color and Embellishments!


 Today, I decided to embrace my creative side and get a little messy – in the best possible way! I've always loved the soft, dreamy look of watercolors, but sometimes I just don't have the time (or the patience!) for a full-on painting session. That's where faux watercolor techniques come in handy, and I just finished a beautiful 5-inch square floral card featuring lovely roses and birds that I can't wait to share with you.

I started with a simple white card base, measuring 5 inches by 5 inches. To add an immediate touch of elegance and detail, I applied some gorgeous Flower Collage Washi Tape along all the edges. Washi tape is such a quick and easy way to elevate any paper craft project, and this particular design perfectly complemented the floral theme I had in mind. On top of that I added a colored cardstock square that slightly overlaps the inside edges of the washi tape. This gives the illusion that my border is actually an entire piece of cardstock.

Next up was creating that watercolor look without the fuss. I took a piece of watercolor paper that was slightly smaller than the colored square and stamped it with a flower stamp. Even though the stamp was quite big, I only used a small portion of it, strategically stamping just along the edges. This created a lovely floral border, leaving the middle of the card open. 

To create the watercolor look, I used pink oxide ink. The key here is to water it down significantly. I just added a few drops of water to a small pool of ink, mixing it until it reached a consistency similar to actual watercolor paint. Then, I loosely applied this diluted ink directly onto the flower areas of my stamped image. The goal isn't perfection; it's to get that soft, diffused look that watercolors are known for.

I always find that when I'm working with diluted ink, I tend to have a little left over. Instead of letting it go to waste, I decided to splatter some of it all over the panel. This created tiny, delicate flecks that mimic the natural unpredictability of watercolors. It's a fantastic way to fill in some of the white space and tie the whole design together.

After creating the beautiful faux watercolor panel, it was time to bring in the sentiment and some delightful embellishments to really make the card pop!

I started by cutting out a scalloped oval from cardstock that perfectly matched the tones of the card. To give it an extra touch of elegance, I then cut another, slightly smaller scalloped oval from creamy shimmer cardstock. This layering adds such a nice depth to the sentiment area.

Next, I stamped my chosen sentiment onto the creamy oval. To complement the bird and floral theme, I chose a charming Robin Brad and a Bluebird Brad, along with a lovely Pink Rose Brad. Brads are fantastic for adding dimension and a bit of shine!

To fill in any blank spaces and introduce even more sparkle, I placed three Glitter Enamel Dots in shades of pink, red, and silver. These little details catch the light beautifully and tie all the elements together.

Once all the embellishments were in place, I applied foam tape to the back of creamy oval. This lifted it slightly, creating a wonderful shadow effect when adhered to the larger scalloped oval. Finally, I glued this entire layered, embellished piece onto the center of my watercolor panel.

SHOPPING LIST:


Thanks for joining me here today and please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!



Thursday, July 17, 2025

Silver Bells

I love beating the summer heat by chilling in my airconditioned craft room creating my annual Christmas cards. Christmas in July ideas abound on social media this month, so I'm joining the fun.


I've been on the Eyelet Outlet Design Team for a quite a while and these beautiful bell brads have been around even longer, but for some reason, I had never used them in a project before until recently! Last week I showed you the gold ones and today I'm featuring the silver ones in a pretty holiday card.

I used a music digital paper with hues of blue for the frame and I thought it looked so pretty against the dark blue background. I used white glitter card stock for the snow at the base of the card. On the street light I used an Eyelet Outlet wreath brad, and atop the pretty silver bells is a holly brad. And of course, since I was singing this pretty classic Christmas song as I worked, a music note brad seemed an obvious choice.



 

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Life is Better at the Beach

Here's a summery card idea that's SHORE to please: Diecut chunky letters from Eyelet Outlet Wide Water Washi adorned with a strip of torn Glitter Gold Tape to serve as sand. Scatter Shell Brads and Sea Shore Brads along the bottom, as if they've been washed up by the tide. Augment with Water Splats and a handsome Flamingo Brad. Place the stamped portion of the sentiment above, and surround it with a flying Seagull plus Sun and Cloud Brads.


Beachy Keen Shopping List:

Whatever your favorite summer activities are, the Eyelet Outlet Store has exactly the right brads, tapes, bling, enamels and flowers to bring them to life!

 loves the beach IRL or in card form!

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Summer Picnic Basket


It's summer and that means it's time for picnics. My card today features a fun picnic basket decorated with EO brads and washi tapes. 

The bow of this beauty was made with paper covered with Red/White Dot Washi Tape. The basket liner is made of Heart Washi Tape.

The basket is constructed with a stamp and die set. Once I put it all together, I added BBQ Brads, putting a grill on each side of the sentiment. I added two Mini Ant Brads and a red hot pad from the Cooking Brads. 

The top of the basket is embellished with a pull made of the Red/White Dot Washi Tape. A  6 mm red jewel brad secures it to the basket top. It adds just a bit of sparkle!


Please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!

Thursday, July 10, 2025

An Angel Gets Its Wings

I love old movies and the 1946 holiday classic, "It's A Wonderful Life," is one of my favs! So to continue with my "Christmas in July" series, here's a Christmas card that pays tribute to that film.


I did the sentiment for this card with gold foil iron-on, which I applied to my cardstock with my Cricut Easy Press.  I added an Eyelet Outlet holly brad and gold bell. The wonderful little angel brads were perfect and the one on he left is flying near a cloud brad.

Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to put some angel brads in your cart as you're planning your holiday cards.








 

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

BEE Happy

 Eyelet Outlet Bumble Bee Brads can BEE used to make a HONEY of a card. Here they're paired with Mini Bees and Colored Daisy Brads for an all occasion greeting that's especially intere-STING! 


Buzzworthy Shopping List:

Check out all the birds, bees, critters and more in the Eyelet Outlet Store

hopes you will BEE happy today!

Sunday, July 6, 2025

A Summer Scene in a Mini Slimline Card

Today’s card features some of my favorite outdoor-themed brads from the Eyelet Outlet store, all packed into one charming little landscape! I created it on one of my go-to card sizes—3 1/2" x 6", known as a mini slimline. Don’t let the smaller size fool you—these cards are the perfect canvas for creating perfectly detailed scenes.

For this summery card, I built a camping scene complete with Camper Brads nestled on the ridge. To bring the forest to life, I mixed in both Pine Tree Brads and Summer Tree Brads alongside some die-cut cardstock trees for added dimension and texture.

Down in the grassy area, I added Boot Print Brads—two footprints that hint at an early morning hike or a casual stroll through the woods. And up in the sky? A Compass Brad, doing double duty as both a whimsical take on the sun and a nod to wayfinding—perfect for a camping theme!

This scene may be mini, but it’s full of charm and summer spirit. I love how brads can bring so much personality and detail to a card with just a few small touches.


Please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!

Thursday, July 3, 2025

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

It's never too early to start on your Christmas cards! So let's get start thinking "Christmas in July!"

I've got a little music trivia for you this morning. The holiday song, "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" debuted in 1953. It was performed by ten year old Gayla Peevy and reached #24 on Billboard Magazine's pop chart that year. It remains NUMBER ONE on my holiday playlist though!


It was quite obvious to me when I saw Eyelet Outlet's new hippo brads that I HAD to create a Christmas card that honored this classic holiday song! I decided on using a slider for this card. Ribbon or cardstock can be used for these, but today I opted for cardstock to attach the slider. Eyelet Outlet's Retro Christmas Tree brads were an obvious choice and the Santa brad with the retro feel was, as well. I added a snowflake brad and a gift brad, too, but the dancing hippo brad is definitely the star of the show!






 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Happy Independence Day

It's nearly time to celebrate the USA's birthday. Eyelet Outlet Flag and Hat Brads take center stage with Red, White and Blue Star Brads as well as accents of Red Dot Washi and Blue Star Tape.


Red, White and Blue Shopping List:



All the embellishments you need for every occasion you celebrate can be found in the Eyelet Outlet Online StoreHip, Hip, Hooray!

wishes a very Happy Fourth of July to all who are celebrating!

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Paws-itively Perfect: A Pop-Up Dog Card!


As a huge dog lover, I'm always thrilled to find fun, pet-themed embellishments, and Eyelet Outlet truly delivers! For today's project, I've created an adorable pop-up slider card featuring several fantastic dog-related brads.

To bring this interactive card to life, I used a clever die set from Diamond Press. This set allows you to craft a slider mechanism where, with a gentle pull of the tab at the bottom, a cute dog pops up from inside the box, revealing a very special message!

Once the card base was assembled and all the moving pieces were installed, it was time for the best part: adding the perfect brads to match the theme! On the top of the card, I placed two sweet Paw Brads. In the lower right corner, you'll spot a bone and a dog house from the Puppy Brad Set. To balance the scene, I added an adorable puppy from the Kennel Mix Brads on the left, alongside a dog bowl, also from the Puppy Brad Set.


This card was so much fun to create, and the pop-up element adds such a delightful surprise! If you're a dog fan like me, you'll love incorporating these charming brads into your next project.


Please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!


Janet YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Knitting Sheep

I love a funny card and so do my grandchildren! They are great way to bring cheer to anyone's day.


Today I've made another one of these fun interactive cards called a hide and seek card. There's a little mechanism in the card so that the sentiment you see when the card is open drops down out of sight as the card opens and another message appears!


The Eyelet Outlet sheep brads and knitting brads were totally perfect for this card, don't you think? I created this card in Cricut Design Space, and if you're a Cricut crafter, too, I've shared the file on my Cricut profile

Here's a little video of the card in action.


Thanks for being with us today!






Wednesday, June 25, 2025

#FLAMINGOALS

Eyelet Outlet Flamingo Brads are flocking together for this fun and colorful all-occasion card. They're paired with Sun and Cloud Brads, a Tall Palm Tree and a bright and bouncy background of Pink Dot Washi Tape. The perfect card to welcome Summer!


Shopping List:


Visit the Eyelet Outlet Online Store for all the best brads, tapes, flowers and bling... in every season!

loves flamingos... and cardmaking... and cards with flamingos!

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Washi Tape Magic! Creating a Unique Birthday Card


Today, I'm excited to share a cheerful birthday card that truly shines, all thanks to some clever use of Eyelet Outlet's fantastic washi tapes! I dug into my stash and pulled out a versatile die that cuts both a frame and coordinating inner panels – perfect for showcasing these fun patterns.

First, for the striking frame, I used Foil Washi Tape - Silver Stars Tape. The trick here is to lay strips of the washi tape onto white cardstock before running it through the die. The result? A perfectly shimmering silver frame with crisp white stars that truly pops!

Next, I tackled the inner panels with the same technique. For the larger sections, I covered white cardstock with strips of the lovely Flower Washi and Strawberry Washi. The bright red and white polka dot panels were created in the exact same way, using the adorable Red/White Dot Washi Tape. This method allows you to transform plain cardstock into custom patterned paper, giving your project a truly unique look.

Since this is a birthday celebration, I cut a "Happy Birthday" sentiment from cardstock and added two elegant Rose Brads on each end as a delightful accent. To complete the festive scene, I cut a simple circle and adorned it with three bright Balloon Brads. I used green and yellow baker's twine to create "strings" for each balloon, running them behind the birthday sentiment. A small green and white ribbon bow at the base of the strings added a final touch of charm.

This card was incredibly fun to make, proving how you can use a basic die and washi tapes to achieve a genuinely one-of-a-kind result. I highly encourage you to give this technique a try! Eyelet Outlet boasts hundreds of washi tape patterns, so I'm confident you'll find the perfect design to fit any theme you can imagine and the perfect brads to go along with it.

I'll see you next week but until then please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!


Janet YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Yellow Roses

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "stop and smell the roses."  Well, when you're perusing the Eyelet Outlet web site, you're going to want to stop and BUY some roses! We have red, pink, and now our beautiful yellow roses are available. 


I sliced a diamond shaped grid into the cardstock with my Cricut and added a window frame to it. I added some greenery and the yellow roses had a place to climb. I added a yellow enamel heart to the sentiment and this card is perfect for any occasion.








 

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Kind of a Big Deal

The new Eyelet Outlet Card Suit Brads are beautiful and useful; to prove it, here's a PAIR of entirely SUIT-able cards! 

For "You're Kind of a Big Deal" the sentiment is printed in a free font called Dear Sunshine. The Card Suit Brads are placed in a square configuration and the background is a panel filled with neatly lined-up strips of Playing Card Washi.


The "Marriage" sentiment (adapted from a Sign Guy meme on social media) is printed in a typewriter font, then the Card Suit Brads were added above, and a pair of Playing Card Brads affixed below. The background panel is Heart Washi.     


Big Deal Shopping List:

All of the new Summer 2025 brad releases are available in the EO Online Store; plus the EO Booth will be traveling to Trade Shows all summer long; check the Schedule to find out when we're visiting in YOUR town!

thinks the Card Suit Brads deserve a big hand! :)

Sunday, June 15, 2025

Let's Get This Party Poppin'! A Hippo-rific Birthday Card!

Get ready to smile, because today I'm sharing a handmade birthday card featuring the new and utterly adorable dancing Hippo Brads! This pair of whimsical hippos are guaranteed to bring a dose of joy to any celebration.

I decided to create a square fancy fold card for this special occasion. What makes this fold unique is a middle panel that holds the upper and lower folds neatly shut until opened. This simple design adds an extra layer of surprise when the card is opened!

The stars of this party are, of course, the dancing hippos! I positioned them on the center panel, ready to celebrate. And what's a party without balloons? These happy hippos are holding onto three cheerful Balloon Brads, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Just above the playful "Hippo-Party-Mus" sentiment, you'll spot two charming Gift Brads, perfect for setting the birthday mood. To really light up the scene, I created a fun string of "party lights" using 8mm Cut Jewels in three vibrant colors. They add just the right amount of sparkle!

This card was so much fun to put together, and I hope it sparks some creative joy for your next birthday project. The new Hippo Brads are truly a delight to work with!

SHOPPING LIST:
Hippo Brads
Balloon Brads
Gift Brads
8mm Cut Jewels in purple, clear and blue

I'll see you next week but until then please visit the EO store for all your brads, washi tape, bling and paper flowers!

Happy Creating!


Janet YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest