Blog Archives - Crystal Komara

Magic Luck

1/31/2022

Hello readers and happy Monday! Welcome back from the snowy weekend. We didn't end up with nearly as much snow here in Western Massachusetts as was predicted, but a fresh 4-5" made it look pretty all the same.

Today I am sharing three cards that were made using the Magic Luck Digi-Next Card Club series from 88 and Clear. Continue reading below to learn more about this monthly card club subscription.

Kit includes, Exclusive Digital Download, link to the class, Instructions, 4 kits to create 4 beautiful cards, along with RG.

Subscribe, Receive and Create! It's that simple!

Live Virtual Class with step-by-step instruction. Classes will stay recorded so if you can't make the Live class, not a problem you can access it anytime. Come and play when you want!

*Live class is pre-scheduled each month*

*Subscription is billed every 1st of the month*

Receive your Exclusive Download instantly after checkout and start creating! Exclusive Digital bundle included with files in 4 formats; Regular PDF, Digital Die Cut Machine Outlined PDF, SVG & JPEG. You will also receive a printed digital each month to create your projects.

Here's what you receive in each monthly Kit:
- Exclusive Digital Bundle and a printed copy with your kit
- Exclusive Digital Bundle in 4 formats! (Regular PDF, Digital Die Cut Machine Outlined PDF, SVG File and JPEG File)
- One on one education! Live virtual education class. The recording will always be available so you can tune in at your convenience!
- Learn Design Trends First
- Tips, Techniques and methods
- Design and composition

CLICK TO SUBSCRIRBE NOW!

I have so much inspiration to share with you from this kit! Here is a closer look at the three cards I made using this month's card club subscription:

And here are a few more beautiful cards that 88 and Clear owner and CEO Richard Garay (RG) made using this same kit:

This is a fun digital stamp set with the most GORGEOUS digital papers! To learn more about digital stamping, please click here. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Make A Wish

1/24/2022

Hello readers and happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is off to a great start. The weekends are one of the few times I have to craft, so you’ll most likely find me in my craft room today. I’m so excited to be sharing some of the brand new dies that Birch Press Design has to offer in January! Many of these newly released products focus on birthdays, so my first card using the new Floral Balloon Layer Set and the Make a Wish Sugar Script dies is a fun shaker card. Nothing says let’s celebrate like sparkle and sequins!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using the Pinpoint Radial Plate, I cut my first layer from white cardstock. This pinpoint die is what you see behind the balloons. I adhered this pinpoint embossed cardstock directly to the card base. I placed approximately 1 tablespoon each of black and raspberry sequins on the pinpoint embossed cardstock. I created a shaker frame using a scalloped rectangle die and a smaller scalloped rectangle die. I lined the back of the frame with clear acetate. I lined the back of the frame with thin strips of 3M foam adhesive, ensuring that every send and seal was covered so no sequins would fall out. I placed the frame directly over the sequins and pressed firmly sealing the edges.

I die cut the words “make a wish” from black cardstock and white cardstock and layered the two together with a fine-tip glue. I put the sentiment aside to save for the final layer.
Creating the balloons:
For the first (black and white balloon) I used the Floral Balloon Layer Set. I die cut Layer B from black cardstock and layered it over a piece of white cardstock that I trimmed by hand to the same shape. I adhered this balloon directly to the acetate on the front of the card.
For the second balloon (black/pink and white), I also used the Floral Balloon Layer Set. I die cut Layer A from pink glitter cardstock, Layer B from Black cardstock and then again, I layered the balloons over white cardstock and trimmed the white cardstock by hand to form the balloon shape. I adhered this second balloon over the first balloon using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Lastly, I added the “make a wish” sentiment to the card also using 3M foam adhesive.
I hope you like today’s shaker card using some of the NEW Birch Press Design products! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

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Hello My Friend

1/20/2022

Hello Joy Clair Design fans! I hope your New Year is off to a good start. Today I have a simple and subtle card to share with you using a variety of cacti images from the My Succulents digital stamp set.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I pulled a piece of beige patterned paper from my scraps pile and cut it to 5 1/4" x 4". It kind of resembles wallpaper to me! I die cut a picture frame from white cardstock and adhered it to the center of the card at a slight angle. I printed four of the cacti images from the My Succulents digital stamp set and colored the images using Copic markers. I fussy cut all four images out and then adhered them to the picture frame using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped "hello my friend" in kraft ink on a thin strip of white cardstock and adhered it to the card. I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle. Lastly, I added a couple of self-adhesive clear stones to the card that resemble water droplets.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

XO, Crystal

On Your Special Day

1/13/2022

Hello friends! Today I'm sharing this pretty in pink card using the beautiful floral bouquet from the On Your Special Day digital stamp set from Joy Clair Designs.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of black cardstock for the first layer. I stamped a burlap background stamp in Versamark ink on the black cardstock and then heat embossed it with black embossing powder for a black-on-black or tone-on-tone look. I LOVE creating black backgrounds like this, especially for bright floral images, it really makes them POP!

I printed out the bouquet twice from the On Your Special Day digital stamp set. I colored the image with Copic markers and then spent a lot of time fussy cutting! I adhered the flowers to the front of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I printed out the sentiment on white cardstock and adhered it over the flowers. I added a couple clear drops that resemble water drops. Lastly, I added a layer of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle.

I hope you have enjoyed today's card! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

With Love

1/10/2022

Hello crafty readers! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog beginning to share some Valentine's Day inspiration using the Flora Heart Layering Dies.

Card details:

This slimline card measures 8 1/2" x 3 1/2". Slimline cards are designed to fit inside a regular #10 business sized envelope and require no additional postage. The base of this slimline card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. The first layer of the card is also a piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock measuring 8 1/4" x 3 1/4". I ran this piece of white cardstock through an embossing folder with small cascading hearts (a retired product).

To create the two die cut hearts:

Using the Flora Heart Layering Die set, I die cut Layer A, Layer B and Layer C all from white cardstock. (I did this twice). I adhered all three white layers together using a fine tip liquid glue. Then I fussy cut a red heart background behind the layers to ensure the die cut hearts would "pop" when placed on a white background. I adhered the hearts to the top and bottom of the card using 3M foam adhesive for dimension.

To create the alcohol ink hearts:

On a 5 1/4 " x 4" piece of white Yupo paper I ink blended Ranger Adirondack Alcohol inks in the colors in Crimson, Red Pepper and Pink Sherbet. I also added in gold mixative for the swirls of metallic gold. After the ink was dry, I die cut one large heart and two smaller hearts from the Yupo Paper. I adhered the large heart to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive. I added the two smaller hearts beside the white die cut Flora Hearts.

Lastly, I stamped the sentiment "with love" in red ink on white cardstock. This sentiment is from the Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp set. I die cut the sentiment with the coordinating Contempo Christmas Greetings die. I adhered the sentiment to the center heart using 3M foam adhesive.

I hope you have enjoyed this beautiful and elegant slimline card. While designed with Valentine's Day in mind, this card would also work for weddings and anniversaries.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Sympathy To You

1/6/2022

Hello readers! Today I am on the Joy Clair Designs blog sharing some sympathy card ideas using the beautiful floral prism from the To You digital stamp set. Ugh, I have to begin by saying I've used up far too many sympathy cards from my supply last year and it pains me to even think of needing to make more. But. . . here we are. I find sympathy cards rather challenging to make and try to keep them simple and elegant. One of my favorite ways to create elegance for any card is by black-on-black heat embossing.

All of these three cards were created using the same layout and colors, I simply changed the color of the flower in the prism to have a slight variation.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using a piece of black cardstock, I die cut a scalloped rectangle frame and then stamped a leaf image in Versamark ink. You could really use any sort of large stamp for this background. I heat embossed the image with black embossing powder for a black-on-black or tone-on-tone look. I printed out the large prism from the To You digital stamp set and enlarged it to 5" x 3". I fussy cut the prism and colored the flower using Copic markers. I adhered the prism to the card using 3M foam adhesive. I then stamped the sentiment "with sympathy" in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and fussy cut around the sentiment. I adhered the sentiment to the prism with a Tombow adhesive runner.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on my website, Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

XO, Crystal

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Just Add Sparkle

1/3/2022

Hello readers! I live in Massachusetts (and grew up in remote northern Maine) so January is essentially the "dead of winter" here with cold temperatures and typically measurable amounts of snow. But, in absolutely no way am I a cold weather person. You'll find me happily crafting INside.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Yupo paper, I created a background using Ranger Adirondack Alcohol inks in the colors Glacier Blue, Sailboat Blue and Limeade. Once the alcohol ink background dried, I adhered it directly to the card base. I die cut two snowflakes from the Frosty Flake Layer Set. I cut Layer A from a piece of blue glitter cardstock in the Ocean Blue 6" x 6" paper pack. I cut Layer B from white cardstock. I adhered both snowflakes directly to the alcohol ink background using a fine tip liquid glue.

I stamped the sentiment "just add sparkle" on teal cardstock in Versamark ink. This sentiment is from the Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp set. I heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder and then die cut the sentiment using the coordinating Contempo Christmas Greetings dies. I adhered the sentiment to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, I added a couple clear rhinestones to the snowflakes for more sparkle.

I love working with alcohol inks! They can provide a beautiful background for the most simple of elements. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

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January 2022 Mood Board

1/1/2022

Hello crafty readers and happy New Year! The Design Team at Joy Clair Designs is excited to share the mood board for this month. Mood boards (also commonly called "inspiration" boards) are a combination of colors, images, textures and patterns that can offer guidance or direction. If you feel like you don't know where to begin a project, try looking at a mood board and let the creative juices flow. You might just be surprised by the end result!

Let's take a look at the January 2022 Joy Clair Designs mood board:

This palette has all the feels of a peaceful wintery day (without the freezing cold temperatures!) From cardinals and blue jays to snowmen and the typical red barn in New England scene, this palette is sure to inspire you.

We would love to see YOU create using this mood board as inspiration too! Feel free to use similar colors in whatever brand of cardstock you have readily available. We'd love for you to use your Joy Clair Designs stamps if you have them! And if you don't have any yet CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING TODAY!

Be sure to tag us on social media using the following hashtags so we can see your cards or other papercraft projects:
#joyclairdesignsmoodboard
#joyclairmoodboard

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on my website, Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

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