Busy Hands Crafting Blog

Products Used: MFT Mini Cupcake Maker MFT BB Sweet Birthday Wishes MFT Circle Extraordinaire Stencil MFT Sprinkles Stencil MFT Positively Peppy Paper Pack Distress Ink VersaFine Ink Studio Katia Cupid's Kiss Crystals Aqua Shimmer Pen

Products Used: SSS Beautiful Flowers SSS Beautiful Butterflies MFT Birthday Greetings Sizzix Crochet Dies Spellbinders Labels Seventeen Nestabilities MFT Blueprints Simple Stories Simple Vintage Garden District 6x8 Paper Pack Tim Holtz Metallic Paper Pack Distress Oxide Inks VersaFine Ink VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder

Products Used: MFT Level Up MFT Game Controller MFT Abstract Background VersaFine Ink VersaMark Ink VersaFine Clair Ink WOW Embossing Powder Ranger Glossy Accents

I haven't had a whole lot of time or motivation to make cards the past few months, but I have been amassing goodies along the way. Like, a lot of them. I have a couple MFT boxes filled. Yikes. And they just recently had another retirement sale...so...yeah. There's more coming. Ha! I needed a birthday card for my mother-in-law, so I thought I would dig through my new treasures and use some items. I was tickled to snag this quilt square die during another retirement sale and decided to use patterned paper that reminded me of a lovely, "traditional" quilt. I've always admired the mad skillz that quilting requires and have always wanted to learn, but I suck at sewing. And measuring. And cutting fabric. So, I'll just stick to paper, in this instance. In other news, I am finally pain-free enough to venture out and I got to visit Hobby Lobby last night. Woot! Ours has been open for about a year and a half now, but my mobility was so crippled, I couldn'...

I have been wanting this set FOREVER. Okay, maybe not forever, but as soon as I saw it. It's perfect for masculine birthday cards! Life has gone sideways on me, lately. I haven't felt like making cards or doing any challenges. I managed to start Christmas cards, though. I'm hoping and praying things will finally chill the freak out so I can get back into doing what I love most! Products Used: Honey Bee Stamps Car Show Honey Bee Stamps You're A Classic MFT Blueprints 33 Fancy Pants Good Fellows 6x6 Paper Pack SSS Intense Black Ink VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder Copic Sketch Markers Pinkfresh Studio Enamel Dots

I fell in love with this lovely, HUGE stamp from Simon's STAMPtember release. I decided to test out some new markers by watercoloring with them. I was hoping to go for a more fall theme, but ended up in spring. Wrong season, but I still really like it. It was a joy to color. Products Used: SSS/Memory Box Fresh Cut Bouquet Arteza TwiMarkers VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder Gansai Tambi Watercolors

This was definitely another labor of love card. But when it comes to your mom's birthday, you better go big or go home! We got my mom hooked on Doctor Who (at least until recently when it started going downhill), so I've had this card in mind for quite awhile, but never got a chance to actually make it (because I'm lazy, folks...let's be honest, here). I was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's inside shadow box cards and thought it would be a perfect design for this kind of card. I mean, I had to fit the whole universe in a card! 😉 I watercolored the background for the gears, the galaxy background, and the TARDIS itself (I decided to ink blend the actual window background because I didn't have any cardstock big enough for the piece and watercolor would have warped it too much). I think it's so fun that when you open the card, the TARDIS zooms around! I can't wait to send this to my mama! Oh, and the message I wrote? "I wish I could change...

My youngest son, Drew, is turning nine on Saturday, so I set out to make him a super fun and colorful card, which fits his personality to a T. This card was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's spinner cards  and was a massive labor of love. There were so many elements to it, I had to do each part in steps (i.e. stamp the sentiment, die cut all the many, many pieces, assemble the card, decorate). It was so worth it, though! Doesn't it just want to make you FIESTA?! I just love how crazy it is. Kind of like Drew. Ha! I can't believe he's turning NINE!!! Products Used: MFT More Essential Sentiments MFT Well Connected Alphabet MFT Well Connected Numbers MFT Birthday Balloon Die-namics MFT Fiesta Die-namics MFT Pinata Die-namics MFT Fringed Scallop Borders Die-namics MFT Celebratory Confetti Die-namics MFT Blueprints Die-namics Cottage Cutz Basic Circle Dies MFT Radiating Rays Stencil Distress Ink VersaFine Ink Edit: He LOVED his card! ...

This was a blatant ripoff of Kristina Werner's card , but I just loved the ink colors she used to make the background, along with the white heat embossed florals on top...I just had to. Mad respect to her talented self for coming up with this first. I'm not worthy! Haha! :) Products Used: Concord & 9th Hello Lovely MFT Label Maker Sentiments Distress Inks VersaFine Ink VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder

I admit -- I copied this card from the back of the packaging these dies came in. But I thought it was lovely and perfect. Products Used: Spellbinders December Small Die Club Spellbinders Fancy Edged Rectangle Dies Fancy Pants Attwell 6x6 Paper Pack

Simple and very green. Just like how my daddy likes it. :) Products Used: SSS Grid Frame MFT Balloon STAX (retired) MFT Happy Birthday Script

Life has been NUTS lately! I've been so busy with work (and dealing with some health issues), that this is one of two cards that I've been able to make this year so far, sadly. :( This card was quite a project, piecing all those tiny pieces back together, but given that it was birthday card meant for my favoritest person on Earth (my hubby), it was totally worth it. Side note -- it's such a pain to photograph foil paper! It's there. Promise. :) Products Used: Spellbinders Glass Effects Decorative Card Front MFT Sweet Nothings VersaFine Ink

A clean and simple masculine birthday card for a family member. Products Used: MFT True Blue Houndstooth 6x6 Paper Pack Hero Arts Many Everyday Messages MFT Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings VersaFine Ink Tombow Xtreme Adhesive SSS Craft Tacky Glue

Birthday cards for guys are so hard! Why?!?! *cries* I made this birthday card for my father-in-law with mostly die cuts from MFT. Sometimes, I just love the simplicity and ease of a good die cut card. Makes my life a little easier -- especially when it comes to making man cards! I even used my left over balloons to decorate the inside. Bonus points! =) Products Used: MFT Die-namics Happy Birthday Script MFT Die-namics Birthday Balloon MFT Prestige Card Stock Neenah Solar White Card Stock SSS Craft Tacky Glue Double Sided Foam Squares

I'm sure I've mentioned this a few (thousand) times, but I REALLY struggle with masculine cards and clean and simple cards. This card ticks off both boxes. But I was pretty pleased with the way it came out, surprisingly. Fall is totally my jam, so maybe that helps. I'll go with it. I die cut the leaves from fall-ish colored card stock, adhered them to a white panel, heat embossed one side of a white card base with gold embossing powder, popped up my leaf panel with foam tape, and then added the sentiment and some dots with a gold gel pen. Hopefully my soon-to-be 85-year-old grandfather approves. Products Used: MFT Falling Leaves Die-namics Hero Arts Many Everyday Messages VersaFine Ink VersaMark Ink WOW Embossing Powder Ranger Multi Medium Matte Glue Double Sided Foam Tape

Ever have those projects that start out one thing, but then go sideways? Yeah. Totally happened here. I finally got around to trying to make a card using my MFT Rectangle Flop Card Die-namics, but it didn't turn out and I ended up cutting off part of the front. It actually worked out fairly well. Sometimes you just have to yell "plot twist!!" and make the best of it, right? At any rate, how cute are these coffee themed dies from Spellbinders?! The sprinkles weren't as pronounced as I was hoping they would be (I was running out of mojo at that point), so I colored over them with a RV Copic Marker and then brushed on some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer. I'm pretty sure my cousin, who's a coffee fiend, will like this card. Hopefully. Products Used: Spellbinder's Coffee Time Die Birdie Brown Sweet Birthday Wishes (retired) MFT Rectangle Flop Card Die-namics (retired) MFT Party Patterns 6x6 Paper Pack Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen Copic Markers Di...

Can I get a little personal with you right now? My oldest is turning ten on Wednesday. TEN. I can't handle it. It makes me a little weepy. He's such a great kid and his dad and I have had great pleasure in watching him grow. <3 Here's the colorful birthday card I made him this year, starring his absolute favorite color, BLUE! Products Used: Die-namics Blueprints 27 Whimsy Alpha Stamp Set Penelope's Blossoms Stamp & Die Set (Lawn Fawn - retired) VersaFine Onyx Black Ink VersaMark Ink Prestige Card Stock Patterned Paper (MFT - retired) Enamel Dot Stickers Xyron Mega Runner Double Sided Foam Tape Drew even got in on the card making action! He made me pull out several stamp sets so he could make the perfect card. He was super proud!

I made this fun cupcake card for my mama for her birthday. I'm really loving the Spellbinder's Small Die of the Month Club !