Little Details with the Little Smiles Collection

Hello crafters! Joan Bardee here sharing some cards made with The Little Smiles Collection. This Collection makes darling cards, particularly ones for babies and kids. It consists of 3 die sets, a BetterPress LetterPress sentiment and coordinating die set, and a 3D Embossing Folder and coordinating BetterPress Plate.

I love to add little details to make my cards special. Add a few embellishments, an interesting layer or specialty paper, etc., and our cards no longer look like something you could purchase off a shelf. They become unique and special.

BIRTHDAY GRID

Isn’t this card adorable? I was inspired by this card that Yana Smakula shared a few months ago. (If you want a lot of grid inspiration, just type “grid” into the search engine on Yana’s blog and your plate will overflow.)

Select a color palette suitable for a young child – light gray, blue, red, white, and a touch of beige.
Die cut 4 red circles sized to fit on an A2 card – these are a little larger than 1.5”.
Die cut the rabbit and mouse from Go Kart Go Etched Dies in the colors shown.
Die cut the hippo and elephant from Swinging Among the Stars Etched Dies in the colors shown.
Die cut a balloon string and animal face from Go Kart Go.
Since each of the animals is on a red circle, select colors for the animals that will contrast with the red. The mouse is red, but the gray stars on the red background provide sufficient contrast with the mouse.
Adhere all the pieces onto each of the red circles, with each of the animals popped up with foam tape. I added the balloon as an afterthought, so it was hard to tuck the string for the balloon under the elephant. Do it as you put the elephant together and it will be easier to make it look like the elephant is holding onto the string.
Hot foil a sentiment from Little Smiles BetterPress Plate & Die set with red foil onto light gray cardstock. (Don’t have red foil? Run it through your BetterPress machine with red ink – the plates are versatile. Now go buy some red foil!)
Die cut the sentiment. Run the die through your Platinum 6 again with white or gray cardstock so that you can stack the die cut sentiment and make it sturdier. Adhere the foiled sentiment with Bearly Arts Glue onto 2 blank die cuts and then adhere the sentiment with foam tape.
Adhere everything on a 5.25” x 4” light gray panel as shown. I moved the sentiment over to make room for the balloon. The balloon “breaks” the 2 over 2 grid design. Breaking the grid is a great way to add a little visual interest to a grid card.

Little Details: Pom poms on the ears (so cute), foam tape to pop up the elements and create dimension, red foil for the sentiment, red enamel dots in the centers of the flowers, and all the small die cuts that add interest to the card – the little stars, the hats, the tiny flowers.

Tip: The 1^st place I always look for embellishments or other little details to add to a card are the small dies that Spellbinders includes in almost every set. These are gold! For this card, the small flowers and leaf from Go Kart Go, and the stars from Swinging Among the Stars were perfect to use on this card.

SWEET BUNDLE OF JOY

Such a sweet set.

Trim an A2 size piece of white cardstock and ink blend in medium blue ink, lightening up as you go down the panel.
Hot foil the panel using the Falling Stars BetterPress Plate, Opal foil, and Glimmer Hot Foil Machine. Opal foil leaves a shiny watermark impression, which was a perfect subtle touch for a baby card.
Die cut the panel using the wide “cloud” die from Bundle of Joy as shown.
Adhere both parts of the panel on an A2 side folded white card with foam tape.
Die cut the stork, bundle, and baby from Bundle of Joy from white cardstock and then ink blend each piece as shown. Ink blending gives a soft look that pairs well with a baby card. I die-cut the larger pieces twice so that they were sturdier.
Adhere all the parts together, following the illustration on the Spellbinders’ website.
Adhere the finished pieces to the card as shown with foam tape.
Ink the plate from Little Smiles Sentiments BetterPress Plate & Die Set with dark blue ink onto white cardstock and run through the BetterPress LetterPress. Die cut using the coordinating die. This sentiment set will cut multiple sentiments with one use. Love this!
Speaking of the sentiment – notice how the sentiments are shaped to work with baby and kids’ cards – the die cuts mimic the shape of clouds. So clever!
Adhere Graphite Color Essential Gems to add sparkle to the sky. These are dark gray and work perfectly against a blue sky – more subtle than gold or silver.
Add pale blue pom poms to the baby’s hat.

Little Details: The foiled background, graphite gems to mimic stars, a suggestion of clouds, foam tape, and the pom poms all add to the card. It’s hard to know when to stop adding things, isn’t it? Better to stop early rather than crowd the card.

MOONLIT DREAMS BABY CARD

A different look for a baby card – dark blue with shiny gold and white.

Select a sentiment from Little Smiles Sentiments. One of the sentiments references “moonlit dreams and starry skies.” Design a card around that theme.
Trim a piece of medium/dark blue cardstock to A2.
Place inside the Wishing Stars 3D Embossing folder and run through the Platinum 6 machine. (Mist with water before placing for an even deeper impression – I was happy without.) You have your starry sky.
Ink blend dark blue ink around the edges of the panel so that there is a bit of a glow around the “moon.”
Use one of the Everlasting Circles dies and cut a circle out of white cardstock twice. Adhere the circles together. You have made moonlit dreams.
Die cut the large star from Swinging Among the Stars Etched dies out of Mirror Metallic Gold Assortment Treasured cardstock. Die cut just the backer piece from orange cardstock. The backer provides the color inside the die cuts on the star. So easy.
Die cut twice the set of small stars from the same set with the same gold cardstock.
Run the sentiment set through the BetterPress with white cardstock and blue ink.
Adhere everything as shown with foam tape and then adhere to an A2 card with glue.

Little Details: The gold foil, embossed background, ink-blended edges, and the built-in face on the rounded star are the little touches that help make this card cute.

Thanks to Spellbinders and thanks for reading along with me. Now it’s time for you to add little details to your cards.

Spellbinders Supplies:

Other Supplies

Assorted cardstock, blue ink, pom poms