Hi friends! Today, I am excited to share another installment of my cardmaking life hacks series… these are always my favorite videos to create. This video shares two easy cards with lots of life hacks throughout!

(Looking for anything that I used in the video? All of the supplies are linked with images to multiple stores at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used when possible. Watch the full video HERE in HD!)

QUICK GLOSSY COATING

Whenever I use die cut words on my cards, I like to add a thick coating of gloss to them to make the sentiment stand out. Glossy Accents works well for this, but it takes a long time to dry and I can be quite impatient. I like to use Ultra Thick embossing powder which adds a thick coating of gloss in one layer and takes no time to dry.

STRAIGHT SENTIMENT BANNERS

I know there are companies who create dies that cut sentiment banner strips; however, I like to create these in my paper trimmer to save time. No matter how the sentiment is stamped, it is easy to line it against plastic guides in trimmers and ensure that it is straight with even borders. You can try this technique in many kinds of trimmers.

COLORED DIE CUTS

Some die cuts take several colored pieces that layer together to create a beautiful floral or image and it can be very tedious to cut them out of several paper colors. So, I like to cut them out of white cardstock and color them in with markers. This allows you to add depth and dimension with shading and ensure the colors match!

SHAPED CARDS

It can be so much fun to use different dies and create your own shaped cards. To do this, fold the cardstock and place the die hanging a bit over the folded edge. This way, the fold holds the two sides together and creates a beautiful card!

CUTTING FOAM TAPE

Creating shaker cards is really easy when you have foam tape that is thin and easily bendable. So, I like to cut my foam tape in half which allows it to bend around corners and uses less foam tape on one project.

ANTI-STATIC SHAKER POUCH

I always struggle with creating shaker cards that don’t stick and allow the sequins to move freely. This can be done easily by adding anti-static powder on the acetate and edges of foam tape to remove any stick that the sequins could catch on.

SUPPLIES

Below are all of the supplies used in today’s video linked to multiple stores for convenience. Compensated affiliate links used when possible (when you use these links it helps support me at no extra cost to you)… Thank you!