My Favorite Card Makers

     Over the years my favorite card makers have changed.  I still like all of them, but like all of us their tastes change and so do their blogs and their YouTube video content.  As some of them spend more time on hand lettering than on card making (and their hand lettering is very inspiring), or teaching water coloring or hand drawing more than card making (and they are extremely talented in what they do), I end up skipping many of their videos because it doesn't apply to what I am doing currently or what I feel I should be focusing on.
     It's not that I don't want to do hand lettering or water coloring.  It's just that I still need to perfect my ink blending and try all the techniques in die cutting, fancy folds, making my own background papers, copic coloring and etc.  Once I have perfected all that I will likely delve into water coloring and hand lettering.
    So that leaves me with my CURRENT favorite card makers.  They are in no particular order other than the first one.

1. Gina K has always been near the top.  She is an awesome human being.  During the past year or two I have shared thoughts with her in an online forum, spoken to her in person, and talked to her on the phone when I had a problem with one of my orders-which really wasn't a problem on her end or my end-just a computer glitch.  She just couldn't be any nicer.  Her YouTube videos (StampTV with Gina K.) are so well planned and executed and her voice is soooo soothing.  Her cards are very elegant which I love and her products are to die for.  I buy almost exclusively from her now due to the high quality of her products.  I always wondered why the card making world hadn't discovered her yet.  Yes, many people knew her from her YouTube channel, but when discussing her channel or her products in the online card making forum I was in, the majority of users were not familiar with her.  I am so happy to see that she has final made it big.  Her products are being sold not just at her store, but at SimonSaysStamp.  She now is friends with the other card makers that have made it big.  She is traveling and giving demonstrations at Scrapbooking shows.  Her daughter Rina K has her own YouTube Channel (Rina K Designs) and she is so refreshing and funny.  I just can't say enough good things about Gina and her family.  I think the awesome products she is producing is what has recently put her at the top of my list.
2. Jennifer McGuire has also always been near the top.  Her YouTube Channel (Jennifer McGuire Ink) is so innovative.  She continually amazes me with new techniques that I would love to try.  She also is just an amazing person.  She joined the same card making forum that I am in and she is just such a sweet, helpful person.  By watching her videos you get a glimpse of her life and see what a generous person she is with her time.  So again, another sweet person with an awesome YouTube channel.  Jennifer has a very big following.  I don't think I have run into a card maker yet that doesn't know who she is.
3. Here is a hidden gem that doesn't seem to have hit it big yet.  She is another sweet lady and deserves a bigger following.  She seems dedicated to helping people learn techniques and improve their card making which I appreciate.  Justine Hovey (Justine's Cards) is the one I am hoping will be the next one to become a household name among card makers.
4. Yana Smakula makes the most beautiful elegant cards. Her cards are very much in the style I would like mine to be.  Some of them actually are like the ones I do but most of them are so much better.  It is really helpful for me to try to keep up with her.  I honestly believe I learn at least one new thing while watching a new video of hers.  I think what I like most about her cards is that they look like they belong in the Hallmark store.  Only there is only one of her cards and it is handmade instead of being thousands of the same card and being produced by machine.  Her YouTube channel is definitely on my list of channels I keep up with.  

There are a few other card makers whom I watch on YouTube but they don't produce as much content as these 4 ladies do.  There are also a few other ladies producing a lot of content.  I believe I have surpassed one of them in my ability to produce cards which I am proud of so I no longer watch her, but she is good and has a good following.  I am still subscribed to one of the ladies that I mentioned has changed the content of her channel-she still produces some content that I like so I just pick and choose which videos to watch, and there is also another lady producing a lot of content that I stopped watching due to her changing the focus of her content.  I adored the cards she was making but there were very few videos that I felt I wanted to watch.  If you feel there is someone I should be watching, chances are it is one of these last three ladies.

The Impossible Card

     I recently learned how to make the Impossible Card after watching a YouTube video about them from the MayMay Made It Crafts channel.  I researched it online and found a few examples to change it up a little bit.  I'm not sure who this card is going to but I like it and when I need to send someone a card, I will have this one ready.

     I made this card for my young nephew who adores cars.  His world is all about cars.  You had better not get him something other than a car for his birthday or Christmas unless you don't want him to be excited about your gift..  I am only half joking about that one.  MayMay had examples where she just used stickers to make one of her cards so I decided to do that with this card.  I will write his Happy Birthday sentiment and a personalized note on the back of the flap with the  police car on it.  The stickers are from "The Paper Studio".

     I made this card for my Sister-in-Law.  She is a decorative artist and paints flowers, birds and etc.  I think she will like it.  I used a vertical format for this card as opposed to the horizontal placement used on the previous two cards.  (Those cards were longer from side to side than from front to back.)  I needed to change the format of this one or else the entire bird would not fit on the panel.

Birthday Balloon card using 2 different stamp sets

     For this card I had fun making a background "designer paper" using the Simon Says Stamp Favorite Puperoni stamp set which was a free birthday stamp last year with purchase.  I used Papertrey Ink paper and matching ink in Aqua Mist.
     Then I used the Balloons Stamp set and matching Dies from Avery Elle, gluing about 4 sets of die cut balloons together for dimension.  I typically have difficulty getting these stamps to stamp evenly even in my Misti, but I lucked out this time.  I used Memento inks, then added glitter dots from the Dollar Tree for embellishments. 
     I really like the background paper I made.

Gina K Designs Wreath Builder Stamp and Template-A Winner in my Book!

   Gina K was demonstrating her amazing wreath builder kit at a stamping meet I was at.  It had been sold out online and  I was giddy as a child when I learned she brought some for sale. 
     This card was made using only the stamps and template from the Wreath Builder set. 
     I used the Altenew  mini ink pad sets of 4 in the Tropical Forest collection for the Greens and in the Red Cosmos collection for the pink/red colors plus Gina K Designs Black Onyx for the sentiment. 
     I used Nuvo clear drops for the centers of the large flowers and Wink of Stella glimmer pen on the large flowers.  Then I added buttons to the bottom.  I used an old designer paper from JoAnns on the card base too. 

     This card again used only the Wreath Builder stamp set and template.  I used Wink of Stella glimmer pen on the thistles and Nuvo crystal drops for embellishing.  Then I added buttons. 
     I used memento inks for the purple and blues along with Gina K Designs Onxy Black for the sentiment.
     Buttons are my thing this year but I have noticed that it varies by year.  I like ribbons one year then sequins the next, then buttons, etc.
     This is the only wreath where I intentionally made the floral design slip inside the sentiment circle.  I think I like it done both ways.

     I simply cannot put this stamp/template set away.  It is addictive.  For this card I again used the Altenew  mini cube sets in the greens and pinks plus Gina K Designs Onyx Black for the sentiment.
     I added Wink of Stella glimmer pen to the large flowers and pearl embellishments. 
     It really is just a simple wreath with a sentiment but it speaks volumes.  I was never "into" wreaths before but I am SOLD now!

     This card also only uses the Gina K Designs Wreath Builder stamp set and template.  I embellished it with pearls and Wink of Stella glimmer pen for the large flowers and the red hearts.
     I intentionally used two different colors on the large flowers and for some reason this blend of colors if very striking to me.  I used memento inks for the purple, plus the Altenew mini cubes for the green and the pink/reds plus Gina K Designs Onxy Black Ink for the sentiment.

     This card has a more masculine feel from the colors and the deer.  Again I used only the Wreath Builder stamps and template, memento ink plus Gina K Designs Black Onxy for the sentiment.  I embellished with clear crystal Nuvo drops in the center of each flower and added the deer die cut from Gina Marie Designs.
     I decided to leave the banner the deer is on blank so as not to be overwhelming.  This card needed space to rest the eyes.

     I think this is my favorite wreath card so far.  I love the vintage feel to the colors and the pearl accents.  I did not use a central circle stamp around the sentiment and even though I love the ones that have it, I think I like this one better with the pale flowers inside. 
     I used the Altenew mini ink cube set for the greens  then memento ink for the pink and purple.  I also used Gina K Designs Black Onxy ink for the sentiments. 
     In addition to the pearl accents I used Wink of Stella glimmer pen on the large flowers.