Practicing Creativity

Delightful Thursday at Digital Delights – Tipsy Mouse birthday step card – and how to make your own enamel dots tutorial

Digital Delights Tipsy Mouse birthday step card, by Paperesse.

It's another Delightful Thursday at Digital Delights; click on over to see what projects DT members have to share with you today. My card features the Tipsy Mouse stamp and Cheers sentiment set.


I've used Crafts-too Presscut step card die as the base. An enlarged, fussy cut stamp makes the perfect center piece for this card design (as on this LUV U Teddy Valentine's Day card).


Paper is from the long retired Artemio Firenze paper pack; appropriate, I thought, for a masculine card, which this is. Embellishments are my own homemade enamel dots. See quick tutorial below for the how-to.

*Quick Tutorial* Enamel dots have become one of my favorite embellishments. Their light weight and flat shape make them perfect for decorating cards that will be sent through the mail. My only problem is that I can't easily find them so I'm forced to order them on the internet, which can be pricey.

I mentioned this to my talented crafty friend Ginny, of RubberMAD blog fame, who had this to write about making her own enamel dots:

'One of my fave techniques is to use a hole punch - [I have 1/16, 1/8 & 1/4" hole punches] to punch dots out of my primary CS or my mat CS - glue those to my card and then put a drop of Glossy Accents on top.  That gives me a perfectly matched, shiny, faux enamel dot to bling up my project!  I can also use  gold foil or other colors on them. Cheap and effective!'

None of the enamel dot colors I had coordinated well with this Tipsy Mouse card, and since I wanted to use a lot, even if one had, I'd have had to use a whole pack! I was scratching my head, wondering what else would do, when I remembered what Ginny had said.

I thought of this recently purchased hollow circle die (sold under various names on eBay and Amazon) and of all the little bits left over when it cuts – perfect for enamel dots! I cut the die with a piece of the same color cardstock used on the card. Not having Ginny's experience, I decided not to risk gluing them down before using my Diamond Glaze (I didn't have any Glossy Accents), so I put the cut bits on a Ranger Non-Stick craft sheet and then put a drop of Diamond Glaze on each, spreading with a toothpick to break up bubbles and cover the dot. I let them dry over night, then glued to the card the next day. In the photo below, you can see the 'before' with two of the larger circles I didn't want to use.


I was very pleased with how they turned out. Thanks, Ginny, for such a thrifty idea!

I'm linking up with: Addicted to Stamps & More #246 – ATG, Crafty Creations #343 – ATG, Inspiration Destination #130 – ATG, The Sisterhood of Crafters 14/06 – Use Your Imagination/ATG, and The Crafty Addicts #37 – ATG.

10 comments

  1. Great card. I love the image! Thanks for the tip on the "enamel" dots. Thanks for joining us at Crafty Creations. Ciao, Lisa

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  2. OMG he is SO cute and looks great on this step card design! Thanks so much for joining us at The Sisterhood’s ‘Use Your Imagination’ challenge and please come back again soon!
    Darlene
    one of the 'Sistahs'
    The Sisterhood of Crafters
    DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS Please come for a visit!

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  3. Gorgeous card and colouring and I appreciate the tutorial too, really interesting and useful if you are on a budget for sure!
    Thanks for joining us at The Crafty Addicts and Good Luck! :)
    Annabel - Crafty Addicts DT.

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  4. What a cute image and great layout. Thanks for joining the Sisterhood's "Use Your Imagination" challenge.

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  5. First - that is my new favorite Shani card to date! I love your coloring of that great image - his ears, the wine the grapes! You have achieved such depth with your pencils and then the VERY nice fussy cutting and mounting of the image! Your photography is always spot on - getting those great shadows under the image and the card itself... I really envy your skill with a camera.
    And then, I really looked forward to your tutorial on the beautiful enamel dots - and found you quoting me on something I had shared... surprize! But you have gone above and beyond!!! Using the circle die cut had to have been a light bulb moment - and putting the dots on the craft sheet to add the Diamond Glaze - what a great improvement on my technique! Thanks for the credit, but you improved on that one and now I have a new way of doing it! Thanks Shani - and well done on your wonderful card!
    ~ginny

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  6. Ohhhh Shani !! Ta carte est adorable !! Cette souris est magnifique !! Et le papier est superbe aussi, ta carte est élégante et mignonne !!
    Gros bisous

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  7. Super adorable image,love him and your step card is awesome idea to pop him up...thank you for joining us at ATSM CHALLENGE this week,hope to see you again
    Željka DT xx

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  8. What a cool tip! Fab card, neat papers too!

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  9. such a cute image - thanks for sharing your project at Addicted to Stamps and More

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  10. No matter the day of the week, it is a delight to visit your blog! What a fun image and card theme. Thanks for your 'enamel dot' technique tip.

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