Punches

While we have acquired many new card making tools over the past year or so, I would say that our favorite find has to be the Clever Lever punches. We have found that some of the older punches, with the button that must be pushed down, are quite hard to use. They require a lot of pressure and often get jammed. Because of this, we frequently shied away from punches. Yet, the Clever Lever punches have changed everything. What started with one or two smaller punches has turned into a major collection of varying sizes and colors. The fact that the punches are color coded by size has made card making quite effortless. 

While I have used these punches quite a bit, Robin is actually the one who has become so amazing at using them. She carefully layers the various squares or circles to create gorgeous cards, such as the one above. On many of her cards, she starts with one of the smaller (1 inch) punches and makes her way up to the largest one. It creates a really nice layered look. The key to these cards seems to be the color choice for the paper, as they must work together yet be different enough that each one can be seen individually. On this particular card, the layers were made using various papers, including some from a new Martha Stewart Crafts valentine's day paper pack. A flower sticker from the Martha Stewart Collection was placed in the middle. The sentiment comes from the Hero Arts Stamp set- Thinking of you. 

Up until a few weeks ago, Robin and I thought that the Purple Giga Punch was the largest one in the line. Yet while away on vacation, we discovered that there is actually a larger punch, known as the Extra Giga Craft Punch. These punches are light green/aqua. I have to say that when Robin first saw this huge green punch, her eyes lit up as if she had discovered something truly amazing. We have not been able to find these large green punches in NYC but luckily my Grandma has been able to get them in FL and is willing to ship them up north. I was so excited when a package arrived from her- Robin looked at it and exclaimed- our punch arrived! So Grandma if you are reading this- Thank you so much! We love the punch!  I am sure you will see us use these punches more and more in the future.