Karen Burniston

Karen Burniston isn't just another craft designer-she's basically the pop-up card wizard you never knew you needed. An engineer turned paper crafter who designs metal craft dies to create pop-up cards, Karen's got this whole thing figured out in a way that makes you wonder why everyone else is making it so complicated.

Here's what's kind of brilliant about her approach: she packs every die set with as much innovation, versatility and function as possible, designing products that she'll want to use over and over again for all sorts of occasions. It's not just about making one cute card-it's about creating tools that actually earn their keep in your craft room.

The backstory's pretty interesting too. For fifteen years she licensed her designs to other companies but finally launched her own company, KB Riley LLC, in 2017. That's the kind of move that tells you someone's been paying attention to what works and what doesn't in this industry. She partnered with Tanya Kostynuk, the owner of Riley and Company, creating KB Riley LLC as the official home for new Karen Burniston products.

What really sets her apart is the engineering background. She's an engineer turned designer who has put all her engineering expertise into designing fun, innovative pop-up designs. You can tell-there's a precision to her dies that makes them actually work the way they're supposed to, which anyone who's wrestled with finicky craft supplies will appreciate.

And she's not just designing in a vacuum. She fills her blog and YouTube channel with ideas for making your own cards, so you're not just buying a product-you're getting into a whole ecosystem of inspiration and instruction. There are many videos to accompany her products, so every crafter, new and seasoned can make these amazing cards.

The pop-up card thing might sound niche, but there's something genuinely magical about a card that moves and surprises. Her goal is to make that magic accessible to any crafter. In a world of digital everything, a handmade pop-up card hits different-it's the kind of thing that makes people actually keep cards instead of tossing them after a week.