Category: Cards

Anniversary card

I took this week’s Paper Variety challenge – a page sketch – and turned it into a card. Here was the original sketch

I removed most of the elements on the left side of the sketch to scale it down for my card size.  I also replaced the pennants with a banner so I could add an additional message there. When using sketches, feel free to remove items that you don’t need and change elements into items that will work better for your layout.

Recipe:
cardstock: Stampin’ Up, SEI, Wausau
stamps, ink: Stampin’ Up
rubons: Fancy Pants
glitter glue: Ranger
wire: stash

Weekend update #3

I needed a bunch of thank you cards for my daughter’s birthday party from last weekend. I decided that it is more economical, both in time and money to make smaller cards. So this time I am showing you a set of note cards that measure 4.25 x 5.5 (that is 4 note cards out of a single sheet of letter size cardstock). I left the cards with no sentiment so the extras can be used for any purpose.

Because we are pretty close with all of the party attendees, thank you cards can be a bit redundant. However, I still like the process of having my kids reflect for just a couple of minutes on who gave them what after the whirlwind is all over. It is also a time to think over all the new do-dads and consider why each one is appreciated. I hope this process makes it more than just a pile of loot for them. And of course, I get to make pretty cards; can’t forget to mention that! So here are my pretty cards for you.

Recipe
white cardstock: Wausau
ink, stamps, vanilla cardstock: Stampin’ Up
dry embossing tools: Sizzix
ribbon: Cream City Ribbon

Weekend update #2

I have so many projects planned for this weekend and here it is Sunday early afternoon already. I don’t think I am going to get them all done. Well, here is the next one for you. I’m hoping I’ll have some more by this evening. We’ll see how it goes.

This one is for the Paper Variety weekly challenge. This time it is to use stitching (machine, hand or faux). Since I am a sewer this one was easy for me! I decided to use the stitching as a focal point instead of just an embellishment on something. So I made this cheery card. Enjoy!

Recipe
cardstock, inks, aqua painter: Stampin’ Up
watercolor paper: Strathmore
liquid applique, marker: Marvy
thread: Coats and Clark (multicolor thread)
craft stick:Forster
metallic ink: Tsukineko
other: sealant spray

Steps

  1. Cut watercolor paper to card-front size (here 4×5.25).
  2. On back of watercolor paper, draw rainbow lines going in the opposite direction you want the finished rainbow to be.
  3. Stitch over your lines with a multicolor thread. This will give an interesting effect and prevent you from needing to change threads for each arch.
  4. Cut a cloud shape from water color paper and apply liquid applique in a thick layer. Allow to dry over night. Heat with a heat gun to get the bubbly raised texture. Add gray watercolor highlights.
  5. On front of rainbow card-front, add water color detail to sky.
  6. Hand cut sun, add watercolor detail and apply to card-front. Layer cloud with pop dots over sun.
  7. Roll craft stick in metallic ink and seal (that ink rubs off if you don’t seal it!). Allow to dry.
  8. Hand cut flag, add sentiment and ink edges.
  9. Apply craft stick to card with glue. Add flag with pop dot.
  10. Adhere card-front to folded card.

Challenge Card

One more post for you this weekend. I am still going strong with creating for challenges. This one comes from two challenges:

  1. the Moxi Fab World Tuesday Trigger about comfy cozy. I used the fabric & colors from this image.
  2. The Paper Variety sketch for this week. I used the general layout and theme from this sketch.

So here you go…


Recipe:
cardstock, twill tape, punch, ink: Stampin’ Up
stamp: Technique Tuesday
buttons: Buttons Galore
pattern paper: stash

Blog Spotlight!

I just got word that one of my projects was featured on the Club Creating Keepsakes blog! The specific post is available here. And what did I get spotlighted for, you ask? Well this Valentine’s Day project that I hadn’t posted here to my blog yet. Good excuse to get it posted.

Recipe:
cardstock, felt heart, chipboard bird, brads: stash
pattern papers: Basic Gray (bird), DaisyD’s (background)
alpha: October Afternoon
runbon: Hambly Screen Prints (“Valentine” word)

Cameo Challenge

The Moxie Fab World blog is having a cameo challenge. There are some really gorgeous examples of cameos over there so you really should go check them out. The challenge was to “create a paper crafted project (card, gift bag, tag, layout, home decor item, mini-book cover, etc.) that incorporates a cameo/cameos in an innovative way.” I had a couple of different ideas for this but decided on this idea here…

Recipe
cardstock: Stampin’ Up (Kraft), Wausau (white)
die cut: Cricut (Heritage cart)
ribbon: Offray
spray mist: Tattered Angels (used to dye white ribbon pink)
computer: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, font (Bell Gothic Std)

It is funny that cameos are hot right now. I thought they were pretty cool when I made this card last June…

Why don’t you go cook up some crafty cameo creations!

2 challenge projects

I worked on two blog challenges today, My Pink Stamper’s birthday challenge and The Paper Variety’s friendship challenge. Both of the cards I made will be going into my donation pile. You can read about who I am currently donating to on this previous blog post.

Let’s start with The Paper Variety. They gave us this quote to use as inspiration to craft a project.

I went with a general friendship theme to make this card…

Recipe
Cardstock: Paper Accents
watercolor paper: Strathford
watercolor pencils, hemp thread, blender pens: Stampin’ Up
marker: Marvy
die cut: Cricut
other: computer printing, thread

And now on to My Pink Stamper. Robyn celebrated her birthday this past Monday and is offering two Cricut Cartridges as prizes for entering her birthday challenge. Just make anything with a birthday theme. So I made this card…

Recipe:
cardstock: The Paper Company
die cut: Cricut (pennants from Give a Hoot)
white pen: Signo
watercolor pencils, blender pen: Stampin’ Up

Up-cycling

I never intended to upcycle my daughter’s birthday party decorations, but that is just what I did! I had been wondering what I would do with all the decorations. I love making decorations but I hate just plopping then in the recycle bin when the party is over. It feels like a waste to me. When my husband saved the jellyfish from the party cups and stuck then to a kitchen cabinet temporarily I stared and stared at them. I was thinking about what to do with them. That urge to just recycle them was strong. But then a lightbulb came on. I can use them on the thank you cards! It seem so obvious now. Well I’m glad I had the idea before I actually tossed them. Time saved, money saved and a new idea in my tool box for next time.

I had to make one change to the jellyfish. Each one had a party attendants name on it. I just drew black squiggles over the name to hide it. Worked out okay I think. Here is how they turned out…

Recipe
carstock: Stampin’ Up, Wausau
border punch: EK Success
stamp, ink: Stampin’ Up
marker: Marvy

Rolling with the MPS challenge

(NOTE: My entry for the MPS DT challenge is 2 posts down.)

I wanted to make a thank you card for my daughter’s preschool teacher. Even though she was a very nice person and really easy to talk to, my daughter did not like preschool. She was “fine” during school, but at home she would hide under the bed on mornings it was time to go. All the rest of the days she would worry about when the next preschool day was. So after a couple of months of trial, we decided to pull her out. I just wanted to let her teacher know that I appreciated her trying to make my daughter feel welcome at school.

When I started this card all I knew is that I wanted an image of holding hands, partially because it shows the caring relationship and partially because the preschool is called Hand In Hand. In flipping through A Child’s Year Cricut cartridge I found what I was looking for. At first I tried to just blow up the hand holding (on my Gypsy) to put just that extra large image over the entire card front. But at such a large size, the image lost it’s context. So I went with using the entire image (after trimming of the grass from under their feet) and highlighting the hands with a “spotlight” circle punch. When I chose colors, I decided to keep up the color challenge from the design team call from Robyn over at My Pink Stamper. I think it turned out sweet. Enjoy!

Recipe

precut card: The Paper Company
pattern paper: DCVW
carstock: Stampin’ Up, Bazzill
spray Ink: Tattered Angels
die cutting: Cricut (w/ A Child’s Year)
stamp, ink, ribbon, punches: Stampin’ Up
bling: Want 2 Scrap