Birthday Card & Gift

A birthday card for my grand niece who is celebrating a teen birthday this week. 

I started with a deep purple card which is her favorite color. I chose a pearl white layer which I embossed with Sizzix Christmas Dots embossing folder.  

I mounted with 3D foam tape the Marianne Design Creatables Lady Charleston Die cut in black card stock.  The greeting is cut from black as well with the Dee's Distinctively die. I received this die cut for a card exchange buddy.

I cut the Poppystamps Craft Die by Memory Box TILDA BUCKLE from black as well and strung a length of pink stitched grosgrain ribbon through it.  I taped the ends to the back of the layer.

This layer was adhered to the front of the card base.

 

She will be receiving my old machine as a gift which allows her to graduate to an adult machine.

Her mother, grandmother and I have shared the expense.  It has been a great machine and I wish her many years of sewing projects on it.

She comes by her love of sewing honestly with most of the women of my family partaking in the activity.

You can see the thread catcher in the bottom right hand corner in the next post.

 

Cards - 4x4 Photos - Thanks

A few more thank you cards.

This Don Juan Cricut "thanks" die cut is perfect for my 4x4 inch photo cards made with recycling my calendar images.

A wonderful Black Capped Chickadee perched on a branch on navy card stock.  The greeting was cut from white pearl card stock and adhered with double sided tape.

A rain soaked pink rose at the park for this card on a magenta card base.  The greeting is diecut with the Cricut in white pearl card stock.

 

 

 

This owl is one of my paper piecing creations.  I designed 12 owls for my calendar in 2016. 

I mounted it to a navy card base. 

A Don Juan Cricut die cut as the greeting.  Adhered with Quick Dry adhesive.

Really like these.

Christmas Card Challenge - March - Large Greetings Small Cards

I continued my large greeting Christmas Cards making with the aim to create A2 (4.25"x5.5") sized cards. 

I continued to use the Winter Frolic Cricut Cartridge. This greeting is 3.5" T x 3.5" W. I cut it from Champagne pearl card stock and paired it with an ivory card base.   

The acrylic ink background features royal purple color with some bright spots.

I used copper accents layers with the crown is part of the shift layer of the greeting then I cut stars with the Sizzix Star#2 die.  

These were adhered to the acrylic ink background and the large greeting was adhered with 3D foam tape.

I spattered it with copper acrylic color, a toothbrush and straight edge.

 

 This next card I chose a blue green piece of acrylic ink background on glossy photo paper.  It was trimmed from 4x6 to 3.75 x 5 inches.

It was adhered to a white card base.

The pearl white large greeting was mounted aligned to the bottom of the background with 3D foam tape.  

I added a silver star in the upper left hand corner.  It was cut with the Sizzix die.

It was spattered with an iridescent liquid acrylic.

 

 

Another ivory card with the champagne large greeting.  

I cut the crown from gold card stock and adhered with double sided tape. 

I added sequins in gold and copper adhered with Bling Zots. 

Since the copper was out this one was spattered at the same time as the other.

I added seasonal quarter inserts and white envelopes and they are ready for December 1st.

Christmas Card Challenge - March - Large Greetings

I decided to make Christmas cards with large greetings for my March cards.

It was easy to find some greetings on some of my Cricut cartridges.  They are easily sized and cut.  I chose the Winter Frolic cartridge.  It's hard to tell how large they will be on the first cut so I ended up with some larger die cuts than I planned so I used 5x7 cards (A7). 

The large greeting was cut from white pearl card stock at 3.5" T.  

Of course, the fun part was making acrylic ink background with photo paper.  These are 4x6 sheets and I used my Nick Bantock liquid acrylic colors for these. The colors were: Deep Turquoise, Cerulean Azure, Prussian Blue, Chrome Yellow, Chartreuse Leaf, Vermillion Lacquer, and Sapmoss Green.

I added colored sequins to the card fronts adhered with Bling Zots. For the first one the sequins were Christmas green, the red one was gold,  and the other was red and green.

I used a bit of color watered down to spatter the card fronts once I was done which helps to marry all the elements.

For the 5x7 cards I needed a clean pull of color across the 4x6 as I could not trim it.  Sometimes I end up with white edges or finger prints in the corners as I turn them over.

I see that I ended up with some pink sequins as well as red on this card. Not my intention but that's how it goes.

I have documented these in my Cricut manual so I can get smaller die cuts next time.

Always nice to have a few larger cards in my Christmas card box.

Super happy with these.

Toilet Paper Roll Dandelions

I am wanting to do something different for cards so I researched Toilet Paper Roll Dandelions and watched a few video tutorials.

I cut the toilet paper roll less deep than most of the videos and got flowers over 4" wide.  That is pretty large for cards.  I have decided to just decorate a 12x12 sheet of designer paper then just cut it up into 6 pieces and just go with what I get.

I chose dark, medium and light blue acrylic paint.  I used QTips to make the centers.  Then I spattered the whole sheet with pearl white acrylic paint. 

The toilet paper roll gets soggy very quickly so you need a few ready ahead of time.   Maybe a couple for each color.  I guess you could cut both ends which would make them last a bit longer.

Cardmaking - CH - Class 4

Style 2 - I started with clear embossed double sided designer paper from Imaginisce.

I cut the designer paper at a logical line to ensure I did not cut through a strip of the design.  I turned the top over to reveal the green polka dot pattern. These were taped back together.

I added gold foil ribbon across the join and the ends were taped to the back.

I added an accent of silk flowers.  White and red poinsettias were layered together with a gold sequin onto a gold mini brad.  Using a push pin I created a hole in the designer layer. I pushed the prongs through and spread them apart on the back holding the poinsettia accent in place.

I then adhered the layer to the front of a cranberry card base.

Style 3 - I started with this decorative card stock featuring a colorful ornaments .  The dark areas are gold foil. It was cut to 3 3/8 inches with a Sizzix square thin-lit.

I chose a eggplant purple layer of card stock cut to 3 5/8 inches to highlight some of the colors in the tree.

The next layer is a gold moire texture decorative paper which has been cut to 5.25 x 4 inches. 

I chose a warm blue card base to coordinate with another color in the tree.

The greeting is a Stampin Up Decorative Label in the same color as the card base.  I added a SU Word Window punchie in warm white card stock with coordinating color.   These are adhered together then it is adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Style 7 - I started with designer paper from the My Mind`s Eye - Holiday Avenue - Sweet Dreams Glittered Holiday Paper pad. It was cut to 5.25 x 4 inches with the embossing placed on the left hand side.

The star element was created with a star die cut and a gold star circle. The die cut was cut from ivory pearl card stock with the the Joy of the Season cartridge on the Cricute Create machine.

The gold star circle was attached to the star with 2 tiny gold brads.  The element was adhered to the card front with ds tape.

Christmas Card Challenge - October - White Dove

The challenge for Christmas Cards this month is White Dove. I made several of these.

I chose designer paper from a 12x12 glitter pad by My Mind`s Eye - Sweet Dreams - Holiday Avenue. I cut it to 4 inches tall and 5.25 inches wide and ripped the bottom edge. 

I printed the greeting on white and ripped the bottom edge.

These were layered then adhered to the front of a deep warm blue card.

The dove was cut with the Dee's Distinctively - Dies - Dove Right.  The extra wing was glued to the back of the dove.  Then adhered to the card front on the designer paper.  I added a few sequins to finish off the card.

Cards to Gallery

I started with this silver glitter dragonfly die cut that arrived in a card from one of my card exchange buddies.

I chose brush paper in a deep blue for the background.  It has been spattered with pearl white acrylic ink.

I chose a Pacific Point card and adhered the decorative paper leaving a small border.  I attached the dragonfly with a tiny silver brad.

I then added 5 silver flower sequins at the bottom of the card again held in place with tiny silver brads.

A great card for any occasion.

This features a bird hole in the aqua teal decorative paper.  The base was painted then I spattered it with teal acrylic ink.

I cut a hole in the paper with the Stampin Up Bird Mover & Shaper die.  I placed a piece of white card stock behind which was embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. 

I have offered birthday greetings in French and English.  The greeting printed in grey and were cut with the Stampin Up Modern Label punch.  They have 3D foam tape on the back to adhered to the card front should the user want a greeting.

This card features paste paper in a warm blue color.  I cut to it leave a small border.

I added a pearl white large star die cut made with the Sizzix Star die and placed it in the top two thirds of the card. 

I added some fiber which repeated that color tone and wrapped it around the decorative paper layer.  I then adhered the star layer to the front of a medium blue card base.

I have provided Thanks greetings in both French and English.   These have adhesive on the back which allows the user to place the greeting of their choice below the fiber.

They were again cut with the Stampin Up Modern Label punch.

Christmas Card Challenge - May - Purple Ornament

The Christmas Card Challenge prompt for this month is Purple Ornament.

I chose a black card and cut some purple polka dot single sided paper to leave a small border and adhered it to the front of the card.  

I chose one of the 2011 Spellbinder Hierloom Ornament Nestabilities dies which I cut from purple cardstock and pearl white card stock. I then cut the Tim Holtz Joy Mover and Shaper in the center of the ornament. These were layered together and adhered.  I then rubbed the edge with a black ink pad so it would stand out against the polka dot paper.

I cut the hanger with the Sizzix Ornament #2 die from the same pearl white card stock. It was adhered to the top of the ornament.  I added a length of black knitting ribbon. Then I added 3D foam tape to the ornament and glued it to the card front.

Card Club - May - Daisy

I cut my decorative card stock to 3.75" x 5" and punched the corners with a corner rounder.  I chose several colors of card stock for these card kits.  This one is a warm dark green.  I placed a piece of orange grosgrain ribbon across the bottom 1/3 of the decorative piece.  I taped the ends to the back. This layer was then adhered to the card front. I punched the daisies with a large punch from coordinating aqua card stock. The white is just the back side of the aqua card stock. The daisy accent is adhered over the ribbon.  The white pearl button is adhered to the flower with a Zot. The colors of card in the kits are aqua and orange along with this dark green.

This card has the orange card base with a coordinating orange button in the middle of the flower.  I've decided to use in the tall portrait orientation as well.  Great versatility.

Mother's Day Card Challenge - Vote for your favorite

I made this card for the Mother's Day Card Challenge at Paper Garden.  They are a Canadian company. You can check them and their products by following the link above.

I started with their Aura Haviland Blue Linen card stock.  I then cut the Spellbinder A2 Ribbon Threader die from their Esse Pearlized White card stock.  The designer paper layer is from the Recollections series from Michaels.  I cut the piece 3 1/8 inches x 3 3/8 inches and adhered it above the slits in the die cut.  I then selected a green seam binding ribbon which coordinated with the green in the designer paper.  I wrapped it around the back of the diecut and pulled it through the ribbon threader slots till they met in the middle then I tied it into a nice bow.  I trimmed the ends at a slant with scissors.   The greeting was designed with a small oval frame Label 2 from the Stampin Up Noteworthy Labels stamp set in Certainly Celery.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes Stamp Set.  This was put onto another piece of the Pearlized White card stock and trimmed by hand.  I distressed the edges and adhered it above the bow with 3D foam tape. The full threader layer was then adhered to the blue card front.    I cut a blue flower from the scrap of designer paper and adhered it in the top right hand corner of the card with 3D foam tape.

Check out the all the cards and vote for your favorite.

Here's a scan of the several sheets of card stock that Paper Garden sent me to make a card for their challenge.  My mom's favorite color is blue so I chose the blue linen and white pearl paper. I will be able to make several more cards with rest.  Thanks Tiffany for the card stock.

The Winners are listed here.

Mosaic Monday - This Week

Left: The large rose is a nod to the coming Valentine's Day.  It is placed in a clear glass vase and photographed in front of a neutral background. 
Top Right: A ceramic glazed tile of tulips in blues and yellows - I wonder how it was brought to my house!! The colors were perfect so with a 30% discount at the thrift store it was in my bag. It currently has a brown frame so that will have to be replaced.  I now have a sunflower and tulips.  The sunflower needs finishing but I would not have thought of a wood frame so now I'm on the hunt for square wood frames. 
Top Middle:  A white heart ornament in a bowl of red balls.  Isn't great with stuff can serve for several holidays.  This heart is in a Christmas collection.
Top Bottom: The crepes served at the shower for the new baby girl in our extended family.

Card Club - Jan - Doily Heart

This is my nod to those in the group who might wanted a Valentine's card.  It would do as an Anniversary card and maybe even a wedding card. 
I selected the DSP from Prima - Zephyr Collection - Zanella.  I added it to a warm green card.  I added the white heart doily to the right hand side.  I cut a warm pink heart with the Sizzix Tipsy Hearts die which I glued to the center of the doily.  I cut LOVE from pearl card stock with the Cricut and the Sentimentals cartridge at .75 inches.  It had enough width in the letters to easily glue to the card front. 

R2G Occasion Card Stack Kit - Vellum HB Banner

Here's the last card in the Ready 2 Go Occasion Stack kit.  The main element is a vellum birthday greeting.  I color printed them and embossed with clear powder.  Works great.  I cut them to .75" tall and 5.5 inches wide.  I cut the designer paper square to 3.75" and the neutral card stock behind to 4" square.  These are layered then adhered to the card front on the left leaving a small border.  The vellum greeting is tacked with a bit of adhesive on the left where it will be covered by the button.  The button has fiber threaded through the holes and knotted and trimmed.  It is adhered to the card front over the vellum with a Zot. The right hand end of the greeting was flagged with scissors.  Great card and easy to put together.




Again depending on the designer paper and the style of greeting can be for a guy or a gal. I used a scripty font and a all caps font.  Again, recipients will get a variety of colors, designer paper and greetings.

Neutral Blocks - Sketch

I started with a Stampin Up Whisper White card.  I selected 3 designer papers to create the blocks to follow the sketch.  I cut the pieces 2 inches tall and about 1.5 inches wide. I layered them from left to right leaving the left hand side not attached, I just taped them together on the back.  This adds a bit of dimension.  The DSP are Ruby Red and Sahara Sand from the Patterns Pack Designers Series Paper III.  The one on the right are the same colors with white and is from the Holiday Lounge DSP collection. These 3 were mounted on a piece of Sahara Sand card stock which was then adhered to the card front. I stamped the greeting from the Simply Wonderful stamp set in Ruby Red ink.  It needed something else so I added a vintage button which matched well with some white pearl thread through the holes held in place with a Zot.




I'm submitting this card to this challenge.
SU Fab Friday - Sketch

Card Exchange - Key with Heart

I made these cards for my monthly card exchange. These hearts are left over from this project. I decided on the color combo of brown, red and cream.  I chose a brown texture card. I cut a piece of white pearl paper to 2.5" x 5.5" and embossed it with the Stampin Up Pretty Print folder.  I adhered it to the card front leaving even spaces on the top and bottom. I rubbed the edges of my heart die cut with a brown ink pad.  The heart was cut with the Cricut and the Folk Art Festival Cartridge.  I added a antique metal key on the heart and held it in place with a tiny brass brad.

Christmas Card Challenge - Jan - Snowflake Masking Tissue Paper

Here's my card for January's Challenge.
Tissue Paper - I created a tissue paper background. I glued ripped blue tissue paper to white card stock in random pattern in a landscape orientation.  I left some wrinkles as I saw fit.
Masking - I cut a mask which left a large border. I placed it in the center of the blue card. Using a sponge with my Stampin Up Whisper White Craft Ink pad I brushed white ink away from the mask onto the blue card leaving the blue border.  I trimmed the background paper to smaller than the masked area and glued it down. Snowflake - I punched a Martha Stewart snowflake from pearl paper and layered it onto another punched from the same color as the card. I added a small circle of the same as the card to the center of the white snowflake. I mounted these onto the card front with 3D foam tape.  I designed a long banner greeting in the same color as the card.  I trimmed it by hand with scissors. This was mounted with 3D foam tape as well.

R2G Christmas Card Stack Kit - Joy Star

Here's the second card in this kit.  I chose a purple diamond designer paper which could be used with a few shades of purple card stock.  I chose a deep purple card and matched it with pearl white card stock for the JOY layer.  I paired the copper metallic paper with a lighter card stock. The metallic layer was cut to the 4"x 5.25"inches then the JOY was punched with a Martha Stewart border punch. The punching was pretty easy because I punched the centre one first then just aligned the other two.  The stars are cut with a Sizzix star die with the largest in the metallic card stock and the smaller one in glitter card stock. The designer paper was cut to 3" x 4.75" and layered onto the metallic JOY layer. The metallic star was adhered directly to the designer paper and the glitter star was adhered with 3D foam tape making sure to align the horizontal rays.

Update: When I did the class with this kit the participants discovered that the sentiment insert I had included was portrait but the card was landscape.  As they worked on the other cards my brain was desperately trying to find a way to make the best of the situation.  Here's the solution:

R2G Card Kit - Nutcracker Ballerina

I found this paper and just had to make cards with it.  It's the Graphics 45 - Nutcracker Sweet Collection - Snowflake Waltz. I matched it with the Bazzill Great Lakes textured card stock.

I cut the DSP to leave a small border. The paper is so nice that I did not add much so I would not hide the paper. I wrapped and tied a piece of iridescent blue fiber around the DSP layer and adhered it to the card front.  I added a vellum tag punched with the Stampin Up small tag punch. I added a Martha Stewart Arctic Snowflake punch from pearl paper, punched a small hole at the top and and tied it onto the card. Gorgeous!

Is the Nutcracker part of your Christmas traditions?  These would make great cards for you to give.

Christmas Card Challenge - July - Background

The challenge for July is a technique challenge to create a background.  A few options to create a background are: brayer, sponged, stamped, watercolor, stenciled, spritzed, marbled, spattered, word, ink spot and many more.  Which will you choose?
You will see that I used the decorative paper I made a while ago. This paper is non traditional shades of Christmas colors.  Pink and green was a bit of a challenge to work with.  When searching the web I kept find these old cards from the 40-50's in this color combo with usually silver or sparkles added so I added silver.  I had saved these reflectors from mini lights a while back and it was just the silver foil look I needed.  I layered my decorative paper onto black to tone it down a bit.  I wrapped a piece of silver cording around this layer then adhered it to the card front. I adhered the foil scallop circle then a bright pink snowflake then a pearl white snowflake punched with the MS punch. All held in place with a repeat of the color black and silver in the form of a tiny silver sequin and tiny black brad. I designed the greeting for the Stampin Up Decorative punch and printed it on some of the same pearl white card stock.  It was then punched out and mounted over the silver cord with 3D foam tape.

Here's some inspiration:
Inky Spots Backgrounds
Music Background
Embossed Background