Cardmaking - Houses

I made house cards today. 

I am meeting with a friend next week to discuss the type of cards she would like so I thought I should make a few more samples.

I bought a set of thin dies from the big arts & crafts store last week.  They are nested and there were 3 different sets in the one package.

The set I wanted was the one that cut a square with a point on top which looks like a basic house shape. House thinlits, yeah!

The challenge is how to translate that shape.

For this card I added a triangle for the roof with was cut at 2.75" on the sides.  I made the roof green.

The house is cut from teal textured card stock. I created the window with a 1" black punchie and a 5/8" yellow one and added lines with a black fine Sharpie.   The door is cut with a rectangle thin die, glue to the house and trim to the bottom of the house. I added dots and dashes on the roof and solid lines around the edge of the teal layer with the black marker.

The house mounted to 110 lb card stock base in white.  A quarter sheet insert and a white envelope.

Another option would be a still life composition I put together and photograph.  

Then, the image is printed on 4x6" photo paper and trimmed to the right size.  For the sample I just used the house still life I did for my digital Christmas card.

I added a bit of black paper to bring out the greeting on the image.

Again, white insert and white envelope.

These are the innards of the Cricut frame houses I put on the next set of cards.

Once the frame had but used I had shapes that could be a house.

I glued the pieces to a green A2 card base. 

I outline the full house shape with the black marker which worked really well.

I used a fine black Sharpie marker to add the details to the top and bottom windows.  I added a chimney on the right hand side as well as a triangle tree.

I printed a few greetings on white cardstock in several fonts and trimmed them as needed to add to the cards. I added this one just above the door.

Another card using the innards. 

On this card I put a layer of designer paper behind the house.  

This time I put solid shapes in the windows cut from the same card stock.

Added a yellow sun in the left hand corner by trimming a yellow circle and then used the black marker to add rays.

The greeting was punched out with the Stampin Up Decorative Label and mounted above the door again.

Again, outlined the house with the black marker.

A white insert and white envelope.

These cards feature a Cricut die cut.  I spent a long time getting the shape I wanted.  Of course, I have not used the machine in at least 2 years. Fortunately, I packed everything in the box so I was not missing anything I needed. Tools, mats, and the machine.  The cartridges has been unpacked too.

Just browsing Cricut cartridges to see if there was a house shape I could use, took a while. I have been working on that for at least a month.

I chose the Wrap It Up cartridge. The image I selected is the School House. The card feature cuts this nice outline of the building.  It took about 5 test cuts from scrap paper to determine the size on the machine the get the die cut I wanted. Once, I had the size right I cut it from good black textured card stock. I cut it 6x12 inches which is the size of my mat.  I can tweak that later. 

I chose a teal card base in A2 size in the portrait orientation. I cut a piece of Stampin Up designer paper to leave a small border.  Yes, a die cut this skinny is fiddly to adhere. I used dry tape runner adhesive so I could just pick up the extra glue with my rubber erasure. Leaves no mess. 

I die cut a heart from a scrap of red card stock with the Sizzix nested thinlits. The smallest one.  I adhered that over the door.

I added a trimmed greeting along the top of the card.  A white insert and envelope for this one too.

With a change of designer paper and card base I can create a card with a totally different feel. 

This card features classic neutral colors with a hint of metallic.  An ivory A2 card base, the house outline die cut, a gold metallic heart punchie outlined with the black marker. 

The greeting banner cut the ends of the greeting and mounted it with 3D foam tape.

A white half sheet insert and white envelope.

This was a long day of fussing but I have made good notes so I should be able to recreate the Cricut cuts easily.

Card Making - Sets Continue

I switched the designer paper to Well Worn which gives me masculine cards for variety.

These a DSP Splits which means I cut the designer paper to 4.00 x 5.25 inches then cut again at 3.5 inches.  

This designer paper is double sided so I can just turn the small piece over and tape it on the back scotch tape and I have the same size layer to work with. on the left I add a piece of Crumb Cake card stock and a strip of Not Quite Navy.  I used my square punch to punchout some square to repeat the pattern on the left hand side of the card. I then glued a few of the small punchies on the right hand side with Bling Zots. 

Another set of cards with theWell Worn Designer Paper Set.

I cut the designer paper to leave a small border on the Crumb Cake card base.  On th left I created an accent with the Tim Holtz Bracket die in Cajun Craze, then a strip of Crumb Cake then a strip of Not Quite Navy.  I adhered these the added 3 holes. I strung some shiny cord through them and knotted it at the center front. I added a star brad through the center hole.  This accent was then adhered to the card front. On the right, I created an accent with a piece of So Saffron card stock riipped on the right. Added a strip of Cajun Craze and a narrow strip of Not Quite Navy.  I then poked holes on either side of the navy and using a large needle stitched the criss cross pattern over it with yellow yarn. 

Again, A2 size with white quarter sheet inserts and white envelopes.

Cards - Donation - Teachers Appreciation

I made a few cards for my niece who is working on a project for Teacher's Appreciation Day which is May 7th this year.

I dipped into my decorative paper stash and found a few pieces I could work with.

Top card is black A2 card base with a wide strip of gold card stock adhered to the card front. I then glued a black/gold decorative paper and then 2 diamond gold punchies.

Next, is black and grey marbled paper which I mounted on a Stampin Up Smoky Slate card base in the wide orientation. 

I afixed a narrow strip of the same card stock along the bottom edge of the decorative paper.

I then added 5 black round sequins onto the grey strip held in place with Bling Zots.

This card is a black card base onto which I mounted a piece of handmade decorative paper from India with silver leaf motifs.

I added a black strip of card stock along the top and then a SU Decorative Label punchie topped with a silver daisy punchie, sequin and black brad.

These were all given a white quarter sheet insert and envelope.

HB Cousin

Another card with a custom greeting.

I chose a warm green card base in the portrait orientation in the A2 size.

I printed the greeting layer in ivory in warm green and warm pink.  It was trimmed to leave a small border and adhered to the card front.  It also includes the stem and leaf for the flower.

I used designer paper from K&C Company - K Classic - McKenna 12x12 pad in green, pink and mustard yellow.   I punched them in these 3 sizes - 1.5, 1.25 and 1.0 inches.  I corner punched them on the opposite corners.  I aligned the squares on one of the pointer corners.   These layers squares were adhered to the greeting layer with 3D foam tape.

A quarter sheet white blank insert was glued to the inside of the card.

Card Club - May - 4 Squares

This is a nice simple card to start.  I used some coordinating designer 12x12 card stock from a pad by SEI - Nutmeg.  Pads are nice because they provide automatic card stocks usually solids and patterned that work together.
The greeting layer was designed and printed on ivory card stock.  The cross on the left makes aligning the squares very easy.  Printing was Early Espresso.  It was trimmed to leave a small border and adhered to a paprika color card.
I punched 1.5 inch squares from 2 different designer card stocks - green and brown with my Creative Memories punch.  The opposite corners were corner rounded and then I adhered them with the pointed corners into the center.

Banner & Squares

I started with a navy card. 
I added the greeting layer from this card club card.  I punched four large 1.5" squares from the decorative card stock.  I adhered them inside the printed square.  I cut a banner hole with one of the framelits from the Bitty Banner set just below the greeting.  I placed a scrap of decorative paper behind the greeting layer allowing it the show through the banner shape. 
I adhered the banner cut out over the junction of the four corners in the center of the printed square.

Four Squares on Tangerine Tango

I started with a Stampin Up Always Artichoke card base. I placed some leaves from the Blossoms Abound digital set in Always Artichoke to create a subtle layer on the card above and below the accent square. I used this decorative card stock which is non SU but matches perfectly. 
I created a central accent with 4 squares. I punched the 1.25" squares from the decorative c/s aligning the tangerine element in the center.  I punched the 1.5" squares from the coordinating solid card stock which matches Pool Party.  I adhered these squares onto a piece of SU Tangerine Tango and trimmed it leaving an even border.
I stamped the greeting from the Sweet Essentials stamp set in Always Artichoke onto a strip of Tango Tangerine. I flagged both ends with the SU Banner Triple Punch. It was adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Submitting to the challenge at SU TGIF - 55 - Sketch

R2G Card Kit - SU HB Square Trio

Another Ready 2 Go Card kit for my class tomorrow.
I started with the Stampin Up Prestwick Designer Paper which features Night of Navy, Basic Grey and Garden Green.  I chose NofN and BG cards and 2 of the sheets from the DSP set. I chose the HB greeting from the Four Square Stamp Set stamped in NofN ink in WW.  I currently do not have a 1.25" punch so I had to carefully cut them with the paper cutter.  I layered it on a 1 3/8 inch punchie of Garden Green. 
I placed the striped paper on the portrait of NofN and the plaid on the BG landscape card.  I added a .5 inch strip of Whisper White then added the trio of squares.  I swapped the DSP for the additional squares so the plaid on the stripes and the other way around.  All squares got a GG layer.  The HB square is adhered with 3D foam tape to emphasize it. 

Card Club - March - Nine Square Block

This card provides an Easter card for those in the group who are wanting one.
This card has a nine square block layered a couple of times.  I punched 1" squares from double sided designer paper to ensure the colors coordinated. I selected a dark teal square cut to 3.25" for the first layer onto which these squares are mounted. I then adhered this to a 3.5 inch square of white.  It was then adhered to the orange card in a landscape/wide orientation. The greeting color coordinated with the card color and layered onto a teal strip same color as the square.  I trimmed the ends at an angle. The greeting was mounted to the card front as shown with 3D foam tape.  These kits are all customized to the DSP used which is quite time consuming but it is a scrap buster design.

Card - St. Patrick's Day HB

Here's the second card for the March 17th birthday.  I started with strips of green card stock which I played with until I found some that worked together.  I chose some wider and some narrower. I found a card that worked with the colors of green in the strips then I designed and color printed printed the greeting adding the small shamrock to the right.  I cut the flag ends with my square punch. I laid them out and tape them together on the back and then trimmed the top ends. The banners were then adhered to the greeting layer leaving room for the ribbon. I added dark green seam binding over the top of the banners then tied another piece in a knot. This was then adhered to the green card front.

Card - SU Color Challenge

I started with a card in Stampin Up Tangerine Tango.  I stamped a Whisper White layer with one of the Itty Bitty Backgrounds in TT and Summer Sun.  I then created banners in SS, Groovy Guave and TT.  I flagged then ends with my 5/8" square punch.  By placing a dot in the centre of the strip it's quite easy to align evenly. I stamped the GG banner with one of the stamps from the Sale-a-Bration set named Simply Wonderful.  I then stamped the flower from the In the Spotlight stamp set in SS on white.  Then another in TT.  I layered these flowers yellow on orange.  This accent was then adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

I'm submitting it to Fab Friday 59 Challenge which is Hello Honey, Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride.   I have substituted the colors as indicated in my post above.