Card - Cricut Tree

I made a couple of these for my on-line exchange group.  I started with a black card.  I added a textured card stock layer in a color which coordinates with the leaves on the tree.  I added a TM Ornamental Die cut in golden rod text paper stamped with spatter background in black ink.  The tree is cut with the Cricut and the Straight from the Nest cartridge (4").  I added a circle greeting which has been mounted with 3D foam tape.

Card - Challenge - Tree

I created this card for a challenge to include trees on the card.  I cut the tree with the Cricut and the Straight from the Nest cartridge.  The leave part is gold and red textured paper.  I cut the TM Ornamental die from golden rod text paper.  I used the Stampin Up! Harlequin Diamond background stamp in black ink.  I added a textured card stock layer similar to the leaves layer. Finally mounted onto a black card.  I've added a circle sentiment stamped in black on neutral card stock.

Card Club - Feb - Bird Cage

I started with a nice soft dusty purple textured card. I layered a piece of decorative paper over the card front. I cut a Tim Holtz bird cage in royal blue.  I cut the turquoise bird with the same die and added a white wing. I cut the legs and part of the body from a brown card stock and then cut the legs from the turquoise bird and layered it over the brown. I used a marker to create the beak and eye of the bird.  I created the tag with the MS Daisy border punch and stamped a butterfly in Tempting Turquoise on it. Check out how to make the tag here. I placed the white thread in the hole at the top of the cage and added the small tag then pulled the tails through the loop. I mounted the cage to the card with 3D foam tape.  I flipped the thread ends over the inside of the card and taped them down.  I glued the bird to cage using the branch to hide the holes at the bottom of the cage.  I placed a large white and a small blue silk flower to the left of the cage and held those in place with a turquoise brad.

Card Club - Feb - Button Trio

I started with a navy card and some blue striped decorative paper which I have had forever!  I thought I would offer several options for this card. So I have red flowers, orange balloons, and yellow stars. These were all cut with the Cricut and the Create a Critter cartridge. I wrapped a red grosgrain ribbon around the decorative paper leaving room below for buttons and above for the flower. The ends of the ribbon were taped to the back of the blue piece. To the red flower added a small circle punched from the same card stock and it turned over. The flower was glued to top left corner. The small tag was cut with a Cuttlebug die and the sentiment was stamped with a clear stamp in red ink. It is held in place with a red brad. The 3 buttons are each held in place with a Zot.
 

Card Club - Feb - HB to U

I matched the card color to the tag.  I used my Sizzix Shadow Box Alphabet to cut the "U" from the tag.  I color printed the greeting onto cardstock and cut the piece 2"x 4.25".  After aligning the tag and the greeting under it I glued the greeting to the card as determined.  I tied the ribbon to the tag by running it through the "U" and around the tag edge and tied a knot. I used 2 color coordinated brads to hold the tag to the card. I had several color variations with this kit.

Card Club - Feb - Pick Up Truck

Here's a happy little card.  I matched the card to the color of the pick up truck. The silver background was embossed with the Cuttlebug Polka Dots folder and glued to the card front. I determined the placement of the road and glued it down and trimmed it.  The truck was then placed on the road.  I added the tree on the left and tucked it's truck behind the road. The sun was placed in the top right hand corner.
The truck and sun were cut with the Cricut and the Just Because Cards cartridge and the tree with the Paper Dolls Dress Up cartridge. These were assembled with patience and some quick dry glue.  The road was cut with my Creative Memories wavy cutter and I used a white opaque marker to make the line in the center.

Card - Sympathy

I made this card for a friend who had a family member pass away this week.
I started with parchment card stock.  I found some complimentary strips of designer paper which I cut to length and glued them to the card front.  I then found and combined a couple of pieces of blue card stock which I embossed with the Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers folder.  I added an apricot gross grain ribbon across the join. I mounted a color printed sentiment which I distressed with Apricot Appeal. This accent was then mounted to the card front with 3D foam tape.

Card - CST Sketch Challenge

I made this card for a sketch challenge for one of my groups.  I went through my scraps and found the strips of paper first.  I embossed the rust colored solids with the Cuttlebug Mesh Texture embossing folder. I glued the stripes to the medium brown card.  I found a scrap of blue paper that worked with the blue in the striped paper.  I added a green gross grain ribbon along the top and added another piece of embossed rust paper along the edge of the blue one.  I brushed the edges of the blue with an ink pad.  I stamped a border punch tag with a sentiment in Tempting Turquoise.  Attached it with a rust brad.  The blue element was then held in place on the card front with 3D foam tape.  I place another piece under the end of the tag.

Card - Digitial - Flower Trio

I designed this card from 3 flower photos. They were reduced in size and had a distressed frame applied to them.  I did tweak the colors a little bit to have them all in the warm tones.  I added a gradient fill that started with a similar color and faded to white at the top.  I added the sentiment in a complimentary shade of green.  It works!

R2G Card Kit - Glitter Bethlehem Star

I just love this card which I did for Card Club in November so I decided to make some Ready 2 Go kits from the same design. I found decorative paper that works then used coordinating accents. I used a Sizzix star die for the star.  I color printed the greeting in red and plum. I made some with silver stars and some with copper stars. I cut a 1.5" strip of card stock and trimmed the edges with scallop decorative scissors.
 
This was glued down and the greeting was added on top leaving enough space for the star on the left.  This was added to the designer paper, trimmed to the edges then glued to the card front. The glitter star is 3D foam taped to the left of the greeting.

Guest Book

I was asked to design a guest book for an upcoming special 10th anniversary event.  She wanted something nicer than one you can purchase at a retail store, one where photos of the anniversary could be placed and one with a place for a photo on the cover.
After a bit of research I decided on a 8x8" scrapbook.  I found a black leather look one. She selected a black and white stripped ribbon which would add a bit of a focal point to the front cover. I diecut a red ribbon slider with a Spellbinder die.  To it, I added a white paper flower and a metal medallion and held it all in place with a tiny black brad. Once it was strung onto the ribbon I just knotted the ribbon onto the album placing the knot to the inside.
Then I went looking for paper for the pages.  I tested the weight of many sheets of paper.  I looked at drawing paper, watercolor paper, and sketch paper.  I needed 10 sheets for the actual signatures and greetings then a few pages in the front for "then and now" photos.  I settled on a pad of white 90lb watercolor paper with 15 pages.  I determined that the sheets should be 8"Tx9.25"W based on the page protectors I had removed from the album. I cut the paper down to 8.5 x 11 so I could put them through my printer.  Then I designed the pages on the computer and printed them in black.  The sheets were then was cut down to the correct size.  I punched the holes in the pages on the left hand side based on the spacer that came with the album. She had asked to have a bit of accent added to the pages.  Based on the red on the front I stamped a small flower on the left hand corner of the pages and added a small swirl on the bottom right hand side in Real Red.  The album has a sleeve at the back for a CD so that photos from the event can be stored for history's sake.  She will find a photo which is just right for the front cover.

Card - Purple Happy Birthday

I made this card for my niece who has a birthday party today. 

I started with  textured card in a dusty purple.  I punched a MS daisy border then ripped the other side and glued that down on the left hand side.  I used daisy confetti in white and plum and created accents with tiny purple brad in their centres to keep them to the card.  I stamped the greeting in Eggplant on the bottom right hand side.

Gift Card Holders

I made these Gift Card Holders for the gift card prizes we are giving away today in a Valentine Surprise fund raising event we are having today!

I started with brown base cut with the Sizzix Jumbo Crescent die.  I placed the fold in the card just inside the flat end of the die.

Top:  I found a scrap piece of designer paper and added a border punch in blue on the right hand side. I added 2 silk flowers in coordinating colors and adhered them with a coordinating blue flower brad.  I then added an apricot gross grain just below the border punch.  This was then glued to the front for the large tag.  I used the same ribbon to hold it closed once I had used Zots to hold the gift card in place inside.

Bottom:  I found a scrap of designer paper and trimmed it leaving an interesting central element.  I added black wavy cutter borders on each edge.  I then added 3 square brads in the upper left hand corner.  Rounded the right hand corners with a punch. Added a length of black gross grain ribbon to hold it closed once I had used Zots to hold the gift card in place inside.

Card - Thank You - Stampin Up! Demo

I made a card for my Stampin Up! demonstrator as well.  We made some cute little cards at the party.

I started with an Ivory card. I punched a piece of ivory with the MS Daisy Border punch and glued it onto a piece of Baja Breeze which I stamped with the SU Itty Bitty Background stamp in Positively Pink. I cut it with the TH Ornamental die placing the border just  below the centre. I wrapped some Ivory gross grain ribbon over the border punch layer and tied a knot.  I stamped the SU! Thank You Tag greeting in the same pink on ivory and trimmed it close.  This was mounted on the bottom right hand corner with 3d foam tape.  In the top left hand corner I place an accent made with several silk flowers all held in place with a pink jumbo brad which coordinates with the ink color.

Cards - Thank You - Stampin Up Party

I hosted a Stampin Up! Party the first week of February.  It's a great time to have a party because the rewards are so good during Sale-a-Bration!   I've ordered myself a few new goodies.  I made thank you cards for the girls who placed orders.

I started with Mellow Moss cardstock.  I stamped it with one of the Itty Bitty Backgrounds in Always Artichoke. I made it to fit a No. 6 3/4 envelope so I cut the cardstock 3.5"x 11.  Placed a fold at 6.25" which left my front flap a bit short.  I added a piece of parchment cardstock which had been trimmed with the Martha Stewart Daisy border punch.  I added a length of Spring Moss gross grain ribbon to hide the join on the inside of the card.  I stamped the greeting in Always Artichoke on the bottom right hand corner.  The paper flower is attached with a green crystal brad.

On the card on the right I used striped decorative paper by Anna Griffin which I placed over the whole length of the card front.  Again, I placed a length of Spring Moss to cover the join on the inside of the card.  I printed the greeting on white, punched it out with 1" circle punch and then rubbed the edges with Always Artichoke ink pad. The paper flower is attached with a green crystal brad.

On the bottom card I used the same cardstock with the additional piece of parchment cardstock.  I placed a square of Anna Griffin decorative paper on the left of the border punch and ribbon.

How To: Hearts with a Scallop Circle

This is another How To entry.  Someone suggested this idea when I posted my border tag punch how to earlier so I thought I would work it out since Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Do you need hearts but don't have a punch?  You can create hearts with a scallop circle!!  I used the small Stampin Up! scallop circle punch (1.75"w).  The hearts produced are about 7/8" tall.

1. Create your scallop circle with a punch, a circle nestabilities, or a die.  Measure straight across your circle with a ruler and mark the centre with  a push pin hole. 

2. Every 2 scallops cut in the V to the center.


3. Repeat till you have gone around the whole circle.  The number of hearts produced depends on the number of scallops on the circle.

Card - Felt Flowers

I made a couple of these for my card exchange group.  I started with the flower and searched to find matching cardstock.  I finally found Brilliant Blue worked well.  I cut a piece of white to card front size then put it in my Creative Memories wavy cutter.  It was then embossed with the Sizzix Diamonds folder.  I cut a leaf with a Sizzix die from green flocked ribbon. I held the flower in place with a tiny white brad. I added a small stamped circle greeting on the bottom right hand corner stamped in the same Brilliant Blue punched with the .75 inch.

Border Punch Tags - Samples

Things to remember:
1. The width of the pattern will determine the width of your tag.  The length is totally up to you.
2. Is there a centre opening in the v of the pattern?  You will be cutting that in half when you seperate it into tags.
3. Does it have a central opening?  If you want to hang the tag it works best if there's a centre hole.

I've put together samples with some border punches.
1. Stampin Up! Scallop Trim Border produces a half inch tag with a central opening.
2. Martha Stewart Arches Border produces a five eights tag with a central opening but it needs to have the extra trimmed.
3. Martha Stewart Deco Shell Border produces a five eights tag with no central opening.
4. Stampim Up! Eyelet Border produces a five eights tag with a central opening.
5. Martha Stewart Deco Shell corner produces a three quarters tag and has a central opening but is difficult to trim because of the angles.
6. Martha Stewart Daisy Border produces a seven eights tag with a central opening.

How To: Border Punch Tags

I saw this somewhere on the internet when I was researching something else then when I went searching for the How To I could not find it again.  Here's my version of what I remember.

Have you ever wanted a small tag for a card.  Maybe the dies or punches you have aren't quite right.  Make tags using your border punch. 
1. Punch a piece of cardstock with a border punch
2. Cut the cardstock at the edge of each pattern to create tags.
3. Use the tags as desired.  They can be tied on or adhered with with a brad.

I love this idea.  A totally new use for your border punches.  Give it a try and leave me a comment about your results.  See my next post for samples of the tags I've made.  This is a Martha Stewart punch.

Card - Challenge #37 - Red and White

I made this card for a challenge to use Red and White.  I started with a Real Red card and added an embossed white layer on which I used the Sizzix Tropical Paisley folder.  I found some fiber and added a trellis feeling by wrapping it around the white layer.  I glued this down to the card front.  I added a red felt flower on the left hand side with a tiny white brad. I created a border punch tag onto which I stamped the greeting and then I rubbed the ink pad around the edges and added some smudging.

Cmas Card Challenge - February - Textiles

This is my card for February's Christmas Card Challenge.  The challenge is Accents - Textiles so I selected flocked ribbon and felt to use in my card design.
I selected a green card and added a rich red diamond patterned paper for the background.  I cut 2 scalloped borders with a (Die-namics die) thin die from gold textured paper which I placed straight sides together and glued about 2/3 down from the top.  I cut a piece of white felt about 1/2" wide and glued that over the join of the gold pieces.  I recycled flocked ribbon (see below) left over from a Christmas Wreath project years ago.  I cut the poinsettia from this material with a small Marianne Design Creatables thin die.  I cut another from green card stock same as the card.  I selected a large gold sequin with a gold mini brad for the center.  This accent was attached to the card with the gold brad.
What textile will you select for your card? Here's a few ideas.  Textiles - Ribbon (silk, satin, gross grain, seam binding, organza), fabric, cording, felt, yarn, fiber, lace, silk flowers.