Leave a Little Sparkle

 

Jennifer McGuire recently had a video about the Sparkled Glass technique. I created this card based on that technique, & the butterflies & color palette in the inspiration photo from the If You Give a Crafter a Cookie challenge.

I cut a piece of Grafix DuraLar acetate to 4-1/4x5-1/2". Using my MISTI stamp positioning tool, I centered the image from WPlus9's new "Vintage Ephemera" stamp set on the panel, & stamped it with StazOn Jet Black ink. I then used Sharpie markers to color it, adding the color on the back of the acetate so as not to smear the StazOn.

I cut a panel of patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye "Adorbs" 6x6" pad to 4x5-1/4". I used the coordinating "Vintage Ephemera" die to die cut from the center of that panel. I applied double-sided adhesive to the back of the paper, and adhered it to my acetate, centering the image in the die cut window. Then I trimmed off any acetate that extended beyond the patterned paper.

I adhered a panel of white glitter paper behind the image. I couldn't capture the shimmer in the photo, as it is subtle, but it's there. I matted my panel with pink cardstock & adhered it to a white A2-size card base. I used a sticker from the Tim Holtz "Small Talk" sticker book for my greeting. I felt the wording went perfectly with a sparkly image. Finally, to echo the black of the greeting, I added 3 black sequins to the lower right corner. I think when I do this technique again, I will use a chunkier glitter paper, just so the sparkle shows better. But I still like how this card came out.

I'm also entering this card in 613 Avenue Create's "Anything Goes" challenge (not playing the twist).

Happy Birthday

 

My aunt's birthday is coming up, so I decided to make her a card. Because she lives in Florida, I wanted to use Hero Arts' "Color Layering Hibiscus" stamp set & coordinating dies (discontinued). To get inspiration, I did a search for that set on Pinterest, & found this card by Yana Smakula. I liked the frame idea, so decided to use that & build my card around it.

I first stamped out my flowers & leaves. I used photos of hibiscus flowers to guide my color choices. For the second layer of the pink hibiscus, I used the same pink ink I had for the first layer, just stamping it multiple times to build up the color. For the stamen, I used gold embossing powder on the orange hibiscus, & yellow on the pink ones, just for a little something different. However, I apparently didn't stamp the flowers exactly "right," & the dies wouldn't line up properly. So I fussy cut those. Thankfully, I was able to die cut the leaves. Lesson learned - die cut the flowers first and then stamp!

I cut my white frame first, since I knew it would be the larger element. I used a paper trimmer to cut the main piece, then used a Waffle Flower "Nesting Squares" die to cut out the opening. I then cut another frame piece from black cardstock. Before I cut the inside window, I marked where I wanted the happy to die cut. I used the happy die from Spellbinders' "Happy Birthday Banner" die (discontinued) & partial die cutting to cut the word from where the window would go. Then I used a craft knife & ruler to cut the remainder of the window. The "Happy Birthday Banner" cuts the word both right side up & upside down (connected to each other), so you can fold it over a string to make a banner. So once I'd cut away the excess of the window, I folded the upper part of the letters over, & glued them to the back of the lower part, to provide a little more reinforcement. I stamped the birthday, from Altenew's "Birthday Builder" set, on the white frame, & adhered the black frame behind the white.

For some added interest in the background, I embossed a white panel with the "Lumber" 3-D embossing folder by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. I matted that with black, adhered it to a white A2 card base, and arranged my flowers, leaves, & frame. I glued everything down flat, except for the flower in the upper right corner, which I popped up with foam tape.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

 

Aud Sentiments Challenge #277: "Anything Goes Plus a Sentiment"

Dies R Us Challenge # 171: "Anything Goes with Any Brand of Die that DRU Sells" (used Spellbinders die"

Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Friend

  

A good friend of ours has a birthday this weekend. She always appreciates my cards, so I tend to make them really special. The "Beautiful Pop-up Book Card" tutorial by Sam Calcott at Mixed Up Craft inspired this card.

I first created a 5x7" card base from heavyweight white cardstock. I cut a piece of script patterned paper to 4-1/2x6-1/2", and matted it with pink, leaving a 1/8" border, then adhered it to the card base. I used Altenew's "Vintage Roses" stamp set & coordinating dies for the flowers and leaves. Our friend lives in Tyler, TX, which is designated the Rose Capital of America, so that guided my choice of flowers.

I created the greeting for the front in Photoshop, & printed it onto parchment paper. I die cut that with a Spellbinders "Decorative Labels One" die (discontinued). It kind of got lost on the script paper, since there is not much color difference, so I die cut a mat from pink with a Spellbinders "Labels One" die (discontinued), that coordinates with the decorative label. I adhered those together, and mounted them to my card front. Finally, I glued the roses & leaves in place around the greeting.

Inside of card

The recipient is a church choir director, so I decided to make this "book" card a music book. I found royalty-free sheet music online, and downloaded it. I printed out the first 6 pages, and scanned them into my computer. I opened each page in Photoshop, & sized them so they would fit on the book pages, following the measurements in the tutorial. I then printed them onto parchment paper, & cut them to size.

 

I matted each music page with pink, & adhered them to the inside pages that I'd cut from white cardstock. I also added the end papers to the inside covers of the card. I created the mechanism as per the tutorial, and inserted my pages.

 

I die cut the "happy birthday" from black glitter paper, using the "Celebration Words: Script" die set from Sizzix by Tim Holtz. I added that to another "Decorative Labels One" die cut, that I'd cut from a double layer of Essentials by Ellen 40 lb. vellum. (The vellum helps mute the background sheet music, to make the greeting more legible, without totally obscuring the notes.) To finish, I added a couple more roses & leaves in opposite corners of the greeting. I made a matching envelope as well. Since there is a bit of bulk to this card, I couldn't really use a "flat" envelope, so I made one that's a bit more like an envelope-shaped box.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"

Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge: "Inspired by an Artist" (design & flower accents inspired by Sam Calcott)

Die Cut Divas June Challenge: "Birthdays"

Dies R Us Challenge #170: "Anything Goes Using any Brand of Die that DRU Sells" (Sizzix & Spellbinders dies used)

Happy Birthday!

 

A woman I met at an online retreat last Fall has a birthday coming up, so I made her this card. I used several Lawn Fawn products to create my elements.

I stamped the mice, from "Bubbles of Joy," as well as one of the party hats from "Beam Me Up," on scraps of Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. (This is my preferred ink & paper combination when I use colored pencils.) I used my Prismacolor pencils to color them, then die cut them with the coordinating dies. I used a bit of liquid glue to add a hat to each mouse's head, & went over their eyes with a black glaze pen.

I used My Favorite Things' "Rolling Clouds" stencil & Tumbled Glass Distress ink to create the sky. I cut the grass with a couple of "Grassy Hillside Borders" dies from a scrap of Recollections "Watercolor" 12x12" patterned paper. I used another purple scrap from the same paper pad for my balloon, which I die cut with a "Party Balloons" die. I also die cut 3 more balloons from scrap white cardstock & glued them to the back of my purple balloon to create dimension. I heat embossed the greeting, from "Beam Me Up," on the balloon and used a white gel pen to add the exclamation point.

After I adhered the back grass layer to my card front, I glued down the running mouse. I tied a piece of white crochet twine around the neck of the balloon, & glued the balloon to my card. I stretched the twine to the mouse's paw, and used a drop of liquid glue to hold it in place. (I clamped the twine with my cross-lock tweezers while the glue dried, to keep it fairly taut.) I added the second mouse to the balloon with liquid glue. I used scraps of cardstock behind his upper part where he hung over the top of the balloon, to keep him level with the balloon. Finally, I adhered the front grass piece with foam tape.

 

Inside of card

To add a little something to the inside of the card, I die cut another grassy layer, and adhered that in place. I used a third mouse from "Bubbles of Joy," with his little party hat, and added the cupcake from Lawn Fawn's "Party Unicorn" stamp & die set. I positioned the mouse so he is looking up where the inside message will go. I really love how this card came out!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts Challenge #402: "Finish the Inside"

Dies R Us Challenge #169: "Anything Goes Using Die Brands Sold by DRU" (used Lawn Fawn dies)

613 Avenue Create's May Challenge: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Floral Happy Mother's Day

  

I created this card for my brother & sister-in-law to give our mom for Mother's Day. I used Sketch #SC741 at Splitcoaststampers.com for my design.

After I sized it in Photoshop to fit the sketch dimensions, I printed the "Coneflowers and Butterfly" digital stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps onto a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper. I used my watercolors to paint it, following a reference photo for the flowers I found online. I also printed the greeting, from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Mother's Day Sentiments" digital stamp set, onto a strip of white cardstock, & rounded the corners with my 1/8" We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

I die cut the image panel with a "Nesting Oval Infinity" die from Hero Arts. I adhered it & the greeting to a panel of blue patterned paper from Die Cuts with a View's "The Citrus Matstack." I added that to an orange panel from the same paper pad, & adhered a strip of an orange dot paper along the right side. That finished this super-easy-to-put-together card. And yes, our mom loved it!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments Challenge #247: "Flowers + a Sentiment"

613 Avenue Create's May Challenge: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Repeat Impressions Theme Challenge #M521: "All About Moms"

Punny Mother's Day Card

 

I have always loved a good pun, & when I saw this card on Pinterest, I thought, I've got to make one myself. I used the "Color Layering Orchid in a Pot" stamps & coordinating dies from Hero Arts (discontinued) for my flower. Because of the relatively large sizes of the various elements, I made my card about 4-1/4x7-1/4"

I found some reference photos for orchids online, & one that had yellow & magenta petals with white centers intrigued me. I began by die cutting the main orchid image, so I could get the flowers & stems placed correctly. I stamped the first flower layer in Hero Arts Lemon Yellow. I used Hero Arts Raspberry Jam for the magenta, & heat embossed the centers with Ranger White Super Fine Detail powder. I stamped the stems with Lawn Fawn's Doe ink; & used Hero Arts Lime Green, Lawn Fawn Freshly Cut Grass, & Hero Arts Pine inks for the leaves. I stamped the dirt with Memento Espresso Truffle ink, & finally the pot with Lawn Fawn Moonstone. I then die cut the pot, leaves, & dirt with the coordinating dies. I used a small strip of lightweight cardstock as a backing piece to glue the pot, dirt, & leaves together, to make them easier to handle & position.

I die cut the letters for "Y'Orchid" with Lawn Fawn's "Quinn's Capital ABCs," pulling in the apostrophe from "Quinn's 123s." Then I stamped them with the coordinating stamps & Raspberry Jam ink. I stamped the first part of the greeting using Papertrey Ink's "Polka Dot Parade" alphabet stamps (discontinued). Initially, I was going to use those for the "Happy Mother's Day" at the bottom as well, but they were too large, so I opted for Lawn Fawn's "Claire's ABCs" instead.

After I stamped the top & bottom portions of the greeting, I glued down the die cut & stamped letters. Finally, I glued on the orchid, letting the very top overlap the "Y'Orchid" word slightly. My mom really got a kick out of this!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments Challenge #274: "Flowers + a Sentiment"

613 Avenue Create's May Challenge: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Repeat Impressions Theme Challenge M521: "All About Moms"

Hoppy Birthday!

  

The current challenge at Double Trouble is "Fun Fold." They are partnering with Crafting Happiness for their Challenge #95, "Frogs (or Anything Goes)." I am entering this card in both challenges.

 

I followed a tutorial for a Flap Fold card at Splitcoaststampers.com. I used Bazzill Marine Mist cardstock for the card base, & patterned paper from Echo Park's "It's a Celebration" 6x6" pad to decorate. I punched along the upper short panel with the "Scallop Sentiment" border punch from Fiskars.

 

I stamped the frog (from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' "Birthday Pals" set) onto a scrap of Strathmore Smooth Bristol paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I colored it with my Tombow markers. I die cut the frog with a We R Memory Keepers "Nesting Circles" die, & cut a mat from pink Core'dinations cardstock with a Waffle Flower "Additional Circles" die, to give me a 1/16" border. I also stamped the present on a 1" circle I'd punched from bristol paper, and colored it with my markers. I die cut a 1-1/8" pink cardstock circle for the mat.

 

I use a 1-1/2" circle die to cut the hole in my card base. After I adhered the patterned paper on the front lower flap, I glued my matted focal circle within the opening, adding the glue only to the bottom area of the circle. I adhered the present circle with foam tape over the edge of the top flap, as a closure for the flap. Finally, I stamped the greeting on the upper flap.

 

Inside of card

 

For the inside of the card, I cut a 4" square of cream cardstock, & added a 1" tall border of patterned paper to the bottom edge. I masked off the border strip with a piece of Post It tape, & stamped the balloon & inside sentiment. I stamped the balloon again onto bristol paper, colored it, & fussy cut it out. To finish, I glued the colored balloon over the stamped on on the inside of the card.

I'm also entering this card in 613 Avenue Create's May Challenge: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist).