Working for Charity

Welcome to Friday everyone!!  Well it has been quite a week.  Our niece's C-section was cancelled on Wednesday but they induced her yesterday.  We will have a baby soon!!!  Although I want to share the card I made for her with you, I do want to wait until I give it to her first.  Now I worked hard to get the card ready because (1) I thought the baby would be here sooner and (2) I knew what I needed to work on the rest of the week and it was not any holiday or regular cards.

A few weeks ago, the charity my husband is president of gave a banquet.  There were lots of sponsors for this event who donated items to be raffled off to raise money.  My husband wanted to send them thank you cards and need me to make around 40.  In case you do not remember from past posts, I make all the cards for his charity needs so of course this task would be mine.  Let me show you the card.

This is a side step card.  I made a Halloween themed one recently.  I used left over dsp from past packs I have bought to be the paper for this one.  I chose to do a step so that when someone receives the card, it can be easily displayed and remind them that their efforts are appreciated greatly.  Now I am not going to bore you with how to make this one since it is for the charity.  If you want to learn to make the step cards, you can go back through my past posts or click here and you will be taken to the splitcoaststampers tutorial on this one.  Well as of the time I sat down to write this post, I was not finished yet.

This is what my craft table still looks like.  I am close to finishing but still have to get all the pieces put together.  It should not take much longer so I am hoping to finish soon.

Needless to say, while I have the baby card to share I do not have another one.  Hopefully when you get here on Tuesday, I will be sharing the baby card with you and have completed all the cards for the charity. 

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.  Be safe and have fun!  Remember since Monday is a holiday, I will not be posting.  I shall return Tuesday and look forward to seeing all of you then.  Thanks for dropping by today!

The Go Go Girls Are Back

Happy Thursday everyone!  I decided to change direction completely today and not do anything holiday related.  Instead, I did another birthday card featuring those adorable Go Go girls.  They are so much fun to make and look so cute I just love to find new uses for them.  Anyway, let's get started shall we?!

 

 I started this card with a base card of Raspberry Ripple card stock.  I cut this to measure 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Old Olive on top of this cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  This was adhered down with runner adhesive.  For the top layer, I started with a piece of Whisper White measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  I punched out Old Olive, Raspberry Ripple and Pretty in Pink circles with my 1/2" and 3/4" circle punches.  I adhered these to the white using the runner adhesive.  Once I had them all down where I wanted, I trimmed off any excess hanging over the edge and ran it through my big shot using a medium dots impression folder I picked up at a local craft store.  I attached this to the card using the runner adhesive once again.

For my greeting, I used a stamp from the stamp set Tiny Tags.  I stamped this using Raspberry Ripple ink onto Whisper White and punched it out using the 3/4" circle punch.  Next I punched a scallop circle from Pretty in Pink card stock using the 1 1/4" scallop circle.  I sponged the edges of the white and pink with the Raspberry Ripple ink and attached the white to the pink with a glue dot.  The entire greeting was attached to the card using a dimensional.  Time to make the girls.

 

 Since both girls are made the same way, I will only explain it once.  You will use the owl builder punch, the 3/4" circle punch and the 1" circle punch to make them.  I also used a 1/8" circle punch for the whites of the eyes but you do not have to.  For both girls you will need Soft Suede card stock for the hair and retired Blushing Bride for the face, neck, hands, arms and legs.  To make the face, punch out a 3/4" circle.  Now using the 1" circle punch, punch a ring around the 3/4" circle hole.  This piece will be cut into 5 pieces for the neck, arms and legs.  While you have the blush card stock handy, punch out the bottom portion of the owl from the owl builder punch.  You will cut the feet off and use them for the hands.  Also punch the small circle for the nose.  The back of the hair is the owl body minus the feet turned upside down while the bangs are half of a 1" circle.  

For this first girl, I gave her Wild Wasabi eyes and used the smallest circle of the owl builder punch for them.  For her headband, dress and boots I used the new Champagne Shimmer card stock from the holiday catalog.  I love the color of this paper.  The dress it the vest from the owl builder and the boots are the heart from it.  Now in the past, I only punch one heart and cut it in half for the two shoes.  This time I decided I wanted her to have boots so I punched 2 hearts and trimmed a little off of one side.  The headband is made by first punching a 3/4" circle.  Then use the 1" circle punch and offset it from the hole.  This will be placed behind the bangs.  All pieces of her are attached using a liquid glue.  The "jewel" on her headband is a leopard print dot I picked up at the craft store.  It matches perfectly!!  Add a heart from the owl builder to each side of the gem to complete the bow look.  Once all put together, she is attached to the card using dimensionals.  

 

For this girl, I used Marina Mist card stock for her eyes and a shimmery pink card stock from my local craft store for her outfit.  Her headband gem is a zebra striped pink dot I bought at the same time as the leopard one.  She is made exactly the same way as the other one.  I did draw their mouths on and add a dot to each of their eyes using a fine tip black marker.  She is also attached to the card with dimensionals.  

Wonder what I should make for tomorrow?  I am not sure right now what it will be but I will have something.  I guess you will just have to stop by to see what it is.  I will see you all then.  Thanks for stopping by today!!

Candy Candy Candy

First and foremost today I want to tell our niece Kayla and her husband Kyle congratulations on your new bundle of joy.  She is having a C-section this morning and will be welcoming baby Jackson very soon.  We cannot wait to meet him!!

Around Halloween time, I think the word "candy" must run through everyone's mind more than any other time of year.  I went to the grocery store just the other day and the Halloween candy is already out!  Does holiday decor start earlier and earlier each year or is it just me?  Seems everywhere I go I am seeing Halloween popping up.  So I thought I would stay on the bandwagon and share another Halloween card with you today.

I started this card with a base of Pumpkin Pie card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I added a layer of Basic Black on top of this measuring 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I used runner adhesive to attach it.  Next I added a layer of Gumball Green cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran it through my big shot using the spider web impression folder and then brushed Gumball Green on top of it using a sponge.  It is attached to the base using runner adhesive. 

I decided to make a "quilt" for this particular card.  This is a very easy technique to do.  I took a piece of Basic Black card stock and cut it at 4" x 5".  Next I took out a pack of Halloween designer paper I picked up years ago at a craft store.  I chose designs I liked and punched 1" squares out of them.  I punched 3 of each design so I could play with them and decide on the look I want.  I knew because of the measurements of the black that I would need 5 across and 4 down for the card, 20 pieces in all.  I randomly laid out a pattern and adjusted it until I was happy with the look.  When I was ready, I used runner adhesive to attache the squares to the base piece of black.  Once all were attached, I took the finished product and ran it through my big shot using my top note die.  I attached a piece of 1/4" black grosgrain ribbon to this using my runner adhesive and and then attached the quilt to the card using the same runner adhesive.  

To complete my design, I turned to the hundreds of Halloween stickers I have collected over the years.  I chose this witches hat as the focus of the front.  I know you cannot see it in the photo but the hat is made to feel like felt.  It has the lovely lavender ribbon band and a rhinestone in the center.  On the ribbon, I used 3 small candy corn stickers and layered them in the design you see.  I used small circle dimensionals I picked up at a craft store for them.  The hat is attached with dimensionals also.  

It is a simple card to make but I love the quilt look of it.  I hope you give it a try.  Let me know how your's works out.  

I wish all of you a wonderful Wednesday and I will be back tomorrow with another card to share with you.  I will also have a new nephew!!!  So excited!!  See you all later and thanks for stopping by today.

Christmas Flower

Happy Tuesday to you all!!  Today's post is going to be short and to the point.  No boring stories.  The flower most people associate with Christmas is the Poinsettia.  I made some of these last year and decided to make them again this year.  So here is the card I created using one of these flowers.

You may remember this flower from last year but who says you cannot use the same punch art again on a different design?  I started this with a base card of Real Red card stock.  I cut this to measure 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Next I added a layer of Garden Green card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran this through my big shot using the Holly impression folder.  I sprayed it with my champagne shimmer spray and attached it to the base card using runner adhesive.  For the final layer, I took a piece of Whisper White card stock and ran it through the big shot using the new impression folder from the Holiday catalog called Holiday Frame.  Once the card stock was embossed, I took my sponge and my Real Red ink and brushed it over the design.  I then cut it out and attached it to the green using runner adhesive.  

To add a little something to the holly leaves, I decided to place pearls where the berries would be.  Now I know berries are usually red, but I did not feel like coloring mine.  I did look for some red rhinestones but did not see any that would work.  Most of the time red rhinestones have a red/orange color to them.  I am just not fond of that.  You can alcohol ink diamond like rhinestones but again I just did not want to.  Guess I was being lazy!!

Finally we get to the poinsettia itself.  I used 2 colors of card stock making this.  The first is Daffodil Delight. I punched a 1/2" circle out of this color for the center of the flower.  The rest of the flower uses Real Red card stock.  I used the blossom petals builder punch.  I used the long thin petal to make the entire flower.  I first punched a 1 1/4" circle out of red to build the petals on.  I then punched out 14 petals for the flower.  I placed these and the center circle (yellow) into the Snow Burst impression folder and ran them through the big shot.  Once impressed, I sprayed the petals with the champagne shimmer spray and then it was time to build the flower.  I used 7 petals for the bottom layer.  I used a liquid glue to attach these to the circle.  Make sure to have the points meet in the middle and leave space between each petal.  Then you are ready to layer the top.  You do the same method making sure to offset these according to the bottom layer so your flower has a nice full look.  Once all petals are adhered with the liquid glue, use the same glue to attach the yellow center to the flower.  I wanted to tie mine in with the other parts of the card so I added a large pearl to the center.  Allow you flower to dry completely and then attach it to the card using a dimensional.

Give this one a try.  It is super easy and I am sure you can design a beautiful Christmas card with it.  I will return tomorrow with another card to share with you.  Until then, thanks for stopping by today.  

Pop Up Fun

Happy Monday to you all!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It always seems to go by so quickly.  I never seem to get everything done that I want to.  Does that ever happen to you?  If not, you are one lucky person.  

Part of my weekend was spent crafting my heart away.  I decided I wanted to work with some fancy folds again since I was going to be making a bunch of Thank You cards for my husband's charity at work.  When I designed these for them, I made them to be a side step card so that it could be displayed easily by the recipient.  I enjoy working with different folds.  They always pose a challenge while I wrap my mind around exactly how to fold it but when I get it done, I am always pleased.

Today's card is a fancy fold.  It is not one I have made before and shown here on my blog so hopefully you will enjoy it.  Let me start by showing you the card front and then we will get to the special part of it.

I chose to do a Halloween theme for this one.  One of the main reasons I love making Halloween cards is the color scheme I work with.  I started this one with a base card of Gumball Green.  This really has become one of my favorite colors.  I cut it to be 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I next cut a strip of Basic Black to measure 1 1/2" x 5 1/2".  I cut a piece of a Halloween ribbon and adhered it to the strip using a runner adhesive.  I then cut a smaller piece of the ribbon and made a small knot.  It is adhered to the other ribbon using a glue dot.  I then adhered the strip across the middle of the front of the card using runner adhesive.  To complete the background look, I added dots above and below the black strip.  I did this using VersaMark ink and the eraser end of a pencil.  

I used a new stamp from the holiday catalog called Frightening Feline.  This one caught my eye the first time I went through the catalog and I knew I had to order it.  I stamped it onto a piece of Whisper White measuring 2 5/8" x 3" using Elegant Eggplant ink and sponged the edges with the ink also.  This is layered onto a 2 7/8" x 3 1/4" piece of Gumball Green.  The green is then layered on piece of Basic Black measuring 3 1/8" x 3 1/2".  Finally, the black is layered onto a piece of Elegant Eggplant card stock cut at 3 3/8" x 3 3/4".  All of these layers are adhered together using runner adhesive.  The final piece is attached to the card using glue dots.  I could have used dimensionals but decided to go with glue dots this time.  Now let's get to the exciting part.

The inside of the card is a pop up.  This is a look from the front.  

Here's a look from the top down.  

To begin this, I chose to use a piece of dsp that came in a paper pack I bought years ago.  I cut it as well as a piece of Basic Black to measure 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I lined the inside flap of the card with the bats and the lower half with the black.  Your stage will attach to this.  Now I could try to describe how to make this but instead I will send you to the Splitcoaststampers and let you read all the directions and watch a video on how to make this by Kim Score.  Click here to get all directions.

I sprayed my stage with champagne shimmer spray to add a little sparkle.  For the decorations, I wanted to keep them simple.  I started by making 2 ghosts with Whisper White and Basic Black card stock and my handy owl builder punch.  I sponged the edges of them with Basic Gray ink and added black glitter to the eyes that were attached with liquid glue.  The pumpkins were made using Pumpkin Pie card stock and the small oval punch.  You need 3 ovals for each.  The edges of these are sponged with Pumpkin Pie ink.  I added orange glitter glue to the pumpkins once they were put together using liquid glue.  I took a scrap of Soft Suede and ran it through the big shot using the Woodgrain impression folder and cut small pieces to make the stems of the pumpkins.  I then used Garden Green card stock and the bird builder punch to get the leaves for them. The stem and leaf were attached with the liquid glue also. Last is the gravestone.  It was punched using the large tag punch and Basic Gray card stock.  I sponged the edges with matching ink and wrote the RIP on with black marker.  All of these inside pieces are adhered to the pop up sticks using dimensionals.  

For the greeting I decided to use a retired stamp set called Tableau of Terror.  I stamped this onto Whisper White card stock using VersaMark ink.  I then heat embossed it using black embossing powder.  I cut it out free hand which explains the funky shape.  The edges were sponged using Elegant Eggplant ink.  It was attached to the top of the stage with runner adhesive.

Well that is all for today.  I hope you week gets off to a great start.  Hop on over the Splitcoaststampers and learn how to make this one.  It is easier than you think.  I will be back tomorrow with another share.  Until then, thanks for stopping by!!

Let's Make Wreaths Again

Here we are at another Friday.  I am hoping for a calm weekend.  It has been a very long week and very busy.  I am just so happy to be able to craft and enjoy all my crafting tools.  I know I have said this before but it is so true.  I am just not complete when there is no crafting time.  I guess you could say it is just in my blood to make something each day!

Well I decided to stick with the Christmas theme for today's card.  From the title of this blog I am sure you have guessed that we will be making another wreath today.  This time it is the focal point of the card.  Ready?  Let's go!!

I started this card by cutting a base card of Garden Green card stock to measure 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scoring it at 4 1/4".  Next I took a piece of Real Red and cut it to measure 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran this through my big shot using an impression folder called Mosaic.  I know it is hard to see but I felt it gave a sort of stone look to the piece.  Finally, my top layer is made using Early Espresso card stock.  I cut it at 3 3/4" x 5".  I ran it through my big shot using the new Woodgrain impression folder.  I have a stamp by the same name and used it a lot. Now that the folder is out, I am using it more and more and my stamp just sits.  Not to worry, I will find a use for it again soon.  Once the Espresso was embossed, I punched a hole using my paper piercer and piercing pad about 1/2 way down the right side.  I added a silver brad measuring 5/16" to serve as a door handle.  The layers were attached to the base using runner adhesive and a few strategically placed glue dots.

To complete the look, I added a couple of strips of torn Whisper White card stock to the bottom of the card front.  They serve as the snow.  I felt they needed some dazzle so I used my glue pen and my Dazzling Diamond glitter and covered most of the white with glitter.  You do not need to get every little area.  It looks more natural if you have a few spaces without too.

Last but not least comes the wreath.  I am going to refer you again to Dawn Griffith's blog for a list of the materials she uses and a video on how to make this.  So click here and head on over to see her!!

I used a larger circle to make mine.  I punched a 1 3/4" circle out first and then punched a 2 1/2" circle around it making the ring to attach the leaves to it.  I used the colors Garden Green and Wild Wasabi for my card stock, alternating them as I went around the circle.  For the decorations, I chose to add some of those glitter dots I found at a local craft store and a white bow made from 1/4" gingham ribbon.  The dots are self adhesive (although I sometimes add a glue dot to these just to be sure they hold on really well) and the ribbon is attached using a glue dot.  The entire completed wreath is attached to the "door" using Tombo glue.  

Wonder what I will make this weekend?  I have several ideas running around in my head but will just have to see which one comes out.  I hope you will come back on Monday to see what I decided to do.  Thank you so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend.  

 

A Happy Couple

Hard to believe it is Thursday already.  This week has actually been so busy that it is just flying by.  This entire month seems to be flying by.  As we approach the holiday season, I always want time to slow just a little to allow lots of time to celebrate and enjoy each holiday.  I guess we will have to see if this year slows down or just keeps on flying.

Today I decided I wanted to get in the holiday spirit again so I made a Christmas card.  This one features a very special couple on it -- Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  I am a huge Santa fan and who would not want a Mrs. Claus to bake cookies and make the holidays all warm and fuzzy.  Well this card is one that I decided would feature this dynamic duo so let me show you what I made.

They are such a cute couple!!  I started with a base card of Real Red card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Next I cut a piece of Whisper White card stock to be 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran this piece through my big shot using the Lacy Brocade impression folder.  Once it was embossed, I attached a holly leaf brad to the upper right corner and adhered it to the card using runner adhesive.  The greeting is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I stamped it onto Whisper White card stock using Real Red ink.  I then punched it out using the word window punch and layered it onto a Real Red modern label using runner adhesive.  I added a rhinestone to each end and adhered it to the card with dimensionals.  

To learn how to make the wreaths, I am going to direct you to Dawn Griffith's web site.  There you will find all the materials needed and a video to show you how to make it.  I did make mine larger that hers by punching a 2 1/2" circle around a 1 3/4" circle hole.  These are pretty easy to make but do take a little time.  I added Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details for berries to them and adhered them to the card using Tombo liquid glue.  

I used Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black and the retired Blushing Bride card stock to make Santa.  His hat top and brim are wide ovals.  I ran the red part of the hat through my big shot using the Snow Burst impression folder.  It is attached vertically to the white oval.  The face is a large oval.  Once it is attached to the white of the hat, I added Dazzling Diamond glitter to the hat brim.  The eyes, nose and mouth are all 1/4" circle.  I attached the eyes directly to the face.  The mustache is from the bird builder punch.  You use the wings.  I attached them to the face using dimensionals and glued the nose to the top of it and the mouth right under it.  The beard is the ornament punch.  I ran this through the big shot using the Elegant Lines impression folder.  Attach this to the face prior to attaching the eyes and mustache.  I line up my eyes with the top of the ornament and place the mustache over it  to hide it.  White gel was added to the eyes and a pom pom ball was placed at the brim of the hat for decoration.  

Use the same colors of card stock for her.  Her bun is a 1 1/4" circle.  To make her hair ribbon, I punched another 1 1/4" circle around a 1 1/4" circle hole.  I added red glitter to it.  Her face and her hair are a 1 3/4" circle.  Cut the hair to look you want for her.  Her ears and white part of her eyes are the medium circle from the owl builder punch.  Her nose and black part of her eyes are a 1/4" circle.  Her collar is the 1 3/4" scallop circle.  I added Dazzling Diamond glitter to this.  I drew her mouth on and added rhinestone earrings to her ears (I am sure they were a present from Santa!).  

I had so much fun making these faces.  They just make me happy.  I will return tomorrow with another card for you to see.  I am so glad you stopped by today to have a look at what I made.  Please come back and see me tomorrow!!  Have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is a very special day to me.  It is my mom's birthday.  She would have been 81 years young.  Although I lost her 5 1/2 years ago, I still put her birthday on my calendar and still make her a card.  I miss her terribly.  I am sure she would think I am ridiculous for doing this but I like to think about her and remember just how wonderful she was to have as a mom.  So I thought I would share my card for her with all of you this year.  Now I do not make a whole card.  It is just a card front which I will keep in a scrapbook as a sample for later.  I do believe I will be making another one of these.  I impressed myself with how well it turned out and how much I like it.  So let's get started.

The base of this card is a piece of Melon Mambo card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I then took a piece of Daffodil Delight and cut it to measure 4" x 5 1/4".  I did run this through the big shot using the Lacy Brocade impression folder and then attached it to the Melon Mambo using runner adhesive.  I know it is hard to see the impression but it is there I promise.  For my final layer, I went with a piece of Whisper White cut at 3 3/4" x 5".  I ran this piece through the big shot using the Perfect Polka Dots folder.  I then used a sponge and Daffodil Delight ink to lightly brushed over the top of the dots to add a little color to the background.  It was then adhered to the card using runner adhesive.  

Next came the flowers.  One of my mom's favorite colors was pink and she always looked beautiful in pink. I remember at her funeral we made sure to have pink roses and since then I try to incorporate them on cards for her.  This year I wanted to make punch art roses.  I had seen this technique used as a tulip but realized it could easily be adapted to be a rose by adding the green leaves.  So I started these by grabbing my bird builder punch.  That's right a little bird is responsible for all of this.  I punched just the wing out of Regal Rose card stock.  You will need 3 wings for each flower.  I sponged the edges of each wing using Melon Mambo ink.  Then it is a simple step of layering the wings (3) together to make the flower.  I used liquid glue to adhere these.  Next, I punched out the branch of the bird builder punch using Garden Green card stock.  I trimmed all the leaves but 2 off.  The 2 you leave on will form a "v" and are attached to the bottom of each rose with liquid glue.  I set the completed roses aside to dry and went to work on the vase.  

The vase starts with a piece of Whisper White card stock.  You will punch a wide oval out of this and trim the top and bottom to be flat.  I then ran my vase through the big shot using the Fancy Fan impression folder.  I brushed the fan design, sides and bottom with Melon Mambo ink.  I started adding the flowers to the vase at this time.  I used a liquid glue on the stems to adhere them to the back of the vase.  I trimmed off the stems that were sticking out of the sides of the vase with my scissors.  I used dimensionals to attache the roses and vase to the card.  Once adhered down, I added a few rhinestones to the vase.  

I used the retired stamp set called Well Scripted to get my greeting from.  I stamped it using Melon Mambo ink.  I then used a set of scallop oval framelits I bought at a local craft store and my big shot to cut the greeting out.  The edges were then brushed with the Melon Mambo ink.  I then cut out the next size up of the scallop ovals using Daffodil Delight card stock.  I ran it through the big shot using the Perfect Polka Dots impression folder and layered the smaller greeting on top using runner adhesive.  Next I attached the whole greeting to the card with runner adhesive and added a few pearls around the edges for decoration.  

Last I wanted to fill in the empty space and thought the word "MOM" would be appropriate.  I cut these out using my big shot and the retired decorative strip die called Billboard.  Once they were cut, I attached them to the card using liquid glue and added crystal effects on the top to make them glossy.  

All in all not a bad card to make.  The flowers are really easy and look great finished.  I hope you will give them a try.  

That's it for today.  I wish you all a wonderful Wednesday and I will be back with another card to share tomorrow.  Until then, thanks for dropping by today!!

A Super Hero Birthday Card

Yesterday I mentioned in my blog that my daughter's boyfriend celebrated his birthday over the weekend.  He is a huge Batman fan.  What is funny about that is my husband and my other daughter's boyfriend are both huge Batman fans too.  I guess it is a guy thing at my house.  Anyway, I decided to talk his love of Batman and put it into a birthday card for him.  I thought I would share it with you today.

This card was a lot of fun to make.  I first saw a card similar to this one made by Marie Shaughnessy.  Click here to see her card.  I started with a base card of Not Quite Navy card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I added a layer to the top of Basic Black cut to be 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I used runner adhesive to do this.  For the top layer, I cut another piece of Not Quite Navy at 4" x 5 1/4".  I decorated it before I layered it on with runner adhesive.  

I main portion of the front is devoted to the buildings.  I used Basic Gray and Basic Black card stock for these.  I cut one of each color to be 1 3/8" wide and one of each to be 1 5/8" wide.  The heights were not exact measurements.  I just staggered them. I angled the top of two of the building freehand.  I also added an antenna to the tallest one using a scrap strip of Brushed Silver and a 1/8" circle of Brushed Silver.   I added some Whisper White craft ink to the edges of the buildings using a sponge.  I then adhered the buildings using a repositional adhesive so that I could manipulate them to add the other pieces of the scene.  Once all pieces were added, I adhered them with a permanent runner adhesive.  

For the windows, I drew vertical lines and horizontal lines on 2 using a white gel pen.  I then added small squares on the other 2 with the white gel pen.  Just pack your patience because this does take time but the overall look is terrific.

To make the Bat signal, I started with a piece of vellum.  There are no measurements for this one.  I just cut and placed and cut and placed until it looked like I wanted.  I then colored the vellum using Daffodil Delight ink and a Q-Tip.  I punched a large oval out of Basic Gray card stock and trimmed the edges to give it the clould look.  Now my husband asked why I did not make this yellow instead of gray.  The answer was simple.  The signal always appeared on a cloud in the sky and the sky was always dark.  I have never seen a yellow cloud so I went with gray. I added a little Basic Black ink to it using a sponge.   I adhered the vellum to the card using a glue stick and then attached the building permanently to the card.  The cloud is attached at the top of the vellum using runner adhesive.  I then took the retired bat punch and punched out a Basic Black bat.  I added black glitter to the bat and attached him to the cloud using dimensionals.  

To complete the final look, I punched out large ovals and small ovals using Basic Gray card stock.  I trimmed the edges of these to give the cloud feel to them and attached them to the card using runner adhesive.  I finished it by using Basic Black ink and my sponge and adding ink to the clouds and sky.  I wanted it to have a dark night feel.

This card was easy to make and fun to do.  I think lots of boys and men would love a Batman themed card.  Take at look at Marie's and give one a try if you feel the urge.  

Well, my sister in law will be having her back surgery tomorrow.  I will be keeping my nieces and nephew so it should be a busy day.  I will do my best to get a card made to share with you.  Come back tomorrow to see if I am successful.  Thanks for dropping by today!!

Good-Bye Card

Happy Monday to all.  I want to publicly wish my daughter's boyfriend Matt a very Happy Birthday.  His special day was yesterday and while I did send him wishes via text, he is special and deserved to see his name in my blog too.

My weekend turned out to be a pretty busy one.  My sister called me last week and asked if I could make a going away card for one of her coworkers who is moving on to a new challenge.  Of course I said yes.  I finished out my blog cards and planned to work on this one all weekend.  Well, I found out she really needed it by Monday which would have given me 2 days but since it is the start of the college school year, she had to work all weekend.  The only time I could really get it to her would be Saturday evening.  Well wouldn't you know that Saturday evening was also the banquet for my husband's charity.  So I was limited to just Saturday morning and afternoon to get this done.  Lucky for me, my sister had an idea of what she wanted and it allowed me to get going very quickly.  I thought I would share with you what I made today.

I had made a Dr. Seuss card with the same theme a few years ago for another friend who was moving.  While I had a basic idea of what I wanted, I did use a sticker set to decorate that card.  This time I had no stickers and no time to go shopping.  So I pulled out my handy book by Dr. Seuss and started thinking of how to design my card.  Since the entire office staff would need to be able to sign this card, I had to make sure I included enough space to allow this.  The card measure 8 1/2" x 11".  That means there is no cutting of the card stock on this one.  I went with a piece of Night of Navy for the cover and Basic Black for the back.  I placed 3 pieces of Whisper White card stock in between and added a quote from the book to each of those pieces.  That left plenty of room on each page for signatures and notes of good wishes.  I took each piece of card stock and scored them down the side at the 1/2" mark.  I used a paper piercer to make 5 holes down the side and bound the card pages using silver brads.  I used Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi and Daffodil Delight card stock to cut out oval from.  I did this by using my retired ovals die for the big shot as well as my large oval punch and the retired small oval punch.  For the larger ovals, I used my Cricut machine and a cartridge called Plaintin SchoolBook.  Once the ovals were finished being cut out, I layered them in a similar fashion to the cover of the book using runner adhesive.  I cut out the letters for the title from Daffodil Delight card stock using the big shot and the retired decorative strip Billboard.  The letters are adhered to the card using a liquid glue and added yellow glitter glue to the top of the letters.  I then added yellow glitter glue dots to the blue part of the card and set it aside to dry while I worked on the cat.

I wanted to show you a closer look at the whole cat close up.  Yes I know the cat is black and white, but I decided to cut all parts of the body out of Whisper White card stock and sponge each piece with Basic Gray and Basic Black ink.  I am going to break him into top and bottom halves to go over how to make him.

Sometimes I do one half at a time to make it easier for you to understand the directions.  This time however, I am doing this because I actually learned to make the hat, head, face, neck and tie from the punch queen herself Ellen Kemper.  So as always, I am going to direct you to her sight to learn how to do this portion of the cat.  Click on this link to get the instructions:  http://blinkthinkink.blogspot.com/2010/08/famous-feline-yep-another-one.html

The body of the cat is all my own development.  The main body is a wide oval trimmed down to get the shape I wanted.  The arms and legs are the word window punch.  I punched these along the edge of the card stock so instead of a whole window I only used a little over a half.  The hands are from the retired heart to heart punch.  I used the widest heart from this.  For the feet I turned to the retired small oval punch but I bet you could use the current one too.  Last but not least, I used the stem of the branch from the bird builder punch to make the tail.  All pieces for both top and bottom were adhered together using liquid glue and the completed cat was attached to the card using dimensionals.  

I had fun making this one and while it took time to cut out all the ovals and layer them to achieve the final look I wanted, it was well worth it.  I enjoyed making the cat too.  I cannot wait to use him on another card.  

This week is busy for me.  We have family coming into town tomorrow and my sister in law is having back surgery on Wednesday.  So while my intentions to post each day are heartfelt, I hope you will understand if I miss a day or two.  I really am hoping to have craft time each day and get a card made to share with you each day.  I just know how life is and how quickly things can come up and change plans.  I do hope you will stop by to check each day and see if I managed to create something.  I will do my best.  Thanks for dropping by today!  See you soon!

 

Halloween is Visiting Again

On Wednesday, I took my husband to the craft store to see all the Halloween decorations that have come out this year.  Of course, we did not leave the store empty handed.  While we did not purchase anything big to bring home we did buy some cute little ornament decorations for a tree.  We found this crazy Halloween tree that is much like a Christmas tree a few years ago.  It has black branches, orange lights and a skull with green eyes for the base.  Since then we have been collecting little things to decorate it with.  This year we were lucky enough to find some really cute items to add to the collection for it.

I must say that I am glad to have reached Friday.  I am really having an off week and just need it to end now.  Our daughter who lives at home has been gone most of the week on vacation and I miss her a lot.  My other daughter has been working hard and does not seem to have a lot of extra time to visit.  I guess that whole empty nest syndrome as they call it is setting in for me.  It's funny.  I thought I would get by without ever experiencing it but it made its way here this week.  There have been a couple of other things that happened too that set off my depression severely.  I hate it when that happens.  It really is not fun to feel sad all the time.

By now I am sure you are bored with me complaining so let's move on to the card of the day.  I wanted to share with you another version of a step card.  This time the step is in the center instead of on the side.  I chose to do the Halloween theme again because I was in that mood especially after going to the craft store.  As with the other cards, I will link you to a website to get all the instructions and a video tutorial for this one. This time I will be sending you to Dawn Griffith's site directly.  She is the one I learned to make this from and I know you will enjoy her video.  Let's get started.

As you can see, this card has the same number of steps as the other.  They are just moved to the center.  I chose to use a base of Elegant Eggplant for this one cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".  The panels on the right and left of the steps were made using Basic Black card stock.  They measure 3/4" x 4".  The center back panel insert was made using first Gumball Green card stock cut at 3 1/4" x 3 3/4".  I then added a layer of Basic Black measuring 3 1/8" x 3 5/8".  For the final layer I used Whisper White cut at 3" x 3 1/2".  The center step had a piece of Gumball Green measuring 1" x 2".  All pieces of panels as well as the panels thenselves were attached using runner adhesive.  

On each of the side panels, I stamped a spider hanging down that is from the retired stamp set Eat Drink & Be Scary.  I stamped him in VersaMark ink and heat embossed him using clear embossing powder.  I also added a ghost to each side made using Whisper White and Basic Black card stock.  I punched the ghost and eyes out using the owl builder punch.  The ghost is the owl body minus the feet turned upside down.  I added black glitter the the eyes using a glue pen and then attached them to the ghost with the glue pen.  The completed ghosts are attached to the card with runner adhesive.  To fill in the space between the spider and ghost, I added some purple glitter glue dots.

For my greeting, I used my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I stamped the saying using VersaMark ink onto Whisper White and heat embossed it using a Halloween embossing powder.  I punched this out with my word window and layered it onto a Pumpkin Pie modern label using runner adhesive.  I added a black pearl to each side for added drama and attached the entire piece to the card using runner adhesive.  I added purple glitter glue dots across the bottom for sparkle.

The center panel has 2 bats on it.  I punched these with the retired bat punch out of Basic Black card stock. Using a glue pen, I added black glitter to them and attached them to the green with runner adhesive.  

Finally, to decorate the back panel, I started once again with the retired stamp set Eat Drink & Be Scary.  I stamped the witch's hat using VersaMark ink onto the Whisper White card stock.  I then heat embossed it using the Halloween embossing powder.  I wanted to add a couple of pumpkins at the bottom.  I made using using Pumpkin Pie card stock and my small oval punch.  You punch 3 ovals and layer them together using runner adhseive.  Next I took a scrap piece of Soft Suede and added a stem to each and then using Garden Greed card stock I punched a branch out from the bird builder punch and used a leaf for each pumpkin's stem. These were attached to the pumpkin using my glue pen and the completed pumpkins were attached to the card using my runner adhesive.   I added orange glitter glue dots to the pumpkins and the area surrounding the hat.  

Here is the link to get you to Dawn's site to learn out to cut the card to fold this way:  http://dawnsstampingthoughts.typepad.com/dawns_stampin_studio/2010/04/awash-with-flowers-step-card-2-.html

Again it is not a hard card to make.  It just takes patience and practice.  

Well I am hoping for a quite weekend myself.  I hope you all get to do whatever it is you need to do to take care of you.  I will be back on Monday with another card to share.  Please come by to see what I come up with next.  Thanks for dropping in today and have a wonderful weekend.

Oh Christmas Tree

Welcome to Thursday everyone.  I hope your week is going well.  Mine has been a busy one with lots of errands but I am hoping that starting today, I will just be home for a while.  I am always happy when I have a chance to work in my craft room and today should be that day.  My husband has homework to work on so I will have lots of time.

Today's card is another fancy fold card.  Once again, I will share with you my card and provide the website you can get a complete tutorial on how to make this one.  There is even a video.  As a bonus, this one is made by one of my favorite stampers in the world, Dawn Griffith.  She is a fantastic and creative person.  I have learned a lot from her.  Ready to get started?  Let's go!

Here is the card I made.  This fold is called a Shadow Box.  For this one, I started with a base of Garden Green.  The difference between a regular card and this one is you need 2 pieces of the green, both measuring 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  You can see the score lines in the photo which indicate where the folds are.  This one is another one that does flatten like in the photo so you can mail it to someone.  I know it is hard to see inside but I used a piece of Real Red card stock cut at 3 1/4" x 4 ".  I ran it through my big shot using the Snow Burst impression folder.  I adhered it to the bottom piece of green using runner adhesive.  Next I took a piece of Whisper White cut at 2 1/2" x 3 5/8".  I stamped my tree using the Star Tree stamp from SU! using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it using a red tinsel embossing powder.  I took the retired stamp set called Christmas Punch and used the snowflake stamp to stamp 2 large snowflakes, one on each side of the tree.  These were stamped with VersaMark ink and heat embossed using an embossing powder called winter wonderland.  I also stamped the smaller snowflakes on a piece of white card stock and heat embossed them too.  They were punched out using the boho blossom punch and set them aside for use later.  I took the top piece of green card stock and used my 3" circle die for the big shot to cut the circle in the center of the card.  I then stamped the greeting using the retired stamp set called Four the Holidays using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with the red tinsel powder.  I cut the greeting out and set it aside.  The tree was attached to the red with runner adhesive.  I had done my score lines at 1/2" and 1" on each side prior to beginning the decorating and accordion folded them also.  To connect the top piece of card to the bottom I used sticky strip.  Once it was attached I added the greeting and small snowflakes to the front using runner adhesive.  

Once the card is completed it is ready to stand up.  Here is a view from the top down so you can see how the shadow box looks when opened up and standing.  I added depth to your card.  

Last but not least, here is a view of the card standing up from the front.  You can get the overall idea of the folds of this one by looking at the photo.  Here is the link to go to for all instructions and a video: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/shadow_box_card/ 

It is a very easy card.  I will probably make another one for next week for you to see.  I hope you will give this fold a try.  You will love the outcome of the card.  

I am so glad you stopped by to visit today.  Please come back tomorrow for another Halloween card.  I will look forward to seeing you all then!  Have a great day and happy stamping!!

Christmas Pop Up

Happy Wednesday everyone.  Today's post is going to seem extremely short to you.  I chose to do another fancy fold card today called a Free Standing Pop Up Card.  I will show you the card standing, as it's being folded and completely folded to go in an envelope.  I will link you to the tutorial where you will receive all instructions as well as a video on how to make this one.  So let's get started.

For this card, I chose to use Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White card stock.  On my base, I stamped an image using a wheel called Santa's Lineup.  This one is retired.  I stamped it in VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  You can used any stamp you would like to decorate the base.  You just want to do it prior to building the card.  

For my main attraction, I went with the Christmas Deer stamp.  I stamped him in Early Espresso ink and glittered his antlers with gold glitter.  I added glitter glue dots to the area surrounding my deer.  You will need to be sure this is completely dry before trying to lower the card.  

In this photo, I wanted to show you how the card looks as it is being folded flat.  The deer will disappear down the center and all those score lines that you folder will enable this to happen.  Pretty cool huh?

Finally we see the flattened card.  Okay so it's not perfectly flat but you know what I mean.  This will fit in your standard envelopes you get for regular 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" cards.  You can mail this one easily.  You may need to include instructions on how to set it up, but the recipient will love it.  

Here is the link to get you to the instructions:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/freestandingpopupcard/

I know the fancy folds can be intimidating when you first look at them but give them a try.  You might be surprised at how easy they are to construct.  

I will be back again tomorrow with another fancy fold for you.  Until then have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in to see me!!!

Halloween Spooks

Over the weekend, I visited one of the craft stores that is close to my home.  I love going to these at this time of year as all the seasonal decorations are coming out and look so cool.  I immediately visited the Halloween display to see what new items were out this year.  I also wanted to know if I would need to take my husband to see them.  The answer is yes.  He will really enjoy some of the things I viewed.  That doesn't mean we will purchase them just that we will visit them.  Anyway, it put me in the mood to make a Halloween card.  Today I will share with you what I came up with.  Are you ready?  Let's get started.

This type of card is called a Side Step card.  You can visit Splitcoaststampers by clicking here to get the full tutorial on how to make one of these. You will also find a video at the bottom of the tutorial that will take you through making one.   I like this card because it stands up easily and looks great on display.  I chose to use Gumball Green card stock for my base card.  I cut it at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" which is what the tutorial will tell you.  On the left side of the photo, I added a layer of Basic Black cut at 2 3/8" x 4 1/8".  The back panel on the right is a piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock cut at 2 1/2" x 4" with a layer of Basic Black on it measuring 2 3/8" x 3 7/8".  The panel right in front of that has a small piece of Daffodil Delight added to it which measures 1 1/4" x 2 1/4".  All of the panels were attached to the base using runner adhesive.  The only part of the card I will mention before focusing on panels is the fence.  I used my Soft Suede card stock for this.  I put it through my Cricut machine using a cartridge called My Community.  This cartridge has a fence on it that I thought would really work well.  Once it was cut out, I ran it through my big shot using the Woodgrain impression folder and sponged some Soft Suede ink onto the pieces which really brought out the impression on the piece.  I attached it to the front of the card using runner adhesive after completing the panel on the left.  The leaves added to the fence are from Garden Green card stock punched using the bird builder punch.  Now onto the panels!!

For the left panel, I chose to make a graveyard.  I started by punching Basic Gray card stock with my large tag punch.  I only needed 2 of these.  I brushed the edges with Basic Gray ink and set them aside.  Next I took Basic Black card stock and ran it through my big shot machine using the retired Billboard decorative strip to cut out the RIP for each head stone.  Once they were cut out I used a glue pen on them and added black glitter to them.  I also glued then to the stones using the same glue pen.  I then took some Whisper White card stock and using my owl builder punch and punched out 4 owls.  Yes I know you can only see 2 here but the others will show up in a minute.  I cut off the feet of the owls and turned them upside down.  I punched out the black eyes from the owl builder also and added black glitter to them for effect.  They are attached to the ghosts using a glue pen.  Last but not least, I punched a 1" circle out of white and brushed it with Basic Gray and Daffodil Delight ink to make a moon.  Once all pieces were completed, I attached them to the panel using runner adhesive.  

This photo highlights the 2 panels on the right side.  Let's start with the back panel first.  The greeting I chose from this one is from the retired stamp set called Eat Drink & Be Scary.  I stamped this onto Whisper White card stock using VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with a Halloween embossing powder that I picked up at a convention.  I punched this out with the retired small tag punch and layered it onto a large tag which had been punched out of Gumball Green.  I attached it to the panel using runner adhesive.  Here you can see one little ghost hiding behind a pumpkin.  He is attached using runner adhesive.  I made this pumpkin using Pumpkin Pie card stock and the wide oval punch.  You need 3 ovals for this. All ovals are brushed on the edges with Pumpkin Pie ink.  They are layered together using runner adhesive.  I added a stem of Soft Suede impressed with the Woodgrain impression folder.   The Garden Green leaves are from the bird builder punch.  I attached this large pumpkin with dimensionals.  All the pumpkins are made in the same way.  Only the sizes are different. 

The panel in front of this one has another cute ghost peeking out and 2 pumpkins.  The larger of the 2 was made using the large oval punch.  The small one used the small oval punch.  Again, these are made exactly the same way as the large one.  All items on this layer are attached with runner adhesive.

Finally we come to the front of the card on the right side.  I chose to go simple on this and just add a couple of pumpkins made using the small oval.  They are attached using dimensionals.  

I encourage you to give this type of card a try.  It is easier than it looks and is so nice to look at.  I have no idea what I will make for you tomorrow but I will come up with something.  Thanks for stopping by today and I will see you all tomorrow.  

Another Flower for the Holidays

Happy Monday everyone!!  I am sending wishes to all of you for a wonderful week.  I am starting my with a little cleaning in my craft room.  Believe me, it is needed.  I do not know how I get so much stuff out of place!!  Even things that are where they are suppose to be are forgotten because I have not used them in a while.  So a thorough cleaning is called for in this case.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  My youngest daughter, Kaitlyn, was bitten by a bug on her hand on Saturday.  Since it happened when she was sleeping we do not know what type of bug bite it is.  Poor little Kate has been taking benedryl and doing ice compresses to help with the swelling of the bite.  It is about a quarter size around and raised up.  You can tell there is fluid behind it.  I am hoping we will see improvement soon.  Other than it itching and hurting a little, she is doing okay.

I did have a chance to work on a fairly simple card this weekend.  I will tell you it is very easy to make and therefore, this will be a very short post.  So let me get started so I can get to cleaning.

The base card for this one is Real Red cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  Next I added a layer of Shimmer White card stock cut at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  I attached it using runner adhesive.  For the final full layer, I went with a piece of Garden Green measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  I ran this piece through my big shot using an impression folder called Evergreen.  I placed it in my color catcher and sprayed it with my champagne shimmer spray.  I then attached it to the white using the runner adhesive.  I added those cute little glitter dots I picked up at a local craft store to each corner of the green using glue dots to make them stick.  For the final layer on the front, I cut a piece of Shimmer White to be 3 3/8" x 3 3/8".  I rounded the corners using my corner rounder and then brushed the edges using a sponge with Real Red ink.  I attached it to the green using dimensionals.  

The only other component for the front of the card is the flower itself.  I started by cutting 4 sets of leaves out.  I did this using my big shot and a sizzlet die called Little Leaves.  I glued these to the white using a liquid glue.  I made sure one leaf was pointing at each corner.  Next I took a piece of Real Red card stock and ran it through my big shot using the retired Daisies #2 die.  This die was so popular when it first came out that it was on back order forever.  I was lucky enough to get mine quickly since I am a demonstrator.  It is my favorite flower to make and even though it is retired, I have no plans to stop using it.  When you cut the flowers, you get a small, medium and large daisy.  You will use all three.  It will also cut the center circle out. Just set these to the side.  Next I ran a piece of Whisper White through the big shot using the same die.  Set the centers of these flowers aside also.  Then it is time to layer.  I like to layer the matching sizes together first - small on small, medium on medium, and large on large. I offset the petals when doing this.   I chose to layer white on top of red but you can do it however you choose.  Once the sizes are layered, I then layer the medium set onto the large followed by the small set onto the medium.  If you look at my flower, you will see that I offset the petals so that the colors show up easily - try to put the red on white and white onto red.  I do all my layering using a glue pen so that I can really control where the glue goes.  Once all the sizes are layered together, you will want to cover the center hole.  Since my top flower was white, I wanted to use a red center.  I went with the one from the medium size flower.  I glued it on with my glue pen.  To add some sparkle to the center, I used one of those glitter dots and attached it to the middle using a glue dot.  

This is a fairly simple card but it does look really pretty when completed.  I love making these flowers.  I used them on a lot of my projects.  

Well that's it for today.  I am off to go through my stuff.  I wish you all a wonderful day.  I will be back tomorrow to share with you again.  Until then, thanks for stopping by.