Monday, June 30, 2014

No Place Like Gnome Hybrid Card

Here is another hybrid card. This card is so cute that your friends won't believe how easy it is!
Materials needed:
No Place Like Gnome digikit from Daisy Trails
Bermuda Bay card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Stampin' Dimensionals
White card stock
Black pen

1. Print out 2 copies of the mushroom house, one of two different mushrooms and the birthday greeting from the Gnome digikit. Cut out one mushroom house and the other items. On the second mushroom house, cut out the roof and chimney mushrooms from the other house.
2. Draw a line to look like a horizon across the card stock at about 2 1/2" from the bottom. Adhere the mushroom house to the Bermuda Bay card stock.
3. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the mushroom roof and chimney and the extra mushrooms. Place the roof on top of the roof on the house and the chimney one on top of the chimney. This gives them a more dimensional look.
4. Place the extra mushrooms in front of the house or to the side.
5. Place dimensionals on the back of 3 corners of the greeting label. Do not place one on the bottom right side of the label. Adhere the label tothe top left side of the card, allowing the corner without a dimensional to overlap the roof.
6. Adhere the card front to the card base and send a fun message to a friend.
 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Hybrid Daisy Bear Card

Again, I'm mixing media. Today and for the next couple of days, I'll be showing you cards that have a digital element to it. Because I am a tactile person (I like to touch & feel things), I don't like to do totally digital cards but I do find many digital elements that are super cute. So, for me, I do a combination.



Materials needed:
Fizzy Moon Occassions digikits from Daisy Trails
Darling Buds Daisy digikits from Daisy Trails
Perfect Punches stamp set (#120516)
Delicate Dots patterned paper (retired) 4 x 5 1/4"
Daffodil Delight card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Marina Mist card stock 1 1/4 x 4"
White card stock
Marina Mist ink pad
Large oval punch
3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon, Hello Honey
Stampin Dimensionals (#104430)
Corner rounder

1. Choose the Fizzy Moon bear and the daisy images from Daisy Trails and print them on white card stock. Cut out the images.
2. Stamp the greeting from Perfect Punches stamp set on white card stock with Marina Mist ink. Use the large oval punch to punch out the birthday greeting.
3. Round the corners on the patterned paper. Adhere the patterned paper onto the Daffodil Delight card stock.
4. Adhere a piece of ribbon about 5" long to the center of the Marina Mist card stock wrapping the ends to the back. Adhere this strip to the patterned paper about 1 1/4" from the top of the card.
5.Place Stampin' Dimensionals to the back of the bear and the back of the oval greeting. Peel the covering off the dimensionals on the bear and place him over the Marina Mist and ribbon strip.
6. Adhere the daisy image to the bottom right corner of the card front. Peel the covering off the Stampin' Dimensionals on the greeting oval and place on the bottom left of the card, slightly overlapping the daisies.
7. Adhere the card front to a card base and you are ready to brighten someone's day with this cute bear and daisies.
 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Zentangle Card

I do enjoy learning new techniques and mediums and I enjoy mixing them. Today, I'm going to show you how I used a zentangle design as a background on a sympathy card. I'll also show you some of the steps in making the card.




 Materials needed:
Drawing paper
Black markers, fine point
Black card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock 4 x 5 1/4"
White satin ribbon
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
Word Window punch
Black ink

 Complete your zentangle design on drawing paper that measures about 3 x 4" in size. Adhere the zentangle design on the white card stock. Layer that on the black card stock. Wrap a ribbon around the card front and tie in a bow. Stamp a greeting on white card stock. Punch out with the Word Window punch and adhere to the top right of the card.

1. To make this zentangle design and others like it, I like to start with a basic design. For this one, I started with a hand drawn butterfly. You can hand draw your basic design or find a stamp that you like to use for the design.
 
2. Add more lines to give you areas that you will be able to fill in with design.


 Here, I doubled the outside line and added a division on the wings. You can add any lines that you like to do this. You just need to be sure you have areas to fill in.
3. Create a design to fill in the area. Blocks and triangles are easy to do. Geometical designs work well.
4. After you have drawn a design on a section, color every other block. Most of these that I've seen use black and white but I have seen some using colors.
Complete this pattern.
5. Go on to the next section that you want to do. Doing a variety of patterns and designs makes your project more interesting. On this next section, I did triangles. I totally messed up this part so I covered it up and went to the other side to demostrate this.

Draw straight lines across the area. Don't worry about using a ruler since these do not have to be perfectly straight. After you have the straight lines, then draw triangles on each line.



 When you have finished the triangles, fill them in with more straight lines on every other triangle.


 You can then fill in the empty triangles with black or leave them white.
Other patterns you can do are to create curved lines following the shape of the butterfly. Then color in every other section with black or another color.
Another pattern could be to create a line grid in a section. Then make large black dots at each intersection of squares.
Look around on the internet for different patterns you might like to use. You can also pull patterns from the world around you. You might see a pattern that you like in a garden or in a building. This is your art work, so it's totally up to you as to what patterned you want to use. The main thing, from what I understand, is to create patterns with alternating colors and designs. You can then add your zentangle to a card, scrapbook page, or frame it and place it on your desk.

Just have fun creating!






 

Monday, June 23, 2014

Zentangles


 I recently discovered a new technique (at least, new to me) called zentangle. Most of the zentangle patterns that I've seen are in black and white but I have seen some with colors also. I do like the colors better. There are different ways of doing this but it's basically combining patterns to make your art work. A big part of the patterns are made by alternating blacks and whites in your design. This first one started with double curved lines drawn over and under each other. I then added patterns in the spaces between.
 
This one started with a free hand flower. 


This one is a basic sunrise with the patterns drawn in the sun's rays.
 
In my next post, I will show you  how make a zentangle and then use it for a background on a card.


Friday, June 20, 2014

Accordion Fold Card

This past Saturday, I spent some time making an accordion fold card for my husband for Father's Day. Now, I know that it's too late for you to make something for Father's Day but this type of card can be made for many different occassions, anniversaries, birthdays, baby events, etc.
Materials needed:
Plaid Paper Journeys Accordion Cards
Countryside stamp set (#120495)
Need for Speed stamp set (#122717)
Harvest Blessings stamp set (#126452)
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (#115370)
Various patterned papers
Night of Navy card stock
White card stock
Really Rust ink pad
Ruby Red ink
Wild Wasabi ink
Night of Navy ink
Creamy Carmel ink
Early Expresso ink
Cardmaker's Card Quotes by Hot Off the Press
DCWV Quote Sticker Stack, family
Xyron Create a Sticker 150
Word Window punch
Modern Label punch
Baked Brown Sugar twine

I used several things that were pre-made to make it easier on me. I can make my own accordion fold card/book, but since Plaid already has one made for you, it's a whole lot easier.
1. Count the pages you want to decorate. You can do just one side or you can do both sides of the book. The book is 5 x 5" so I cut paper to fit that size. I can 8  pieces. That covered the front & back and the inside pages. Adhere each paper to the book.
2. For my title, I hand lettered it on white card stock. Then I inked the outer edge of the card stock with Night of Navy ink. Stamp a greeting on white card stock with Night of Navy ink. Punch the greeting out with the Word Window punch. Punch a Modern Label from Night of Navy card stock with the punch. Adhere the greeting in the center of the card stock label. Adhere that to the bottom left side.
3. Tie a piece of twine about 12" long around the left edge of the card. Tie 2 or 3 more pieces of twine around other folds in the card.
4. My husband like machines so I chose tractors, cars, boats, etc for the images on my card. You can use whatever images your person likes. There are so many stamps available covering just about everything you can imagine from SU and from local stores. I stamped all of the images that I planned to use on white card stock with varying colors of ink.


5. Cut out all the images. The ones that are small enough run through the Xyron machine. I also run some of the quotes through the machine. I think it makes it easier.
Then you can peel them off and place on the pages as you wish. I placed or adhered an image and a quote or saying on each of my pages.




 
I could have put a lot more work into this project but this says I love you & I'm glad you're the father of my children.
 

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Sunflower Shaker

Here is another card using the shaker boxes from SU! that I used in Monday's card.
Materials needed:
Sunflower background stamp (#123608)
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
Shaker Frames (#12455)
Sequins
Marina Mist card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
White card stock
Early Espresso marker
Apricot Appeal marker (for a brighter flower try Daffodil Delight)
Acetate or clear plastic
Word Window punch
Light box (optional)
Old Olive ink pad
Old Olive 1/2" Striped Grosgrain ribbon 6" (retired # 113883)
Crop-a-dile or other hole punch
Printed Designer Brads (#122940)

1. Use the Early Espresso marker to color the center of the sunflower and the Apricot Appeal marker to color the petals.
 
After coloring the stamp, breathe or huff on the stamp to activate the color. Then stamp the sunflower on white card stock. Cut out the sunflower.
2. Prepare the shaker frame as you did on Monday's card. If you need to see the directions again, click here or scroll up.
3. Because the sunflower is large and you want to place the shaker frame directly in the center, it would be helpful to use a light box to see the center of the flower. Place the shaker box on the light box. Then turn the sunflower upside down and look for the center. Place the flower directly over the shaker frame and press down.
 
4. The sunflower image is a little bit larger than the Marina Mist card stock piece. Adhere the sunflower  image to the card stock. Trim the part that overlaps the card stock to give the card a smooth look.

 
5. Cut a piece of Old Olive ribbon 6" long. Place adhesive on the back of the ribbon. Adhere it to the bottom of the card wrapping the ends around to the back.
6. Stamp your greeting on white card stock wth Old Olive ink. Punch it out with the Word Window punch. Place adhesive on the back of the greeting and adhere it to the center of the ribbon. Use the Crop-a-dile hole punch or another punch to make holes all the way through the greeting, ribbon and Marina Mist card stock. You might be able to do fine with an  ordinary hole punch but I am starting to have some arthritis problems with my fingers and the Crop-a-dile is much easier for me when I am punching several layers. Add brads to each side.
7. Adhere the card front to a card base and place a note or greeting inside. Send it to a friend and shake up their life a bit!

 

Monday, June 16, 2014

Shakers & Flowers

I can remember when I first started scrapbooking 20 or so years ago, making shaker boxes. They added a fun element to the page and I enjoyed doing them. They weren't easy though! Back then, I had to create my shakers totally from scratch. Today, you can buy shaker frames already made for you & you just add some acetate or plastic to the top. Then put whatever you want to shake inside and put it together.
Materials needed:
Printed Petals stamp set (#120444)
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
Confetti patterned paper by Kaiser Craft 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Confetti Pretty Vellum Borders by Kaiser Craft
White card stock
Shaker Frames (#124155)
Acetate sheet or clear plastic
Sequins
Word Window punch
Melon Mambo ink pad
Coastal Cabana ink pad
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Choose the vellum border that you want to us. Position it at an angle on the top right corner. Fold the edges of the border over the edge of the paper. Crease. Place adhesive on the part that folds to the back. Place the border on the patterned paper and press the back part down.


2. Stamp a floral image from the Printed Petals stamp set on white card stock. Stamp one in Mambo Melon ink and a second in Coastal Cabana ink. Cut them out. Adhere the Melon Mambo flower directly on the patterned paper. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the Coastal Cabana flower. Adhere the Coastal Cabana flower overlapping the Melon Mambo flower as shown in the picture.

 
3. Stamp your birthday greeting on white card stock using Melon Mambo ink. Punch the greeting out with the Word Window punch. Ink the edges by rubbing them against the Melon Mambo ink pad. Place adhesive on the back of the greeting. Place it in the center of the Coastal Cabana floral image.
 
4. Choose the size shaker frame that you wish to use. I used the largest frame from SU! Peel the paper covering off of one side. Place it on the acetate sheet.
 
Carefully cut around the outside edge of the shaker frame to fit the acetate sheet on the frame. Turn it over and place your sequins inside. ***Sequins can be found in a sewing dept. but the best place to find cute ones is in the party department. Many stores have several different shapes of sequins designed to use for table decorations at parties.***
 
5. Peel the paper backing off the free side of the shaker frame.
 
Decide where you want to place the shaker frame. I placed mine in the bottom right corner. Carefully place the card front that you've been working on on top of the shaker frame and press down to get it in place.
 
6. Adhere the card front to a card base and send it to a friend to shake up their birthday!
 
 
 




Friday, June 13, 2014

A Man's Thing

For me, it's always difficult to make a card for a man. I just don't think that direction but there are still times when I need to send a card to a man that I know. Here is a manly card that I made for a birthday. IMO, men need & like bright colors so I went with reds and bright colors. I also was trying to use some of my scrap stash up so these items are all retired.
Materials needed:
Patterned paper 4 1/4 x 5 1/2" 2 pcs 2 x 2 1/2"
   This paper is from the Celebrations pack from SU in 2011
Real Red card stock 2 1/4 x 2 7/8"
White card stock
Card stock stickers strip from an old SU kit
Need for Speed stamp set (122717)
Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set
Cherry Cobbler ink
Word Window punch
Modern Label punch
Geo brad from a local store

SU has had the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set for several years now. It's even still in the new 2014 catalog. IMO, this is the most versitile and useful set that I've ever owned. I also love it because every saying is a perfect size to fit the Word Window punch. If you looked at many of my cards, you can see that I use it often.
Have fun making this manly card for Father's Day or a man's birthday.
 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Friends

This was a a fun little card to make. I used a combination of old and new items and different brands. The ribbon is from Stampin' Up but I've had it for 3-4 years so I know that you can not get it any more.

Materials needed:
Little Friends stamp set (#122667)
Window Frame Dies collection (#129021)
Pacific Point card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Confetti patterned paper by Kaiser Craft 4 x 5 1/4" and 1 1/2 x 5 1/4"
White card stock
Corner Rounder
Pastels
Ice CreamParlor ribbon (#123613)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)


Monday, June 9, 2014

Only One You

Materials needed:
Serene Silhouettes stamp set (#127324)
Vintage Verses stamp set (#129633)
Raspberry Ripple card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Bermuda Bay card stock 4 x 5 1/4"
Summer Smooches patterned paper (#125409) 3 x 3 1/2"
Corner Rounder
Scotch brand Washi Tape
Felt flowers (I'm not sure where I got these. They were laying loose on my shelf.)
White brads
Raspberry Ripple ink pad
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

 

Friday, June 6, 2014

Wilderness Father's Day

 I acutally don't have any one to send a Father's Day card to any more but this card can be used for a man on many ocassions.
Materials needed:
In Wilderness stamp set (#120537)
Chocolate Chip card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Soft Suede card stock 4 x 5 1/4"
International Bazaar patterned paper (#126920) 3 1/2 x 4"
White card stock
Summer Smooches brads (#125589)
Baked Brown Sugar ink pad
Baked Brown Sugar  thick baker's twine (#135639)
Extra Large Oval punch (#119859)
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)
Corner Rounder punch

1. Wrap the baker's twine around the Soft Suede card stock and tie in the front.  Adhere and layer the papers as shown on the picture.
2. Stamp the wolf image and the greeting on white card stock in Baked Brown Sugar ink. Cut the wolf image to measure 2 1/4 x 3". Round the corners. Adhere the wolf rectangle to the patterned paper. Place Stampin' Dimensionals to the back of the oval and place near the bottom of the wolf section.
3. Punch out the greeting with the extra large oval punch. Rub the edge of the oval on the Brown Sugar ink pad to highlight the oval.
4. Punch a hole in the top right corner and add a brad.
5. Adhere the card front to a card base and write or stamp a greeting on the inside for your favorite man.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Get Ready Grad




This is the time of year for graduates. Here is another card for a graduate in your life. This one is a bit minimalist but I think it will work for the young man that it's going to.
 
Materials needed:
Perfectly Preserved stamp set (#126692)

Perfect Punches (#120516)
Pacific Point card stock 4 1/4 x 5 1/2"
Coastal Cabana card stock 4 x 5 1/4"
Crisp Cantaloupe card stock about 2 x 3 1/4"
White card stock
Midnight Muse ink and marker
Crisp Cantaloupe ink
Modern Label punch
Stampin' Dimenionals (#104430)
Art gum eraser
Pencil

1. Using Midnight Muse ink, stamp the jar image from Perfectly Preserved and congratulations greeting from Perfect Punches stamp set. Punch out the greeting with the Modern Label punch. You can punch out the jar image with the Perfectly Preserved dies or just cut it out with scissors.
2. Using Crisp Cantaloupe ink, stamp the jar top on white card stock. Cut it out.
3. I decided to do hand lettering for this card because I didn't have the stamps that said what I wanted. I don't do hand lettering often but when I do, I always use pencil first to get the letters how I want them. What I do most often is sort of a stylized version of the D'Nealian alphabet that is taught in many elementary schools. It is the style that I taught the last several years of my teaching career. On this project, I wrote the "get ready" on crisp cantaloupe card stock and dreams in the center of the jar image. After I had the lettering the way I wanted, I used a Midnight Muse marker to go over the pencil letters. After giving it a brief time to dry, I used an art gum eraser to erase my pencil markers. DO NOT use the eraser at the end of a pencil. It will smear often and is not worth the chance.
I finished my saying on the inside of the card so that it all reads "Get ready to make your dreams come true." 


This completes the thought and uses the same style of letters. After you finish your greeting on the Crisp Cantaloupe card stock, cut it out to measure about 1 x 3."
4. Adhere the Coastal Cabana card stock on top of the Pacific Point card stock. Adhere the jar image in the bottom right corner of the card and the greeting across the top at an angle. Adhere the "congratulatios" vertically on the left side of the card.
5. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the jar lid and place it over the jar at an angle.
6. Adhere the card front on the card base where you wrote the rest of your greeting on the inside.
Now, for most grads, you will want to add your signature on the bottom of a check made out to the grad.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Best Wishes Well

This card is fun & easy to make. It's simply putting layers of the same thing on to give it more dimension.
Material needed:
No Place Like Gnome
Fizzy Moon Occasions both from Daisy  Trails digi kits
Marina Mist card stock 4 1/4 x  5 1/2"
Green card stock 3 x 4 1/4"
Best Wishes stamp
Midnight Muse ink
Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430)

1. Tear off a ragged edge of the green card stock to be about 2 3/4" tall. Adhere it to the bottom of the Marina Mist card stock.
2. Print off 3 copies of the wishing well found in No Place Like Gnome digi kit or find another graphic that you like. Cut out one image and cut all of the white areas out. Adhere it directly to the green and blue card stock.
3. Cut out the rock part of the well and the roof of the well from your second graphic. Then cut out a third roof of the well. When cutting the rock part, cut off the back section of the well from the front. This will give it more depth. Place Stampin'  Dimensionals on the back of the rock and adhere it on top of the rock wall that is already adhered to the card stock.
4. Put Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the roof section and adhere it to the roof of the well already adhere to the card stock. Add dimensionals to the third roof and place it directly on top of the second roof.
5. Print two sets of the chickens from the Occasions digi kit. Cut out two of each. Adhere on directly to the card front. Place dimensionals on the back of the others and place them on top of the first ones.
6. Cut out one bucket from the well graphics and add dimensionals to the back of it. Place it on the bucket hanging from the well rope.
7. Stamp a "best wishes" greeting on white card stock with Midnight Muse ink. Cut it out and adhere it to the top left side of the card.
Adhere the card front to a card back and add your message to the inside.