Thursday, April 30, 2015

Rainbow Foiled Greetings Birthday Card


This is a fun card to make - and relatively easy as well. The foil is really beautiful - super shiny! Unfortunately it doesn't show up well in the photos. There are a number of foils on the market now, including Therm-O-Web Deco Foil and Heidi Swapp Minc Foil, both of which maybe applied to laser printed sheets using a laminator (preferred method) or an iron. For my card, I used Rainbow Deco Foil.

Making the Card

1. Warm up laminating machine.

2. Create a document in Word or other text editing software. Type whatever words you would like to see on the card, centered one per line. Select a different font for each line. There are loads of free fonts on the web, in case you are looking for something more interesting than what you already have installed. Be aware of the size as you edit. I made a 5x7 card with layers of cardstock; I tried to keep the words within about 4 x 6 inches. I made the words in a tapering pattern, small to large then back.

3. Print your words on white cardstock using a laser printer (a jet printer will not work - you need heat activated powder toner).

4. Cut a piece of Rainbow Deco Foil a bit larger than the words. I cut the piece so that the blue started at the top. Place inside a carrier (I used blank white paper). Check that the laminating machine is fully heated up. Run through laminating machine. Let cool a few seconds before peeling off. If this is your first try, check a corner to be sure the foil is adhering properly. If not, you may have to run it through again. Alternatively, an iron may be used, although I had better results with the laminator. Cut down to 4 3/8 x 6 3/8 inches (hint: you may want to mark in pencil before cutting so words will be centered).

5. Cut a piece of dark teal cardstock 7 x 10 inches; fold in half to form a card base.

6. Cut a piece of red foil cardstock 4 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches. Cut a piece of orange foil cardstock 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches. Adhere orange to red, then both to card base.


7. Die cut large stars from foil cardstock, one red and one orange, using Sizzix Triplits Die Set 10PK Balloons set. Die cut small stars from red and orange foil cardstock. Die cut candle as shown, using Sizzix Triplits Die Set 9PK Cupcakes set. Adhere die cuts to foiled sheet as shown.

8. Adhere decorated foiled sheet to card.

Supplies

Monday, April 27, 2015

Country Scape Thank You Card


This card was made with the CountryScapes dies by Susan Tierney Cockburn to create a cute little scene. The flowers add bright colors and the animals are just fun.

Making the Card

1. Cut blue cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (half of 8 1/2 x 11 sheet). Fold in half to create a card base.

2. Cut dark teal cardstock 4 x 5 1/4 inches. Cut white cardstock 3 3/4 x 5 inches. Emboss white piece with Clouds embossing folder. Using ink blending took, add Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to raised clouds. Adhere to dark teal. Adhere these to card front.

3. Cut green cardstock 4 1/4 x about 3 inches. Die cut with grass from Outdoor Edges so that the piece will be about 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 to top of grass. Using blending tool, ink with Peeled Paint Distress Ink starting at grass, going partway down. With large stylus (8mm) from Tools, rub gently along front of grass blades so they will pop forward slightly on the card. Adhere to bottom of card as shown.

4. Die cut Fence and Wheel from kraft cardstock. Die cut five more copies of wheel from dark brown cardstock. Add Distress Ink shading around bottoms and various edges of the kraft copies. I used Walnut Stain for the fence and Brushed Corduroy for the wheel. Add details with various brown colored pencils. I used lighter browns on the wheel. Rub the large stylus down each "plank" on back of fence to give it some shape. Add dimensional tape behind top of the two posts; adhere with glue at the bottom of the fence as shown (you want the top to pop forward but not the bottom). Line up and glue the dark brown wheels together to form a thick stack; glue the decorated kraft copy on top.

5. Die cut the long piece of Flora from light green cardstock. Ink with Peeled Paint starting at the bottom working toward the middle and Crushed Olive starting at the top. Run the small stylus along the backs of the stems and grass to give them shape. Die cut two large groups of small flowers from light purple cardstock. Ink edges lightly with Faded Jeans. On molding pad, gently rub small stylus in center of each flower then press to make small cups. Glue flowers to flower stems as shown. Hint: glue one to each stem then let it set up before gluing a second, etc.

6. Add glue just along bottom of Flora (i.e. grass and purple flowers). Don't worry about trimming yet: adhere so they cover the bottom of the fence posts, keeping the flowers are all on the card. Add a little glue behind a few of the flowers touching the fence. From back side of card, trim any hanging off.

7. Die cut cardinal (bluebird shown on packaging) and squirrel from the Country Critters set; color with pencils. I enhanced them, especially along the edges, with alcohol ink. Shape them slightly by rubbing with stylus on back of each. Optional: for the eyes, add black Enamel Accents with a tooth pick.


8. Die cut two sets of daisies (yellow cardstock) from Backyard set plus stems (light green cardstock). Lightly ink one set of petals with Spiced Marmalade and another set with Wild Honey. Color centers with brown pencil (see photo). Shape by rubbing along petals (front side). Glue the lighter layer on top of the darker, lining up the brown "centers" but offsetting the petals slightly (hint: you don't have to match the same ones together). Optional: add glue to centers and dip into dark brown embossing powder. Ink/color both sets of grass (you only need to color the leaves on one). Rub all leaves in centers to give them dimension. Cut the leaves off one and adhere to other where desired. Glue stems/leaves to bottom of wheel as shown.


9. Adhere the wheel to front of card as shown. Add daisies. Use dimensional tape to adhere squirrel and cardinal. Optional: shade with Peeled Paint under squirrel and wheel.

10. Cut four sets of Thank You words from dark teal cardstock and one set from blue. Glue dark teal copies together, lining up each layer, to form a thick stack. Glue blue copy to top. Adhere to card as shown.


Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Cardstock: White, Blue, Dark Teal, Green, Light Green, Kraft, Dark Brown, Light Purple, Yellow
  • Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans
  • Ink Blending Tool/Foam
  • Dark Brown Embossing Powder (Optional)
  • Colored Pencils
  • Enamel Accents (Optional)
  • Alcohol Markers (Optional)
  • Dimensional Tape

Monday, April 13, 2015

Lily on Velvet Greeting Card


This card features some of the beautiful Susan Tierney Cockburn's lilies. The subtle flower embossed velvet background makes a soft backdrop to the 3D flowers.

Making the Card

1. Cut pink cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2; fold in half to form a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 card base.

2. Cut pink velvet about 3 3/4 x 5 1/4. Emboss with Bouquet embossing folder. Cut embossed velvet frame 1001 Garden Patch - 1 1/2-inch & Mini Roses. Also cut black cardstock frame.

3. Glue black frame (only) to center of card front. Peel off backing and adhere each velvet embossed square in the same locations as they were cut, but in the black frame.

4. 995 Garden Notes - Lily: cut two stems from green cardstock, one set of leaves from green cardstock, and two sets of all the petals from red cardstock. Color and shape.

5. Adhere flowers to front of card as shown. I cut off the leaves and across the center of one stem to re-arrange them where I wanted. Adhere bow as shown.

6. Cut four copies of Hello in pink cardstock. Cut one copy in red. Line up and adhere pink copies together to make a thick Hello. Optional: shade red copy. Adhere red copy to top of stack. Adhere Hello to front of card as shown.


Supplies

ECD Supplies
Other Supplies
  • Cardstock: Pink, Black, Red, Green
  • Brown Embossing Powder (Pollen)
  • Distress Ink and/or Pastels for Coloring
  • Cream Ribbon


Sunday, April 5, 2015

Art Impressions Bloomer Birthday Card


This fun card was made for my friend Michelle. The inside features an Action Wobble spring to animate her bum, making it bobble about when the card is opened. Love it!

Making the Card

Note: The red cardstock I used matched Festive Berries Distress Ink. You may have to use a different Distress Ink (or other coloring) for dying seam binding ribbon to match the cardstock.

1. Cut dark blue cardstock 7 x 10 inches; fold in half to form a card base.

2. Stamp front and back images several times on alcohol marker friendly paper. Plan out how you would like the pieces to pop up (I make a note in pencil above each). The top layers will be in color; the under layers will be dark gray. Color the images then fussy cut around all but the base layers. Run a black marker around the edges of all cut pieces to cover the white edges. Die cut the base layers using a nesting bracket die (e.g. Nestabilities). Note if you want the image to stick outside of the die cut, you will have to fussy cut around those parts and stick the die under those parts before cutting so the die won't chop them off. Use dimensional tape to pop up the parts as desired. Use Action Wobble to attach the "bum."

3. Die cut red and dark blue in progressively larger sizes of brackets for both the front and the inside. Adhere together as shown.


4. Cut a length of seam binding ribbon. Spray with water as needed. Dye with Festive Berries Distress Ink (or stain) to match red cardstock. Dry ribbon (to speed up dry time, use heat tool).

5. Cut a piece of medium blue cardstock 4 3/4 x 6 3/4. Cut a piece of grid tape (I used FibaTape Self-Adhesive Drywall Joint Tape) and adhere where shown. Cut a rectangle of medium blue cardstock for inside - 4 3/4 inches wide and tall enough to leave some space above and below the brackets framing the "bum."

6. Stamp humorous quote in black ink on white cardstock. Cut with label die (e.g. Spellbinders Card Creator: 5x7 Elegant Labels 4 S6-005). Optional: ink with Festive Berries using ink blending tool around sentiment. If the label doesn't have ribbon slots, cut them with a craft knife. Thread ribbon through label and adhere around top of card over grid tape.

7. Cut red cardstock, dark blue cardstock, and patterned paper for bottom front of card as shown. I eyeballed it, i.e. I marked in pencil then cut with paper cutter. I made the red cardstock a little larger than the patterned and blue so the banners would pop.

8. Cut banners, one in each blue shade. I used the banner die from the Lorna Label PopUp set since I had it within reach but you could easily cut the banners by hand with scissors. Die cut hearts from red cardstock. I cut 4 small hearts (3 for front banners, 1 for inside), 1 medium (inside top), and 1 large (front, top). Optional, add Glossy Accents to hearts to make them shiny and give dimension.


9. Die cut Happy Birthday (Paper Smooches) from red cardstock. Die cut feathers: 2 from light blue cardstock and one from dark blue. Optional, using a small paint brush, add some darker blue to the veins with water color or Distress Ink.

10. Adhere everything as shown, noting that one side of each banner is tucked under the main front design frames.

Supplies
  • Cardstock: Blue, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Red
  • Patterned Paper
  • Art Impressions Shake Your Booty Bloomer Set
  • Alcohol Markers
  • Alcohol Marker Friendly Cardstock
  • Dimensional Tape
  • Action Wobble
  • Spellbinders Card Creator: 5x7 Elegant Labels 4 S6-005
  • Spellbinders: Labels One S4-161, Labels One Small S4-308
  • FibaTape Self-Adhesive Drywall Joint Tape
  • Seam Binding (Ribbon)
  • Distress Ink: Festive Berries
  • Optional: Ink Blending Tool, Foam
  • 915 Lorna Label PopUp (Banner)
  • Heart Dies or Punches
  • Paper Smooches: Birthday Words FBD120
  • Feather Dies, e.g. Spellbinders