A Christmas Sing-A-Long...Simply Add Music!

Still working on finishing up some old Christmas card kits.  This is another Luci Kirschbaum 2017 card that I did a little bit of changing to.  It had a single layer white cardbase, and I decided it needed a bit more color.  I added the Old Olive cardbase and the black mat layer before adding the card front pieces in the kit.  These I kept the same as the original design.  By adding colors, I also achieved enlarging my card to my favorite size.  Take a peek below:

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up products:  Cardstock--Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White.  Patterned paper:  Merry Little Christmas dsp; Merry Music Specialty dsp (2017 Holiday).  Stamps--Snowflake Sentiments (2017 Holiday).  Rhinestones--Black Jewels (2017 Holiday).  Size: 4-3/4 x 6 inches.

Birthday Hugs!

One of my dearest friends celebrates her birthday in April; therefore, a birthday card is definitely in order!  Since my right knee replacement, I have not been back to my crafting table for several reasons:  1) it is still early in recovery to have my knee in an unelevated position and bent to 90 degrees for any great length of time; 2) stair climbing, where my crafting table is located, is still quite painful and difficult; and 3) lengthy standing and getting up and down from a seated position repeatedly is painful and difficult.  So, needing this card, I decided now was the time.  All this said, I did get the card done, but now I think a day of elevated recliner rest is needed.

Take a peek below at Sandy's finished birthday card; the inside verse and design follows; and if interested, "The Card Story" can be seen even farther down.

Ingredients:  Papers: Recollections Kraft pack; Stampin' Up cardstocks--Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla; DCWV French Country stack; scanned music sheet on vanilla cs (butterflies).  Dies:  Spellbinders Labels 17.  Punches:  Martha Stewart--Monarch Butterfly; Three-in-One Butterflies; Stampin' Up--Elegant Butterfly.  Pearls: Stampin' Up.  Offray Ribbon Roses.  Hug Snug Apricot Seam Ribbon.  Maya Arts Jute Twine.  Stash: Black & Rhinestone button trim.  Chatterbox verse/ computer-prepared.  Size: 4-5/8" x 5-7/8".

The Card Story

I have had the layout for Sandy's card in my mind's eye for several months, and just before surgery, I made a quick sketch in my layout idea book for future reference.  I also knew I wanted butterflies and music paper on the front and on the butterflies.  Before I actually began, I checked a few SCS challenges to give me some inspiration for the colors I might use with my music paper. 

I had the idea of a two-panel veritical layout, but I wanted the edge to be curvy rather than just boxy straight lines, but did not have a wavy edged border die that would work where the two patterned papers would meet.  Then, I had a "light-bulb moment". . . I thought maybe a decorative rectangle or square die might work if I only ran it partially through the Big Shot.  I found the Spellbinders Labels 17 fit my idea and the biggest die in these nested dies would be large enough for the height I wanted my card to be.  

Take a peak at the card above and note where the black music paper meets the floral rose patterned paper.  I die-cut my "rose" paper only allowing part of the die to enter under the Big Shot roller press and then cut the top and bottom straight just after the corner curve was complete with my paper cutter.  A smile appeared, showing how pleased I was about how well it worked and how good it looked with the two papers joined together!

My butterflies were the next item to work out.  I decided to punch my butterflies out of cream background music paper that I made by scanning a song sheet onto a piece of vanilla cs with my printer.  My butterfly punch that was just the right size for my little square mats is the Martha Stewart "Monarch" punch with lacy holes in the butterfly wings.  It was pretty, but it some color peaking through the lacy holes, but I did not have a solid butterfly that matched the "Monarch" shape.  Another "light-bulb moment" when I thought of trying the solid Stampin' Up "Elegant Butterfly" punch, which is a bit smaller and has a totally different wing shape than my Monarchs.  It didn't really seem to matter about the shape as long as it filled most of the lacy holes on the wings and as a bonus, I really like the little bit of the cantaloupe cs peaking out on the bottom of the wing.  From this point, the card fell together like clockwork, and I was totally happy with the results as I think my friend will be.

Birthday Jazz for Youngest Son!

SMILES ABOUND!  

THIS CARD IS NAMED A

SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS FAVORITE OF THE

WEEK ENDING - SEPTEMBER 16, 2017!!

When making birthday cards for people I know well, I try to choose a theme for the card that relates to that person in some way.  For my youngest son, and the youngest of my four children, I thought I would make a card focusing on his talent as a musician.

During his youth, in elementary school and as a teenager, he was very much into music.  He first learned how to play the clarinet and was promoted the next year to a saxophone.  He was really very good and became a member of the jazz band and concert orchestra starting in his junior high years.  With the jazz band, his focus was on his alto sax, but for concert orchestra, you could see him on his sax, playing the oboe, or any of a variety of other reed instruments in which the orchestra might be short of instruments for a particular piece of music.  Mark was a quick study and able to pick up many other reed instruments very rapidly.

I wanted to enter Mark's card into several challenges at Splitcoaststampers, so I did a little research before beginning.  The result was a Nu-Jazz style focus, using black, white, cream, tans, and reds.  "The Story" follows below if you are interested in more tidbits about the whys and wherefores of this birthday card.  Meanwhile, take a peek just below at the musical, jazz card that I ended up making for Mark's birthday...I think he will really like it!

Ingredients:  Papers: Stampin' Up--Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler cardstocks; Recollections--Antique Parchment stack.  Patterned paper: Graphic 45--Fashionista Collection/ Debutante (stripe); A Proper Gentleman (paisley).  Googled digital images.  Ink: Colorbox Chestnut Roam (age distressing).  Dies: Reverse Confetti--Edge Essential (black square edges); My Favorite Things--First Place Ribbon (fishtail).  Darice Foam Sheets.  Pink Posh: sequins.  Stash: black/ gold metallic baker's twine.  Knit fabric covered button.  Computer-made sentiment (Font: Budmo Jiggler/ 32).  Stampin'Up Marker: Cherry Cobbler (sentiment circles colored...very difficult to see).  Size:  5" x 6-1/4".

"The Story"

Because I wanted this to be a birthday card for son, Mark, about his musical talent, but I also wanted to enter it into SCS challenges, I did a little research on the challenges available before beginning my card.  For the Alphabet Challenge - Round 7, I needed a card using some element that starts with the Letter N, with the double challenge that it be "not feminine."  Well, that one was easy...a card for Mark would not be feminine and because his jazz band played a great variety of types of jazz, including the Nu-Jazz style, my card would focus on that style of jazz.

The second challenge I wanted to enter is the Inspiration Challenge, using inspiration from the website Design Seeds and their color palettes.  From their coffee hues, I decided to make my card, black, white, creams, tans, and reds.

The third challenge that would work well is the Mix-Ability Challenge, which requires the card to focus on Black, White, and "Read" All Over...a challenge all about colors as well.

The fourth and final challenge is the Featured Stamper, who is Rachel (stampinrachel).  The goal is to visit the Featured Stamper's gallery and find a card for inspiration in making your own card.  I chose a card from Rachel's gallery that used the inchie-style for the layout.  It was the inspiration to use that style in my card as well...check out Rachel's card with this link: Winter Thank You by stampinrachel.

Thinking of You. . .Get Better Everyday!

My brother's wife, and my sister-in-law, recently had surgery.  All reports are that everything went very well.  She is recovering nicely and has even returned to work part-time.  She does have several months of further medical procedures, so it will be awhile before she is totally back to where we would like to see her.

I have to tell you, since Christmas, I have been slow to get back in the cardmaking saddle, and I seem to be running behind with everything.  Just so is Diane's get well card, which will now be a thinking of you and continue on the road to recovery card.  I will try to be better about getting a little card dropped in the mail throughout the coming months as well!

So, I'm sitting here at my craft table and what to do?  I started surfing the Pinterest "network" to see what might inspire me.  I thought I'd like to do a gatefold card or something a bit more interesting.  I remembered seeing ones that used an interlocking closure with nested layers of framelits, but couldn't remember how that was done.  I did a search on various sites for ideas, and found numerous cards and ideas.  I liked the look of using the Stampin' Up Labels framelits better than most other shapes.  My search also jarred a memory, way back when, of seeing a card done with music paper in pinks and blacks. . .a lovely combination.

I made my card using the interlocking Labels framelits as shown on one of the Pinterest cards found.  Away I went, colors and ideas in hand.  When I finished, it looked really great when closed, but was difficult to open.  I felt like I was going to tear the cardstock when trying to open it.  I figured if I felt that way, Diane would be afraid to read the verse inside for fear of ruining it.  Not good!   

I decided the card would look just as good with a flap-type closure, and I have actually made this style in the past several times, but without nested die-cuts.  I did a little cutting on my third pink layer and a little gluing.  It now has two bottom die-cut layers cut through the middle and attached identically on each side of the card front and meeting in the center.  The two smaller top layers are adhered to the cardbase only on the right side and are loose on the left side forming the closure flap over the center gatefold.  

To finished off my card and fussy it up a bit, I added some elegant butterflies using several types and sizes with a vellum overlay on floral stamped butterflies and pearls.  I was pretty pleased with the finished product.

And a peak at the inside complete with verse.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up papers: Pink Pirouette cs, Basic Black cs, Very Vanilla cs, Vellum, Modern Medley dsp.  Stampin' Up Stamps: A Little Greeting (sentiment), Papillon Potpourri (butterfly underlays).  Stampin' Up Ink: Pink Pirouette.  Memento: Tuxedo Black.  Stampin' Up Dies/ Punches:  Labels framelits, Elegant Butterfly.  Martha Stewart Punch: Three Butterflies.  Stampin' Up Pearls.  Inside: EK punch: Victorian Corners.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".