Thanksgiving Pressies!

My good friend and cardmaking buddy, Sandy, sent me the cutest darn Thanksgiving card.  She has been on a bing of cardmaking using her flip-it framelit die, because, as she says, "I've had it for close to a year now and never used it...shame on me!  Don't you think it's about time!"  But, not only did she use her flip-it framelit die, but she also created her cute little scarecrow with punch art, added with felt leaves and a bit of washi tape.  Take a look at this darling little scarecrow with the goolies eyes and yarn hair!  Isn't it just the most adorable thing ever!

Next came a thank you card from my sister, using Papertrey Ink's Quilted: Autumn stamp and coordinating die set.  Love that copper metallic crocheted lace bordering the leaf panel and the bit of burlap setting off her quilted leaf!  Thank YOU, Heidi, for such a lovely card!

Live the Life You've Imagined!

I needed a quick card to go along with a little gift for my bride-to-be daughter.  I thought I would use some of the Stampin' Up tools and stamps that I have had lurking around my crafting area, but somehow never actually used.  Shame on me!  

I remembered this Really Good Greetings sentiment stamp set, and have always love the idea it conveyed...just the idea I wanted.  The message to my daughter is to go into her marriage and "live the life she has always imagined," and I chose the butterfly embellishment to represent my daughter, who has always brought beauty to our lives and a smile in our hearts, just as butterflies do when we see them in our gardens.

This little butterfly is actually fashioned from a flower stamp that is punch out with its coordinating Blossom punch and then fashioned into a butterfly by trimming away two of its petals.  I have seen samples of this done before on Pinterest, Splitcoast Stampers, and on Stampin' Connections.  I revisited samples before making my card to be sure my memory served me correctly.

My butterfly black antennae are trimmed from the curve of the flower punch as well.  My little butterfly also needed a bit of sparkle and bling to bring it to life, so I added some rhinestones...so very elegant when finished!  I am pretty please with the result.

Recipe:  Stampin Up products:  Cardstocks - Basic Black, Primrose Petals, Whisper White.  Ink - Primrose Petals.  Stamps: Really Good Greetings, Mixed Bunch (butterfly) (both retired).  Punch:  Blossom (retired).  Embossing Folder - Snowburst (retired).  Ribbon - 3/8" Primrose Petals Stitched Satin.  Rhinestones.  (cased/ modified from ideas on Pinterest, Splitcoast Stampers, etc.)

Christmas To You & Yours Star Shaker!

I recently purchased the To You & Yours Shaker Card Kit from Stampin' Up's 2015 Holiday mini catalog.  It is a very versatile kit, and it will complete 18 cards of three designs if you follow the instructions provided, plus there are oodles of leftovers in the kit that can be used to create additional cards of your own designs.  In addition, if you cut the foil designer card bases in half and added these halves as a front layer to another colored cardbase, you can actually end up with 36 cards using the three different patterned foil papers that are provided, which was exactly what I decided to do.

The kit provides three different sets of die-cut white card fronts for your shaker windows consisting of: star cutouts, circle cutouts (to make round ornament shakers), and tree-shaped cutouts.  I decided to start with one of the star cutouts.  I decided to modify my card a bit from the design provided on the instructions.  I added a white card base and adhered a layer of brushed gold cardstock.  This would be an added layer under the green, white, and silver foil diagonal striped designer paper.  So, now instead of having just a striped designer paper cardbase, I now had a white layer (the card base), a brushed gold layer and then the striped foil layer.

Next, inside my star shaker window, I decided to stamp a filigreed snowflake from the Letterpress Winter stamp set (2014 Holiday catalog), stamping with Silver Metallic ink to incorporate more silver to bring out the silver foil in the diagonal striped paper.  My snowflake was large enough that it just forms a filigreed background pattern inside the star shaker window.  On opposite diagonal corners, I used the tiny stars stamp from the To You & Yours Too stamp set as recommended by the kit instructions, but decided to add a few more stars and to use a combination of metallic gold and silver inks instead of just the Crushed Curry they recommended.  I think I just wanted a bit more verall bling!  Also, my reasoning was to coordinate with both the gold foil outlining the star cutout that was provided for this card, as well as the silver foil in the diagonal striped paper.  In addition, I thought the card needed a bit more silver than shown in the original design.  I am pretty happy with all the modifications I made so that my card is more mine and not just a copy of the design provided.  

My goal is to try different variations for each of my star shaker cards so they are not all exactly the same.  I may even mix match my papers from the original directions given!

Recipe:  All items other those additionally listed provided in the Stampin' Up: To You & Your Shaker Cards Kit (Holiday 2015).  SU cardstocks:  Whisper White (card base); Brushed Gold (retired); Cucumber Crush (inside).  SU Stamps:  To You and Yours Too; Letterpress Winter.  Encore Metallic Inks:  Gold; Silver.  My Favorite Things dies: Photo Corners.

Following is a copy of the original card design provided by Stampin' Up in the card kit.

Hugs & Kisses for the Bride!

My youngest daughter, Jackie, is getting married, and the hostesses for her bridal shower party are my oldest daughter, Michele, and my son's wife, Ginger.  They have been very busy for the past month and a half planning the menu for the invitation design, the luncheon, the games and entertainment for the guests, and prizes to be won.  

Ginger came up with a vision of theme for the shower invitations, which she thought would be fun to craft ourselves.  This, or course, is where I entered into the planning as well!   From her ideas of having a gatefold card to use Jackie's wedding colors of black and red, she thought it would be elegant to add a black and white damask patterned paper and add ma wedding dress to the front of the card.  I thought a doily-fold wedding dress would be just right and the "sisters" agreed after they saw my completed dress.  I tweaked Ginger's other ideas here and there and came up with a suggested card design.  It took a lot of collaborating between the three of us before we settled its a final design.  We were all excited to see a sample card putting all our ideas together.

I shopped for supplies, meanwhile deciding to use a larger doily than most of the design instructions that I found on Pinterest, because it was to represented a long wedding gown.  When the sample card was completed and several changes made, we were excited to get together to make up our little beauties to send out to our guests.  I prepared and cut multiple card parts and we were ready for the next step to convene one Saturday morning over a month ago and "whip" out multiple replicas of our sample invitation card.  Michele has made a few cards with me in the past, so she had a good idea that this would not be a one- or two-hour job as Ginger thought.  Much to Ginger's surprise, Michele was very right. . .we needed about five hours to get them all done!

Michele and Ginger planned the luncheon menu and shopped together for ingredients, plus game prizes.  The main course was able to be assembled ahead and frozen until ready to bake.  They got together on another Saturday to complete these task and brainstorm the decorating ideas and games to be played. 

Michele and I have been working on the house and party decorations.  I was happy to lend my papercrafting and computer graphic skills, plus oodles of papercrafting tools to make her ideas become a reality.  It has been an exciting and fun time brainstorming ideas to come up with our finished products!  Once decisions were made on basic ideas, I went to work using my computer skills complete everything from signs for the Mimosa Bar, game instructions to game parts using papercrafting tools.  Once the parts and pieces were designed and printed, Michele and I worked together on at least four different occasions to assemble all the parts.

Last night, after coming home from another night of shower crafting and decorating, it dawned on me that the shower was the next day, and I had not had time to sit down and create a card to go with Jackie's shower gift.  Oh my!  I could see another late night looming!  

I got busy and whipped up this simple card below, which borrows the wedding colors and the bridal shower theme.  For a "short-timer" card.  This is what I call a card that is made with very little time. . .a just get it done card. . .create the design quickly, do it fast. . .no procrastinating allowed.  For the very little time that I had in the wee hours of the morning, I was pretty please with my results.  Also, when the card was finished, I realized it could make a good Valentine's Day card as well.  Jackie always loves almost every card I've ever made, so I'm pretty sure she will like this one too.

Below is a peak at the inside, using the outside theme to create the inside design.  I used my computer to whip up it's little verse.

Recipe:  Stampin' Up cardstock:  Whisper White, Basic Blake, Red Glimmer paper.  Recollections: Black Glitter.  Recollections: Hollywood  & Vine (damask).  MFT Die-namics: Layered Hearts; Photo Corners.  Cottage Cutz die: Hugs & Kisses.  Stash: Offray ribbon. Computer-made verse.  (Size: 5-1/4" x 5-1/4" square).

Drum Roll, Please! Foil Heat Transfer Christmas Card #6!

Here it is. . .my final foil heat transfer card using the card kit supplies from my October scrapbook shop class!  And, as in most of my other five cards, I finished this one at home as well, because of mojo inspiration during the class that told me I had some items at home that would enhance my finished card.

On this card, I chose a Have a Very Merry Christmas tag to use, to which I chose to add a Christmas green foil heat transfer.  My home adds were a green foil layer and a white backing cardstock to my vellum.  I followed the same plan with my green foiled tag, using green foil and punching the top with my Stampin' Up Ornate Tag Topper punch.  Though the tag topper is only built for a two-inch tag, I was able to insert my 2-1/16" larger tag into it very carefully, by holding the tag above the 2" path and an angle and watching for it on the underside of the punch...making sure it was inserted evenly from side to side and top edge to top edge.  I punch my 2-1/4" green foil backing layer in the same manner.  I was really happy with the way this turned out. . .and now with care, I can repeat this process in the future.  I added Pink Posh sequins to my shaker envelope to match my card colors.  I also added a Christmas green 5/8" double-sided satin ribbon to dress up the top of my card.  I've always like using true Christmas green rather than off shades, like olive, on my Christmas cards!

Recipe:  Bazzill: White cardstock.  DCWV Foil Cardstock Stack (green).  Studio Calico Seven Paper Amelia Gold Dot Vellum.  Heidi Swapp Minc Tags (. . .Merry Christmas) (made with Minc Heat Machine + Minc Reactive Foil: Green.  Stampin' Up: Ornate Tag Topper.  Pink Posh: green, gold, crystal mini sequins.  Offray: 5/8" Double-Satin ribbon.  WRMK Photo Fuse sleeve (made with WRMK Photo Fuse Tool).  (Size: 4-3/8" x 5-7/8").

Christmas Heat Transfer Card #5!

Oh yes, I have more; that is, six all together, and this is only #5!  I do love these techniques. . . creating shaker envelopes, made to size by using my WRMK Photo Fuse Tool, and the foil heat transfer technique, which in the class I took at my local scrapbook store, was accomplished using Heidi Swapp Minc Heat Foil, Tags, and her Heat Machine.  As mentioned in a previous post, the heat machine is very much like a small laminator only a bit more elaborate, as it has six heat settings.  I also might add that it is a pricey little machine as well ($79.99 retail).  Thus, if you've read any of my previous posts, I have mentioned the use of a inexpensive laminator and using a laser toner printer or laser toner copy machine to create your heat transfer item.  A trip to your local copier business might be in order if you do not own a laser toner printer/copier as inkjet printer/copiers do NOT work.

My fifth card used most of the items offered in the class card kit, but again, I had some ideas of my own. . .after all our instructor challenged us to make our cards different than the samples offered in the class.  Give me a challenge, and I will certainly try to accommodate!

I decided to use the olive-colored Holly Jolly sentiment tag in my card kit and to heat transfer a small and a large snowflake with the gold heat transfer foil and layer the snowflakes together by popping the smaller snowflake up on the big snowflake.   At this step, once again, I had to stop because my creative mojo was telling me I needed to use a bit more of the olive color in my card to tie it all together.  I also wanted to use both the gold-dot foil cardstock and the gold-dot vellum and I needed some white cardstock to back the vellum so that the gold foil would not show through the translucent vellum.  My thinking was that this would show off the gold foil snowflakes in my my shaker envelope better.  I made a large-sized white cardbase and added an olive cardstock layer to it before I added the gold-dot foil and gold-dot vellum layers.  I also added olive sequins to my shaker bag.  Now, I was satisfied that all my colors and elements tied together to creative a cohesive looking Chirstmas card.

Recipe:  SU cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive.  Jen Hadfield Gold Dot Foil.  Studio Calico Seven Paper Amelia Gold Dot Vellum.  Heidi Swapp Minc Tags (snowflake) (made with Minc Heat Machine + Minc Reactive Foil: Gold.  American Crafts: Remarks Holiday Dimensional sentiments.  American Crafts Christmas Sequins & Buttons.  Cake Sprinkles (snow).  WRMK Photo Fuse sleeve (made with WRMK Photo Fuse Tool).  (Size: 4-7/16" x 5-9/16").

Christmas Deer Foil Heat Transfer!

Again, I'm posting another foil heat transfer card that I finished after my demonstration tool card class held at Running Scissors in Kent, WA almost two weeks ago.  I really love this heat transfer technique, but there are other ways to achieve almost this very look, which I thought I'd throw out there.  I have a deer-head die, by Savvy dies, almost identical to the deer-head tag that was in our heat transfer pouch of tags that we received at the beginning of the class.  I think that if you die-cut this deer-head die with a gold foil cardstock and adhered it to a piece of white stock and then trimmed the white cardstock to whatever shape you desire, you would end up with almost the exact look!

The deer-head tag on my card was achieved by heat transferring gold transfer foil onto my specially designed tag, which was manufactured to accept foil heat transfers.  I finished my card at home, because I wanted to add several other features that required materials that were not offered in our card kits.  These were:  a red cardbased upon which I layered white glitter cardstock.  I also wanted to back my gold dot vellum with a piece of white cardstock and then frame it with a red foil layer.  I layered my deer tag with red foil cardstock as well, and to the cake sprinkles and gold sequins provided in my kit, I added red sequins to tie all my card colors together with the shaker envelope goodies.  I really love these trendy deers that I see popping up all over Pinterest!  Here is my little deer-head Christmas card for your viewing:

Recipe:  SU cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White.  Core'dinations Silk Glitter: Opulent Opal.  DCWV Foil Cardstock Stack (red).  Studio Calico Seven Paper Amelia Gold Dot Vellum.  Heidi Swapp Minc Tags (deer head) (made with Minc Heat Machine + Minc Reactive Foil: Red.  American Crafts: Remarks Holiday Dimensional sentiments.  American Crafts Christmas Sequins & Buttons.  Pink Posh: red mini sequins.  Cake Sprinkles (snow).  WRMK Photo Fuse sleeve (made with WRMK Photo Fuse Tool).  (Size: 4-3/8" x 5-7/8").

Photo Fuse Christmas Shaker w/Foil Transfer. . .

I want to show you my third shaker Christmas card that I made using the WRMK Photo Fuse Tool, which makes your acrylic shaker envelope by heat sealing the edge.  Inside my shaker envelope I chose to use the 'tis the Season... tag after using the Minc Heat Transfer technique that adhere red foil to my tag.  As I noted in several previous posts, I recently saw these tools demonstrated at a card class held at our new Running Scissors scrapbook store in Kent, Washington. 

To my shaker tag, I decided to adhere a red foil cardstock layer to my tag a cut their corners using the WRMK Deco corner punch.  I added several layers to my white cardbase using red foil cardstock and a Christmas tree patterned paper featured just under neath my tag shaker envelope.  Next, I dressed it up with a little sheer organdy ribbon that a colored with my Copic markers to move its color shade a bit closer to my patterned paper.  I am really pleased with the results, and I hope you like it as well!

Recipe:  SU Whisper White cardstock; red foil cardstock (2015 Holiday catalog).  DCWV Christmas Mat Stack.  Heidi Swapp Minc Tags ('tis the season...), Minc Reactive Foil: Red (used with Minc Heat Machine).  Pink Posh: red mini sequins.  Craft Medley: green sequins.  WRMK Photo Fuse sleeve (made with WRMK Photo Fuse Tool).  Cake Sprinkles (snow).  Offray 5/8" Sheer ribbon (colored with Copic marker).  (Size: 4-5/8" x 5-3/4").