A Brainy Get Well!

A good friend and cardmaking buddy had brain surgery for repair of the trigeminal nerves in the brain, caused by a rare condition known as Trigeminal Neuraligia.  This condition caused her chronic pain in the area supplying feelings, by the trigeminal nerve, to the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead.  Bouts of pain can last from a few seconds, several minutes, days, weeks, months or longer (some people have periods when they have no pain at all for weeks or months).  Her surgery seems very successful, though she can not be sure of the exact results for up to several months.

I wanted to make Charlene a pretty get well card that was cute and cheerful, letting her know how much I can't wait until she can join us again at the crafting table!   After mulling around several ideas, I saw Sketch Challenge SC649 on Splitcoaststampers, issued June 14th.  I really thought I could do something with this sketch idea, using a colored image in a cute round frame.  After completing my outside design, I created a little verse and designed the inside to coordinate with the front.  Take a look at her finished card below, both inside and out:  

As it turned out, I took some liberties with the sketch elements, which we are allowed to do.  Take a look at the original sketch that I worked with:

My little girl image shouted out for a square frame instead of a round one, and its angled band called for a straight and wider band to blend with my square frame.  I also decided to add a couple of corner curves and eyelets cut-outs to spruce up my layers and a sheer ribbon and bow.  I hope Charlene will enjoys her card as much as I had fun making it!

Ingredients are listed below:

Cardstocks:  Recollections Essentials (Violet); SU Whisper White. Patterns: Recollections: Purple Ditsy Floral; K&Co.-Watercolor Bouquet-Purple. Color Digital Image: Bandaging Kitty.  Die: Spellbinders: Classic Squares SM; Lacey Squares. SU Punch: Three Corner (retired).  EK Border Punch: Patterned Circles (cut in half).  Offray 5/8" Sheer Violet Ribbon.  Bath & Body Works-Magic in the Air/ Diamond Shimmer Mist. Frame (outside): 3-1/4". Frame (inside: 2-1/4".  Card Size:  4-3/4" x 6".

More Christmas Tags to Cards Conversions

I got out the Christmas tags that I made last year at Dar and Luci's 2015 Christmas Tags class, which I fully intended to turn into card, but didn't get that far last year.  As I made these tags, I kept in mind that they would become part of a card, so that I modified lengths if needed, etc.  Take a peek below at more of my finished card made from these tags.

My first two tags were designed by Dar Peterson.  The only change I made to the first tag was to make my layers with narrower edges with the goal in mind to shorten the tag, making it more usable on a card front.  I began with a white card base and added a Real Red mat layer on top.  I found some pretty green holly berry paper to use for my center panel directly under the tag, adding a punched border in gold foil to its edges.  I really love the richness of all the red, greens, and gold together. . .it makes for a lovely card.

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up - Cardstocks: Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Gold Foil.  Stamps: Your Presents (package stripe/ sentiment - 2015 Holiday).  Dies: Banners framelits; Mini Treat Bag (bow); Top Note BigZ (inside-retired).  Gold Embossing Powders: Gold; Real Red.  Other - Punch: EK Arrow Border;/ Victorian Corners.  Computer verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

With the second of Dar's tags, I made the tag exactly as she designed it because it was the perfect size just the way it was.  I decided on a red cardbase with a gray mat layer, but decided to dress it up the gray with my own stamped silver metallic snowflakes.  I found a mini red Christmas print that would coordinate nicely with the tags delicate diagonal stripe.  It would be the card's center panel, and  I added a petite decorative punched edge to its edges.  With the tag sentiment being "do not open before Christmas," I had to be a little innovative with my inside verse.  Take a peek below at the finished card with the inside designed and verse to compliment its front.

       

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up - Cardstock:  Real Red, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Silver Foil.  Kit: Oh, What Fun Tag Kit (silver snowflake/ tag background-2015 Holiday).  Stamps: Oh, What Fun!; Endless Wishes (snowflakes).  Ink: Real Red. Encore Metallic Silver (retired).  Home for Christmas Enamel Dots (2015 Holiday).  Real Red Thick Baker's Twine.  Other - Echo Park paper: 'Tis the Season.  Recollections punch: Mini Snowflake.  Pink Posh silver sequins.

My second two tag cards were designed by Luci Kirschbaum.  I made several changes to the tag.  I shortened the tags length, scalloped the bottom edge, added a Real Red mat under layer, and changed to a Christmas star ribbon rather than Baker's Twine.  Once all these changes were completed, I was ready to start on my card design.  I chose a Cucumber Crush green cardbase and added a real read mat layer and then topped these layers with a diagonal striped paper with rounded corners.  I banded the card face toward the bottom third tying it in a ribbon knot with the same ribbon used in the tag.  I was really happy with my perky ribbon tagged card.

         

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up - Cardstocks:  Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Whisper White (inside).  This Christmas Specialty dsp/ stripe.  Stamps: Peaceful Pines (+ Peaceful Pines framelits); To You & Yours Too (stars-2015 Holiday).  Ink:  Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Memento Tuxedo Black.  Punch:  Scalloped Tag Topper; Itty Bitty Accents-Star (inside-retired).  Stash: 5/8" Christmas Grograin ribbon.  Sequins.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".

 My last tag card was also designed by Luci Kirschbaum, and my alterations to it was, once again, to shorten it a bit to better fit the card front and to add a silver glitter paper mat backing to the entire tag, not just behind the star punch-outs.  I decided my card design would have a Shimmery White cardbase with a Night of Navy mat layer under the silver-striped vellum.  I banded the card horizontally with a one-inch navy bank trimmed with a silver glitter punched border at the top and the bottom.  I finished it with navy blue rhinestones (colored with Copic markers) on all corners.   I finished off the card with an inside design to compliment the card front and added a Christmas verse using my computer.

           

Ingredients:  Stampin' Up - Carstocks: Shimmery White, Night of Navy, Silver Glimmer.  Fancy Foil Vellum/ Silver Stripe (retired).  Punch: Scalloped Tag Topper; Confetti Stars Border.  Dies: Wonderful Wreath framelits; Top Note BigZ (retired).  Other:  Punches: EK-Arrow Border.  Recollections-Mini Snowflake.  Rhinestones colored with Copics.  Computer-made Verse.  Size: 4-3/4" x 6".