Sharing Some Valentine's Day Cards

Happy Valentine's Day - a little early!  I wanted to share a few cards that I made this week, in addition to the ones that are already in  my Etsy shop.  A list of the supplies, with affiliate links, will be below each photo.  Thanks for visiting!  If you'd like me to do a tutorial/video on how to make any of the cards, please leave a comment.  Happy crafting!

Supplies:

• Sweetheart 6 x 6 paper pad by Doodlebug Design (this one is similar)
• Center Step card die
• Cougar white 100 lb. cardstock
• Various sized heart punches by EK Success
• Crafter's Companion Edge'ables Love word die (similar to this one)
• Celebration Words Script die set by Tim Holtz (my most-used words die set of all)

I used the punched-out negative cardstock to stencil the envelope using a Kaleidacolor Desert Heat inkpad by Tsukineko.

For this card, I used my Cricut Explore Air.

Supplies:

• Recollections Valentine's Day stamp set (similar to this one)
• Stitched Hearts dies (similar to these)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Whether your Valentine is your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend,  partner, child, parent - or even yourself  (We have to love ourselves, right?) -  I hope you enjoy celebrating Love today!

Here are a few cards that I want to share with you.  I made them for my children 9can't find a picture of hubby's card) with cut files from Miss Kate Cuttables.  I used the Print & Cut feature with my Silhouette.  I have the original machine, and these files printed and cut beautifully!  Miss Kate has a free file every day, and her prices for other files are very reasonable.  Other materials included:  A2 card (Die Cuts With a View), vellum, patterned paper (Sweethearts by Doodlebug Design), Glossy Accents by Ranger, tiny punched hearts, a rhinestone heart, baker's twine, and embroidery floss.  Thanks for visiting, and remember to always be your crafty self!

(I am not affiliated with Miss Kate in any way, nor do I receive any compensation from her.)

Winnie the Pooh Card

Did you know that January 18th is National Winnie the Pooh Day?  Well, it is, and being a lover of that "willy nilly silly old bear," I just had to make a card with his adorable face on it. I decided to give him a chef's hat, because my niece, who is a pastry chef, has a birthday coming up soon. Because I love my Cricut machines so much, I wanted to use my Pooh and Friends cartridge. (If you don't have a Cricut or this cartridge, you can find some wonderful free coloring pages on the Internet.) 

Here are the materials and supplies that you will need for this project:

• Cricut machine
• Cricut Pooh and Friends cartridge (or coloring page)
• cardstock:  goldenrod, red, black, white
• adhesive or glue (I used a Zig 2-Way glue pen.)
• Distress Inks:  Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick
• "Happy Birthday" greeting die-cut or sticker
• white gel pen
• twine
• Washi tape
• scalloped-edge scissors or border punch

Directions:

1.  Using the photo for color reference, cut the following images with the Cricket for Winnie the Pooh (button 2 on page 17 in the manual) at 3":

• Icon
• Layers 1 and 2
• Blackout
• (I cut some extra images and a greeting, using Cricut Craft Room.)

2.  Layer and adhere pieces together. Ink edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

3.  Cut a chef's hat from page 65 of the manual (Icon in white and Shadow in black) at 3". Ink edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.

4.  Cut a piece of goldenrod cardstock to 4 ¼" x 11".

5.  Score at 5 ½" to create a top-folding A2-size card, and fold in half on the score.

6.  Trim ¼" off the bottom of the card front with either scalloped-edge scissors or a punch.  Ink edge with Fired Brick Distress Ink.

7.  Cut a piece of red cardstock to 4" x 4 ¾", and adhere it to the front of the card.

8.  Cut a piece of white cardstock to 3 ¾" x 4 ½", and adhere it on top of the red cardstock.

9.  Adhere the assembled Pooh image onto white cardstock.

10. Tie a piece of baker's twine around the bottom of the card front.

11. Add your sentiment to the inside of the card, and add a strip of Washi tape to the bottom edge.

 

The last step, of course, is to give your card to someone you love.  Don't forget to share your cards on the Scrapbook.com website.  Happy Winnie the Pooh Day!

Haunted Window Card

I just have to share this awesome video from Hero Arts!  Enjoy!

Keeping It Edgy: The Paper Trimming Buddy

Uchida RPT900 Paper Trimming Buddy Portable Paper Trimmer

I love decorative edges! I’ve been a scrapbooker and stamper for 10 years now, and one design element that has remained popular since I started is the decorative edge. The Paper Trimming Buddy by Marvy Uchida ($20.99) makes adding a decorative edge to your project quick and easy.

Unlike decorative-edge scissors, the Paper Trimming Buddy cuts straight and accurately. You don’t have to line up your cuts, because the entire cut is done in one sweep of the blade shuttle. There are eight interchangeable blades, which are available separately for $5.99 each: Straight (comes with trimmer), Wave, Scoring, Scallop, Victorian, Pinking, Perforating, and Rhythm. The blades are very easy to change. A simple twist opens the shuttle, and the blades pop in and out. The back is labeled, so there is no way to insert the blade incorrectly. The sharp edges are retracted, until you press down on the shuttle, so there is no danger of cutting yourself.

Mats for the cutting channel are inexpensive and economical. The narrow mats can be flipped and used four times, and replacements are available at $3.99 for two.

Measurements on the trimmer are in increments of 1/16 of an inch, and the swing-out arm extends to 16 inches. (Be very careful when folding the arm back down. It’s easy to catch your finger – at least it was for me!) The locking paper holder keeps your paper secure while you’re cutting, but I find that you do need to hold your paper down as well.

Although the shuttle prevents the trimmer from being stored flat, there is a convenient carrying handle for portability and a hanging loop, making the Paper Trimming Buddy easy to take to crops and friends’ houses.

Here is an example of the cuts I made with the blades I have (Pinking, Straight, Perforated, Scallop, and Wave):

And here is the most recent card I’ve made using the trimmer (Pinking and Wave blades):

The Paper Trimming Buddy by Marvy Uchida is an inexpensive, quick, and simple alternative to border punches and dies. The blades take up little storage space, and the trimmer itself is light-weight and portable. And for an extra added bonus, you usually receive a free-style handle along with the trimmer, which allows you to use the blades to cut any free-hand shape you’d like. The blades simply pop in and out, just as they do in the trimmer. Have fun!

Die-Cut Daisy Card

(I've been trying to post this project for two days, but Blogger has had issues that are hopefully resolved now.  I hope you find it was worth the wait.  You can also find this article on Scrapjazz.)

Die-Cut Daisy Card


Daisies are one of the easiest flowers to die-cut and layer on a card or layout. You can keep it simple by using only one layer, or you can add as many layers as your heart desires. Here is a fun, quick card that you can make for spring birthdays, Easter, Mother’s Day, or whatever occasion is coming up in your life.

Here are the materials you will need for this project:


Sizzix Big Shot/Big Kick machine


Daisy Die (any medium-sized daisy die will work)

Circle Die (if your daisy die doesn’t cut a separate center)

Spellbinders Impressablities Flowers Template

Patterned paper

White core cardstock

Birthday stamp (lots to choose from at www.scrapbook.com)

Adhesive

Black inkpad

Directions:

1. Create card base by cutting white cardstock to 8 ½” x 5 ½” and folding in half to 5 ½” x 4 ¼”.

2. Cut white core cardstock to 5 ¼” x 4”, and emboss in Big Shot with Spellbinders die.

3. Sand lightly to reveal white core.

4. Adhere to white card base.

5. Cut 2 daisies out of patterned paper, using daisy die in Big Shot machine.

(Optional Steps: If your die doesn’t cut a separate center, cut a flower center using a circle die. If it doesn’t cut a leaf, you can either cut one with a die or cut one by hand. Another option is to simply leave the leaf out.)

6. Layer the daisies and leaves, and attach them to the card in the upper left section. Gently curl the tips of the daisy petals around a pencil, and fold the leaf in half vertically, to add dimension.

7. Add another half circle or other shape to the lower right section of the card.

8. Attach ribbon just below the daisy.

9. Stamp a greeting on a scrap of patterned paper with black ink.

10. Adhere greeting just below ribbon.



If you want to add even more dimension to your card, you can use foam tape or dimensional dots to your layers. Don’t be afraid to add your own embellishments and personal touches to this project. Happy crafting!

Birthday Card

This is a card that I made for a Gina K. Sketch Challenge. I cut the ovals using my Coluzzle and outlined the mailbox and the inner oval with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen by Sakura.  Happy Stamping!

Stamps: Gina K. Spring Mix

Paper: White Ultrasmooth (TAC), aqua blue, Rust textured (The Paper Company)

Ink: Palette Noir Black

Accessories: Lime Green and Ruby Stickles, Fiskars border punch, E.K. Success corner rounder (large purple)

Techniques: Colored pencils and Odorless Mineral Spirits

Happy Moo-ther's Day!

I just couldn't resist making this card for my dear friend, Leslie. She and I have been friends since high school. (Don't worry, Les. I won't tell them how many years ago that was!) As soon as I got the Create a Critter Cricut cartridge, I knew that I had to make this for Mother's Day.

I began with a standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white card base, and I cut a piece of patterned cardstock from the DCWV Pocket Full of Posies matstack to 4" x 5 1/4". Then I cut out a grass border with an extended border die from Sizzix for the grass. Next, I tied a piece of double-sided ribbon (from May Arts, I think) around the patterned cardstock and tied a knot. (In an upcoming post/video, I'll show you the bowmaker I "created" to make adorable bows for cards.)

Now it was time for the FUN. I cut this sweet little cow at 2 1/4". All of the layers were cut at the same side, but here's a tip for you. There is a little mix-up on the CAC cartridge. The layers for the cow are reversed. Layer 1 is Layer 2, and vice versa. I wrote a little note in my manual and adjusted the colors for the cow accordingly. Since Leslie prefers brown cows, I used light brown and dark brown for the body and pink for the face (and udders, of course). As a final touch for the cow, I added a metal flower and a baby button from my stash. I cut out the word bubble, which is also on the cartridge, at (I think) 1", and I used my printer to print the greeting.

To get the greeting centered, I cut out the word bubble first. Then I printed the greeting on scrap printer paper. I held it up to the light and layered the word bubble on top of the printer paper, adhering it with temporary adhesive. Then I ran the whole thing through the printer again and removed the printed-on word bubble. This is a great way to create your own sayings if you don't have a stamp or Cricut greeting that works for you. A tiny flower and some Stickles glitter glue, some foam tape to pop up the cow, and I was done.

Well, that's it for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day with your families. And, as always: Remember to be your own crafty self.

Cheering myself up

Today wasn't a very good day for me, so I decided to cheer myself up by making a card with my newest stamp: Snoopy's Plane by Stampabilities. How can you not have a smile on your face after seeing Snoopy? I've loved him since I was a little girl. In fact, "Snoopy's Christmas" is my all-time favorite Christmas song. Is it any wonder that I just had to have this stamp of the World War I Flying Ace? Although I'm still feeling kind of down, just looking at this card brings a smile to my face. I hope he makes you smile too.

{I can't give you any specifics on the papers or brads that I used, but the ribbon is actually seam binding by Martha Stewart. I used my Sizzix Texturz plate to emboss the base of the card front, and I cut the shape for the greeting with my Cricut. I believe I used Accent Essentials. The greeting is from TAC (Feel Better), and the blue ink that I sponged to create a background is Prussian Blue, by Palette (Stewart Superior). The coloring was done with various markers.}

Ildi Co. Stamps

I was recently chosen for the Design Team for Ildi Co., a new digital
stamp company.  (You can find the link on my sidebar.)  Here is a card
that I made using one of their stamps (Cuddles-Kuma Goes to the
Beach).  The cardstock is from The Crafter's Workshop and Colorbok.  I
used PrismaColor pencils to color in the image.  How cute is that bear?!

Ildi Co has a limited time offer!  You can purchase all 10 images for $20.00. The savings is $6.50!  Just click on the link on my sidebar.

Some Mother's Day Cards

Since Mother's Day is quickly approaching, I thought I'd share some ideas for quick Mother's Day cards.  I used Twinkling H2Os to color in the images on these cards.

 

 

For the  butterfly card, I painted directly on the solid butterfly stamp.  (This is a 2-step stamp set from Stampin' Up.)  Then I embossed the outline butterfly stamp with black glitter embossing powder.  For the greeting, I again painted directly on the Hero Arts background stamp, but this time I used Staz On for the greeting.  I added a few butterfly eyelets, and that was it!  I was very happy with the watercolor effect on this one.

The second card was easy to do also.  I stamped the image (Great
Impressions) with Staz On and painted it in with the H2Os.  I added
glitter to all the dots by using a Sakura glue pen and then sprinkling  translucent
prisma glitter onto the dots.  I did the greeting the same way that I
did the butterfly greeting.  A quick final border in yellow with the
H2Os, and I was done.

Happy Mother's Day!