Digging Into My Stash to Make a Birthday Card

I need a birthday card for someone who loves cats and gardening.  The Shopping Our Stash theme is "The Cat is in the Bag" which means use a cat (no problem for this proud, crazy cat lady) or a purse, bag, backpack, etc.  I decided to challenge myself to use mostly old, as in retired, products.  When I saw this Freshly Made Sketch my concept began to form in my head.

I do not have arch dies, but I do have a retired die, Kitty Window, from Tutti Designs featuring cats looking on a garden through a cathedral shaped window.  I cut two from 110 lb white cardstock and stacked them.  Now for a background to go behind the window.  I looked though my stash of backgrounds and found one with appropriate colors made using Lindy's Magicals.  Because the current theme at Seize the Birthday is embossing, I put the background upside down in a retired 3D Fern embossing folder from Stampin' Up so that the design would be debossed, that is pressed down into the paper.  Then I rubbed a Stampin' Up ink pad in Wild Wasabi, a retired color, over it, so you could see the ferns.

Please forgive my stained craft mat and the quality of photos taken with my phone as I worked.  After selecting the part I wanted to use I traced around the window portion and cut it out.

Because the background was done on thick watercolor paper, the window portion of the die cut would be thicker than the window sill and cats' tails, so I needed make another die cut from watercolor paper, trim off the part I needed and glue it on the back to level up the die cut.

Now that my focal point was done I could work on the rest of my card.  I cut a 4 x 5.25 inch panel and embossed it with a retired Stampin Up embossing folder which I think was called Subtle.  I gilded the edges by holding the panel vertically and pressing each edge into Versamark ink, then Ranger Princess Gold embossing power, and melting the powder with my heat tool. 

I used the the retired Perfect Sentiments stamp and die from Pink Fresh Studio for the sentiment.  It is a single stamp and die which makes eleven  assorted sentiments at a time.  Because part of the sentiment over laps the cat die cut I ran into the same issue of having the prop up the part that was hanging off.  I put two small pieces of card stack and one of watercolor paper under the Happy Birthday sentiment in the die to make shadow pieces pieces that I could stack so they were the same height as the cat die and then snipped off part of it to glue onto the back of the sentiment to make it level.

Now all I had to do was put everything together on a card base and I had a birthday card.  Except for the paper, Magicals, and embossing powder, everything used in this card is not only older, but no longer available.  I also plan enter this card in the Sisterhood of Crafters Birthdays challenge.  

This is what it looks like when you tilt it to light.  I love Lindy's Magicals.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

A Cool "Burnt Wood" Technique

 

I had been pondering all week how I would use the Paper Players sketch below when I saw this video by Gina K Design. 

Essentially you score a piece of cardstock, lightly swipe ink over it, set up the sandwich for embossing a die on your die cut machine, place the panel face down on the rubber mat and the stencil on top, emboss the stencil (which actually debosses it), and then swipe more ink over it.  Being in full Christmas card mode, I used a snowflake stencil from Stampin' Up.  Rather than use the colored pencil and Gamsol technique Gina used, I lightly colored the snowflake impressions with a colored pencil.  I cut 1.5 x 3.75 inch panels, swiped more ink round the edges, and stacked each on two layers of heavy Very Vanilla cardstock for dimension.  I attached the outer two panels first and then lined up the middle panel evenly between them.  HINT:  Pay attention to how the design lines up.  I had to perform a card-ectomy because I attached the middle panel upside down.

I had sort of an antiqued brass embellishment I wanted to use to anchor the sentiment, but it did not show well.  I tried coating it in gold embossing powder, but it still didn't show, so I tried platinum powder from Ranger which worked, but I did have to sacrifice some of the detail.  I like to think it evokes the look of old worn hardware on a wooden cupboard.  I used the same powder to emboss the sentiment and gild the edges.

This technique would work well for any masculine card.  Thank you for stopping by!  Until nexy time, Hansi

I Always Need Birthday Cards

 

This week's Color Throwdown Challenge is to use purple, blue, and green in a project.  Have I ever mentioned that my favorite color scheme is Cool Analogous, adjacent colors on the cool side of the color wheel?  The Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge is celebrating it's ninth birthday with a challenge to make a birthday card.  I don't know about y'all, but every time I turn around I need a birthday card.  For this reason I like to play the Seize the Birthday Challenge which currently has the optional topping of using an embossing folder.  Cool colors are sometimes referred to as the colors of water and I have a folder that looks like waves.  Just Add Ink is challenging us to make a shaker card which is always fun on a birthday card and I have a Happy Birthday die set from CZ Design which is perfect to make one with.  Isn't it great when all these challenges work together to make a card you know you will need?

First things first.  I embossed a piece of white cardstock with an old folder from Lifestyle Crafts.  Then I flipped it over and swiped ink pads over the back side where the design is pressed into the paper otherwise known as the debossed side.  When I was happy with the look I trimmed it down to fit on an A2 card with a narrow border.   Next I used the shadow die from the CZ Design Happy Birthday Lucky to Know You set to make an opening in the middle.  I held the negative space piece on my card base so I would know where to put the backing, applied glue to the back of the shadow and glued it to the card base by fitting it into the opening and removed the negative piece.  I then glued a piece of shimmer vellum over the shadow to finish the background of my shaker element.  Now to back to the top part of the card.  I glued a piece of acetate behind the opening.  I cut the sentiment from both white and purple card stock, stacked them, and glued the sentiment to the front of the acetate.  Once everything was dry I carefully fit pieces of foam tape to the back of the top piece making sure the pieces fit tightly around the opening, so shaker bits could not escape later.  Speaking of shaker bits:  I went though three packs of mixed sequins to pull out pieces in the challenge colors plus a few white and silver ones.  This is what everything looked like before I put it together:

The last thing to do was put the shaker bits on the card base, remove the tape backing, slather the foam tape with liquid glue so I could fine tune the positioning, flip it, and attach the top to the card base.  On hindsight, I think I may have put in too many shaker pieces.  

Now I have a card for a forgotten about birthday or when my husband asks me for one for a friend.  He graciously puts up with my papercrafting addiction because he knows I will keep him supplied with cards as needed.  Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

A Fishy Birthday

 

I struggle with masculine cards, so I usually fall back on graphic or geometric designs.  This time I needed a card for a friend who does semi abstract metal sculptures mostly of sea creatures and thought the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous  Sealife stamp set might be appropriate.  I started with a sheet of Tim Holtz water color paper, blended some Distress inks on the rough side, and spritzed it with lots of water to make the colors run together like water colors.  I then lightly rubbed ink minis over the surface to add texture and depth.  I stamped the kelp in black along the bottom and then heat embossed the two fish in white.  I used a Simon Says Stamp die to cut the sentiment, coated it with Versamark ink and white embossing powder and then heated it to make it shine and give it the appearance of a puffy sticker.  Lastly I attached some Studio Katia clear drops for air bubbles.  After sponging some more ink around the edges to define them, I attached the panel to a white card base.

I plan to enter this in the Male Room Water/Beach, Modsquad Under the Sea, Sweet Stampers Animals or Critters or Birds, Bastel-Traum Water (#btchallenge101) , and bizarrely, Happy Little Stampers June Watercolor challenges.  To show how international the challenge blogs are, as I write this May 31 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time it is 12:30 p.m. on June 1 Australian Eastern Standard Time where the Happy Little Stampers challenges originate.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

#btchallenge101

 

Ink Swiping

A few weeks ago I saw this tutorial by May May Made It about swiping layers of ink over dry embossing.  Now I have inked embossing folders and used sponge daubers to selectively apply color to parts of the design, but this looked so free and unpredictable!  I looked through my embossing folders for ones I thought might be interesting  for this technique, embossed a stack of card fronts and swiped away to make some backgrounds which I put aside because life got in the way of card making.  Don't you hate it when that happens?  Then I saw this Freshly Made Sketch:

Instead of using that center panel to stamp and color, why not make the wide frame the most interesting part?  In other words, it was the perfect sketch to use one of my ink swiped, embossed card fronts!  The embossing folder is Swirls and Curls from Stampin' Up.  I am not sure what colors of ink are in this one because I used so many that day, but I do know that I sponged some Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink around the edges to ground it.  I used the Happy Large Word Die by Whimsy Stamps to cut three in white and one in Fresh Fig and then stacked them to give some dimension.  The sentiment strip was stamped using the Well Said set also from Stampin Up, embossed with white detail powder from Gina K Design and popped up with foam tape.  

Ink swiping was so much fun I can assure you that you will see more of it in the future.  Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi. 

A Thank You for a Thoughtful Gift

My best friend growing up, who is stationed in Bagdad, sent me a flag that was flown over the American Embassy for me in honor of my grandfather and father who served in the Marines and Navy respectively.  I still tear up when I look at it.  Such a special gift requires a special thank you card.

I started by inking the flat side of the Leafy Branch embossing folder by Cuddlebug and embossing a piece of Colonial White cardstock.  Then I swiped an ink pad directly on the raised design.  I then used a sponge dauber to add a bit more color to some of the leaves and stems.  I love the batiked effect.  I heat embossed the sentiment with gold embossing powder and then gilded the the top and bottom edge by perpendicularly pressing the edge into a Versarmark pad and then in the embossing powder.  I popped it up using foam tape.  The twine was bought at Target years ago.  I like how the metallic thread compliments the heat embossing.

I am entering this card in the Just Add Ink challenge to just add embossing.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Anniversary Card for the Card Concept

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary last week.  (I was a child bride...)  Such an occasion calls for a romantic, non-masculine card which I made using this photo from The Card Concept as inspiration:

I am not sure how he would have felt about a pumpkin, so I went with the pink, ivory, and gold color scheme and flowers.  First I inked up the "valley" side of my new Tim Holtz Alterations Botanical 3D Texture Fades embossing folder with Aged Mahogany Distress Oxide ink, spritzed some Colonial White cardstock with water, and carefully placed it in the folder to run through my Big Shot.  Afterwards I spritzed it with a mixture of Perfect Pearls and water.  When it was dry I used a sponge dauber to dab on some gold pigment ink from ColorBox and added a little Princess Gold embossing powder by Ranger.  Lastly I diecut a heart and kept the rest for a future project. 

Next I used the Hero Arts Love stamp and die set to cut three "Love" sentiments and stacked them.  I smooshed it in Versamark and then embossed it with Vintage Pearl embossing powder by Ranger three times.  

For the background panel I cut a rectangle using a die set I got from a friend who was decluttering.  It looks like a Nestabilities set from Spellbinder's.   I cut the ends off, sponged the edges with Versamark, and embossed with more gold embossing powder.  While I was at it I gold embossed the word "always"  from the Simon Says stamp set Thoughtful Messages beside where I planned to place the heart. Finally I gave it a spritz with my homemade pearl spray.

Finally I put everything together and attached it with foam tape to a Colonial White card base.   I wish the photograph captured the pearly shine and gold sparkle of the card.  It is sort of clean and layered meets classy and elegant.  Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Through the Window with Heart 2 Heart

Happy Monday, y'all!  Do you see that badge on the right?  The one that says Guest Designer for Heart 2 Heart Challenges?  That's right!  I was awarded the honor of being named Top Chick for the month of September for these cards which means I am the guest designer for the month of November.  We have some fun challenges lined up, and the first one is...(sound the trumpets)...Through the Window.  This can be interpreted a number of ways, so I chose the cut out window interpretation.

For this challenge I went all the way back to Close to My Heart's first Cricut cartridge, Art Philosophy.  It is still one of my favorites.  Is has interesting shapes that you can layer and every page has at least one and usually two cards.  This one can be found on page 47.  I started by cutting two cards, the first at 6.5 inches out of Colonial White and the second at 6.3 out of a sheet from the retired Yuletide Carol.  No, that is not a typo.  Did you know that if you go into "settings" on your Cricut you can change the size to cut in increments of tenths of an inch, centimeters, or millimeters?  I cut the front and back of the second card apart and then trimmed a quarter of an inch off of each side of the front piece.  I wanted an additional layer, but because the center would not be seen, I simply cut a 6.25 x 4.75 piece and cut out the middle with my trimmer.

I have always loved the vintage feel of this stamp set, Holiday Cheer.  No it is not in the current catalog, but it is still available.  With the exception of Workshop on the Go stamp sets and Stamps of the Month, CTMH does not retire Cricut compatible stamp sets.  I stamped the ornaments on a piece of scrap paper, cut them out, and sponged the edges with Saddle ink to "age" them to go along with the vintage feel.  I also sponged the green layer with saddle and the light layer with Saddle and a bit of Cocoa.

Here is the inside of the card:

You can see what I did with the back part of the second card.  Now when you are making the inside of a window card, you have to be mindful of what you want to show when the card is closed and what you want to hide.  I find it helpful to close the card and lightly trace the window shape in pencil, so you can see where your edges are.  I cut the holly leaves out of Fern cardstock using the same cartridge (page 46), sponged their edges with Saddle, used a scoring tool to create veins, and finally lightly sponged over them with some New England Ivy.  I used a hole punch to punch 1/4 and 1/8 inch circles of glitter paper to make holly berries and embellishments.  Yes, I have a 1/8 inch punch that I think I bought at Michael's.  I used liquid glass to glue on the "berries."  When I was done I had a very flat, easily mailed card.

Thank you for stopping by!  Now why don't you head over to the Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog for some inspiration and maybe enter yourself?  You have all month to complete any of the November challenges.  We would love to see your work!  Until next time, Hansi

Materials used, all Close to My Heart unless otherwise noted:

Paper:  Yuletide Carol (retired), Colonial White cardstock

Ink:  Saddle, Cocoa

Stamp:  Holiday Cheer (B1381)

Embellishments:  Red and Green glitter paper

Other:  Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, 1/4 and 1/8 inch punches