I made the Team!

I am very excited to announce that I made the Design Team over at Create Your Classroom blog!  Yay!!!  You can check it out here.  Some time in September the team should begin posting over there.  Of course, I will post here too with links to the other team member blogs so you won't miss a thing!  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, here's a card pic for you.

 
I recently found a whole new world out there called digi stamping.  For those of you who don't know what that is, let me explain.  You can purchase on line graphics (like the image on my card), download them to your computer and print them out - legally!  Don't go mass producing these little guys or you will have loads of trouble.  However, for a cardmaker, it's immediate satisfaction for a new image.  There are still plenty of "freebies" to be had as well.  Apparently the type of printer you have and the type of markers you use will make a difference on the end result.  I also use a finishing spray.  Some like to heat set and that works.  So, try a freebie first before deciding if this will work for you.  You have to get comfortable with the technique you use.  Anyway,  I loved this image because it reminded me of my youngest son (soon to be 12) who has been taking guitar lessons for almost 2 years now.  He really wants an electric guitar and was hoping to get one for his birthday in November.  Unfortunately he discovered that I was buying him one during his lesson this last week.  Oh well.  Now the fun will be watching him squirm until his birthday.  LOL!  Of course, we will now have to get something small that he doesn't know about so he can still have a surprise on his special day.  OK, enough rambling.  Hope you all have a good day!  Oh, check back in a few days, I'll be posting a SYS (Stir Your Stash) this weekend.

Just For You

I love using my diecuts and embossing follders, don't you?  Today's card uses both.  I am entering it in the challenge this week over at Stamping Sisters in Christ.

I tried to carry the floral theme throughout this card with the embossing, the scallop circle, the border punch and, the lovely tea cup.  Even the little label punch has a floral feel to it.  This stamp set (from Stampin' Up!) is one of my new faves!  The colors I chose seem to speak fall which is just around the corner even if right now it doesn't seem like it.  I just love the fall season with all it's colors and everything in a state of change.  Makes you want to fix a cup of tea and curl up with a good book.  Enjoy!

Mini Book

This little book is a cutie.  With little pockets to hold pictures, notes or memorabilia.  Hope you have had a great start to your week.

A+

Those ATC's keep finding their way back into my projects but today I wanted to just show the card in honor of school starting again.  The boys are glad to be back in school again (they usually are by the end of summer)  despite the rain on the first day.  This is a milestone year as my oldest starts college and my youngest is in his last year of elementary school.  They are growing up so fast!  They deserve an A+ for all their hard work over the last few years.  I hope your school year is off to a great start!

Cascading Card

I had to stop quilling for bit to make this card.  Boy did I love this one.  The original card and video tutorial are here using a 12 X 12 sheet of cardstock.  I usually like to adjust patterns to make them work for 8-1/2 X 11 sheets of cardstock because as a card maker, I do use these more.  That's not to say that I don't use 12 X 12's but, mostly I like to use 8-1/2 X 11's.  Anyway, the pictures below give you different views of the card so you can appreciate it better.

You can see the dimension really well here.  Yes, I stamped the inside too.  I wanted it to be pretty all over!  I used another leftover trading card (had to cut down a bit so I lost a little of the "H").

 With this side view you can see the folds much better.  You can use this for extra embellishing if you like, but it was getting late for me so I just stamped it.  Notice the little toppers on the intersections.  I made those with a border punch and cut it down to fit (glued to the inside).  On the back of the card I glued down a strip of black cardstock to cover the curls glued down there.  I probably could have just added a layer of cardstock to cover the entire backside but, opted out on that one.

 Here's a close up of the pretties I put on the front.  See the dress pins?  I made those!  I think I'll post about those this week sometime - I know you've been waiting to see them!  I have a bunch made up (made more last night) and I can't seem to stop making them.  They're so much fun to make - and easy too!    I have to force myself to put them down so I can finish my quilling project (that is coming along slowly - I started over due to color change).

So, if you want to make it with a 12 X 12, use Frenchie's instructions.  If you want to use an 8-1/2 X 11 follow her basic instructions with the following measurement changes that I made:

• Cut the cardstock to 8-1/2 X 10-/1/2.  Score @ 1.75, 3.5, 5.25, 7 (pencil mark only), & 8.75

• Before cutting in half make a tick mark at opposite ends at 5-1/2" (these marks will be opposite diagonally).

• I did use the pencil lines to mark the halfway line before cutting on the scored lines.  Much easier for me.

• Only cut the scored lines on the far left and right, and the center scored line up to middle (pencil mark).

• Erase with a white or kneaded eraser (works well).

• Assemble then add decorative paper to make sure you get the paper only on the panels facing you. (Best to cut decorative paper down 1/16th of an inch at least so it doesn't interfere with folding)

• Use printed cardstock if you don't want to stamp background like I did.

• Two-sided paper looks great (see Frenchie's samples).

• Use a regular letter envelope (small one) to mail this card & to determine the height of embellishments.

That's it for today.  Leave me a comment if you know how I can find the gallery at SCS with samples and/or tutorial of this card style (tried cascading card).  I would love to see them!  Enjoy!

SYS (Stir Your Stash) Challenge

Hi Everyone,
As promised here is your SYS challenge for today.

I made this as a 3 X 3 card which could be used as a gift tag or as an embellishment on a larger card.  Here's my sample:

As you can see it's pretty much an exact copy of the sketch.  So, if you've never made a 3 X 3 card before, give it a shot.  I will warn you though, they can be addictive!  Look on the bright side, if you use a Christmas theme you'll have all the gift tags you'll need for your gift giving this year!  Have fun!

Quilled Monogram

Ok, I am changing gears here for a few days.  I wanted to try my hand at quilling and make a monogram for a wedding gift so I made a pattern after reading a couple of books and getting some ideas.  Pattern below.

I've actually reversed the image so you could see it better as my original was in pencil.  I chose a monogram I liked from an online source, took some stuff out and added a bit of my own. (like the heart in the middle).  Then I made it the size I wanted and printed the open outline.  From there I penciled in the empty spaces of the letter with different quilling shapes and such.  Lastly I added the swirls on the corners to finish it out.  I placed the tracing over the card stock I wanted as the background and traced the pattern with a small stylus to give myself the outline to follow.  I am now in the process of physically filling in the letter and will finish up with the corners.  I am enjoying this project but it does take a bit of time.  The real challenge here is doing it with all neutral colors.  It will be a few days before I will be able to post the finished project but, I can't wait to share it with you.  In the meantime, look for a "SYS" challenge on Saturday.  Hope to hear from you!

Spring-Fold Card

I have to thank a friend for showing me the pattern below.  She brought this as her card for card club this month.  The pattern is from Cardmaker Magazine Spring 2012.

 Here's the pattern.

As usual, score on the dashed lines and cut on the solid ones.  I actually made seven of these cards.  The little thank you in the middle is an ATC (you guessed it - leftovers!).  I cut it down to make it square so it would fit the card nicely.  Also, note that the orange and pink triangles are embossed.  I actually glued them together first then ran them through the Big Shot.  To help the card keep it's spring I put a glue dot on the bottom corner of the upper square.  The bling on the left balances out the triangles.  Give it a try!

Modified Step Card

I made this card at a Make & Take at the show I went to recently.  I've made different varieties of this step card a few times over the last year.  Recently, a friend and I came up with the same thought.  What if we made this a landscape card instead of portrait?  That was all the challenge I needed to figure it out.  Easy enough.  The additional challenge was to make it fit in a regular 1/4 sheet envelope.   Got it, did it, done! I've included a pattern for you to print out (you will need to enlarge) as well as my sample.  I did use one of the ATC's I had left over from the show so putting this together was quick and easy.  The best part is that you make it from a piece of card stock that's 5-1/2" X 8-1/2" just like a regular 1/4 sheet landscape card.

 

On the pattern below you will cut on the solid lines and score on the dashed lines.  You can do this on your trimmer.  The side panels are each 1" wide but you can change that, just don't change the score lines or the length of the cut lines.  The score lines on the side panels from the bottom of the front of the card are at 1", 2", and 5-1/4".  The score line at the top of the middle panel is at 4-1/4".  The cut line is from the 1" mark to the 5-1/4" mark.  I did this all on my Scor-Pal and trimmer.  If you would be interested in seeing a video on how to make this card, leave a comment and if there's enough interest I'll work on one for you.

I found it easier to score all my lines (including the ones I planned to cut), then cut the ones that needed to be cut.  Embellish however you like.  Again, I have used simple lines on mine.  Give it a try, I know you'll love it.

ATC Card

Have you ever wondered what to do with those left over ATC's from a swap?  I made this card with just such a critter (I had a few left from the Rubber Stamp Event show).  I decided on simple lines and added a bit of texture from one of Stampin' Up's texture plates ( Finial Press Embossing Folder).  The paper is from Graphic 45, the flowers from Prima & Michael's, the ribbon from Hobby Lobby, the stamped sentiment is from Fiskars "Oval Ovations" punched out with an oval punch from Stampin' Up! popped up like the ATC, and the paper from Bazzil (the card base is white).   I used my pinking shears for the zig-zag edge next to the ribbon (my mother wouldn't like me using those on paper!). 

The color combo works great especially with the splash of red in the background That I picked up from the striped paper.  More ATC cards to come this week so be sure to stop back!

August Card Club

As promised here is my card from club this month.  The first pic is of my inspiration (make & take from Rubber Stamp Events).  A friend of mine did send me one similar several months ago too.  I love how the cut out just pops right up there.

The next two pictures are my take on the pop up at the top.  I just thought it would be fun to try a different shape popped up there. So, I tried it with a different die cut to see if it would work, and it did.  It was a tinsy bit more difficult matching up everything to be straight, square and all that jazz.  Ultimately, an easy card.  My advice for you, should you decide to take on this mission, would be to lightly mark with a pencil your center lines going both ways.  So much easier to get it straight.  I also marked with a permanent pen the centers on my die cut.

To make this card, I made a regular 1/4 sheet card with a top fold. I glued my designer paper down (just a bit to hold in place temporarily).  Take your die cut and center it on the fold and horizontally.  My die cut & matching stamp are from Stampin' Up!.   Hold the die in place with a sticky note and run through your die cut machine only half way.  Halfway for me was about 5 turns of the handle on my Big Shot. Stamp the sentiment on a scrap piece of card stock, place on cutting plate and lay the die cut over the top of your stamp to match up.  Again, use a sticky note to hold this in place.  This time you will be going all the way through.  This cut out shape will then be matched up and glued down to the pop up you made earlier.  I took my bone folder and smoothed out the fold line on the back of the pop up so it wouldn't be as noticeable also.  Remove the designer paper and put your card on your trimmer and cut off enough of the width of the card to make it 4-1/4 wide with the pop up so it will fit in a regular 1/4 sheet envelope.  Line up your designer paper now and trim of as desired.  You may need to trim a bit off the top of your designer paper as well. Notice that the paper exactly matches the cut out in the second picture.  This is as it should be.  When the card is closed you get a little white outline because of the inside showing through (see my first pic).  After that, just embellish however you like.  I used grosgrain ribbon and bling I found at Hobby Lobby.  That's it.  I love the simplicity of this card; perfect for the guys in your life.

Final Group Pics

How many of you remember the little girl from the movie "Annie" that was always saying "Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!"?  That's the way I feel about these cards.  They are just beautiful!

 

I really can't wait to make my own version of some of these.  You know how it is.  You have to use the material you have so I know my cards won't look like these but, I will do my best!  I'm so inspired and I hope you are too!  Tomorrow I will be posting one card with a special fold which I did for stamp group this month.  It is patterned after a couple of make & takes from the show but, it has a new little twist to it.  I'm sure you're going to love it!  See you soon!

More Pics

Here are a few more pics from the Rubber Stamp Events show.  I just can't get over the amazing talent of these designers.  Wow!  'Nuff said.

How can you not be inspired the work of these designers.  Gorgeous (vibrato)!!!  I will have one more set of grouped pics for you tomorrow then I'll start on the individual ones.  Some of those will come a little slower as I want to make my own version to show you.   Come on back , 'ya here!

Lots of Cards

All the pics today are from Heartfelt Creations (click here to link) display from the Rubber Stamp Event show in Minnesota.  The detail and composition is amazing. They are just so beautiful and inspiring!   There were an enormous amount of cards.  The young man working the booth said there were at least 20 people on their design team busy making these gorgeous cards.  I can believe it! I'll have a few more for you tomorrow so come on back!