TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

BABY GIRL

As I sit here waiting for my new grand niece to be born, I thought I'd share a super simple card with you.  My nephews wife has been in labor now for over 19 hours with the petosin drip to help speed things up.  Unfortunately that little baby just doesn't want to come out and the doctors are a bit worried that "Mommy" may become preclampsia. (the later part of her pregnancy has not been easy)  We are all praying that a "C" section will not be needed and that things speed up a bit soon.
I wanted to send a little welcome card to the new baby but since I'm leaving tomorrow I wanted to make it now so that I could limit some (just some) of the supplies I'm hauling up with me.
The finished card is a basic 4.25 x 5.5  I used the recollections 110 lb card stock from Michaels for the base and a sheet of designer paper by Jennifer Ellroy Called Emma's garden.  It was in a small booklet that was a supplement to the UK magazine Cardmaking and Papercraft.  Love Love Love this magazine!!  Full of inspiration and I love the freebies that come with each magazine.  If you haven't seen this magazine check it out.  You can usually find it a Joann's.  Most newsstands do not carry it :(  For the flowers and paper ribbon down the center I used a thinner card stock (most of my Punch's won't go through the 110lb stuff LOL)  Put a little pink bling in the flower centers and used a gel pen to make hash marks around the label.  All in all I think it took me about 3 minutes.  It takes me longer to type this hahaha!
Well going to go check again on that baby girl...hope  she's on her way!!

HAPPY CARDING!






Tuesday, July 15, 2014

STAMPIN UPS PAPERCLIP BOW

On a previous post on Paperclip Bow Remake I mentioned the paperclip bow in the Stampin Up catalog.  The first tutorial I saw was a bit to fussy for me and I found a simpler way to do them.  First of all scrap paper works great since you don't need very much paper.  Second of all you can make a whole lot of bows and use the paperclips found at your local Dollar store.  Better yet...school supplies have just hit the shelves and at some stores you can get 100 paperclips for $.50.  Can't beat that!!!
  To start with you need the following:

2 pieces  1/2" x 2 1/8"
1 piece  1/2" x 3"
1 piece  1/4" x 1.5"

From the 3" piece cut little "V"s at both ends.  Fold each of the 2 1/8" long pieces in half and glue only the ends.  Attach the loops to the 3" piece leaving a 1/4" space between the 2 loops in the middle.  In the 1/4" space make a notch on both the top and bottom.  Place the paperclip on the back of the bow and wrap the 1.5" piece around both the bow and the clip in the center.










Super cute super easy!  I'm really beginning to like all these paper bows lately!  I swear I'm going to have jars and jars just filled with little bows.  I guess they can sit next to my Jars and Jars of paper flowers!  Hahahah.  Sometimes I go to the extreme when it comes to embellishments I can make myself.  I get on this roll and just keep making more til I find a "New" embellishment I can duplicate.  Maybe I should turn the closet in my craft room into the embellishment corner!  Oh forgot to mention...I used the larger size paperclips not the regular size ones.  I thought the bow would look too big with the smaller clips so it was back to the table to try it out and this is what I ended up with.  What do you think? 


 Maybe the bigger clips should be used as bookmarks or to hold together our templates and the smaller ones could be used for embellishments since the clip would not cover up too much of the cards.  Well this was fun!  I really liked making these.  Hope you do to.  Later!

HAPPY CARDING!






BOX CARD

I'm still trying to catch up on my postings before I leave for the cabin again.  Last Friday the "Girls" and I got together for some chit chatting and got a couple cards made.  The first one we made was the Asian Screen Card I posted recently.  It was a big hit though some wondered if another punch could work for the making of the feet.  I'll have to work on that.  Never gave it much thought since I already had the label punch..  The next card was the file folder card.  The "Leader of our pack" ( LOL ) brought all the supplies for that one.  You can find the directions for different file cards by checking my post labeled Tab Cards.  She also brought the Box Card. This is the one we made that night.












I made a few templates.  Its so easy and yet very cute and folds to fit inside a regular envelope.  YEA!  Even though I have the envelope maker I'd sometimes much rather use store bought.  Makes it 1 less step I have to do when the card is finished.  You can get 2 box cards out of 1 sheet of 8.5 x 11 card stock plus you would need 2 scraps that measures 3 x 1.5
score all lines and remove piece with ///////


cut on score line of the short pieces and fold all but first section
You will also need (4) 1/4 x 3" acetate strips for flowers to go on.  In the second picture I showed the sizes for the DSP to cut for decorating your box.  Then Punch up some flowers and leaves and build your bouquet.  You can add more acetate strips if you'd like just do not have the flowers taller than the back of the box or it won't fit into an envelope.

Well I put another one together and I think it turned out pretty good  they are just so very easy and yet people will be impressed with your creativity!  Ok I'm a "Dufus"......I went to take a picture of the one I just made yesterday and "DUH" I put it in the mail and sent it off before taking a picture of it.  Don't know where my head is!  LOL  Thank goodness the one I made Friday was already added to this post or there would have been no example!  Do you ever have those kind of days?  If it weren't for the fact that I was leaving for the cabin I'd of made another one but between trying to finish up a few posts and packing it's not going to happen.  Sorry.  Do try this card tho.  Your going to like the ease!

Till Later!


HAPPY CARDING

Sunday, July 13, 2014

BABY SISTER BIRTHDAY


Kind of sweet isn't it?  Decided to make my sisters card a dainty one with flowers, ribbon, buttons and bling.  A real "Girly Girl" card.  Bigger than the last card which only measured 4 x 4 this one is a standard 5.5 x 4.25 with a twist.  I started with a piece of stock that measured 7.25 x 8.5 and scored at the 4.25 mark.  Then on the left side I trimmed away 1.75 to make the left side of the card 5.5" tall.  On the right side I used one of my framelets and shaped the top of that side.  I then scored it so that the flap folds over the front of the card.  See those 2 little buttons on the front?  Well the points of the flap slide under the buttons and keeps the card closed.  Cool HUH?
cut only up to yellow line

basic shape of card





















Here's the card opened below.  Have fun embellishing this card.  Its such an easy fold and gives it a little more Pizazz then just a regular folded card.
Well now to figure out a guy card...yep I have another birthday for July.  I'm also going to be in need of another Congrats card too.  My Niece is due to deliver her second baby any day now.   Mannn...another July Birthday!  LOL   Between my grandkids and my nieces and nephews having babies there are going to be alot of cards to make.  

Keep your eyes out for the Masculine Birthday card coming up next!
Until then..................


HAPPY CARDING







BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

Happy Sunday!  The storms have rolled out of here and its 85* outside.  Perfect temp for me to go downstairs to my craft room and create a couple Birthday cards.  In fact I may just need some socks and a sweatshirt since it gets a bit chilly down there.
  I have a few birthdays this month and with my running back and forth to the cabin I never seem to get those cards done.  So today I'm tackling 2 cards.  One for my little sister...oh my I think shes going to be 54!!!!  Mercy, how times fly!  I also need one for a friend of mine.  Lucky her I think she is only going to be 45 (boy I wish I was only 45 lol).
  Anyway the first one I did was the result of a borrowed die.  One of the ladies in our group has a sizzix card die that makes that fancy edge on the top and then the card flips down to open or you can turn the card on its side for a side open.  I had some cardstock already cut so I decided to use one of those.
this is what the die cut
I smoothed out the score line because I wanted the card to have a flap.


Here's where I made the new fold marks.


 Now to decorate.  I used a ton of scraps.  Even the flower on top is a scrap.  You can find directions for it under Tips and Techniques.
This is the finished card.  I know it says "This is me Missing You" but it is still a birthday card.  I used this saying because I haven't seen my friend in quite a long time and I won't be here for her birthday either so the missing you seemed right.

I think I'll post the other card later...seems it's later than I thought and I need to get dinner ready.  So until later.

HAPPY CARDING!

Asian Screen Card

Crusin' through the Internet again and saw a screen card on Pintrest.  I clicked it and it took me to Vicki Y's blog.  She had written basic directions which were super easy to follow.  You start with an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of card stock.   I used heavy 110lb cream stock from Recollections that I bought at Michael's.  Not the normal $3.99 packs that are always on sale at least once a month but the $12.99 packs.  Usually never on sale so you can use you 40% off coupon.  Score at:    2.75     5.5    8.25

Do not fold yet.   Punch across the top with a border punch.  Any border punch will do,  I think all border punches can create a beautiful top.  More fancy and lacy punches for elegant wedding cards or more simple zig zag punches or bubble punches for a more fun birthday type card.

After the top is punched its time to crease your folds.  You need to do this so you can center your label punch for the bottom.  Center your 2" or 2.5 inch label punch in each section of the screen.  Line the paper only halfway into the punch and "punch.  Once done in all 4 sections the bottom will resemble feet.   "Waaayyyy Cool"!

Now decorate!  Each panel has a solid mat and a printed DSP mat.  Cut 4 pieces solid card stock at 2.5 x 6.75 and 4 pieces DSP at   2  3/8  x  6  5/8.  Adhere DSP to solid mat and then adhere to Screen card.  Each panel can then be stamped with choice of stamps and sentiments depending on what type of card you will use it as.  Add Bling!!!  This card will fit into a regular business size envelope.


TADA!!  I'm using mine as a birthday card.  I showed my group of ladies that I meet with how to do this and one of them is using the card as a wedding card.  Just goes to show you that if you choose your words wisely a card can have multiple uses.  This card exactly as it is can be sent as a Birthday, Wedding, Congratulations, or a just thinking of you card.  

Have fun with this card.  I know I'm going to be making quite a few more to keep on hand.

HAPPY CARDING!




Thursday, July 10, 2014

SIMPLE CARD STANDER

Hi everybody.....back for a short time then I'm off again.  We just had real heating and air put into the cabin and I'm on cloud nine.  We use to cool off the place with just fans (didn't help with humidity) and warm up the place with a kerosene heater and a few space heaters.  With this weird season of summer I have been able to test out both my new heating unit as well as the air conditioning!  
  With no real Internet (except for my phone which the tiny screen is hard on my eyes) I was doing some thinking.  Many times when I want to photograph a card I try to find some way to prop up the card.  Looking out the porch window I noticed the cloths line with clothespins. I had some Popsicle sticks and tongue depressors from a previous project and I remembered my son making an easel picture frame some 30 years ago.  With supplies in hand and a little hot glue I put together a couple card holders.



With one Popsicle stick as a support it seemed a bit Topsy.  A gentle wind might just blow it over so I tried a tongue depressor instead...still not very sturdy.  So next I did 2 Popsicle sticks.  I guess it's OK but I think it still might fall over especially if there is alot of  "Embelly's".   These all will work for a quick photo shoot inside and most of us crafter have clothespins and Popsicle sticks laying around somewhere.  Plus there is no measuring and no special tools needed.  But I am on a quest to find a sturdier solution.  Let me see what can be done with a few tools now that I'm home and have more access to more stuff!!  Until I figure something else out, give these a try for a quick, simple, and cheap card stand.

HAPPY CARDING!