TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Valentine Bingo tags

Good Morning!  So last night the ladies and I got together to make some cards. We did more gabbing than creating but that's ok we had alot to say!  LOL  After making the 2 planned cards,  I decided to introduce them to my BINGO Valentines.  We have always been quite traditional in our card making. Oh we try a bunch of different techniques and change up the sizes or the shapes of the cards but it's always a planned design with usual cardmaking embellishments,  I wasn't sure how they would feel about something totally outside the box.  In fact I remember telling my one friend about this idea and how we could have the group at the nursing home to these and she just kept giving me weird looks accompanied by an "OOOkkkkk?"  Ya!  She had that much trust in my judgement..heehee!  So  I announced that I didn't have a typical card for my contribution to the evening of cardmaking and asked if they were ready to think outside the box?   I took out my 3 samples, which you can see HEREl  Then I dumped Ziploc bags full of stuff!  Buttons ribbons, doilies, beer caps, stones, yarn beads.....you get the idea, and away they go!  I just sat back and watched.  They were really into it!  Creative juices were running and here's the ending results.

 
I think they are all AWESOME.   And guess what?  We ARE going to do this at the nursing home.  Maybe I can get a collage and post it later.

Well that's all for now..........Time to go create some more!  I have another Birthday present to start working on.  Another surprise!

HAPPY CARDING!


Recycle/Re-use

Oh for Pete's Sake.......I posted the Birthday card before the gift.  I sure hope she doesn't see that post before she gets it.  I'm such an Airhead sometimes!!  LOL

Putting a little spin on things.  I saw someone on YouTube make one of these travel cases using a hard wood stamp case from Stampin up and I thought...wait a minute I have a bunch of old VHS tapes that I could easily get rid of since I no longer own a VCR.  So here's what I did.  I slipped the movie insert out from the plastic sleeve on out side of the case and used as a template.  Everyone has a ton of DSP in their stash so just picked out a pretty pattern.  Inserted back into the out side sleeve and decorated it with little doodads.  My husband drilled the holes for the cabinet handle.  Then for the inside I attached a magnetic sheet with some double sided tape to the left hand side and on the right covered a piece of cardboard with the reverse side of the paper and made a little pocket.  This is perfect for carrying small items to a crafting night with friends.  Or it can just look pretty on a shelf storing small embellishments or color pencils and markers.
So now off you go.......go find and old VHS case and make a cute little tote.  This one I'm giving to a friend of mine filled with some fun stuff for her Birthday.  Hope she likes it!!

I already know what I'm making for my other friend who's birthday is coming up but shhhhh........ She reads this sooooo. Your going to have to wait until I give it to her.  Lets just say it's a cute....................nope can't even give a hint!  LOL

Til next time
HAPPY CARDING!

Friday, January 22, 2016

Anna Griffin Inspired

I love love love Anna Griffin style cards.  They are so pretty and elegant.  Many people have jumped on the wagon of HSN and have signed up for her auto ship folders and dies.  Others collected her papers and toppers.  I???  Well I am frugal.  I have found similar folders through the company Darice and K Company carries quite a bit of papers with that same elegant look.  So I try to mimic but with a much smaller budget.
With my friends birthday being this month (she's the one that got that cute VHS case) I decided to make her card a bit elegant.  Though in all honesty she really like funny cards and I do have some of the funnier stamps but I was really in the mood for this type of card instead.


The card is a 5x6 and I used some distressed rose paper from an old paper pack I had for the first layer and for inside of the card.  The top layer is a very light blue linen type paper that I embossed with a floral Darice folder.  I used my scallop Spellbinders die for all the ovals.  The swirls are on white card and is also a Spellbinders die.  Ribbon is a sheer blue from Dollar Tree.  Sure reminds me of Anna Griffin!  
Just remember you can always create a similar look using different products.  So many people think you have to use exactly the same products to get the same look.  No so!  Just let your imagination go.......You can do it!!

Thanks for stopping by and............................

HAPPY CARDING

BINGO Valentine

Hello!!  It has been so refreshing to start working on things other than my Christmas cards.  Although I LOVE Christmas, after months of making Christmas cards, Christmas Tags, Christmas Gifts..I am sooo ready for something FRESH! Like....VALENTINES DAY!!

Over the summer I was at a local antique mall (not all were antiques..whats up with that?) and I came across this cute vintage looking Valentine.
Very cute for hanging on a cabinet knob or door knob.  I got to thinking hey I have some BINGO Cards.  The game ball itself is broke so what the heck might as well use the cards.  My cards are not vintage looking and although I tried to vintage them up with ink, it didn't really work since there is a semi gloss finish on the cards.  So I just adapted!  Made mine brighter.  It worked out ok.  If I had some vintage clip art I'd be on the move shopping for old BINGO cards and I still might but for right now these will do.  Here's what I came up with.
LOL...just noticed the "Love" on my bow is upside down!  Next time I guess I should tie it upside down so it's right side up!  Oh well here's another version.  
I like them all but my favorite has to be the vintage one.  Think I'll go check ebay!  LOL

Til later
HAPPY CARDING!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Qick Zig Zag Christmas card

Hey guess what??????   I forgot to post this over the holidays, so instead of re-typing it I just figured I'd post as is!  LOL  Sorry.


Once again I have scraps galore!!!  Pieces of this.... pieces of that and a Zig Zag card is just the card design to use them up.  I used a 4.25 x 11" piece of heavy duty 110#  Recollections white card stock for the base and a few scraps.  Well TA DA!  This is what I came up with!
I made the embellishments from the scraps too the Dec 25 is actually a stamp that I embossed on more scraps and I double layered the snowflake.  The ribbon is some sheer stuff I got from the Dollar Tree.  Awesome!

The green piece is for a personal message and adds a little pop of color I think.  The finished size is a basic 4.24 x 5.5 when closed.  Like I said super easy!

Whewwww...wonder how much more I'll get done before Christmas!
Later!

HAPPY CARDING!!!