Double Z Fold Mini Slimline Card

 Hello!! I have the Graphic 45 bug!  They have there new line coming out and I am trying so hard not to want it all.  Never works out for me though because it is my favorite paper.  But I will admit I hoard it!  I buy it and just look at it.  I don't want to cut into it.  If I do then the sheet will be ruined and eventually gone!  Oh no the horror!!!  I will have to buy more!!  Ughhhhh......such a rough life right?

Well awhile ago someone on the Graphic 45 Facebook page named Karen Williams shared a card made with G 45 done in a double z fold and I thought ok ok I'll use some paper. Truth be told now I'm hoarding the card!  LOL  I'm not sure but I think hers was a regular sized card and I turned mine into a slimline card.

Have I mentioned that I love this line of paper? lol This is the Mini Slimline size.  All directions are in inches.

Here's what you need: 

Base cardstock 9x3 scored 1.5 and 3

       cardstock 6 x 1.25 scored 1 and 3

DSP (1) 5 7/8 x 2 7/8

      (2) 1 3/8 x 2 7/8

      (1) 3 1/2 x 2 3/8 and top layer 3 1/4 x 2 1/8 this is an approximate depending on the ephemera you decide to use.  Its ok if it's a bit bigger or a bit smaller.

      (1) 1 x 4 1/4  scored at 2 7/8

      (1) 2 7/8 x 3/4 optional

Now glue time.  This goes together pretty quick.  My original card I made from Graphic 45 Love notes collection but this one is cut from another favorite paper line of mine and that is Authentique.  They have such pretty papers and I love their 6x6mpads for my tags.  They also have these collection packs similar to G45 where you get a few sheets of 12x12 doublesided papers the Ephemera are usually on one of the sheets and there is usually a sticker sheet.  this collection that I'm using today is called DAME.

Now it's just time to fold and glue.  I glue all the layer on the pieces before I assemble the card together.  I find it easier that way and then I lay the pieces on top of one another to decide where they should all be put together.  That way ther is no mistake in the placement of the smaller z fold not being in the right place for the card to fold right.

Now that I've decided where to glue my pieces, I secure them and start my embellishing.  Usually my most fun part.  I do try to keep embellies more simple for cards that I will be mailing compared to cards I hand deliver.  Let me tell you I can sure get carried away with embellishments especially when it comes to Graphic 45. LOL  But this card will be a mailed one so it's one to keep simple. This will fit in those regular security envelopes you can get from the Dollar Tree so envelopes are easy to find.

Well that's it for now.  Hope you enjoyed this Slimline card.  I'll be having more Slimlines to come.  Funny I have been making this size card for years and NOW they have a name.

HAPPY CARDING!

ILLINOIS STATE CARD

 Hello!  I'm sure we have all had this dilemma where we open our mouth and volunteer for something and then say OMG what have I said?  Well I had that moment.  I belong to a card group on Facebook.  I joined basically for hints and to admire all the works of others.  Once in a "Blue Moon" I would post a picture of something I did but very very rarely.  I would however make comments on others works of art on the beauty or creativity.  Well one of the things I noticed alot of these card makers doing were "State" cards.  I didn't quite understand it at first but then caught on that it was kind of like a game where you download a map of the USA states and then collect cards from each of those states coloring in that state as you receive the state card.  I would read and giggle as people were writing "I need OHIO!! I'll give you NEBRASKA!"  With thousands of members in this group there were daily requests.   Well this was not really something I was interested in but I sure did love looking at all the different ways people portrayed their states in cards.  I however barely have time for normal cards yet alone trying to keep up with that challenge.  Then.....................I made THE comment!  I told someone that the Dutch card she received was beautiful and I loved the look of the windmill. Well the creator of the card messaged me asking if I would send her and ILLINOIS card and she would send me a Dutch card in return.  She is from the Netherlands and just starting the State card collection.  So I thought what the heck I can do 1 card.  Well knowing that it was going to the Netherlands made me want to make it a bit more special and since I have a love for "Fancy Folds" I knew it had to be a "Fancy Fold".  So I opted for a Screen card.  Little did I know that making a specific State card was going to take me literally 3 1/2 weeks to complete.  I knew what colors I wanted but trying to decided what I wanted to embellish it with was so difficult for me because I wanted it to be informative yet not just written up on a sheet of paper.  I put out my feelers to 4 of my best talented friends (we have a little "Gang" we call JP&I) and got some great ideas from them as well as a few stamped images to help me along.  The card came out pretty good.

Now I was quite pleased with it and so was the woman in the Netherlands.  Then she posted it in the Facebook group we are both in that she received her Illinois card and all of a sudden I start getting messages from people needing Illinois cards in exchange for Iowa, Ohio, California, etc you get my drift?  Well I had to decline unfortunately as there is not enough time in my days to do that type of commitment and I have learned my lesson to keep my mouth shut lol.

Til next time...........................................

HAPPY CARDING

MYSTERY DIES

 Project number 2.  Do you ever see a card on line and say to self I must have that card die?  Yep me too.  Thus the search began.  I saw a card. on Pinterest.  it was in Dutch I think.  I did a screen shot because it was just a pic....no directions, no link to a blog, nothing.  Now you know how Pinterest shows you others similar?  Well it did but absolutely NONE told you how to make them!  All were only pictures!  Well I would not give up!  Finally.........................by accident.............while on Joanns website searching dies I came across a very similar die.  OMG heart be still.....how can this be?  Order Order Order!  So Joanns had no examples of these cards only the dies and I eagerly awaited their arrival.  Then they came.  So exciting.............................but.....................there are no instructions!   Here's what I got.

As you can see it's not in English and I don't really think its directions anyway.  So now to share with you the card I saw because I'm sure most of you are saying "well Susan its a gate fold card".  No it is not....here's the one I saw.  I'm giving you the pinterest link so I don't violate anything.

HERE

Now this one is in Dutch and just a tad different and the brand I bought does not have all the different styles I've seen on Pinterest so it may just be an international thing.  Any way I tried to make this die work as a regular open/close card but the only way to make it stand was to fold the bottom pieces to make flaps or it would just fall over.

It kind of reminded me of a mermaid fin but on both sides.  Then I decided to make it more like a post card which is ok except it needs some sort of stand if it is to be displayed.

Guess I'm going to have to really work with these before I get what I'm looking for.  Eventually I'm hoping to come up with something amazing for a Christmas card but we shall see.

Til next time..............................................

HAPPY CARDING!

EASTER TAGS

 OMG........I am so bad!!!!!  I cannot believe that I have missed the entire month of April!  So this post and the next couple are going to be catch up ones.  Short in words and just a couple pictures in each post.  I'll start with my favorite thing to make TAGS!!  I had played alot back in Mrch with Slimline cards.  I'll talk  more on those much later but they gave me alot of scraps to play with.  So if you know my routine I usually take all my scraps from the cards I make and make tags to stash into my tag box.  So here are the scrappy tags from all those Easter cards.

The first pic I used and old envelope punch and made a tiny envelope to put in the pocket and those tiny eggs are from a Tonic punch I got about 5 years ago.  In the bottom picture I used the same little eggs from the Tonic punch and those cute bunnies were from a super old Sizzix Steel rule yellow die.  I still have quite a few of the old school dies.  lol

Well these lovely's went into my tag box for future use.   Now on to the next project I missed lol.

HAPPY CARDING!!!!!!

Easter Happy Mail for the GrandKids

OMG I think I'm in love with these little cards and tags.  With a bit over a week before Easter I still have a few Happy Mail drops for the grandkids.  I wanted to make one of the drops a cute little card to get them excited for Easter.  I had scraps (go figure lol) from my Easter cards that I wanted to use up.  Plus when I made the Slimline cards it left me with 4.25 x 4" base cards so I thought I'd use those.  The insides are blank so that I can find some sort of words of wisdom or encouragement to write in there.

Then the tags. 

 I haven't decided what I'm doing with the tags except for putting them in my tag box but oh my they turned out so cute.  Definitely puts me in the Spring mood.  I have a few Spring birthdays that need cards so now that I'm motivated maybe I'll actually get them done.

Well til next time....................................................................

HAPPY CARDING!!

EGGcellent Slimline Card

  Hippity Hoppity the Easter Bunny is right on the edge of the Leprechauns Rainbow!   I barely got my St Patty's day cards out and now I need to rush into the Easter cards.

  Last year I was all about the super pretty and elegant Easter cards.  I had bought this beautiful die and I absolutely LOVED the way my card turned out.  Then like a fool I mailed the original off right away before pictures.  Made a few more a little different and even turned one into a birthday card.  The die was just so versatile.  This year....well you would think with still being homebound that I would have plenty of time to get cards done but somehow I have filled my time with ......hmmmmmm well I'm not sure.  LOL.  So I decide to go easy this year.  Well ends up though easy there is alot of die cutting.  I wanted to do a Slimline card.  They are my new obsession lately.  I also decided on both the 4 x 9 1/4 size and the smaller 3.5 x 6.5 size ones.  I'm using Dollar Tree envelopes that I had on hand so that makes it a bit easier for me in the fact that I don't have to go out and buy envelopes or make them.  Although I have seen some really cute envelopes for Slimline cards and I do have some real pretty pastel thinner paper that would be perfect for "Spring" envelopes but hey Easter is only 2 weeks away and I have stuff to do lol. 

Above is the mess before assembly.  I got everything cut and separated.  In the center you can see the new slimline dies I got from Ebay.  None of them had names but I'll post a link at the bottom of the post.  I really liked these.  I used them in my Gemini Junior and they cut beautifully.  Of course I then could not resist the cute little bunny dies that came with the 3 eggs above them.  They were on Amazon.  By the way all of these were shipped super fast so I was a happy camper.   I gathered papers I had on hand.  Some were scraps some full size sheets.  The last thing I needed was more paper but I sure did see some pretty ones out there.  But I took a deep breath and used what I had.  Here are the 11 that I completed.  Instead of making this post even longer I just slipped in the inserts off to the right in the picture.  That is the sentiment in all the cards printed on white linen paper.  I used double sided tape just on the top part to adhere it inside each card. 

I was going to add words to the outside but decided I liked the they simplicity of the way it looked as is so I left it alone.  I'm pretty sure if I sat and contemplated longer I would change my mind.  I tend to do that alot.  The longer I stare the more I add.  I can never seem to leave well enough alone.  It always ends up the more I add the more postage I need to add to and that was what I wanted to avoid this time.  

I also decided to emboss the Dollar Tree envelopes.  Actually a group I'm in on Facebook had one post where someone asked what to do with those small thin but long embossing folders.  Just popping in my head (knowing most people use them as edgers) I suggested they be used on envelopes.  So today I thought Well look at me giving suggestions I've never tried myself.  So I thought I'd give it a try.  It seems to work beautifully.  So here we go another use for those folders I know I seldom ever use.

I know this is a pretty long post but boy I had a lot to say. I usually do lol.  Now to get going on the little Easter cards for the grandkids Happy Mail box.  Making all these Slimline cards left me with some scraps of white that measure 4x4.25 and I am not a fan of mailing square cards so they will be perfect for the kids.  Then I'll gather all my scraps and make a few tags for the tag box.

So til next time.....................................

HAPPY CARDING!!!

Dies used:

Bunnys & Eggs

Frames & Eggs dies

Layering die with tag

scallop layer die set

  

St Patty's Push post

 Yikes St Patty's is right around the corner and I have barely posted a thing so I'm going to do it all in one post.  Not that I have very much to begin with to be honest.  I have been in a funk so to speak.  Not really wanting to make anything and when I did it usually wasn't in the papercraft department.  I think my main issue lately is the lack of shopping.  No no no I haven't given it up...The Amazon Man still comes weekly lol but I really do miss the regular browsing through the craft stores.  Being able to touch things.  Look at the real colors of the papers I want and not have to guess at what they are going to look like when they finally arrive.  I did want to do a drop off at a local nursing home of some St Patty's Day cards so I did do some "Speed" card making.  I also took the scraps and made a few tags.  Of course I sent off the cards before I took pictures except for a few demo cards that I shared on Facebook with a card group.

Most of the papers I was lucky enough to receive in as HAPPY MAIL from a wonderful woman who heard how I was trying to find a shamrock embossing folder on line to make these cards but could not find one to be shipped in time for the cards to be sent to the nursing home.  She had also sent me a shamrock stamp so I could heat emboss instead.  I was so lucky to have received these items and they really helped.  Like I said with the little scraps I made a few tags too.

I didn't make many tags since I didn't see many uses for a St Patty's tag but now I at least have a few in my box of Tags.

Well that's all for now

Til next time...............................

HAPPY CARDING!