A Valentine for My Husband

Inspiration

I'm late posting Valentine's cards - I made 3 special cards this year (not my usually stack!) - so you will see 3 extra posts this week! I'm starting today with the card I made for my DH, Joe. He's a dancer (West Coast Swing), so I always like to make cards with a dance or music theme. This one was fun - and I really like the black sparkle embossing powder from Sweet Stamps for the dancers image.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size: 5" x 7"

Stamps

Because of You (Gina K)

Happy Valentine's Day (Stampendous)

Border Builders (SU!)

Paper

Baja Breeze	7" x 10" scored at 5", and 4"x 4", and 3" x 5" (2 pieces), and 3" x 3"
All Dressed Up stack (DCWV)	4 7/8" x 6 7/8" (2 pieces)

Ink

Versamark

Memento Tuxedo Black

Baja Breeze

Accessories

Scalloped Hearts Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Fancy Tags 2 Shapeabilities (Spellbinders)

Grand Calibur (Spellbinders)

Nestabling (Want 2 Scrap)

Heart charms (unknown)

Sew Easy Fancy Floss (We R Memory Keepers)

Black Sparkle embossing powder (Sweet Stamps)

Heat Gun

Tape (Scotch)

Scissors

ATG (3M)

Scor-Pal

Rotary Trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD and MAT LAYER

Cut a piece of blue card stock measuring 7" x 10", score it at 5", and fold. Cut the designer paper so that the swirl pattern is in one corner, and the piece measures 4 7/8" x 6 7/8". Mount this on the card front with the swirls in the lower right corner.

CHARMS

Tie pieces of the sparkly floss to each heart charm. Use a glue dot to hold the heart charm where you want it on the card, and tape the top of the string to the card. Make sure the top of the string will be under the heart when you mount it on the card.

DANCERS

Stamp the dancer image with Versamark ink on white card stock. Heat emboss with black sparkle embossing powder. Trim the image with a narrow margin around the edges. Cut/emboss a medium scalloped heart from blue paper, adhere a matching Nestabling heart sticker. Mount over the strings of the heart charms, using foam squares. Mount the trimmed dancers image over the heart center using foam squares.

SENTIMENT

Cut/emboss a fancy tag from the same blue card stock. Stamp the sentiment in black ink in the center of the tag. Adhere a matching Nestabling sticker, and mount in the lower center of the card front.

INSIDE

On the inside, cut and mount the same mat layer as you did on the front, except now put the swirls in the upper left corner. Cut/emboss a smaller scalloped heart, and stamp the sentiment in black ink on the heart. Because my sentiment fit better by placing it on the right of the heart instead of centered, I stamped some tiny hearts with blue ink that matches the card stock. Mount this on the upper right of the card inside. Cut and emboss a matching tag and mount at the bottom of the inside - it doesn't give you a lot of space to write much more than "I love you", but I think that's all you need!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Graduation

Inspiration

I received an order for a December graduation card for a college grad, and had time this weekend to put it together. The image is a fun digital stamp from "Sassy Cheryl" I found doing a quick "graduation digital stamp" Google search. I used the Sketch Saturday Challenge #181 for the layout.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Paper

Ballet Blue (SU!)	5 1/2" x 11"; scored at 5 1/2", and 4 1/2" x 5 1/2", and 1 1/2" x 4"
Delicate Dots DSP (SU!)	2 3/8" x 5 1/4", and 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" (2 pieces)
Stamper's Select White (Papertrey Ink)	4 1/2" x 5 1/2", and 2" x 4" (2 pieces)

Inks

Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Stamps

Frantic Graduation Girl (Sassy Cheryl)

Tassel Time (SU!)

Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU!)

Accessories

Big Shot Pro (Sizzix)

Ribbon Banners Shapeabilities (Spellbinders)

Big Scalloped Circles GRAND Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Large Petite Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

SPICA Markers (Imagination International)

COPIC Markers (Imagination International)

Wire-edged ribbon (Michaels)

Bow-Easy

Zip-Dry Glue

Scor-Pal

ATG (Scotch)

Scissors (Cutter Bee)

Rotary Trimmer (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Cut a piece of blue card stock measuring 5 1/2" x 11", score at 5 1/2" and fold. Cut one piece of patterned paper measuring 2 3/8" x 5 1/4" and adhere across the bottom half of the card front. Cut one piece of another patterned paper measuring 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" and adhere in one corner of the top half of the card front. Cut a third piece of patterned paper measuring 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" and adhere in the remaining corner of the top half of the card front. Cut/emboss the smalled Grand big scalloped oval from blue paper and adhere on the left of the card front. Mount a strip of ribbon across the middle of the card, covering the seam in the paper. Tie a bow, in matching ribbon and mount to the right of the blue oval.

DIGITAL IMAGE

Size the digital image on your computer to measure 3.75" in height. Print the image on white card stock. I let mine sit for an hour or so to make sure the ink won't run when I color it. Color the image with COPIC markers. I used these colors:

• Cap/Gown: C3, C5, C7, 100
• Skirt/Shoes: B21, B23, B24
• Scarf: R21, R24
• Skin: E0000, E000, E01
• Hair: Y38, E35, E37
• Diplomas: Y21, Y28
• Book: E09, E34, E37, E39

Enhance the tassel with the gold SPICA pen. Cut/emboss the image using the largest petite oval die, and mount on the blue oval mat on the front of the card.

OTHER IMAGES

Stamp the book, and the word "Congratulations" from the Tassel Time stamp set. Cut out the diploma and graduate head (the "o" and "i" from the word), and the book. Color with COPIC markers.

Color all of the trimmed images with COPIC markers. I used these colors:

• Cap: C3, C5, C7
• Skin: E0000, E000, E01
• Diploma: Y21, Y28
• Book: E09, E34, E37, E39

Enhance the tassel with the gold SPICA pen. Mount the images on the lower right edge of the main image on the front of the card.

SENTIMENT

Cut/emboss 2 ribbon banners - one in white, and one in blue. Trim the white one to just the inner portion of the banner. Stamp the sentiment in black ink on the white banner. Glue the white piece onto the matching area of the blue banner, and mount the banner in the upper right corner of the card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hb Birthday Wishes

Inspiration

I’ve been playing with paint and chipboard ever since I created the framed greeting in my last post.  Here’s another quick frame – this one painted with glossy black.  This card uses embossing, too.

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 12”

Basic Black (SU!)	4 1/4” x 11”, score at 5 1/2”, and 2 1/2” x 1 1/2”
Taffy (CTMH)	4” x 5 1/4”
Urban Garden DSP (SU!)	4” x 5 1/4”
Whisper White (SU!)	2 1/2” x 2 1/2” and 2 1/2” x 1 1/2”

Ink

Basic Black (SU!), Versamark (Tsukineko)

Stamps

Party Punch (SU!); Kokopelli (PSX)

Accessories

Designer Label punch (SU!); Chipboard Frame (SU!); Glossy Acrylic Craft Paint – Black (Anita’s); Foam brush (Hobby Lobby); Terra Cotta Tapestry Embossing powder (PSX); Clear Embossing powder (Stampendous); Heat gun; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Glue dots; Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Image

Paint the chipboard frame in black, and let it dry.

Using the embossing ink pad, stamp the kokopelli image on the larger white cardstock panel, and emboss with the terra cotta embossing powder.  Using glue dots, mount the image centered in the chipboard frame.

Prepare the Hb greeting by first inking the stamp with the embossing ink, then black.  Stamp on the remaining white cardstock.  Emboss with clear embossing powder. Trim the greeting closely. Punch a label tag from black cardstock, and mount the greeting in the center of the punched label.

Assembly

Mount the taffy paper on the black card base.

The designer paper is cut at angles – I wanted the right angle of the paper to form the point at the top of the card.  I rotated the paper until I like the pattern of the paper, the cut the paper to fit.  Use the pattern of your chosen pattern to help you determine where you cut the paper, and mount it on the taffy mat layer.

Add the kokopelli image in the upper right corner, and the Hb greeting in the lower left area.

Final Notes

Inside

I cut a taffy layer for the inside (4” x 5 1/4”), stamped my sentiment directly on the taffy in black.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ballerina Birthday

Here’s a card for a 7-year-old who loves to dance! The green layer is embossed with the Cuttlebug, using the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The ovals were cut using the Cuttlebug and Nestabilities large oval dies. I stamped the tutu on Whisper White in basic black, and then outlined with a sparkly gel pen. It is mounted using foam tape on the ovals. I finished with a sparkly pink ribbon tied in a bow, and mounted with a glue dot. The enveloped is bordered with another Stampendous stamp in Basic Black, and colored with Copics. Cardstock

• Base: Pretty in Pink (SU!) 8½” x 5½” - scored at 4¼”
• Mat layers: Sage Shadow (SU!) 3¾” x 5”, Pretty in Pink (SU!) 3¼” x 4½”
• Ovals: Whisper White (SU!) and Pretty in Pink (SU!)
• Image: Whisper White (SU!)

Stamps

• Tutu: Stampendous
• Envelope border: Stampendous

Ink

• Basic Black (SU!)

Accessories

• Cuttlebug
• Swiss Dots embossing folder
• Nestabilities dies – large ovals
• Sakura Gelly Roll Clear Star pen
• Copic markers (E00, RV11, Y13)
• Ribbon – from the Christmas sale at Michael’s
• Scotch ATG 714 – ¼” adhesive tape
• Glue dot
• Foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!