You Are My Friend

Inspiration

This is my first time to play along with "Mojo Monday", although I look at the cute sketches every week! I got a last minute order for a birthday card for a "long time girl friend", and thought where to start???? So I turned to the Mojo Monday #212 sketch. Here's my take.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 7"

Paper

Elegant Eggplant (SU!)	7" x 10"; scored at 5", and 2 3/8" x 5 1/8"
Pale Plum (SU!)	4 3/4" x 6 3/4"
Lap of Luxury DSP (SU!)	2 1/2" x 6"
Watercolor Paper (Canson)	2 1/2" x 5"
Vintage Ivory (Papertrey Ink)	1 1/2" x 5"

Inks

Jet Black (StazOn)

Elegant Eggplant (SU!)

Stamps

There's a Season (Stamps Happen)

Only Ovals (SU!)

Accessories

Twine - Buttercream (The Twinery)

Bow-easy

Watercolor pencils (Staedtler)

Watercolor brush

Oval punch (SU!)

Brads (Paper Studio)

Paper Piercer

Tim Holtz Paper Distresser (Tonic Studios)

Glue dots

3-D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives)

Zip-dry glue

ATG (Scotch)

Scor-Pal

Scissors (Cutter Bee)

Rotary trimmer - straight & scallop blades (Fiskars)

Instructions

BASE CARD

Cut dark purple cardstock measuring 7" x 10", score at 5" and fold.

MAT

Cut light purple cardstock measuring 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". Mount a 2 1/2" x 6" strip of patterned paper vertically on the left side of the mat. Punch 3 holes vertically in the upper right corner of the mat and place 3 purple brads in the holes. Wrap twine around the card 3 times crossing it at the right of the patterned paper and secure. Tie a multi-loop bow and adhere with glue dots. Hint: I use a little Zip-dry glue in addition to the glue dots, just to make sure the bow won't fall off! Mount the mat layer on the front of the card.

IMAGE

Stamp the image flower using StazOn black ink on watercolor paper. Use watercolor pencils with a watercolor brush and a little water to color the image. Distress the edges of the watercolor panel with the distressing tool.

Cut dark purple cardstock measuring 2 3/8" x 5 1/8", cutting one short edge with a scalloped blade. Mount the watercolored image on this panel, and mount on the front of the card, allowing some patterned paper to show on the left of the image.

SENTIMENT

Stamp the friendship sentiment oval twice in dark purple ink on ivory paper. Use the oval punch to cut out the oval on one image. Trim the label from the second and mount on the punched oval. Mount the sentiment on the front of the card under the bow using foam squares.

Thanks for stopping by!

Saying Goodbye

Inspiration

I play Bunco once a month with a group of 12 women, and we talk and laugh and have a great time. One of our members is moving away (not far, but we won't see her every month). I made this card we could all sign and wish her well.

It’s a very simple design – no fancy cuts or color, just sincere expressions to let her know she’ll always have a place in our hearts.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 5" x 7"

Paper

Basic Black (SU!)	7" x 10", scored at 5"; and 4 1/4" x 6 1/4", and 3 1/2" x 5/8"
Bordering Blue (SU!)	5 7/8" x 6 7/8" (3 pieces); and 4 1/8" x 6 1/8" (3 pieces)
Whisper White (SU!)	4 1/8" x 6 1/8"; and 4" x 6" (2 pieces); and 3 3/8" x 1/2"
Bella Birds DSP (SU!)	4" x 6"

Inks

Bordering Blue (SU!)

Stamps

Inspired by Nature (SU!)

Sentiment (Stamps Happen)

Accessories

ATG 714

Rotary Trimmer

Instructions

Image

Ink the flower silhouette stamp with blue ink and stamp on the lower 2/3 of the patterned paper panel.

Stamp the first line of the sentiment in blue on the small white strip, and the last 2 lines of the sentiment in blue on one of the large white panels.

Assembly

This is a very simple card to make! CARD FRONT: Alternate the layers on the front of the card: mount a blue panel, followed by black, then blue, then patterned paper. Adhere the sentiment strip to a black strip, and mount it centered above the flower image.

Inside, Layer a blue panel, followed by black, followed by the white panel with the sentiment. For my card, we had 11 signatures to collect, so I added another set of blue/black/white on the left side of the inside card.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Lighthouse Beacon

Inspiration

I always struggle a little in coming up with cards with a masculine theme. I've had this lighthouse stamp for years, and use it a lot. I made this for a coworker's birthday, and expect it'll be a Father's Day card in a few weeks, too! The sketch is from the Splitcoast challenge SC330.

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Paper

Baja Breeze (SU!)	5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"
To the Nines DSP (SU!)	2 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Cherry Cobbler (SU!)	3" x 5 1/2"
Stamper's Select White (PTI)	4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Inks

Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)

Creamy Caramel (SU!)

Stamps

Lighthouse Beacon (Stamps Happen)

Accessories

Fancy Tags Shapeabilities (Spellbinders)

Long Rectangle Large Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Grand Calibur (Spellbinders)

COPIC Markers (Imagination International)

Baja Breeze Ribbon (SU!)

Large pearl brads (Spare Parts)

Sponge

Scor-Pal

ATG 714

Scissors

Rotary Trimmer

Instructions

Image

Stamp the lighthouse image on white paper, and trim it around the frame (the actual image goes outside the frame). Color with COPIC markers:

• Lighthouse: R35, R59, C3, C5, C7, W2
  
• Sky: BG70
  
• Water: BG70, BG72, BG75
  
• Grass: G29
  
• Sand: E30, E33
  
• Frame: E33

Tag

Cut and emboss the tag from white paper with the die cut machine, and sponge with caramel ink before removing the paper from the die. After removing the die cut, sponge some more ink around the edges of the die cut. Punch 3 holes in the tag, and add the brads.

Assembly

Cut and emboss a long rectangle from red paper.

Mount the patterned paper at the bottom of the card, followed by a strip of ribbon to cover the edge of the paper. Add the red rectangle, followed by the image. Add the tag to the right of the image.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Home

Inspiration
I am headed to a house-warming party for a coworker this evening, and had this card in my head all week.  I’ve had the birdhouse image for years, and always seem to pull it out when I need a house- or home-themed card. 

I used the house-warming theme to let me play with some new toys – the Spellbinders Kaleidoscope Pendant and Classic Frame dies, and the brand new iTop Brad Maker tool from Imaginisce.  (Now, all the blogs say the iTop won’t be available until September 1, but I found it at Michael’s just this week!)  I’ve put a list of links at the bottom of the post so you can find more info on all of items used in the card.

This is a card that has quite a few steps and techniques all combined into a single card, but so much fun to create and share – I can’t wait to deliver it in person!

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: Stampin’ Up!: Bashful Blue, Gable Green, Barely Banana (textured), Bashful Blue Designer Series Paper. Papertrey Ink:  Stamper’s Select White

STAMPS: Stamps Happen, Inc.: English Cottage Birdhouse

INK: Stampin’ Up!: Bashful Blue, Gable Green, Barely Banana

ACCESSORIES: Spellbinders dies: Classic Frames, Labels 4, Kaleidoscope Pendant; Provo Craft: Cuttlebug; Imaginisce: iTop Brad Maker, 16mm Brad Daddies, Small Topper Punch; Other items: Corner punch (SU!); COPIC markers; Yellow Souffle pen (Sakura); Barely Banana ribbon (SU!); Bow-Easy; Sponges; Scor-Pal; Foam tape; Glue dots; Xyron 5” sticker maker; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars), Scissors

Instructions

This card is easier if you get all the cutting done first, then build the layered image, create your bow, then assemble of the card.

CUT THESE ITEMS:

1. Blue card stock, 9 1/2” x 6 1/4”, score in the middle at 4 3/4”.
2. Green card stock using the Classic Frame die - cut and emboss. Before removing the paper from the die, sponge green ink over the stencil to highlight embossed areas.
3. Run a small piece of green card stock through the sticker maker, then cut and emboss the paper with the small corner die from Kaleidoscope Pendant set - cut and emboss. Before removing the paper from the die, sponge green ink over the stencil to highlight the embossed areas. You’ll need to do this 4 times – one for each corner.
4. Designer paper using the Classic Frame die - cut and emboss. Save the frame for another card sometime – this card uses the inside rectangle.
5. Yellow card stock using the largest Label 4 die - cut and emboss. Sponge yellow ink around the outside of the label.
6. Stamp the birdhouse on white paper, then use the second-largest Label 4 die to cut and emboss.  Some of the image will be cut off the sides – that’s ok!  We’re doing layers – you’ll never miss it.  Sponge blue ink around the outside of the label.

BUILDING THE IMAGE:

The image is made of 3 layers: the first is the embossed label, the second is the birdhouse without the post, and the final layer is in 3 pieces: the roof, the bird, and the fence.  Get ready with your best scissors for detailed cutting!

1. Color the image on the embossed label.  Since we will be building layers, you don’t have to color everything – color what will show (the post), and about a 1/2” around the edge of the rest of the image.
2. Stamp the birdhouse two more times on white paper.
3. Color one image completely, except for the bottom post, using COPICs. Trim it closely.
4. Color the additional layer pieces (roof, bird, fence).  Hint: use the Souffle pen for the flower centers – just another way to create dimension.  Trim each one individually (it’s pretty tedious, but just keep remembering you end up with a really nice card).
5. Mount the layers exactly on top of each other using the foam tape.

CREATE THE BOW:

1. Tie a bow in yellow ribbon, using the Bow-Easy tool.
2. Use the Small Topper Punch to punch a blue designer paper topper for the brad, then make a 16mm brad using the iTop tool.
3. Use a paper piercer tool to punch a hole through the center of the bow, and put your new matching brad through the center of the bow.

 ASSEMBLE THE CARD:

1. Use the corner punch to trim the corners of the blue base card.
2. Peel the backs off the green corner die cuts, and mount one in each corner.
3. Mount the designer blue paper in the center of the card using adhesive.
4. Using foam tape, mount the green frame over the designer blue paper.
5. Using foam tape, mount the layered image label on the yellow label, then mount the whole set on the right side of the green frame.
6. Mount the bow in the upper left corner – I used foam tape in the center, and a glue dot on each ribbon loop.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

LINKS:

Spellbinders dies	Bow-Easy
Provo Craft Cuttlebug	Scor-Pal
Imaginisce iTop Brad Maker	Xyron sticker maker
COPIC markers	Scotch ATG 714
Sakura pens	Fiskars rotary trimmer