Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my Dad's 80th birthday.  This is his card.  I purchased the dies for making these Accordion cards some time ago (Elizabeth Crafts) but haven't done much with them yet.  I think this may be my first attempt.  They really work quite well & things go together very easily!  

Materials:

• Patterned card stock for card base (not sure where I got it!)
• Heartfelt Creations Woodsy Wonderland paper pack (for decorating)
• Brown Vine Ribbon (HOTP)
• Katie Label Accordion dies & Accordion Fancy Labels dies (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
• Woodsy Critters dies & matching stamps (Heartfelt Creations)
• Walnut Stain Distress Ink (Ranger)
• Watercolor pencils (for coloring little stamped & cut critters)
• Stickers ("80")

Method:

1. From the patterned card stock, cut SIX pages using the largest Katie Label Accordion die.
2. Use the dies to emboss the stitching lines on these six pages, then as stencils to ink them with the distress ink so they stand out.
3. Fold along the vertical fold lines - and cut off these long vertical tabs on all but two pages.  Similarly, leave the tabs on the inner label part on only those same two pages.
4. Take the two with tabs & one without (doesn't need a tab as there isn't another page to connect it to) and set aside to use to assemble your card.  For the other three, cut the center part away from the frame so they are in two pieces.  These will go on the back of your card after it's been put together to hide tabs and make for a prettier card.
5. Working with the outer frames of the 3 pages you set aside for the card base, put glue on the tabs and connect the three pages side by side so that when folded they lay on top of each other nicely (trim if needed to ensure the edge of the page isn't too far into the fold). With your three pages together, you will fold first a valley fold & then a mountain fold. to create the basic shape for your card.
6. Before continuing, decorate your card - front and back!  It will be much harder to add decorations after you connect the inner parts of the card pages!  The only pieces you don't want to glue to the card at this point are the backs for the inner pieces (you'll want to cover tabs that aren't attached yet).  Remember that you can use the dies in the Accordion set to cut needed pieces as you decorate!  Also, it often looks better if you ink the edges of the various pieces.
7. Now, put glue on the inner tabs and connect the inner pieces so they fold the opposite direction as the outer frame (if the frame is folded as a valley, fold the inner part as a mountain & vice versa).  It will basically look like the inner pieces thread through the outer frames when you're done. 
8. Add the backs for the inner pieces (make sure you've done all decorating & writing on them first as once they're attached it's hard to do much with them!). 

 When it is folded for mailing, it looks like this:

Thank Yous with Pre-made Elements

Similar to what I posted yesterday, these are cards made using some of my pre-made focal card kits - stamped/embossed/die cut focals combined with papers that I like with them and set aside for when I need to make a quick & easy card.  Today's theme is "Thank You"!  Most of the focals started as plain white glossy card stock.  I added alcohol inks for a nice background, cut the shapes with cutting dies, then stamped and heat embossed the images (often using matching stamps/dies from JustRite).

This first card, is made using a patchwork patterned paper that came in a crafting magazine.  It's a bit harder to see in the picture, but there is ribbon from my stash running across that.  The focal is made in the usual way (JustRite's Vintage Labels Four die and Enjoy the Day Vintage Labels Four stamp and Grand Sentiments stamp)

Plaid paper came in a craft magazine. "Ribbon" is a piece of blue card stock.  Focal is made in the usual way with a double mat (Just Right's Vintage Labels Two dies & Grateful Heart Vintage Labels Two stamps & HOTP Stamp & Punch stamps)

This final card is a center step card.  Ribbons adorn the sides & lower edge.  Patterned paper is from Rosemary & Thyme pack (HOTP).  Focal is made the usual way - stamped in green & heat embossed with clear powder.  (JustRite's Vintage Labels Two die, Grateful Heart Vintage Labels Two stamp, and Grand Sentiments stamp)

More Pre-made elements

Today's cards are all "thinking of you" or "miss you" type cards that were made using some of my pre-made focal card kits - stamped/embossed/die cut focals combined with papers that I like with them and set aside for when I need to make a quick & easy card.  Most of the focals started as plain white glossy card stock.  I added alcohol inks for a nice background, cut the shapes with cutting dies, then stamped and heat embossed the images (often using matching stamps/dies from JustRite).

This first one uses a variety of green alcohol inks along with gold mixative, cut with a Vintage Labels 3 die from JustRite.  The image is stamped (JustRite's For all you do Vintage Labels 3 & HOTP's Butterflies stamp sets) and heat embossed with fine gold powder.  The dies used for the inside & outside of the card are from Spellbinders Decorative Labels Eight. The inside message is computer printed. Patterned paper is from a 6" x 6" paper pack called Rosemary & Thyme (HOTP). Gold is Mirri board (Hunkydory).

Here are a few more cards made this way:

Paper for this one is from Rosemary & Thyme (HOTP) and a Matstack from DCWV. Several of the elements on the inside were printed from a HOTP freebie download.  Focal: Alcohol inks included silver mixative, die used is from Ornate Squares (Spellbinders), stamped in turquoise ink & heat embossed with clear powder using stamps from Ornate Happiness Squares (JustRite) and Stamp and Punch (HOTP). 

This card features a background die cut (Spellbinders Fancy Ribbon Threader Card Creator) from a pink patterned paper I got in a craft magazine.  3/8" white satin ribbon & 1/8" silver metallic ribbon are threaded through it. and the whole thing is matted on a lovely silver Glitzy paper (DCWV).  (The inside is done in a similar way without the silver matting & the bow.) The focal was created in the usual way with alcohol inks on glossy card stock, die cut (JustRite's Vintage Labels Four), stamped (JustRite's Enjoy the Day Vintage Labels Four) & heat embossed with silver glittery embossing powder. 

For the turquoise card abve, the background paper is from DCWV, ribbon is from my stash, & focal is made in the usual way (JustRite's Nested Medallion dies, Always and Forever Medallion Labels stamps, HOTP Stamp & Punch stamps)

This step card was made using a Sizzix die.  Patterned paper came in a paper crafting magazine.  Focal was made in the usual way (JustRite's Vintage Labels Four die, Enjoy the Day Vintage Labels Four stamps) - heat embossed with fine white powder.

This last one is made with papers from DCWV & green ribbon from my stash.  Focal was made the usual way - alcohol inks were on the blue side, stamping done in green with clear embossing powder over it.  (JustRite's Antique Labels One die and Friends Antique Labels One stamps, HOTP Stamp & Punch stamps)