ACK Golden Touch - KCC13 Set 3

I first started using this Artful Card Kit (ACK from HOTP) back in 2018.  You can see what I made previously in these two posts - Hunkydory Twist & Pop, and Golden Touch Thank Yous.  The total cards showcased in those posts was only 3, but they had a lot to them and used a fair amount of paper and supplies.  But, I still had a LOT left.  I decided to see how well the current Kendra's Card Challenge (#13) might work to help me use up this ACK.

I chose six papers to cut to a six by six size, and cut as per the cutting directions.  It was REALLY nice to use an ACK for this challenge, because I had so much extra paper, die cuts, and cut outs to use with it!  I had wanted to get a picture of the set - but forgot.  Here's one I found on-line.  It's not great, but gives the idea at least.

Here are the 15 KCC13 cards that I made:

As you can probably tell, I deviated a bit and made the last 3 cards in a 5 x 7 size because I wanted to use die cuts from the set as focals that were too big for an A2 card.  It required that I re-cut a few pieces to fit the larger size.

Here's a closer look at each of the 15 cards.  Unless otherwise indicated, all extra paper, die cuts, and cut outs (except white and gold!) are from the kit.

Card #1:

This one was pretty straight forward.  Note that I double matted the sentiment - once on teal and then on white,  I added the sentiment with foam tape - also added foam tape to the butterfly's wings but glued body down.

Card #2:

I added paper for the center strip and matted it and the focal mat with gold before again matting the focal mat with white.  I cut a white oval to mat the focal - but it was too wide, so I slashed out one scallop's worth and taped it back together before matting my focal on it and adding the whole with foam tape.  I had planned to emboss the card front before adding everything, but forgot.  So, not wanting the edges to look too plain, I added some Dazzles Thin Line stickers (from HOTP) to create borders on either side.

Card #3:

Again, pulling an extra piece of paper for the center & for mats for the edges, I then matted everything (including the little flag piece) in gold.  I wanted the flag to be seen, so offset the focal - then added a die cut button (from kit) with gold ribbon from my stash placed through the holes.  

Card #4:

I again found another paper in the kit to use for a backing paper.  After matting the pieces in gold, I added the focal flower & sentiment, adding the sentiment with foam tape.  The last step was adding the little Jewel Dazzles (from HOTP) at the bottom - after coloring them with a Sharpie to get the color I wanted.

Card #5:

This time I found some cream colored paper in my stash (since the kit's focal had cream in it and there weren't any papers that color in the kit).  After adding all the pieces and the focal, I found a Hunkydory tag that complimented the whole and glued it in place with a ribbon bow from my stash.  The last step was adding some small gold Jewel Dazzles (HOTP) at the corners.

Card #6:

For this one, I cut a piece of white card stock to serve as a mat for the whole layout - then inked the card front itself to blend with the colors in the patterned paper.  The decorative bits were from the kit - except for the die cut white mat (Spellbinders' Splendid Circles die).  The focal flowers were added with foam tape.

Card #7:

This is one of the rare layouts where All pieces (except for decorating of course - and matting if you wish) are KCC cut pieces.  In this case, I added border strips from the kit in place of matting the center piece.  I DID die cut a mat for my sentiment (sentiment from Hunkydory LB of Essential Sentiments, mat cut with Spellbinders Labels Sixteen die).  After gluing the sentiment to the mat, I added it to the card with foam tape.  Then I added my focal - again with foam tape.  Finally, I added 3 gold Jewel Dazzles (from HOTP) to the upper left - after I colored the centers with black Sharpie.

Card #8:

I turned this sketch on its side since my focal was a decorative horizontal sentiment. The additional paper was from my stash - a teal mat and a pink background for my focal.  I added some corner stickers (Scrapbooking Dazzles) to dress up the corners of the main panel.  I added the focal on foam tape.  The butterfly is a die cut from the kit with another sticker from those Scrapbooking Dazzles on top.  Again, I added the butterfly with body glued directly to the panel & wings on foam tape.

Card #9:

This time I didn't find sketch #9 to be quite as difficult.  Though it's certainly not the prettiest of the bunch, it's not the sketch's fault!  I turned this one on its side as well.  The black piece is one I cut from extra paper in the ACK.  I added a gold metallic piece, between it and the pink strip.  Taking a strip of the cream paper I used before (from my stash), I started gluing in the little diagonal pieces.  I apparently placed them closer together than in the past (hadn't laid them out first!) so I ended up needing more - but I easily cut a few more from the leftovers.  Oh yes, instead of the colored card stock strips, I just added more of the black.  After trimming all the little strips to fit the larger cream one, I glued the whole thing in place on top of the gold.  The sentiment/focal was from the kit, but the smaller one in the upper left corner was from Hunkydory.  I again added gold Jewel Dazzles to the lower right - after coloring the centers again with a black Sharpie.

Card #10:

This one took some work - both in terms of finding things to work with it, and in terms of making my papers stretch!  The darker blue background/matting paper is from my stash.  The rest is from the kit except for the 3 little gold Jewel Dazzles on the left side - and the white paper I used for a 2nd mat behind the focal.  I punched a small bit of the blue for the center of each and glued in place. The quarter circle was supposed to be from a 4" circle.  I used a 4" circle die (Lifestyle dies) - but had to guess at what 1/4 was because I didn't have nearly enough paper to cut the entire circle!

Card #11:

This one looks so simple, but it took me awhile to figure it out too.  After I figured out what decorations & sentiment to use (all from the kit), it was pretty straight forward.  I cut narrow white strips to border each side of the center panel, added my decorations/sentiment (sentiment & butterfly wings on foam tape) and it was done!

Card #12:

By the time I got to this card, it seemed like things were getting harder - either because I had fewer materials and papers to choose from, or because I was tired - not sure which.  At any rate, I was stuck on this one until I found this light aqua glitzy paper in my stash.  It was the perfect compliment and the card came together quickly after that. As you can see, I cut a white panel so there would be just a narrow mat around the main papers in this sketch.  I used one of Spellbinders' Teardrop Circles dies to cut the aqua to back the small focal - and backed that with a small circle of white.  I matted my greeting on the glitzy aqua and then on white.  Then I added both to the card front with foam tape. 

Card #14:

I took a break, and when I came back I had decided the issue was fewer materials to work with - in part because several of the die cut focals were too big for an A2 sized card. So, I decided to make these last three cards in a 5 x 7 size - which sometimes meant cutting new pieces that were a bit larger.  This card, for example, needed much larger panels, so I cut new ones from remaining papers in the kit.  As you can see, I used a die cut focal for the partial circle and added a double section of border die cuts.  I cut the sentiment with a bit of the blue border still showing - then matted on gold.  At the bottom of the card, I added one of the small rose die cuts, along with two gold Jewel Dazzles - to which I added two tiny pink gems.

Card #14:

Here again, I cut larger strips than what I had for the A2 size.  I embossed the card front using a Cuttlebug embossing folder called Kitchen Weave.  To this I added the pink strips - then a border strip from the kit down the center. The focal fits nicely on top of that.

Card #15:

Once I had decided to enlarge the cards, these last three went together fairly quickly.  Once again, I turned the sketch on its side.  This time I notched the corners of the card itself match the die cut.  After notching the corners of the background paper in the same way, I took a gold pen & drew a border all the way around it.  It probably would have looked good to do that for the diagonal strips, but I didn't think of it.  I matted the focal die cut on white, then added it with foam tape.  Finally, I added a couple of Hunkydory sentiments - with foam tape where they did not sit on the focal.

Well, there are the 15 cards from KCC13.  But I still had some supplies left from the ACK, so I decided to make a couple more cards without KCC to try to use it up.

Card #16:

This one is another A2 sized card.  I mostly had a border strip left from this paper - a little wider than 2 inches.  So, I cut it into two pieces and taped them together facing each other to get this background.  I cut out the sentiment & focal & glued them to cardboard for stability before adding them with foam tape.

Card #17:

This time I made a slimline card, as you can see. I pretty much used up the rest of the green paper as a background in the center, but cut out the center behind the focal to give me strips on either end (and a little for the inside of the card).  After inking the edges of the papers, I glued them down - then added the matted focal.  Finally, I added a couple of rose die cuts with foam tape.

At this point I just had a little bit of paper and a couple of cut outs left over, so figured I could just add them to my stash - UNTIL I discovered there was another entire sheet of paper and more cut outs that I had somehow missed!!!  I'm sure they'll make some pretty cards, but that will have to wait for another time!

January Swaps

It's that time again - swap cards!  Usually I start with the basic swap card, but today I'm starting with materials swaps.  

Card #1 (see above):  This first card is made from the materials my partner sent to me.  Here's a picture of them:

As you can see from the picture at the top of the page, I decided to use the materials to make a center step card.  After creating the card base by adding cuts and folds to the basic card base sent to me (see directions here), I cut the tan patterned piece to fit.  After inking the edges and gluing in place, I cut the turquoise piece so there would be 1/8" all around except for the very edges of the bottom portion.  I again inked the edges of this one, but before gluing in place, I wrapped the piece of twine around and taped it in place on the back side.  Then I glued it in place.  I inked the edges of the focal and glued it in place.  Then I cut pieces to fit the sides from the chocolate chip card stock and glued them in place.  Finally, I die cut the sentiment from the chocolate chips card stock (HOTP Nine Little Words dies) and glued that in the lower right corner.  Finally, I tied a bow with the remainder of the twine & glued it in place.

Inside:

Scraps of all three patterns were used to create the border as you see here.  Once again, I inked all edges.  The last step was to stamp the inside sentiment - from CCC's (Crafter's Companion Compendium's) page of stamps called Thank You. 

Materials Swap #2:

Next up are the materials I sent my swap partner:

Here I have a card blank, a couple of older papers from HOTP, a doily, a ribbon, and some stuff from Hunkydory (card stock, little book page from LB of Promises, sentiment).  And here's what I made using these materials:

As you can see, I made multiple layers using the papers I had.  This was only possible by using dies to cut out the centers of the papers so the "innards" were available for other uses.  I also had to piece the striped paper because I wanted the stripes to go horizontally rather than vertically.  This meant I had to cut it in half and tape together on the side to make a long strip that was narrower.  Unfortunately, the stripes didn't line up perfectly the way I expected them to, so I had to cover the join with the ribbon.  After all the background papers were glued in place, I added the doily and the fussy-cut cheesecake focal.  I matted the sentiment on the card stock, added it with foam tape, and added a tied ribbon knot to finish the card front.

Inside:

I had figured to fussy cut some of the flowers for the inside, but changed my mind after gluing the two "innies" from the front in place.  The sentiment had to be stamped with StazOn ink because the surface was glossy, but I liked the simplicity of it all when I was done.  The inside sentiment is from CCC's Happy Birthday - Female.

Now for the standard swap card.  This is what I sent to my partner.  The theme was Love, Hearts, Thinking of You.  All three of those themes were not required - just one or more. So - I've got Love & Hearts for this last card:

I found these two patterned papers in my stash - they were probably digi prints because they looked home printed - but I don't know for sure.  To these I added some white cards stock and red glimmer paper to create the layers and border you see here.  The center double-matted piece was added with foam tape.  Then I used the word "LOVE" cutout - also from my stash - for a focal after matting it on the red glimmer paper.  Once again I used foam tape when adhering it in place.  Finally, I added 3 little home-made heart stickers made with a red foil paper.

Inside:

After creating the border with scraps from the outside of the card, I added a stamped sentiment - from a Fiskar's set of stamps called Lasting Love Quotes.

KCC #13

 

For the first time, I've decided to try Kendra's Card Challenge for this quarter - #13.  I've looked at them for several seasons now and tried a sketch or two, but this is the first time for me to actually make the set as intended. I have a paper pad that I was given that has a lot of coordinating papers, and decided to use some of them.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the 6 patterns, but you'll see them as we go along.  

In the meantime, here's a picture of all 15 cards as made:

I'm still learning how to get a good photo of so many cards at once.  The only real place I have to lay out so many is a place that has really poor lighting.  I tried to correct for it!  

I am finding that these KCC are more interesting than some sketches or one sheet wonders because you need to find other papers to serve as backgrounds and/or matting. Though Kendra mentions using plain card stock, I'm finding that sometimes another pattern in my scraps stash is a great choice.

And now for a closer look at each card.

Card #1:

This first layout consists of a large panel, a square turned on end in the center of it, and then narrow strips running along each edge of the square and along to the edge of the card.  As you can see, my main panel is a pink/coral/white somewhat random painted pattern.  The center square is a pink pattern, and I used white for the narrow strips.  To this, I adhered a cut out from the same paper pack after inking the edges with Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink and adding foam tape to the back.

Card #2:

I wondered how this would work, but so far I'm quite happy with them.  This next card starts with a square of the patterned paper which I've matted on dark green and turned on-point for a diamond shape.  The background paper is the same dark green - with a strip of embossed (5X7 Damask by Darice) white card stock down the center.  After adding the focal, I finished the card with a cut out strip of paper from the pack - that had this nice saying on it.  I matted it with the dark green before adding it.

Card #3:

Here's the third card.  I really wish I had matted the focal with gold (cut from the set of papers), but I didn't.  The little flag at the top is really two - both the original and the alternate layered with a little gold strip on top.  I finished by adding some scroll work Dazzles from my stash.

Card #4:

Pretty simple - just the pieces from the sketch, and a cut out from the paper pack, along with 3 paper punched pieces in the upper left corner.  All pieces were inked around the edges (again with the Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide).

Card #5:

Here I used a black glimmer paper for the background & the outer mat for the focal.  The inner focal mat is pink marbled paper from my stash.  Both focal mats were cut using a Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Oval set of dies. The focal is a cut out from the paper pad.

Card #6:

Next is a dark green suede paper as background and mats (oval one again cut with the Petite Scalloped Oval die set).  The cat was made using an Elizabeth Craft cutting die.  The sentiment is part of a border from the paper pack.

Card #7:

I DO find that I like the glimmer black with these papers!  Looking at this now, I'm realizing that it would have been nice to mat the greeting in the black as well.  Oh well, it looks better IRL.  The fact that I attached it with foam tape helps.  This one is mostly just using the sketch as is.  However, rather than wasting another large piece of the black glimmer paper to mat the flowered paper, I simply added two small strips top and bottom.  It may be hard to believe, but the pink strip (from my stash) was even brighter before I added a touch of ink to tone it down!  The sentiment is a cutout from a Debbi Moore freebie - with inked edges.

Card #8:

Once again, I've used an Elizabeth Crafts die set for my focal - this time for the elephant & hearts - all cut from scraps from my stash - Note that they don't show him with tusks, but I just used the tail piece cut from white - works great.  Again I've used the black glimmer paper for the background - and added a paper I had wadded up, spread out again, and then inked as the background behind the elephant. The rest is per the sketch.  Again, looking at it here, I can see that the sentiment might have been better if matted with the black glimmer.  It IS on foam tape, so stands out better IRL.

Card #9:

Wow, this layout REALLY challenged me!  I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it out!  The paper pieces that are pre-cut for this layout are just the strip on the far left, and the little pieces for decorating the border strip.  I had a really hard time finding a background I liked with it - let alone focal & greeting.  The focal is another cut out from a Debbi Moore freebie, and the greeting is one of my Mom's stamp & die cut set.  The "raindrops" are little jewels from my stash, and 1/8" black satin ribbon flanks the border strip.

Card #10:

Here the focal is another cut out from the set of papers - I rounded the corners & inked the edges.  The plain green & plain white is card stock from my stash.  I used Spellbinder's Labels Eleven dies to cut the mats for the focal.

Inside:

Since these are A2 cards, I seldom do much on the inside, but this card just really called for you to read what was on the inside!  The sentiment is cut from a border print in the paper pack.

Card #11:

I DO tend to deviate from the sketches from time to time.  In this case, I think it was expected that you'd use a smaller focal and see more of the patterned papers - but I liked this one (another cut out that came with the patterned paper).  I matted the focal with a dark pink vellum.  Before gluing it in place, I added black Thin Line Dazzles as a border between the two patterned papers.  Finally, I added other dazzles for the corners & the "Life is Good".

Card #12:

As you can see, I embossed the card front to create a bit more interest (Spellbinders M-Bossabilities A2 Quilted Delight).  The decorative panel is a black glimmer paper to which the 3 different patterned papers have been added, leaving some of the glimmer paper showing between them.  The focal heart is a foiled cut out from the paper pack - but I fussy cut around the edges of the heart rather than leaving it as the rectangle they printed in the pack.  Dazzles "Thank You" and small hearts complete this card.

Card #13:

Here I used a watercolor background from my stash to serve as the background - but I matted it with silver tag board - as I did with the other patterned paper (helps to tie in the holographic a bit). The horizontal paper I also narrowly matted in pink to help it stand out from the 1st one.  The circle was cut from a holographic foil pattern (used circle die from HOTP Paper Artist Snow Globe set)- very pretty.  I also used a paper punch to punch 3 small circles that I added near the upper right corner.  The dog was made using another Elizabeth Crafts die set.  So cute!  The sentiment is from a Hunkydory Little Book of Essential Sentiments. 

Card #14:

This is another pattern that I struggled with a bit.  I finally decided to add the black lattice (Cheery Lynn French Lattice cutting die) for the background and mat the diagonal pieces in the same black before gluing them in place.  I used a Spellbinders Labels Four die to mat the focal with the same black.  The focal itself is another Debbi Moore freebie that I printed & fussy cut.

Card #15:

It's hard to believe that I've finished all 15 cards.  It was a fun experience - but required quite a bit of thinking to make it happen.  The background on this one started with a piece of gold metallic tag board.  After cutting it to the approximate size, I embossed it using an embossing folder called Brocade Imprints from Fun Stampers Journey.  Next, I matted the strips with black - and did the same to the focal and it's mat.  Before gluing everything down, I added 1/8" white satin ribbon with gold edging to each of the two corners of the embossed background piece - then glued the strips & trimmed off the excess.  After gluing the panel to the card front, I glued the mat in place & added a Dazzles sentiment.  Finally, I added the focal (another cut out from the paper set) with foam tape.

HD LB of Kittens - Balloons!

Today I have six cards made from some pages from Hunkydory's Little Book of Kittens book. Here's a quick look at the pages I used:

In addition, I used some cutouts from the same Little Book:

Here's a picture of all six cards:

And now for a closer look at each.

Card #1:

For the first card, I simply trimmed the LB page to fit and glued it on the front of a 4" x 6" card base.  I added a cut out sentiment on foam tape, then added some Stickles to the balloon, butterfly, and eyes.

Card #2:

I cut a frame from a gray patterned paper, then inked the edges of my LB page and glued both in place so there was some white showing on either side of the frame.  Once again I added the cut-out sentiment with foam tape.

Card #3:

This time I double matted the LB page - first on orange, then a peach colored print with torn edge at the bottom.  I then glued the cutout of the cat with the balloons in place and added the remaining cutouts with foam tape.

Card #4:

This time I used the inside of the frame from card #2 to form a mat for my focal (which I cut down from a LB page.  Both sentiment pieces are added with foam tape.  The one at the top was fussy cut from a LB page, the one at the bottom was die cut from plain white card stock, watercolored with gray Inktense pencil & water brush, and then stamped with a sentiment from the Hunkydory stamp set called Perfect Pastimes. 

Card #5:

Again I used a gray mat, but all the cut out pieces were glued directly - no foam tape.  THEN, I took a sheet of clear glitter covered sticky backed adhesive sheet and covered the whole to give a sparkly look to the whole.

Card #6:

For this last card, I trimmed the LB page to fit an A2 card.  Then I glued the cat/balloons and flower in place, but foam taped the butterfly and sentiment.  I added a ribbon & brad below the sentiment and a jewel center for the flower (these last additions were to fit a challenge).