What's Wrong with this card?

Today I thought I'd talk a little about card composition.  As pretty as this 5 x 7 card is, there's something just a bit "off" about it.  I'll talk about what that is in a minute.  First, how did I make this card?  

The patterned paper and the light pink paper (used for mats, and both the flower & sentiment) were printed from a digital download - not sure who made it.  The darker pink paper came from my stash.  

The focal panel was made with Stampin' Up! Products.  Here's what I did:

Flower: These were made using a couple of stamps from Stampin' Up!'s Sentiment Rose kit (no longer available).  I stamped the image with Real Red ink onto the pink paper.  The stamp is SO much fun because it basically shades the rose FOR you!  However, as I looked at it, I wasn't happy with how dark it was - wanted the petals to be a bit lighter - especially near the top.  NO PROBLEM!  I squeezed a little ink from my White Pigment Ink Refill onto a stamp block, picked it up with my Water Painter (water brush), and used it to lighten those petals.  Then I took a few very tiny dots of yellow card stock and glued them to the center of my flower.  Before I fussy cut my flower, I realized I wanted to add a bit of that Real Red to a small spot.  NO PROBLEM! (This is why I love Stampin' Up products so much!) I just grabbed my Real Red Stampin' Write Marker and drew in what I wanted to add, knowing the colors would match perfectly! 

Leaves: I stamped my leaves (same stamp set) using Garden Green ink.  Then, I grabbed my Old Olive stamp pad and touched it to a stamp block to transfer a bit of ink to that.  Using my Blender Pen, I picked up some ink from the stamp block and colored in the white parts of the leaves.

"Hello": This time I pulled out my new Thoughtful Moments Hybrid Embossing Folder. I didn't need all of the sentiments, so I just cut a piece of the pink paper that was big enough to cover the word "Hello" with plenty of space around it to allow for the embossing.  Then, before I put the cutting die inside the folder (YES! Emboss and die cut in one pass!), I first lightly inked the sentiment (again with my Real Red ink pad).  Then I snapped the cutting die into the folder, put my paper in place, and closed the folder.  After I ran it through my die cutting machine, the edges of the letters were inked, the letters embossed, and the word cut out - ALL IN ONE PASS!  I LOVE it!  What fun I'm going to have creating sentiments with this fun tool!

Background: As you can see, I layered my background paper on the red paper, then the pink, before gluing it to a white card base.  After gluing flower, leaves, and sentiment to a square white panel, I added it to a red paper mat before gluing it in place.

Border: I took a scrap of the flowered paper, matted it on pink, then white, then red (as you can see).  It needed a bit of extra something, so I pulled a trick I often use and punched three dots from the red paper using an ordinary hole punch.  I added them to the lower right corner thinking to balance the "Hello", but then realized they were really on the wrong size.  All the "weight" was in the upper right corner with that flower, so I really wanted the dots on the lower left.  I couldn't remove the ones on the right, but added them to the left in the hopes of achieving a bit of balance.

NOW, What's Wrong?: Unfortunately, the dots just blend into that busy patterned paper and are hardly seen, so my work of adding them to help balance the focal just didn't work!  What to do???

The Fix: This fix isn't perfect - some things could not be fixed - but it's better:

First, I brought a spot of green down by making another set of leaves to hang out by a strip sentiment that I added to the left side of the border.  This creates a 3rd spot of green on the card and helps move the eye around the card.  Odd numbers are generally preferred in situations like this - and if you look closely, you'll see your eye can draw a triangular shape between the three spots of green.  This "triangle" is part of what helps the eye move around the page. (Somehow they look a lot lighter in color than the ones by the flower, but fortunately that's not the way it looks IRL.)

More white - The sentiment stamped on white cardstock adds another spot of white and helps break up that strong pattern in the paper. Though it would have been better if the white was just a bit bigger, it still helps to bring some white into that space.  It also helps to tie the large white panel into the make as a whole.  

A minor thing is that I realized when I glued my focal in place, one of the leaves pulled away from the flower without my realizing it, leaving a small gap between the stem and the flower!  Once again, I had Stampin' Up! markers to the rescue.  This time I pulled the Garden Green marker from the same set and used it to draw in that stem so it connected to the flower. :)  I wouldn't have dared to do that if I didn't know the colors would match!

To be honest, if I were to make this card again, I would arrange the focal a bit differently.  I would put the flower in the lower right corner of the panel and the "Hello" in the upper left for even better balance.  That's not something I can easily fix without tearing the card apart.  I think I'll just leave it because it's still a pretty card for someone who's not quite as picky as I am! :)

Otterly Adorable 4A

Have you ever had a hard time cutting into a beautiful sheet of 12 x 12 paper?  Sometimes I find it especially challenging if it's a large scene.  That was the case with this gorgeous paper from the Otterly Adorable paper pack from Stampin' Up! ® ™     (Get yours here while supplies last!)  Here's a picture of the paper and how I cut it up:

Basically, I made two cards from each row (using the leftovers on the insides of the cards - didn't take pictures of those):

Below is a closer look at each of these 6 cards. 

Card #1: 

I started cutting from the bottom of the page, and that's the way I started making my cards, too.  This first card is a slimline (finished size 3 7/8" x 9") - with the main patterned paper cut from the lower right corner of the paper.  I made sure it was cut just smaller than my card front so I would have a white edge around it.  Before adding it to my card, I wrapped a piece of white 1/8" ribbon around the left side - then tied a bow and added it.  Next I found a strip sentiment (from Sassy's LLC) and trimmed the ends the way you see them.  I used the Otterly Amazing cutting dies to cut out some little fish and sea weed pieces.  I colored the fish with Pumpkin Pie ink, and the sea weed with Old Olive ink.  Before gluing everything in place, I took a very fine black marker and added eyes for the fish.

Card #2:

I really love the way this card turned out and it just goes to show that a little piece of patterned paper can really make a nice card.  The patterned paper used here was from the lower right corner.  I matted it on white, then on an embossed piece of Lost Lagoon card stock before adding to the front of my card.  Then I used one of the Otterly Amazing cutting dies to cut out a portion of one of the other pages in this paper set - giving me the cute focal you see here.  Finally, I used a stamp from the Otterly Amazing stamp set to stamp the sentiment, die cut with an old Spellbinders die in my stash, inked the edges of my sentiment with green ink, and added the sentiment with dimensionals.

Card #3:

This next card was made from the left piece of the middle row.  This time I made it into a 5 x 7 card.  I found a scrap of light tan patterned paper in my stash - no idea who made it - and used it to create a mat around my otter paper piece (but before I did, I cut out the center of this paper in case I wanted to use it for something else).  I then matted this with white - then with Early Espresso card stock. BUT, before I added the matted pieces to that last piece of card stock, I did two things.  First, I wrapped a piece of thin twine around the lower left corner and tied a bow.  Second, I cut the center out of the Early Espresso and saved it so I could use it on something else.  Turns out I DID need some of that light tan paper.  I used it to die cut a sentiment (cutting die was an old one from Creative Expressions), before also cutting it a second time out of white (to use as a shadow).  After layering the two sentiments slightly offset, I glued them in place.  And this card was complete.

Card #4:

This A2 card uses the other main panel cut from that center strip.  I inked the edges of the panel with brown before matting it on white and then the leftover Early Espresso from card #3.  BUT, before I glued it all in place, I cut out the center of the Early Espresso again in case I needed it.  It turns out that I did!  I die cut some decorative pieces from it to decorate the corners (old Spellbinders dies), then I cut a rectangular piece to mat my sentiment - which I typed up and printed from my computer because I thought that would make a great greeting for this card.

Card #5:

And now we arrive at the panels cut from the last strip of patterned paper - the one at the top.  This card comes from the upper right corner.   It's such a darling picture that it doesn't need much else.  I matted it on more of the Lost Lagoon card stock - yup, cut out the center and saved it for later.  Before gluing to the card front, however, I made my border.  I die cut a fancy mat for my sentiment from Pecan Pie card stock (using an old Spellbinders die from my stash).  Then threaded my brown twisted paper trim through it before taping the ends in place behind the mat.  After gluing the whole thing to the card front, I added the stamped sentiment (stamp from an old JustRite stamp set) with dimensionals.  

Card #6:

This time it looks like I started with a piece of Pecan Pie card stock - but I didn't.  This is made with a white card stock card base.  I simply inked a bit around the edges of the card front.  After gluing my patterned paper panel to the card front, I stamped the sentiment (Otterly Amazing stamp set) using the same brown ink.

 

There they are - six GORGEOUS cards made from that ONE sheet of GORGEOUS patterned paper.  I LOVE this paper and these cards came together so quickly once I got brave and cut up my paper! 

 

Here's a slightly different cutting guide giving 1 slimline and 5 A2 cards - made basically the same as what you see above.  It helps you know better about the order in which to make your cuts into the large sheet of paper:

 

 

Cutaway Gate Fold

I was playing around and came up with this card structure that I call "Cutaway Gate Fold".  It's pretty easy to make.  You just start with a piece of card stock that is 4 1/4” by 11”. Then you cut on the solid line and score on the dotted lines as per the diagram below (click on it to better see the dimensions):  

Step 1: Starting with piece A, fold as valley folds along both dotted lines and press folds flat (folded parts shown as lighter blue in diagram below). If you are going to add decorative paper to the flaps, do this before moving on to the next step.  

Step 2: Then take piece B, turn it sideways, center it on the card blank, and glue just the left side to the left flap as shown below.  Decorate as you wish. 

To make the card I showed above:

Card Structure: I made the basic card structure from Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  Then, I cut two pieces from my patterned paper (Favored Flowers from Stampin' Up! - unfortunately no longer available). These pieces measured 1 1/4" x 4 1/8" - so when I glued them to the front flaps there was a bit of the card showing around them.  

Focal: Next, I cut a piece of white cardstock that was 2 1/2" x 4" and glued it to the 2 3/4" x 4 1/4" piece that I had cut from the original strip of Blackberry Bliss cardstock.  Then, I fussy cut some flowers from the patterned paper and glued them to this matted piece.  I carefully glued this panel to JUST the left-hand flap so that when closed the focal was centered on the card.

Greeting:  I cut a piece of white cardstock that was 4" x 5 1/4" and glued it to the inside of the card.  I closed up the card and carefully stamped "HELLO" centered in the top area of what showed through to the front (stamp from Stampin' Up! Forever Fern - no longer available).

The finished card is a standard A2 sized card.

 And here's a second one made in a similar way:

Serene Love

Today I made some cards using Stampin' Up!'s Serene Love set of papers (currently on a close-out sale). I chose to use the Night of Navy colored papers from this set.  With double sided papers and two different papers in each color, there are a total of 4 patterns in each color.  I used these to prepare some background panels.  All stamping/inking was done with Night of Navy ink.

• Background Prep: I started with 4" x 5 1/4" panels cut from 3 of thosee patterns.  Then, I arranged them on top of each other FACE UP, and cut them in thirds at a couple of angles, making sure to keep them aligned.  By cutting all three pieces at the same time, I eliminated the need to be real precise in measuring my angles - just put them at an angle on my cutter and cut them!  Next, I mixed them up by choosing one piece of each paper for each of three cards.  I glued these in place, centered on a piece of white cardstock that 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  Finally, I added white 1/4" strips of card stock between the pieces, trimming them to the edges of the cardstock.  
• Card Blank Prep: I also created 3 card blanks using cardstock cut to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" (half sheet of standard letter size) and then scored in half and folded along that score line.  One of these was from Night of Navy cardstock, the other two were from white. 

That's where the similarities stopped.  

Card #1: First up, I combined these papers with Night of Navy cardstock. 

• Focal & Sentiment: I started by stamping the focal/sentiment with using stamps from Sit, Stay Relax stamp set. (This is a retired Stampin' Up! product, but you can choose any stamps you like and create something similar.)  I used a punch to round the corners and then inked the edges so it would stand out a bit from the background.  
• Assembly: For this card I simply took one of my prepared backgrounds, glued it to the center of my prepared Night of Navy card front, and glued my prepared focal to the center.  
• Finishing Touches: Using a standard hole punch to cut small white cardstock circles, then a smaller one to cut circles from the navy card stock, I added these as embellishments to the top left and lower right corners of the card.  My final step was to die cut a navy bow (die from Stampin' Up! Wanted to Say set of cutting dies) and add it to the upper left corner of the focal.

Card #2: Next, I paired the papers with Poppy Parade cardstock. 

• Focal & Sentiment: After stamping the focal and sentiment (again from the Sit, Stay Relax stamp set) with Night of Navy ink on white cardstock, I fussy cut around the stamped image and used a punch to cut out the sentiment (before cutting it down farther by slicing it at the top and bottom since the punch I had made the sentiment taller than I wanted it).  I then matted the focal and sentiment using Poppy Parade - and used a paper punch to cut 3 small circles to decorate the top right corner of the card. (BEFORE DOING THIS, see Tip in the next step!).
• Assembly: Taking another of my prepared backgrounds, I cut off the white edges to give me a panel that was approximately 4" x 5 1/4".  I then cut a piece of Poppy Parade that was 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" to use as a mat for the background. TIP: Before gluing the background to you mat, you can save a bit of money and make your cardstock stretch farther by cutting out the center of your background mat where it won't be seen behind the background.  Use this center leftover piece to cut the mats for focal, and sentiment, as well as the 3 small punched circles).  
• Finishing: After gluing everything in place, I added a ribbon bow from my stash to draw more attention to the sentiment and help the eye move around the card front.

Card #3: Finally, I paired them with yellow card stock from my stash (try Daffodil Delight cardstock).

• Background: I again cut down the prepared background and prepared a mat for it (this time in yellow), just like I did for card #2.  I again cut out the center part of the card stock (using it for the die cut greeting and the little spots of color in the upper left corner). 
• Focal Greeting: The die cut sentiment was cut from white and yellow card stock using dies from the Wanted To Say set of cutting dies that I mentioned earlier. I used two different sized circle punches to create the white and Night of Navy mats for the focal sentiment and arranged them somewhat offset on the card front. 
  

I don't know how soon I might get around to making more, but there are at least a couple more ideas I want to try.  The reverse side of one of those three patterns is larger flowers that could be fussy cut for a focal.  I think that could look really nice on a navy patterned background.  Then, I'd like to try a color that's a bit more on the pink side stamp some flowers - perhaps Blackberry Bliss, or Berry Burst - maybe even the darker red of Cherry Cobbler.  There are so many possibilities. I think perhaps just  strips of the patterned paper with coordinating embossed card stock would make a great background.  So many ideas, so little time!

Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration ends February 28 - don't miss out!

 

Stampin' Up is having their Sale-a-Bration (ends this Friday the 28th - check the end of this post for more information).  They have lots of freebies available to choose from when you make a $60 purchase. One of those freebies was this wonderful set of Trusty Tools Dies (regular price is $37 - what a deal!), and today I've used it to make up a bunch of focal/embellishments to have ready for card making or scrapbooking.  

 

Pegboard:

I started out easy with some pieces that only required one color of card stock and no gluing!  I LOVE this pegboard!  And, I'm SO grateful that they created it without cut edges so that if I wish, I can make it bigger simply by running it through the die cut machine, then taking the die and lining it up beside my first die cut.  When I have the size I want, it's easy to cut around it with my trimmer.  When I actually use these, I might use ink to shade them a bit, but I don't think they really don't need it.

 

Wrenches, screws, washers, and nuts!

Next I tried some that were mostly one color - but the adjustable wrench has a second die to create a different look if you cut from two different colors (here I used a metallic silver with a sliver glimmer paper.  I LOVE having these little screws!!!

 

Tape Measures:

For these I used 3 different colors - silver metallic, silver glimmer, and white (for the tape itself).  It's a little difficult to tell the difference in the photo, but in real life the tape is clearly a different color from the rest and looks really good.

Ball Peen Hammers:

This time I chose to use silver metallic with some primary colored card stocks.  It doesn't show up as well as I'd like in the picture, but I used inks and a foam applicator to shade the handles a bit before gluing the silver hammer heads in place.  It really adds a nice touch.

Tool Box:

Again I used silver metallic and primary colored card stocks.  Again I shaded the primary colored card stocks.  I decided I wanted the look of silver rivets, so backed the holes on either side with strips of the silver metallic before gluing the handle in place.

Pliers:

This time I used silver glimmer paper for the pliers nose & colored card stock for the handles.  After I shaded the card stock with ink as before, I started gluing the pieces together.  First the two nose pieces were glued together (notice, you can choose how open or closed you want to make them based on the angle at which you glue these together.  Then, it's easy to glue the card stock handles in place.  I also decided I wanted to add silver metallic rivets where the nose pieces "join", so used the pieces that were scrap from the centers of the nuts (see screws & nuts above)

Paint Brushes:

The paint brush is only two pieces, so I cut the main one out of silver glimmer paper and the bristles out of a tan.  After inking the bristles pieces, and gluing them in place, I took some Sharpie markers to finish these.  I used silver in horizontal stripes to form the metallic part of the brush, then took a colored Sharpie for the handles.

Pencils:

Once again, there are only two dies to create these pencils.  I cut the main one out of a light tan, and the 2nd one out of other colors.  Again, I shaded those before gluing them in place.  Then, I took a black Sharpie and colored in the point to look like lead.  Then I used a silver Sharpie to color horizontal lines just above the colored card stock to create the look of the metal holder for the eraser.  I was quite happy with the way these turned out.

Drills:

I LOVE these drills!  It's something my DH uses a lot, so having this will help make some great cards for him.  This is also a two-piece cutting die - the drill bit mechanism and the rest of it.  I cut the drill bits out of silver glimmer paper and the other out of colored card stock.  THEN, I cut a couple extra of this second die out of silver metallic card stock.  I shaded the colored card stock as normal & glued the bit mechanism in place.  Then, I took the silver metallic die cuts and cut them apart to glue some of those pieces as you can see above.

These are going to look great on my cards and scrapbook pages!!! 

3/1/2025 UPDATE: Sale-a-Bration is over, but you can currently still get these dies here.  You can also get the coordinating stamps here. 

HD Winter Wildlife of Britain - Rabbit & Field Mouse

Today I have cards made from a 2016 Hunkydory Kit called Winter Wildlife of Britain.   The specific set was called Rabbit & Field Mouse.  Here's what the set looked like when I started:

As you can see, there was one sheet of die cuts and 2 sheets of Adoreable Scoreable (AS) printed card stock.  To this I added some scraps AS, a couple of extra die cuts from the kit, and a couple of Hunkydory Little Book pages to make 8 cards.  I also added a bit of ribbon and some sentiments from my stash.  Here's a look at the set of 8 cards.

It's always a bit challenging to make cards with limited supplies and tools, but that's what this set was.  Hunkydory sets make it easier to make nice cards while working with my Mom in the rehab center, but we're both looking forward to getting back to normal and working with more supplies.  At any rate, here's a closer look at each.

Card #1:

 

This time I made things easier on myself (though perhaps a bit more boring?).  I took each sheet of AS in the set and cut it into four pieces (with a little left over) that were each just a bit smaller than an A2 card front.  Then I set about using each to make a card.  For this first one, I simply glued the AS in place (it came with the border) and then added the largest die cut for a quick note card.

 

Card #2:

 

Next up, was the piece that had a scene printed on it.  This made for a great combined background & focal.  To this, I simply added a die cut border & sentiment from the set.

 

Card #3:

 

Because I was making A2 sized cards, the die cut frames were too big to fit the cards.  No worries!  I simply cut them and added them in various ways.  In this case, you can see a portion of an oval frame is glued as an arch around the focal die cut (one of the extra die cuts).

 

Card #4:

 

This piece of AS had a lovely foiled border already on it.  That was great for the left side! As you can see, I took portions of a frame to add a bit of interest to the right side of the card before adding the focal die cut.

 

Card #5:

 

This time I turned my piece of AS so that the pretty foiled border was at the bottom.  Then I added a partial circle frame die cut to the top before adding the focal die cut. (Again an extra die cut from the kit.)

 

Card #6:

 

The background AS came with the focal picture already on it.  This time I made use of a small strip of AS that was left over from another project to add to the border & fussy cut part of it to form a mat to my sentiment (from my stash).

 

Card #7:

 

By now, I was out of focal die cuts, but still had two pieces of AS and two fancy frames left.  I used one of each for this card, cutting the frame and re-arranging it on the card front.  Then I fussy cut a rabbit from a Little Book page and added it for my focal.  Finally I found a scrap of coordinating ribbon and added it with a sentiment from my stash.

 

Card #8:

 

This last card was created similarly - focal was fussy cut from a different Little Book page, and placed on the AS background that had been decorated with a die cut frame that had been cut in two pieces.  I threaded a scrap of ribbon through a sentiment from my stash and added it with foam tape to complete this card.

More Elizabeth Craft Embellishments

Today I have several embellishments I've created using Elizabeth Craft dies.  

Train Carts: (above) - These were all cut from white card stock.  They were mostly colored with distress inks, though I also used my scroll and brush markers and Sharpie metallic marker for the silver.

Knight's Armor:

 

Most of these pieces were cut from a silver glimmer paper, some from black glimmer paper, and the rest from white card stock - which I colored with distress inks.  I stamped the word "HELLO" on the shield using a stamp from Gemini's Peek-a-Boo Dog stamp and die set.

Peter the Montie:

First, I made a couple up the main way this set was intended - though personally, I bought this set because I thought it would give me an option for making a more normal "boy/man" figure (since the only one I had before this was a gnome and a "prince").  Once again, I cut all pieces from white card stock - then colored them with Distress Ink, Scroll and Brush Markers, and Sharpies.  Unfortunately, as you can see, I didn't put the face down low enough on the large hair piece, so it looks like hair on the chin. (We'll just call it a beard?)

Then I made some up as other figures:

I colored these based on pictures I found on-line that showed a mail carrier's uniform and a London bobby's uniform.  I also trimmed along the hips to give a more normal line, and trimmed the "boots" so they would fit under the pants and look like shoes. 

For the mail carrier, I also trimmed the bottom of the jacket to make it flair less.  Then I took the mountie's hat, left off the trim, trimmed the top to a better shape for the mail carrier, and drew in stitching lines to match the pictures I found on-line.  I also colored the lower pocket flaps in stripes as I saw on mail carrier's jackets.

For the bobby, I trimmed the flagpole and glued to the sides of his pants.  I also trimmed the shoulder strap off the mountie's belt ensemble to create the bobby's belt.  I used two cuff pieces, offset a little, to create the look at the bottom of the sleeves.  As you can see, I added a lot of white buttons.  His hat is the large hair piece colored black and turned upside down - then trimmed a couple of police hat pieces, colored in gold, to finish the bobby's hat.

I think you can see (particularly from the mail carrier) that this set can be adapted to create other boy/man figures.  I think the main part of the coat could be used as a vest with a different color for the "shirt sleeves".  I think this will prove to be a very versatile set.

Mrs Claus:

This die set can make a wide variety of ladies or girls by using different pieces and different colors.

Bamboo:

 

This set of three dies creates several bamboo plants - great for use with my various pandas!  Some of these were cut from green card stock and then inked, but most were cut from white before using a foam applicator to color them.

Daffodil:

 

This set creates two full daffodil flowers - facing 2 different directions - as well as a bud, and a single leaf.  These were all cut from white card stock and then inked with a foam ink applicator to get the colors you see (Distress ink for the green & SU ink for the yellow).

Grasshopper:

 

These critters are cute - but are made from a LOT of parts and take time to put together.

Ladybug:

 

These critters are so cute!  Not bad to put them together either.  As you can see, the ladybugs can be put together in at least two different configurations - and also come with a lucky clover and a small heart. I inked the edges of the clover, hearts, and bodies, but didn't bother with the red and black.  Some of the bodies were actually cut from white card stock and then inked with ink applicator to get the color you see.  The under-wings that you see on the first ladybug were cut from an iridescent vellum.

Ducks:

I colored these similar to what was in the packaging, but, of course, they could be colored differently.  I used a bit of Distress and SU inks to color these and ink the edges.  I somehow lost one of the little yellow duck's beaks so just colored it in with a fine-line marker.

Spy the Chameleon:

This guy is pretty cute IRL - not sure the picture does him justice.  I used a lighter color for the body, a dark green for the head BACKGROUND (what you see through the dots) and a medium toned textured green for the head, stripes, and feet.  Brown for the tree, yellow for the large part of the eye, and white for the rest of it (colored the larger of the two remaining eye pieces with a black Sharpie).  Used distress ink to add shading & ink the edges.

Asian Accessories:

This is a fun set of accessories - from food & tea to koi and bamboo, to lanterns, fan, and umbrella.  Very cool!

Dog House:

And finally, here's the doghouse with it's accessories - which goes great with the dog I already have!