Secret Sister Backup Cards

Since the large envelope with multiple cards went astray, I quickly made 3 more cards for my SS the day I was leaving on a trip.  I wanted to make sure she got some!  

This first one was made from the Hunkydory Paws for Thought card making set, ribbon from my stash, and the Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  Here's the inside:

Next up is a Thanksgiving card.  Paper is from my stash (ki memories - grateful multi-stripe).  The stamp is from JustRite (Good Friends Labels 29) and the embossing was made using a "fall leaf background" embossing folder from Darice.  

Inside I made a pop-up with a die-cut "YOU" (HOTP) from foiled tag board. I hope that die doesn't give me away!

The last was a Halloween card made using lots of Halloween Dazzles from HOTP.  The "BOO" is from a lettering set I have.  I hope this doesn't give things away because I used the same letters for another card posted on this board! 

Inside is much the same:

Variations on a Theme

Here are three "multi-lingual" thank you cards - all created essentially the same way - just different colors.  

They started with a Cuttlebug embossong folder called "Thanks", and white card stock that I had colored with gelatos (choose several colors - scribble over paper, blend with baby wipe).  After embossing, I colored the raised areas with metallic cream chalks from Pepples.  These were applied with the clip applicator and mini cotton ball as usual.  I sprayed each with a sparkle spray (Sheer Shimmer Sparkle Spritz).  While that dried, I found coordinating card stock which I cut & folded to make the card base.  Then I rounded the edges of both the base cards & the focal embossed pieces before adhering in place.

For the insides I simply took pieces of paper the same size as the card fronts, then cut a piece that was about 3/8" smaller on all sides.  I rounded all the corners & used the smaller one on top as a mask while I applied gelato colors to the edges in the same way I had done for the front.  Here's one.  Simple but effective:

TODO Foiling

I finally got some heat activated foil so I could try foiling on my TODO machine (thanks Lee!!!!).  This first card has 2 separate foiled elements.  I made these back in September, but waited to post until now, since a couple of them went to my "Secret Sister".

Hot Foil Stamp: The "Thanks" was a hot foil stamp I got from cheap from somewhere before I realized I could only use with a hot foil machine (which I didn't have at the time!).  I used a machine setting of 4 or 4.5 (tried it tighter than that and it cut through the card stock & messed up my A plate). It was created on black card stock with silver foil.

Impressabilities: The foiled pattern was also created on black card stock with silver foil, but this time I used a Spellbeinders "Impressabilities" embossing stencil called "Floral & Stone".  This worked best at a machine setting of 1.5 - 2.  (I also tried placing the leftover foil directly on my TODO machine and covering it with black card stock.  It worked somewhat - needed to be set at 1 - 1.5.

Another Cutting Die: Next up is a Christmas card. The green foiling on white was another one using a die I had in my stash (from Gemini Crafter's Companion).  

It's always hard to really see what something looks like when the materials are shiny, but this one is particularly challenging!  I paired the foiled piece with holographic wrapping paper in red & green & a "holly confetti" set that I had in my stash.  The ornaments are die cuts from Spellbinders dies (2012 Holiday Tree, and 2013 Heirloom Ornaments).  The sentiment is Hunkydory from my stash.

The inside is more of the same - but no foiling.

Cutting Die - My last card was made using a Spellbinder's "Bonsai Tree" die to create the foiling (machine set at 4 - 4.5).  I LOVE how this tree turned out!

The tree is so delicate & shiny in real life!  Pictures certainly do NOT do this card justice.  In addition to the foiled tree that I created with my TODO machine, there is foiled tag board and foiled patterned paper (both came that way).  The card is simply beautiful (if I DO say so myself!).  Creation was pretty straight forward:

Background - I got this beautiful gold-foiled paper in a paper swap.  I cut just a little smaller than my card blank & inked the edges in black before gluing in place.  

Frame - cut/embossed with 2 dies from gold tag board.

Leaves - Confetti pieces from a Thanksgiving mixture

Greeting - outline stickers 

INSIDE: more of the same - once again no home done foiling on the inside, though there is foiling on the patterned paper..

I made this Thanksgiving card for my Secret Sister & sent her a card stock piece with the same foiled tree on it.  Here's a picture of the card "bootsie" made using it:

Isn't it gorgeous!

Here are some Hot Foiling Tips I picked up as I was playing with my TODO:

1. Cut the smallest piece of foil you can get away with.  Excess foil sometimes transfers.
2. Set the dial to the least pressure you can get away with, and hold the plates as you crank them through.  This will help reduce "shifting" which can mess up your foiled image.
3. Make sure your plate is hot & give the stamp/die time to warm up too before adding the foil & paper.  If foiling multiple items, check the light each time before starting.

2019 Thanksgiving Mini's Part 2

Here are the rest of the mini Thanksgiving cards I've been working on.  

These all required hand-made greetings/focals - and all were made using two stamp sets (JustRite Antique Autumn Tags One and Autumn Vintage Labels Three) and the matching dies (if applicable).  Papers were from a variety of sources - DCWV mat stacks, papers from cardmaking magazines, and color me paper.  Sequins, and brads from my stash. 

Sometimes, to get the right color, I had to stamp with 2 different inks - one on top of the other.  I also did some coloring with water brush & ink, as well as with my Scroll & Brush markers.

The first card uses color me paper - which was colored using gelatos - scribbling directly on & using finger/baby wipe to blend.  After stamping the tag for the last one, I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder to keep it from smearing because it didn't want to dry very fast!