Family Fun

Yesterday I got together with my Mom & SIL & we made some cards.  We decided to make the "special" cards. from the "A Touch of Shimmer" Luxury card kit from Hunkydory.  While the "special" cards are nearly always beautiful, I find myself avoiding them because: 1) if made as described, you don't get an "extra" cards out of the kit, and 2) I don't like to repeat myself!  I prefer to creatively use the products to design my own.  However, it was a LOT of fun to do them as a group!  

There are usually 4 of the same type of special cards in a kit - and this kit had two different ones - which meant one of each for the three of us and all of us got a choice as to which one we worked on.  (I'll probably make the "unpicked" one later.)  

This first card (top of post) was extra fun because we all did the decorations differently.  The only thing specified in the instructions was the structure itself - and it's a fun structure.  I wish I had pictures of all 3 of the cards, but I just have the pics of my own.  It is made like a full step card - with acetate holding it together.  Very fun!  

I decided to do some decorating on the back as well:

This first set of materials made a 5 1/2" square card.  The main card base consisted of a piece of card stock approximately 5 1/2" wide by 9" long - scored at 1", 2", 3 1/2", 5", 7", AND a piece of acetate that is 5 1/2" x 11" - scored at 5 1/2".  There was also 3 more card stock pieces: a piece 5 1/2" x 2" & scored at 1" to glue over the acetate at the top, a piece 5 1/2" x 2" to cover the adhesive in the back, and 5 1/2" x 1" to cover the adhesive in the front.  Put it together this way:

1. Accordion fold the card stock & use bone folder to crease the folds well.  
2. Fold the acetate in half and crease the fold line with the bone folder.  THEN glue the ends of the acetate to the front and back of the steps.
3. Fold the remaining scored piece and crease well - then glue in place at the top of your card.
4. Glue the remaining pieces over the lower front & back of the card - the larger one goes on the back.
5. Decorate as you wish.

Here's the 2nd card we made - theirs were different colors & different focals, but all basically the same.  This is an easel card, but it is made quite differently with the top and bottom of the card in 2 separate pieces connected by a narrow strip of card stock!

This structure doesn't leave as much room for writing your message, but DOES open you up to a WIDE variety of shapes & designs.  Here's how this one is made:

The top and bottom layer of the card are both about 5" square.  The connector piece is about 2" by 3" long & scored at 1/2" on each end (score at 1/2" and 2 1/2").  

1. Decorate card front.
2. Prepare greeting or embellishment for inside of card to hold easel card open (a rectangular piece works well).
3. On the connector piece, fold score lines as mountain folds & crease well.  
4. Put adhesive on front of connector piece - ONLY on each 1/2" section at the end.
5. With right sides together, carefully line up one end of connector piece along inside edge of decorative border (folded side toward inside of the card), and adhere well.
6. Lay strip flat on the bottom piece but with remaining adhesived end folded back (so it can adhere to the card top).  Line up top and bottom pieces carefully and then press well so adhesive edge adheres to the card top with both top and bottom lined up one on top of the other.
7. Stand up as an easel card to determine where you want your inside greeting or embellishment & put in place with foam tape so your easel will stand on its own.

Quick Thanksgiving Card

I needed another quick Thanksgiving card, so thumbed through my stash.  I found this piece of napkin (on freezer paper) that was left over from other cards, and a HOTP freebie printed label.  I chose a 5 x 7 card base & a piece of rust colored glimmer paper and embossed it for the background. I rounded all the corners - added a ribbon & stamped the label (JustRite stamp set).  I decided the accent on the label wasn't quite the right color, so I used a marker that was in a closer shade & went over those lines.  Done!

Taste and See

After applying my standard 3 layers of clear gesso to this page, I traced the outline of a picture I found online with Inktense pencils - then used a water brush to color the picture in & add a bit of shadow around it.  I then used Pitt pens to add "seeds" to the strawberries & add the words.

A New Die of Roses

This card started with a Paper Artist die (HOTP) that my Mom gave me.  The colors in the picture aren't true as the flowers are more pink than what it looks like, but holographic paper is hard to photograph - and that's what I used to back the focal piece (cut from gold Glitzy card stock - DCWV).  I'll admit that I find it quite difficult to die cut the glitzy card stock - usually end up fussy cutting to get a clean cut.  But I LOVE the look, so am willing to fight with it a bit. :)  As you can see, the word "You" is also cut from the Glitzy - but used a Paper Artist die (HOTP).  For the 3 dots (elipses), I used a small paper punch.

For the card base, I started with a 5" x 7" card & the biggest Spellbinder's die in the "Elegant Labels Four" set.  I wrapped the card around the base plate so the die would only cut the card front.  I found I had to tape it in place with painter's tape to make sure it didn't go anywhere.  I also made sure that the left edge of the die wouldn't cut by hanging it off the edge of the wrapped card.  Because it was an intricate die, I ran this through my machine several times.  

This resulted in the beautiful lacy look on the front of the card - but a crease on the inside where I had wrapped it around the base plate.  I covered the crease with a piece of gold poster board that peeks through the lace when the card is closed:

The focal and greeting are actually mounted on a 2nd die cut piece (from white card stock) - this one cut with a grand labels four die & then embossed with a gorgeous roses embossing folder (Cuttlebug Rosa 5X7 with border by Anna Griffin).  This panel was added to the card front with foam tape.  On the inside, I cut another white piece with a Labels Four die and added it in the center of the gold tag board for writing the message to the card's recipient.

The "YOU . . . " from the outside is finished with the words "put the ZING in amazing" on the inside (HOTP stamp set), and can be adapted for several different occasions: graduation, birthday, anniversary, other celebrations, thank you, etc.