Valentine's Card for Swap 04

Today's card was inspired by the Foil Paper Tole (HOTP).

Materials:

• Foil Papier Tole "Fancy Hearts" (HOTP)
• patterned paper (HOTP)
• white heart doily
• white card stock
• pink card stock
• "Heart Background" embossing folder (Darice)
• "Vintage Label and Banner" die set (JustRite)
• "Antique Valentine Tags One" stamps (JustRite) 
• Pink ink
• VersaMark ink
• Sterling embossing powder

Card Front:

• Card Base: This card was made in 2 pieces.  The first (for the focal) was an 8" x 3" piece scored at 4" and folded in half.  The second (for the steps) was a 6" x 11" piece scored at 1", 2", 4", 6", 8 1/2" and accordion folded to create the side steps. 
• Background Focal: I placed the folded card base in the heart background embossing folder and embossed it.
• Background Steps: I cut pieces of patterned paper just smaller than the steps and inked the edges before gluing to the front of the steps.
• Assembly: I glued the OUTSIDE of the front of the focal piece to the INSIDE of the first step.  Then I glued the INSIDE of the back of the focal piece to the OUTSIDE of the back step (gluing just the bottom inch or so).
• Decorating: For the focal I backed a heart doily from my stash with pink card stock and then  layered the "fancy heart" on top of it (adding it's layers with foam tape).  I had a leftover piece from another one that I put on the back step and used the extra art pieces on the front two steps.  I finished it with a tag cut from pink card stock using a die from "Vintage Label & Banner", stamped with VersaMark & heat embossed with sterling embossing powder - added with foam tape.

This style doesn't really open up for an "inside", but you can put a message on the back.

Valentine's Card for Swap 03

This card started with the heart shaped die cut focal.

Materials:

• Patterned paper (HOTP)
• Red glimmer paper
• Dies: "Love & Five Hearts" (HOTP), "Vintage Label & Banner" (JustRite)
• Stamps: "Antique Valentine Tags One" (JustRite), "Special Gifts Labels Twenty-Nine (JustRite) 
• Ribbon (white 1/2" grosgrain, red 1/2" grosgrain, red & white 1/8" satin ribbon
• red ink
• clear embossing powder
• heart-shaped paper doily
• red die cut from stash

Card Front:

• Card Base: before folding card, make new score lines & cutting lines as per instructions here EXCEPT I made the bottom 1" tall, and the sides 1 1/4" wide 
• Background: I cut the background from red patterned paper.  I first cut a piece that was 6 3/4" x 4 3/4".  Then I removed the side pieces - cutting in 1 3/8" on each side, leaving 3/4" at the bottom.
• Focal: The focal was cut using the "Love & 5 Hearts Dies" - cutting the lacy border & center from white card stock and the center from red glimmer paper. These were layered and glued in place as shown.  Then a banner was cut using a die from "Vintage Label & Banner" stamped in red with a stamp from "Antique Valentine Tags One" and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  It was then added to the focal using foam squares for dimension.
• Borders: For the side borders I cut pieces of white patterned paper slightly smaller than the card sides and inked the edges.  I then glued a wide red ribbon & narrow white ribbon over this, tucking the ends to the back before gluing to the card.  The bottom border was done similarly with wide white ribbon and narrow red, ends tucked to the back before the background was glued to the card base.  A small red bow was added in the center.

Inside:

• 2 strips of the red paper form borders
• The center of a white heart doily was cut out and glued in place, then a die cut from my stash was added.  I decided to make the heart a little more visible by taking a red fine-line pen and marking the holes around the border of the heart.
• Final touch was adding a sentiment from "Special Gifts Labels Twenty-Nine" stamp set using red ink.

Valentine's Card for Swap 02

The inspiration for this card was the pretty foiled patterned card stock. 

Materials:

• Patterned card stock (Me & My Big Ideas)
• Pink Mirri card stock (Hunkydory)
• White glimmer paper
• Dies: Love & Five Hearts (HOTP), Fancy Tags One (Spellbinders)
• Stamps: Janie's Girls (HOTP), Antique Valentine Tags One (JustRite), Special Gifts Labels Twenty-Nine (JustRite)
• Ribbon from my stash
• Double-sided adhesive (roll from Elizabeth Crafts) 
• VersaMark ink
• Fine White embossing powder (Hero Arts)

Card Front:

• Background: Patterned card stock matted with Mirri (with heart & tag cut from the center before mounting).
• Focal: Using the Love & Five Hearts dies, I cut the lacy border & inner plain heart from the pink Mirri.  I backed a piece of white glimmer paper with some double stick adhesive before cutting the inner lacy piece.  That made it easy to peel and stick to the mirri as you see it here.
• Border: After cutting the tag from the pink mirri card stock, I stamped it carefully (stamp from Janie's Girls) with VersaMark & heat embossed it with fine white powder (Hero Arts).  Then I threaded ribbon through it and wrapped the ends behind the background card stock.

Inside:

Here I cut a strip of Mirri to form the bottom border & then fussy cut 3 hearts from the printed card stock to add to it.  The center portion was simply a second lacy heart outline cut from Mirri with a stamped message added in the center ("Special Gifts Labels Twenty-Nine").  The banner at the top was stamped in pink ink using a stamp from "Antique Valentine Tags One"

Valentine's Card for Swap 01

This card started with a printed tag from HOTP.  I believe the patterned paper might have been from them too, but I'm not sure.

Materials:

• white card stock
• printed tag and patterned paper
• purple glimmer paper
• white glimmer paper 
• purple ink
• clear embossing powder
• Dies: Labels One, Edgeabilities, Fancy Ribbon Threader (Card Creator) (all Spellbinders dies), Vintage Label & Banner (JustRite), Heart Doily (We R Memory Keepers)
• Stamps: "Ornate Happiness Squares" and "Antique Valentine Tags One" (both from JustRite)
• white ribbon from stash
• white Jewel Dazzles (HOTP)

Card Front:

• Background: panel cut from patterned paper and matted on purple glimmer paper.  Before matting, the fancy ribbon threader was cut from the center where it wouldn't show & saved for the inside of the card.
• Focal:  Purple square was cut and embossed using a Lables One die.  White was cut using heart doily die and layered on top. Label was added to that with a couple of white Jewel Dazzles to simulate brads holding it.
• Border: Border was cut with edgeability dies (one for the center, another used for each edge).  A white strip of paper was cut from the glimmer paper for faux ribbon that got threaded through the border.  Then a white bow was added using ribbon from my stash.

Inside:

Once again, a white strip of paper was threaded through, and a ribbon bow added.  A piece of white paper was inked around the edges & added to the card. A sentiment was added using purple ink & a stamp from JustRite's "Ornate Happiness Squares".  The banner was cut from white card stock using a die from the Vintage Label & Banner set (JustRite) and stamped with a stamp from their "Antique Valentine Tags One" stamp set.