Happy Day card

It's rare that I spend two days working on a card, but for this one I did. The Papertrey Ink dies I used to make the border cut from non-border dies are the Strip Stitch die and the butterfly and "happy" from Pretty Peonies. After watching the video carefully, I promptly cut off the wrong side lol. So I had to run it through again with a second A2 mat.

I found some stunning deep brown (with glitter) paper from K&Company Classic K Specialty Paper Pad which I wanted to show through under the Strip Stitch die cut I butted the border cut up against. I also left a lot of the dots in the cut. I distressed the non-image parts of the border and the K&Company paper with the edge of a pair of scissors.

Then I stumbled across a very very old piece of  pearlized vellum paper (easily 15 years old) and cut 2 butterflies, the peony and leaf image and "happy", then stamped them with Versamark and embossed them with Zing Chocolat Opaque embossing powder (except for the leaves which I stamped in black ink and left unembossed. The butterfly on the flower is stamped and embossed whole and then folded in half. I used Scor-Tape to attach the flower and butterflies, I ran the "happy" through my little Xyron.

At first glance, it might appear that the star of the card is the Pretty Peonies stamp set and matching dies, but to my mind the even bigger stars are the Strip Stitch die (and the stamp I made out of fun foam with it) and this fabulous Sprinkle N Sparkle Cosmic Semi-Transparent Pineapple Embossing Powder. It is the tiniest little jar (I bought at the 2010 CHA Supershow), and I still have almost all of it even after embossing all this. I was really pleased with how the foam rubber stamp lined up with the border cut and matched that up with the die cut.

I put everything on an A2 card with about an inch cut off the front so the border images (especially the Strip Stitch die can be seen to best effect : ). All the cardstock used is Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select White which is heavy enough to stand up to all the additives.

I felt bad that the K&Co paper was so covered up, so I added a small strip of it on the inside.

Make It Monday #175: Creative Card Borders Using Non-Border Dies and Simon Says Anything Goes (note to self, second entry)

Bovine Jump Two

I was inspired by Simon Says J is for Challenge, and I'm a bit of a Lunatic, so the cow is jumping over the moon again. Artful Times is having a Kinetic Challenge and I wanted to see if I could alter a staid diecut image into something that could move. It requires moving the legs with fingers, but it does move : ).

The cow is from Cricut Imagine More Cards (for the Imagine). I cut two images. Cut the legs off  at the torso line for die cut in the back, and cut the legs out of the second. I used Tim Holtz tiny brads to attach them. The cow is attached to the card with some foam tape. The moon is cut from a 2.25 circle punch and daubed with Rusty Hinge Distress Ink. All the cardstock is Papertrey Ink. The images are on Stamper's Select White and the card base is Blueberry Sky.

Bovine Jump One

The idea for this card came from Simon Says J is for ... and Artful Times is having a Kinetic Challenge. The cow jumps over the moon thanks to a strip of plastic packaging that pivots under the moon (in the photo the end is under the moon on the lower left, what looks like a fold in the card).

The images are from the Hey Diddle Diddle Imagine cartridge. The cow is attached to the plastic strip with a piece of Score Tape and then pieced in the middle and attached to the bottom layer with a brad. The moon has two foam dots at 3 and 9 o''clock to support the moon while allowing some motion by sliding the bottom of the plastic with a finger. Foam Tape supports the second layer of sky. The images are printed on Papertrey Ink Stamper's Select White cardstock and the card base is PTI Blueberry Sky.

Security Box Alarmed by Jingle

A container with its own built-in alarm system.

The lid is loaded with Jingle Bells.

Punch a hole suitable for the drawer pull in the lid. Then pierce holes for the Jingle Bells. Paint the box (I used white acrylic craft paint covered with a layer of gesso). Tape the end of the heavy duty bead to the top of the box, and sew on a Jingle Bell (coming out through the same hole). I covered each hole with Scotch Tape as I sewed on the bells. I cut mats for the top and sides of the lid from Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy cardstock, and the sides of the box too. Just a note, measure for the mats with the lid ON lol. I added paper from K&Company on the top and the sides. Repunch the hole for the drawer pull and attached it.

To make the crest for my "Alarmed by Jingle" logo, I wrestled with Cricut Craft Room (I'm in the Gypsy camp)  and my Imagine and welded two Crests together from Fontopia. I used the Text Box to make the slogan (Art Nouveau Font 2). I just printed the text on one layer, then print and cut the crest and its topper on the second layer. Then I blinged it up with a glue pen and red embossing tinsel over the "Jingle" and outlined the crest and its elements with Ruby Slippers Pure Glitz.

To give a little dimension to the logos I used Tombow  Multiglue and allowed it to dry a little before attaching to the sides of the box. I lined the interior with Press and Seal, all it needs now is the treats :).

Simon Says J is for and Simon Says Anything Goes.

Paper: Paper Mache Box,  K&Company Classic K Specialty Paper Pad, Papertrey Ink Pure Poppy cardstock

Cricut Cartridges: Art Nouveau, Fontopia Hey Diddle, Diddle Imagine (pattern on crest layer)

Misc: Sakura Quickie Glue pen, Ruby Slippers Pure Glitz,  Jingle Bell,  Personal Stamp Exchange Red Embossing Tinsel (Jingle), White Acrylic Craft Paint, Gesso, Drawer Pull, Paper Piercer, Heavy Beading thread, Scotch Tape

Alarmed by Jingle, Door Edition

It started off as a card with a Diamond Wallpaper stamped background, and then it went in a different direction. I'm not sure which I saw first, the Jingle Bells or found the Christmas Tree stamp when I was foraging for small images. After I stamped the diamonds, I added the Christmas Trees from Places Please and embossed them with Zing Green Glitter Finish Embossing Powder. I stitched the small jingle bells in the center of the diamonds on the left.

Then I needed a crest for my "Alarmed by Jingle" logo, so I wrestled with Cricut Craft Room (I'm in the Gypsy camp)  and my Imagine and welded two Crests together from Fontopia. I used the Text Box to make the slogan (Art Nouveau Font 2). I just printed the text on one layer, then print and cut the crest and its topper on the second layer. Then I blinged it up with a glue pen and red embossing tinsel over the "Jingle", covered the "Alarmed by with a Sakura Clearstar Pen, and outlined the crest and its elements with Ruby Slippers Pure Glitz.

I used a piece of Step Flashing (that I bought to make message boards a la Green Bean). Attached some paper from K&Company to the flashing, Corner Chomped the corners, used my Crop-a-Dile to punch holes, added the large jingle bells and ribbon.

Make It Monday #174 Diamond Wallpaper Stamping, Simon Says J is for (in this case, Jingle)

Embossing Powder: Personal Stamp Exchange Red Embossing Tinsel (Jingle), Zing Green Glitter Finish (trees).

Stamps: Papertrey Ink  Places Please (tree), Kitchen Sink Plaid (line).

Cricut Cartridges: Art Nouveau, Fontopia Hey Diddle, Diddle Imagine (pattern on crest layer)

Paper: Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select cardstock, K&Company Classic K Specialty Paper Pad

Misc. Sakura Quickie Glue pen, Clearstar Gelly Roll pen (over "Alarmed by"), Pure Glitz Ruby Slippers. Corner Chompers, Crop-A-Dile, Galvanized Flashing (galvanized steel) you can add magnetic messages), Organza Ribbon (1 1/2" wide). Jingle Bells

UFO, Bonus Crafting Tool, Fun Electric Die Cutting Technique

I finally got around to applying Distress Ink (Faded Jeans) to this cardstock I "kiss-cut" (just cut the surface of the paper, in this case with my Cricut Expression 2 with the Gypsy set at 2).  Since I didn't have an applicator for this color, I used the little foamy bit that comes in every package of Tim Holtz Embossing Folders. It doesn't work the same as a dauber, but I liked the effect. The cuts really stood out when the ink is on them. The coloring on the side of the foam is from an experiment where I wrote backwards and then stamped it on paper. It worked well, but I'm not sure why it would be an advantage over just coloring lol. Still fun to try and it does produce a different effect than writing normally (because I wrote backwards).

Final steps, spritzed with water and then dried with my Heat It. It doesn't have a designated purpose yet, but at least the ink is on it : D.

Make It Monday #174 Diamond Wallpaper Stamping

The Diamond Wallpaper stamping was a bit of a challenge until I remembered that I had a long straight line stamp in my Kitchen Sink Plaid stamp set (stamped in Black Soot Distress Ink). The flowers are from Paper Tray stamp set (stamped in PTI Pure Poppy and Mustard Yellow Distress Ink). The sheep is from the Cricut Imagine More Cards cartridge (for the Imagine) and the Hiya comes from the Say It with Style stamp set. The mat is Vintage Cream and the cardbase is Simply Chartreuse.