Saturday, December 24, 2022

Pop-up Gift Card Holder Card

The idea for this fun Pop Up Gift Card Holder Card came from Lisa Curcio. You can read about it on her blog here: Wow Them With an Interactive Pop Up Gift Card Holder Lisa Curcio (lisasstampstudio.com). Lisa provided a pdf file with all the measurements for the card, so I used that to create a cut file in my Silhouette Design Studio software. I changed the sizing on the layers slightly to leave a little more of the red base card showing. It was convenient to be able to cut and score all the pieces using my Silhouette Cameo 4. I have uploaded the file to the Silhouette Card Making and Paper Crafts FB group if anyone would like the free file for the card base and layers. This design could work well for any holiday/birthday where you'd like to give someone a gift card or insert a decorative tag. 

I used some festive design paper to coordinate with my red and green card stock layers. Then I used SU!'s Merriest Moments bundle to stamp the "Joy" sentiment on the front (the book-shaped die is a Spellbinders die) and the poinsettias, leaves, and "Thinking of you this festive season" sentiment on the inside of the card. I embossed the white background panel on the inside of the card using a Tim Holtz 3D embossing folder called "Pine Branches." 

I chose this card design because I purchased a Target gift card for one of my nieces as her Christmas gift and I needed a card that could hold the gift card. This one is a pretty design that works well for that. Thanks, Lisa Curcio! 

Front view: 


Here's what it looks like as you start to open it (can you spot the Target gift card in the pocket?!):


Here's the card fully opened:


Side view:


Back view (the score line shows where the "pop up" part is adhered):


Close up of the sentiment:


A look at the card without the gift card enclosed: 


 Challenges I'm entering: 

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with embossing folder; optional twist of snow (I used Tim Holtz's Pine Branches EF)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (1/4; ends Jan. 6)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas (3/3; ends Jan. 5)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG (ends Jan. 11)

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #47 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (ends Jan. 4)

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (5/10; ends Dec. 31)

Peace On Earth Christmas: ATG Christmas (1/3; ends Dec. 31)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (3/8; ends Dec. 31)

A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge (ends Dec. 31)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 26)

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog (cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends Dec. 31)

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog: Traditional Christmas Colors (1/5; ends Dec. 29)

Creatalicious Challenges: ATG with option of CAS Christmas (1/3; ends Dec. 30)

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge: ATG Christmas (ends Dec. 31)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies: ATG with dies (ends Dec. 31)

Let's Craft and Create (letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com): Inspired by a song (Joy to the World) (1/3 ends Jan. 5)

Mirtillamente Challenge (mirtillamente-challenge.blogspot.com): Winter or Christmas (1/5; ends Dec. 27)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (5/5 for the week; 5/10 for the challenge period; ends Jan. 4)

Once Upon a Time Challenge Blog (onceuponatimechallenges.blogspot.com): The Legend of the Poinsettia (I used DP with poinsettias on it and stamped and die cut a poinsettia and leaves) (1/5; ends Dec. 31)

Scribble Challenge (rabiscochallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends Dec. 31)


https://blog.yournextstamp.com/category/challenge/: Gifts (1/3; ends Jan. 12)


Krafty Chicks Challenge: All Occasions (ends Dec. 27)

The Paper Shelter: ATG (3/3; ends Jan. 18)

at 10 comments:

Friday, December 23, 2022

Gerda Steiner Christmas List

This year I decided to print out this adorable Gerda Steiner Christmas gift list to keep track of the gifts I receive so I can send out thank you cards. Instead of jotting down ideas of gifts to purchase for people (my Christmas shopping is all done thankfully!), I'm going to use the list to jot down all the gifts I receive and who gave them to me. I just love the cheerful little penguins on this digi stamp! Thanks, Gerda! I would add a link to the digi stamp, but it's no longer available. Sorry! 

Merry Christmas! 





Challenges I'm entering: 

 Play along in our December '22 Challenge - Gerda Steiner Designs, LLC (gsd-stamps.com): ATG with Gerda Steiner images

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (4/5 for this week; ends Jan. 4) 

Challenge | Your Next Stamp: Gifts (1/3; ends Jan. 12)

Krafty Chicks Challenge: All Occasions

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge: ATG Christmas

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas, Celebrate, Use Silver, Something New (New Year) (2/3; ends Jan. 5)

Critter Crazy CHALLENGE BLOG (2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com): ATG with a critter as the focus (Ends Dec. 25)

Country View Challenges: ATG Christmas (1/5; ends Dec. 31) C10

Crafter's Cafe (crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (ends Jan. 10) C11

No more challenges

at 4 comments:

2023 New Year Card

This new year's card features a free digi stamp from Gerda Steiner Designs. You can pick it up here: 2023 Freebie! - Gerda Steiner Designs, LLC (gsd-stamps.com) if you're still working on new year's cards. Aren't those penguins adorable?! Thanks, Gerda!

To make this card, I started with my new MFT cover-up die Snow Swirls. I actually cut it out twice and cut off the bottom of both die cuts so I could then use some stitched snow hill dies on the bottom of the die cuts to make the little snow hills on the card. For the top part of my die cut, I ink blended some blue ink with my new ink blending brushes to make a sky scene. 

Using my Silhouette Design Studio software, I sized up the digi stamp so it would fit on the A2 card front and did a print and cut using my Silhouette Cameo 4. Then I had fun coloring the little penguins and stars with my Copic and Chameleon alcohol markers. I adhered all the parts to the card front and then stamped "Happy" from a Hero Arts Happy Birthday sentiment and trimmed off the "birthday" part and made it into a banner that I adhered with foam tape. 

I appreciate all the dedicated DT members of the numerous challenges I participate in and the wonderful encouragement you leave me, so I'd love to send you all a new year's blessing. I love this blessing from Numbers 6:24-26: 


The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.



Challenges I'm entering: 


Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; ends Jan. 4)

Passion for Markers (promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com): Use markers and a die cut (ends Jan. 2)


My Time To Craft! (mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com): Non-Christmas December holidays (ends Dec. 28) Top 3 Pick 12/29/22

My Time To Craft Christmas!: New Year's Cards (ends Jan. 5)




CD Sunday Plus Challenge (cdsundaychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with something from a CD, USB, or digi image (I used a Gerda Steiner Designs digi stamp) (1/3; ends Dec. 24)

Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): Anything but Christmas (ends Jan. 1)

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com): Anything stamped (2/3; ends Dec. 28)

We Love Stamping: I love using my new ink blending brushes! I created the blue background using them for this card (3/3; ends Dec. 27)






Krafty Chicks Challenge: All Occasions (ends Dec. 27)


Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas, Celebrate, Use Silver, Something New (New Year) (1/3; ends Jan. 5)



613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (3/8; ends Dec. 31) Top Rocker Choice for last week of December 

Critter Crazy CHALLENGE BLOG (2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com): ATG with a critter as the focus (Ends Dec. 25)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 26)

Creatalicious Challenges: ATG with option of CAS Christmas (2/3; ends Dec. 30)



Mirtillamente Challenge (mirtillamente-challenge.blogspot.com): Winter or Christmas (2/5; ends Dec. 27) Winner 1/1/23 Emailed 1/1/23 and haven't heard back yet (1/7/23)
at 17 comments:

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Friends of The Library Thank You Cards

I'm part of a local Friends of the Library group, and our group recently held a Christmas bake sale to raise money for the library. I'm in charge of thank you cards for our volunteers, and I now have the perfect stamps and dies for Friends of the Library thank you cards! I won the Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero challenge last month and used my prize of a $50 gift card to Hero Arts to purchase some wonderful book-related stamps and dies. Hero Arts has a wonderful collection of book-related stamps and dies that go so well together. Thanks, Hero Arts, for the generous gift! I couldn't believe how quickly I received the gift certificate and then how fast my order arrived! It was perfect timing for these book-themed thank you cards! If you'd like to participate in the monthly Stay Craft challenges for a chance at a $50 gift certificate to Hero Arts, click the link below.

The first card I made is a shaker card using the Hero Arts Book Window Fancy Die to create the window for my shaker elements. Thank you, Kanan Pandya on the Hero Arts DT for the inspiration to create a shaker card with this die! I stamped the sentiment from Hero Arts' Literally the Best stamp set onto a green card stock circle and adhered that to the top panel of the card base. Then I die cut some acetate and adhered it to the back of the red panel with the books. I used 2 layers of foam tape to create the shaker window and added lots of glitter, beads, and Christmas elements from a Hobby Lobby set (penguins, Santas, Santa hats, Christmas trees, gingerbread men, etc.). 

The shaker card is going to the volunteer who set up the tables for us and organized all the donations onto the tables. The rest of the volunteers who donated baked goods and crafts received a variation on this card that I've shown in the pictures below. For their cards, I adhered the red panel directly to the front of the white card base and then die cut them both together to make a window for the sentiment that I adhered to the inside of the card. I included a note with each card that uses the Hero Arts Stacked Books Fancy Die and another stamp from their Literally the Best stamp set. I used red and green card stock since these were for a Christmas bake sale, but how darling would these dies be on white paper with all the books colored in bright colors?! I'm sure I will find out soon as I plan to use these stamps and dies a lot! I also bought the Peek-A-Boo Books Fancy Die, the Bookworm Messages stamp set, and the Library Card Stamp & Cut die and stamp set, so you'll be seeing a lot of book-themed projects on my blog in 2023!😀



Close up of the shaker window: 



Cards with the sentiment on the inside and the window cut out from the front panel:


Notecard I created for the thank you message:



Challenges I'm entering:

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: December Challenge | Hero Arts: Shake it Up (create a shaker) (Ends Jan. 1)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for this week; ends Jan. 4)

Your Scrapbook Place : December Challenge - The Paper Shelter: ATG (1/3; ends Dec. 30)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies



Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG but Christmas (3/3; ends Dec. 31)

at 5 comments:

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Exploding Box Card

My oldest daughter was recently promoted to manager at the cheese shop she works at, and I wanted to make a special card to celebrate her promotion. I recently placed a SU! order and purchased this adorable "Taco Fiesta" stamp set that worked great for an exploding box card for my daughter.

I don't usually buy special score boards to make cards since I generally use my Silhouette Cameo 4 to create fun fold cards, but a friend of mine treated me to a card class at my local craft outlet store this past week as a Christmas present (I had treated her to one earlier in the season where we made sleighs together), and the class included We Are Memory Keepers Explosion Card Board. There's a bit of a learning curve to make this card, tray, and envelope, so I am glad we had an actual class on it. I also watched the assembly videos a couple times after I got home. It's not that it's particularly complicated; it's just that it's important to follow all the steps exactly in order for the card, tray, and envelope to turn out right. 

I used some cute papers (I love when I have just the right paper in my stash for a project!) to form the box, tray, and envelope and then set out to decorate the box. I personalized the Taco Fiesta set by using my Silhouette Design Studio software to do a print and cut of a few words/phrases like "Cheesemonger,"  "You're a manager!" and "Congratulations." I did a few sizes of each of the words/phrases so I could also use them as the confetti that pops out with the box card. 

I chose a scalloped label from my Silhouette files and sized it for the white card stock and then did an offset for the green mat behind the white card stock. Then I set about stamping and coloring (using Copic and Chameleon alcohol markers) and fussy cutting to decorate all 4 sides of the box card. I also stamped "Pull here" and "Hold here" (included in the WRMK's Exploding Box Card set) and adhered them to the tray and envelope. I used foam tape on the sentiments to add some dimension. 


Here's a look at the card when flattened to mail out, the confetti on top, the tray it fits in to mail, and the envelope:



Here's a look at the four sides of the box:









Here's the inside of the box with the rubber band that makes the magic happen!:


Side view:


Here's how it looks with everything tucked into the envelope. When the recipient pulls on the tray, the pressure is released, and the box card explodes out with the confetti bits:


Here's a look at the special board used to create the box card, tray, and envelope:


Challenges I'm entering: 

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends Dec. 28)

We Love Stamping: I love...I love making fun fold cards! Anything interactive and unique that makes the recipient feel special (1/3; ends Dec. 28)

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com) (unlilmited entries; ends Dec. 28)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Playing along with Thing 1: ATG this time (4/4; ends Dec. 28)

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #47 (secretstamper.com) (ends Jan. 4)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge (2/2; ends Dec. 26)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG (6/6; ends Jan. 1)


 ****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends 12/25)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge ...: ATG (3/3; ends Dec. 31)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends Jan. 4)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Party 

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party Time

The Paper Shelter: ATG (1/2; ends Jan. 18)

Your Scrapbook Place : December Challenge - The Paper Shelter: ATG (2/3; ends at the end of the month) 


Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG but Christmas (2/3; ends Dec. 31)


Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 26)

at 12 comments:

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

A Cup Of Cheer Mini Slimline Card

This is the last of a series of mini slimline cards I made using free coffee-themed graphics from Creative Fabrica. I used these elements in larger sizes on some other cards and decided it would be cute to combine all three cups in one card. One thing I love about digi stamps is the ability to size them according to the space I have on a card. In this case, I made them much smaller than the original graphics and then did a print and cut of them using my Silhouette Cameo 4. I created the sentiment using my Silhouette Design Studio software and did a print and cut of it, also. Then I cut a panel of red snowflake paper as my background and added the cups and sentiment using foam tape. So quick and cute! 



 Challenges I'm entering: 

 Anything Goes — Come Play Along with This Month's Slimline Challenge! – MFT Stamps: Any mini slimline card

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #12 - Snowman: Christmas, coffee/hot beverage, and a snowman (ends Dec. 25)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Cup of Cheer (the marshmallow snowman, the hot beverage, the cheerful smile on the snowman's face...all these elements inspired the graphic I chose, and the name of the challenge is what I chose for my sentiment) (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 31)

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com) (Unlimited entries; ends Jan. 11)

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Any occasion greetings (1/3; ends Jan. 1)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party time (3/5; ends Jan. 2)

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (10/10; ends Dec. 31)

Country View Challenges: ATG Christmas (2/5; ends Dec. 31) C10

 Christmas Card Throwdown (52cct.blogspot.com): (I hope the snowflakes on my design paper count. Snowmen are also made up of snowflakes technically 😁)

No more challenges
at 5 comments:

Holiday Wishes and Peppermint Kisses Mini Slimline Card

This was such a fun card to make! I found a My Favorite Things Snow Swirls Cover-Up at my local craft outlet the last time I was there, and I snatched it up! I love the way there are swirls at the top and snow drifts at the bottom! I feel like I can use this for a summer card, too, with an ocean theme. 

To make the card, I cut out a mini slimline card base out of white card stock and then die cut the Snow Swirls Cover-Up in both blue and white. I cut the bottom part of the white panel out and adhered it to the blue panel and then trimmed it to fit a mini slimline card. After trimming it, I adhered it to the card front. I created the sentiment using my Silhouette Design Studio software and did a print and cut of the sentiment and the graphic (a free graphic from Creative Fabrica). I popped those elements up using foam tape and then added a couple snowflakes I had die cut out of silver glitter paper for a previous project. I love when I can find a use for my extra embellishments! 




Look at the gorgeous detail from the Snow Swirls Cover-Up die!


 Anything Goes — Come Play Along with This Month's Slimline Challenge! – MFT Stamps: Any mini slimline card

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #12 - Snowman: Christmas, coffee/hot beverage, and a snowman (ends Dec. 25)

December Mood Board Card Challenge (not2shabbyshop.com): My card was inspired by the graphic of the drink with whipped cream from the mood board

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Freezing Cold (5/5; ends Dec. 21)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Cup of Cheer (the marshmallow snowman, the hot beverage, the cheerful smile on the snowman's face...all these elements inspired the graphic I chose) (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 31) Random winner of an embossing folder 1/2/23; email sent 1/2/23; reply from Donna 1/3/23 verifying the EF would be sent soon; EF arrived 1/12/23

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies: MFT Cover-up die plate

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (7/8)

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Any occasion greetings (2/3; ends Jan. 1)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com) (Unlimited entries; ends Jan. 11)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party time (2/5; ends Jan. 2)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge ...: ATG 2/3; ends Dec.31)

 {Cupcake Inspirations}: Happy Holidays (3/3; ends Dec. 22) Sweet Pick Winner 1/8/23


Christmas Card Throwdown (52cct.blogspot.com): 


Mirtillamente Challenge (mirtillamente-challenge.blogspot.com): Winter or Christmas (5/5; ends Dec. 27)

at 6 comments:

Have a Cup of Cheer Mini Slimline Card

For this mini slimline card, I created a card base out of white card stock and then cut a panel of blue card stock to fit the front of the card and embossed the panel with a Tim Holtz embossing folder that has darling little coffee designs. I adhered that to the base and then created the sentiment using my Silhouette Design Studio software. I did a print and cut of the sentiment and the cute coffee cup (a freebie from Creative Fabrica) and adhered those elements using foam tape. It was a quick card to create to add a little cheer to someone's day. It will probably go to my cousin to give to the hospice women she visits. 



A closer look at the embossing:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Anything Goes — Come Play Along with This Month's Slimline Challenge! – MFT Stamps: Any mini slimline card

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #12 - Snowman: Christmas, coffee/hot beverage, and a snowman (ends Dec. 25)

 Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an EF

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com) (Unlimited entries; ends Jan. 11)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party time (4/5; ends Jan. 2)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Cup of Cheer (the marshmallow snowman, the hot beverage, the cheerful smile on the snowman's face...all these elements inspired the graphic I chose, and the sentiment includes the name of this challenge in it) (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 31)

Country View Challenges: ATG Christmas (3/5; ends Dec. 31) C10

Let's Craft and Create (letscreatechallenges.blogspot.com): Inspired by a song (A Holly Jolly Christmas--Have a cup of cheer) (2/3 ends Jan. 5)

at 7 comments:

Sweet Christmas Mini Slimline

This was a quick and easy card using a digi from a free file at Creative Fabrica. If you've never visited the Creative Fabrica website, I highly recommend it! There are daily freebies and graphics for everything you can imagine. 

I cut my mini slimline card base out of red cardstock and then layered a panel of light tan card stock that I embossed with a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder. I created my sentiment using my Silhouette Design Studio software and did a print and cut of the sentiment as well as the graphic that I sized up to fit my card front. I popped the sentiment and graphic up using foam tape and then added a couple blue die cut snowflakes.  




 Challenges I'm entering: 

Anything Goes — Come Play Along with This Month's Slimline Challenge! – MFT Stamps: Any mini slimline card

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #12 - Snowman: Christmas, coffee/hot beverage, and a snowman (ends Dec. 25)

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with EF

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com) (Unlimited entries; ends Jan. 11)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party time (5/5; ends Jan. 2)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Cup of Cheer (the marshmallow snowman, the hot beverage, the cheerful smile on the snowman's face...all these elements inspired the graphic I chose) (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 31)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies: Die cut snowflakes

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (8/8)

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (8/10; ends Dec. 31)

Christmas Card Throwdown (52cct.blogspot.com): 

at 7 comments:

Blue and Gold Warmest Wishes Card

I love using glitter paste with stencils because it creates such fun texture! From now on, however, I plan to use watercolor paper when creating backgrounds with glitter paste because even after spending a night under my heavy eBosser plates, the glitter paste panels I made with card stock were still not really flat. I've tried it with watercolor paper, and it holds up better. 

To make this card, I started with blue ink and a sponge to create the first layer using one of the snowflake stencils in the 2-snowflake stencil set I have. Then I used gold glitter paste on the second layer. I love the depth and texture this creates! I added a few more die cut snowflakes and stars using some blue card stock scraps to complete the background and then moved on to the sentiment strip. "Warmest Wishes" is from a retired Close to my Heart stamp set. I stamped it onto white card stock and then die cut it with my new die set by Sue Wilson: Decorative Holly Rectangle Frame Slimline Collection. I added a strip of blue card stock die cut with the same die behind the sentiment. In hindsight, I may have been better off just stamping directly onto the blue card stock strip and skipping the white strip. I may play around with that idea for another card. I will definitely be playing with more glitter paste! I can't believe my local craft outlet had glitter paste for 25 cents a container and I only bought one of each color they had! I hadn't ever used it before and have a tendency to buy items on sale and then not use them (I think the glitter paste has been in my craft stash for over a year now, and I finally took it out to use it this past weekend😁), so I hesitate to purchase much of anything new in case I don't like it, but if I see glitter paste there again, I will snatch up more of it in a heartbeat! It's so fun to work with and creates such a cool texture!






Challenges I'm entering: 

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil Challenge

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com): ATG (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 28)

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! (stencilfun.blogspot.com): ATG or optional twist of any holiday (1/3; ends Dec. 31)

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (7/10; ends Dec. 31)

Christmas Card Throwdown (52cct.blogspot.com): Snowflakes C11  Honorable Mention 12/28/22



 Craft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Glitter (ends Jan. 15)

Mixed Media Lovers: Winter (1/3; ends Dec. 30) Top 3 Pick 12/31/22


https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Freezing Cold

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (9/10; ends Dec. 31)

{Cupcake Inspirations}: Happy Holidays


at 3 comments:

Hero Arts Book-Themed Christmas Card

This card is very special because I made it for my youngest daughter who won't be able to be home for Christmas this year. She's in the Navy's Nuclear Power Program in SC and will be working on Christmas Day. I've already sent her a few Christmas cards and a care package, but when I received my package of book-themed stamps and dies from Hero Arts a few days ago (I won the monthly Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero challenge last month and was delighted to see all their book-related stamps and dies! Thanks, Hero Arts!), I knew I wanted to make something for Emily with them. This card design is called a "Frame Card" and is a modified version of a cut file by Magio do Scrap that I purchased at the Silhouette Design Store. 

The front of this card has a shaker element. I want to thank Kanan Pandya on the Hero Arts DT for the inspiration to make this book window die into a shaker frame. I used the Hero Arts Book Window Fancy Die to create the shaker window and then die cut the book frame with a stitched oval die by Gina Marie Designs. I die cut a second oval of the same size using acetate and adhered it to the back of the gold card stock I used for the book frame. I used 2 layers of foam tape to create the shaker and added beads and Christmas shaker elements before adhering the gold panel to cover the shaker part. The sentiment I stamped on green card stock is from Hero Arts' Literally the Best stamp set. To decorate the inside of the card, I used that same set as well as stamps and dies from the Hero Arts Library Card Stamp and Cut set and the Hero Arts Stacked Books Fancy Die (which I cut into 3 pieces so it would fit on the panels of the card). 

The inside of the card is an accordion fold, so I had plenty of room to add stamps, die cuts, and ephemera. It was a fun card to make, and I'm hoping it cheers up my daughter. Working so far from home on Christmas is rough! At least she is safe and stateside this year though. I'm counting my blessings! 

Here's the card front: 


When the card is open, it looks like an accordion:



Here's the first fold after I personalized it for my daughter. After die cutting and stamping the library card note, I trimmed it down to fit the panel. The set comes with the "Overdue," "for," and "hugs & kisses" stamps as well as some other great sentiments:



Here are the other panels. I like how easily the book stack die can be cut into sections for shorter areas: 



Close up of the third panel. I used foam tape to adhere the top stack of books to the bottom one: 


Close up of the bottom panel. I used the library card pocket die to create a pocket to hold the tag I stamped "Sending" and "Love" with from the same set:



A few other views of the card from various angles:









A look at all the shaker elements:



Challenges I'm entering: 


https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Freezing cold (I have snowmen in my shaker mix and a snowy tree on the last panel) (3/5; ends 12/21)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Party time (Christmas celebration) (1/5; ends Jan. 2)

The Paper Shelter: Celebrations (1/2; ends 12/20)





Tuesday Color challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-tuesday.blogspot.com): Tic tac toe (diagonal from top left to bottom right: trees in the shaker and on the last panel; Santas and Santa hats in the shaker element mix, and snowmen in the shaker element mix) (3/3; ends Jan. 9)



Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Cup of cheer (I'm trying to cheer up my daughter as she's away from home this Christmas. The picture of the darling little marshmallow snowman in the mug of cocoa with a smile on his face made me think of what I'm trying to do for my daughter: put a smile on her face 😀. My card also matches the red and green colors in the inspiration picture.) (unlimited entries; ends Jan. 1)

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): the phrase that inspired me was "this is Christmas." 




{Cupcake Inspirations}: Happy Holidays




As You Like It Challenge: ATG Christmas (1/3; ends Jan. 11)


The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up: ATG Christmas (6/10; ends Dec. 31)

 Peace On Earth Christmas: ATG Christmas (2/3; ends Dec. 31)


Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (unlimited entries; ends Dec. 26)

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog: Traditional Christmas Colors (2/5; ends Dec. 29)

Creatalicious Challenges: ATG with option of CAS Christmas (3/3; ends Dec. 30)

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