Ornate Nutcracker Slimline Cards

I spent four or five days on these two cards, as the nutcrackers took a TON of work.  I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamps' Wednesday Challenge: Sparkle and Shine and Monday Challenge: Celebrate. (A super-sparkly, Swarovski-blinged nutcracker is pretty darned celebratory!) I just finished these cards, so they will go to special people on my mailing list next year (2021).

The cards are slimline, measuring 3.5" x 8.5". I spent four or five days on the nutcrackers alone. He's Colonel Cashew (Stamplistic), a 7.25" x 2.75" cling stamp. I carefully thought about all of the colors and textures I wanted on him, then selected about a dozen papers and stamped him 30+ times. 

Next, the hard work began. I used scissors to fussy cut him over and over, carefully gluing each layer on top of the last one. For example, I had one full nutcracker for the base (so I could start gluing). Next, I fussy cut a full nutcracker in steel gray (for the back layer of his hair). Then, I cut a full nutcracker, EXCEPT for the back layer of hard, and glued that over the gray one. As I continued, layers started getting smaller, and he continued to feel sturdier. By the time I was done, he was about 1/8" thick and felt like wood. (His mustache and the metal accents were the final layers.) Just a note: I used Ranger Multi-Medium Matte to glue the layers together, as it dries quickly but provides enough time to slide the layers around to the right spots.

Even though many of his accessories were on a metallic silver or gold paper, he still needed more bling. I added 20 Swarovski crystals to each nutcracker (Crystal on the silver and Silver Night on the gold). I found a sparkly-red-striped paper in my stash and layered it on top of a black cardstock base. The card is very 3D and has tons of sparkle!

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Colonel Cashew rubber cling stamp (Stamplistic)

Other supplies:

• Black and red-striped cardstock
  
• Various cardstock colors for each layer
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
• Ranger Multi-Medium Matte 
• Clear Swarovski crystals
  
• Silver Night Swarovski crystals
• Paper Rose Silver and Gold Cardstock
  

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Holiday Birdhouse Card

Well, I thought I was done with Christmas cards, and then some colleagues decided to do a card swap (since we don't see each other in the office anymore). I guess I'll make a few more! I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamps' Wednesday Challenge: Let It Snow.

This card is slimline, measuring 3.5" x 8.5". I cut all of the birdhouse shapes out of the Elizabeth Craft "Holiday Birdhouse" die set. I used a blending tool and Distress Oxide inks to color everything, except for the candy canes and light bulbs. I used Copic markers to color those pieces, along with a white gel pen for highlights.

I cut 3.25" wide snow banks for the bottom, using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders dies, and used a blending tool to add some Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Ink for shadows. I wanted the snow to be sparkly, so I used a Zig 2-Way Glue Pen and Ranger Rock Candy Glitter to cover the snow banks, snow on the birdhouse, and the birdhouse roof with glitter.

I cut the sentiment from the Whimsy Stamps "Peaceful" die set, covered them with glue, and coated them with Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter.

I cut a 3.25" x 8.25" white cardstock panel and covered it with Distress Oxides (don't remember which ones). I created my card base with a black mat, then glued down the blue panel. I kept adding items, using a combination of Scor-tape and Ranger Multi-Medium Matte glue, until everything was attached to the card. For a final touch, I added a Silver Night Swarovski crystal for the dot over the "i" in the sentiment.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Holiday Birdhouse die set (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
• Peaceful die set (Whimsy Stamps)
  
• Stitched Hillside Borders dies (Lawn Fawn)
  

Other supplies:

• Black and white cardstock
  
• Distress Oxide inks (various)
  
• Ink blending tool
  
• Ranger Rock Candy Transparent Glitter
• Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter
  
• Liquid Glue (I used Zig 2-Way Glue Pens)
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
• Ranger Multi-Medium Matte 
• Silver Night Swarovski crystals
  

Season's tweetings!

Snowmen and Truck Scene for my Nephew

My three-year-old nephew is OBSESSED with trucks. Pickup trucks, firetrucks, dump trucks... all of it. He's also not old enough to appreciate detailed coloring, which takes me 2-3 days to make one card. When I saw a 6"x6" paper pad at Michael's that had snowmen and a red truck, I decided to use it on a card for him. I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamps' Wednesday Challenge: Let It Snow.

This card is slimline, measuring 3.5" x 8.5". I fussy cut all of the snowmen, truck and sign post from the Say Freeze 6"x6" paper pad, which took a while (but a lot less time than anything I'd color). 

I cut my sky panel (3.25" x 8.25" and quickly used my ink blending tool and Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink to get the color I wanted for the sky. I somehow forgot that I have slimline slope dies (DOH!) and made the slimline slopes the hard way. I used Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders dies to cut half of the slope, then lined up another hillside border die (overlapping the first half) to create the long, curvy panels. (It would have been SO MUCH EASIER if I'd remembered that I have My Favorite Things' Slimline Stitched Slopes dies. Argh!)

I used my ink blending tool and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Ink to lightly shade the lower half of each slope. I glued the top slope down onto the sky panel, then popped up the front slope with foam dots. I felt like the snow needed to be sparkly, so I used a Zig 2-Way Glue Pen and Ranger Rock Candy Transparent Glitter to cover the slopes with glitter. (It also softened the blue shading, which was nice.)

I attached my characters with a combo of liquid glue (Ranger Multi-Medium Matte) and foam dots. I used my paper cutter to cut out the sentiment from another page in the paper pad. Now my nephew will have a Christmas card with a truck, and I didn't have to do any stamping or coloring (which he wouldn't appreciate). Score!

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Say Freeze 6"x6" paper pad (Recollections/Michael's)
• Stitched Hillside Borders dies (Lawn Fawn)
  

Other supplies:

• Black and white cardstock
  
• Distress Oxide inks: Salty Ocean and Tumbled Glass 
• Ink blending tool
  
• Ranger Rock Candy Transparent Glitter
  
• Liquid Glue (I used Zig 2-Way Glue Pens)
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
• Ranger Multi-Medium Matte
  
• Foam dots
  

Happy holidays!

Merry and Bright Santa Card

We needed some more fairly-quick-but-festive cards, and my mother wanted to make a Santa card, so this one is a collaboration. I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamps' Wednesday Challenge: Let It Snow.

This card measures 5" x 6.5". Santa is from the Hey Santa digital stamp set (Angie Blom Digital Designs). I printed Santa on Copic XPress-It Blending Card, then did a quick coloring of him with Copics. After I finished coloring, I fussy cut him and put Ranger Glossy Accents on his glasses. I felt like he needed a body, so I cut a body shape (freehand) out of some plaid Christmas cardstock. I added his sparkly suspenders with black, glittery washi tape.

My mother created the other elements. She created the background with Distress Oxide inks (Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky, Black Soot) and then splattered it with white acrylic paint (using the Tim Holtz Splatter Brush).

She cut the pine branches from the Tim Holtz Festive Greenery die set (Sizzix) and also splattered them with white paint. She cut the sentiment (from the Poinsettia Fold-a-Long die set by Sizzix) out of gold, mirrored cardstock.

The gold sentiment wasn't showing up well on the background, so we cut a small circle (Distress Edge Circle Dies by Kat Scrappiness) to put behind it. We put foam dots behind Santa when we mounted him on the card.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Hey Santa digital stamp set (Angie Blom Digital Designs)
• Poinsettia Fold-a-Long die set (Sizzix)
  
• Tim Holtz Festive Greenery Dies (Sizzix) 
• Distress Edge Circle dies (Kat Scrappiness)
  

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copics (various)
• Die-cutting machine (we used the Vagabond)
  
• Distress Oxide inks (or whatever blue and green inks you want to use)
  
• White acrylic paint
• Tim Holtz Splatter Brush
  
• Black, glittery washi tape (Recollections)
• Ranger Glossy Accents
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
• Foam dots
  

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Quilt Cards

I needed a few more Christmas cards, and at least two of the recipients are quilters, so I decided to make Christmas Quilt Cards. I am also playing along with Simon Says Stamps' Monday Challenge: Favorite Technique. (Mixing special, textured papers is one of my favorite techniques. It's like a big, pretty puzzle!)

This is an A2 (4.25" x 5.5") card. I found three fabric-like papers from my stash: a green velvet, red crinkled cotton fiber paper, and cream crinkled cotton fiber paper. I cut the Quilt 8 die (Gina Marie Designs) through all three of these papers, then mixed and matched the pieces, like a jigsaw puzzle.

I mounted the outline onto a 3.9" x 3.9" piece of white cardstock, then used Ranger Multi-Medium Matte to glue pieces into place. (I love that glue because it dries clear, so you can't see it anywhere.) I found some cardstock with Christmas sheet music in my stash, mounted that on a cranberry red card base, and then popped up the quilt with foam dots.

I had the hardest time finding a sentiment I liked, but I finally settled on an old "joy" sentiment die I'd gotten many years ago from Taylored Expressions. I coated the die-cut word with Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter, just for some extra sparkle.

I glued the sentiment onto the card and added a large, clear Swarovski crystal in the center of the quilt. Here's a close-up of one of the quilt cards:

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Quilt Die 8 (Gina Marie Designs)
• Joy word die (Taylored Expressions)

Other supplies:

• Textured or fabric cardstock (I used velvet and crinkled metallic fiber cardstock)
  
• Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter
  
• Foam dots
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
  
• Ranger Multi-Medium Matte
  

Merry Christmas!

Slimline Winter Scene Mask Template

A week ago, my mother found some cute Christmas 3D stickers at Hobby Lobby, and they featured a car with a tree on top and an ice skater. She bought 6-8 packs and asked me to create an easy-but-beautiful slimline layout. After thinking about the challenge, I decided it would be easiest to create my own template (stencils and masks), so she can produce many of these cards with ease. If you'd like the template, you can download it in the list of materials below. First, want to see what we're making?

My template will help you create the entire background, and it's all one layer, so you don't need dies or stamps. After you create the background, embellish however you'd like. I created the same background for both cards, but the embellishments totally changed the scenes.

If you use my template to create projects and share your work online, please mention where you got the template. I'd like to know that all of this was helpful, so I can create and share similar templates and projects in the future.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• MY SLIMLINE WINTER SCENE TEMPLATE. I recommend printing on the thickest/sturdiest cardstock that you have, since you'll want to use the pieces for multiple cards. When you print the page, the size of the largest rectangle is 4" x 9". NOTE: I lined up the rectangles so you can easily cut the outer edges and the line between Slope #2 & the Road with your paper trimmer. Trim other lines by hand.
  
• SCISSORS to cut template. Paper trimmer is optional (and recommended).
• HEAVYWEIGHT WHITE CARDSTOCK (thick & sturdy), cut to 8.25" x 3.25". I used the Recollections 110 lb. Heavyweight White Cardstock from Michael's. I also used this same cardstock when I printed my template.
  
• 3 DIFFERENT BLUE INK PADS. I used Distress Oxides: Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky, and Broken China.
• 1 BLACK INK PAD. I used Memento Tuxedo Black.
• APPLICATOR TOOLS for the inks. I use the Ranger Applicator Tool with foam rounds.
• REMOVABLE TAPE to hold your paper and stencils in place. I use 3M Post It Tape.
• Recommended: RULER (to line up your layers)
• OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED (for sparkle!): Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel, Black and White
  
• OTHER CARDSTOCK (your choice of colors) for a mat below the winter scene and the card base. The card base should be 8.5" x 7" (folded in half), and the mat should be 8.5" x 3.5".
• EMBELLISHMENTS for the scene. Anything you want, from cars and ice skaters to snowmen and/or winter characters. The products I used for each card are:
• CARD 1 (car and ice skater): Merry Christmas 3D Stickers (Hobby Lobby); Simon Says Stamp "Peace, Love and Belly Rubs" stamp set (sentiment); Zots (small) for gluing the car sticker to the Glitz Gel
  
• CARD 2 (Santa and houses): Tim Holtz "Village Christmastime Thinlits Dies;" My Favorite Things "Our Town" Die-Namics; Hero Arts October 2020 My Monthly Hero Kit (snowman, sentiment); Salty Ocean Distress Oxide Ink (instead of Stormy Sky); R29 and E79 Copic markers; Paper Rose Silver Shimmer Cardstock; Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter; Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder; Recollections Opaque Paint Markers (details on snowman)
  
• OPTIONAL: Ranger Glossy Accents (or Hero Arts Clear Lacquer) for ice on pond
  

Ready to start crafting? Here we go!

STEP 1: CUT OUT THE TEMPLATE

Once you print the template, make sure it's sized properly. The printout should fill the entire page, and the largest rectangle should measure 4" x 9".

I recommend using a paper trimmer to cut the edges, especially the line between Slope #2 and the Road. Otherwise, cut the slopes and outside of the pond mask with scissors. (The tab will make sense later, if you choose to add the Glitz Gel.) For the Pond Stencil, you want to cut out the inside area. I suggest stabbing the middle with your scissors and then trimming along the lines. When you're done, your pieces should look like this:

STEP 2: CREATING THE POND

Tape down your 3.25" x 8.25" white cardstock panel. (I use 3M Post It Tape, as it removes easily.) 

Place the SLOPE #2 layer where you'd like the pond to sit. I used a ruler and made sure the bottom of the SLOPE #2 stencil was 0.5" from the bottom. (I wanted my road to be 1/2 inch tall.)

Carefully lay your POND STENCIL over the SLOPE #2 layer, lining up the ponds. Once it's lined up, tape down the POND STENCIL and carefully remove the SLOPE #2 layer. Right now, all you want on the panel is the pond.

 
Using your applicator tool, apply Broken China Distress Oxide (or whatever blue ink you selected for the pond) to the inside of the POND STENCIL.

Once you've filled in the pond, carefully peel the stencil away.

STEP 3: CREATING THE SNOW/SLOPES

Now you have a pond, so let's add some snowy hills! 

Place the SLOPE #2 stencil over your pond, so you don't get the snow color on the pond. Also place your SKY stencil at the top of the page. (You're using the sky layer to figure out how much shading to add to the snow, so the tops of the hills remain white.)

With both stencils in place, use your applicator tool and Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide (or whatever blue ink your chose for the snow) to add ink ABOVE SLOPE #2 but not touching the SKY stencil.

Remove the SLOPE #2 stencil, and lay down the ROAD stencil. (I find it easiest to lay down the road stencil so it snuggles up to SLOPE #2, THEN remove SLOPE #2, so I know I'm leaving that 1/2 inch area evenly across the bottom.)

Use your applicator tool to add ink ABOVE the ROAD stencil.

 

Lay down the POND MASK and add blue "snow" shading around the mask. You may need to move the mask around a bit to get the blue ink perfectly flush against the pond.

Now that your snow is done, let's work on the sky!

STEP 4: CREATING THE SKY

Remove the POND MASK and ROAD stencil. 

Before you remove the SKY stencil, lay down the SLOPE #1 layer. Make sure it fits snugly against the SKY stencil.

Once your SLOPE #1 layer is tacked down, remove the SKY stencil. Use your applicator tool and Stormy Sky Distress Oxide (or whatever blue ink you chose for the sky) and cover the entire top of the panel.

The sky's done, so let's create the last background element!

STEP 5: CREATING THE ROAD

The last element to create is the road.

First, lay down the SLOPE #2 stencil. The stencil should cover the light blue "snow" ink you've put above the road.

Next, use your applicator tool and black ink (I used Memento Tuxedo Black) to cover the road area with black ink. Since I planned on adding the Black Glitz Gel, I didn't worry about perfectly covering the area. I simply wanted to make sure no white paper showed through when I added the gel.

The scene is now complete! I did a few additional steps to add lots of sparkle, but these steps are optional.

STEP 6 (OPTIONAL): ADDING SPARKLE (A.K.A. BLINGING THE HECK OUT OF THIS SCENE!)

One of my favorite new products this year is the Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel. I love the sparkle created by glitter, but I HATE having glitter dust everywhere. The gel goes on smoothly and adds so much sparkle! AS AN ALTERNATIVE, if you don't have or want the Glitz Gel, you could use a spray adhesive and transparent glitter. I'd avoid liquid glue for covering the snow and road, because liquid glue can warp/wrinkle the paper.

Before I removed the ROAD stencil, I used a palette knife to spread the Black Glitz Gel over the entire road section. SUPER IMPORTANT!! Before you dry the gel (either with a heat tool or by air drying), remove the stencil and move your panel away from any gel still on your craft mat!!! The gel is like cement when it's dry, and if your stencil is still on, the gel will permanently glue that stencil in place.

I'm impatient, so I used a heat tool (embossing gun) to dry the gel. It dries the gel quickly, but I noticed that there was some warping (curling up or down). IF YOU USE THE HEAT TOOL, I highly recommend letting the finished panel sit for 4-8 hours before attaching it to your card or embellishing. The gel and paper relax over time, and I noticed that almost all warping/curling disappeared. You can remove any remaining warping when you attach your panel to your card base.

MAKE SURE THE GEL ON THE ROAD IS DRY BEFORE WORKING ON THE SNOW LAYER, as you have to lay down the ROAD stencil over the black gel.

To glitter the snow, cover the road with the ROAD stencil, cover the sky with the SKY stencil, and cover the pond with the POND MASK. This is where the tab will help you!

Once all stencils/masks are in place, use a palette knife to spread the White Glitz Gel across the entire snowy area. Take your time, spread in one direction, and make sure the gel covers thinly and evenly. (If your gel is very thick, it will take longer to dry and warp your paper more.)

BEFORE DRYING THE GEL, whether with a heat tool or air drying, remove the stencils/masks. This is where the tab helps, since you're not able to grab the POND MASK from the edges without disturbing the gel. If you remove the POND MASK with the tab, it will leave a clean area over your pond.

Again, if you use a heat tool, let your paper relax (4-8 hours) before attaching the panel to anything. Here's a look at the finished panel. OMG, SO SPARKLY!!!

EMBELLISHING YOUR CARD (CREATING A SCENE)

Once your panel is dry, attach it to your card base. On both cards, I used a black cardstock mat (8.5" x 3.5") over a white card base, and I attached the scene panel using double-sided tape (Scor-tape). Make sure to include some tape throughout the center of the panel, as you don't want anything to warp or peel away from the card base.

For the first card, I kept things fairly simple. Before I attached any of the stickers, I used Ranger Glossy Accents to fill the pond with "ice." I let the panel sit for a while (30 minutes or so) before I added the sticker of the ice skater. I wanted the Glossy Accents to still be a bit wet, so it would hold the sticker securely.

I stamped a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp "Peace, Love and Belly Rubs" set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on the same white cardstock that I used for the scene panel. Since I was attaching the car over the Glitz Gel, I used some small Zots, as they will stick to just about anything. (Regular stickers or foam dots will NOT hold securely to the Glitz Gel or any glittered paper.) The candy cane sticker from the set completed the card.

For the second card, I got more complex. Instead of creating a road at the bottom of the panel, I flipped the SLOPE #1 stencil over and created more snow drifts. Since I didn't have a road, I used the White Glitz Gel over 2/3 of the card. I also switched the Stormy Sky Distress Oxide for Salty Ocean Distress Oxide, and I lightly splattered the sky with water. (Mask off the rest of your card before splattering, as you don't want to splatter the snow or pond.)

I used the My Favorite Things "Our Town" Die-Namics to cut the buildings. Since the card is so wide, I had to cut two of them. I used Paper Rose Silver Shimmer Cardstock for the buildings, then used my R29 and E79 copics to color them red or brown. I used my palette knife to spread some White Glitz Gel over the bottom of the die-cut pieces, as well as a few spots on the roof. 

For Santa, I die cut the Tim Holtz "Village Christmastime" Santa and reindeer out of black cardstock. I added a very thin layer of glue and covered the entire piece with Elizabeth Craft Black Microfine Glitter.

While Santa and the buildings dried, I stamped the snowman from the October 2020 Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit with Versafine ink. I heat-embossed it with Ranger White Superfine Detail Embossing Powder. I used some Recollections Opaque Paint Markers to create the little details (eyes, hat, etc.) on the snowman. (Copics smear and won't dry properly.)

I stamped the sentiment (using Memento Tuxedo Black) from the same Hero Arts kit onto the same white cardstock that I used for the panel. 

I glued the snowman to the pond and used Zots to attach everything else.

After I finished the second card, I actually wished I'd put the pond lower and used the buildings along the top of the panel, so all of the elements would be in a more proper perspective (big Santa, medium snowman, small buildings). Oh, well. Next time.

I hope you find my template and these instructions helpful. If you create cards using the template, I'd love it if you tag me, so I can see and comment on your project. I'd also really appreciate if you'd mention where you got the template, as I spent a lot of time creating all of these materials.

Have a holly jolly holiday season!

Kitty Mischief at Christmas

I'm still working on Christmas cards, and I wanted to play with the Snarky Cats again. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I incorporated some glittery mini Christmas light buttons I found at Hobby Lobby, just to make the cats a little naughtier.

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. I stamped the cat with Christmas lights from the Tim Holtz Snarky Cat Christmas Stamptember 2020 set (retired) and another cat and bird from the Snarky Cat set, using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. I colored them with Copics, then fussy cut them with scissors. (I tried using the Scan n' Cut but the machine kept trying to cut THROUGH the images!)

I cut a 3.25" x 8.25" white panel and used a ruler and pencil to mark off the floor, baseboard, and wall. I used Copics and drew a Christmas tree on its side, assuming the cat has tipped it over and taken off the lights, and lightly colored the blue floor and pale gray wall.

I stamped the sentiments from both stamp sets with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink directly onto the background. I glued on the bird and cat with lights, then prepared my string of lights. I found these little, glittery Christmas "light" buttons at Hobby Lobby, and I strung them on some black embroidery floss, tying knots where I wanted the lights to hang. I attached the string to the card by taping it down on the back side of the panel. I popped the hanging cat up with foam dots and attached him to the panel, overlapping his paws over the string, so it looks like he's hanging (or pulling them down). The paws also hold the string down, so the string of lights doesn't flop all over the card.

I used a simple, black cardstock mat to highlight the colors on the card. The card seemed busy enough, so I resisted the urge to add crystals or other embellishments.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Snarky Cat Christmas Stamptember 2020 stamp set (Tim Holtz/Simon Says Stamp, retired)
• Snarky Cat stamp set (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Black Embroidery Floss
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
  
• Mini Christmas Light Buttons (Hobby Lobby)
  

Meowy Christmas!

Birthday Card in Fall Colors

I always need birthday cards, but I'm still in the mood for fall colors, so I created this birthday card in autumn hues. (The sentiment is heat-embossed and shiny, which caused the reflection on that part of the card.)

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. I stamped the flowers (from "Long Stem Flowers Stamptember 2020" by Paper Rose/Simon Says Stamp) with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. I colored the flowers, stems and leaves with Copics, and then fussy cut them with scissors.

I cut a 3.25" x 8.25" panel of black cardstock, then used the MFT Mini Staggered Circles Stencil with Silver Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel. I carefully spread the gel with a palette knife, then heat-set it with my embossing gun.

I didn't have the right shade of red cardstock for the base mat, so I cut a 3.5" x 8.5" white panel and used Crackling Campfire Distress Oxide Ink to color the edges. That ink is sort of a tomato soup color, so it went well with my flowers.

I cut a 1" x 4" strip of vellum and heat-embossed the sentiment with Onyx Black Versafine Ink, Ranger Super Fine Clear Embossing Powder, and my embossing gun.

I assembled my top layer with double-sided tape, first placing the flowers and stems, then wrapping the sentiment around the bottom of the stems. I felt like the card needed some softness, so I used a pretty, white ribbon to create a bow and also wrapped that around the card. Finally, I tucked in my leaves at the stems and adhered the finished panel to the rest of the card.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Long Stem Flowers Stamptember 2020 stamp set (Paper Rose/Simon Says Stamp, retired)
• Mini Staggered Circles Stencil (My Favorite Things)
  

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Versafine Onyx Black Ink
• Ranger Super Fine Clear Embossing Powder
  
• Silver Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel
• Embossing/heat gun
• Cracking Campfire Distress Oxide Ink
• White ribbon
• Vellum cardstock
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
  

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Jingle All The Way Card

I'm currently working on holiday (mostly Christmas) cards, and I'm also playing along with the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge. This one is a little cheekier card than I normally make, but it's for someone specific (my uncle, who loves this type of humor).

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. I stamped two cats and a bird from the Tim Holtz Snarky Cat Christmas Stamptember 2020 set (retired) and Snarky Cat Christmas set, using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. I colored them with Copics, then used my Scan 'n Cut to cut them out. (I was NOT fussy cutting those tassels.)

I cut a 3.25" x 8.25" white panel and used Distress Oxide Speckled Egg Ink and the My Favorite Things Mini Cloud Edges stencil to create the clouds. I cut a same-size panel of very sparkly, white glitter paper and then used the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders die set to cut the snowy slopes. I glued the sloped pieces to the cloud panel using double-sided Scor-Tape.

I stamped the sentiment ("Jingler" by Impression Obsession) with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on white cardstock, then carefully trimmed it with my Cutterpillar. I used some jingle-bell brads from Hobby Lobby to give each cat a jingle bell (poking a small hole first, then putting the brad in). Finally, I attached everything to the card base: red cardstock base, cloud panel, sparkle snow layers, cats/bird and sentiment. I popped up the sentiments and grouchy cat for a little dimension.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Snarky Cat Christmas Stamptember 2020 stamp set (Tim Holtz/Simon Says Stamp, retired)
• Snark Cat Christmas stamp set (Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous)
• Jingler stamp (Impression Obsession)
• Stitched Hillside Borders die set (Lawn Fawn)
• Mini Cloud Edges Stencil (My Favorite Things)
  

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Cherry Cobbler cardstock and Diamond Glitter cardstock (Stampin' Up)
  
• Double-sided tape (Scor-tape)
  
• Jingle bell brads (Hobby Lobby)
  

Happy holidays!

Amazing Worthy Powerful Woman

I created today's card for a friend/colleague who loves to dress in classy and stylish fashion for work, but since we're all working from home now, she hasn't had an opportunity to dress up in a while. Her favorite color is pink, and I definitely think she'd rock this outfit.

This is a 5" x 7" card, and the character fills most of the space. This classy lady is a digital stamp called "Autumn Audrey" by Sweet Escape Digis. I added the sentiment next to her from the Fresh Start digital stamp set (Graciellie Design).

I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with Copic markers. I wanted her to shine, so I layered the colored panel over bright, pink cardstock. Finally, I added a few Rose Swarovski crystal for a little sparkle.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Autumn Audrey digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Fresh Start digital stamp set (Graciellie Design)
  

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Pink cardstock (Gina K)
  
• Double-sided tape
  
• Rose Swarovski crystals
  

Have a fantastic week!

Hello Card for a Book Lover

Today, I've taken the Reading Lily digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis) and created a quiet reading space for her. I'm going to send this card to a colleague I haven't seen in many months (due to working from home), as she's as much of a bookworm as I am. While I've embraced digital technology, including digital books, I believe there's just something so magical about holding a physical book in your hands.

This is a 5" x 7" card, and the character fills most of the space. This lovely bibliophile is a digital stamp called "Reading Lily" by Sweet Escape Digis. I added the sentiment to her shirt from the Hellebores digital stamp set (Power Poppy).

I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with Copic markers. I fussy cut her (with scissors), then worked on the rest of the scene.

I trimmed a 4.75" x 6.75" white cardstock panel, then cut the papers for the wallpaper behind her and floor underneath her. The wallpaper is a patterned paper by My Favorite Things (cut to 5.75" x 4.75"), and the floor is a 1" x 4.75" strip of patterned paper by Stampin' Up. After the panel was done, I stamped the "Hello" sentiment on it (Honey Bee Stamptember set from 2020) with Tuxedo Black Ink.

I layered my colored panel over a 5" x 7" black cardstock panel using double-sided tape. I mounted the girl on foam dots, so there would be dimension, and attached her to the front of the card. Finally, I added some light blue enamel dots.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Reading Lily digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Hellebores digital stamp set (Power Poppy)
  
• On My Mind stamp set (Honey Bee/Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2020, retired)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink 
• Patterned paper (My Favorite Things and Stampin' Up)
  
• Double-sided tape
  
• Foam dots
  
• Light blue enamel dots (Gina Marie Designs)
  

I hope you find some quiet time to read something good this week!

Beautiful Autumn Princess Card

Today, I've taken the Alexandra digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis) and colored her as an autumn princess. The girl looks a lot like someone I know, so I colored her with the same hair and eye color and will give the card to her next month.

This is a 5" x 7" card, and the character fills most of the space. This lady with flowers is a gorgeous digital stamp called "Alexandra" by Sweet Escape Digis.

I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with Copic markers. That beautiful hair took me two days, as it was like coloring Rapunzel's hair!

After the coloring was done, I trimmed the panel to 6.75" x 4.75". I stamped a sentiment from a Studio Katia stamp set (Stamptember 2020) in the bottom right corner. I layered my colored panel over a 5" x 7" red cardstock panel using double-sided tape.

I can't resist extra sparkle, so I glued on some Light Siam Swarovski crystals to finish the card.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Alexandra digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Flower Bunch stamp set (Studio Katia/Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2020, retired)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
  
• Double-sided tape
  
• Ranger Matte Multi-Medium
• Light Siam Swarovski crystals

Have a fabulous fall day!

Missing You Every Day Card

My sister and I have always been very close, and for the past several years, we've lived on opposite ends of the country. I have an autoimmune condition, so we have to be extra careful during the pandemic, and I don't know when I'll get to (physically) see her again. I miss her every day. I made this card for her, as a surprise.

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. The girl is a lovely digital stamp called "Nevaeh" by KristaSmithStamps (on Etsy). The sentiment is from the "Simple Sayings: Miss You" clear stamp set by Pretty Pink Posh.

I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with Copic markers. I fussy cut her, then cut my panels for the rest of the card.

For the black panel (8.25" x 3.25"), I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Ink and heat embossed it with Ranger Silver Tinsel Embossing Powder. I glued all of the layers together, then finished with a few teal glass drops. (Unfortunately, they look more clear than blue on the black cardstock.) Finally, I drew a "floor" with a while Prismacolor pencil.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Nevaeh digital stamp (KristaSmithStamps)
• Simple Sayings: Miss You stamp set (Pretty Pink Posh)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Versafine Ink
  
• Ranger Silver Tinsel Embossing Powder
  
• Blue glass drops
  

I hope you stay safe and healthy during this crazy year!

 

Hey Beautiful Girl Card

Today's card is one of my favorites of all the cards I've made... and that's a LOT of cards!

This is a 5" x 7" card, and the character fills most of the space. This lady with flowers is a gorgeous digital stamp called "Emily with Flowers" by Sweet Escape Digis. The sentiment is from the Keep Growing digital stamp set by Graciellie Design.

Since the image and sentiment I used were both digital stamps, I resized the girl and layered the sentiment at the bottom, right edge in MS Word. TIP: If you create a shape (rectangle or whatever) in the size of your card - in this case, 5" x 7" - you can properly size all of the other elements. When you're done, you can delete the shape and know that your images will be the perfect size.

Once I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card, I colored her with Copic markers. It took several sessions (over three days), as there were a LOT of elements to color. I stuck with fall colors, starting with her lovely red hair.

After the coloring was done, I trimmed the panel to 6.75" x 4.75". I cut a 5" x 7" panel of white cardstock, and then I carefully attached brown, glittery washi tape around the edges. It looks like a layer of glittery cardstock, but it's MUCH cheaper, and you can still securely glue your top panel to the non-washi-taped parts of the bottom layer. (I find it incredibly difficult to get ANYTHING to stick to glitter cardstock, so this is the perfect solution.) I also put a layer of double-sided tape down at the edges, just to provide an extra-strong hold on the washi tape, as washi tape loses its stickiness over time.

I can't resist even more sparkle, so I glued on some Topaz Swarovski crystals to finish the card.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Emily with Flowers digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Keep Growing digital stamp set (Graciellie Design)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Brown glitter washi tape (Michael's brand)
  
• Double-sided tape
  
• Ranger Matte Multi-Medium
• Topaz Swarovski crystals

Have a beautiful day!

Nativity Slimline Card

Today, I created a slimline card, inspired by the Nativity. When I saw the stamp set with these characters, they reminded me of the cute little people (Fisher Price, I think?) I played with as a child.

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. There was actually a surprisingly large amount of coloring involved, as every character has a different outfit and accessories.

The main stamp set I used is called "Christmas Nativity" (by Joy Clair). I stamped all of the characters with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card, and then I colored all of them with Copics. I fussy cut them (with scissors) and set them aside while I worked on the background.

I cut three panels for the background: black cardstock (3.5" x 8.5"), sky panel (3.25" x 8.25"), and sand panel (8.25" x 1.9" after cut with the die). I blended Faded Jeans and Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide Inks for the sky, and then inked the sand layer with Antique Linen Distress Oxide Ink. I cut the sloped shape with the Stitched Slimline Snow Drifts Die-Namics (My Favorite Things). I lightly splattered both the sky and sand panels with water and blotted them dry with a paper towel.

I stamped the sentiment (from "Lyrical Script" by Altenew) with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on a 0.5" x 2" piece of white cardstock, and then I got to do the fun part: assembly! I glued all of my layers with a tape runner, as liquid glue would activate the Distress Oxides again and cause running or bleeding. I took my Y26 Copic marker and drew the shadows on the sand. Finally, I added some clear Swarovski crystals for the star, with the largest one as the Star of Bethlehem, and glued those on with Ranger Matte Multi-Medium.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Christmas Nativity stamp set (Joy Clair)
• Stitched Slimline Snow Drifts Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Lyrical Script stamp set (Altenew)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Distress Oxide Inks: Faded Jeans, Blueprint Sketch, and Antique Linen
• Tape runner
• Ranger Matte Multi-Medium
• Clear Swarovski crystals

Have a wondrous day!

Witch with a Pumpkin Card

Today, I was in a Halloween mood, so I colored up this lovely Witch with a Pumpkin digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis) and turned her into a card.

This is a 5" x 7" card, and the witch takes up most of that space. I printed her on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with my Copics. I fussy cut her with scissors, carefully removing any white space that would hide the patterned background..

I stamped the sentiment from the Sassy Pants Spooktacular stamp set (My Favorite Things) onto a 0.75" x 4.75" strip of white cardstock and added that at the bottom of the card. Finally, I added a few purple enamel dots.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Witch with a Pumpkin digital stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Sassy Pants Spooktacular stamp set (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Patterned Halloween cardstock
• Purple enamel dots

Have a spooktacular day!

Believe in Christmas Card

I printed this digital stamp ("Christmas Prayer" by KristaSmithStamps) several months ago, but I buried it under a pile of other printouts. Finally, I had a chance to come back to it and create a Christmas card!

This is a slimline (3.5" x 8.5") card. I printed Christmas Prayer on Copic XPress-It Blending Card and colored her with my Copics. I fussy cut her with scissors, mainly because I wanted to replace some of the items in her Christmas crown with 3D poinsettias.

I cut the "Believe" sentiment (My Favorite Things) into gold mirror cardstock. From the Small Poinsettia Die Set (Impression Obsession), I cut 6 of the smallest poinsettia. I colored them with Copics (4 red, 2 tan) and coated them in transparent microfine glitter. I glued them together in pairs, offsetting the top flower so the flower would have very full petals.

I layered a bottom red cardstock mat under a black panel, and then I glued on the sentiment and girl. I glued the poinsettias onto her flower crown, and I added a clear Swarovski crystal (4mm) to the center of each poinsettia. I added a few more Swarovski crystals around her for a little more sparkle.

Here's a better view of the 3D flowers:

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Christmas Prayer digital stamp (KristaSmithStamps)
• Believe Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Small Poinsettia Die Set (Impression Obsession)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Gold mirror cardstock
• Transparent microfine glitter (warm tones)
• Clear Swarovski crystals

Have a blessed day!

Alexa Rain Shaker Card

Today, I've created a rain shaker card featuring the gorgeous Alexa (by Sweet Escape Digis). As soon as I saw her, the Lady Gaga lyrics started running through my head, and I knew she needed some rain in her life. (If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you'll see a video of the rain shaker card in action!)

The interactive mechanism (rain shaker) is from My Favorite Things' Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics set. (For a demo of how to use this die set, please check out MFT's Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics product page.) For a rain shaker card, you string seed beads on invisible thread, so the beads slide whenever you tilt the card.

This card measures 5" x 7". I printed Alexa at about 5.5" x 4" on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. I colored her with Copic markers, then fussy cut her.

The next step was to build the mechanism for the sliding beads. I cut a 4.85" x 6.35" piece of white cardstock, then used Stormy Sky Distress Oxide Ink and the MFT Cloud Stencil to create the background. I added a strip of foam and adhered the die-cut strips used to string the beads. (The die-cut pieces were not quite long enough for a 5" card, so I used 3 strips total, 1.5 on each end.) I also placed Alexa over it, to ensure she'd fit the scene. (I ended up trimming off about 1" from the bottom of her.)

The next step was to string the beads. I grabbed my seed beads, beading needle, and bead mat. TIP: A bead mat is AWESOME, as it keeps the beads from rolling around and makes them super easy to pick up. If you can't find a bead mat, a piece of velvet (or even felt) may work. I strung 12 beads on each line, although I wish I'd added more. I wanted to make sure they'd be covered behind the top and bottom panels (clouds and brick wall) of the card.

Once I strung all of the beads, I attached the panel to my card base (with a black cardstock mat). I built up two more layers of foam over the top and bottom edges, which also permanently secured the strings. The next step was to create and cloud/sentiment panel and brick wall.

I printed my sentiment in MS Word, and I trimmed that panel to 4.85" x 1.75". I used the MFT Cloud Stencil, tracing the edges with a pencil, to cut the cloud shape. I lightly blended Stormy Sky Distress Oxide Ink on the panel, to match the background.

For the brick wall, I used a piece of gray cardstock (4.85" x 1.5"), MFT's Small Brick Wall Stencil, and Red Velvet Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel. I spread the gel over the stencil/cardstock with a palette knife, removed the stencil, and dried it with my embossing gun. OMG, that stuff is SO SPARKLY!!

When I started to attached the cloud and brick panels, I saw that my foam layers were slightly wider than my panels. DOH! To fix that, I cut two black cardstock panels (5" x 1.5") and attached those over the foam edges. I placed my cloud and brick panels over them. I also placed some foam (three layers high) down the middle of the card. I knew it would stop those beads from sliding, but I wanted to make sure my girl was supported well and couldn't bend or cave in when I mail it. The panel looked like this:

I added double-sided tape to the bottom and top of Alexa and attached her to the rest of the card. She's well supported, as she's stuck to the brick wall, line of foam down the middle, and bottom of the cloud panel. The final card works this way:

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Alexa Digital Stamp (Sweet Escape Digis)
• Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Cloud Stencil (My Favorite Things) 
• Small Brick Wall Stencil (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Stormy Sky Distress Oxide Ink
• Invisible thread (any brand)
• Clear glass seed beads
• Red Velvet Gina K Glitz Glitter Gel
• Palette Knife

Have a beautiful day!

Harvest Fun at the Pumpkin Farm

Today, these adorable friends are picking out pumpkins at the farm. My favorite part of pumpkin carving was always roasting and eating the pumpkin seeds. YUM! Did you ever do that, too?

My card measures 5" x 7". I completed this card in three stages: the characters, the mid-ground elements (barn and fence), and the background scene.

CHARACTERS:

I stamped the girls, pumpkins, and dog with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. I colored all of them with Copics. I think I've colored enough pumpkins for the entire season now! Once I finished coloring, I fussy cut them.

BARN AND FENCE:

I die cut the barn and fence out of heavyweight cardstock, since I needed to ink them with Distress Oxides and wanted them to be sturdy. I used the following colors: Barn Door and Hickory Smoke (barn, with the darker ink lightly around the edges); Scattered Straw and Gathered Twigs (hay); and Gathered Twigs and Ground Espresso (fence). I left the barn accents white and colored the door handles with a black Copic marker. I assembled everything with a glue runner, as I knew liquid glue would affect the Oxides (bleeding, etc.).

BACKGROUND:

I cut a 6.75" x 4.75" white panel and used the Mini Cloud Edges Stencil, along with Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide Ink. I cut a separate panel, 6.75" x 2.25", and used the Slimline Grassy Hills Die-Namics to cut the grass at the top. I blended the two brown Oxide inks (Gathered Twigs and Ground Espresso) for the ground, then Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide for the bottom of the grass, and Twisted Citron Distress Oxide for the top of the grass. After I finished blending, I lightly splattered that panel with water and quickly blotted it dry, just for some texture.

I stamped the sentiment from MFT's Harvest Mouse stamp set directly on the cloud panel, then assembled the card. I added a 7" x 5" black cardstock layer as a "frame," then the cloud panel, grass/dirt panel, fence, and barn. I glued everything down with double-sided tape. I glued down most of the pumpkins with double-sided tape as well.

I added foam dots to the back of the girls and dog, so those elements are popped up as the focus of the card. As a final touch, I took my E59 Copic marker and drew cast shadows under the girls and pumpkins, since the sunlight would create those shadows.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Fall Friends stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• Snow Buddies stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• Witch Way is the Candy stamp set (My Favorite Things) 
• Harvest Mouse stamp set (My Favorite Things) 
• Mini Cloud Edges Stencil (My Favorite Things)
• Barn Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Slimline Grassy Hills Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Farm Fence Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Black and white cardstock
• Distress Oxide Inks: Barn Door, Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso, Scattered Straw, Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn, and Twisted Citron

May you have a harvest of blessings!

MFT's Card Superstar CAS Challenge

Today, I've created my final card for the My Favorite Things Card Superstar Contest (Clean and Simple Challenge). I also managed to use a stamp set I'd purchased a LONG time ago but never used.

My card measures 5" x 7". I stamped all of the images from the MFT "Party Like a Pirate" stamp set. I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card. CAS cards are supposed to be one layered, with minimal embellishments, and I wanted some images to overlap (skull, coins, etc.). To do that, I created some "masks," by stamping the images on another piece of paper, fussy cutting them, and placing them over images I wanted to keep in the front when I stamped. In the end, I had 2 pirates, a treasure chest, three piles of coins, and a skull.

I colored everything with Copics. After I finished coloring all of the characters, I decided I wanted a palm tree, but I didn't have a stamp I liked. Instead, I cut out the top of the palm tree and trunk from MFT's "Beach Scene Builder Die-Namics" die set. I used them as an outline guide and traced around them very lightly in pencil. Once I had my pencil outlines, I added details with my Copics, including rearranging some leaves to make it fit the scene a bit more.

I felt like the adorable pirates needed some waves, clouds and sand to complete the scene. I took the "Wave Maker Stencil" and lightly traced the edges, using my pencil. After I had two rows of waves, I used the "Mini Cloud Edges Stencil" in the same way, lightly tracing along the edges with my lightest blue color (B000). I used some Post-It Tape to mask a top and bottom edge, so I'd have a nice, crisp edge between the color and white space. After all of that, I simply went in with my Copics and colored everything.

Since this design is clean-and-simple, I didn't add any embellishments. I added a tiny red mat, to highlight the pirates' red clothes, with a white mat at the bottom. Before I assembled everything, I stamped one of the sentiments from "Party Like a Pirate" just above the colored section of the card.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Party Like a Pirate stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• Beach Scene Builder Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Wave Maker Stencil (My Favorite Things) 
• Mini Cloud Edges Stencil (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)

I hope ye' have a GRRRRRREAT day, matey!

MFT's Card Superstar Innovation Challenge

Today, I've created a card for the My Favorite Things Card Superstar Contest (Innovation Challenge). I decided to have some fun with this card and tried to use one of MFT's interactive die sets in a different way.

The interactive mechanism (sliding bats) is from MFT's Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics set, used a little differently. Typically, crafters string beads on the invisible thread, creating falling rain, stars, etc. I decided to make my bats slide up and down the thread instead.

This card is slimline, measuring 3.5" x 8.5". I stamped all of the images from the "Witch Way is the Candy" My Favorite Things stamp set. I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card.

After that, I colored everything with Copics and fussy cut each character/image. I probably would've added more bats if I didn't have to fussy cut them, LOL!  After I cut all of the characters, I started to work on the mechanism and background.

I needed to overlap the stringing mechanism over the edge of the bottom panel, so I cut my cloud panel at 2.5" x 8.5". I used MFT's Cloud Stencil and Stormy Sky Distress Oxide Ink to create the cloudy background. I cut 6 of the stringing sections from the interactive die set, then attached them with a foam strip, with the slotted part overlapping the edges of the card. (For a demo of how to use this die set, please check out MFT's Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics product page.) I had to trim the sections so they would cover the 8.5" wide card. It looked like this before I stuck the stringing sections on the foam:

Next, I rummaged around in my jewelry-making stash until I found some tube-shaped beads that I thought would work for this project. (I don't make jewelry anymore, but I still have a hoard of beads that I just can't seem to part with!) I strung the beads on the invisible thread, spacing them so each bead would fit under a bat wing. I wanted to be sure the bats would remain stuck to the card and would be well supported as they slide.

I took a thin piece of paper (about 0.15" wide), put double-sided tape on it, and then wrapped it around pairs of beads. I did that to create a stable "bar" for the bat, as I knew the bat would stay attached to paper and the beads would hold their shape/still slide. It looked like this:

Next, I used more double-sided tape to attach the bats to the bars. Since they are attached to a bar, instead of just to the beads, the wings bend outwards... which I love! I verified that they slid up and down easily, then focused on building the rest of the frame.

I die-cut the grass panel with MFT's Slimline Grassy Hills Die-Namics, and then I had another challenge. I needed an 8.5" x 0.8" panel of clouds, but I didn't have a cloud die. I decided to solve this problem by cutting a 1" x 8.5" piece of cardstock and then STENCILING the clouds on, using MFT's Cloud Stencil. Once I was happy with the shape and shading, I simply trimmed the panel along the cloud's humps! I inked both panels with Distress Oxide Inks (Stormy Sky, Mowed Lawn, and Twisted Citron). I die cut MFT's Spooky Fence and inked that with Black Soot Distress Oxide. I lightly splattered the grass panel with water and blotted it dry, just for some texture.

Before I attached the cloud panel, I stamped it with a sentiment from MFT's Sassy Pants Spooktacular stamp set. Finally, I assembled everything, and the final card works this way!

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Witch Way is the Candy stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• Falling from the Clouds Frame Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Cloud Stencil (My Favorite Things) 
• Slimline Grassy Hills Die-Namics (My Favorite Things)
• Spooky Fence Die-Namics (My Favorite Things) 
• Sassy Pants Spooktacular stamp set (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)
• Distress Oxide Inks (Stormy Sky, Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, and Black Soot)
• Invisible thread (any brand)
• Tube-shaped seed beads

Have a boo-tiful day!

MFT Coloring Contest Card Entry

Today, I've created a card for the My Favorite Things Card Superstar Contest (Coloring Challenge). I also managed to use three stamp sets I'd purchased but never used before.

This card is slimline, measuring 3.5" x 8.5". I stamped all of the images from several My Favorite Things stamp sets: Sweet Shop, Our Story, and All Tucked In. I stamped them with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on Copic XPress-It Blending Card.

After that, all I did was color. I used my Copics to color everything, including drawing a "wooden" floor. I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock, then trimmed the end at an angle (with scissors) for some visual interest. Since the scene was already so colorful, I added a simple black cardstock layer, as a frame.

List of all stamps/dies/stencils used on this card:

• Sweet Shop stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• Our Story stamp set (My Favorite Things)
• All Tucked In stamp set (My Favorite Things)

Other supplies:

• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic XPress-It Blending Card
• Copic markers (various)

Have a sweet day!