90th Birthday

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to my blog. Today I am sharing a 90th birthday card I created recently for a friend to give to her sister later in the year.

I used the 5 x 7 Side Panel card from Made To Surprise by Sam Calcott’s Showstopper 1 Collection.

 

To decorate my card I used the cake,  party hat and birthday sentiment dies from Papertrey Ink.

I added them”90 th” to the narrow panel on the right which is another Made To Surprise die set.

Here is a look at the back of the card. I added a white panel, so I could add a sentiment and have a place to add a personal message.

70th Birthday Wishes

 

Hi Crafty Friends,

As you can see, I have yet another 70th Birthday card to share with you. This will be my last one for a while LOL! 

Happy Birthday - to me!!! Yes today is my birthday and I am 70!!!!

For my card today I created a Triple Tier Slider Card using the Made To Surprise by Sam Calcott's Triple Tier Slider Card die set. This card fits in a 5 x 7 envelope, when the card is completely closed.

To decorate my card, I used Spellbinders Bougie Birthday die set. I love this die set which contains the large cake, various icings and macroons as well as a few other things to help decorate the cake. I die cut the cake from ombre glitter cardstock in a tan color and then decorated it using chocolate ganache, macaroons etc.

I die cut the macaroons in rainbow colours to add to the top of the cake and the lower right hand side.

I added the Birthday Wishes sentiment in silver cardstock, which is from Papertrey Ink.

When you pull the tab at the top of the card, it reveals a second layer, which extends the bunting seen on the lower tier.

Pulling the tab one more time,  reveals the third layer which has the number "70th" on it.

I created a stand to add to the back of the card, this helps the card stand upright so it can be displayed and also gives a place to add a sentiment. 

To create the stand I cut a piece of white cardstock that measured 4 inches by 11 3/4 inches. I then scored along the long side at 4 1/2; 9; 10 & 11. To fold start with the 4 1/2 inch score and mountain fold, mountain fold, valley fold; mountain fold. Adhere the two ends together and attach to the back of the card.

Birthday Wish

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to my blog. Today I am sharing a 70th birthday card I created recently. As I mentioned in a previous post, I know a few people who are celebrating their big "0" birthday this year including me so I will making a few cards to celebrate.

For my card today I pulled out my Double Interlocking Concertina Card die set which is a part of the Showstoppers 2 Collection from Made to Surprise by Sam Calcott. 

I recently purchased a few birthday themed die sets from Papertrey Ink, so I pulled out the In Stitched - Cake Builder and Build a Party Hat die sets and added them to the left and right panels to my card. I also added the "Happy Birthday" to the party hat which is from Papertrey Ink's This is Big Sentiments - Birthday stamp/die set.

For the concertina portion of the card I used the Chunky Alphabet die set from Made to Surprise and came up with the wording "A 70th Bday Wish".

Here is a look at my card when it is folded flat ready to be placed in an envelope. It will fit into a 6 x 6 envelope.

And finally a look at the back of the card. I added white panels to each of the large panels and added two of the birthday sentiments included in the Made to Surprise Showstopper Puns Sentiment set. I then added a few party hats and streamers which are all from the Party Hat Builder die set from Papertrey Ink. 

 

A Year In Bloom - January

Hi Crafty Friends,

Welcome to my blog. Today I am sharing an Arch Shaped card using the January Embossing Folder from Lisa Horton Crafts A Year in Blooms Embossing Folder set. This set includes 12 floral 5 x 7 embossing folders featuring a different flower for each month. The flower used for January is the Crocus. There a lots of gorgeous embossing folders in this set, and I am looking forward to featuring at least one a month if not more. 

For my card today, I embossed a piece of black cardstock using the January Crocus Embossing Folder. I then added Silver Shine Metallic Pigment ink over the top of the raised portion of the card.

I used Arch dies from Trinity Stamps Arch-Shaped Card die set to create my 5 x 7 inch card.

For the sentiment I used Papertrey Inks Line It Up: Birthday die set. I die cut the sentiment three times from white cardstock, layering them together for height.

For the inside of the card, I used more of the arch shaped dies to add the layers.

The senitment is from Papertrey Inks This is a Big Sentiments: Birthday stamp set.

You're Owl Old

Hi Crafty Friends,

It's challenge time with my friends over on the CCEE Stampers challenge blog. Anne Harmon our challenge hostess for the month, finishes off the month with one last challenge.

Anne tells us that pocket cards are fun, so for our challenge this week we were to make a pocket card of some sort.

Earlier in the month I made a Penguin & Panda Surprise Ball Pop-up animals. I also made pockets for the animals to be put in, so that I could use this to present the animals to the recipient. Since then I have also been wanting to make an owl, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make it.

The owl is sitting on a branch of a tree that is attached to a circle using the Crosshatch -Ovals die set. I also added a sentiment to the front of the circle.

Here is a quick video to see my Owl Surprise Ball Pop-up in action.

To create the owl I used Karen Burniston's Surprise Ball Pop-up die set to create two balls which were both die cut from tan cardstock. I then die cut another one die from beige speckled paper and added this to the front of the bottom all for the owls belly.

I added the owls tail by using folding a piece of tan cardstock in half. I then used a segment that was left over from a previous surprise ball to cut out the shape of the segment, so that the wider side of the segment was placed on the fold. I then used a scalloped border die to die cut the bottom panel to give it a fancy edge. I die this twice so I could have a wide tail. I die cut another scalloped border from tan cardstock and patched this on either side of the tail piece cut previously to fill in the gap.

I die cut two ovals from the Crosshatch - Ovals die set to use for the owl wings which I placed on either side of the owl. 

The ears were created using a kite shaped die and then altered slightly to get the look I wanted.

I die cut another circle using the Crosshatch - Circles die set and stamped an owl themed sentiment from Art Impressions. This was then attached underneath the circle the owl is attached to.

Of course I needed a pocket for my owl which is what the challenge is about! I created a simple rectangle pocket and added some owl patterned paper on the front. I added the sentiments over the paper for some extra interest. 

I added the "Pull Here" to the centre of the right hand side of the card so the recipient knows to use the tail to pull out the owl.

Don't forget to check out the CCEE Stampers blog (goes live 12 AM EST) to see the rest of the creations the CCEE Stampers created this week. You can also see more details of their creations on their individual blogs:

Anne Harmon

Liz Williams

Lois Bak

Lynn McAuley

Maryann Einam

Vicky Gould

Kelly McKown-Santi

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Chatting Whoots Stamp set - Art Impressions (retired)
Birthday Owl Stamp Set - Lil' Inker Designs (retired)

#1 Teacher

Hi Crafty Friends,

It’s challenge time with the “Crazies” over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. Amy Ottmers our challenge hostess for the month, finished off the month with one last challenge.

Since there are many graduations going on around the world at this time of the year, the theme for this week is to make a "Graduation" card.

I don't need graduation cards, but I always like to make a stash of teacher thank you cards which my grandchildren can give to their teachers at the end of the year. So that is what I decided to do for this challenge ... it is still school related!

A couple of months ago I received these cute school themed stamps from Waffle Flower and a die set called Apartment Builder for my birthday. I decided to use those to create my card, I thought the apartment builder die set would make a good class room.

I decided to go with a primary color theme (red; blue and yellow) for the base of my card and work up from there.

I stamped two blackboards and joined them behind the window join, so I could have a longer blackboard and added lots of the school kids hanging out of the windows etc.

For the inside of the card I used Karen Burniston's Katherine Label Pop-up die set to create the pop-up part of the card so I could add the #1 Teacher.

I used a few more  elements from the Apartment Builder die set to decorate the edges of my card and also added a few more of the kids etc.

Here is a side view of my card so you can see the pop-up part of my card a little better.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the “Crazies” cards over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and also their individual blogs for more details.

Amy Ottmers

Anja de Regt

Joanne Grzelak

Karen Aicken

Kathleen Adams
Maryann Einam
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Supplies:

Cardstock - White; Red; Blue; Yellow

Merry Christmas Gift Tags

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I have a few more gift tags I created using the Papertrey Ink Holiday Tag Along kit.

I  die cut each of the tags from kraft card using the tag die included in the kits. I cut two tags for each tag, the second that had Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape on the front.

I also used the coordinating decorated dies on 8 of the tags.

I removed the protective backing from the adhesive and layered it behind the tag that had the decorative layer cut out. I then added Microfine Glitter in either True Red or Forest Green to 6 of the tags.

I stamped the Merry Christmas circular image too all of the tags in colors matching the glitter and added the to/from to the back of the tag.

For these two tags instead of using glitter I used Silver Gilding Flakes ... probably should have gone with glitter but it is done now.

I added twine also included in the kit to all 8 completed tags.

Stamps: Holiday Tag Along - Papertrey Ink

Paper: Kraft

Dies: Holiday Tag Along - Papertrey Ink

Other: Red; Green & Aqua Inks; True Red & Forest Green Silk Microfine Glitter; Silver Gilding Flakes; Twine; Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape

Teacher Thanks

Hi Crafty Friends,

It's challenge time with my friends over on the CCEE Stampers challenge blog. Being a brand new month it is time to introduce our challenge hostess for the month which is Joanne Grzelak.

This month Joanne is going to keep it simple. The holidays are coming, and times will be busy. This will be a month of celebrations. So for our challenge this week we are to make a Thanksgiving card OR a card of thanks. 

Seeing we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia, I decided to create another Teacher thank you card. The end of the school year is fast approaching down here (ours finishes up in December which is our summer), and I like to make a few teacher thank you cards so my daughter can use them for my grandchildren teachers. 

I recently discovered this fun pencil pattern paper in a paper pad I have in my stash, so wanted to use some of that on my card and as I only have two sheets on didn't want to use it all I decided to make a Pull Card using the Pop it ups Oval Pull Card die set which unfortunately is now discontinued. 

To decorate my card I used a couple of owl images from Pink & Main and added the #1 Teacher die cuts to the sides of my card.

When you "pull" the card open, it reveals the second owl standing on a pencil and a thanks sentiment which is an edge die. I die cut the sentiment in both yellow and black cardstock.

Don't forget to check out the CCEE Stampers blog (goes live 12 AM EST) to see the rest of the creations the CCEE Stampers created this week. You can also see more details of their creations on their individual blogs:

Anne Harmon

Joanne Grzelak

Liz Williams

Lois Bak

Lynn McAuley

Maryann Einam

Vicky Gould
Kelly McKown-Santi

Stamps: Owl Nerds - Pink and Main

Paper: White; Green; Yellow; Project Life Desktop Edition DP - American Crafts

Dies: Pop it Ups  Oval Pull Card (Retired) - Elizabeth Craft Designs; #1 Teacher - Papertrey Ink; Thanks - Simon Says Stamp

Other: Black Ink; Nuvo English Mustard Gloss Crystal Drops; Foam Tape; Copics

Christmas Gift Tags

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing a few Gift Tags I created using the new Holiday Tag Along Kit from Papertrey Ink which was released recently. I spied a sample using this kit before the release and I knew right away that I NEEDED them ... I always make my own gift tags for Christmas and while this kit was a little pricey after exchange rates and postage I knew that it would be something that I would be able to reach for, for many years to come.

This kit comes with a tag die, a stamp set, stencils and various decorator dies, as well as sequins and twine. It also comes with a set of 32 pre-printed gift tags which you can use either as is or altering using the dies etc. 

I kept the tags I made today fairly simple using the tag die, the to/from die and four of the stencils that are included in the kit. 

I was going to use some Nuvo Glitter Paste that I have purchased at a show back in June, but when I opened the green bottle it was as hard as a rock ... disappointing! When I open the red it looked like it had been opened and used before 😞 and a little too thick. After a bit of playing with what I did have I gave up and went to the trusty Distress Inks which always work.

I wanted to add an embellishment to them ... I am not sure why I added snowflakes seeing it is summer down here at Christmas time! But I do have a ton of them so that is what I used this time.

I love all the different stencils and how easy they made it to make a simple gift tag which of course could be made simpler by using the stamps rather than the to/from die etc.

And finally my last tag, seeing this one has stencilled snowflakes on the tag, I decided to add a snowman to it rather than another snowflake, again I have a ton of these.

I am looking forward to playing with a few of the other things included in the kit next time ... I am sure I still need to make lots more gift tags!

Paper: White; Red; Green

Dies: Holiday Tag Along - Papertrey Ink

Other: Festive Berries Distress Ink; Peeled Paint Distress Ink; Holiday Tag Along Stencils - Papertrey Ink; Red & Green Hemp Cord