Sparkly Birthday Card Gift Set

Good morning friends

I am weak. I admit it. On the way down to Arizona in January, we stopped in Great Falls and I convinced Gregg to give me 10 minutes in the Michaels there while he got gas. Score!! Not only did I find the Gift Bag Punch Board on clearance, I picked up a cute set of sparkly cards for $5. That is SIXTY cards and envelopes for $5, people. Further down the isle was a coordinating 12 x12" paper stack that was also a screaming deal. I fairly danced out of the store when I was done.

Since I seemed to be getting up extra early when we were in Arizona, I would slip into my Craft Room and work on cards for an hour or so - then go get the furry kids their breakfast and start our day. One of the things I worked on was a set of birthday cards for our daughter for Mother's Day. Now that Ilai is going to birthday parties, I thought having cards on hand would come in handy for her.

I used some of my bargain A2 sized printed note cards, cut in half as the back side of the cards were also either coloured or patterned. It's just tooo ingrained in me to 'waste' pattern on the back when I can get two out of one note card or use the excess piece to decorate the inside. Plus, the patterned cards - as cute as they might be - are light weight and too wussy for my taste. Here is the set of cards all together...

Here is the first card. I had so much fun combining the patterned cards with pieces snipped from the coordinating patterned paper package. This one has a scalloped border and Glitter Dots for some birthday bling.

Just like for Olivia's Birthday card, I cut the glittered words into strips and added them on several of the cards.

Card #2 has this beautiful glittered Happy Day on the panel. I simply cut it out with a scalloped rectangle, then strung some punched banner pieces across the top edge.

And added Glitter dots too!

This third card has enamel dots, and the striped panel actually has pearlized confetti dots sprinkled all across the front.

Card #4 ... another little banner and gold glittered words.

Looks like I forgot to take a photo of the inside of this one though.

Card #5 ... a little more subdued, but I still added some enamel dots to the front.

Finally, card #6. This panel is the back side of the patterned card I used on card # 3.

I know - that was a photo heavy post .... thanks for hanging in there with me!

I received my order with Karen Burniston's new release yesterday afternoon. SOOOO exciting! Of course I had to play right away, but the card won't be shared until July 1. I made it for a Crazy 4 Challenges post. But I have lots and lots of ideas for other cards, so will hopefully have something to share in the next couple of days.

Supplies for all 6 cards

A2 pre printed note cards - DCWV

Dotted Scalloped Rectangle dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Stitched rectangle dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Banner Punch - Stampin' Up

Blue and yellow card stocks - Stampin' Up

Bakers Twine

Glitter Dots - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Words inside - Papertrey Ink

Black fine point marker

Fun foam

Enamel Dots - Queen & Company

MISTI - My Sweet Petunia

Scallop border die - MFT Stamps

Pink card stock

Orange fine point marker

Happy Birthday Pop-Up (Happy Birthday words), Pop it Ups - Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)

Thanks for stopping by today

Travellers Journal - my first

Good morning friends

Yes, this is my second post today, but I wanted to share my latest project while I'm this excited.

Today's share has a lot of photos - fair warning. I am absolutely thrilled with my new Travellers Journal. Thrilled! At CHA in January, I met Eileen Hull when Karen B & Kelly stopped to say hello to her. She showed us her new Heartfelt Collection dies, and this one just blew me away. I was waiting somewhat impatiently for the on-line stores to get theirs in stock when I found out about a Facebook group "the Eileen Hull Fan Club". Which I promptly joined. 

SO many talented people sharing their Travellers Journals etc there - and the different things you can do with this die. Just Wow. Anyhow, Eileen put two dies in her Etsy store and I was lucky enough to purchase one of them. It took about 10 days to reach me but I had to play as soon as I opened it. Below is the front of this first experiment/journal.

If you are unfamiliar with Travellers Journals, the biggest brand would be Midori. Beautiful leather covers and fabulous inserts. The cover is bound with elastics at the spine and you just slide your inserts under the elastic. You can swap them out as you want, add new ones when one is full, take it out to write in it then slide it back in. And there are as many ideas for using these as there are people. It's completely customizable!

This is a ScoreBoard die, which means it's designed to cut through heavy mat board, ScoreBoard and chipboard. I used chipboard and the covers are SO nice and sturdy.

I broke into this patterned paper stack that I have been hoarding for YEARS. I figure if I'm making something for myself, I can cut into it and still get to enjoy the pretty patterns. The label comes with the die.  Anyhow, I added a letter sticker to the centre of the label and some bling, then some crackle paint. When it was dry I added glossy accents over the surface.

I also added a Stampin' Up word stamp to the lower right portion of the journal cover.

This is the cover flattened out ...

Inside I added a few stickers with gold accents. This one is on the inside front cover.

Look how pretty the three inserts look as the book is opened. I love things that coordinate!

As I said, there are three signatures in the book (signature = booklet) and I made them out of coordinating patterned paper for the covers, and a combination of grid and blank papers inside. Inside the cover of the first signature is another gold foiled sticker and a label. I didn't want to add a label to the front and cover up any of that pretty robin paper!

There are so many ideas rolling around in my head! This journal was actually made just to see how it all worked, so it's fairly basic. But I did add a paper bag into the first booklet - with the bottom cut off  and folded in half it forms two pockets - one pocket on this page and the second further in the signature. That would be where I cut off the bottom. I have oodles of these bags, so I will be doing this again. 

I actually stapled the signatures in the centre (bought myself a long armed stapler) instead of stitching them but I think I like the idea of the pages being unattached inside the cover as well. The elastic holds the pages in place and then you could just slide in a new page if you wanted to.

There is another sticker inside the back cover.

This photo shows the back of the first booklet (signature), and the front of the second. Oh how I love the prints on this paper.

There is a pretty sticker inside the front cover ...

.... and since the patterned paper is double sided, this is the print on the back cover.

The next photo shows the back of the second signature and the cover of the third.

I added a gold sticker inside the third cover. Hubby wanted to pick up some grid paper so I had him get some for me as well. I found it was quite thin ... apparently I'm a paper snob. So for the second and third booklets, I alternated 24 lb white printer paper with the grid paper. But I am going to need some heavier grid paper, or dot grid paper if they make such a thing.

Otherwise, I'll be buying other journals that have the paper I want and cutting them down to fit in my Faux Dori. (That is a term people use when using a Travellers Journal that isn't a Midori.)

The back cover of the 3rd booklet also has a sticker with some gold foil on it.

So that's it ... I hadn't decorated the pages or the spine or anything else on the journal, but even as it is I'm thrilled. I know what I'm going to use the first booklet for, and I'm thinking the second could be a gratitude journal. 

Eventually I would like to make a Pop-Up book using Karen Burniston dies, and since Olivia loves journals (hmmmm - wonder where she got THAT from?) I would like to make her a Travellers Journal as well. With lots of pockets and tuck slots. But then I would have to make ones for the boys too ... which is where the long armed stapler will come in handy. I am going to have fun creating little booklets for them to draw in and having a long arm stapler will make them fast and easy. 

And even MORE exciting news (it's a wonder I can sleep at all) -- my order of Karen Burniston's new dies has made it to Canada. The tracking doesn't say where in Canada, but  at least we are in the same country now. 

Let the mailbox stalking begin. 

Supplies:
Journal ScoreBoards XL Die by Eileen Hull for Sizzix.
Patterned paper - K & Company
Chipboard
Elastic - 2mm
Glossy accents
Bling
and other goodies from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Pop-Up Card for a 65th Birthday

Good morning friends

Today I'd like to share a card I made for a friend's 65th Birthday. I kept with soft colours and glitter.

The banner border was die cut from the card front, then backed with aqua glitter paper.

Inside I made a Pop-Up Card using Karen Burniston's Lorna Label Pop-Up. The pretty stickers I had in my stash and the colours worked perfectly with the rest of my card.

I will be back later today with a special project I've just finished.

Supplies:
Blue, pink, white card stocks
Lorna Label Pop-Up, Pop it Ups - Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Stickers - Sticko
Banner border die - We R Memory Keepers
Tiny Banner dies - Tailored Expressions
Glitter papers
Hip Hip Hooray die - Kaisercraft
Seam binding
#'s - Tim Holtz
Stitched fishtail banners - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Occasions Clear Stamps - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Nuvo Crystal Drops

Card size ... 4-1/2 x 6"

Thanks for stopping by today

Dog, Shoes and Hat Card

Good morning friends

It's Masculine Card Monday here on my blog. I have a whole bin of cards that are half finished, or bits and pieces I want to use on a card 'sometime'. This puppy, shoes and hat was one of the items in the bin so I pulled them out and finished a card for Father's Day.

I stamped and stippled a blue cloud background to attach the stamped pieces too, then added a Simon Says die cut WISHING.

Thanks for stopping by today

Oh Joy Poinsettia Card

Good morning friends

I haven't been working on Christmas cards through the year as much as I thought I would ... may have to get going on that so I'm not scrambling come November.

This one all came together quickly, as the 'Oh Joy' and Kraft scallop border were already sitting on my stamping table. The poinsettia was a new purchase last Spring but I didn't end up needing it for my cards last year. I like it - going to have to make a bunch to have on hand for my cards. The leaves were cut from card stock covered with this plaid Washi Tape.

I have so many embossing folders, and I always love how they look when I remember to use them. This snowflake one is so pretty!

Finally, here is a peek at the inside.

One more for the holiday card stash.

Supplies:
White card stock
Kraft card stock
Blueprints #24 (stitched rectangle) - MFT Stamps
Patterned paper - Paper Studio
Poinsettia die - Impression Obsession
Glitter Dots - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Curvy Oval die - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Oval die- Elizabeth Craft Designs
Snowflake embossing folder - Sizzix
Wink of Stella
fun foam
Washi tape
red card stock
Inside stamp - Verve

Thanks for stopping by today

C4C-387 Summer Destination Birthday Card

Good morning friends

It's Saturday so that means a new challenge at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog. Our May 2017 Hostess is Barbara Anders, and our Guest Designer is Lori Tecler.

Here is Barbara's Challenge:  School will be letting out soon in the US and Summer vacations are being planned. Create a card using a Summer destination theme--could be the beach, the mountains, or simply your back yard in a hammock.

This year I vow to use older products more, so did that with this card as well as some newer ones. First of all the Distress Oxide inks are new. I saw them demoed by Mr. Tim himself at CHA and thought - cool. But I don't need more ink pads. These ink pads are flying off the shelves - and store owners can't keep them in stock. I had heard that also, but put it off to Tim Holtz fans just buying anything he puts out - he does have a massive following. But I still wasn't convinced enough to give up any valuable space in my craft room.

Then I saw a video by Jennifer McGuire and how BEAUTIFULLY these inks blend. I literally sat up and took notice. I do a lot of sponging and stippling and blending in my card making and these inks looked like they could be just the ticket. I ordered a couple of colours with my Birthday money from my brother but didn't really play with them until early May. I have to say, I GET IT!! They are sumptuous and just come to life when spritzed with water. WOW. I have ordered a couple more colours, which of course are on back-order because of the demand.

For my card panel, I stamped a white panel with the camping background stamp (an older product). On my craft sheet I smoothed a couple of the Distress Oxide Inks then spritzed them with water. I dipped and pressed and moved the stamped panel around in the watery ink until I was happy with the colour blending then used a heat tool to dry the panel. This was my first time trying that technique and ... LOVE IT!

The camper is an older stamp, paired with a new Lawn Fawn word bubble and the clouds from Karen Burniston's Hot Air Balloon. 

I repeated the process for the inside panel, using only one colour of the Distress Oxide Ink and not quite as much water.  This card is going into a box to donate to Seniors Secret Service. 

Check out the C4C blog to see how the Crazies have been inspired by the challenge. We'd  love to see your take on it, so be sure to stop by the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and link up your creations. If you are uploading to an online gallery, please use the keyword C4C387.


Supplies:
Camper stamp - Avery Elle
Zig Clean Colour Markers
Wink of Stella
Signo White Gel Pen
Distress Oxide Inks 
Background stamp - MFT Stamps
Off white confetti, and white card stocks
Wonky Stitched Rectangles - MFT Stamps
Outdoor Edges (mask), Pop it Ups - Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Happy Birthday stamp & die - Lawn Fawn
Inside stamps - Avery Elle
Hot Air Balloon (clouds), Pop it Ups - Karen Burniston (Elizabeth Craft Designs)
Glossy Accents
Stitched Fishtail Banner - Elizabeth Craft Designs

Thanks for stopping by today

Poppy Flip-It Hugs Card

Good morning friends

It's Flip-It Friday here on my blog and I have a 5 x 7 Flip-It to share today. I like the size of these Flip-Its - they feel so substantial and there is so much more 'real estate' for decorating.

I had been playing with the Poppy dies from Elizabeth Craft designs and found this patterned paper in the stack. Decided to use it without the Poppy dies, fussy cutting poppies from the patterned paper instead.

The poppies on the circle were fussy cut and I added a leafy branch die in behind. I like how delicate this die is.

Inside, I added a die cut 'Hugs' which is hidden until the card is opened.

Supplies:
5 x 7 Circle Flip-Its - Sizzix
Stitched Circle dies - MFT Stamps
Leafy branch 5 - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Stickles
Patterned paper - heidi grace
Love Sentiment dies - Elizabeth Craft Designs
Red and white card stocks

Thanks for stopping by today