Mini Slimline Teacher Appreciation Card Duo

I like to make our grandkids their Teacher Appreciation Cards each year - here in Alberta the kids don’t start school until September and they go until almost the end of June. I made two of this one, as one family’s school is in a completely different county than the other. 

The apples are stickers I bought last year from Amazon and there are a lot in the package so I use them freely - including on the envelopes! The Mini Slim background die is from Taylored Expressions and I still get a lot of use out of it.

This year I left the cards blank inside - other than the apple sticker - because the grandkids are old enough now to write a thank you message rather than just sign their names. I thought that would make the cards more personal for their teachers.

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - I Love School, Echo Park

Apple Stickers - Amazon .ca

Mini Slim Square Window Cutting Plate - Taylored Expressions

Sentiments - Simply Sentimental Teacher, Trinity Stamps

Birthday Balloon Card Duo

These cards were made on a whim, and I ended up liking how they turned out! I started with a pink/gold foiled note card that was printed front and back. Cutting it into two panels I pulled out this fun balloon background die (Taylored Expressions) and die cut each panel. I decided to just keep these ones nice and simple, but I look forward to playing with this die again and using multiple colours for the different balloons.

There are included balloon dies as well, so I cut a couple from the scraps and popped them up with foam tape. The balloon pieces were attached to white card bases and I stamped a sentiment in the open area. Finally, I added some Stickles glitter glue to the popped up balloon on each card front.

Here is a peek at the inside, with a second die cut balloon and a penned balloon string weaving through the stamped sentiment.

Supplies used:

Up Up & Away cutting plate, Taylored Expressions

Patterned paper - old note card from my stash

Best Birthday Yet - Catherine Pooler

Inside - Little Something Sentiments, Catherine Pooler

Stickles glitter glue

Mermaid Tail Birthday Card

I bought several boxes of printed note cards from Hobby Lobby several years ago when we were visiting Arizona. One of them is mermaid themed, so I pulled one out and cut it down to make this birthday card. While both the front and back of the note cards are printed, the foiled mermaid tails are only on the front side so I layered it with a different not card back panel for some contrast.

The sentiment was pulled from my plastic envelope - I make a whole bunch of them at a time, so I can just add one as needed. When the envelope looks like it’s getting low, I will spend an evening creating just sentiment strips!

Since the outside of the card was kind of fancy, I kept the inside simple with a large Happy Birthday. This card will be donated to my Mom’s old nursing home.

Supplies used:

Note card - Paper Studio

Sentiment - Simple Strips Birthday? stamp and die by TE

Platinum Embossing powder

Happy Birthday - Little Something Sentiments, Catherine Pooler 

Black & Tan Birthday Card

Today I’m sharing a quick and easy birthday card made using some leftover journal cards from a Project Life kit. This is a larger than A2 card, I started with a 5x6.5” card base (and envelope) from Michaels. I’ve had them for years so am not sure if they are still available or not. 

The sentiment is likely from Taylored Expressions, I stamp and die cut a whole bunch and keep them in a plastic envelope. It makes adding a sentiment to my cards so much easier when I have a bunch already done and ready to use. When I was finished, I thought it needed a little somethin’ somethin’ so I added black Nuvo Drops.

Here is a peek at the inside …

Supplies used:

Journal cards - stash, Project Life

5 x 6.5” card & envelope - Michaels

Pops of Color (black) - Scrapbook .com

Birthday Blessings - probably Simple Strips Birthday stamp & die, Taylored Expressions

Inside - Today Is - Best Birthday Yet, Catherine Pooler

Celebrate You - Large Birthday, Technique Tuesday

Nautical Birthday Card Duo

Welcome to Masculine Card Monday here on my blog! I really wanted to finish off this older Paper Pumpkin kit (July 2019) so here are the final three cards. Well, I'm only showing two of them - I made three but popped one in the mail before I got the photos taken. 😊

I actually stuck pretty close to the instructions that came with the Paper Pumpkin kit, which is rare for me. But I quite liked this one! The stamp on the card fronts came in the kit and I used up the last two of the navy map lined envelopes on these two cards.

When I shared the first cards I made earlier this month (see HERE) I liked the stamps used inside so kept them on my stamping desk to use on these ones too. 

Essentially the kit has been used up. There is one card base left that I will use to make a quick Z-Fold card and will share that once it's finished.

Supplies used:

July 2019 Paper Pumpkin 'On My Mind'

Sentiments - the Inside Scoop, Snarky Birthday - Taylored Expressions

Panda and Cake Pop Up Birthday Card

I was supposed to post this yesterday for Fun Fold Friday on my blog, but I have no idea where the time goes! This is the birthday card I made for our grandson who loves Pandas. I haven't used this panda face die in a long time so I pulled it out and die cut it into white card stock. The die cuts the face/ear openings rather than the head so I backed the white panel with black glitter paper to show through the openings. 

There is often an indent left from the die that actually forms the head so I LIGHTLY went over that with a soft pencil and blending it out with a fingertip. It gives just a hint of the head shape but I like the effect. There was a strip of the rainbow paper sitting on my stamping desk so I matted it with black glossy cardstock (another scrap) and added a white heat embossed sentiment. 

I have shown these sentiments in video's before - they are the Simple Strips from Taylored Expressions and I just stamp, emboss and die cut a whole bunch of them at a time and store them into a clear plastic envelope. Saves so much time when I go to make a card!

Inside I used Karen Burniston's Twist Circle Pop Up since this grandson loves a pop up card. I decorated it with some older stickers from my stash and added a stamped sentiment onto the white panel. That is also where we signed the card.

Supplies used:

Panda face die - Neat & Tangled

Black glitter paper - American Crafts (old, from my stash)

Black glossy card stock scrap

Rainbow strip - leftover scrap of striped patterned paper

Simple Strips Birthday and coordinating die - Taylored Expressions

White embossing powder

Pops of Color - Snowflake and black, Scrapbook .com

Twist Flower Pop Up - Karen Burniston

Stickers - old, stash

Cross Stitched circle dies - Tutti designs

Best Birthday Yet - Catherine Pooler

Doggie Birthday Wishes

I had a couple of patterned paper scraps sitting on my stamping desk so combined them to make a panel for the front of a birthday card. When I had rooted through my stickers, I found a sheet of dog face stickers as well as these Kraft labels, so combined one of each as the focal point on my card front. 

Finally, I added a stamped & matted sentiment and my simple card front was done.

Here is a peek at the inside ...

Supplies used:

Since I used lots of scraps and leftover bits, my supply list is limited.

Stickles glitter glue

Inside - Best Birthday Yet, Catherine Pooler

Mini Strips Birthday, stamp and coordinating die - Taylored Expressions

Mini Slimline Pop Up Card for St. Patricks DayI

Sadly, I didn't get this card in the mail in time - so I guess I'll be hanging onto it til next year. I had to have oral surgery this week and the pain meds have sent me for a loop. Ha - but I'm recovering well and starting to wean off the meds. I sure didn't get much done except rest and snooze - which I'm sure helped the healing process. 

Anyhow I used one of Whimsy Stamps Slimline papers for my card as well as some really old stickers from my stash. They were adhered to white card stock & fussy cut so I could pop them up with foam tape. I also added some gold peel off stickers for some sparkle.

You can probably tell how much I love Karen Burniston's Twist Flower Pop Up die set, which is what I used here. A few more stickers as well as some washi tape inside. The sentiment iwas matted on rainbow holographic card stock. The tiny hears were also cut from that same card stock for a different project and the leftovers were sitting on my stamping desk. I added a few of them on the card.

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Slimline St. Patricks Day, Whimsy Stamps

Stickers - old, from my stash

Shamrock stickers - American Crafts (old)

Self Adhesive gold dots - Dazzles

Stickles glitter glue

Rainbow holographic hearts - leftover from previous card, sitting on my stamping table

Twist Flower Pop Up - Karen Burniston

Washi tape - Doodlebug Designs

Scallop stitched circle dies - Tutti Designs

Mini Strips St Patricks Day, coordinating die and backing die - Taylored Expressions

Green mirror card stock - stash

Leafy Paper Pumpkin Birthday Cards

I've been picking away at my stash the past year, trying to use some of it up. I have several unfinished Paper Pumpkin kits as well, so I pulled out this one - On My Mind from July 2019. I made these three cards using items from the kit, but then added some humorous stamps inside.

There were only 2 of the coordinating envelopes left, so one card gets a plain white envelope. 😊

The stamp below was used in two of the cards, because I'm always turning down the music if a complicated intersection or merge is coming up. 😂😂😂

 Into my stash with these ones, although I do know who two of them will go to. 

Supplies used:

July 2019 Paper Pumpkin 'On My Mind'

Happy Birthday To You - Cool Tag Banners, Your Next Stamp

Sentiments - The Inside Scoop, Snarky Birthday - Taylored Expressions

Four Birthday Cards

I needed to make a pair of birthday cards for our nephew's twin girls, so pulled out this older 6x6" paper pad. I love it but tend to 'save it for special cards'. The cut aparts are just darling, and the balloons are embossed and shiny.

Basing my cuts on the June 2021 Sheetload of Cards, I made four cards - two of them will be donated to my mom's old nursing home and the two with the cut aparts will be popped into the mail. I added some sparkling peel off dots and glitter glue to make them a little extra special.

Here is a peek at the inside of one of the twins cards  ... I made them similar but not identical - just like they are!

Here is a look at one of the nursing home cards where you can see how pretty that balloon paper is.

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Gift of Giving, Craft Consortium (6x6") (older, from my stash)

June 2021 Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Magical Birthday, Be a Unicorn - Taylored Expressions

Label Punch - Stampin' Up

Gold mirror  card stock

Inside stamp - Happy Birthday4HSN

Stickles glitter glue

Glitter dot stickers

Four Sheetload Birthday Cards

It's Masculine Card Monday here on my blog and today I'm sharing a set of four Birthday Cards that I can donate to my Mom's old nursing home. I had gone through this older 6x6" paper pad and the coordinating ephemera and made up little 'kits' that I could just pull out and assemble. A lot of the 'kits' used the June 2021 Sheetload of Cards which is a great one for using those 6x6" papers.

I just kept making up the 'kits' until the paper and most of the ephemera was gone, then I decided on card bases to add to the 'kits'. 

Here is a peek at the inside, they are all the same inside.

Supplies used:

Banners Crosshatch, Karen Burniston

Stitched circle die - MFT Stamps

Inside - the Inside Scoop, Birthday, Taylored Expressions

Patterned paper - Let's Celebrate, Carta Bella (6x6")

Let's Celebrate Ephemera - Carta Bella

June 2021 Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Stickles glitter glue

Princess Pop-Up Birthday Card

Welcome to Fun Fold Friday here on my blog! Today I'm sharing the pop-up card I made for our granddaughter's birthday. I haven't purchased any new stamps, dies, paper etc in the last year, instead going through and trying to use up some of my huge stash. This Disney themed paper I've had for several years so I pulled it out for her card. 

I added some Stickles glitter glue on the flowers etc, and added a little die cut cupcake and stamped sentiment banner on the front.

Inside, I used Karen Burniston's Raising Platform Pop-Up as well as her cupcake dies from the Cupcake Add-On set. Since I love sparkle on a birthday card, several of the pieces were die cut from rainbow holographic cardstock which really catches the light. 

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Disney Princess

5x7" Lacy Layers - Waffle Flower

5x7" card base and envelope 

Raising Platform Pop Up - Karen Burniston

Cupcake Add-Ons - Karen Burniston

Baking Borders - Karen Burniston

Circles Crosshatch - Karen Burniston

Simple Strips Birthday (stamp and die) - Taylored Expressions

Rainbow Holographic card stock - Recollections

Stickles glitter glue

Whatnot Sentiments Set 12 - Your Next Stamp

Heart stencil - Scrapbook .com

Floral Pumpkin Card

I made so many Fall & Thanksgiving cards last year that I didn't need to make any this year. Then, I ran out of time and didn't get any mailed for our Canadian Thanksgiving in October, so now I have lots for next year too. Sheesh. At least I can mail cards to our American friends & family this month. I found this single 12x12" sheet of fall themed paper in my stash and decided to use it up. I made 4 different sized cards and will be sharing them throughout the week. 

Yesterday I shared a 5x7" Z-fold card and today's card is a standard A2 size. I went through my fall embellishments and found several of these floral sprays so added one to the top of my layered pumpkin. These were clip art from many years ago, printed and cut out with my Scan 'N Cut - then promptly stored away. 🤷‍♀️

I cut the pumpkin frame and the base, sandwiching a clear transparency in between the layers. I love the shine this gives! A sentiment was stamped inside and I added a strip of the patterned paper for some colour. The paper was double sided with the fall print on one side and this gingham on the other.

 

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Fall Harvest, Echo Park

Narrow gold tape - Amazon .ca

Stitched Pumpkin Frame - Lawn Fawn

Outside In Stitched Pumpkin - Lawn Fawn

Clipart - old, from my stash

Mini Strips Harvest stamp & die - Taylored Expressions

Let our Lives stamp - Be Full, Neat & Tangled

Halloween Sheetload Cards

Since I like to work ahead on holiday cards and I had the bin of Halloween elements out anyhow - I decided to pull out a favourite Sheetload and make a batch of cards to have on hand for next year. The August 2021 Sheetload yields eight cards and I will need five of them for the grandkids. That leaves me three cards ahead to send to friends for Halloween 2025 😊

I pulled out some older Doodlebug patterned paper and got the card fronts all cut and assembled. Then I went through the elements and added the ones I thought worked with each card. Some got a punched white layer behind them so they would stand out more and most got a stamped sentiment.

Here is a peek the inside - I trimmed a strip of the patterned paper to add some colour inside, as well as a stamped sentiment.

Supplies used:

August 2021 Sheetload of Cards, Call Me Crafty Al

Patterned paper - Doodlebug Designs

3-D Stickers - old, from my stash

Label punch - Stampin' Up

Mini Strips Halloween, stamp and die - Taylored Expressions

Double Stitched Circle dies - Divinity Desigs

Resin stickers - Monster Bash - Stampin' Up

Sassy Pants Spooktacular - MFT Stamps

Halloween Mini Slimline

 

When I was looking through my Halloween elements, I noticed that one package was almost gone - but these 3-D sparkly skull pieces were in it. I pulled all three out to make this card.

I cut the purple background using a die by Taylored Espressions then gave it a good spritz with shimmer spray. I added the 3-D skulls into the window openings and added a stamped sentiment. Then I pulled out an older package of resin stickers and added a crow above the sentiment.

Here is a peek at the inside where I wrapped holographic washi tape around the bottom edge and stamped the sentiment (in two parts). The resin sticker package also has the skull & crossbones in it so I added one inside. 

Supplies used:

Mini Slim Square Window Cutting Plate - Taylored Expressions

3-d Elements - old, from my stash

Resin crow & Skull/Crossbones - Stampin' Up (old)

Sassy Pants Spooktcular - MFT Stamps

Washi tape - old, from my stash

Shimmer Spray

Floral Pop-Up Birthday Card

It's Fun Fold Friday here on my blog! The pretty floral bouquet on this card was made using a stamp/layering stencil set from Taylored Expressions, called Autumn Array. I die cut it using Karen Burniston's Squares Crosshatch and added it to a 5x7" card that had a floral paper panel mounted to the front. Since it's a birthday card going to a friend, of course I made it into a pop-up, too!

The sentiment is from my plastic envelope - I do a bunch of different birthday greetings at a time and store them all together so I just need to poke around in that envelope to find the one I want to finish off my card. So I'm not sure who makes that stamp!

Inside I used the Twist Flower Pop-Up die set by Karen Burniston, which is definitely one of my favourites. This time I actually used the included decorator dies, which was also fun. I took a 4 x 6" strip of leftover patterned paper and cut it in half at 2". Then I adhered each piece right up to - but not over - the fold. The daisy borders were also cut from the patterned paper, but since it's double sided I used the blue print side instead of the floral. 

The leaves were die cut from scraps of green pearlized cardstock and I added Pops Of Color (sparkly thick glitter glue) on the daisy border centres and the focal flower centre as well.  Finally I added a stamped sentiment on either side of the card and got it photographed and ready to mail.

Supplies used:

Autumn Array stamp and stencil set - Taylored Expressions

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Blending brushes - Taylored Expressions

Blending sponges - Ranger

Twist Flower Pop Up die set - Karen Burniston

Squares Crosshatch dies - Karen Burniston

Scraps of green pearl cardstock

Shimmer Spray

Patterned paper - Miss Caroline, My Minds Eye

Happy Birthday (stash)

Pops of Color, Snowflake - Scrapbook .com

Birthday Wishes stamps - Honeybee Stamps

5x7 Card base and envelope