'Sweet Friend' Slimline Diamond Z-Fold Card

I have a couple of friends dealing with health issues, so I've been making cards to send for Happy Mail. This is one of them ... a Slimline Diamond Z-Fold Card. I made a number of this type of card back in 2022 in a 5x7" size. I loved making them, so I also came up with the measurements and a tutorial for making this Slimline size. You can find that tutorial HERE, and the measurements are at the end of my post.

I usually have a Wish List for Stampin' Up items but rarely order everything on that list. Sometimes I wait and wait and by the time I decide I'd really like/use a set, it's either discontinued or out of stock or .....     So I keep an eye on a Facebook group for Canadian's selling retired SU products. This Honey Bee Bundle is one of those sets - it had been retired for a while before it popped up on that group and I claimed it right away. I've had it for over a year now, and it's one of those sets I get a lot of use out of. 

The stamped & die cut bees were coloured with alcohol markers and I added Wink of Stella glimmer paint to their wings. On the inner diamond, there is the honeycomb die cut as well as a small sentiment (from a different set). I will sign on the blank white diamond when I go to send the card.

While I prefer a Slimline card to measure 3.5 x 8.5", this one is a full 4 x 8.5" to give me room to make the diamonds this size. It fits perfectly in a #10 business envelope for mailing, and this one will mail for a single stamp!

Measurements for Diamond Z-Fold Slimline Card by Karen Aicken 

Card base - 8 x 8.5". With the 8" side at the top, score at 2" and 4". The 4" scoreline is the center, so fold your card in half along that scoreline. Then fold the front right flap back to the outside along the 2" scoreline.

Patterned paper - TWO 1.75 x 8.25" pieces and ONE 3.75 x 8.25" piece. I don't always use the two smaller ones, often just adding one to the front and leaving the inside one undecorated. It's entirely up to you.

Diamonds - TWO 2.75" squares and ONE 2-1/2" square

Patterned paper (BE MINDFUL OF THE PATTERNED PAPER IF IT HAS A DIRECTIONAL PATTERN) TWO 2.5" squares and ONE 2.25" square.

Signing block - 2.25" cardstock square with a 2" square of white or light cardstock of your choice.

Pop Up strip - 4 x 3". With the 4" side at the top, score at 1, 2 & 3"

Assemble as shown in the video.

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Bee Happy, Echo Parl

Honey Bee Bundle - Stampin' Up

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Alcohol markers

Tasteful Label dies - Stampin' Up

1-1/2" square die - Hero Arts

Inside sentiment - Hand Delivered, Stampin' Up

Nesting circles - Hero Arts

Blending sponges

Wink of Stella

Everybody Say HAPPY Birthday Cards

Welcome to Masculine Card Monday here on my blog!  When I was making our Grandson's birthday card, I pulled out a pad of 'boy themed' 6x6 papers. There weren't many sheets left and there were lots of smaller scraps. I had decided to just USE IT UP and here are two more cards. Others will be shared in the coming weeks.

These are a little more CAS (Clean And Simple) than I'm used to doing, but anything I laid on the front to see how it looked didn't add anything to the card. So I left them as is, and just added some Nuvo Drops in black.

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Boy Oh Boy, Carta Bella (6x6")

Everybody Say Happy stamp set - Catherine Pooler

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Tasteful Label dies - Stampin' Up

Nuvo Drops - Tonic Studios

 

Pop Up Birthday Card w/ July's Sheetload of Cards

Welcome to Fun Fold Friday here on my blog!  I finished off another one of the July Sheetload of Cards - this time it's a fancy-dancy pop-up Birthday Card. 😊

I added a foiled sentiment strip to the front. I haven't used my glimmer machine in months - it's REALLY difficult to remove the hot tray from the base so I tend not to want to use it. I actually wrenched my shoulder one time using it and was in pain for a few days. However, I did do a batch of foiling the last time I had it out and this sentiment is from the little bin of foiled words I have. 

Inside I used Karen Burniston's Little Labels Pop Up - and added it to a simple box pop up to raise it up a bit inside the card. This is totally Karen B's idea - I think she taught in in a class last year and I have wanted to try it ever since. I tried to find the link for you but I have no idea where I ended up finding it when I was ready to make this card.

I added more of the patterned paper inside the card, and realized that the Washi Tape Balloons from Pinkfresh Studios matched the patterned paper AND the theme of the card. The entire roll of Washi Tape had been adhered to white card stock last year so I simply fussy cut the ones I wanted to use. I added another foiled sentiment, and a washi tape flower from a different PFS roll. Oh, and I added a stitched, scalloped circle to the centre label of the Little Labels Pop Up for a different look.

The final sentiment was stamped on one of the Labels Crosshatch and I added it inside the card, trimming off the bottom edge. 

If you are curious about the pop up box, I used a strip of patterned paper that measured 6.75 x 3".  It was scored at .5", 1.5" and 2.5" then adhered inside the card. When it was dry I added the Little Labels Pop Up on top of it. Definitely a technique I will use again, since I love this die set with a 5x7" card.

I will keep working on finishing off this second Sheetload of cards and sharing them as I do.

Supplies used:

July Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Patterned paper - Brianna, K & Company (old, from my stash)

Narrow gold foil tape - Amazon .ca

Gold foil paper - Recollections

Floral cluster die - Hand Penned, Stampin' Up

Little Labels Pop Up - Karen Burniston

Labels Crosshatch - Karen Burnistson

Balloon Washi Tape - Pinkfresh Studios

Floral Washi Tape - Pinkfresh Studio's

Foiled sentiments - my stash

Glimmer Foil machine - Spellbinders

Birthday Wishes - Honey Bee

Alcohol Markers

Stardust glitter pen - Sakura

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Blending sponges - Tim Holtz

Stitched Scalloped circle nesting dies - Tutti Designs

5x7" card bases & envelopes - Ohuhu (Amazon .ca)

Vellum - Stampin' Up

Sympathy Card w/ July's Sheetload of Cards

Today I'm sharing the first finished card from the July Sheetload of Cards that I shared yesterday. I will be finishing them off one by one, until I have eight completed cards for my stash. I thought the purple background to the gold floral cluster leaned itself well to a sympathy card and since I always like to have some of those on hand that is what I made.

I added a couple of butterflies punched from gold foil paper and matted the stamped sentiment on a gold foil paper scrap. Finally, a few glitter dots to finish it off. 

I don't usually do pop-ups inside a sympathy card but I do like to finish off the inside. So, using a different paper piece from the pad I cut a 4x6" piece. This mimics the 1/2" border all around the front panel. Another scalloped circle, this time from white cardstock and I stamped the sentiment with a plum ink. Then I added a pair of punched butterflies and my card was done.

I especially like the 5x7" size for sympathy cards.

Supplies used:

July Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Patterned paper - Brianna, K & Company (old, from my stash)

Narrow gold foil tape - Amazon .ca

Gold foil paper - Recollections

Floral cluster die - Hand Penned Petals Bundle, Stampin' Up

Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart (old, from my stash)

Glitter Dot stickers - Ecstasy Crafts

Here for you - Waffle Flower

Inside Out Sympathy - Catherine Pooler

Stardust glitter pen - Sakura

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Blending sponges - Tim Holtz

Stitched Scalloped circle nesting dies - Tutti Designs

5x7" card bases & envelopes - Ohuhu (Amazon .ca)

Vellum - Stampin' Up

July Sheetload of Cards - Floral Themed

Today I'm doing something I haven't done here on my blog before - sharing incomplete cards. I am loving this month's Sheetload of Cards, and this is the second set. But they are taking me a lot longer to complete than the camping themed ones I shared last week. The floral cluster was die cut from gold paper that had double sided adhesive on the back. It took me longer to weed out the little bits inside the outline than it did to cut and assemble all the patterned papers! 

But those clusters are really pretty, and just what I wanted for the card fronts. I will decide on sentiments etc as I make the cards, and will hopefully have one or two finished off to share later this week. I tried the first floral cluster on white card stock and didn't really like it until I inked the edges. Then I tried it on a purple slightly patterned paper from the same package and wasn't crazy about that so it's a one-of. Then I tried it on a scrap of yellow cardstock I had on my desk and I really liked that, so six of the cards have the yellow which I also liked better once the edges were inked. 

I stayed true to the sketch, except that I added narrow gold foil tape in between the two paper strips and added a full circle instead of the semi-circle on the sketch. The stitched/scalloped circles on my cards were cut from vellum for a light, airy feel that doesn't detract from the floral element. The gold is hard to pick up in photos, but it's so nice and shiny! As is the pearl bits on the yellow patterned paper.

Supplies used:

July Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Patterned paper - Brianna, K & Company (old, from my stash)

Narrow gold foil tape - Amazon .ca

Gold foil paper - Recollections

Floral cluster die - Hand Penned, Stampin' Up

Stardust glitter pen - Sakura

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Blending sponges - Tim Holtz

Stitched Scalloped circle nesting dies - Tutti Designs

5x7" card bases & envelopes - Ohuhu (Amazon .ca)

Vellum - Stampin' Up

Moose Birthday Card

Welcome to Masculine Card Monday here on my blog. There were some strips leftover from the Canada Day card duo I shared last month (see those HERE) and I wanted to use them up. I could have put them back in the paper package to use another day, but I was inspired to create a masculine birthday card instead.

The matted woodgrain strip hides the join of the two plaid maple leaf pieces, and I added a punched moose on a punched label. Both were popped up with foam tape. Using torn paper and a blending sponge, I added the ground line on the label (BEFORE adding the punched moose) and then did the same on the inside panel. 

Since the card base isn't really heavy, and there are layers on the front - the card didn't feel balanced inside until I added that white panel. This is something I usually do and often forget to mention. 

Supplies used:

Patterned paper - Moose Crossing, Catherine Pooler

Label punch - Stampin Up

Moose punch - Stampin' Up

Blending sponge - Tim Holtz

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Happy Birthday - Happy Cat, Your Next Stamp

Inside - Birthday Blowout, Poppy Stamps

'Game On' Birthday Card

Welcome to Fun Fold Friday here on my blog! 

I had bought the Z Fold With Layers die set (Divinity Designs) as soon as it came out several years ago, and love to get it out. While it's probably easy enough to create this type of card BASE without the dies - this one comes with the layering dies so all the patterned paper pieces fit perfectly. No math or measuring required and that makes it fairly quick and easy to put a finished card together.

The only thing I am not crazy about is the name ... while it IS technically a Z Fold card, it's very distinctive with that Diagonal cut line, so I always refer to it as a Diagonal Z Fold, or Diagonal Trifold card. 😊

Our grandson has a birthday coming up and since he is getting older, 'cute' images aren't really appropriate for him right now. I mean - he is taller than I am! I got this Game Controller die last year knowing it would work for 'boy' birthday cards, so I pulled it out for his card. Then I flipped through a 'boy' themed 6x6" paper pad and saw the game controller print in it. Woo hoo!

There is just enough room for hubby and I to sign our names on the inner circle piece. Oh, and the sentiment is one of the leftover sentiment strips from Paper Roses' BEE HAPPY cardmaking kit. There are a lot of them left - they were very generous with the sentiments in the kit.

When my card was done, I got flipping through the remaining sheets & scraps in the (old) pad and decided it wouldn't take much to actually use it up! So I have been busy making birthday cards to share in the coming weeks. (And I did finish off that paper pad, since there were only a few sheets left 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻)

Supplies used:

A-2, Z-Fold With Layers die set - Divinity Designs

Patterned paper - Boy Oh Boy, Carta Bella (6x6") - OLD!

Game controller die - Marianne Designs

Pops of Color - Scrapbook .com

Stardust Glitter Pen - Sakura

Stitched circle die - MFT Stamps

Happy Birthday strip - Bee Happy Cardmaking Kit, Paper Rose

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Water brush

Inside - Everybody Say Happy, Catherine Pooler

July 2024 Sheetload of Cards - Camping Themed

Today I'm sharing my first card batch made with the July 2024 Sheetload of Cards. I can always tell when it's going to be one of my favourite Sheetloads, when I'm ready to start another right away. For this month, I spied a butterfly print 12x12" sheet and immediately cut it down to make 'half' a Sheetload, or 4 cards. I didn't even get started assembling those ones when my head thought how great this one would be for masculine cards. 

I pulled out this older paper package by Echo Park and cut the pieces. I am going to keep a couple in my stash and the others will be donated to my Mom's old nursing home. On the first four cards I used the reverse of the arrow print for the strips, since the paper is double sided. 

The tree is an old punch from my stash and I added some ink blending with a water brush then an alcohol marker.

Below is a peek at the inside where I added a strip of patterned paper from a scrap in the package, and a stamped sentiment. I also punched a tree from a scrap of white cardstock and used it as a stencil with blending brushes & ink to add a tree inside.

When I was finished these, I went through some older paper pads and pulled out another two sheets which I have now started on. 😊  When I'm done with those eight cards, I'll finally assemble the four butterfly paper cards! I plan on using gold foil paper with those to dress them up ... and possibly a pop up inside one or two of them. 

I usually have a video walkthrough of my Sheetload cards, but since I don't have anything else to share for the next couple of days, I wanted to get the photographs taken and watermarked instead of waiting for a quiet time to take a video. I'll try to do one when I do the butterfly cards! 

Supplies used:

July Sheetload of Cards - Call Me Crafty Al

Patterned paper - Happy Camper, Echo Park

Happy Birthday words - Happy Birthday Many Ways, Catherine Pooler

Stitched circle dies - MFT Stamps

Tree punch - EK Success (old!)

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Water Brush

Inside - Essential Birthday Sentiments, LDRS

Blending brushes

Alcohol markers

Honey Pot Mini Slimline

Last week I shared a Mini Slimline card with leftover strips of patterned paper that came in Paper Roses' cardmaking kit "Bee Happy". Today I'm sharing another Mini Slimline and it's my final card with the kit!! There is only one small piece of black printed paper left and the sentiments but I'm calling it done and tossing all the tiny bits and pieces. I save all but the smallest pieces when working with a kit, because sometimes they are perfect to punch or die cut a little somethin' something' to add to a card from the kit. When I'm done with the kit though, I'm done with all the small pieces too. The sentiment strips I added to my clear envelope of stamped ones to use on future cards.

There are touches of gold on the card, with the narrow gold foil tape, the gold foil bee stickers and I rubbed the honey pot lid with gold Lunar paste. I was happy with how well that die cut worked on this card!

Below is a peek at the inside ...

Note:  I did colour the foil bee stickers with a yellow alcohol marker to make them stand out a little more.

I didn't count how many cards I made with the kit, but it was well over a dozen and I really enjoyed using it.

Supplies used:

Bee Happy Cardmaking Kit - Paper Rose

Gold foil narrow tape - Amazon .ca

Honey Pot dies - Honey Bee Stamps

Gold Lunar Paste

Blending sponge

Catherine Pooler coloured inks

Hello die - MFT Stamps

Shimmer Spray

White gel pen

Alcohol markers

Gold bee stickers - Amazon .ca

Petite Scalop Mini Slimline die - Taylored Expressions

Bee Sentiments - Elizabeth Craft Designs (old)

Butterflies & Daisy's Birthday Card

My first card share for July is a 5x7" Birthday card. I checked out the July '24 Sheetload of cards last night and it's for 5x7" cards as well and I can't wait to get started on it. I gave lots of my hand made cards to family & friends in the fall, so now I can start to build up my stash again which is where this card is headed. 

The patterned paper pad is one I got back in February - which is the last time I bought anything new for my craft room - and I specifically chose the papers because of the daisy prints. I have those daisy punches from Stampin' Up and I thought the two would work well together. Ha - then I didn't use the punches on this card!

I was surprised to find several pages of printed panels in the package as well - such as the front panel on the card. I trimmed it down and matted it with yellow, and then fussy cut the two fishtail banners that were also on the sheet. Those got mounted inside the card and there is one more piece leftover for another card another day.

The 'love & best wishes' was already printed in the centre, so I added the 'on your special day' with foam tape. That is on a sheet leftover from Paper Roses' Bee Happy cardmaking kit and the colours worked well. The flower centres on the floral circle are raised, shiny with a little sparkle but of course that doesn't show up in the photos. I used Pops of Color for that. 

Supplies used:

Patterned paper & Coordinating solids - Dancing Daisies, the Paper Boutique

Little Etched Butterflies - Paper Rose

Gold foil card stock

Pops of Color - Scrapbook .com

Narrow gold foil tape - Amazon .ca

Inside - the Inside Scoop Birthday, Taylored Expressions

5x7" Card base & envelope