A few final Easter/Spring cards...

 

I had a single dimensional sticker of a cross, so I made this card with it. I simply stamped the sentiment first and then used a pierced sunray background die to add the pierced lines to my panel. Then, all I had to do was adhere the cross and add a stamped sentiment to the inside.

I made a few bookbinder cards for Easter, too. This cute bunny image was perfect for them. I die-cut the stamped sentiment, the wonky lace along the "binding" and the two tiny eggs. A small bow finished the card front, and a stamped sentiment was added to the inside.

I had fun die-cutting and assembling this little bunny in a cup. This card was donated, and I'm pleased to say that every single Easter card I donated to the thrift store was sold. I've since started on Mother's Day cards for them.

I also made a few of these cards to donate.  I thought there might be a few grandmothers who would buy them for their grandkids.

Finally, I made this card for a friend who doesn't celebrate Easter. I still wanted her to know I was thinking of her, so I made this fractured "Happy Spring" card. I thought the mix of gray and soft pink in these pretty papers was perfect. The flower was a premade one that I layered up and added a tiny bit of pink ink to. I die-cut a few leaves out of dark gray to match those in the patterned paper.

On the inside, I stamped a sentiment and added two strips of the pink paper.

It's hard to believe that Easter is already upon us. To all of you who celebrate, I wish you a blessed Easter. And I'd like to wish a happy Spring to everyone else. I look forward to seeing some pictures of flowers on the blogs I visit regularly. I know I'm anxiously awaiting the blooming of my tulips and peonies.

I even bought a few seed packets yesterday when I was running some errands. I only wish I could get them in the ground already!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Smile! You're on camera! (and a few more Easter cards)...

 

This is a masculine card I made to donate. The "Happy Birthday" die-cut has a retro look, don't you think? I filled the little holes in the banner with some Nuvo Drops.

The camera is actually a dimensional sticker from Dollar Tree. I thought it was such a great image and perfect for a guy card.

I love the old-fashioned, burnished look of it. And it has some real dimension in the way it is made.

I don't often find stickers like these at Dollar Tree, but when I do, I buy them even if I have no idea at the time how I"ll use them.

I didn't have any stamps that were camera/picture-related, so I created one with my computer.

I also added a strip od DSP as a bit of decoration on the inside.

These Easter cards are bright and cheerful. The patterned paper on the bottom of each card came from a gift bag I bought at Dollar Tree. I saw the gift bag and thought the colors were perfect for Easter.

The fest bunnies were from my stash. I gave them enamel dots for tails. "Easter Joy" was cut from some glitter cardstock and glued onto the front of each card. The inside of each card has a stamped sentiment.

I still had some of the gift-bag paper left, so I made some slim-line cards for each of our grandsons.

I don't often use my largest alpha dies, but they worked perfectly on these cards.

"Happy" was popped up on foam tape.

The decorative white strip that separates the top of the card from the bottom was made with a very old punch. 

I die-cut three eggs and arranged them on the bottom of the card, popping up the middle one and adding a cute little die-cut bunny.

Once again, I added a computer-generated sentiment on the inside, along with a strip of the colorful paper from the gift bag.

*****

Old Man Winter has paid us a visit, even though it is officially spring. He dumped quite a lot of snow and rain on us--enough to make the roads icy and dangerous. There were hundreds upon hundreds of accidents, spin-outs and jack-knifed semis in the metro area. The hubs had to take his brother to a doctor's appointment during the height of the storm, so I got to walk our dog. Mickey loves the snow, so he was happy as a lark to be out in it. Me...not so much.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

More Easter cards...

I used a free image that I found online on these cards. I thought the little chick was so cute and worked nicely for a circle die-cut.

This card is simple and straightforward. I adhered the image to a shadow layer and popped it up on foam squares.

Finally, I added a pink ribbon and a stamped sentiment on the inside.

This card is a little more complicated. You see the chick image through an aperture on the front of the card.

For the inside layer, I cut a piece of white cardstock to 5 1/4" high X 6" wide. It was scored at 4" on the 6" side, and this flap was folded towards the center of the card.

The card was then closed and glue was added to the circle layer on the right hand side in order to adhere it onto the flap through the aperture.

This photo shows the inside of the card with a piece of scalloped  DSP and a stamped chick for a little embellishment.

I made a few of these cards, too. I had some "starry sky" DSP, and it worked perfectly as a background for my fancy cross. I added some purple gems to this one, but I decided I liked them better without the gems. 

For this card, I used four different patterns of DSP to create a fractured design. The flower is from a box of pre-made flowers I've had for years. I just added a little blue ink and a gem in the center to finish it off.  I used navy blue quilling strips that I had on hand for the fractured design. I don't plan to do any quilling any time soon, and they worked really well for this design.

I was able to get to the library yesterday to pick up some books to read this coming week. A snowstorm was moving in, so I wanted to make sure I had some reading material while we wait for the storm to subside.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Rocker cards...

 I had fun recently making some rocker cards.

These were the first two that I made. I grabbed my biggest wonky-scalloped circle die, which is very close to 5 1/2" in diameter, and used it to cut my card bases. These were then folded in half. 

The picture above shows how nicely they stand for display. And they really do rock, if you give them a little nudge!

Then I selected a plain circle die that would fit nicely inside the die I had used for the base. I cut a circle, glued it onto my base, and cut off the excess.

To complete my card base, I selected a smaller wonky-scalloped die that I could see would fit nicely onto my card base. Before adding it to my card base, I layered it with a smaller plain circle die-cut. Then, to make sure that it would fit into an A2 envelope, I layed my base on top of an envelope and used the envelope edges to determine my outer perameters as I glued the smaller circle onto the base. 

Once that was done, I popped up a sentiment circle and a die-cut teddy bear, and added a bow.

I die-cut a circle and cut it in half to use as a sentiment panel for the inside of each card. You could certainly stamp, or write, dirctly onto the card base, but I like to add an extra panel. It gives the card more sturdiness and a nice, finished look.

ETA: This stamped sentiment is actually from one of the cards below, and not what is inside the baby cards. However, I did add a "welcome baby" sentiment in the same way.

I also made some Easter cards using this idea. I first created an image of a bunny with lilacs, using the Bing/Create AI program. If you look closely, you'll see that I cut around a lilac blossom and a few leaves before die-cutting so that I could insert my circle die underneath them. That way, they are not cut off when you run the image through your die-cutting machine.

Same idea here, but a little simpler. The image was a free one available online. Cards like this were the perfect ones to give to my granddaughters, and they also sold well at the thrift store.

If you're still looking for a quick-to-make Easter card idea, this is a good one--fun to make, and they turn out so cute!

*****

We finally got some snow, with more to come on Sunday. Our piece of the Minnesota landscape looks like a winter wonderland again! "Wonderland" as in I'm "wondering" when it will all melt!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Cards for Easter 2024...

I have made scores of Easter cards--some for me and some to donate--and I thought I'd share a few of them with you today.

This card was made with a pre-made card base. It had an oval aperture on the front with a piece that folded around behind the aperture.

I used a stencil to add a pattern to the white side of the cardstock that showed through the aperture. I also inked around the edge of the oval. When that was done, I added some glue to the flap that I had stenciled and adhered it in place.

I stamped and cut out my sentiment with a die, then popped it up on dimensionals.

My bunny was die-cut, and all I did was add a little pink to his ears and cheek and emphasize his eye with a fine-point felt pen.

I cut some greenery in a couple shades of light green and added tiny die-cut flowers in various colors. As a final touch, I added Nuvo Drops to the center of each flower.

On the inside I added a stamped sentiment. I should have added a few of the tiny flowers here, too, but didn't think of it at the time.

In this photo, you can see a tiny bit of the blue flap that folded over the oval aperture. You can also see that the reverse side of the blue cardstock was white.

I used the bunny again with an Easter wreath for this card. This time I added some die-cut carrots to decorate the wreath. They're a little large for my bunny, but I still thought they were cute.

I really love this whimsical little bunny. He came with a stool die, so I need to figure out some cards featuring him sitting on the stool.

For this card, I added a computer-generated sentiment.

These two cards were made using some self-adhesive felt bunnies that I've had for a very long time in my box of Easter craft supplies.

Originally, each bunny had a pompom tail, but they create such a big bump in an envelope, so I removed them. As a replacement, I added an enamel dot.

The panels that the bunnies are on and the sentiment rectangles are popped up on dimensionals.

Once again, I added a computer-generated sentiment to the inside. I also added a strip of DSP for a little decoration.

*****

We have snow and cold in our forecast. I heard on the radio yesterday, as I was working on some cards, that Minneapolis is 36" below normal in the snow department this year, so we really do need it. Well, I guess we don't need snow, we just need moisture! But if it comes in the form of snow, so be it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Birthday cards for tiny tots...

 I try to make a wide variety of cards to donate, and a short time ago I made a couple for toddlers.

It was a chance to use up some scraps that were laying on my desk.

I'm always amazed when a very few small scraps completely embellish a card front. 

Both cards were made in exactly the same way. I used glitter cardstock for each of the numbers. I also used dimensionals to pop up each small number panel.

I've had the teddy bear die for years. I have no idea who the manufacuter is, but it could be Spellbinder's. It's a nice die because you can ink the tummy, paws, nose/mouth and ears through holes in the die.

I added some Nuvo Drops for the eyes.

Both cards had the same stamped sentiment on the inside.

*****

It has turned cold here. They predict it will get down to the teens at night this week. My poor tulips, which are about 5 inches high, are going to suffer some serious frostbite!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

St. Patrick's Day cards...

I made several cards for St. Patrick's Day--one for a family member and the others to donate to the thrift store. I thought I'd share some samples with you today.

I made several of these cards. The sentiment made me smile, and I love using my little frog die.

Of course, I had to add some googly eyes to my frog. They always add some life and just the right amount of silliness.

Both sentiments (front and inside) were printed with my computer. The four-leaf clover was cut with a die.

The image of the four-leaf clover on this card was created with a stencil. I matted it and popped it up on dimensionals. the sentiment was stamped, die-cut, matted and also popped up on dimensionals.

I added another four-leaf clover on the inside above my compiter-printed sentiment.

On this card, I used three die-cut shamrocks as my focal point and added a green gem at the center of each.

The largest shamrock was popped up with dimensionals, as was my stamped and die-cut sentiment.

I also added a shamrock to the inside of this card.

Do you know the difference between shamrocks and four-leaf clovers? I learned this online:  

As for the difference in symbolism between shamrocks and clovers, shamrocks re recognized as representtions of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, the four leaves of a clover syumbolize love, faith, hope, and luck. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Die-cut, layered flowers...

 

I purchased the die set for this flower sometime ago. I ordered it online, so I guess I wasn't fully aware of how big it was. It definitely fills up an A2 card front!

There are four layers of petals and two layers of the flower center. By the time you get them all glued together, it's quite a stack. And with a little shading (achieved with some ink and a blending brush), it looks pretty impressive.

I used a background die to for the pinpoint design in the white panel of each card.

I just had to try it in purple, too, but I changed the orientation to a top-fold card. 

I pulled some scraps of purple in different shades from my scrap pile and die-cut the layers. Then I added some shading with different purple inks. You can see in the photos that I cut the bottom layers in the darkest shade of purple and used progressively lighter shades for the subsequent layers.

I loved how this one turned out.

I added some shading to the flower centers and the leaves, too.

Each card had a stamped sentiment on the inside.

These were such fun cards to make and sold quickly at the thrift store. I definitely need to make some more of them!

*****

I'm happy to report that my injured knee is nearly back to normal. I was a bit surprised--but very happy--with how quickly it recovered. I still don't know what I did to it, but I hope it never happens again. It was very painful!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl