Using vinyl on cards...

I was given some textured vinyl sheets a while back, and I finally decided to cut into them for a few cards.

I know Father's Day has come and gone, but I wanted to share these with you anyway. The design could work for any occasion.

I thought the colors and texture of the vinyl sheets were perfect for Father's Day cards, so I pulled out a card sketch and followed it to make this one.

I used a very strong double-sided tape to adhere the vinyl. I didn't think liquid glue or tape runner would hold it well enough.

After the vinyl was adhered, I cut a leafy sprig out of black cardstock. 

The sentiment was printed with my computer and popped up on foam squares over the top of the leafy sprig.

I used another computer-generated sentiment on the inside and stamped a couple of small leaves.

I made a second card that used the same elements, except for the focal point. "You're the Best" is a very old sticker that was adhered to a decorative metal circle (from the same sticker set). 

To finish the inside of the card, I stamped a simple "Happy Father's Day."

Here's a closer look at that sticker. It has a slightly domed surface. I've had it for years--thank goodness I finally used it!

Do you save stickers when there are just a couple left from a set or do you chuck them? I tend to save them, but I've been working hard to use up some of the older ones I have in my stash. I almost always add glue to them, because I'm pretty sure they wouldn't stick otherwise.

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

Cheryl

A Gingko get well...

 

If you've followed my blog for a while, you may recall how much I love this Gingko leaf diecut. It's so delicate and versatile. I've used it on a number of different kinds of cards.

I decided to make this card with bright, happy colors, hoping it would cheer up the receiver who is trying to get well.

I had the "Get Well Soon" sentiment in my stash. It had been stamped and die-cut, so I simple added it to a strip of cardstock and angle-cut each end.

Did you notice that I had added a strip of the same cardstock to the right side of the DSP?

I stamped a sentiment on the inside to finish the card.

I don't know if I have ever received a get well card, but then I am rarely sick, so that is no surprise. I'm keeping my fingers and toes cross that I'm never sick long enough for anyone to think they should send me one.

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

Cheryl

Out of this world...

 

I used a Dollar Tree stamp set for this card. I started by adding some cloudy sky DSP that I had in my stash to the card front. Then I used the stamps to create the Earth, Saturn and the Space Alien. I colored them with markers and colored pencils and fussy-cut them. The stamp set also included the sentiment, which was cut out and popped up with foam tape.

I added quite a few holographic stars to the dark sky and some Glossy Accents to the Space Alien's helmet visor. Too bad you can't actually see it!

The inside sentiment was another stamp from the set. And, of course, I had to add a few more holographic stars.

I made two cards like this and donated both of them. I think there must be some children out there who would enjoy receiving them.

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

Cheryl

One embossed panel, two cards...

I have a new 3D embossing folder and decided to use it to make a couple of cards. I started by embossing a single white panel. I was so taken with the embossed design--it really is lovely--that I thought it should decorate more than one card. So why not cut it into two pieces and use it for two cards, instead of one?

For this first card, I just left the embossed panel as it came from the folder. I thought it would be perfect for a sympathy card.

I added the narrow blue strip to finish the edge of the embossed panel and then popped up a blue, scalloped oval with a stamped and die-cut sentiment.

I decided to keep this card very simple and not even add any pearls or gems.

On the inside, I added a stamped sentiment and a stamped image of a leafy branch.

My second card--made with the remaining piece of my embossed panel, was made in much the same way. This time, however, I used a small blending brush and my chalks to add a tiny bit of color to the embossing. I sprayed the panel with a finishing spray so that the chalk didn't rub off.

I added a strip of pink CS to each side of the embossed panel.

I found the die-cut sentiment in my stash, so I simply glued it to a pretty scalloped oval and popped it up on my card.

This time I added three pink gems for embellishment.

On the inside, I stamped a sentiment in black and a couple of hearts in pink.

I think I am going to try embossing a panel of white core, colored cardstock and sanding it to see how it looks. I've sanded 2D embossed panels before, but never 3D. Have you? Did you like the results?

I will share my results here on Paper Panacea.

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

Cheryl

Elegant Father's Day card...

 

This card was inspired by Rachel Tessman of Stamp Your Art Out in this post.  It's a fun card to make and came together very quickly.

I first pulled out some kraft card bases that I had in my stash. Then I cut a strip of DSP (about 2" wide, I think) and added a narrow edge of white on each side. I then added a tiny strip of gold metallic cardstock to the right side.

I stamped "Happy Father's Day" and die-cut it with a stitched hexagon die. 

I stamped the leafy branch, angling it downward from the top and edged the right side with a bit of the gold CS.

The "ribbons" were made with a small banner die and attached on the left.

Finally, I die-cut a leafy sprig and attached it to the top of the hexagon before adhering it directly to the card.

I used a gold Viva Decor pen to add three dots below the sentiment.

On the inside, the first sentiment was stamped with gold metallic ink and the second one with black ink.

I made several of these cards to donate, but I think I'll be using this design again for other cards. This card can easily change from masculine to feminine by using different cardstock and DSP.

I hope all the dads and dad-like figures have a wonderful Father's Day. Parenting, mentoring and nurturing children can be an all-consuming job, but the rewards are endless.

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

Cheryl

You've got the "write" stuff...

 

Here are a couple more Father's Day cards I made to donate. I used a typewriter die set that I've had for a long time. I really don't use it very often, but I thought it would work well for an older dad who remembers using one.

I really like this die set because it actually does remind me of my days in my high school typing class. I think I was able to type 60 words per minute by the end of the year. And I remember buying an old, second-hand manual typewriter to take with me to college.

Those were the days, weren't they?

The sentiment at the bottom of the card was printed with my computer, matted with brown CS, and popped up with foam tape.

I did a little research to see if there ever were any turquoise typewriters. I found that there actually was one made by the "Royal" company in the 1950s. I would have loved to have one of those!

This is the sentiment I stamped on the inside of each card.

So, did you learn to type on a typewriter? Or did you learn on a word processor or computer?

I feel like we learned more about the "rules and techniques" of typing when I was in high school. Now it seems that the outcome is more important. If you can type really fast with just two fingers, then go for it!

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

Cheryl

Father's Day is almost here...

 ...so I have been working on cards for the occasion.

I still had some pieces left from a partial kit that had been given to me last year.  Sometimes it's hard to use up all the kit bits.

The background paper featuring all the gears and the "Best Dad Ever" punch-out were from the kit.

I adhered a strip of beige cardstock and then a narrower strip of blue across the center of the card.

I popped up the punch-out, but glued the sentiment strip directly to the blue CS.

I added a white panel to the inside with "Happy Father's Day" stamped on it.

I also added two more gear punch-outs as a little embellishment.

Also among those kit bits were a few of the large gear punch-out shapes. A couple of them said "Best Dad Ever," so I layered one of them on top of an even larger shape for this card. I used some wood-grained DSP for the background and put a screwhead sticker in each corner.

In this pic, you can see that the top gear is popped up with foam squares.

I stamped two sentiments on the inside of this card. When that was done, I felt it needed a little something to separate the two, since they were totally different fonts. I would have liked to use a couple more screwhead stickers, but I was out of them. Then I found a stamp for this little rope image and thought it would do the trick.

We are nearly ready for our contractor to come in and refinish some of our wood floors, replace the stair treads, install a runner on them and do some painting. I will be so glad when that is all done!

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

Cheryl

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #220: Anything Goes or Add Buttons...

 

It's time once again for our monthly challenge at Let's Craft and Create. As in other months, you can enter the challenge under the "Anything Goes" umbrella, or you can opt for the "Add Buttons" suggestion for July.

I remember when I used buttons regularly on my cards. I have lots and lots of buttons, having sewn a lot for my children when they were young and also for myself. But I eventually purchased some button dies and began using them to cut button shapes from cardstock. That made it much easier to coordinate colors and to keep my cards flatter for mailing. For this month's card, I once again used my button dies.

I used one of my favorite edge dies to cut a scalloped border, which I adhered to the right side of my DSP. I die-cut the four buttons from the same green cardstock.

This little elephant die-cut is so cute, and I love the little heart that the die also cuts.

The stitched circle and its green mat were popped up with foam squares.

I added a little shading on the elephant with a green colored pencil. I'm not sure why it stands out so much in the photo, but it looks a lot subtler in real life.

I added a stamped sentiment and another pink heart on the inside.

*****

Now be sure to check out all the inspiring projects from the Design Team. You'll find them in this post.

I hope you'll join our June challenge and add your link at Let's Craft and Create. We love seeing all your entries. After all, you inspire us, too!

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

Cheryl

Music, music, music...

 

More than a year ago, I bought some music instrument stickers for a specific card for my granddaughter who played the trombone in her high school band. The stickers were from Dollar Tree, so the whole set cost only $1.00 at the time.

It was time to use the rest of those stickers, don't you think? I made a couple of birthday cards with a musical theme and simply added some of the stickers to them.

I embossed the background panel and adhered it to my card front. Then I die-cut the music staff and glued that down. After that it was simply a matter of selecting which stickers I wanted on each card.

I used as many of the stickers as I could without making the cards too crowded. I thought they were pretty unique, as birthday cards go, and someone would find a use for them.

I didn't have a stamp for the inside that would work well with the card fronts, so I had to create my own. Actually, I got a little help from AI by asking one of the free programs to write a 4-line birthday poem with a music theme. The Co-Pilot program came up with one, but I had to do quite a bit of "editing" before I was satisfied with it.

I printed out the sentiments and then added some stamped notes to finish off the cards.

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

Cheryl

Graphic Father's Day card....

I was inspired, not long ago, by Vicki of "Heatrwarmers From Vicki" in this post. She made some cards using 1 1/4" squares. I thought it was a brilliant idea for using up some small pieces of DSP for masculine cards.

I put mine together a little differently than Vicki did. I used a punch to punch out all my squares first. Then I lined them up on my work surface in the way I wanted them to go. After that, I carefully turned them over so the backside was face up, keeping them in the order I wanted. 

Using a little Scotch Tape on the back, I added a small piece of tape to each seam. Once that was done, I used my tape gun to add adhesive to the back so that I could lay them down on my 4" X 5 1/4" DSP exactly where I wanted them. It worked perfectly!

Once I had my squares adhered to the DSP, I cut off any extra hanging over the edge and added it to my card front.

The sentiment was stamped, die-cut and popped up with foam tape over some linen thread.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside to finish my card.

*****

We are prepping our main floor to have the wood floors refinished. It's been a good reminder that we have TOO MUCH STUFF! As we've been clearing out the rooms, we've been filling bags and boxes with items to donate. 

Luckily, my DH and I are in agreement on paring down our possessions. In fact, he's better at it than I am (although he occasionally gets rid of something and then wishes he still had it a few months later).

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

Cheryl

Husband card for Father's Day...

 

I had the "Husband" punch-out in my stash and decided to use it for a Father's Day card. I stamped "To My" on a strip of paper, die-cut it and added it to the punch-out. The punch-out was then popped up on the front of the card.

As a little embellishment, I added two different-sized screwhead stickers in the bottom right corner.

I started with a kraft card base. I added some striped DSP on the left side and a larger, embossed piece on the right. Before adding the embossed piece, I lightly ran a blue oxide ink pad over the raised design. Oxide ink is opaque, so it added a nice depth of color to the blue cardstock.

On the inside of the card, I stamped two sentiments. The top one used an open letter font, so I colored in the letters with a blue colored pencil.

I only managed to make eight cards this week, so I had to pull another 10 from my stash of cards to take to the thrift store on Thursday. I am hoping to get three times as many made this week! I am so thankful for the ideas and inspiration I see online every day.

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

Cheryl

My daughter's lovely cards...

My daughter bought a Cricut some time ago and, for a while, used it mainly to cut vinyl for t-shirts and other items. She did a beautiful job and thoroughly enjoyed making special shirts for her children's sports teams and even their parents. She used some purchased designs, but also enjoyed designing some of them herself.

We went to visit her and her family and attend my granddaughter Lucy's graduation from high school.

Lucy's a beautiful girl and has inherited her mom's (my daughter's) crafty talents. She will be attending the University of North Dakota next year where she plans to study engineering.

During our visit, and after the graduation ceremonies had concluded, my daughter gave me two cards she had made with her Cricut. I was so excited that she was branching out into creating with cardstock! She has also been making some 3D animals out of paper, and they look amazing! I'm kicking myself now for not taking a photo of them.

This was a simple thank you card she made. The Cricut printed the "thank you," but she used a black pen to draw the line up to the balloon.

The balloon shape, also cut by her Cricut, was popped up with a foam square. So simple, but so cute!

This was a belated Mother's Day card she gave to me. The front of the card was simple and unassuming. It was the perfect lead-in to the beautiful surprise inside.

This is the inside of the card--a big, beautiful flower with a gorgeous butterfly sitting on it's center. The right side of the card formed a pocket in which she could put a special note.

Here's a closer look at the butterfly. It's delicate and dramatic at the same time.

You can see the flower stamens in this photo.  Everything folds together perfectly when the card is closed.

The notecard tucked into the right hand pocket had a pretty design drawn on it, which was also done with the Cricut.

For my granddaughter's graduation party, she made 2025 out of Cricut-cut, rolled flowers. At right is a photo of one of the numbers. She believes she spent about 20 hours making all the flowers needed for the four numbers.

I love seeing her having so much fun designing and creating. I only wish she lived closer so that we could occasionally work together.

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

Cheryl