Sympathy cards using scenic papers...

 

I recently bought a pack of 6" X 6" papers that all depicted different outdoor scenes. I thought they would be great for sympathy cards. The group of cards above doesn't include all the cards I made. I think there were three more of them for a total of eight cards.

Some of the sentiments were die-cut and glued directly to the card fronts; others were stamped, cut out with an oval or rectangle and popped up, as you see above. 

You may have noticed that I matted some of the images, and some I did not. It just depended on how it looked and whether I thought a mat would enhance the look of the card.

This is a close-up of one of them. They are all such peaceful scenes, and I thought they made lovely sympathy cards.

Becausse the papers were 6" X 6", I had 2" left after cutting a 4" piece for the front. I cut it down to 1 1/2", I believe, and added it to the inside. I loved the way it continued the peaceful scene.

Finally, I added a white panel, stamped with a sentiment.

This card is not shown in the first photo, so I thought I'd share it with you here. I cut the scene down to fit my card front, which was cut 3/4" shorter than the card back. 

I heat-embossed the sentiment onto a 1" piece of purple cardstock and glued that to the bottom of the inside.

This is how the card looks when opened.

I am pleased with how these all turned out. I now have enough sympathy cards for my stash and to donate for the next few weeks.

It's a comfort to me that I can now immediately send a card to comfort someone else.                                        

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

Cheryl

Double Z-fold card...

 

This was an interesting card to make, and when finished, it fits nicely into an A2 envelope.

The aqua plaid cardstock was cut to 8 1/4" X 5 1/2", and with the 8 1/4" side across the top, it was scored at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2".

A second coordinating cardstock was cut at 81/4" X 4 1/4". Again, with the 8 1/4" side across the top, it was scored at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2".

After folding and burnishing the folds, I adhered the two pieces together so that the finished card was 4 1/4" at its widest point and 5 1/2" high.

This is how the card looks when opened. The two white panels that I stamped, ink blended and embellished with flowers measured 2 1/2" X 4".

I added a little double-sided tape under the ribbon tied around the card front so that it wouldn't slip off.

Here's a closer peek at the two inside panels. This picture more clearly shows how I used gems for the flower centers. 

I learned how to make this card from watching a video from Connie Stewart of Simply Simple Stamping. If you'd like to watch the video you can see it here.

Connie shows how to make two of these cards at once, and you can download her measurements and supply list on her blog post here.

As you read this, we are on a little camping adventure in northern Minnesota. We'll be home soon, and I'll share a little more about our trip then.

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

Cheryl

Mini-explosion birthday card...

The succulent wreath image is one I found on an AI Facebook site. I loved its soft colors, and since it was offered to anyone for personal use, I decided I'd use it on a few cards.

I made a bookbinder fold for my card base ( 4 1/4" X 11", scored at 5 1/2" and 6 3/4") and matted the image before gluing it down. Then I used the same DSP on the "binding" as I had used to mat the image.

I tied a bow with some twine around the binding before adhering that section together, and that was it!

The "mini-explosion" happens when you open the card. I made this by first cutting a piece of DSP that was 6" X 6". I folded it in half one way, then in have again the other way, and, finally, once on the diagonal. The diagonally folded squares fold inward when the card is closed.

I cut two 2 3/4" squares from white CS so I could stamp a sentiment and have a place to sign.

I folded my explosion piece together, making sure it was right side up, and then carefully glued it down so that each point was at the middle (2 1/8") of each side of the card interior.

This card is made in a similar way, but without the DSP. I used textured cardstock, so I didn't add any matting or DSP to the binding - just a little ribbon with a bow.

For extra embellishment, I added two tiny, punched butterflies and a couple of gems. Do you see them?

Here's what the explosion piece looks like on this one. I added two more little butterflies here.

These were so much fun to make, so I hope you'll give them a try. If there's anything that's confusing about how they're made, just message me and I'll try to clarify.

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

Cheryl

It's time to get started on those Halloween cards...

I have finally made some Halloween cards. So far I've only made about a dozen to donate, but I am planning on making some for my own use soon.

The idea for this card came about when I found a felt witch's hat sticker in my stash. I cut a deckle-edged circle as a base for it. Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone and stamped some dots on the circle. When that didn't seem quite right, I added a dot of glue on each dot and sprinkled on some glitter. *Sigh* I should have just left it alone.

The sentiment was stamped, matted and popped up on foam tape.

To finish the card front, I added a couple of purple die-cut spiderwebs and some purple gems.

This sentiment I used on the inside was actually in my Halloween stash. I must have printed it out last year, and never used it.

This card was made with several leftover pieces from last year's cards: the strip of DSP on the left, the hanging bat, the skull candle and the die-cut "Boo." 

The front of this A2 card was scored at 2 1/8" and folded back before the DSP was added. Then I created my focal rectangle before adhering the left half of it to the card front. I made sure I centered it on the card before gluing it down.

This is how the card looks when opened. As you can see, I added a spiderweb border (also left over from last year), a stamped sentiment and three stamped bats.

I made these two cards because I wanted to use some of this printed cardstock. It is such a busy pattern. I've had it for years and have never known quite what to do with it. 

I also have a ton of punch-out letters in diffeent colors, and I wanted to use some of those, too. I found some orange letters that would work nicely, but I didn't have any black ones. To solve that problem, I simply colored some purple ones black with an alcohol marker.

I stamped "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and then cut it apart to get the words "HAPPY" and "DAY," which I matted before adhering them directly to the card front.

I had a partial pack of black, orange and gold spiderwebs. They are the size of a small doily, so I cut two of them apart and added a portion to each card.

The letters for "BOO" were popped up with thin foam strips. You can see some of those strips peeking out from under the letters in this photo.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside of each card.

Have you started making Halloween cards yet? They are actually my favorite kind of card to make. I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy creating with the webs, witches, bats, skeletons, etc.

I've also been working on my personal Christmas cards. I have made 60+ so far, so I'm well on my way to the 90 I will need. My goal is to have them all done by mid-October. I will start sharing them on the blog soon!

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

Cheryl

Stenciled birthday card...

For quite some time now, I've had a large die that cuts a "postage stamp" background. I haven't used it much, though, as I didn't have any stencils to go with it. I used it to make  a Valentine, which you can see here, and added small stamped images and die-cuts for decoration. Doing that took a lot of time.

I now have three stencil sets to add images. The first stencil set I purchased was a birthday set, which I have used for the first time on the card below.

I loved adding color, then looking to see how it turned out. I added a die-cut bow to the cupcake and some sparkle to the confetti and the candle flames.

The sentiment was in my stash, so I simply popped it up with a thin foam strip.

This is the sentiment I stamped on the inside.

I have also purchased a Christmas stencil set for this postage background. I'm anxious to give that one a try, and I'll share it here once I do.

Since this was an NBUS stencil set, I am sharing this card on Darnell's NBUS blog.

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

Cheryl

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #223: Anything Goes or Lots of Layers (Option)...

 

We're cruising into Autumn and it's time for our September challenge at Let's Craft and Create. I hope you'll join in the fun and post your creation below. 

I opted to go with the "Lots of Layers" option. I remembered an old technique, which I decided to try once again. Here's my card:

I found an AI image online that was free to use for personal purposes. It was perfect for the technique I wanted to use, which is often called "Triple Time Layering." 

I started by sizing, then printing the image. I used a layering rectangle die to cut it to 4" X 5 1/4". 

I carefully centered two more layering dies on my image, holding them in place with some Post-It tape before running them through my die-cutting machine.

Once the layers were cut, I glued the outermost section, which looked like a frame, directly to my card base. Then I matted the other two pieces with the same cardstock that was used for the base.

Each matted layer was popped up with foam tape.

The sentiment was printed with my computer, die-cut and glued directly to the top layer of my card front.

The inside sentiment was also printed with my computer on a separate panel, then adhered to the inside of the card.

Now I hope you'll hop over to Let's Craft and Create and look at all the creations from the Design Team. They are an amazing group and I know their projects will inspire you.

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

Cheryl

Birthday cards for oldest and youngest grandsons...

 Two of our grandsons had birthdays recently. These are the cards I made for them:

Our oldest grandson turned 22 and this was his card. It's more of a "grown-up" card, since he's now an adult.

I miss making the kind of cards I used to make when our grandkids were young. I still make a few to donate but it's not quite the same when you don't know who they're going to.

I added some sparkle and shine to this card, just for fun. the sentiment is die-cut from silver metallic cardstock and the party hats are cut from silver glitter cardstock.

What looks like DSP on this card is actually a self-stick fibrous vinyl that the thrift store gave to me for making cards. It works great, especially for masculine cards.

On the inside I stamped a favorite sentiment. I also die-cut his age from the same silver metallic cardstock that I used for the sentiment on the front.

The slimline format for this card provided lots of room on the inside for the long, narrow sentiment, the big numbers, and a strip of the vinyl that's also on the front.

This is the card I made for our youngest grandson. I can't believe he is already 16! The years have flown by so fast.

I added the white mesh and glittery star die-cuts for interest. The smaller red stars were leftover from the inside design.

"16" was cut from silver metallic cardstock, adhered to the die-cut starburst and popped up on the card front.

The inside of the card was the star of the show. I cut the three-dimensional pop-out with my Silhouette Cameo. See where those small red stars came from?

Getting this pop-out to fold properly takes patience and perseverance, but I love the result, once I get it all to fold in the right direction.

We had a rather lazy Labor Day (although I did do the laundry!). I remembered, though, how nice it was to have Federal holidays off of work. Back then, I appreciated even a single extra day to rest and recuperate.

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

Cheryl

Fun with a friend...

As I noted in my last post, I spent last Friday afternoon crafting with my friend Lynette (My Stamping Addiction) in her amazing craft room. We chatted and crafted for about three hours and these cards were the result:

I had a sheet of light green paper with gold starbursts and white dots all over it. I thought it would make some pretty Christmas cards, especially when paired with metallic gold and forest green.

I used one of Lynette's die sets to cut all the pieces and then glued then onto the fronts of two pale green card bases.

When I got home, I cut a starburst from gold metallic cardstock and popped it up in the center square of each card.

I also gold-embossed "Merry Christmas" onto two strips of forest green cardstock and die-cut them. I popped these up, as well, with foam tape.

On the inside of each card, I stamped and heat-embossed (in gold) a holiday sentiment.

I had also taken with me a sheet of blue snowflake-patterned paper. I used another of Lynette's die sets to cut the pieces you see above and the navy blue frames. The frames and the pieces were glued to two white card bases. There was a die to cut center hexagons from the snowflake paper, but I opted not to cut those.

When I got home, I stamped a holiday sentiment in the center of each card with Night of Navy ink. I also die-cut three glittery snowflakes for each card and glued them on.

I looked through my Christmas sentiment stamps and found this one that actually had a couple of snowflakes included as part of the stamp. It was perfect for these cards!

Yay! Four more Christmas cards done.

I also made these two cards using Lynette's Altenew 3D embossing folder, Sunshine Blossoms. I used her coordinating stencil set to add color with inks and blending brushes.

At home, I added a heat-embossed, popped-up sentiment. 

I also used some gold metallic paint on the flower centers and added three peach-colored gems to each card. The gems have a very reflective finish, so they didn't photograph well.

These inside sentiments were also heat-embossed in gold.

It was such a fun and productive afternoon. Thank you, Lynette! And thank you for the 170+ cards you donated to the thrift store. You truly made my day!

And thank YOU for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A little note with the biggest thanks...

Before sharing today's card, I just want to say how horrified all of us in the Twin Cities are at the shooting that took place Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church. My home is less than two miles from this church, and I have driven past it many times. I cannot fathom the pain and grief of all those who knew and loved the 17 children and 3 adults who were maimed or murdered.  If you are a praying person, please keep the Annunciation families in your prayers.

As Americans who care for and support each other, we simply cannot sit quietly by and let this happen again and again and again. Our children are too precious! We must figure out a way to keep guns--especially assault rifles--out of the hands of murderers. I believe that starts with making our voices heard and then working together to make this country a safer place for everyone. 

If you are still reading this post, thank you for letting me speak my mind on this subject. 

And now let's talk about today's card. The flower pattern and stitched lines on this card are all made with a background die. Once the design was cut into my white panel, I backed each area with colored cardstock. It's a little tedious to do this, but I love the result.

I added some Nuvo Drops to the flower centers to add a tiny bit of dimension, and, finally, I added a bird sticker (from Dollar Tree). I have a few of these stickers left and I really want to use them up.

The sentiment was stamped at the top before I glued this panel to my card front.

This photo shows the sentiment I stamped inside.

*****

I am looking forward to visiting my crafty friend, Lynette (My Stamping Addiction), this afternoon. We're going to have fun playing with each other's crafty tools and supplies in her fabulous craft room. Lynette also donates hundreds of cards to the same thrift store where I volunteer. Between the two of us, we keep them well supplied! 

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

Cheryl

Wishing you all the best on your retirement...

 

I have a stamp set of "wavy" sentiments with a coordinating die to cut them out. I used one of those sentiments on these cards. 

I used the die to trace a wavy cut line for each of the papers. That makes it easy to fit them together on the front of the card. The seam between the two papers doesn't have to be perfect because it's covered up by the sentiment.

I used papers from a mat stack of coordinating designs, and the only embellishing elements were the two leafy die-cuts. I decided I liked the simplicity of this design, though.

Each of the scalloped sentiment strips have been popped up with foam tape.

This is such a handy stamp and die set to have, and I don't use it nearly enough. I think sometimes I inspire myself by writing these posts and sharing my cards with you. lol

I'm not sure why, but I did not take a picture of the sentiment I stamped inside these cards, but it said, "The best is yet to come."

I heard a local weatherman on the radio saying that all signs point to a warmer and lengthier Autumn in my neck of the woods. I am hoping he is right, because it is a beautiful time of year. I love seeing the trees change color. The warm, brilliant reds and golds just make me happy!

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

Cheryl