Herorine Comic Birthday Card

  I love the new line of Whimsy comic book style of stamps, dies, and papers. Using them, it is super simple to put together clever and eye-catching cards.  As you can tell I laid the blue card on top of the inside of the yellow card and vice versa.

 I used black ink and Nuvo black sparkle heat embossing powder on all the stamped images and words. I like sparkles...heeheehee!  Copic pens were used for coloring. Star stickers and sequins were applied for more...ah...sparkles!  Just for more sparkle bling, I flecked on Liquitex metallic inks.  Click on the photos if you can't read the words because ......You're Old!!!!!

Glamour Girl Vintage Filmstrip Birthday Card

 These new Whimsy products barely got to my craftroom before I inked them up and ran them through my die cutting machine.  I love the vintage images and cool sayings. Having matching dies is certainly a time saver.  I used a stencil brush and some stamping ink to color in the dot stencil but found it time consuming.  Maybe I need a bigger stencil brush or perhaps a fine mist ink spray. My friends with a sense of humor will enjoy this type of birthday card.  We are all beyond the age of caring how old others think we are.  Just Staying Alive.... Staying Alive....LOL!

Jade Pendants on Cords and Chains

 Just showing what I've been working on while keeping one eye on the TV.  About 10 years ago we toured China and of course I picked up some carved jade pieces. Well, I've finally started using them to make some jewelry.  It only took a once in a hundred year pandemic to give me the time and desire to create something...LOL!  Anyway, the top left piece was a simple one which just required fastening the jade to a pre-tied decorative cord necklace.  The one on the right has an adjustable silk cord necklace and wire wrapping to attach the jade piece and pearl.

These four pendants on chains were fashioned from fancy gold vermeil headpins that were wire-wrapped to attach pearls and form bails. These jade necklaces are simple to make which is why I can create them in front of the boob tube. They will be given as gifts or may appear for sale in My Locker at the Hilo HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  Thanks for reading this post and please leave a comment if you have a few minutes to spare. I enjoy hearing from you!  

Japanese Paper Card Making Kit

 I know that this photo doesn't show the kit to the best advantage, but I wanted you to see the interior of the box that began as a Japanese mini cake gift box.  Usually, I just paper the outside of boxes I want to up-cycle, but as you might be able to see from the inside of the box bottom, the sides of the box fold in making the box sturdier.  I discovered by unfolding the top of the box, it became a flat piece which I could easily cover with washi paper.  I used double sided tape and a little glue to get a good adhesion before refolding the box top. It was easy and looks very neat. Even my husband who scoffs at all the gift boxes I save (to re-purpose) had to admit that this was a worthwhile recycling project....so go ahead and save those gift boxes...LOL!

 Here are all the card parts unpacked from the cello bags (available at HM Ben Franklin Crafts).  The printed washi papers were cut with the largest die in the Lawn Fawn die set, 'stitched rectangle stackables'.  The envelopes and card blanks were from my stash...amazing what can be found under all the clutter!  I made some of the labels by stamping Japanese characters and heat embossing before die cutting with the smallest die from the LF set. ( I used copper ink and brass embossing powder.)  The assorted stickers were discovered in an overflowing box of hoarded Japanese paper items.  I am also including some Heiko double stick tape in the card kit because it is my favorite adhesive.

This is how I am presenting the card kit gift to one of my favorite girlfriends.  I made the card too so she can see how easy it is to create a card using the contents of this kit.  I am also suggesting if she wants a more abstract look she can wet the edges of the printed washi rectangle and gently tear to create a deckle edge. The turquoise paper raffia-like cording is available at Celebrations and perhaps HM BFC. I hope this gift idea has inspired you to think of making a card kit for a special friend.  You'll have fun assembling the parts and she'll enjoy being a creative card maker.  Remember: Save those boxes!

Mermaid Dreams Shaker Card

 

                                                           

                          The ocean is a busy place

                          Full of wondrous things,

                          But in the deep blue-green sea

                          Is where mermaids go to dream,

                          Their special secret dreams. 

     

                                                            L. K.

Because it is summer, I wanted to do an underwater card.  The wave die by Whimsy gave me a a base for this shaker card.  To make deeper wells for the shaky stuff, I cut two foam sheets. These were glued together and topped with a card stock die cut piece. An acetate rectangle went between the die cut card stock layer and the foam ones. A card stock rectangle was used to back the piece and two different printed card stocks (from a Whimsy 6x6 pack) were cut with the die to fill in the windows.  Before sealing in the windows, sequins were added to the wells.  Be careful not to put in too many or your card will be super busy like mine....LOL!  The little sea creatures, mermaid, and seaweed were stamped, colored in with Copic pens, coated with Glossy Accents, and fussy cut out before gluing down.

 The mermaid, of course, is my favorite part of the card. I love how the tiny sequins made perfect scales for her.  She is lying on a sand bar that was enhanced by Hero Arts sand embossing powder.  The words for this card were from the Whimsy stamp set, stamped in white ink and heat embossed with white detail powder onto blue card stock which was then hand cut and glued down.  Oh yes, I added some acrylic bubble dots to make the card even more...uh, exciting!  More bling is more bling right?

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Japanese Paper Sample Cards

 These two cards were inspired by free sample cards I received from a vendor at a trade show years ago.  I didn't use the samples to make anything but I always intended to...hehehe!  Anyway, while sorting out my hoarded Japanese washi (embarrassingly large) stash, I had a light bulb moment and set out to make these cards.  First, I selected six paper swatches for each card and put the stiffest paper at the bottom.  Each sheet was dampened on the bottom edge before tearing to achieve the deckled edge.

Next the sheets were layered, trimmed and tacked at the top edges so that most of each sheet was free floating. This way the card recipient can tear off the papers to use on a project of her own.

 The words (Hero Arts) and Japanese characters (Mari and Me) were stamped on the cards using metallic inks before heat embossing with metallic powders  My wooden stamps are vintage and probably difficult to find, but you can discover lots of great ones at HM Ben Franklin Crafts. Make a paper sample card and give it to a crafter who might enjoy making a card using the washi paper sheets from your card....that's recycling!

Sweet Summer Card

I like this new Blogger format even though the photos are gigantic....good for showing details but magnifies imperfections. LOL!  Anyway, I'm not sure why I like ant images, but these Whimsy and Lawn Fawn ones were so cute. (I once ate ants that were covering a chocolate covered doughnut...ewwww! Also I was at one time plagued by fire ants who somehow nested in my toilet...painful! So why do I still think ants are cute?) I created this card to use the images and to try out the new LF pivoting pop-up die.  I had to watch the Lawn Fawn video several times before I understood the mechanics of this unique paper gizmo.  The card was further inspired by the lovely fruit patterned paper by Bella Blvd.  My favorite part of this card (besides the awesome pivoting part) is the watermelon seeds on the front.  I thought long and hard on how to create them without applying wet black dimensional paint...a recipe for disaster on an almost finished card.  Finally, I came up with the idea of squirting some Glossy Accent onto black paper and using a pin to drag out a point on each seed.  After the seeds were dry, I cut them out and glued them down. Eureka!..fake watermelon seeds!  Well, that's all for today.  Be nice and you'll have a nice day!

Sunny Days Ahead Card

Here is a shaker summer card I made to send hope for better un-virus days to come.  I wanted to use cheerful colors so I started with some Hero Arts reactive dye pads.  I smeared them on watercolor paper and then sprayed water on the paper.  When the colors blended as desired, I blotted the excess water.  To add a more water-splashed look I sprinkled on some water droplets, waited a few seconds and then blotted them up. After letting the dyed paper dry completely, I used the Whimsy frame die to cut out the windows, saving the inside pieces. A piece of acetate was glued behind the dyed watercolor paper frame.  

 I glued a thin foam sheet to a piece of card stock and cut out two more frames.  The two frames were glued together to make the wells that would hold the shaker pieces.  The cute 'My Favorite Things' images were stamped, colored with Copic pens, and either die cut or fussy cut out. The images were glued to the front of the card and the window pieces were glued in.

 Before gluing the top of the card down, some unicorn sequins (from HM BFC), Queen and Co. 'diamonds' and 'sugar' were added into the recessed areas.  This card makes me happy which was the reason for its construction. Hopefully, it will help lift the spirits of its recipient. I am sending you sunny smiles too, via my blog. Enjoy! (If you have time to spare, I would love a sunny comment from you.)