Friday, March 15, 2024

Doggie Thank You Cards



When I receive a handmade card, I always save it for further inspection and inspiration.  If a get a store bought greeting card, I sometimes recycle it by simply cutting off the top and adhering it to a card blank. Sometimes a particularly cute card will inspire my creativity.  Recently a dear friend sent me a birthday card with 16 charming birthday doggies on the front. I decided to use my circle punches (two sizes) to cut out each dog to use as confetti.  As with my previous full front confetti window cards, I used a Heiko cello bag (available in packs at HM Ben Franklin Crafts) to make the shaker bag to enclose a piece of card stock ( I used dot printed card stock by My Mind's Eye)sized slightly smaller than the card blank.  After filling the cello bag with confetti dots and the doggie dots, I taped down the back of the bag to tightly seal it around the dot card stock.  This confetti packet was attached to the card blank with double stick Heiko tape.  Finally, I cut the 'Thank You" words from foil card stock (DCWV) and glued them down with Fabri-Tac Glue by Beacon.  This was a very easy and quick recycled card project which resulted in TWO useful, fun, and interactive cards....now, that's what I call recycling times two!  Be creative and recycle your cards.

 P.S. Tell the recipients of your full face confetti cards that they can remove the confetti pack and glue it onto another card blank...voila! instant new recycled card! (Sorry that my photos have so much glare.)





 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Happy Easter Confetti Card

I just love the cute Doodlebug Designs images in the Hippity Hoppity stamp set with matching dies.  They are so sweet and easy to color too!  It was a snap to make this full front confetti card by using a Heiko cello self sealing bag (50 count package sold at HM Ben Franklin Crafts).  I simply placed the Easter egg printed card stock in the cello bag and added confetti before taping it snuggly from behind.  I was excited when I found some bunny confetti in my stash of Easter supplies. (Tip: Always buy cute stuff and squirrel them away for that special someday project.)
For the images on the card front, I simply stamped, colored (with Copic pens), and used the dies to cut out the pieces.  The die cut images were adhered to the card with adhesive foam dots.  The Happy Easter words were from the Doodlebug Designs hippity hoppity Chit Chat set of die cut words and icons. That's all that was done to create this card...easy peasy!  I hope you'll try to make a full front confetti card for Easter or any occasion.  There is just something addictive about shaking the confetti...again and again and again...LOL!



 

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Easter Greetings Chicks Card

I purchased the Easter chicks Ai (Art Impressions) stamp set awhile ago and I've used it often because I think the chicks are adorable and have cute accessories.  This card was started with the Easter egg background paper found in a pad from Simple Stories.  Next, I stamped the images, colored them and cut them out before attaching the hats and ears onto the chicks.  The purple paper used to make the hat came from a Taylored Expressions paper pack and the bow was cut from a printed card stock found in the Lawn Fawn paper pack called All the Dots.  I cut the words from DCWV gold foil and glued them down to the card blank with Beacon 3 in 1 Fabri-Tac glue. The chicks were then attached to the card with foam adhesive dots. I enjoyed making this Easter card and I hope it makes you smile to imagine the chicks laughing and poking fun at each other. Be sure you dress up and enjoy lunch with your favorite girlfriend chicks. Happy Easter! 

 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Girl's Day Treat Box

Those of you who have visited this blog site before may have noticed that I am a big supporter of recycled craft projects.  This Girl's Day Treat Box has a Big Island Candies Xmas box as its base.  The box was very sturdy but very Christmasy so I decided I first needed to cover it.  Because when the box was unassembled there was only one flap that was glued down, it was easy to flatten it into one layer.  However, that layer was larger than 12", the standard size of printed cardstock. Since this was going to be a Japanese themed box, I decided that one of my large washi sheets (wrinkled lavender paper with gold flecks) would work well.  Visit Celebrations in Mapunapuna to purchase some large washi paper sheets. After laying out the deconstructed box on the washi paper, I traced around the cardboard leaving a 1/2" margin.  I cut along the pencil lines and glued down the flattened box before cutting closer to the edges of the pattern.  I used Beacon 3 in 1 Fabri-Tac glue. Because the washi paper is quite pliable, I was easily able to fold the box once all the extra paper was trimmed off. 
Using the I-Crafter dies, I cut out the Asian girls, their kimonos, and accessories. Patterned origami paper (lots available in packs at HM Ben Franklin Crafts and Daiso) made dressing the paper dolls easy. The dies also made indentations for the facial features so it was simple to draw them in with a pen.
I used a TAJ stamp to stamp the words on some scrap paper and then they were heat embossed in gold. I glued the piece with the words onto gold foil card stock and fussy cut the edges. Artificial cherry blossoms were cut off a stalk and glued here and there.
Because the original Big Island Candies box had a poinsettia design on the cover, the petals were a bit too pointy so I rounded the edges before gluing on the flowers.
As you can see, the box opens rather uniquely and has three layers. I think this makes the contents of the box more intriguing and exciting.
A special handmade box like this really needs a wonderful treat inside....maybe some pretty and delicious Girl's Day mochi?  Yes!  I'd LOVE that...gimme, gimme!

 

Monday, February 26, 2024

Rub-On Foil Wedding Card

I was experimenting with the new product, 'Lucky Money Envelopes' that I discovered at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  This set of foil, envelopes, and rub-on images features wedding themed words and pictures.  I thought that the Whimsy Stamps' Enchanted Kingdom' scenery card stock panels would make a charming background for this wedding card.
As with the previous birthday card, I simply followed the instructions that came with the Lucky Money Envelope package to apply the foiled wedding couple and words.  Unfortunately, I touched the bottom of the bride's skirt with a less than clean finger and left a non-shiny fingerprint behind. To cover up this flaw, I glued on a Dress It Up heart button (with shank cut off).  I was happy with the result because it added a dimensional point of interest.
As you can see, depending on the angle of the card to my camera lens the the foil shines differently. In real life, the foil on the card is the same throughout and catches the light wonderfully.  I hope this card gives you ideas of what you can create with the Lucky Money Envelope sets from HM BFC.  I think you'll be excited and pleased making lovely foiled projects. Don't forget there is also a Lucky Money Envelope set with graduation images and words.  I can just imagine the wonderful lei tags, cards, candy holders, etc. that you'll be able to create with this set. Hooray!

 

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Panda Bears' Birthday Card with Rub-On Gold Details



I was intrigued by the new product being sold at HM Ben Franklin Crafts, Lucky Money Envelope. If you follow my blog, you know that I am a big fan of adding foiled accents to my papercrafts, so when I spied the Lucky Money Envelopes at HM BFC, I knew I had to give it a try.  While I am not likely to pass out red lucky money envelopes, I did like the gold images and words of the birthday and wedding sets so I decided to try them out on some greeting cards.  This card began with a regular sheet of printed card stock sized to fit a blank card.  Following the directions on the package I cut out the designs I wanted and removed the backing from the piece I was planning to apply.  It was a bit tricky to separate the see through film but once I did, I placed it where I wanted it and started to rub with the enclosed wooden stick.  As I was rubbing, the black print started to come off but don't worry this is supposed to happen.  Once almost all of the black ink is gone, the acetate can be lifted and the gold film can be applied and rubbed down. That is all there was to achieve a pretty gold accents to my card.
The Art Impressions pandas were stamped on white card stock and colored in with Copic pens. (I love pandas because they require very little coloring!)  I fussy cut the pandas out and adhered them to the card with adhesive foam dots.  As you can see, the gold foiling really shines and adds to the excitement of the birthday card.  The foiling done with a hot foil machine (Spellbinders) or foil transfers in the MInc machine are easier and faster but this new product from HM BFC is simple and so much cheaper (no machine purchase involved).  I recommend that you try this new product to see if you like adding foil accents to your papercrafts. Be Shiny in 2024! 

 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Quick Ladybug Cards

It is so easy to make these ladybug cards using the Echo Park 6x6 paper pad, ephemera pack, and stamp set that I purchased at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  The papers are two sided so the insides of these cards are pretty, too.  I simply folded the 6x6 sheets in half and the card blank was formed.

The ephemera word cards are perfectly sized to simply adhere to each card.  The sayings on them are so sweet and appropriate.  Although barely visible in the photo, one of the stamps was used to make the flight paths of the ladybug and it was heat embossed with silver sparkle powder.
The inside of this card also has an ephemera card plus a stamped and fussy cut lady bug that was stamped with a wood handled stamp that I discovered in my stash of bug stamps.

For the card on the left I added the ephemera and three Jolee glittered ladybug stickers.  To make the ladybugs on the second card stand out, I coated the stamped, colored, fussy cut images with Glossy Accents.  These cards fit well into the pastel colored envelopes that can b purchase at Daiso for only $1.75 a pack.  I know that I can make an enormous amount of spring ladybug cards using these Echo Park products. HM Ben Franklin Crafts has lots of choices of themed papers and matching items so you need to go to the stores and check everything out.  I'm sure you'll be in shopper's heaven and surprise yourself by making some wonderful handmade papercrafts.  See you at HM BFC!