Hang In There...Don't Go Bananas!

This was my first attempt at a double staircase card, and a shameful copy of a super cute card origninally created by a super creative blogging pal, Jenny of Crazy for Paper Crafting. When I first laid eyes on Jenny's "Let's Hang Out" card, I knew it would be just the perfect card to send to dd during exam time to cheer her up. Cute little monkey is from the Create A Critter cart. I changed the sentiment on the card to "Hang In There" to fit the occasion of dd's stressful week of studying for finals, using MTC and true type fonts LD Charming Bold and Arial for this.

I didn't have any of that cute Doodlebug nature walk paper Jenny used for her card, or for that matter, any forest themed papers at all. My card looked pretty much "bleh", and really needed something, so I added a couple of trees from the ZooBallo cartridge. Unfortunately, in order to be able to hang the vine in the trees, they had to be cut quite large, and as a result their leaves and branches hide the sentiment from full view. *Sigh*

Here's the "inside" sentiment I added to the back of my card. Smiling banana is also a Create A Critter cut.

One of the "big issues" I always have with these staircase type cards is how they tend to want to open up and flatten when I add a lot of die cuts and embellishments to them...

So I decided to add on strips of cardstock to the bottom on both sides of the card to prevent the card from opening more than I wanted. This seems to have done the trick!

Sent this together with her requested care package of Tomoe sakura arare ("gotta be Tomoe, mom!") to dd as she faces her scariest and final finals before she starts her year of rotations. "You can do it, babee!"

Panda Friends Birthday

This card was created for one of my oldest and dearest friends who celebrates her birthday this month. I finally decided to give the easel card a try and was pleased to find that it's really a fun and easy card to do.

For the front of the card I used pandas (again!), this time from the Pagoda cartridge. In fact, all the cuts I used for the front of the card (pandas, blossom branch, kanji for friend) come from the Pagoda cartidge. Pandas were cut 3 times and layered with foam dots. Their eyes are tiny black flat back pearls from Kaisercraft. The blossoms were cut twice, and top layer was shaped using a shaping tool from the Punch Bunch tool kit. Centers of flowers were cut using a 1/16" round hole Fiskars hand punch.

Here's the inside. Bottom panel was embossed with the sakura folder from the Cuttlebug Asian Bundle, and letters for the word "friends" are from the Don Juan cartridge, welded in Design Studio. Nesting sakura punches are from Carl. I used a few strands of gold mizuhiki cording tied into a knot and adhered to the top of the panel as the "stop" to keep my easel card standing. Dragonfly charms are from my stash, purchased a long time ago from Creations Unlimited.

Here's a view of the completed card, folded open and standing. There are many tutorials on the internet for the easel card, but my favorite is from the Magnolia-licious Highlites Challenge Blog. This link should take you directly to the October '09 entry where you will find a video tutorial as well as a link to the template and instructions. Here, you'll even find a mini "how to " insert that you can print up and include with your card so your recipient will know how to fold and display their easel card. And while you are there, definitely scroll down a bit and take a look at all the beautiful easel cards that were created by the Magnolia-licious DT...so inspiring!

Forever In Love

This card was sent off to dh's cousin's daughter who got married this weekend in LA. I'm guessing from the beautiful handmade announcement she sent that her colors were purple and brown...so I tried to stay close to her colors for the card.

The inspiration for my card comes from two of my favorite bloggers. First, the inspiration for the design for the front comes from ultra creative Donna Mundinger, whose beautiful wedding card I fell in love with and knew I had to try. Donna is a DT member over at Custom Crops, and she generously shares the Design Studio cutfile for her card there. What amazes me most about her cards is all the layering she always does, making her creations like works of art!

I changed my card up a little, using the swan cut from the Wedding Solutions cart instead of the diamond engagement ring on Donna's card. The filigree heart (also from Wedding Solutions) embellished with flatback pearls and the "Forever" cut layered several times (Home Decor cart) comes straight from her card.


Then for the inside, I was inspired by another wedding card created by a fellow blogging friend, another super creative lady, Michele (My Simple Crafts). Check out this beautiful wedding card she created and shares on her blog. You'll also find a link on her post to a video tutorial by Michelle Wedemeyer for this pop up gift card holder. I added an extra piece of card stock to hold the gift card and attached it to the bottom of the card to stabilize it a bit more and assure that the gift card would sit up straight when the card is opened.

Used the font tracing feature in Make the Cut for the first time to create this monogram cut on the pop up. Quill font was used to create the initials, which were welded and cut using MTC. This was amazingly quick and easy to do! Filigree corners and double hearts cuts are from Cuttlebug dies.

Sweet Birthday Surprise

Finally got a chance to use my sizzix sizzlit icecream treat set to make a birthday card for my sil. Those of you who know me well know that I am an "ice cream monsta" and must have my fix of Hagen Daz everyday...so when I saw this sizzlit set, I knew I had to own it!

I used vellum to cut the glassware and edged it with a bit of stickles to get that frosty glass look, and Bazzill Bling cardstock so my ice cream would glisten. The slice of chocolate cake is a cut from the From My Kitchen cartridge. Edging on the front is another Martha Stewart edge punch.

As the card is opened, a surprise gift card pulls out from the cake! The gift card actually sits in a pocket behind the cake, and is attached to a tab with the other end hidden under the sentiment. (Same mechanism as was used for the graduation card posted last week)

Birthday cake and candles are from the Stretch Your Imagination cart. All patterned papers are digital, designed by Nancy Kubo and purchased at Little Dreamer Designs. Font is LD Charming Light from Lettering Delights.
After several weeks of working on graduation cards and Fathers Day cards, it was so nice to do something girly and frou frou for a change!

Another Grad Card

After having finished making six similar grad cards last month, I realized a little late that I still needed to send out one more. Wanted to try something different, and got inspired by the grad card created by my friend, Teri (Big Ideas from a Little Girl) which she posted here. I really liked how the top of the mortarboard flipped up on her card to reveal a pocket underneath. My version doesn't have the fancy fold at the top of the card, but I changed it a bit so the monetary gift would pull out of the pocket as the card was opened.

Put together a quick cutfile for this on Design Studio using George as the basecard. Grad cap is a cut from the Locker Talk cartridge which I cut apart, and the diploma is actually a cut of a rolled up newspaper from the Pooh and Friends cartridge. "Congratulations" is a Sizzix sizzlit from the cardmaking set. Tassel and ribbon on diploma are purple because this was created for a very special graduate from NYU. You GO, Jonathan! We're so proud of you!!!!

The Very Best Dad Ever!

I had so much fun making my niece's waterfall Sweet 16 birthday card, I decided to do a couple more as Fathers Day cards for my dad and dh. But this time I turned the card to it's side so it would open up like a little flip book. I used a theme of "best at all you do" and proceeded to describe some of the things these two men in our lives are so good at. And since I'm still lovin' the panda on the Create a Critter cart, I couldn't resist using him again for my cards.

Pulling the ribbon on the side flips open the pages...so cool! This first card was for my dad, who imho, is and has always been the best gardener, photographer, and handyman ever!

The waterfall/flipbook was attached to the front of a card, which opened up to a pop-up.

I made one panda to represent each of us...my dad and dd in the front, and dh and me in the back with the pink dress. Oh, and of course the doggie is our little Latte. When my mom saw the card, she said, "Where's ME?" ...ooops!

Cuts from 5 different cartridges were used to create this card...Create A Critter (pandas); Paper Pups (doggie); Walk In My Garden (flowers, watering can); Locker Talk (camera); and ZooBalloo (house). Couldn't find a cut for a hammer in any of my carts, so I used MTC to create one from a digital image. Nestabilities Label One dies used for the label on the front of the card. I just love it when I can justify my spending on craft tools and supplies!

For the patterned papers on these two cards, I finally took the plunge and went digital. I downloaded papers from Lettering Delights and Nancy Kubo at Little Dreamer Designs. Don't you just hate it when you start on a project and run out of the patterned paper? By using digital papers I was assured I'd have enough even if I made a boo-boo with measuring and cutting, as long as there was ink in the printer!

This second card was for my dh...

Golf club, ball and tee are MTC cuts from digital images.

Car cut is from Locker Talk and wrench is from Indie Arts.

Computer is from Locker Talk. Windows logo on the computer screen was downloaded from the internet and printed on cardstock.

Both the stack of money and piggy bank are MTC cuts from images found on the internet.

And here we are again as the Panda family!

Hope you all had a relaxing Fathers Day, remembering how special our dads are!

Thank You from the Dog and a Sweet RAK

Here's a quick card created for my good friend Kris and her family to thank them for being kind enough to take care of our doggie Latte while we were away on vacation during Spring Break this year. It was put together in such a hurry, between the time we arrived home and were getting ready to pick Latte up...that the paper piecing came out a bit crooked and messy! Doggie is a mtc cut file from Valentine's Day and "Thank You" is from the Cuttlebug Card Combo Thank You kit.

And here's a treasure of goodies I received from a fellow blogging pal, Enjoli of Stampin Under the Sun. I was totally knocked off my feet to find these awesome goodies in my mailbox! Isn't this tent shakerbox card the cutest thing ever? Enjoli filled this with pretty beads, dewdrops and butterflies! I've been eyeing these shakerbox cards for such a long time...always thinking how pretty they are but always thinking how much work they are to create. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to receive this!

And if that weren't enough, lookit all the goodies I found packed inside the pretty mailbox! I am humbled and truly blessed to have such wonderfully creative and generous friends...thank you from the heart, Enjoli...you really made me feel so special!