Secret Garden: Part II

As I mentioned in my last post, here are the rest of the cards I made with products from the Secret Garden collection (Carta Bella). Well, it's not all the cards; I didn't take pictures of all forty-something cards. But I did take pictures of a reasonable sample. I think you'll get the idea. :)

I'm not going to include details since this will already be a long post. So if you have questions, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

There you have it! I still have a few bits and pieces left of these beautiful papers, along with lots of the stickers, so I'll make a few more cards some time. After making more than sixty cards with these products, I needed a little break. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Secret Garden: Part I

In March I ordered a subscription box from A Cherry on Top that was packed full of spring-themed products, including several items from the Secret Garden collection by Carta Bella. There was the collection pack (which included twelve double-sided 12" x 12" textured papers and a sheet of card stock sticker elements), chipboard stickers, die-cut tags and frames, and a package of embellishments. I absolutely loved the prints and the texture of the papers, but I didn't want to hoard them. So I decided to use as much of the coordinating items as I could to make cards.

Over the course of several weeks I ended up making more than sixty cards. (I found coordinating card stock in my stash and also added in some different embellishments.) I had wanted to use some of the cards to send spring/Easter greetings to family and friends, but I missed that boat. So instead I created four card sets to give as gifts and forty individual cards that I brought in to work to share with the teachers and other school staff.

I didn't take pictures of all the cards, but I do have quite a few photos, so I'm sharing the card sets in this post and some of the individual cards in the next post. For the first group of photos each picture includes two cards with the same layout/papers but different focal images. These cards I split into two card sets (one card from each photo went in the first set, and the other card went in the second set).

These are obviously a pretty simple layout, but I really wanted the pretty papers to stand out. 

For the last photos, each picture is one card set. I used stamped quotes and gold die-cut foliage for the focal points on these cards, but again, the two sets use the same layout.

That's it for the first batch of Secret Garden cards. If you have questions about any details, please leave me a comment. I didn't want to include too much info and make the post even longer. And stay tuned for part two!

Thanks for stopping by!

Two gel print cards

I have a quick post tonight to share two cards I made with gel prints from my last gel print session.

This is a 5" x 7" card, rather than a standard A2-sized card. I loved the way this gel print turned out, and I didn't want cut it down. I did trim it to about 4-3/4" x 5-3/4" and matted it with a 5" x 6" piece of black card stock. I adhered the panel to the kraft card base, lining up the top and bottom edges and centering the panel from right to left.

I wanted to add a little detail, so I used a white paint pen to doodle a border around the edge of the gel print and a loopy line on the empty edges of the card base. I used foam tape to add a sentiment strip, and finished off with a handful of clear droplets.

This is the only Easter card I made this year. And I actually made it back in January to include in a set of cards I was giving as a gift. I used a stitched rectangle die to cut the gel print and then layered it on a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of white woodgrain textured card stock. That panel was attached to a white card base.

I die cut the words "hope" and "love" from silver card stock and glued them to the gel print between the words that were part of the gel print. I cut a silver doily into small pieces and glued a piece to the lower right and upper left corners of the gel print. Two small punched yellow flowers add a pop of color on the cross image, and a scattering of mini pearls finish the card. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Waiting for spring

I am very ready for spring. We had a rainy day here today, but the rain is supposed to change to sleet/snow tonight, and then we have a blizzard warning. Boo. Since spring weather isn't here yet, I'll share a couple of spring-y cards instead.

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, and they always make me think of spring, so I pulled out the Mondo Tulip stamp set from Ellen Hutson. (I bought this set a couple of years ago and hadn't used it yet. Oops.) And since I'm still in need of birthday cards, I added birthday sentiments to both of these cards.

For my first card I decided to color the tulips. I used light yellow and pink alcohol markers to make two-tone flowers. (I think they turned out pretty well considering I don't do a lot of coloring.) I cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die, matted it with black card stock, and adhered it to a light pink card base. I finished the card with a few clear droplets.

For the second card I wanted to see if I could use the tulip stamp without coloring the flowers. I used the same basic layout as the first card, but this time I stamped the flowers using Crumb Cake ink. I stamped a large "happy birthday" across the flower stems using dark purple ink. Then I mounted the panel on dark purple card stock and attached it to an amethyst card base. I finished the card with a few sparkly sequins and a dimensional butterfly sticker (I used the butterfly to choose my colors).

I love flower stamps, but I can't wait to see some real spring flowers around here! Thanks for stopping by!

Hippity hoppity Easter cards

I know after 2020 a lot of people had high (or maybe just higher) expectations for 2021. But so far this year has not been proving itself to be any better. Without going into detail, there has been a lot of worry, stress, and sadness, and I haven't had any interest or energy to devote time to blog posts for the last six weeks or so. I have made a few cards here and there, though, to give myself a bit of distraction, and now that we have some sunshine and springtime weather, I'm hoping things will start to turn around.

So to get back into the swing of things, and with Easter coming up next week, I decided I should share these cute little bunny cards.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hop to It Background, All Tucked In - Easter (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White card stock, Neutrals Core-dinations card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral, Petal Pink (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Hop to It die (Taylored Expressions), jute twine (May Arts Ribbon), foam tape (3M)

I bought this background stamp around Easter last year and didn't have a chance to use it then, so I figured I'd better pull it out before another year passes by. It's a fun stamp that is filled with these adorable bunny faces and comes with a few additional photopolymer stamps to fill in the bunnies' ears and cheeks. You can use the stamp to create a background, or you use the coordinating die to cut them all out, which is what I did here. 

These cards are 4" x 4", so they are a bit smaller than a U.S. standard A2-sized card. (Although I'm planning to mail them in A2 envelopes so I won't have to use extra postage because of the square shape.) I stamped the background image a few times on white card stock, used several spring-y colors to add the details on the ears and cheeks, and set out die cutting a pile of bunnies.

 I used Core-dinations card stock for the card bases because I wanted to add a little texture to these clean and simple cards. For each card I arranged four bunnies in a grid and attached them to the card base with foam tape, leaving a little extra space at the bottom for a sentiment. I stamped the sentiment on white card stock, trimmed the ends into a banner shape, added a loop of jute twine to the back, and then used foam tape to attach the banner below the bunnies. Now I just need to get these cards in the mail so they (hopefully!) arrive before Easter!

Thanks for stopping by today! I did make a few March Christmas cards, so I'll be back to post those in the next couple of days. And I'll try to work toward a more regular posting schedule in April.

Happy Easter, everybunny

It's hard to believe that Easter is tomorrow. I know it's cliche, but where does the time go? It feels like Christmas was just a few weeks ago.

As I promised yesterday, here is the second batch of Easter cards I made this year:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Everybunny
Paper: Crumb Cake, thick Whisper White card stock; Happy Day paper pad (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Blends markers: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Pineapple Punch, Pool Party, Crumb Cake; R81, R83, R85, W1 alcohol markers and colorless blender (Copic)
Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet), various trims (Making Memories, Stampin' Up!, unknown), Dimensionals

I chose a couple of adorable bunny images from the Everybunny stamp set, stamped each one three times on white card stock, and cut them out with a stitched circle die. I selected a pack of printed paper and then die cut smaller stitched circles from a few different coordinating patterns (a great way to use up scraps!). Using the colors in the patterned paper as a guide, I colored the bunnies using alcohol markers.

To assemble the cards, I adhered the patterned circles directly on Crumb Cake card bases and used Dimensionals to attach the stamped images. I stamped the sentiment below the focal image and then added a piece of trim along the bottom of each card and three coordinating enamel dots.

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy Easter!

Easter shadow box cards

Today was a beautiful spring day -- the blizzard of last week seems a distant memory -- and the perfect day to share the shadow box cards I made for Easter.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Paper: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Tip Top Taupe, Gray Granite card stock; cocoa Crinkles card stock (Wausau Paper); Certainly Celery Prints Designer Series Paper (DSP); window sheets
Accessories: Shadow Box Card, Shadow Box Card Park Add-On, Grassy Border, Mushroom House, Hello Sunshine dies (Lawn Fawn); rabbit dies - DIE043-G (Impression Obsession); mini white pom poms (Fibre Craft); 1/8" and 1/4" Scor-Tape (Scor-Pal); Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter); Dimensionals

Aren't they cute? I didn't make any Easter cards last year, so I really wanted to make at least a few this year. And when I saw the Shadow Box park Add-On die from Lawn Fawn, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. The Shadow Box dies make it so easy to make these fun cards. (And they fold flat to fit in a standard A2-sized envelope!) The hardest part is deciding how to decorate them!

I used dies from a few different Lawn Fawn sets to set the scene for these little bunnies. I added a grassy border along the back and sides of the shadow boxes, clouds in the sky, and a few little butterflies and flowers (tulips, my favorite). For some of the cards I glued a butterfly to a tiny strip of window sheet, so it looks as if they're flying.

The bunny shapes are made with a die from Impression Obsession. I cut them out a few different colors of neutral card stock and chose two different bunnies for each card. I couldn't resist adding tiny white pom poms for their little cottontails.

I also love the texture on the tree trunks that frame the scene. Originally I wanted to use a wood grain-textured card stock, but while I was looking through my various bins of paper, I stumbled across the Crinkles card stock. The little bit of texture looks just like tree bark. Perfect!

I used these shadow boxes for about half of my Easter cards. The rest of them were a traditional, clean-and-simple A2-size card (but still with cute bunnies!). Check back tomorrow to see those cards. Thanks for stopping by!

Spring bunnies

Thanks to the March Paper Pumpkin kit, Bunny Buddies, I had quite a few adorable cards (and treat bags!) to use for Easter this year. But I did need a couple of additional cards, so I pulled out an old stamp set and combined it with some fun new products to make these two cards:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Serene Spring, Delicate Details
Paper: Crumb Cake, Sweet Sugarplum, 110-lb white card stock (Neenah); Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper (DSP)
Ink: StazOn Jet Black, colored pencils and blender pencil (Prismacolor)
Accessories: Layering Squares Framelits dies, Subtles Candy Dots, Sweet Sugarplum twine (left over from Paper Pumpkin kit), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Isn't that bunny in the basket adorable? It's one of my favorites, and I don't think I'll ever part with that set. I colored each focal image with colored pencils, matted it with a Sweet Sugarplum scalloped square and added a couple of simple embellishments: a Candy Dot in the center of the flower and a Sweet Sugarplum twine bow on the basket.

For the card base, I added a strip of DSP with a gingham pattern to a Crumb Cake card, stamped a lacy border using Crumb Cake ink and added the focal layer to the card with Dimensionals. Here's a secret: I had intended to make both cards with the layout on the left card, but when I was stamping the lace on the second card, the image didn't come out cleanly. So I moved the DSP over and stamped a different lace image.

These certainly aren't fancy cards, but I think they're perfect for spring. Thanks for stopping by!

Quick Easter tag

I have a little confession to make: I didn't send (or even create) any Easter cards this year. I love all the cute bunny, chick and flower images of the season, but I just didn't want the stress or pressure of having to make a bunch of cards. So I didn't.

I couldn't completely avoid the bunnies, though, so I made tags for a few little Easter gifts.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):
Stamps: Bunny (Target), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz card stock
Ink: Tip Top Taupe, Pool Party
Accessories: Ornate Tag Topper punch, Grassy Border Lawn Cuts die (Lawn Fawn), small white pompom (unknown), Mono Multi liquid glue, Dimensionals

Pretty cute, right? And really easy to make, which was a plus. To make the base, I punched one end of a strip of thick Whisper White card stock with the Ornate Tag Topper punch. The strip was a little narrower than the punch opening, so I just made sure I centered it before punching.

I added a strip of die-cut green card stock along the bottom of the tag as the grass. I love this die, and this is the first time I've used it. But if you don't have a grass-type die, you could use a fringe scissors, a plain strip of card stock or patterned paper, or even a piece of green washi tape.

I stamped the bunny on white card stock with Tip Top Taupe ink and cut it out by hand. Then I glued on a little white pompom for the bunny's tail and used Dimensionals to attach the image to the tag. The "Happy Easter" greeting in Pool Party ink was the final step.

Have a "hoppy" Easter, and thanks for stopping by!

Signs of spring

We had a fair amount of rain (and snow) last week, but two beautiful sunshiny days this weekend have brought definite signs of spring to our backyard.

Soon we'll be planting our vegetable garden and filling planters with colorful flowers. I can't wait until everything is green and blooming.

Thanks for stopping by!

Triple-time spring flowers

I didn't make any Easter cards this year (I think I got too caught up with my bunny baskets), but I wanted to share something with a springy feel today. I think this pink and yellow floral card fits the bill nicely (and it would be easy to make this an Easter card by just changing the greeting):

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Flower Patch
Paper: Strawberry Slush, Whisper White card stock
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Flower Fair Framelits dies, pearls, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

The Flower Patch stamp set, with its large, bold images, is perfect for the Triple Time Stamping technique. Here is a quick run-down of this technique:

1. Cut three pieces of light card stock: 2" x 3-1/4", 3" x 4-1/4" and 4" x 5-1/4".
2. Cut two pieces of colored card stock: 2-1/4" x 3-1/2" and 3-1/4" x 4-1/2". The third piece is your card base (4-1/4" x 5-1/2" when folded).
3. Using removable or repositionable adhesive, lightly adhere the white layers together, centering the panels.
4. Stamp your images, making sure that some of the images go across two or even all three layers of card stock. Don't worry about the slight "dead space" around each panel where the stamp doesn't reach; that will be covered with the colored card stock mats.
5. Separate the layers and mat each one with the colored card stock piece that is 1/4" larger.
6. Reassemble the layers (with permanent adhesive this time) and embellish as desired.

I think this is one of those techniques that looks harder than it is -- the trickiest part is probably getting the right measurements for all the layers. But the finished product always looks impressive.

Thanks for stopping by and have a happy Easter!

Bunny basket tutorial

A few weeks ago I was out shopping, and I came across an adorable burlap bunny basket. I picked it up immediately and was sorely tempted to put it in my shopping basket. But then I thought about it: It was basically a fabric box with features stitched on. Pretty simple. Now, I haven't had enough practice with my sewing machine to attempt a fabric basket, but I could make something just as fun with paper, right? Of course!

I don't know about you, but I think they're pretty stinking cute. I used the Berry Basket die and Bow Builder punch from Stampin' Up! and just added a few extra details. They won't last as long as a fabric basket, but I'm okay with that. And this way I can have as many bunny baskets as I want.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! except "Other items"):
Paper: Naturals White, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate, Pink Pirouette card stock; Designer Series Paper (DSP) Patterns Stack - Brights (I used the retired version, but any DSP will work)
Ink: Project Life journaling pens
Accessories: Berry Basket die, Bow Builder punch, extra-large oval punch, Itty Bitty Accents punch pack, Ovals Collection Framelits dies, 1/16" hole punch, Neutrals Candy Dots, mini silver brads, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue, bone folder
Other items: Cotton balls, ruler, Easter grass or other basket filler

Ready to make your own bunny basket? Here are the steps I followed:
(Note: I did not include step-by-step instructions for assembling the basic basket or the bow. Check out the basket and bow videos from Stampin' Up! for more information.)

Step 1. Cut a 1/2" strip off the long side of an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Save the strip for the handle of the basket. (You can also use the extra strips from the Berry Basket die, but I wanted a longer handle.) Cut the remaining piece of card stock in half to 8" x 5-1/2". This is just big enough for the Berry Basket die.

Step 2. Die cut each 8" x 5-1/2" piece of card stock with the Berry Basket die. You will use either the scalloped strips or the straight strips for the top edge of the basket; you can use one of the remaining strips as a handle (if you didn't cut the extra strip in Step 1) or set them aside for another project.

Step 3. On one of the basket pieces, use a black marker to make a small dot about 5/16" above the middle slot. Using the dot as the center, draw three whiskers on each side. You can use a ruler or draw them freehand.

Step 4. Use the Itty Bitty Accents punch pack to punch a heart out of Pink Pirouette card stock. Use Glue Dots to adhere the heart to the center of the whiskers. Add two Candy Dots for eyes.

Step 5. Assemble the Berry Basket. I used Mono Multi liquid glue, but you could also use a strong, permanent tape, such as Sticky Strip, or a mini stapler.

Step 6. Use the second-smallest oval from the Ovals Collection Framelits dies to cut out two Crumb Cake ovals. Use the extra-large oval punch to punch out two Pink Pirouette ovals. Glue the smaller ovals onto the larger ones, aligning them near the bottom, to make the ears.

Step 7. With a bone folder, use a motion similar to curling ribbon to slightly curl up the tops of the ears.

Step 8. Glue the ears to the basket behind the face. Use the slots in the basket as a guide for spacing the ears; I centered each ear over the outer slots.

Step 9. Make a bow with the Bow Builder punch and DSP. Use Glue Dots to adhere the bow to the basket either by the ears (for a girl) or under the nose (for a boy).

Step 10. Punch a 1/16" hole in each end of the handle and near the top of the left and right sides of the basket.

Step 11. Use mini silver brads to attach the handle to the basket. If you do not want the handle to be moveable, you can attach it with strong adhesive or a mini stapler instead of using brads.

Step 12. Glue a cotton ball to the back of the basket for a tail.

And there you have it! I added some Easter grass to my basket, but you could use a fringe scissors to make your own filler or crumple pieces of tissue paper. I will be filling my baskets with mini seed-growing kits and a few pieces of candy. For heavier items, you could make your baskets with coaster board or chipboard so they are sturdier.

Here are my twelve baskets:

This must be what you get when you leave two bunny baskets alone for too long!

I want to make tags for my baskets, too, but I'll have to share those later. I was too excited to post this tutorial to wait for the tags. Thanks for stopping by!