Bookmark Keepsake Card

This is the commercially made card that I received for Easter. It's a clever idea of combining a card and bookmark. The right side of the card had a line of perforation and pulled off to become a bookmark for the recipient.

So, first of all I planned a design that was one layer and with a right edge that would make a pleasing bookmark. Then after stamping I had to make that perforation line. I'm sure I have a perforation blade somewhere but do you think I could find it. So, I wound up using a seamstress tracing wheel and stratightedge to make my perforation line. 

Here's my card...

To give it a little more pizzazz I used my chalk pen to color in with white on some of the flowers and also used Clear Wink of Stella on the centers. 

That's all for this week and commercial card inspiration. Tune in next week to see what I'm creating.

Masking Today

 Today's commercial card copies are one layer cards but they involve a lot of masking. It was fun to make them and see what I had in my supplies to create the copies.
First card up is the pretty butterfly card. I really liked the background and vibrant colors of the butterflies.

So  I pulled out some stamp sets and started with a piece of Sahara Sand cardstock. First I stamped the large center butterfly using Pacific Point, Pear Pizzazz, and Watermelon Wonder.  I made a mask of the butterfly by stamping onto copy paper and then fussy cut that out. I placed that mask over the stamped butterfly and then stamped the flower using Pear Pizzazz ink. Then I used my Chalk Pen to color the open spaces on the flower. I really liked how this turned out... going to have to do some more. Then I stamped my smaller butterflies. I used Pear Pizzazz and Soft Suede on the lower one and Delightful Dijon, Calypso Coral and Watermelon Wonder on the top butterfly. I cut masks of the flower and small butterfly and covered them so that I could stamp the swirl with Versamark ink. Then with the masks still in place I sponged color on the background using Calypso Coral, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz and Watermelon Wonder. Once the background was done I stamped the body and antenna for the large butterfly in Basic Black and the body and antenna of the small butterflies in Soft Suede.  Then I layered on Whisper White card base... I guess technically this isn't a one layer card. This card was a lot of work but I love how it turned out!

The second commercial card that also inspired one layer stamping required the use of mask again so that the lacy edge would be underneath the flower image.

Here's my card. I couldn't really find a floral stamp in my collection that was the look I wanted. I finally decided to use Bloom with Hope set and combined two images to make this larger flower. I used my markers to color the stamp with Garden Green and Watermelon Wonder on Pistachio Pudding cardstock. Then I colored in the flower and leaves with the fine tip of Watermelon Wonder, Garden Green and Old Olive markers. I used my white gel pen to add more lines to the flowers. Then I made a mask for that little flower so I could stamp the white border. If I hadn't had the commercial card as an example I probably would have thought this card was in need of something more.  I learned that some blank space is okay, it's all in positioning the elements.

What a mess!

These are the two cards I used for inspiration today. Again they have the same basic layout. I started with the card to the left and created quite a mess.

 Here's the mess... I wanted to use Glimmer paper as a mat but also wanted it to be in the Rich Razzleberry color. So I thought I would use my Razzleberry marker... didn't get much color with that... so tried direct to ink pad... a little better but it didn't want to dry and I wound up with smudges of Razzleberry everywhere! On top of that I was trying to mock the gold dots on the background of the commercial card; so I used my dotted embossing folder and inked it with silver Encore pad before running it through the Big Shot. I wound up with silver smudges there, too. Realize now I should have used a Sharpie to color the glimmer paper. And could have embossed the dots and then used silver pen to fill them in. 

Then I remembered I had Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper. So, I changed my color scheme and came up with this card. By the time I had the background images colored and stamped on the Whisper White cardstock I decided using the textured embossing folder was just going to make it too busy. So quit while I was pleased with the background and moved on to layering my other elements. I used Clear Wink of Stella on the tree and grass to give some sparkle to that image as the commercial card had sparkles on the pathway and church building. It's a nice touch that doesn't show up in the photo. 

The second card went together much more quickly and with no mess! I embossed some Shimmery White card stock and then used Clear Wink of Stella to add more sparkle to the embossed design. It is so pretty in real life but hard to get a good photo. I'm really happy with the Clear Wink of Stella; now thinking about ordering the Gold. Then it was a matter of coloring the stamped image. Instead of using lots of layers of cardstock to get the same framed effect as commercial card I decided to free-hand a line using Watermelon Wonder marker and then layering on Watermelon Wonder cardstock which I trimmed freehand to match the wavy look of the drawn line. 

I also used the inside of this commercial card for my card interior. See how the flowers are hanging upside down. I would never have thought to do that. But I did give it a try and am pleased with the way it looks. 

Glittery Background

 It's not real easy to see in this photo but the purchased card had glittery swirls for the background. Again I thought the easiest way to duplicate the cross overlay would be to use some vellum. Since confirmation is coming up in May I decided to stay with the cross as a focal point but the expression I wanted to use made me change the orientation.

 This card is for the girls being confirmed. I used the swirl from Everything Eleanor. I stamped the sentiment with Soft Suede ink and then let it dry. Then I stamped just two times with Crumb Cake ink on Crumb Cake cardstock and immediately sprinkled with Iridescent Ice and then heat embossed. Then I filled in the background using VersaMark ink and again embossing with Iridescent Ice.

The card for boys was made in the same way but I used two stamps from Gorgeous Grunge stamp set to make the card.
Both crosses come from the Blessed by God stamp set and were stamped with White Staz On on vellum. A little fussy coating and a couple of glue dots to adhere them and the card front was finished.

Inspiration

This week I am inspired by commercially made cards received from family and friends for Easter.  I usually put cards that we receive on the mantle or dresser top for a week or so. Then I look them over one last time and recycle them. As I was looking at the cards from Easter I decided that I would challenge myself to use them as inspiration for my card making.
So, here is today's first challenge. I received two cards that were really pretty similar in their layout. For the first one I wanted to mock that fade out of the background behind the sentiment block. So, I used a piece of vellum and stamped it with White Staz On Ink for the frame and then used Black Staz On for the sentiment. Rather than stamp a large background I decided this would be a good time to use some DSP with large design.

 The second card with this similar layout really made me think of the retired Four Frames stamp set. So I used it here with the "hello" from A Dozen Thoughts. Again I opted to use some large print DSP for the background.

Hand Sanitizer Holder

I got this idea and instructions from Dawn Griffith's blog. It is easier than it looks. I started with a piece of 2-1/8" x 11" piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock scored at 1/2", 2", 3", 6-1/4", 7-1/4", 9-1/2" and 10-1/2". I added DSP (pieces measuring 2"x2-1/8", 2"x3-1/8" and 2"x1-78" to to three sections that make up the front and back of the holder. The stamped medallion is made using the Amazing Birthday stamp set and circle and scallop circle punches. Before assembling the holder you use a circle punch to make the hole for the lid to poke through and little holes on each side of that for the thick Baker's twine. You also make holes in the very top section for the Baker's twine. Thread and knot the twine and then use a strong adhesive to glue the half inch tab to the rear panel. Then carefully jiggle (it's a fairly tight fit) the hand sanitizer into place. I added some little punched posies and pearls to the front to dress it up a bit.

Tissue Holder

This is a cute and super easy "perk me up" gift to make. It holds a pocket tissue packet.

I found this project on Splitcoast Stampers. You start with a 4-1/4" x 11" piece of cardstock, scored at 1/2", 3", 4" and 6-1/2". You can punch the upper corners if desired to round them. Fold along the score lines. Attach Designer Series Paper (3 pieces measuring 3/4" x 4", 2-1/4"x 4" and 3-1/4" x 4". Stamp sentiment on the 3/4" piece of DSP. Use the small oval punch to make an opening for the tissue. You can make a decorative edge by punching a piece of the cardstock with the small oval punch and then using the scallop oval punch to punch again giving you an oval scallop ring to glue to the edge of the oval opening. Attach flowers and leaves and pearls to the top. 

Use a strong adhesive to glue the 1/2" tap of cardstock to make the holder. Insert the packet of pocket tissues.