cards blog window card challenge

there's a new challenge on the cards blog to make a card with a window. inspired by this super cute macm card done by kristina werner

challenge is the best way to describe this card making experience, because i had several of them while making this card. when i began this card i knew it would include 3 things: a window, a flower box outside the window, and a brick background as the outside of the house. but i had no idea what i was going to do for flowers because i knew i didn't have any small enough. but i decided to just start with what i knew and figure out the rest as i went along.

so i started by sketching out my idea. and cut my cardbase to a standard sized card 5 1/2 x 4 1/4


then using the fiskars dry embossing plate with the brick pattern i embossed the front of the card. if you have a cuttlebug or big shot embossing is much faster and easier, but i don't have one so i do it the old fashioned way :)


then i used vintage photo distress ink to shade the bricks to make them look more natural.

first challenge: arched window. i didn't want a square, but i didn't have a template for an arched window. so i cut a 4 1/2 inch oval on my cricket with the george and basic shapes cartridge. and used my fiskars paper trimmer to cut the bottom half of the oval off. ureka!





then i sketched the four window holes on the frame. i used removable adhesive to hold the cardstock in place while i cut out the window holes. i used the fiskars craft knife to cut. i couldn't have make this card without this blade, because it allows you to get close and not accidentally cut something you didn't mean to. i just purchased it on my last shopping trip and i'm so glad i did!




so once i had the template i needed to cover it with the window frame. which meant i had to decide what colors i wanted to use, and for some reason this took forever with this card. the simple act of picking papers-sad, really. i finally decided on grey cardstock, and used the flip side of the fiskars dry embossing plate which had a stone pattern. i used my cricket and cut another 4 1/2 inch oval from the grey cardstock and glued my template to the cardstock and cut out the window.


then i cut clear acetate to make the window glass, and glued to the frame.





next challenge how to make the window box. i cut a rectangle from the grey cardstock, and embossed with the stone pattern. then cut the sides at an angle and added a strip of black cardstock across.

then on to the biggest challenge, i needed flowers! then i remembered watching vickypgr make paper flowers on a mother's day card, and i thought-PERFECT! i'll put roses in my window box.





the first three flowers i tried came out horribly, then i finally got the hang of it. i used my fiskars large circle punch on red cardstock, then cut in a spiral, and then used the small round file from basic grey's precision filing kit to wrap the cardstock around. (you can also use a thin paint brush like vickypgr does in the video). i used glue dots to secure the bottom of the flower.


then i cut leaves from a scrap of leftover green cardstock.



since the window was from the outside looking in, the next challenge was to create curtains and the wall paper. again i cut ovals using my cricket, then free hand cut the curtains, and glued all three layers together.




i finished off the card by cutting strips in green cardstock to make grass, using martha stewarts 3 in 1 butterfly punch to cut out butterflies. i adhered the window box with martha stewart foam adhesive, i added faux stitching to the window box with a white gel pen, and used a hero arts stamp for the sentiment.
super challenging, and a whole lot of fun to make
thanks for looking
blog ya later!

you make my heart happy

sadly i didn't make the top 20 for gallery idol 2010, but that's not going to stop me from voting and saying a big CONGRATULATIONS to those who did make it, i'm happy for them.

now before i start today's post i must say that i've been shopping! and if you've read my blog before you may have noticed a post with a few things on my wish list, i got some of them :) like the tim holtz scissors & martha stewart punch that you'll see i used on today's card-yea!~

i started by cutting (i'm not sure what to call this shape) with my cricket gypsy wanderings cartridge. the printed paper is from me & my big ideas mat pack, and then i cut a layering piece in brown cardstock.



i used the martha stewart punch on white & brown cardstock, and then on the edge of the card to give it a triple scallop.

i tied yellow ribbon around my die cut piece.




for the sentiment i cut piece of white cardstock, and inked around the edges with vintage photo distress ink, then stamped in vintage photo using a glitz gal script background stamp. then stamped the hero arts sentiment with colorbox chalk ink in black. i thought i'd show how i clean my stamps. i just use a baby wipe on clear stamps. usually i prefer my stamp cleaner on rubber stamps.
then i used vintage photo distress ink to stamp the hero arts heart winged butterfly on the same plaid paper it used to cut my die cut piece. and cut it out using my new tim holtz scissors.



i added recollections pearls to the center of the butterfly.

to give the main elements some dimension. i used 3L double sided foam mounting tap (you can get it at target) for the back of the die cut piece.


i really wanted the wings of the butterfly raised and the center flat on the card. so i put a glue dot in the middle of the butterfly, because they're super strong and i knew it would hold the middle down even with the thick martha stewart foam adhesive pieces on the wings.


thanks for looking, have a happy friday & a great weekend
blog ya later!

thanks for hanging in there!

this is the last weekend to work on thank you cards for the open auditions for gallery idol 2010. the first thought i had when i found out the open audition card had to be a thank you card was i wanted to make a card that said thanks for hanging in there and i wanted a little monkey on it.

so i sat down today and tried to get that thought out of my head and onto a card and have it not look terrible. usually when i start on a card i've at least picked out what products i want on the card. or i just work till it comes together. but with this card i kind of knew where i wanted the end to be, but i had no idea how to get there. which basically means i kept trying things messing it up and starting over.


i started with a zoo animal stamp set by recollections and stamped the vine on kraft cardstock, and then stamped again on green cardstock for the leaves (which i ended up not using at all).


the papers are kraft cardstock, lime green cardstock, and recollections monkeying around designer paper.

initially i was going to use the little monkey from the stamp set, then i remembered i had a monkey dimensional sticker with cute little google-y eyes. and i changed my mind.


the sentiment was the hardest part to figure out. i knew i didn't have a stamp that said what i wanted. and i'd thought about basic grey's chipboard letters but they were too big. i thought about my cricket, but i don't have the expression so the smallest letters are 1 inch-too big for a card. then it clicked-LETTER STICKERS. haven't used those in so long. i pulled out my stickers, and found some teeny tiny making memories alpha stickers in chocolate brown. perfect!


i used my craft knife to put the stickers on the card because they were so small. scrap tip- staggering alpha stickers makes it less obvious if they're crocked, because it looks like it was done on purpose.



i decided i wanted my monkey to have bananas, so i pulled out my doodlebug jungle stickers, and saw the cute little sticker leaves. and then i went back and pulled up the little stamped leaves and replaced them with sticker leaves.


i tied ribbon around the bottom of cardstock papers, and added recollections pop dots to finish off the card.
here are two more cards i made for the gallery idol open audition.




thanks for looking
blog ya later!