"New" Product Tuesday: Anchor Birthday Card featuring Carta Bella

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Today's card was inspired by some cookies a friend of mine posted on Facebook.  She bakes really cool decorated cookies and one in particular reminded me of this new Carta Bella die set I picked up at the Scrapbook Expo in March.  First, here's the finished card.

Here are the cookies from Facebook:

My talented friend's sea-themed cookies... they look so yummy!

This is the Carta Bella die set I used.  You can find it on Amazon:

Image source: cartabellapaper.com

Materials:

• Kraft cardstock: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" mark
• Blue and White card stock for the stripes
• Red card stock for the anchor
• Carta Bella Sea, Ship, Anchor die set
• Simon Says Stamp stitched rectangle dies
• Red and white striped ribbon
• Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
• Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder
• Versamark Ink
• Adhesive

Directions

• Cut three strips of blue and 2 strips of white card stock using the largest stitched rectangle die.  Each strip measures approx. 3/4" 
• Cut another 1.5" strip of white card stock for the bottom of the card.
• Cut a full rectangle from white card stock using the stitched dies.
• Glue the blue and white strips this piece of card stock.
• Cut the Anchor out in the center of the card.  Also cut another anchor from the red card stock
• Emboss the sentiment on the largest white strip using the embossing powder and sentiment stamp.
• Attached the red ribbon.
• Adhere this entire card to the kraft card base.  Add the red anchor at the end.

I'm also submitting a version of this card (slight alterations) for the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #225 which can be found here.  

Anchor Card Version 2: MFT Challenge

Can you find the differences between this version and the original?  I rounded the top corner and added sequins.  

Ahoy, Mates!  Have a great rest of your day!

"New" Product Tuesday: Happy Birthday, Ma!

Hello everyone,

I missed last week's "new" product Tuesday post, but rest assured, I made a really cool card with some Paper Smooches stamps and dies.  I will share those in a post later on.  But for today's post, I've created something totally different from my typical greeting cards.  Today happens to be my mom's birthday.  Yay!

So, I made this giant greeting card/custom birthday shadow box art.  I'm featuring a few new products: the Lawn Fawn "Science of Love" stamp and die set, a shadow box frame from Michael's and a ton of paper, stickers and embellishments from Echo Park and Carta Bella Paper.  I also used my new favorite tool, the Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator, to make the circle sentiment in the center.

Here is the "Science of Love" stamp set from Lawn Fawn:

My mom spent her professional career as a chemist so I felt this stamp set would be perfect!  I didn't want to make the whole display a science theme, so I incorporated different elements all tied to her birthday: flowers, spring, birthday-related embellishments, science, family, and just random stuff I liked as a kid (and adult).

I am also embarking on creating YouTube videos.  Well, one video... for now.  This video covers the different products I used for this project and highlights tips/techniques I used to make this come to life.  I hope you enjoy this video!  The list of supplies I used is listed below.



Having trouble viewing the video?  You can also watch it on YouTube here.

Materials/Supplies:

• Studio Decor Shadow Box from Michael's (couldn't find a link to it)
• Lawn Fawn Science of Love dies and stamp set
• Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator and Mint green foil
• Echo Park Paper and Carta Bella paper collections (various collections incl. Creative Agenda and Fine and Dandy and It's a Celebration)
• Embellishments from My Mind's Eye, The Eyelet Outlet and Queen & Co.
• Ranger Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder
• Pink Sorbet Baker's Twine (The Twinery)
• Copic Markers

These types of projects are great for using a variety of craft supplies.  What kind of shadow box will you make?  Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Birthday, Ma!

"New" Product Tuesday: Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator and a Birthday Greeting

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I'm so excited to share my latest and greatest gadget with you for "New" Product Tuesday.  It's the Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator.  I first saw this machine at the Craft & Hobby Association trade show in January... and I LOVE shiny things, so the ability to make your own foil-stamped designs sounded so amazing.

Today also happens to be my sister-in-law's birthday.  Yes, my family seems to have a ton of April babies in it!  So, I decided to make a custom birthday card for her using the new Minc machine:

This card was super easy to make and the machine is so easy to use.  Here's what the machine looks like.  It's approximately the size of a laminator and fits on any countertop.

Product image source: www.heidiswapp.com/minc

Materials:

• Pink card base: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" mark
• Gold glitter frame (DCVW cardstock): 4"W x 5.25"H
• White paper: 3.75"W x 5"H
• Vellum paper: 3.75"W x 5"H
• Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator
• Gold foil transfer sheet (1 sheet comes with the machine, then you need to stock up on refills)
• Plastic transfer sleeve (comes with the machine)
• Laser printed design, just print from your laser printer.

Directions:

• Create your greeting card design.  I made a very simple design using polka dots and a script font.  I sized it to fit on a 3.75"W x 5"H card base.  
• Print the design with your laser printer in black toner ink.  The key is you must use a laser printer, NOT an ink jet printer.  The foil reacts to the toner from the laser printer.  My printer was a little low on toner so you'll see it's splotchy in some places, but overall it worked fine.
• I wanted to print on vellum paper, but you can use any kind of paper. 
• Once you have the design printed, cut a piece of foil to match the size of the design.  
• Place the card facing up in the transfer sheet, add the foil, with the foil side UP on top of the card, close the transfer sheet.  
• Choose the temperature setting based on the type of paper you used.  For vellum, I use heat setting #2.  For uncoated card stock, use heat setting #4.  
• Insert the plastic sleeve into the front of the machine until the roller catch it an automatically pulls it through the machine.  You don't have to push or pull anything.  It happens automatically, kind of like a car wash.  You know when the car wash guy tells you to put the car in neutral and don't touch the gas, steering or brake as you ride through it?  Same thing here with the machine!
• When it completely finishes going through the machine, gently take off the foil and you'll see your super awesome foil stamped image.  Warning: this can get very addicting, you're going to want to foil stamp everything!
• Since I used vellum, I added glue behind the dots and the letters so it wouldn't show thru on the other side.  The ZIG glue pen is perfect for this!

• Attach the vellum piece to the white card insert and adhere everything to the gold glitter and pink card base.

Happy Birthday, Jan!

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Yahz!

Hello everyone,

Today is Easter Sunday and normally I would post an Easter card with directions on how to make it.  But, this year, Easter Sunday happens to fall on April 5th which is also my cousin's birthday.  He's like a little brother to me... so instead, I'm going to post a birthday card that I made just for him.  It comes with a story, of course!

I'm afraid of dogs.  Yes, it's weird.  It's strange, but I am.  Not sure why, not sure when it started, but I've always been afraid of dogs.  As kids, my cousin, who LOVES dogs, used to be my dog alarm.  He would have this sixth sense and could tell when a dog was nearby and warn me with a drawn out "Jiiiieeee" (Jie-Jie means big sister in Chinese, so he affectionately called me "Jie" for short.  And usually, it would be a short "Hi Jie... blah blah blah").  However, whenever a dog was approaching or nearby, his eyes would look away in the distance and he would warn be with a drawn out "Jiiiieeeeee" -- as if prolonging my name would give me a headstart to find cover.

Below is a picture of one of those MANY times where this happened, forever captured on camera.  I'm 9 years old and he's 5 in this photo. In this instant, I'm looking at the photographer (my aunt) all sweet and nice... Yahz, on the other hand, is staring at something in the distance about to say "Jiiiieeeeeee...."  Ten seconds after this picture was taken, a large, unleashed dog was heading straight our way.  I think I tried to climb the tree next to us, but I'm not that nimble and I'm wearing a dress with perfectly polished black Mary Janes.  Me vs. Big Dog was not going to end nicely.  Luckily, I think my uncle saved the day.

That was not the first time this happened, nor will it be the last.  Now, in my adulthood, I'm getting better with dogs... sometimes I can even pet a dog or two (small ones on leashes), but I'm not "cured."  So I will always be grateful to Cousin Yahz for being my ultimate dog radar detector.  In honor of this heroic birthday boy, here's how I made this card that reminds me of those playground moments:

Materials:

• White card base: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" mark
• Kraft paper: 4"W x 5.25"H
• Echo Park dots and stripes mini paper pack for the blue and green polka dot paper
• My Favorite Things spotlight sentiments stamp ("Happy Birthday")
• Simon Says Stamp stitched square dies
• Lawn Fawn "Let's Play" stamp set and dies
• Copic markers
• Hero Arts pigment ink in Unicorn White
• Adhesive tape runner

Directions:

• Use the "Happy Birthday" stamp from MFT and white ink on the kraft paper.  Let it dry completely before handling.
• Stamp and color the dog and slide with copic markers, then fussy cut the images, or use the coordinating dies.
• Cut a square from the center of the kraft cardstock using the stitched square die
• Also cut two squares from the blue and green polka dot papers.  Cut these two squares at the 1/3 mark (2/3 blue, 1/3 green).
• Adhere the craft card stock to the white card base, add the polka dot paper in the center square.
• Glue the slide in the center
• Attach the dog using foam adhesive for added dimension.

Happy Birthday, Yahz!

Love, 

Jie