Happy Father's Day | A Balloon Shaker Card | Mama Elephant

Hello everyone!

Hope you're enjoying the summer heat.  Here in Los Angeles, we're supposed to have a 100+ degree heat wave these next few days.  Thank goodness for air-conditioning!

I have a very special Father's Day card to share with all of you.  For the past three weeks, my father (I call him "Ba") has been visiting me in Los Angeles.  It's been a few years since he's visited LA.  Usually he goes to the Bay Area to see my brother's family and I fly up there, or I head home to Boston to see my parents.  But this trip was special.  He came out here to spend time with me and help me get through some health stuff.  I had multiple visits to the doctor/hospital and he helped with a lot of the driving... which is never fun in LA.  He told me fun stories of the past, packed my lunch, cooked dinner -- it was as if we traveled back in time to my middle school days!

At the very young age of 79, Baba still isn't fully retired and he is constantly staying sharp learning new things.  He keeps me posted on new developments in fields like artificial intelligence or robotics.  He can keep himself busy with tons of hobbies from building robots to cooking to e-learning to calligraphy!  Yup, Baba crafts too!  So, here's the card I made for him.  The video tutorial is a "must-see" video too because it features Baba opening the card and some other fun antics!  Hope you enjoy it!

Materials:

• Mama Elephant: Girlfriends stamps and dies
• Mama Elephant: Carried Away stamps and dies
• Mama Elephant: Ella & Friends stamps and dies
• Mama Elephant: Hello Everything stamps
• Mama Elephant: Sew Fancy dies
• Simon Says Stamp: Happy and Smile
• Copic Markers:
• Skin: E00, E11, E13, R20
• Hair: C3, C5, C7
• Dress: BG11, BG13, BG15, RV21, RV23, RV25
• Mouse: R20, C00, C1, C3
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Ranger Embossing Powder: Liquid Platinum
• Versamark Ink
• Distress Ink: Squeezed Lemonade and Spun Sugar
• Foam Adhesive
• Adhesive Tape Runner
• Acetate sheet

Directions:

• Watch my YouTube video here to see the card come to life:

Click the image to watch me make this card on YouTube

Here's a picture of my father with the card!

Happy Father's Day, Ba!

Love,
Christina

A Birthday Shaker Card | Happy Birthday, Teresa!

Greetings everyone,

Today I'm sharing a fun birthday shaker card that I made for my college roommate, Teresa. Before I left for college, my brother told me one of his friends had a little sister who was starting at MIT too and maybe we'd meet.  I remember thinking "sure -- the school is so big, it's doubtful I'll randomly bump into this person."

Fast forward to Day 1.  Back then, MIT randomly assigned you to temp housing.  You stay in these temp dorm rooms for a week or so before "matching" with your preferred dorm or sorority/fraternity. My temp room was right next door to Teresa's, but at the time I had no idea she was my brother's friend's little sister. We met and went through orientation week together. One day, while sitting in Killian Court, the large spacious lawn in front of MIT's Great Dome, we were eating free popsicles with cheesy jokes on them (it was super hot and humid).  We started to share more about our backgrounds.  I mentioned I had an older brother who just graduated from Harvard.  And she said, "Oh, my sister is a senior at Harvard..." and then we paused, looked at each other and suddenly the light bulbs went off in our heads. We simultaneously screamed "Oh! You're the one my [brother | sister] mentioned!"

Years later, we separately found our way to Los Angeles and reconnected.  Now I have a great friend and crafting buddy close by!  Teresa is sooo supportive of Bubblegum Paper.  In fact, she was my very first YouTube subscriber!  Happy Birthday, Teresa.  This card is for you:

Materials:

• Simon Says Stamp: Happy Birthday Circle die
• Simon Says Stamp: Hello, Beautiful stamps
• Simon Says Stamp: Stitched Rectangles
• Simon Says Stamp: Stitched Circles
• Lawn Fawn: Home Sweet Home stamps and dies
• Lawn Fawn: Chit Chat stamps and dies
• Lawn Fawn: Perfectly Plaid paper
• White card base: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" mark
• White card stock
• Aqua card stock
• Clear acetate sheet
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
• Copic Markers
• Sizzix Adhesive Sheet
• Taylored Expressions: Metal Shim
• Taylored Expressions: Rainbow Brights sequins
• Wink of Stella Glitter Pen
• Foam Adhesive
• Adhesive Tape Runner

Directions via YouTube:

• Click here to watch me make the card on YouTube:

Click the image above to watch the video on YouTube

Directions - Step by Step:

• Stamps the birds, banner and sentiment on copic-friendly card stock.  I'm using Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb card stock. Color with copic markers.
• Die cut a window from some white card stock using the stitched rectangle and stitched circle dies.
• Die cut the Happy Birthday Circle from both white and aqua card stock.  To make it easier to glue this on the acetate sheet, apply a Sizzix adhesive sheet to the back of the card stock before die cutting.  It's a great way to get instant stickers!
• Glue the acetate to the back of the window.  Add foam adhesive around the window and the edges of the back of the front panel.  Fill with sequins.
• Attached the perfectly plaid paper to the card base and carefully adhere the card base to the front panel. Be careful not to spill the sequins!
• Attach the Happy Birthday die cuts to the front window.  I layered a white one on top of the aqua one.
• Add the banners and birds as the finishing touch!

Happy Birthday, Teresa!

Blog Hop: JessicaLynnOriginal.com Brentwood Owl's Summertime Fun!

Hello friends,

I am very excited to announce that I'm a new member of the creative JessicaLynnOriginal.com Design Team from June 2015-January 2016.  We're kicking off the festivities with the "Start of the Summer" Design Team Showcase Blog Hop. Are you ready for summer?  I know I am!  Today we are featuring projects using the Brentwood Owl's Summertime Fun digital stamp to showcase and introduce all the DT members. BONUS: for today only, this digital stamp is available for FREE!

This fun stamp captures the essence of summer vacation and beach side adventures.  You can use this digital stamp in all sorts of ways.  Relax, soak up the sun and hop along with us.  If you're coming from JENNIFER'S blog then you're in the right place!

I was inspired by my favorite beach vacation destination: Hawaii! Granted, I live in Southern California and our beaches here are quite nice, but there's something special about Hawaii.  Life is more relaxed, peaceful and the water is gorgeous.  Oh, and don't get me started on the food... yum!  But I digress... back to the hop!  Here's my card:

Materials:

• Card base: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" mark
• Patterned paper cut to 4.25"W x 5.5"H (Carta Bella Summer Lovin' collection)
• JessicaLynnOriginal.com Brentwood Owl's Summertime Fun digital stamp
• Aqua ribbon
• Simon Says Stamp stitched circle dies
• Acetate for the shaker window
• Assorted Sequins
• Copic Markers (colors listed below)
• Foam sheets and adhesive

Directions:

• Print out the digital stamp on Copic-friendly paper
• Using Copic markers, color in the Brentwood Owl and fussy cut him out.  I used a variety of colors for my image:
• Body: E13, E15, E17, E18, E30, E42
• Beak and Feet: YR21, YR15
• Coconut: E13, E15, E18
• Starfish: R20, R22
• Glasses: YG13, YG25
• Sand: E30
• I chose pink for the starfish because I kept thinking about SpongeBob's buddy, Patrick.  

• Die cut the largest circle from the printed Summer Words patterned paper and tie the aqua ribbon across the front.
• Die cut the second largest circle from the green paper.  Attach the owl image through the opening and then glue the acetate sheet behind him.
• For the blue bubble paper, add foam adhesive or cut a circle out of craft foam to add dimension to the shaker card.  Add an assortment of sequins in beach friendly colors
• Here are the three layers of the card before I glued them together:

• Here's another look at the finished card:

Now for the fun part... PRIZES!

Did I say Prizes?  Yes, indeed!  You could win a prize! Let us know what you think in the comments below.  Comment on each of the blogs in the hop and you'll be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate towards anything at JessicaLynnOriginal.com!  After the hop, Jessica will randomly select a winner and announce the lucky person on her blog on Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Next on the hop is the talented SHARON where she has a not one, but two amazing projects showcasing all the summer fun! Thanks for stopping by and keep hopping!

Note: if you get lost along the way, or a link doesn't work, click here to see a list of the blogs!

Happy Summer!

Christina

Countdown to Xmas: 25 Cards, 25 Days - Day 24

'Twas the Night before Christmas and all through the house...  How are you spending your Christmas Eve?  Some of you may be wrapping up last minute Christmas gifts, so today's "card" is just for you.  Instead of a card, I made two gift tags.  This was also a suggestion made by a good childhood friend, so here goes:

 Here's a close-up of the Penguin figure skating tag:

Materials for the Penguin skating tag:

• 7 pieces of kraft card stock cut to 3.5" squares
• Sizzix Scalloped circles die set
• Simon Says Stamp stitched circles dies set
• 2 pieces of white card stock
• Ranger Distress Ink: Tumbled Glass
• Mama Elephant Happy Everything stamp set
• Simon Says Stamp stitched slopes die set
• Penguin stickers
• Ranger Enamel Accents

Directions for the Penguin skating tag:

• I used seven layers of kraft card stock to make a super thick, heavy duty tag base.
• Cut seven scalloped circles and then die cut the center with a stitched circle die in only 6 of the layers.  The solid scalloped circle will serve as the back of the tag.
• Punch a hole in the same spot on each of the scalloped circles for twine.
• Die cut two white stitched circles slightly larger than the window opening on the tag.
• Use the stitched slope die to cut a slightly concave shaped section for the bottom of the circle.  This will serve as the ice/frozen pond.
• Use distress ink and lightly color the sky.  Use the same color and color the ice with more ink to provide some contrast from the sky.
• Stamp "FOR YOU" on some patterned paper and cut out a banner.
• To assemble the tag, start with the solid scalloped circle.  Glue the white stitched circle to the center.  Add  two scalloped circles on top of that. Then glue the ice piece in place.  Add the remaining four scalloped circles the top. 
• Add the "For You" sentiment with foam adhesive.
• Glue the penguin stickers in place.
• Tie twine through the holes and finish with a bow.

Here's a close-up of the Penguin shaker tag:

Materials for the Penguin shaker tag:

• Two pieces of patterned paper (same pattern)
• One piece of patterned paper for the background
• Vellum Paper
• Button
• Mama Elephant Polar Pals stamp set
• Mama Elephant Happy Everything stamp set
• Twine
• Star confetti
• Foam adhesive strips
• Copic Markers
• Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
• Ranger White embossing powder
• My Favorite Things STAX Tag Dies 

Directions for the Penguin shaker tag:

• Die cut all the patterned paper and vellum in the shape of a tag
• Take one of the patterned papers and cut a window in the center.  This will be the front of the tag.
• Punch a hole through the top of the tag.
• Glue the darker patterned paper to the back tag.  
• Add foam adhesive strips around the edges of the tag.  Fill with star confetti.
• Emboss "happy" and "holidays" on the vellum in white embossing powder.  Adhere the vellum to the top of the foam adhesive.
• Add the top of the tag with the window. 
• Stamp the Penguin using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, color with copic markers and die-cut.  Attach to the front of the tag with foam dots.
• String twine through the button.  
• String twine through the hole at the top of the tag.
• Glue the button to the tag covering the hole.
• Shake it up and make sure nothing falls out.  

Enjoy!  Good luck with all the last minute gift wrapping!