Wednesday 30 April 2014

Trio Of Flower Thanks Cards

I made these thanks cards for Angela, Janet and Anne to say thank you for throwing me a birthday tea party and for my gifts.  We had a wonderful afternoon!   I thought I'd use the same design for all three cards but use a different colour for each card. Angela's fave colours are purples, Janet's are blues and I don't know what Anne's faves are.  So I used pink and brown for her card - one of my fave combos! 

I started by gluing the die cut flower stems to the white 5 1/4" square card base and then I added torn Gumball Green CS at the bottom.  I stamped the flowers using Early Espresso ink on Primrose Petals CS, Midnight Muse ink on Marina Mist CS and Elegant Eggplant ink on Wisteria Wonder CS.  I punched all the flowers, shaped them and popped them up.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment labels, popped those up too and sprinkled on sparkly crystals. 


Inside I stamped a label, the 'so kind of you' sentiment and added three stamped, punched and shaped flowers.


The envelope flaps got flowers and crystals too.  I hope the ladies liked their cards!


Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Flower Shop', 'Petite Petals' , 'Thank You Kindly' , 'Frames with a Flourish' & 'Sweet Essentials' sets
CS: PaperMania square white card blanks, SU! Gumball Green, Primrose Petals, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Midnight Muse, Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Early Espresso, Midnight Muse & Elegant Eggplant
Tools: Memory Box 'Modern Stems' die, SU! 'Pansy' & 'Petite Petals' punches, Spellbinder's 'Grommet Tags' dies, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Embellishments & accessories: rhinestone crystals, SU! Dimensionals




 photo RoseRuth.gif
 



Monday 28 April 2014

Birdhouses & Blooms Birthday Card In A Box

Yep, it's another card in a box!  I made this one for Lesley's birthday.  We have a great time when we're together at the Glitter Pot, our local craft shop, though we sometimes act the "terrible twosome" but I like to think we keep the staff entertained and amused!  The other issue about us being together is that we find things, point them out to each other, discuss what you could do with it and that invariably ends up with the item going in both our baskets!   I tell my hubby Owen "Lesley made me buy it!" and Lesley tells her hubby Dave that "Ruth made me buy it!"  It has been known that other customers in the shop have been roped in, influenced and encouraged by us as well!  So, it's all Lesley's fault that I now have a "thing" for birdhouses and so I had to include some on her card! 

This card in a box fits inside a 6 1/4" square envelope.  Monica has this wonderful video tutorial for this size of card in a box on YouTube HERE.  Monica uses metric measurements but I'm old school (or just old!) and prefer to work with imperial measurements.  So to make this card I placed a piece of Smoky Slate A4 CS into my Simply Scored board with the long edge at the top and scored at 2 3/4", 5 1/2", 8 1/4" and 11".  I turned the CS and scored at 2 3/4" and then I trimmed the piece to 6" tall.  I have a PDF document on my Tutorials page with instructions on how to make a card in a box.  I have recently updated it to include the measurements for this size of card in a box.  

My colour combo for this card is Smoky Slate, Basic Grey, Melon Mambo, Blushing Bride, Gumball Green and some black and white.  I stamped the Hardwood stamp over the card using Smoky Slate ink, cut about 1/2" off the flaps that fold down to make them shorter and I rounded the corners.  I then got busy, stamping, punching and die cutting to get flowers, foliage, birdhouses, birds, butterflies, a border and a sentiment label!  The Petite Petals flowers were stamped in Melon Mambo ink onto Blushing Bride CS before I punched them out.  This is the card after I'd finished assembling all my stamped, punched and die cut pieces and sprinkled on some iridescent gems.  Phew, it took a while!


Here's a view from the side. 


Here's a closer look at the top portion.


Here's the back panel where I left just enough room to write a message!


Went all out on decorating the front of the envelope too - Lesley's worth it!  I have to say I'm probably over these for the time being, they're great fun to make but very time consuming and my desk looked like a bomb site after I'd done.  It might be a while before I make another card in a box! 


Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Hardwood', SU! 'Petite Petals' set, 'Happy Birthday' from Hobby Arts, frame from Hero Arts 'Sending You Love' clear set
CS: SU! Smoky Slate, Basic Grey, Melon Mambo, Blushing Bride, Gumball Green, Basic Black & Whisper White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Smoky Slate & Melon Mambo
Tools: SU! Simply Scored board, Paper Trimmer, Petite Petals punch & Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes 'Leaf 2' die, Poppystamps 'Meadow Leaf' & 'Carolina Birdhouse' die, Cheery Lynn 'Birdhouse with Lattice' die, Crafts Too 'Leafy Border 2' die, Memory Box 'Gold Finch', 'Resting Birds', 'Bistro Label' & 'Chadwick Label' dies, Hero Arts 'Small Tag Frame' die, Sizzix 'Lace Edging' Decorative Strip die, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: PaperMania iridescent gems, SU! Dimensionals




 photo RoseRuth.gif


Saturday 26 April 2014

Winter Neighbourhood Merry Christmas Card - 52 {C}CT April Stash Challenge

We have a wonderful stash challenge for you this week at 52 {C}CT - Glitter.  You really can't beat some seasonal sparkle!

 

I've used die cuts and glitter CS to make my card - it's a simple design but I hope sophisticated too!  I made an A6 card base from black CS and covered the entire front with black glitter CS.  I die cut the Winter Neighbourhood shape from silver glitter CS and popped that up.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment label pieces, edged the white label with a black pen, punched the star and popped the label and star up.  To finish the front I added rhinestones to the label.


 Here's the inside with a snowy bank, a tree and a very suitable sentiment to use with glitter!


Here's the envelope with a die cut tree on punched circles.

   
Please join in with our challenge this week, make a sparkling glittered Christmas card and link it up at 52 {C}CT.  I'm looking forward to seeing your creations!  

Supplies:
Stamps: 'Merry Christmas' from SU! 'Owl Occasions' set, inside sentiment from Hero Arts 'Holiday Cheer' clear set
CS: SU! Basic Black & Whisper White, DCWV 6" x 6 Twinkle Glints CS Stack
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Basic Black marker
Tools: Cheery Lynn 'Winter Neighbourhood' die, Spellbinder's 'Labels Trio' die, 'Grommet Tags' die & 'A2 Curved Border One' Borderabilities die, tree from Sizzix/Hero Arts 'Snowman' die & stamp combo set, 1 1/2" & 1 3/4" circle punches, SU! star punch from 'Merry Minis Punch Pack',  X Cut '3/8" Traditional Star' palm punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals




 photo RoseRuth.gif
 

Thursday 24 April 2014

One Daisy Die - Two Cards

The very pretty Poppystamps 'Bubble Daisy Border' die was one of my crafty birthday gifts.  Whenever I have new goodies I'm itching to have a play with them and I had so much fun I ended up making two cards!  I saw two cards on Pinterest (HERE and HERE) made with the die that I loved.  The first card I made combined elements from both cards so it was kind of a mash up! 

My sweet friend Lesley gave me the die so I wanted to use it to make a thank you card for her.  I made an A6 card base from Centura Pearl CS, cut the daisy border on the edge of the card and adhered Night of Navy CS behind.  I cut out the border a few more times in different colours and pieced the daisy border together.  I added a sentiment oval, punched butterflies and some aqua gems. 

 
Here's the inside.


Here's the envelope.


I enjoyed working with the variety of bright colours but then I wanted to make a card with a simpler colour scheme - and what better than yellow and white if you're using a daisy die?  I made a 5 1/4" square card from Centura Pearl CS but cut some off from the bottom.  That's because I wanted the 'happy' portion of the 'happy birthday' die cut to extend above the top of the card but I still wanted the card to fit inside a 5 1/2" square envelope.  I die cut the wording from the pearl CS, glued Daffodil Delight CS to the card front and then glued on the happy birthday die cut piece.  I wrapped Daffodil Delight stitched ribbon around the card and added a bow.  I die cut the daisy border from pearl CS, glued that down and then added yellow pearls to the daisy centres and added one as the dot over the i. 


Here's the inside.  I had quite a job getting a photo of the inside as I couldn't fold the card over because of the die cut extending above the top of the card.  So I turned the card on it's side to take the photo and then rotated the photo!


Here's the envelope.  This border die is so pretty and I love the different looks you can get with it by using tone on tone CS or contrasting colours of CS, by nestling a positive shape inside a negative shape or just using a positive shape and also you can leave the petals in or take them out - endless fun!


Supplies for thank you card:
Stamps: sentiment from SU! 'Best Blossoms' set
CS: Centura Pearl white with a hint of silver, SU! Night of Navy, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Bermuda Bay
Tools: Poppystamps 'Bubble Daisy Border' die, Petite Oval Nestabilities dies, Martha Stewart multi butterfly punch

Embellishments & accessories: PaperMania aqua gems

Supplies for birthday card:
Stamps: sentiment from SU! 'Happiest Birthday Wishes' set
CS: Centura Pearl white with a hint of silver, SU! Daffodil Delight
Ink: SU! Daffodil Delight
Tools: Poppystamps 'Bubble Daisy Border' die, Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Daffodil Delight stitched grosgrain ribbon, yellow pearls 



 photo RoseRuth.gif


Tuesday 22 April 2014

Dangly Birdhouse Tent Card

I have a new "thing" - I can't seem to resist birdhouse dies!  My friend Lesley and I were in the Glitter Pot together and both of us had already put a Memory Box birdhouse die in our baskets.  Later on Lesley showed me a Marianne Collectables birdhouse die and stamp combo set before placing it in her basket.  I saw the hole at the top of the birdhouse and I immediately thought it would be fab to use to make a dangly tent card.  So that meant the item had to be placed in my basket too!

One of my favourite new craft stash items is the SU! Hardwood stamp, it is just wonderful!  I decided to make my birdhouse look like it was made of wood so I inked the Hardwood stamp with Soft Suede ink, stamped it onto Crumb Cake CS and die cut the birdhouse.  I cut a small strip from the stamped piece of CS, added that to the bottom of the birdhouse, die cut the bird and popped him up on thin foam pads.  Then I added linen thread to the birdhouse hole.  I made a 5 1/4" square Crumb Cake card base, stamped the Hardwood stamp on the front, stamped the sentiment and die cut a circle aperture and a frame.  I embossed Soft Sky CS with the SU! Cloudy Day folder, brayered Soft Sky ink over the top and glued the panel inside the card.  I taped the linen thread behind the aperture so the birdhouse freely dangles.  I die cut Old Olive leafy stems, glued them in place and punched Raspberry Ripple and Soft Sky flowers.  I shaped the flowers, glued them and added crystals to the flower centres.      


Here's a side view showing the W shaped CS piece I glued inside.  I always add these to the dangly tent cards I make so that the card stands up properly.  It really vexes me when top fold cards collapse!  To make a W shaped piece I cut a piece of CS to the width of the card x 3 1/2" and score at 1/2", 1 3/4" and 3". 


Here's the back of the card.


Here's the envelope flap.


I was really pleased how this card turned out and I really enjoyed putting it together!  I wanted to make a special thank you card for our very special friends Debbie and Mike.  They took us out to dinner on my birthday and bought me lovely gifts too.  They are true treasures indeed!  We went to their house on Easter Sunday for a scrummy roast dinner and I handed this card over then.  Happily, they loved it!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Hardwood', Hero Arts 'Friends are Treasures' cling set, Hero Arts 'Sending You Love' clear set
CS: SU! Crumb Cake, Soft Sky, Early Espresso, Raspberry Ripple & Very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Soft Suede, Soft Sky & Early Espresso
Tools: Circle Nestabilities dies, die from Marianne Design Collectables 'Birdhouse Flowers' die & stamp combo set, Memory Box 'Gold Finch' die,  Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes 'Branch Leaves' die, Woodware multi flower punch, Hero Arts 'Small Tag Frame' Framelits die SU! 'Cloudy Day' embossing folder, brayer, sponge dauber
Embellishments & accessories: clear and iridescent Swarovski crystals, SU! Soft Sky Candy Dots, SU! Linen Thread, thin 3D foam pads 



 photo RoseRuth.gif 
01 09 10