The cards we hate to make . . .

When I lived in my old house in NY I had the best neighbor ever, John. Well, with a heavy heart I had to make a Sympathy card for John's family as he passed away this weekend. John was retired from Eastman
Kodak and he loved woodworking and working on his project boat in the garage. Left behind is his wife of many years, who became blind in her later years, and their adult children.

To make a simple black and white sympathy card is not John --- this is the guy that would use his snowblower to clean the driveway of an elderly widow across the street so she could get in and out of her driveway.  In our snowy winters he would use his snowblower and make paths in the backyard for his dog, Miss Marcie, so she could get around in the deep snows. He also would then make a path across his front yard with the snowblower for the mailman to get from his house to others. In the spring he would make birdhouses and they all hung from his trees in his yard. He nursed a sickly looking Japanese Maple tree back to health and to this day it is quite sizable. He had a few rose bushes and he also tended to them.

John never complained about anything and just enjoyed life --- he was the neighbor that would pick up your mail if you were out of town, the neighbor that would run out in the rain if the UPS guy left your package by your side door, the neighbor that would help you when you put up a fence, planted a tree, re-roofed your house, and anything else to help you out.

Here is my card to remember John and black and white is not John --- I had to use a layout I have used for a card before as thinking of a new format was not working --- I used the SU stamp set Thoughts and Prayers for the tree/flowers stamp and the "Sharing in your Sorrow" is from the Gina K Designs stamp set Stately Flowers #2 that I just got at the customer garage sale @ Betty's.  Used markers and the huff method for the tree/flowers stamp and then used a small scallop punch for the blue flowers. Added clear crystals from the stash as is the ribbon. Embossed border is a folder by SU.

TFL and lucky me to have known John for the years I did. I miss him already and will miss all the email forwards he sent me. YOLO

Parts department - - -

Body parts for the Bunny Bopsie Pops -- they hold Tootsie Pops -- here is a photo of the punches I used to make the bunnies:



The metal die is the third smallest die in the Spellbinders Eggs die set and that is the bunny body --- so here are the bunnies on the Bopsie Pop holders:

Once the bunnies were on the holders I used the corner rounder punch and decided to round the corners since the bunnies are already ovals:

These holders hold the regular Tootsie Pop lollipops. To make the holders:

Cut out all bunny parts --- egg oval for the body, two longer ovals for the ears, two smaller ovals for the feet, and I used a 3/8" circle punch for the pink circle on the bunny feet. I sponged the edges of all these pieces with a light gray. Using a Qtip from the dollar store I used pink chalk for the ears. Used a pink marker for the toes on the feet. Put the bunny together using small glue dots. For the nose I used scrap pink card stock and punched out a small heart and sponged the edges of that with light pink. Make a line for the bunny mouth using a black marker and put the pink heart for the nose over that black mouth line using a glue dot. Then make two small circles with a black marker for the bunny eyes.

The holders:

Cut your card stock 8" x 2" -- score it with the long side at the top of the score board -- score it at 3 1/2' and again at 4 1/2". Use your corner round punch for the corners. Crease your scored lines using your bone folder. Make two pencil dots near the top of the holder for your ribbon to go through. I used a small circle punch to make those two holes. Once the holder is made put the bunny on the front of the holder while the holder was flat using large glue dots. Put a glue dot at the top of the Tootsie Pop and put that in the center of your holder with the Tootsie Pop upside down. Tie the holder closed using ribbon around the Tootsie Pop stick and make a bow or a knot. These are free standing and make cute favors or table markers.

For the other project to go with the Bunny Bopsie Pops I made Matchbook Holders that hold Fun Size M&Ms and for my holders I am using the Fun Size Mini M&Ms. Here are the holders:

The Matchbook Holders you can get 4 out of a sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" --- cut it every 2 3/4" for your holders with the 11" side at the top of the trimmer. Score this at: 3/4", again at 4 1/2" and again at 5". Use the bone folder to crease the score lines. By doing this you will see which is the front flap of your holder --- this is important as my printed egg card stock has a directional pattern and you don't want your design to be upside down on the front of your holder. My printed papers for the front flaps are all cut at: 2 1/2" wide by 3 1/4" long. I put the printed card stocks on the front of the holders while it was flat, after I made the creased scored lines.

A tip for the M&Ms Fun Size bag --- shake the M&Ms to one end of the bag --- then fold the end flap to the back of the bag -- then put this in your holder, with the folded end behind your 3/4" scored line and then staple it to the holder --- by folding the bag to the back the M&Ms will not flop all over when the recipient opens the holder. ALSO -- when you staple this staple closer to the fold on your holder than the straight edge as you need to be able to tuck in your holder front --- this is explained better in these photos:

Used the "Happy Easter" stamp from the Stampin Up stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes and stamped it all over white/GP card stock in different ink colours. Then cut out the greetings using the Simply Charmeed banners die set from Spellbinders and tied a greeting on the front flap of all my holders --- the ribbons are only around the front flap of the holders --- so when the recipient opens the holder they will see the ribbon from the inside of the holder. Here are more photos of the Bunny Bopsie Pops and the Easter Matchbook Holders:

Just enough chocolate treats for the Easter holiday --- TFL and YOLO

More Easter Cards

Busy week and have not had time to post the other Easter cards I made. This card has a card stock base of a lavendar, white is GP, and the bunny print is from Hobby Lobby. Doily is from the dollar store and I used punches for the greeting and lavender circle behind it. Used the Stampin Up Petal Punch for the flowers and the sprigs are made using a M Stewart punch. Added crystals from the stash.

Card on a card stock base from Close To My Heart, white is GP, and the print is Sapna. The "happy easter" printed card stock is from Hobby Lobby and it came in a clearance pack of card stock from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to use the egg shaped die to cut this piece out but with it being a printed card stock it would be too thin. So I cut a piece of this larger then the die is. Using the ATG I ran adhesive all over the back and put that onto a piece of white/GP card stock. Then put the egg shaped die on top of it and cut that out in the Cuttlebug. For the bunny I used a die from Impression Obsession and cut that out of flocked card stock. The flocked card stock would be flimsy so I also cut a bunny out of scrap kraft card stock. Ran a glue pen over the kraft bunny and then put the flocked bunny on top of that. Put the card pieces together and then once the egg was on the floral print I put the bunny on that using pop dots. Wanted to bring the greens of the floral card stock to the bunny so used a M Stewart bow punch and punched out a bow from green checked card stock.

The above photo shows the bunny is raised off the print using pop dots.

Bunnies in the grass -- similar to a Make N Take card we made with Mandy @ Betty's.

The above card is a window card and I used an oval die to cut out the oval and then a larger oval die to cut out the checked 'frame' for the oval. Used the SU Petal Punch for the flowers and again the sprigs punch from M Stewart. Once I had the flowers on the sprigs I spritzed them with Pearl Shimmer Mist for a little sparkle:

Again cut out a flocked bunny and a kraft bunny and put those together using the glue pen. For the bow on this bunny I wanted it to look like it was in the back of the bunny so using scissors I cut a small piece of the pink card stock to look as if it is tied around the bunny neck and then into the bow:

Added a pink crystal to the center of the bow.

This card is on a pink card stock base, white is GP, and the floral print is from Sapna. The printed card stock has a border along one side of the page so I used that border to work on this card. Doily is from the dollar store and I used circle dies for the circles. I used two M Stewart butterfly punches for the butterflies and I used a crimper on one of the butterflies and an embossing folder on another. Added pearls to the butterflies. TFL and YOLO

Blessed Easter Card

Card stock on a base of SU Mellow Moss, white is GP, and the dotted card stock is from Hobby Lobby. Used the new Blessed Easter stamp for the tulips piece. I inked the tulips/leaves only on the stamp using StazOn black and stamped that onto SU glossy white card stock. Used the old method -- blender pens and the stamp pad lid -- to colour the tulips and the leaves.

Once that was set I cut it out with the Cuttlebug using the Spellbinders Ovals die set. Then using the Lacey Ovals die set from Spellbinders I cut out an oval from SU Pixie Pink card stock scrap. I did not want to use the larger Lacey Ovals die as I just wanted a small amount of the Lacey Oval to show behind the tulips piece so I used a small die. Put the tulips onto the Lacey Ovals piece using the ATG.  Put these on the card front using large glue dots.

For the greeting I used the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set from SU and cut that out using the SU Bitty Banners die set. Once that was cut out I tucked it behind the tulips piece and put a glue dot behind that to hold it on the card front.

Added a sheer bow made with ribbon from the stash. Easy card to put together and the tulips from the Blessed Easter stamp set will get a lot of use I am sure --- :0)   TFL and YOLO

Easter Spring Basket

Card is on a card stock base of SU Pixie Pink, white is GP, and the green checked is from Hobby Lobby. Had recently placed an order from diesrus.com and this Spring Basket die was one of the dies I had ordered. It is by "die-namites" and using waxed paper I cut out the white basket. The basket was cut out of 110 lb white card stock from Mikes. All other colours used for the basket are from scraps.

For the greeting I used the Happy Easter stamp from the SU Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. Cut the greeting piece out using a die from the Spellbinders die set Simply Charmed. The pink crystals for the bow and greeting banner are from the stash.

Here is the die:

To get all the small pieces for my basket -- the eggs, ribbon bow, ribbon woven into the basket, and the flowers I just cut out this die in different colours and put it all together on the card front. Used a glue pen for the small pieces for the basket. Simple to do and this is a very nice die that all my pieces fell right out of the die since I used waxed paper. TFL and YOLO

Woven Easter Basket

This is the Woven Basket die set from MFTstamps.com. If you should want to make this a free standing basket to hold treats you need the Trapezoid Treat Box die also from MFT:



I have used these dies in the past for a basket on a card front, treat holder basket, and I masked out the woven part of the die and used a small hearts border embossing folder for the red Valentine treat holder:

For the Woven Easter Basket I am posting today I used the two die sets but wanted to change the front of the basket so it would look like a woven Easter basket. 

Using kraft card stock from Mikes I cut strips of 1/4" wide x 11". Then used a light brown ink and sponged the edges of the strips. Wove them together into a square piece. Using the basket die as a pattern I put that die on top of the woven strips (on the backside) and traced the basket die using a pencil. Once that was done I put red sticky tape on the inside of the pencil lines and then cut out the pattern piece - - as you can see in this photo I have enough woven strips to make two baskets:

The reason for the red sticky tape to be on this piece before I cut it out was to be sure to hold the woven strips together. Once the woven basket front was cut out I cut out the other pieces for the basket --- a basket front, back, and two Trapezoid Treat Box pieces for the insert inside the basket. So I had the four pieces for the basket/insert as well as the woven piece.

Before I put things together I used a decorative punch for the pink across the basket front and I also used the accessory dies that come with the basket and cut out a bow using the pink card stock. Using a Marvy scalloped circle punch and punched that out. Then stamped and punched out a Petite Petals flower on scrap white/GP card stock. Then used the Trio Flower punch I punched out a pink flower. Using the bone folder I curled the edges of these three punched pieces. Layered them together using glue dots and put a pink crystal in the center of that. Put these on top of the bow I had cut out using a glue dot. Set this aside.

Assembled the basket/insert using red sticky tape. Using the ATG I added adhesive to the backside of my woven piece and put that on the basket front. Using the ATG I put the decorative punched pink piece across the top of the basket and put the flower/bow pieces on using a glue dot.

Here is the woven basket:

A closer photo of the woven front:

And a closer photo of the flowers/bow piece:

Filled the basket with pink paper shred from the dollar store and that awaits treats for the Easter holiday. Another look for the MFT basket die set. TFL and YOLO

Easter Peeps Card

Had seen this card made up on   www.frenchiestamps.com  --- if you go to her blog click on videos at the top of the page and this card should be the second or third video. I was not sure it would be as easy to make as she makes it look in the video but it is and here is my version of her card:

And opened:

I used the Peep die from an Easter die set from MFTstamps.com for my yellow and the pink Peeps. This card opens even more for a greeting inside or you can put your greeting on the backside of the egg:

I used the 110 lb weight white card stock for the white egg base and then I used printed card stock for my egg lid and bottom -- since these are light weight papers I put them on a base of 65 lb weight white card stock from GP. This helps to give my prints more stability. Frenchie had used double sided card stocks for the two eggs she made for her video.

Another cute idea from Frenchie and a detailed video to match -- thanks to her for sharing. TFL and YOLO

Splatter Card

  ***  This card was chosen as a Favorite of the Week on Splitcoast Stampers ***  Happy me  :0)


Have seen all over that the "watercolor technique" is back again on cards and projects. Saw a card done by Brenda K that I really liked and she said the card goes together quickly. . .  but if you use the real watercolor technique you need drying time . . . so I thought I would give this a try.

She used a stamp set and ink that I do not have but I have enough other items that can substitute nicely. Here is my card:

For my card I used a base of Bermuda Bay --- cut and scored that and set it aside. Then cut a piece of green card stock for the piece behind the stamped white piece. Set that aside.

For the stamped piece I cut my white/GP card stock to the size I would need for the card front. Decided I would use Pool Party for the coloured ink on the card. Using a stamp from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set I inked the stamp -- stamped it at the top left side of the white/GP piece -- then stamped it again below that -- and again below that. You only ink the stamp the one time and keep stamping it down the left side of the card stock below your other image -- I stamped it three times and each time is lighter than the other image. Here is a closer photo of the stamped side:

For the flower I used a stamp from Hampton Arts "Watercolor Daisy". Stamped that over the grunge stamped area on the left front of the white/GP piece. Used StazOn black ink for that.

The greeting is from the Express Yourself stamp set and the stamp I used is "always thinking of you" but I did not want the 'always' on my card so I just inked the "thinking of you" part of the stamp and stamped it on the lower right front of the white/GP piece. Set that aside.

Using a multi-butterfly punch from M Stewart I punched out my butterflies from scrap card stock. Added clear crystals from my stash to the center of the butterflies. Once those were done I put the card pieces together using the ATG and then added the two small butterflies to the card front using glue dots:

This card does go together quickly and is an easy way to add interest to the card front. And the stamp I used gives the front of the card a 'splatter' effect. TFL and YOLO

Treat Bag Holder -- Card stock free

One of the reasons I bought the QuicKutz Treat Bag die was to be able to make my own treat bags at home that would have the details that comes on the gift/treat bags sold at the stores. I like the tiny scalloped edge detail on the top front and top back of this Treat Bag die. Here are the two Treat Bags I just made and I did not use card stock for either:

Due to the size of the die to make these Treat Bags that are 6 1/8" high and 4 1/8" wide once cut out and assembled you would need to use 12" x 12" card stock. Although I have the 12" x 12" card stock I wanted my Treat Bags to be lighter in weight and be more flexible. So what to use?

The brown bag on the left is a piece of brown paper from a roll of brown paper used for mailing a package. The pansies print on the right is gift wrapping paper by Innisbrook Wraps. Using the brown paper I can stamp on the bag, use Washi Tape or add trim to it to dress it up yet it still has the flexibility of a paper bag. By using the gift wrapping paper for the bag on the right I can let the print be all the design I need and add a tag or a little bling here or there. But with both of these papers the small scalloped detail is still shown on the die cut piece:

To show the size this Treat Bag is I am showing it with an envelope pouch I had made for BOO Day (Halloween):

These Treat Bags can get filled up with various treats, tickets, candies, etc. Also due to the size of these Treat Bags you would be able to fold over the top front and add ribbon or twine to close the bag if you would like. TFL and YOLO

Irish Blessing Card

Card is on a green card stock base. Cut a piece of darker green card stock for the card front. For the embossed white background piece I used the St. Pat's Background embossing folder from Darice. The shamrock card stock is from Recollections at Mikes. Typed up the Irish Blessing on the computer and printed it out on white/GP.

To make this card I cut and scored a piece of green card stock for the card base. Then cut the darker green for the card front. Used the St. Pat's Background embossing folder from Darice to emboss the white card stock and as usual when I use an embossing folder I emboss two pieces of card stock at the same time. This makes a softer embossed impression and it prevents the card stock from tearing/ripping on the embossed areas. Once that was embossed I put the folder and the extra embossed piece back in the file drawer for later use.

Cut a piece of the shamrock printed card stock 2" wide and put that across the upper part of my white embossed piece. Trimmed the white embossed piece to the size I needed and used the ATG to put this onto the darker green card stock. Then put these onto the card base front.

Printed out the Irish Blessing on the computer onto white/GP card stock. Cut this to the size I wanted. For the three shamrocks next to the Blessing I used a stamp from Delafield Stamp Company and green ink. Once that was done I cut a piece of green card stock to go behind the Blessing piece. Used a small circle punch for the small green circles in the corners and put those on using a glue pen. For the button I dug out a button from the button jar and ran jute/twine through that leaving the 'tails' in the back of the button. Trimmed those to the size I wanted and put the button on using a large glue dot. Put the Blessing piece on the card front using pop dots for dimension.

Here is a closer photo of the embossed white piece:

TFL and YOLO