Valentine's Decor: Dollar Tree LOVE Frames

 

This is the easiest project ever! I'm almost embarrassed to share it. 

Supplies:

• Dollar Store Silver Frames
• Themed Scrapbook Paper (This is by American Crafts)
• LOVE Wood Stickers
• Foam Squares

I found these wood LOVE stickers at Dollar Tree, and picked up two of these 4x4 frames. The paper, I already had in my stash. I cut the paper to fit the frame size (so really 5x5) and then used the mat that came with the frames.

Once I reassembled the frame with the paper and the mat, then I added one of the LOVE stickers to the top of the glass using a foam square.

That's it!

I kept my entry table simple with two of these and some black velvet ribbon I got a JoAnn after Christmas for 70% off.

I had some wood heart stickers in my stash and stuck them to the candles that stay on this table. I'm actually surprised they've stayed stuck to the wax but they have and they're easily removed. 

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Cardmaking: Layered Geometric Heart Valentine's Cards

 

Happy Love Day Creative Peeps! Whatever you're doing (including not doing) today, wishing you a day filled with love...for self, partner, spouse, friends, family...however you define it! 

Sharing the cards I did this year which continue my obsession with layered cut files! 

Supplies: 

• Black, White, Pink Glitter Cardstock
• Scrapbook Paper
• Layered Heart SVG file 
• Foam Dots
• Heart Shaped Scratch Stickers
• Digital Cutting Machine

The star of these are the Scratch Off stickers I used for the interior which I found at Dollar Tree and like so many of my Dollar Tree purchases I'm asking : "Why didn't I get more?!"

The file I used for the heart is from Creative Fabrica. It comes with several more layers than I used and I deleted the ones I wasn't going to use in Cricut Design Space. I cut the hearts using my Cricut Explore Air 2. The SVG file can be used with other cutting machines. 

For the cards themselves I used black cardstock and scrapbook papers from American Crafts "The Color of Memories" collection (SKU #s 348947 and 320417) I found a JoAnn. The pink glitter paper is by Recollections from Michaels. 

It always helps me to change the colors in Design Space to the actual colors I'm working with, Keeps things straight in my brain! Sized to fit my cards, then cut each layer. To assemble the hearts, I used small foam dots and then used my tape runner to adhere to the card. 

I printed the word "love" on white paper, trimmed and mounted on the American Crafts paper and then applied the scratch off sticker over it. I wrote a little "scratch here" note when I signed the cards. I hope they do some other shapes with these scratch off stickers! Aren't the cool?! 

I love sending cards to family and friends and these were a hit! 

Papercrafting: More Cards For Box Of Balloons !

 

I wrote in May about an organization called Box Of Balloons that works to ensure that children get to be celebrated on their birthdays. They were then partnering with several of my local Starbucks locations to collect cards, wrapping, decorations etc. and as a Cardmaker and a Mom, it was right up my alley. I did it for the sheer joy of combining those two loves and because I want every child to know the feeling of being special on their birthday. 

I was honored and humbled to receive the following email from the local chapter President, Amy:

"I'm so impressed with your handmade cards and gift tags and wanted to say THANK YOU so much for your wonderful donation.

I've been putting a card and gift tag in each birthday box I've been creating and it adds such a personal touch to each box. Thank you so much for donating these as I'm sure they took a lot of time and energy to create. They're so beautiful and made so well and I'm just blown away and grateful :) "

I was thrilled they were happy and would be put to use and immediately planned on making more! As I've written about (probably ad nauseum!) June was a bust for creating between prepping for a planned move and spending an unplanned week in the hospital. So once things had settled ( somewhat...life is life!) in July, I wanted to get back to it and on Saturday dropped another three dozen cards in the mail! 

Supplies:

• Birthday Themed Papers (American Crafts, The Color of Memories Collection from JoAnn and Happy Cake Day stack by Recollections from Michaels)
• Cardstock
• Birthday Themed Washi Tape ( Park Lane, JoAnn) 
• Glitter Papers ( Recollections, Michaels) 

 This time around I used some American Crafts birthday themed papers I found at JoAnn along with some Park Lane birthday themed washi tape I scooped up on sale there. 

Like some of the sheets from the Recollections "Cake Day" stack, this sheet had panels I cut up to use as the focal for the cards, matting each with coordinating glitter papers. The washi tape coordinated perfectly with the colors (and it didn't hurt that it was an additional 50% off clearance). 

The Balloon background paper is from the same American Crafts collection. I kept things simple, matting the image on glitter paper, then another coordinating paper ( great way to use scraps) and attaching to the card with foam squares. 

Since I still had plenty of papers from the "Happy Cake Day" stack I previously used (and may or may not have bought another stack when Michaels had another buy one get two free Hot Buy sale which is my kryptonite) I made some more using those. 

Unintentionally, I usually make my cards in a portrait vs landscape orientation...no reason...just do...but since these panels didn't lend themselves to that, made some that way too. 

It's very fulfilling to feel like doing something you absolutely love can make a difference. Especially now. Especially in a child's life! 

Valentine's Day: Pink, Grey, Cream Valentine's Cards

 

Less than two weeks until Galentine's and Valentine's Day! When you love making cards, it's easy to make them for those you love. 

I tend towards non-traditional colors because I'm contrary like that. This year, I went with a color palette of Black and White, Cream and Grey and Pink. I backed into my palette when I found some great stickers at Dollar Tree last month. 

With these COVID variants, we're going out even less than before which wasn't that much to start and it will be another cozy home celebration for us. 

Supplies: 

• Cardstock (Recollections 110lb Michaels)
• Scrapbook Paper (American Crafts and Pink Paislee)
• Focal Sticker (Dollar Tree)
• Paper Trimmer
• Adhesive 

I found this sheet of wood stickers at Dollar Tree. I love the natural hearts and although I'm not much of a pink person, I really wanted to use those too because I knew I had the perfect papers in my stash! 

I did some on cream cardstock with coordinating grey and cream papers. I had scraps from cutting the cards to size (5x7) so I ran them through a damask embossing folder that matched the pattern of the paper. Makers hate waste!. I kept these simple because the papers were so pretty so just adhered the natural heart to a white scrap, matted with a grey scrap and done! 

I'm physically unable to avoid black and white. It's true! My doctor confirms. OK no, but...it's my thing. So for this one, I used a striped silver on silver paper, American Crafts XOXO paper, the pink hearts and done!

For the pink cards, white cardstock, coordinating papers by Pink Paislee, more natural hearts and done! 

Those of you who know you're getting one will just have to see which one you get! 😛

Quilled Cupcake Birthday Card Tutorial

One thing I was excited about when I started my Quilling journey was the ability to incorporate it into my cardmaking. I'm so happy with how this card came out, inspired by some fabulous papers I found at JoAnn. 

Supplies: 

• Pebbles Double Sided Scrapbooking Paper (JoAnn)
• Cardstock ( 110 lb)
• Coredinations Glitter Scrapbook Paper (JoAnn)
• Juya Quilling Paper Strips
• Quilling Tool
• Glue (Aleene's Turbo Tacky, Elmer's)
• Paper Trimmer
• Tape Gun

JoAnn recently had a mega sale on scrapbook paper. I couldn't resist these at $.19 each!! Hello my name is Carol and I have a paper problem. 

They're double sided so it's like two, two, two papers in one. My older followers will get that joke. 

TIP: 

In learning Quilling, I've watched different videos on how to outline an image but the thing that works the easiest and best for me is to cut the image I want to outline using my Cricut Explore Air 2. My trick that I think I invented but who knows, is to cut two of the image, layer on top of each other with a thin foam tape, which gives some depth to make it easier to go around it with the Quilling paper. 

I went around the image with the light acqua strip, then made a cupcake liner design with pink. Another TIP: I do these atop wax paper since the glue doesn't stick. Wax paper is inexpensive ( OK cheap!) and a little will go a long way. 

Once my image was outlined, I did a bunch ( technical term) of brown open coils and some darker pink tight coils for the "frosting", and then yellow, acqua, and cream to fill in the wrapper. 

As the focal image was drying, I made the actual card. Simple 5x7 card, and alternating layered panels of the acqua glitter paper and the cupcake paper. 

I use the Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue for the outline and to fill large spaces and the Elmer's in the fine tipped bottle for detail, small spaces. 

To finish, I made a small coil of red for the cherry on top !

Since the friend this is for lives in another state and we can't enjoy a real cupcake, this will have to do! 

50 Shades of Birthdays : 50th Birthday Cards

Or, 150 years of birthdays but that seems excessive. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had several January birthdays so I’d be posting lots of cards. Three of those happen to be 50th birthdays so here are three different cards made for three different but individually special people.

Card #1 uses Anna Griffin black and white paper and a music score embossed panel (Darice). I cut two sets of the numbers “50” from the patterned paper and layered them using foam dots to give some depth. Kept things simple with gold glitter tape ( American Crafts) , gold washi tape, and a black organza ribbon.  The fleur-de-lis metal piece is one of a pack I picked up at Michaels in the $1 bin.

Card #2:

This is another Anna Griffin paper. I used it in combination with a gold glitter cardstock and cut the panels using Spellbinders dies. Layered with foam dots and the focal number is American Crafts glitter Thickers stickers. Embellished with coordinating rhinestones and Stickles.

Card #3 also keeps the gold theme but is more casual in keeping with the recipient:

I used papers from a vintage pack by Recollections along with Thickers, metal stickers, and washi tape.

For each of these cards, I kept it simple using only one or two strong graphic papers for each.