Papercrafting: Layered Skull Halloween Cards

 

Finished and sent off this year's Halloween cards to family and friends! Went with a layered skull image through my subscription to Creative Fabrica for my focal image. 

Supplies: 

• 110lb Cardstock (Recollections)
• Halloween Scrapbook Paper 
• Focal Image 
• Cutting Machine
• Embellishments 
• Adhesive Tape Runner 

I resisted the urge to buy new Halloween papers this year because as you can see, I have a collection from years past! So I gathered them up and used sheets from different stacks. 

Then I grabbed different colors of metallic cardstock, 

and some glitter cardstock, and went to work! 

I decided to keep things simple and only used two layers of the layered design. I uploaded the image to Cricut Design Space and sized accordingly, then deleted the layers I wasn't going to use. I used a small tape runner (Dollar Tree) to attach the detail layer to the background layer. 

I usually make my cards 5x7 which is the size I used here. I cut a metallic panel to 4.75x6.75 and then the scrapbook papers to 4.5x6.5. Layered those using my ATG Tape Runner, and then used the same to attach to the completed panels, and then the card base. 

To finish, I grabbed my stash of self-adhesive rhinestones and went around the eyes as shown, with a few others as accents. 

Boo!

Vintage Halloween Printables

 

Back from our Anniversarymoon trip to Disneyland and had a complete BLAST! It's truly a different experience when decorated for the holidays, and we've been at Halloween and Christmas time and love them both. 

Vintage Halloween is HUGE this year, and I played with some adorable images from Creative Fabrica to make some fun printables. I'm sharing them with you all. They're available via this link: Vintage Halloween Printables.

Hello Pumpkin

Happy Halloween

Spooky Vibes

Hello Spooky Season

Witch In Training

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Papercrafting: Layered Tulip Mother's Day Cards

 

Even with postage constantly increasing, I still am a "snail mail" girl when it comes to holidays and making and sending handmade cards. I think now more than ever, with everything electronic and AI, it's important to maintain some analog hobbies! Cardmaking remains my first love and my gateway "drug" to all of my other crafts. The Mamas in my life will be getting these in the mail soon! 

Supplies:

• Cutting Machine 
• SVG Image  (Creative Fabrica)
• Coordinating Scrapbook Papers
• Cardstock (110 lb)
• Coordinating Stickers
• Foam Tape
• Gemstone Embellishments

I realize the irony (even the hypocrisy) of talking about an analog hobby while using downloadable files and an electronic cutting machine. I consider them tools, just like a tape gun or paper cutter. 

I found a layered tulip image I liked and downloaded the SVG via my Creative Fabrica subscription. I uploaded it into my Cricut Design Space software and sized to fit my card. I used two different green papers to give my tulips depth, and cut the tops out in pink metallic and white. 

I used a mini glue dot runner (Dollar Tree) to attach the layers as shown. Two green, one pink glitter, then the top in pink foil here, and 

white paper here. 

My standard card size is 5x7, so I cut my 110lb cardstock to 7x10, scored, folded, then my focal panels from my chosen scrapbook papers (Recollections) to 4.75x6.75, and applied with my tape gun.

Once all of my tulip focal pieces were done, they were ready to go on the front of the cards!

I squealed when I found these tulip stickers at Michaels, and I already had the butterfly stickers in my stash (Dollar Tree). I attached one of each to enhance each of the tulips. To finish, I added coordinating pink gemstones (Creatology, Michaels). 

DON'T sleep on the kids' crafts section at Michaels, which is where these gems are fun. More than I'll ever probably use, so for $3.99, they go a LONG way!

 

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Cardmaking: Easter Bunny Cards

 

Got my Easter cards finished and sent off to friends and family. And I even used papers I already had on hand from what Mr. Chocolate insists is my "Michaels annex". 

Supplies:

• Bunny SVG File (Creative Fabrica)
• 110lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Coordinating Spring Palette Papers (Craft Smith, Michaels)
• Coordinating Spring Glitter Papers (Recollections)
• 65lb Foil Cardstock (Recollection)
• ATG Tape Runner
• Adhesive Rhinestones

I had this paper stack in my stash and it was perfect for Spring and Easter. It has a mix of foiled and plain abstract papers. 

They coordinated perfectly with these foil cardstock papers by Recollections. I cut panels of each, layering the patterned paper atop the foiled as my focal images were cutting on my Cricut Maker. 

To make the focals, I uploaded the SVG from Creative Fabrica to Cricut Design Space, sized, and used the offset function to create the foiled paper layer, then the glitter paper for the detailed bunnies. 

I attached the glitter layer to the foiled layer using my ATG tape runner, then used foam dots to attach to my layered panels, which I attached to the card using the tape runner. I had fun mixing and matching the foil and glitter layers. 

I went monochromatic for some, and contrasted others. To finishe, I added a few adhesive rhinestones!

Finally, I created the inside of the cards in PicMonkey, and off they went! 

Life Inspires Art Inspires More Art: Layered Octopus

 

Mr. Chocolate fell in love with Octopuses when he watched "My Octopus Teacher" a while ago and I watched it for the first time recently. We then watched a Nat Geo series on them and they are absolutely fascinating and so smart. This past weekend we attended an art festival and came upon an artist who works in lampwork glass and guess what she makes? 

You guessed it! Octopuses. He fell in love with this pendant but was initially hesitant because it's glass but she explained the type and process makes it more like Pyrex and very difficult to break easily. SOLD! He said "You can't make this!" which is true, although I would love to learn but I realize I can't do every medium I'd like. 

However, it didn't mean it couldn't inspire me to make something, so I did! I found an SVG via my Creative Fabrica subscription and then went to my paper stash and found colors that complemented his pendant. 

Supplies:

• Coordinating Scrapbook Paper
• SVG (Creative Fabrica)
• Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Maker 3)
• Foam Adhesive Dots

The copper undertones of the pendant made copper an easy choice and this brown glitter paper was perfect. I imported and sized the SVG into Cricut Design Space and used the offset tool to create the copper layer. 

I used glue to attach the glitter layer to the foil layer, and then used coordinating rhinestones and pearlescent embellishments to add texture on the tentacles. I cut the patterned paper to 8x8 to fit the shadowbox frame (Michaels) and then attached the octopus to it using foam dots. 

He might not be able to swim with them since we live in the desert but now he has two octopus friends!