Valentine Card Candy

A few years ago "Card Candy" was all the rage in certain stamping circles. I was always intrigued but never got around to trying it. A swap is the perfect way to get me to try new things, and my Canadian paper crafts swap group chose this for one of our January 2018 swaps.

The idea is to create card embellishments that would be perfect to add to a card front. Then package them up like store-bought embellishments. (Yes, paper crafters are crazy this way.)

I backed my sets with bingo cards which were a digital file (Jenni Bowlin Studio) that I printed out. 

I went for a red and aqua theme for my card candy. I shopped my craft room for items in those colours and had fun using scraps and bits and bobs. This was a transparency I had printed out for another project that I had extras of. 

These hearts are just layers of cardstock, felt and vellum that I cut out with Spellbinders dies.

I used another Spellbinders die and the Tim Holtz rosette die to make this heart. I added silver crinkled threads and silver glitter. The banner features a Waltzingmouse Stamp.

My favourite piece is this rubber stamped thread spool. The red satin ribbon I used was the perfect width. I hand-sewed a button on the felt hearts.

I made three sets:

Here's a shot of the packages all put together and wrapped in cellophane.

And the back:

Hope you enjoyed seeing these. I enjoyed making them and they are in the post now making their way to my swap partners.

Festive Friday Card

I have been wanting to play along with the Festive Friday gals forever, but just no time. Luckily I am on vacation now and going nowhere, so I was able to play this week. The current theme is to use the element: Candy Cane. Here's my card: 

My candy canes are sitting in an acetate jar. Clever stamper Deborah Frings does a great job with the technique of stamping glass jars on acetate, then leaves little tabs when cutting out the image so that the tabs can be inserted in discreet slits in the card. This eliminates the need for adhesive and frees up the inside of the container to "hold" things! So thanks to Deborah for that technique, which I have been meaning to try. I used it for my jar and my lid. Stamps are all Waltzingmouse; sentiment is a rub-on.

I also created this card for a Splitcoaststampers DTGD Challenge for red and white, the A Simple Five Inspire Me Fridays Anything Goes Challenge, and Card a Day's August Challenge to use a die cut. Thanks for looking!

Butterfly Card - Up Close

All stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps

Here is a closer look at the card I made recently for my mom's birthday. The base is white cardstock with rounded corners, I think 5 inches square. I created a clear jacket out of thick acetate and stamped an all over grid pattern across the front in white permanent ink. I stamped and embossed a large white doily onto aqua linen textured vellum, then die cut using a Big Scalloped Nestabilities die. I placed the doily on the white cardstock under the clear cover.   The big sentiment banner at the bottom is outlined in the vellum, too. Glitter and acetate are difficult to photograph!

In keeping with the clear theme, I stamped the center butterfly once on acetate and once on the same aqua vellum. I cut them out with scissors, then attached just the bodies together.

I curled the wings slightly with heat, applied glue and sprinkled on glitter. Once dry, I mounted to center of card.

The lower right corner butterfly is a single version of the center focal point, but I folded her in half so she appears to be flying.

The upper left butterfly is solid glitter on a die cut acetate butterfly, again folded in half for a side-profile view.  Thanks for visiting today!

Happy Birthday, "Auntie Mame!"

Stamp credit: Paperbag Studios

Don't you agree? 

This is a card I created for my daughter's extraordinary Great Aunt Dee. That's her in the hat a few years ago with my mom, her big sis, next to her.  I placed a photocopy of the photo under vellum that is scattered with heart flowers. The Emerson quote (The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.) on the vertical is a transparency.

The calligraphy at the top is a beautiful rubber stamp from Quietfire Design. Suzanne makes it easy to create with beautiful things. I thought turkey red stitching would go well with this "period" piece so zig-zagged a casual border around the edge. I was really free-wheeling this whole project - just playing and having fun. 

I highlighted Dee by cutting out a circle and rubbing red oil pastel around the rim on the underside. 

I am not going to say how long ago this photo was taken, but these shoes might provide a hint!

I stamped this quotation on the vellum and used pinking shears to cut it out. Then I coloured staples with a red Sharpie and used them to affix it to a popped up white panel on the inside of the card. And that's a wrap!