Itsy Bitsy...ATCs

This month the theme for my second ATC swap group was "spots and polka dots."  Well, I don't know about you, but as soon as I heard "polka dot" the song about the"itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini" popped into my head and refused to leave!  I found this version on You Tube -go ahead,  take a walk down Memory Lane ...

So - back to the ATCs!   There is a great bikini on the Life is a Beach cartridge.  I cut the basic bikini from pale yellow cardstock and the layers from  a darker yellow with white dots paper.  I only had a small piece of the paper (it was from a mat stack) so I used Design Studio to squeeze in as many bikinis as possible!

 

 

Here is a screen shot of the layers - for fourteen bikinis (I only needed seven but now I have some spares).

Here you can see the jumble of bikini pieces after I added the layers.  The polka dots were on a slightly larger scale than I would have preferred so there were not all that many showing.  I decided to add some more to the ties of the top.

I used my white gel pen to add dots to the ties and also a dot at each hip.  It is a small detail but I think the bikinis looked better once I added the dots.

 

I wanted to have the bikinis stand up above the background so a few of the small foam squares were just the right size to make them pop!

Here you can see the raised effect.  In keeping with the spots and polka dots theme, I chose this bright cardstock with glittered circles in lifesaver colors for the card base.  I inked the edges with bright pink to hide the white core.

It was a small group this month - six to mail and one for me.  These just make me smile when I look at them - I hope you like them too!

Fish Bubbles Card

There are so many ways to adapt the images on the Life is a Beach cartridge to make cards. The cartridge has two standard card options but, by using various features of the Design Studio program, you can create all sorts of interesting designs. Here is a LINK to the first card I shared earlier this month.

The file I created for this card with "fish bubbles" uses the hide contour feature in several ways to create a card with multiple openings containing images, details on the images and a thin frame or border.



Here is the basic A2 card after cutting and folding. For this version, I used the second page of the file which will cut the detail lines on the fish.



This screen shot shows the card - the pale blue lines are all of the contours that I have hidden. The details show on this page, but, since I have checked "weld" on the fish charms, they will not cut.



On the second page of the file, I have hidden all of the contours except the detail cuts and I have not checked the weld box on these images. If you cut the first page of the file and then, without unloading the mat, cut the second page of the file you will end up with the card as shown in the photo above.



This preview shows the card as it will cut from the first page of the file. The frame is set up on the third page of the file - it is optional and may not be needed if you choose a patterned paper for the card base. It shows in this preview but it is on a separate page so it will not cut the card front.



I created the frame using a card form from the cartridge, adjusting the size and placement using the Shape Properties box and hiding all of the unwanted contours or lines.



I cut a piece of patterned paper to line the card - the paper is cut at 8 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches.



I adhered the paper to the right side of the card and left the front piece loose.



By adhering the paper only to the back of the card, you can enjoy the effect of the apertures. I used a white gel pen to go over the detail lines on the fish. You could use various colors, or omit cutting the second page of the file and add your own decorative details.



To further enhance the aperture "bubbles," I added Stickles glitter glue to outline each bubble. I used the "waterfall" Stickles.



One more view of the card flat on the table with the front raised up a bit. You can see the "waves" on the paper liner but they are not stuck to the card front which gives a nice depth to the card.

These are easy and fun to create - if you try one, I'd love to see it!

Fish Bubbles Card

Beach Party Card - hide contour makes it work!

I did another test cut of the Beach Party card and it cut perfectly. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I had the file ready to share but then noticed that the line between the "e" and the "a" on my second test cut was very thin (as you can see below).



I am not sure why that second cut was "off." I occasionally have files that cut perfectly once and then imperfectly in the same cutting session. After checking the files to be sure that the design is correct, I can often get a good cut again simply by closing and reopening the program



For this test I used a K & Co paper with a very cute beach theme. You need to add a liner if you plan on printing information or writing a message on the inside of the card.



Since the paper I used for the card was double-sided, I just cut a piece of paper to 4 x 5.25 inches to adhere to the inside front of the card.



The paper was dark blue on the front side. If you use a patterned paper for the card design, it is important to have a strong contrast for the liner.



The multiple openings make a very interesting card front.

I also promised a quick tutorial to show you how I designed this card. The key to making this work is the use of "hide selected contour." I always try to find ways to use my cartridges efficiently and I enjoy the challenge of trying to make a new design using as few cartridges as possible. Since there is not a plain rectangle on the "Life is a Beach" cartridge, I used one of the square cards for my basic card shape. I chose one with only a few contours to hide to keep things simple.



Hide the interior contours as indicated above. Remember, to hide contour you left click on the line you want to hide - it will turn red and dotted to show that it is selected. Then right click anywhere on the mat and click on "hide selected contour" at the bottom of the pop-up menu. The line will turn a very pale blue. I always hide the "tick marks" on the cards which are included in the design for the location of the fold - I don't care for the little cuts that show on the final fold. Once all of the contours are hidden, adjust the size to 8.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches high using the Shape Properties Box.



For the words, use the "charm" feature and nudge the letters together until the circles overlap. Then hide the outer line and the hole of each charm.



For the center of the card, I used one of the images in the charm feature but stretched it a bit to make the opening an oval rather than a circle. You can choose any of the images for the center and then hide the outer line and the hole of the charm again.



In this screen shot you can see the large number of hidden contours (all pale blue lines).



This preview shows how the design will look when it is cut. By previewing on a blank page you can see the design without all of the distracting hidden contour lines visible in the preview.

I have designed many cards using this method - I will share a few more of them soon, but why not try making some on your own? It really is very easy and it is so much fun to think of all of the possibilities.


(We still have some openings in the Word Book Class on Wednesday 7/15 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and in the Basic Cards Class on Thursday 7/16 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern - registration directions are linked HERE).


Beach Party A2 Card

Beach Party Card

I haven't had much time to work with the "Life is a Beach" cartridge since it was added to Design Studio. Today, I finally got around to test cutting a design I created shortly after the update.



Even though there are two card options (photo card and square card) on this cartridge, I decided to create my own design. I used the alphabet and the pineapple drink to create a "Beach Party" A2 invitation card.



I did my first test cut on a patterned cardstock from the DCWV Summer Stack from 2008. I thought it was a bit difficult to read the words so I tried another cut using some cardstock from the DCWV "Citrus" stack with a more subtle pattern.



Here you can see the two test cuts. The patterned paper version is cute but the words are definitely more difficult to read.



I added a lining paper to each card using a bright blue for contrast on the patterned paper card and a more monochromatic choice for the second card.



Here is a closer view of the patterned card. The bright blue helps to make the words stand out and it is interesting to see which words from the paper are most noticeable after the cutting - "HOT" ended up nearly centered on the pineapple drink!



The second version of the card is easily read and the subtle pattern in each cardstock makes it more interesting than using plain cardstock.



I decided to add some Stickles glitter glue to the words cut in the patterned cardstock to make them pop out so they would be easier to read.



Here is a closer view of the "Stickled" letters.



I have the file to share but I noticed that the second test cut has a very thin line between the "e" and the "a" in "beach" even though the spaces appear even on my Design Studio screen. I used a new mat for both cuts and did not change the file between cuts so I am not sure why this happened. I want to test the cut again before I post the file. I will also write a short tutorial to show you how I created this file.


If you have been interested in joining a Design Studio class, please check the Let me Show you How to Do that blog (click HERE). We have posted classes for this week and then we will have a brief break next week. After the break we will be offering some new classes so this is the last chance for the Getting Started and Basic Cards and Word Book classes for a few weeks.

Another "Leftover" Card

You may remember the cards I made a couple of weeks ago. I added some frames made with different cartridges to cards cut from the Life is a Beach cartridge.



I was impatiently waiting for the new cartridges to be added to Design Studio so I tried creating some additions to customize the cards.



When I cut this frame (adapted from the Storybook cartridge), there was an interestingly shaped piece left from the center of the cut. So, I thought I'd use it on another card...



I added some ribbon on the left side, making a slit in the top fold of the card and adhering the ribbon to both sides of the card. Some flowers and a gem cover the overlap of the ribbon.



Then I used a cupcake stamp and sentiment using a purple ink.



The plain stamping seemed a bit too dull - so I added Stickles to the flowers, the cupcake and the "Y" and the "S" in the sentiment.



I think we have attended the last of the Graduation parties and the next week looks like it will be a bit calmer. Jen and I are scheduling a few more Design Studio classes and I have some designs that I have created for another project - to be shared soon. In the meanwhile, here is a sneak peek at one of the designs I am testing - can you guess which cartridge I used?

Another Life is a Beach card

Just a quick post today - I am still in the middle of a bunch of medical appointments and just don't have enough hours in the day! While we are waiting on that Design Studio update to add the new cartridges, I made another quick and easy card - this time I used the flamingo cut. I adapted a frame from the Storybook cartridge to make a more finished card. I can't wait until I can use the elements on Life is a Beach to make frames and other designs.



The eye cut is tiny and didn't show very well so I added a tiny diamond to make it sparkle!



The square card was cut at five inches and I cut a piece of yellow cardstock at 4 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches to line the card. I attached it to the back of the card first and then applied adhesive to the back of the flamingo and around the frame and then folded the front of the card over the liner to be sure that the card would close easily. I will probably add a few cuts to decorate the inside - and a stamp or a Cricut cut for a sentiment.



This is a very simple file - just the frame to cut. The first page of the file shows the sizing template in George - you do not cut this page.

For those of you who have been asking - we have scheduled some more Design Studio "Getting Started" classes. You can check the teaching blog (Let me Show you How to Do that) for times and details. We will also have a card class next week - the exact date and time will be posted in the next few days.

Maybe tomorrow the package I am waiting for will arrive... I can't wait to tell you what is inside!

Frame for five inch LAB Flamingo card