Fabulous Friend Card

The shine of the cardstock, the metallic printed sentiment and the addition of a bit of bling make this a pretty card to send to a friend - a fabulous friend!

 I used a simple leaf design from the basic shapes included in the Silhouette Studio software to make the medallion of the front of the card.  The shapes are listed in alphabetical order, so you'll need to scroll down a bit to find it in your library.  If you can't find it, try going into Preferences under the File menu and choose "advanced" from the list on the left.  Then click on the bar that says "Restore the initial 51 designs" and click OK.  You may need to restart to have all of the shapes show up in the library.

After I added the shape to my mat, I used the "mirror right" command under the replicate menu to create a mirror image and then moved the second image over a bit to overlap the lowest leaf and wleded the two shapes together.  Then I selected the new shape and chose "mirror below" from the replicate menu, moved the image up to overlap the leaves and welded the two sets of leaves to create the shape on the right.  I released the compound path and eliminated the central opening - then grouped all of the pieces and made a compound path.

The Offset command in the software makes it very quick and easy to create a shadow or mat for the new shape.  You can set the width of the offset, making it narrower or wider to suit your project.

Next I used the dimension boxes to set the height and width in the scale menu.  I sized the grouped shapes and then ungrouped them for cutting.  To get a good visual idea of the way the card will look, I added two rectangles to the mat - one sized at 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches to represent and A2 card and one sized at 5 1/4 x 4 inches to represent a mat layer on the card.  (I didn't end up using a mat for this card).  I moved these shapes off the virtual mat before cutting the two medallion pieces.

I used one of the My Mind's Eye card bases with a very subtle yellow stripe.  The shadow of the leaf medallion is cut from blue Core'dinations cardstock and the branches are cut from Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock.  The sentiment oval is from Craftwork Cards and the gems are from Creative Charms.

The mat layer is actually a medium dark blue - not as dark as it looks in the photos.  The texture and the sheen of the Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock always make a card look special. 

You can see the subtle yellow stripe in the card base a bit better in this photo. 

 I could have cut a small sentiment (I originally was going to make this a "thanks" card), but I realized the the oval shape in the center was a near perfect match for these oval card sentiments from Craftwork Cards so I added the sentiment, raised with foam dots.

Once again, if you can't find these sentiment cuts, you could make an assortment with stamps and embossing to have ready for cards.  The metallic gold printing adds another level of sparkle to the card.

For the finishing touch, I added some light blue gem stickers in three graduated sizes to accent the leaf design.  The end result is a fast but elegant card.

If you have any questions about making the design, please leave a comment and I'll try to explain more clearly.  The same principles can be used with a Cricut design - I have made many new shapes over the years by welding Cricut images together.  The "mirror" function is not included in the Cricut software so you will need to flip and rotate the design to create a similar shape.  

If you want your image to have a shadow layer, you will have to choose a shape on a Cricut cartridge that has a shadow function.  From the very first version of Design Studio and through the updates, the Gypsy and the Craftroom, crafters have been asking for a variable width one click shadow option but it has not been added to any of the programs.

We are expected to start a new heat wave this weekend -but it isn't as hot here as it is in some parts of the country.  I hope that none of you have been affected by the terrible fires in Colorado.  We have family in the area and so far they are fine but the conditions are so dry that things can change very quickly.


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Special Friend Snowflake Card

I am on yet another quest to find clear work surfaces in my craft room.  I just can't seem to keep from piling one project and it's leftovers, on top of another and I need to do a major excavation!
 

When I first got the 'Tis the Season cartridge, I cut all of the snowflake designs.  You can see all of them in this photo and read more about the cartridge HERE.

 

I used some of the snowflakes to make these three dimensional ornaments.  You can read about how I did this HERE.  I am trying to use all of the other bits and pieces that have accumulated on my craft island and tables - I need some clear surfaces to work on a couple of big projects!

I made a quick card and used another snowflake on the front - my pile of snowflakes is getting smaller!

The card is an A2 card - plain white cardstock cut at 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches and then folded in half to make a card 5 1/2 inches wide and 4 1/4 inches tall.  I embossed the front of the card by folding it around the Cuttlebug "Large Snowflake" embossing folder.  This is a 5 x 7 inch folder so it was easy to have the embossing cover the entire card front.

The sentiment is one of the Craftwell Cards accents (thanks to my friend Enfys who gave me an assortment of these when we saw each other in LA).  The shape is not quite exactly the same as the smallest Nestabilities oval die but they line up pretty well - just a little extra of the blue is showing on the sides.

I used foam circles to raise the snowflake and the sentiment from the embossed card front. 

I added some gradient gem stickers and a snowflake gem from Creative Charms to highlight the snowflake and the sentiment.  The snowflake is cut from Core'dinations gemstone cardstock and the shadow background is cut from the Core Couture glitter cardstock.

The top of the card looked a little plain and the embossed edge was showing a bit so I decided to add a ribbon and bow along the top.

I tied the ribbon right around the card.  I wanted some thin and sparkly ribbon and I just bought a couple of yards of this ribbon a few days ago.  In the light, I realized that the edges have more of a gold tone so I may switch the ribbon if I can find the same type with a silver edge.  Otherwise, I'll just keep singing "Silver and Gold" to myself until I am convinced that they look fine together!  (That was my favorite song from the Rudolph Christmas Special - Burl Ives made a great snowman!).

I chose this particular snowflake for the card because it had a style similar to the embossed snowflakes.

This is a simple card but the special cardstock that I used for the snowflake and sentiment backer give it a nice glow.  As always, when you are able to see and hold the card you can get a better idea of the sparkly effect of the gems and the cardstock.

Blitsy added lots of new items to the store on Wednesday (Stickles, Liquid Pearls, Spellbinders Presto Punch and templates) There will be some more new things posted at 10 a.m. central time today - I can't wait to see what they have to offer this time.  If you haven't joined the free membership site yet, here is my link

http://blitsy.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/989/ 

After you join, you can refer your friends and family - go to the "invites" page to get your link and you may earn some credits to use for shopping on the site.  Sales last for a week (while supplies last) and new items are posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m. Central Time.


We didn't get any snow yet but the temperature is much colder - maybe we'll see some flurries this weekend.  I hope you have a great weekend.

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Creative Charms projects - and a secret sale!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!  I hope you are having fun getting everything ready for celebrations with family and friends.  We are getting ready for the holiday and for our trip to see our son and his new wife in Spain.  I am planning to have posts ready for the days we are gone and I'll try to check email every so often but I will be spending most of my time with family for the next week and a half.

Today is my day to post over on the Creative Charms blog.  Please click HERE to go to the blog and see the card and gift box I made.  There will be more details about making these projects posted on one of days that I am away. 

More information about the "Black Friday" sales is rolling in.  It is a bit confusing since many places are trying to get a jump on the day after Thanksgiving with earlier offers.  If you are a fan of the sales, I wish you good luck in finding the things you want at great prices.  I may be doing a bit of online shopping but my priority is time with the family (and I'll be on a plane on Friday).

I did just get an email about a sale I couldn't resist!  Lettering Delights is having a Customer Appreciation Sale.  They called it a "secret sale" but also suggested passing the information along to friends.  You can take 40% off any size order by using the code Merci2U and if you spend $30 or more you can use the code MerciBearcoup to save 60% on your order (so a $30 order would be only $12).  If you combine this discount with some of the special bundle prices, you can get a really good deal!  Click HERE to go to Lettering Delights to take advantage of this offer (I did not see the ending time for the sale but I'll add it when I find it.

I use some of the Lettering Delights items in my Creative Memories StoryBook Creator 4.0 software.  You can also use the SVG and cut-its with some electronic die cutters (but not the Cricut unless you have a pre-lawsuit version of one of the third party software programs).  I cut these with my Silhouette SD (I am still thinking about the Cameo but have decided to wait a bit so I can research the best choice for my needs - I also have my eye on the Zing).

I will be getting the stitches out of my hand today and doing some last minute shopping for Thanksgiving and the trip.  I need a few more hours each day to get everything done - how about you?!

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A Special Breast Cancer Awareness Kit

I made this card to highlight a special pink kit that is available now from Creative Charms.  For the rest of the month Creative Charms is featuring a kit that they are calling Chris’ Kit in memory of Chris Hertel.  Chris worked very closely with Creative Charms. She was a Design Team member and also designed the catalog, the logos and all the new packaging.

This past July she lost her battle with breast cancer. She left behind a loving and dedicated husband and two fabulous children.  Her family was her joy and her inspiration. From now until October 31st, the net proceeds from sales of this kit will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help find a cure for this disease so that families will no longer have to lose their wives, mothers and daughters (Chris' wish).

Here is the list of items included in Chris’ Kit:

·         Pink 3D Sparkly Butterfly Garden Brads – 12 Pieces
·         Pink Sunflowers – 4 Pieces
·         Violet Vintage Jewels – 12 Pieces
·         Pink Vintage Jewels – 12 Pieces
·         White with Pink Sparkled Flowers – 6 Pieces
·         Pink Sparkled Butterflies – 2 Pieces
·         Pink Sequin and Felt Flowers – 3 Pieces
·         Pink Sheer Flowers – 6 Pieces

There are 57 Pieces and the price is $9.99 (regular price would be $23.21).  You can find the kit HERE on the Creative Charms website.

 I started with this piece of patterned paper from the Echo Park "Country Drive" collection.  The paper was cut at 4 x 5 1/4 inches to layer on an A2 card.  I wrapped some thin ribbon around the card layer three times.

I taped the ends of the ribbon on the back of the card layer.

Then I applied adhesive all around the edges and adhered the layer to a green card base.

I took a short piece of ribbon and slid it under the three strands.

Then I pulled the ribbons together and tied a knot, making sure not to pull too tightly.

I slid the short ribbon up a little toward the top of the card, trimmed the ends and used a glue dot to secure the ribbon to the card front.

I chose a large pink Sparkled Butterfly (two are included in this kit) and added a couple of foam dots to the back to fit over the ribbon knot.

To give even more sparkle to the butterfly, I added a pink Vintage Jewel (also in this kit) over the body.

The sentiment was stamped on a white rectangle of cardstock and then mounted on a scalloped rectangle I cut from pink glitter cardstock with a Nestabilities die.  I added more foam dots to raise the sentiment to balance with the butterfly.

The sentiment stamp is from "friendship sentiments" by My Sentiments Exactly and it is stamped with dark pink ink.

Thanks for stopping by today and please consider purchasing one of these kits - every little bit we do to support research to find a cure counts.

A quick reminder about the challenge...

Today is the last day to participate in the Challenge I gave you in THIS POST.  You can upload any project you have made using something from Creative Charms and have a chance to win this great set of all of the colors of Vintage Jewels.   All of the details are in the original post.

If you don't have a blog - you can still play along.  Just put my blog address (or any other url) in the blank and fill in your name and email.  Then you can click to go to the next page.

When you get to the second page, you will see options to add the direct image URL (from a photo storage site like Flickr or Photobucket) or to upload directly from your computer.

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