Card of the Week.com | Cards, Scrapbooking, and Papercrafts

Quickie Easter Basket

My sister-in-law, Mary, is the world's most fabulous person.  No kidding.  She is.  I am personally going to nominate her for sainthood.   Today she planned this over-the-top great Easter party for all her kids, nieces and nephews.  No parents allowed!  Thankful for this unforeseen couple time, I wanted to take a little "happy" to her before I unloaded my kids and ran for the door.  I made this basket in less than 5 minutes, out of one sheet of paper and a couple of brads.  I LOVE how it turned out.

You simply take a square sheet of paper and fold it in thirds, both ways.  Your paper should look like a Tic-Tac-Toe board.  Cut two of the fold lines up to the center square on opposite sides.  Fold it up.  Attach the sides with brads.  TaDa!  You are now Martha Stewart.

Thought my directions were as clear as mud?  Make your life easy and download the pattern here:   

Download Cherry-Basket.pdf

Academic Thank You

My friend, Misti, had a challenge on her blog this week to create a card using the same layout as the Easter Blessings card on pg. 28 of the Stampin' Up catalog.  This is my submission.  I love challenges, and I happened to need a couple of thank you notes for my sons' teachers. 

This card features 3 stamp sets:  It's Academic (retired), Crayon Kids Wheel (also retired), and Alphabits.  The "thank you" letters were punched out from white card stock with a 1/4 " round punch and adhered to the black Alphabits image.   The globe was colored with Prisma Pencils. 

** tip for those with time:  Crystal Effects glaze would look really cool over the globe -- especially the water.  I didn't have drying time to spare today, so I left that step out.

Beach Bella Bookmark

Yep, another Bella card.  I was on a roll with the luggage tag and decided to go for a set.  This is a bookmark card.  The vellum pocket is stamped with Staz-On, and colored from the back with Sharpie markers and water color crayons.  The Bella is colored with water color crayons and markers.  Add a trashy novel and you're off to the beach!

Beachy Bella Luggage Tag

I've had this Beach Bella for a little while with no idea of what I would do with her.  I just thought she was too cute to pass up.  Inspiration struck after I started hearing about Virtual Stamp Night over at Splitcoaststampers.   One of the VSN projects was to create a luggage tag!  How perfect! 

My friend, Cristin, has been making luggage tags for her children's school backpacks for years.  I always thought that was clever, and a beach tag seemed appropriate for the upcoming vacation season. 

The Bella is actually colored this time, and is wearing a lovely yellow polka dot bikini,    and carrying a paper doll towel.  On the back of the tag, is the name and address of a lucky friend.   I actually took Bella to Kinkos and had her sealed in a laminated luggage tag for $1.25.   Now, Bella is waterproof too!

Chipboard Happy Birthday

I recently discovered Mod Podge, chipboard and decorative papers.  I have since taken great pleasure in making a large glue-drying rack out of our kitchen table. Last week, SCS posted a challenge (FS06) to "case" their featured stamper,  "duckwaddlequack".   You are supposed to pick an image out of the artist's gallery and change 2 things about her original card. 

Duckwaddlequack used chipboard letters to create her sentiments.  I thought that was terribly clever and I wanted to try.  Here is a link to the original picture:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=404021&cat=500&ppuser=64202

I glued decorative paper on chipboard. When the chipboard was dry, I ran it through my die cutter to get my "designer" letters.  The rest of the design is mine, but it was definitely inspired.  I will be trying this again after I get another alphabet die cut set.    While this type of card is time consuming, it's really impressive to look at in "real life".

The Cure for "Stampers Neurosis"

I'm a self confessed sufferer of "stampers neurosis" and I check my gallery at SCS a lot to see which cards are getting feedback.  I really like to know what attracts someone to an image, and encourages them to comment.  Well, I just discovered what this "mystery quality" is.  It's my cat.  Yes, I recieved 18 comemnts on one picture and 17 on the other because my stinkin' cat was in the picture!!!!  I couldn't stop laughing.  All this time, I've been silently competing with myself to get comments and all I really needed was for Obi to act as my easel.  I crack myself up.

Sistah Bellas

I think there is a shortage of great "girlfriend" stamps in our industry, so when I saw this stamp on www.stampingbella.com, I NEEDED to buy it.  My husband fusses at me for using the word "need" for things that are clearly more of a "want" -- obviously, his "needs" are different than mine.  I am not limited to air, food and shelter.  Wine, stamps and shoes are added to my list.  Heck, nice dinners out can be on the list too.  Free time is a must for me.  Hmmm -- my list could get incredibly long....

OK, OK, back to business: This image is stamped in Staz-On permanent ink.  I watercolored the hair, skin and pants, and finished off the rest of the image using "paper doll" cut outs stamped on designer paper.   Luckily, I found this great  sheet of paper that had different patterned stripes.  One entire sheet of this paper made 4 cards and 16 "paper doll" outfits!

I'm really, really happy with how this card turned out.   I wish I could tell you who makes the paper, but it wasn't marked.  It was one of those 12x12 sheets on the rack at the scrapbook store. 

Birthday Bellas

My Bellas just arrived from www.stampingbella.com and I'm trying to find the time to play with them.  I came up with this simple card design, inspired some some of the many ideas on SCS. 

I dressed the Bella using a "paper doll" technique.  Stamp your image on decorative paper and then cut the pieces out.  Adhere the pieces to the image that you've stamped on your card front.  Ta Da!  Your "paper doll" is dressed in the latest fashions.  Color Bella's remaining bits and you're done!

The background shape is a sponged, reverse mask.  The frame is hand sketched.  I added a little ribbon, as all girls need to accessorize!

Nugget Card Box

This box was made for the students in my son's First Grade class who learned all 220 sight words.  All the students are supposed to have learned them by now, but only seven had volunteered to take the test.  I wanted something to reward those kids and to give incentive to the other students.  Hope it works!

My friend, Kelly, gave me the directions for this darling box.  The card is actually part of the box, making it perfect for kids.  (My children toss the card aside to get to the "goods".)  To make the outer box, cut a piece of cardstock to 12"x3".  In the picture above, this piece is black.  Score it at 3", 4", 7", 8" and 11".  Starting from the 1" side, fold the box along the score lines and tape it closed, leaving a 3" square flap/card.  Decorate the card.

To make the sliding, inside box (white, above), cut a 4 3/4" square piece of cardstock, and score it on all sides at 7/8".  Cut the tabs and fold up the sides to create your box.  Each box should hold 6 Hershey Nuggets.
 
The candy labels were actually made using Avery mailing labels.  Stamp, peel, stick, enjoy!

Catching Up On My Scrapbook

There are two things that are really cool about this scrapbook layout. 

1. I used a "scrap map" for the first time.   This particular map came from Stampin' Up.  It was so nice to not have to figure out where to place all my pictures -- you just follow along with the diagram and everything is easy.  More things in my life should be like that!
2. I made "custom" rub-ons!  The "Opening Day Parade" title was printed on a transparancy, dried, and then "rubbed-on" to the top of the page.  I still have some tweaking to do with the drying time, but this means that I can now say anything, in any font, in any color on my pages.  It also means that I can journal with my computer.  This is a huge relief, because like most people, I don't like my own handwriting.  I have been printing the journaling on vellum and then adhereing it to the page.  Now, I can skip a step and type my journaling directly where I want it.  Best yet -- you can use a baby wipe to clean the transparancy afterwards and reuse it!  LOVE IT.