Life Is Better at the Beach

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing another Slimline card that I created yesterday. It may be hard to see  in the photo above, but this card is 3D and is a Slimline Bridge card.

A couple of days ago, Jennifer McGuire posted a video which was all about more ideas for creating Bridge Cards. I have made a fair number of Bridge Cards in the past, but I hadn't thought about making one Slimline size which is two of the ideas Jennifer shared in her video ... one landscape style and one portrait style. Of course I loved the idea so set to work to make one. You can see Jennifer's video tutorial here.

Just like making a normal slimline card, having the extra length works well when you are creating scenes, which is one of the reasons I am enjoying making slimline cards.

To create the Slimline Bridge card, I cut a piece of blue cardstock to 4 inches x 11 inches and then scored on each side at 1 1/4 inches and 2 1/4 inches. I used a cloud stencil and white pigment ink to add clouds to the background.

I use Lawn Fawn's Slimline Stitched Hillside Border to create the ocean and the sand . The ocean uses the wavy border dies which I die cut from a bright blue cardstock and sponged along the top of the waves using white ink. The sand I die cut three panels of white stock which were just over 9 inches long and used the other two border dies in the set. I then applied color to the panels using Antique Linen and Gathered Twigs Distress Oxide inks. Once I have blended the color, I then flicked on Gathered Twigs Distress Oxide ink to add texture to the panels. I used these sand panels to add one to the inside portion of the card which I trimmed to fit at the back and sides of the card. I then used the other two sand panels to bridge the front of the card.

I used Honey Bee Stamps Hello Summer stamp set to stamp the umbrella, chairs and other beach stuff which is decorating the card.

For the trees and birds I used the Beach House Add-On die set.

My Slimline Bridge card folds flat to measure 4 inches x 9 inches and will fit inside a #10 envelope.

I always like to decorate the back of my Bridge cards, it's a great place to add extra sentiments and write a hand written greeting.

I added the large "beach" sentiment from the Hello Summer stamp set and repeated a few of the elements that I used on the front of the card.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Space-tacular Birthday

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today is May the 4th ... which means it is Star Wars Day and also International Space Day .... May the 4th Be With You! To celebrate the day I decided to create a space themed card.

I created a U Fold or Bridge Card. For the background I used blue cardstock and then blended on Chipped Sapphire & Black Soot Distress Oxide inks. I then splattered on white & gold paints to create a starry background.

I used Whimsy Stamps Moon Background for the base of my card.

I decorated the card using Craftin Desert Divas Far Out stamp set. The sentiment is also included this this set.

I added a white panel to the back of my card for another sentiment and a couple more images from the Far Out stamp set.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Far Out Stamp Set - Craftin Desert Divas (no longer in business)

Wee-Ooh Wee-Ooh

Hi Crafty Friends,

It's challenge time with my friends over on the CCEE Stampers challenge blog. Lynn McAuley our challenge hostess for the month is continuing to issue the challenges.

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day - In the United States, January 9 is a day set aside to celebrate police officers by thanking them for their public service and showing them support. For our challenge this week we are to create a card celebrating police officers.

I didn't really have anything suitable for this theme, but I was lucky that one of my local shops was placing an order with Taylored Expressions and as I knew they had a Police Car die set and a coordinating stamp set, I asked them to order these two sets for me. Talk about quick ... I ordered on the Friday and on the Monday my retailer told me she had received it! Now remember I live in Australia and Taylored Expressions is in the USA so that is super quick! Anyway it worked for me, cause it meant I could pick it up at a craft show I was going to at the end of that week.

I decided to create a U Fold or Bridge Card for my card today. To create the U Fold Card, I started with a piece of white cardstock that measures 8 inches x 4 3/4 inches. I then scored along the 8 inch side at 1 1/4 inches and 2 1/2 inches on each side. I then used Distress Oxide inks in Tumbled Glass & Broken China to create my sky background.

I used Elizabeth Craft Designs Village Edges die set to create my houses. I used the dies to die cut cardstock from brown and green cardstock for each of the edges. I then trimmed off the houses from the green pieces and adhered them to the bottom of the brown houses. I added a road to the front panel, for my police car to be adhered too.

For the very back, I used Lawn Fawns Cloudy Hillside Pop-up Add On to create the grassy hills. As I had already assembled my card and added all the houses, I had to create slits and careful piece the hills together. If I made this card again, it would be easier to add this background before adding everything else.

I added the second Village Edge to the middle section of the card and also added a few trees from Lawn Fawn's Shadow Box die set randomly on the card.

I added the sun to the top right of the centre panel.

To finish the card I stamped the "Wee-Ooh" sentiment twice onto clouds and added them to both side panels.

For the back panel I added a road and grass and then added another of the sentiments from the stamp set.

Don't forget to check out the CCEE Stampers blog (goes live 12 AM EST) to see the rest of the creations the CCEE Stampers created this week. You can also see more details of their creations on their individual blogs:

Anne Harmon

Liz Williams

Lois Bak

Lynn McAuley

Maryann Einam

Vicky Gould

Kelly McKown-Santi

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

Creepy and Kooky, Mysterious and Spooky

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I have a Creepy & Kooky, Mysterious & Spooky card to share with you all today. 

I have had the Spooky Family stamp set from Kindred Stamps sitting on my desk for a while. My husband loves the tv show that the characters in this stamp set represent, that I had to add it to my stash. It has taken me a while, but I have finally pulled it out and created a card using it.

A month or two ago I also purchased Lawn Fawn's Build A House Stamp die set. Besides the main die set I also purchased the two add-on die sets .... Christmas add-on and Halloween add-on. I have already used the Christmas add-on, and with Halloween only a few days away I wanted to play with the Halloween version.

While my card could be a Halloween card, I opted to turn it into a birthday card.

For my card today, I created a U Fold or Bridge Card. To create the U Fold card I started with a piece of white cardstock that measures 8 inches x 5 inches. I then scored along the 8 inch side at 1 1/4 inches and 2 1/2 inches on each side. 

I then used Distress Oxide inks in Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot to create my sky background.

For the grass areas, I used MFT Stamps Tucked-in Turf - Horizontal Die-namics. This die was actually a tiny bit small for the width of the card, so I did some partial die cutting to make the right hand side a fraction longer and then trimmed off the excess when I adhered it to the front of the card. The grass has been colored using Distress Oxide inks in Peeled Paint, Forest Moss & Black Soot.

I used a circle die to cut out a circle  from white cardstock which I adhered to the back of the card.

I added the house to the centre of the back panel.

I added the characters, from the Spooky Family stamp set, to the grass area on the front portion of the card.

I added a number of bats randomly over the card which are also from the Halloween Add-on die set.

The "Creepy", "Kooky", "Mysterious" and "Spooky" sentiments are also from the stamp set. I adhered them to the card in the order they appear in the lyrics of the song from the show. I also added the "&" symbol before both sets of sentiments, which is from Honey Bee Stamps Mermaid Song stamp set.

For the back panel I used MFT Stamps Tucked-in Turf - Vertical Die-namics. I added two of the characters to the grass area.

For the sentiments I used "Have A" & "Spooktacular" from Lawn Fawn's Tiny Halloween Stamp set and the "Birthday" from Lawn Fawn's Reveal Wheel Sentiments stamp set.

I then added a couple of bats which are also from the Tiny Halloween stamp set.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

 

Sending Birthday Wishes

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I am sharing a birthday card I created recently.

I recently received the August Club La-La Land Crafts kit. I hadn't planned on buying this one, however I forgot to change the automatic ordering so before I realised I had paid for it ... oops! Luckily as this was the 5th Anniversary of the club, the stamps & dies were birthday themed and I will be able to make use of them a lot! I even received an extra die set as a anniversary gift.

For my card today, I created a U Fold or Bridge Card. To create the U Fold card I started with light blue cardstock that measures 8 inches x 4 3/4 inches. I then scored along the 8 inch side at 1 1/4 inches and 2 1/2 inches on each side. I then used white pigment ink and MFT Stamps Mini Cloud Stencil to add clouds to the card.

For the grass area, I used MFT Stamps Tucked-in Turf - Horizontal die-namics. This die was actually a tiny bit small for the width of the card, so I did some partial die cutting to make the right hand side a fraction longer and then trimmed off the excess when I adhered it to the front of the card.

I added the large group image from the From All Of Us stamp set which was one of the stamps included in the card kit. I then added balloons along the back of the card using rainbow colors. I added the birthday sentiment to the red balloon on the left hand side of the card.

I added a panel on the back of the card. This is a place for another sentiment and somewhere to write a personal message. I added two sentiments from the stamp set and also added two balloons.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

 

Season's Greetings Village

Hi Crafty Friends,

Today I have another Christmas card to share with you today. 

I have created a U Fold or Bridge Card using Elizabeth Craft Designs Village Edges die set. 

To create the U Fold Card, I started with a piece of dark blue cardstock that measures 8 inches x 4 3/4 inches. I then scored along the 8 inch side at 1 1/4 inches and 2 1/2 inches on each side.

I splattered white paint all over the blue card base to represent snow/stars.

I die cut the two Village Edge dies from White Soft Finish Cardstock that has Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape on the front. I then covered the adhesive with Cool Diamond Silk Microfine Glitter.

I added one of the village edges to the 3 inch inset of the card adhering this to a stripe of cardstock.

The other Village Edge is attached to the front of the card.

I added the Season's Greetings sentiment from Words 5 - Winter Wishes die set to the top portion of the inset.

I also added the star to the top right hand side of the card.

I also added the fence and trees to the card.

On the back panel of the card I added a sentiment from the Classic Christmas Sentiments stamp set and added a portion of the Village Edges and two trees.

This card folds flat, so it can be placed in an envelope.

Supplies:

For your shopping convenience, all products are linked below. Compensated affiliate links are used where possible with no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue to share all the projects I include on my blog. For the benefit of my Australia readers, I have started to include some links to Australian stores when available. Please note I only use and share products I love.

 

Remember

Hi Crafty Friends,

It’s challenge time with the “Crazies” over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog. Karen Aicken our challenge hostess for the month continues to issue the challenges.

“Lest We Forget”  In Canada and Australia, today is Remembrance Day. From Wikipedia:  Remembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919,[1] the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning.  Include Poppies on your card today, or make a card of gratitude and/or respect.

I love the ModaScrap Lacy Poppies die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs, so knew I had to use that for this week's challenge. I also used the ModaScrap Pair of Leaves 1 and the A Way with Words - Remember sentiment, which I thought worked perfectly for this challenge.

For the base of my card I created a U Fold Card, this is a fun style of card to make. 

To create this I started with a piece of cardstock 22.5cm x 13cm and scored along the long edge at 3.5cm; 7cm; 15.5cm and 19cm. The panel on the front that the word "remember" is  on is 15.5cm. I normally change the height of the card depending on what I am putting in the "U" part of the card.

Here is another view of my card, looking down into the bottom of the card. I added two tabs to the bottom section so I could add addition poppies and leaves.

I also added black prills to the centre of the two full poppies.

And finally a look at my card when it is folded flat ready to be placed in an envelope.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the “Crazies” cards over on the Crazy 4 Challenges blog and also their individual blogs for more details.

Amy Ottmers

Anja de Regt

Bonnie Sharp

Caz Counsell
Jessie Rone
Joanne Grzelak

Judy Rozema
Karen Aicken

Kathleen Adams
Maryann Einam
Raquel Mason
Rebecca Ednie

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs:

Other:

Cardstock - Black
Picky House Slippers 12 x 12 Paper - Lawn Fawn
Nuvo Drops -  Ebony Black; Autumn Red
Foam Tape
Copics

ECD September Designer Challenge

Hi everyone,

It's time for our September ECD Design Team Designer challenge. Check out the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog today to see what our talented designed created for the challenge.

Our challenge this month is ..... Spooktacular Creations - It's just over a month away until Halloween. Create a card or project with a Halloween theme.

I have created two cards for this month's challenge. To see my second card, scroll down to the blog post below this one.

For today's challenge Elizabeth Craft Designs are giving away a $20 Gift Card to use on our website to 3 winners. 

To enter simply leave a comment on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Challenge post and tell us "What are some of your favorite products you choose when creating spooky scenes for Halloween?”

We will select 3 lucky winners in a random drawing 

The winners will be announced on Friday, September 22nd on the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog.

For my card today I have created a "U Fold Card", I have discovered this style of card quite recently and have been having fun creating them. I have used a number of the new Halloween themed die sets which were released by Elizabeth Craft Designs in August to create my card. 

The background of my card uses the galaxy background technique which I have been having fun with this year. I used distress inks to create the background. It is a little to see the effect of this background totally on this card as a lot of the color is hidden by the die cuts, but it is there.

I apologise that my instructions are using metric rather than imperial measurements, I didn't think when I started my project to work in inches. It is pretty easy to convert if you wish to replicate this card. If I made this particular card again, I would probably make it slightly taller to allow for the tall haunted house, the chimney is about 1 inch over the top of the card, but as I have things hanging off the sides I don't think this matters. 

Here is how I created my card:

Step 1 - 

• Cut a piece of white cardstock that measures 12.5cm x 20cm.
• Randomly sponge on Picked Raspberry, Twisted Citron and Salty Ocean Distress Inks over the card. Leave some areas white.
• Sponge Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink around the edges of the card and blending over the previously applied colors.
• Finally apply black ink around the edges and over the card, you don't want to to completely cover the colors you have laid down. You decide how much you want to show through for your finished project.
• Finally add some picket fence distress paint to an acrylic block, thin with water and use a paint brush to splatter white all over the background to create stars.

Step 2 - 

• Cut a piece of black cardstock that measures 22.5cm x 13cm.
• Score along the long side at 3.5cm; 7cm; 15.5cm and 19cm.
• The score lines closest to the edge will be mountain folds, and the centre lines valley folds.

Step 3 -

• Take the Galaxy Sky Background panel and cut the panel into 5 panels .... four will be 3cm wide and the centre panel will be 8cm wide.
• Adhere panels to black card as per photo above.

Step 4 - 

• Create two bridges for the centre panel to which will hold the haunted house and fence. One bridge will be 2.5cm x 12.5cm and the other 2.5cm x 10.5cm.
• Score the 12.5cm length bridge at 2cm either end and the 10.5cm one at 1 cm either end. 
• Apply adhesive to the 1cm ends of the shortest bridge and adhere it to the edge of the 2cm bridge.
• Attach both bridges to the bottom centre of card as per photo above.

Step 5 - Decorating the card.

• Using the smallest circle from the Fitted Circles die set, die cut a circle from orange cardstock.
• Sponge the edge of the circle with black ink.
• Adhere circle to top right centre panel.

• From the Haunted House die set, die cut the witch, house and cat from black cardstock.
• Adhere the witch so that part of it is covering the moon.
• Adhere yellow cardstock behind the windows of the haunted house. (Optional - sponge around the edge of the house with white ink). To attach the house to the back bridge, add a length of black cardstock that will to the back of the house which extends approximately 2cm from the bottom of the house (tab). Attach this tab behind the bridge closest to the centre panel so the house is flush with the top of the bridge.

• From the Iron Fence die set, die cut the fence using light grey cardstock. Apply adhesive to the bottom part of the fence and adhere to the front of the other bridge.

• From the Ghost die set, die cut the small and large ghosts from white and black cardstock. 
• Assemble ghosts.
• Adhere the small ghost to the left hand panel using foam tape, and the large ghost to the top of the right hand panel using adhesive. 

• Using the Halloween Scenery die set, die cut the tree from black cardstock. Cut off the roots of the tree and adhere on an angle to the right hand panel.

• Using the Halloween Scenery die set, die cut the graveyard scene on a piece of dark grey card that is 16cm long so that you have approximately 2.5cm edge at the bottom. Note - the graveyard scene will be shorter than your cardstock, so you will need to trim the top left and right edges so it is level with the bottom of the elements closest to the edge of the scene.
• Apply black ink around the edges of the scene.
• Use a white gel pen to write "R.I.P" on both gravestones.
• Apply adhesive to the bottom of the right hand panel and adhere the right side of graveyard scene to this panel. 
• Fold your card so that the two panels on the right hand side are open, but the two on the left are folded on top of each other onto centre panel. Apply adhesive to the bottom of the left hand panel and adhere final edge of graveyard scene. Trim off any excess cardstock.

• Adhere the cat that you die cut earlier to the left hand side of the graveyard scene.

• Die cut 3 bats (Halloween Scenery die set) using dark grey cardstock. Adhere one to the roof of the house and the other two on the side panels in the centre of the card.

Step 6 - 

•  Stamp the "Trick or Treat" sentiment from the Halloween Sentiments Clear Stamp set onto white cardstock using black ink. Trim into a rectangle.
• Adhere to left side of front of card as per photo above.

Here you can see how the card folds flat for easy mailing. This particular card may not fit into a standard size envelope due to the height of the card. But you can easily adapt this style of card so that it does.

I hope you enjoyed my project today. Don't forget to check out the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog to see all the wonderful creations by our talented designers and for a change to win the giveaway.

Supplies:

Elizabeth Craft Designs:

Other:

Cardstock - White; Black; Yellow; Orange; Grey; Dark Grey

Inks - Picked Raspberry; Twisted Citron; Salty Ocean; Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks; Black Ink

Picket Fence Distress Paint

Paintbrush

White Gel Pen

Foam Tape