A "Belated Birthday" card.....and a "FREE" envelope file!!!

Hello everyone!!!  About ten days ago I made this card, but did not want to post it until my friend had received it.  Her birthday was back in July, but I'm afraid that my creative juices were not kicking in at that time due to my cancer and treatments and it was her big 50....so needless to say I was feeling VERY guilty and I got to thinking about the old saying, "better late than never" and that got my creative juices kicking in and this is what I came up with!  Here is a front view of the card.

And here is a view of the inside (in Photoshop I blocked out the personal message to her).

Now for some notes on the making of this card.  First of all, I want to mention that the card is 5"x7" and and in order to make a "portrait" 5x7 card I would need at least a 14" piece of cardstock which I don't have!  So, I used Becca Feeken's (Amazing Paper Grace) "Becca Bit" called "Piecing Card Bases" and I just love that concept as you can even use letter size papers if you need to.  You can find it here...just scroll down to the video tutorial.  Thank you so much for this Becca!  Now, do you see how tiny and delicate the "Belated Birthday Wishes" is?  Well, that was done using black vinyl that was cut with my Silhouette "Cameo"!!!  Needless to say, I will start using the vinyl more often for sentiments, etc. as it cuts like butter with the "Cameo"!!!  The lamp post is a really nice file from the Silhouette store that I just purchased and it is named "Vintage Hanging Shop Sign", Design ID #18385.  I only used the lamp post.  I made the actual hanging sign using one of the stamps from "Borders & Journaling Boxes" by Studio G and I made a "mat" to stamp it on using my Silhouette "Studio Designer Edition" software and the message on it was hand written by me using a while gel pen.  The "chains" holding it are made from some silver trim that I purchased from Walmart.  The banner is also a file from the Silhouette store called "banner 2"...I could not find a design number and I think maybe it was one of the free files that came with the "Cameo".  Don't you just love the patterned paper I used on it?  It came from a Recollections paper stack called "Garden Florals" and there are 240 sheets of patterned papers, 60 designs and four sheets of each.

Now....onto the "free" file.  I designed an envelope for 5x7 (A7) cards that can be cut on letter size papers....of course, if you have a piece of 12x12 paper and a cutter that will cut that size, you can use the 12x12 size papers.  Because I designed this to cut on letter size, the envelope file is five separate pieces as well as the liner.  I have a lot of paper that is letter size that I need to be using, plus for those individuals that can only cut letter size or even A4, they can make their own "large" envelopes too!  I used my file to make the envelope for this card and I want to let you know that I only cut the envelope front using the patterned paper....the other pieces (the flaps) were cut using 24# white printer paper.  If you would like the file (I included Studio as well as SVG formats), you can download it here.  Enjoy and I look forward to seeing you again soon!!!

Finished Card Size:  A7 (5"x7")

Supply List

Papers: Bazzill and Recollections "Garden Florals" Paper Pad

Stamps:  "Borders & Journaling Boxes" Studio G

Inks:   Tsukineko "VersaMark Watermark", Tim Holtz "Vintage Photo"

Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo", Ranger "Heat It"

Accessories:  Stamp-n-Stuff "Detail White Opaque" embossing powder, Recollections "Pearl Stickers", me and my big ideas "icon" (bling), Martha Stewart "Classic Butterfly" punch

Hey y'all............I'm back!!!!

If you wondered what happened to me, I've been busy for the past couple of weeks with company.  My youngest son, his wife and my two grandsons came from Alabama for the Labor Day weekend and it was such a short visit but we had a really good time!!!  The day after Labor Day I had a follow-up appointment with my gastroenterologist, who had done an endoscopic and colonoscopy procedure on me on August 19th and I got really good news................he said that if all of his patients were like me he would be "out of business" and he will see me again in ten years!!!  Then a couple of days later my oldest son came to visit for about five days and we a very nice visit...but for right now, I am "companied out"...LOL!

So enough about all of that and back to crafting.  Yesterday morning I got an email from You Tube directing me to a new Silhouette video "How to Create Layered Cardstock Stickers" and I decided to play with it and this is what I came up with!

I used a file from Miss Kate Cuttables.  It was the free file from August 25, 2013 called "Pretty Bird on a Branch" and I thought it would make an adorable layered sticker and it did!  Also, I did not use sticker paper...I just used some "white smooth" Bazzill.  I did make a separate eye and I used Inkssentials "Glossy Accents" on it.  I also used Stamp-n-Stuff "Star Dust Transparent" embossing powder on some of the flowers and heat set it.  The little flower on her cheek is actually "nail art" and I finished the flowers off with gold half pearls in the centers.  Oh, I see so many possibilities with this. You can watch the Silhouette video here, so go have some fun!!!!  See you again soon!

Supplies List

Papers:  Bazzill "Smooth White"

Ink:  VersaMark "Watermark" and Stamp-n-Stuff "Star Dust Transparent" embossing powder

Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo", Ranger "Heat It"

Accessories:  "Gold Rhinestone Stickers" from Michaels, Fing'rs "Nail Art", Inkssentials "Glossy Accents"

Now this has been a REAL project!!!!!!!!!!!

The other day an online friend of mine at my Silhouette Plus group, brought attention to this really cool organizer that comes in a set from SVG Attic and right now she has the set on sale for $1.75 (normally $6.99).  Here is a link to her site if you are interested in her files and below is a photo of the set. 

I just love that organizer, so I purchased the set!!!  She also has a video showing how to put it together and trust me, you WILL need to watch it!!!

At any rate, I spend the past few days making one for my desktop and I used my color scheme which is black and white.  Here are some photos of the one I made.

This is an over-all view of it as it sits on my desktop.

Here is a close-up of it with some of my "stuff" in it.

Here is an "over-head" view of it.

Here is a close-up of the side.

And last but not least is a view of the back....I covered it with a different patterned paper...just made it look better since that is the view of it when you enter my Craft Room.

Just a few notes and comments regarding the one I made.  I used cereal box for the back, bottom, two sides. and the dividers and because it is thicker in some ways it made it more difficult to put together.  All of my patterned papers and part of the black are Recollections from Michaels and the rest of the black is Bazzill.  Just be aware that as Barbara at Silhouette Plus pointed out, this is a rather daunting project but I have to say I really like the finished project and it was worth me pulling out my hair at times...LOL

Thanks for stopping by and hurry back!!!

Finally.......a card that is totally "not cased"!!! LOL

I think my creative juices are finally kicking back in peeps!!!  While surfing on Wednesday morning, I decided to check out the Sketch Challenge #450 at Splitcoast Stampers and walla.....there was my inspiration.  If you would like to check it out, you can find it here.  A really good friend of ours passed away on July 28th and he was only 63 years old.  I wanted to send a sympathy type card to his wife and decided to use that card sketch and this is what I came up with.

Here is a detailed close-up of some of the embellishments on the card front.

Here is a look at what I did for the inside.  I blocked out the inside text using Photoshop, as it included my phone number and other personal information.  It looks kinda goofy, but you get the idea!

I had to design a envelope that would hold a 5x7 card that could be cut using letter size paper since I scanned the patterned card and printed it on 24 lb. inkjet paper.  Once again, I blocked out the address using Photoshop!

There are several things I want to point out, the first being that the designer paper I used is Colorbok Designer Paper (8.5x11) that I purchased from Walmart...you get 30 sheets in the stack plus 139 stickers and 68 punch-outs for $5!  Also the Offray silver trim that I used on the border is from Walmart.  Everything on the card with the exception of the Martha Stewart "Double Loops" and "Classic Butterfly" punched items, was cut using my Silhouette "Cameo".  The urn is a Silhouette file and I shaped it and placed foam tape beneath it to give it a dimensional look.  The ribbon I used is May Silk Ribbon that I purchased from stampsimply.com............I love working with that ribbon and I need to order more soon!!!  I have to say that designing this card has been nothing but "pure pleasure" and I think that in itself is healing!!!

Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon!

Finished Card Size:  A7 (5"x7")

Supplies

Papers:  Colorbok (Designer Papers), Bazzill "Smooth White" (card base) and Ampad "Embassy Black Cardstock"

Font:  LDT Teacher (from Lettering Delights)

Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo" and "Bow Easy"

Accessories:  Martha Stewart "Double Loops Punch Around the Page" and "Classic Butterfly", Recollections "Washi Tape", "Silver Pearls" and "Epoxy Stickers", Offray "Silver Trim", May "Black Silk Ribbon" and "Peel-Offs" 

I have something to share with you..........

and I sure hope y'all can use them!!!  I've designed four "Holiday Card Overlays" in Silhouette Studio Designer Edition to get y'all started making your Christmas cards......after all, this is the time to get started on them!  The zipped file contains Studio and SVG versions as well as this JPEG image of the set.

Also, please note that I've sized these for 5.5x5.5 inch square cards, but you are welcome to resize them to whatever size you desire....even 12x12 inch for scrapbook pages!  You can download the files here.

Enjoy and hurry back to visit me!!!

I made a birthday card and a photo of my "Cutter Station"!!!

Hello everyone!!!  This coming Monday is the 70th birthday of one of my all time very best friends and I wanted very much to make a nice card for her special occasion.  I saw this card Pinterest and decided to case it to make a 70th birthday card.  I used my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software to make the design..... I made "print and cut" files for the card front and the inside.  I used "LDT Printed" and "Before the Rain" fonts.  For "Marti" and "70", I made cutting files and cut each one three times and glued them together and I used "A&S Black Swain" and "NeoBulletin BOLD" fonts.  I also used Star Dust Transparent embossing powder on "Marti".  Here is a photo of the card front.

Here is a close-up of "Marti".

For the inside I used a Silhouette file called "Bow Lace Border, Design ID #10257" and I made a black mat to go behind it.  Here is a photo of the inside.

I mailed it to her this afternoon, so she should have it by Monday for sure.  I sure hope she likes it!!!

Now for my "Cutting Station" here in my Craft Room.  Last week, while surfing at Splitcoast Stampers I came across a post about this storage cart and I decided I really wanted one to hold my Silhouette Cameo and Sizzix eClips cutters, but to my dismay I could not locate one in the nearby Michaels stores and I was so disappointed!!!  Then I saw a white Parson's Desk in the Target ad on Sunday, on sale for $36.19 and decided I could make this work and it matches the furniture in my Craft Room, so as you can see in the photos below, I made it work and I love it!!!!

As you can see in this close-up photo, I used the same contact paper from the Dollar Tree that I used on my craft desk on the foam core piece that I used on the white shelve as the shelve I found at Walmart was only 10 inches deep.  Hey, I improvised!!!

If you go back here, you can see photos of my desktop so that you can see what I am talking about.

Hey, thanks for stopping by to visit and I will be back soon!!!

Supplies

Papers:  Bazzill "Berry Blush" , "White Smooth" and "Black" and Paperbilities "Rhonna Farrer Autumn Leaves" Designer Paper (envelope)

Tools:  Silhouette Cameo, Bow Easy and Ranger "Heat It"

Accessories:  Want 2 Scrap "Bling" and "Pearls", Stamp-n-Stuff "Star Dust Transparent" EB, Offray Ribbon

Thank You Card for Ms. Tammy!!!

Hey y'all, I have a real good crafting friend who is also a very talented seamstress and she was SO very kind to make me covers for my Cameo and for my Big Shot and I just absolutely love them!!!  She knows that my color scheme for my Craft Room is Black & White, so she picked fabric that would match my decor!

Here is the Cameo cover she made:

And here is the Big Shot cover she made:

Aren't they just gorgeous!!!!  By the way, if any of you would like to contact her to make you a cover for your machines, just email me and I will email you back with her contact information!

At any rate, even though I've not been crafting that much yet, I wanted to make her a really nice "Thank You" card, so I used one of Mary's files from the "Thank You for the Music" collection from SVG Cuts. The one I used was the "Treble Clef Card".  I just recently purchased this collection as I liked it so much!  You can see the entire collection here!  Here are photos of the card that I made for Tammy.

I want to point out that the clear pearls and the tear drops were made by me using a hot glue gun...the color on the tear drops came from brushing on Pearl Ex pigments while the glue was warm.  I also designed my own sentiments using my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software and cut them using my Silhouette Cameo.  All of the other elements were cut using my Sizzix eClips cutter.

Here is a photo of the inside.

I used a Silhouette Sketch Pen to do the text....I love how it looks!

I also want you to see what I call my personal "signature labels" that I put on the back of my cards.  I used a frame that I designed to make them into a "print and cut" file that I cut using "sticker paper" and my Silhouette Cameo!  I always personally sign my cards.

By the way, Tammy loved her card!  I hope to be posting a new card or project very soon....see ya then!!!

Supplies

Papers:  DCWV "The French Country Stack" and Bazzill

Tools:  Silhouette "Cameo",  Sizzix "eClips" and Ranger "Heat It"

Accessories:  VersaMark "Watermark Stamp Pad", Stamp-n-Stuff "Star Dust Transparent" embossing powder and Stampendus "Dot Sparklers Silver class a' peel stickers"