Quick Birthday Card

This will be a quick post. I made a super sized birthday card for a lady I've known for over 20 years. I kind of copied the other birthday card I made a few months ago. This one is 8 1/2 X 5 1/2 and I used the We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board to make the matching envelope.

I really like this cut for birthday cards because it's clean and simple.

The Stockings were Hung

November’s theme for my card exchange group is (of course) Christmas!!! Normally I don’t like saying the ‘C’ word until Thanksgiving but here it is mid-October...don’t tell anyone.

The last time I went to my favorite LSS, I picked up this adorable metal die and immediately knew I was using it for my cards. I think this will be the first time I’ve ever made one of my cards without a Cricut cut. I have been to plenty of make ‘n takes that don’t use Cricut anything.

Here are my Cricut-free cards...that little metal die really got a workout.

I inked the just the stocking paper edges with some TH ink. You can see it better in the close-up picture.

I have the HARDEST time matching greens. I went through 15 paper packs looking for the right shade of solid-ish, minimal print green that went with the green from the patterned  paper. Just when I was about to scrap the whole project, I found it in a country styled pack. Thank goodness for Michael's and their $5 Hot Buy packs that I always have to buy.


My main issue with this die was getting all the “merry” to stick to the stocking paper. I used a little zip 2-way for the first few then I remembered I had an adhesive spray!!! …somewhere…

I picked up this little gem at the beginning of the summer and forgot all about it until halfway through with my cards. It took a while for it to get going but once it did, cough…cough… I accidentally inhaled some fumes, it was golden! I will be using this again for every Memory Box die I own.

Guess I should have picked up more than one.

Cricut cart: NONE – surprise!!!

Metal Die Cuts: Memory Box Grand Merry Christmas die Style #98680

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Mowed Lawn Ink around edges of paper

Paper: burgundy – Cardstock Warehouse Paper Co, Inc CSW-2-SVT (picked up at Ross over a year ago); stocking patterned paper - American Crafts “Jolly” paper pad; green (under Christmas) – Crate Paper “Farmhouse Collection”

Trick or Treat

It’s almost the witching hour and the theme for my card exchange group for October is Halloween or Thanksgiving.

Even though I have quite a few cutesy gobbler images, I wanted a scarier Halloween cut, something that said spooky. I scoured my Gypsy and mycutsearch.com (I think that’s what the new name is) and I decided on the Pumpkin Carving cartridge.

I had to cut the image 3 times so it's a very thick cut:

1.      Black cut image

2.      Yellow cut image hiding windows

3.      K & Co with just the outline

The rectangle was inked while still in the metal die for depth and the zig zag was inked after it was cut.
I found the “Trick or Treat” poem online and used Microsoft Word to print it using A Lolita Scorned font from dafont.com.

Thanks for looking!!

Cricut cart: Pumpkin Carving Seasonal “spooky house” cut twice. Yellow layer is with hidden windows.

Metal Die Cuts: Spellbinders Nestabilities (largest) Reverse Wonky Rectangles; Quickutz Zig Zag Edges

Ink: Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink around edges of paper

Paper: Black & yellow Recollections paper for Cricut cut; K & Company Tim Coffey Designer pad (behind the Cricut cut and with the Reverse Wonky Rectangles; Recollections Simply Autumn pack (left with Zig Zag Edges and right (red leaf) base; craft colored Recollections paper for card base.

Obsessed with this - Non Crafty Post

That is how I feel about these eos.

Monster Birthday Tag

One of my son's friends had a birthday party today. I'm usually a big fan for giving gift cards but my son said he knew EXACTLY what his friend wanted. (Some kind of Nerf gun.) I found the cutest monster wrapping paper at Target and knew instantly what the gift tag would be.

So out came my trusty Gypsy and I immediately went to the Mini Monsters cartridge.

Isn't he adorable???

Cricut cartridge: Mini Monsters

Paper: Recollections solids

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug Animal Prints

Ink: Memento Bahama Blue (on embossed belly)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

My monthly card exchange theme for September was to make gift tags – at least two, any occasion or a card that is a Gift Card Holder.

I wasn’t interested in making gift cards after making the bookmarks a couple months ago and decided to go a different direction this month. After scouring the internet for an idea, I stumbled across this great tutorial Christmas Card Money Holder, I slightly bent the theme this month by making cash gift card holders. The inside has a perfect sized pocket for a few bills. Thanks to Christina for this great and simple tutorial.

I used the Santa Claus from the Simply Charmed cartridge to create this cute Christmas cash holder. I hid the face cuts so I could use a Peachy Keen stamp for Santa's face. The snowflake is a Spellbinders die and Santa was pop dotted on top of it.

Cricut cart: Simply Charmed page 64 Santa with all layers

Manuel Die: Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Create A Flake One

Stamp: Peachy Keen Stamp - PK-490 Everyday Character Face Assortment

Paper: all Recollections solid cardstock was used for the card base, Santa & snowflake; patterned paper is American Crafts – Hollyday paper pad  

Gatefold Flower

My monthly card exchange theme for August was to make a different type of fold, gate fold, tri-fold, shutter card, step card, Z fold, telescoping, etc for any occasion.

I scoured Youtube and Pinterest looking for a “different fold” card. I finally settled on a gatefold card and began to design my card.  I hadn’t used the glitter technique I learned for a while so I decided to drench myself in glitter for part of the project. 

SIDENOTE: I have a love/hate relationship with glitter. I love how it looks but hate how it gets everywhere. I will find glitter on myself for the next 2 weeks.

Above is a picture of the drying process. Below is the next morning, once they've dried.

I cut out these flowers from my newly purchased Tinker Bell & Friends cartridge. Once the centers were cut, I put them in my Xyron upside down. That is the important part. I cover them with glitter then cover the glitter with a coat of Glossy Accents.

It makes them dimensional and shiny. (It also seals in the glitter.)

Here is the entire card with the dimensional glittered center. I used a Corner Chomper (again) for the edges.

I wasn't quite happy with the final product so I added some bling to the side.

Cricut cart: Tinker Bell & Friends page 72 all layers

Paper: pink recollections cardstock for base & flower, Ki Fancy Free paper pad for fronts and part of the flower