Simply Get Well

I am still in recycle mode since Christmas! Every card I’ve made since then has had some bit recycled from another card or wrapping paper, etc. This card has junk mail in it! Can you guess which parts are recycled?
If you said the bow, yep, that came from a box of chocolates I bought on the cheap after Christmas sales… If you are from Canada, you may recognize the other part of this card that I recycled from my junk mail!

When I saw this “cookbook menu” ad from Boston Pizza, I knew it would become part of a card! I simply cut it out to fit my card base (6 inch square), and hand cut the opening to remove the wording. I then used Craft Artist to compose the flowers & sentiment I taped under the “hole”. Then taping it all to top of the card base.

I could have opted to layer my items on top of the red circle of the piece of junk mail to cover the wording also. Another option would have been to cut through the circle and the card base (front) and put the sentiment inside the card, making a window card.  So many options! That’s part of the fun of card making… letting your inspiration move you!

Make sure to visit the Card a Day Blog tomorrow when Christine Patton will have another inspiration for you!
Don’t forget to enter our Challenge at the Card a Day Blog too!
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Thanks!

Welcome! Today I'm posting a card for the Card a Day Blog! The theme this week there is Thanks!
I used a basic card from Serif's Craft Artist, and made it with a twist... So it is part digital, and part recycling :-)
Here is what the original digital card looked like:

I took the basic idea, and made a digital copy of the “Thanks!!” wording, placed on top of another splash graphic. Made a coordinating ribbon, and another “Thanks!!” wording. That’s the one thing I like about working digitally – you can make everything work together, color and scale wise.
I carefully cut out my “embellishments”

I then took a blank card, and taped a piece of green cardstock on it. The card front size is 6 3/4 inches by 4 1/2 inches, landscape orientation.
On top of that, I taped a piece of Hallmark wrapping paper I saved from a present (it was just too pretty to toss!). It has flowers and silvery leaves over a white background. The size is just smaller than the cardstock, so it appears framed.
Then I attached my paper ribbon, and the splash wording.
I carefully cut out just the words from the separately printed wording, sprayed glue on it and then transparent glitter. Attaching it on top of the splash graphic with dimensional adhesive tape. If you don’t like this effect, you could always spray with clear gloss spray to give it a different texture or sheen that would make it stand out more.
I think my recycled “pattern” and “paper” looks much better than just a digitally printed card, don’t you think too?


Thanks for visiting my blog… make sure to check out the Card a Day blog for more inspiration!
Don’t forget to enter the cards you make in our challenge too! There are some neat prizes, and you won’t win if you don’t enter!
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Confessions of a Craft-a-holic

I am so glad that recycling has become vogue, because in my sorting out my craft room, I’ve discovered way too many special “I can reuse that” items I have – errrr – hoarded away.

I’ve also discovered things that I bought for card making, that I really don’t like. Its either because I’m not using them correctly, or that I had a preconceived idea of how they should work. Case in point… the current “mists” I’m using. They come out not as fine a mist as I think they should, and they do not dry as quickly either.  I definitely am going back to an alcohol based product, or will learn how to make my own. Before I do that though, I’m going to try to use up all the things I don’t like first… Perhaps I’ll learn to like them LOL

Now I’m in a panic, because I know I have more cards I’ve saved to recycle bits from… so this is the time I will be working hard to organize it before gardening season starts! So, my main confession is to really warn you about some impromptu posts coming up on how to recycle old Christmas cards into new ones! I’ll try to limit my posts to three examples, and show you how I’ve managed to reduce my “treasures” and put them into good use again!

Now that you’ve been warned… Come back tomorrow for the first installment of Card Recycling-101!

Simple Love–January 8th Card a Day Blog

 

I wanted to make something to demonstrate you don’t need a lot to make a neat looking card.

I used watercolor paper, spritzed with  Perfect Pearls Mists (forever red & perfect pearl).

I sketched the wording on with a fine tipped red felt pen, and traced the small words with a glitter gel pen and the Love with dimensional paint.

The hearts are from a “puffy heart” package I bought.

Its hard to see the shimmer from the home-made background, but it does look good!

My design was kinda the “X” marks the spot, with the intent of your eye being drawn back to the love by the positioning of the puffy hearts. You have to be careful doing this, as one too many hearts could mess with a good thing  

Make sure to come back tomorrow to see what Vicki has in store for a Valentine's Day card too!

What Valentine's card(s) have you made? Make sure to enter the Card a Day Blog Challenge by clicking the link below!

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Now, as promised, here is my other idea for a card that could simply be made with two different types of paper, glue, tape, and floral wire!

I originally made this “card” as part of a multi-birthday card bouquet for a work party. But what Valentine’s Day is not nicer for having a flower or two?

The blue flower petals are cut from fun foam (you could use your color choice of cardstock), and is one piece (from a hexagon folded envelope card pattern).  I got the pattern here. The “card” part of the flower, with the pattern, is cut with the same pattern, leaving the inside for whatever sentiment or love note you would want to share with your sweetheart!  I taped the flower onto a piece of floral wire, but even by itself, it would be a neat thing to place at a table setting, by a coffee cup or with lunch!

Christmas Trees and Ornaments ~ December 19th

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas photos and word art the designers at Card a Day Blog are sharing this Christmas Break! Here is a bit more about my entry, slated to be on the CADB December 21st.

But today, the countdown is on! Six sleeps until Christmas! I have not got everything done, but am content with getting done what I can and trusting all will work out in the end. 

This year I had the opportunity to work on our staff’s Christmas tree.  I made all the ornaments on my Silhouette (excluding the garland and tree topper w. bow).  Here is what it looked like!

Hopefully you can see the Christmas train that I printed and cut, then stapled to the silver garland… in the distance, it looks really cool, like a frosty tree in the early morning. The images were from a Lettering Delights graphics file I purchased, but altered by putting each staff member’s name on one of the Santa cars. I would send a link to it, but can’t locate it, so think it must be retired…. here is a snip of what it looked like:

I do like Lettering Delights website and cut it sets, but have not figured out how to properly do a print and cut with my Silhouette and Make The Cut software… perhaps in the New Year!

I also cut out approximately 25 different sized snowflakes to complete the tree’s decorations.

We couldn’t keep the tree lit, as we did not have LED light bulbs on the tree, and the ornaments were paper… but even unlit, the tree was special to look at.

That’s it until after Christmas!

My wish is that everyone has a great time during this hectic season, and that the reason for it is not lost in at least one “Silent Night”.

Love, Peace, Joy and Happiness to you and yours!

Shelley

Simply Celebrate

Thanks for visiting for the Card a Day Blog!

Last week I was so busy, I felt I was running around with my head cut off. Kind of scary when you consider that it isn’t even December (ok… I’m out by a day LOL) It reminded me of how hectic the holiday season can be – and not necessarily how I want to enjoy it.  I wanted to make a card that would remind me that sometimes simple is best.

The cardstock I used for the card is a soft grey, almost silvery color, that I embossed with the Cuttlebug “Script” embossing folder.

I had some softly glittering cardstock, that I made an impression “sentiment” for the card front. The “Merry Christmas” from the Sizzix embossing folder “Christmas Set”.

I cut out an offset solid green piece to frame the sentiment, and anchored it to the card front with a strip of green reverse embossed with the Cuttlebug embossing borders.

I decorated below the sentiment with a few sprays of foliage I punched out with holly leaves and pine boughs. You can see that I highlighted the center leaves with felt pens and glitter pens, adding “berries” with a dimensional pen. And here is my tip! If you are short of a colored cardstock that you just need a bit of for punching out leaves and such for cards etc…. recycle those paint chips you may have picked up for choosing paint at the store! It’s a great way to get a lot of different colored greens for foliage or flowered punches!

Remember to visit the Card a Day Blog  tomorrow to see more inspiration from Patricia Logan, and a new theme - Christmas and Children!

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Nativity Ornament

As promised in my previous post, here is what I’ve made with parts of the embellishment I used on my most recent post at the Card a Day Blog! (The picture below is on a dark background to show off the ornament… it is not attached to it) Check out the blog candy at the end of this post!

Here are what the screens looked like on my Silhouette Studio before I cut, or printed and cut them out, notice the nativity centers are reversed – you’ll see why later:

The assembled elements:

I sprayed the doily with pearl spray… the next time I will make sure to use a gold spray to really highlight the doily (see my fix below)

Next, I cut out a small piece of mylar gift wrap for the sky.  I used my Xyron machine to make a sticker out of one of the nativity inside pieces.

Then I attached the nativity piece, and centered the mylar film on the other side of the doily.

I used a stick glue to adhere the other nativity piece on top and overlapping the mylar. I was careful to line the both sides of the nativity scene up, by holding the doily up the the light as I placed the last nativity piece onto the card.

I used my latest toy (a Tim Holtz alcohol ink applicator) to gently tint the outside edge of the doily green. It was great as it didn’t detract from the previously applied pearl spray.

My husband asked me what I’m going to do with it…. Well, the verdict is out still, but I think it may end up going into a Christmas letter as a bonus to someone (shhhhh! Its going to be a surprise!)

Now for the good stuff…. My second blog candy! Only good until December 24th, 2011

If you would like the inside nativity piece in a studio format or jpg that you can use with your own cutter (or scissors), simply leave a comment below!