Ponyo Platform Pop-up Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I got a request to create a card featuring Studio Ghibli specifically Ponyo. Challenge accepted. It was indeed a challenge because I had a hard time searching a donwloadable Ponyo image online. Luckily, this image that I found can be uploaded to my Cricut for printing and cutting. Not the best Cricut cut. I could have fussy cut the image but I wanted to cut extra pieces for layering.

The platform was cut using the Lawn Fawn Platform Pop-up die set. I trimmed off the scallop edge and also trimmed it some more to make the edge leveled.

The trickiest part of this project is creating the focal point, the globe portion. I want to make Ponyo float, like she is swimming, inside a flat shaker card. To achieve this, I did the following:

• Remember that aside from doing a print and cut Ponyo, I also cut three extra pieces? I stacked the two on top of each and adhered the printed Ponyo on top for some dimension. I adhered a thread to the back with a double adhesive tape, then covered this with the other cut piece. I add liquid glue over the double adhesive tape to give me a bit of wiggle time to align the die cuts. It also makes the cling stronger. I did this trick on all of the gluing on this project.
• I went through three clear plastic pockets to create the flat shaker. I got inspired by @maaike_bk who creates flawless clear shakers using the We R Memory Keepers Fuse Tool. I wanted to make a shaker card without a frame. I used a clear sheet protector. I followed maiike_bk's suggestion of warming up the Fuse for 10 minutes. My first try was almost a success except that the thread broke. The circle was already sealed shut so Ponyo has a string underneath him that just slides back and forth. On my second try, I think the Fuse tool was too hot because it was melting the clear protector instead of sealing it. On my third try, I used a scrapbooking page protector which is thicker than the first clear sheet protector that I used. This showed better results.
• Even if the scrapbook page protector is thicker, it is not stiff to stay upright. I die cut a circle on a Spellbinder Glimmer Specialty Clear Film Sheet. To add detail to this clear film, I embossed this with a tide embossing folder. To prevent the thread from breaking, I added a dot of Ranger Glossy Accents to the top and bottom portion of this circle die cut. I adhered the thread to these dots loosely to allow Ponyo to slide inside the shaker. I placed Ponyo on the flat side of the embossed clear film.
• I inserted the circle die cut inside the page protector. I used the circle die as a guide for the Fuse tool. Before sealing the plastic shut, I poured sequins to the back of the circle die cut. I placed it on the back so it does not interfere with slide Ponyo's mechanism. 

The back element of the platform is made up of circles which was die cut on the same clear film and a marbled patterned paper. I adhered the circles together using a sticker maker machine.

I cut the word Ponyo using the Cricut on white glittered paper. I adhered it to the same marbled designer paper and fussy cut the top and sides with a small margin around it.

I hope you like today's project. Thank you, @happytalaa, for the request. It got my creative juices flowing. 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Paper Rose Mistletoe Market 12 Tags of Christmas

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I am honored to be invited again by Paper Rose Studio to be a guest designer on their blog this month of August. I used products from the Mistletoe Market collection:

• 6x6 Paper Collection
• 6x8 Embossed Die Cuts

What a good timing to create these tags with Christmas fast approaching.

I also used other Paper Rose Studio products on some of the tags. I added a link to these products in case you are interested on it. 

Some of the tags have identical designs with a bit of variation.

Layered Tag

Large Tag

Distressed Mesh 6x6" Stencil-I used this on the background for a pop of green color.

Shaped Tag

Merry & Bright 6x6" Stencil-I applied glittered embossing paste on the patterned paper.

Merry Christmas Block Words Small Metal Cutting Die-I die cut the sentiment on red mirror cardstock and white cardstock. I offset the white die cut on the back of the mirror die cut for a shadow effect.

Simple Tag using the Cut Apart

Rosette Gift Embellishment

Shadow Box Gift Embellishment

Mini Door Shaker Tag

Mini Tags

Floating Embellishment Tag

Texture 1 Metal Die-I used this to emboss on the acetate.

I hope you like today's tags. Some of the tags can stand alone or layered with each other. These tags can also be used to decorate a card front or a scrapbook layout. It can also be used as an ornament to hang on the tree.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Thank you to Paper Rose Studio for allowing me to create with this new collection. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

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How I Organize My Blank Page Muse Stamps

 

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with a blog post far from my usual posts. For today's post, I am sharing how I organize my BPM rubber stamps. I have accumulated a good amount of BPM stamps eversince I joined the DT on 2023. Since then, I was keeping my stamps inside the brown packaging it came in on the mail. Time for some major organizing so I don't keep looking inside those brown bags looking for a certain stamp. I am very lucky to have found Stampin Up clear case containers at my local craft store, in the resell area. These containers played a major part in my BPM stamp organization.

My stamp organization is still a work in progress for it does require time, time taken away from crafting and other things. This involves some cutting and stamping so in a way I am kind of crafting. 

Please check out the BPM blog for more details. 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

Happy World Cross Stitch Day!

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today is World Cross Stitch Day. I am so excited to share my latest finished cross stitching on paper. Such great timing! This took me almost a month to complete and it is not even the whole pattern! I did spotlight cross stitching. The name of the pattern is Blooming Beauty from the CrossStitcher Magazine, Issue 424, July 2025 edition. 

I used the Altenew Cross Stitch Canvas die to add the cross stitching holes on the paper. The paper I used is Concord & 9th Powder Blue 80 lb cardstock. I used DMC embroidery floss. I don't have all the suggested colors so I used a tool on thread-bare.com for color substitutions.

I really enjoy cross stitching. It relaxes me and gives me time to think things over. 

Again, Happy World Cross Stitch Day! This is another day that I will look forward to celebrating every year.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Color Inspired Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I had the opportunity last night to attend a virtual Altenew crafting class by Traci Starkweather. I rarely attend these classes because of scheduling conflicts. Mosf of the classes happen on a Saturday when I am asleep from and going back to a night shift. 

The class is called "All About You." We are asked to think of a person to whom we would like to create the card for. I created a card with Alex Eala in mind, especially her green tennis outfit that she wore on her first ever WTA singles trophy on August 3 at DC. I call it the 'Milo' green because of how its shade of green reminds me of the Milo drink.

The stamp I used is from the Altenew Striped Florals stamp set. I repeatedly stamped the flower on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock. I rotated the stamp after each stamping to create variation. I used VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad in stamping. I colored the flowers using green Copic markers. I also colored the background with Copic markers. I was going for a cream background but it looked more like a yellowish cream which is was not too bad. After all, Alex wore a yellow dress on her formal pictorials after she won.

The great thing about attending live crafting classes is the interaction between the crafters. You can also ask questions and get immediate feedback not only from instructor but also from the other attendees. Although I am not a talker myself, Traci made it a point to include me in the conversation by asking me questions and how I am progressing with my project.

Since I shared to the class the reason behind my color choice, Traci suggested to use love for the sentiment. Although, love has a negative connotation in tennis since it means a score of zero, a lot of Filipinos, including myself, is supporting Alex. To make it more playful, I used the letter u instead of the word you to complete the sentiment. 

I die cut the sentiments twice on a green cardstock and once on a green mirror cardstock. The sentiment dies I used are from the Altenew Timeless Sentiments 2 die set. I did some die cut surgery to create the u from the word you. I stacked the sentiment die cuts with the mirror die cut on the top for some dimension. 

I feel something was lacking with my colored panel. I tried stamping bubbles and dots using white pigment ink (you might notice this on the top portion of the panel) but I did not like how it looked. I added white dots to the flowers but something is still missing. Someone suggested to splatter ink which I bravely did using a green Coliro Mica paint. That was very helpful. I wish I remembered her name so I can give her a shout out.

I trimmed my panel to make it into a 4" x 5 1/4" panel. I trimmed a green cardstock at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  Using a nesting rectangular die, I die cut this green panel into a frame then adhered it to the back of the colored panel. This allows me to save some cardstock and it also lessens the bulk of the finished card. Nobody will know that underneath the colored panel is a hollow space. 

I adhered the sentiment die cuts to an open space on the colored panel. 

I hope you like today's card. I had fun attending Traci's crafting class.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Block Stamping Art Journal Page

Hello! I am on the Blank Page Muse Blog with another art journal page. the Blank Page Muse products that I used are:

• Petals & Flowers Art Rubber Stamp Sheet
  
• Special Day Clear Sentiments Flower Stamp Set
  

Please visit my post on the Blank Page Muse Blog for details on how I created this page. I also included steps on how to do partial stamping on the blog post. Partial stamping is a technique in which you mask and ink only a part of the sentiment stamp. I used this technique so I can make the one line sentiment stamp into a two lined sentiment. You can always cut the stamp if you want to but if you don't, partial stamping technique is the way to go.

I hope you like today's page. Have a blesed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

BPM is generously offering a 15% discount to their online store to YOU, my blog readers. Just use the code BPMMaria when you check out. Enjoy!

I shared this project at

Anything Florals Goes #43

Crocheted Wreath Ornament Christmas Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is the first of the month. Time for a new challenge @ Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge on FB. Joining is very easy. Create a new project following this month's sketch. It can either be a single scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout or a card. Choose one or choose all! 

This was not the original card I planned to create for this month's sketch. I overdid my craft supplies shopping this month. Why not use it right away rather than stashing it somewhere in my craft room and end up forgetting it? Don't you hate that?

I created a wreath for the circular frame of the sketch. I stepped it up by crocheting on a circular frame which I cut out of cardstock and stacked it to make it sturdy. 

I die cut a lot of poinsettias on pearl white cardstock using a die from the Alex Syberia Mini Ornaments Die Set. I die cut the leaves on gold pearl cardstock. I used a shaping stylus to give the poinsettias and the leaves some depth.

I adhered the poinsettia layers then adhered this to the crocheted wreath using Ranger Glossy Accents. I tucked the leaves under the poinsettias. 

For the card panel, the focal point and the sentiment are from a cut apart sheet by Crate Paper Mittens & Mistletoe 6x8 paper pad. 

On a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" scrap cardstock, I adhered a plaid washi tape from Paper Source. I applied glue to the cardstock before adhering the washi tape. I covered the whole panel with the washi tape.

I trimmed a gold mirror washi tape into skinny strips and adhered this to the plaid panel to take the place of the matte on the sketch. I ran a stitched border die over these strips for added interest. The die I used is from Lawn Fawn.

Here comes the tricky part, trying to figure out how to temporarily attach the wreath to the card front panel. I positioned the wreath over the plaid panel to give me an idea on where to adhere the floral focal point. I wanted the flowers of the cut apart to show through the wreath. Afterwhich, I adhered the floral cut apart. I made this into a hanging picture frame. I created the rope hanger with the use of two nesting diamond dies. I die cut a brown shimmer cardstock on the long corner of the diamonds. I adhered this on the top of the floral focal point.

I poked a hole on the tip of the photo frame hanger and threaded a brad through it. This is where I will temporarily attach the wreath.

To hide the string of the wreath, I used a jewelry wire to tie the string to the back. I also created a small circular hook to attach the wreath to the brad. 

I added the sentiment to the card panel adhering it underneath the wreath instead of on the wreath like the sentiment on the sketch.

I added red gems to the top left corner of the panel replicating it from the sketch.

It might be a challenge to give this card away. Mailing it will require extra postage since it would not be considered as a letter. Hand delivery will be the best option. I am planning to write instructions on the back of the front cover about the wreath ornament and how to remove the jewelry wires without ruining it. I can also just tape the string to the back of the card cover to make it simple.

I hope I inspired you with today's card and that you join in this month's challenge. We look forward to seeing your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says: Anything Goes

August 2026 Challenge~Frame Challenge