Thursday, December 24, 2015

Watercolor Wash Happy Birthday Card


It's my Amang's birthday. This is how I call my father in the Philippines. I was trying to create a card with four boy images to signify each of his grandson. There are only 2 boy stamps in the Mama Elephant In My Heart Stamp. I tried mirror stamping but cannot seem to get it to work, even if I tried penning over the missed spots. So I just gave up the idea and used whatever image I have.

I stamped the boy first. I stamped the Mama Elephant Inline Letters to create a customized sentiment. Then I cut out several Post-It papers to create a mask for the balloon and the ground, making sure I kept all the pieces since the background will all be watercolor washed.

I masked the boy with a Fineline Masking Fluid and allowed this to dry. For the balloon, I used a Hero Arts Tide Pool Ink Dauber. I applied a dot of the die to an acrylic block and picked it up with a wet paint brush. For the sky, I used a Vanilla Ink Dauber. For the ground, I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo. I removed the mask with my finger, then colored it with Copics. I created a bow using a silver thread. I also used this thread as the balloon string. To accent the sentiment, I used a marker to write on the spaces within the letter just to bring out letters more. I felt the washed background didn't pop out the sentiment as much as I want to.

I also embellished the inside of the card using the other boy image and also stamped a sentiment from the same stamp set.


So, Happy __th Birthday, Amang! Hope you love your card.

Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Reindeer Spinner Christmas Card



My son asked me to create Christmas cards he can give to his friends.  In my thought, creating an interactive card with a reindeer on it will not only suit the ages of his friends, but may also remind them of my son since his name is a short version of the red nose reindeer.


To create the card, I stamped the reindeer images onto a 60 lb. Neenah white card stock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I colored the reindeers using Copic markers. This is the part you may call me crazy but I fuzzy cut the reindeers. Yes, I did! I haven't bought the matching die for the Mama Elephant Reindeer Games stamp set because it is not available at my local craft store and most of the time, I like to try the stamp set first before investing on its matching die. 


I colored the antlers with Clear Wink of Stella. I used a green Copic Spica for the collar. I used Stickles for the nose. And, I used Glossy Accents for the medallion. 

For the card base, I wanted to create a 4-Bar trifold card. I trimmed a white card stock at 4 7/8". Then cut the short end at 10 1/5". I scored this at 3 1/2", then rotated the paper to score the other end at 3 1/2" too. I folded the card at the score lines. After determining which will be the front of the card, I trimmed a small part of the other edge to allow it fold underneath the front panel. 

I die cut a stitched circle on the front. I embossed the front panel of the card using a We R Memory Keepers Next Level embossing folder. For the panel that will lay under the front panel, I created a night sky background. I masked the back portion of the trifold card. I also applied at thin strip of masking tape around the edges of this panel to create a white border around the inked area. I blended 4 Tim Holtz Distress inks (Broken China, Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans, and Black Soot.) 


After the inked background has dried, I powdered the bottom area of the panel where I will heat emboss the sentiment. I used a Hero Arts stamp for the sentiment (not photographed.)  I wanted the sentiment to be curved too in relation to the window circle. I laid the sentiment on a plastic sheet until I got the curve I want. Then, I picked the curved sentiment with an acrylic block. I stamped the sentiment using Versamark ink and poured Wow! Silver Pearl embossing powder to it. I added some droplets to this inked panel by tapping W Plus 9 Shimmer spray to the area. 

For the spinner, I taped a thin silver thread to the back of one of the reindeers. I applied Multi Matte Medium to this, then adhered the mirror image of the reindeer. I place an acrylic block to this and allowed it to dry. I cut a thin white card stock, smaller than a 4-Bar, about 3 3/8" x 4 6/8". This will cover the threads at the back of the front panel. I also die cut a circle onto this. I centered the reindeer on the circle, and taped the ends of the thread on the top and bottom of the back panel. I cut the excess thread, then covered this with the thin white card stock.


Thanks for viewing my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Supplies used:
Stamp; Mama Elephant Reindeer Games, Hero Arts Holiday Sayings
Die: Simon Stamp Says Stitched Circle

I am submitting this creation to:







Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Christmas Gift Card Holder Shaker Tags



I created these tags for my work's Holiday project this year. I was not able to participate in Jennifer McGuire's Kind campaign last month. So this is my late way of showing my support to her campaign.

I cut the base tag cards using my Cricut Imagine and Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, using the tag cut in page 50, which is the tag base, and its layer, which is the front panel. I cut both at 4.4". I used an old Martha Stewart Christmas patterned paper for the base tag, and some cardstock for the tag layer. The base tag was cut with tick marks where to fold the base tag.

I cut an acetate about the same size as the front panel using a trimmer. I stamped the message onto the acetate using white Stazon ink. The sentiment is from a Paper Smooches stamp set.


I punched a slot on a side of the base tag using a puncher. This is where the gift card will be inserted. I stamped a sentiment below the slot using a Mama Elephant stamp. I embossed this in either white or clear powder.


To embellish the front of the base tag, I stamped another sentiment from Hero Arts stamp sets. I just got the Misti Tool and it was very helpful in positioning the sentiment onto the tag base. The sentiment was embossed in gold or red powder.

I scored the tick marks and folded the tag base. I applied adhesive to the outer sides of the inside of the base tag making sure not to put any adhesive below the slot where the gift card will be inserted. I applied a slim double adhesive tape at the back of the tag layer and adhered the acetate to this. I applied another layer of slim double adhesive tape to this. I die cut different shaped and sized confetti. I used a Mama Elephant Confetti die for this. I poured a good portion over the front of the base tag, then adhered the acetate layer on top of this.

My Cricut does not make perfect cuts, even the layers are not exactly same in size. I trimmed off any excess base tag showing at the sides of the layer. The circle of the tag is also not a perfectly cut circle so I die cut hole reinforcers using a Paper Smooches die to cover this and as an added accent.  I threaded a ribbon, a twine and a thread through the hole and made a not.



    


 




Thanks for visiting my blog.

Maria Giselle B.

Supplies used:
Cartridge: Cricut Art Philosophy
Stamp: Hero Arts Christmas Crytals, Hero Arts Holiday Sayings, Mama Elephant Confetti, Paper Smooches Merry Motifs
Die: Mama Elephant Confetti, Paper Smooches Toppers

I am submitting this creation to: