Faux Cross Stitched Sentiment Easter Card

I created a card to take part on the Paper Smooches' March Sketch Challenge, and creating an Easter card as preference.

I am using products from Paper Smooches, Cross Stitch, Easter Egg, and Denim and Daisies dies. I used a watercolor paper for the Cross Stitch die. Because I used a heavy weight paper, even without an embossing mat, I only created an impression, although a few of the holes did get cut. This was the look I was going for since I am not planning to do any stitching in this project.

I die cut the Easter Egg using this cross stitched embossed panel. I inked this egg die cut with Tim Holtz Distress Oxides in Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marmalade and Fossilized Amber. I blended the colors then spritz the egg with water, drying the water with a paper towel.  For the sentiment, I practiced first on a grid paper so I would know the spacing of the letters. There is a free downloadable grid paper file at Paper Smooches.com. The PS Alphadot stamp set is my inspiration font in creating the faux stitched letters. I used a glue pen to create the sentiment. I poured gold embossing folder on the glue then heat embossed it.

I die cut the flowers using more watercolor paper. I inked some of the colors with more TH Distress Oxides in Cracked Pistachio, Broken China and Wilted Violet. I curled the petals of the flower by spritzing the back side of the flower. I did it on the back side so I would not activate the oxide ink. I curled the petals for some dimension. For the flower centers, I stacked two circles. I inked the top with the TH Distress Oxide. I poured clear embossing powder then heat set it, repeating the process a couple of times for a raised glossy embellishment.

I embossed a 5 1/2"x4 1/4" cream cardstock using a chevron embossing folder. I was able to emboss a only part of the panel since the embossing folder has a vertical orientation and my panel is horizontal. I carefully lined up the embossed panel to the embossing folder so I can emboss the rest of the panel and keep the design continuous.

The sketch includes a strip. To re-create that in my card lay-out, instead of having a separate strip, I trimmed a portion of the embossed panel where the uncolored flowers were adhered. I die cut the x strip from the Cross Stitch die set using a light brown patterned paper. I used the negative cut to adhere these small die cuts to keep the alignment and spacing. For the border strip on the sketch, I used a diagonal striped washi tape but created a criss-cross design by adhering the adhesive sides of the washi tape on top of each other. The translucent washi tape allowed the diagonal design of the washi tape to be seen from either side creating the criss-cross design.

I used a Neenah Desert Storm for the card base. I adhered the washi strip, embossed panel and white flowers to the note card. I adhered the egg with a foam adhesive. I adhered the flowers using TH Collage Medium. I squirted a small blob of this glue to the back of the petals to keep the petals raised.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you found some inspiration for your next creation. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

 

March 2018 Challenge ~ Sketch

Thankful Thursday Challenge #225 ~ Flowers

#208 ~ Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs

Digital Image Shaker Card & Foiled Digital Sentiment

It is time for a new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Blog. For the next two weeks, the challenge is on No More Than 3 Colours (Excluding Black and White). I hope you join us in this challenge. Don’t forget to specify the three colors you used on your submitted creation.

This unicorn image and matching sentiment is from Bugaboo. It is very challenging to color a unicorn with only three colors. Thanks to Google, I was able to come up with an idea on how to color this unicorn. My colors are blue, pink and orange. I used Tim Holtz Distress markers, an orange Wink of Stella and a blue Spectrum Noir Shimmer marker to color the unicorn. I used three colors but in varying hues so I hope it still counts.

I printed the images using a toner inked printer. I used the Minc machine to foil the sentiment. The teal foil is from Deco Foil. I sprayed this sentiment panel with a pink Prima Color Bloom spray.

To create the lay-out, I wanted to create a stitched window for the shaker window. The Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle die doesn’t have the right size of rectangle that I need to create the window. So I partially die cut the second to the largest stitched rectangle die. I think that among all the dies I own, this SSS Stitched Rectangle die is my most used die. Partial die cutting extends the use of this die so I am not limited to just what the exact size of this die is. I also used this die to emboss the stitched on the foiled sentiment panel. I used the scrap of cardstock from the window cut to mat the foiled sentiment panel. I have to die cut one of the edges off to have the same size of border around the foiled sentiment panel. Since this is the same cardstock as the window cardstock panel, I colored the edges with the blue Spectrum Noir Shimmer marker. I wiped it off with a rag since the cardstock is shimmery, I expect a long drying time for the ink or it might not dry at all. Wiping the ink off actually muted the blue color which I actually like.

To create the shaker, I adhered an acetate to the back of the window panel. I applied dimensional tape around the window and the back of this panel. I poured orange Studio Calico & Martha Stewart sequins on the unicorn panel, then adhered the foam window panel to it, centering the unicorn on the acetate window. I don’t know about you but for me this is the cleanest way of doing shakers. Before, I would pour the shaker elements to the acetate, then adhere the panel to this. Most of the time, I end up with a mess. Either I adhered it wrong or the sequins get stuck to the sticky part of the foam adhesive.

Moving along, I adhered this to a top folding A2 sized horizontal note card. I then adhered the foil sentiment to the right of the window. And, this finishes of my card. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

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Challenge 196~Anything Goes/Optional Theme Easter Time

Challenge 64~Anything Goes

Cricut Milk Carton Gift Box

I created this box for a friend's son who celebrated his birthday. My 6 year old chose a Sour Patch candy-filled Easter Egg for a gift. I am using the Cricut Close To My Heart Artiste cartridge. I bought this used and linked. Good thing, I am still holding on to my Cricut Imagine. I cut this on one-sided patterned paper, maximizing the size of the cut so the egg can fit. If I am going to re-create this project, I would use a double-sided paper. There is a fold on the tab portion of the milk carton that shows the inside of the milk carton. With me, using a one-sided patterned paper, that tab was plain white. I adhered a washi tape to this area to cover this white trim.

Folding the milk carton was a challenge. If you are going to use the same Cricut cartridge, make sure to read the instruction manual included to know where to fold and where to apply the adhesive. Using the Cricut Imagine to cut this file, it created slits as marks for where to score and fold. If this was done on Cricut Explore, there is a way to get rid of this marks and change it to score lines. But since my cartridge cannot be used on Cricut Explore, I scored the marks using a bone folder and the Martha Stewart scoring board. I just made sure the slits are aligned with the groove of the score board before scoring.

I created a nest base for the egg by cutting a scrap patterned paper to the size of the box base adding about a half inch to each side, which I also scored. I made a vertical cut to both sides, up to the score mark. I folded this inward. Before adhering these tabs, I die cut a circle at the center large enough to cradle the egg. I adhered the tabs and placed this inside the milk box, then placed the Easter Egg on the open circle. I apologize for I wasn't able to take a photo of this base. The carton was all set up to be given before I took a photo of it.

To further embellish the milk box, I created a belly wrap using a blue cardstock. I heat embossed the sentiment using a Technique Tuesday stamp. The embossing powders I used are Ranger and Wow! I also die cut the edges of the belly band using a Mama Elephant edge die.

I punched a hole on the top to thread the yarn with the gift tag on it. I tripled the yarn before creating the bow.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed & brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

Pop-Up Cricut Slider Card

I created this card for my 6 year old’s classmate who will have a magician themed birthday party. I browsed through the Cricut images in Cricut Design Space. Both my images are from the Cricut Create A Critter cartridge. The hat is a part of a caterpillar image. To remove the caterpillar, I ungrouped the set image and hid the caterpillar by clicking the eye. A diagonal line on the eye means that that cut is hidden and would not be cut. I apologize for I cannot give you the measurements of how these images were cut. I cut it several times until I came up with the right finished piece.

I spritzed the hat with pearlized water. I set this aside to dry. I stamped the hat trim with a sentiment from Li’l Inker Designs Modern Mandala stamp set. I heat embossed the sentiment using Wow! Silver Pearl embossing powder. To personalized the card, I die cut the celebrant’s name using Lawn Fawn Cole’s Alphabet die. I die cut this on silver glittered cardstock and die cut it 3 more times using white cardstock. I adhered the letters on top of each other to create a chipboard-like embellishment.

The bunny is a triple layered cut. I adhered the layers on top of each other. The rabbit whiskers are very thin, and didn’t come layered. I am amazed that the Cricut Explore was able to cut it. To make the whiskers sturdy, I applied some Tim Holtz Distress Matte Collage Medium on its back, and allowed it to dry.

To create the slider mechanism, I die cut a white cardstock using Lawn Fawn Stitched Square die. I partially die cut the Lawn Fawn Slide On Over die. If your slider opening is longer than you need, just adhere a cardstock across the area where you want the sliding element to stop. I adhered a small fun foam to the back of the bunny die cut through the slider window. Once this has dried, I adhered a strip of cardstock to this fun foam, sandwiching the slider cardstock in between the bunny die cut and this pull tab. To guide the pull tab, I added adhesive foam to each side of the pull tab. I added adhesive foam to the edges of this panel as well. I adhered this to a 4 ¼” x 4 ¼” side folding white note card.

I adhered the hat in front of the bunny using adhesive foam making sure it is not on the way of the sliding mechanism. Then I adhered the hat trim and the letters. I adhered star sequins for additional embellishment.

It would have been nice if all the bunny is hidden but with the bunny ears showing, it adds a playful element to the card. I wrote pull on the top of the tab to give the recipient an idea that this is an interactive card.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed & brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

LTCCB #20 ~ March Anything Goes

No Line Coloring Using Color Pencils

It is a new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Blog.  We are giving tribute to the color of the year, Ultraviolet. 

My creation today is inspired by Yana Smakula’s post on No Line Petunias Pencil Coloring.  I gave the technique a try.  One of our sponsors for our challenge is Mari Ko.  I printed the image on gray cardstock, scaling it to cover a 5 ½” x 4 ¼” notecard.  I colored the image with Prismacolor color pencils. I created a negative mask for the shaped label which comes with the image. I blended Tim Holtz Distress ink in Dusty Concord. For the background, I temporarily adhered an Echo Park stencil over the printed/colored panel. Using a ClarityStamp stencil brush, and the same distress ink color, I brushed the ink over the stencil creating a subtle colored background. I die cut the sentiment using Avery Elle You die on a black cardstock. I created a sentiment strip by heat embossing a Hero Arts stamp on black cardstock strip using white embossing powder. I die cut a white fun foam using the You die, and adhered it to the back of the black die cut. I also adhered strips of fun foam to the back of the sentiment strip.

I really like stitched dies. I die cut the colored panel using the largest Simon Says Stitched Rectangle die. But even if it is the largest die, the positive die cut is smaller than an A2 sized panel. Good thing, I was able to center the rectangle die over the colored panel, so I ended having an equally cut stitched border. I blended ink to this border carefully.

I adhered the positive die cut to a top folding white note card, using the border as a guide. Here is where my mistake comes, I adhered foam strips to the back of the border die cut. Lining it to the the positive die cut was a struggle because of the flimsy nature of the foam. I tried my best to line it up but I think I could have done a better job. The next time I do this type of card, either I should layer die cut cardstocks for the raised border effect, or I can layer several positive die cuts then use it as a guide to adhere the border.

Adding more accents, I applied clear Spectrum Noir shimmer pen to the You die cut. I also adhered sequin butterflies to the panel. I fold the butterflies first to give it a 3D look. I applied glue to the folded end using Tim Holtz Distress Matte Collage Medium. Once the glue dried, I applied a dot of Nuvo Glitter Drops Purple Rain to cover the hole of the sequin. 

I hope you join us in this challenge at Incy Wincy Designs. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed and brilliant day!

Maria Giselle B.

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Mari Ko Creations Challenge Blog Challenge #6~Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Blog

Challenge #198~Anything Goes + A Sentiment