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.

I shared this card at

Challenge #103~Anything Goes #62

Graduation Cards with Gift Card Pocket Ideas

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I was tasked with a major project of creating 13 graduation cards. Aside from the graduation theme, the request was for the graduation cards to have a pocket for a gift card. If you follow my blog, you already have a preview of two of the graduation cards. I added these two cards on this post.

The card on the right is a pocket card with a belly band for accent. I am so happy to be able to add some stitching to this card since my fingers have been itching to stitch. The one on the right is a gift card box. I used the We R Memory Keepers Shadow Box Punch Board to create this. The features of these cards can be more appreciated on the short videos below.

Belly Band Grad Card with Stitching

Shadow Box Grad Card

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These graduation cap cards are fun to create. I designed the graduation caps how the caps are jazzed up these days. The tassel is made of rolled up, fringed crepe paper. The card on the left stands up for display as shown on the photo below.

The features of these cards are better shown in the short videos below. 

Stand up Grad Cap Card

Folded Grad Cap Card

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The card on the left features a wobbly Cricut cut graduation cap. The one on the right is an oversized tag to which I added a gift card pocket. I also added two elements that I love, stitching and rosette.  Below are videos showcasing these two cards.

Wobbly Grad Cap Card

Oversized Grad Pocket Tag 

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I created a slimcard sized graduation card with the gift card pocket on the front which can be seen through the front panel year window. 

See Through Gift Card Pocket Grad Card

So as not to waste the number drop outs of the previous two cards, I used these numbers to create the above cards. The gift card pocket was a simple pocket which I forgot to take a photo of.

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Let's not forget the first two cards of this graduation collection which I created for Stick It Down. This a two-for-one card. The card on the left is a shaker card and the card on the right has 3D stars. Details of this card can be seen on this post: 2-for-1 Graduation Cards.

And for the star of these graduation cards collection, the card made especially for the son of the person who commissioned me to do this graduation project. (Thank you for allowing me to share this card.)

I used the Karen Burniston Photo Collage Pop-Up Craft Dies. This die set may look intimidating at the start but after putting the elements together, it is actually fun. Opening and closing the card is like ASMR. I added a bit of twist on this pop-up card by substituting some of the pop-ups with letter/number dies. I personalized the card to the graduate's faves and his future college. 

This card does not have a gift card pocket. I added stitched rectangles for the sender to write a message on.

Below is a video showing the ASMR moment of the card. 

If you got this far on this post, thank you so much. I apologize for a very long post but I hope you enjoyed the short videos showcasing the grad cards I made.

Have a blessed, brilliant and created day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

Simon Says: Masculine

Challenge 6~Anything Goes

2-for-1 Graduation Cards

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is time for a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge on FB. It is very easy to join the challenge. There are three options to choose from. You can create a scrapbook layout, a double page scrapbook layout or a card. Choose one or choose all! 

I am commissioned by a college peer to create graduation cards that she will give away. Aside from the occasion, she specifically wants cards with gift card holder. I used this month's sketch to create two-for-one graduations cards since she ordered a dozen.

The first card I created was a shaker card. I trimmed a dotted Simple Stories patterned paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I die cut the stars on this panel using a star die from Altenew. I adhered an acetate on the back of the window patterned paper. I adhered strips of foam adhesives around the stars over the acetate. I wanted to contain the confetti in each star that's why I surrounded each star with foam tape. You don't need to do this. You can just surround all of the stars with foam tape to create one well.

The messy part of this project is putting the confetti in the shaker well. I treated the acetate and the sides of the foam with an anti-static powder tool to lessen the cling of the confetti. Somehow, the confetti has a mind of its own, adhering to places where it should not. 

I applied liquid glue to the foam before covering the well with patterned paper. The liquid glue allows some wiggle time in positioning the patterned paper over the shaker well. The down side of this is sometimes the confetti gets attracted to the liquid glue. 

I die cut star frames on a dark gray metallic paper. I used the star die I used to die cut the star windows and the next smaller sized star from the same Altenew die set. I pieced this on the acetate star window, adhering it with glue. 

I die cut the sentiment on gold glitter cardstock. The sentiment die is from Paper Smooches. I performed a bit of surgery on the die cut sentiment. Instead of using the original die cut of "congratulations", I trimmed the sentiment down to "congrats". The exclamation point is from a Hero Arts die set.

I created a gift card pocket using a We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag tool. I adhered this to the inside of the card and embellished it with a grad cap which I cut using the Cricut. I stamped the inside and the grad cap with sentiments from my stamp stash.

I was tempted to add some gold splatters on the front but I was afraid it is going to take the eye away from the shaker so I kept the background as is. 

For the second card, I used the negative cut stars from the first card. I scored the gray star die cuts from the points to the center to make it 3D. I added a foam square to the back on the center to keep it raised as I adhere this to the dotted patterned paper star die cut. For the points, I used Ranger Glossy Accents to adhere this to the dotted star and keep the score folds up.

For the background panel, I partially embossed a white pearl cardstock with an alphabet embossing folder. I adhered the stars to this panel.

For the sentiment, I stamped this on gold pearl cardstock with black pigment ink. I poured black glitter cardstock to the wet ink and heat embossed it. I die cut the sentiment into a strip using the coordinating die. The stamp and die are from Pinkfresh Studio.

I curled the sentiment banner. I added a foam adhesive on the center and curled the ends up adding a dot of glue close to the edge to keep it adhered to the panel. 

For the inside of the card, I adhered a scrap patterned paper to the bottom to act as gift card pocket. I stamped the sentiment with a dye ink. Dye inks are supposed to dry quickly. My stamped sentiment did not. I accidentally smeared a part of the sentiment. Uggh! I was tempted to pitch the note card. I even thought of restamping the sentiment on another paper then fussy cut it. Then I remembered my white gel pen. I wrote over the mess to cover it up. Now, the boo-boo is hardly noticeable.

I hope you like today's cards and that you join this month's challenge. We always love to see your projects.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared these cards at

Simon Says: Anything Goes

Challenge 5~Anything Goes

Heart Shaker Card & Stencil Pack Giveaway Winner

Hello! I am back at the BPM blog with this card. The BPM products I used are:

• Petals & Flowers Art Rubber Stamp Sheet Set
  
• I Was Thinking Of You Today Sentiment Words Rubber Stamp
  

I repeatedly stamped on a white cardstock panel to create a heart frame.

I used alternate colors of ink for some variation. 

I also did a watercolor resist technique to create the background panel of the shaker.

I lately am doing a trick on adding a faux matte behind my card panel. Instead of using a full sized A2 panel, I cut paper scrap strips at 1/2". I adhere these strips to the edges of the panel using the lines on the glass board to make sure the panel and the strip are aligned. Since my panel is cut at 4" x 5 1/4", adding the faux matte made it into a 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" panel. I used a die to cut this back into a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" panel. You can also use a paper trimmer if you like. This is not only a great way to save paper (not like I don't have more than enough paper) but it is also a great way to use those left over paper.

I added gems to the frame for additional bling. It is always satisfying to hear the sound the shaker elements make.

There are more details on this project in the blog. Please visit the BPM blog if you like. 

As mentioned on the post title, it's time to announce the winner of the giveaway. There are 6 comments on all 3 posts. I utilized the roulette from the wheelofnames.com. I entered each commentor's name and spinned the wheel. The lucky commentor winning the BPM stencil set is...

Congratulations, Bo! To claim your prize, please email me at gmbatan@gmail.com with stencil winner as subject. Please include your name and address in the email. You have until February 28 to claim your prize. I am hoping you are a US resident. In case you are not, I will give you a $20 BPM store credit instead. 

I hope you like today's project. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

 

Love Letter #IB374-Inspired by the heart and the sketch.

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge~Make It Shake

@americancrafts IG

Shaker, Wobbler Birthday Card, a Remake

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. A new month means a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. There are several opportunities to join with three sketches to choose from.

My Favorite Things just said its goodbye to its crafting era. I am saddened to see another great crafting company close its doors. I remember my first MFT product, which I still have, believe it or not. I also remember where I bought it, a brick and mortar store here in St. Louis, which sadly closed a long time ago. I also remember joining the MFT blog challenges, winning once last November 2021. Lots of great memories. It just shows how anything is vulnerable to the changing times. I want to thank Kim, MFT's owner, for all the great things she has brought to me in the crafting world. I wish her well and maybe I will cross paths with her again in the future.

This card is a tribute to MFT using MFT products from my card stash.

This is also a remake of a card I created a long time ago. I had a bit of technical malfunction with the shaker feature of that card. I really wanted a seamless shaker card at that time but I was not able to contain the shaker beads. With the developments and improvements in crafting, I was able to figure out how to fix this problem. 

I stamped the images on watercolor paper using Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress ink so I can do a no line coloring. I used the Misti Stamping Tool to stamp the images. With the texture of the watercolor paper, I needed to re-stamp the images. The stamping tool was a big help on this part.

I stamped five images from the MFT stamp set to follow the number of balloons on the sketch. 

I colored the images using a newly acquired Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors Noveau Set of 24. I already have the set of 36 colors and also own several single watercolor pans. I love this watercolor brand! The new set offers muted colors which is a great addition to the 36 color set. 

After  I watercolored the images, I fussy cut the images leaving a narrow border around it.

I used pattern papers from Doodlebug to complete my scene. I trimmed the green checkered paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I traced the wavy road die on this panel. I cut the panel on the traced lines and erased the pencil lines.

I die cut the wavy road die on a pebbled patterned paper. Using the split panel as guide, I positioned the wavy road die cut on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" light weight paper. I lightly traced this with a pencil. I colored this traced road with a black marker. This black coloring will show through the wavy road die cut.

I adhered the wavy road die cut to the white cardstock panel using the traced lines as guide. I erased the pencil lines. I lined the wavy road die cut with a double adhesive tape. I wrapped this panel with a left-over plastic film packaging leaving one of the ends open. The double adhesive tape served as a trap to keep the shaker elements. I poured seed beads on this wavy road pocket. It was a bit tough with the narrow opening that's why I chose a very small shaker element, seed beads. I closed the bottom flap to seal the shaker. Now I have a seamless shaker. This is the upgraded step of my previous card. 

I stamped the sentiment on the larger green checkered paper piece. I treated this first with an anti-static tool. I stamped the sentiment using a red dye ink then stamped it using Versamark ink so I can heat emboss it with clear embossing powder. I used the Misti Stamping Tool for this purpose.

I adhered the checkered paper to the wrapped panel using liquid adhesive. I set this aside to dry.

I adhered one of the bear images on the road portion of the panel using a mini wobbler. I adhered the other bear image and the larger tree with foam adhesive. I adhered the other tree and the stop sign image with liquid glue. I used a portion of the negative die cut to ground the car.

I inked the edges of the green checkered panel to mute down the brightness.

This is the old version of this card having the same shaker and wobbler elements (https://ienjoywhatido.blogspot.com/2016/02/masculine-interactive-birthday-card.html). 

Below is a short video showing the interactive elements of this card. It is scheduled to go live later at 4pm CST (My 13 year old posted it that way.) I hope you come back to see it.

I hope you join this month's Stick It Down Challenge. We can't wait to see your take on this month's sketches. 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

Challenge #346

Scrapbook & Cards Today FB Challenge

Snow Globe Shaker Ornament, a Blank Page Muse Post

 

Hello! Today's project was created for the Blank Page Muse blog. Please head to the blog for details on how to create this project. 

Thank you! Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Blank Page Muse and I Brake For Stamps 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 am sharing this project at

Simon Says: Make It Sparkle

Winter Blues

Crafty Meraki Facebook Challenge

Halloween Shaker Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Kat Scrappiness is celebrating World Card Making Day with a Scavenger Hunt. There are several ways to join so please visit the Kat Scrappiness blog which I linked below.

Kat Scrappiness IG

Now back to the card...

The number thirty-one was die cut on black cardstock using the retired KS Condensed Number dies. The banner was die cut using a die from the KS Nesting Fishtail Banner dies. I die cut this on a patterned paper. I spritz mica on the numbers and THD Oxide spray on the banner. I heat set this to dry in between spritzing inks. 

I also die cut another number thirty-one on a dark orange faux glitter paper from KS Autumn Glitter 6x6 paper pad. I adhered the black numbers on top of this faux glitter numbers, offsetting it to create a shadow. 

I stamped the month October on the top of the banner. I added eyelets to the top corners of the banner. No specific reason for adding the eyelets other than I just have to start using my eyelets =).

It is not only the eyelets in my stash that needs immediate attention. Lately, I have been obsessed with trims. Got to use it too before I end up hoarding it. I hand stitched an orange pompom trim to the side of the banner. I think it would have been quicker if I machine stitched the trim but I have little faith with my machine stitching skills. 

For the shaker portion of the card, I trimmed the same dark orange faux glitter paper at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I die cut the spider webs from the KS Creepy Crawly craft dies on dark gray cardstock. I spritz THD Stain and Oxide to each spider web. I heat set the spider web to speed dry it before spritzing it with another coat of ink. I adhered the spider webs to the faux glitter panel to create a pattern. 

For the acetate, I am using the KS A2 Full Front Shaker Card Pockets. These acetate comes with a tab to fold over your cardstock panel. I highly recommend scoring these tabs before removing the release paper. Scoring the tabs reinforces the folds on each tab. It will also be helpful to trim a sliver off each side of the panel before positioning the panel on the shaker pocket. This will mimimize the curling of the panel once all the tabs are adhered to the back of the panel. 

I only sealed three of the four tabs on the back of the panel since I have to pour the sequins in the pocket. If your tabs are not adhering well to the back of the panel, you can reinforce this with a strong double sided adhesive. My shaker elements are from my stash, which are also wanting to be used. Kat Scrappiness carries a lot of shaker elements to choose from which I linked below in case you are interested. You can stick to a sequin mix or put together several sequins from each mix to create your own mix. With the full front acetate, I prefer a flat shaker element. A flat sequin tends to move around freely and does not add additional bulk to the shaker that can potentially curl the panel.

I sealed the last tab to secure the shakers inside the pocket. I placed something heavy on top of the shaker panel to flatten it since this acetate pocket has a tendency to curly because of its thickness compared to the acetate used for shaker windows. 

Don't forget to remove the film that covers the pocket. No wonder it looks blurry! The film serves a protection for the acetate against scratching during shipping and while not in use.

I adhered the banner on top of the acetate using a strong liquid glue. I placed something heavy over it while the glue dries to make the banner adhere better to the acetate. 

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

Maria Giselle B.

I added below a link to the Kat Scrappiness products I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase any of these products. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products. They have a new release, too! Enjoy!

I am sharing this project at

Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge

Challenge #11~Create a Shaker Card.