Sketch Inspired Card with an Interactive Element

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is the month of February which means we have a new sketch challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. What makes this month special is that I am this month's card sketch contributor. As always, there are 3 sketch options to choose from making it easy to join.

I used a paper pack in my stash to complete the elements of the sketch. I die cut a heart on a patterned paper with the bear image holding on to a sentiment. I applied shimmer to the letters and added accents using a white gel pen. I die cut a skinny heart frame on kraft cardstock. The die set I used is Honey Bee Stamps Paper Hugs.

I die cut one of the patterned papers from the pack using Hero Arts nesting rectangle die to end up with a 4" x 5 1/4" panel. I inked the edges with a Tim Holtz Distress ink in Shaded Lilac. 

I created the strips using a patterned paper from the pack. I trimmed each design and interchanged it to create a new pattern. I butted the three strips to each other and kept it together with tape on the back. I cut this in half so I can extend the ends to the corners of the panel to follow the sketch. Since the heart is a bit large, it covered this gap on the center.

Instead of cutting a new sheet to matte the panel, I used a scrap of patterned paper, trimming it into strips. I adhered the strips on the edges of a typing paper cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I used a craft knife to cut the corners diagonally. I used a Hero Arts Wood Frame die to add details to this frame. To achieve this, I replaced the cutting plate with an embossing mat and embossing shim. This step can be skipped because it is hardly noticeable with how narrow the matte came out to be.

I adhered the white patterned paper panel to the embossed frame panel. I adhered the strips to form the x just like on the sketch. 

To add the interactive feature, I die cut a half inch hole on the upper center of the panel. I added a Pear Blossom Snap 'N Slide for the spinning mechanism. I adhered the heart to the top plastic piece. Once the glue has dried, I adhered the panel to a top folding note card with foam adhesive making sure that the foam pieces are adhered away from the Snap 'N Slide. 

Since the heart spins, I can actually make this into a landscape card. Which orientation do you like the most?

Below is a video showing the interactive feature of the card.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you join this month's challenge. I cannot wait to see your take on the sketches. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative year!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says: Anything Goes

Monochromatic Sketch Inspired Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday celebration. We have new sketch challenges at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. It is very easy to join having three sketch options to choose from. I hope you join.

I went all gray on my card. I also used Altenew products on my card. 

I did several techniques on this card which includes foiling, embossing, die cutting and fussy cutting. Among these techniques, I spent most of my time on foiling using the Spellbinders Glimmer Machine. Like any technique, if you are not constantly doing it, you lose the skill of doing it. I don't usually do foiling with the Glimmer machine that's why each time I use it, it takes me a lot of of time and resources before I get satisfied with my foiling. 

I had a hard time matching the foiled image with the die. I used the Altenew Scalloped Circles Die set and Hot Foil Plate set. I tried foiling then die cutting but I lost some of the foiled edge with the die cutting. I tried a different technique of die cutting in which I used the negative cut to help me with placement of the die. The result was about the same, die cutting a part of the foiled scallop edge. 

I tried the reverse of this step, and the result was about the same. So I resorted to fussy cutting the foiled scallop, leaving a small border around it. In this way, I was able to preserve the foiling. I die cut the next size down scallop and inlaid it for added details. I cut this in half to extend it to follow the sketch.

For the rectangular elements, I embossed both pieces using the Altenew Beautiful Bergenia 3D embossing folder. I strategically embossed it so the design is continuous on both rectangle pieces. 

I embossed a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" dark gray cardstock with the Altenew Raised Sentiment 3D embossing folder. 

I created a banner and die cut the word hello on this. The hello die is from the Altenew Calming Cluster die set. I used the negative cut of the banner for this card. I adhered a dark gray banner on the back. I extended the fish tail of the banner a little bit. I adhered the center piece of the letter o. 

I adhered the elements to the embossed panel following the sketch above. I flicked white paint over the panel.

I did not add any more matting on the back since I felt that trimming the edges off will make the design elements too crowded on the dark panel. I could have cut a larger matte but I just want to keep this as an A2 card. I could also have added some staples for bit of interest. Maybe next time.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative year! I hope you join the first SID challenge for the year. 

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

Challenge #96~Anything Goes

Sketch Inspired Christmas Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. We have new sketch challenges at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. It is very easy to join having three sketch options to choose from. 

I used a freebie stencil-die set from The Greetery which I got maybe 2 to 3 years ago. Although there is only 1 die in the set, the die cuts the ornament and the string separately. You just have to position the die on the paper according to which part you are die cutting.

I die cut the ornament on different colors of cardstock. I die cut the string on gold mirror cardstock. Using the stencil, I blended ink on each ornament using a darker shade of the color of ink as the die cut ornament. I adhered the string to the top of the ornament.

Instead of the zigzag matte, I die cut a skinny rectangle frame on the same gold mirror cardstock. The die is from Simon Says Stamp. I adhered this to a blue marbled patterned paper from Craft Consortium. I trimmed off the excess.

I replaced the oval shape on the sketch with a circular scallop, die cutting two scallop circles and nesting it on each other. I replaced one of the scallop circles with a vellum. The die I used for this is from Altenew.

I adhered the blue panel on a blue side folding A2 note card. I adhered the ornaments following the layout of the balloons on the sketch giving the sketch a twist. I flipped the balloon strings and the sentiment putting these elements on the opposite side of the panel.

I stamped the sentiment direct to the background matte using Versamark ink. It is a bold move. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong gold embossing powder since it can be hardly read on the marbled background. I restamped the stentiment with the intent to reemboss it with a different embossing powder but the paper had a bit of warping after the heat embossing, so the sentiment shifted even with the use of a stamp positioner. To fix this, I stamped the sentiment on a scrap marble paper, the same one I used for the background. After heat embossing the sentiment, I fussy cut the sentiment and adhered it over the other sentiment to cover it.

I added dots of enamel glue and glitter glue on the trim details of the ornament for some shimmer.

I hope you like today's card. Please join us in this month's challenge.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Simon Says Stamp IG Challenge~Dazzling Die Cuts

Simon Says: Use Dies in DieCember

Challenge #129~Anything Goes Christmas #8

Sketch Inspired Christmas Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. We have new sketch challenges at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. It is easy to join having three options to choose from.

I used scraps from a 6x6 Lawn Fawn patterned paper pad for the arrow pennants. I trimmed the paper in 3/4" width with varying lengths. I used a We R Makers Corner Punch Chomper to created the arrow on one end. 

For the sentiment banner, I trimmed a green cardstock at 4 1/4" x 1". I made pencil marks on the center point of each of the short side and 1/4" from the corners. I cut off the corners to create the arrow edge using these marks as a guide. 

For the sentiment, I die cut a My Favorite Things sentiment die on a red patterned paper. I cut two more of it on red cardstock. I adhered the cardstock sentiment die cuts on the back of the patterned paper sentiment die cut to create dimension. I temporarily set this on the arrow banner so I can position the sentiment stamp for heat embossing. 

I pre-treated the stamping area with an anti-static powder before stamping the sentiment with Versamark ink. The stamp sentiment is from Lawn Fawn. I lightly pressed the sentiment stamp to the paper to prevent creating heavy and uneven impressions which can happen with acrylic stamps.

I poured white embossing powder to the sticky ink, then heat embossed it. I adhered the sentiment die cuts on top of this stamped sentiment. I drew a line border on the inside of the arrow banner using a white gel pen.

I adhered the arrow flags to the back of the arrow banner. I trimmed off any excess on the top. 

For the background panel, I embossed a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white cardstock with a Simon Says Stamp 3D embossing folder.  I adhered the sentiment banner with the pennant to this.

I embellished the pennants with snowflake die cuts and sequins.

I adhered this to an A2 note card. 

Comparisons with my card and the sketch:

• I added arrow cuts to the sentiment strip so it will have the same cut edge as the pennants.
• I have a two lined sentiment compared to the one lined sentiment on the sketch. 
• The sketch's pennant has spaced and different lengths of pennants. My card also has varying lengths of pennants but I made the pennants longer and touching each other, some of which are slightly overlapping.
• I did not add a matte as on the sketch. I actually forgot about the matte. At this stage, I think I can still add a matte by carefully trimming the edges of the panel with the use of a craft knife. It will still be different from the sketch since I will let the banner and pennant extend to the matte. But I like the clean white space of the background so I just kept this panel as is. 

I hope you like today's card. Please visit Stick It Down's social media sites for more sketch inspiration:

FB Challenge Page: Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenges

IG: #stickitdown

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this card at

Holiday Cards 4 Kids #1

Simon Says IG Challenge~Handmade Holiday Magic

Simon Says: Add Some Texture

 

Trifold Christmas Card

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is the first of the month which means there is a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. There are three sketches to choose from. I hope you join.

This is my take on the card sketch as shown above. I used the Grinch in place of the flower. I partially die cut the large sentiment on the front of my card. For the diagonal stripes, I used holiday washi tapes from my stash with some of it having words printed on it. I also created a sentiment strip to supplement the message of the large sentiment. 

The Grinch is from a Kat Scrappiness stamp set. I want to thank Julie Patton for this stamp set which I won in her IG giveaway post. I stamped the Grinch on Ranger watercolor paper. I stamped this on the smooth side of the paper using Versafine Onxy black ink. I colored the image with a red and a green Lisa Horton Interference inks. I swiped the ink pad on a palette and picked the pigment with a paint brush. I painted the trim and the ornament with Finetec metallic watercolor. I fussy cut the image leaving a small border around it. 

I added a twist to the card design by making this card into a trifold card. The first fold is the diagonal stripe portion of the sketch, with the main sentiment partially die cut to this panel. The sentiment is very dainty so I used the shadow die of the sentiment instead. This sentiment die is from Trinity Stamps. I die cut the sentiment on matte gold cardstock. I have extra die cuts of this sentiment which I adhered to the back of the gold sentiment die cut to add dimension to the sentiment. I die cut the shadow of the sentiment on a shiny red washi tape adhered to a scrap cardstock. I die cut this using the shadow die and trimmed it halfway.

This panel has a 1/2" tab which I adhered to the inside of the card. 

For the middle fold, I rotated an A2 note card to have the fold on the right side. I trimmed a sliver off the open side so the sentiment panel will nestle nicely over the middle panel. 

I trimmed a patterned paper at 4" x 5 1/4". I blended green ink on the edges. I added stitching to the circle patterns using metallic DMC threads. I added stickers to some of the circles.

I positioned the Grinch in a way that it looks like he is stepping on the diagonal strips. I adhered a washi tape under the Grinch on the middle fold so it does not look like the Grinch is floating.

For the inner panel, I die cut a light weight white cardstock with a stitched die from Simon Says Stamp. Once adhered, it hides the flap of the first fold. 

I hope you like today's card. Please visit Stick It Down's social media sites for more sketch inspiration:

FB Challenge Page: Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenges

IG:  #stickitdown

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day.

Maria Giselle B.

Honeycomb Pumpkin Fall Card Upgrade

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. This is the same card on my post at the start of this month for Stick It Down Challenge. I was creating a short video to show the honeycomb feature of the card but I encountered some faulty mechanics on the design of the card. I was just going to let it be but knowing myself, I want to fix the problem.

The honeycomb won't stay open despite the two magnets. I troubleshooted this issue. Is the magnet weak? Is the paper too thick for the magnets to attach to each other? 

After giving it some thought, I had to take the magnets out. It was easy to get the magnets on the front since it is laying on the last honeycomb layer. The other magnets are sandwiched in between the matte cardstock and the cardstock panel. I tried detaching the matte cardstock but I must have used a really strong glue because I am not able to sneak the spatula in between these layers. 

So I attack this from the back. I located the magnets by placing the other magnets on the back of the panel. I created a slit to extract the magnets. 

A lot of ripping off the paper and the foam adhesive just so I can better position the magnets. This time, I added a third magnet to make the honeycomb pumpkin stay open. 

I adhered the other magnets on the outside of the honeycomb pumpkin. Looks like a mess at this point, right?

I die cut an orange patterned paper to cover the magnet mess on the pumpkin. Before adhering it, I inked the edges to tie in with the rest of the pumpkin die cuts. I also heat embossed an arrow and the word open as a instruction on how to see honeycomb come to life.

The back was not that hard to fix. I just cut small pieces of the same foam adhesive and adhered it around the magnets. I covered the hole with a light weight scrap paper. 

Below is the final video of the card. 

I could have given up on this card. Tossing it will be the easiest way to forget about it but I did not want to do that. After all, I already encountered struggles with the making of this honeycomb and I was able to make it through that. What is another struggle, right? In this way, I learn from my mistakes and share it here so hopefully, you will avoid the mistakes I made. 

Please visit the original post, Honeycomb Pumpkin Fall Card, for details about this card.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

Honey Bee Stamps Buzzworthy Challenges in FB

Honeycomb Pumpkin Fall Card

  

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. It is the first of the month which means there is a new challenge at Stick It Down Scrapbook and Card Making Challenge in FB. We hope you join. There are several ways to participate with three sketch options to choose from.

The most intensive part of my card is creating the honeycomb. This is not the first time I created a honeycomb but somehow I struggled with this one. Maybe because it is smaller than the one I created before, and maybe because I am aiming for a halfway opened honeycomb.

The honeycomb above is my second attempt in creating a honeycomb for this card. I tried to save the first honeycomb but I was not able to. I think my mistake was applying more glue than I am supposed to. Some parts of the paper got stuck instead of opening up. 

Another thing that made this honeycomb a challenge is that I wanted to use a magnet to keep the honeycomb open. The honeycomb will initially be closed to allow it to be placed inside an envelope.

My first attempts were a fail. I later figured out that the magnet I used was not strong enough to hold it open. After adding another magnet, the honeycomb remained open.

If you are going to make a honeycomb using double sided patterned paper, keep in mind that the inside fold will be the one mostly showing when the honeycomb is opened. Just like in my honeycomb pumpkin, I have the orange background pattern outside and the brown background pattern inside. Thus, the pumpkin is more of brown with a hint of orange, There is nothing wrong with this but this piece of information can be helpful in case you are going for a certain look.

The dies I used for the honeycomb pumpkin is from Honeybee. The patterned paper I used for the pumpkin is from Simple Stories. I inked the edges of the pumpkin die cut on both sides using an orange and brown dye inks accordingly.

The other two patterned papers I used for the background are from Echo Park (green) and Simple Stories (brown). I die cut the green patterned paper using a stitched Lawn Fawn square die.

I used felt for the pumpkin stalk and curly vines. The lace trim is from Michaels. I used double sided tape to adhere the trim to the back of the square patterned paper.

The sentiment die is from Paper Smooches. I added stitching to the holes using an orange variegated DMC floss. I used all 6 strands and added a shiny gold thread for a tinge of shine.

The honeycomb pumpkin, when folded, still has a bit of depth but it still fits an A2 sized envelope.

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

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

Challenge 10~Anything Goes

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