Stitched Panel in Shadow Box Stand-up Frame

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project is a spur of the moment project. I thought I am done after stitching the panel since I have no plans for it. But after seeing American Crafts & We R Makers Stars, Stripes & Scissors Celebration in IG, I said to myself, "I can probably do something with this stitched panel." I just needed to use AC and/or We R Makers supplies although I always use the We R Comfort Craft Magnifying Glasses when I cross stitch. I cannot go by without it.

I did my cross stitching on a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" 80-lb cardstock. The stitching holes were created with the use of the Altenew Cross Stitch Canvas die. The pattern is from CrossStitcher Magazine, July 2026 edition. It is a part of the Stars & Stripes stitch sampler. I did a spotlight stitching of one of the samplers and repetetively stitched this pattern on the panel for a quilt-like look. I used 2  strands of DMC floss in stitching.

I created a frame for the cross stitched panel using the We R Makers Shadow Box Punch Board. The punch board was designed for a square shadow box but can be used to create a rectangular shadow box. Simply add 4" to each side to come up with the dimensions of the paper you need to create your custom sized shadow box. 

I used a blue cardstock for the shadow box. I followed the steps on the punch board. I placed the cross stitched panel on the center of the punched cardstock and  folded the scored lines towards the center. 

To make this into a frame, I die cut the same blue cardstock using an easel die from The Stamp Market Scalloped Frame Die set. I die cut this twice and stacked the pieces to make it durable. After all, this piece is very important in keeping the shadow box upright. 

I added a ribbon to the back of the easel to prevent the shadow box from tipping backward.

I added rickrack trims to the photo frame. I used the We R Makers Creative Flow Glue Gun to adhere the trims so if you see any strings of glue, it is from that. I am not a neat glue gun user. 

I adhered transparent stars to the corners of the frame, hiding where the two colored rickrack trims meet. I also used the glue gun in adhering the stars.

I added blue gems to the cross stitched pattern for some shimmery accent. 

Now, my stitched pattern is up for display. I hope you like today's project. Below is a short video of the stand-up frame.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

 

American Crafts & We R Makers IG

#StarsStripesAndScissors

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

Valentine Pop-up Interactive Card with Stickers

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. I created this project to participate in the Paper Source Stuck On You Valentine's Day Card Making Contest. The only requirement is to use any sticker in the design to be considered to win. I just inherited some craft supplies from my coworker Christina. These are craft supplies of her late mother. I am very much impressed on how organized her mom was with her supplies. 

I chose some stickers from the stash which I used on this project. It will be a very nice way to remember her mom. Too bad, this project needs to be mailed to Paper Source because if not, I would have given it to Christina. 

I also used some left-over Paper Source stickers which I used on a Valentine's class giveaway project when my youngest son is still in 4th Grade. The sticker set has been been discontinued.

I usually sketch my design on my notebook especially when it involves a lot of products that comes from different manufacturers. It helps me organize my creative process, which part of the project I should make first.

The interactive portion of this pop-up card is the pull-out hearts from the mailbox. Most of the die cuts I used are from Lawn Fawn. 

I adhered the stickers back to back with the embroidery floss sandwiched in between the hearts. The back portion of the hearts is stamped with a message which you can partly see on the photo below. 

The heart stickers and flowers are from Christina's mom's craft stash.

I had to permanently glue the flag of the mailbox. I usually will add a brad to this to make it move but I am afraid that this will hinder the mechanism of the pull-out hearts if I use a brad. 

I thought I had a fence die but since I don't, I die cut these posts on white cardstock using a Hero Arts Wood Frame Infinity Die. I snipped one edge to have a triangular edge. I adhered the posts on a strip of white cardstock to connect the posts together to create the fence.

I added a mini note card on the back to write on. I adhered another stick from the Christina's mom's stash. I stamped a simple message on the front and added stitched embossing to the front. 

I added floating cloads on the back. The cloud frames were cut on white cardstock. I adhered it on acetate strips to make it float. 

The size of the platform card, when collapsed, goes beyond the size limits of A2 and A4 envelopes. I used the We R Keepers Envelope punch board to create an envelope for the pop-up card. I adhered more stickers to the inner flap. I wanted to jazz up the outside of the envelope but the last time I did that, it was rejected by the post office. 

I hope you like today's card project. Below is a video of this pop-up interactive card.

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I shared this project at

February 2026

Challenge 214~Inspired by Book, Movie or Song

Inspired by Nicholas Sparks Book "Every Breath". The novel is inspired by the Kindred Spirit Mailbox where visitors leave notes, letters and journals.

@americancrafts IG

Double Shadow Box Retirement Gift + Mini Photo Album

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's project was created for a co-worker who is retired yesterday. I want to thank her for allowing me to share this here.

I used the We R Memory Keepers Shadow Box Punch Board. The first time I saw this product, I knew this will be a great addition to my crafting tools. This tool made the job of creating a shadow box very easy. I have a feeling that this will not be the only time I will be using this punch. 

The punch board has square measurements imprinted on it. You are not limited to these measurements. In fact, my shadow box is rectangular in shape. To create one, determine the measurement of your shadow portion (recessed area). I want this portion of my shadow box at 4" x 6" to fit a photo of the same size. I added a total of 5" to each side to determine the size of the paper I need. In this case, I need a 9" x 11" paper. You just need to rotate your paper to continue the scoring of the paper.

I used a double sided patterned paper for the shadow box. I created two pieces of shadow box using the same patterned paper.

I created a hinge to attach the shadow boxes using left overs of the same green patterned paper. The hinge is 2" x 1". I cut two pieces of it. I punched the corners using the We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile Retro Corner Chomper Tool. I inked the edges of the hinges using a green dye ink. I scored the short side at 1/2". I adhered the hinges to the shadow boxes with the recessed areas facing each other. I die cut small circle pieces using a die from The Stamp Market on gold cardstock to mimic the screws. 

I embellished the card box front with a heart rosette die cut using a die from The Stamp Market. I die cut the heart on a cream cardstock. Don't throw those tiny heart drop outs. It will be put to good use later on. 

After I assembled the rosette, I applied glue to the edges and poured Ranger Gold Glitter over the glue. I set this aside to dry.

I die cut the letter D on aqua cardstock. This is the first letter of the recipient's name. The die is from Spellpinders. I added stitching to the holes. I added Pinkfresh Emerald City Jewels to the centers of the stitching. I adhered this letter to the rosette, then adhered the rosette to the cover of the shadow box.

I flicked gold paint to the cover using Finetec Mica paint.

This is the part where I struggled, creating the closure of the shadow boxes. If I am going to do this again, I will punch a hole on one of the sides of the shadow box before sealing the shadow box. Since my shadow box cannot be undone, I used the same cutting technique as the hinge but I punched a ribbon hole on the tab where I will be threading the silk ribbon through. To make this part sturdy, the scored side is on the outer edge of the shadow box, folded inward. I used a glue gun to adhere the ribbon to the inside of this tab. 

Just like the hinges, I added ink blending to the edges and adhered those small gold circle dots for faux screws.

This is how it looks when the double shadow box is opened. The one on the right is a surprise gift of a mini photo album that fits the shadow box. 

When the photo album is removed, another photo is revealed behind it. This double shadow box can stand on its own like a photo frame.

I added stitching to one of the photos using glitter embroidery thread. I used a stencil as a guide to poke the stitching holes. I die cut the numbers on gold cardstock using a die set from My Favorite Things.

The photo album was created using Simple Stories patterned papers. The sentiment on the front was die cut using a die from Crafty Meraki. I die cut the sentiment on a light and dark cardstock. I adhered the lighter green die cut over the dark green die cut slightly offset to create a shadow. 

I used the We R Memory Keepers Cinch Coptic Punch to add holes to the mini photo album. I stitched the pages together using a green Doodlebug twine.

I adhered the tiny hearts inside the mini album for embellishment. Sorry. I am keeping that part of this project for the recipient's eyes only but you can see a glimpse of it in the video below.

If you have not figure it out yet, the favorite color of the recipient is green. 

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

Maria Giselle B.

Sketch Inspired Greeting Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. We are halfway through the month of June meaning you only have at least 14 days before the latest Incy Wincy Challenge ends. I hope you will find time to join the challenge. We have three themes for this month's challenge, Floral-Color Palette-Sketch. Below are the colors and the sketch for this challenge.

 

For today's card, I am featuring one of the two sponsors for this month's challenge, Mirtillamente. To see the first card I created for this month's challenge using the other sponsor, Alex Syberia Design, please visit the blog post, Two For One: Die Cut and Emboss with a Metal Die.

I printed the image on watercolor paper. I color the images using Karin markers. I followed the colors from the challenge color palette, although the blue might look lighter than the original color palette due to the Lawn Fawn Liquid Stardust I applied over the watercolor. With Karin markers, I usually apply the pigment to a palette then pick it up with a brush. I feel I have more control doing this compared to applying the color from the marker to the paper. I only do this if I need a bolder color on a part of the image just like what I did on the stigmas of the yellow lily.

For the panel, I am using a left over patterned paper panel I die cut with a stitched rectangle die. The patterned paper is from Doodlebug Design Hello 6x6 patterned paper. I trimmed three strips of patterned papers from the same patterned paper pack. I trimmed these strips into triangular strips using a paper trimmer. I mixed the triangular strips and used a tape to keep the triangular strips together, creating a wider triangular element. I adhered these to the panel, following the challenge sketch.

I wrapped a sheer ribbon around the panel. I also wrapped a white embroidery floss around the panel.

Back on the watercolored panel, I die cut this using one of the dies in the Waffle Flower Crafts A7 Layers dies. I rounded the edges using a We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. I lightly inked the edges with a Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Victorian Velvet. 

The digital image came with a sentiment. I added more words to expand the sentiment using a Martha Stewart Letter Rubber Stamp. I adhered this to the center of the panel.

I added shimmer to the moon and to the dots using the Lawn Fawn Liquid Stardust.

Thank you for viewing my blog. I hope you have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

Image Sponsor

I am sharing this creation at

Challenge #10 June 2022~Anything Goes #38

 

Valentine's Class Giveaway

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. For today's post, I am featuring my 4th Grader's Valentine's giveaway. It is a goodie bag created with papers and stickers from Paper Source.

The goodie bag was created using the We R Memory Keepers Goodie Bag Guide. I added an embossed belly band on the goodie bag. I added heart embossing using the We R Memory Keepers Next Level Hearts embossing folder. I used a Pebbles' Cut-Apart sheet for the Valentine's cards. I die cut this with a stitched rectangle die. I was not able to show it in the photos, but Ryan signed the cards using the We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill Freestyle Pen. This is such a good way to use up those foil scraps as long as the foil is compatible with the pen. 

I stamped the heart stickers using a Martha Stewart Alphabet Rubber stamp. I used Stazon ink for the stamping. 

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

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Paper Source IG

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Blog~Emboss It

Simon Says Monday Challenge Blog~Love Is In The Air

Color Inspired Slimline Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Welcome also to our first challenge of the year at Incy Wincy Designs. We have cut back to a monthly challenge to give our friends more time to participate. We are also continuing the two themes monthly challenge. You can choose one theme or use both themes on your project.

For my card, I created a mostly pink and red slimline card using an image from Alex Syberia Design, one of our two sponsors for the challenge. The other theme for the challenge is Valentines. My card can also be a Valentine's card.

I printed the image on Arches watercolor paper. I colored the images with different brands and mediums of red and/or pink watercolor markers, crayons and pencils. I also used different pens for adding accents. I encourage you to look at your stash and color away. I fussy cut the image leaving a white border around it.

I die cut several stitched squares from a red & pink paper 6x6 paper pad. The die I used to cut the squares is from Lawn Fawn Stitched Square die set. I lay out the die cuts. Once I was happy with the pattern, I adhered this to the white paper panel cut at 8 1/2" x 3 1/2", the size of a slimline card.

I added stitching accents to the top and bottom of the panel. I created the stitching holes using the We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy Stitch Piercer. I used DMC floss for the stitching.

For the sentiment, I die cut two hearts on a pink vellum. The heart die I used is from the Trinity Stamps Frame and Fold Die Set. I heat embossed the sentiment on one of this vellum hearts. The sentiment is from Ellen Hutson Totally Random Sayings Vol. 1 stamp set. The embossing powder I used is a Simon Says Stamp Rose Gold embossing powder. I adhered the other heart vellum on the back to make the heart less translucent. I die cut a white crepe paper using the Ellen Hutson Never Ending Fringe die. I adhered this to the back of the vellum heart. I shortened the fringes by trimming it. I adhered this to the panel. I adhered the digital image with foam tape. I added more details to the digital image using Nuvo drops and Ranger Glossy Accents.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you join us in our monthlong challenge. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

CHALLENGE SPONSORS

 

I am sharing this creation at

Challenge 209 #3