Spidery Christmas Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's card is my third project using the same Kat Scrappiness die. Here are the links to the other two cards I created using the same die set in case you are interested to see it:

• Halloween Swing Pop-Up Card
  
• Halloween Slimline Card
  

You might notice that the two previous cards I created using this die are Halloween themed. As much as spiders are linked to Halloween, I want to extend the use of this die to all year round. How about coming up with a different themed card using this product? 

I created a scene, die cutting the spiderweb on green glittered cardstock. I partially die cut the spider on black cardstock since I want to extend the length of the string holding the spider. I die cut this a second time to layer it behind the first spider for more stability. I added black flocking powder to the spider.

I stamped the ornaments, stars, Santa hat and gifts on white cardstock. I looked through my craft supplies for stamps that I can use for the scene. I colored these with Copic markers. I added details to the gifts with several embossing powders. I used Wow! Mixed Media embossing brush to apply the sticky ink to the ribbons and bows but instead of using the brush, I used a dried up glue pen to apply the sticky ink. In this way, I am able to control the amount of sticky ink I apply on the area. 

I die cut the ornaments, stars and gifts with its coordinating dies. I fussy cut the Santa hat cutting it on the line. I ran a black marker on the sides of the Santa hat to give it a finished look. I added sparkle to the ornaments and stars with a shimmer pen. I added puff to the Santa hat trim using a Mary Uchida Snow marker. 

I created a frame using two nesting rectangular dies. I die cut a frame on a patterned paper, and die cut two more pieces on white cardstock. I adhered the white frames to each other, then adhered this to the back of the patterned paper frame. 

I adhered the glittered web and the stamped gifts to the back of the frame. I adhered this to a white dotted patterned paper. I adhered the spider, tucking the end of the string underneath the glittered web. I traced the mouth of the spider with a white gel pen. I adhered the Santa hat to the top of the spider. And to make this card  a bit interactive, I added googly eyes instead of the die cut eyes. 

For the gift, I have this glittered puffy gift sticker which worked perfectly with the scene. I added glue to the back of the sticker before adhering it.

To complete the feel of Christmas, I adorned the spider web with the die cut colored ornaments. I bet spiders would want to jazz up their webs for special occasions, given a chance. I added Ranger Glossy Accents to the ornaments. I set this aside to dry.

I trimmed a white cardstock at 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". I scored the long side at 4 1/4". I trimmed a Christmas tree patterned paper at 1/2" x 5 1/2". I adhered this to both sides of the front panel. I adhered the scene panel after. 

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

I added below a link to the Kat Scrappiness product I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products especially the exclusive Kat Scrappiness products. 

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers

Anything Goes

Hero Arts Blog Challenge 

Card Sets For AECP Final Challenge-Part 2

Hello! This is the second part of my post on the AECP Final Challenge. If you missed the first part, just go to the previous post to view my creative process and the see the masculine card set version of this card set.

Feminine Cards

Tip: For a large stamp, a stamp positioner will be very useful in re-stamping the image in case you missed a part. The Misti Stamping Tool comes with a magnet to hold the panel in position. A sticky mat is also very useful especially if your technique requires you to do the stamping on the center of the Misti. (Pardon my dirty Misti door. The ink stains speak for itself how much loved and used this tool is in my crafting.)

You can also reverse the process by heat embossing the image first before blending the background, a technique called Emboss Resist. 

Blended Backgrounds

Tip: Don't hesitate to die cut or trim your blended backgrounds. It is a brave move but you would never know what new thing you create unless you give it a try. I die cut a slim rectangle frame on the panel to the left. I trimmed the panel on the right and added a gold trim and an embossed pearl cardstock to it. Don't forget to save those negative sentiment die cuts. This will be used on the next card.

Stamped Backgrounds

Remember those negative cuts from the sentiment die? Luckily, most of it remained stuck to the die. I added small dots of glue to it and adhered it to the card.

Use a pokey tool to push out the letters to the card panel. 

Tip: Mix and match sentiment dies (even stamps!) I partially die cut the word 'so' and added it to the sentiment 'proud of you.'

 

Stenciling with dies

Spritz ink to the stenciled panel.

The last two cards turned out differently from each other. The card above is from the inked panel on the left, wherein the masked part of the panel is the large floral image. I inked the floral image and stamped it to that un-inked area. I die cut the floral image hoping I could use the negative cut to create a window. But due to its relatively large shape and my small panel, I was not able to create a window panel using the negative cut. I used another window die and created a floral scene. I did not want to put the blended negative cuts to waste so I die cut some confetti using the left-over inked paper and adhered it to this panel to hopefully still tie it in with the rest of the cards in this set. 

Tip: Do not be afraid to perform small surgeries on your stamped image. Just like on the card above, I cut the large stamped image on the center so I can sneak it under the frame.

I die cut several more cardstocks and added it to the back of the embossed image for some dimension to this inked flower.  I also stamped the sentiment directly to the embossed, inked image.

Tip: Stamping on an embossed image or a layered image can be a brave move but with the right tool, a stamp positioner for that matter, will allow you to re-stamp the sentiment a couple of times until you get a crisp impression of the sentiment. At the same time, you can re-stamp the sentiment if you want a darker, bolder sentiment.

For the packaging, anybody recognizing it?

Using a recycled element

If you answered Altenew packaging box, yes, you are right. Most of the time, I will reuse this box to store craft items I am using on a project but my Altenew box was taped up pretty well that I have to use a craft knife to create a slit to open it. The box cannot be closed anymore based on the way I opened it. Instead of dropping it in the recycle bin, what a great opportunity to give it another life but re-create it into a card gift box. 

I cut the top of the packaging box with a craft knife at 13" x 6". I scored this at 1", 6", 7" and 12 1/18". There will be some cracking on the brown side of the cardboard especially if the scored line hit an area where there is a tape adhered on the shiny side. I left the cracked area as is to give it an organic look. You can adhere a strip of kraft cardstock or washi tape to it if you want to cover it up. The cracking does not affect the function of the box.

I created a window on the top of the box by tracing a rectangular die and cutting it out with a craft knife.  

I usually store my stamps and dies in its original clear sleeve but I ripped one of the sleeves while doing this project. I would have taped it on the side to extend its life. But I did not. Instead, I die cut two pieces of rectangles from it, slightly larger than the size of the window on the card box. I adhered this to the inside of the card box using a thin double adhesive tape. 

I lined the window of the card box with a gold washi tape.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed looking through my cards. If you are also in the process of doing your AECP Final Challenge, just take a deep breath. Relax, enjoy! It can be overwhelming. I even call it as my final crafting exam. But the journey is enjoyable. Don't forget to give yourself a tap in the back once you are done.

Tip: Work on one set first before moving on to the second set. In this way, all your crafting supplies are out at the same time, saving you time and resources. Makes you more focused too!

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

6/2024: Altenew decided to change its affiliate program starting this month. Below is my affiliate link to the website. I don't think I can directly link the products I used with this new program. Please feel free to do a product search. I will update as I figure this out. The good thing about this new affiliate program is that I get to earn on each Altenew product you purchase and not only on the product/s I used on this project. As before, there will be no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. It is just a way to help a fellow crafter sustain her love for crafting. While in the Altenew blog, don't forget to check out their new release for this month. Thank you for your support!

https://altenew.com/6358517

Maria Giselle B.

Card Sets For AECP Final Challenge-Part 1

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Today's post is a card-filled and picture-filled post. As early as now, I want to thank you for your time in reading this post, looking at the pictures or even just browsing through. I appreciate your time.

I finished my AECP Level 1 Courses. If you want to see those cards again, just search for AECP on the search bar. I created a total of 9 cards for the course. 

So for this post, I am featuring the Final Challenge of AECP Level 1 which consists of 2 sets of cards. 1 with 6 masculine-themed cards, and another one with 6 feminine-themed cards. Aside from this, I created a gift box for these card sets. Not to forget, I re-purposed an item as part of this challenge. 

The components I chose from the courses are: 

1. Basic ink blended background technique. This is a fun way of playing with inks, although you don't have to use multiple colored inks for this technique. You can opt for one color only and come up with a faux colored cardstock. Flicking water to a water-based dye ink will add texture to the background. Flick it, let the water sit for a few minutes, then pat it with a dry paper towel after. Step it up by flicking glittered water, watercolor or pearlized water to the background. 
2. Stamped backgrounds. This technique is a great way to use those small stamps that tend to be forgotten in a stamp set. You can mix and match smaller stamps from different stamp sets to create a customized background panel. Create a pattern, a wreath or just stamp away. 
3. Stenciling with dies. Stencils are such a rage now. Most stamp sets have coordinating stencils just like the one I used on the feminine card. But how about those stamp sets without a matching stencil? This is when the coordinating die comes in. Although it does not offer the same details as a coordinating stencil, the stencil created with dies can work as masks for ink blending, ink spritzing, stamping or creating a scene. This technique definitely extends the use of a die.

Here are the cards I created & some photos taken during the creation phase. I hope you like it. 

I started with choosing the main stamp sets I will use for these set of cards. For the masculine cards, I am using the Altenew Halftone Stars stamp & Nesting dies. For the feminine cards, I am using the Silk Art stamp & dies. Although I have other Altenew stamps, for the techniques I chose, I am leaning towards a stamp with a coordinating die.

 

I usually start my creative process with a sketch just to guide me. It sometimes does not work the way I planned it but it helps me a lot.

Tip: If plan A does not work, don't give up! Move away from your work space. Sometimes you get enlightened during your break time as to what you could have done right or what you can do to save the project. When I come back to the project, I usually end up finishing the card.

I choose my main colors. I choose green & blue for the masculine cards, and red, orange, yellow and cream for the feminine cards.

I created cards in pairs using the same component.

Masculine Cards

Blended Backgrounds

Tip: When using this technique, cut your paper a bit larger than the card size you are aiming for.

On this stamp & die sets, if you don't want the white edge created by the die around the stamped image (which you can see on the star on the right), use the next smallest size shaped star to die cut the star, as you can see on the stars on the left.

Tip: If you are having difficulty in embossing large size stamps, stamp the image with a dye ink. Re-stamp the image using a sticky ink. This is when a stamp positioner, like a Misti Stamping Tool, is a big help. Then, add the embossing powder.

Stamped Backgrounds
Test your dye inks if you can do second and third generation stamping with it. This is how you can achieve variation on the design despite using only one colored ink.

Tip: Look through your stash and use stencils to help you create your background. I used a checker board stencil for the card on the left. I used a wreath builder stencil for the card on the right. 

Remember when I said do not give up? I almost did on the card on the right. I was going for a one layer card for these two cards. But when I stamped the sentiment on the card front, it got lost in the busy background. Frustrating, yeah! After all that hard work on the background. After I walked away and came back to it, I covered the first stamped sentiment with a larger sentiment stamped on a blended cardstock, giving this card another life. 

 

Stenciling with dies

I die cut a stencil vinyl panel to create a custom made stencil. I adhered the whole vinyl panel to the card panel. I removed the background cut, leaving the stars on the cardstock panel. I blended ink around the stars. A masking paper can also be used for this technique. Both materials can be re-used. The advantage with the vinyl is that you can wipe off the inks just like a regular stencil.

Dies can also be used to create windows on a panel.

Tip: Save the negative cuts for a future card.

This is half of my final project featuring the masculine cards I created for the AECP Final Challenge. I hope you visit the next post to view the feminine cards I created and the card packaging I created. 

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

6/2024: Altenew decided to change its affiliate program starting this month. Below is my affiliate link to the website. I don't think I can directly link the products I used with this new program. Please feel free to do a product search. I will update as I figure this out. The good thing about this new affiliate program is that I get to earn on each Altenew product you purchase and not only on the product/s I used on this project. As before, there will be no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. It is just a way to help a fellow crafter sustain her love for crafting. While in the Altenew blog, don't forget to check out their new release for this month. Thank you for your support!

https://altenew.com/6358517

Maria Giselle B.

Sketch Inspired Greeting Card for World Card Making Day

 

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. Last Saturday was World Card Making Day. I cannot believe the amount of online card making activities that day. I always look forward to the this day and the card making challenges. 

The sketch I used for this card is based from Doodlebug's FB World Card Making Day Sketch Challenge which I linked below. I am very glad that they have a challenge this year.

I am using Doodlebug products: Hello 6x6 paper pad, Kraft in Color-Kraft 6x6 paper pad, Washi Tape Chevron Assortment, vellum, and Just Because Doodle Pops.

Using a striped paper from the Hello paper pad, I cut the stripes apart with a paper cutter leaving a portion on the end uncut. This will somehow keep the strips of paper together as I weave the paper. I cut strips of paper from the Kraft in Color-Kraft paper pad. I weaved these strips to the striped patterned paper. I secured the strips with liquid adhesive. 

I die cut a dotted patterned paper from the Hello paper pad with a scalloped edge die. I adhered this to the weaved panel. I adhered a strip of gold mirror cardstock where these two meet. I added washi tape on the scalloped side of the sketch. I die cut this with nesting triangle die so I can matte it with a blue dotted patterned paper cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". The dotted patterned paper is also from the Hello paper pad. 

I die cut a tag from the same blue patterned paper. I matted this with a vellum cut slightly larger than the patterned paper tag. I die cut the circle reinforcer and adhered it to the tag. I heat embossed a sentiment on the patterned paper tag. I added a white embroidery floss which I threaded through the tag hole. I adhered the Doodle Pops on the tag. I adhered the tag to the panel with foam adhesive.

I adhered the panel to a top folding A2 note card. 

Thank you for visiting my blog. Did you celebrate World Card Making Day, too? 

Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Doodlebug Design FB World Card Making Day 2022~Sketch Challenge

Simon Says Stamp World Card Making Day#116

Challenge #5~Paper Challenge with Dilay Nacar

Halloween Slimline Card

Hello! Welcome back to my blog. For today's card, I am featuring the same Kat Scrappiness product I used on a past card (Halloween Swing Pop-up Card). I hope that in this way, you will see the versatility of this product, and maybe come up with your own ideas on other ways to use this product. 

I die cut the small spider on three different colored cardstocks, orange, green and purple, keeping up with the colors of Halloween. The spider die when cut is a spider with a web string attached to it. I simply trimmed off the string, leaving me with just the spider. I pounced embossing powders to these spiders and poured clear embossing powder to it. I did this process twice so I will end up with an enamel looking spider embellishment. 

Since the eyes do get die cut, and I don't want to use the same-colored cardstock for the eyes, I die cut the spider again this time on white cardstock. I tried to keep the eyes from falling off but if did fall off, I pieced it back to the negative cut for the eyes and kept it in place with a piece of tape on the back. I painted embossing fluid to the spider eyes using the Wow! Mixed Media embossing brush. I dipped the spider on Wow! Fluorescent Yellow embossing powder then heat set it. While the melted powder is still hot, I added embossing powder to it again by dipping it in Wow! Glow in the Dark embossing powder. I heat set this again. 

I pieced the eyes to the colored spiders by putting a small dot of blue to the sides of the negative openings for the eyes. I added a dot of Ranger Enamel Accents to the eyes. The eyes don't glow as much in the dark because of its small size.

I die cut another set of spiders using the same-colored cardstocks. I adhered this to the back of the same-colored spider for some dimension. 

I die cut the spiderweb on black felt and black cardstock. I adhered the black cardstock to the back of the felt die cut to add stability to the felt spiderweb die cut.

I die cut the letters on a white cardstock and a silver glitter cardstock. I adhered the white letter die cuts to the back of the glittered letter die cuts. The alphabet dies I used is from the My Favorite Things Spell Anything Alphabet Die-namics.

For the card panel, I trimmed a gray cardstock at 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" to create a slimline panel. I dry embossed this using a Sizzix Spiderweb embossing folder. I lightly sanded the raised portions of the embossed panel for a grunge look. 

I added strips to the top and bottom portions of the embossed panel using a Martha Stewart Halloween tape. I only wanted the sentiment portion of the tape, so I trimmed this with a craft knife with the help of a ruler. I adhered this to the top and bottom edges of the panel. 

I adhered the spiderwebs to the panel. I adhered the letters and the spiders on the spiderwebs. I added gray sequins to the panel.

I adhered this to a slimline top folding landscape card. 

I hope you like today's card. I hope this inspires you to look at your craft dies and give the die cut a different look, extending the use of your dies. Maria Giselle B.

Below, I have added a link to the Kat Scrappiness product I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Kat Scrappiness website, do check out their wide array of products including the exclusive Kat Scrappiness products. 

Maria Giselle B.

I am sharing this creation at

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Fun With Washi! 

Simon Says Stamp Happy World Card Making Day #106

Ally's Angels: Challenge #62~Anything Goes

Autumn Inspired Slimline Card

Hello! We have a new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs. Our challenge theme for this month is Autumn Harvest and/or Houses. Our sponsor for this challenge is Alex Syberia Design. I linked the image I used on this card below.

I printed the image on heavyweight white cardstock. I colored the image using several mediums (Tim Holtz Distress Crayons, Zig Clean Color Waterbrush and Karin markers.) Since I am not using a watercolor paper, I am doing a dry watercolor technique. I fussy cut the image leaving a white border around it. I added Tim Holtz Antique Linen watercolor crayon to the white spaces to mute the stark white. 

I trimmed a Hero Arts Plum cardstock at 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" for the front panel. I added the embossed frame with the use of a mat. The slimline frame die is from the Trinity Stamps Frame and Fold die. 

The layout is inspired by the sketch below from Scrapbook & Cards. I die cut patterned papers from Echo Park Fall Fever 6x6 paper pad using one of the rectangles from the Hero Arts Infinity Rectangle dies. I picked some ephemera from the same line and from the Simple Stories Autumn Splendor. I played around with the elements that will complete my layout until I am satisfied with how it looks. I inked the edges of the rectangle patterned paper die cuts using an ink that matches the color of the patterned paper. I inked the hexagonal ephemera too.

I adhered the rectangle patterned paper die cuts to the plum panel, then adhered the ephemera, adding some metallic embellishments. I heat embossed a postage stamp from the Simple Stories Autumn Splendor stamp set to the right lower rectangle patterned paper. I used a Ranger Copper embossing powder for this.

I die cut the sentiment on the colored digital image. I heat embossed the sub-sentiment using a brown dye ink and clear embossing powder. I adhered a copper glittered paper to the back of the colored digital image which shows through the holes created by the sentiment die. I adhered this to the panel using foam adhesive. 

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you join our latest challenge at Incy Wincy Designs. Have a blessed, brilliant and creative day!

Below, I have added the link to the Trinity Stamp product I used on this card. There will be no additional cost to you should you decide to purchase this product. While you are at the Trinity Stamps website, do check out the other amazing Trinity Stamps products including their newly released products.

Maria Giselle B.

Image Sponsor

I am sharing this creation at

Scrapbook & Cards Fall Issue Challenge Week~Sketch with Nathalie DeSousa

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes