August Cards

We were on travel the last half of August, soon after I made these two cards for a couple of my grandkids, so I never got them posted till now. I need to make a duplicate of this first card for another grandson, who is a train fanatic.

I made this first card  using mostly dies by Karen Burniston:

I used Gemini dies to create the second card, which was for a granddaughter:

I made the second card using paper piecing techniques, with some Copics to help with coloring certain elements.

Both cards were time consuming, and the kids probably destroyed them unless their moms saved them, but a photo is forever.

Other Cards I Made in October

I made a birthday card for one of my granddaughters this month. I used a set of (new to me) dies from Gemini and used a Silhouette Design Store cutting file to make the frame for it instead of doing it by hand. I also turned parts into a paper piecing to add detail. Here is my granddaughter's birthday card (it took hours to make):

I also made an alternate of the Witch Shoe card, but decided it was too involved to duplicate.  All the cutting files, including the print and cut shoes and papers, are from the Silhouette Design Store:

 

This last one is a CAS (Clean and Simple) card, which I did, hoping it would meet the CARDtober #27 challenge, in case it gets posted, although I don't know if it will fit whatever challenge is posted. If it does work for that, I will move it from this post to that one. The Precious Moments print and cut is from the Silhouette Design Store:

CARDtober Alternative Card Option

For those who have been trying to do every CARDtober challenge, there have been two things making it difficult for some. In the first place, my second and last challenges (interactive card and box card) were more difficult. In the second place, one of the challenges has not yet been posted. The last one is a problem for me, since I will be on the road the rest of October, starting tomorrow.

Grammadee, who is the author and moderator of CARDtober, is allowing me to post an additional challenge as an alternative. This brings the challenges to 32, assuming the missing challenge is still posted late. If it is never posted due to unknown circumstances, then those trying for the 50 point bonus will still be able to reach it.

If you accomplish 31 challenges, you still get that 50 point completion bonus. If the missing challenge is posted and you do all 32, you get an additional 5 points besides whatever points your Alternative CARDtober Challenge card would normally earn.

You can use the Alternate Challenge only once, in place of either the missing challenge OR one of the more difficult challenges.

So I am offering a "Pick Your Challenge" Alternative challenge, where you can choose from one of the following options--just be sure to post a photo of your card, and tell us which of these challenges you did:

Option 1: Make a card for your favorite holiday, whether it is Valentine's, Easter, Christmas, or whatever. It can be totally out of season.

Option 2: Make a card with a stamp/stamp set, die/die set, or product that you have bought in the last year but have never used.

Option 3: Make a birthday card. No restrictions or requirements. Birthday cards are just handy to have ready to send.

Option 4: Fashionista Challenge.  Make a card related to fashion in some way. This is the one I am choosing, and here is my card:

Twist: make at least one duplicate of your Alternate CARDtober challenge card, for an additional point for each duplicate card. I actually made multiples of this one because it was so easy and fun, so I am posting a picture of them all for an extra 7 points, since I made 7 duplicates of the original (for a total of 8 cards).

CARDtober #31 Midnight Sky Inspiration

This one was based on a mood board inspiration of a midnight starry sky. It had multiple colors in the sky, but I chose to go with white rhinestones and tiny punched silver dots to fit my Christmas card. There is also supposed to be a surprise pop out as the twist. I made my sentiment inside appear to be a floating pop up for my surprise.

CARDtober #30 Paper Pieced Cutie

If this seems to be cheating, it is because I got advance information on what the last two challenges would be.  We are helping our youngest son and his wife move this week, and today will probably be the last day that I can do anything for CARDtober. We have a 3 day drive ahead of us, beginning tomorrow.

I think this one was also supposed to be a pun. My paper piecing was too detailed to do by hand, although there was an extra point for those who did theirs old school.

CARDtober #29 Think Inside the Box

It's time to post my last Tuesday CARDtober challenge.

Think inside the box, by making a 3D box card, a.k.a.card in a box. You can make a Z fold card, or some other variation on a box card.

You get a bonus point if you add shimmer with Wink of Stella, Glimmer Mist, or something similar. You get an additional point if you use stamps.

I used Wink of Stella, and a very old stamp set by Stampin' Up. I created my own stable box card.

CARDtober #28 White Die-cut

The host used a new die, but the twist is to use white as the main color of the element/embellishment, with a contrasting color behind it.

CARDtober #27 Not posted yet......

It should be CAS, but no idea what the twist will be.

Picture will be posted later, if the host posts it in time for me to do it.

CARDtober 26 Scraps & Stash

The samples from this challenge were from the Silhouette Design Store. I can't use my cutter right now, so I used some leaves I cut for a different project but never used, then hand drew and hand cut the rectangle panels. A leftover but never used stamped image seemed to fit with it. The background was a scrap, too, although it has more fall colors in it than appear in the photo.

CARDtober 25 Layered Die_Cuts

Birch Press started the layered die craze. I got a set of some small layered dies from Spellbinders as part of the Small Die Club, so I used them for this project out of scrap. Some pearls and a leftover scrap completed the card.

CARDtober24 Backgrounds

This challenge was for backgrounds, printed, embossed, or anything where the background is a large or obvious element of the card. I had printed and cut this Silhouette Design Store card background earlier in the month but never used it till now. The Precious Moments characters were also a print and cut. I used Nuvo Drops for the sides of the oval.

CARDtober #23 Punny Cuties and Critters

My family loves puns, so this was a fun challenge. I actually had planned to do this one a bit different than the way it turned out. We have a lot going on right now, and I don't have as much play time. However, today I got some time that I didn't expect, so I just did a quicker card. It's simple, but I'm happy with it. First, the front:

And the inside:

My youngest is a punster. He's going to love it.

CARDtober #22 Dimension with Texture

It's my turn again to host the challenge.  This one is about creating dimension with texture. You can use rough fabric such as burlap or denim to create texture you can feel with your fingers. I used prills for the centers of the sunflowers, which are nice and bumpy.

Those on teams get a bonus point if they use a background stamp they have never used before. I popped a sunflower for additional dimension, and I stamped the background out of two different colors (green and yellow), then cut out and glued the sunflowers overtop the green sunflowers.

CARDtober #21 Detailed Die Cuts & Paper Tearing

I have a lot of detailed dies, but I rarely use them. I used one from Heartfelt Creations for this challenge. I was able to also use a printed die cut from the Silhouette Design Store that I prepared last week but ended up not actually using, so it was left over. It worked perfectly for this card. Papers are from a BoBunny 6x6 pad.

CARDtober #20 CAS with Sequins

This challenge was to do a Clean and Simple card with sequins to dress it up. This is definitely simple. I did pop the birds and used Wink of Stella on the bits of snow. Papers are by Graphic 45.

CARDtober #19 Scraps & Stash Multiples

This challenge is to have a card with multiples of the same thing. The sample showed die cut images, but I decided to go for stamped images. I used scraps and stash for all of it. I had never used the broom and spiderweb stamps, and the door stamp has not been used for years. The wood background of the "house" wall is from Stampin' Up. I created the sign in Word, then die cut it.

CARDtober #18 Stamp & Die Sets

The challenge was to use a matching stamp and die set, and to pop up one of the elements that you cut out.  I used Heartfelt Creations Festive Holly and Winter's Eve stamps and dies, along with the Tim Holtz brick embossing folder. I colored mine with Copic markers after cutting them out with their matching dies. I popped out the wagon wheel. Unfortunately, I had to cut off a portion of the bottom of the wheel to get everything to fit. I would have done a 5x7 card, but the embossing folder wasn't big enough.

CARDtober #17 Pop Dot Holiday

I used Graphic 45 St. Nicholas papers for my holiday card, with something popped out to create dimension and fulfill the challenge:

CARDtober #16 Ink It!

This one really was more of a challenge for me. I made it harder than it needed to be, because I could have just stamped and inked edges, but instead, I decided I should go artsy.

I don't do artsy. But I did. And I am pretty happy with the results.

Unfortunately, the photo does not show how much it shimmers, because I used Glimmer Mist on it after inking it.

The five weird looking little circles are sequins and seed beads that I sewed on by hand.

I don't sew or stitch on paper, either. But I did.

All in all, it was a definite stretch for me, but well worth the effort, even though I spent so much time on it.  Would I do anything like this again? Not any time soon. I don't do messy products if I can help it, even though for this one, I did.

CARDtober #15 Interactive Card Challenge

It's my turn to be hostess again for Tuesday, October 15th. For this challenge, I created dimension with an interactive feature on my card. The little coffin is a die-cut that opens. It stays closed with a tiny, thin magnet.

The magnet itself is hidden, encased in a tiny foam box created with thin pieces of poster tape, sandwiched between two layers of card stock to minimize the risk of a child pulling it off. Magnets aren't just a swallowing hazard, they can be deadly to a child. The bonus is that you don't even see the magnet, which makes a nicer looking card, too.

The stamps and die were among my GASC convention finds. The die is from Crafty Cutts. The stamps are from Inky Antics and are designed to go with the die, all except for the kitten in the pumpkin stamp. I bought the kitten stamp from Stampin' Up many long years ago.

Another card I made for an example is this Get Well card with a wheel that turns. While not quite as obviously dimensional, the wheel section is thicker, and the "get well" stamped image is popped at the bottom to compensate for the thickness of the wheel. The stamp set is from Art Gone Wild, and it's another stamp set I found at GASC in June. This is the first time I have ever used either of these stamp sets.

One other example is a Sliding Window Pop Up card. It has been years since I made and posted one, but it fits this challenge perfectly. Your card goes from flat to dimensional by pulling on the tag at the top of the card:

For the Sliding Window Pop Up, I used the new Heartfelt Creations Sea Breeze papers, which is an absolutely beautiful collection. (The differences in coloring had to do with the lighting on my end--the left image was scanned, the second was a photo taken late at night.) The sentiment on the front of the tag was a stamp by Seaside Stampin' Ink (found at one of the scrapbook conventions and used for the first time on this card). I split the saying, and put the remainder on the inside of the card, which is not shown. The sentiment on the tag (that you pull to open the window) is a very old one from My Sentiments Exactly.

You can find the tutorial for the 3rd card example by clicking on the following link:

Surprise Pop Up Card

An interactive card does not have to be as involved or complicated as these samples. It can be as simple as having a pocket attached, with a tag to pull out. Or if you want to do something different than any of the above, it could be a Waterfall Card, a step card, or a pop up twist card. There are so many possibilities.

If there is something hidden that the receiver can find by sliding, pulling, lifting, turning, or anything interactive, it counts as interactive. Making it dimensional is up to you.

CARDtober #14 Textured Spray & Layered Die-cuts

For this challenge, we were supposed to use a shimmer texture spray and/or layered die cuts. I don't own any textured spray, and I am on a spending freeze since my son said that I couldn't go for a month without buying any craft supplies. I told him I would go at least till Dec. 1st.

I made a huge mess and had a lot of frustration trying to mimic the look of textured spray, but failed to get anything I liked or that looked similar.

I ended up going for the layered die-cuts with some Wink of Stella on the "Hello" die-cuts, as well as on the print and cut (from Silhouette Design Store). Unfortunately, the shimmer doesn't show in the photo, even when scanned.

CARDtober #13 CAS Collection/Kit Challenge

This challenge was to create 2 CAS (clean and simple) cards using similar supplies, such as from a collection or a kit.

I used Heartfelt Creations' "Celebrate the Season" collection (discontinued) that I had in my stash to make these two Christmas cards. I added silver edged ribbon and clear rhinestones to add a little bling.

CARDtober #12 Scraps and Stash

I used scraps from the BoBunny Celebrating Freedom collection. They were left over from a card that I made back in the summer. The pinwheel, twine, red enamel dots and card stock were from my stash. This card is symmetrical, and can be used either vertical or horizontal.

CARDtober #11 Stacked Sentiment w/Pocket or Cut Apart Card

For this challenge we were to die cut a sentiment 5 times, then stack and glue the layers together to make a very dimensional sentiment that stands out. The twist for bonus points was to use a pocket card or cut apart. I don't do pocket scrapbooking, but I do have some sheets of cut apart cards that I bought for home decor blocks. The one I used was from BoBunny's Madeleine collection. The sentiment was cut with an extremely old Cuttlebug die (Cuttlebug stopped making dies several years ago). I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder that is a relatively recent purchase. I made the flowers with the Heartfelt Creations Oakberry Lane Blossoms die and added prills to the centers. While most of the cards I make are A2 (5.5 x 4.25), this card is a 5x7.

CARDtober #10 Holiday with Ribbon or Twine

I printed and cut this little Frankie from the Silhouette Design Store back in September while I was practicing the print and cut ability of my Cameo. I never got around to using Frankie till now. Today's CARDtober #10 challenge was to make a card in a holiday theme, and also to use ribbon or twine on it. I have far more twine than ribbon, especially with colors that are more Halloween.

This is my Halloween card with twine:

I used scraps to make the card, too. Everything was left over from some other project.

CARDtober #9 Out of Place and/or Out of Comfort Zone

The hostess of this challenge encouraged everyone to either make a card with a critter in an unusual background and/or to use a technique that was out of our comfort zone. We got 2 points if we did both.

I struggled with ideas for this one, since most of the ideas for critters out of place were a bit morbid or would result in a card I would not really like. I didn't want to copy the examples the hostess gave, but I did to some extent. She had a giraffe with his head in the clouds. I used stencils to make a cloud background, then used a stamp set from Inky Antics that I had bought at GASC in June.

I used a shimmer embossing paste on the die-cut clouds, which was definitely out of my comfort zone. I don't like messy stuff, and I don't feel that I know how to use embossing paste well. I used different thicknesses of foam to get varying depth for my layers, a reflection of the challenge that I posted yesterday. The balloon string was stiffened with Glossy Accents and curled around a long straight pin.

CARDtober Challenge 8 Dimension 1

As the hostess for the CARDtober Challenge for Tuesday, the 8th, I chose to focus on dimension. Those who are participating on a team get a bonus point if they use one or more stamped and popped images or have something peeking out, for a total of 2 bonus points if they do both, but I am hoping they make it really pop!

I created the dimension for my card using different thicknesses of pop dots for the stamped witch, bat, and to keep the folds from laying flat. The folds reveal another patterned paper peeking out, with bats also coming out from behind the fold.

CARDtober Challenge 7 Die Cut and Colored Cardstock

I'm not sure I fully understood the challenge, but the sample used a rectangle "cabinet" die cut with different colors of plain card stock in some of the various rectangle openings. Years ago it would have been referred to as color blocking, but apparently that type of card is now called Mondrian.

I don't have anything like that, but the challenge did not seem to be for a Mondrian card, so I used a die and colored card stock to create a design reminiscent of stained glass. I'm happy with the results. I don't think I would have thought to use the die in this way if it hadn't been for the challenge.

CARDtober Challenge 6 Clean & Simple

This one was to create a card that was clean and simple. I used an embossing folder by Stampin' Up, as well as Print & Cut designs from the Silhouette Design Store.

CARDtober Challenge #5 Scraps

This challenge focused on using scraps to make your card. Here is one I made today from fall scraps. Even the card base was made with a leftover scrap of card stock.

CARDtober Challenge #4 Die Cut Scene

This challenge was to use dies or an electronic cutter to create a scene from die-cuts. This is a cutting file for a Christmas scene that I bought from the Silhouette Design Store:

Yes, it is a type of box card, but I will be sharing other types of cards throughout the month, too. I like box cards because they have a lot of dimension to them.

CARDtober Challenge #3 Holiday Card w'Layers

This challenge is to make a card based on any holiday, with an extra challenge to use layers. I am also trying to use scraps throughout the month, and I found some cute fall/Halloween paper scraps to use for making my card. The stamped kitty in the pumpkin is one of my favorite stamps. The spiderweb is from a pack that I found at Tuesday Morning a month or so ago. I only used half of one.

CARDtober Challenge #2 Critters and Cuties

This challenge was to use LOTS of critters or cuties on a card. The definition given was that if it has a face, it qualifies.

The Silhouette Design Store had a set of cute little hedgehogs which seemed perfect for a box card. Yes, I am still addicted to box cards. Here is what I came up with for my take on the critter challenge:

It's CARDtober! Challenge #1 Photo Inspiration

A photo was posted of a winter sunset, and we were told to use it as inspiration. Since it is still incredibly hot where I live, and we don't really get snow, I decided to use the sunset colors, particularly the purple.  I also am trying to use scraps on every project this month, and both the purple card stock and striped paper were in my scrap folder. I used"THAT folder" for the embossing, added a stamped image, and gave it some dimension with tiny stamped flowers that I shaped, then added some pearls for bling.

Another Scarecrow Box Card

I used print and cut files (3 scarecrows, sign, and pumpkins), as well as patterned papers from the Silhouette Design Store for this box card.

The basic box card itself is my own simple design.

Autumn Photos

Up to now I haven't posted any photos except for crafts, but I am participating in the September challenges at RefuPeas, which means I am making an exception to gain some points for my team.

These are photos taken in September at the Dallas Arboretum. We don't get much in the way of fall colors here, so this was a treat. They even had a pumpkin patch ready for the Great Pumpkin.

Sketchtember

I joined a team for Sketchtember at RefuPeas. That was probably a bad idea, since this month we have done some traveling and been helping DS3 move out of our home and to a new place.

Another reason it was a bad idea is that I really don't do well with sketches. I signed up thinking it would be a good exercise for me, but very few of the sketches were suitable for card making, and I need to get photos printed before I can do any scrapbooking. The month has flown by, and I only made one project based on a sketch challenge. It's not my favorite, but here it is:

Box Cards Revisited

When I first saw box cards, I had to learn to make them. My scrapping buddies and I made quite a few before we got tired of them. Back then we made them with a 12 inch trimmer and a scoring tool. Then I made a cutting file and used my old blue Wishblade to speed up the process. Later, I used my Cameo. I downloaded and made some of the ones by SVG Cuts. Eventually I got tired of making box cards, and focused on my scrapbooking and other crafts. I made about one a year. When we started the moving process, it was a long time before I made another box card, and that was after we had moved halfway across the country. It was a stamped scarecrow box card for the RefuPeas 2018 CARDtober challenge.

In February, I designed a box card for my card group to do. Most of them had never made box cards. I showed some of the different box cards I had made so they could see the possibilities. They wanted to make the scarecrow box card, but it was too time intensive. Eventually it occurred to me to turn it into a print and cut file so it would go together faster. We made it last month as a group.

I have not had much interest in print and cut designs before, but I decided to play around with making more print and cut box cards. This week I made 3 box cards for family birthdays, two of which are print and cut.

I loved being able to use the print and cut designs from the Silhouette Design Store for two of these three. The other one was a cutting file that I had also purchased from the Silhouette Design Store. It took a lot longer to make the die-cut box card than the two print and cut versions. It's probably obvious, but the completely die-cut box card is the one in the middle:

Click on the photo to see a larger image.

Changing Your Perspective

These are cards that were going to be made for our card night, but when I first started them, I couldn't get past the offset and popped letters. I don't usually glue anything down until I am happy with it, but I had glued down the letters of the top card, and nothing I did looked right after that. I considered the idea a dud, felt like my creativity for the week had gone on vacation, and I set the two cards aside, not sure whether to try to salvage them later or put them in the trash.

I cleaned up most of the card making mess in my craft room yesterday, but these two unfinished and unloved cards were still sitting on my table. I was ready to toss them this morning. Then, another idea occurred to me, a simple one, but I went with it, and the cards were salvaged. I do wish that I had inked the letters and edges of the top card before gluing down the letters. I was afraid I would really ruin it if I tried to ink everything after the fact. I did ink the letters and edges for the second one since nothing had been glued down yet on that one. The inking on the edges looks better to me and shows the dimension more.

Sometimes you just have to step away for a bit when a project isn't going right, and try again later when you can look at it with a fresh perspective.

September Card Night

Before leaving on vacation, I decided that I would do the scarecrow box card (posted here last October), but an evening making the card again made me realize that it would be difficult to do in the time we have. I played around a bit with print and cut, then decided that I could scan the scarecrow and cornstalk stamped images and turn it into a print and cut box card. I ran out of time before we left, but I took my laptop on vacation, and when I had a bit of free time, I worked on creating the file. It worked well, so we'll be doing the scarecrow box card after all. In fact, we'll have time to make an additional card, as long as it would be fast and easy. I had a cute apple basket stamp that became the focal point for a rocker card, so we'll be making both of the cards shown below: