True Friend Waterfall Card!

This type of card is called a "waterfall" card because they are often done in the portrait orientation and when you pull the ribbon the panels appear as if they tumble from a waterfall. This card is shown in a landscape orientation but could also be done in portrait by just turning the last panel 90 degrees.

The long blank panel that appears as you pull the ribbon serves as a good place to write your message to the recipient.

Shown below are a few other "waterfall" cards I have done in the past. The birthday themed card was an invitation to our youngest birthday party a while ago. The details for the party were printed on the panel that appears as you pull the ribbon to get the waterfall action.

This one was a Halloween themed waterfall card I made a couple years ago.

Here are the directions and materials list for the True Friend Waterfall card. The others are made exactly the same way just substituting card stock colors and stamp images.

Waterfall Card Technique:

Materials:

5 ½" x 4 ¼" base layer (Always Artichoke)
5 ¼" x 4" Designer Paper (Brocade Backgrounds)
4 pieces of 2 1/8" x 2 1/8" cardstock (Always Artichoke)
4 pieces of 1 7/8" x 1 7/8" to stamp images (Natural Ivory)
9" x 1 ¾" strip (Natural Ivory)
4" x 5/8" strip (Always Artichoke)
2 eyelets (Earth Elements, Old Olive)
Always Artichoke Classic Ink Pad
Crop-a-dile hole punch/eyelet setter
5" Very Vanilla ¼" wide grosgrain ribbon
Adhesive

Steps:

1. Stamp the 4 images from the True Friend stamp set in Always Artichoke ink on the small Natural Ivory squares.
2. Layer the stamped images onto the 4 squares of Always Artichoke cardstock.
3. Attach the Always Artichoke 5/8" strip of cardstock between ¾" and 1" from the right edge of the Designer Paper using eyelets set about ½" from the top and the bottom of the strip.
4. Score the 9" x 1 ¾" strip of Natural Ivory cardstock at 2", 2 ¾", 3 ½", and 4 ¼". Bend the cardstock at each score line.
5. Slip the long end of the scored strip under the Always Artichoke strip. Fold the other end and glue the 2" scored end to the center, far right edge of the Always Artichoke strip.
6. Glue a stamped layered square (the one you want to appear last in the waterfall) to the 2" scored section of the Natural Ivory strip so that the square meets the scored line at the left edge (not extending beyond the score line).
7. Glue each of the remaining layered stamped squares to each successive scored area of the Natural Ivory strip so the layered square meets each scored line at the left edge.
8. Punch a slot (Slot Punch) in the Natural Ivory strip at the far right. Tie the Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon through the slot.
9. Layer the Designer Paper with attached images onto the Always Artichoke 5 ½" x 4 ¼" piece.
10. Pull the ribbon and watch the images appear.

These cards are fun to make and can be made to fit any theme you can think of!

Holiday gift card or money holder

This card is a good idea for the upcoming holiday season. It is a creative way to give a gift card or money. To make this card, cut a sheet of Whisper White card stock in half to form a piece that is 5.5" x 8.5" (or you might want to use 6" x 8.5" piece of card stock so the card is a little longer to hold money). Score the card stock at 3" and 6" along the 8.5" side. Fold at the scored lines to form a trifold card. Cut along an angle at the edge of the inside fold (see picture of inside of card). Glue along the right side of the inside fold to form the pocket that holds the money or the gift card.
For the front of the card, Real Red card stock (2 5/8" x 5.5") was stamped in Craft White ink with Background Basics stamp set. A piece of the Dashing Designer Paper with Real Red Grosgrain ribbon tied around it was layered onto the Real Red card stock which was then adhered to the front of the card. The 1 3/8" square punch was punched through the Real Red and Whisper White front of the card. The inside image (from Greetings Galore) was stamped on the inside so it appears through the square window. Tip: use a pencil to trace the square opening onto the inside of the card so you can align the inside image in the proper location (the Stamp-a-ma-jig helps to get the image exactly where you want it in the penciled square). Then erase the light pencil marking.

Color in the stamped image as you want with the Stampin' Write Markers, add Dazzling Diamonds glitter if you really want to make it sparkle! The small open-ended envelopes (page 169) work well for this size card.

Theresa

The Snowflake Spot Card!

It's November already! Time to get those Holiday cards started if you haven't already. This card was another one of our October stamp club projects. Again I can't take credit for the design of this great card. It is another one I copied (with minor changes) from the monthly swap I do with a small group of other local demonstrators (this was Laura Palmer's card swap).

This is a card that doesn't require a lot of stamping and no special techniques were used, but I love the color combination. The layering on the Basic Black really makes the Bashful Blue and the Certainly Celery (card stock and designer paper) stand out. And the Square Ice Brad (turned diagonally) in the center of the snowflake (from The Snowflake Spot set) really adds some bling to the card!

Speaking of Designer Paper, there is a GREAT special in this month - the Paper Party Promo! Between now and the end of November, you can get a FREE pack of Designer Series paper for each 3 packs you purchase. This includes the 16 monochromatic paper packs, the 2 Designer papers in the Holiday mini, and the other 17 patterned papers in the catalog (see page 170-173). All the Designer Papers are double sided (patterns on both sides) and thicker than typical patterned papers. You can see "swatches" of each of the paper packs HERE.

Supplies for this card (all available in the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Idea Book).
Stamp Sets: The Snowflake Spot
Inks: Bashful Blue
Card stock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery Designer Series paper
Accessories: Square Rhinestone brad (Ice)

Theresa

Autumn Fest Card

This is a card we did at October stamp club. I can not take credit for design of this card. I stole the idea from Sheila Selinksy, one of the demos I meet with monthly. This was her swap last month and I loved it and used it for stamp club (with some minor changes). There are no special techniques involved, but it gave us a chance to try out the Crop-a-dile for setting eyelets. Once you have used the Crop-a-dile, you will never go back to setting eyelets with a hammer!

Supplies: (all available in the Fall/Winter Stampin' Up! catalog)

Stamp Set: Autumn Fest (page 108), Itty Bitty Backgrounds (page 131), Holiday & Wishes (page 143). Canvas Background Stamp (page 138)

Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White

Inks: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red

Accessories: Earth Elements eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Chocolate Chip Tafetta Ribbon, Word Window Punch

Enjoy the card!

Theresa

Leaves Awash Treat Container!

I am finally posting the last of our September stamp club projects. You will sometimes see these little treat containers called "sour cream" containers since they are shaped like the single serving sour cream containers you might get at a restraurant. They are the perfect size to fit a couple pieces of candy in. I have used this type of container for SO MANY treats sent to school for kids birthdays and many other occasions. Imagine this particular one along the Thanksgiving table!

These are so easy to make. You start with a 1/4 sheet of card stock (5 1/2" x 4 1/4"). Stamp and decorate the card stock. In this case we wheeled the sheet with the Leaves Awash wheel on More Mustard card stock. Then we watercolored the leaves using the ink from the Always Artichoke, Really Rust, and Ruby Red ink pads. Tip: with the ink pad closed, squeeze the flexible bottom of the pad, then open the inkpad to find a pool of ink on the lid. Use your aquapainter to pick up some of the pooled ink to use for watercoloring the wheeled leaves. Another tip: if you are going to make a lot of these containers, to save time, wheel (or stamp) a whole 11" x 8 1/2" piece of cardstock and then cut into fourths.

Next, take your decorated 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of card stock and run adhesive on the back (the undecorate side) along one short (4 1/4") side and one longer (5 1/2") side. Sticky strip is the adhesive that will REALLY hold these containers closed. Roll the unglued short end towards the short end with adhesive to form what looks like a toilet tissue tube. Then pinch the end of the tube with adhesive shut. Running that pinched end into the crimper gives a nice decorative touch.

Put a few little treats in the tube, then pinch the other end of the tube shut after you turn it 90 degrees. That end can also be crimped and punched. Some cooridinating grosgrain ribbon can then be added to put the final touch on this cute container.

Give it a try. These are fun to make!

Theresa

*all supplies can be found in the Stampin' Up! Fall/Winter Idea Book.
See the Holiday Mini Catalog. Items available Sept 1-Nov 28th.
OCTOBER SPECIAL - Holiday Glitz Promotion (see details here).

Autumn Harvest Masking and Brayering!

This was the swap card I created for a demo swap awhile back and then my stamp club made it at the September meeting. I love this new Autumn Harvest set from the Holiday mini! It comes with a jack-o-lantern face so it is also great for kids' and Halloween cards and scrapbook pages.

A couple different techniques were used with this card: embossing, masking, crayon resist, and brayering. A piece of glossy cardstock was used for the main image. The smaller pumpkin and gourd in the forefront of the image were stamped first in Chocolate Chip craft ink. Those two images had clear embossing powder sprinkled on them and they were heat embossed. Masks of those two images were made by stamping them on a post it note and then cutting them out. The masks were placed over the two embossed images and then the biggest pumpkin and the leaves were stamped in the Chocolate Chip craft ink and then embossed with clear powder. The masks prevent the already stamped images from getting stamped on so the bigger pumpkin looks like it sits behind the other images.

To give a few "highlights" on the images, a white crayon is used to very lightly scribble on the glossy cardstock before brayering with the Pumpkin Patch spectrum pad. The crayon resists the ink leaving those areas white while the rest of the area gets ink from the brayer. In this card, the white was too bright of a highlight, so the added step (before the crayon) was to brayer with the sponge brayer the entire glossy piece with Creamy Caramel classic ink. Then the crayon was used very lightly to form the highlights. Finally, the rubber brayer was inked up using the Pumpkin Patch spectrum pad and then the inked brayer was rollered over the embossed images. The crayon areas resist the Pumpkin Patch ink and remain Creamy Caramel colored. Additional shadows on the pumpkins were added by taking the Stampin' Write markers and scribbling on some Ruby Red and Creamy Caramel shadows quickly followed by gentle rubbing with a tissue to blend the marker colors.

The rest of the card just involved punching the glossy cardstock layer with the Ticket Corner punch, layering, and adding the Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon (gorgeous ribbon, btw)! The Happy Thanksgiving sentiment is from the Holiday Wishes set and it was also stamped in Chocolate Chip craft ink and then embossed with clear powder.

I have to say this is one of my favorite cards. Hope you enjoy it!

Theresa

*All supplies for this card are available in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and the Holiday Mini Catalog (the Autumn Harvest set).

Spooky Skyline Spinner Card!

It is hard to capture the fun of this card with just a still shot. The moon spins across the front of the card. I have made previous spinner cards with other themes as well - a snowflake spinning, a girl cartwheeling (the girl with her arms raised from the retired Girlfriends set), a spinning flower...

The best part about this card is that it is really easy but it will amaze and amuse anyone you give it to. In this sample, the background colors (Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, and So Saffron) were sponged onto the Whisper White cardstock to make a sunset look. The Spooky Skyline jumbo wheel was then rollered in Basic Black ink across the sponged background.

The Word Window punch was used across the top to get the slot opening. Tip: use a ruler to draw a straight line starting at 3/4" from the left edge and stopping at 3/4" from the right edge on the back. Then punch 3 times overlapping each time following the straight line.

The moon is formed by sponging with the So Saffron on a scrap of white, stamping with the bats, then punching with the 1 3/8" circle punch. Happy Halloween is stamped using the Everyday Flexible Phrases set.

Two pennies are used to form the spinning mechanism for the card. Cut a piece of form tape into a 1/4" diameter circle. Place that small foam circle centered between the two pennies. The pennies are slipped into the punched slot so that one penny is behind and one penny is to the front of the slot. Test that your pennies freely roll back and forth in the slot. Then glue the stamped moon to the front penny.

The whole sponged/stamped white layer with spinning moon is layered onto the Basic Black card base using dimensionals between the layer and base so there is a gap that allows the pennies to spin.

Now just have fun watching your image spin back and forth (it can almost be hypnotizing)!

Theresa

*all supplies are available in the Stampin' Up catalog. Let me know if you need help finding anything.