"Fire" Card Tutorial

Here's the tutorial I promised for my "fire" birthday card.

First we pick our main cardstock.  I used a white sheet for the main card and folded it on the longest side (shall now be referd to as 'card') and then picked out two more sheets of cardstock for my accents. (Note the sizes are in the picture, click to englarge)

Then, taking a glue runner (or any type of glue you prefer), run glue around the edge of the black cardstock and center over the white card.

Now we get to do some stamping!  I love stamping!!! Grab your third piece of cardstock, your favorite stamp and some black ink.  Stamp away all over the page.  Voilà!  Homemade patterend paper!  Center your new paper over the card and glue down.

Okay, this piece of cardstock I had not originally planned on, however I decided that my card needed more depth so I grabbed an additional piece of white cardstock (11cm*16cm) and doodled some black lines and colored in randomly with a yellow marker and goldenrod marker (prismacolor brand).  Alternatively you could use whatever patterned cardstock you have on hand, I just didn't have the right colors so I very quickly improvised!  Now, gently tear the edges of the paper on all sides and then glue down at an angle over your yellow cardstock.

We're going to make a 3D fireman sticker!  We print our little fireman out, twice.  1) We trim out one complete image and only the parts we want 3D from the second image (refer to picture) and then glue the images onto whatever random cardstock you have (does not matter because you won't be able to see it).  Next we color him and the other clipped images (I used Prismacolor markers again).
2) Then we cut out the cardstock onto which he is glued.  Then cut out your other images (refer to picture).
3)Flip over your trimed pieces and place your 'pop dots' where they would stick to your complete fireman image.  Remove the backing and glue the images onto your complete fireman.  Voilà! You just made your own homemade 3D sticker!

Now do that all over again for your fire sticker! 
Print your fire twice.  Cut out one complete fire and then cut out the smaller inner flame.  Glue to cardstock; color; cut out.  Place your pop dots.
Take double sided tape and place on the back of the fireman and your fire and glue to card where you like.

 Lets make a ribbon border.  Take a long piece of ribbon (about twice the length that you want for the finished border;  so if you want a 7" border then the ribbon should be close to 14" long aprox).  Cut a strip of cardstock the length of your border, but skinnier than your ribbon's width to ensure you don't see it peeking out.  Take your "Tacky Glue" and draw a line of glue down a small portion of your cardstock.  Place your ribbon down on it, then take up a little section to make a bump and place down your ribbon on the other side.  Continue adding glue and making bumps with your ribbon until you are done your border.  Glue your border down onto your card.

And a tag if you like, and cake on fire inside and your done!

Click here for the fireman, fire and cake images.

"Manly" Cards

So I'm a bit of a girly girl.  I love flowers and butterflies; pretty ribbon and jewels; and all things sparkly!  However, the males in my life don't seem to have the same appreciation for these fine things as I do.  So when it comes to making "manly" cards I seem to get a little stuck!  Ever have that problem?  Well if you do, then check out my latest creations for "manly" cards! 

This was a card I made a few weeks ago for my fathers birthday. 

This was my "come hither" card for my hubby's birthday this year.  Yes there are two flowers in the "Happy Birthday" label but I figured that would be overlooked for the "seductiveness" of the card.  lol!

This is a card I made last week for my brother-in-law's birthday.

(Check out my next post to see how you can make a card like this one!)

Hope I helped give you some inspiration for your next "manly" card project!

Napkin Flowers

Time to add some Spring to my crafting projects and what better way then with some flowers, Napkin Flowers that is!  Did you ever make tissue paper flowers when you were in school?  Well, this is just like that except with various sizes of dinner napkins.  If you're not sure what I'm talking about then just follow my steps.


1) First, pick your napkins.  Any colors.  There are no rules.
If you want something more interesting, pick a larger napkin
of one color and a smaller napkin of another color. The more napkins the fluffier, and more ornate the flower.  So pick 2 or more
larger napkins and 1 smaller napkin.

2) Trim the outer edge of the smaller napkin, either with a

"fancy" edge scissor or just make a scallop edge with straight

  edge scissors. 

3) Open the napkins and layer them up.  You can also carefully
peel apart the ply's of the napkin (this is better for the really stiff
kind of dinner napkin, if they're very soft then peeling them apart
might make your layers too flimsy; in that case it's better to use more
napkins instead)  For smaller size flowers, don't open the napkins,
rather, cut them into 4 squares and layer those.

 4) Now starting at one end fold back and forth like a fan until completely folded up.  My pictures help clarify.




5) Cut a small semi-circle of one end of the fan;
repeat on the other end. This will give a nice petal
shape to your flower. You can also do an inverted
semi-circle to give a more "edgey" look. Just play
with it!

              6) Grab your "fan" approx. in the middle and tie a string, a piece of twine or a twist tie around the middle (string works best for smaller flowers, twist ties are excellent for large ones)with the knot being in the back and the two colors facing up.

7) Pull up the layers of the"fan".  Be gentle, you don't want to rip it.  And make sure you pull up all the way

into the center.

8) Continue to pull up on the layers and to fluff
them until your fan turns into a beautiful flower.
There is no right or wrong way to do this, it's all
personal preference and fun. 

So now you have a fantastic napkin flower that can be used anywhere!  Use huge ones as centerpieces, or wall art.  Talk about an inexpensive way of decorating a wedding shower, or tea party!  Various sizes can be used instead of a bows for gift wrapping.  Smaller ones can be used on scrap pages and cards.  Ideas are endless.  What would you use them for?

See my idea in action.  Check out Leia's Culinary Treasures to see how beautifuly she set her dinner table using napkin flowers.

Tulle Butterflies

I have been browsing around blogs today and I discovered a fantastic one, Bird's Crafts.  She has a fantastic tutorial on making your own butterflies.  I can't wait to try these out myself!

Click Here for the complete instructions.

Spring!

Spring is Here!  Well, sort of.  The weather has been slow to warm up in my neck of the woods, but thats all the more reason to make some bright and happy Spring and Easter cards! 

This card is made on plain white cardstock, and then layered up with plain purple cardstock, a tone on tone orange paper and a more colorful floral paper, both of which are from Me and My Big Ideas, Paper Pad "Fashion District".  The image is from a free Precious Moments coloring pages webpage (just google precious moments)  which I printed out and then colored in using Prismacolor Premier artist markers.  I turned the image 3D with pop dots behind the girl and my title.  The border is a strip of paper that I cut from another sheet from "Fashion District", which I then folded to end up with 3 little sections.  I glued the sections down and then stamped and embossed the three bronze flowers ontop.  I then glued the little jewels into their centers.  Here are some close ups of the details.