"Monster-Sized" Birthday Cards - My Favorite Things

Hello!  I am up on the My Favorite Things blog for my third and final guest post this month.  I have had such a wonderful time as a guest for My Favorite Things and am so grateful for the opportunity.


Today I am sharing with you three "Monster Sized" Birthday Cards that I made featuring the newly released Monster Sized set combined with some previously released sets.  I love combining old and new stamp sets so that I can continue to get use out of them.  I don't know about you, but I find that I make birthday cards quite frequently.  I thought that this monster set was perfect for these occasions.


For my first card, I wanted these fun and silly monsters to look like they were throwing a surprise Birthday Party.  I combined the MFT Monster Sized Set with the LJD Make Yourself at Home and BB Up in the Air sets.  To get the 3D effect, I created a fun Pop-up Card with a floating floor.  I love doing cards with floating floors.  They may look really difficult and intricate, but honestly, the part that takes me the longest is the coloring.  The rest is just gluing pieces into place.


This card is a standard A2 sized card that faces horizontally.  To create something similar, first trim a piece of card stock to 5.5" x 8.5".  Then score at 4.25" on the 8.5" side.  For the floor itself, I trimmed a separate piece of card stock ( I added a piece of patterned paper from the MFT Kraft Collection Solid Stripes Paper Pack) at 5" x 5.5".  I then scored along the 5" side at 3/8", 4 2/8" & 4 5/8".  You can see how it folds in photo #1 above.  Before you attach the floor to the card base, follow these easy steps:
  • 1.  Line up your diecut images face down and mark them at their bases to see where you will need to cut some slits into the floor.  Make sure that these images do not lay over the front edge of the floor or they will stick out of the card when folded flat.
  • 2.  Using a craft knife, cut some small slits into the floor of your card.  Once this is done, you can then attach the floor to your A2 card base.  (If you have a background, adhere that first).  For my background, I simply trimmed a piece of the MFT Watercolor Wash Paper Pack.
  • 3 & 4. Once your floor is attached, adhere some L-shaped pieces of heavyweight card stock.  The bottom part of the L is what you will glue to the very base of the card.  Once done, simply add your colored and/or stamped diecuts.  


I did end up adding a few more pop-up pieces after my floor was attached.  It made it a little harder to cut the slits this way, but it was not impossible.  I decided to add a pile of gifts using the BB Beary Special Birthday set.  I used the coordinating dies to diecut all of my images which I had colored with Copic Sketch Markers.


Because the inside of my card has a lot going on, I wanted to keep the outside rather simple.  To do this, I just trimmed a piece of patterned paper (I used a bright plaid piece from the MFT Plaid Patterns Paper Pack) to cover the outside of my card.  I then added a 2.5" x 12" removable sleeve (cut from a 12"x12" white piece of card stock) to hold the card together when folded.  I added a piece of MFT Grape Jelly Card Stock on top of this sleeve.  I then diecut a scalloped circle from the MFT Die-namics Stitched Mini Scallop Circle STAX and added a monster to the center using some foam adhesive squares.  For the sentiment, I used the smallest of the MFT Die-namics Essential Fishtail Sentiment Strips.



Here is a short video clip (above) of how the sleeve and floating floor work.



For my second card, I created a fun Pop-Up Box Card that fits perfectly into a standard A2 sized envelope.  Once again, I combined the Monster Sized Set with the BB Up in the Air Set (I love those flag banners) and the BB Happy Hippos Set (the cake and balloons).

Card Measurements:
  • Begin with a piece of 12" x 12" card stock trimmed to 11.5" x 4.25"
  • Score on long side at 3.5", 5.5", 9" and 11"
  • Turn paper and score down the smallest side at 2 1/8"
  • You can then trim down one long side of the paper on all 4 score lines until you reach the midpoint.
  • Inside strips can be 1.25" high x 5" long and scored at 3/4" and 4 1/4"


For the background, I blended some MFT Blue Breeze Ink onto some smooth white card stock using the MFT Stencil Cloud.  For my panels, I used some MFT Blueberry Prestige Card Stock layered with some patterned paper from the MFT Birthday Blowout Paper Pack.  I also used some MFT Field Day Prestige Card Stock to diecut some grass using the MFT Die-namics Grassy Fields die set.  My sentiment came from the Monster Love Stamp Set which I stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink onto MFT Kraft Card Stock.



Lastly, I made a more simple card combing the Monster Sized Set with balloons from the BB Beary Special Birthday Set.  I added some patterned paper from the MFT Sweet Celebration Paper Pack to the base of my card.  For the main portion of my card, I diecut two cloud panels using the MFT Die-namics Stitched Cloud Edges and then diecut them again using the MFT Die-namics A2 Stitched Rectangle STAX so that they would line up perfectly on my stitched rectangle background panel.



For my background, I lightly blended some Peacock Feathers and Cracked Pistachio Distress Inks on top of the MFT Stencil Abstract.  I then added a piece of stitched vellum over this panel and placed my clouds on top.  The sentiment once again came from the Monster Love stamp set.

I hope you've enjoyed my projects today!  Birthday cards can be so much fun to make and they can be clean and simple or 3D.  The sky is the limit!  Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  Hope you all have a wonderful week!


If you liked these cards and want some more crafty inspiration, don't forget to check out my INSTAGRAM feed!

Wishing you all a lovely day!

♥ Rachel



   


   


BB Viking - My Favorite Things

Hello friends!  I am so happy to be back guest designing today for My Favorite Things.

I'd like to share with you three cards that I made using the recently released BB Viking set from My Favorite Things.  I absolutely love this set!

For my first card, I made a 3D Box Card.  I love creating cards with dimension.  To some people, box cards may be somewhat intimidating but they're really not that hard and they're so much fun to make and also to give to your friends and loved ones.


When I think of Vikings, I think of the Viking Longships and I first pictured this burly guy sailing the seas.  I decided to create my box to resemble his ship.  I first created my base with a 12" x 12" piece of dark brown card stock, a paper trimmer and a scoring board.  I usually follow THIS easy 3D Box Card tutorial by Splitcoaststampers but I trim my final product down a little bit smaller.  The final dimensions of the box itself when folded flat are 5.5" x  5.5".  I usually hand deliver these cards but they can fold nicely and also be sent in the mail in a padded or larger-sized envelope.


For my panels, I layered MFT Natural Cardstock and MFT Kraft Cardstock which I stamped with the MFT BG Wood Plank Background Stamp in some dark brown ink.  I then created an ocean wave bottom panel to wrap perfectly around the base of the card and attached it with adhesive.  For the wave panel, I blended Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks onto Neenah Classic Crest 80lb Solar White Paper.  I then spritzed it with some water and die cut it with the MFT Die-namics Ocean Waves.  I also used these same colors to create the ink-blended sky in the background.    


For the sail, I cut a 2.5" square piece of MFT Smooth White Card Stock and drew in some lines using the MFT Stripes Stencil (which I believe may now be retired) but a ruler would also work.  I colored in some red stripes using my Copics (R08, R46, R59) and then used the MFT Die-namics Oval Shadows to trim off some of the edges to make it look like the sail was blowing in the wind.  For the top of the mast, I actually used the straight clothesline die from the LLD Bundle of Baby Clothes Die-namics.  I added two white flags using the flag dies from the MFT Die-namics Castle.  For my Viking, I stamped him onto white cardstock and colored him with Copics (all colors will be listed at the end of this post).  I then used the coordinating die set to cut him out and attached him to the inside of the box.  


My second card is also a card with a lot of dimension.  This time, I created a Shadow Box Card that fits perfectly into a 5x7" envelope when folded flat (measurements below).  I wanted my Viking to look like he was exploring the hills and mountains of Norway.  I first created a background sky with Tumbled Glass and Broken China Distress Inks.  I then added some mountains using the MFT Die-namics Snow Capped Mountains with MFT Cement Gray and Grout Gray card stock.  For the hills, I first blended smooth white cardstock with Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss Distress Inks.  I then die cut them using the MFT Die-namics Grassy Hills.  I added a castle from the Knight in Shining Armor Stamp Set and some pine trees from the BB Beast Friends Set.


Shadow Box Card Measurements:
  • Trim 2 pieces of card stock at 5" x 8 1/4"
  • Score these pieces on the long side at 1 1/4" & 7"
  • Cut an open window in one of the pieces (I used the MFT Die-namics A2 Rectangle Stax and added a frame from the Die-namics Single Stitch Line Rectangle Frames)
  • Adhere these two pieces together on one side where the side flaps will overlap (this will be the frame of your box)
  • For the inside strips, cut 3 pieces of card stock at 6 3/8" long at varying heights to add dimension (I used heights of 1 1/2", 2" and 2 1/2")
  • Score each piece at 3/8" & 6"
  • After you are done scoring, you can then die cut these pieces with whatever border dies (if any) that you want to use.   I used the MFT Die-namics Grassy Hills.


Lastly, for my final card, I created a fun little valentine's-themed card.  I made my card 5" squared and added some square layering panels using MFT Cement Gray and Smooth White Card Stock.  I also added a red & white striped pattered paper panel from the MFT Birthday Blowout Paper Pack.  I die cut a few fishtail banners using the MFT Die-namics Stitched Fishtail Flag STAX on MFT Wild Cherry Card Stock and some vellum.


In the center of my card, I added a stitched white heart using the MFT Die-namics Stitched Heart STAX.  I then placed my stamped, cut and colored Viking on top of the heart with some foam adhesive squares.  For my sentiment, I used the newly released From The Heart Stamp Set.  I heat embossed my sentiment onto black cardstock with Super Fine Detail White Embossing Powder and then used one of the dies from the MFT Die-namics Hearts In A Row-Vertical Set to cut it out.  Simple but fun!

Copic Colors Used:
  • Viking #1: Skin: E50, E51, E21, E11, Beard: E42, E08, E09, E18, Coat: E21, E23, E27, E29, Shirt: BG11, BG32, BG 49, Pants: N3, N5, N8, Boots: E81, E84, E87, Ax: C1, C3, C5, C7
  • Viking #2Skin: E50, E21, E13, Beard: E13, E39, E19, E49, Coat: E40, E41, E43, Shirt: G20, YG25, G17, G28, Pants: E23, E25, E29, Boots: N3, N5, N8, Ax: C0, C2, C5 
  • Viking #3Skin: E50, E21, E13, Beard: E50, E53, E55, E57, Coat: E13, E39, E19, E49, Shirt: R14, R46, R59, Pants: E40, E43, E44, Boots: E13, E39, E19, E49, Ax: C1, C3, C5 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  Have a wonderful day and have fun creating!  

Rachel









In Paris - My Favorite Things


Hello crafty friends!  I am so excited to be guest designing today for My Favorite Things.  I absolutely love their products and am honored to be up on their blog today with this post.

I'd love to share with you a few examples that I made using the newly released "In Paris" Stamp Set.


When I first saw this set, I immediately knew that I wanted to make a shadow box card.  I wanted to keep it on the smaller side, so I worked on some measurements (listed below) until I found something that would work and still fit into a pre-made envelope.  This card fits perfectly into a 5"x5" square envelope when folded flat.


For my images, I first stamped them onto smooth white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, colored them with Copic Sketch Markers and then diecut them with their coordinating dies.  I also added one smaller sized hot-air balloon from the BB Up In The Air stamp set.  For my background, I used the MFT Stencil Cloud with some distress inks (Blueprint Sketch and Salty Ocean).  For the frame around my card, I used the MFT Die-namics Single Stitch Line Rectangle Frames.

Shadow Box Card Measurements:

  • Cut 2 pieces of card stock to 5" x 6 1/4" and score along the long side at 1 1/4" & 5"
  • Cut your window in one of these pieces  (I used the MFT Die-namics A2 Rectangle STAX)
  • Cut the inside strips to 4 3/8" long and however high they need to be to just reach the bottom of  your window.  Score these pieces at 3/8" & 4"


I wanted to go a completely different route for my second set of cards.  The Eiffel Tower is such an elegant structure and makes for great photographs.  I wanted these cards to showcase mainly the silhouette of the tower standing majestically over the city skyline and/or landscape.


I love black and white photographs.  Especially the ones that have a bright pop of red that really contrasts well against the subtle shades of gray.  For my first and second card, I first stamped the Eiffel Tower and then lightly drew in a treeline with a pencil


I then colored in the treeline with a black Copic Sketch Marker following the silhouette stamping technique showed by Jennifer McGuire (wonderful tutorial HERE) a few months back.  For my first card, I wanted to let the intricate structure of the tower be seen, so I only colored the treeline.  For the other, I colored in both the treeline and the tower.  I then embossed anything that I had colored with clear embossing powder.


For the shading on my first card, I blended MFT Grout Gray, Cement Gray and Gravel Gray Inks.  I colored the balloons with Copics R14, R46, R59 and RV99.



For my second card, I blended MFT Grout Gray Ink along with Pumice Stone Distress Ink.  I colored the red hearts with the same Copic colors as listed above.



For my final silhouette card,  I blended MFT Pink Lemonade and Bubblegum Inks along with Spun Sugar, and Seedless Preserves Distress Inks.  For the skyline, I used the city skyline stamp that is included in the BB You're Super Stamp Set that was released last month using the same technique as above.  I added a few Pretty Pink Posh 4mm Clear Droplets for some added interest.



Lastly, I made two cards inspired by the French Par Avion Envelopes.  I wanted to create that red, white and blue striped border around the outside of my cards.


To start, I cut two pieces of white cardstock to 4 3/4" x 6".  I then cut blue and red strips using MFT Blueberry and Wild Cherry Card Stock.  For the one card, I cut the strips at 1/4" wide and for the other, 1/8" wide.  I then glued them onto my pieces of white card stock and then trimmed both pieces to 4.25" x 5.5" once the glue had dried.  It may sound like a lot, but it was actually pretty easy to do.  I do recommend using a guillotine-style paper trimmer for this technique.


For my first card, I used the cute little dog from the In Paris Stamp Set.  I reverse-stamped him and added a little black and white striped shirt with a black marker.  For the other dog, I used the same stamp but masked the hat and drew in some hair and a bow.  I used both the MFT Die-namics Wonky Stitched Rectangle STAX and the MFT Die-namics A2 Stitched Rectangle STAX Set 2 for my card mats.


Lastly, for my second card, I simply added a few of the images (stamped and colored to match) from the In Paris Stamp Set to the front of the card with foam adhesive squares to compliment the border.

I hope you all enjoyed these ideas today!  I will be sharing another guest design post on the 19th with some other fun projects.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Rachel


  






    


   



Sizzix Happy Birthday Card Front - The Stamps of Life






Hello friends!  I know it's been awhile since I've last posted anything.  I have been enjoying some much needed time away with my family.  It's good to be back crafting again and I wanted to share with you a fun and simple birthday card that I made for a friend of mine.




I first started by stamping this adorable dog image from the Friends4Cookie stamp set designed by Stephanie Barnard for The Stamps of Life.  I then colored my dog image with Copic Sketch Markers


Copic Colors Used:
  • Dog fur:  N2, N3, N5, N6 and N8 for shading
  • Tongue:  RV10, RV13, RV14
  • Collar: RV04, RV06, RV09
 I then diecut my image with the coordinating dies.


I then my background using the Sizzix Happy Birthday Card Front Die Set which I cut from white card stock.  I used the largest Scalloped Rectangle Die as my frame.  To give it a softer look, I added a piece of vellum behind my diecut bacground piece.  Lastly, I attached my image with foam adhesive squares to give the card some more dimension.
 
That's it for today!  Thanks so much for stopping by :0)  Hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Rachel