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Tuesday, July 30, 2024

MEANDERING MEADOWS DOUBLE GATEFOLD (WITH CARDSTOCK SIZE AND SCORING MEASUREMENTS)

 



Gatefold cards are nothing new for card-makers, and we've probably all made quite a few of them.  They're just so fun . . . to make and receive.  The card that I'm sharing today features the lovely "Meandering Meadows" designer paper, white and Night of Navy cardstock, and a band of pretty daisies.  Below is what the card looks like with the band removed:


And below is a better photo of the band with daisies:


I used a bone folder to slightly curve the petals and then layered two of the punched daisies together.  The center of the flowers was brushed with Wink of Stella.


The inside panels of the card were also decorated with designer paper, and a vellum panel was added to the center section so that a message could be written there.


Isn't the designer paper so pretty?!?!  I thought about placing a smaller piece of white cardstock (before deciding on the vellum) to the center section, but I really didn't want to interrupt the scenery that was going on.  After taking the photos for this post, I decided that the paper strip along the top of the vellum looked a bit plain, so I added some die-cut clouds.  Looks much better, huh?


In case you'd like to make a double gatefold card like this one . . . begin with a 5-1/2" x 12" piece of cardstock.  Score it at 1-3/4", 3-7/8", 8-1/8", and 10-1/4".  Or, if you want to just remember the first two measurements, you can score at 1-3/4" and 3-7/8", flip the cardstock and score again at 1-3/4" and 3-7/8".  

Have a stampin' good day!

Monday, July 15, 2024

PIECED BIRD CARD

 


When I first saw the "Full of Life" designer paper, I thought that it would make a pretty pieced bird, similar to what I posted HERE.  Right off the bat, I'll be the first to admit that I totally forgot to emboss the bird, which would have given it a more quilted appearance.  The making of this bird was somewhat of a fail because I ended up having to cut it out of the background cardstock because I had folded the cardstock rather than mark center lines with a pencil.  


Even though I didn't get it all quite right, I wasn't going to let this colorful little guy go to waste.  Isn't this such a cheery card?!?!  I decided to not add a sentiment because I didn't want the card to be bound for one particular occasion/event, and I'm sure whoever receives it will be glad to have it.


I love the look of the Dotted Circle embossing on the white cardstock, which was cut with one of the "Stitched So Sweetly" (retired) dies.  


The finishing touch was the silver trim wrapped around the card front and tied in a bow.  I'm sure this won't be my last pieced bird design because I very much enjoy putting the pieces in place to form a bird.  I just hope that I get things right for the next one.  Ha!  This little guy will just be an example of how a couple of oversights can still yield a pretty creation.

Have a stampin' good day!

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

QUILTY WOVEN STAR CARD

 


Today's project features the Perennial Lavender designer paper, which is so gorgeous!  I've made a few of these woven star designs, but it appears that I forgot to photograph them.  I actually thought that I had already shared one on my blog, but I can't seem to find where I did.


The woven star is a pretty focal point, isn't it?  It would look less busy without all of the gingham squares and triangles around the star points, but I'm pretty sure the sample that I had seen had the square corners--but not the center triangles on all four sides.  Maybe I went a little crazy with the gingham.


My paper strips were 1/2" wide and were adhered from corner to corner and extended the edge of the cardstock.  After placing and weaving the strips in over/under fashion, all of the paper hanging over the edge of the white cardstock were trimmed away.  Placing the gingham squares in the four corners is what gives the star its points.  Of course, embossing the panel makes it less apparent that there was a lot of piecing going on.


In the above photo, you can see how I decorated the inside of the card.  

Funny thing happened while I was making this card.  Actually, what happened wasn't funny AT ALL.  I had what I thought was a neat idea for the inside of the card.  The only thing that I had left to do was grab two circle punches for the "big hugs" sentiment.  I turned my chair toward my side desk and bent down to the bottom drawer to retrieve the punches and . . . oh %$#*&@!!!!!!  The most excruciating pain in my lower back caused me to come up out of the chair and try to move in any way to make it stop.  I saw the proverbial stars and thought I might pass out. I slowly made my way out of my craft room, barely able to walk.  Having never felt anything like that before, I really didn't know what to do.  I made my way to my bed and laid down very carefully.  I was kind of frozen however I had landed because I could NOT scoot myself in any way that required the use of my lower back.  For a couple of days, that point between sitting and standing was the part of moving that I dreaded terribly.  Even picking up my feet to walk was painful.  An electric heating pad, ibuprofen, Tylenol, and a walking cane were my best friends for several days.  As I laid in bed, I kept thinking about the sentiment for the inside of this card and that I had been excited to see how it was going to look, but it was a week or so before I felt brave enough to reach for the punch.  That's the funny part.  I guess you could say that I've never taken as long to complete a card OR been apprehensive about reaching for my tools.  I might should have kept this card, but I eventually dropped it in the mail to a stamping acquaintance who I felt could really use it as she puts one foot in front of the other through grief.  I never heard that she received the card--NOT that I expect to hear from people that I send cards to--but I wonder if (after everything that happened while creating the card) it ended up lost, misdelivered, or perhaps I had the wrong address for the recipient.  Maybe it blessed whoever received it.

Have a stampin' good day!

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

"MAGNOLIA MOOD" . . . AGAIN

 


I was just about ready to clean the "Magnolia Mood" stamps when I saw a pretty card created by Linda Cullen.  She had used a Pebbled Path card base and, since I have decided that this color is fast becoming one of my new favorites, I felt the need to make one more card before cleaning the stamps. This was a super fast card to make because the die-cut magnolia focal point was laying on my desk--just ready to land on a card.


Do you sometimes sit back and look at a card you just made and think, "Oh, my goodness!  It's soooo pretty!"?  I'm going to assume that it's a natural reaction.  I LOVE this card!  It's such a simple design and quick to make, but it's got elegance.  


I gave just a little color to the center of the large magnolia with a water brush and Pebbled Path ink.


As you can see in the above two photos, I stamped the inside panel with Pebbled Path ink.  I think I stamped off three times before stamping on the white cardstock so the images would be really light.  

On the bottom of the card front, I used a strip of wood-look paper from the "Country Woods" collection.  

That's it for today.  My next blog post will feature something other than "Magnolia Mood".  I think it might be a quilty card.  We'll see.

Have a stampin' good day!