Congrats, Grad!

| ullycatdesigns

For many graduates of 2020, there were few opportunities to collectively toss their caps in the air and celebrate their accomplishments together.  This card is for the class of 2020!

I used the Simon Says Stamp Hat’s Off Grad stamp and die set along with the Quintuple Slider dies to make an interactive card that has the graduates’ caps moving up and down.

To start, I used a stencil to ink (Salty Ocean) a cloudy background with tiny confetti being stamped in Dapper Denim blue up to just below the bottom of the slider slits (as if the confetti was falling out of the caps.) The bold sentiments were stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold embossing powder.

Next, I stamped the arms and caps using a black ink (Tuxedo Black) that dries fast and doesn’t bleed if water colored. Using the colors of the graduate’s college, a dark blue, I colored the caps and gowns using watercolor pencils and a thin tipped waterbrush.

Inside the card base I stamped two of the smaller text sentiments included in the set – “The tassel was worth the hassle” and “Good luck on your new adventure” – in Blueberry Bushel blue.

Next, I did all my die cutting of elements using the matching dies, circle arrow and the squarish quintuple slider. On my test card, I had placed the die that cuts the slots into the background card, upside down. So, making sure that I had all the slots lined up at the top end of my background and using the slider die as a guide to know where the position the slot cutting die, I cut the slots. (Watch the assembly video to see how the alignment is done.)

To assemble the slider mechanism, I suggestion watching another assembly video to understand how the slider flaps wrap around the slots and how best to keep the flaps aligned. Once the tiny foam squares (I cut a square in half to fit the slider flaps) are adhered to the flaps, the decorating of the card can begin. (CRX – Don’t forget to add some hint that the slider tab needs to be pulled up by adding a die cut circle arrow which is included in the slider die set.)

I used two shades of blue cardstock to mat the slider mechanism. I found that I needed to cut a circle notch from all layers of the four layers of cardstock. I started by folding back the top of the slider once I had aligned the circle arrow die up on the background top layer and cut the circle out. Next, I took the two blue layers which I had glued together and aligned the top background layer over the blue mats and used a pencil to mark where the circle die should go. Cut these two layers and trim the top of the cut area to make a “U” shaped notch in blue layers. Position the blue mats over the card base and using a pencil to mark and then cut the circle from card base. Adhere the blue layers to card base with double-sided tape. Adhere the top mechanism using foam tape on sides and bottom. Leave top of mechanism layer free so slider can move up and down.

The back flap of the envelope has a diploma stamped in Blueberry Bushel blue to give a hint as to what was inside.

Thank you for reading this blog post. Please like and leave comments 😊

Materials Used:

Stamps/Dies/Stencils

Inks/Watercolors

Papers

Miscellaneous

Festive Foliage and Hearts – Trifold card

| ullycatdesigns

I love the sentiment “The holidays are a time to open our hearts” that is at the center of this card.  The card was stamped with the Alte New stamp set Festive Foliage which allows you to stamp a fir tree with two to four colors.

I stamped this card from a piece of heavy white cardstock 5 ½ inches x 11 inches using a stamping platform so that I could position the stamps easily. I used a different green ink for the tree and the heart foliage stamps. The tree is Tranquil Tide, and the heart is Pear Pizzazz. The sentiments were stamped with VersaMark-Watermark ink and heat embossed with a gold embossing powder. The red heart is stamped using Real Red ink.

To create the tri-fold base I scored and fold the longest edge at 4 ¼ inches and 2 ½ inches. Once the tree was stamped on the front, I opened the card out flat and using a craft knife cut the heart out of the card front. Next, I refold the card and placed the cutout heat back in place and stamped the heart foliage. I also opened the card front, slipped a scrap piece of paper in and stamped the inside flap with the heart in green as well.  I then put glue on the inside stamped heart section and with the cut-out heart in the tree front, closed the card and adhered the cut-out heart to inside flap. Once the glue had dried, I also stamped the back side of the flap and heat with green foliage stamp. With the inside flap unfold, but the front fold shut I positioned the solid heart stamp to be stamped directly behind the foliage hearts.

To finish the card, I folded the card and taped the front tightly shut to spray some gold mica mist over the front of the card for added interest and glued a small red ribbon to the top of the tree.

See the gift tags I stamped using the same stamp set by clicking here.

If you enjoyed this tri-fold card, check out some of my other trifolds:

One In A Melon

Shabby Chic Trifold Card

Santa Vintage Trifold

Sleepytime Dreams

Supplies:

Stamps

Papers

Inks/Embossing Powder

Miscellaneous

Festive Foliage and Hearts – Tags

| ullycatdesigns

“The holidays are a time to open our hearts” is the sentiment that these festive gift tags have.  These tags were stamped with the Alte New stamp set Festive Foliage which allows you to stamp a fir tree with two to four colors. There is a heat in the center of the tree foliage.

I stamped these tags from a scrap piece of heavy white cardstock 5 ½ inches x 3 inches using a stamping platform so that I could position the stamps once and turn the card to stamp a second image. The stamps are labeled tree 1, tree 2, heart1, and heart 2. I used a different green ink for each stamp. The tree is Pear Pizzazz and Tranquil Tide, and the heart is Lemon Lime and Emerald Envy. Two tiny heart stamps from my stash are stamped over the foliage. The smallest and most solid heart stamp was stamped with VersaMark-Watermark ink and heat embossed with a gold embossing powder as was the sentiment. The outline stamp is inked with Real Red.

Using a hole punch at the top of the tree I was able to add some red organza ribbon to finish the tag.

Also see the trifold card made from this same stamp set using the full tree and heart stamps.

Supplies:

Stamps

Papers

Inks/Embossing Powder

Miscellaneous

  • Red organza ribbon from my stash

CRX – Card Recipient Experience Part II

| ullycatdesigns

CRX – Card Recipient Experience is a topic I’ve written on before. (CRX-Card Recipient Experience) Today I am including some some free downloads to help you with your interactive cards being displayed as you intended them to be displayed.

Santa Delivers to the Tropics …………………………………………………………………… Red Four Square

You’ve made a beautiful easel or double easel card that you fold into its envelope and mail off to your friend. When your friend opens the envelope and tries to open the easel card as if it were a tent fold card, it makes no sense or worse the card gets torn. To alleviate this problem why not include a small drawing of how the easel card opens and stands in the envelope as the first things your friend will see when they open the envelope.

easel-card-sheetDownload

Autumn Birthday teepee card

Teepee cards can be hard to figure out how the are to be displayed without an image of the finished card.

teepee-card-instruction-sheetDownload

House Luminary

Four panel cards with elements to allow light to shine through such as a house luminaria card can be displayed several ways – as a zig-zag or as a box around a battery powered candle.

house-luminaria-1Download

Split Slider -Vertical………………………………………… Split Slider – Horizontal

split-slider-crx-sheet-1Download

I hope this helps you as you go forward with your interactive card making. Please like and write a comment to let me know what other types of CRX issues you’ve had.

© Sue Small-Kreider 2021

Victorian Trim House Luminaria

| ullycatdesigns

Warm and cozy is this small brick house with its white ornate Victorian trim as light streams through its windows. This is the third house luminaria in my blog posts using a battery powered candle.

Made with Impression Obsession’s house die set, this 3-inch tall by 2 3/4 inch square has slight modifications made to original two-dimensional design. I cut two of the brick house die as well as two partial die cuts with the same die to make the side walls. I cut a total of eight square windows and one arched window as well as two doors. The L shaped eaves die I cut twice from white cardstock and the twice more from thicker scrap cardstock. The ornate trim pieces I cut two from regular cardstock, but the ornate porch roof piece I cut once from regular cardstock and twice from thicker cardstock. I also cut two pieces of vellum 2 ¾ inches x 1 inch and five additional 1 inch squares of vellum.

Partial die cutting of side walls by placing die over the edge of cardstock.

I made two templates from purple scrap cardstock of the front and side of the house and using window die cuts I fingered out the window placement. Once I had the placement, I traced around the window frames with a pencil.  I cut the windows with the dies. Using the templates, I traced the window placement on to my red die-cut pieces and cut them out with a craft knife and metal ruler cutting inside the pencil lines. For the door I only cut out a rectangle where the windowpanes would be. Next, I glued the vellum pieces to the back of the red sides of the house.   

Once the vellum is adhered to the back of the window cut outs, you can turn the house pieces with their fronts facing up and decorate them by gluing on the window frames and doors. I used a gold gel pen to make the doorknobs.

For the L shaped eave pieces, I glued the regular white cardstock to the thicker scrap cardstock. I did similar for the porch roof piece, but I glued two of the thicker scrap cardstock pieces together before adhering the top regular cardstock piece.

To assemble the house sides, I laid all the pieces side by side and tape them together on the back side.

The roof is a 5 inch by 3 inch rectangle of brown cardstock stenciled with a stencil in my stash with Distress Ink and folded in the middle.  I taped the roof to inside of my house for stability.

The house and roof will fold to mail in an A2 envelope if the white eaves pieces are trimmed to fit by an 1/8 inch.

Thank you for reading about this little house. Please like and leave a comment. 😊

Links to other house luminaria and houses.

Also see the series of “A Week of Christmas Houses”

Day 1 – From Our House to Your House

Day 2 – Santa is Coming

Day 3 – A Baby is Coming

Day 4 –Keeping the Home Fires Burning

Day 5 – Red Four-Square

Day 6 – Santa Delivers to the Tropics

SUPPLIES

Dies

Ink

Paper

Miscellaneous

Holiday House Luminaria

| ullycatdesigns

Colorful holiday lights fill up the long winter nights. This little holiday house luminaria would be perfect as a holiday table decoration or a child’s nightlight. (Note: Use battery powered candles only.)

Made with Karen Burniston’s recent release of her holiday house die set, this 3-inch tall by 2 ½ inch cube has slight modifications made to original two-dimensional design. I cut four of each of the die pieces, (except for the smaller house shape and door pieces, of which I cut two each.) I stenciled the roof pieces and brick pieces first and then assembled two houses exactly as shown on the package with one modification, I used a craft knife to cut out the windows on the red house piece.

To cut the windows I used two of the window frame pieces to decide on placement and then I traced with a pencil around them. Using a metal ruler and craft knife I cut an 1/16 inch inside the pencil marks, so that the window frames would still have an edge to glue onto the red house. For the sides of the house without a door, I made sure the tops of the windows lined up with the tops on the front and back of the house. (HINT: If you are going to make a lot of these houses, make templates from heavy cardstock to trace where the window cut-outs would be.) Glue strips of vellum to the back side of the house pieces to act as window glass.

I cut the snowy roof edging and string of lights from white shimmer paper. The lights were colored using markers before assembling the house. The snow on the ground around the house were scraps from the die cutting of the roof edging pieces.

To assemble, trim the roof sides to be the same as the house sides. Next, lay all the pieces side by side and tape them together on the back side.

The roof top is a 3-inch by 3-inch square that was stenciled moving the roof die across the square. Using a score board score ¼ inch from all four sides of the square. Snip on of one the scored sides of the tiny squares to form tabs. Fold on all four score lines to form a square tray shape. You can push this tray up inside the house cube. No glue needed.

The house and roof will fold to mail in an A2 envelope.

Thank you for reading about this little house. Please like and leave a comment. 😊

Links to other luminaria and houses:

Victorian Trim House Luminaria

House Luminary

Victorian Christmas Parlor

Also see the series of “A Week of Christmas Houses”

Day 1 – From Our House to Your House

Day 2 – Santa is Coming

Day 3 – A Baby is Coming

Day 4 –Keeping the Home Fires Burning

Day 5 – Red Four-Square

Day 6 – Santa Delivers to the Tropics

Day 7 – House Luminary

SUPPLIES

Dies/Punches

Ink

Paper

Miscellaneous

A Joy Shaker

| ullycatdesigns

Everyone needs some joy around the end of the year holiday season.  This contemporary slimline card wishes the recipient that the simple joys of the season are theirs.

I used two of Pink Fresh Studio’s Essential Slimline Cuts dies to make the trio of circles in two shades of green that form the main design element of this card. Pink and magenta halo glitter were sandwiched between two sheets of acetate using double sided tape. San serif letters cut from a bronze glitter sheet spell out “JOY” and are glued to the acetate windows.

Inside the card is stamped with a string of lights and the main sentiment. The same cherry red ink is used to stamp the string of lights and the word “Joy” on the back envelop flap hinting what’s to come.

Hoping you enjoyed seeing this card. Thank you for reading. Please like and leave a comment.

Materials Used:

Dies

Stamps

Inks

Papers

Miscellaneous

Santa Vintage Trifold

| ullycatdesigns

Sometimes we just need to believe that there once was a perfect Christmas Eve with Santa flying through the starry night.

This shimmering trifold Christmas card delivers on that idea. Based on the Spellbinders’ Christmas village vignette frame die set, the scene is set with Santa flying his sleigh through the air, over the tops of fir trees to the next house. Each screen frame holds another layer of the snowy scene.

To make this card, I cut three of the lacy frames from bright blue foil cardstock and three backing panels from shimmer cardstock. I waited to cut the center openings in each back panel knowing that they had to line up for the scene to work. To cut the front panel opening I place the blue frame over the back panel and lined-up the “Christmas Greetings” die based off the blue frame center. To cut the lower hill window from the center panel, I use the front panel to line up the lower hill die on to the shimmer side of the cardstock. Using the first two panels to position the back panel’s higher hill die, I used the same technique to cut the final window.

Assembling the card was easy, gluing the blue frames to the white shimmer side panels and using clear removable tape to join or hinge the panels together on the back side.

To decorate the scene, I die cut two large fir trees, five small fir trees, 12 holly springs, one house and one Santa’s sleigh from the scrap shimmer cardstock left from cutting the windows. (Hint: Always make sure you are cutting with the shimmer side of the cardstock up.) The shimmer card takes the water-soluble markers well giving the images a nice texture. Color can be layered-on allowing some shading. The trees on the center panel are glued with a tree on both front and backsides of the panel so that when folded shut they are visible. The back panel has a single layer of trees and house. I used a paper scrap from a Hunydory paper pad that had a starry night sky to be the backdrop for the final panel’s window.

Holly springs were colored and glued to the frame inside corners of all the panels, but only the top panel had red Nuvo drops added to the berries. Nuvo drops were also added to the circle parts of the blue frame on the top panel only.

Finished card when folded shut measures 5 x 4.5 inches (127 x 113 mm).

Thank you for reading about this card. Please like and leave a comment. 😊

If you enjoyed this tri-fold card, check out some of my other trifolds:

One In A Melon

Shabby Chic Trifold Card

Festive Foliage and Hearts – Trifold card

Sleepytime Dreams

SUPPLIES

Dies/Punches

Ink

Paper

Miscellaneous

You’re Absolutely Fabulous

| ullycatdesigns

Isn’t it nice to hear “You’re absolutely fabulous!” We all need to hear this statement every now and then.

A wonderful way to say this, is to use the Hero Arts Stamp and Cut Dress Up set which includes this sentiment. This set is also fun for the crafter because you get to dress the figures using the skirt dies and you can stamp the bodice top onto patterned paper and fussy cut it out.

These two cards show the two different hairstyles and tops as well as two of the three skirts. The set come with two sets of legs (walking and close together) and four different facial expressions.

I colored the hair and shoes with watercolor pencils.

The sentiments are heat embossed in a shiny black with a red stamped heart on one of the cards.

I stamped the back of one envelope and heat embossed the other envelope with a shooting star.

Thank you for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed seeing these cards. Please like or comment on this post at the bottom of this post.

SUPPLIES

Dies:

Stamps:

Inks:

Embossing:

Paper:

Miscellaneous:

© Sue Small-Kreider 2020