A Birthday Card for my June born grandson

                                     The above photo is the front of the card.

                                      This photo above is the fully open card.

 

Because Daron was born in June, I decided to create a beach scene for his birthday card.  I began by using Elizabeth Craft Designs 975 – Adirondack Chair Pop Up die set.

This is an easy Pop Up die to use because it’s really just the chair die that creates the Pop Up mechanism.  You simply tape the chair die piece on the fold of your inside card.  To make sure the piece is placed correctly on the fold there is a little nub that sticks out on either side of the die.  Place those nubs on the fold.  Here’s Karen Burniston’s assembly video for this die set.

I used white 65lb. cardstock from Michaels.  With a pc. of white cardstock 8.5 x 11″, score at 5.5″ on the long side.  Fold in half at the score line and trim down to 5.5″ x 6″.  With low tack temporary tape secure the chair die pc. with the nubs on the fold with the card fully open.  Run through your cutting machine.

I colored the sky with PanPastels Ultramarine Blue using Elizabeth Craft Designs “Cloud and Grass Stencil”.

I colored the beach using a “Silhouette Cameo cut file called “Wave Borders” that I cut out and then used as a stencil to create the look of waves lapping at the beach edge.

The rest of the beach was created with Panpastels Raw Umber and Diarylide Yellow.  I do this by streaking the paper with both colors and then using PanPastels Colorless Blender to seamlessly blend the two colors. Side note:  This colorless blender is a “Must Have” item because it truly blends two or more colors together really easy.  It also  picks up from the blended colors, now on the sponge, and moves that color into the white areas from the streaked stage before blending.  I use a wedge makeup sponge.

At this point I start making everything else that will go into this pop up scene.  Because it took me too many projects before I acknowledged that “Sometimes you just can’t make what’s in your head into a card”.  And if by some miracle you do, you have wasted a lot of time and cardstock by changing your mind and then cutting out more shapes..

So, I just start getting out dies that fit my theme.  I use a Sizzix Big Shot Plus.  The cutting plates are very large to put a lot of dies on the surface.  I also always put two layers of cardstock under the die (some 2 of the same color and some 2 different colors).  I was able to cut all of these components in two trips through the machine.

It also gives you options for when you start assembling the scene.  The worst that can happen is now you may have left over pcs. for another project.  Store these with the die set that cut them and the next time you go to use that die you have a surprise waiting for you!

The Palm tree and the bucket is also an Elizabeth Craft Designs die set.  I cut all the pieces out of white cardstock and then colored with Copic markers.  I added a little shaping with Susan Tierney Cockburn’s Tool Kit.  If you are thinking about trying your hand at florals, I believe this tool kit is a must.

The Monkey and bananas came from the below Elizabeth Craft Designs die set:

The skateboard and starfish are Silhouette Cameo files.  The lobster is a QuicKutz die pictured below:

That’s pretty much it.  Thanks for taking a look.  I hope you’ll try making a card with the Adirondack chair die set.  There are so many cute scenes you can create with this set.

Other products used:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Elizabeth Craft Designs:  Clear double sided Adhesive 10mm, White Soft Finish Cardstock, 916 – Spiral Circle Pull Card (balloons), 974 – Rectangle Pull Card (balloon strings. 1161 – Happy Birthday 2, 949 – Props 2 (Party hat)

Kaisercraft:  Base coat Collection P1329 Shabby Chic

Copic Markers: R22, 24, 27 Y13, 15, 17, G21, 24, 28, B21, 23, 24 E70, 71, 74, 77, 79

Jelly Roll 08 White

PH Neutral PVA archival adhesive