Art Impressions – crazyforpaper

Put A Drink On It!

Drinks H2O

Drinks inside H2O (2)

According to our Hostess, Frances Byrne, it’s Beer Drinking Day! The challenge this week is to put some kind of a drink on your card. I made this card for my best friend, Jeanine, who is also my boss at the beauty salon I’ve worked at for the last 16yrs. Our birthdays are 2 days apart! She is 10yrs. younger than me however! I just love her and we often spend our lunch hour picking up fast food and spending the hour chatting and laughing.

The Steps:

Step 1: I made the pop up inside the card first. I used an older die set from Karen Burniston called 780 – Garden Bench. I like to try to use currently available products but this bench worked so well with the Art Impression’s stamp of these two ladies. 4407 – Coffee BFF’s

Step 2: The card is a 6″x6″ square. I cut two 5.75″ x 5.75″ squares from white cardstock. I stamped one with the tree from this stamp set I bought from:Amazon link to stamp set

Tree stamp

I have purchased several sets from this seller on Amazon. They all have not disappointed me. The seller is GIMITSUI. They don’t spend on fancy packaging and the buyer benefits. This set is priced at $6.59 They are a Prime Member store and offer free shipping and free returns! What! I know! You will not want to return them. All of the stamp sets I have purchased from them stamp very well. Here are two more sets that I adore and have already used.

You may remember the elephant set used on another C4C Sketch Challenge:

Aug sketch Elephant H2O (2)

Then I used PanPastels to stencil the clouds and hills behind the bench. The other 6″ square I also used PanPastels and stencils for the grass and path: Snow storm and Clouds & Mountain and Split rail Fence

Drinks inside H2O (2)

Next I trimmed them to fit behind and around the bench. Wait to adhere these two stenciled squares until later.

Step 3: I stamped the Art Impression BFF’s stamp. I colored them with Copic Markers and fussy cut them out. I glued them to the front of the bench just on the back side of their legs which makes them really look like they’re sitting on that bench! I’ve had the AI stamp for awhile and have used them a lot. But I really believe I saw Frances use this stamp exactly like this when the Garden Bench first came out.

Step 4: Cut two 6″ squares from a sky blue cardstock for the front and back of the pop up. Now take a scrap of white cardstock that is about 2″ x 4″ and stencil this strip to continue the hills behind the bench. Do the same thing for under the bench. Adhere the strip that is for behind the bench to the bottom of a blue square. (Make sure it is positioned to fill in where the bench cut out is). Do the same thing for the piece that is attached to the path/grass layer and adhere it to what will be the back of the card.

Step 5: I used 3 die sets for the front of the card: 1434 Calligraphic Elements – 3

1161 – happy birthday and Coffee Charms. I cut the “Elements” from silver mirror cardstock. I cut coffee cup with white cardstock and colored with Copic Markers. I cut the top from Velum. The happy birthday is from dark blue cardstock. Adhere them all to the front of the card as shown:

Drinks H2O

Adhere the other blue square to the back of the card and it’s done! I can’t wait to see what you make this week!

Other Products use:

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

CutterPillar Pro

Michael’s Craft Store: All cardstock

Sizzix Big Shot Pro

Put A Bird on it!

Pink House H2O (2)

It’s a new month with new challenges! This week’s challenge is put a bird on it. There’s 3 on this card! I recently acquired Art Impression’s Holiday Mansion 4926 and HM Garden Set 5096: 4926 – Holiday Mansion 5096 – HM Garden Set

Ai Holiday House dies stamps

Both of these sets include the stamps and matching dies. Ai also has a “Holiday” themed stamp and die set, as well as a Valentines Day set too, giving you so many different looks.

4927 – HM Accessory Set: 4927 – HM Accessory Set

4977 – HM – Valentine Set: 4977 – Valentine Set

I am nuts for this set because it looks different depending on however you color it or decorate it. Here’s a picture of the same two sets but in a different color scheme:

Blue ai house H2O

Pink House H2O (2)

The blue one I made right away and gave it to my best girlfriend. The pink one I made for this challenge and went a little nuts with the decorating. I do have some tips that will help you get better results with stamping and cutting these adorable stamp and die sets.

The Steps:

Step 1: First stamp the “house” stamp on white cardstock. I knew I wanted to fussy cut the house to be adhered to a hand made background. Also, there is no die in the set that cuts out the outline of the house. This is what the house dies do:

House white template

They cut out the windows and doors. There are two shutter stamps and matching dies. So here’s TIP #1: If you look close at the stamped house on the right above, when I taped the dies to the stamped image and ran it through my cutting machine, I was off just a little bit. In particular, the arch on the door. You’ll see, at the top of the arch, I cut off part of the bottom of the stamped “porch cover”. So the tip is to tape these dies to a strip of white cardstock in order to make a template. This allows you to use this template to see exactly where to tape the dies. It’s hard to see when the die is upside down on your projects because you know longer can see the blade

Tip #2: You can stamp the house on white cardstock as well as the accessory stamps on this same layer and create a scene using only the stamps. Or, a combination of both, like only cutting out the house dies but not the accessory stamps in the scene. In this case you will REALLY want to use a template.

Step 2: I stamped the “flower pot” accessory stamp a bunch of times on white cardstock. This gives you lots of options for not only how many you’ll actually use, but what colors you like best with the rest of the scene. Any you don’t use you save for another project! I stamped colored and cut all the rest of the accessories once.

Step 3: This step is optional but I think is what makes it so fun, is to have a little surprise behind the two doors that open, and also that you see through the windows. For this I used Ai: 4745 – Talk Much Set

2018-07-01 20.14.32

I stamped this little tea scene and then cut the colored scene in pieces so I could place the table scene through the front door and the Chandelier through the top left window.

Then I put a couple of stamped, colored and cut flower pots in the other two.

Step 4: I used this set from Elizabeth Craft Designs:992 – CountryScapes – The Woods 1

2017-11-08 20.29.00

I only used the left side of the tree. I cut the trunk from brown cardstock and the leaves from green.

The fence was cut with an Elizabeth Craft Designs 1134 – CountryScapes Nantucket Arbor & Picket Fence. As of this day they didn’t show it available now. However, I cut two of the fences out of white cardstock.

Picket Fence die

The last thing is to cut two “grass edges” from this set that is also no longer available but is a set by Karen Burniston 914 – Outdoor Edges – 3 die set

2018-03-19 14.44.39

From green cardstock, I cut one edge with the wavy one and one with the Grass edge.

The last step is to assemble your little scene as shown below:

Pink House H2O (2)

Thanks so much for taking a look. I just think this set is adorable and I will be buying the other two decorator accessory sets because I can’t wait to use this set for Christmas, Halloween, and Valentines Day!

Other Products Used:

Michael’s Craft Store: All cardstock

Beacon’s Kid’s Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

CutterPillar Pro

The Wine Theme Challenge

Wine glasses h2o (2)

Somewhere I read this sentiment: “Wine is to women what duct tape is to men. It fixes everything!”. I’m not much of a wine drinker but I say what ever works! This week the theme is “Wine related”. And this one is easy peasy.

The Steps:

Step 1: I used one of Art Impression’s “Oldies” stamps with sentiment. I first stamped on white card stock and then colored it up with Copic Markers. Then using Elizabeth Craft Designs die set, I cut the image out with the 4.25″ square: 1118 – Stitched Squares

Stitched Squares

Step 2: Create a base card by cutting a 12 x 12′ piece of white card stock in half. Score one half at 6″ and fold over for a tent fold. Cut a 5.75″ square of designer paper and adhere it to the front of the base card. Now adhere the stamped square to the designer square.

Step 3: I used Karen Burniston’s Wine Charms die set and added them to the front of the card as shown. Wine Charms

Wine Charms

Inside the card looks like this:

Wine glasses inside h20 (2)

That’s It!

Thanks so much for having a look. Can’t wait to see what you make!

Other Products Used:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Elizabeth Craft Designs Clear Double Side Adhesive 10mm

Beacon’ Kids Choice Glue

Copic Markers

A Holiday Front Door

If I don’t start Christmas in September, I don’t have time when the season begins!

Yes, I’m still making Christmas Cards! If I don’t get started in September, I don’t have enough for what I like to send out. Since my friends know I make greeting cards, they expect a handmade card. Once the season is here there is too much to do to be in the craft room. So here’s how I made this card.

The Steps:

Step 1: Die cut all the elements for your little holiday door scene. Cut one door from a light brown cardstock using: 1128 – CountryScapes Carolina Farmhouse Door

Step 2: Cut all 5 pcs. from green cardstock with the: 755 – 5 Part Pine

Add glitter dots to all the points of the 5 parts of the tree: Red/gold Glitter Dots

The little gold star for the top of the tree was in my stash.

Step 3: Cut the tiny wreath and tiny leaves from green cardstock and berries from red. : 1088 – Garden Notes – Holiday Holly & Berries

I used some dies from a few more die sets: 1010 – CountryScapes -Backyard 2 I die cut the mailbox from this set:

I cut the Holly Boarder out of white cardstock and colored with Copic Markers for the top of the card from this set: 925 – Holly Border

I stamped the curtains from a tiny little green plaid cardstock and cut them out with this set: 4749 – Window Deco Die

I cut the little bow for the door wreath from: 1460 – Spring Basket

The little grass pc. below the mail box is from a discontinued die set.

The last die cut is the “Happy Holidays” sentiment from: 1467 – Words 3 – Happy Holidays

Once you’ve cut, colored and assembled all the little elements for the door scene it’s time to assemble the card. Score a pc. of 8.5 x 11″ red cardstock at 5.5 “, fold over for a book fold and trim to 5.5 ‘ x 7”.

Cut a white rectangle from white cardstock that measures 5.25″ x 6.75″ and adhere to the red base. Cut a pc. of “brick” designer paper that measures 5″ x 6.5″ and adhere to the white layer.

Now add all your assembled elements as shown. Here’s another look:

That’s it!

Thank for taking the time to look at this project. I love to get comments and read every one!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Clear Double sided Adhesive 10mm

Beacons Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

C4C – A Birthday card with Numbers

I love interactive cards!

C4C numbers open

Everyone who knows me, knows I love interactive cards. For this card I chose Karen Burniston’s 1042 – 1042 – Spinner Square Pop Up

This die set is so versatile. It can be used for almost any theme you want. I always recommend that you watch Karen’s: Spinner Square Pop Up assembly video It will really help you make the “spinner mechanism” work properly the very first time.

The Steps:

Step 1: I chose a digital designer paper from a shop on Etsy called “The Digi Rainbow” that’s called 100 Number Digital Papers. Yes, there are 100 different colors of this same paper that’s included in the Sale price of $1.40 for all of the colors! What? I used this blue one for the front, the inside left, and the back of the card.

Step 2: I stenciled some clouds on the right inside as well as some die cut clouds from a set that has been discontinued.

Step 3: I stamped and colored with Copic Markers this stamp from Art Impressions:

Art Impressions

Once colored, I fussy cut the “couple flying in the plane” to spin up on the square when the card is opened.

Step 4: On my computer I created the two sentiments that is a quote from Abraham Lincoln! (“It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years”)

Step 5: The “Happy Birthday” sentiment on the front is: 783 – Happy Birthday

That’s it!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Clear Double Sided Adhesive 10 mm

Michael’s: Light Blue Cardstock

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

C4C – Be Inspired by Windows

This week’s challenge was a fun card to make. This week was also a week that one of my customers at the beauty salon was moving to a memory care facility. I’ve been doing her hair for probably 8 – 10 yrs. She’s in her 90’s now and one of the sweetest blessings in my life. . I decided to make this card for her when I go visit at her new home.

The Steps:

I love the “Window Die Set” from Gina Marie Designs:

Cut the pcs. in this die set the is the 4 pane widow, shutters, window topper and window planter from white cardstock.

Step 2: Using this cute stamp from Art Impressions, stamp and color as you like. I used Copic Markers:

Step 3: Using this set from Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1196 – Garden Edges Rose Hedge

Cut enough of the roses and leaves to make 3 rose bushes. I cut the “rose spiral” pcs. from pink cardstock and the leaves from green cardstock.

Step 4: Make a base card by scoring an 8.5 x 11″ pc. of pink cardstock at 5.5″ fold over for a book fold card. Trim to 4.5 x 5.75″.

Step 5: Cut a white pc. of cardstock into a rectangle that measures 4.25 x 5.5″. I then put this rectangle into this embossing fold by Darice:

Adhere this to the base card centering it with an 1/8″ margin on all sides.

Step 6: Cut the colored AI stamped and colored to measure 2 3/8 x 3 1/4″.

Step 7: Assemble the window. Cut a transparency film that also measure 2 3/8 x 3 1/4″. Glue the transparency film to the underside of the window. Add the 3 rose bushes as shown. Put foam adhesive dots on the underside of the window around the window frame. Now adhere the window to the AI stamped and trimmed pc.

Step 8: Add the sentiments “Miss You” and “XOXO” as shown. (See other products used) The ivy, bird and tiny lady bug are optional but are also in other products.

That’s it!

Thank you so very much for taking a look. I hope you will take the challenge and show us your window masterpiece!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Tiny Ivy from 1036 – CountryScapes Mini Botanicals Clematis, Ivy. The tiny bird from 1014 – CountryScapesv – Woods 2. The tiny lady bug from 1011 – Garden Notes – Bugs & Butterflies XOXO 1269 – Love Sentiments

Die-Versions – Miss You

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

An Easy Easter Card

My Design Team Easter Card.

It’s sketch week over at Crazy4Challenges C4C-422

You all know how much I love a sketch but I must admit this sketch stumped me. It looks so easy but I couldn’t come up with an idea! I am currently working on Easter so I wanted to use my favorite bunny stamp. It’s from Art Impressions and is called Holiday 1-779.

This is how I made this card.

Step 1: Stamp on white cardstock using the above stamp. Color with Copic Markers or Pencils. I chose to color with copics. (When you position the stamp give yourself about 3″ below the top of your cardstock.

Step 2: Cut the image with the largest die from this set.

This step is actually two steps because these nested fishtails are too short for what I needed to fit the sketch. Position the die on your stamped and colored image where you want the “fish tail” (bottom) of the die to end below your stamped image. Run through your cutting machine but STOP before the top (straight edge) of the die cuts. Now move the die up to where you want the top of the die to end. In this case that was 2″ above the image. Now run through your cutting machine again but stop before it cuts the fishtail again. You should now have a longer fishtail then the die. Notice that I positioned the image closer to the left of the die to allow room for the half oval in the sketch.

Step 3: Using the stamp set below from Pink and Main, stamp both the “egg” and the “Chocolate bunny box” 3 times. Color how you want. I added Crystal Lacquer to the bunny boxes like they were wrapped in cellophane. After the lacquer is dried, fussy cut all the bunny box and eggs.

Step 4: From the little die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs below cut the pieces for the basket, flower and grass. I used scrap cardstock. Assemble the basket. Add the grass, chocolate bunny boxes and eggs as show below. Add Prills to the little flowers. I used leftover little leaves from one of Susan Tierney Cockburn’s 1196 – Garden edge rose flower dies as shown below:

Step 5: Using the same Pink and Main Stamp as in step 3, stamp Happy Easter on white cardstock. Cut it with the long rectangle pictured below and distress the edges with Tim Holtz “peacock feathers” Distress Ink.

Glue the grass Strip (which is a Silhouette file to the top of this sentiment strip.

Step 6: Cut the 3 bunnies from this die set below using 3 different brown colors. I used scrap cardstock. Add a glitter dot for eyes. Cut an oval with coordinating designer and the second to the largest die set pictured below. Cut the oval in by first laying in place and making light pencil marks where one side should be cut off to make it line up with the mat’s edge as shown.

Step7: Assemble the card:

Score a pc. of 11 x 8.5″ white cardstock at 5.5″ on the long side. Trim to 5 x 7″. Cut two mats from designer cardstock that measures 4.75″ x 6.75″. Adhere one to the card front and one to the back, centered leaving 1/8″ border all around. Adhere the stamped fish tail to the front panel, centered with the top (Short straight edge) at the top of the designer paper mat. Adhere, the now cut oval in place as shown. Put 3 large foam dots under the sentiment tag by centering the one dot then adding one either side of the first. Put the dots closer to the bottom then the top to make it possible to side the bunnies behind the grass. Glue the two ends down. Add a half dome pearl to cover the hole on the right and adhere the Easter basket as shown with the highest bunny box hiding the left side hole.

That’s It!

Thank you so much for your time to hop over for a look. Please follow if you would like more tutorials.

Other Products used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: White Soft Finish cardstock 8.5 x 11″, Glitter Dots

Beacons Kid’s choice glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

This is my first entry on Art Impressions weekly challenge #175

Art Impressions Blog Challenge 175

I’m branching out and trying to enter more challenges this year. I have found that they are a great way to challenge yourself. I work as a hairdresser for an upscale retirement community and have spent the last couple of weeks making birthday cards for the residents to give to one of their neighbors for their birthday. I have collected a lot of Art Impression stamps especially in the groups they call “Golden Oldies” and “Girlfriends“. This particular stamp is one I have had for many years. I think it was the first one I bought. It’s called “Fred and Millie Q1244“. I just love this sweet scene of these two sitting on a bench. We have a bench just like this one where I work and have often seen one or two of our residents sitting on it. We’re in California, in the Bay Area, and we don’t see snow but it does get chilly.

This is how I made the card

Of course, I first stamped the image and then colored it with Copic Markers. Since the couple are on a bench I knew I wanted the card to look as if the view was looking at them through a window. The base of the card measures 5.5″ x 7″ and is white cardstock. I made a double frame by using three Spellbinders Nested rectangles from their set called “Card Creater“. It has eight dies in the set. I use this set a lot. I simply nested a smaller die inside of a larger die so that it created a frame when it was cut. Then I repeated the same process for another frame. I glued the smaller frame to the larger one so that it sort of looked like window molding. I felt that my scene needed a winter tree so I used the “All Seasons Tree” by Karen Burniston for Elizabeth Craft Designs and didn’t add any leaves or flowers dies that come with this die set but I did use the die as a stencil to make the black lines on the tree. 2016-01-18 17.33.27 2016-01-18 17.33.43

I used a gray cardstock to cut the tree. I then positioned the tree inside the double frame where I liked it in my little scene and cut off some branches to fit. Once I had my scene completed I felt it needed drapes to look more like a window instead of just a matted picture. Luckily, I found a brown cardstock and a printed designer paper that worked together in my stash. I cut a piece of the dotted designer paper 5″ x 12″ and then just scored it in quarter inch increments all across the 12″ piece of cut paper. When you score the paper you need to flip the paper over at every other score so that you are able to pleat it easily. I then cut two pieces of pleated paper the size I needed for my curtains. My finished 2 pleated panels measure 5″ x 1″each. The sentiment tag was made by first in Word on my computer and then cut with the smallest rectangle die in the same Spellbinder set. Thanks for taking a look.

Materials List
White cardstock
Brown cardstock – Recollections Spice Market
Brown dotted designer paper – DCWV The Timeless Texure Stack
Spellbinders Cardmaker dies
All Seasons Tree – Elizabeth Craft Designs
Copic Markers: B21, 23, 24 BG10,11,13,72 E00,30,71,74 RV10,25 Y8,13,15 N0
Art Impressions wood mounted stamp Fred and Millie

Tag: Art Impressions

Put A Drink On It!

Like this:

Put A Bird on it!

Like this:

The Wine Theme Challenge

Like this:

A Holiday Front Door

Like this:

C4C – A Birthday card with Numbers

Like this:

C4C – Be Inspired by Windows

Like this:

An Easy Easter Card

Like this:

This is my first entry on Art Impressions weekly challenge #175

Like this: