Relaxing Bath

Bath frame close H2O

Well, while in California we have all been ordered to shelter in place, I have been having some fun making some wall hangings for family and friends using one of my all time favorite Digital Stamp store, The Paper Shelter’s adorable digital stamps.  This one is called:   Relaxing Bath

Bath wall H2O

First of all if you are not familiar with digital stamps, then let me tell you why I love them and use them more then traditional stamps.  When you buy an image you get the colored image, the black and white line image (to color yourself), a background with the featured image on it or you can choose to print out the feature image and the background separately, as I did for this project.  The average cost is around $3.00!  You don’t have to store them in your craft room because you store them on your computer.  You can also print them out in any size!  So let’s make some cute art to frame!

The Steps:

Step 1:  Print out the colored version of the background and the featured image that goes with it on white cardstock.  Cut the featured image out using a nested squares die set.  I used Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1118 – Stitched Squares

Step 2:  Make a frame using Elizabeth Craft Designs: Happy Frame XL.  I chose to use a purple cardstock for this step so that the bath accessories would stand out.  Here’s the link to the assembly video: Happy Frame Assembly video

Step 3:  I used some Karen Burniston’s die sets such as the little ducks, bubbles and wine set.  I used Silhouette files for the “slippers, soap, bath brush and yellow bottle of bubble bath.

Step 4:  Trim the background to the same size as the frame.  (if you measure 1″ from each side of the background and trim off the excess, then the printed background should be the exact size of the assembled frame (8″ square).  Add double sided adhesive to all four edges of the trimmed background and attach to the backside of the frame.

Step 5:  Add the bath accessories to the frame as shown.  I chose a white 5/8″ wide ribbon to hang the finished project with.  I tied a bow and left enough ribbon hanging from the bow to attach to the back at the length I felt would look good.  Tape the two hanging pcs. to the back of the project.  Then cut a 8″sq. of white cardstock and attach to the back of the project to cover the ends of the bow and make a clean backside.

Step 6:  On the back of the project I attached Elizabeth Craft Designs: Lace Pocket

Lace pocket

This step is optional, but this is where I wrote a little note about why I chose this particular image for this project for the recipient, but also some things I love about them.

Here’s a few more I made:

I’ve made a total of 13 of these!

Thanks so much for taking a look and I hope you are staying safe and finding some fun projects to make if you are also “sheltering in place”.  And I hope you’ll experiment with digitals!

Other Products Used:

Michael’s Craft Store:  All cardstock

Amazon:  10mm double sided adhesive

Elmer’s Craft Bond

Cutterpillar Pro

Sizzix Big Shot Pro

 

Better Days to come card

Spring showers new H2O

Hi Crazy4Challenges fans!  I hope everyone is staying healthy during this Covid 19 thing!  I don’t know about you, but being forced to stay home in my craft room….well,  I’ve had worse things happen.  But then again, none of my loved ones has been infected.  So my   prayers go out to those of you who have been more personally affected.  It’s interesting that today’s challenge is to put rain or a rainbow on your card this week.  We’ve had a good amount of rain in CA this week!

The Steps:

Step 1:  I stenciled the rain drops on a piece of white cardstock with blue ink.  Next I cut out a square from this stenciled white cardstock using a nested square die set.

Step 2:  Using a Pink and Main stamp called “Puddles”, I stamped the little girl out twice  Once on white card stock and again on yellow cardstock with a tiny white heart print on it.

Step 3:  I colored the stamped image on white cardstock with Copic Markers and added clear lacquer to the puddle area.  Then I “fussy cut” out the Umbrella and Hat out from the stamped yellow cardstock and glued it onto the Copic colored image.  Then I “fussy cut” out the entire image after the lacquer was dry.

Step 4:  I cut out two grass pieces. cloud and the little yellow flowers from an older couple of Karen Burniston die sets called “The All Season Tree” and “The Garden Bench”.

Step 5:  I cut a scalloped square mat for the finished scene piece from light blue cardstock from a nested set by Elizabeth Craft Designs.

Step 6:  I created the sentiment on my computer and cut it out with a nest fishtail die set.

Step 7:  Create a base card by scoring an 8.5″ x11″ pc. of white cardstock and folding over for a tent fold card.  Trim down to 5″ x 5″.  Now adhere the finished little rain scene to the base card.

That’s It!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Here’s another look:

Spring showers new H2O

 

Celebrate!

Wine front H2O

Believe it or not on The Calendar of Days, it is National “Open a bottle” day!  So to honor this day, as the last week of my “Hostess” month this year, I am challenging all the crazies to make a card of “Celebration”.

The Steps:

Step 1:  I had Karen Burniston’s” Wine Charms so I decided to use this set for my card.  I cut all the pieces in this set from white cardstock then colored each piece with Copic Markers and assembled the bottles and glasses.  I didn’t use the grapes die.

Wine Charms

Step 2: I cut the pieces for the S’mores from Karen Burnistons: Camping Charms from white cardstock and colored them with copic Markers.

Camping Charms

Step 3:  Make a base card by scoring a piece of 8.5″ x 11″ pc. of white cardstock at 5.5″ on the long side.  Fold over for a tent fold and trim to 5″ x 7″.

Step 4:  Using Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1125 – Ropes 1 I cut the straight rope 4 times from tan cardstock.

Step 5:  I created the sentiment in my computer, printed the two on tan cardstock. Then using Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1537 Stitched Hexagons I used the 3rd smallest die to cut them out making sure I made room for the charms.  Next I adhered the wine and camping charms as shown.

Step 6:  Cut a mat for the base front that measures 4.5″ x 6.5″.  I had this cork board look alike cardstock that I used. Adhere the mat to the card front and the hexgons.

Step 7:  I finished off the edges with the ECD : 1125 – Ropes 1  Here’s another quick look.

Wine front H2O

Thanks so much for taking the time to hop over here and as always I’ll be looking out for your celebration card!

Other Products Used:

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Cutterpillar Pro

Michael’s Craft Store:  white and tan cardstock

Try Something New!

Little one H2O best (2)

I have had this one piece die since it first came out but just checked and it has been discontinued.  It was called 1064 – Fitted Frames 4 – Curvy Squares also from Elizabeth Craft Designs. Because of it’s name,  I always used the eight frames as frames!  But for this challenge, I cut the one piece out of white cardstock and then colored each frame and used them all on this card as a background die!  So this is a new technique for me even though I’ve had the die a long time.2018-05-01 16.57.43

After I colored each of the frames, I made a base card by scoring an 8.5 x 11″ piece of white cardstock at 5.5″ and folded over for a tent fold. Then I glued all the frames back together onto the front of the base card leaving an eighth of an inch border all around.

I added Glitter Dots in all the holes also from Elizabeth Craft Designs.  As soon as I had it together it really looked like a “baby card” background.  So that’s what I made.

The “Bunny”  and “Onesy” are from a Karen Burniston’s Baby Charms.  The sentiment tag was first stamped with a Karen Burniston Stamp set and cut with a Sizzix Tag die.

That’s It!

Other Products Used:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Cutterpillar Pro

Copic Markers

Michael’s Craft Store:  All cardstock

Kid’s Choice Glue

To Honor My Granddaughter!

My Sierra H2O

This week’s challenge over at: Crazy4Challenges  is to choose a card that was sent to you and use it as your inspiration!

Sierra card

Sierra card inside cropped

I chose my sweet granddaughter’s card because when I went looking at cards I had saved, this one from Sierra was in the mix.  The little girl who sent me this card had paid for it with her own money and gave it to me with a bag of Starbucks coffee she had also paid for!  This little girl just graduated from the University of Oregon. and was just married to her high school sweetheart!  They both have begun great careers!

The Steps:

Step: 1:  I used an older Karen Burniston’s die set that was called “Whiskers the Cat”. I cut the silhouette piece and whiskers piece from black cardstock 3 times.  All the others were cut from white cardstock and colored with Copic Markers.  The Santa hat is from an old KB die set that was accessories for all her “critters” that she released that year.

Step 2: Make a base card by scoring a 5.5″ x 11″ piece of white cardstock at the 5.5″ mark on the long side.  Fold over for a tent fold card and trim to 5.5″ x 7.75″.  (Although this is a huge card, it is the exact size of the one given to me!).

Step 3:  I cut a blue card stock that had little white glittered dots all over it into a rectangle that measures 5.5″ x 7.5″ to cover the entire front of the base card.

Step 4:  The Christmas lights and snow drift on the fence are Silhouette files.  The fence for the snow drift is a 1.5″ x 7.5″ strip of “wood look” paper that I though looked remarkably like the one in the inspiration card.

Step 5: Once I had all the components made, I assembled them as shown and that’s it!:

Me and Sierra cropped

Other Products Used:

CutterPillar Pro

Michael’s Craft Store:  All cardstock

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

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

 

A lesson learned!

 Sept sketch H2O

It’s sketch week!

It’s also my birthday today!  I love sketch week because your card can be any theme.  So I made mine a birthday card.

I always will post projects I like, but also my “not so much” projects.  This one I really thought would end up cute.  I had some designer paper with all these pastries on it.  I thought it would be perfect to use with the dies I wanted for the four squares in this sketch.  However, once I saw it all together, I think it’s too busy and the paper competes with the feature “squares”.  So it just goes to show you, that even when you think you got this, it’s that one that will teach you a lesson!

The Steps:

Step 1:  The designer paper stripes measure 2″ x 7″.  The blue stripe is 1.5″ x 7″.

Step 2:  I used Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1118 – Stitched Squares  for the four squares.  Using the second to smallest die, cut four times from white cardstock.  Then I used a little yellow Panpastel to match the yellow in the paper.  It doesn’t look yellow in the photo because it’s pretty pale yellow.

Step 3:  I used two Karen Burniston Charm die sets for the squares:

1050 – Sweet Treats Charms        and         1041 – Coffee Charms

Sweet Treats Charms                                  Coffee Charms

I cut all of the dies I used from white cardstock and colored them with Copic Markers.

The Yellow Happy Birthday sentiment is Elizabeth Craft Designs: 783 – Happy Birthday

Step 4:  The base card measures 5.5″ x 7″.  Score an 11″ x 8.5″ pc. of paper at 5.5 on the long side.  Fold over for a book fold.  Then add all the elements in steps 1, 2 and 3 to the front of the base as shown.  Here’s another look at the card:

Sept sketch H2O

That’s it!

Thanks so much for stopping by and we can’t wait to see what you do with this sketch!

Other Products Used:

Beacon’s Kids choice glue

Michael’s Craft Store: White and blue cardstock

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

CutterPillar Pro

Sticky Specs

 

Inspired by a Book!

Woodland thanks H2O (2)

This week our Hostess, Francis Byrne, who  is also our team leader, has challenged us to make a card that is inspired by a book.  My card was inspired by Hansel and Gretel.  Why a child’s book you ask.  Well because I always have a book I’m reading, but I don’t read books that easily translate to a cute card.  I read military, or murder and detective mysteries.  Romance novels bore me out of my mind.  They’re too predictable.  For example I think Daniell Steel really only wrote one book.  All the others are the same story only the characters names and occupations are different.  I chose instead a book my mother read to me when I was young and sick.  It was both memorable and terrifying because at the end of our street was where the forest began in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  A lot of my elementary school pals played in that forest but not me!  So this is another easy, peasy card.

The Steps:

Step 1:  The card measures 6 x 4.75″.  Score an 8.5 x 11″ piece of white cardstock at 5.5″.  Fold over for a top fold card.  Cut a mat using the larges die from Elizabeth Craft Designs: 1120 – Stitched Rectangles

2017-07-30 12.38.42

I used a piece of wood look cardstock from Michael’s Craft Store. 

Step 2:  I used a discontinued die set from Karen Burniston when she was with Elizabeth Craft Designs called 914 – Outdoor Edges – 3 die set to cut a trees in the background look.  I cut a 3″ x 5″ rectangle from dark Green Cardstock.  Then used Removable Scotch Tape from Staples to attach the tree edge in this set to the very top of this rectangle and cut the “tree edge”.  Adhere this to the wood look layer.  I attached it with the lower edge of the wood layer just above the “stitch” line.

Step 3:  Cut out all the pieces for all 3 of Karen Burniston’s: https://karenburniston.com/woodland-animals-die-set/

Step 4:  The 5 trees are from a discontinued Karen Burniston set called Evergreen Pivot Card.  However, she re-released this set when she went on her own.  Below is a photo of the new one and the link: https://karenburniston.com/evergreen-pivot-panels/

Evergreen Pivot Panels

Step 5: The sentiment “thanks” is an Elizabeth Craft Designs die: https://www.elizabethcraftdesigns.com/products/thanks-1

I cut it once from yellow cardstock and once with green cardstock.  I glued the yellow over the green offset just a little.

Here’s a photo of all the elements of my card.  I like to get everything ready so I can try different layouts:

Once I like it then I start gluing things in place.  Here’s another quick look.  The sentiment “thanks” on this little forest scene is because I’m going to add it to the top of boxes of homemade brownies and cookies for my town’s Firehouses.  I live in California, 2 hrs. by car east of Yosemite.  Every year there is a fire in one of California’s beautiful forests.  And every year our boys and girls are sent in to relieve the ones up there that are completely exhausted.  Besides our hot dry summer days (it’s supposed to be 102 on Sunday) they carry 80lbs. of equipment on their backs.  One yr. that I delivered a similar package, I arrived just as one of the relief shifts were off their turn and returning back to the fire house.  You can’t imagine what they looked like.  Covered in black and grey ash, and could barely walk.  The shift going out to replace them, picked up their pace to each grab one of their returning house mates, and help them get into the fire house to shower, eat and sleep.  They will all do the same thing the next day…..for days! :

Thanks so much for taking a look!  I sooo appreciate my followers and remember you can ask any question and I will get right back to you!

Other Products Used:

Amazon:  Sookwang Clear double sided adhesive

CutterPillar Prp

Beacons Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Pro

 

National Sandcastle Day

Front seaside H2O

Inside seaside H2O

It’s a new month and a new Hostess who is Nicky Foden.  Because today is Sandcastle Day, Nicky has challenged us to put a sandcastle, sand or any beach theme.  One of my favorite die sets is Karen Burniston’s Adirondack Chair Pop Up.  The one I own is one she designed when she was with Elizabeth Craft Designs.   She has revisited this set at her new site:  https://karenburniston.com/adirondack-chair-pop-up/

The Steps:

Step 1:  Karen has an assembly video for this die set.  Click on the link above and you will find two videos.  One is for the original look of the Adirondack and a second one to make the chair look upholstered!  So the first thing I do for a pop up card, is to master the pop mechanism.  No worries, this one is easy!  I cut the “chair” pop up from white base weight cardstock or 80lb.  I use a heavy cardstock because I assume it’s going to be opened a closed a lot!

Step 2:  My base card is a 5.75″ square when folded.  This is the card that you will cut the chair into the fold.  Depending on what you will use for inside mats you may want to cut the two mats with the chair.  I chose for the bottom (under the chair” side) I measured  where I needed to out sort of a square under the chair.  And then to cover that hole when I attached the “sand” mat, I just adhered the same color cardstock under the chair and adhered the larger mat on top.  Both the “sky” layer or as I’m calling mats, measure 5.5″ square.

Step 3:  Cut two 5.5″ squares from white cardstock.  Using Elizabeth Craft Designs: “Earth and Sky”   I stenciled clouds with Aqua Marine Blue PanPastel.  Adhere this sky background mat to the top inside of the base card. The second one you will use on the front of the card.

Step 4:  Using Karen Burniston’s1038 – Tropical Scene

Tropical Scene

I cut the “waves” in white and blue for both the bottom inside and the front of the card.  I also cut the “Palm tree/sand dunes and “sea shells” and “sun” from this same set above.  I cut the little sand mound pc. twice. Once with the light brown cardstock and once with white cardstock.  I colored the little palm trees with Copic Markers.  Then I cut them off and adhered them to the light brown one right over the light brown trees.

Note:  This is a personal endorsement.  I do not receive any income from this company in either currency or products.  I have always felt that Karen almost always,  includes little decorator dies that you can use for so many projects with or without the die set they come with.  I’ve used these little sea shells and sun a lot.  For this project I used them on the front, inside, and in the bucket on the inside.

Step 5:  The two “Palm Trees” and “Pail” on the inside is from a discontinued die set from Karen B. that is called:  Palm Tree & Pail”.  I love this palm tree.

Palm Tree and Pail

Step 6:  Now just adhere all your cut and/or colored as shown on the inside and the front.  (I also created a personal sentiment on my computer and printed out on white cardstock.  I cut it out with a nested die set set and adhered it to the bottom of the inside of the card centered on the lower inside over the “wave section”.  I took the pictures before I added it to the card because it has the “receiver’s name on it.”  I don’t have her permission to post it on the internet.  Here’s another quick look:

Inside seaside H2O

Side view seaside

Front seaside H2O

Thanks so much for taking a look!  I know you’re time is precious.   Here’s the link to the challenge blog to see the rest of the design team’s cards for inspiration.  We can’t wait to see yours!  Crazy 4 Challenges

Other Products Used:

Michael’s Craft Store:  All cardstock

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

CutterPillar Pro

Elizabeth Craft Designs:  Clear Double Sided Adhesive 10mm

Beacon’s Kid’s Choice Glue

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