Shadow Box Cards – crazyforpaper

Relaxing Bath

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

Anything But A Card!

Ann's Cups h2o

This weeks challenge over at: Crazy4Challenges

The theme this week is to make an “ABC” or Anything But a Card! I have to admit that I made this Spring Trio for my oldest daughter in February but I also thought it would be a good inspiration for a gift for someone for any occasion or to hang in your own kitchen or dining room.

The Steps:

Step 1: I always like to cut out all the elements that will make up the card first. Then I audition them to see if what I had in mind will actually work. Here are the die sets I used to cut out all the elements:

A: Cut 3 cups and saucers from this die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs: Garden Notes – Victorian Tea Cup and Saucer

Garden Notes - Victorian Tea Cup & Saucer

I used 3 different black and white prints from a card stock pack from Michael’s Craft Store. I used black card stock for the saucers. Michaels paper

Step B: Cut enough petals and leaf pieces from these 3 die sets to make the flowers: Garden Notes – 1089 – Pansy – 5 piece set

Garden Notes - Pansy 5 piece set

I made enough for 7 pansies.

Make enough petals and flowers for 3 Amarillas and 3 Daffodils: 1218 Garden Notes Amaryllis

Garden Notes - Amaryllis

1137 – Garden Notes – Daffodil

Daffodil die set

Step 2: Cut an 3 white ovals with the largest die from this set: 1113 – Stitched Ovals

Stitched Ovals

Step 3: Assemble the cups and saucers and adhere to each white oval Glue the saucer in place and then put a large foam dot under the cups in the center of each. When you like where it is on each saucer then add a line of glue around the underside edges of the cup. Press the bottom edge down on the saucer. Next remove the “dot” backing and press the cup in place. Now go around and press the rest of the edges of the cup down.

Step 4: If you haven’t made paper flowers, here is the YouTube link to Susan Tierney Cockburn, the designer for Elizabeth Craft Designs. This is where you will find the video tutorial for each of these flowers. You will build your flowers right into the cups:

Susan Tierney Cockburn – videos

Step 5: Cut a rectangle of black card stock that measures 5 x 7″. Cut two strips of striped paper from the same pack or one you choose that measure 7 x 1.5″. Cut one stripe from coordinating card stock that measures 7 x 2″. Adhere these to the 5 x 7″ rectangle and adhere the floral ovals centered. Here’s another look:

Ann's Cups h2o

Thanks so much for stopping over and I hope you’ll come back soon!

Other Products Used:

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

Michaels: Shadow Box Frames

Beacon’s Kid’s Choice Glue

A Pretty Spring Bouquet of Tulips

Good Morning Crafters! For this project for the DiesRUsBlog I wanted to make a “almost any occasion” card. I love the realistic look of Susan Tierney Cockburn’s GardenNotes dies. Over at DiesRUs they carry a huge collection.

For this project I chose Elizabeth Craft Designs 1269 Garden Notes Tulip 2 for the star of this card.

There is a YouTube video showing how to create these cute tulips: Tulip assembly video

I cut enough of the petal pcs. white cardstock to make six tulips. Then with Copic Marker I “flick” colored from the bottom up to look like the real tulips that are sort of striped. Cut the pcs. for the stem and leaves from green cardstock and inked the edges with a darker green. I didn’t adhere them to the project as in the video but instead made each tulip and stuck them in a bud vase filled with toothpicks until I had all the other elements cut and colored’:

I also used: 1297 – Garden Notes Ivy Vine I cut both of the pcs. in this die set with white cardstock and then with a Copic Marker I colored green but left white areas to mimic variegated ivy.

To tuck into the bouquet, I used: ECD 1425 – Garden Notes – Maidenhair Fern

The Mats are as follows: The white was cut out of white cardstock using the largest die from this set: ECD 1173 – Dotted Scallop Circles

The pink mat was cut with pink cardstock with the second largest die from this set:

ECD 1113 – Stitched Ovals

The next element you’ll need is to cut the Tea Cup out of white cardstock from ECD 1375 – Garden Notes – Victorian Tea Cup & Saucer

This die also embosses the cup to show the rim and the curved stripe on the bottom that I colored pink with a Copic Marker. I stamped the pink flowers on the cup with a stick stamp.

These stick stamps are fun and are from a company called: Stamps by Judith Visit the site for all kinds of ideas and tutorials using these fun stamp sticks.

I have collected a few:

The “Hugs” sentiment was cut with white cardstock from this set: 1269 – Love Sentiments

To assemble the card: Create a base card by scoring a 8.5 x 11″ pc. of white cardstock. Fold to make a book fold and trim to 5.5 x 7″. Cut a rectangle from a designer paper that measures 5.25 x 6.75″ and adhere to the base card centered.

Adhere the pink oval to the white oval, then center this oval sandwich to the card.

Next, make a slightly barrel shape to the cup with your thumbs and put two foam dots down the center of the “tea cup” (top to bottom):

Apply glue to the very bottom underside edge of the cup and place it 1/2″ above the lower edge of the pink oval as shown. Don’t remove the backing paper from the dots yet. Next, play with the tulips and fern until you like it. Then glue the stems in place. Next, remove the backs off the foam dots and apply glue to the underside of the cup handle and all around the cup edges and the back lip of the cup. As you lift the cup back into place, gently push the sides in so that it accommodates the lift in the middle.

Next, add the “ivy” pcs. where you like them and the word “Hugs” as shown. Here’s one more look at the card in a shadow box frame:

That’s it!

Thanks so much for taking a look and I hope you will check in with the DiesRUs Inspiration Blog to see what the rest of the team has made for daily inspiration!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: White Soft finish Cardstock, Clear Double sided Adhesive

Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

A Coffee Themed Card

A fun card to cheer up a friend!

Well, this week’s challenge is “Perfect blend”. You can do this in the form of colors, stamps or dies. It’s a coffee themed challenge! It’s my favorite beverage. So let’s make this card.

Step 1: The image is from Kraftin Kimmie and is called “I heart coffee”. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available. Had I realized that I probably would not have use it. I stamped the image and colored it with Copic Markers.

Step 2: Using the die set below from Elizabeth Craft Designs, cut out all the pcs. for one tea cup. I cut them out with white cardstock and colored with Copic markers:

Step 2: Cut the pieces of one my favorite dies below from Elizabeth Craft Designs. I used polka dot cardstock from Elizabeth Craft Designs called ” Thinking about – Grand Canyon”.

The frame for this card is a 7″ square. So when you cut the die from above, you need to cut 4 for all the sides of the frame. Then trim them to 7″. Here’s a link to the assembly video: https://youtu.be/elpZ5RvMUII.

Step 3: Using the largest die from this dis set below, cut a mat in the darker blue from the same paper pack:

Step 4: Create the two sentiments with your computer then print and cut out with this die set below:

Step 5: Assemble the card as shown:

The “coffee beans” and pink heart I added is from a die set that has been discontinued.

That’s It!

Thank you so much for taking a look. Please leave a comment if you have the time so I can know you were here. Besides, I just love reading them. I hope you’ll join us this week. We love to see what you do with the themes for our challenges. YOU inspire us!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: White Soft finish cardstock, Clear Double Sided Adhesive

Amazon: Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

C4C – 429 Use your dies as stencils!

You can use your dies to make custom stencils!

Well, this was a fun challenge theme because I got to use what is clearly becoming my favorite 2 die sets: Happy Frame and Happy Frame XL by Elizabeth Craft Designs .

For this project I used the Happy Frame XL

Let’s make this card:

Step 1: Using the Happy Frame XL die cut 4 times with heavy weight white cardstock.

Step 2: Attach a pc. of scrap heavy weight cardstock that’s at least 2 x 4″ to Double sided adhesive. Secure the longest die from the below die set, sharp edge down on the adhesive side and run through your cutting machine:

The photo above shows the 730 – Curvy Leaves die set, the stencil I made and another piece of a double sided adhesive I tried this die first as a stencil (that’s why it has ink on it) and the practice piece of cardstock that’s 1″ wide like the Happy Frame is.

Step 3: Cut the frame pcs. to 6″ long on the longest side. With your handmade stencil and stamp pad inks, stencil the Happy Frame pcs. (I applied 2 greens and a brown ink pads:

Next, using PanPastel’s 780.5 Raw Umber, lightly with a small sponge dauber, distress the entire frame pcs. except the two outside folds as shown below in case it would affect the adhesive when you assemble the frame:

Now assemble the frame

This is the assembly video link: Happy Frame assembly video.

Step 4: Size, print and color with Copic Markers this digital stamp from called “Sunflowers” Di’s Digi Stamps.

Trim the colored print centered in a 6″ square.

I then went over the print with the same very light touch of Raw Umber PanPastel.

Step 5: Cut enough pcs. to make two Sunflowers from this die set (I cut the petal pcs. out 2 or 3 times for each flower just for extras, the seeds pc. twice per flower, and the leaves twice per flower) Cut the leaves from green cardstock and the petals from yellow cardstock and the seeds from dark brown cardstock:

Sunflower Assembly video

Add color as in the assembly video and shape the parts too:

Now as in the video build your two sunflowers right onto your assembled frame:

Step 6: Add 10mm (1/2″) Clear Double Sided adhesive to the edges of your 6″ colored image square on the colored side. Now attach it to the back of the frame.

Step 7: Create a base card by cutting a pc. of 12 x 12″ cardstock in half and scoring one of the halves at 6″. Fold over. My choice for base cards if I have the color on hand is Elizabeth Craft Design’s Soft finish cardstock. I love it’s weight 100lb. and it’s colored on only one side. When I want to stamp on the inside this is a great benefit:

If you are going to stamp a sentiment on the inside, do it now.

Step 8: Add Clear Double Sided adhesive 10m to all four front edges of your card base. Adhere the frame to the card.

That’s It!

Thanks so much again for having a look. These frames are so fun. And come back next week for another fun challenge! Please let me know you were here by leaving a comment. I love to read them!

Other Products Used:

Elizabeth Craft Designs: Soft Finish Cardstock 12 x 12 Dove Gray and 8.5 x 11 white, 10mm Clear Double Sided Adhesive.

Beacon’s Kid’s Choice Glue

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

C4C 414 Color something!

2017-11-27C4C -414

Below is the inside of this card:

2017-11-27 C4C414 inside h2o

This week’s challenge over at Crazy4Challenges is to color! I just recently bought some digital stamps from The Paper Shelter. This little stamp is called “Snow Angel”and I fell in love with her!

2017-11-25 snow angel h2o

This is also a 3D scene card but only 2 layers:

2017-11-27 21.51.14

The Steps:

Step 1: Digital stamps can be printed out in any size. I knew I wanted to make a multi layered card so that it would look like this little Snow Angel was out in the woods under a blanket of fresh falling snow. Print out the image in the size that will be in ratio to the other elements (trees).

Cut 8 trees from this die set:

2017-11-08 20.29.00

You can cut two layers of cardstock at a time with these dies. Glue two trees together to end up with four trees. I need them early in the project so I can audition other things in relationship to this die set!

Step 2: Color the Snow Angel with Copic Markers:

Step 3: Create a background for the scene. First, cut the printed and colored cardstock down to 5.5″ x 7″. I used a stencil by Susan Tierney Cockburn for Elizabeth Craft Designs called “Cloud and Grass” to create the sky using PanPastels 520.5 Ultramarine Blue:

2017-08-16 17.31.06

Then using a white gel pen, I made little circles to look like snow:

Next using Copic N0, color the snow mounds in, accenting the artist’s lines and making the illusion of snow mounds in the forest:

Next using a product called Snow Writer add this dimension to the colored snow mounds and on the circles and some lines that the artist drew. Immediately shake Elizabeth Craft Designs Silk Microfine Glitter Cool over all of this product:

Step 4: The “trees” in the above die set have a built in embossing effect that suggests the dark lines on a birch tree. With Copic liner pen .3, I went over these embossed lines.

Step 5: Adhere two of the trees to both sides as shown below but leave some of the small branches not glued. This gives you some options of tucking other items under them:

Step 6: Stick a piece of white cardstock to Elizabeth Craft Designs Clear Double Sided Adhesive that measures 4″ x 2″. Take the backing off of the adhesive and shake Silk Microfine Glitter Cool over this entire adhesive pc. Shake off the excess and polish with your fingers. Using the “Snow Flake” from this die set, cut twice placing the die cutting side down on the glitter side of this pc. Tip: Cut off the excess glittered cardstock for each run through of the “snow flake” and the other dies you’ll run through your die cutting machine using this glittered cardstock. I added ECD Glitter Dots Transparent/silver to the center of each snowflake.

2016-01-18 17.33.27

Cut two of the smallest snowflakes from this set: 757 -Snowflakes by Elizabeth Craft Designs using the same technique as above (I cut off the circles)

2017-11-28 17.12.48

Cut (out of white cardstock) and color the two birds from this set with Copic Markers:

2017-08-29 13.36.27

Step 7: Make the second layer, the frame. Cut a rectangle from heavy white cardstock that measures 5.5″ x 7″. I had to improvise this step so I placed the third largest of this die set with the shortest side placed on one side of the rectangle eyeballing an even margin from the edge on those three sides. Run it through your cutting machine. Keep the mat that it cuts for the inside sentiment as I did. Next, slide the die to the opposite side and run through the machine again.

Step 8: Make the base card by scoring a 12″ x 12″ pc. of Elizabeth Craft Designs Soft Finish Cardstock Dusky Sky at 6″. Fold over and trim to 6″ x 7.5″. Cut a rectangle from white cardstock that measures 5.75″ x 7.25″. Adhere this rectangle to the “Dusky Sky” base card centering as shown with ECD double sided adhesive 10mm. Next adhere the stamped first layer to this white rectangle also centering it.

Step 9: Lay the “frame” layer from step 7 and lay it on top of this stack. Cut the last to trees in half dividing the two trunks. Adhere the two tree halves that were the left trunks to both sides as shown with Beacon’s Kids Choice Glue. Now that you have both layers almost finished you know where you want the “snow flakes and birds”:

2017-11-27 15.36.48

Step 10: On the underside of the frame layer add foam dimensionals like this:

2017-11-27 16.09.14

Pull the backs off the foam and carefully place exactly over the stamped Snow Angel layer. They should be exactly the same size.

Step 11: You can either stamp a sentiment or do what I did for the inside sentiment. I used the white mat that was cut from step 7 and these two die sets:

Brush the outer edge only of the white mat with Wink of Stella Clear. Cut “Merry Christmas” from silver mirror cardstock. Cut two flourishes from the same ECD Dusky Sky cardstock as the base card.

That’s it!

I hope you’ll give making a 3D card yourself. They are so fun to create. But it’s not necessary for the challenge. We hope you will show us what you do for this weeks challenge. You inspire us! Add 3 Blue/Silver Glitter Dots to both of the Flourishes.

Other products used:

Beacon’s Kids choice glue

Michaels: Dimensional foam adhesives

Joanne Crafts: Silver Mirror cardstock

Sizzix Big Shot Plus

A 3D Christmas Scene Card – C4C 413

Home for the Holidays!

2017-11-06 Christmas 3D card

C4C 413

Diorama cards are becoming very popular. They’re fun to make and only your imagination holds the limits to how many themes there are! I’m sure there are many ways to create the layers but this tutorial is how I do it.

First decide on your theme. I’m working on Christmas cards now and that’s what this week’s challenge is over at Crazy4Challenges. The finished card measures 5.5″ x 7.5″ so all the elements have to work within that space. I find when your goal is to create a scene, sometimes it’s easier to stay within one manufacturer because typically they are the correct ratio to each other. Especially, what I call “scene builder” die sets. Because I own more Elizabeth Craft Designs products that are in this category, this entire card is from this company’s products with the exception of the sentiment tag on the top. It can be the outside of a greeting card or frame it in a “shadow box” frame.

This finished card measures 5.5″ x 7.5″.

I always have a theme in mind before I do anything. In this case I wanted to make a country home all decorated up for the holidays.

The Steps:

Step 1: Out of heavy weight 85lb – 100lb white cardstock 11″ x 8.5″ score at 5.5″ along the long side. Fold and trim to 5.5″ x 7.5″. This is the base card. I stamp the sentiment for the inside at this point because I use the Misti Stamping tool.

Step 2: Cut a rectangle out Designer paper that will be the background that measures 5″ x7″. Adhere this to the front of the base card with a 1/4″ border on all four sides. I had a designer pc. from JoAnne Fabric and Crafts that is blue with white glittery snow dots.

2017-11-20 17.16.31

Step 3: Also from heavy weight white cardstock cut two rectangles that measure 6.5″ x 7.5″. Using the die set below center the largest die on one rectangle and the second largest on the other.

2017-07-30 12.38.42

Run these two rectangles with dies through your cutting machine. Make two score lines the length of the 7.5″ sides at 1/4″ and 1/2″. Fold inward to create the two frames. The frame with the largest window will go on top.

Step 4: Cover two strips of white cardstock 6″ x 2″ with double sided adhesive. Cut one of these strips with the tree edge of this set and the other with the middle wavy one:

2016-07-19 15.11.28

Pull the backing pc. off of the double sided adhesive and cover both pcs. with Silk Microfine Glitter in Warm Diamond from Elizabeth Craft Designs. Cut two more of the same size white cardstock and cut both with the wavy edge from the same set.

Step 5: Cut out all of the pieces from the below die set from white cardstock and color with Copic markers and PanPastels. Cut 3 little pcs. of yellow cardstock to glue behind the windows and heart in the door.

2016-07-19 15.37.38

Step 6: From the set below cut out of both green and white cardstock the 3 smallest pcs. from the set below:

2016-08-21 13.19.57

Step 7: Cut out of white cardstock 4 of both the tree pcs. in this set (there’s a die that is an additional branch) I didn’t use the leaves:

2017-11-08 20.29.00

Step 8: Start the fun assembly part! On your base card with the attached background paper attach the white plain and glitter borders to the background. Assemble the “house” and add to the card as shown. Alternate the “pine tree” white and green layers and add to this layer with dimensional foam dots. I forgot to take a pic of just the first layer by itself. This picture below is the second layer, laying on top of the base card:

2017-11-06 19.13.50

Step 9: Lay the smaller window layer over the above layer and glue one of the Birch trees to both sides as shown above. Don’t attach this layer to the card yet.

Step 10: For the last layer I used these three die sets:

Cut and color the fence and snow décor for the fence and do the same with the snowman. (Assemble them.

I added another 2″ white cardstock strip that I glittered the same way as above. Then I glued the last two trees, the fence and the snowman.

The little snowflakes are a decorator die pc. from another ECD set but at this posting I don’t remember which one. I already had them from another project. (TIP: when ever I’m making a project that requires some little pc. like this snowflake I make a bunch of them so that they’re ready for another project and I store them in little containers like these below:)

2017-11-20 19.14.55

The last step is to create the sentiment. I used a set I bought from one of the shopping networks last year on their Craft Bonanza by Diamond Press:

2017-11-24 13.58.32

I stamped the “Warmest Wishes” with clear embossing ink and used Gold Metallic embossing powder. I cut the embossed sentiment out with it’s matching die.

I added Gold/clear glitter dots peel off stickers from ECD to the snowflakes and one on the sentiment. I also added two tiny ones to the stamped snowflakes on the inside of the card.

The last thing you do is adhere the layers together. I used Clear Double sided adhesive on the backs of layer 2 and 3. I added dimensional dots also.

-I realize it seems like a lot of steps but it goes fast and it’s so fun to create these little scenes.

Thanks so much for taking a look!

Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below. And we would love to see a Christmas card that you’ve created!

Tag: Shadow Box Cards

Relaxing Bath

Like this:

Anything But A Card!

Like this:

A Pretty Spring Bouquet of Tulips

Like this:

A Coffee Themed Card

Like this:

C4C – 429 Use your dies as stencils!

Like this:

C4C 414 Color something!

Like this:

A 3D Christmas Scene Card – C4C 413

Like this: