The Last of the Cards...now to get creating again!

This is it...the last of the cards I've made to date....I do have a project in the works but it will be a day or two before its completed...

The first two cards used the same papers, just a bit of changing up of the layering.  I'm not sure which I like better...the first or the second one.  I made the first one for my mom and was never completely satisfied with how it was turning out so when I made the second one for Rox, I changed up the papers a bit and really think I like it the best.  Not real, real happy with either of them.  It's funny how sometimes I absolutely love how a card turns out and other times I just can't put my finger on what I don't like and what needs to be changed.

Anyway, I used paper from Sweet Shoppe Designs called Free Spirit. The newsprint paper was in my patterns folder but not sure who the designer was. I download lots of free papers and those get separated from their designers pretty often.  I had purchased these charms by Tim Holtz a while back and the hummingbird was just perfect for this card...Mom loves her hummingbirds!  The flower cluster in the circle is by Katie Pertiet and the birdcage is from the Silhouette Store.  The tiny butterflies came in a kit and luckily, were the perfect size!  I made my card-base out of Rustic Creme from Papertrey Ink and then made the layers to add to the top by resizing the circle cut out on each layer...I wanted a matted picture frame look.  This was harder than you would think...LOL...or for me it was.  The flower cluster and the birdcage (with drop shadow) were printed onto the pink layer of paper, which meant I had to keep it white around the flower cluster and still keep it lined up with each additional circle layer.  As you can see, it worked but it took a few cuts to get it there.  The sentiment tag is one I made for Maxine's birthday tag assortment.  The font is Great Vibes.  A few pink pearls to the bottom and a bit of distress ink to the edges and a pink satin bow. 

On this one I changed the sentiment to be used as a get well or thinking of you type card.  I left the scallop circle off completely but I added cut out circles to the border stripe. This was easily done in SDE by opening the border strip, adding a circle under the first scallop and then doing a copy/paste until I had enough circles for every scallop...then I positioned the first circle directly under the left side scallop and positioned the right circle directly under the right side scallop.  Opened up the alignment tool and selected space horizontally...this put the circles directly under each of the scallops.  I then selected all the circles and did a duplicate below and lined that second set up above the bottom scallops. Selected all the circles and the border strip, right clicked and made compound path...perfect!

 

Again, I used the same papers from the Free Spirit kit but used a cream layer on the bottom, the green in the middle and the rose pattern on top.  I cut the border strip out of green (used the eye dropper tool to select a green out of the green pattern layer) and then filled the top border layer with a pink stripe out of the kit.  I sewed this on with cream colored thread.  I did not distress any on this card...I wanted to sew the white on the sentiment tag but didn't figure I could follow the design so just added some white fake stitching.  The butterflies were cut out of some glitter cardstock and doubled up with foam dots and added to the birdcage.  The bow is seam binding with a pearl glued to the center and I added a few small pearls around on the floral background.  The Rainbow font is Mardian Demo and the rest is just plain Arial.  

And the last one is from a card I shared before...the bedspread inspiration...I had the background left over.  It didn't emboss as well as I would have liked so I ended up printing out another one and re-embossing but I hated to throw this away.  So...I decided to use it for a thank you card.  I had watched this video on stamping a butterfly onto pattern paper and then cutting it out and I liked the look...just don't have any stamps to do it with...LOL...so, I found a butterfly cut file that I liked, gave it a black fill and then did a offset and deleted all the inside stuff. I know this doesn't make sense to you, but when you do an offset to something like this butterfly, it will off set all the 'holes' and around the outside edge.  I only wanted the base of the butterfly, not with all the 'holes', so I erased all the stuff on the inside.  Oh, wow...why can't I say what I did and make sense?  I need to do a pic tutorial so this makes sense.  Anyway, I filled the offset with purple, grouped both the black filled butterfly and the purple offset and told the program to just cut the outer edge.  I did a print and cut and came up with this butterfly....basically a stamped look on purple card stock...I couldn't find any purple pattern paper that I thought looked good behind the 'fake' stamp.  I then just added some glitter glue and let it dry.  Popped it up on the background, added a pretty purple ribbon and a Thank you tag.  I rounded the corners, layered it on black and then on the card base.  I love the black/gray white with the splash of color. Oh, yeah, notice that font?  I really like that Mrs. Blackfort!

That's all for now!  

Almost done....

with the last of the cards....except I just finished up three this week and still need to photograph them.  I'll post those another day! 

This first card was done for my son-in-law...I cased this card almost exactly!  Too bad I can't find the image again so I can post a link...but I will come across it some day and update...anyway, she had used stamps to make her card...me, I don't own any so I had to do it on the computer and my software of choice was Silhouette Designer Edition...love this program!  I first set up my card base and the layer to go on top and chose the font, Aharoni. I wanted a nice even font and this one worked perfectly.  I first typed my first line, adjusted the spacing and then just did a copy/paste for the next 4 lines.  I chose a dark gray for the color and selected no cut in the cut window.  All I wanted was to print this.  I set my paper size to 5 x 7 in the software and my printer program and used AC Gray cardstock and sent it to the printer...I love this feature.  I just trimmed it a bit on all four sides once it had printed so it would measure 4.5 x 6.5 (I like to make my card bases to 4.75 x 6.75).  I then went back to my software and added two stars on top of my font and lined then up with the type.  Then I just selected the three rows of fonts that were 'underneath' the star and did a copy/paste on 'top' of the star.  I selected all three of the copied rolls of text and the star and moved them off to the side of my card layer so I could work with them.  I did a rasterize of the text and the ungrouped them. This way I could give each letter a color fill. I deleted any letters that were 'outside' the star and then colored each letter that was 'inside' the star...turned on my registration marks, set my size to 5 x 7 and sent it to the printer.  Once it printed, I loaded it in the Silhouette and cut the stars (BTW...you turn off cut on the colored letters, you only want to print them).  Since I wanted my stars to be 'thicker', I went back and cut 2 more stars for each size and then glued them together to form my 'fake' chipboard element.  I then lined up my stars to match my gray printed font and stuck it down with glue dots.  Finished it all up by layering it on top of my cardbase. 

Now...I just happened to take some images while I was making this next card and decided to include them so you can see how I design the card in the software and then cut them out...sorry, I didn't get a shot as they were coming out of the printer but you understand that part..right?  LOL....just make sure to turn registration marks on so they print along with your cut outs. The first image is my design laid out on my cutting mat in the Silhouette Designer Edition.  As you can see, I try (don't always remember) to keep a layered version of the finished card with my file so that I can remember how I put it all together if I want to make another one. The second image shows the process of cutting the files out once I've printed it off.  I always do an offset to all of my images or just put a rectangle behind them in the same color with no cut set so that when it cuts, there is no white showing around the edges. My Cameo does an awesome job 98% of the time cutting right along the line but this way I never have to worry about the other 2% of the time...LOL....Once I have it cut (I almost always use AC card stock as it cuts like butter in the machine), then I use my Spectrum markers to 'color' the edges...hate seeing that white edge. I've got to get some use out of those expensive markers...LOL..

Everything is done in the program...I fill my shapes and add my sentiment.  I would die if my cutter quit!  I can't imagine cutting with scissors like I used to!  Remember the 100 boxes I made for Jerri Ann's wedding and cut by hand...

 

My card was made using a kit called Little Charmer by Laurie Ann HGD and some paper from Beachy Keen by Erica Zane...the kite paper (Beachy Keen) matched perfectly with the flowers from Little Charmer.  I just used the eye dropper tool to match my solid images.  I used a cut file called Lattice Screen from the online store. Used the offset tool to add a white sticker border around the flowers and then cut them and layered them on top of the lattice and added buttons and twice.  All of the paper is layered on a kraft card base and rounded one corner.  Used colored pens for my fake stitching and added a few gems. 

Last one....a birthday card for my niece.  I used paper from Birthday Celebration...a collab by quite a few artist...Laurie Ann being one of them...I love her designs!  I used her music sheet to the background and then just drew some funky circles and used the sketch tool in the program to give it the hand drawn pen look and made the line color white...spaced them around the edges of the background.  I then made my cardbase by adding a scallop edge to the right side and welding it to my card front...I printed the inside sentiment and my logo on the back before I sent it to the Cameo to cut the scallop edge.  I'm sure there would have been an easier way to add the color to that edge but this was the only way I could figure it out. I then cut a scallop edge, identical to my scallop edge on my card and filled it with the turquoise color, cut it out and glued it on top of the card base edge.  I then cut the pink strip, added glitter by putting double stick tape down the front and then adhering the glitter to the tape.  Then I layered the backgound to the front of the cardbase and covered my seam between the background and the turquoise border with the pink glittered border. The wordart and tag were both part of the digital kit and I just traced them and cut them with the Cameo as well as the birthday cake. I did cut two of the birthday cakes and layered them with foam dots. The first cake is glued directly to the background, then the tag sentiment is added with foam dots and then the second cake is added on top of that with higher foam dots.  A few pearls, some fake white stitching and some glitter to the cake and popped on the Happy Birthday...super cute!

I hope you've enjoyed today's post! I hope to post the final three next week....need to get some groceries bought and go for my walk.

Cards, cards and more Cards!

This first card I made for the little man's best friend...he is also the sweetest kid I think I know. Whenever Gavin comes here, Ethan usually comes a day or two too....he loves to cook, so we usually get one meal out of him...he remembered my birthday, so I had to make him a special card.

The background paper is by Yellow Lemon and the kit is called Number 1...appropriate, don't you think?  LOL

I got the frame, scallop circle, star and banner from the Silhouette Store and just added some digital paper files and cut them out.  On the number 13, I added Glossy Accents and red glitter.  He thought it was way cool and sent me a Thank you text.  

This next one was a birthday card for a longtime friend...The kit is by Erica Zane called BeachyKeen and I've used it before...I love the soft color combination.  The butterflies are a cut file and I just used the Print n Cut feature of SDE.  I added a scallop edge to two different colors of border and then made a butterfly cutout, layered them both together and then cut a double cut of the three butterflies out of different pattern paper and layered them on top of each other and then used pop dots to put them inside the cutout.  Added some pearls along the edge for interest and some colored rhinestones and twine.  

I absolutely love the Print n Cut feature of this program...saves on tons of ink!

The font is SplendidOrnamenty.

 

Moving on.....this next card was made for a dear, dear friend...one that I've known since our kids were little!  I had got this magazine (can't even remember what it is called) and they had this bedspread layout.  I wish I still had the magazine so I could show you how I came up with this card but I don't.  The bedspread was sewn in columns...does that make sense?  Like you can see in my card...the embossing on the background..and then it had the flowers printed in black/gray with a few colored butterflies sprinkled off and on over the spread..I just loved the look and thought it would make a neat card.  Again, I used SDE with the Print n cut feature....the beautiful frame was a freebie SVG file I got a long, long time ago.....when I got my first Cricut.   I used some flower brushes and music sheets to design my background and then printed it off and ran it through my column embossing folder but it doesn't show up very good in this image.  It's layered on black cardstock and then added to the front of some apricot card stock. Added some twine, pearls to the butterflies and some wording art.  Added an envelope liner to finish it all off.

This is the beginning of the Valentine projects.  These were made for the grands up north...nothing too fancy or too big as postage is getting too high....I just made some boxes I bought from the Silhouette Store, used the print n Cut to fill the shapes and cut them all out.  The paper used was Sweet Valentine by Sassy Designs.  I also used cut files from Miss Kate Kutables.  It takes me forever to get my papers chosen and then figure out how to layer these up...the monster drove me nuts before I figured it out...LOL....added some ribbon, twine and sentiment tags. Sorry the picture isn't the best...I was really running late with these and had to take a picture quick and didn't realize I should have changed my aperture until after they were shipped north. I filled them with treats and money....

And these were made for Gavin, Darby and Tracer...they were hand delivered so I could go a bit larger on projects...LOL...the files are all by the extremely talented Mary from SVG cuts....her cut files are so perfect...unless I just really screw up with my alignment the projects come out perfect.  Darby and Tracer still talk about their boots!  I know Darby is getting too big for this kind of stuff but I make them anyway...figure she can throw them out if she wants too. 
The paper for Darby's boot is Giddy Up by Carta Bella, designed by Samantha Walker.  Tracers boot?  I have no idea....I'm thinking it was paper I had in my stash...or some I'd printed off a long time ago?  The blue is AC Cardstock...I do know that.  If I come across it, I'll update the post.  The guitar was made for Gavin...it was so cute!  I can see me doing this with the grands this summer.  The top of the guitar comes off and its a box...filled with Snickers and a small amount of money.  I just used brown AC cardstock for all of it except for the sound board panel and it was made using some more pattern paper that I can't find at the moment....update when I do.  This is the biggest reason I need to add notes!  I can't remember what I did yesterday, let alone 6 months later!  I also used some glitter cardstock that I had for the ring....just to give it a bit of a Valentine look but not enough that he couldn't display it all year.  I'm sure him and Dad fought over the candy!

This is just another shot of the guitar....I liked this prospective!

Moving on to the last of the Valentine stuff...a very simple card for a friend....some white cardstock, a white swirl cutout and a red heart with a bit of glitter...simple, simple, simple!

I'm going to call it quits for today...I'll post the rest tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Very Late 2013 Halloween or Super Early 2014 Halloween!

LOL.....I did make these for the grands this past Halloween but we will just pretend that I'm super organized and already ready for Halloween 2014....LOL...not EVER going to happen.  If I can't procrastinate, I can't wrap my mind around any ideas! Just like my mothers birthday card...I've had it listed on the top of my TO DO list for 2 weeks now...still haven't got it even started and I did so want to get it done in advance...

Anyway, here we go....I'm sure I won't remember where all the stuff came from but will do my best. 

First up is Ghoul Friends and yes, I did spell it incorrectly on the tag....ROTFLMBO.....why do I notice it now?  It's been delivered a long, long time!  That is what I get for using a font that is hard to read.....maybe the recipient didn't notice!  LOL...The font is A Charming Font.

I used some black star patterned paper from My Mind's Eye and then all the banner prints are from Echo Park and I utilized the print n cut feature.  I sewed the banner pieces on with my sewing machine with black thread. The witch's are a download from the Silhouette store and the buttons are from my stash and since I have them from lots of different places, I wouldn't have a clue who manufactured them...LOL...the white background paper is from Papertrey Ink and one of my favorite cardstocks to use...I just love the specks in it.

This was one of my favorite cards, I just really liked how the green contrasted with the black.  I had seen similar cards like this on Pinterest and just had to see if I could recreate them. 

Next up...another Pinterest card I came across...Shari Carrol.  I like how she made the card base with the oval top and went about creating my own card base in SDE...it wasn't as easy as it looked...LOL..the paper I used was from Echo Park again and the cardstock was just AC cardstock in black. I downloaded the witch, bat, and house from the Silhouette Online store and cut them out of the black paper and then ran the house though an embossing folder to make it look like brick.  The moon is printed on some cream stock and then a double sided adhesive paper is cut again and adhered to the front and then I covered that with glitter.  The fence is another cut file and the BOO is a font that I cut on the Cameo and then added crystal lacquer on to give it dimension and shine.  Buttons to finish it off. 

Card number three....this one went to Jack...I just LOVED that little ghost on the type paper. Too bad I don't remember where the paper came from...I thought it was in my patterns in SDE but I can't find it and I'm thinking now that it was just some paper I had on hand and not digital. The Halloween word art paper is in the pattern folder but unfortunately, I don't have the designer name with it.
I cut the scallop border in SDE.  I drew the ghost and then used a banner tag and used the print n cut feature for both of them.  This was the first time I have used the pen tool in the program and liked how it looked on the ghost.  The font used is Janda Stylish Script and I just broke it apart and added some eyes that I drew for the O's.  Cut a few more shapes and layered it all up...added rhinestones and some colorful buttons.  Too cute!

UPDATE:  I found the paper...its also by My Mind's Eye and it's from the same kit, Mischievous.  Whew....that's how things get done around here...look for something else and then I'll find the first thing I was looking for...LOL

Whew....no wonder I haven't done this till now..it takes so much time!  Of course, if I'd do it as soon as I finished making a card I would have more information and could give better credit.  This next card is my least favorite but I needed something a bit less girly or kiddie for my big man, Gavin.  I cut the spiderweb and the skeleton and just added them to the card along with a fuzzy spider I had in my elements drawer.  Made an October 31 tag, a bit of stitching and glitter spray to the web and called it done.  That skeleton is a bite to cut out....I'm finding out with most of the cut files, they cut great if you cut them large but when you downsize them for a card front, the little delicate parts (like the teeth) are way too small to cut.  I ended up going in and 'resizing' the teeth larger just so you could tell the guy had teeth!  If you remember it, this is the same skeleton that I used last year when I made Gavin's count down to Halloween picture.  He didn't even trick or treat this year...getting too big....if he only knew how hard that is for grandma, he'd trick or treat till he was old and gray...LOL

Are you getting bored?  I've got a couple more to go.  This one was the easiest to do...it is all from a paper kit that I got at the craft fair.  It's My Minds' Eye called Mischievous.  The raggedy Anne was fussy cut by me and then the rest were actual cutouts from the kit...the pumpkins, photo corners, arrow sign (I added the Trick or Treat with a white gel pen) and buttons all came from the kit.  I did cut the Polaroid frame out with the Cameo.  Layered it all up, added some black stitching, some colorful twine and popped up the doll and buttons.  Super easy!

.

I lied...I've got two more to go....I must have been having fun last Halloween or maybe I actually got around early and had lots more time...LOL...I used a bit more from some Halloween kits I had..the background paper is My Mind's Eye called Blackbird.  The border on top and the tag are from My Mind's Eye called Haunted.  And that type paper came from My Mind's Eye from the Mischievous kit.
I cut the moon out of orange paper this time and covered it with moon dust...something like glitter only really fine.  I cut the crows, tree, and spider web on the Cameo.  Added a banner behind the greeting tag, some black stitching and layered it all up on black cardstock. 

 

Last one...aren't you glad to see this come to an end?  LOL....its not really the end..just the end of today's shares.  I've still got Valentine stuff to share and a few more cards.   

This one is my absolute favorite...did I say that already?  Oh heck..I just liked them all!  I think Halloween is a fun time to make things...I love the colors!  

Again, I used that word art paper that I can't find the designer for.  I teamed it up with some lime green and the combination is just too cute!  The monster is by Samantha Walker and I purchased it off the Silhouette Online Store

It was easy to cut out and assemble but I just HAD to add the wiggly eyes...they just seemed to fit the image!  Cut a layered tag and then some a border with pinked edges and a white border that I ran through a chicken wire embossing folder.  Layered onto black AC cardstock.  Cute, Cute Cute...

Well, that's all folks!  Until next time!

Enjoy!

Cards, Cards and more Cards.....

I knew I had gotten behind on posting the cards I make but didn't realize I'd got this far behind...I'll be sharing 15 cards today, as long as Blogger allows me to post that many in one post but if not, I guess it will have to be in more than one...

First up is a Birthday card. This was made way back the first of 2013 so trying to remember the particulars is next to impossible for this ole brain...LOL...I know the card stock is from Papertrey Ink and I drew the flowers and the greenery. I'm thinking the dandelion was a brush but not sure where I got it and the butterfly was cut on the Silhouette and I'm sure it and the label were files from the Silhouette Store...I wish I would remember to add a note to all my files but I don't!  Anyway, this was designed completely in the Silhouette software program and cut on the Cameo.

Next up....another birthday card, this one for my younger sister.  It was pretty simple and easy to make...probably had little time to do it in, is my guess...LOL...I used an embossing folder on the green panel, cut the butterflies on the cameo and then made the round tag and cut out of some paper I had on hand at the time.  Layered it up and added a ribbon bow...easy, easy, easy!

 

Are you bored yet?   Only 13 more to go!  This was another birthday card that I wanted to try out the technique of cutting out the front panel with a butterfly cut file and then cutting it again with pattern paper to layer it on top of the cutout.  I embossed the panel and added some pink cardstock underneath.  Rotated the sentiment down the side and then did a trace on the bicycle and did a print and cut with the Cameo.  After it was all cut out. I added Crystal lacquer to the metal part of the bicycle to make it shiny and then added a bit more to the flowers in the basket.  The bicycle file and papers are from Free Spirit by Krystal Hartley and Laurie Ann.  I really liked how this one turned out! I've added another image so you can see how I did the inside. 

 

Ok. on to card number 4!  Whew....another birthday...I don't make much of anything else!  This too used a digital kit that I traced and then did a print and cut...the dollies and bird on the vine came from this kit but at the moment I can not find it. The butterfly came from a kit by Lauri Ann called April Showers.  I'm thinking she is the artist for the bird too but will have to check on that more.  The dollies and bird are printed onto the scallop panel and then I traced just the bird and cut it again out of the teal stock and layered it on top.  Added some pretty dotted paper, teal ribbon and a wooden button.  I'm sure the saying came from the same kit as the dollies...

Oh, my....this is starting to bore me...I can imagine what it is doing to you...at least its not a birthday card...its a Father's Day card instead...I really like using the Cameo to cut out panels and then layer behind them.  It just adds something special to the card.  This is one of the first times I actually thought about rounding my corners.  I usually forget until I've got it all layered up and then you can't use the corner rounder.  The stars were something I picked up in the clearance aisle at Wally World.  It's funny about that font in my greeting....I was just typing in the greeting and the phone rang...I answered, talked for quite a while and came back to the card and printed it off....never even changed the font from the default font...didn't even notice till I had it all assembled and thought...that doesn't look the best!  Oh, well...I'm not starting over!  Kraft stock from Papertrey Ink and the blue is just some AC stock.  A little twine and called it good!

Have I posted the card I sent you yet?  I'm thinking it was this one but I could be so wrong!  I do good to remember who I made a card for this week and which one it was....LOL...my friend Max got to see her card on the blog and I'd already forgot it was the one I made for her...by the time I hit 70, I won't know where I live!

Anyway, this card was simply made with circles that I filled in SDE and then cut them on the Cameo.  Cut out and layered up some flowers because I wanted them to be thicker like chipboard elements and then used my markers to color the edges to match the paper.   This card is pretty self explanatory!

This is my least favorite of all the cards I've done....I had this thought in my head that didn't come out as good as I envisioned and it took more time than any card I've done...I wanted the vase to look like it was filled with water and the stems were in the water behind the glass.  I wish I could say it worked but it really didn't.  Just looks like I parted the water and laid the stems in the gap.  Flowers were cut files from Silhouette, filled with pattern paper and then cut and layered up with buttons and twine.  Embossed the back panel wit dots and tied on a pretty gingham ribbon.

Halfway there....this is another card I made with the free kit I got in my card making magazine from Hunky Dory...called Flutterbye Wishes....I'm anxious to get this months kit cause we are suppose to get another free kit from Hunky Dory again...I really love them.  Every thing was from the kit except for the scalloped card base and I made that with the Silhouette.  Added a few rhinestones and a beautiful card was completed. 

Still with me?  I sure hope so! I'd been wanting to try one of these cards for quite some time and finally broke down and bought some of the clear cardstock from PaperTrey Ink...loved how it turned out but it was terribly hard to photograph so you could see the clear part.  The girl, tag, clouds, fence and butterflies are on the front of the clear stock card and then the scenery is printed on cardstock and attached to the top of the clear stock.  I scored the clear stock about an inch down from the top and then the scenery was fitted into the fold and the clear stock was glued on the back side.  I added another label to the inside on the scenery for the inside message and its hidden behind the front label.  It looks so much prettier in real life!  Rolled flowers, ribbon, rhinestones and glitter and then a bit of distress inks around the edges...I have to laugh...looking at it here, it looks like she is riding a bike with a flat front tire!

 

Another card I tried using the clear stock.  The white chevron was cut on the Silhouette and attached to the front of the clear stock.  The balloons and wish were cut files that I filled and cut on the cameo and then I just added pink cardstock to the inside. On this one, I had to do a whole cardstock card (out of the pink) so I would have a place to write the inside message...otherwise, it would have shown on the front and I wouldn't have liked that look!  Not the prettiest card but it was ok! This card shows why I prefer to cut my files out of colored stock.....I do not like white edges and I forgot to color the edges of the Wish with my markers..

 

I'd better put it in high gear...Bill is hollering for supper!  Ok...a card that started out as a birthday card and ended up a Sympathy card....didn't even have a need at the time but didn't think it looked too festive for a birthday card either.  This was a new technique I'd learned how to do by making a swing card. The paper is Every Day Kraft by the Paper Studio.  Some ribbon, a bit of Liquid Pearl on the flower, some black dots and a sentiment...I need to make up a few of these to keep on hand.The flower stamp came from Kerri Bradford.

Onward.....we are getting closer! Only 4 more to go today!  Not that I'm caught up but it will be all for this post.  This was made for my beautiful, sweet daughter.  It wasn't my idea, I found it on Pinterest and had to see if I could re-create it with the Silhouette.  The original poster had used a die but I don't own any so had to make my own cut in SDE. The cut file wasn't too hard to make but it was a bugger to figure out how to get it mounted to the front oft the card.  I finally just cut stripes of foam tape as narrow as I could so it wouldn't show behind the 'wire'...the butterfly is a Silhouette cut file and I used some new glimmer paper stock that I got from PaperTrey Ink...love the shine it has...both the white and the blue are glimmer papers. The yellow is plain.  She loved it, of course! 

I'm sure you are aware that August is a busy birthday month for me....Greg, Jack, Bella and Jerri Ann and then Bill and my anniversary....I had to have all these done before the grands came for their summer visit which falls during the first of the month.  This one coming up was for Bella....she is a cowgirl at heart...loves riding horses whenever she gets the chance.  The kit is called GiddyUp Cowgirl by Carta Bella...love this kit and have used it twice now....All I did was use the paper for fills on my shapes and layered it all up.  The tag came from the kit...I made the scallops and the horse/cowgirl shape, I have no idea!  I'm sure it was a cut file but I can't find it in the library so I don't think it was from Silhouette but it could be an svg file.  Again...I need to add notes to my files!  A little ribbon, a pretty pink resin flower and some fake stitching...

Next for the month was Greg, one of my hardest cards to come up with...I like pink and frill...not boring and manly...nothing spectacular....just cut some pattern paper and layered it on with an added button...

And the last card I will share today....birthday card for dear Jack...love doing cards for little ones...
The puppy and balloons are cut files from Rivka's Renditions and was purchased through the Silhouette Store.  Embossed the background with a large dot embossing folder, layered the pup and added the balloons and some colored twine for the strings.  I just cut a few 7's from cardstock and added them around the base.

That's all for now....hope you didn't go to sleep before you made it through....I hope to post the rest of them next week....about a dozen more to go!

Enjoy,

Halloween Projects (finally)

I know its a week after Halloween but I'm so slow and I am a world class procrastinator!  Anyway, first up is the treats I made up for the grands up north.

The sliding boxes are for the girls and they have necklaces inside of them.  The poison jar is for Jack and its full of candy and then each one of them got a Hershey bar wrapped with a skeleton.  The poison jar is a cut file called Toil and Trouble from SVG cuts.  It was a bear to assemble but once I made this one, the second one was much easier.  I think all the images are cut files from the Silhouette store. The paper is mostly from Echo Park (I think). The skeleton came in pieces that you cut out and put together with brads but I welded them together instead...didn't want to brad 44 of them...LOL...the label on the wrapper was bought from the Silhouette store but I had to do some massive re-working of it to get it to print and cut nice.  The first print and cut was jagged and uneven.  I re-worked the borders around it and once I'd done that, it printed out perfectly and cut exactly on the lines.  The girls loved their boxes...mom took one to work and her co-workers are wanting to buy some but I don't think I want to do it for money....like doing it for fun instead!
I found out, with the Potion Jar cut file. that I had to set my blade pretty high so it just barely scored the score lines.  If not, it actually was cutting through the cardstock and I did not like that look.  I did an ungroup and ungrouped the score lines from the cut lines...fed the cardstock through the cutter twice, once to cut and then once to score, changing the height of my blade for each pass.  The second jar that I made for Gavin came out much better.

This next image is of the Potion Jar I made for Gavin and a card I made for my friend.  I ended up making 44 of the skeleton bars...20 for Gavin's class, 15 for Jerri Ann's co-workers and the rest for me to give to friends of mine.

and a close up of the three projects.

I had to draw my own boots....couldn't find any that I liked. I just drew them on paper and then colored them and cut them out. Don't look real close...my cutting was not too good and my boots are different sizes....LOL..

I made this label with stuff off the internet...bird, the skull was a font and so was the swirl at the bottom.  Printed off on white stock, aged with distress ink and mounted on black.  The spider web was a cut file from the Silhouette store. They were running all their Halloween files at 75¢ so I bought quite a few.  This was one month when I should have paid the monthly fee of 9.99 but didn't!

I welded the skeleton together, then off set him so I could have the black background and ran him though my Xyron to apply adhesive.  Gavin stuck him to the background and he did a really good job!  Used paper from Echo Park the Apothecary Emporium. I had a 6 x 6 pad of this paper but you can buy it from Jessica Sprague as digital plus the kit for the label. This is the label I had to re-work to get it to print and cut properly. 

And this little guy?  Well, it would be Gavin back in the stone age...Jerri Ann and I made the costume.

and last...I needed a birthday gift for my beautician.  She is a cowgirl at heart so I wanted to do something along that line.  I got this idea from Lisa Johnson

I found a horse font, used paper that I printed off from Albums2Remember by Barb called Summer Fun and used a cut file for the stars.  I was running late for my appointment (on her birthday) so had to hurry up and write the inside message by hand...LOL..

That's all for now!  Going for my walk and then work on a birthday card.

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