Motorcycle "Bridge" Card

I created this fun fold card with a new to me stamp set

I bought specifically to use for my son's birthday.

It's called One Wild Ride and is by Stampin' Up!

Although it is new to me, the set has been available

since 2016.

It's actually a pretty easy card to make.

The trickiest part was getting the front panel

stuck in the right position -

until it hit me:

fold the card flat to adhere it.

I was trying to do it while it was 

in the folded, upright position.

Silly me! 

Sorry, I didn't take step by step photos,

but you should be able to figure it out

using the diagram and photos below.

top view

back view

I also used the old Sanded background stamp (2008?)

and screw head stamp from Nailed It (2017),

both also SU! sets.

The embossing folder is Diamond Plate by Darice.

Some sponging, heat embossing

detail work with markers plus dimensionals

finish it off. 

You could easily make a small pocket

to hold a sliding out sentiment and signed piece

or even a gift card  / cash.

Glue it to the center panel.

Here is a tip:

save the scraps from the new CLING mount stamps

to cut into pieces and use on the old not so sticky

CLEAR mount stamp sets by Stampin' Up!

It worked great!

When I was assembling my new Geared Up Garage cling stamp set,

I wondered if I could perhaps use pieces of the scraps to

place over the backs of the also new to me One Wild Ride

stamp set. It is the clear mount style. I've never had luck with

sticking this type to acrylic blocks, preferring to buy wood mount stamps still.

It does take a little bit of work,

especially peeling apart the pieces if you

don't have much fingernail length like myself ;)

Just be sure to note the difference between the sides

so you stick the correct side to your stamps.

Peel away the shiny side, stick the clear sticky film

to your stamp then remove the dull side. 

I'd like to take a moment to remind drivers to

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/safety/roadway/ssm/index

Thanks for looking, have a great day :) 

https://www.retrorubberchallengeblog.com/my-blog/2019/04/challenge-109-anything-goes.html

http://ttcrd.blogspot.com/2019/04/ttcrd-challenge-starting-23rd-april.html

Lego "Slider" Birthday Card

closed

pulled open

back

I put my math skills to use to come up with this 

fun birthday card for a young man that 

enjoys building Lego sets.

I chose not to use bright colors for the bricks

since he doesn't really use bright bricks

much in the sets he builds.

Sorry, I did not take step by step photos of this project.

I did make a diagram to help show you how I made it.

The bricks are 4 1/4" long by 1 5/8" tall.

I used a 3/4" square punch to create the "stud" portions.

A white gel pen and watercolor details to help give the bricks "dimension".

The bottom two bricks are glued to a top opening pocket.

I cut a piece of card stock narrower than the pocket,
leaving a wider bottom edge (a sort of T shape)
to catch the glued top side edge of the pocket
so as not to be pulled out all the way.
Diagram above.
There are sure to be many websites with instructions
if you do an online search.

The top edge of the pull out piece is glued to the back
of the top brick piece, leaving a gap to slide over the "studs"
so it looks like Lego bricks being stacked together :)


The finished card is 4 1/4"  by almost 5 1/2".

This would also make a fun way to give a gift card.

I'm entering my card in the following challenge

http://cardz4guyz.blogspot.com/2019/04/challenge-217-fun-and-games.html

Impossible Fold Card - White Christmas

Today's card is my first attempt at an

"Impossible Card" fold

and is my design team project for the week

at Through The Craft Room Door.

The center image (sentiment)

is called White Christmas and

was supplied by this weeks sponsor

Decosses Dynamite Doodles

Prize:  A Touch of Class kit

Our challenge is an anything crafty goes
challenge that lasts for the week.
Share with us what you've been working on
for a chance to win !

Thanks for looking =)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

PROJECT DETAILS:

This is for a 5" x 7" card.

You can alter it to make other sizes

Grasp the left side of the card in your hand

and carefully bend the right side along the center score line. 

The bottom portion will

bend backwards and the top portion will

come forwards along the score.

It's an "Ah ha!" moment once you do it!

The side pieces are decorated with

additional layers of card stock

that are trimmed a bit smaller to fit.

Once the side panels are added,

you will want to adhere a strip of

 card stock across the gap of the two

bottom panels to help hold it in place.

Decorate as you wish.

Push the center panel down for mailing

Twist Easel Flower Square Card

Today's card uses the Flower Square image from Ike's Art

and was created for the current challenge at Through The Craft Room Door.

Ike's has generously donated a $15 voucher

to the Top Winner this week
of our Anything Goes challenge!

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create - mainly blue/anything goes
Shopping Our Stash - April showers bring May flowers





TWISTED EASEL CARD TUTORIAL:

A fun twist on an easel card ! You can even make a round one.

To make a card that will fit a regular invitation size envelope (A2 = 4 3/8 x 5 3/4) you will need to make a card base that is  4 1/4" x 8 1/2" , scored at the center.

Score diagonally on one half from the score line to the opposite corner.

Create a seperate decorated front panel  4 1/4" wide by  4 1/4"high, however you could make it up to to 5 1/2" high.

Adhere the panel to the lower/right triangular section of the front panel only. You don't want to glue the entire panel to both scored triangular sections or else the card won't fold and twist properly.

On the inside of the card, add a raised element toward the center of the panel that will hold the decorated front panel open and in place when the card is open.

TIP: do not glue the panel down until you make certain it is positioned correctly ! You may need to play with it to make sure it will bend the right way so your image is standing the correct way when propped open.

I water colored the floral images with ink and an aquapainter. Center details were added with a marker (mini rhinestones would be a pretty detail!).

The blue background was colored with a water color pencil and blender pen.

The florals on the base were colored with coordinating markers to be a bit darker.

The carefully cut out florals were then adhered in the centers over the base piece to create dimension.

My element to hold the easel up was created by attaching a flower with a thick dimensional / pop dot.

This really isn't a difficult fun fold card to make, but it looks that way to the recipient ;)

Triangle Santa Christmas Card In July

Seeing all of the holiday movies being played on 

a certain TV channel got me to thinking that I ought to 

check out a couple Christmas card challenge blogs

that I participated in last year. 

Although I don't send out very many,

it's a perfect time to start working on Christmas cards :) 

As soon as I saw this weeks sketch challenge at 

52 Christmas Card Throwdown, I knew what I wanted to make.

I finally got around to making it. 

 I lightly blushed the cheeks with chalks / pastels.

Eyes were made with a marker.

Hat pom pom is a 1/4"circle punch. A tiny pom pom or jingle bell would be fun to use!

Die cut circle has real stitching and the edges are distressed.

Embossing folders from Cuttlebug:

Divine Swirls

Herringbone

Christmas Countdown (I think that's the name)

The edges of the kraft card base are lightly sponged with brown ink.

Pattern I drew on scrap paper to start.

I cut it apart and traced onto card stock scraps.

The pieces were hand cut with scissors then pieced together

onto a larger scrap of card stock. I trimmed around it

 then adhered it to my card front with dimensionals / pop dots. 

I was inspired by this image I saved long ago.

At the time I thought I'd use the idea to make ornaments

out of fabric scraps to give as gifts.

I never got around to it.......

Thanks for looking =)


I'm also entering my card in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year Round - July Anything Goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - vintage or anything goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes




EDITED JULY 15, 2016:
My card was chosen as an honorable mention !

Shirt and Dollar Bill Tie Card

Ta-da! A center opening button front shirt card -

with a tie made out of real money !!!!

Finished size is approximately 4" wide by 5 1/2"tall.

 Complete with teeny, tiny paper punched and pierced buttons,

 paper punched pocket and drawn on stitching details !

The buttons were punched out of kraft colored card stock,

pierced and lightly inked with a darker brown ink.

I was trying to make them look like the brown and tan

marbled buttons on the plaid shirts my husband wears.

TIP: Be sure to leave a gap at the edge of the collar

if you would like to tuck a tie under it. 

I slid the pointed end of my mechanical pencil under it 

while gluing at the top and bottom, creating a little more space .

I did not have any instructions to make the tie,

so I played with scrap paper the size of the bill first

to see if I could make something that resembled a tie.

Two attempts later and this is what I came up with.

I honestly can't tell you exactly how I did it,
other than lots of folding, sorry.

Here is the other version,
but it didn't fold as well with the money.

The inside is unfinished as of right now, 

my desktop computer is in the repair shop 

so I am unable to print anything .

I did create a sentiment with My Memories Suite
on my laptop

that I'll put in it (see bottom of post) later.

I'll print it on kraft paper  and trim it to fit,

 approximately 3 3/4" wide by 4 1/4" tall. 

NOTE: Ignore that center fold line down the back.

I goofed up and folded my paper in half the wrong way
when I first started making the card.

After lots of fiddling with paper and measurements,
this is the final pattern I came up with to make the

 center opening button up shirt card.

There are lots of great ideas online to make shirt cards,
but  I wanted one that actually opened in the front.

NOTE: I used a lighter weight printed paper folded over

because I wanted the inside and the part that flips out to create the collar

to be the same as the shirt front. 

You may need to play a bit with the angle of the collar

when you fold it to the front in order to make them meet.

Once you have them in position the way you like, 

glue the top edge and bottom corners down.

Hold it tightly in place, front flaps closed over the inside of the card,

then carefully trim away around the collar on each side -

but not the back center piece!

Hopefully the photos and brief description

are clear enough if you'd like to make one

of your own. 

I think I may make a few out of solid color card stock

to donate to Operation Write Home ! 

I'll substitute a tie shape cut out of card stock

rather than paper folding one .

I'm slowly getting my final box of cards filled.......

Be sure to check out my 

Wallet in Pants Pocket card -

another fun way to gift money in a card

to the men/boys in your lives.

Tutorial and photos HERE

Since this card uses primarily plaid,

I'm entering it in the current 

Cardz 4 Guys Challenge,

Checks/Gingham.

and 

because it is a shirt and tie,

Quirky Crafts Challenge Blog

Put On Your Shoes and Shirts.

lastly

Anything Goes

Thanks for looking =) 

Pop Up Box Card

Here it is, my first pop up box card ! 

I'll admit, the creation of the box card part itself wasn't too difficult,

 the figuring out what I was going to put in it and how 

was what gave me trouble ;) 

Original Instructions

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/popupboxcard/

It has been altered to fit a standard A2 (4 3/8" x 5 3/4") envelope.

You'll need a 5 1/2"   x 8 1/2" piece of card stock,

scored at 2", 4", 6", 8" along the 8 1/2" side.

Flip it around to score in at 3" along the 5 1/2" side,
running the entire 8 1/2" length.

Use a border punch on the long edge that

will become the 2 1/2" tall flap
(the edge that has the multiple score marks).

Depending on the depth of design your 

punch makes, the flaps will be 2 1/4" or less.

Cut in along the score lines

of the 2  1/2" tall sections just up to the 

scored line you made at the 3" mark 

the length of the card stock piece.

These cuts will make the flaps 
(2" by approx. 2 1/4" if you punch the edge).

Remove the 1/2 " piece from this side,

but keep it on the side with the 3" tall sections.

That will be the tab to adhere the box together.

Fold along all score lines.

Fold into the box shape 

(there is no bottom)

and adhere the small 1/2" wide piece

to the inside of the last 3" tall section.

You'll see that in the bottom right hand
portion of the box in the photo below.

Cut two strips of card stock 2 1/2 ",

score in 1/4" at each short end.

Z Fold and adhere the 1/4" tabs to the inside of the box.

These create the sections inside

the box to attach your embellishments to.
They are noted in the photo above.

Cut smaller pieces of decorative paper
or card stocks to decorate the flaps if you'd like.
Add other dimensional embellishments,
tags, etc to make a fun, layered card for display.

Make sure that all of the embellishments you use

do not go beyond the top or sides of the card

if you want it to fit in a smaller A2 size envelope

when it is folded. 

Folding it flat to mail

Supplies used:

Teal, pink and white card stocks

Confetti Cupcake, Happy Birthday, Greetings 
and Riveting stamp sets

all retired long ago from Stampin' Up!

Cupcakes Stampin' Around wheel

Happy Birthday Stampin' Around wheel
tiny alphabet from Technique Tuesday

various classic inks and markers from Stampin' Up!

aquapainter to color in the little cupcakes

Gold and Silver Signo gel pens

wide chisel edge black Sharpie marker
Stampin' dimensionals

scallop edge border punch, Stampin' Up!
triple layer flower punch, Stampin' Up!
circle punch

  Thanks for looking =) 

Microwaveable Bowl Potholder (Bowl Cozy)

It's a  super useful microwaveable bowl pot holder (bowl cozy) ! 

I am so behind the times, 

I've never heard of these until recently.

As soon as I saw it,

I knew I had to make one since I cook

oatmeal nearly every morning in the microwave

and my stoneware bowls get hot ! 

Cooking and reheating foods in bowls in the microwave

that are inserted in one of these bowl cozies makes it

so easy to remove the hot bowls from the microwave:

simply grab the "ears" of the cozy, no more burned fingers !

Depending on how full your bowl is, how liquid the contents are

(and how confident you are that you won't spill it!),

you can simply lift the bowl out by grabbing one "ear" in each hand,

using ears that are on opposite sides of the bowl. 

I prefer to slide the bowl out to the edge of the microwave by pulling on an "ear",

then as I continue to slide it out, I slip my other hand under the bowl to lift it.

It is warm to the touch as the cozy

protects my hands from the hot bottom of the bowl.

They are also great for keeping hands/laps warm 

while eating ice cream on the couch ;) 

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR MAKING YOUR OWN BOWL COZIES:

-Be sure to use 100% cotton fabric, batting and thread

for this project and never leave unattended while using 

in the microwave !

Prewash fabrics first and do not use fabric softener. 

-Make sure the potholder is clean,

no bits of food on it, before using in the microwave

(I hand wash mine with a mild soap, rinse well and air dry).

That goes for the microwave itself, 

general safety in use of a microwave -

bits of food inside of it can cause arcing. 

-Do not use it in a microwave

that does not have a turntable. You don't want

to take a chance on getting a hot spot on the cozy

causing it to scorch or catch fire. 

Mine work with no problem to cook steel cut oatmeal

(2 1/2 minutes on high)

and to reheat a bowl of soup

(2 minutes on medium).

I have a 1200 watt microwave with a built in turntable.

I've only used them three times as of this writing since 

I just made them the past couple of days during the 

extremely cold SUBzero temperatures we experienced.   

Let it be known that I am no seamstress !

This project was fairly easy

and took me about two hours to make a single one.

It would likely go quicker for someone

with more sewing skills. 

Below are step by step instructions.

I've also included links at the very bottom of this post

to the two sets of directions I referred to..

I have the Tea Rose pattern by Pfaltzgraff stoneware bowls. 

My bowls are 8" and 8 3/4" so I made my

microwave safe bowl potholders with 9" squares

of both batting and fabric on the burgundy cozy.

I used 9" batting squares and 9 3/4" squares of fabric on the brown cozy.

Slightly different sets of directions were followed for each to see which method I liked better,

 both links posted at the end of my blog post. 

The first step is to measure from one top edge down 

around the bottom back up to the opposite top edge of your bowl.

Whatever that number is, use it to cut your squares of batting

and then cut your squares of fabric slightly larger.

You will need to adjust your

darts for larger bowls. The darts I used were

1" wide by 2 1/4" long for my 8" and 8 3/4" bowls.

                                                        Make certain to remove all pins.

It's reversible, too ! 

The instructions I followed were found here for the first one (burgundy) I made:
http://syzygyofme.blogspot.com/2012/06/microwave-bowl-potholder-and-tutorial.html

The second one (the dark brown one I photographed for my step by step) uses slightly different instructions found here:
http://www.seamshappy.com/2012/08/13/microwave-bowl-pot-holder/

These microwaveable bowl potholders/cozies really are quite easy to make and so useful !

Thanks for looking =)