ECD Laugh, Celebrate, Happy Birthday

Yogi here today with a Pyramid card for a guy. It's that time of year again, for me, when I need a couple guys cards... It's been eons since I last made one and I forgot how much I enjoy them BIG GRIN. They look complicated but are really easy and so much space to decorate. This one ends up being 5"w x 6"h (when closed) and folds flat for mailing.

Used a couple of the Elizabeth Craft Designs A Way With Words dies "Laugh", "Celebrate"; also available on Quietfire Design HERE and HERE. And I'm using a sentiment ("Happy Birthday") and part of a quote ("Home, Congratulations" 5pce set) stamp.

I started with an 8.5" X 11" piece of deep brown textured cardstock, scored and folded it (see cutting/folding image below). Also created a template slightly smaller of the triangle shape. Used it to cut 3 pieces from 90# hot press watercolor paper.

I created the background pieces with a wax crayon resist technique. Inked the watercolor paper triangle, direct to paper, with Distress "Salty Ocean", ran through my embossing machine using Sizzix "Blueprint" for side 1; "Gears" for side 2; & "Steampunk" for side 3. Kept the paper on my embossing folder and used a white wax crayon (any wax crayon will work depending on the look you want) and hit the high points here and there. Removed from folder and used Distress stains "Vintage Photo", misted with water, smoodged with my finger a bit, then went here and there with "Tea Dye", dried. Adhered to card sides. On side 1, I cut off one leg and adhered to the under piece so they matched up. Love the distressed look it gives.

Created eCut files for the gears (Gel A Tin "Shifting Gears") and also die cut one of Tim's "Gadget Gears". PS you can use any gear images you have either die  cut or stamped and fussy cut, or even electronic images. Just get a nice assortment in small to medium sizes. Inked the stamps with Versafine Black Onyx and embossed with a mix of embossing powders. A touch of "Kettle Copper", a touch of "Chic Camo" and a touch of "Turquoise Shimmer". All these are Emerald Creek Hot Stuff embossing powders. I did this on a piece of scrap paper leaving the excess powders on the sheet as it fell to press the other gears into, adding powder as needed. Love the verdigris/rusted kind of look.


Die cut the word "Laugh" and the word "Celebrate" from white cardstock, inked with the ocean and embossed with the Turquoise Shimmer. Adhered to card.

Stamped the "Happy Birthday" with the ocean and embossed with the turquoise on white cardstock. Die cut with Spellbinders "Grommet Tags", sponged some brown around the edges, removed from die and sponged "Old Paper" lightly all over to tone down the white. The grommet was a bit too long for my side, so cut of the ends...

Added a screw head brads in the gear centers.

Inside Flap:

Die cut the lower case letters for "Birthday" (Elizabeth Craft Designs "Alphabet 2 - Lower Case") from various decorated scraps. Adhered to card.

Stamped the quote ("Home, Congratulations" 5pce set), minus the word "Home" using the black and clear embossed.

Added an adhesive backed Velcro closure.

PYRAMID INSTRUCTIONS:
Start by finding the mid point on your long side. (it can be any size you want). For this card it's 9"w with a mid point of 4.5".

Measure from the mid point to the end (A1), Then place a tic mark on the side edge (A2) using the same measurement (mine is 4.5").

Score from those 2 marks. Repeat on other side.

Along that score line, use the same measurement as for A2, starting from the mid point (A3). Repeat on other side.

Using a quilting or right angle ruler, lightly draw a line to connect and create your bottom point. This should be a square shape.

Now draw a line to connect your outside edges to the center square and cut along that solid line.

Score down the middle

You are ready to fold and decorate.

Easel Ho Ho Ho - I'm Telling You

Yogi here & it's my turn on the Quietfire Creations Blog today. My past couple cards have been quick and easy/CAS type cards. Today I decided to get a bit more involved and make a scene... Even though it's more involved, it's not hard to do. BIG GRIN.

Suzanne came out with one of the newest e-cut files Ho Ho Ho, which was the prompt for this card.

I scored and folded my white cardstock to create the easel 7"w x 5"h card closed. The top portion was scored in half at the 2.5" point to create the easel front..

Dry embossed the front with Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" embossing folder, then added narrow embossing using Sizzix "Snowflakes" & "Holly Branch"


Electronically cut the "Ho Ho Ho" from white cardstock and also cut a shadow of the words.

Applied Versamark on the top layer and Stamp n Bond, heat activated and sprinkled with Distress "Star Dust" glitter. Pressed the glitter into the glue and re heated to ensure bonding.

Applied Versamark on the under layer and sprinkled with Pearlescent embossing powder on the snowflake area and Old Island Red Tinsel embossing powder on the rest. Adhered both elements together using Golden's Soft Gel Medium. (ps place some release backing on words and then under some weight to ensure good adhesion).

Creating the fireplace scene: emboss the floor of card using Sizzix "Bricked" embossing folder. Sponge lightly with Distress "Vintage Photo", "Pumice Stone" and then a touch of a dirty red sponge.

Stamp the quote "I'm Telling You" on black cardstock, using Versamark and white embossing powder. Cut out in the shape of a fireplace opening. (PS I used an oval punch to aid in cutting the top area). Adhere to card floor.

Cut a thin rectangle to use for the mantle. Sponge some brown and adhere to edge of front.

Stamp a holly branch (Sheena Douglas "Holly Branch") using Versafine "Black Onyx" then fussy cut around the image or use an electronic cutter. Color with Distress markers and a waterbrush. Trim of excess leaves if necessary and adhere to mantle.



Adhere the Ho Ho Ho words to the edge of the front fold, making sure it's not adhered above the fold...

Punch out some pine sprigs from green decorative paper and adhere here & there under the holly leaves.

Stamp the "Love & Laughter" quote with the black and clear emboss. Die cut with Spellbinders "Floral Oval" die set. Sponge with a dirty red sponge around the edges. Score between the words love & laughter and fold, then adhere the bottom portion to card floor. This will act as the stopper for the front.

Hope you give making a scene a try. Most of the elements can be interchanged with what you have. Enjoy.

Click on any image to enlarge.

May Your Home Be Filled with Love - Guest Designer Holly Craft

We'd like to welcome back Guest Designer for June: Holly Craft

 

 

 

For my second designer guest post for this month, I chose to use the new Home-Congratulations Stamp Set (SKU-5924) along with some Spellbinders die (Nestabilities Labels 22). I will often create a set of "new home" notes for a friend that has purchased a new home, first taking a photograph, painting a watercolor painting, scanning the image and making A2 sized cards. For this gift, I also make a "Congratulations on your new home" card to accompany the gift. This stamp set is perfect for the lever card I have chosen to make.
 

 

 

A friend recently posted a tutorial for a lever card on the newsletter of a popular stamping website (Split Coast Stampers - click here to go to the tutorial). I took her instructions and made them my own by enlarging the size of the card to 5 by 7 inches and using die to cut the openings in the front of the card. I combined the Quietfire images with Spellbinders die and M-Bossibilities to create this "Congratulations" card.

 

 

The mechanics of the card are easier than they look. The card consists of two pieces of cardstock along with the verse stamped and cut on a smaller diecut. I also used the most versatile house image as an embellishment.

I cut the outside portion of the 5 by 7 card, diecut an opening with the larger of the three Labels 22 die that I used and then embossed with the 3D Basket Weave (SKU 7586-E3D-004) on the front portion of the card. I think of baskets as a texture you would find in a home so I thought that was appropriate. The inside card is the same size, but scored in quarters rather than just in half. The scores are made into valley, mountain, valley.

 

The opening cut in the front with the second largest Labels 22 die is cut so that only half of it cuts, thus creating the lever. There are two ways to accomplish cutting a portion of a die, that I can think of doing.

• First, position the die in the desired position and then hang the portion off the base plate that you do not want to be cut. Only the portion that is between the cutting mats will cut. Tape it in place before running it through your diecutting machine.
• The other way to do it is to place the tan polymer mat up to the score line that you are cutting to. Slowly feed the portion into the diecutting machine that you want cut until you feel the resistance caused by the tan polymer mat. That portion will be too thick and you will be able to feel that and back out the plates.

Either way works great so it is a matter of preference. Once I have the front and inside diecut, I stamped my greetings inside and secured the very front and very back portions of the card pieces to each other. You can see in the photo that the middle portion separates in the folding process.

 

 

 

I embellished the front with the verse on the smallest of the Labels 2 die I used and a band stamped with the house image. This lever card design works so well with the beautiful sayings from Quietfire and Spellbinders die. Choose a die that the desired saying fits on and get started!

 

 

I also used the house image on the inside of the "new home" note, leaving a space in my computer generated message to add this touch of gold. As well, I used it on the back of the envelope above the gold stripe on the envelope.

This use of a stamped images allows me to add that touch of sparkle that the metallic gold adds which would not be possible with just the computer generated text.

 

 

As often is the case, Quietfire stamp sets include a stamp that is so versatile that it has many uses. On this shell card for a beach wedding, I simply stamped "Congratulations" inside the card in that elegant Quietfire look. I thought the outside (created with Spellbinders 3D Shell Beauty M-Bossibilites) complexity needed simplicity inside and that beautiful Congratulations image provides that.

These are all projects and cards from my real life that show I use Quietfire and Spellbinders products together so very often. You might not do watercolor paintings, but I am sure you can use this stamp set! I was so excited to see this set as there are few home stamps available. Hope you have enjoyed my postings!