Butterfly Birthday Card

I saw this gorgeous card on Pintrest using the big Stampin' Up butterfly stamp, and I thought "Hey! I can make that one!" Here's the link to the original card instructions Laura's Creative Moments. Yeah, it's in Dutch, but don't worry it's easy to follow.

The main stamps and supplies you need are: 

White or cream cardstock cut to 8 1/2" to 4 1/2" inches

Stampin' Up Swallowtail, Simple Sketched and some other flower and butterfly set. Stampin' Up! has loads of them, pick a set that you like to use.

One color of Stampin' Up! Ink for each card. I used Lost Lagoon, Cherry Cobbler and Wisteria Wonder

Ranger Distress Ink: Vintage Photo, Antique linen plus your blending pads

Any random Spellbinders tag die that will fit the birthday sentiment stamp.

And some natural colored twine.

The tricky part is stamping the butterfly in the correct corner of the card. That would be the left side of the card if you're pressing the paper onto the stamp like I do with large stamps. You want to stamp it at an angle and not straight across.

Then cut the edge of the paper around the right side of the butterfly wing to give that decorative edge. Then stamp and distress the edges of the paper as you please. The red ink wasn't very colorfast, so that's why the red card is not looking like a Vintage Photo color, but it still looks good. I also stamped off once before stamping the inside stamps. Score your fold line at 4 1/2" inches, and it will give you a square card.

How do you use your large stamps in card making?

LED Birthday Card

You don't see this kind of card everyday. How about a light-up LED Birthday Card?

For my father-in-law's birthday, he gets rather excited about technical things and anything math related. His favorite video game is Tetris and he likes interactive media. So, when I saw this awesome LED craft kit from Chibitronics, I knew I'd be using that in the near future.

The kit includes a spiral workbook, special copper tape, 2 flat coin batteries, 2 binder clips, 12 white LED stickers, and 6 each of red, yellow and blue LED stickers. Plus, some z-adhesive and conductive plastic. Just about everything you can find at a hardware store, except the special LED light stickers that brings crafting to a new level.

This particular card uses the parallel circuit, on/off switch and the hidden message technique that are all explained in the workbook. On the website there is a template for the battery holder pocket that helps keep the battery in place so it doesn't fall out. Hubby didn't use cardstock to make the battery holder, and I still had to use a paperclip to hold the circuit to the battery. But, I don't think anyone noticed that the entire circuit wasn't hidden.

Stamps used are from Jaded Blossom: Nerd and Close to My Heart sets that are all probably retired by now.

Christmas 2014 Craft Projects

Well...here they are, the crafts for Christmas 2014. We actually finished the cards before Halloween and had to store them somewhere until it was a better time to mail them.

Hubby suggests getting that Spellbinders All-in-One tool to help with the die cutting. We didn't get one until after he cut out all the trees. And while the imaginince i-rock jewel setter is nice for a few heat set jewels, I might get a better jewel setter later for bigger projects. It went through quite a few batteries heat setting all those jewels. Everything else went together as normal.

The neighborhood gifts were Mint Muddy Buddies in a stylish canning jar with the flower punched lids, colored paper under them and pretty ribbon glued around it. I made the label in Silhouette Studio, and hubby came up with the saying.  Isn't he clever?

Six Years of Christmas Cards

Hubby and I have been making Christmas cards for a while since we were married. Ok, so the first year we didn't make a Christmas card. We just got married and were paying off a wedding, and I don't know what the cards were that year anyway, probably store bought. So we're going to start with Christmas number two.

This was hubby's idea, to make a computer art card by putting the cats on it. That's why we're still careful about what we put on our Christmas tree. Here's the inside...

Christmas #3, He doesn't want to cut ribbon ever again.

Christmas #4, I don't want to color in little ornaments and wear my colored pencils down to stumps. Bro-in-law helped color these too.

Christmas #5 No tree, but it still had an ornament.

Christmas #6 We used everything for this one. I was afraid I was going to wear out my punches.

Christmas #7 Last year's card. The cat was covered in green glitter.

Not sure I have a particular card making style, but I do have a theme to my Christmas cards. This year's card is going to be just as pretty.