Baby Thanks - à la Becky Higgins

Here is my version of Becky Higgins' Baby Cards, as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Gallery. Becky designed her precious card collection using her "Sweet Baby Kit of the Month." I loved the simple design and layout of Becky's cards, but decided to use supplies that I already had on hand. I believe that Becky also sewed her cards, while I used faux stitching on mine. Thanks for the inspiration Becky!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: white from The Paper Company & Halcraft
• Patterned Paper: Sky Bias Stripe & Olive Parlor Stripe from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatter Box
• Accents: Butterbean Baby Boy dimensional sticker from Marcella line by K&Company
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
• Fonts: Blackjack from Font Bros
• Tools: rounded corner punch from EK Success; Paper Edgers Deckle edge scissors by Fiskars; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz

Finished Size 4" x 5.5"

Put Some Fiber in Your Diet!

Or, "Put Some Calories in Your Crafting"???

Hello Dear Readers! I've got a question for you... Do you love food and paper crafting? Well if you do (and I know I do!), then have I got a sneak peak for you!

It's Paper Crafts Gourmet! That's right! It's a cook book and a craft book! Two of my favorite things in one place! Now, you can't even purchase this book yet... it is only available for preorder... But using all my powers of persuasion and at great personal risk to myself, I managed to obtain an exclusive PC Gourmet project -- complete with recipe, supply list and instructions! (OK, if you want the truth -- PC asked me if I wanted to participate in their Gourmet Blog Tour, I said "Yes!" and they emailed the project to me. I wasn't even in danger of getting a paper cut...)

So here's your Sneak Peak Project... Designed by PC Pro Alisa Bangerter and just in time for Halloween!

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Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits
Alisa Bangerter

This is a perfect recipe to pull out if you are short on time because there is no rolling or cutting. The cheese and garlic add extra kick to a plain biscuit, and kids love them. They are the perfect accompaniment to serve with soups or stews, and are great served with a salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. flour
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• Chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until mixture is fine. Add cheese and mix well. Add milk and stir until just moistened. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle top with chopped dried or fresh chives if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.


Enjoy Halloween Tag
Designer: Alisa Bangerter
Finished size: 3" x 4 1/2"

SUPPLIES:
Cardstock: (ivory)
Dye ink: (Black) Stewart Superior Corp.; (Summer Sun) Stampin' Up!
Specialty ink: (Mango Lemonade color wash) Stewart Superior Corp.
Color medium: (black chalk) Craf-T Products
Accents: (black brads) Making Memories; (chipboard bat, moon) Melissa Frances
Fibers: (black striped ribbon) Pebbles Inc.
Font: (Black Family) www.dafont.com
Adhesive: (foam tape)

1 Make tag from cardstock. 2 Crumple tag and smooth out. Spray edges with color wash; let dry. Apply chalk. 3 Ink chipboard moon; let dry. Chalk edges and adhere. 4 Ink chipboard bat; let dry. Adhere with foam tape. 5 Print sentiment on cardstock; trim and tear edges. Chalk edges and adhere with foam tape. Attach brads. Attach ribbon with brad.

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Not enough, you say? You want more??? Then check out this link for eight (Count 'em ... EIGHT!) more complete projects! And don't say I never got you anything...

Put On Your Party Hat!

Here is the card that I designed for my niece who just turned five. My inspiration for this card came from the wrapping paper that I chose to use for one of her gifts. It including images of a cake, a present, and a party hat. I decided to create a card in the shape of the party hat.

I began by trimming my prefolded card in the shape of a hat, with the crease of the card on the left side of the hat. I then cut patterned paper to fit on the front of the card, trimming some of the paper with decorative edge scissors. I inked the edges of my patterned paper with a Sharpie, imitating the illustrative quality of my chosen graphic. I adhered the paper to the front of my card and accented it with a a chipboard number and a plastic flower which I attached using a flower brad.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: pink
• Patterned Paper: Tropical Colors Bitty Scrap Pads by Provo Craft
• Accents: plastic flowers by Greenhouse; watercolor brite flower brads by Making Memories; Nana's Nursery Diecut Chipboard Number by DCWV; Craft Essentials Birthday rub-ons from Jo-Ann Stores
• Color Medium: Sharpie black permanent marker by Sanford
• Adhesive: Mini adhesive dots by Glue Dots; Tape Runner XL by Therm O Web
• Tools: Paper Edgers decorative edge scissors - Scallop & Sunflower from Fiskars

Finished Size Approx. 4.5" x 5.75"

Safari Animal Curtain Tie Backs

Here is one of the projects that I recently completed for little Baby Sgro's room. (And just in time, since he is due the end of November!) They are tie backs for the gingham curtains in his room. And they were sooo easy to create! Since DH and I chose a Safari theme for the room, I picked out these cute wooden animals to decorate my tie backs from my local craft supply store.

Here are the quick and easy instructions:
Simply cut your ribbon to the appropriate length. Fold back the ends one inch. Adhere folded piece using fusible bonding web.

Cut pieces of Velcro strips and adhere to the ribbon ends following the manufacturer's instructions. (I cut my pieces to fit behind the wooden animals.) Make sure that you adhere the Velcro so that the ribbon forms a loop once it is closed.

Adhere the wooden animals to the front of the ribbon.

That's it! All done. And my local craft store had so many cute wooden shapes, that you're sure to find some to coordinate with your little bambino's room also!



Supplies:

• Accents: Painted Layered Animal Shapes by Provo Craft
• Fibers: ribbon from Michaels Stores
• Adhesive: Perfect Glue 1 by Liquid Nails; Stitch Witchery fusible bonding web by Dritz
• Tools: iron
• Other: heat activated hook & loop fasteners by Velcro

You're Invited...

Hello Dear Readers! Sorry I've been so MIA lately -- I've been busy preparing for little Baby Sgro's arrival. That includes designing decor for Baby's room (more on that in a later post) and my Baby Shower! Special thanks to Sue & Julie for a Great Event!

Speaking of Baby Showers... here is the invitation that my sister Suzanne and my best friend Julie created for the special occasion. They went with a Jungle Theme. Isn't it too cute?! And on the inside, there's an extra special three-dimensional surprise! Those blocks "pop up" from the card! I believe they use Lasting Impressions for Paper Embossing Templates on the animals.

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And speaking of Invitations... I just found out that TWO of my projects are going to be published in Scrapbook Trends magazine's Invitation Idea Book! Woo hoo! One my loyal readers will recognize... it's the 50th Anniversary card I designed for those two great couples. And the other is a cute Cookie Exchange Invite I created using a surprise element. Shhh... it's a secret for now...

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Edited to Add...

I also wanted to share with you a picture of the "Jungle Cake" that Julie and Sue created for my shower. Those are chocolate covered Oreos (YUM!) and pretzels (YUM x2!) with little plastic jungle creatures nestled among 'em. How creative and colorful!

They're Creepy and They're Kooky...

Well, perhaps I should say "They're CUTESY and they're kooky..."

They're my Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for my World Card Making Day Challenge!

I designed two cards for my Challenge. The first is a quick and easy, simple card in the shape of that enduring Halloween treat... Candy Corn! This was a very easy pattern to create. I based the size on the usable (non-printed) portion of my Behr paint chip. The fold of the card is along the long edge of the left side of the candy. Just for fun, I decided to decorate my card with a goofy face. I know, I know... technically candy corn has a yellow base, orange center, and white tip. Oh well. I think it still looks like candy corn!

The second card that I designed is definitely a bit more complex. And perhaps just a teensy bit creepy. It's my Frankenstein's Monster Paint Chip Card! I really like how this one turned out. I again used a Behr paint chip -- I like its larger size -- and just trimmed off the manufacturer's text along the left side. The base of the card is a 12" piece of orange cardstock trimmed the width of my paint chip. Part of the fun aspect of this design is that it is a gatefold card that opens at Frankie's mouth!

Another fun aspect of this card was in the design of the monster's face. I kept moving different shapes around to find the appropriate expression. At one point, Frankie was lookin' kinda Veggie Tales. Later it was more Sesame Streetesque. You know, like the taller, yellower half of that popular duo, Bert and Ernie. Must be the unibrow...

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In honor of World Card Making Day, here is the complete tutorial for my Candy Corn Paint Chip Card!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: black by DMD; green, white
• Accents: Leaf Self-Adhesive Felt Decorations from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
• Tools: 1-3/8" and 1" circle punch from EK Success; 5/8" circle punch from Marvy Uchida; hole puncher; Xyron sticker maker
  
• Other: paint chip by Behr; patterns (right-click to download)
  

Instructions:

1. Cut black cardstock and paint chip following patterns. Fold cardstock in half along dashed line. Adhere paint chip to front of card.
2. Punch one 1-3/8" circle from black CS. Cut in half to form "mouth." Punch two 1" circles from white CS. Punch two 5/8" circles from green CS. Punch two small circles from black CS using hole puncher.
3. Adhere circles to paint chip to form eyes.
4. Freeform cut out "tooth." Adhere to mouth. Adhere mouth to paint chip.
5. Adhere felt leaf to top of card for "hair."

Tip: To cut patterns from black CS, print pattern on white paper. Adhere to black CS using removable tape. Cut along lines and remove white paper.

Finished Size approx 3.75" x 4.5"
Enjoy, and Happy World Card Making Day!

Winner of My WCMD Blog Challenge!

May I have a special World Card Making Day Drum Roll, please!

Announcing the winner of my WCMD Blog Challenge! It is Sandee from Dandridge, TN!!! Woo Hoo!!!

It was a tough decision... so much creativity out there! Jennie, your little duckies are sooo cute! And of course, anything baby has special meaning to me right now. And Elaine, I love how you used all those paint chip colors to create your fall leaves! However, my favorite use of paint chips has to be how Sandee embossed them and turned them into darling bird houses! And I love the trim and use of popsicle sticks!

Congrats Sandee!!! Please contact me with your info, so that I can send you your QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle!

Thanks to everyone who accepted my challenge. And check back soon, as I will be sharing with you the two Halloween Paint Chip Cards that I designed for WCMD!

Winner of My WCMD Blog Contest!

Happy World Card Making Day!!!

I'd like to start the celebration by announcing that the winner of my World Card Making Day Blog Contest and lucky recipient of an issue of Paper Crafts magazine's Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways is... SueB!

Here's SueB's favorite blogger...

Lately when I'm looking for inspiration I turn to Angie Kennedy Juda of http://chicnscratch.typepad.com/chic_n_scratch/ fame!

Thanks to Random.org for picking our lucky winner. Sue, please contact me with your address so that I can send you your prize!

p.s. Who is my favorite blogger, you ask? So hard to narrow it down to one, sooo here are my top two...

1. Nichole Heady and her Capture the Moment blog -- I find Nichole's creativity in the use of various materials and shapes very inspiring.
2. Kristina Werner and her KWernerDesignBlog -- I love how Kristina's graphic design background shows through in all her projects.
   

Special thanks to everyone who entered my contest. We now have over 25 inspirational blogs to browse! And stay tuned ... I will announce the winner of my WCMD Challenge later today!

WCMD: My Blog Challenge

(Cue Mission Impossible theme song...)

Your World Card Making Day Challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to design a card (or two, or three, or four, ...) using those now infamous and highly sought-after PAINT CHIPS! It may be for any theme you wish, but must somehow incorporate at least a portion of one paint chip into the design.

I will pick my favorite and announce the winner here on my blog on World Card Making Day -- Saturday, October 4th. The winner will receive a brand new QuicKutz Cookie Cutter Shapes Bundle package featuring Flower, Spring, and Weather Shapes! I will also be accepting my own challenge and will share my final design(s) with you on WCMD.

To enter, upload a photo of your card(s) to your own blog or online gallery of your choice (like WCMD's own Creation Corner Gallery). Then add a comment to this post including a link to your creation. (Please enter the URL to the website, not to the image file itself.)

On to the fine print...

1. You may enter multiple times - one entry per card design.
2. All entries will be judged on overall appearance, with bonus points for creative use of the paint chip(s).
3. This challenge will not self-destruct. However, all entries must be received no later than 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd (EST).

Stuck for an idea? Check out my previous Paint Chip Cards!

Let the challenge begin!

WCMD: My Blog Contest

Let the countdown begin!

World Card Making Day will be here in just FIVE days! And to help spread the word, I am sponsoring the following contest...

Just leave me a comment on this post with the name and URL of a blogger who inspires YOU in your card/crafting design. I will randomly pick one entry and announce the winner on World Card Making Day -- this Saturday, October 4th -- here on my blog. That lucky person will receive a copy of Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways, generously donated by the fine folks at Paper Crafts magazine! All comments must be received by 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd (EST).

So please! Leave a comment with the name & URL of your fave crafting blogger for a chance to win! One final rule. As flattered as I would be if you were to pick me, I'm hoping to get a nice long list of inspiring bloggers that we all can use as a resource in our craft designs. And since all of us already know my name and URL, please do not list me or my blog for this contest!

And stay tuned... Tomorrow I will announce my WCMD Challenge!

My Three-In-One

I just got my copy of the October/November 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. And what to my wondering eyes should appear -- but my three Halloween Treat Boxes, plus four Sgro Holiday cards filled with good cheer!

That's right! This is the very first publication in which I have more than one project -- and I have THREE in this one! My loyal readers will recognize two of the projects. The first is my trio of Halloween Treat Boxes. They made their original debut on my blog last Halloween.



The second is my trio of Paint Chip Tree Cards. I was surprised by how popular these simple cards turned out to be when they first appeared on my blog last November. Hmmm... I believe that was about the same time that I started lurking in the paint aisle of my local home improvement stores. Coincidence? I think not!



My final project is new to my blog. The editors of Paper Trends contacted me back in June and asked me if I would like to be a part of their "1 Sketch, 4 Styles" feature. (Would I!!!) I call the resulting design my "Holly and Snowflakes" card. This is a very easy card to recreate, as I used a premade card base and just added some embellishments. (Full details in the Oct/Nov 08 issue of Paper Trends.)


Happy (Early) Holidays, Everyone!

Flower Thank U Card

Here is the Thank You card that I designed for Carolyn King's "Heart to Heart" Blog Candy Contest. (See previous post for more details.) The front of the card is shaped like a flower, while the back is a simple 5" square. I added a few embellishments to really make this card pop!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Miss Muffet from Baby line by American Crafts; green by DCWV
• Accents: She - brown chipboard alphabet by Heidi Swapp; Doodles & Heidi - Rose rub-ons by Making Memories; Embossed Ivory Shimmer Table Confetti from Brides line by Gartner Studios
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White pen by Y&C
• Stickers: Many Thanks by Mrs. Grossman's
• Fibers: green ribbon from Michaels Stores
• Tools: Mega 2.5" Circle by Marvy Uchida; paper piercer by Making Memories; Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz
• Other: pattern (right-click to download)

Instructions:

1. Cut out card shape from double-sided cardstock following pattern. Fold in half to form a 5" square card.
   
2. Punch circle from green cardstock. Faux stitch green circle and inside square of card.
   Hint: I used a Paper Piercer to create the "stitches" in the circle, and a Serrated Tracing Wheel for the square.
3. Apply Doodle rub-ons to front of flower portion of card, and "so very much!!!" to inside square.
4. Trim "s" from "Thanks" sticker. Apply to green circle. Attach chipboard "u" and flower to front of circle, and folded ribbon to back of circle.
5. Adhere circle to center of flower with foam tape.
   

Bonus Tip #1! Don't be afraid to use portions of your stickers or rub-ons! Just trim off what you need, as I did with my "Thanks" sticker.

Bonus Tip #2! This design works best with a more subtle pattern for the flower portion, and a contrasting color for the square portion of the card. A larger, busier pattern would act like camouflage for the flower shape, as would a low-contrast color combo!

Bonus Tip #3! I used double-sided cardstock for my card. If you do not have appropriate double-sided CS, simply choose two separate cardstocks. Trim one to a 5" square and use the flower part only of my pattern on the other CS. Just add tabs at the top to adhere the flower portion to the back of the square portion.

Finished Size Approx 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

Enter to Win Great Prizes for a Great Cause!!!

Carolyn King has a wonderful contest called "Heart to Heart" on her blog right now. Unfortunately, Carolyn recently lost her grandmother due to complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Carolyn has already designed a set of stamps through Gina K Designs called Whimsical Autumn which benefits the Alzheimer's Association. And now she is turning her attention and generosity towards another group of people who are also affected by this disease -- the wonderful caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.

Carolyn has contacted various companies and fellow stampers, asking them to donate items to her contest. Well, word has spread, and so many generous companies and individuals have stepped forward to contribute, that the prize package is now worth over $1,000!!! PLUS, dozens of additional creative handmade cards and gifts!!! All for ONE lucky winner!!! And all you have to do is make one card for a caregiver of someone suffering from Alzheimer's.

Well, I was so inspired by Carolyn's story and contest, that I added my own donation and card to the prize. I will be sending the winner a BRAND NEW QuicKutz Rockstar Mini Cookie Cutter Alphabet Set (list price $89.99) along with my Flower Thank U card (photo above).

Head on over to Carolyn's blog to check out the full list of rules and prizes. Hurry! All entries must be received by Friday, September 26th at 8pm Central Time.

"But Angela!" You say, "That doesn't give me much time!" I know, I know... I'm sorry. I only heard about the contest myself late Tuesday. But please! If you have the time, make a card and enter this wonderful contest for a wonderful cause! And spread the word!

p.s. Stay tuned... I will be posting the tutorial for my Flower Thank U card later this week!

It's Ba-ack! (And Better Than Ever!)

That's right! World Card Making Day is back! It is Saturday, October 4th this year, and it's looking to be as exciting and creative as last year's event! Here's the official word from WCMD's sponsor, Paper Crafts magazine ...

Get ready to celebrate
World Card Making Day!

Join in the fun with card makers the world over on Saturday, Oct. 4, as we kick off the holiday card-making season. Now in its third year, World Card Making Day is a day to connect with fellow card makers around the globe and to celebrate the creativity and joy of this craft! Hobbyists, beginning card makers, manufacturers of card-making products, retailers, and educators, are all making plans to share the excitement of World Card Making Day with workshops, online galleries, parties, contests, sales, and other special events. Visit www.worldcardmakingday.com for ideas and unique ways to celebrate this holiday, including:

• Creating your own handmade cards from the dozens of sponsored ideas in the Inspiration Avenue section
• Sharing your unique designs with the world in the Creation Corner Gallery
• Finding and visiting an Official World Card Making Day Retailer for classes and activities that will help you connect with other fellow card makers
• Planning your own fun activities with friends and family with ideas from the Celebrate section

Join Paper Crafts magazine on this amazing day that brings card makers from all over the globe together in celebrating the joy of giving the gift of a handmade card.

Paper Crafts is also holding a special card contest to celebrate the day. They will be awarding 20 winners a prize package containing the latest card making products from some of the hottest manufacturers. The retail value of each prize package totals over $225! Woo hoo! That's some prize package! (See photo at right...) For more details, check out PC's official Entry Form.

I will also be spending the day crafting and sharing my creations with you, my readers! I have a couple different projects in mind, not to mention a contest or two with my own prize packages! (Sorry, my prize packages will not be nearly as impressive as Paper Crafts'...)

Stay tuned ...

Baby Says, "Thank You!"

As I have already received several gifts for the future little Baby Sgro, I thought I would take the time to create personalized Thank You cards for each gift-giver. I based my design on a combination of the two Thank You cards that I created for my "Peas in a Pod" themed baby shower earlier this year.

First I settled on a blue and brown color scheme. (That's right! It's a boy!) Like my "Peas in a Pod" version, I chose to cut an A6 Folded Card in half to form my note card. Again like my previous design, I printed the polka dots along the inside of the card and my sentiment on the front -- this time in brown. I also trimmed the front cover with my scalloped decorative edge scissors.

To truly make this a personalized Thank You, I took close up photographs of each gift and adhered a cropped shot to the card with foam tape. Finally I accented the card with a piece of knotted ribbon. So easy!

Tip #1: Make a bunch of these Thank You cards ahead of time, and just add the photos as you receive the gifts!

Tip #2: Some heavier ribbon can create a knot large enough to add additional postage for thickness. To avoid this extra cost when mailing your cards, switch to a lighter weight, sheer ribbon.

Finished size approximately 4.5" x 3".

Paper Crafts Magazine Has Been Tagged!

That's right! The third volume of Paper Crafts magazine's Holiday Cards & More is now out on the newsstands. And featured in their "Wrapped with Love" section are my Holiday Photo Gift Tags! Once you have the photo, these tags are über quick & easy to make. And they're great to use with your toddlers, as they don't have to know how to read to identify the recipient of the gift!

I love this edition of Holiday Cards! And no... it is NOT because I have a project published in it! The whole magazine is chock-full of great ideas for holiday cards, decor, gift wrapping, not to mention the gifts themselves. So many gorgeous and creative projects, that it puts my simple little tags to shame! It almost makes me want to get a record early start on my Christmas projects!

(I did say almost...)

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

I'm a teensy bit early -- the holiday is actually not until Sunday, September 7th this year. But here is the card that I made for my MIL from Baby Sgro...

When trying to come up with a design for this card, I found inspiration in Nichole Heady's Daisy card. Like Nichole's card, the front of my card is a piece of transparency sheet. The base of my card is a 5" x 5" piece of glittered, patterned cardstock. I added a strip of green gingham patterned paper along the bottom. I then cut the piece of transparency to 5" x 5.5" and folded down the top 1/2". I glued that top part to the back of my patterned cardstock to form a top-folded card. Then I adhered two pieces of ribbon on the front of the transparency, layering the smaller teal ribbon on top of the gold ribbon. Finally I designed my sentiment in Photoshop, printed it out, punched out the scalloped oval, and attached it to the front of my card. So quick and easy!

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy by DCWV
  
• Patterned Paper: Bitty Scrap Pads - Ginghams & Stripes Backgrounds by Provo Craft
• Transparency Sheet: write-on by 3M
• Fibers: ribbon from Jo-Ann Stores
• Fonts: Beautiful, Minion Pro
• Tools: Mega Scalloped Oval by Marvy Uchida, sticker maker by Xyron

Tip: These square cards cost an additional 20¢ in postage!

Finished Size 5" x 5".
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Birthday Blog Candy Winner!

Drum roll, please!

Announcing the winner of my Blog Birthday Ice Cream Challenge! It is Suzanne from Orange County, NY!!! All the entries were really cute, but I really love the colors and playfulness of Suzanne's card. (You can see more details about Suzanne's creation on her "The Card Garden" blog.)

Congrats Suzanne! Please contact me with your info, so that I can send you your prize package!

And thanks to everyone who accepted my challenge!

A Very Merry Birthday! To Me! To You!

That's right, today is the first anniversary of my initial blog post! So I'm throwing my one-year-old a Birthday Party complete with sweet treats, games and prizes. I'm inviting all of YOU, my blog readers, to join in on the fun and festivities! And what better way to begin a birthday party, than with ICE CREAM!!! Ice cream for everyone!

Presenting the complete tutorial on how to create your very own Ice Cream Cone Card...

Supplies:

• Cardstock: brown from K&Company; blue-green, pink, dark pink, and red from Bazzill Basics Paper; black
• Patterned Paper: The Slab II from Provo Craft
• Accents: colored wire by Making Memories
• Tools: 1" circle punch
• Other: patterns (download here!)

Instructions:

1. Cut out shapes for ice cream scoops & cone following directions on patterns. Punch two 1" circles from red paper.
2. Glue patterned paper to front cone piece.
   Cut half moon shape from dark pink paper and adhere to front of "strawberry" scoop.
   Randomly cut "chocolate chips" from black cardstock and glue to front of "mint chip" scoop.
   Cut small half moon shape from pink paper and glue to one red circle to make a highlight.
3. Fold as follows:
   Back copy of "strawberry" scoop back one inch from top
   Front copy of "mint chip" scoop forward one inch from top
   Back copy of "cone" back one inch from bottom
4. Glue front pieces of scoops & cones to back pieces on the small folded areas only (top of scoops & bottom of cone).
5. Glue back of "mint chip" scoop to back of cone, and back of "strawberry scoop to back of "mint chip" scoop, overlapping pieces.
6. Cut approx. 3" piece of red wire. Curl one end into a small circle and adhere to back of red circle with highlight using glue dot. Glue bottom half of "cherry" to top of "strawberry" scoop. Glue other red circle to back of "strawberry" scoop, making a sandwich with the wire.

Optional: Here is the text that I added to the inside of my Ice Cream Cone Card:
The "strawberry scoop" flips up to say "You're like the CHERRY on top of my ice cream!"
The "mint chip scoop" flips up to say "Life without you would be like MINT CHIP without the chocolate!"
The "cone" flips down to say "Thanks for being my friend!"

Finished Size Approx. 5" x 3.75" (plus cherry "stem")
Additional photos in my online portfolio.

: : : : :

And what would a birthday party be
without games and prizes???

And now, on to the gifts! In honor of my blog's very first birthday, I am giving away a Blog Candy prize package. The package consists of one copy of Paper Crafts magazine's latest special issue "Cards, Gifts, & More: Paper Crafting 3 Ways" (featuring 3 projects by Yours Truly), four packages of Ice Cream themed dimensional stickers, two spools of coordinating ribbon, and one Ice Cream themed box. (Sorry -- due to the high cost of shipping, I can only send this package to residents of the continental United States.)

If you would like a chance at winning this package, simply make a paper craft creation (card, scrapbook, etc.) using Ice Cream as your theme. Then upload a photo of your project to your blog or online gallery. Leave a comment on this post with a link to the website (not the image itself!) by Friday, August 29th at 11pm EST. I will pick my fave and announce the winner here on my blog on Saturday, August 30th. If you already have an Ice Cream themed project online, feel free to enter it!

I can't wait to see your creations! And enjoy the Birthday Party!

Holiday Gift Card Tags (Part 3)

As promised in an earlier post, here is the complete tutorial on how to create two additional Holiday Gift Card Tags -- one for a Birthday and another for Easter. Enjoy!

Birthday Present

Supplies:

• Cardstock: blue from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
• Patterned Paper: pastel dots from Baby scrapbook kit by DCWV
• Fibers: green ribbon from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
• Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
• Font: Contemporary Brush Bold
• Other: pattern

Easter Egg

Supplies:

• Cardstock: green from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
• Patterned Paper: Easter Ribbons by Reminisce
• Fibers: yellow ribbon from American Crafts
  
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
• Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida; Paper Edgers Pinking decorative edge scissors by Fiskars
• Font: Blackjack from Font Bros
• Other: pattern; crepe paper
  

Instructions
Insert:

1. Cut 2.5" x 9" piece of patterned paper. Score & fold 3.75" from top and 1.5" from bottom. Adhere bottom flap up at sides to create a pocket.
2. Adhere ribbon at top of insert to form a loop and insert gift card into pocket.
   Note: For Present, extend ribbon down the middle of the front of the insert.
   

Holder:

1. Cut 3" x 8" piece of solid cardstock. Print name on front of CS. Cut out shape following pattern.
2. Faux stitch the sides using serrated tracing wheel and white gel pen.
3. Score and fold CS in half to form a 3" x 4" card, fold at the bottom. Adhere sides together to form a pouch.
4. Punch half circle at top of pouch.
   For Present, knot ribbon and attach at top of cut-out.
   For Egg, trim strip of crepe paper using decorative edge scissors; adhere to bottom of holder, making small pleats in the process.
   
5. Slide gift card insert into pouch.

Hint: Vary the paper colors, patterns and ribbon to create Present tags for other occasions, such as Christmas, Baby or Bridal Showers.

Finished Size 3" x 4" (exclusive of trim).
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Holiday Gift Card Tags (Part 2)

As promised in my previous post, here is the complete tutorial on how to create your very own Holiday Gift Card Tags for Valentine's Day and Christmas. Enjoy!

Valentine Heart

Supplies:

• Cardstock: pink from Celebrate series from American Traditional Designs
• Patterned Paper: from Foof-a-La Paper Pad by Autumn Leaves
• Accents: Fall#1 paper flower from Got Flowers? line by Prima; mini snaps by Making Memories
• Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks pink & brown ribbon from Michaels Stores
  
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
• Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
• Font: Little Lord Fontleroy from dafont.com
• Other: pattern

Holly Leaves

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Celery from Savory Simple Sets Collection by sei
• Patterned Paper: Joyful All Mine by KI Memories
• Accents: Fall#1 paper flower from Got Flowers? line by Prima; red buttons from Winnie's Walls Collection by sei
• Fibers: red ribbon from Scrapbooking line from Target Stores
  
• Color Medium: Gel Xtreme - White gel pen by Y&C
• Tools: Serrated Tracing Wheel by Dritz; 5/8" circle punch by Uchida
• Font: Fontdinerdotcom Loungy from fontdiner.com
• Other: pattern

Instructions
Insert:

1. Cut 2.5" x 9" piece of patterned paper. Score & fold 3.75" from top and 1.5" from bottom. Adhere bottom flap up at sides to create a pocket.
2. Adhere ribbon at top of insert to form a loop and insert gift card into pocket.

Tip #1: When folding the patterned paper to form insert, hold the paper so that the patterned side is facing down and the pattern is upside down (if applicable)

Holder:

1. Cut 3" x 8" piece of solid cardstock. Print name on front of CS. Cut out shape following pattern.
2. Faux stitch the sides using serrated tracing wheel and white gel pen.
3. Score and fold CS in half to form a 3" x 4" card, fold at the bottom. Adhere sides together to form a pouch.
4. Punch half circle at top of pouch. For Heart, attach snap to flower and adhere to pouch. For Holly, attach buttons.
   
5. Slide gift card insert into pouch.

Tip #2: I used Therm O Web's 1/8" SuperTape (the red-lined stuff!) to adhere the sides of my inserts and holders. Its narrow width and straight edge made it the perfect choice for this project!

Finished Size 3" x 4" (exclusive of trim).
Additional photos in my online Portfolio.

Stay tuned for my Birthday Present and Easter Egg Gift Card Tags!