First Communion Cards

One nice thing about making your own cards is the ability to make the same card multiple times.  If you shop for cards, you don't always find three of the same cards.  We have triplet nephews and sometimes I want to give them exactly the same card (and sometimes I make them different!).

Our nephews are eight now and received their First Communion this weekend.  I quizzed my Catholic friends to find out what would be appropriate and came up with a simple card to mark the occasion.  The cross on the front of the card is from the Cricut Easter 2010 cartridge.  The intricate top layer is cut from American Crafts silver metallic cardstock.  I did a double cut with speed and pressure at 4 and the blade at 6 to be sure that all of the intricate bits would come out cleanly.

The image inside the card is from the Inspired Heart Lite cartridge.  I had to borrow this one from my neighbor (she was surprised to find out she had a cartridge that I don't have!).  The image on the cartridge has the boy facing to the left so I just flipped it over after cutting so the image would face the center of the card (if I had been thinking more clearly, I could have flipped it on the machine but it didn't matter since the cardstock I used has pattern on both sides).

The card base is white with a 4 x 5 1/4 inch dark blue Bazzill layer and a 3 3/4 x 5 inch top layer in light blue Astroparche crepe embossed textured cardstock from Wausau paper (a recent Tuesday Morning find).

The first day of classes with Tim Holtz was great.  We made two projects and I am very happy with the way they turned out.  Here are just a few peeks at the class room and some parts of the projects - more detailed posts to follow.

I hope you are having a great weekend!

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May Basket Class (and a little giveaway...)

Thanks for all of the responses about your card making - it's always nice to hear what other people do.  It was funny to see how many of you had questions about the folder and the pansy image.  I usually give so many details in a post that I worry it may be overkill - but if I don't, there are always lots of questions!  So today I have a long post with all of the details about the projects we made in the class and a little surprise too...

The original idea for the class was to make a May Basket.  Traditionally, a May basket is filled with flowers or treats and left anonymously on a neighbor's door.  I don't know if many people do this anymore, but the ladies in the class knew the tradition.

The basket is from the Easter 2010 seasonal Cricut cartridge.  I cut it at 11 inches.  This size will fit on the 12 x 12 mat but there is one little trick to make it work.  The basket and handle are all one image (two pieces that add to the mat in one box).  When the basket is this large, the handle extends just a bit into the "uncuttable zone" at the edge of the mat.  To solve this problem and get as large a basket as possible, I made two pages in the file.  In the first, I centered the basket on the mat and hid the handle and for the second, I centered the handle on the mat and hid the basket.  You just load the mat and cut one page and then the next page without unloading so you only need one piece of 12 x 12 cardstock for each basket.

This basket is designed with small circular holes in the scallops.  I have used this basket before and I wasn't happy with the way the circles cut.

They tend to slant into an oval shape and were off center to the "bumps" of the edge design.  The simple solution was to hide the circles and just leave the decorative edge.  I also hid all of the scoring "tick" marks.  I think they make the folds looks very sloppy.  If I am not sure about the scoring, I will cut a sample with the marks in ugly paper and score it to use as a pattern.

The only interior cut lines I kept were the two side slits for inserting the handle.  If I wanted to delete all of the scoring marks, including the handle slits, I could have simply checked weld.  I would still have to hide the little circles but this doesn't take very long.  The baskets were much faster to cut without the circles, which was a help for making a larger quantity.

I decided that it would be best to do the scoring at home.  The angles are a little tricky and I wasn't sure it anyone would have used a scoring tool before.  Since we had limited time to work, I also added pieces of Scor-Tape on the flaps for assembling the basket.

The handle has a flower and leaf shape at the center but there are no layer cuts on the cartridge to add to the top.  I used a Martha Stewart Rose Leaf punch to punch two light and two dark green leaves from glittered Core'dination cardstock (Core Couture).  I also punched a scalloped circle from purple Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock with the Creative Memories scallop circle maker punch.

One leaf of each color on each side fits nicely over the cut shape of the handle.

The scalloped circle covers the stems and the flower shape on the handle.

The white flared flower from Creative Charms adds a nice sparkle to the top of the basket.

I was concerned the the handle might pull out easily if the basket was loaded with goodies, so we punched out hearts and flowers from adhesive cardstock to secure the ends on the inside of the basket.

Some of the ladies chose to add the sticky shapes as reinforcement on the outside of the basket as well (this photo shows the Martha Stewart Cosmos punch shape on the inside).

I gave them some crumpled tissue paper to fill the basket and a mini chocolate bar as a start on the goodies to go inside!  We also added tags punched with the Creative Memories Tag Maker and secured the tag to the basket with a small butterfly brad from Creative Charms.

The sets that include these butterflies are on the inventory clearance sale now at Creative Charms.

I knew that the baskets would be fairly quick to put together, especially since I did all of the scoring and taping ahead of time, so I decided we should also make a card.

The pansy image I chose is from the Art Nouveau Cricut cartridge.  The style of the flowers on this cartridge is so appealing to me.  I made several of the flowers for part of the display for the center's gallery.  I decided to add the "thanks" sentiment as an option since most people can always use a thank you card.

Here is the location of the image on the keypad.  I cut all of the layers in groups to be more efficient for making up kits.

I hid all of the guideline marks again.  These shapes are very simple to assemble and If the lines show, they can look a little messy.  It also made the cutting go more quickly.  I arranged the shapes with Design Studio to fit as many as possible on the mat.  I labeled all of the mats with the color, the number of images on the mat and, if the mat needed to be cut more than once, I added "X2" to remind me.

 I played around with the colors a little in another file.  I lined up all of the layers and filled them with colors approximating the color I would use.  Since each mat will only preview in one color, you need to make quite a few pages in the file and move the images into position to get an approximation of the completed card.  This "Thank You" is from the Martha Stewart Crafts All Occasions Cakes cartridge.

In the end, I opted to use the Cuttlebug "With Gratitude" die to cut the sentiment.

There are five layers for the pansies and they are easy to assemble (but you do have to watch out for the tiny lighter green strip that layers to create a woven effect for the stems).

The background layer of the card is cut from heavy watercolor paper.  This paper takes the embossing very nicely.  I centered the piece of watercolor paper,  cut at 5 1/4 x 4 inches, in this checkerboard embossing folder which creates a basket weave effect.

I could not find the name of the embossing folder.  It was part of a set that was exclusive to Oh My Crafts with stripes, bricks and a tile pattern.  I think these came out in 2009 and I don't know if they are available anywhere now.  (Thanks to Debbie who left a comment with the names for the folders - Checkerboard is the one I used and the other three are Pajama Stripe, Brickyard and Window Panes.  Hers came in a promotional set with the Cuttlebug machine)

Since the folder is 5 x 7 it was easy to line up the design with my trimmed piece of cardstock to get an nearly perfect edge.

A single gem sticker in the center of the flower finishes off the image.  Some of the ladies chose to use this as a general note card and centered the flower shape on the card front.

The card base is a deep purple Bazzill cardstock, so we needed a liner to be able to write legibly inside the card.  I cut some plain white cardstock to 5 1/4 x 4 inches and punched one long edge with the Martha Stewart Pansy Punch Around the Page border punch.  I centered it carefully to make the pansies come out evenly.

I made this quick digital page with the photos of the class.  I'll drop off an 8 x 8 copy at the center for their bulletin board.  I used Creative Memories StoryBook Creator 4.0 to make this page and I'll have more details about the page another day.  Remember, the software is on sale for 35% off (making it only $42.22) until the end of April.  (You can click HERE to go to the page for the software on my Creative Memories site).

There is also a three day sale on Mother's Day digital content for 30% off - this sale ends on Saturday the 21st.  There are many items included - basically anything flowery or feminine! Here is a LINK to the sale page on my site.  Some of the Creative Memories digital content is now available in universal format so you can use it with other programs - be sure to check the format in the description (most of the universal format items are at the end of the list).

As the mother of two Eagle Scouts, I have learned over and over to "Be Prepared."  I made sure to have plenty of kits for the class in case someone came unexpectedly or there was a piece missing or a part was damaged before the card was put together.

If you have read this far - it must be a slow morning for you!  By now you know that I like the number three, and I have three complete card kits (just the card, not the basket) that I'd love to send to three readers.  This card would be pretty for Mother's Day with the appropriate sentiment added.

If you'd like to receive a kit, just leave a comment on this post.  Please be sure to leave a way I can contact you if your name comes up in the random draw.  I'll pick three names next Wednesday (a week after the class) and post them on Thursday.

Please tell me in your comment a favorite crafting tip - a tool you love, a site that inspires you, a source of unique items to use for your projects, or a way that you organize your craft space.  It's much more interesting to read tips than a series of "please pick me" posts and it will be helpful for other readers too!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Easter Egg Cards and Software Sale

I've been clearing up the gigantic mess in my craft room (and some other parts of the house too...).  I can finally see the top of the craft island again so I might be able to do that long-promised craft room tour before summer!  I came across these Easter Egg cards from a couple of years ago and I thought I'd share them again.  They look so pretty when you use the Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock (the combination of the texture and the pearly shine are perfect!).

Once you get started, you can easily make a lot of cards in a hurry.  There are two posts about these cards and the file is in the second post.  There are also a couple of videos to explain the design process.  I made this card with Design Studio but the process is easily transferred to the Gypsy or Craft Room.  I used the Easter 2010 cartridge.  There are some newer cartridges with similar shapes if you don't have that cartridge.  It is also available as a digital cartridge on Cricut.com.

You can find the first post HERE and the second post HERE.  There is a video in each post.

Last month I told you that Creative Memories would soon be offering digital artwork in a Universal Format (jpegs and pngs) and, as of yesterday, there are lots of digital items available that you can use in almost any digital scrapbooking software.  You can see what's new HERE. This universal format will allow people with Mac computers to use Creative Memories artwork.  The sbcStudio program (for Mac) has been discontinued.

If you are interested in the Memory Manager (photo editing and organization) or StoryBook Creator (digital scrapbooking) programs there is a great sale going on for April.  The prices have been reduced 35% so Memory Manager is only $25.97 and Storybook Creator is only $42.22  If you have an earlier version of the program, the upgrades are also on sale.

I use them both and highly recommend them.  If you have questions about these programs and don't have a regular consultant, I'd be happy to help you.  The creative possibilities with the Storybook program are fantastic and it is very user friendly.  There are also lots of great tutorials available on the CM site.  I have been enjoying the combination of using the StoryBook program with the Silhouette Studio software to make cutting files with some of the digital elements.

Have a wonderful crafty Monday!

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Easter Celebration - Sweet Treats Thursday at Cuttlebug Challenge

Today is Sweet Treat Thursday on the Cuttlebug Challenge Blogspot and the team has been busy creating a variety of projects for Easter.  Be sure to "hop" on over to see all of the inspiration and visit the individual designers blogs to get all of the details.  I made a couple of table favors and a card to share with you today.

The first project couldn't be simpler.  I cut some bunnies from vinyl and adhered them to tiny treat buckets filled with jelly beans for the children.  You could also add their names in vinyl.

I found these sets of three white buckets which are meant to be wedding favors at my local dollar store - three for $1 so this project won't break the bank!  There was also some white ribbon and a set of tags in the package (I saved the ribbon - the tags were not attractive with large perforations for punching and I recycled them).

The bunnies I used are from the Easter cartridge - they have a nice detailed shape.

There is a standing bunny and a sitting bunny - if you enter them at the same size they will not be in proportion to one another so you need to make the sitting bunnies smaller.

If you enter a group of bunnies all in the same box you can quickly copy and paste them, then flip the entire set so half of the bunnies will face each direction.  Then you can move the groups into position to conserve the amount of vinyl needed to cut them.

When I cut vinyl I set my speed and pressure at medium (3) and my blade depth at 4 to "kiss cut" the vinyl - cutting the vinyl but not the backing layer.  This makes them much easier to remove from the backing.

I added some Easter grass and jellybeans to the bucket and tied a ribbon on the handle.  The cute little butterfly from Creative Charms makes a nice finishing touch.

I made a more elegant pillow box for the adults.  The pillow box is on the Easter cartridge and a very handy cut to have available.  Pillow boxes are nice for favors or small gifts and can be simple (just tied with a ribbon bow) or elaborately decorated.

 The pillow box on the Easter cartridge has a bunny cut out on one side.  You can use "hide selected contour" to eliminate this cut.  I also hide the "tick marks" that indicate the side folds.  If you hide more than one line it will stay hidden when the file is closed and reopened.  I do not hide the large curved lines that make the pillow box ends fold properly because they are quite difficult to score freehand.

This screen shot shows how I set up all of the pieces to cut at the same time on one 6 x 12 mat.  (click on the image to see a larger view).  You can set up two boxes on a 12 x 12 mat by turning the mat and loading it a second time.  The sizes of the papers needed are noted on the tab.  Taking the time to do this when you make the file is a great time saver if you want to repeat the project - all the thinking is already done!

I welded two lace border sections together to create a strip of lace for the edges of the box.  I put some extras on the mat - they can be used a trim on a card.  I did have a few issues with paper shifting - I think it is time for a new mat!  Sometimes you need to add a bit of masking tape to help hold a small piece of cardstock in position - particularly with specialty cardstocks.

The hook tool in the Cricut tool kit is great for poking out the holes in the scallops.  If I make this box again, I will probably use "hide selected contour" to eliminate the holes at this tiny size.

I couldn't imagine why my "Happy Easter" cut turned out like this and then I realized that there was a piece missing.

It turned out to be stuck to my blade!  If you suddenly have a bad cut it is always a good idea to take out your blade housing and check for debris.  Sometimes it is a buildup of paper dust and sometimes it is a big piece like this!

I finally got a good cut - this is cut at 1 3/8 inches and it is very delicate so take care when removing it from the mat.

I scored the box on the two long sides and adhered the lace strips to the top and bottom of one side of the box.  I used Scor-Tape to hold the box together - it is quick, neat and strong.

I decided that the lace looked too plain so I added some pearls to the center of each flower.  I used the smallest size in this set of graduated jewels from Creative Charms.

Here is a close view of the pearls.  I used the Core'dinations gemstone cardstock for all of the pieces - it has such a pretty shine and looks very elegant.

My last item was this Fabergé inspired card.  I used the same lace border from the Easter cartridge and welded four sections together on top of one another to create the card topper.

Meg left a comment a few days ago reminding me of one of the tricks I always used to show people when they were matting photos with the Creative Memories cutting system.  Since only the edge will show, you can cut another shape out of the center and save that paper for another project.  I used my trimmer to cut the center out of the bottom layer (you could also set up this cut in Design Studio but there would be some waste around the edges). 

Then I applied the frame to my card and added the pink and green layers.

The plain card is very pretty in the gemstone cardstock, however...

...adding the pearls makes this a much fancier card!  I would be careful to package this in a bubble envelope if I was sending it through the mail.

I hope you are getting lots of great ideas for Easter - it is so much to work with the bright Spring colors after a long winter!

Pillow Box

Fabergé Card Topper