Christmas Medallion Card

I finally had a chance to visit my craftroom so I could do a test cut of the design I shared yesterday.  The original design was quite large - filling a 12 x 12 mat - and I needed to size it down to fit a card.

I drew some squares in the Silhouette design software to represent a five inch card base with two layers (4 3/4 and 4 1/2 inches).  Then I grouped the layers of the medallion design and sized it so the bottom shadow layer was four inches.

One thing that I have learned about cutting intricate designs is that you will get a better result with a shallower blade depth/lighter pressure and a double cut.  I made two trial cuts of this design.  The cut on the left was a single cut at blade depth 5, speed 3 and thickness 33 on the Cameo.  Everything cut properly but I had to do lots of "poking out" to finish the medallion.  On the right you can see that when I used a double cut, the result was perfect - I simply lifted the finished cut off the mat and every bit of the cut out design stayed on the mat (yes that is a Cricut mat - I use them interchangeably).

Both cuts were lovely when they were finished - the double cut on the right is a little cleaner at the points.  I used the first cut to make this card.

I cut three layers for the medallion.  The top lace is cut from Core'dinations Gemstone cardstock.  The red layer is American Crafts foil cardstock and the green plaid bottom layer is from the DCWV Christmas Combo stack.

The card base is Core'dinations Core Couture glitter cardstock cut at 5 x 10 inches and folded to 5 x 5 inches.  The red layer (4 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches) is the same American Crafts foil cardstock that I used in the medallion.  The top white layer (4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) is white embossed cardstock with little swirls and dots.

I assembled the layers of the medallion and then pierced a hole in the center so I could insert a gem brad.  The colors of the brad gems influenced my choice of cardstock for the card with the dark red and sharp green.

I inked the edges of the green and red medallion pieces with distress ink to cover the cut white edge.  Since the layers are formed with the offset function in the software, I needed to line up the layers properly so I put a pencil mark on the back to show how they fit together.

This is the fully assembled medallion.  I thought it needed some extra gems to line the center of the design so I alternated clear and bright green gems at the points of the inner circle.

Here is a closer view of the center with the added gems.  The gem brad is from the Christmas Cheer collection by K & Company.

I added large foam circles to adhere the medallion to the card front.

The medallion stands out from the base and creates a shadow line.  If you wanted to make this cut as a tree ornament you could attach it to the card front but include a hanger (and finish the back of the ornament).

 

The red foil cardstock is so shiny that it is tricky to get a clear photo that shows the true colors.

I'll have to try some other color variations.  I think this would be pretty in shades of blue too.

Year End Clearance Sale

Last night I got a notice about the year end clearance sale at Creative Memories.  There are quite a few items at greatly discounted prices of up to 60% off.  You can find the complete list and more information on my Creative Memories website HERE.  The sale ends December 27th at 10 p.m. Central Time. 

You can sign up now for $39 and get an immediate credit for $39 (making the club essentially free).  Every order you place will earn you a credit of 15% for a future order.  This offer is available until January 1, 2013.  You can get all of the details and sign up HERE.

We had snow and ice yesterday - I took a few photos of the ice coated shrubs.  The ice is so pretty but also dangerous.  I am still working on Christmas trees and need to get out to do some shopping before it is too late.  I hope you are getting everything done that you need to do!

I saw a lovely tribute to the Sandy Hook school victims done by the judges and contestants from the TV show "The Voice" - here is a LINK if you'd like to see it.


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Hope Card

I love to get surprises in the mail.  So when I heard about Webster's Pages new "Sprinkles Craftbox," I had to give it a try.  This is a new program at Webster's Pages.  You can order a box for just $10 (postage included in the US) and a little box of goodies comes right to your mailbox with ingredients for a crafty project (or two or three...).

When the box arrives, the contents are wrapped in this pretty paper.  This little extra touch makes it fun to open up the package (adding some suspense even though the box is previewed on the site before you order it).

Here are the things that arrived in the first box for September.  I am a collector/hoarder of their fabulous trims and ribbons and the cameo embellishments are great accents.  Best of all, each kit includes a yummy cookie with (you guessed it) frosting and sprinkles on top!

These are the items that came in the second box.  The notebook will be very handy for keeping track of crafty inspiration.  It would also make a nice little album.

The pages inside have an interesting combination of grids and lines - perfect for sketches.

You can't tell from the photo but the pages are very thick cardstock so they will be quite durable.

Inside the box and on the back of the cookie is their tag line for the Sprinkles boxes, "because you deserve it" (by the way - the cookies are very tasty!).

There are a limited number of craftboxes available each month so be sure to watch the Webster's Pages site, blog or Facebook page to find out when you can order the November box.  They will sell out quickly.

I thought the inner wrapping was so pretty - I couldn't let it go to waste.  I decided to use it for a few cards.  This is more of a wrapping paper than a typical scrapbook paper and it has a nice shine.   I carefully cut a card layer of 3 3/4 inches by 5 inches, centering the design of the paper so it would be symmetrical.  (If you don't know how to do this, I wrote about it HERE using a cut shape).  I cut a layer of pearly ivory textured cardstock from American Crafts as a mat for the patterned paper.

The card base is Core'dinations textured cardstock.  I used my Sizzix ribbon die that is the same as the one in the special set I am giving away this month (see below).  The large pink ribbon is cut from the same cardstock as the base.  The word "Hope" is from the Cricut Home Decor cartridge.  I cut the word at two inches with a shadow layer of the same ivory pearl cardstock that I used to mat the top layer.

I thought the card needed just a little something more to finish it so I added small pink pearls at the ends of the ribbon...

...and at the top. 

I am happy that I was able to reuse a bit of my special package to make something that might cheer up someone else.  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  For the rest of the month, everyone who leaves a comment on my blog will have a chance to win this Sizzix "Scrap Pink" set.  You can see more photos and details at THIS POST.  For more chances, you can leave a comment everyday for the rest of the month - but just one comment per day please.

Thanks to those of you who have been asking about my Dad.  He was discharged from the hospital yesterday but has to go back to the rehab area for a while to do physical therapy and get his strength back.  I hope to get down to see him again next week.  It is hard to be so far away...

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Double Happy Birthday

Our little neighbors turned three this month.  We have triplets and twins in my husband's family and it is fun to have another set of twins living right up the street.  I made their birthday cards using the Artiste Cricut cartridge which is available exclusively from Close To My Heart Consultants.  My friend Melanie Brown (of Courtney Lane Designs and Everyday Cricut) is a consultant and she would be happy to help you with any questions. 

 

I browsed through the handbook and started choosing some shapes.  This cartridge has some very nice welded phrases and word art and the "Birthday Girl" and the "years old" were perfect for my card.  I used Design Studio to help me see how things would look and to take the guesswork out of sizing each piece that I would be cutting for the cards.  I used a total of nine cuts from the cartridge.

 

Here are all of the pieces for one card, ready to assemble.  I'll give you a list of the cuts and sizes to make it easier:

The card base is on page 57 of the handbook (card function, shift) and I cut it at 5.5 inches.  The purple cardstock is from Martha Stewart.

I found a shape that worked to layer on the card on page 77 of the handbook (card function, no shift) and I cut it two times at 4.5 inches (the dark pink silk texture cardstock is from American Crafts and the pink design for the inside of the card is by Martha Stewart).  I cut another of this shape at 4.75 inches (in green Core Couture glitter cardstock from Core'dinations).

The "Birthday Girl" phrase and the tiara are on page 69 of the handbook.  I cut the "Birthday Girl" base at 2 inches from  American Crafts white pearl cardstock.  The letters "G I R L" (also at 2 inches) and the tiara (at 1.5 inches) are cut from DCWV Dazzle paper in silver.

The "years old" phrase is on page 70 and I cut it at 1 inch from the same American Crafts dark pink cardstock that I used on the front layer.  The number "3" is cut at 1 inch from the dark pink cardstock and the "burst" shape behind the number 3 is on page 44 and was cut at 2.25 inches from the same white pearl cardstock that I used for the phrase on the front of the card.

Whew! - that's a long list of cuts but it was really quite easy and quick to make the cuts once I figured things out on the computer.  I did not cut from the computer but simply used it to figure out the correct sizes for all of the cuts.  You can also do this with the Cricut Craftroom program.  If you are using a Gypsy, you would probably just go ahead and cut from it after determining the sizes.

You could cut the "Birthday Girl" and skip the top layer for a different look.  I wanted to tie the tiara and the words together so I added the sparky letter layers.

I sized the tiara to extend over the edges of the mat shape and then hand trimmed the sides before adhering it to the green layer.

There is not an actual shadow layer for the shape that I used so I cut it at just 1/4 inch larger to create the contrasting line of green color and add more sparkle to the card front.  You can get away with this for small increments but if you cut a significantly larger shape the proportions will be off a bit. 

I lined up the tiara on a straight line in the pink textured cardstock and also measure the distance from the side points with a ruler to keep the tiara level on the shape.  I didn't save the dot for the "i" because I knew I wanted to add a gem sticker for the dot.

One large foam dot would have been fine to raise up the burst shape with the number three, however, I wanted to use three dots since it was a third birthday card (crazy, I know!).

I could have taken this a step further and added a circle with a pin behind the shape so it could be taken off and worn for the big day (a few ribbons attached to the medallion would make the pin even more festive).

I tied some sparkly sheer ribbon around the fold of the card - this helped to hide the "tick marks" that I usually eliminate by checking "weld" when I am using the software or the Gypsy device. 

A little purple gem finishes off the card front.

I put the cards in large envelopes that are meant for an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper folded in half.  This left plenty of room for the bulky card.

It was fun to look through the Artiste handbook and find so many pretty things I could add to my cards.  As I looked for the images I wanted to use, I was once again amazed to see how much content is included on this cartridge.  This is definitely a cartridge that you can use over and over again.  It is sold only in a bundle with three stamp sets and three sheets of chipboard shapes that coordinate with the cartridge cuts.

Remember, the deal is even better now for the bundle.  You can get the cartridge with the three included stamps sets and three sheets of chipboard shapes for $99 and then add both the stamp of the month for $5 and then the National Stamping Month double stamp set for another $5 - so for $109 (plus tax and shipping) you can get the cartridge, three sheets of chipboard and six stamp sets!  Melanie will be happy to answer any questions you have before you order - you can contact her through her blog, Courtney Lane Designs HERE or her website HERE.

Melanie has an additional special offer for the month of August.  If you buy the Artiste bundle through her, she will put your name in a drawing to win a brand new Cricut E2 machine with purple end caps.

The days are getting shorter and it is a bit cooler.  I wanted to share this photo of the beautiful sky we saw over our neighborhood on Tuesday night - fabulous colors!

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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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