A Birthday Fan card for Try Stamping on Tuesday#677 & Double Trouble #198

I made the following fan fold card for the Sketch Challenge with https://trystampinontuesday.blogspot.com/2025/08/Challenge-677.html . I am also submitting  card#3 to Double Trouble #198 as well which meets the requirement of using two patterns of cardstock.

 There are many tutorials for making Fan Cards  but I used components of the used the following   Easy Fan Fold Card 4 Ways  .

I enjoyed making this card fold so much I made 3 cards. The two other cards will be posted at the end of this blog post.

I used Berry Burst, Fresh Freesia card stocks and Floral Charm DSP as my layers for this card. The fan fold card was made according to the instructions in the tutorial. The only thing I would do differently is pop  all the fans up with dimensionals rather than them gluing ,flat which is what I did.  In both of the samples below I did that and I like that much better.

For the embellishments and sentiment in the lower left corner, I stamped and clear embossing three flowers and leaves from Framed Florets stamp . I then colored them with Stampin blends and die cut them using the coordinating dies. 

The flowers and leaves were added to an octagon base die cut from layering octagon dies.

Two leaf sprigs were also die cut and added to the flower cluster.

The birthday sentiment, embossed with gold powder, was die cut using a Stylish Shaped die and added to the bottom of the card using dimensionals.:

Supplies Used

Stamp:  Framed Florets

Inks:  Black Versamark, SU Blendabilities, 

Papers: Berry Burst, Fresh Freesia, Basic White, Gold Foil

Accessories:  Layering Octagonal dies, Framed Florets dies, Clear Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Stylish Shaped Dies, Dimensionals, Embellishments.

#2

#3

A Lantern Christmas card

 This is my first Christmas card. The focal image is a lantern die cut in copper foil with a large poinsettia beside it.

Inside the lantern is a candle which I die cut in white. I lightly used a blending brush to add some colour to it. Without this added colour the candle was not seen well through the vellum covering the windows of the lantern.

The lantern was added to the card front using foam strips.

The poinsettias were die cut with Real red card stock, using the poinsettia dies. After sponging the petals with Cherry Cobbler ink, they were slightly shaped in order to give some dimension to the petals. The three layers were then adhere together alternating  petals using  dimensionals between the layers. In the center I placed a cluster of pearls.

 The leaves were die cut in Garden Green card stock. After sponging the edges with Mossy Meadow ink they were slightly shaped and added to the poinsettia.

The completed poinsettia was added to the side of the lantern, using dimensionals.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Poinsettia Petals

Inks: Cherry Cobbler Mossy Meadow

Papers: Real Red, Garden Green, Copper Foil, Vellum, Pearlized White, Enchanting Christmas Basics (Paper Roses) DSP

Accessories: Poinsettia Petals Dies, Garden Lantern (Spellbinder), Pearl Cluster embellishment

Concertina Pop Up - a card for Creative Challenges #106

 I love pop up cards and when I saw this card on a video made by Jan B Stampin Up demonstrator in the UK , I knew I would have to make it. It’s a pop up concertina card and I am submitting it to the Creative Creases Challenge #106. 

Below is the card front. It is decorated with a flower fussy cut from the DSP. Crystal Effects is added to the single flower and leaf. Sentiment is from Frog’s Whiskers Ink.

Opening the card reveals a pop up middle section.  Note the two sentiment panels suspended from the two concertina strips.

Below is a side view.

What you don't see in the side view above is the pop up mechanisms that are placed between the card base and the middle section. They are placed on both sides. Below is a better view of these mechanisms. 

Messages can be written in the back of the card.

Boy Fishing on His Birthday - a card for Freshly Made Challenges #699

 I used the sketch  on Freshly Made Sketches #699 ,made by Verena, to make the card of a boy fishing for his birthday. 

For this card, I die cut a 2 1/2" circle in the upper center of a piece of white cardstock. The scene was created on another similar sized white cardstock.  The sky was sponged with a blender brush with a white cloud added. For the water I cut a piece of Stampin Up DSP which looks like water. Once the scene was created the two pieces were adhered together using foam tape.

>The strip was embossed with the Timber embossing folder and lightly sponged with Crumb Cake ink. It was added below the middle of the circle and adhered at the edges only  with one dimensional in the,, B middle so it doesn't collapse.

The image of the boy was stamped using Black Versafine ink and embossed with clear embossing power. It was then coloured with Stampin' Blends and die cut. This image was added sitting on the wood piece aka the dock.

The birthday sentiment is from Something Fancy.

Supplies Used:

Stamps\;  Something Fancy, Boy Fishing

Inks:  Black Versafine, Stampin' Blends (Granny Apple Green, Boho Blue, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Balmy Blue)

Papers; Basic White, Misty Moonlight, SU DSP

Accessories: Timber Embossing Folder, Clear embossing Powder, Die for boy fishing, 2 1/2" circle die

A Technique with Embossing Folders

It’s nice to know another way to use embossing folders. In this technique I am using the new Sunflower embossing folder from Stampin Up.  The embossing folder is used in the usual way but then something different is done to the embossed piece.

Cards made with same technique using other embossing folders are below.

Using blender brushes colour is applied to the sunflower image on the debossed side (not the side with the raised images). Daffodil Delight is applied to the flower petals, pecan pie to the centres, and Old Olive to the leaves.

Now the magic hsppens.

With an Early Espresso ink pad, swipe down lightly from top to bottom on the finished piece, first one side than the other, until the entire surface is covered.

Trim the piece to 3 1/2 by 5”, mat with a piece of Daffodil Delight card stock and then adhere to am Early Espresso card base.

Here the technique is used with the Zinnia Embossing Folder.

Thanks - Spotlight technique

 The spotlight technique was used on this card for the challenges of Try Stampin on Tuesday #676 and Double Trouble Paper Crafting #197 (You're in the Spotlight)

The image of the flower was stamped with Black Versamark ink and embossed with clear embossing power. 

Only 1 flower was coloured with Sweet Sorbet and Granny Apply Smith Stampin' Blends in order to spotlight it. The rest of the flowers remained uncoloured.

The sentiment, die cut from Sweet Sorbet cardstock was from "Well Said" dies.

The Basic White layer was matted with Sweet Sorbet cardstock and then added to the Basic white srd base.

This basic White layer was matted with 

Life is Better .....A card for Freshly Made Sketches #698

 For this week's sketch challenge at Freshly Make Sketches #698 I used elements from a Sea Scape stamp set (? name) I had. I decided to use the shapes of the sketch as presented in the sketch and the elements were added to them.

A blender brush was used to add some colour to each of the stitched rectangle/square elements.  All elements are adhered to the Basic White layer exept the squsre, which is adhered using dimensioinals.

All images were stamped on a separate piece of Basic White card stock, using Black Versamark ink and then  embossed with clear embossing powder.

Note: I embossed the images with clear embossing powder to prevent the alcohol based markers from bleeding over the lines.  This way I can use whatever card stock I have on hand rather than the more expensive and recommended brands.

 Each was die cut with its corresponding die, coloured with Stampin' blends, and added to the elements using dimensionals.

The post with rope around it was coloured with Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and highlighted with Dark Pecan Pie. Both Sea Gulls  were coloured with Light and Dark Smoky Slate with some Daffodil Delight on the beaks and feet.  All were added to the elements using dimensionals.

The sentiment from Happy Labels is stamped with Black Versamark  ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder. It is added as shown in the picture.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Seascape (?), Happy Labels

Inks:  Black Versamark, Stampin/ Blends (Smokey Slate, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pecan Pie, Balmy Blue, 

Accessories:  Seascape dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, Dimensionals, Clear embossing powder.

Cats are Just Little People - a story

Unexpected Pairing  ska The Cat Distribution System

An explanation below

 On a hot day in August, my son was sitting in his usual chair  on the patio, when a small calico cat appeared out of nowhere. She was small and obviously malnourished and was hardly more than skin and bones. We knew the cat was female because most if not all calico cats are female.  She obviously preferred my son ignoring me all together.  Meowing and purring loudly, she  walked back and forth rubbing her body against his legs.  My son, not sure whether the cat was feral or not was hesitant to touch her, instead talked gently to her. She responded to that and purred even louder,

Over the next several days, she appeared whenever my son sat in his chair. Slowly a genuine affection developed between human and the animal. As the weeks passed by, it became apparent that she was pregnant. A decision was made to start feeding her. Up to this point we had not fed her because we did not know if she belonged to anyone. But now the situation changed and mom and babies needed more nourishment.

As her pregnancy advanced we started looking for someone to adopt her so she would have a safe place to give birth. The animal shelters were all full and could not take her.  We already had 2  indoor cats who would not take kindly to bringing in a stray cat. 

After canvasing numerous friends and neighbours, we found someone who loved animals as much as we did. And just in time....

Six beautiful little kittens arrived a week after she was adopted. 

My son called what happened "The Cat Distribution System" 

The cat distribution system is a playful internet meme and concept that suggests cats or kittens appear in people's lives seemingly at random, as if guided by some unseen force or mechanism.  It's a lighthearted way to explain the serendipitous nature of cats finding their way into homes and hearts, often when they are least expected.  Essentially it's the idea that cats choose their humans, rather than the other way around. (source the internet)

Making this card brought back all those memories.

About the card.....

The Very Vanilla card base was layered with a  piece of DSP die cut with a Deckled Rectangles Die. In the center of that was a smaller piece of Pecan Pie card stock also die cut with a smaller  Deckled Rectangles Die.  This piece was embossed with the 3D Plaster Painting Embossing Folder.

On this embossed piece were adhered two  2 1/8" circles die cut using the Stylish Shaped Circle Die. The lower circle was adhered to the card stock using dimensionals. On this circle was added the calico cat. The sentiment was added to the upper circle.  Both were adhered with dimensionals.

The cat...

The wood mounted PSX stamp is one of my oldies.  Today the image was stamped with Black Memento ink and coloured with Stampin' Blends using the following colours:  Basic Gray, Smokey Slat, Cajun Craze, Early Expresso, Daffodil Delight,  I added a slight amount of Balmy Blue and Granny Apple Green to the eyes. Because there was no die, I fussy cut it out.  When finished some Glossy Accent was added to the eyes and nose.

The sentiment... from Crop Circles and was stamped with Pecan Pie ink. I fussy cut around the sentiment, then adhered it to some Pecan Pie card stock and fussy cut around that leaving a border. I have had the sentiment stamp for a while but never used it.

Some Pecan Pie embellishments added to the upper circle finished the card.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Cat (PXS wood mount), Sentiment - Crop Circles

Inks:  Black Memento, Pecan Pie, Stampin' Blends (Pecan Pie, Basic Gray, Smokey Slate, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight plus Balmy Blue and Garden Green for the eyes)

Papers:  Very Vanilla, Basic White, Pecan Pie, DSP (unknown SU)

Accessories:  Deckled Rectangle dies, Stylish Shaped Dies, Glossy Accents, Plaster Painting 3D Embossing Folder, Dimensionals.

I will be sharing this card with the following:

NBUS #77 anything Goes

Allsorts #829 Animals

A Perfect Time to Craft #8 Anything

The Paper Funday #79 - 4 Legged Friend

What happened to the kittens and mama?  Five of the kittens and mama were adopted.  My friend kept one.  A happy ending for all.

Crazy Chicken It;s Exhausting to be Fabulous

 Sometimes you just have to make a card that produces a smile.  Crazy Chicken does that. This particular chicken feels good about herself, strutting around and cackling "It's exhausting being this Fabulous"

The chicken was coloured with the following Stampin' Blends: Daffodil Delight, Balmy Blue, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Bermuda Bay, and die cut. A fence from the same stamp was coloured with Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends die cut .  Both were added to a Crumb Cake background die cut with a Marianna Craftables die. The middle of this background was lightly sponged with Old Olive ink. A vine, die cut with a Spellbinder die, was added on the right side.

This completed Crumb cake die cut was added to the completed card front using dimensionals.

The crumb cake base is layered with Shaded Spruce card stock followed by a DSP (no name)

I"m sharing this card with:

613 Avenue Create

A Perfect Time to Craft

A Place to Start

All Sorts Challenge

NBUS

Card a winner at Creative Creases Challenges #106

 The card I recently submitted to Challenge 106 at Creative Creases was selected as one of the top 3.

Thankful Hydrangea card for the challenge with Freshly Made Sketches #697

 This Thank  you card was made for the sketch challenge with Freshly Made Sketches #697 and features a Hydrangea in a lovely doily-like rectangle frame.

The card base is an A2 Tahitian Tide card stock. It is layered with a piece of Basic white card stock and then a rectangle doily -like frame.

In the center is a die cut of a Hydrangea flower, the flowers of which are coloured with Stampin Blends, using Boho Blue and Starry Sky and the leaves with Granny Apple Green and Daffodil Delight. The flower was stamped and clear embossed from the stamp set "Thankful Garden". Tiny blue pearls were adhered to the center of each flower.

The sentiment is stamped with Black Versafine ink and clear embossed before being die cut with a Stylish die cut. The die cut is adhered half to the background and half to the fancy frame.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Thankful Garden

Inks:  Black Versafine, Stampin' Blends (Boho Blue, Starry Sky, Balmy Blue, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight.

Papers:  Tahitian Tide, Basic White, 

Accessories:  Thankful Garden dies, Stitched Rectangle Frame, Stylish Shapes dies, Small blue beads for center of flowers, dimensionals. Clear embossing powder

Twinchies for a die swap

 Im participating in a swap for a die group. This month the theme is Twinchies. 

Twinchies are embellishments made using 2” squares or  2” circles. Each twinchie has 2 or more layers , uses a technique, and includes 1or more embellishments .

These are the twinchies I made.

A Floral Circle Acetate Birthday Card for Addicted to Stamps & More #498

 The challenge at Addicted to Stamping & More #498 is to make a birthday card.  I don't have any birthdays this month but I always like to have a few made up so I'm not making a card at the last minute.

The card I made is one I've been wanting to make for a while after I saw a few of them on Pinterest. Here is my version:

The finished card is 4 1/4 by 5 1/2" therefore fits into a standard A2 envelope.

To make the card I started with a 5 1/2" square piece of heavy (110 lb) Basic White cardstock.  This I scored in half and folded it. When I opened it, I centered a 3 1/2" circle die over the score line and die cut the circle. The bottom front was embossed with the layered floral embossing folder. This I set aside while I worked on the rest of the card

A 3 1/2" and a 3" circle die were die cut together to form a frame, I cut 2 of them . I also used the 3 1/2" circle die to cut a piece of acetate.  This I adhered the two circle frames.

Next I decorated the circle frame.  I used Basic White and gold foil to punch flowers using the small Daisy punch as well as a Flower Builder Punch.  Each of the petals were sponged with gold ink using Gold Delicana ink and a dauber. Minimal shaping of the flowers was done.

A Birthday sentiment was embossed with gold embossing powder and die cut using a die from Art Gallery die collection. A small bow made with glitter ribbon completed the circle.

When finished, the decorated circle was added to the card front only- matching the outline of the circle die cut earlier.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:  Art Gallery

Inks:  Golden Glitz Delicata, Versamark

Papers:  Basic White (110 lb for base; 85 for flowers), Gold foil

Accessories:  Art Gallery dies, Daisy punch, Flower Builder punch, Layering Floral Embossing Folder, Gold embossing powder, 1/4" white glitter ribbon