Flowers & Butterflies Thank You Card-In-A-Box

I recently came across this gorgeous card-in-a-box made by Margaret.  As soon as I saw it I knew I just had to make my own version!  Margaret followed a video tutorial made by Tanya which can be found HERE.  The finished card following Tanya's tutorial fits into a C6 envelope.  I also found a video tutorial from Monica Gale which can be found HERE.  I followed Monica's measurements and instructions and the finished card fits inside a 6" square envelope.  I love that the card is so dimensional but then folds flat - ingenious - and it's easy to make too!

My starting point was to choose two patterned papers from the SU! Sweet Sorbet DSP pack and I chose CS that matched the papers.  It's an unusual combo but I do like the Crisp Cantaloupe and Pool Party pastels against the dramatic black!  I then used lots of dies and punches to get my flowers, leaves and butterflies.  It's quite tricky getting a good photo so I took a few from different angles.

Here's the back where I wrote my message.

The finished card fit inside a 6" square envelope but I decided that I would go the whole hog and make a matching patterned paper envelope to make the card a bit more special.  I gave this card to our wonderful friends Debs and Mike and they SO deserve special!  

Pinterest has loads of card-in-a-box inspiration, so many gorgeous examples, click HERE to see, it's well worth a look!

I'm going to share more card-in-a-box inspiration now from my lovely and very talented friend Lesley who I saw on Saturday at our local craft shop, the Glitter Pot.  * Hi Lesley, yes, I'm embarrassing you again by featuring your fantastic creations on my blog! *

Lesley commented on some patterned papers I bought and I told her they were destined to be made into a card-in-a-box and I enthusiastically launched into a description of what a card-in-a-box was.  Alison, behind the counter started laughing and a look passed between Alison and Lesley so I knew something was up!  Lesley reached inside her bag and out came three fabulous card-in-a-box examples and I just had to take photos! 

This oh, so pretty floral example is my birthday card from Lesley, I've had a naughty sneak peek 'cos my birthday is not 'til April but I can't wait to get this beauty on display in my home! 

A wonderful masculine example featuring wood and tools.

A beautiful pink butterflies version to finish - gorgeous! 

 
Phew, a very picture heavy blog post!  Lots of inspiration though and links to instructions too so I hope you'll try making a card-in-a-box yourself.  I'd love to see more examples so if you do make a card-in-a-box please leave a comment here on this blog post with a link to your card and I'll come and check it out!

Pearly Snowflake Winter's Butterfly Card - 52 {C}CT Feb Stash Challenge

This week at 52 {C}CT Jacqueline is asking us to use metallic papers.  I was rootling in my patterned paper stash looking for something suitable for paper piecing when I spied this gorgeous aqua metallic textured paper - perfect for this week's Christmas card challenge!

 

The paper has been hoarded in my stash for ages and I was chuffed to find that turquoise Perfect Pearls powder (another long neglected stash item) was a great match with the paper.  It's lovely to use new crafty goodies but there's something very satisfying about rediscovering fabulous old stash items!  I have kept the design simple because the dramatic combo of metallic aqua and black has a wow factor all by itself.  I made a 5 1/4" square black card base and adhered the textured metallic paper mat layer.  I stamped the snowflake and sentiment in VersaMark ink, applied Turquoise Perfect Pearls powder with a medium sized brush and then whisked off the excess powder with a large make up brush.  A square Nestie die was used to cut out the snowflake but I trimmed it down on two sides to make it rectangular.  I wanted an aqua gem brad in the snowflake centre so I took a pearl topped brad, removed the pearl with my craft knife and glued on a gem in place of the pearl.  The snowflake and sentiment panels are both popped up.

I love how the photo shows how incredibly shiny the paper is  - there's a reflection under the card, pretty cool huh?! 

I cut a white panel for inside the card, stamped a sentiment and a snowflake border in Bermuda Bay ink and stamped a snowflake on the envelope flap.  The 'be merry' stamp has been in my stash for years and I think this could be the first time of inking - I found it tucked in with some other stamps.  I'm very happy to have rediscovered yet another neglected stash item!

I stamped the snowflake border again onto the front of the envelope to finish off.

What a wonderful time I had creating this stash challenge card - please join us at 52 {C}CT for this week's Metallic Papers challenge, I hope you have a happy time creating too!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! 'Festive Flurry' set, Hero Arts 'Winter's Butterfly', Imaginisce 'Be merry' Snag'em stamp, My Cute Stamps 'Let it Snow' clear set
CS: SU! Basic Black & Whisper White
Paper:  aqua metallic textured paper from unknown source
Ink: VersaMark, SU! Bermuda Bay
Tools: square Nestabilities die, Perfect Pearls brush, large make up brush
Embellishments & accessories: Turquoise Perfect Pearls powder, brad & aqua gem, 3D foam tape

 

Moonlit Wheat Especially For You Card

Jan and Angela came to my home for a card making afternoon a few days ago.  Angela had asked to use Distress Inks and heat embossing so with those guidelines in mind this is the card I came up with.  I cut a piece of Whisper White CS and attached a 1 1/4" punched paper circle mask for the moon.  I applied Tumbled Glass ink to the CS, followed that with Dusty Concord ink and finished with Chipped Sapphire ink.  After removing the circle mask I stamped the wheat and sentiment in VersaMark ink and heat embossed with black powder.  I sponged the edges of a die cut butterfly with Chipped Sapphire ink, adhered that to the moon and added a gem.  Afterwards I realised you don't see butterflies in the moonlight - so it's now a moth LOL!

I cut the image panel into three sections - making the top section larger, inked the edges with Chipped Sapphire ink and then edged each section with Platinum Shimmer Paint.  I made a Wisteria Wonder A6 card base but I wasn't entirely happy with the panel spacing, the gaps between were too large.  So I trimmed a bit off the bottom of the card and that issue was resolved!

Inside I applied Broken China and Dusty Concord inks to one corner of the white panel and stamped and heat embossed just a portion of the wheat image.  I sponged the edges of the white panel with Chipped Sapphire ink.  For the envelope I stamped and heat embossed a portion of the wheat image onto Wisteria Wonder CS, punched a circle and edged that with Chipped Sapphire ink.  I layered that onto a black circle mat to finish.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Woodware 'Wheat' & 'Going to Seed' clear sets
CS: SU! Wisteria Wonder & Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark, Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass, Dusty Concord & Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks
Tools: SU! Beautiful Wings Embosslits die, circle punches, Ranger ink applicator tools, sponge daubers, craft mat, heat tool
Embellishments & accessories: SU! black embossing powder, Tsukineko Platinum Shimmer Paint, SU! rhinestone jewel

 

 

Gardenia Thanks Card For Jan

This is the card I made for Jan to say thanks for our Christmas gifts.  Jan lent me a few Memory Box dies - the Gorgeous Gardenia background and outline dies and the Fauntleroy Crest die so I thought I'd use those goodies for her card. 

I used white/silver pearl CS to make a 5 1/4" square card base.  I embossed black CS with the Acanthus folder and rubbed Pearl Moon gilding wax with a muslin cloth over the panel to highlight the embossing.  I added narrow Melon Mambo CS strips at the top and bottom of the black panel and adhered the two black crest shapes.  I die cut the solid gardenia shape twice, once from Old Olive CS and again from Melon Mambo CS and cut the outline gardenia from black CS.  I trimmed the Melon Mambo flowers, edged them with Rose Red ink and edged the leaves with Old Olive ink.  I glued the outline shape over the top and popped the gardenia cluster up.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment label and popped that up also.  To complete the card front I added gems to the label and to the crest shapes.

I added another sentiment label inside and adhered an Old Olive crest die cut shape.  I punched and shaped a Melon Mambo flower and added gems to the label and flower centre.

For the envelope front I used one of the black crest negative die cut shapes and glued it over the top of a strip of Melon Mambo CS and glued that over a strip of Old Olive CS.  I added a punched and shaped flower and added a gem to the centre.

Supplies:
Stamps:  SU! 'Thank You Kindly' set, Hero Arts ' Sending You Love' clear set
CS:  Centura Pearl White/hint of silver CS, SU! Melon Mambo, Old Olive & Basic Black
Ink:  StazOn Jet Black, SU! Melon Mambo & Old Olive
Tools: Memory Box Gorgeous Gardenia Outline & Background dies, Memory Box Fauntleroy Crest die, Spellbinder's Grommet Tags die, Cuttlebug Acanthus embossing folder, Hero Arts Small Tag Frame Framelits die, SU! Boho Blossoms punch, sponge daubers
Embellishments & accessories: Pearl Moon gilding wax, SU! rhinestone jewels, 3D foam tape

Christmas Landscape Merry Christmas Card - 52 {C}CT Feb Theme Challenge

Jacqueline has chosen a wonderful theme challenge for us at 52 {C}CT this week - it's a Christmas Landscape.

I love a Christmas card that features a sponged sky, bare winter trees and Santa's sleigh flying across a moon so this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to indulge and make a favourite design! I made a 5 3/4" square Elegant Eggplant card base.  I attached a circle mask to my white panel and sponged on Marina Mist, Night of Navy and Elegant Eggplant inks.  After removing the mask I stamped the trees, Santa's sleigh and the sentiment. I cut a square of Brushed Silver CS, dry embossed just the bottom part, glued on the image panel, added the ribbon and attached the silver panel to the card front.  I layered photo corner die cuts, added gems and then cast a critical eye over the card to consider if I'd finished.  Well, not quite, I decided a spritz of silver shimmer would be a perfect finishing touch!   

Here's a close up of the spritzed silver shimmer.

Here's the inside and the envelope.

I took a break away from card making and blogging for a while, it's great to be back and I'm so glad to be creating and sharing for 52 {C}CT again!  I hope you'll create and share with 52 {C}CT too and enter a card into this week's Christmas Landscape challenge!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Lovely as a Tree & Four the Holidays sets, All Night Media Santa & Sleigh, Hero Arts Joyful Christmas Season
CS: SU! Elegant Eggplant, Marina Mist & Whisper White
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, SU! Marina Mist, Night of Navy & Elegant Eggplant
Tools: MFT Photo Corners Die-Namics dies, 1 1/4", 1 1/2, 1 3/4" & 2" circle punches, Ivy Flourishes Sizzix Texturz plate, Stamp-a-ma-jig,
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Elegant Eggplant & Marina Mist grosgrain ribbons, Tattered Angels Silver Glimmer Mist, rhinestone jewels

 

Faux Fabric Heart Thanks Card

While the PaperMania stitched heart stamp was still out on my desk I thought I'd make another thanks card with it.  This card is for Angela who was so sweet while I was very poorly with a nasty infection a couple of weeks ago.  Angela brought me some scrummy soup that she'd made, a pack of chocolate coconut macaroons, some chocolate and as well as the goodies she loaned me a pile of feel good film DVDs.  I was feeling very miserable so her thoughtfulness and kindness really cheered me up!

To start I made an Early Espresso 5 1/2" square card base and cut a Very Vanilla mat layer which I partially dry embossed with the Acanthus folder.  I lightly brayered Wild Honey Distress Ink over the embossing and stamped the sentiment - I just had to use that particular sentiment knowing that I was going to have the heart on the card!  I added a narrow strip of Espresso CS before gluing the panel to the card front.  I applied Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade and Fired Brick inks onto a piece of Vanilla CS, spritzed a background stamp liberally with water and stamped over the inked panel.  Stamping with the water removes some of the ink colour and I was left with a lovely delicate damask pattern on my panel which prompted me to go further and make the panel look even more like fabric.

I inked a Linen background stamp with Crumb Cake ink, stamped and then stamped the stitched heart over the top.  To make the faux stitching look more realistic I even pierced through the holes! I die cut a rosette, fussy cut the heart and popped it up.  I punched out 4 flower shapes and adhered three of the flowers next to the sentiment and attached the fourth flower to the rosette using a brad base with an Early Espresso Candy Dot. 

Here's a close up of the faux fabric look achieved with the layered stamping - I was chuffed how it turned out!

For inside the card I used the background stamp and Wild Honey ink to create a border, finishing off with a narrow strip of Espresso CS .

For the envelope front I used the Typewriter Alphabet set to stamp Angela's name, punched out the circles and glued them to the Early Espresso flag banner.  I stamped a portion of the background stamp in Fired Brick ink onto Vanilla CS and die cut a flower.  I edged the flower with ink and added a gem to the centre to finish off.  I'm giving this card to Angela tomorrow and I hope she likes it!

Supplies:
Stamps: PaperMania stitched heart, Hero Arts Hugs 'n Hearts clear set, Penny Black Delicate Pattern background stamp, SU! Linen background stamp, PaperMania Typewriter Alphabet cling set
CS: SU! Early Espresso & Very Vanilla
Patterned paper: SU! Candlelight DSP
Ink: Tim Holtz Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade & Fired Brick Distress Inks, SU! Early Espresso
Tools:  Cuttlebug Acanthus embossing folder, Sizzix Mini Paper Rosettes Decorative Strip die, SU! Boho Blossoms punch, brayer, Ranger ink applicator tools & sponges, MFT Fishtail Flag Stax die, Woodware 1/2" circle die, Poppystamps Blooming Posie die, sponge dauber, paper piercing tool
Embellishments & accessories: SU! brad base & Early Espresso Candy Dot, rhinestone jewels, Dimensionals