June 2016 Card Group Projects

The weather certainly hasn't been great considering it's June but we all had a lovely time indoors crafting this afternoon as it was our monthly card group get together.  As well as card making we had cake - homemade chocolate, sour cherry and cream sponge cake plus iced orange fairy cakes - yum!  Not only that but I gave out prizes!  Last month I set the ladies some homework - I asked them to make a card with the white butterfly which was left over from cutting out the aperture for this card.

Every group member who bought along a card made with the butterfly was allowed to choose a couple of pre-loved crafty items I'd bought along as prizes - there were quite a few stamps, punches and dies!  I put the names in a bag and drew them out raffle style so the first name out got the first pick.  There were still items left over so the few ladies that hadn't managed to make a card didn't go home empty handed and everyone went home with a crafty something!  And I'd managed to have a bit of a clear out so happy days all round!  I'll be back soon to share the homework cards.

Last time Jan asked if we could make a card featuring the wax resist technique so that's how the first card for this month's card group came about.  The A6 sized card was made with SU! Calypso Coral CS and I stamped the sentiment in black ink.  I die cut the Chandra Stem dandelion and applied gloss to the circles with a black glaze pen.  I set that aside to dry while I worked on the wax resist panel.  I have a wax resist technique tutorial HERE (scroll to the bottom of the page) which gives all the how to info.  I applied Worn Lipstick and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks to the glossy CS panel using ink duster brushes and buffed the panel with a piece of kitchen towel.  I wrapped the bottom of the stem around the panel, taped it to the back, popped up the dandelion head, added the gingham ribbon and attached the panel over the top of a black mat layer.  I was going to attach the panel straight but I decided I preferred the wonky look!  To complete the card front I added two die cut decorative corners.

Here's a close up of the wax resist panel.

Here's the inside of the card and the envelope.

Last month we made a card featuring a coffee mug and Lesley remembered we'd used the teacup from the stamp set on a previous card group card - I've just checked and it was back in July 2012, blimey!  Lesley asked if we could make a card with the teacup again so I designed a teacup and doily easel card.  

The colour combo is Bermuda Bay, Island Indigo and white.  The drink portion of the teacup was stamped onto kraft CS using Soft Suede ink.  The white border strip was cut using the Cheery Lynn 'Francesca Border' die which co-ordinates beautifully with the Cheery Lynn 'French Pastry' doily die.  I glued the border onto a strip of Island Indigo CS and popped the strip up to act as the stop for the easel.  After fussy cutting and paper piecing the teacup I popped that up.  When I first started working on this card I tried various colour inks for the teacup but Bermuda Bay ink was my fave - it reminds me of the pretty crockery you get in our local Waitrose cafe!  But being the forgetful silly moo that I am these days, I left the Bermuda Bay ink pad at home and so the ladies had to stamp their teacups in Island Indigo ink.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment and popped that up.  The two flowers were stamped, punched, shaped and glued to the card.  I also forgot to take that sentiment stamp but we managed to substitute a stamp from one of the stamp sets I'd given away as a prize - thank goodness!  I also forgot my Big Shot magnetic platform, stamp cleaner and kitchen roll - but at least I remembered the cakes!

I stamped a sentiment panel to go on the bottom of the easel card and added a stamped and punched flower to the envelope flap.  The easel card measures 5 1/4" square.  

I have my guillotine cutter out on top of two sets of drawers - which I grandly call my cutting station!  I find it a lot better to have the cutter out permanently as it was a pain to keep dragging it out each time I needed it.  If I'm being lazy and untidy I end up with piles of offcut CS in various colours all over the cutting station.  I do try mostly to clear up as I go along but just recently that hasn't been happening.  It was at the stage where I HAD to clear it so I was placing the different colour CS in piles and Rose Red, Lost Lagoon and Blackberry Bliss ended up together and I was really struck by how lovely the colours looked together and I decided I'd use that combo for the third card group card.

No surprise - this card features butterflies!  I wanted to use my new SU! 'Fluttering' embossing folder so having decided on the colour combo my next step was to create an embossed background piece.  I die cut the fancy banner shape and embossed it.  

The Blackberry Bliss strip is a die cut from the Memory Box 'Grosgrain Ribbons' set of three dies. This is a very recent purchase and I'm tickled to be able to get 'ribbons' in every colour of CS and three widths!  Here's a close up so you can see the grosgrain detail.  

After attaching the die cut ribbon to the embossed banner I glued it to the front of a Rose Red A6 sized card base and stamped the sentiment in Blackberry Bliss ink.  I die cut the two butterfly shapes using the SU! 'Bold Butterfly' Framelits die set and layered the shapes together.  I added a tiny punched flower and a rhinestone to finish the card front.

Here's the inside of the card and the front of the envelope.

Here's hoping I remember everything next time!

Supplies for wax resist Happy Birthday card:

Stamps: Hobby Art 'Happy Birthday', Stampendous 'Sending Wishes', Inkylicious 'Make a Wish' set
CS: SU! Calypso Coral, Basic Black & Whisper White, Ranger Glossy Paper, Reynolds Cut-Rite wax paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Tim Holtz Worn Lipstick & Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks
Tools: Memory Box 'Chandra Stem' die, Die'Sire 'Decorative Corner 1' die set, Inkylicious ink duster brushes, craft mat, iron
Embellishments & accessories: black & white gingham ribbon, Sakura black Glaze Pen, tiny 3D foam pad

Supplies for teacup easel card:
Stamps: Kanban 'Coffee Shop' set,  SU! 'Blooming with Kindness' & 'Petite Petals' sets, Hero Arts 'Yummy Treats' set
CS: SU! Bermuda Bay, Island Indigo, Kraft & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Bermuda Bay, Island Indigo & Soft Suede
Tools: Cheery Lynn 'French Pastry' doily die, 'Francesca Border' die & 'Sentiment Tag 2' die set, circle Nestabilities dies, SU! 'Petite Petals' punch
Embellishments & accessories: 3D foam tape & pads 

Supplies for butterflies birthday card:
Stamps: SU! 'Cheer & Wishes' set, Hero Arts 'Fabulous Birthday'
CS: SU! Lost Lagoon, Rose Red, Blackberry Bliss & Very Vanilla
Ink: SU! Blackberry Bliss
Tools: SU! 'Fluttering' embossing folder, Sizzix 'Banners, Fancy' die set, SU! 'Bold Butterfly' Framelits die set, Memory Box 'Grosgrain Ribbons' die set, flower punch from SU! 'Itty Bitty Shapes' punch pack
Embellishments & accessories: SU! rhinestone jewels small 3D foam pads