Gift Card Holders

 

These are two gift card holders that are pockets with pull outs. The idea came from 

Sunny Day Stamping Studio tutorial for a Pocket Card with Pull Tab

The graphics are from two Esty designers Fantasy Digitals "Vintage Santa with Cardinal" and Paws Letters "Garden Party Gnome Chocolate Mocha Party"  The tabs are made with the punch and stamp set "Keeping Tabs" and the papers that are matted onto colored cardstock are printed on Polar Metallic paper from Red River Paper Company.

The gift card holder's pocket slides out wo reveal the money or the gift card or sentiment. Both are A2 size and have plenty of room for a sentiment stamped on the back of the card. These are  quick and easy, versatile and can be made in several orientations. or styles beside pockets.

Card for Jimmy Robinson

 

Notebooks for gift giving

 9.5 x 4.75 spiral notebooks for gifts.   Images were either generated in AI in Photoshop, or are from graphics purchased from Esty or other (bottles, owls, ladybugs,) or simply gathered from here and there on the internet. All have special people in mind.  Six more are in the works mostly autumn and patriotic themes for them. Don't forget to click on an image to see it enlarged.

Bottles and Butterflies

Hummers and Hooties

                                                                Brews, Boots and Beaches

Ladybug Kids Kleenex box

 

Spellbinders Better Press

 I'm just so excited with my new BetterPress system from Spellbinders.  The DEBOSSING of intricate designs and inking (or not) then coloring (or not) --OH! the Versatility--is my newest addition to crafting passion and fun. This is the first card I made first pressed, then watercolored.

Same plate--Sympathy card done in Slate Gray, on a slate gray card Purple flowers below

A sampling of Sentiments--ready to go!

Changes in My Life Cards

 

You can't start the next chapter in your life if you

keep re-reading the last one!
(owls by SVG Vector Store, Etsy "Snow Owl Clip Art

Show me your way, Oh Lord.  Teach me your paths, guide me in your 
truth and teach me, for you are God, My Savior and my hope is in you
all day long 

Thinking about the future and discovering the ways and the options in life.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"

Let it BEE Good---Kleenex Box Covers

Sunflowers and Bees---Happy Summer Kleenex Box  Covers

Yellow 

             White cardstock box, bees and sunflowers papers from Cute Bees paper pack at Etsy 

 

 The Patriotic Gnomes for the Kleenex box cover below
are from SayHi's Digital Shop at Etsy

By Request---summer sunny sunflowers:

These are from Shabby Chic's store at Etsy called the "Sunflowers in Pots" 
The cardstock is SU Daffodil Delight edged in vintage photo distress oxide 

Watercolor washed sunflowers on Copper Clay cardstock

Purple Gnomes--Flip Out Card

 

This flip-out card reverses the opening and is made without the "tuck" slot in it.  The card was inspired by Lisa Curcio's The Best  Flip Out Card" You Can make the inside sentiment area a pocket for a gift card or modify any way you want.   The surprise is the "backwards" opening to reveal the sentiment. The gnomes are from the SGVector Store at Etsy called Garden Gnome Clip Art, Purple.  The papers are DP from a Stampin Up Collection; I cannot locate the name of the collection.

Father's Day Cards

 

Father's Day Gnomes for Ryan and Mark. Watercolor Father's Day Gnomes Collection from Etsy seller Whimsical Art Graphics.

For a VERY Squirrely Friend

 I have a dear friend who is NUTS about Squirrels as much as I am Crazy about Owls---and this is the card  made for the 77th birthday coming up.  The kit I used is simply called "Cute Squirrels" from an Etsy store. There are Dozens of the cutest watercolor artwork for squirrels there. (Click on the picture to view it larger).  It's an A2 size top fold card with spirit lore for them on the back.

The squirrel lore reads: Squirrels are wonderful little creatures, and like many other animals, they have their own lore and symbolism. Yet even with all these different lore, there is one common thread of the squirrel running through various cultures. Some have called it the “changer” because of its habits of returning to the same place at the same time every year, only to find that something about it seems different.

With the spirit of the squirrel in our hearts, we too can see beyond our current limitations and break free from the mundane fabrics of life. As we wake up and view life more grounded in ourselves and our environment we find that for once everything seems brighter and easier to understand.

Renewal- Adaptability-Change -Spirit -Playfulness  - Resourcefulness -Connection with earth and sky energies - Gratitude -Foresight-

‘There is more to life than what we can see’ 

and the spirit of the squirrel shows just how true that is."

Corner Tuck Fold Card

 These cards are so much fun to make in any subject or any orientation you'd like for your artpiece. Some of these have corner tucks and some do not. Those that are not tucked are closed with 1/2 of a 1/4" velcro circle in the margin of the paper.   They are created with Ladybug Gnomes from an Etsy store, polka dots that I either made or found in my stash, SU Copper Clay cardstock and Treasure Beach Bottles by Fantasy Digitals at Etsy, and watercolor ocean backgrounds from my stash, many times from Creative Fabrica stores.  The Dart and Dazzle Hummingbird tuck fold front is done with papers and elements from the  Graphic 45 "Flight of Fancy" collection.  Most of the card backs are embossed with various embossing folders, (from three or four different companies,  and almost all of them are touched with Wink of Stella, or Nuvo Crystal drops. 

Sentiments and any jewels are waiting to be adhered but "This is your Day" stacked sentiment on the center bottle card is from the The Ton Couture Designs sentiment stamps with stamping and gold heat embossing on stacked diecuts. I have MANY sentiment stamp sets to go with these, especially Taylored Expressions "Plot  Twist" and "Dylusions"  (Ranger) little paragraphs fit well, though the sizes are slightly different for all the lifting fronts of these cards. 

    These cards are all inspired by Robin Armbrecht  (Really Robin Stamps) who is a SU demonstrator in Springfield, Illinois.

Tent Card

 

Top fold card with artpiece on cardfront. Make a small w shaped strip to allow the card to stand without opening.  This tent card was made easel style, but they are just as good if simple fold-overs

Expanding and Collapsing Box Card

 Using Girly Gnomes, and following a tutorial for the Expanding and Collapsing Box Card by  Lisa Curcio, this adorable birthday card was finished with DP (Most Adored) and lavender cardstock from SU; enamel dots by Alta New;  and Tonic Clear Crystal Glaze.  The closed cardbox is held closed with a bellyband with artpiece and fits flat in an A2 envelope. 

The bottom of the box has a Happy Birthday script sentiment stamped and a coordinating paper band/pocket with a punched shape that forms the pocket. Recipient's name will be handwritten on the tag-pocket. The bottom picture shows the box fully open. The box easily pops open and if you adjust the belly band properly, the box can contain several thicknesses of paper or ephemera. Tip:  Do NOT burnish the folding and expanding mechanism --finger fold it because it will break down with overuse. Be VERY precise with measurements and scoring accuracy.

Girly Gnomes

 These are not your  traditional gnomes at all --more like elves with gnome type caps and braids. They make the most beautiful cards, and I am delighted to be creating them on embossed vellum, with custom designed backgrounds, on spritzed or embossed cardstock and using the Couture Designs sentiment strips from The Ton. Their gentle expressions and beautiful design elements make them "one of a kind" talent shared.

From the SVG Vector Store at Etsy called Girl Gnome Clip Art

Patriotic Gnomes

 

Just the first of  SEVERAL projects using Paper Clips

These are called Watercolor 4th of July Whimsical Gnome Clip Art

from the Whimsical Art Graphics Studio at Etsy

Two SlimLine Window Cards and clips

Graduation

 

I am SO pleased with this---my first attempt at image generation in Photoshop's (Beta) Artificial Intelligence photo generation processes. I started with blank white "paper." I had about 7 iterations of very detailed prompts (specificity matters) to create this owl, including (but not limited to,) great horned owl mortarboard with gold tassel on left, bow tie scarlet and gray, glasses, and others. I didn't specify any particular background and left as AI generated it. ..same with feathers and feather detail. I had built on my idea six or seven times working with favorite results until I could get the cap tucked into the head feathers.  Now just how cool is that.  This card is for a friend's son who earned his Master's in Business Administration recently at UNLV.

Chick Bow Chicks

 Chicken Chicks, Owl Chicks, Bow Chicks, Baby Bird Chicks, these cuties came from Chick Clip Art in Messy Bun's Etsy store.  I have made a couple dozen small  paper clip clips that will have either eyelash ribbon or jute, or color coordinated to match project where they are found. I already gave the first one away before I got it  photographed. I don't know where I got the ticket blanks I used to make the designer paper clips--been in the stash for at least 10 years! I love to make paper clips and I sometimes work from ticket templates. 

Some easy Workshop Cards

 In a workshop led by Diane Minor.   

Inside intentionally left blank because this is going to a 98 year old lady who I want to have it to resend as I thank HER for my birthday gift. 

3 Peak Arrow Fold Card

    This three peak card is a little tricky---CAREFUL scoring and dry-fitting are the secrets of it.  I used it for the April, 2024 Papers N Pixels workshop, and as I taught this, I found I'd been pretty vague on instructions that were important.
    The Three Peak Arrow was inspired by Sam Calcott who made it look SO easy!  Without viewing her tutorial,  the crafter is totally LOST on this one.  Suggest making a template with all the measurements on it before you begin to cut that first 10" x 7"piece. then watch--you work this card upside down! When the card is folded, it fits into an A6 envelope.  You can mat the arrows, make pockets in them or work with embossed designs and ephemera. I used star dies and punches, and half dozen different Poppy Stamps Faerie die cuts  Pay attention to directionality of your designer paper, and you'll create a winner.

Graduation Money Lei

Virgin Valley High School, Mesquite, NV

Graduated the Class of 2024 on May 11,2024

This money lei was a "special" order for a special graduate

~Julio~

The sentiment reads:  As you graduate, pack up all your memories, 

and everything you've learned, and stack them high as they can go!

Then climb up to the top and look how far you've come

Be proud, be ambitious, 

Set your goals and

GO FOR IT

Everyone is proud of you, Julio

Congratulations!