Ladybirds and Headless Snowmen (oh my!)

I love my "forever friends" - the people in my life where it doesn't matter if we don't speak for a long time, we can just pick back up where we left off. Allison Strine is one such forever friend. I first met her about 8 years ago, when we were both doing a lot of scrapbooking work for the magazines. We were fellow 2002 Hall of Fame winners, as a matter of fact.

Nowadays Allison runs a successful art design studio and Etsy shop selling her whimsical and hilarious Ladybirds. I have Ladybirds all over my house - two framed prints, three pendants, a magnet that I was supposed to send to Pam but kept for myself, etc., etc. People always comment on them because the art is just so . . . happy!

I was THRILLED when Allison started offering collage sheets of her Ladybird art. They can be purchased in a high-quality print or even by digital download! Check out her collage sheets here.

I had such fun using "The Witch is In" collage sheet on this Halloween pop-up card. The pop-up pumpkin is actually a beheaded Snowman die. (Gruesomely fitting for Fright Night, eh?) I've added the instruction file for decapitating the snowman to the left sidebar or you can direct download it using the link in step 2 below.

(click to make it bigger)

Sizzix Dies Used: Pop-up Snowman, Movers & Shapers horizontal A2 card, 3 Circles window, Swirly, Candy

Other supplies: Collage Sheet: Allison Strine; Patterned Paper and Brad: Basic Grey; Orange Glitter Cardstock: Creative Imaginations; Glue for pop-up base: Zip Dry; Tape runner for everything else: Tombow; Ribbon: Creative Impressions; Cardstock: Worldwin Doublemates; 1.25" circle punch, googly eyes, cardstock scraps, transparency, elastic, eyelet, colored pencils, 2 small mini-brads, brown ink pad.
 

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Arrange the three-circle window die all the way to the end of the Movers & Shapers magnetic area and die cut the card from two-tone cardstock (black/gray). Also die cut a strip of patterned paper for the inside of the card. Trim the patterned paper card into two slightly smaller pieces to fit inside the card with a thin gray border around them. Before adhering the patterned paper inside the card, first cover the three circle windows with scraps of clear transparency. Glue the patterned paper inside the card, lining up the circle cut-outs.
2. Die cut the snowman body and base pieces from orange glitter cardstock. Use the HOW TO BEHEAD A SNOWMAN instruction file (found in the sidebar of www.karenburniston.typepad.com) or by direct download here: Download How to Behead the Snowman to convert the snowman into a single ball pop-up. Construct the ball pop-up and use Zip Dry to add the base piece to the bottom of the ball. Decorate the pumpkin with triangle eyes cut from scraps of black cardstock and colored with pencils to resemble candy corn. Also cut a stem from a scrap of green cardstock and ink the edges with brown ink. Die cut a Swirly from scraps of green cardstock and use a portion for a vine. Punch holes across the front sections of the pumpkin and string black ribbon through for a mouth. Tie knots in the ends of the ribbon to keep it in place.
3. Cut out the Candy Corn Ladybird image and glue her to the pumpkin as shown. Use Zip Dry to attach the base of the pop-up in the fold of the card. Reinforce the connection with two small mini-brads in the diagonal folds.
4. For the front of the card, cut out the following collage images: witch, both masks, black bat wings. If using a digital download copy of the collage sheet, use a "flip horizontal" command in a photo editing program or with a printer setting to print a mirror image copy of the collage sheet. Cut out the same two masks and bat wings from the mirror image copy. Mat the witch image in black cardstock and then in orange glitter cardstock and glue her to the front of the card, covering the brad prongs from step 3. Add the masks and bat wings around the windows. Add the decorative brad to the front of the card as shown, elevating it with a pop-dot. Make sure that the brad prongs are oriented vertically inside the card so they can be covered with the ribbon.
5. Open the card and add a strip of ribbon to the left side, covering the brad prongs. Now add the mirror-image masks and bat wings to the inside of the windows. Punch three circles from the scraps of orange glitter cardstock and glue them to the right side of the card so they will be seen through the windows. Add cardstock-scrap faces and stems to the top and bottom circles, arranging the eyes so they will be behind the masks when the card is closed. Use scraps of Swirly for vines. Glue the cauldron image to the center circle and add two googly eyes. Add a strip of ribbon.
6. Wrap a loop of black cord elastic around the front brad and pull it tight to the back of the card. Trap the ends with a large eyelet set through the card.
7. Die cut candy corn from scraps of glitter orange cardstock, yellow and white cardstocks. Piece the candy corn together and glue them randomly to the card background. Add the "Her favorite color is candy corn." saying.
8. The finished card can be mailed in a standard A2 envelope.

Happy Halloween!

Comments

[Mireia]

Thank you for the tutorial. It is a funny project!
kisses!

[Eileen Hull]

I know you wwere just itching to behead something... muuuhhaha

[Susan L (lily40au)]

I haven't seen you post in ages ... I hope everything's going well. I always look forward to a little craziness from you ... you never disappoint. LOL

Lily

[snowman]

very unique and interesting