This month I'm revisiting some of my favorite technique videos to make Christmas versions.
One of my favorite technique videos is from the Feb 2015 Designer Challenge where I used the Rectangle Pull Card with included spinner die to make Rocky the Crab doff his cap. For this Christmas version I followed the video instructions exactly, simply swapping the paper, colors and embellishments for Christmas versions.
The card measures 5" x 6" in the closed position, so it will fit nicely in an A7 envelope for mailing. The snowflake charm is from the Holiday Charms set.
As the card opens Rocky will start to raise his hat and the Merry Christmas greeting, which is attached to the candy cane, slides into the open space for easy reading. This card creates such a fun motion that you'll want to open and close it over and over to watch the animation.
Rocky himself is made using a dark green shadow layer for an extra nod to Christmas. I followed the video tutorial to articulate his arms with brads. The candy cane is another one of the Holiday Charms and the Props 5 set includes the Santa hat, beard and mustache. For the Merry Christmas greeting, I wanted to frame it with the postage stamp from the Rectangle Pull Card set, but needed the frame to be longer so I cut two frames and combined them into a longer frame.
The "Fa la la la la" paper is from Bo Bunny's Elf Magic collection, but it's a few years old, so I suggest substituting any festive paper from your own stash.
Watch the video to learn the techniques:
Here are the items I used on my Christmas version of this card:
Howdy crafters! Today I'm on the Elizabeth Craft Designs blog scaring up a fun way to use the Rectangle Pull Card for a peek-a-BOO! Halloween card.
The Rectangle Pull Card is a versatile, generic, interactive die made even more interactive by using the included Spinner die. For today’s card I’ll use the Spinner as a way to suspend the new 3D Ghost charm inside the card when open. When closed, the ghost will “peek” through a window. Let’s first look at the five steps to creating the window card:
Cut a 5.5″ x 8.5″ piece of heavy black cardstock and score in the center for folding. Add two 4″ x 5.25″ panels of spooky patterned paper inside the card. Line up the Rectangle Pull Card over the fold of the card using the alignment nubs. Add in the small rectangle die to die cut a window at the same time. Z-fold the card in the usual manner.
Use the large rectangle decorator die included in the set to die cut a rectangle of a contrasting patterned paper. Use a temporary adhesive to hold the rectangle in place on the front of the card.
Open the card and trace the window opening onto the back of the decorator rectangle.
Remove the large rectangle and line up the small window die over the pencil lines to die cut the window in the correct location.
Adhere the windowed panel into place on the front of the card.
Now that the card base is complete, it’s time to cut and assemble the 3D Ghost charm:
Die cut the ghosts from white cardstock. The die will cut (1) notched ghost, (1) notch/slot ghost, and (1) slot ghost with hang hole.
Slide the bottom of the notch/slot ghost through the slot in the hang hole ghost until the notch is in the slot at the bottom.
Depending on the weight of the cardstock, you should be able to just bend and pull the top of the ghost until the top notch is also through the slot. If this is too difficult, fold down the cardstock next to the notch to slide the ghost easily into the slot and then unfold.
Collapse the 2-ghost set flat so both slots are lined up over the top of each other. Slide the notched ghost through both slots until the notch is in the slots at the bottom. For this ghost, you will definitely have to fold down the cardstock next to the notch at the top to slide it through the slot.
Unfold the cardstock to lock all three ghosts together. The charm is now assembled and ready for hanging in the card.
The Rectangle Pull Card comes with a Spinner die. It’s very easy to install anywhere along the fold of the card. I installed it near the top, first punching a hole in the center for the chain. I managed to find a ball chain in my stash that was the perfect size to shove through the hang hole in the ghost without needing any additional securing. A thinner ball chain could be used as a loop instead of a chain. Or the ghost could be hung with fishing line or twine. I thought the chain was fitting for a ghost! I also used the included postage frame die to frame the windows with black cardstock. If you’re new to the Rectangle Pull Card or need a refresher, scroll to 6:50 in this introductory video: Rectangle Pull Card
I cut two Iron Fences from black cardstock to decorate the card. For the piece on the front of the card I added a stamped 31 oval. I stamped it in watermark ink onto a textured black cardstock and covered it with white embossing powder. The powder didn’t completely cover the cardstock’s texture, which gave a great look. I was inspired to try a white-over-black embossed 31 by Shelly Hickox’s last Designer Challenge Card.
The Iron Fence die set comes with two bird dies, both of which I used as blackbirds with Glitter Dot eyes, perched on the fence. I love how the ghost ends up peeking through the window in the closed/collapsed position, and then expands and hangs in the card as it is opened:
For a greeting I stamped “Spooky Halloween greetings” onto white cardstock with watermark ink and embossed with white powder. Then I used some gray ink to sponge over the greeting turning the background gray. I cut out the greeting with a stitched circle die from the Labels & Circles set and added black dots over the “eyes” in Spooky.
The finished card measures 5.5″ square in the closed position and can be mailed in a 6×6 envelope for extra postage.
First, the winners of the Triple Giveaway for members of my mailing list (join using the blue button in this blog's sidebar) have been chosen and their prize choices are on the way! Here they are:
Susan B. said...
Wow! What cute ideas! I don' t know which one to try first.
Susan chose the Hanging Charm Pull Tab and What's Up? Clear Stamps
Connie M.said...
Creativity gone 3D. Love the new designs and so many fun creative ideas sparking my imagination!
Connie chose the Happy Birthday Pop-up and Just a Note Clear Stamps
Denise P. said...
Wow! Can't wait to try some new techniques with my stencils - dream weaver and microfine glitter on the shelf just waiting for me! Summer Hills-Painter, absolutely love love love the altered memory box, you did a beautiful job!!
Denise chose the Lots of Pops and Best Wishes Clear Stamps
Today I have a fun tutorial for doubling the width of the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set to make room for wider charms (or multiple charms).
First, align the Frame die centered and butted up next to the Card Base die. Tape the two dies together temporarily with removable tape.
Cut a 5″ x 8″ piece of patterned paper and fold up the middle. (Hint: to disguise the fold in the finished card, consider using a pattern with vertical stripes) Place the fold of the paper over the two dies so the paper covers most of the opening but stops right before the rounded corners. Use removable tape to secure the paper to the dies so it won’t shift while die cutting.
After die cutting, carefully remove the tape and the frame and card base. If paper remains stuck in the slot area of the card base die, leave it in the die to act as a guide for placing a piece of folded black cardstock over the frame die in the same position. Die cut the black cardstock to make a second wide frame that matches the size of the patterned paper frame.
Although a similar folding technique could be used to make a wider Pull Tab, it’s easier to simply cut a 3″ x 4.5″ piece of patterned paper to be the pull tab. Round the corners, punch a center hole and add a decorative hole protector cut with the Tags Pivot Card set. Cut a strip of black cardstock to 0.5″ x 3.75″ and glue it, centered, to the base of the pull tab as shown.
Assemble the Hanging Charm Pull Tab in the usual fashion from here. For a video tutorial of HCPT assembly, click here. I used the 3mm Double-Sided Adhesive tape for the outside edges and the 10mm tape for the bottom edge that attaches to the pull tab.
After attaching the card base to a 4.5″ x 4.125″ piece of black cardstock, die cut a decorator tag shape from the black cardstock using the Tags Pivot Card. This allows for an inlaid greeting tag and eliminates any catch points as the card is opened and closed.
Glue the two decorative frames together for stability and add an eyelet in the center. Using the Steampunk Charms, die cut a black hat, patterned paper hat band, silver wings and gears. Grunge up the silver pieces with black StazOn ink. Hang the charms from a chain in the opening.
Add the larger gear to the corner of the frame and tie a piece of sheer black ribbon through the tag. Attach the finished HCPT piece to a 5″ x 6″ flat card, decorated using the Gears Stencil with black texture paste.
Stamp the greeting using the Steampunk Clear Stamps and die cut the greeting with the same decorator tag die. Inlay the greeting tag into the opening.
The finished card measures 5″ x 6″ and can be mailed in an A7 envelope. The wider opening will also work great for animating larger solid objects, too. Or perhaps think of putting a Character in half the opening and a hanging charm in the other. So many options!
Elizabeth Craft Designs products are sold at independent craft stores worldwide or on their website (links below):
Here's a fun card using a technique from the Rocky Doffs his Cap video, altered to use Poppy the Owl so he's starting to toss his cap as the card opens.
For the base card I used the Oval Pull Card and a piece of heavy double-sided My Mind's Eye cardstock, printed with the numbers on one side and rulers on the other. I nested in one of the decorator ovals into the Pull Card when I cut it, so there would be a window.
In order for Poppy to toss his cap I needed him to have an articulated wing, so I cut a second wing and used tiny eyelets to attach them to each other, to his body and to the graduation cap, which is just the bottom of the Props 1 Bowler hat turned upside-down. The Spinner die from the Rectangle Pull Card creates the motion of the cap as the card is opened.
Speaking of Props 1, I also used the glasses to give Poppy a studious look, and the bowtie, trimmed to look like a diploma. I made the tassel using green fibers.
The greetings are a combination of the What's Up? clear stamps and the Baby clear stamps, cut out with decorator dies from the Tags Pivot Card and Lucy Label Pop-up. The rickrack is made using the scalloped die from the Pull Card Edges.
This card is for a second-cousin to the kids, but we've definitely had graduation on the brain around here as Karl and Emma graduated from high school last Sunday. Couldn't be more proud of my graduates!
Remember to check out the blog posts for Rocky Doffs his Cap and Hello, Honey, for two more versions of this card and a video tutorial.
If you'd like to make your own version of the Poppy Graduation Card you can find Pop it Ups products at independent craft stores worldwide. You can also shop online at the Elizabeth Craft Designs website.
Welcome to the May 2016 Pop it Ups Designer Challenge. Each month I challenge my talented Designer Challenge Team to create a project using Pop it Ups products. This month I chose a theme of Stage it Stencils, which is a new category of products for the Pop it Ups line. The first six stencils launched at CHA and have been very popular. (Watch the introductory video to the first release of stencilshere.) The Spring Release will be shipping out to stores about a week from now, so keep an eye out for these twelve new designs, including (3) Layering Stencils, (3) Pattern Stencils, (3) Charm Dies, and (3) Clear Stamps.
Because our focus was on the Stencils this month, I chose not to do a single project and instead to create an overview video of all 6 new stencils. The video covers how to use the Layering Stencils, how to emboss a pattern stencil, a partial masking technique, making your own glitter paste and cleaning the stencils. I've also included photos of a lot of this month's creations by the team, so after watching the video make sure you scroll down to see all of those cards with links to their blog posts for more information.
The Spring Release has three main themes: Wedding, Baby and Steampunk, each with a Charms die and a Clear Stamp set. All of the Charms sets are sized to fit perfectly in the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set, as an option. Here's an example of the Wedding Charms and Best Wishes Clear Stamps, plus the Petite Flourish Stencil, used for a Hanging Charm Pull Tab card:
The Charms also work well for other types of projects, like mixed media tags, scrapbook layouts, jewelry, etc. Here's a mixed media tag using the Steampunk Charms and Steampunk Greetings Clear Stamps, plus the Gears Stencil, embossed and sanded like in the video:
Another way to use the new Charms is by chopping off the hang holes and using the shapes as Props for the Characters. Here's the card I made in the video with Lucky the Rabbit holding the umbrella from the Baby Charms set. Inside the card it says "Rain or shine you're a friend of mine" - a cute stamp from Verve.
The Spring Release will be available in late May at independent and online retailers worldwide. Here are some online links to the Spring Release and to the other few items used in my sample cards:
The Designer Challenge Team is showing off the Stage it Stencils and the Spring Release products amazingly this month. If you've already watched the video you've had a preview of a lot of these cards. Time to see them closer. Remember that each of their names is a link to their blog post about the card. On their individual blogs is where you will find all the information you need. Some of these cards are full tutorials, so definitely give them a click!
STEAMPUNK & ARTSY INSPIRATION
Kelly Booth made this fabulous Steampunk tag with the Gears stencil as a backdrop and a dapper Poppy the Owl, properly steampunked, taking center stage. Notice her use of the top hat charm with the hang hole removed. Poppy also holds the key charm from the Steampunk set and the wings charms were used on the heart at the bottom.
Summer Hills-Painter combined a couple of stencils for the background of this amazing altered memory box. The Gears are behind the frame and the Swirly Flourish is also used. I love all the layers of ephemera on this showcase piece. The Steampunk Charms are mixed in as well.
Shelly Hickox altered a dollar store journal into this ode to Paris art piece. The Eiffel Tower die is cut from canvas to provide more texture. She used partial coverage with the Petite Flourish Stencil to create the textured background and the Steampunk charms and clear stamps complete the look.
Frances Byrne shows how nicely the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die can be used to animate a Character. She made a gentleman Poppy the Owl, sporting the top hat from the Steampunk Charms and holding the key. The Gears Charm works wonderfully for her textural background and the Steampunk Greetings clear stamps reveal the birthday message. This card would be suitable for anyone, including men.
Sandy Diller also steampunked a Character - she chose Jinks the Monkey and used the Gears Stencil to emboss the backdrop of this clever Rectangle Pull Card. Notice the gear peeking out in the closed position? It moves up with the greeting as the card is opened. You can see a video of this card in action plus a full tutorial of how Sandy created it, by clicking her name.
Caz Counsell made this brilliant homage to Game of Thrones for a birthday card with a Game of Bones theme. See the bones on the Adirondack Chair to make the Iron Throne? Brilliant! Plus Buster the Dog is styled as Jon Snow! I am in love with this card. Caz used the Petite Flourish Stencil inside the card to create the texture. Absolutely brilliant!
BABY INSPIRATION
Kelly Booth shows the great coordinating between the Baby Pajamas Layering Stencil and the Baby Charms. She hung the companion charm in the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set for this sweet baby boy card. The Baby Clear Stamps are used for the greetings and I love her use of a cloud for the pull. So sweet!
Sandy Diller can do it all! She can switch from the most artsy steampunk grungy project right into an adorable baby card like this! The Lots of Pops creates the pop-up poles inside the card to suspend the clothesline and then she added the Baby Charms throughout, including the little bunny charm inside the Props 7 woven basket. Awww! I love her use of the Baby Pajamas Layering Stencil on the card front. She did not use the layering hearts, which is always optional.
Fran Sabad made this wonderful 3-page Rectangle Accordion in a sweet baby girl theme. I like how she cut a window from Page 2 to allow her to hang the Pajama charm, and the Baby Pajamas Layering Stencil works wonderfully to create the pattern for the outer frames. So many details to soak in on this darling card.
WEDDING & ELEGANT INSPIRATION
Frances Byrne is brilliant! She immediately thought to put the new Wedding Charms bride & groom on the pop-up Cake die. Perfection! The Petite Flourish stencil provides the backdrop for this elegant confection. She also incorporated the Paris Edges and the Best Wishes clear stamps for the greetings. I love the white/gold/black color scheme.
Karen Aicken created such a stunning card by using metallic paints on black cardstock. The Rectangle Pull Card has never looked so fancy! She used the Swirly Flourish Stencil and mixed in some die cut coffee cup steam flourishes (clever!) for a classy background.
Raquel Mason actually created this card for another challenge, but I wanted to include it because it's such a lovely use of the Blossom Layering Stencil. I love her use of white ink through the flower and then layered with black centers. A very charming backdrop for a thank-you card.
SWEET INSPIRATION
Kelly Booth created several Cherries backgrounds using the Cherries Layering Stencil on Soft Finish Cardstock and then die cut the pieces into labels and Hot Air Balloons for this super sweet and fun card. I had this original card with me last weekend at the Denver Scrapbook Expo and it got raves from the customers. Absolutely fabulous!
Raquel Mason used the Cherries as a background for this "Sweet" card. I like how she used paste and glitter to make the cherries raised and sparkly. This card would brighten anyone's day.
Karen Aicken used the Gears Stencil in a bright fun color to create a boy background for this cute card. I love how Karen Aicken took advantage of the slot/slider mechanism in the Oval Pull Card to hide Buster the Dog in the closed position with the Barrel Basket. Open the card and the basket slides out of the way. Her grandson is sure to love his one-of-a-kind birthday card!
Fran Sabad ends the challenge with this scrumptious card featuring a Cherries background and Baker the Beaver, wearing the Props 8 Chef's Hat and holding a cherry-topped cupcake. I mean CUTE!
Well I hope you feel inspired to start incorporating the Stage it Stencils into your projects. They are very affordable and durable as well as versatile and functional. Join us next month on June 22, 2016 when we will take on a challenge called Summer Lovin'! The team and I will be making projects that celebrate the glorious summer season.
Oh! And the winners of the March and April Secret Shout-out Giveaway were Linda Agers, who won the Oval Pull Card and Baker the Beaver (March giveaway) and Margaret McChesney, who won the Barn Pop Stand and Snowball the Sheep (April giveaway). I will have the latest newsletter with this month's Secret Word Giveaway sent out either today or tomorrow, so if you're not already a member of my mailing list, just use the blue button on this blog's sidebar to join.
My dear friend Kelly Booth came for a visit this week. We've had so much fun! On Wednesday I took her to Brazos Bend State Park to see some alligators. It was a little too cold for them to be sunning themselves all over the paths like normal, but we did see some big ones in the water, plus 31 babies on the bank.
On Thursday it was cold, rainy and windy, so we spent all day in the studio. Kelly made an adorable cupcake & coffee card and we filmed it for a video! Check it out on Kelly's blog here: Cupcake & Coffee Card & Video. I was pleased to discover that Kelly and I have the exact same style of messy-table crafting! Ha.
Today it was my turn to make something. I wanted to create a coffee-themed card for Kelly's recent birthday that I could also use for the Spring Coffee Lover's Blog Hop, that ends today. Here's that I came up with. The saying is computer generated and I saw a plaque with this saying in a beach gift shop and thought it would be perfect for Rocky the Crab and the coffee items.
The pop-up die is the Hanging Charm Pull Tab and I also used the Coffee Stage it Stencil and the Coffee Bean Embossing Folder. The little beans in the woven basket are fussy-cut from an embossed piece of brown cardstock and then glued in the basket.
For Rocky I wanted the coffee cup to be out further from his body so I chopped off his left arm and used another right arm. The woven basket is from Props 7 with the handle chopped off. The coffee cup is one of the charms that comes with the Hanging Charm Pull Tab set and I chopped off the hang hole from the top. I didn't use the frame that comes with the die and used it just for the mechanism to animate Rocky. Here is a side view, showing how the card works.
The heart charm also comes included with the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set. The paper is an older piece of Basic Grey paper from my stash. Learn how to assemble the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set by watching this video:
Elizabeth Craft Designs products are sold at independent craft stores throughout the world, or find the product online here:
Welcome to this month's Designer Challenge where we are taking on a theme called Pull it! I challenged the team to create a card using any of the three Pull Card dies OR the new Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set.
For my card and video I decided to make a Pop Post video. Pop Post cards are made very specifically for someone in my life and this month I chose my niece Hannah, who recently celebrated her 16th birthday. Hannah is very musical and also really loves corny puns. See how I used the Oval Pull Card to animate a musical pun in this video. The techniques in the video (embossing using a stencil, an Oval Pull Card with window/clear slider/ double reveal area) can be adapted for cards of any theme.
In the closed position the card measures 5" wide by 6" tall, so it will fit easily int an A7 (5x7) envelope and mail for a single stamp. The slider arm is cut from recycled blister packaging, making it clear and durable. The musical rest is attached to the end of the slider arm.
When the card is opened, the "Stop" flips over and out of the way, revealing the rest of the pun, which slides across the card, revealing a cupcake decoration. The musical rest also slides across the card until it's over Baker the Beaver's head.
For the greeting, I knew that Hannah would appreciate the notes for "happy birthday to you" in place of the words. I used a white gel pen and a ruler to draw the staff and then drew in the notes. The back of the card is where we will write our personal note and sign the card.
Want to give this card a try? Check with your independent craft store to see if they carry Elizabeth Craft Designs products. You also have the option to purchase online. Here are some links:
The Designer Challenge Team created wonderful inspiration for the dies that pull. If you're new to our challenges, let me mention that each of their names is a direct link to their blog post for that particular card. You'll find more photos, supply lists, even general instructions, by clicking those names.
#916 Spiral Circle Pull Card Inspiration
Kelly Booth starts us off with this adorable birthday card with a St. Patrick's day theme. She used the Pull Card Edges die to cut the flower paper (made with the Flower Stencil) to fit the card. There are so many fun details to this card.
Karen Aicken made a very fun gatefold double using the Spiral Circle Pull Card. She keeps the card closed with a belly band and decorated with her (signature) Ring Frame Edges 1 as banners, and the Cake Pop-up used flat inside the card.
Raquel Mason provides some great masculine inspiration with this Spiral Circle Pull Card featuring the Clock and Gears and Props 1 die sets. She also incorporated the new Through the Lens papers by Els van de Burgt.
#974 Rectangle Pull Card Inspiration
Fran Sabad made this gorgeous tulip Rectangle Pull Card and incorporated the lacy Paris Edges for an extra feminine touch. Her coloring on the stamped image is perfection!
Caz Counsell created a larger card for this spring-like card featuring a window cut into the Rectangle Pull Card, gorgeous colors, and plenty of butterflies. The What's Up? clear stamps create the greeting.
Raquel Mason used this month's challenge to create a fun boy birthday card for her son's friend. Using the spinner die (included with the Rectangle Pull Card) she was able to spin up a star with the birthday boy's age. Love these colors!
1109 Oval Pull Card Inspiration
Summer Hills-Painter made a gorgeous Easter card with a fun technique where she created a gatefold card. For the left panel, she created a window and through it you can view the closed Pull Card (right panel). This is a fabulous combination of folds and look for this as an upcoming tutorial by Summer.
Shelly Hickox is amazing in how she can craft a scene using fussy cut images from detailed papers, like Graphic 45. This beauty uses the slot and slider to pull across the Hot Air Balloon. The What's Up? clear stamps fit the theme perfectly.
Kelly Booth normally creates her own patterned paper with background stamps and/or stencils, but challenged herself this month to work with patterned paper. Clearly she is a natural! This fun birthday card features a gorgeous plaid paper and very fun versions of Jinks the Monkey.
Sandy Diller used the Oval Pull Card to make a birthday card with a huge balloon bouquet and Lucky the Rabbit attached to the slider arm so they move as the card opens. The interior greeting is revealed as Lucky slides across the card. So spectacular!
Caz Counsell provides some masculine inspiration with this oversized Oval Pull Card with manly colors and textures. The Trendy Tiles 1 embossing folder is used on this card as well as Happy Birthday and the decorator pieces from the Cake pop-up. Els' Through the Lens patterned cardstock works so well for masculine cards.
Fran Sabad got very clever with combining features of the Pull Cards. She used the Oval Pull Card for the structure and then added the spinner die from the Rectangle Pull Card to animate Jinks. This is such a fun card!
Frances Byrne always finds the perfect patterned papers to match her themes. This gatefold double Oval Pull Card has a nautical theme and the waves in the pattern are perfect. She added dies from Joset and Els and used the Pull Card Edges for the scallops. What a great Father's Day card!
Sandy Diller got very clever with this adaptation of the Oval Pull Card. She turned it into a vertical pull and used two slots/sliders to pull up a gaggle of Hot Air Balloons, revealing the greeting. Absolutely amazing!
1104 Hanging Charm Pull Tab Inspiration
Kelly Booth made this fun birthday card by combining the Hanging Charm Pull TAb die set with the Hot Air Balloon. I love how her greeting cloud is also animated.
Karen Aicken also used the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die to animate a solid object, making this beautiful Easter card that also includes the woven basket from Props 7. This is so pretty!
Fran Sabad chose a great combination of colors and patterns to make a Hanging Charm Pull Tab card using the included coffee cup charm. She added a heart to the cup's sleeve for a great look. I love how she created the two-part greeting with the Coffee & Tea clear stamps.
Frances Byrne finishes out the challenge with this fun Easter card featuring Lucky the Rabbit on the Hanging Charm Pull Tab. What a great idea to use a clip die to extend the pull tab for easy operation. She also used dies from Joset and Suzanne on this adorable card.
Thanks for joining us for this month's challenge and I hope you feel inspired by all these ideas to make cards that pull!
Welcome to this month's Pop it Ups Designer Challenge with a theme of: GLITTER!
For my card I did not spare any glitter! I used the new Flower stencil to create an ombre effect with three colors of pink glitter, then carefully removed the stencil from the adhesive and "grouted" the remaining adhesive with Warm Diamond glitter. I did this technique three times to get a panel for the front of the card and for the background inside the card and, as you'll see on the video, I had no trouble removing the stencil by giving it slow even pressure while simultaneously holding down the sticky parts with a backing sheet from the adhesive.
However, some of the Designer Challenge team reported mixed results when using stencils for two-tone glitter. It seemed to depend on the cardstock and/or the "open-ness" of the stencil as to whether the stencil would release from the adhesive or cling so tight that the cardstock would peel/separate as they attempted to remove the stencil. Both Fran and Frances mentioned that coating the stencil with watermark ink like Versamark before laying it down into the adhesive can help it release from the adhesive easier. I've also had great success loosening the ECD adhesive by breathing warm air onto it while carefully pulling.
The white cardstock I used in the video is Hammermill 80 lb. Color Copy Digital Cover. It's a smooth white cardstock (Amazon link below if you need it) and I had no trouble with it peeling or separating as I removed the stencil. It probably also helped that I was using the Flower Stencil, which is a tight, even pattern stencil. So my advice would be to try the Versamark trick and/or use the same cardstock/stencil that I used in the video to ensure success with this technique.
OK, with disclaimers in place, here is the video!
Here are photos of the card and the details. It's an A2-sized card, but the brad and ribbon bow on the front will make it too bulky for a single-stamp. If you plan to make a similar card and want the most economical postage, change the front design to something completely flat.
Speaking of the front design, I am a big fan of not doubling my work with pop-up cards. Let's face it, they're going to display these cards propped open. For that reason I always start by designing the interior of the card and then create some sort of "simple lead-in" for the front, carrying in the same colors/themes. For this card it was very simple - just a glittered panel with ribbons to look like it's a wrapped present, and a bow held on with a (very old, stash item) decorative brad. For the interior greeting I used the Just a Note clear stamps with the decorator dies (ovals, corner flourish) from the Oval Landscape Accordion.
The three supports at the top of the Cake Pop Up are particularly fun because the two outside ones pop-up at an angle, creating festive movement to the candles/strawberries (both included with the set) as the card is opened and closed. The cake stand is cut from a metallic silver paper.
This side view shows the construction of the cake - it's really just a series of stacked boxes. I'm looking forward to people getting creative with turning it into other things.
If you're interested in giving this card a go, check your local independent craft store to see if they carry Elizabeth Craft Designs supplies. If not, how about asking them to? It's so important to support our local stores so we continue to have local stores! However, I also recognize that there are lots of places in the world without access to a nearby independent craft store, so you will also find the supplies online and here are some links:
The Designer Challenge Team slayed the challenge this month. So much inspiration! So much sparkle! Remember that each of their names is a direct link to their blog post for that particular card. You'll find more photos, supply lists, even general instructions, by clicking those names.
Karen Aicken starts us off with this amazing Anniversary card featuring the Hanging Charm Pull Tab with two fun modifications - an extended tab for pulling and a doubled charm that expands when it hangs. She used an oversized card for space to add Rocky the Crab and the Palm Tree, both glittered to perfection. Absolutely fabulous!
Kelly Booth REALLY loves coffee, so if you're the lucky recipient of this card you know that you are truly special! Notice the cute glittered monkeys (Jinks) with their tails creating a heart! Adorable. They're hanging out in the Cup Pop Stand, decorated beautifully with the Flower Stage-it Stencil. I love this card more than coffee!
Caz Counsell made this extremely clever "changing title" card where the "Be" becomes "Beaver" as the card opens. Inside this sweet Valentine is Baker the Beaver, holding a glittered heart. Baker sports rosy cheeks and an embossed waffled tail. Adorable!
Frances Byrne made this delightful Happy Chinese New Year card celebrating the "Year of the Monkey" - a fact that I didn't realize when I was designing Jinks, but a very fortunate coincidence! The Katie Label Pivot Card (one of Frances's "go to" dies) is perfect for any theme and I love her addition of the Paris Edges, plus the different poses of the glittery monkeys.
Sandy Diller also celebrated the Year of the Monkey with this fun display piece made with the Katie Label Accordion and Katie Stars Frame Edges. She found some wooden numbers and covered them with glitter for a fabulous sparkle. She also styled Jinks as two different types of monkey. Really clever and cool!
Fran Sabad used glitter to make shimmery sand as a backdrop to a very cool Rocky the Crab, sporting the Santa glasses from Props 5 turned into shades. Open this Oval Pull Card and Rocky has lifted his shades. The sun flies into the sky attached to the Spinner from the Rectangle Pull Card set. Super adorable card!
Selma Stevenson is guest designing for this month's challenge and made this fabulous tag/card. The bottom half of the tag lifts up to reveal the pop-up greeting. How very clever! Dutch the Fox is done in glitter for the front of the tag. Love it! We hope that Selma can join us for more challenges this year and if you're not familiar with her work, be sure to click her name and bookmark her blog. Her cards are exquisite!
Raquel Mason went to the wild west with this fun glittered Cocoa the Horse card. She used the Rectangle Pull Card, Pull Card and Western Edges and decorated with the Paisley Stage it Stencil and Cocoa Western clear stamps. These are such fun colors. Yee haw!
Kelly Booth had coffee on the brain when she created this delicious homage to her favorite beverage. The Cup Pop Stand works perfectly with Joset's Cupcake die to add foam. Kelly did a beans and glitter grout technique on the inside cup and used the Paisley Stencil on the front cup. Really lovely!
Frances Byrne was also thinking java with this beauty, featuring a fun blue/brown color scheme and lots of stencil work. The Coffee Stencil creates both the beans and the flourish pattern on the rim of the saucer. Frances used the Swirly Flourish stencil on the cup and embellished with the Pull Card Edges. A gorgeous script word from Suzanne Cannon's collection finishes off this elegant card.
Caz Counsell made this romantic card featuring the Medallion stencil with glittered paste for a textured sparkly backdrop and then added the Eiffel Tower and Just a Note clear stamps. So pretty! Pop it Ups products can be used in so many ways, so don't feel limited to just interactive cards.Sandy Diller made this absolutely delightful Animal Party Block (a daytime pet Rave, she says!) using various Character and Props die sets. This is such a cute display piece and so, so creative! Makes me smile.
Summer Hills-Painter made this brilliant pop-up scene by using the Pop Stand die from the Christmas Trees set to animate her two glittered Palm Trees. A vine suspended between the trees holds up Jinks the Monkey, just hanging out! She also used the Bananas embossing folder (come on . . . you know you need it!) Flourish Gift Frame, two clear stamp sets and the Pull Card Edges. Definitely high on the list of my favorite Summer makes!
Shelly Hickox had been requesting a Pop it Ups Hot Air Balloon die set for some time and I was happy to be able to add one to the collection and especially when I see what she had in mind! This sweet Valentine is made with the Rectangle Accordion and Shelly added an expanding balloon on the first page. A Katie Label and the heart charm from the Hanging Charm Pull Tab sets create the decoration for Page 2. Shellypiece!
Karen Aicken has been rocking her new favorite die - the Hanging Charm Pull Tab. In this creation she used the HCPT as the "gate" with the fence around it, then pulls it up to reveal a hidden greeting. Virgil, Cheepers and Snowball hang out in this barnyard full of love. Great idea on the red shadow layers to really bring home the "love" feel.
Fran Sabad really thought of the details when she made this glittery goodness of an Easter-themed Fancy Accordion. The Frame Edges are glittered, along with the Easter Eggs, but also check out the paint splatters, made with candle flames and strawberry leaves from the Cake Pop Up, plus the paintbrush, made by shortening the Props 8 spatula. So many amazing details in this card.
Kelly Booth created four cards for this month's challenge! She's a huge fan of glitter and it shows in her beautiful creations. These last two feature the Hanging Charm Pull Tab and the two-tone glitter technique like in the video but using the Paisley stencil. I particularly like how she inlaid the greeting on the green/teal version and extended the pull tab, cutting it into a decorative shape with the Agatha Edges. Also a great idea to mix in butterflies from the Butterfly Accessory die set.
Well? Are you on inspiration overload? So many sparkly glittery ideas! Which will you try first?
For this month's giveaway it's a great one - Elizabeth Craft Designs is sponsoring a giveaway of all the ECD products from the video! One lucky winner will win this:
How do you enter? Simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us which Pop it Ups product is on your wish list. (ANY Pop it Ups product - not limited to the ones in the prize pack) You have until Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 5 pm CST to leave your comment. The winner will be chosen by random draw and contacted for an address by e-mail.
Today I'm posting the first in a new video series called Pop Post. I will choose someone in my life who has a milestone or occasion or just to say hello and I will make that person a customized interactive card . . . and actually mail it!
Now you may be thinking "Don't you do this all the time?" and the answer is . . . "Nope."
How sad is that?
I'm a card maker and I send very few cards! I spend a lot of time telling my students that there is so much joy in the making and sending of interactive cards, but I am not practicing what I preach. Nearly all of my cards in recent years end up being used for business - displayed in a booth, used for packaging, placed in my travel kit for display, given to a rep or retailer, used for a class, demo or make 'n take - I have even been known to write the personal greeting on cards for John on a Post-it note! (So he can view the card, feel loved, keep the Post-it, and give the card back to me for my travel kit)
I know!
It really is shameful. I'm pretty much a lousy pen pal.
So I'm turning over a new leaf and I'm inviting you along for the ride. Pop Post videos are real cards for real people, personalized, customized and MAILED!
This first video is a card for my friend Kelly Booth, who accompanied me to CHA and completely spoiled me. She was so helpful to all of us in the Elizabeth Craft Designs booth and made more than her fair share of coffee runs! Watch the video to learn more about Kelly and to learn how I made her customized card:
The concept here is that when the Spiral Circle Pull Card is closed, the spiral joins together and you see the coffee cup.
Open the card and the spiral opens up, revealing a new coffee cup inside the card, with Kelly's puppy, Sassi, perched inside. My goal for Kelly's card was to incorporate her love of Coffee, Sassi, her favorite color (Teal), and Owls. I couldn't quite figure out where an owl would work on the card, so I added Poppy the Owl to the back of the envelope, and stamped an older Texana Designs rubber stamp that reads "Owl meet you in Texas". (Kelly is coming for a visit next month - whoo hoo!)
The card mailed for a single stamp and arrived in just a couple of days. Poppy made it unscathed on the back of the envelope (lots of glue) and Kelly really appreciated the card.
I have so many ideas swirling for the cards I plan to make for the other members of my Design Team, plus friends and family - this is going to be so much fun, and I hope that you'll enjoy these Pop Post videos focused on the "real" side of card making. There's no set schedule for Pop Posts - just whenever I can fit them in.
Happy Crafting,
If you are interested in making a similar card you can shop for Elizabeth Craft Designs products at your local independent craft store (highly, highly encouraged!) but if you are sadly without a local store, here are some online shopping links:
Today I had a chance to make a card using a lot of the new Pop it Ups products. I wanted to combine new products with existing products to show how well Pop it Ups builds on itself to make a cohesive and versatile collection.
This is the Hanging Charm Pull Tab die set. I assembled it with the pull tab pulling from the front and eliminated the frame to use the "tent" to animate the Cup Pop Stand and Eiffel Tower dies instead. The HCPT die has a lot of variations, making it a great all-purpose interactive die.
To create the texture on the cup I sponged watermark ink through the Swirly Flourish Stencil and then embossed with light blue embossing powder. I lined up the stencil over the pattern again and then placed the Flower Stencil over the top and sponged dark brown ink through the flowers and onto the flourishes. I embossed with a shimmer embossing powder. The blue-green ink was applied with a brayer and the white detailing with a paint pen. For the Eiffel Tower I cut a piece of cardstock and added Double Sided Adhesive so it was sticky on top. I die cut a bunch of brown coffee beans and placed them into the adhesive, then dumped Chocolate glitter over the piece to "grout" the beans. Finally I cut the Eiffel Tower through the piece and embellished with glitter lines.
When I cut the card base piece of the Hanging Charm Pull Tab I stopped the cutting pad short so I could extend the length and cut it with the Paris Edges instead. I embossed the spoon in silver powder.
I stapled the cord to the end of the pull tab to make it easy to pull. The spoon covers the staples. Since the tab now pulls to the front I was able to use it for the greeting, which is made by stamping the "Bonjour" from the Just a Note clear stamp set and the "Coffee" from the Coffee & Tea set. The steam is cut from vellum.
Since my animated items were relatively heavy, I wanted to make sure the "tent" part of the die was strong enough, so I added a piece of cardstock to the back of the tent to reinforce it and then tied a decorative piece of twine around the tent back and tied it in a knot. Underneath the HCPT is a layer of brown cardstock embossed (and debossed) with the Coffee Beans folder. I also cut the heart charm from the brown cardstock in the area that is "revealed" when the tab is pulled and inlaid a charm cut from the stencil patterned cardstock.
Here's a video tutorial on the Hanging Charm Pull Tab showing a different type of assembly - rear pull with hanging charm.
Thanks for stopping by today and if you missed this week's Designer Challenge definitely check it out, where you will find great examples of these new dies by the team.
Happy Crafting!
Elizabeth Craft Designs products are sold in independent craft stores worldwide. If you are sadly without a local store, here are some online shopping links for the ECD items I used on the Bonjour Coffee card.
