You're the Best Dad: Father's Day Card in "Jackson"'s Lovely Colors

This may come as a shock, but for all of the cards that I make and send, I am notoriously bad for being on time with my wishes. 

I usually can't blame it on the fact that my card is undone; it's usually just sitting on my desk, looking for an envelope, getting the postage right, and, and, and -- ohhhh, every excuse in the book.

The lovely Mother's Day card I posted last month?  Yup, I had to send it Express Mail ($19.99 -- you'd think that would teach me!) so Mom would get it on time.  I STILL haven't even made my Dad's birthday (May 28) card and that's inexcusable. BUT I did make AND he has already received* his Father's Day card, so let me show it to you today....

For this extra-special card, I used the tri-fold shutter card style -- ironically, the same style I used to make my Mom's Mother's Day card.  (I didn't think of that until I went to post the picture, incidentally.)

For this card, I used the "Jackson" Paper Pack that is featured in Close To My Heart's Seasonal Expressions 2 catalog. I also used some retired CTMH stash I've been hoarding, including the cork adhesive elements and burlap ribbon. 

I also cut up one of CTMH's mini burlap drawstring bags (pictured at right). I know you're saying "huh?" as you read that. See the burlap patch behind the deer and trees?  That was once a burlap bag. And I used the drawstrings to tie the bows as the right -- waste not, want not, right?  

These adorable mini burlap bags are very versatile even as bags. BUT if you want to get yourself some, you only have until August 31, 2015 to snap some up, as they are on the RETIRING list for CTMH.  Also retiring is the Jackson Picture My Life Scrapbooking Program (a-la carte cards) that I used for the "Dream Big" symbol -- see it at left, in the top row, center? Place your order at cardmonkey.ctmh.com now for the best chance to get the last of what is available, before the new Annual Inspirations catalog is introduced in September 2015!

Lastly, I used my Silhouette Cameo 2 and purchases from their Online Store for the evergreen trees, the deer, the front sentiment, and to cut the words for the closing sentiment.  

(*P.S. -- The only reason Dad got his Father's Day card EARLY was that I was mailing Mom her June 9 birthday card late -- yup, the one I posted to the blog yesterday. I am notorious, I tell you. How I hope to start thinking ahead!)

Painted Butterflies for Mom

Good morning, CardMonkey friends and followers.

First, let me apologize for my inactivity on my blog. It seems I have gotten wrapped up in the work of creating and the joys of sending -- along with babysitting and caring for family -- that I've neglected my dear friends here.  Forgive me?

Just after my last post (in May, egads), hubby and I traveled to Florida to visit my parents.

It is so wonderful to see them aging in place, as well as can be at 85 and 87. This spring, Dad completed a 9-week course of daily radiation to treat aggressive Prostate Cancer, which thankfully was fully encapsulated within the prostate and hadn't metastasized at all.  Mom has neck/back disc compression issues that have left her feeling a bit dizzy and imbalanced, so she has been taking physical therapy. Neither Mom nor Dad had been in their gorgeous pool in 2015, "life got in the way."  I'm glad to say our visit was good, and John and I got my parents in the pool every day of our extended weekend.

Mom's birthday was not long after our visit, and I knew that I wanted to break out some new techniques to make her a card she'd love. (Who am I fooling? She loves anything we kids make for her, always has!)

Here is Mom's card:

 

To make this card, I used the pretty stamp set from Altenew called Painted Butterfly. This is a multi-layer stamp set where you can use any/all layers to create lovely artistic butterflies.  Look here:

 

First I stamped the outlines of the butterfly (highlighted here with light blue circles), stamping them in Versamark watermarking glue/ink and sprinkling them with Ranger fine black embossing powder, available from Close To My Heart. I stamped the images onto watercolor paper from Canson.  I then heat-set the powder with a craft heater. This stabilizes the impression and makes it able to accept water or alcohol inks without smearing. 

 

I then took the first layer stamp (highlighted here in pink), laid it on my acrylic block and literally painted the stamp with watercolor paints onto the stamp, and stamped the paint atop of the embossed outlines.  Where needed, I filled in the color by pushing the paint with a water pen. When the image was dry, I cut the image into a card-sized rectangle, using a Lil' Inker Dual Stitched Rectangle die.

 

I created the inside of the card using the same method, and stamped both the front and inside of the card with a birthday sentiment from the "Card Chatter - Birthday" collection from Close To My Heart.  I added a few sparkle gems from CTMH, mounted the images on a vertical A2 card I created from Gypsy-colored cardstock from CTMH, and voila, happy birthday, Mom!

 

 



Tuesday's Tools: The FUSE by We R Memory Keepers

Yesterday, I showed Blog Followers the card that I made for my niece, Dani, in celebration of her graduation on Saturday from Penn State.  It was this card, which features a shaker full of sequins, stars and a graduation cap:

Today, I'd like to show you how to make any size "shaker" for your cards or scrapbook layouts, using a relatively new tool called the "Fuse" from We R Memory Keepers (WRMK) 

The principle of the Fuse is simple: take a good quality page protector like that sold by Close To My Heart (#4110, $9.95 for 10) or the Photo Sleeves sold separately by WRMK, insert the art you want to enclose along with whatever you want to include -- mementos, sequins, confetti, etc. -- and seal the items within the space by using the "Fuse."

I purchased my WRMK Fuse from Simon Says Stamp ($29.99).

The Fuse is similar to a heating device like an electric-operating wood burning tool. The tool comes with two nibs: one to cut the plastic, and the other a rolling serrated nip that heats and melts the top and bottom surfaces together.

To use the Fuse, first create your artwork, and pick the items you want to play on top of your art when fused together.  Take a quality page protector (thick enough to weld) like that sold by Close To My Heart (#4110, $9.95 for ten 12x12" sheets); trim it to size -- about a half inch around your art. Scraps are fine! 

Insert your artwork and sequins as you want in between the top and bottom layers of your page protector piece.  Then, put the piece atop an all-purpose, heat-resistant craft mat, to protect your work surface. I got mine from Close To My Heart (Z2045, $19.95). Plug in your FUSE and allow it to warm up for about 10 minutes.

Roll the warm serrated tool slowly, close to edge of the art you're looking to seal.  Once it is done and has sealed the entire perimeter of  your project, trim the scrap of page protector away from the serrated edge.  This (above) was my first try and I wasn't exactly perfect -- it didn't matter, because remember, it's being inserted into my card and sealed with tape or glue between the top navy blue edge and the bottom card surface. 

I can think of many different uses for the FUSE, including bookmarks and Christmas decorations. You can use it to contain an object onto a scrapbook page, to create additional photo pockets, and more.  How have you used YOUR Fuse?

Graduation Congratulations to My Niece, Dani

On Saturday, another one of my beautiful nieces graduated from college. Dani Hume, daughter of my sister Mary Beth and her hubby Anthony, graduated with a communications degree from Penn State University.

Dani, at left here, is the second of the three children of MB and Anthony to graduate from Penn State; her brother Anthony graduated PSU last year, and her sister Nicole will be a junior shortly. And yes, when the Humes say "We Are Penn State," they really mean it -- MB and Anthony also are PSU alums.

While at Penn State, Danielle had a Sports Production Internship with WPSU-TV, and enjoyed on-field work during the PSU home football games.

She also was supportive of her parents in their running endeavors, especially earlier in May when her Mom ran her first full marathon. Check out Dani's picture here -- that's her behind the sign at the left.

Congratulations, Dani!  For you, I have made this graduation card. 

Blog Readers, come back tomorrow (Tuesday's Tools) to learn more about how to make your own shaker card using the new FUSE by We R Memory Keepers.  

Hot New Technique: Bokeh Background

One of the hottest new techniques for cardmaking is called "Bokeh".  A Bokeh background adds interest to what might otherwise be a plain cardstock behind a stamped image.

Here is one card I made using this technique:

If you'd like to try this technique yourself, I've developed this tutorial in photo images:

Here are some supplies you'll need: watercolor paper, painter's tape, acetate circle stencils that you cut yourself, any kind of watercolor paints, and any kind of paint brushes.

Pigment ink dries fairly quickly. Again, if you'd like to rush it along, blow some warm air over the ink using a craft heater.  Once the white Bokeh circles are dry, stamp your images on top of the circles. Mat your watercolor paper on top of layer(s) of cardstock and embellish the art as you choose. 

Here, I used a retired Close To My Heart stamp set called "Quick Cards - Bumble Bee" (A1135), along with adhesive gems from CTMH and ribbon from May Arts.

 

 

Mother's Day Card with a "Taste of Summer"

Spring has finally sprung here in Southeastern Pennsylvania after what seemed to be the endless winter. Trees are in bud and blossom, and yes, the daffodils and crocuses have popped. The azaleas will be in full bloom right in time for Mother's Day.  And then we know spring is over and summer is right around the corner.

This year, a few days after the Sunday holiday, I am thrilled to be visiting my Mom and Dad in Naples, Florida.  Life and 1200 miles between us have made the interim between physical visits far too long.  I'll mail this card I've made for Mom so it arrives on time:

The style of this card is called a "Tri-Fold Shutter Card". Its intricate cut/fold makes it a bit more interesting and fun to display.  I used Close To My Heart's new line of "Taste of Summer" paper that will be available May 1-31, in honor of National Scrapbooking Month.  I used my Silhouette Cameo (with files from the Silhouette Online Store) to cut the bee and both sentiments; I had the daisies made and in my stash.  The bee pops up on an action spring also from CTMH. 

If you too would like your Taste of Summer papers (shown above, in the lower right of the picture) and its complementing stamp set (also pictured), please don't hesitate to contact me at cardmonkey@comcast.net.  Pre-orders are being accepted, so contact me today.

Birthday - Cute Koala card

Recently, I had the fun of teaching marker techniques, using the professional Touch Twin art markers made by ShinHan and distributed by Close To My Heart.

These are fantastic markers that have been designed for the vibrancy and consistency of their colors. Frankly, because of that intent -- and ShinHan's primary market in Anime art -- these markers don't blend as well as Copic markers, in my opinion, and require a different technique than I learned in Copic Certification classes.

I'd love to teach these techniques to you! Can we schedule a workshop?

I colored this cute koala in the class, and recently turned it into a card:

 

Supplies used: Close To My Heart's "Cute Koalas" stamp set (D1642, $17.95), Memento Tuxedo Black stamp ink, ShinHan Touch Twin markers, leaves cut from a Silhouette Online store and applied with Bonding Memories (CTMH) glue; mounted on Black and Glacier cardstocks. Sentiment stamp by CTMH.