Despicable Me Birthday Card

Time to make a card for our sons 12th Birthday. I was struggling with an idea initially as I always steer towards football themed cards, until we went to see Despicable Me 2 at the cinema.

Using my Cricut Gypsy device and selecting basic shapes of circles and rectangles, I welded circles and rectangles together to create the main body shape.  The arms were basically narrow rectangles welded at the elbow joint and welded to the main body shape, a narrow slit was cut for the mouth area. This main part was cut from yellow card stock.

Small white pieces of card were cut to create the teeth (bit fiddly) , black card was placed behind these to complete the main body part.

The gloves were taken from Cricut Paperdoll Cartridge and cut out in black card stock, these were fixed using double sided tape.

The dungarees and feet  were created using the same size circle and a rectangle welded to the top part to create a bib effect, small additional rectangles were attached at the top to create straps, the feet were taken from Cricut Paperdolls cartridge and welded to the circle, this was cut out of blue card stock.

The eye and goggles sections were again circles, small black circles cut from black card for the pupils , larger white circles for the main eyes. The grey goggles were two slight bigger circles welded together and rectangles at the side to create the arms of the goggles.

The small black dots on the Minion's head were punched out from my eyeletter and glued into position.

A personalised message was printed and fixed to brown card stock and a handle attached for the Minion to hold.

The embossed backing card in white was embossed using the Sizzix Big Shot machine using Happy Birthday embossing plate, this was matted onto blue card stock.

A Yellow border of card was added to a white 6" x 6" card and yellow ribbon attached across the joins, this backing section was attached to the main base card. The embossed section was attached and the Minion fixed using double sided tape. the message board was fixed using 1mm 3d foam to make it lift slightly from the card.

Lets hope he likes his card and has a fab day.

Sewing cards for the Twins

A request this month for twins who turn 65 - the theme of the cards being sewing.

Using Sizzix BigZ Tim Holtz Sewing die I cut the manikin shape out from brown, pink and blue card. The pink and blue cuts were trimmed down and fixed to the brown bases using double sided tape.

Thread holders were cut using Dienamics Sewing set and each thread holder was covered with embroidery silks.

The backing papers were created using stamps from Joanna sheen Haberdashery stamp set , bobbin and buttons were stamped randomly onto plain white card stock. These were then coloured in using Promarker pens. Each coloured backing card was matted onto two colours of card stock, pink and brown & blue and red.

Organsa ribbon was fixed and tied at the waist of each manikin.

Two personalised messages were printed onto white card and matted onto coloured card stock.

The pink version was matted onto a decorative rectangle cream card, cut form a Spellbinders romantic rectangle die.

The blue version was matted onto a cream coloured oval shape. the oval and scalloped oval were cut using the Cricut Create machine and the shapes were created using the Cricut Gypsy device.

Lets hope Maggie and Ann had a great Birthday.

A Card for a Prince

Time to make a card for William and Kate, following the safe arrival of baby George.

Using Lili of the Valley stamp - Snuggle time, I stamped the image using black ink onto white card stock. The image was coloured in using Promarker pens and then matted onto blue card stock.

Two contrasting backing papers were cut and joined, blue Ric Rak ribbon was fixed across the join. This was matted on to blue card and fixed to the 6" x 6" base card.

A personalised message was printed once the name was announced and matted onto blue card. Two little feet silver charms were attached to the name topper using organsa ribbon. Both main image and message topper were fixed to the card using 1mm 3d foam pads.

Lets hope the card reaches Will & Kate and that they are enjoying having George home with them at last.

Cards for the Teacher's

It's that time of year again when the schools break up and the boys are at home for 6 weeks.

 

Time to make cards for the teachers as the boys move on.

 

Using Joanna Sheen House Mouse Triple CD collection I found the ideal image and backing paper to suit leaving cards for teachers.

 

I printed 3 sets of backing papers off and 3 of the decoupage mouse images. I cut the individual pieces out and layered up the main card image. Each image was matted onto card stock (green chosen for the male teacher and purple for the ladies), I then added a further matt of black card. The backing paper was cut and matted to match the image and fixed to a 5" x 7" card.

 

A personalised message was printed and matted to match me the main images and both were fixed to the card using 1mm 3d foam pads.

 

Coordinating pencils were cut using a sizzix sizzlet die, each pencil shape was cut repeatedly for the individual parts and cut and glued together, these again were fixed to the card using 1mm 3d foam pads so they are slightly raised.

 

Also on the CD's are some Bookmark templates that can be personalised with a message and printed, three of these were printed and matted on to card, all with individual messages to the respective teacher. A hole was punched at the top and a black eyelet fixed and black ribbon added to finish. These bookmarks were attached to the card on the back by a pocket created from clear vellum, so they could slide in and out.

Finally the Bookmarks were cut again and using Sizzix Framelits 'Chalk Talk' from the Stampin up range. three matching tags were created to attach to the chocolates that were given to the teachers.

India Hat creation

Ok so the school are celebrating an Around the World theme day on the last day of term.

My youngest sons years were given Asia , and instructions to make a hat for one of the Countries.

Our original idea was to create a hat with all the countries flags that are in Asia but the homework instructions indicated to pick one country, India was my sons choice.

He wanted me to create it on my Cricut machine as he likes to hit the cut button, so the hat was decided.

We created a hat, a tube of card, and created the India flag, I must say Japan would have been an easier choice!. The strips were easy to create but the image on the White section was not so easy. I cut a blue circle and then a flower from a Marianna die and cut slits from the centre out, a further small blue circle was added to the middle.

We then used the Cricut machine to cut wording out - currency details, capital, language and river.

The flag colours continued around the hat and on the back were details of what India is famous for - so an informative hat.

 

 

Happy Anniversary

An Anniversary card for my Brother and sister in law.

Using rubber stamp from Lili of the Valley - Close you eyes. I stamped the image using black ink onto smooth white card stock.

The image was coloured in using Promarker pens and was then matted onto red card stock.

Using patterned paper from Lili of the Valley - Country Lady , I cut and joined two pieces together and fixed a strip of ribbon across the join, this section was then matted onto brown card and fixed to 6 x 6 inch square card base.

A personalised message was printed and matted onto red card, this and the main coloured image were fixed using 1mm 3d foam pads.

Four decorative photo corners were cut and fixed to finish each corner. Three flowers were punched from both red and brown card and joined by a white brad. 

A Special Ladies 60th Birthday

Last minute card for a lady who turns 60 this month.

I cut the birthday hat image out using a sizzix sizzlets die and cut from two coloured card stock - was a bit fiddle but switched the cut section to create two hats - one pink with brown inserts and one brown with pink inserts. 

The muffin cake was cut out using Sizzix Original die - Cupcake & ice cream - the icing part of the cupcake was edged using the colour 'London Fog' Momento ink pad.

Using Peachy Keen face stamps I added a cheerful face to  the cake and stamped the mouth piece again onto red card stock, the mouth was cut out and glued into place on the main image.

The cake and hat were fixed together and mounted onto white card stock. This was then matted onto corresponding coloured card. 

Using 'Stampin Up' backing paper of dots and striped card the base of the card was covered, a decorative border was cut from white card stock and fixed at the lower part of the card. Contrasting ribbon was fixed across the top of the decorative strip to cover join.

A message was printed and fixed to the base of each card. Lets hope Shirley had a great Birthday.

Christmas Cracker Time

OK so its July....

Its always been my aim to have a go at making my own Christmas Crackers so I could both personalise the design and the gifts inside.

Adapting a template for a hexagonal cracker, I created my square cracker from an a4 sheet of card.

Using Centura Pearl white card, I scored down the short side of the card at 2", 3" and 4" from the end. I rotated the card and repeated from the other side.

Turning the card lengthwise I scored down at 5cm intervals this leaving a small section at the end for gluing.

At each end there is now 2 sets of 3 score lines, fold the card down the middle score line. Using scissors I cut v shapes along the fold line. Each point of the v's need to finish at the cross created by the score lines, a 1cm gap should be left between each V on the fold line, this was repeated at the other end, when you open it back up you should have diamond shapes cut out.

I run a bone folder over all score lines before making the cracker up. The tab was fixed under the first side using strong double sided tape.

Using two 6cm strips of ribbon , these were tied at each end to seal the cracker.

I  created a couple of sample crackers , this one I intend to personalise in the panel with the recipients name or a seasonal Christmas Wish. Both crackers were edged with a ribbon strip cut using Tonic studio punch 'Celtic Strip' using black card.

 

This one was decorated with a die cut Merry Christmas wording and two glitter cut die snowflakes.

This smaller cracker was created from a new die from Tonic Studios 'Christmas cracker and sentiments', although a smaller cracker size this would be ideal for the children or a special piece of jewellery.