Just For Fun

Pattern by Lori Whitlock (penny slider card)
Paper by Recollections (Everyday Moments)

My first project with this cutting file by Lori Whitlock is pretty cool. Two pennies are adhered to each other with a piece of circular two-sided foam tape. The pennies are inserted into the cutout on the rectangular piece of paper so that the circular foam rests on the edge of the paper with a penny on each side.

I purchased this pattern from the Silhouette online store. Lori Whitlock provides the paper backing shape (navy), the rectangular shape with cutout, and the circle in the card file.

As you tilt the card from side to side,
the pennies roll along the edge of the paper and the circle spins.

Shimmer Flowers

Cutting file "12 posies" by Kolette Hall via Silhouette's online  store

Last weekend I created a card set to accompany one of the boxes I made. I had used Recollections' "Everyday Moments" paper pack (from Michaels) for the box, so I used paper from the same pack along with basic white card stock from Staples for the cards. 

I created the embellishments using a cut file I purchased from Silhouette's online store. The file is called "12 posies", and it was created by Kolette Hall.

 

Embossing done with Cuttlebug's Paper Lace 2 folder

What I really wanted to use to add texture to this card was a damask pattern, but it turns out I do not have such a folder! In the end, I wound up using  Cuttlebug's Paper Lace 2 embossing folder. 

The shimmer is not easy to capture with a camera, but I think you can see it on the photo at the bottom of the page. I used Ranger's Perfect   Pearls mist in Pearl to give this set a shimmery effect.

Shimmer - Ranger's Perfect Pearls Mist (Pearl)

3D

I have had a bit of a crafting drought, so this weekend I just couldn't stop. The four-drawer box seen below is a design that was created by Snapdragon Snippets for Silhouette. I purchased the design from the Silhouette online store, but I didn't like the end result completely. The design comes with four drawers and a frame. The frame is cut from four separate pieces which are glued together to create the frame. It looked messy to me that way, so I used my Studio design program to create a pattern for an outer shell. I cut the pattern out with my Cameo and glued it on to the outside of the frame.

Snapdragon Snippets design with my added outer shell

The paper I used comes from Recollections 'Everyday Moments' paper pad (Michaels). I distressed the fronts of the drawers with Perfect Pearls Mists (Sunflower Sparkle) to add a a bit of interest. You can't see it in the photo, but there is also an adorable yellow polka-dot pattern on the inside.

Perfect Pearls Sunflower Sparkle - so pretty!

This little box is the perfect size to house my Color Box Chalk inkpads, Sketch pens (for my Cameo), and Perfect Pearls powders (Ranger).

My second project was much simpler to create, and I have already made several. The original pattern is a Lori Whitlock design which I purchased from the Silhouette online store. The box was too small for anything useful, so I had redesigned the pattern to fit an A2 card. I found that design to be a little too bulky. I had to cut the pattern using two 12x12 sheets, and in the end the box held just a few too many cards.

Last week I redesigned the pattern once again so it can now be cut from one 12x12 sheet. Here is my end result:

Clean and simple - Uses only one 12x12 sheet

I'm Back!

Sketched Flowers - 2

Sketched Flowers - 1

It has been quite a while since I was last here. In the past month my family and I had all our possessions packed (due to the flood), and we moved to a new place. I am almost finished unpacking and organizing us into our new space. I have to say that while unable to make cards I was definitely having creative withdrawal!

Sketched Flowers - 3

As soon as my office was unpacked I set to work designing this new set. My Sketched Flowers set is not only my first set in my new space, but it is also my first attempt at using a sketch pen with the Cameo. I have to say, I am quite in love with the sketch function! Watch for more creations using sketch.

Sketched Flowers - 4

Sketched Flowers - 5

Sketched Flowers - 6

Sketched Flowers - 7

Sketched Flowers - 8

Cherished Memories Card Set

Well, I was all set to upload these pictures this morning, then disaster struck. We had water pouring from upstairs, and the entire floor was soaked. The mess is mostly cleaned up (for now), and I have the ever so pleasant (not) drone of high-powered fans as background music.

Pre-disaster I was hard at work designing some beautiful eye candy. I designed the cut images from this set of cards with my Studio software based on images from the paper I used to create the Cherished Memories box a while ago. It took a while to design the images, but I am happy with the results. And I now have these beautiful files on hand for future use.

Products used: Card-stock in assorted colours from Michaels. Perfect Pearls Mists (forever red), Distress Stain (vintage photo and antiqued bronze), Cuttlebug's Paisley and Swiss Dots embossing folders, and Color Box Fluid Chalk Inkpad (charcoal).

Cherish

Sweet Nothings

Love Birds

Fond Memories

Memorable

Love

Well-worn

Cherished Memories Box

Notice how all of the images on the cards coordinate with the printed paper. Now, I know I said this box would easily fit 12 cards and envelopes, but apparently it appears to fit eight comfortably.

Diffusers in Detail

Just for you, Judith... Here they are in more detail! The following examples show just a tiny sample of the possibilities with homemade diffusers. You could use your Cameo to cut any shape out of the chipboard in order to create custom diffusing folders (e.g. heart(s), star(s), polka dots etc.).

Small Oval - Full Folder

Small Oval - Cutout can be placed anywhere on page

Large Oval - Full Folder

Large Oval - Cutout can be placed anywhere on page

Rectangle - Full Folder

Rectangle - Cutout can be placed anywhere on page

Half Page - Could emboss top or bottom

I used Cuttlebug's Paper Lace 2 folder to emboss these samples. I sponged the surface with Ranger's Distress Ink in iced spruce (Tim Holtz) in order to make the embossed surface stand out. 

Cherished Memories Card Box

Last night I played with some beautiful paper from the Love Letters (Recollections signature - from Michaels) paper pack. I created a beautiful card box that I now need to fill with cards. I purchased the original pattern for the box from Silhouette's online store, but I found the box size awkward. Titled "String tie bracket flap belly band box", it was created by Lori Whitlock as a single file to be cut from one sheet of paper. I found this size too small to do anything with, so I edited the design and came up with a pattern of my own that will easily fit 4.25" x 5.5" cards and envelopes.

Pattern for Card Box (fits 4.25" x 5.5" cards)

When cut to the specifications indicated on the diagram, this box will perfectly fit a set of 12 cards and envelopes. I used patterned paper to create this box, but I had to be careful of paper placement so that I did not wind up with an upside-down image on the front bracketed flap. Next time  I think I will add digital images to this file to create my own print and cut file.

The small rectangle to the right is a separate cutting file for the box front. It is exactly the same size as the box back, and enables you to have better control over the pattern direction.

Careful placement of patterned paper to avoid upside-down images

I applied circular Velcro closure stickers to the inside flap of the bracket and front of the box. In order to easily line up your placement, stick Velcro circles to each other before applying the sticker to your box. Place on desired area inside flap of box, then simply close the flap to stick the other Velcro sticker to the box. Viola! Perfect placement.

Cherished Memories Card Set Gift Box

Glitter, Grunge & So Much More

Rosette pattern from Silhouette online store

Confession... I spent the better part of today designing one card. In the end it turned out beautifully! I am loving all the glimmery mists and distress stains I have.

I began by carefully choosing several different digital images and combining them to form a collage. I printed and cut the tags on brown cardstock via the print-and-cut function on Silhouette's Studio software. After the images were cut, I sprayed the cardstock with a gold-toned fine mist (Perfect Pearls - don't know the name of the colour; it came in a two-pack from Michaels). When dry, I applied a reinforcer and darkened the edges of the tag.

Notice the discreet glimmer - beautiful!

After I embossed the dark teal paper with my Cuttlebug, I sprayed the tag with a silvery mist (my other Perfect Pearls - again, I cannot find the colour on the bottle). When the tag was dry I applied a reinforcer and dirtied the edges and raised surfaces.

The paper for the two patterned tags came from a K&Company paper pack from Michaels. I simply cut both tags (using my Cameo), applied reinforcers, and dirtied the edges. Blackened look throughout card comes from Color Box's charcoal fluid chalk inkpad.

After embossing my card front, I  carefully placed all items on card surface (music note design also comes from the Silhouette online store).

Here is the fruit of my labour.

Happy Easter!

Images: Stampin Up "Everybunny"
Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz "Chicken Wire"

All the windows are open, and the sun is pouring in. What a beautiful sunny Easter! I can definitely feel summer in the air.
:)

My design space is freshly organized, so I had a lot of fun creating today. I decided to play with some Easter images I recently acquired. The more I use the Studio design software and Silhouette Cameo the more I love them. I had so much fun creating these Easter cards!

Print-and-cut take two: I created both cards using the same digital images. The image for the first card is set against a warm yellow backing. I added texture with the Chicken Wire embossing folder by Tim Holtz (Sizzix Alterations).

Images: Stampin Up "Everybunny"
Embossing Folder: Tim Holtz "Chicken Wire"

The second card is a little busier...

I stained the card with Tim Holtz's "peeled paint" Distress Stain. I used the same embossing folder for texture (Sizzix Alterations "Chicken Wire" by Tim Holtz), but for this card I added some colour to the texture. Digital image is set against the same warm yellow.

I love how perfectly the digital images cut out with this program. Beautiful!

A Note of Thanks

This is my first ever print-and-cut project. I created a digital print image with a cut shape surrounding it using my Studio design program. The Studio program sends the file to the printer first, where it prints the image as well as three registration marks. When the image completed printing, I placed the page on my mat.

Square (top right) and upside-down L (top left)
are two of the registration marks. The third is
out of sight on the bottom left-hand side of the page.

Aligned and ready to begin cutting

The Silhouette Cameo reads the registration marks on my page, and lines up the cut file from the Studio program with the printed image on the page. I followed the same process in order to create a second image for the card front. In the end I wound up with a beautiful Thank-you card with perfectly aligned print-and-cut images.

Thanks!

Tea Time

Two for tea and tea for two...

In my opinion, there is nothing better than sharing a cup of tea with a close friend. For some reason, tea always tastes better when it's sipped from a pretty teacup, and fine china always makes me think of family.

I designed this pop-up card with my Studio design program using a teacup cutting file I had on hand; I cut the file with my most-loved Silhouette Cameo.This design and colour combination was inspired by my favourite black tea with cream (and yes, I said cream, not milk).

For Grandma and Taunte Marie

Slider Card

Mostly closed - Slider piece is mostly hidden

Okay, so I was watching this tutorial today, and I got inspired to create my own template. Apparently I just can't stop today! It took a few tries to get the measurements exactly right, but I finally got it to work.

Completely open - Slider piece is mostly visible

Use your screen capture tool to save the images (seen below) to your computer. Once you have the images saved, use your design program of choice to convert the images into usable files.

If you follow the measurement guides shown on the pictures you should be able to cut both files from one sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock. Your completed card will be just a hair smaller than the standard A2 (4.25" x 5.5") card, and it will fit in any standard envelope.

Slider Card - 1 of 2

Slider Card - 2 of 2

You will find assembly instructions in the following You Tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBowliF0IX4 . Enjoy!

Who's Ready for an Adventure?!

Tardis Card

Hop aboard the Tardis, and hang on for dear life! This entry is for all my marvellous geek friends and family. Without you my life would be rather dull.

I designed this card entirely from scratch. Each colour is its own layer, and is cut out separately. The only layer I could not cut out is the sign on the door (the letters were too small and tore), so I configured a print-and-cut file for the sign. The card is merely six inches tall, and it was more than a little complicated to assemble! The next time I cut this file I will make a larger card, for sure.

I have uploaded all the individual files as .png files below. Please feel free to recreate this card!

Card Front - 1 of 9

Frame - 3 of 9

Card Template - 2 of 9

Sign (print and cut edge) - 4 of 9

Grill for Light - 6 of 9

Light - 5 of 9

Windows - 9 of 9

Police Box Sign Backing - 7 of 9

Police Box Sign - 8 of 9