Word Tags

I'm liking the pocket-card theme, so here's one that I did for Innovative Stamp Creations earlier this year.

Card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

I had a sheet of rubber from ISC that was all words (Scrapbook Layout sheet, I think), and I wanted to see what I could come up with using just these with no images.

I started with a scrap of bkgd cs I had made using the Watercolor Distress technique (see yesterday's post for quick description). I believe the Distress ink colors I used were Frayed Burlap and Worn Lipstick. I edged the panel with a sponge and the Burlap ink.

The tags are tucked into a premade library style pocket, but these are easily made with a little cutting, folding and corner-rounding. I edged this with a little ink, stamped it as shown, and added a wide Stampin' Up! ribbon. I tied a piece of white twine around this and added a tag by cutting a slit in the reinforcement part.

For the tags, I think I used regular size tags from an office supply store, and cut them down to get them narrower and retrimmed the corners.

*tip*

To get even corners no matter what the angle, trim one corner off, take the discarded piece, lay it on the other corner matching the edges up, draw a pencil line and cut.

I stamped each side of the tags with a word (soulmate, simplicity, etc.), and a postmark or cancellation mark (both also on the words sheet), then edged each tag with ink. I chose some coordinating ribbons and tied them on in various ways for interest. I believe I used Distress Peeled Paint in addition to the other colors mentioned.

*tip*

To get nice v-shaped points on your ribbon ends, just fold ribbon in half and use a nice sharp scissor (like for quilting - Fiskars and Tonic are my choices) and cut on the diagonal.

I adhered everything as shown and that's it - a fun, interactive card for the recipient to play with ;o).

Thanks for looking!

Happy New Year!

How's the resolutions list coming along? LOL I actually made a workable one this year which is odd for me - I usually don't even bother making one! But recently I've just felt like I needed to regroup a little bit. Best of luck with yours this year!

Here's a specialty fold card going out to my brother and his wife and family tomorrow to thank them for hosting Christmas this year. They did such an awesome job - their home is beautiful and comfy, they have lots of bathrooms for the morning rush LOL and the food was outstanding as always. It was a pleasure to be there, even counting the long drive to and from in less then ideal weather and road conditions. The older I get the more I appreciate all getting together and catching up. My brother's so talented in wood-working - he put such a fabulous 6-light votive stand he made in my "stocking" that I would have been happy to have just that! I'll try to remember to ask him if it's okay to post a photo of it here for you....

I got the layout idea for this card browsing what I think was a Papercrafts magazine at Joann's a few days ago. You may need to click on the photos below for more detail:

For this card I just cut a piece of dark kraft cs in half the long way, then rounded the corners with a Stampin' Up corner punch. I used the Scor-Pal (see yesterday's post) to score in half, then at the 1 1/2" line on one end.

I then cut a white panel to fit under this flap, and stamped it with flourishes by Stampin' Up! (Finest Flourishes set) in Versafine black and SU Cranberry Crisp from last year's In Colors. I adhered the white panel to the kraft card front, and then added punched and layered circles as shown with eyelets before adhering the kraft flap down to the cardfront. I tucked a little embroidery floss under one eyelet and wound it around as shown, tucking the end under a circle.

*tip*

If you don't have the color eyelets or brads you need for your project (I couldn't believe I didn't have any black!) just use a permanant ink to color them. Here I had silver eyelets and used a Slick Writer in black. You could also try alcohol inks, Sharpies, embossing ink and powder or nail polish.

I cut a red rectangle from textured cs and rounded the corners, then did the same with a white piece. I stamped thank you (SU Sincere Salutations set) in the black ink, and the swirl in the Cranberry. I adhered these as shown over the flap.

For the pull out tag panel, I cut a white panel narrow enough to clear the double-stick tape holding the kraft card together along the sides. I stamped a swirl on the bottom in black in, then punched a few coordinating circles for the tab. The red is a half circle glued down, and there are two kraft cs circles back to back with a looped ribbon and the brad prongs tucked between.

*tip*

When mailing a card like this where there are some embellishments that stick up a bit, either put a scrap piece of cs the same size as your card over them in the envelope, or apply clear packing tape to the outside of the envelope where they rest to avoid tearing while going thru the mail system.

Thanks for looking!

Christmas Pocket Card

Here's a great card for this time of year. It has a handy pocket inside that can hold a giftcard, a matching note, a newsletter (a page or under, please! LOL), a plane ticket to bring a loved one home. You can vary the size and it uses just one sheet of standard cs. (You could use a sheet of 12" x 12" cs for a larger card, but I didn't figure out any measurements for that.) And it can be decorated any way you want, even using patterned paper for a quick and easy card.

I made mine 3 3/4" x 6 when closed, but you can adjust the width shorter, or up to 8 1/2" which is the width of the cs. A business size envelope will hold a card up to 4" x 9" for standard mailing rates, but keep in mind how many thicknesses of cs this is folded, and that if you add things it might get to over an once and you will have to add more postage. I weighed this card with a gift card and envelope and it comes to 0.8 ounces.

Front view with flap that opens up

Front flap lifted up

Inside of card with pocket at the bottom (click for a larger picture with more detail).

To show size of pocket space this is a standard-size plastic gift card. Just keep in mind that your double-stick tape on the edges will eat into your room for tucking a bit. Plenty of room left on the actual card to jot a quick note above the card when it's straight and tucked in. If you don't want to risk it falling out or shifting, just apply a spot of double-stick tape to the back of it (not over any barcodes, etc. though).

View of reverse when open

This is the back of the panel where the girls are adhered on the inside

I started with a heavy-weight sheet of white cs, and stained it with brewed coffee, throwing some coffee crystals on too till it was dry, then brushing the crystals off. You might have to iron your paper a bit if it warps.

Next I measured the long sides of the cs at 1 3/4", 5 1/2" and 9 1/8" and scored the lines. So you have four panels - the first is 1 3/4", the second is 3 3/4", the third is just a hair smaller at 3 5/8" then the previous to make sure it folds up with a bit of leeway and the last panel is whatever is left LOL about 1 5/8". This is the panel you want to cut into a v as shown, and to do that I made a mark at center and 1/2" in from the edge. Then I drew pencil lines from the corners to the center dot, and cut them with a scissor.

*tip*
Get a nice sharp long-blade scissor and you can cut alot of lines without ever having to reposition the blade, getting a crisp straight line.

Let's see...before folding this panel up and taping it along the sides, I stamped a partial flower (Penny Black - Winter Glow) using Distress Vintage Photo and some Rubber Stampede holiday text in Encore Galaxy Gold on it. I also used a sponge to brush some Vintage Photo on all the edges.

I stamped more of the flower on the card as shown, and more of the text on the top panel.

For the inside panel I used a 3 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of white cs and stamped the girls (Paper Inspirations - Snow Children) in black Staz-On and the sentiment (Northwoods Rubber Stamps) in Stampin' Up!'s Cranberry Crisp. I inked the children in using a blender pen and Stampin' Up!'s In-Colors from last year, and stamped parts of the flower as shown on the edge. I used a sponge to add Distress Vintage Photo to the edges, and then came further in using Antique Linen. I layered this panel to a Cranberry Crisp one and then to the card base.

For the outside, I stamped the sentiment (Paper Inspirations) and colored the edges the same as the inside panel. I layered it to a cranberry panel and then adhered just the top half as shown.

I stamped the To, From (Art Impressions) on the back as shown in cranberry ink.

Thanks for looking!