Thank You Gatefold Card with Hero Arts

Hi everyone! The challenge at a2z Scrapbooking this month is Fun Folds so I decided to make a gatefold card.  I've never made one before and I am seeing so many beautiful new dies that are coming out that can be used as the flaps for gatefold cards I thought that perhaps I should try my hand at one!  I hope you enjoy my creation!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Water Color Paper {8 1/2 x 11"}
White Card {4 1/4 x 5 1/2"}
Scrap Light Blue, Dark Blue, & White Card
Oxide Inks in Shades of Blue & Purple
Hero Arts White Detail Embossing Powder, #PW122 
Versamark Watermark Ink Pad, #VC250
Hero Arts Lucky Star stamp set, #CM315
Hero Arts Lucky Star die set, #DI586
Hero Arts Ink in Intense Black, #AF345 
Hero Arts Thanks Stamp & Cut, #DC152
Die-Namics Stitched Fishtail Sentiment Strips Dies

Watercolor Paper {I use this} for stamped images

Zig Clean Color Brush Markers

Adhesive & Watercolor Brush of Your Choice

The first step I took when making this card was making the gate-fold out of watercolor paper.  I cut the card to fit on an A2 base, which was cut out of white card.  I left the folds long, so the dimensions of the gatefold are 4 1/4" high by 11" long.  I just folded the panels around the piece of white card I used for the base {where I eventually attached the watercolor gatefold.}  I used Oxide Inks in shades of blue and purple to make both sides of the watercolor paper look like a night sky.  This took me the longest as I would add the ink to the paper, spritz with the Distress Sprayer and then either use my heat gun to dry, or leave the paper to dry on its own.  Since I hadn't used this watercolor paper before {in fact, I'm not even sure of the brand; it was just mixed in with my loose card stock}, I didn't want to take the chance of the paper pilling or ripping from too much work, so I took about three days to build up the color to match a summer night sky.  The paper also cracked some when I folded it so I filled in the white with a few of the same inks to have it blend in as much as possible.  Like I said, I did both sides of this paper so I think it was important to take my time to get the colors just right.

Inside the Card

While my gatefold paper was drying in between building the colors, I stamped the people and the cat onto watercolor paper and colored them with my markers.  Once they were dry, I figured out where I wanted to place them and stamped the stars and the saying with Versamark Ink, embossed them with white detail embossing powder, then attached the figures so they would appear to be looking up at the sky.  The set comes with an adorable dog as well as the cat but I wasn't happy with how it came out when I colored it.  Next I attached the watercolor panel with all of the people and embossing inside to the single piece of white card.  I really wanted this card to fit in an A2 envelope so I could mail it without it costing too much.  While all the card construction was done and sitting under the tile to dry, I made the band that holds the gatefolds closed.  This band is called a belly band {I have absolutely NO idea why} and I made mine out of a strip of white card that I had lying around.  There are no absolutes for the band and, while a lot of folks use ribbon, I wanted to add a word die as sort of the reason I was sending the card.  I cut the word thanks out of dark blue card, made a fishtail banner out of white card and used a bit of light blue scrap to add some interest {and to separate the white banner from the white of the band}, then attached all of that to my band.  I like that I can always make another band for this card if I decide to send it for another reason and that was the main reason I used the sentiment inside the card that can be used for any reason.  

That's how I made my first gatefold card.  I'm excited to try and make one with the fancy gatefolds now that I've gotten over my fear {I fear every new technique I try; I find if I just don't think about it and dive right in, my fear goes away regardless of how the project comes out.}  I hope you will join us at a2z Scrapbooking this month and show off your favorite Fun Fold card!  Thanks so much for reading all of my ramblings.  

Don't forget to use my discount code CHRISTI15 to get 15% off your purchases of $25 or more before shipping cost.  Also we are the exclusive retailer of Hero Arts digital stamps {and we also carry Sugar Tree Digital Stamps}, so if that is your preferred method of stamping, please go take a look.  Thank you so much and see you soon!  Fondly, Christi

 
I am entering my Thanks Gatefold Card in the following challenges:
Creative Fingers Challenge - #162, Anything Goes
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - #426, Anything Goes
Happy Crafter - M, Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - #493, Look Up, Way Up
Ike's World - #119, Die Cuts
Classic Design Team Challenge - #4, Anything Goes

Hero Arts Paper Layering Heart Card

Hello crafty people! It's about halfway through this month's Mood Board

challenge at a2z Scrapbooking and that means you have plenty of time to take a look at the board and whip up a card!  I was very inspired by this mood board!  I took out all my fancy papers, started about a thousand new projects {because I always get inspired looking at all the pretty paper I have, and I have a LOT!} and I finally chose some that I think showcase the die very nicely.  Now I have a bunch of other cards and such in progress scattered all over my craft room!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Corner Punch {a very old one}
Hero Arts Paper Layering Heart Die, #DI162
DCWV Peri & Peach 12" x 12" Stack {not in the DCWV store, but available}
Grey Pattern Paper {stash}

I adore this card! The papers are so pretty; the grey pattern has a very subtle pattern of cream colored little swirls going through it; it looks so delicate.  And the overlay paper, well, it's DCWV, so you KNOW it's beautiful.  I've captured the

shine in the picture above.  Since I knew the focus of the card was to be the heart die, it was very important to me to choose some nice papers.  And they match the mood board!  Always a plus when you can fulfill your Design Team duties by using what they want!

This card was very easy to make.  I cut the grey paper to a panel to fit the A2 card base and then cut a smaller rectangle out of the DCWV paper.  I attached the grey paper to the card and let it sit overnight to dry completely.  I used the heart die on the peach paper, flipping the cut outs and gluing them to the other side.  I felt like the card needed a bit more pizzazz so I used the corner punch on the overlay paper.  I attached the die cut and punched paper to the card over the grey paper and I was done!  I'm fascinated by how one little touch, be it gems, dots, glitter, or a corner punch can elevate a card to a different level.  Do you remember using corner {or any} punches? I still have quite a few that I'm just not ready to part with.  

I hope you will enter the a2z Scrapbook challenge - you could win a fabulous prize!  Go check out the a2z store - it's full of Hero Arts goodness and use my discount code CHRISTI15 to get 15% off your purchases of $25 or more before shipping.  Remember you could Request Custom Order if the item is not in the store.  While Valentine's day may be over, I feel it's always a good time to let someone know you care about them!  You can never have too many heart cards and the mood board is full of inspiration.  I hope to see you there and don't forget to visit me again.  ~Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
A Blog Named Hero - Love is in the Air
Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes w/ Dies
Unicorn Challenge - #40, Include a Heart
Unstampabelles - #86, Bright & Cheerful
Creations in Pink - #7, Anything Goes w/ Mostly Pink
Ellibelle's Wednesday Challenge - Dies/Punches or Something w/ Heart {I used all three}
Crafty Gals Corner - #185, Love is in the Air
International Art & Soul - #52, Shades of Any Color
Path of Positivity - #66, M, Love, Love, Love
TTCRD - Anything Goes

On The Prairie with Hero Arts

Thank you SO much for stopping by and I hope you can join us at a2z Scrapbooking! This month's theme is anything goes and I am SURE you have something whipped up that you can enter!

Ever since I made the Angel Ornaments, my muse has been begging to play with some more decor and answering the call is what prompted me to make this cow skull shadow box.  This die was in a goodie box that was sold by a well known paper artist {the proceeds were donated} and at first I was stumped as to how I was going to use it.  I've always been attracted by Southwestern style art and I used to have a huge cow skull with feathers and whatnot.  I no longer have that cow skull so I decided to make myself another one.  

What I Used to Make my Art:
Blick Canvas Panel, 5" x 7"
Blick Artists' White Gesso
Shadow Box Frame {bought on eBay years ago}
Hero Arts On the Prairie Fancy Die, #DI511
Light Green, Green, Pink, Red, Yellow and Blue Card
Distress Oxide Inks in Wild Honey, Vintage Photo, Fossilized Amber and Gathered Twigs
Distress Sprayer
White Card
White Craft Foam {I use Creatology™ from Michael's, 6mm, 9" x 12"}

Before                                After

Years ago I bought a bunch of shadow boxes through eBay.  I bought different sizes and frame colors and I've been saving them {for what I don't know} but it was time I started to use these supplies that I've kept packed away.  The frame I envisioned for this piece was weathered so the first thing I did was sand down the frame slightly, cover it with gesso and sand it a bit more once it was dry.  Originally, the frame was a medium brown and, as you can see by the picture, I did a fair amount of work to make it look like it had been out in the harsh sun, rain, and other elements for years. 

In between working on the frame, I started to make the panel.  Using Distress Oxide inks I colored the panel, giving what I think is a more Southwestern feel.  I used some ink blending brushes and, to get the depth of color I wanted, I inked, spritzed, inked again, and spritzed again quite a few times, drying each layer of ink before applying the next.  I just kept on reworking the colors until I was happy with the outcome.  Once I was satisfied, I put the panel aside to dry completely overnight.

I ended up making two different skulls; on the first one I used foam core to get

Not in the Frame Yet

the dimension I wanted.  But when I cut the foam core board, the board got crushed too much and I didn't want to use a smooshed focal point.  I used craft foam for the second skull and it came out much better.  The craft foam held up to the die cutting machine much better than the foam core board {you can see all about the craft foam I use HERE}.  I did end up using the first skull on a matching card so it didn't go to waste.  Once the shape was cut, I layered two pieces of cut white card on the top and, while that was fully drying, I cut out the flowers and

Some Dimension

the leaves.  As usual, I cut out more than I needed so I also made a wreath out of the leftovers but I haven't used it yet.  I still think it's better to have too many embellishments than not enough!  I added the flowers and leaves to the cow skull and glued it to the panel.  Lastly, the panel was put in it's new home and it is ready to display proudly.  What do you think? Are you planning on any home decor or 3D projects in the near future? I'd love to hear about it! {and yes, that is a pop top on the back of the hanging - they are free and work just fine to hang something!}

I hope I get to see your NEW creations and that you join up at a2z Scrapbooking! Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate your support! ~ Fondly, Christi

I am Entering my On the Prairie Project in the following challenges:
Scrapy Land - M, Anything Goes w/ a Brand of Die they sell
TTCRD - Anything Goes
Crafty Friends - Animals/Birds
Cardz TV - Anything Goes {entry 2}
A Blog Named Hero - M, Crafter's Choice
Bleeding Art Challenge - Anything Goes
More Mixed Media - Anything Goes {I did not use the option of Blue}
Happy Little Stampers - Dies - Anything Goes with Dies {badge below}
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media - Layers - the skull is layered {badge below}

Happy 2019 with a2z Scrapbooking!

I am still in that holiday coma as I completely forgot I needed to have a post ready for the a2z Scrapbooking's January Challenge, which is the wonderful {and easy} theme of ANYTHING GOES! Thank goodness I had already made the card and only had to write up this post.  As you can see, I was really feeling the festivities and went a bit overboard on the embellishments and the bling, but hey, it's only once a year, right? And it was SO much fun to just go a bit crazy!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base {5" x 7"}
Grey Card
Black Card
Hero Arts Birthday Celebration, stamps, #CM123
Hero Arts Birthday Celebration, dies, #DI343
Spellbinders Filigree Numbers, #S6-141
Hero Arts Embossing Powder in Silver, Gold and Silver Sparkle
WOW! Embossing Powder in Silent Night, #WS101R
Hero Arts Intense Black Ink, #AF345
Gold Card
Couture Creations Embossing Folder, Chiaro, #723156 {available online}
Memory Box Happy Birthday die, #99684
Iridescent Plastic Dots, Mixed Colors and Sizes
Studio Katia Clear Round Dots, Mix 1, #SK2410

When I think of New Year's Eve, images of women in gowns, men in tuxedos, confetti, champagne, and classic elegance come to mind.  I wanted this card to convey some of that festive party mood so I used a classic palette of silver, gold, black, and gray.  I used a white 5" x 7" card base since I knew I wouldn't be able to fit all the elements I wanted to use on my usual A2 {5 1/2" x 4 1/4"} sized card.  I trimmed down the gray card and ran it through my Big Shot using an embossing folder that I didn't even remember I had!  I tend to keep the crafty items that I don't use that much in the back of whatever storage I have and this one was hiding.  Being a larger size than I typically use means I put the folder in the very back.  However, I think it helps the festive nature of the card and I'm glad I came across it.  Once the card was dry embossed, I glued it onto the base and stuck it under the tile to dry overnight.  I've had trouble getting intricate embossed paper to stick to the base so I knew if I loaded it up with glue and set it to dry overnight it would stick.

Another Look

Meanwhile, I stamped the balloons with embossing ink and embossed them with black, silver, gold embossing powder, and a little silver glitter powder, then I cut and set them aside.  I did the same with the balloon strings.  I stamped the drinks in black ink and die cut them as well.  I don't have many number dies and I bought these without having a project in mind, but I knew they'd come in handy and they did! I cut them out of gold card, sort of a dull gold.  Lastly, I had to decide what "happy" I wanted to use and eventually settled on one.  I didn't want the "happy" to be the focal point of the card so I chose a small one, cut it out of black card, and all of my elements were ready to go.

I added all the die cut pieces and then went a little crazy with some iridescent and clear dots.  I started wanting the bubbles to come up out of the glasses like champagne but that didn't work so well so I just put the dots anywhere and everywhere I wanted.  I think it makes the card a celebration all on it's own!  Thank you for reading my tutorial and I hope you join us at a2z Scrapbooking this month; after all, you can't win if you don't play and how can you not play when Anything Goes! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Happy 2019 Card in the following Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog - Use Numbers
Dies R Us - Anything New {New Year! New Die!} Entry 2
Mix it Up - #21, Anything Goes w/ Sentiment as the Focus
Sparkles Forum - #112, New Year, New Stash {the stamps & dies are all new}
Tuesday Throwdown - #423, Embossing {I used dry & wet}
Crafty Gals Corner - #183, Make it Sparkle
A Blog Named Hero - M, Crafter's Choice

Home for the Holidays with Hero Arts

Since winter is still here, I wanted to share this winter wonderland card I created using the Home for the Holidays set from Hero Arts.  It's my last entry in the Winter Wonderland challenge at a2z Scrapbooking.  If you look closely, you can see the sparkle on the card and I accomplished my goal of creating my own Winter Wonderland!  There is a bit more time left in the challenge, so why not link up your own Winter Wonderland creation? 

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Hero Arts Home for the Holidays Stamp Set, #CM282 {you can special order from the store}
Hero Arts Home for the Holidays Die Set, #DI556 {you can special order from the store}
White Shimmer, Gray and White Cardstock
Watercolor Paper {I use this}
Zig Clean Color Markers
Sue Wilson Mini Expressions Warmest Wishes die, #CEDME018
Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Backdrop, Landscape, #LF1502
Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink in Fern Green and Potting Soil
Hero Arts Ink in Intense Black, #AF345
Stickles in Stardust

I wanted a charming landscape for my houses so I began this card with the backdrop which I cut from white card.  I had found this grayish white, almost speckled paper {it almost looks like vellum to me} in my stash and decided to use that for my sky.  I added some Stickles snowflakes to the sky as well.  It's difficult to see in the pictures, but there is glittery snow on the houses and trees.  I stamped all of the houses on watercolor paper, colored them using Zig Clean Color Markers and, when they were fully dry, used the coordinating dies to cut them.  I stamped the trees with colored ink on scrap card and cut them out as well.  I wanted the card to look a bit old fashioned so I colored the houses lightly to give a Norman Rockwell feel to the card.

Another Look

Even though this is a Christmas set, you could essentially use the houses without snow {like the cabin} any time of year.  I think sending a card after the holiday "rush" is almost better than getting a holiday card.  Like getting a present out of the blue.  In order to compose the scene, I cut the hillside backdrop and the sentiment both out of white shimmer card.  I placed the houses and trees in various places on the backdrop and the sentiment in the top right hand corner.   As I am looking at the card now I think perhaps I should have made some smoke come out of the chimneys to add a bit more warmth.  What do you think?  Regardless, this setting is definitely a Winter Wonderland to me.  I can picture a roaring fireplace inside the homes, the families gathered around it drinking hot cocoa, all  warm and snug in their flannel pajamas.  Sounds really good to me! I hope you get some inspiration from my card and perhaps compose your own Winter Wonderland to enter into this month's challenge at a2z Scrapbooking.  If you need some supplies, feel free to use my discount code CHRISTI15 at the a2z Scrapbooking store to get 15% off your order of any size, even special orders!  Thank you so much for dropping by, it's been nice to share the end of the year {can you believe it!?!} with you and I hope you will continue to pop in ~ Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Home for the Holidays card in the following challenges:
A Blog Named Hero - M, Winter {graphic below}
Country View Challenges - M, Christmas
The Artistic Stamper - Christmas {entry 2}
Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Christmas
Double D Challenges - Let it Snow {graphic below}
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Crimbo Crackers - #174, Anything Christmas Goes

Happy Holidays with Hero Arts Christmas Swirls Digital Stamps

I've made this holiday card with the exclusive a2z Scrapbooking Hero Arts digital set, Christmas Swirls.  You can't get digital Hero Arts stamps ANYWHERE else!  I hope you can join us at a2z Scrapbooking's challenge.  The theme this month is Winter Wonderland and I am sure you have created something you can share with us!  While the holidays have since passed, I'm just going to save this card for next year.  I hope you enjoy it!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base {7" x 5"}
Hero Arts Digital Stamp Set, Christmas Swirls, #DK020
Sakura Gelly Roll Gold Pen, from the Stardust Set
Small Colored Gems from my stash

As you may know I struggle with digital stamps and I am SO proud of this card!  One of my wonderful teamies from a2z Scrapbooking posted this really easy tutorial about how to use Word for digital stamps and I could actually do it!  If

Sparkle!

you'd like the link, drop me a line using the contact form on the right side {I haven't asked the writer if I can share her hard work.}

I created the card front on one piece of paper, trimmed it down and attached it to the card base.  I'm not quite skilled enough to make a one layer card but I'm working on it!  Once the card was dry, I colored the stars with a gold gel pen and added little gems on the Christmas trees for some added sparkle.  Like I said, I am so happy with how the card came out!  I'm getting braver; I am actually going to try using digital paper and design my next digi card on that!

Thank you for stopping by and visiting!  I hope you and yours have a happy and safe holiday whichever you celebrate.  Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Hero Arts Swirls Digital Stamps Card in the following challenges:
{PIN}spirational - Anything Goes
TTCRD - Anything Goes (wk of 12/18/18)
Double D Challenges - Let it Snow!! 

Cute 'n Crafty Christmas - #2, Anything Christmas Goes
A Blog Named Hero - Winter

Creativ Fusion - #7, Non-Traditional Christmas

Allsorts Challenge - #498, Christmas Trees

Happy Craft Challenge - M, Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - M, Anything Goes