Celebrate!

This month at Die Cut Divas we are using the color "Yellow" as well as some adorable digis from Kinda Cute Digis.  

You still have a little time to join in the challenge if you wish!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Square {5 1/4" x 5 1/4"} White Card
Black, Yellow and Light Blue Cardstock
Graphic 45 Artisan Style Paper, Patterns & Solids, 8" x 8" {available online}
Border Die - Dotted Line {unknown manufacturer}
MFT/Die-Namics Wonky Stitched Circle STAX
Lawn Fawn Celebrate die, #LF1429
Big Rose Image by Kinda Cute Digi's
Alcohol Ink Marker in Yellow

The lovely Arlene sent me this image {as she did for the image I used here} and I used the wonky stitched circle die to cut it out.  I colored the image with alcohol ink markers.  That was my mistake.  I typically try to get all the supplies I need together before I put a project together {or I at least know in my head what I am going to use} and this time I colored the rose before I had anything else to go with it.  The hunt begins for the perfect background paper with me first going through all my 6" x 6" pads, 8" x 8" pads, as well as any odd sized pads.  Then I move on to my 12" x 12" papers.  Well, I overlooked the Artisan pad that I finally used and it took me DAYS to figure out what else I could find to match this rose.  I am so new at working with alcohol markers that I was afraid to try and blend any other shades of yellow in the flower {watercolor I can handle,

Another Peek

alcohol ink, not so much} because I was certain I'd ruin it and I only had this flower left.  Yes, I had other images I could have used, but give a girl a break!  Honestly, I was so invested in the rose at this point that using another image didn't even cross my mind.

Finally, I found the paper I decided to use.  I think the yellow matches nicely.  I cut the paper using a dotted line border die I have; it's literally a metal line of dots. Unfortunately I don't recall where I acquired it but it's pretty handy when you don't have a die large enough to cut what you want, as long as what you want is straight edged.  I mounted the rose onto the background paper.  Then it was time for the sentiment.  I typically stamp in black ink, but I wanted to pick up some of the other colors in the background paper so I decided to use the celebrate die.  The word was cut three times, once out of light blue card, then once each out of yellow and black card.  I layered the cuts and there have been quite a few times where my eyes played tricks on me and I thought the word was 3D.  I didn't plan on that effect but hey, I like it! 

There you have it!  My square Celebrate card.  I hope you liked my little tutorial and if you can't make the challenge at Die Cut Divas this month, be sure to check back tomorrow!  Thanks for visiting ~ Christi


I'd like to enter my Celebrate card in the following challenges:
Art Impressions - #242, Vibrant Colors
Addicted to Stamps & More - #311, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes {entry #2}
Tuesday Throwdown Color Challenge - Use Complimentary Colors
Pause, Dream, Enjoy - M, Anything Goes
Daring Cardmakers - With a Flourish {flourishes on the word}
Creative Knockouts - #265, Anything Goes
Retarte - #128, Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown

You're Amazing!

I love sending out goodies to my crafty friends.  Somehow, I end up with a HUGE pile of extra stuff, stuff I don't use, or have duplicates {triplicates?}  So, instead of it hanging around here, I'll send a goodie package out or have a giveaway.  On Instagram, I've met SO many new people and one of them lives in Colorado so it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to send her stuff; I've sent her a package already and it was the first one she'd ever gotten!  She was so grateful she made a video and everything.  How cool is that?!? I made this card to send with my next goodie package for her.

It's an odd angle, but you need to be able to read the word

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Foam Board {from the Dollar Tree}
The Ton Bold Amazing Greetings Word Plate Dies
Navy Blue Card
KaiserCraft Wandering Ivy, 6.5" x 6.5" pad, #PP1033

I am in LOVE with this sentiment set from The Ton; I've already got a few other projects in the works using the dies.  It's fabulous!  I started this card by cutting the words out of foam board; the cheap stuff die cuts much easier than the expensive stuff and I snagged a few white and black foam core boards from my local Dollar Tree.

I've made these cards before {here is my first try, and my second, in case you are interested.  The first card I made goes into greater detail about the technique and there is a link to the Jennifer McGuire video that I studied} but I don't think I'll ever get over how cool they look.  Choosing the wandering ivy paper for the word and the background paper was an easy choice; every piece of paper in that pack is so pretty!  I cut out the word "amazing," used the cuts to

Another weird angle but
you can see the foam

cover the foam board, then carefully placed them into the voids left by the die.  For me that's the hardest part about making these cards and I can get a bit obsessed about ensuring the letters are placed as close to perfect as I can get them.  Then I take my photos and realize that the card is SO far from perfect -- but like I always say, mistakes are part of the charm of handmade, right?  Then I cut the word "you're" out of the foam board, covered that with navy card, attached those cut letters, and I was done.  My tip for you - if you've never made this kind of card and want to give it a go, use a word die that is welded together so you don't have to fuss with individual letters.

Now I'll be packing up some goodies to send out along with the card.  I hope she likes this bunch of goodies as much as the first batch and I'm happy to report some other crafters have sent her some stuff since I sent her my care package.  I say that the crafting community is the most generous and kind people around; what other artists encourage people to copy them?!  None that I know, yet we post instructions, either written or video, to show people how we created our projects.  Now that's sharing!  

I hope this gives you the push you need to attempt one of these incredible cards - they are so much easier than they look.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you soon.  Christi. 

I am entering my You're Amazing! Card in the following challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - #354 -355, Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge -M, Anything Goes
DL Art Monthly Challenge - Anything Goes
Sparkles Monthly Challenge - #108, Use Dies or Punches
The Color Sisters - M, #59, Color Palette 

Cardz TV - #67, Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes