A Bendy Card from Bird

Hello from the sunny PNW where we are longing for rain!  This is Christine from iamcocoasmom.blogspot.com with my latest post for Sheila at She's a Sassy Lady.

One of my favorite 'freeby' sites is Bird's Cards.  She designs amazing cards, freely shares her files and responds with variations on her designs at the request of her followers.  Crafters are the nicest people!

I have been waiting for a chance to cut this file for a "Special Day" bendy card.  Unlike the more elaborate three piece bendy cards available from the Sil store, this card is just one piece with a single top layer.  I needed to resize the card after uploading it to DS so that it would cut on a 12 inch mat.  I made the card 11.1 inches wide and then ungrouped.  After selecting the card, I attached the score lines and changed the color of the top sentiment layer. Easy peasy!  I chose to use the Graphic 45 By the Sea stack and it cut beautifully.

Hmmm!  Lovely, but it's not exactly 'special' enough for my sister's birthday card.  I wanted to add more dimension and so cut a strip of coordinating paper 5 3/4 by 1 inch and scored one end at 1/2 an inch and the other at 1/2 an inch and at 1 inch.  I attached it inside the bendy front:

and after fussy cutting some of my favorite images from the stack, I collaged them to the inside of the card and to the strip.

Much better! I kinda like this shadow box effect.   I tied the card with a twine bow and a compass charm from Tim Holtz and called it done.

Don't forget to pop over to Bird's Cards.  You'll love her inspirational designs.  

This week's theme over at Die Cuttin' Divas is "Nautical" and I love the variety that the DT shared.  Here's another blog you might like to peruse.  : )

Thanks for visiting with me today and thank you Sheila for the opportunity to share.   : ) Christine

Blocks Pop Up Birthday Card

It was my 'baby' DD's birthday on Wednesday and we had a fun, casual dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate.  It included the obligatory 'Let's watch Master J. eat chocolate ice cream and take photos' event which is always a crowd pleaser!

I love the color palate of the Graphic 45 Celebration collection and went looking for a card style to showcase the sweet images and patterns. I found this video by papercrafter45.  Perfect!

Here's my card -

 I hand cut the card base but I'm sure there's a Design Space file somewhere, out there.   I also decorated the inside since I did not use double sided paper.  Woo Hoo! So many surfaces to embellish!

 Hope you had a lovely birthday KJ!  Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

Christmas Box Card

I can't believe that I've not finished my Christmas cards yet!  Arghhhhh!   Thanks to  SVG Cuts and their box card set, I was able to whip out a few of these fun cards over the weekend. 

I used the 'Merry Christmas Box Card' pattern and added the ornaments from the "Holiday Cakes" cart.  You might recognize the paper as remnants from the Graphic 45 "Twas the Night Before Christmas" stack that I used for my Mistletoe Manor.

This box card is enormous so be prepared for extra postage if you are mailing it! 

I was thrilled to see that the challenge this week at BBTB2 is to use an ornament cut.  Perfect!  I need to get busy pinning the DT's samples for inspiration for next year.  Hop over and take a look.  Thanks for visiting with me today.  : )   Christine

Here comes Halloween!

The 'building site' was quite still and empty on Sunday and we were able to run to town and do a few errands, including a trip to M's for black Recollections paper.

I had the Bewitched Cabin from SVG Cuts imported into Design Space and ready to go so I slipped up to the craft room to cut out the 20 mats.  Ha!  I really only meant to glue a few things together but...  well, here it is, totally completed.  : )

The chimney was the part that I had the most difficulty with and at that point I had to walk away.  Five minutes later, I had a thought about fussy cutting some of the Fairy Tale characters from the Graphics 45 Eerie Tale and adding them around the cabin.   It doesn't take much to get my enthusiasm back for a project!

Look how cool it looks with orange tea lights inside it!    This was SO much fun!

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

Tea Time Card In A Box

It is so hot and muggy here!  I don't do hot and humid very well which is why we live at 1100 feet in the PNW!  I retreated to the craft room with the fan on high to work on this card for my sister's birthday.  It's a BIG one but I'm kindly ignoring that and reminding her of the birthday teas we had in the UK as children.

The Tea Time box comes from SVG Cuts - of course, and, of course, I could not leave well enough alone and took off the cake stand and replaced it with a tiered birthday cake from the Anna Griffin 'Soiree Lettering' cart.   Love those tiny circles!

The Explore wrote the sentiment, and I used the Cuttlebug folder 'Kaleidoscope' to emboss the outside panels.  The paper comes from Graphic 45 'Botanical Tea.'

Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine

French Country Birthday Card

My DGD's absolutely LOVED the never - ending card I made for my son's birthday.  My DDIL said that they wore out the edges of the card folding it one way and then the other! 

It seemed like a good idea to make another never - ending card for B's birthday, but this time I made it bigger - 6 by 6.  I used Graphic 45 French Country for the pages and a variety of birthday phrases cut on my Explore to embellish the pages.  The embellies have to be flat or the card will not fold - no need to ask how I know that!   I love these cards!   Thanks for visiting with me today.  : ) Christine