Happy Birthday From the Whole Herd! Double Z-fold box card

How fun is this!! Stars and silly barnyard animals and a fun fold all mixed into one card!!  This view shows the card folded flat and ready to go into the envelope. Previously we saw the horizontal version of the double z-fold box card and here's a vertical version. :) Go Hog Wild is such a fun stamp set and can work for male, female, young or old cards! I just smile when I see those silly critters. :)

Let's talk about one of the cool features of this style of box card. It opens up and lays completely flat so you can write your birthday message from the whole family or group or friends or co-workers or whatever. And, it folds flat and fits into an A2 envelope with ease so mails beautifully! I kept everything glued to the base so it would mail easily but you could definitely pop up things on the card, just know it may add a little cost to your mailing.

Here's a front view when it's open. Wouldn't this look great sitting on your friends side table or your co-worker's desk at work?! What a treat for the recipient! And, can we talk about the celebrate die... so cute cut in bermuda petite polka dot!  I don't have the die cuts for the animals but they're easy to cut around. And, those critters layered on star trio die cuts adds some party attitude to your card!

Here's a view from the top. It's cute on all angles!

The dimensions for the vertical double z-fold box card are as follows: 

Card base: 5-1/2" X 8-1/2". Score at 2-1/8" and 4-1/4". 
Band: 1-1/8" X 8-1/2"

The layer pieces are 1/8" smaller than the flap. 
Card base layer pieces: 2" X 5-3/8" 
Band layer pieces: 1" X 4-1/8", 1" X 2" (twice) 

Hope you'll make one of these super simple and fun cards! All supplies are available in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a wonderfully creative day! 

Birthday Balloons Triple Stamping

Oh my gosh - I keep falling down the rabbit hole. I have so many cards to share but just haven't done it. Maybe I'll catch up soon.

Let's start with a card featuring a triple stamping technique. A lot of times I see that technique with flowers which I'm a huge fan of! But, it got me to wondering if it would work with other stamps too. So, I pulled out Birthday Balloons and got busy.

First, you layer the 3 sugar pieces that are proportionally smaller than each of the others. You can hold the pieces in place while you stamp or as you can see below, you can use a bit of washi to hold the layers in place while you stamp. Don't worry if there are gaps in the stamping because you're going to add layer pieces that will cover those gaps. And, the gaps occur naturally because you're not stamping on a flat layer so it's all good. One thing to note is that you want to re-ink between each layer as that gap also shows up on your stamp so you re-ink so you have a solid ink layer for your next stamped image. And, even though there's a matching string stamp for this set, I decided to make it easy on myself so I used the copic multiliner to draw balloon strings. You want to do this while it's layered so they'll match up too. And, you could draw it with little bows where the balloons are tied but I just went super simple. :)

Here it is with the layer pieces so you can see how the gap is covered. The card base is the final layer. The layer pieces are each a quarter of an inch larger than the sugar layers.

Here's the full card. Isn't this fun!

And, to finish it off, I added another balloon inside and a sentiment from Birthdays Inside and Out.

Grape, Melon and Lime make a fun combo and can be used for anyone that has a birthday. I love this technique because it's one of those that look like you did a lot and really, you just did some simple stamped layers.

Supplies can be found in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Summer Shimmer and Style!

Check out the fabulous hibiscus border from the June Collection! Isn't it pretty?!! It's stamped in white ink and covered with diamond embossing powder. It became fabulously sparkly and opaque when heated up and made a wonderful base for a paper-pieced bathing beauty!

This birthday card is perfect for those summer birthdays! The hibiscus border is only here for the month of June so if you want it, pick it up soon. www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a most creative day!

Celebrate with Coffee! Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

What? A coffee birthday card!! That's what I'm talking about! The retiring Perk Up die set paired with Birthday Balloons for a super festive and patriotic birthday card! What do you think?

Here's a close up - a little twine, some pearl stickers and some layered stamps = happiness! You can pick up all these supplies in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Hope you'll hop along with us! Have a fabulous day!

Happy Father's Day Box Card!

Happy Father's Day or Happy Birthday to your favorite grillmaster! I love to grill on my Weber charcoal grill and I love purple so if I were going to make this card for myself, it would be purple and teal and pink! :) There are always unlimited options!

This used the May collection stamp set, You're Smokin', that still available in the past collections link in my webstore (click on stamps, click on past collections and check out all the goodies!)

Don't forget, you can get the template for the box card here.

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Birthday Girl!

There are a few days left to get the Birthday Girl stamp set ordered from the March Collection. It's possible it will be available later but don't miss out! She's so cute and fits in beautifully with the other girlfriend stamps!

This is a fun stamp to color with copics and layering two tags together is a fun twist. The card is actually 8" x 5.5". You still score at 4.25" so you have a great front flap that you can put a strip of pattern or plain paper (as shown here) on the side. Lots of dots creates a great background for the card front. And, on the inside too. (I got this great idea after I'd put the card together so my dots are not as fabulously spaced out as I would have liked). :) 

All supplies are from A Muse Studio and are available in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a wonderfully creative day!! 

Oh Sheep...It's Past-ure Birthday!

It is conference season for my full-time job so posting is more sporadic these days. The coffee lovers blog hop is coming up so I hope to have lots of caffeinated projects posting next week but for now - here's a look at a fun card from the A Muse Studio March Collection.

 Go Hog Wild is sooooo PUNNY! I love the silly critters and the punny sayings. Here's one with the side sitting sheep that's just adorable.

 And, check out the flocking! I used the quickie glue pen, filled in the head tufts and the wooly dots on the side and flocked. Let that dry and repeated the process to make it a little fluffier. Love how it came out, don't you?

 Here's the inside. It's from Nine Lives. It worked perfectly with the sentiment on the front!

And, here's the parts. I use this in my class and rather than type it out again, thought - why don't I just take a picture of it? So, I did! lol!

You can find all the pieces and parts in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a wonderfully creative day!

Shaker 50th Birthday (or anniversary)

Here's a fun birthday or anniversary shaker card. It uses the fuse tool and scrapbook pocket pages to make the insert. It's so clean and simple and a great way to make shaker cards!!  A little knotted ribbon above the flower and some ribbon strips below the flower finishes off the look. I popped up the petite polka dot layer to give a little dimension to the card and to give the shaker pocket room to shake. :)

Here's a close-up. Doesn't the petite hexagon cardstock in sky give just a subtle "texture" to the numbers? And, check out the shaker material - it's little bits of crepe paper and because there's no adhesive in the shaker, the little scraps just move around freely and happily inside their sealed pocket. :)

Here's the inside. It's the string from one of the birthday balloon stamps. It looks great vertically or horizontally!

All supplies, including the fabulous fuse tool and scrapbook pocket pages, are available in my webstore: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a wonderfully creative day!!

You're My Anchor

Check it out! This is a fun twist on a fun fold card. I saw the idea online and unfortunately didn't keep the url so my apologies to the creator of this fun fold. It's awesome! I took the idea and ran with it. It's a 4-1/4" X 5-1/2" card base with a 3-1/2" X 7" piece, folded at 3-1/2" to make a mini card on top of the card. Isn't that fun? It will make more sense as you scroll through the photos below. :)

Here it is open. Isn't that great! And, I love the stamp set - You're a Lifesaver. It's perfect for nautical, Americana, masculine and just overall great cards. This is a combo of cobalt, cherry polka dot and onyx petite pinstripe cardstocks. And, cherry baker's cording for a finishing touch.

Here's another view with the sentiment (all of these stamp images and sentiments are in the one stamp set!) And, a few star twinkle stickers add a fun element.

And, a 1-1/2" punched circle (the 1-1/2" circle punch is a go-to tool of mine as it's perfect size for many things!) and a little silver glitter finishes off the anchor. I stamped the anchor in memento tuxedo black ink and then used the quickie glue pen to fill it in and then added the glitter. Easy peasy!

All supplies are from a muse studio: www.amusestudio.com/seleise


Have a wonderfully creative day!

I now have a Facebook business page too: https://www.facebook.com/amethystcatdesigns

Birthday Girl! Double Dutch Fold Tutorial

This birthday stamp makes me so happy. It's so cute and sweet and I just can't stand how adorable it is! lol! This stamp set was part of the April collection and I'm happy to report that it's coming back in the new catalog! Woo hoo! So, if you didn't pick it up already, there's still time. It has some awesome sentiments to go along with this sweet image. :)

This is a double dutch fold and it's way easier than you might think. The bottom fold is just a wrap around from the back. So, the top folds over and the back piece is scored around the sides and there you have a super simple wrap. Here's what it looks like with the bottom "gate" open.

Here's with the top flap open.

And, this is the inside all together. Isn't that fun!

Here is is again. The birthday girl and cupcake are colored with copics. I love the look on the pinstripe cardstock, don't you?!

And, here are the card measurements and scoring instructions. This is how I set it up for my class so that everyone had the measurements as it went around the room.

Hope you've enjoyed this look at a Double Dutch Fold! This stamp will be back in my webstore on June 15, 2015 so click here to check it out: www.amusestudio.com/seleise

And, I have a Facebook page for my a muse creations so here's the link for you to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/amethystcatdesigns . Like it and share it if you'd like. :)

Have a wonderfully creative day!!

You're the Bees Knees! Joy Fold Technique

Joy Fold cards are awesome and so easy! This bee's knees card rocks the joy to the fold. What a fun "bee" day card this would be for someone special, don't you agree?!

First, let's start with the folds.

Here's how I display the cards at my class and if I remember, I put the scoring instructions on the board as well so that everyone has the reminder as the card moves from group to group.

A Joy Fold card has two folds and a catch which means there are four spots to decorate to complete your card. There's the inside card base, the left flap, the inside flap and the front flap that folds over the left flap. Confused? Let me explain.

Here's the left flap. It's got the hexagon background and a circle popped up to be the "catch" or the piece that holds the front flap in place.

Here's the inside piece as well as the inside flap. More papaya and hexagon background in toffee as well as a little toffee ink edging the inside of the card base. The flap has the little bee colored in the papaya tombow. Simple and sweet.

Here's a closer look at the inside bee.

The front flap is also covered in the hexagon background and has the bees knees sentiment and a shimmery bee on top of onyx petite polka dot.

The bee on the front flap is stamped on the papaya piece and stamped again on papaya, cut out and popped up. The quickie glue pen is used to hold the diamond glitter on the wings. The wings are folded forward a bit to give the bee a bit of flight in the look. Here's a close-up.

And, here's what it looks like from the side.

Have big fun with your cardmaking and hope you'll put a joy fold or two into your next foray into the craft room!

Have a wonderfully creative day! www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Special Day Fishies

Need a super quick birthday card? Here you go! Fishy love.

More swimming through on the inside. Sealed with a Fish and Birthdays Inside and Out pair wonderfully. Drag a little ink to give it a vintage feel to go with the lichen and cobalt cardstocks and you're done. :)

www.amusestudio.com/seleise

Have a fabulous and creative day!

Places You'll Go

What is more fun to a five year old boy than his trucks?! I kept the design simple and played with the colors of the awesome patterned paper pack - Everything's Rosy. 

The inside of this card is my favorite part. I love the strip of patterned paper and the line of trucks from Loads of Fun. My nephew did too. :) The birthday greeting is from Birthdays Inside and Out (another great set!)

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Have a wonderfully creative day!