Hope You're Feeling Better!

This is the card that I designed for my MIL after her knee replacement surgery (UGH!). It is another variation on last year's "Wishing You Flowers" card and this year's "Happy Birthday Flowers" cards. And like those cards, this one can also be easily adapted to any occasion by simply changing the sentiment.

Like its predecessors, I began this card by printing my sentiment on a piece of transparency film, trimming it to 5" x 10", and folding it in half. However unlike the previous cards, I modified this card slightly in that I added an additional piece of cardstock to the inside front of the card. This solved my "Where do I sign the card so it doesn't show on the front?" dilemma. To achieve the matted effect, I adhered my 4.5" square of solid cardstock to the inside center of the back of my card. I then attached my silk flowers to the front using mini pastel brads. The final step was attaching my 4" square of patterned cardstock to the inside center of the front of my card using eyelets. This covers up the backs of the brads that I used to attach my flowers, so that they cannot be seen from the inside of the card.

Supplies:

• Patterned Paper: Lilykate by BasicGrey
• Cardstock: textured Mat Stack from Brights series by DCWV
  
• Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
• Accents: Pastel Brite mini circle brads & eyelets by Making Memories
• Silk Flowers: Craft Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5".

BREAKING NEWS: Nationwide Paint Chip Shortage!

AKA "Paint Chip Cake Card Hits the Newsstands!"

I just got my August/September 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine, and there it is! Right on page 83 in the "Mediums of Color" column ... my Paint Chip Wedding Cake Card!

To celebrate its grand appearance, here is a similar card that I designed also using a paint chip, but with a very different color scheme.


For this version, I decided to go with bright, contrasting colors. I picked a sherbet orange cardstock for my base and a purple paint chip for my cake. After trimming the paint chip, I again opted to decorate my cake with paper flowers. However, instead of using mini adhesive pearls for the center of the flowers, I chose orange fabric paint. I also used the fabric paint to accent my cake with little swirls. Finally, I adorned the top of the cake with a ribbon bow and flower accent.

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5"

For more pics of this Paint Chip Cake card, check out my online portfolio.

Feelin' Retro...

Here is a simple card that I created for (yet another!) June Birthday. However, it could certainly work for many other occasions, like Mother's Day or Hello Friend. I found the inspiration for this card in my April/May 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine. Leslie Webster designed her "Stylish Pleated Dress Card" using Bambi64's template from the SplitCoastStampers' website. (I have cleaned up Bambi64's pattern and saved it in PDF format. You can download it here.) For my dress, I added my own personal touches using a piece of velvet ribbon and a fabric rose which I hand-sewed to my card.

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Assorted Box of Cards from DCWV; Classic K McKenna Mat Pad by K&Company
• Patterned Paper: Rosey Nook Blossoms from Scrapbook Walls line by Chatter Box; Retro Beads from Paper Pizazz line by Hot Off the Press
• Fibers: Dashes, Dots & Checks ribbon by Michaels
• Accents: ribbon rose
• Template: from SplitCoastStampers.com member Bambi64

Finished Size 4.25" x 5.5".

Happy Birthday, Everyone!

June is a very big birthday month here amongst the Sgro friends and family (including Yours Truly!). So in honor of all the June birthdays out there, here are two simple birthday cards that I created this month...

Happy Birthday Flowers I


Both of the cards in this Birthday series are variations on my "Wishing You Flowers" card that I designed last year. I began by printing my sentiment on a piece of transparency film which I then trimmed to 5" x 10" and folded in half to create my card base. I attached a 4" square of double-sided patterned cardstock to the back of my card with eyelets. I then arranged my plastic flowers across the front of the card, attaching them with colorful brads.

Bonus Tip! When attaching the flowers to the transparency film, first pierce a hole in the film using a paper piercer or pin.

Supplies:

• Patterned Paper: Brenda Walton Neopolitan Mat Pad by K&Company
• Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
• Accents: Watercolor Brite mini circle brads, flower brads & eyelets by Making Memories, Greenhouse plastic flowers by American Crafts

Happy Birthday Flowers II


For this second card, I started with the same base design as the previous card. But for this card, I decided to create a softer, feminine feel using a pastel swirl double-sided patterned paper and silk flowers instead of the previous plastic variety. I folded a silk leaf in half and adhered it using Glue Dots. I then clustered my silk flowers in the center of the card front, attaching them with brads. For additional dimension and layering effect, I folded some of the silk flowers in half and tucked them under the attached flowers, using more Glue Dots.

Supplies:

• Patterned Paper: Wedding Multi Mat Pad by K&Company
• Transparency Sheet: for inkjet printers by 3M
• Accents: Watercolor Brite mini circle brads & eyelets by Making Memories
• Silk Flowers & Leaf: Michaels Stores

Finished Size 5" x 5".

Bonus Tip! Both cards are easily adaptable to any occasion - wedding, anniversary, friend, sympathy, etc.

Busy Little Bee...

Howdy folks! I've been super-duper busy, so I thought I'd share with you a card that I designed a while ago...

I titled this card "Welcome to the HIVE!" It's a simple, cheerful card that I created using a sheet of acetate as the card base. The bees, "grass" and sentiment are on the front of the card, while the flowers reside on the inside. All of the accent images are vellum stickers. I added color to the fonts using Photoshop.

Materials:

• Cardstock: light blue & green adhesive cardstock by DCWV,
  white by The Paper Company
• Transparency Sheet: 3M
• Accents: Happy Flowers/Bees vellum stickers from Provo Craft
• Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares from 3L
• Fonts: HipHop Demi, Blomster from dafont.com, Leftovers from fontdiner.com

Instructions:

1. Cut a 7" x 10" rectangle from transparency sheet. Fold in half to form a 5" x 7" card, crease at the top.
2. Apply large flower sticker to blue cardstock. Adhere to the center of the inside of the card.
3. Cut a 1" strip from the bottom of the green cardstock. Tear away to edge of green cardstock to reveal white core. Adhere to the bottom of the front of the card.
4. Print sentiment on white cardstock. Trim to approx. 1" x 4.25". Mount to center of green CS strip using foam squares.
5. Mount one large bee on white cardstock. Cut out. Glue to card using two stacked foam squares for added height. Randomly attach remaining bees.

Blooming Flower Card

Grattis på födelsedagen!


This is my hexagon-shaped birthday card that "blooms" into a six-petaled flower when opened. This design was inspired by Stephanie Hamilton's project as seen in the February 2008 issue of CARDS magazine. Stephanie and I both used the Hexagon Petal Card template that can be found on the Mirkwood Designs website. I love how the flaps overlap to create a swirl pattern which is emphasized by the alternating patterned paper.

For my design, I decided to add a simple ribbon bow closure. The ribbon performs multiple functions on this card. Of course, it keeps the card closed and adds an elegant finishing touch. But on the back of the card, it also conceals the prongs of the brad that I used to attach an embellishment to the inside of the card.

For the inside of the card, I adhered a piece of hexagon- shaped patterned paper with my sentiment printed along the outer edges. I then took apart a silk daisy and attached it to the center of my card with a large brad. I covered up the front of my brad with the "flower fluff" (technical term) from the silk flower.

Materials:

• Cardstock: Olive Parlor Roses from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatterbox
• Patterned Paper: Light Summer Flowers from Scrapbook Walls collection by Chatterbox
• Accents: Pastel jumbo brad from Making Memories, silk flowers and gold ribbon from Michaels Stores
  
• Adhesive: Glue Dots Craft adhesive dots
  
• Fonts: Blackjack from Font Bros
• Tools: Xyron's sticker maker
• Other: template from Mirkwood Designs; Photoshop

BTW, in case you're wondering, "Grattis på födelsedagen" is "Happy Birthday" in Swedish!

Short, Dark, Handsome... and Online!

I've got great news for all of you who requested a copy of the template to my Tuxedo Card. You will still be able to find it in the Step-by-Step section of the February/March 2008 issue of Paper Trends magazine. But now the editors have also included the template and complete instructions in their online Idea Gallery. So feel free to head on over there and download your own copy! Happy Crafting!

Edited to Add: Although the template and instructions to my Tuxedo Card are available through Paper Trends magazine and their website, please note that they are for personal use only. According to my contract with Northridge Media, I still retain the sole rights to use this template for commercial purposes. Thank you for understanding!