Let's Party Birthday Cards

Happy Monday, y'all!  Yesterday was a rainy day, so the kids and I made some chocolate cupcakes just for fun using a Ghirardelli mix and homemade icing from the recipe on the back.  They are delicious!  That got me remembering some birthday cards I made recently with the very fun Simple Stories Let's Party collection.  (I also created a layout for my son's birthday).

For this first card, I trimmed one of the journal squares, distressed it, and layered it over a strip of patterned paper.  Some enamel dots and staples, and it was a quick and nice card!

Angled view:

My next card is perfect for a boy!  I used another journal card, lined with stripe paper matted onto aqua paper, and stitched along the edges.  Enamel dots, a sticker, and a foiled star complete it.

Here's a better look at the foiled star that I created using my PixScan mat and my Mini Minc.

I was inspired for card number three by photo corners.  I created two different size triangles from square scrap pieces of the red Happy Birthday paper.  A few stickers, a New Bradz, and some stitching were finishing touches!

I was inspired for this last card by my Heidi Swapp Memorydex dies that I just got on sale.  I used one to cut a file folder out of the red Happy Birthday paper (love that paper!!) and used it as my base.  A few more stickers, some more enamel dots, and stitching...et voila!  I'm sending this one to my brother for his birthday!

That's it for me today.  I hope you are inspired to create some cards - they don't have to be time-consuming to be pretty!

Chocolate and hugs,

Majken

Love Shaker Card with Basketweave technique

Hi everyone - hope you are having a craft-tastic weekend!  I wanted to pop in quickly to share a card that uses the paper basketweave technique and also is a shaker card!  I used the gorgeous Crate Paper Hello, Love collection (here's a layout I shared last week using the collection).

Take a look!

The card is simple, yet fun.  The basketweave piece is approximately 4x6 and the finished card is 5x7.  

To create the shaker, I took a photo of the heart from one of the patterned papers in Hello, Love, loaded it into Silhouette Studio and then cut it out.  I put patterned paper as the base for the heart (trimmed to just smaller than the heart), and then sprinkled sequins and shapes.  Using some leftover clear packaging, I trimmed that to the size of the heart as well and then put the cut heart on top.

Some twine, enamel dots, and a "love" rub-on complete the card.

Have you tried paper basketweaving yet?  If not, I hope you do...it's addicting!

Chocolate hugs,
Majken

Quilted Snowman - Winter Wishes card

Hi everyone!  Popping in to share a card that I hope you find as adorable as I do...this little quilted snowman was so fun to create.  I know many have already finished their Christmas cards, but if you haven't or if you have more to create, this is a fun one to do.

I first used the We R Memory Keepers Next Level Quilted Embossing Folder on top of white textured cardstock - the texture is amazing!  I used my 3 Fiskars circle hole punches to create each segment of the snowman, and then I lightly inked the edges using Salty Ocean Distress Ink.  I trimmed a piece of CTMH Sky cardstock and stamped asterisks in two sizes, a period, and a colon from CTMH's Tiny Typewriter Alpha set using the Salty Ocean and Pumice Stone Distress Inks.  I lightly touched each asterisk with a Wink of Stella clear marker to create a touch of shine.  

After distressing the edges, I layered it on top of white textured cardstock, silver glitter cardstock, another Sky piece, and a 5x7 white textured piece.  I layered my snowman pieces, used two enamel dots for his eyes and trimmed an orange checkmark enamel piece (cutting off the bottom of the checkmark) to create his nose (the checkmark comes from Echo Park Creative Agenda enamel shapes).  I used CTMH Tulip velvet ribbon for his scarf.  

Finally, I stamped the title in Salty Ocean ink...from two different CTMH stamp sets.  I used the Wink of Stella marker to create shine in the "Winter" to finish the card - it's hard to see in the photo, though.

I hope this post finds you staying warm this winter!  

Hot chocolate hugs,
Majken

PixScan Tutorial - Cutting out Stamped Images {Hello Friend Cards}

Hey there everyone-

I'm back with another PixScan tutorial to show you how easy it is to cut out stamped images.  If you are just getting started with your PixScan mat, I have a PixScan calibration tutorial that may help you.  And I recently created a layout showing how you can digitally fussycut images out of patterned paper.  Today's tutorial is similar but can be applied to stamped images so that you can quickly and easily cut multiple images...which is very handy if you are mass-producing cards.  For today, I wanted to create a set of fun cards to send to friends.  

Note:  I use a Silhouette Cameo in my tutorials.  Materials listed at the end, but if you like the paper, I also used it in this layout.  It's such a pretty collection, and it pops when combined with black and gold!

The first thing I did was stamp my words out on white cardstock, and placed the cardstock onto the PixScan mat.  Take a photo of the mat - make sure you are as straight as possible and that you get the full mat in the photo so you capture the registration marks.  Save the photo to your computer and import the photo into the Silhouette software.

Here's what mine looked like:

The next thing to do is to trace the outer edges of the image(s).

Next, copy the traced images onto a new file so that you can work with them.

To create an edge around your image, do an offset.  I used an offset of 0.05".  

The next step is to clean up the offset points.  Sometimes you have outliers or need to smooth out curves.

The next step is to remove the inside traces off the cutting area, leaving the offset images in the cutting area.

Select the offset image and copy it, pasting it back onto the original file with the PixScan image.  Zoom in on the image to make sure you have the stamped parts in the center of the offsets.

The final step is to send the file to be cut on your machine.  Make sure you have not moved the paper on the PixScan mat between the time you took your photo and the time you will be cutting because the cuts depend on exact placement on the PixScan mat.

This technique will be great for Christmas cards!

For the "friend" and "birthday" banner pieces, I stamped using Black Stazon ink on watercolor paper that I brushed with coordinating colors to the collection.

Card 1 with close-up:

  

Card 2:

Card 3:

Tip: to get more out of your specialty papers, use paper punches to punch out areas that will be hidden.  The vellum circle in the card above was punched from the piece that my photos are matted on in this layout.  The photos hide the cut-out circle!

 Card 4:

Card 5:

If you use your PixScan mat for cutting out stamped images, I'd love for you to share them with me.  Thanks for stopping by!  

Majken

Materials:

• Paper, vellum, and puffy stickers:  Dear Lizzy Documentary collection
• Stamps:  Close To My Heart "Hello, Life" stamp sets (September 2015 special)
• Die cuts:  Lawn Fawn "Stitched Party Banners" (cards 1,2, & 5); Technique Tuesday "Pocket of Love" (card 5); Sizzix Lori Whitlock "Hello Life" (card 4)
• Inks:  Stazon (Black); Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Spun Sugar, Mustard Seed)
• Other:  gold thread; American Crafts Peony Ribbon

Confetti Cards - Scrapping our Stash Blog Hop with Giveaway

Hello crafty people out there!  Welcome back for this month's Scrapping Our Stash blog hop, where we pull out the crafty materials we've been hoarding and USE them to showcase the last weekend of the month.  You probably arrived from Alison's blog and those cute treat bags -- I'm so glad you hopped over!  Read on and then enter for your chance at my giveaway below.

This month, I worked on some cards instead of a layout because my card stash is getting low.  I chose the Crate Paper Confetti collection by Maggie Holmes released in January.

Great black and gold elements combined with the pretty colors!  The first thing I did was create a shaker card filled with...confetti of course!!

I started with black textured cardstock and a "happy birthday" 4x6 card from the "Party" paper.  I trimmed the "happy birthday" out from the pocket card and set it aside for another card.  I punched confetti and sprinkled some chunky gold glitter in between two pieces of acetate from some packaging and adhered them together.  I layered the windowed pocket card over the confetti and stitched around it twice with gold thread.  Finally I adhered the "Celebrate" Thicker over the shaker area and stuck a Maggie Holmes bow from my stash below the window.  Quick, easy, and best of all...fun!

Next up - the happy birthday card using the piece I cut from the pocket card above.

Black textured cardstock is the base again.  I trimmed the party hat "Surprise" paper just smaller than the base and stitched in gold around the edge.  I used a waterbrush pen to watercolor over the sentiment in a peachy-pink color to match the collection, adhered to a piece of black cardstock, and stitched around the edge.  Then I watercolored around the outside edge of the stitching in light green and adhered that to the card base using 3D foam tape.  I added the "yay" Thicker and a gold sequin to finish.

"Yay" for the next card!  

I trimmed another piece of the party hat paper and stitched around the edge onto black cardstock.  I watercolored light green onto the outside edge.  Next, I trimmed the black "yay!" pocket card from the "Party" paper and stitched around it.  I tied some twine around the top, adhered it to the card, and put the "Celebrate" Thicker on the bottom.

Last but not least, "happy day":  

I trimmed a piece of the words paper from "Backdrop", stitched to black cardstock, and then watercolored in light green around the edge and to highlight a couple of the phrases.  I cut a few of the banner pieces from the "Party" paper and stitched through the center one.  I finished the card with tiny alpha stickers from Tim Holtz and a few Confetti gold sequins.

Well, that's all for me today!  I'm happy to have a few more cards in my stash, and this was the perfect collection for them.  

****Giveaway Time!****

I'm giving away one $15 e-gift certificate to My Scraps & More.  All you have to do is:

• Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect, Google+, or Bloglovin AND
• Leave a comment on this blog post with your favorite type of card to make

Simple!  You have until Monday, Sept. 28th at noon Central time to enter for your chance to win.  International entries are fine.  I use random.com to choose the winner.  I'll announce the winner here on my blog on Tuesday, Sept. 29th.  Good luck, and now it's time to hop along to Katrina's blog to check out her pretty project!

xoxo,

Majken

The full list:

Lee-Anne  http://lee-annelovethejourney.blogspot.com

Alison  http://alisondaydesigns.com/

Majken http://chocoscrapaholic.blogspot.com/   ***YOU ARE HERE***

Katrina http://paperscissorsandglue.blogspot.com/  ***GO HERE NEXT***

Cheryl http://patchesandscraps.blogspot.com

Suzanna http://lifestrivialities.typepad.com

Wendy C www.stampingrules.com

MME Sleigh Bells Ring Cards

Hello everyone and happy Christmas Eve!

I wanted to pop in before the festivities of Christmas to share two cards I created using My Mind's Eye "Sleigh Bells Ring" collection.  I received it free from MME for winning their sketch drawing in October for my layout This Kid is the Best.  Such fun!!

And I got the SBR collection just in time to use it for some fun Christmas projects, such as the Joy Banner here.

Today I wanted to show two ways to use the collection.  The first is the "typical" Christmas card:

I cut the red reindeer and wood grain papers for the card face and inked the edges in black.  I cut a tag with the mistletoe image and then backed the tag with the green and red paper from the collection.  I added a bit of sparkle using my Gelly Roll pen, tied a gold knot on the tag, and stamped a simple "Merry Christmas" (CTMH, retired set).

But you can use this collection for masculine cards, too, like this birthday card I created to send to my brother:

I cut two pieces from the SBR collection again, this time going for less "Christmas-y" paper (the black plaid and the brown deer) to use as the card face.  I inked the edges again in black and cut a tag using the light wood grain paper.  I cut a strip of the plaid paper to go across the tag and used a circle punch to get one of the deer heads to pop up off the tag.  I used a dark brown wood dot from the collection on the top of the tag, and then used the satin, less glittery side of the same gold ribbon to frame the card.

Well, that's it from me until after Christmas!  I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing holiday filled with family, fun, food, happiness, and of course, chocolate.  :)

Best wishes,
Majken

Hello card

Hello my crafty friends!

So last week I shared with you a sympathy card that I made using the My Mind's Eye "Collectable" Unforgettable collection.

Today I'm going to share a 2nd card using the same collection and the negative space of the Doodlebug Designs die cut.

Here is the "hello" card:

You can see the negative die cut space helps the brown floral paper show through.  I inked the edges of the negative space using a Fantastix Coloring tool and CTMH Cocoa ink.  I then double-sewed inside the pink striped paper to frame the card.

Next I created a banner and embellishment cluster using Collectable stickers and buttons.  I used a Gelly Roll glitter pen to outline the edge of the die cut -- you can see a little shimmer below around the edge of the die cut negative:

For the sentiment, I used the 3D technique that I shared with the So Very Loved layout last week.  I used the Mama Elephant Inline Letters dies and cut 4 of each letter in plain white cardstock...and then glued them together one on top of each other to create my own chipboard effect.  Then I glued the final letters using the striped brown paper.  You can see the dimension below...do you also see the sparkle?  I used the Gelly Roll glitter pen to cover the brown stripes for just a touch of shine.

I hope you enjoyed my card today, and remember:  it's never too late to send a homemade card to a friend just to say "hello".  :)

Have a great week!
Majken

Sympathy Card with MME Collectable

Happy Friday everyone!  

Today I wanted to share a card using the My Mind's Eye collection "Collectable" - Unforgettable.  I had a friend lose her father to lung cancer, and it hit home because of the similarities with my own dad, so I was drawn to create a card to send to her.

I wanted to create a simple card, and I was drawn to use a die from the Doodlebug Design Framelit "Frames", which I used with the pink striped paper.  I first adhered a rectangle of the brown floral paper and double-sewed around it with brown thread.

After inking the edges of the die using CTMH Cocoa ink, I popped it up with 3D foam squares.  The sentiment is from the CTMH "4 My Friends" stamp set, which I stamped in Juniper ink onto Colonial White cardstock.

I finished the card with a simple knot with organdy ribbon underneath the sentiment.

Tune in next week -- I'll be sharing another card created with this collection and the negative space of this die cut!

Here's to a weekend with crafting and chocolate!
Majken

Positively Cool

Hello Friday, and hello paper crafts people!

My nephew had a birthday a couple of days ago, so I made him a square card using one of my very favorite Echo Park collections "All About a Boy".  I *love* the colors in this collection. This stamped 6x6 card is going to be on the Practical Scrappers blog today highlighted stamped projects.  I used Close To My Heart stamps S1204 (sentiment) and A1150 (chevron).

This was a relatively simple card.  I stamped the chevron in several blue inks to create an ombre effect, and then sewed in orange across the middle of the chevrons and over the various patterned papers.  I outlined the blue patterned paper with stitching as well.  

I stamped the sentiment "You are positively COOL!" and popped it up with 3D foam tape. 

Now I just need to send my nephew the card!  I did text him to wish him happy birthday, but it's not the same as getting something in the mail....even if belated.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Chocolate hugs,
Majken

Birthday Cards with My Mind's Eye

Hi everyone!

Are you as tired as I am of going from 30 degrees to 75 degrees and back to 40 degrees? Yes, I know I live in Houston and this is "normal".  That doesn't mean I have to *like* the cold front coming in -- AGAIN -- that will plummet us back into winter.

Well, to help combat the cold, winter doldrums, I wanted to share with you some fun birthday cards that I made using My Mind's Eye Cut and Paste "Flair" collection (if you know about my paper hoarding, then I should tell you that the deepest stack of paper I always have is from My Mind's Eye...I have loved them since they started, and still have a few pieces of their earliest collections stashed away.)

The card on the right was shared as part of the Practical Stampers birthday card post, but I wanted to share all three with you here today.

Happy Birthday & Many More - 4.25" x 5.5" card

The MME Cut & Paste collection sports ampersands, and I took that theme with the first card and cut an ampersand using my Cameo.  I used pop dots to bring the ampersand up from the chevron paper mat, which I framed with black cardstock.  That is again framed with the ombre blue paper, which is also matted with black cardstock.  I stamped the "Happy birthday" on the pink ombre paper and cut it to fit in the CTMH black tag that I tied onto the card with twine.  Next I stamped the dashed line and the "many more" on the bottom.  Embellished with two gems, and done!

Today Is Your Day - 5" x 7" card

This next card is simple and geometrical.  I first cut the "Today Is Your Day" card from the cardstock and framed with black cardstock.  I sewed through the triangles in black thread. This is matted onto a background of half pink/half blue ombre paper from the collection, which I sewed twice around as a frame, matted onto white cardstock, and then adhered to a black cardstock frame.  Finally, I cut several squares of various papers into 2" squares and cut diagonally to create triangles.  I cut black cardstock squares slightly bigger and again diagonally to create the triangle mats.  I layered them, sewed along them, and then put the "Celebrate" banner over with a brad.

Happy Birthday/Celebrate - 4.25" x 5.5" card

I cut some of the blue ombre paper and random-stamped the "Celebrate" CTMH stamp in second and third generation, finishing with a first generation bottom center and matting with the pink ombre paper (both inked along the edges).  I cut the polka dot paper rectangle, and framed it with distressed black cardstock.  I stamped the frame and "Happy Bithday" and fussy cut around the frame.  Finally, I cut a square of the flower paper, adhered it to the black CTMH tag, tied in the black CTMH ribbon, and put the button with twine in the middle.  I finished the card three Basic Grey candy buttons and one of my favorites: a Maya Road star pin.

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I hope you are staying warm wherever you are.

Hot chocolate and whipped cream for everyone!
Majken Pullin

Materials Used:
My Mind's Eye - Cut & Paste "Flair" collection (paper, brads)
CTMH black ribbon, black tag charm, twine, Hollyhock ink, Lagoon ink, black cardstock
CTMH stamps:  D1475 "Celebrate"; C1429 "Happy birthday" and frame; D1475 "Many More"; C1441 dashed line; C1394 "celebrate"; C1257 "Happy Birthday"
Basic Grey candy buttons
Doodlebug Design mini-pearls
Maya Road star pin