Izbzee

Take Out Surprise!

If you're a hot drink sort of fan, this project would be a fun gift to share with a friend.  Especially with the surprise they'd get when opening the lid. If you don't want to add our suggested insert, you could add a couple of keurig cups or a gift card to their favorite shop. 

The Takeout Coffee cup file is from Simply Crafty Svgs.  A very easy file to use and assemble.  The large version was used for our project.  The penguin head is from the Penguin Explosion Box also from Simply Crafty Svgs. 

After finding some fun mechanisms created by Rob Ives, I thought I could use the Spring Mechanism with this project.  The mechanism itself is easy to assemble and use.   

(image from RobIves.com website)

Two flaps were glued to the top of the inside of the spring mechanism and to the underside of the head.  There are also 2 flaps glued to the bottom of the mechanism and are glued to the inside bottom of the cup.  The flaps provide the stability in keeping the spring mechanism vertical in the cup.  

Mat and cut the cup as designed.  No changes necessary.  The penguin head is resized to a smaller size -- you may want to test the perfect size for you if you use the spring assembly as designed or change the size.  The penguin head pieces were resized to 70% of the original design size.  

(a short video can be seen here)

AC cardstock was used for each base construction Digital papers used in this project are Snowed In from Echo Park.  The cup panels and band are filled with papers from the collection using SCAL 5 Pro.  The stitched heart is also from the collection.  Ink the edges of the panels in a compatible color.  All base elements and print to cut images are cut using the Skycut C24.  

You'll need:  
AC Cardstock (white, black, yellow)
white gel pen
holographic glitter pen
Bearly Art Glue
Skycut C24
SCAL 5 Pro
Elastic band
Spring Mechanism (RobIves.com) - Spring file used in this project is found here. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hoping your creative time this year has been plentiful and will continue to be so.  Have a happy day!

Light the candle - cupcake spinner card

I couldn't leave the spinner cards alone and decided to try another one - this one with a birthday theme. 

The Reindeer Spinner Card and the Cupcake Center Panel Card files are from Simply Crafty SVGs (links below).  The candle lights up too.. and if you pull the slider just enough to close the circuit, the candle light flicker!  

The Chibitronic blog has some great examples to look at and I snagged this idea from there.  To create the card, you will need to resize the cupcake (and decorative pieces) a bit.  I used vellum for the flame on the candle.  The vellum will allow the light to shine through.  

I cut all the pieces for this card from 110 lb cardstock.  Plan on a little bit of time to create the circuit if you've not created one before.  Follow Eiko's video (here) for step-by-step details on how to sew the conductive thread to the light and to the circuit.  It's a very important part of the process.  

The circuit:  

For this card, I did used another battery instead of the CR2016 recommended because I was out of that size.  Since making this card, I've been able to pick up a couple of extra batteries to have on hand as I have several other ideas for a few upcoming cards and batteries will be required!  

Once you've got things assembled, turn that cupcake around and get ready for some fun!  

The sentiment is a self-designed cut I created in SCAL 5 Pro and cut using the Skycut. 

You'll need: 
Chibitronic LED light (white was used in this project)
Copper tape with adhesive backing
conductive thread
foam tape
CR2016 battery
Heavy duty double sided tape
Bearly Art Glue
Decorative paper (1 8.5 x 11 inch sheet)
110 lb cardstock for card base and circuit layer and sentiment.  
scissors
paper piercer
electronic cutting machine 
Reindeer Spinner card (Simply Crafty SVGs)
Cupcake Center Panel Card (Simply Craft SVGs)
vellum (transparent)
yellow, orange and red alcohol markers

Thanks for stopping by.  Hoping you're enjoying some creative time this week as well.  

Textured card front

There's a new dusting of snow on the mountains this morning,.  So pretty to see! 

SNOWFLAKES have always held my heart over the years.  Crochet, tatted, embroidered, paper cuts and now revived in a reverse embossing technique.  Gina K reintroduced the wood grain technique  a few weeks ago, but added another layer of dimension using a stencil as a texture template which I didn't have and I'll be darned if I can find my stencil cutting material at the moment... so rather than waste time or do an online search for a suitable stencil... I made my own template using some layered cardstock.  

Let's prep: 
Skycut C24 and SCAL5 Pro (cutting machine and software)
Big Shot (embossing pad, 2 plates and platform with a shim)
Ink (Staz-on Brand)
Colored pencils
Gamsol
Blending stump
cardstock
Snowflake SVG 

Choose a snowflake  Not too fine of details.  You want something a little bolder to stand out for this project  Creative Fabrica has lots of snowflakes on their site.... take a peek at the variety I found - here. 

Make your texture template:
Place a rectangle on the mat in the software.  Size it to 4.00 by 5.25 (or you could go as large as 6 x 6 if you want.  I just wanted the template to be the same size as the piece of paper I would be cutting.  Place the snowflake SVG in the template, size as needed.  Make sure the snowflake is the top image and is set to cut. Select the two images and choose Path > back minus front.  Copy and paste this image two (2) additional times on the mat for a total of three images.  Cut the images using the machine.  Stack the three cuts together gluing the layers together.  Set aside to dry.  (you could use a Xyron machine to do this, but I found that gluing was less likely to slide during the debossing process.  

Overview of the Card making process.  (video)

Card front:
Cut a piece of cardstock to 4.00 x 5.25 inches.  Score it vertically at 1, 2 and 3 inches on the 4 inch side of the paper.  This creates the base for the wood plank look.  If you want smaller planks adjust the scores as desired.  

For this project, I used Brown Timber and Teal Blue Staz-On.  Again with the 4 inch side at the top, Gently press just the edge of the ink pad to the paper and slide it down the length, repeat across the paper.  Do the same with the Teal Blue.  (Repeat as needed for the number of cards you plan on making.)

Texture the card front:
The "sandwich" on the Big Shot was this:  
Platform (1 layer flipped),  acrylic pad, embossing pad, inked sheet FACE DOWN, template, shim and second acrylic pad.  Run it through and back again.  Remove and the image should be debossed in the card.  

Using the Brown Timber inkpad again, repeat the same process as previously done.  Sliding the pad down the vertical length of the cardstock.  This will highlight the snowflake.  Turn 180 degrees and repeat to make sure all the bumps are highlighted with the brown ink.  

Add a little burst of color:
I'm using a Rembrandt* teal colored pencil to fill in the debossed areas of the snowflake.  It doesn't take a lot of time, and you don't need to fill it in completely.  Once you've completed that, using the blending stump and a bit of gamisol, blend the color a bit.  Let this step dry.  If desired, you can add a touch of mica with a fine brush here and there.  (*Other brands of pencils can be used.  Do a test run first to make sure that the color will pop with the Gamisol - I don't recommend using water to blend the pencils.  You may get a little warping and lose some of the depth with too much water)

Assemble  and embellish card as desired.  Photos will be posted soon.  

say Cheese!

A current challenge on the eclips & eCal Facebook page was the basis for creating this fun interactive card.  The challenge requires use of a shaker element.  The shaker must be created using eCal and cutting with the eclips cutting machine.  

This idea has been in a sketchbook for over a year --the challenge was perfect timing and the opportunity to bring this project to the top of the list opened a bevy of other ideas!  The shaker for this card had to be transparent all the way to the base of the card -- as that would be where the sentiment would be adhered under the shutter elements.  

You'll need:
Bazzil cardstock:
2 8.5 x 11 sheets for the card base (5.5 x 8.5) , 2 panels (1.875 x 5), clasp (optional), shutter mechanism pieces (1 6 x 6 piece)
1 6 x 6 inch for camera
1 3 x 4 inch piece for foil quilled sentiment 
1 6 x 6 inch piece for Lens and bar
1 6 x 6 inch transparency for lens

Foil quill standard tip
Foil
sprinkles for the shaker
Foam for back of camera to adhere to card base.  Foam for the shaker.

Assemble card base, create a gatefold card.  The gatefold will be used in landscape orientation with the flaps being on the top and bottom.  You can add the panels to the front of the card now.  In this version, the panels were dry embossed.  Open the card base. Form the shutter mechanism and adhere to the card base.  While the card base is open, adhere the foil quilled sentiment.  It should be centered in the opening of the shutter when fully opened. 

This card also features an LED light for a flash - using a simple circuit using copper tape, battery and light.  (Check out Chibitronics for the basics.)  A 1/8 inch punch was used to create the spot for the LED to shine through. Apply foam tape around the 2 outside short edges of the camera - and around the battery to keep it in place.  Adhere to the card base, making sure the sentiment is centered in the lens opening.  

Create the shaker, Glue both of the lense cardstock shapes together -- this provides a firm top for the shaker.  To the back of these, adhere on of the transparency circles.  

Adhere the 2nd transparency shape to the front of the camera, centered over the opening in the camera.  Add a foam tape circle to the transparency.  This version used thin strips of 1/8 thick tape - stacked with a second layer of tape.  Add some sprinkles and then place the top of the shaker over this piece. 

Add the clasp and closing (if desired).  Many of the cards you can find using the gatefold method use a belly band.  The clasp used her consists of a rounded rectangle and a decorative piece.  Adhere about 1/3 of the clasp piece to the top fold of the card base.  Glue a small hook and loop to the clasp and bottom flap to keep the card closed. 

Plans are to make several versions of this card.  The shutter element is perfect.  If desired the shaker element could be left off and just the lens piece with one transparency piece used.  Change the sentiment to a stamped image or even a selfie that would fit in the opening area of the shutter.  

 

Hoping you have some time built into your schedules to do a little creating this week.  Nurture your spirit along the way too!  

Coming soon:  5 Spring Tags!  Annual challenge reveal. 

digi stamps and movement

A digital Whimsy Stamp (Sugar) to the rescue for this card for one of our granddaughters.  Her birthday is coming up soon and I really hope she'll like it.  We've been doing some sort of interactive card for each of the grandkids for the last couple of years and it's getting a little tougher each year to find something "new" to keep them excited.  However......

Digi stamp cuteness makes this little girl shine and dance using a simple lever mechanism. 

Sentiment is from Queen & Co.  I printed 3 stamps* to create one card.  I used some textured AC cardstock for this card.  Coloring accomplished using colored pencils.  I sprayed with a fixative for a little more insurance against smearing.

*Printing multiple images and cutting the lever mechanism sets  makes it easy to create additional cards on the fly when needed.  

Thanks for dropping by today.  Hoping you're staying safe and well during this Covid stuff and finding some time to be creative!