MP3/4 Gift Card Holder Tutorial

Hiya, Crafters! Happy Wednesday! It's snowing pretty good over here and my cats are racing all over the house. Don't they know they're supposed to do that at 3 AM? Silly kitties. All right, so today's tutorial is yet another gift card holder. My niece wanted some music for her iPod so that's what she is getting. I designed this one with the help of Google images!

Here's what you'll need to make this gift card holder:

• Cardstock cut to 4 x 5 1/4"
• White cardstock cut to 2 1/8 x 1 1/2" for the LCD
• Twine
• Circle punches of varying sizes
• Scoring tool
• Stamping and die cutting tools needed to finish the card

Let's get started! First, we need to make the sleeve. On the long side, you will be scoring at 4 1/2" and again at 2 1/4". Fold along your score lines.

At this point you may want to determine which side is going to be your back and punch out a half circle or something similar. Just so it's easier on them to get the gift card out.
Next cut some twine. I eyeballed mine so I don't know how long it is. All I did was cut one piece and folded it in half. These are for the ear buds. Run your tape runner along the bottom and the 1/2" flap. Before you glue the sleeve together, add the twin to the flap making sure you have two ends free to glue your ear buds to.

Above you can see there is a LCD and that dial. The LCD measures at 2 1/8 x 1 1/2" and I rounded the corners. (My envelope punch board is the best corner rounder I have!) 
The white dial circle is 1 1/4" and the purple circle is actually the largest circle in the owl builder punch. I punched out 5 of them as I used 4 for the large part of the ear buds. The black "speaker" in the buds I used a 1/4" hole punch. I used liquid glue when adhering the buds tot he twine because it allows for some play.  Voila! You are done. Here's what it looks like from behind.

This did not take me long at all to make. I hope you enjoyed today's super easy gift card holder! I'll be seeing you next week. Happy Thanksgiving, Crafters! Travel safely everyone!

Swinging Gift Card Holder Tutorial

Hiya, Crafters! Welcome back! As I explained in my last post I'm celebrating Christmas this weekend with my family in Illinois. Yesterday I made the book gift card holder. Today, I am making a simple, but elegant swinging gift card holder. I saw the idea here. It's so simple there are literally only three pictures. That's not because I want to play my game, which I do.; but because it really is that simple.

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

• Cardstock in your preferred colors.
• Any shape of nesting dies, or one die
• Brads
• Embossing folder
• Embossing and Die cutting machine
• Black marker
• Stamping tools needed to finish the card.

Let's get started! In this tutorial I am using Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels ten. I used the largest and second largest die. Cut out two of the largest shapes in one color. I used my black marker to create some faux stitching using the die as a template.I only did this to one of the largest shapes. Then I embossed it. I was lucky to have an embossing folder that looked like a frame. I don't know what it's called, but it's a cuttlebug one.

 Then I cut out the second largest shape in green. For the pocket, I used designer paper. I cut that out with the second largest die. On the green and designer paper I also did faux stitching. 

Next I cut the designer paper shape in half to serve as my pocket. Only taping around the edges, I lined it up with the other shape. I then taped these to the largest shape in red that I did not faux stitch or emboss.

Now is the time to finish decorating. You can opt to add a To and From to the pocket or not. I'm doing that on the envelope I put it in. I used Stampin' Up's keepsake ornaments in garden green. I stamped out one of the smaller ornaments in smokey slate and punched out the circle with a 1" circle punch and adhered to the middle. That went on the front.

Next I lined up both pieces, as you should only have two  of the same size now, and pierced the paper in the corner and inserted a single brad that allows movement for the swinging. That's it! Took me less than an hour, which means I can go play my game! 

 I know some of you are thinking "Amy, just do your last gift card holder. Stop procrastinating." Well, I am procrastinating. But I've had my Christmas Cards done since September. ;)

Thanks for popping by, Crafters. See you tomorrow!

Book Tutorial

Hiya Crafters! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe. I am having a hard time remembering when it was this cold before Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving my husband and I are visiting my parents in Illinois. Because I live in a different state we're also celebrating Christmas. One of my nieces asked for an amazon gift card so she could buy books. I knew I had to make this "book" to hold the gift card! It fit perfectly. I saw a friend of mine post her creation in a group that we both belong in and I demanded that she make a tutorial for me. It worked out great! =)

Here's what you'll need to make this project:

• (2) pieces of cardstock measuring at 3 x 8"
• (2) pieces of cardstock measuring at 4 1/2 x 8"
• cardstock cut to 3/4" x 4 1/2"
• Designer paper cut to 3 x 4 1/2"
• Coordinating paper cut to 7 1/4 x 4 3/4"
• Scoring tool
• Permanent tape
• Trimmer
• Stamping and scrapping tools needed to finish the project.

Let's get started! On all four pieces of cardstock you will need to score every 1/2" long ways.

 Next you will fold along those scored lines in the mountain valley fold.

What we are going to do next is interlock each piece to make the frame of book pages. You'll take the 3 x 8" and attach to the 4 1/2 x 8" piece and repeat. 

So what I did here is place some glue and lined up the edge of my long piece to the score lines. I placed glue on that "square" again and folded down the short piece.

It's a long process of weaving the mountains into the folds, but you want to do it bit by bit. I do not recommend liquid glue for this step. Here's what it will look like when it's done.

You'll then attach the shorter piece to the bottom. We are making a frame here.

I'm terribly sorry, but I was so caught up in attaching the last long piece to the two shorter pieces that I did not take a picture of the process. It is the most difficult one but it is OK to flatten out the piece you are attaching because you are merely going to fold it again onto the glue. I would do both ends at once though because it will be really hard to get your tape dispenser in there with the top or bottom glued together.

So I have to admit I'm a bit rushed in doing this. My birthday present was released last week and it was Dragon Age: Inquisition. I really, really, really, really love playing that game. I want to play it so badly right now that I skipped picture steps. But I'll tell you what I did!

The next step is applying the 3 x 4 1/2" designer paper to the frame. It doesn't matter which side. I used double sided tape for this. After that  you'll want to attach the 3/4 x 4 1/2" piece of cardstock to one of the long sides. This will be the spine of the book where you hold the binding together. If your designer paper has a right side up, make sure you place the "spine" that coordinates with it. I did use both double sided tape and liquid glue for that.

Now to make the front and back cover. Take the 7 1/4 x 4 3/4" paper and score at 4" and 3 1/4". I know the tutorial says different, but I ind this works better for me. If you have any decorating to the front of the paged frame or the cover do it before you attach it. You'll be attaching the cover to the spine only, don't glue the back or the front down.

Would you like to make a box? Do you have an envelope punch board? Great! You'll need an 8 x 8" piece of paper. On your punch board, line the paper up at 2 3/4", punch and score. Then on the same edge line it at 4 1/8", punch and score. Then treat it as you normally would on the rest of the sides.

Not pictured (I really want to play my game. No one expects the Ferelden Inquisition![Or should that be Thedas Inquisition instead?]) is that I snipped the edges of the flaps so I had something to glue the bottom to. I cut them completely off at the top. Here's what I have left to show you.

And the gift card fits so nicely in here!

While time consuming, it is awesome. Any book lover will love to get this. Take your time with it. If you're rushing so you can play a game, you might have a few mistakes and it will only take you that much longer to get to your fabulous game. 8/10 stars from me! (It will probably get a higher rating when I've finished it and played through it again and again like I did Dragon Age: Origins.)

If you were on the fence to get this game because DA2 broke your heart like it did mine, do it. It is SO much better. It's HUGE! Yeah, there are a lot of references to that game that I don't want to think of, but you can get past it. I did. (I did mention I like video games, I'm sure of it.)

Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll probably have more to post tomorrow and Wednesday. Wednesday is not looking good for me to play my game. See ya soon!

Sheep Tutorial

Hiya, Crafters! I hope everyone has been well these past couple of weeks. I have to admit that I am in another card making funk. I promised my mother a couple of years ago to do a proper scrapbook of my brother who had died in 2003. I finally started and finished it last week. It was the hardest scrapbook I think I will ever do. I tried so hard to make it with joy and love instead of grief. It took a lot out of me and it put me into a bit of a card making funk. My loving husband prescribed that I do a fun scrapbook and nominated our three cats as the subject. I think I'll take his advice.  But!! My lovely cousin had her baby! And what is even more of a surprise is that she had her baby on her birthday! I don't know if it gets more awesome than that. They opted to now know if they were having a boy or a girl - It's a Boy! His name is Ryan Christopher and he weighed 7lbs & 7 oz and 21 inches long. I had to make her a congratulations card! I'll be glad to show you how I made the sheep.

Here's what you'll need to make the card:

• Your choice in color of cardstock and measurements
• Glue (I used liquid for the sheep)
• Polka Dot Embossing folder
• Scallop punches and dies
• Oval punch or die
• Small circle punch (I used owl builder)
• Word window punch for legs
• Sponges
• Stamping and die cutting tools needed to finish the card

Let's get started! First you will want to emboss your cardstock in a polka dot embossing folder. Then punch out the scallops that will be the main body for your sheep. Mine are about 1 1/2". For the fluff on the head, I used smaller scallops that I got from a dollar bin and from one of the flowers from the boho blossoms punch. So long as you have the varied sizes yours will look fine. Depending on how big you want your sheep, select the oval that will work just right for the body. I actually used a tag & cut the top off since my ovals were too big or too small for what I wanted.

Next I sponged the edges in blue ink. If you want a more realistic look try a light tan or beige. Crumb cake is my favorite for this type of work. In the same cardstock for the head I punched out two pieces with my word window and cut those in half for legs. I did the same with the large circles with the owl builder punch and cut them in half for ears. All that is left is to assemble your sheep. I generally angle the ears off of the top corner  and hide them under the scallops. I don't bother with making a face, but you certainly can with a black or white gel pen.

I hope you enjoyed today's quick and easy tutorial on making sheep. I really love this and have used it even in scrapbooks. Thanks for popping by, Crafters! See ya soon!

Bleaching Technique

Hiya, Crafters! Happy birthday to me! This is certainly a special week considering I didn't plan to post again. I needed to make a quick card and this technique is something that I've really been wanting to try. So I did! 

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

• Cardstock - get everything you'll need to make this card.
• Bleach
• Spare paint brush or aqua painter
• Embossing powder
• Versamark - or something similar
• Heat gun
• Stamping tools needed to finish the card

Let's get started! Stamp your image in versamark and pour your powder over the images. Set the powder with your heat gun. You'll see here that I have a small bowl of bleach and a paint brush. Be certain you only use that brush or aqua painter with nothing else since we're working with bleach.

What's next is super simple. Paint your image with bleach. Don't get too sloppy like I did or it will show that you painted outside the lines. I used a paint brush as I had spares of those, but you may find you have more control with the aqua painter. Also, the bleach will not effect the embossing powder. You may already see the bleach working after about a minute or less. This is what mine looked like.

The next part is what really had me saying "Wow!" excitedly when I watched the video. When you're done painting with the bleach, take your heat gun and heat under the cardstock. It's like magic! The paper will lighten even more.

Pretty slick, huh? The more you bleach, the more you'll have this effect, so you can really take this up plenty of notches. This might become one of my new favorite techniques! Be careful though, bleach really shows mistakes. That's it for me today! Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll see you next week.

Mojo Monday 370 Challenge

Hiya, Crafters! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone has been having a good week so far. Today I decided to enter my first ever challenge today! You can find out about the details here. I've been visiting their site for a while now just loving the sketches they put up. It's great for inspiration. Something about this week's challenge made me want to do it. So wish me luck!

Stamp sets used:

• Flower Shop
• Mosaic Madness
• Yippee-Skippee

Colors used:

• Daffodil Delight
• Pear Pizzazz
• Calypso Coral

So tomorrow is my birthday! I never thought I would get this old, honestly. And I've hardly started! We don't have anything spectacular planned; just an evening out for a free pizza. =)
Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll see ya next week.

I want to stress that I am not a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator nor am I affiliated with them.

Thyme Lord

Hiya, Crafters! What a day it has been for me! My darling husband bought tickets to see Alton Brown Live today. He texted me to bring my favorite cookbook of his downtown because Alton Brown is doing an impromptu flash signing. Of course I am going to do this, but I have about an hour before I need to leave. So I quickly make a card that I know he will never see the likes of again. Then I grab Good Eats, the early years, and make my way downtown like a maniac to get it signed. Did you know Alton Brown considers himself a Thyme Lord? ;)

Upon giving Alton the card, he almost immediately recognized it as handmade. I was really thrilled that he liked it.

The show was amazing. If you happen to find Alton Brown Live near your area, I would get tickets.

Thanks for popping by. Crafters. See ya next week!

Stationary Holder Tutorial

Hiya, Crafters! Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. I am looking forward to Halloween. This is the first time that I will be home at night to be able to see all the ghouls, super heroes, and princesses that come to our house for candy. Looking forward to it! Tomorrow we are going to carve our pumpkin; Wednesday my husband and I are going to see Alton Brown Live as a treat for our first anniversary so we are super excited. Then our beggar's night is Thursday. So we have a busy week ahead of us. Today I am going to show you how I make stationary holders to give as gifts. I cannot remember where I saw this originally. It was either Pinterest or YouTube. But it is super simple and I am excited to show you how to quickly make it up.

Here's what you'll need to make this stationary holder:

• Two envelopes larger than the actual envelope that will hold your card
• Cardstock
• Coordinating cardstock
• Coordinating ribbon or twine
• Double sided tape
• Trimmer
• Stamping tools needed to finish the project

Let's get started! Start with the larger envelopes. The ones I am using measure out to 7 1/4" x 5 1/4", but you can use any size you like providing that the stationary envelopes will fit in them. One of those larger envelopes, cut the flap off.

Then on the envelope that still has its flap, I rolled tape on the back of the flap and the outer edge. I then slid it inside the other envelope.

After that I decorated the front as to how I decorated the stationary. I attached ribbon to the side. I didn't measure it, so long as you can tie a knot or a bow will be fine.

I did the same to the inside and attached it with the same cardstock.

Each envelope can easily hold four envelopes or four cards. I kept mine free of bling and anything else that is 3D so that it doesn't break through the envelope holders.

The cards themselves are measured at 5 1/2" x 8" and scored at 4". I made the envelopes to fit so when I gift these, I'll include a double sided tape runner from the $1 bin. Below are more examples.

In the digital age, stationary is something from the past. But there is always a need for it at some time or another. I kept them blank so that the receiver can write whatever they want on the inside. These would also be great to sell at craft fairs. 

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and that it gave you some inspiration. If you do this, link a picture of your creation to my blog or leave it in the comments below. Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll see you next week!

Scalloped Tag Topped Circle Tip

Hiya, Crafters! I hope today finds everyone doing well and that we all had a great week. Today's make is something really simple to accomplish. I saw this card and just had to try it myself.

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

• Cardstock for your base - mine is cut to 5 1/2" x 8" and scored at 4".
• Coordinating cardstock
• Nesting dies - can be any shape so long as thy fit on the card
• Scallop tag topper punch
• Stamping and die cutting tools needed to finish the card.

Normally I'd say let's get started but there's only one step I feel I need to show you. So cut down some coordinating stock and punch out your scallop tag topper. Then slide your circle, or whatever shape you chose, and make sure you simply tuck the top of the tag over the die so it doesn't get cut.

And that's it. Quick and easy for something you don't see every day. 

Hope you enjoyed this little tip and that it gives you plenty of ideas.  I've lost quite a bit of inspiration lately. I don't know if it has to do with the repetitive cards that I've had to make for the upcoming holiday season, or the scrapbook I am trying to make. It's a very tough subject of a loved one who had passed away 11 years ago. I'll get through it, though. Thanks for popping by, Crafters. I'll see you next week!

View Master Card Tutorial

Hiya, Crafters! Happy Monday everyone!! I apologize for not posting last week. I had a cold, the remnants are still getting me today, and I just couldn't get into crafting. I also didn't want to send a cold. But I do have something for you today that I can finally post! Yesterday was my one year wedding anniversary!! It's amazing how fast time went by! I love him so much. I wanted to make him an interactive card, and one not too girly either. I found this tutorial a while ago and thought this was the perfect occasion to try it! I toned down the girly bit because I made him hang it up at his office at work. When you spin the view finder, it comes out to say I freakin' love you! and then the wedding date. I also used our wedding colors. The TARDIS is a reference to our honeymoon. The nice thing about this card is that you can change the measurements to suit your needs easily.

Here's what you'll need to make this card:

• Cardstock cut to 6 1/2 x 10" scored at 5".
• Coordinating cardstock cut to 4 3/4 x 6 1/4"
• Coordinating cardstock cut to 4 5/8 x 6 1/8"
• Trimmer
• Copy paper (or lined paper, whatever you have on hand)
• White cardstock
• 4 1/4" circle die (Or whatever will easily rotate in your card)
• 1 1/4" circle die (or what you have on hand)
• 1 5/8" circle die
• 1" punch
• 1/8" punch
• Brad
• 3D foam stickers
• Low tack tape
• Stamping and die cutting tools needed to finish the card

Let's get started! Cut out two 4 1/4" circles in your white cardstock and copy paper. The copy paper is going to be a guide for you. If you are going with smaller measurements, just make sure that your circle can spin easily inside your card. On the copy paper, I folded it in half, then folded it in half again, making pie wedges. I did use a straight edge and drew in the lines, I did it so I could see where I would be punching out my notches. You should have 8 wedges.

Next I attached the copy paper  to the other circle in my cardstock with low tack tape holding it in place in the middle. I used washi tape. With my 1/8" punch, I slid the combined pieces in and lined up the edge of the line through the teeny tiny hole. I did my best to only punch on the edge to create the notches.

After that I punched again between the notches, but without my copy paper guide. You'll have something like this:

Not it's time to cut the circles out of our coordinating cardstock.  I cut a 1 1/4" circle out of scrap from the bottom 4 3/4" x 6 1/4" layer. Then I cut a 1 5/8" circle from the top layer. I want to say that these are the only circles I have. The less of a gap between these circles the better it will look. So if you happen to have a 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" punch, use those! But you also need to make do with what you have. I almost forgot! On your 4 1/4" circle, place a dot in the center so you can easily find where you need to pierce your brad through.

What I did here is layer the purple square with the hole under the blue panel. I also cut a half circle out of each layer so that the circle edge sticks out and that it is accessible to spin.

 You'll also want to figure out where you'll be placing the brad through the blue layer. I lined up my circle and made an indentation in the cardstock, then pierced the paper. Once you have the brad through your top layer, flip it over and slide your circle onto the back.

Now it's time to stamp through the circle and onto the white cardstock. I created a mask using the smallest circle I had and taped it onto my card using washi tape. I will say that I had a stamp-a-ma-jig that I used to help me line up exactly where I wanted to stamp. If you have acetate, that will work as well. I also had to tape off parts of my stamp because it was too big to fit through the circle. So each time I stamped, I spun the circle, taped off a different part, and stamped again.

 Once you've stamped out your message, you will assemble the card. Glue your 4 3/4" x 6 1/4" down to your base, then using 3D foam stickers apply the top layer. Use the foam stickers so the white circle can spin.

I would say after making this card that if you're going to do any heat embossing, do it before you punch the brad through the cardstock. 

i hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and that you found some inspiration here. Thanks for popping by, Crafters! I'll see ya soon!