Christmas in July Gift Card Holder

Hi everyone, thank you for stopping by and checking out my Christmas in July Gift Card Holder.  Hope you enjoyed starting this hop at Scrapalette's blog (http://scrapalette.blogspot.com).  LB's blog at http://coolbeansbylb.blogspot.com should have sent you to me.  If not, please don't forget to go and take a look.

I have been intrigued by the flip-it/swing cards and decided to give it a try.  I made mine a little bigger than Mary's chart at CricutwithHeart.blogspot.com.  (Thanks Mary!)  I used Bazzill cardstock for the base of the card and some Christmas paper from past years for the accent.  I cut the companion shapes from Bazzill cardstock also.  (The examples are not cut from the same cardstock/paper.)

The base card and accent paper were cut from the Cricut/CTMH Artiste cart, page 52, Accent 1 at
6 1/2".  The base card and accent paper have two score lines.  On the base card, fold the first section back at the score line and the second section forward.  This gives you your flip-it/swing card.

The accent paper is cut off at the score lines for the front and back portion of the card.  I did not use the accent paper on the inside fold.  For the front accent paper, I cut 1/8" off the top, left side, and bottom.  Ink the edges if so desired.  Adhere to base card with adhesive of choice.  For the back accent portion, I cut 1/8" off all four sides, inked, and adhered.

The companion shape was cut using Cricut/CTMH Art Philosophy, page 62, Oval 5 at 2 1/2".  Ink edges if so desired, stamp sentiment, and adhere.  To adhere the inside companion shape in its proper position, I lined it up with the design on the card, applied my adhesive, then brought the back of the card over.

The gift card holder was cut at 3 1/4" X 3".  Score 1/2" on one end of the 3 1/4" side and 1/2" on both sides of the 3" side.  Your gift card holder should measure 2 1/4" X 2 1/2" when finished.  Trim corner pieces off near score lines and fold over.  Ink edges if so desired.  I attached Scor-tape to the 1/2" tabs, inserted the gift card, removed the tape backing, and adhered to the card so as not to be seen when closed.

I hope I inspired someone to make a gift card holder using the flip-it/swing cards.  Now for more fun, please visit the blog of gonescrappin' at http://scrappycol.blogspot.com.

The following is a list of all the blogs participating in the gift card holder hop:

Paulette at http://scrapalette.blogspot.com/  
Laura at http://www.coolbeansbylb.blogspot.com/  
Fran at http://lovebugtimme.blogspot.com/
Colleen at http://scrappycol.blogspot.com/
Theresa at http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com/
Beth at http://seaswancreations.blogspot.com/
Betsy at http://betsymcreates.blogspot.com/

Do You Remember?

Do you remember when Cricut came out with markers?  It seemed everyone was using them to make drawings or invitations.  When skydolphin asked if anyone wanted to send cards to LynnF's granddaughter, I decided that I would send her a coloring book made with the Cricut Disney carts and the markers.  It was really easy.  I put 8 designs on each 12" X 12" page (4 on the front and 4 on the back), then cut them into 6" X 6" sheets of paper.  After I got them all printed, I stacked them together, used thick chipboard to keep them from being dented, and clipped them together with large binder clips.  I then put PVA glue along one edge.  After letting that dry for about 15 minutes, I applied another layer of PVA.  While the glue was drying, I assembled the front and back covers using chipboard.  I then measured the thickness of the glued pages and created the spine.  After the cover was complete, I put a lot of glue in the spine area and attached the coloring pages.  I immediately closed the covers, used some lightweight chipboard, and the large binder clips again.  I let this sit for 24 hours.  After 24 hours, I opened it up and the front and back pages stuck a little from the excessive glue.  I just covered them up with some red heart washi tape and this is what I sent to Trinity, along with her card and some colored pencils.  Hope you like it!

Dr. Jen's baby book complete!

After making the front and back cover during NSD in May, I finally got back to it.  I used DCWV's "The Green Stack 70% Recycled Paper" along with some Bazzill cardstock in solid colors.  Dr. Jen is expecting her second boy and they have decided to name him Maverick.  I didn't want their first son, Noble, to feel left out so I made the book for both boys.

I used CCR (Cricut Font and Basic shapes) to cut out the boys names then used Stampin' Up white ink and CTMH chevron stamp to decorate.  I then added Diamond Glaze because the white ink doesn't seem to want to dry.  I added some beads and charms (monkey face and owl) onto a TH clip with wire.

Inside the front cover, I cut a slit into the paper and added two photo/journal cards.  I embellished with a TH die cut and cardstock from the stack on one and a round punch stamped using the CTMH stamp.  I also added a stamped owl from CTMH on cardstock at the bottom.

Using CCR I cut out clouds in chipboard and card stock.  I inked the edges with Stampin' Up ink.  The pocket was made using paper from the stack.

There was a lot of fussy cutting on this page.  The background paper was birds on tree limbs.  So I cut a belly band out of bark colored paper from the stack and adhered fussy cut birds and tree limbs.  I used different sized pop dots to give it more depth.  The photo/journal cards were cut using CCR.

Continuing with the bark paper on the next page, I embellished with rub-ons from Bo Bunny and hot glued a couple of butterflies.  Don't tell anyone but the butterflies were cover up my mistake.  The bark paper is a flap covering up a photo mat.  It is held down with magnets.

Trying to stay with the theme of the paper, I cut out a leaf using CCR and adhered a portion of it to the page.  I created photo/journal cards to be stuck into the leaf.

Trying to stay with the owl/monkey theme, I decided to do a monkey page.  This is what I came up with.  The branch portion was cut using wood veneer.  I really like how they turn out.  The leaves on the photo mat and half of the monkey are not glued down so as not to hinder adding in a photo.

The next two pages are owl pages.  I did photo blocks and pop dotted owls.  The owls were stamped on cardstock using Stampin Up ink then cut out.  I did a little coloring on the cardstock to indicate male and female.

The "Owl" Family page.  I really like this page.  The top owl is in the stack as paper.  The remaining owls and tree limbs were fussy cut out of different paper in the stack.  I liked how they decreased in size.

I wanted to give Dr. Jen a place to put several photos.  I cut Bo Bunny photo sleeves down then used double sided tape to adhere them to each other on the side.  I then covered a piece of white card stock with washi tape and glued it down over the edge so as no tape showed.  I gave the page a little glitter and cut out a washi tape bird using CCR.

This page continues with the bird theme.  Everything was cut using CCR.  I covered white cardstock with different style washi tape and cut out the birds.  The tree was cut using the blue bark paper from the stack then I inked the edges to give it some depth.  The birdhouse was cut using CCR then glued together to create a little book.

I used some bling on this page to pick up on all the swirls in the paper.  I did a double mat using my Perfect Layers (I bought these while shopping with Kristen, Margaret, Reba, and Barbara during Circle Mania).

On the inside of the back cover, I made an envelop using my Envelop Punch Board so that Dr. Jen can keep a few keepsakes.  "Keepsakes" was cut out using CCR.

I will deliver the book to Dr. Jen tomorrow.  I know she will love it because that is just the type of person she is.  I hope you enjoy the book also.

My First Commission - Mini Word Book

I have been making mini books and giving them away for quite some time.  Whenever my employees were expecting, I would find out the sex of the baby and what theme they were planning.  I would then make them a mini.  Well, one of the recipients of two of my books has commissioned me to make a mini for a relative.  She told me the name was Kellen and the theme of the baby's room was sports using primary colors.  I went to Etsy to download the sports paper and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.  So I decided I would use primary colors and decorate with sports cutouts using my Cricut. I changed my mind very quickly as I didn't like how it was coming together.  I searched Etsy again and found what I was looking for.  After printing the card stock to the desired sizes, the following mini is what came of them.  I hope you like it.


Each page is two pieces of chipboard cut using CCR and Mickey Font then glued together.  I covered the entire page with solid cardstock.  The letter is the Mickey Font cut out of chipboard, covered with card stock and glued onto the page.

I used some ribbon and some charms on the spine (We R Memory Keepers spiral binding).

On the back of the baseball (K) page, I used CCR and Baseball.  I glossy accented the "Rookie" and dry glittered it.

We live in Phoenix so I decided to use the Phoenix Suns colors.  I used CCR and Basketball.

The first (L) page was golf.  I used CCR and Everyday Paper Dolls to cut out the flag pole.  I cut it three times to get each layer (flag, pole, hole in the ground).  The flag is card stock, the pole is cherry veneer, and the hole is that paper that has fibers running through it (I can't remember the name of it).

The back of the golf page has golf balls from CCR and Everyday Paper Dolls.  

The second (L) page is soccer.  Using CCR and Soccer, I created the soccer ball card.  I then glued the cards together to create an accordion photo holder.

The back of the second L is a photo mat with some embellishments around it.

The (E) page is tennis.  I used a Tim Holtz die through my Cuttlebug and created a pocket.  I then covered three tags with the tennis card stock, tied some rat tail ribbon through the top, and edged them with ink.

The back of the E page is two photo mats with "game, set, match" cut out using CCR and I believe Cricut Fonts.

This is my favorite page.  I cut out my football player using CCR and Everyday Paper Dolls.  I used Arizona Cardinals colors and tried to give it depth using the directions from the message board.

"My Country 'tis of Thee" Album

I will be teaching this album at my LSS.  I fell in love with the Bo Bunny Anthem collection and this is what I came up with.  It features pockets, flaps, magnets, washi tape, stickles. gesso with gelatins, some smooch on the flowers, and some pocket minis.  Hope you like it.