Friday, September 26, 2014

Birthday Greetings

Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

Recently a friend gave me a bag of old greeting cards that she had been saving. The cards represented many holidays and celebrations themes. I separated the cards by category and filed them away for future use.

I had just finished several sheets of handmade petal paper and remembered that I needed a birthday card for the very friend who had given me the bag of cards. I checked the stash of cards from her and found the perfect one to die cut and use for her BD card! Wonder if she will notice? Smile.


Supplies:

  • Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
  • A sunny window
  • Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
  • Personal paper cutter, scissors
  • Scor-Pal™
  • Beacon ZipDry™ Adhesive, and foam tape or foam dots
  • Scraps of white paper, scraps of turquoise paper (think junk mail, etc.)
  • Small dried flower petals
  • An envelope (or make matching envelopes with the AG envelope template)
  • An already used store bought card to die cut
  • Dies: Spellbinders’ Large Scalloped Ovals
  • Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine

Instructions:

  1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create one or more sheets white “petal” paper and one sheet of heavy weight turquoise paper.
  2. When the sheets of paper are dry cut the turquoise paper to 81/2” x 5 ½”.
  3. Score each at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create two turquoise cards (set one aside for a future project).
  4. Fold, crease and tear the white “petal” paper to create a deckled edge piece slightly smaller than 4 ¼  x 5 ½” card. (Note - always save the scraps)
  5. Attach the deckle edged “petal” paper to the front of the folded turquoise card with Beacon ZipDry™ adhesive.
  6. Die cut and emboss the sentiment shape from the front of the old birthday card.
  7. Attach the die cut verbiage to the middle of card with foam tape or dots.
  8. Add a personal message.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Gone Fishin’ Card

©Michele Emerson-Roberts  2014


I have such wonderful childhood memories of lazy afternoons just sitting and fishing with my dad. Looking back it didn’t seem to matter that I never caught anything, or would not bait my own hook. What a delight it is to take junk mail and scrapes of paper and use them to create something that not only is useful but also helps keep stuff out of the land fill! This card will be a big hit with the all the males in your life, so you might want to make several to have on hand.


Supplies:
  • Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
  • AG #552 Large Template: Envelope A2
  • AG #551 Large Template:  Deckle Divider
  • Scraps of white and olive green paper (think junk mail, etc.)
  • Dried evergreen needles
  • AG #163 Opal Sprinkles
  • Tiny amount of Opal shred
  • Mold: Fish soap mold
  • 8mm clear crystal bead
  • A sunny window
  • Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels, scissors, bone folder
  • ColorBox™ Olive Green Chalk ink pad and Stylus handle & tip
  • Beacon QuickGrab™, double sided foam tape or foam dots
Directions:

  1. Follow the direction for paper making and casting found in any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits or books using the deckle divider and envelope templates to create two sheets of pale green paper.
  2. Add a tiny bit of dried evergreen needles for the card sheet.
  3. When the paper is dry you will have two deckle edge cards and one matching envelope (You may want to create a second envelope to use later with the extra card - just a reminder: always save the scraps and the left over pieces to use for other projects in the future).
  4. Create some darker olive slurry, add a few of the Opal Sprinkles, caste the fish. (While you have the slurry, you may want to cast some other items to use for future projects. I often do many casting at a time.)
  5. Since this mold is thin plastic, dry the casting in a sunny window.
  6. When the casting is dry, carefully tear around the shape of the fish close to the body.
  7. Use the ColorBox™ Stylist handle and tip to apply Olive Chalk ink to the raised areas on the fish.

Assemble the card:

  1. Fold the card in half. Follow the folding instructions to create the handmade envelope.
  2. Use the QuickGrab™ adhesive to attach a small amount of Opal shred to the front of the card and to attach the 8mm clear crystal bead to the fish’s eye.
  3. Use the foam tape or dots to attach the fish casting to the center area of the card. 

Caution when mailing: you will probably need to put this one in a box so that it does not get crushed, or better yet, hand carry it and watch his eyes light up when he opens the envelope!

Friday, September 12, 2014

WHO! WHO!

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014


I don’t usually do “cute” but fell in love with this owl from Dream Weaver and knew it would make a great “guy” card. I am also an avid “saying” collector and have pages and pages of saying that resonated with me… someday they will get sorted and put in a book, but that’s a project for another day - smile.

Supplies:

  • Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
  • A sunny window
  • Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
  • Personal paper cutter, scissors
  • Scor-Pal™
  • Beacon ZipDry™ Adhesive, and foam tape or foam dots, double sided tape
  • Scraps of tan paper and black paper (think brown paper bag, junk mail, etc.)
  • Two envelopes (or make matching envelopes with the AG envelope template)
  • Black frame shape left over from another project
  • Embossing folder or vegetable net bag or other texture plate
  • Dies: Spellbinders’ “Branching Out” S6-006, Memory Box “Woodland Branch #98187 and Dream Weaver “Nested Owls” DG751
  • Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine
  • “Who do you see……” computer generated verbiage (or your choice of other message)
  • ColorBox Stylus™ Handle and white foam tip, Honey colored Distress™ Ink pad

Directions:

  1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create one sheet of tan heavy weight paper and one sheet of heavy weight black paper.
  2. When the sheets of paper are dry cut the papers to 81/2” x 5 ½”.
  3. Score one of each color at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create a tan card and a black card.
  4. Cut one of each left over piece to slightly smaller than 4 ¼  x 5 ½” to line the inside  front of the cards. (Always save the scraps)
  5. Computer generate and print the saying. (Note - I will often do many different saying at a time and save them for later projects.)
  6. Die cut the saying.
  7. Die cut the owl shape from the front of each of the two cards (refer to photo for placement). Then die cuts out the “parts” and leaves the outline. Note - the “fall outs” will be used on the opposite cards (black owl on tan card, and tan owl on black card).
  8. Die cut the branch from the black handmade paper scrap.
  9. Emboss the tan owl fall out pieces.
  10. Emboss the front of the tan card. Note - to bring out the texture and design of the embossing on the owl pieces, use the ColorBox™ Stylus™ handle with the white foam tip to lightly apply the Honey ink to the embossed paper.
  11. Tint the die cut saying.
  12. Attach the lining paper (black inside the tan card, tan on the inside of the black card) to the inside of the cards with ZipDry™ adhesive or double sided tape.
  13. Attach the die cut verbiage to the right side of the black card with foam tape or dots.
  14. Attach the embossed tan owl pieces to the left side of the card.
  15. Use tiny pieces of foam tape to attach the black owl (except the feet) pieces to the tan card.
  16. Place the branch at the owls’ feet, and place and attach the feet on top of the branch.
  17. Attach the frame to the front of the tan card.
  18. Add a personal message.