Simple Travel Themed Masculine Card

Creating a simple yet eye pleasing Masculine Card using Studio Light Paper from Cherish the Memory

If you're anything like me, you're drawn to floral, feminine, colorful designs which can sometimes pose a challenge when making a card for a man, or for a female friend who isn't into "girly" designs as you are. The "Memories of Summer" collection that you can purchase at Cherish the Memory really takes the guesswork out of picking and choosing paper for your masculine card. What is so great about this collection is that it has a good balance in range, therefore really allowing you to make both masculine, gender neutral and feminine projects without having to buy several collections!

My favorite part of the collections by Studio Light are the paper pads, which I will be providing the link to below. I love the paper pads because it comes jam packed with backgrounds, but you see that you don't have to use the backgrounds just for backgrounds. If you look at the three rectangular paper pieces, they have been die cut from the paper backgrounds in the pad to create the layering effect where I used foam mounting tape.

What I love most about this card is the use of neutral warm earth tones. Stick with natural colors such as browns and tans to get down the color scheme for a masculine card. I knew as soon as I saw the lighthouse from the ephemera pack that I would be using it, it's so pretty! The vintage plane stamp was also a really cool feature in the ephemera pages which I will also link. 

Some tips that helped me put this card together :

1. Use earth tones such as browns, tans, grays, greens and blues

2. Take items from your stash that you have found yourself neglecting and throw things together to see if they complement the card. The background paper has a wooden grain texture which I had no plans for, until this card came up!

3. Jute adds a great natural element that is gender neutral. Texture in masculine cards is your friend.

4. Keep the design simple. I struggle with simple design but simple and clean is a must to achieve that perfect look. Masculine details can be pretty powerful, and you want them to speak for themselves and not overwhelm the card or viewer.

5. It helps to choose a 5x7 layout for a masculine card, the linear layout helps create a stronger card.

I hope you found some inspiration and ideas! Check out the Cherish the Memory shop for the collection:  

Backyard Blossoms "Thinking of you" Card for Heartfelt Creations

One of the joys in my life is watching my planted flowers, and wildflowers bloom around this time of year! Having the chance to work with the new Backyard Blossoms collection from Heartfelt Creations  was a fun way for me to share this joy with you through my card.  Make this card with the instructions below!

About the Backyard Blossoms Collection

Summer brings with it the excitement of a new gardening season, lounging in the open expanse of the backyard and enjoying the beauty of favorite perennial blossoms dancing gently in the warm summer breeze! Among those returning favorites are the attractive, butterfly loving coneflower! Bright and colorful, these pretty flowers come dressed in a wide variety of hues and quietly display their domed centers and soft delicate petals against the backdrops of ornamental grasses and other decorative backyard plantings! Come along with us as we welcome back the summer season with a walk through the Backyard Blossoms Collection by Heartfelt Creations! Brilliantly hued, and filled with a good dose of summer sunshine, the fabulous paper collection showcases happy shades of bright yellows, pretty pinks, luscious lavenders and glorious greens and showcases lovely lace like patterns, elegant swirls and bountiful coneflower blossoms! Included in this jubilant and cheerful assembling are three exquisitely illustrated cling stamps sets with coordinating dies ideal for all of your summer themed paper craft creations! From large coneflower images, ornamental grasses, to smaller backyard blossom accents, these dynamic illustrations are ideal for creating your very own dimensional flower gardens as focal points on card fronts or as accents on scrapbook layouts! So grab your lounge chair, slather on the sunscreen and join us as we kick back and relax in the backyard enjoying our favorite backyard blossoms!

Materials and Supplies Used:

Black Archival Ink,Black Cardstock, White Cardstock, Black Satin Ribbon, Natural Excelsior, Glitter, Dimensional Foam Tape, Clear Adhesive, Double Sided Tape, Score Board, Paper Trimmer, Scissors. Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers : No.043 Olive Green, No.041 Light Green, No.025 Pink, No.202 Peach Pink, No.061 Light Brown, No.052 Bright Yellow, No.050 Yellow, Wink of Stella Clear, Distress Tool.

Video Tutorial!

For more tips on creating with the Backyard Blossoms collection, watch the tutorial at https://youtu.be/swO34-n1HNc.

Instructions:

Cut and score a 6x6 card and a 6x6 card base out of black cardstock. Take the 6x6 background from the Backyard Blossoms Paper pad and trim the background down to a 5 ⅞ X 5 ⅞  inch square. Lightly distress the edges with scissors, or a distress tool. Use the concave die from the Decorative Medallion set and die cut the left side of the background paper. Using the same die, die cut from a separate piece of black cardstock and set aside to be later adhered.

Using the tag die from the Luggage and Tags Die set, die cut the matching background tag found in the Backyard Blossoms Paper Pad. Fold a strand of ribbon in half and loop through the hole in the tag and pull through. Cut off any excess ribbon leaving about 2 inches and set aside. Using the ticket die, die cut the yellow “Thinking of you” sentiment ticket from the Backyard Blossoms Paper Pad and set aside.

Using black Archival Ink, stamp and die cut two single coneflowers from the Garden’s Edge Coneflower set (1.75”x 2.5”) and two leafy accents (2.25” x 3”) from the same set. Stamp and die cut the smaller coneflower from the Blossoming Coneflower Set. Color as desired or use the above suggested Zig colors.

Take the 5 ⅞ x 5 ⅞ background paper from the paper pad and adhere it to the 6x6 black cardstock base without adhering the inner die cut details. Take the black cardstock Decorative Medallion die cut and adhere along the right side of the card (mirrored against the left side) without adhering the intricate details by only gluing the side. Take one of the leafy accents and tuck the bottom stems in between the background paper and the black cardstock base on the left side behind the die cut details to make it appear as if the plant is growing from the background through to the front of the paper to the left of the middle and adhere. Repeat the same step with the  other leafy accent on the right side of the middle of the card, about an inch away from the right edge of the card tucked behind the black cardstock Decorative Medallion die cut.

Take the matching background tag and adhere dimensional foam mounting tape to the back. Take one of the Garden’s edge coneflower and position it on the middle left side of the card and adhere before adhering the tag on top of it so that it looks like it is growing from behind the tag. Add the tag. Add foam mounting tape to the head of the flower to prop it up against the die cut background. Take the flower from the Blossoming Coneflower set and place foam mounting tape to all three flower heads and adhere it on the top of the tag across the center leaving the bottom stem behind the tag. Then, take the last Garden’s edge coneflower, apply foam tape to the back of the flower head and adhere the head to the bottom right corner of the tag. Tuck the stem of the last Garden’s edge coneflower so that it looks like it is growing from behind the black cardstock Decorative Medallion die cut. Take the “Thinking of you” sentiment and place it by  the middle right side of the card on top of the Decorative Medallion die cut and take a leafy accent stem and overlap it before adhering it down for a 3D effect.

It is safe now to glue down any intricate details from the Decorative Medallion die cuts that may be sticking up. Take a few strands of excelsior, fold in half and twist the bottom to form a tiny bushel and add glue to the ends. Do this twice, for each side of the tag and tuck using a chopstick or other tool behind the flower heads, stems, or wherever desired. Add glitter to the flower petals or wherever you want shine. Lastly, place four dots of Ebony black Nuvo Crystal Drops to each corner of the card and allow to dry for at least 12 hours. Enjoy!

Thank you so much for visiting! Please come back for more tutorials!

Vintage Pink Gingham Vinca Card

A 6x6 Dimensional Card using Lemoncraft's House of Roses Paper 

for Cherish the Memory

Hey there! Welcome to my blog post!

I love red and pink. I love both of them together, but out of the two if I had to choose one I would most certainly pick pink! A super bright fuchsia pink! I try to work in colors other than pink because it is one of the many ways I challenge myself as an artist. So, when I was sent this paper collection by Lemoncraft called House of Roses from Cherish the Memory, this girly girl was delighted! As usual I will post links at the end of my post on where to purchase.

So I went with simple design again with this card. Much like the last card, I wanted to keep it a neat and fast to make project. Coming up with the layout took me less than ten minutes and about half an hour to assemble! Oh! And while watching my soap opera! Talk about multitasking!

Using an image from the Vintage Time collection fussy cut page, I centered it as the focal point for my card. Since the card's theme is predominantly pink, I thought this white bouquet of gorgeous vincas would be the perfect contrast against the pink gingham background.

In addition to the contrasting white bouquet, layers were added underneath to make the focal point sort of pop up quite literally from the rest of the card. Remembering to keep the card simple, I limited the dimensional element only underneath the bouquet.

The lovely postcard you see in the background is from the ephemera pack which I have linked below. It is the second layer from the background paper to make it appear as if it was the postcard that was somewhat "wrapped" with the burlap floral ribbon, ready to be delivered.

Without adding too many patterns, I used similar patterned papaer to the gingham using dotted paper from the House of Roses paper pad to buffer the imagery between the layers. What this does is help hide some of the post card and ties the main ephemera piece to the background so that it all stays connected. I believe strongly in having my pieces all connect in design similarities so that there is harmony. This also helps the beige colored die cut heart circle stand out from the postcard with pink peeping through.

I used cute little white flowers that matched the bouquet and adhered tiny little pink pearls to make them match the vincas and decided to adorn the corners for consistency. 

For dimension in most of my projects, I use foam tape, but I hate to rely solely on foam tape so I always make sure to use any elements that might help me get that extra "oomph" in my layering. In this case, I tore the petals off of a large paper flower (If you gasped, I understand completely, but sometimes you need to improvise!) and glued the petals around the die cut heart frame to match the florals in the background. Again, I did this to create that connection for consistency and to also make the pink centers of the vincas pop. 

Lastly, I added two gemstones to counterbalance the vertical burlap strip. I love using these gems because it adds this beautiful light catching sparkle that rhinestones have. I always try to make my projects sparkly when I can!

Thank you SO much for checking out my blog post on this feminine vintage floral card! If you like my work please know that you can get these posts e-mailed to you by subscribing! Check out the links below if you are interested in creating with these gorgeous papers.

"Gossamer Blue" Hydrangea and Roses Card using Lemoncraft Papers

 Hydrangea and Roses card for Cherish the Memory

With Tips to keep in mind while working with vintage inspired paper

Hello there! 

When I am not working on mixed media canvases, or playing with paints and inks in my art journal, it is nice for me to turn to card making. Card making allows me to use paper mainly as the main medium, versus the usual mediums I use for mixed media, all the while allowing me to still make them mixed media! I find that to be a wonderful thing because I get bored easily. I like to think that I have crafting ADD. Do you ever feel that way? 

This card was made using Lemoncraft papers, from the Gossamer Blue collection, and if you also love vintage graphics, you'll love this collection! This paper pad from Cherish the Memory has beautiful shades of blue, with varying hues! 

The Lemoncraft paper for images to die cut/fussy were my favorite. I used a spellbinders die to cut this pretty hydrangea from it's rectangular scroll design, which was perfect as it was, but I wanted to create a border that would complement it's surroundings on the card. 

Here you can see the different hues of blue that the paper collection has! The blues vary in range from a deep ocean blue, to a light sky blue with tints of teal. Natural jute twine was used to connect the sepia tones of the vintage inspired background of the hydrangea (there is a lot of beautiful old text backgrounds in the paper pack) to the rest of the card. Balance of color is very important to me to tie (no pun intended) it all together!

Tips to creating an aged look for when working with vintage inspired paper :

• Use a distress tool to rough up the edges of the paper. I use a distress tool by Prima Marketing but you can also distress paper by using the side of the blade on a large pair of scissors, as long as you are careful.
• For corners it's a wonderful idea to get yourself a decorative corner punch. The one I used for this card is the Fiskar's corner punch called "Romantique" and I love it!
• When making a mixed media card, or anything vintage inspired, I love to throw antiquated looking lace in off white and cream colors. The lace I used here creates depth and complements the jute twine. Doilies are great too if you have them!
• When working with vintage inspired papers, especially with sepia and warm tones, it is best to stick with off white shades and creams. Ivory is a good replacement for white. Personally, I love to use ivory pearls!

At first, I wasn't so sure about using the jute twine in combination with the satin ribbon, but I thought, "Why not?" went for it and loved it! No rules in art I always say! Which pretty much goes against just about everything I was taught in graphic design back in my college days :) The ribbon helps create the illusion that it is holding the blue roses together in a bunch, and the jute twine can be seen as the adornment filler for the roses or simply what attaches the image to the roses. All in the details.

For the background, I used a TCW stencil with wording to play along with the text in the paper by using modeling paste for texture. There are many mixed media details that can be subtle and soft, perfect for card making for adding interest, a blog post might be in order for that! 

The light blue specks you see on the main background paper (the distressed one) I created by using a Lindy's Stamp Gang spray called Tilt-o-Wheel Teal to match the foreground paper and tie everything together. When I did this, I made sure to cover the main image with a piece of scrap paper for masking it away from the speckles.

I hope you enjoyed this post and have gotten some new tips for yourself, or simply some inspiration! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or would like to read about something not being discussed. Thank you! Please subscribe to my blog if you'd like to be updated for new posts which happen about 2-3 times a month. 

Links to some of the goodies used! Click on the pictures to see specific items.

Cherish the Memory Etsy Store

Snow Fox Shaker Card for Cherish the Memory

"Frozen Forest" Paper Kit Shaker Card

I am officially addicted to making shaker cards...and I am so grateful to be designing for Cherish the Memory because after having received these lovely card kits, making shaker cards has been a pure breeze! Honestly, I can't seem to get myself to make a non shaker card these days. I am ALMOST done with finishing my Christmas cards for friends and family, and they have been all...you guessed it...shaker cards!

You can purchase the card kit by clicking on the images to be directed to Cherish the Memory's Etsy 

As you can see from the picture above, the pages from the card kit come perforated already, so it's too tempting to make these into shaker cards, all you have to do is to grab a circular metal die closest to the size of the image and cut the background provided within the kit, add some foam mounting tape to the back, then add your sequins and done!

Tip: When making shaker cards, adding seed beads not only gives shaker windows a cool effect, but also enhances the sound when you shake it as well as improving the movement of the sequins inside. Seed beads of all colors can be found at your local craft store in the jewelry section. The smaller the smaller the better!

To tie the elements of the card to the silver foiled background, I used some metallic silver embroidery floss and tied an ornamental coordinating die cut leaf from the kit and also to make the letters of "snow" appear to be attached. I used Tonic Nuvo drops and Ranger Liquid pearls for the embellishments.

If you like foiled papers, like myself, you will be love these kits!

I truly hope you've enjoyed my blog post! Any feedback is always greatly appreciated. Look for future YouTube videos in the near future!