Christmas Gift Card Holders

Merry Christmas, Friends!!! I have a couple of little gift card holders to share with you. I found myself in need of a couple of these on December 23. Soooo, despite the fact that I was running around like a proverbial chicken-with-my-head-cut-off, I was happy that I had a chance to sit down for a bit and create something.

And I am also really happy that this gave me an excuse to use my layered poinsettia die one more time (that's TWICE in the week since I got it!. I was a little hesitant to put gold smooch on these red leaves, but I really love how they turned out!!

I was able to squeeze two gift cards on the inside ...

Stamps: Petitie Pairs
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Deck the Halls DSP (retired)
Ink: Always Artichoke, Gold Smooch
Accessories: Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia Die, Martha Stewart Fir Branch Punch, Corner Rounder, Word Window Punch, Simply Scored, Pearl Basics, Velcro Dot



I have probably had this little Cuttlebug embossing/cut tree for at LEAST four years. And it has NEVER seen the light of day ... I KNEW when I got it that I was goon NEED It at some point, so I was very happy that I had it on hand!! PHEW!!! Instead of closing this gift card holder with a Velcro dot, I decided a belly band was in order ...

I didn't even ATTEMPT to try to match colors to this crazy-over-the-top-too-bright iTunes card for my nephew ... at least it's KINDA red ...

Stamps: Small Script
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Merry Moments DSP (retired)
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Cuttlebug Christmas Trees Die, Decorator Label Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Medium Oval Punch, Early Espresso Quilted Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Word Window Punch, Simply Scored

These gift card holders were created by using a 4.25" x 10" piece of cardstock scored along the 10" side at 3", 4", 5" and 8" ...

Here's wishing you the happiest of holidays. May your new year be blessed with continued love and time with family and friends!! Now, it's time to get up and see what Santa brought!!

Simple Friendship Giftcard Holder

I just recently realized that there were a few cards I never shared with you! I was asked to submit several cards to Cardmaker Magazine for an Interactive Card book that they were publishing (it actually came out in April - hooray for me!!). Only one of the samples I made actually made it into the book, but this one was published in their online magazine supplement - July 2010 issue.

I love the look of these little giftcard holders. And they are oh-so-easy to make! The card is made from a 4" x 12" piece of cardstock that is scored at 4", 6" and 8" along the 12" side. The score at 4" and 8" are folded in "valleys", while the score at 6" is folded as a "mountain" ... I taped the inside of underside of the "mountain" closed, then used the Word Window punch to create the opening for the gift card (lay the giftcard over the "flap" you have created with the "mountain" fold, then use a pencil to mark the cardstock just above and below the giftcard. Use these markings to create the slot for the giftcard with the Word Window punch.

Stamps: Simple Friendship, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose; Barely Banana, Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink Markers
Accessories: Word Window Punch, 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" Circle Punches, 1/16" Handheld Circle Punch, Scallop Border Punch, 1/4" Basic Black Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Brad (from Vintage Brads), Sewing Machine

Parade of UnAward Winning Projects - Day 3

When I sat down to try and plan out what kinds of cards I wanted to make as part of my Artisan Award entries, I decided that I needed to step out of my own comfort zone - especially when it came to color combos. And so I stepped waaaayyyy out on this one. Gable Green? I'm not sure anyone ever really used this color (which is probably the reason why it was one of the ones that is "retiring").

The "most funnest" part about this? Trying to find a gift card that matched it!! I went over to my local store (lucky for me it is across the street from my house) and looked at their entire rack of gifts cards. I was mui-happy to find this one that I think was a pretty stinkin' good match. The tricky part was trying to convince the checker that I wanted it but that I didn't want to activate it. She looked at me pretty much like I had THREE heads. She had to call the manager over. "Can we let her have this card without activating it?" He just kinda shook his head and said, "Sure, why not? If she just wants to take a worthless card, let her!" Diff'ernt strokes for diff'ernt folks, eh?

And Jan has yet another BRILLIANT card for ya. I swear I wish some of her genius-ness would rub off on me. She is sooo stinkin' good at makin' up cool techniques, or adapting ones that we have ALL seen a zillion times and making her own. I am a pretty good mimic, but she is just a stampin' MacGyver (I tell her this all the time - I even assigned the MacGyver theme song to her number as a ring tone on my phone). See her wonderful creation here:

Jan's Blog

And a big ol' THANKYOUTHANKYOU to all of you and your encouraging and supportive comments. You have NO idea how much they mean to me!!

Stamps: On a Pedestal
Paper: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Gable Green, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Gable Green, Pretty in Pink, Summer Sun
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Word Window Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat Pack

Today is My Birthday!!

Today’s my birthday (na-na-na-na-na-na NA-NA)!! We’re gonna have a GOOD time (na-na-na-na-na-na NA-NA)!! And I AM seriously 27 . . . again . . .

It was also my turn to hostess the LSC for SCS (LSC235), so I had MORE than a MAGNIFIQUE (oh WAIT!! That's FRENCH, not GERMAN!!) time making up these little birthday card $$$/gift card holders to share! I only had three "rules" or limitations for the challenge (which I oh-so-appropriately titled "It's Al About ME!!).

First rule: You need to make a birthday gift card or money card holder type of creation (any type/style will do!).

Second rule: You need to include at LEAST one butterfly SOMEwhere on your card (as many of you know, I AM the Butterfly Queen!). I LOVE butterflies!!

Third rule: I LOVE CHOCOLATE!! (Like, who doesn’t??? Seriously???) Sooooo, with that in mind, you MUST include Chocolate Chip OR Close to Cocoa cardstock (or the closest thing you have to it) in your card somewhere!

This little faux leather wallet is SOOO cool!! (I DO love it!!) I got the idea from Yvonne (YvonneAna) over on SCS. She very graciously offered to tell me how she made it so that I could copy the idea and share it with ya!! Here's a link to her AMAZING creation:

Yvonne's Sweet Peas Paper Wallet

I do believe I feel a video tutorial coming on!!! Once I return from Germany/Austria (FOUR MORE DAYS!!), I will put one together for ya!! Here are a few of the basic instructions if you wanna try to create one before then:

I cut the cardstock to 6" x 9" and scored at 3" and 6.5" on the 9" side (Yvonne's was only 5.5" wide, which would make it easier if you are using a Cuttlebug - a Big Shot or Wizard could handle the wider width better). Run the cardstock through your machine (whichever you happen to use) with an embossing folder of your choice. You will need to run it through four times to get all areas of the cardstock covered. Then, rub the cardstock with craft or versamark ink. Sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat set. To create the little side panels, cut a piece of matching cardstock (in this case, Chocolate Chip) to 2" x 2.5". Score at .5" intervals along the 2" side and accordion fold. Adhere this piece to the front and back of the textured piece AFTER you have sewn some coordinating dsp to the back side of it (make sure to put the textured side DOWN in the sewing machine, as it tends to catch on the presser foot if you don't). Decorate and embellish to your heart's content!!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Blue Bayou, Bella Bleu dsp
Ink: Chocolate Chip (craft), Not Quite Navy
Accessories: 5-petal flower punch, MS butterfly punch, Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic and Swiss Dots embossing folders, small oval punch, 1/2" circle punch, large pearl sticker, Blue Bayou ribbon, hodgepodge hardware ribbon slider, velcro stickers

This is my SECOND creation for the challenge. I haven't made a giftcard holder like this since Christmas 2007! (There was a TLC on SCS in November 2007 introducing this little technique - TLC196. Super fun to create!!

Special thanks to Mary Brown for inspiring the layout/design of this particular gift card holder with the card she has posted HERE for the last Control Freaks Blog Hop!! You are AMAZING, girl!!



And dang-it-all but I have to work today!! 'Cept we are going to have an EXCELLENT party at my aunt and uncle's house tonight (which is, sadly, not really for my birthday, but to say goodbye to some out-of-town guest our extended family has had visiting here from - you guessed it! - Germany!). At least I can PRETEND that it is all about ME!!

Stamps: For All You Do, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango
Ink: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Old Olive
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, scalloped border punch, vintage brad, word window punch, chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, pop-up glue dots, sewing machine