Playing with Chibitronics Light Up Cards!

What you are seeing in the picture is my first light up card!  I used the kit from Chibtronics to make the light up circuit.  So much fun!

I again got the idea from Big Picture Classes, this time from a class called Interactive Cards for Kids.  The card above lights up beautifully (the eyes of the mask on the left light up when you press the flower on the right).  But, and this is a big but--you have to use three layers of thick foam adhesive tape to keep the battery in place.  (The battery is below the red flower on the right.)  This is way thicker than any shaker card I have ever made.  More about that later.

Anyway, I made the card front in its entirety first.  I embossed a piece of aqua cardstock with a tropical embossing folder and then rubbed one of my new loves over the top of it--Nuvo Embellishment Paste, in copper.  I then stamped, colored, and cut the images from My Favorite Things Tiki Party stamp set and arranged them on the card.  I then poked holes in the eyes I wanted to light up and followed the directions given on the Big Picture class site.  Very successful, but like I said, a thick card.

So-o-o-o, I went to work fixing this problem.  Here is my next card, with my "fix" included:

This time, after making the card front in its entirety, I punched a 1 3/8" square hole in the bottom right of the finished card front.  When I made my circuit, the only adjustment I made was to make sure the folded card stock that holds the battery is no bigger than 1" square.  I then made a layered adhesive "box" around the 1" folded card, added a 1 3/8" square with a 1" square cut out in the middle out of matching brown cardstock and affixed that to the top of the layered foam adhesive.  I added only a single layer of foam adhesive to the rest of the card front and slipped the card front over the "box", centering it on my folded 110 lb cardstock notecard.  (You really have to use the heavier cardstock as a card base.)  Finally I added a bouquet of flowers over the "box" to hide the battery button assemblage.  This way, only the battery assemblage is thick.  It makes a much nicer presentation

Anyway, if you want to learn more about how I made this fun light up card, head over to Big Picture classes.  I can't quit pressing the flowers to light up the eyes!  Very fun!  I will, however, give this card only to older children since it does contain a lithium button battery.

Cute animal silhouettes!

Aren't these animal cards adorable?  I had so much fun making them!  I saw the idea for them on another website (Jennifer Maguire), but she used a swipe technique.  I had no luck with that, so I just used colorful inks and then added more color with color pencil where needed.  Such a cute party birthday card!  And I used bits of Ranger stickles glitter glue on the hats and balloons.  It's a party in a card!  Love this Hero Arts stamp set!  I may get the matching dies--I can see a whole box of "animal crackers" stickers!

Cake, anyone?

I saw Jennifer Maguire's post recently on monochromatic stamping, in which she made a cake card, and was intrigued with the idea.  I always need birthday cards, so I found this cake stamp by Hero Arts for half price at Joann's and went for it.  I think it fit the bill!

Here is Jennifer's original post:   http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2017/03/mono.html

I have used all of the inking products she mentioned in her post previously, but never came up with such a WOW idea!

Instead of just framing the images, though, as she did in the post, I decided to turn my images into shaker cards.  One for a guy, one for a gal!   It's a party!  Love, love this technique!

Peacock Proud!

I had so much fun with my Hero Arts Peacock Layering Stamp set, as you can see in the picture above.  I made tons of peacocks with various inks and then had fun laying them out into cards.  On some of the cards I incorporated some stenciling done with embossing paste and then colored with inks.  Such fun!  The peacock is my emblem, as many of you know.  I have collected many peacock stamps in my lifetime, but I think this layering one is the most fun.  I also bought the matching die, but I found I really didn't need it, plus it is difficult to stamp in just the right position to use the die, plus you have to add his feet.  I just stamped and then cut by hand--not really such a big job.  Love this stamp set!

Tea Anyone?

This is my take on a card I saw on the Rubber Stamp Tapestry tutorial and idea page.  I used several of the tea peg stamps to compose sheets of stamped images and then cut those to 1.5" with a punch.  I wanted to align the images properly so I made a guide frame for placement using my Cricut Explore.  Very helpful!  I used this card as a get well card, inserting a tea bag into a vellum pocket I made for the inside of the card.  Also, I hope to have a tea party again one of these days and this card will make a perfect invitation.  Thank you, Rubber Stamp Tapestry!  I love my peg stamps!  Oh, did I mention?  Purple is my favorite color!

Cardmaking Remix!

Well, I don't know about a "remix"  but I did spend some time making some cards that are repeats from some years ago.    Here's a pic:

 Both cards are made from older, retired Hero Arts shadow stamps, and both are ideas I got from Hero Arts.  I love my stamps, new or old!  I stamped the birthday card in a blue Clearsnap chalk ink three times and then punched, cut, and layered to get the look.  And to think I almost sold that tag punch is a garage sale!  The paper is from an older Hero Arts/Basic Grey 6" x 6" paper stack.  The card on the right was made from basic cardstock and stamping.  I stamped the dots background in a Ranger orange dye ink and the orange stripe was stamped with Clearsnap orange pigment ink.  The little flower and the hello sentiment was stamped over the orange with a Black Memento dye pad.  A little bit of ribbon and I have some cute cards!  Thank you, Hero Arts, for your timeless images!  I hope to still get some mileage out of them!

Elmo's Birthday Pop Up Card

I needed a birthday card for a 2 year old.  Really?!!! What does a 2 year old want a card for, unless to eat it?  But I needed it, so I found this cute little file on Cricut Make It Now.  It is a design from a cartridge called "Sesame Street--Elmo's Party".

I just love Cricut Design Space!  I paid for just the images I need, rather than buy an entire cartridge I absolutely didn't need.  Don't you find that a lot of the images within a cartridge are really just repeated images?  So I purchased just the pieces I needed for this card, and thank you to whoever designed the card so I didn't have to!

But I did have to figure out how to put the pop up inside Elmo together, and that was a struggle.  No Thank You please to Cricut, who does not have an illustration or how-to guide for this.  After ruining two Elmos I thought I had it figured out, but as I looked over the meager directions in the Make It Now section, I realized I was missing something.  I googled "Elmo pop up Cricut card" and found a wonderful video of a lady making the Elmo Pop Up.  Here is her link, in case you want to make a Pop Up Elmo, too:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EErZBqyvr7c&list=PLV4sFhcxLIHLf9ORS9T1NYaYdGq5kWFvo&index=64

And here is my Elmo Pop Up:

Love it!  So bright and cheery for a little one, and maybe even a 2 year old will like the card, besides the taste of it!