Father's Day card

A fairly quick Father's Day card for my Dad today, as I wanted to get it off in the mail pretty soon.  This is the 5927 - Father's Day Die Set from Art Impressions.

I had this ancient patterned paper from CTMH in my stash, with the decorative blue border, so I cut the sentiment die twice in a matching blue cardstock and stacked them together.  I mounted it on a cream stitched circle, then adhered it over a larger brown circle with 3D foam adhesive for a little dimension.

The paper itself has a soft, slightly distressed look to it, so I used some Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink, and softly inked around all the card edges, as well as the cream circle.  A few cream enamel dots finished it off.

Tri-fold Box Village Template card

From the moment I first saw this die set, I knew that I wanted to make this!!  This is the recently released, 6114 - Box Village Template Die from Art Impressions.  The die set actually creates a little box, that you can make a journal to sit inside, but I love using it for cards.

I used the main template to cut out three bases, trimming the tops and sides off, just leaving a 1/2" tab down one side to glue them together (I'll show you the back side so you can see what I mean).

After choosing my colour palette, I spent days mapping out what I wanted to do... this was the most time consuming part!  I gradually cut all the doors, windows, roof and extra bits - laying everything out before I assembled anything.

I dug through my craft room to see what I could use for a wreath or trees... and found the Holiday Festoons set from The Greetery for the wreaths, bows and swag, and a sectioned tree die set from Dee's Distinctively.

The alphabet dies are the 5562 - Journal Dies from Ai.  I wanted a little more glimmer, so cut pieces on each house out of some brushed gold cardstock.  After assembly, I added some chunky glitter along the roofline, trees and other spots.

The best thing is that this folds flat to fit in a standard A2 envelope.  Bonnie says she's coming out with more of these in 2026, so stay tuned!

Box Village

I really love the new 6114 - Box Village Template Dies from Art Impressions.  It makes the cutest little house as a box with a shaped journal inside.  I am using just the decorative pieces of the little house to make a card today

I cut the base and door from kraft cardstock, and darkened the roof, windows and door with some brown ink.  I cut the shingles, roofline and door from some white glitter cardstock, and the windows from red and blue.

I pulled out an old grass die that worked really well as icicles, cut it out of the white glitter cardstock, and trimmed it down to add to my scene.  I adhered the house down to my background (papers are from the 5853 - Christmas Magic PP) with 3D foam adhesive.  I decided that it needed a little something more, so added some glittery holly.

Woodland Christmas

There is a new Art Impressions release today, with six new foundation style winter/holiday scenes.  This is 6088 - Woodland Bench Scene.

I have used Copic markers to colour up my image, then spattered some of the PH Martin's white paint to give the look of falling snow.  

I matted the image on some dark grey cardstock that I adhered to my base with 3D foam adhesive.  The two patterned paper pieces are from the 5853 - Christmas Magic paper pack.  Before adhering them, I wrapped the gingham piece with some fine silver thread.

The Merry die cut is from an old Echo Park word die set, that I stacked twice before attaching it.

Art Impressions Stamptember Colab!

So happy to once again be participating in the Art Impressions/Simon Says Stamp colaberation for Stamptember!

This year's stamp set is called SSE25A Boba Babes - a great Girlfriends image with six fun sentiments to choose from.  

I've coloured up my image with Copic markers, done a little fussy cutting (there is a coordintating die available), and mounted it to my patterned paper background with 3D foam adhesive over a vellum oval.  I used the plaids of my background to also do a little paper piecing on their outfits.

This is a Simon Says Stamp exclusive set, only available while supplies last, so head over to their website to pick yours up.  *You can also see all of the Design Team's inspiration here on the Ai blog, or over on the SSS blog, along with their team.  Happy Stamptember!

New Ai People!

I have always love the Ai People that Bonnie creates for Art Impressions.  They are releasing five new ladies today - all with a little attitude!  I am from a golfing family, so was excited to see 6080 - in the line up!

I stamped her along with her golf bag in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Cryogen paper, then coloured her up with Copic markers.  (I just happen to own a pink & black golf bag exactly like this...)  There are coordinating dies included in the set which I used to cut them out.

I created my background with three colours of cardstock, a Memory Box die that cut the golf skyline, and my Lawn Fawn hillside for the foreground.  I glued the golf bag to the background, then double layered the golfer to give her some stability, and popped her up with some 3D foam adhesive.  There are a bunch of sentiments in the set, so I picked "Still got it" and stamped it directly on the background with Versafine Onyx Black ink.

Owls

We have friends who have a granddaughter who is not quite two... that has a thing for owls!  How cute.  She mentioned that she had sent her an owl card in the mail, so I knew that I'd be diving into my craft supplies to find some images from Art Impressions that I'd stamped out years ago.  Anyone remember the Whoots?  I have two cards using the larger Whoot stamps (done in strong bright colours!), and I had one of the tiny Front & Back owls stamped out for my third card.

The Front & Backs work best with a cutout, and they're so small that you really need to create a scene around them.  I pulled out some dies to add a branch and a bunch of leaves in patterned paper.  Since it was showing through to the inside, I added a bunch there as well.

Such a fun project!

Window Shaker

I've been itching to use the new Corner Bookmark Dies from Art Impressions, and the May sketch from the Papercrafter's Inner Circle group on Facebook was the perfect project.

Scroll down to see the sketch, which features a window and flowers... so I pulled out four of the Ai paperpacks: 6012 - Basic Yellow PP, 6010 - Basic Pink PP, 6009 - Basic Green PP and 5742 - Easter PP, and started die cutting.

For the window, the frame found in the 5543 - Journal Template Die Set is a lovely, large frame that is ideal for a shaker, so I cut it out of some taupe cardstock, and after cutting a rectangle from my patterned paper, I adhered it over some clear acetate.  The panel was attached to my gingham background with 3D foam adhesive, which I also used to create an enclosed rectangle where I added my shaker bits.  Once everything was adhered to the base, the shaker was created.

After cutting and adhering all my flowers around the frame, I die cut the Hello from the 5718 - Mini Journal Template set in gold metallic cardstock, layering it twice for extra stability, then glued it to my card.

The set also includes these cute bookmark corner dies!  I cut out a couple of them in coordinating cardstock and attached a flower to each (took me less than 5 minutes to make these!).  I'm going to include these with the card as a little something for the recipients.

Wine Tasters

I had stamped this image some time ago, and coloured it up with Copic markers a few weeks ago.  This is the Wine Tasters set from Art Impressions - one of their amazing Girlfriends sets.

I've actually done this stamp set with this paper pack before!  I knew how well it worked, and didn't need to reinvent the wheel, so decided to do it again.  I'm using the Art Angel Mini Deck from Cosmo Cricket.  I pulled out colours from the papers to colour up the gals, then fussy cut them and mounted them onto my background with 3D foam adhesive.

I used strips of the different patterned papers in different widths, and cut a square of a brick toned paper to go under the image.  The sentiment is from the Get Corked stamp set by My Favorite Things.  A few champagne pearls finished it off.

Wildly Cute!

I've been working on a baby gift for the past couple of months... having fun knitting, and then creating a card to go with it.  I haven't shared my knitting in quite a while, and knitting for a baby is definitely a favourite thing of mine.  I found a wonderful book at my library using Cascade Superwash yarn, and knit up a pair of socks, a hat with ears, and a sweet toy.

The hat and socks aren't for a newborn!  So they look a little large... and I'll admit that the hat ears look a little goofy, but they should be cute on a little guy's head.  I really loved making the little lovey, which is just a square with a teddy head sewn on - something to snuggle with.

And for the card, I reprised a card that I'd made 11 years ago!!  The Wildly Cute stamp set from Art Impressions was retired years ago, but I won't part with it, as it makes such sweet baby cards.  The ancient papers are Babycakes from CTMH.

I coloured with Copic markers on Cryogen paper, fussy cut it, and created by background with a little paper piecing.  The image and sentiment are adhered with foam adhesive for some dimension.

Nothing like making something for a new baby - especially when it's for one of my daughter's best friends.

Holiday Mansion

I pulled out a retired Art Impressions set that I had previously stamped to do a little colouring while I watched a video or two... this is the Holiday Mansion with the Garden Set add-on.

It was stamped on Cryogen cardstock which has a creamy cast to it, so I paired it up with some old Carta Bella papers from my stash, and set about colouring the pieces with my Copic markers.  There are matching dies that cut out the windows, doors and small items as well.

I made my background scene with the patterned papers - I love this look!  And it's a great way to use up patterned paper.  It's a little larger than an A2 size, being 4 5/8" x 6".