Unicorn Carousel

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Have you ever taken an image or die and put a twist on it?  When I saw the AI gazebo die (#5361 WC Gazebo set), it reminded me of the fair and the horse carousel.  So I decided to make the gazebo a carousel and the horses are now unicorns.  😄 

My card was fun to make but a little challenging due to the interactive mechanism.  This card can be just as adorable without making it move.

I die cut the gazebo with gold foiled cardstock and cut the slits to extend the bars behind the unicorns.  I decorated the gazebo with patterned papers from the #5939 Fairy Garden PP.  For each layer of the background, I cut slits for the mechanism by placing the gazebo die cut over each and marked with a pencil.  Then I roughly cut slits out of each so that the mechanism will work through all layers.

  
                                                        Pic 1

 I then made little tabs for the unicorns to ride along by cutting four 1/2" discs from cardstock and four 1 x 1/4" strips (see Pic 2).   Fold the strips and adhere to the paper discs as shown in Pic 2.  Feed the strip part through the slits to the back layer and adhere a round paper disc.  At this point, you can test to make sure these discs slide nicely up and down.  If they get stuck, just take an X-acto knife and shave a little off the sides of the bars to widen the track.

 I used the My Favorite Things Up and Down interactive dienamic as a template for my card.  Since this die set is for a larger mechanism, I had to make my own "T shaped" mechanism (Pic 3) to make it work for this card.  This was my challenge but I finally got it to work.  I used the MFT plastic spinning discs where the track goes through the disc.  A bead or button may work better and you wouldn't have to feed the track through, but I didn't think of that until later.  

                    Pic 2                                                            Pic 3

  Place double layered foam tape around the edges on the back side, making sure you don't hinder the mechanism.  Place onto the card base.

I stamped the unicorns (#5225 - Castle cubbies) with memento black ink onto copic friendly paper and colored them with my copic markers listed below.  After coloring them, I die cut with the coordinating dies as well as die cut an extra one of each with heavy duty cardstock to layer behind for stability.  Adhere each of the unicorns onto the paper discs showing through the front side of the card.

So, that's my card for today.  Hope you enjoy it!

Remember to put a "twist" on some of your stamp/die sets.  It's fun to see where your imagination might take you.  Make sure to share with us by entering the bi-weekly challenge for your chance to win a free stamp set.

Copics used:  N0, N1, N2

R20, Y11, G40, BG000

Golden Celebration

 Happy New Year AI Friends!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are off to a fantastic 2025! 

 My card today was inspired by the current challenge "Craft Time is Golden".  I sort of went "all out" golden.  😁  When I started creating, the gold was minimal, then all of a sudden, it went full on gold! Guess you could say it screams New Year's celebration, but wouldn't it be great for a 50th wedding anniversary card or add a little black and make it a graduation card.  

I used the 5811 - Gift card pocket die set for the bow and the 5722 - Birthday Journal set for the balloons and celebrate word die.  The streamer is from the 5592 - Harvest Journal die set.   I also used the 5063 - Rectangle A2 Double stitched die set for the frame and gift box.  And lastly, I used the 5606 - Harvest Journal PP for the striped pattern paper background.

To make the balloons pop out of the box, I used a slider pull tab and cut a vertical strip in the white frame piece, under the box, for the pull tab to slide.  I adhered a strip of acetate to the bottom of the bow and adhered some balloons on it.  I adhered a pop dot onto the pull tab and placed the pop dot through the vertical slit and onto the bottom of the acetate, so that when you pull the tab the bow rises and the balloons pop up.

Hope you enjoyed my card today.   

Merry & Bright

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Christmas is going to be here before we know it and I wanted to share my Merry & Bright Christmas card.  I used the #5192 Penguin Cheer as well as the #5457 Christmas Truck Rides sets.  These little Penguins bring so much cheer!

I stamped the penguins with Memento black ink onto copic friendly paper.  I then made a mask of the penguins so I could stamp the tree to look like it is behind the penguins.  The tree in the Christmas Truck set was too small compared to the penguins so I had to stretch the tree to make it larger.  To do this, I inked up the tree with the Memento ink and wiped off the trunk before stamping where I wanted it to fall behind the penguins.  Then I inked it up again and wiped off the top two layers of the tree and the trunk and positioned the stamp to fall under and to the right of the original tree.  Lastly, I inked up the trunk and stamped it to fall in the center lined up under the tip of the tree.  Since it fell just perfectly behind the penguins, you can't tell the tree was stretched.  After the image was how I liked it, I then colored it with copic markers (listed below). 

I die cut the presents with the coordinating dies that came in the Christmas Truck set and popped them  up under the tree.  I used stinkles on the star and glossy accents on the ornament and lights.  I stamped the sentiment from the #Mini Christmas Sentiment set.  I then layered the image onto papers from the 

#5962 Classic Christmas PP and tied a red bow to top it off.  The frame was made with dies I had from my stash.

 Thanks for joining me today and I hope you enjoy my card!

Copics used:  C00, C1, C3, C5, C7

E53, E55, E57

R02, R05, R08, R20

YR21, YR23, YR14, YR18

G21, G24, G28

BG70, BG72, BG75

Teeny Tiny Card

Hello AI Friends!

I'm so excited to share my "Teeny Tiny" card for the Teeny Tiny challenge.  This could not be any smaller but it made for the cutest little card and you can make any shape card with any die that you own.  It's so easy and you will LOVE it!  I bet you make this style card in bundles once you see how fun they are.

I decided to use the shoe house from the #5935 Fairytale Houses to create my teeny tiny shaped card.  I also used a couple of the fairies from the #5345 Fairy cubbies.

I started out by stamping my images onto copic friendly paper with memento black ink and colored them with my copic markers listed below.  I die cut the images with the coordinating dies that come in each of these sets.  I also cut two extra shoe houses out of plain white heavy cardstock for the card base.  I cut one extra of the fairies and the flowers out of the heavy cardstock to add depth to the image, as well as stability, instead of using foam tape.

To create the card, take the two shoe houses cut from the heavy white cardstock and stamp the sentiment onto one of the houses.  Score, and fold back, at 1/2 inch from the top.  Place glue only on the top edge from the fold and above.  Take the second shoe house and place over the sentiment layer.  This should create the actual card.  Place glue on the top shoe house and adhere your colored image to it.   Decorate with the fairies and the flowers and your teeny tiny card is finished.

                    

I hope you enjoyed my card today and you try this method out with some of your other stamp sets.  You can make the fold on the left side as well, depending where the fold would be better placed.  The top worked best for this image.  

These would make cute little note cards to put in someone's lunch or backpack or on the front of a gift bag.

Enjoy creating!!

Copics used:  B000, B00, Y000, R000

T0, T2, T4

E51, E53, E55, E57

Y13, Y15, Y35

R22, R24, R27, R81, R83, R85

G40, G432

BV11, BV13

Birthday Man Card

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I thought I'd share a card that I made for my husband for his birthday.  The image from the #5421 Sit Back Laugh Lines was just perfect for him.  Remote control and all.  😁  This guy is just so cute and funny!

 I stamped the image on copic friendly paper with memento black ink and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I decided to use the pattern paper from the #5606 Harvest Journal PP to paper piece the recliner.  Love the plaid!  I layered pattern pieces with a white strip for the floor board and die cut with the #5062 Rounded Rectangle A2 Double Stitched dies.  I then used the #5724 Nested Rectangle die to cut a center rectangle, creating a frame, to inset the image.  I popped up the "frame" with foam tape.  I also added the wall clock from the #5323 MB Wall Accessories.

This was a simple card but I hope it inspires you to create masculine cards.

Thanks for joining me today!  Have a wonderful day!

Copics used:  E00, E01, E11, E55

B000, T0, T2, T4

Y21, Y23

BG70, BG72, BG75

Harvest Blessings

Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Today I have a fun fold A2 card for you that provides a great way to display your Fall Blessings, when expanded.  

Have you checked out the latest fall paper pack (5973 - Fall S2 PP) from Art Impressions?  OMgosh, this is such a beautiful paper pack!  All of their papers are fantastic but this one has such great fall colors and patterns.  To show them off, I used the stamp sets #5492 Front Porch Harvest and #5598 Harvest Set along with the sentiments from the #5600 Harvest sentiments set.   

I stamped all of the images onto copic friendly paper and colored using my copic markers as listed below.   The hay bale is stamped directly onto the panel.  All other images are die cut using the coordinating dies that come in the stamp set.  

To create the fun fold card:  Cut your base cardstock at 4 1/4 x 11 and score on the long side at 2 3/4, 

5 1/2 and 8 1/4.  Fold and crease as mountain, valley, mountain.  This will create a W when standing upright.  Fold the side tabs backwards so that the card displays a solid A2 card front with the fold in the valley fold in the middle.  Next cut a 2 x 8 piece from the same cardstock and score the long side at 1 1/4, 2 1/2, 4, 5 1/2, 6 3/4.  Fold and crease as mountain, mountain, valley, mountain, mountain.  Should form a square when upright.  Place glue on the front of the left 1 1/4 tab.  Adhere to the left center of the A2 base along the fold.  Do the same to the right side.  Your fun fold card is now created.  Create your layers for each panel by cutting 1/4 inch smaller than the base.  

For the front panel:  You can cut any size or shape that you choose.  Adhere to the middle fold only of the 2 x 8 inch cardstock piece.  If you adhere to the side folds, the card will not pop up when fully opened.

When folded:

     Front side of the A2:                                                      

  

                                             Back side:

I hope you enjoyed my card for today and that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. 

May each of you find some time to do what you love! 

Copics used:  E41, E43, E44, E47

YR12, YR16, YR20, YR23, YR27, YR68

R32, R35

YG91, YG93, YG95

Snow Much Fun Globe

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I have a fun card for you today that fits the "Under the Dome" challenge.  Who doesn't love snow globes?   I used the #5815 Mini Christmas Twister snowman along with the #5457 Christmas Truck cubbie and the #5197 WC Winter kids sets.  

I used a plastic dome cover from the packaging of a battery powered light.  You can use any size covering from most household items.  Find one around your home that fits your scene or go to your nearest dollar tree and look for an item that the covering would work.  😀  My measures 2 3/4" so it is perfect for my scene and made for a nice snow globe.  

I stamped the images onto copic friendly paper and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I die cut the images with the coordinating dies except for the little girl in front, which I fussy cut, but it was simple enough.  I inked the hillsides and the background with Broken China Distress Oxide ink.  I layered the scene together on a circle die cut larger than the base of the globe.  Once the scene was created, I painted with some stickles and let dry.  Before I added the snow (glitter) to the globe, I dusted the inside of the globe with my anti-stick powder pouch.  I then filled the globe with glitter and placed liquid glue around the edge and placed the scene piece onto the globe.  I die cut a circle frame using pattern paper from #5853 Christmas Magic PP and two sizes of the #5726 Nested Circle dies, making sure that the inner circle fit around the base of the globe.  I created two more hillsides to place on the bottom of the card, stamped the sentiment from the #5461 Christmas Slimline set and inked the edges with the broken china distress oxide ink.  I adhered the little girl to the bottom right and a few snowflakes around.  

This is such a fun card to play with.  

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you decide to enter the challenge to have a chance to win a free stamp set.  Make sure to check out the tab above for details.

Enjoy your day creating!!!

Copics used:  C1, C3, C5, C7

E43, E44, E47

B0000, B12, B14, B16

YG63, YG67

R20, R22, R24, R27