Baby Boy Panda Bear

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Today I have a cute little baby boy card for you using the #6017 - Baby Panda set.  This is the absolute cutest little set and makes the cutest baby cards!  

I started out stamping the images on copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers listed below.  I cut each out with the corresponding dies that come with the stamp set.  To create the background, I using my cloud stencil and Distress Oxide Broken China ink.  The papers for the frame and the grass are from the #6011 - Basic Teal PP and the #6009 - Basic Green PP.  I paper pieced one of the balloons and the carriage sun cover using the #6036 - Easter Bunny PP.

The upper panda moves as if floating in air (see video).  This is a simple interactive mechanism. 

To provide more stability to the swinging panda, I suggest die cutting a second panda w/balloons out of heavy cardstock and adhere to the backside of the colored image.  Punch a circle in the cloud background, small enough to hide behind the balloon.  Place a foam dot in the center, adhering the bottom side to the card base, and the top side of the foam dot to the back of the top balloon.  The panda will swing back and forth as if he is floating in air.   

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your summer!  Have a great weekend and thanks for joining me today!

Copics used:  C00, C0, C3, C5, C7

B00, B12, B14

Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17

YR12, YR14, YR16

G40, G43

R20, R22

Father's Day Cubs

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

Thanks for joining me today!  I thought I'd share a couple of Father's Day cards I made for a few of the men in my life.  I used the #6064 - WC Bear set and the #6072 - Father's Day PP for both cards but changed the layouts.   

I started by stamping the images on copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers, listed below.  I then fussy cut each of the bears and cubs.  For the little girl cubs, I stamped the little girl panda from the #6017 - Baby Panda set and fussy cut the bow from her hair. 

 

For the top card, I die cut the pattern paper panels using the #5063 - Rectangle A2 Double Stitch die set.  I also cut a couple of trees from dies in my stash.  I popped up the Papa bear and the littlest cub with foam tape and placed onto the background pattern paper.  I stamped the sentiment from the #6063 - Just for Him set onto an oval die cut using the #5727 - Nested Oval dies.  I finished this card off with a couple of red hearts to add color and love. 

For this card, I used a postage background die for the base and placed pattern papers within each square.   Everything else is basically the same as the top card, but just wanted to show how different they can look by using different backgrounds.

I hope you enjoyed my cards today and they inspire you to create a few for the men in your lives.

Have a great day and keep creating!

Copics used:  R20, R22

E50, E51, E53, E55, E57

Blossom and Blooms

 Hello AI Friends!

I am so excited to feature our newest blog challenge - "Blossoms and Blooms".  I definitely drew the lucky straw on this challenge.  Who doesn't love florals?  Especially with all the beautiful pattern papers and floral stamps/dies from Art Impressions.  I have to say it was pretty hard to decide which ones to use but, man, it was fun playing and I have lots left over for future projects.  

 I ended up using the #6041 - Flower & Bug die set as well as the scallop circle dies from the #5588 - Journal Oval Frames and the #5543 - Journal Template die set.  

I started off by die cutting a bunch of floral pieces from an assortment of AI pattern papers #6051 - Mother's Day PP and #5955 - Encouragement PP using the scallop dies and the flower die mentioned above.  Don't forget to die cut the small floral centers too.  These papers all coordinate so nicely so it was fun putting the flowers together. 

 I added a lot of dimension to my flowers by layering with a shift, curling and crimping.  If you don't prefer the dimension, you can layer flat, curl under vs. upward or ink the edges. 

Flowers using the #6041 - Flower & Bug die set

      Curl the petals upwards using a rounded tip of a paint brush, skewer, etc.  (see striped pedal below)

      Crimp the petals using the paint brush by placing the brush in the middle of the petal and pinch the sides up. (see floral petal below).    

      After curling and crimping all pedals, place some glue to the back center of the floral petal and adhere to striped petal at a shift to the right so that the striped petal shows through the floral petal.  Adhere the flower center with a pop dot (or glue if no dimension preferred).  For the finished flower, see the top center of the final project above.

Flowers using the scallop circles from the #5588 - Journal Oval frames and the #5543 - Journal Template die set.

      These are prepared the same as above except it has an extra layer and includes a first step to perform on all of the scallop pieces.

       Take the scallop circle and cut towards the center every other scallop (see striped piece below).  Be careful not to cut too far so that it doesn't cut into another slit.  This does not have to be perfect as it will be covered by the next petal.  

       Do this for each petal and then curl and crimp each petal as above.  See picture below - step 1, 2, 3.  Do each step for each petal.  Glue each pedal together or pop up for added dimension.  Adhere small circle to the center.   Finished scallop flower should resemble the bottom left of the project.

            

Now, for the flower pot.  

      Cut two 4 x 4 inch pieces of kraft cardstock.  Mark, with a pencil, at 1/4" from the left and right of one 4" side.  Line up the pencil mark on your trimmer and shift the cardstock so that it cuts at an angle to the opposite corner tip.  Do the same for the other side.  This will create the angle of the flower pot. 

      Using the #6009 - Basic Green PP, I cut a piece of green striped paper for the front of the pot, in the same way as the base of the pot, just leaving a slight edge of the base showing.  If you want to place a ribbon on the front (like I did), make sure to adhere to this piece before gluing the pattern paper to the flower pot.  Tuck the edges of the ribbon around the pattern paper.

      Cut two strips of 4 3/8" x 2" using the #5972 - Decorative Margin die.  Try to line up the scallop edge to be even on both sides.  Determine how much of this you want to be your pot top.  I cut mine down to 1 1/4" vs. the 2", but this is up to you.  I also rounded the top edges with a corner rounder before adhering with foam tape to the pot.  Now that you have a front and back of the pot, let's create the sides to make it stand and hold the card insert.

       Sides - Cut two strips of 3 3/4 x 1" and score and fold (M, V, M) at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4" down the long edge.  Glue the mountain sides to the front and back of the pot, just inside the edge so it doesn't show from the front or back.  (See picture below.)

       I also cut an easel piece from kraft cardstock using #5902 - Mini Scallop Frame die.  Adhere it to the back side of the pot.  This is to assure that your flower pot will stand firmly.

For the card insert, I cut a 3 1/2" by 5 1/4" piece of kraft cardstock for the mat and a 3 1/4" by 5" piece of white cardstock for the sentiment.  Using one of the newest release sets #6062 - Hydrangea Floral set, I stamped the sentiment onto the card insert and another one of the sentiments onto a piece of green striped paper left over from the pot front.  I picked up some plastic plant picks from the dollar tree and adhered the sentiment onto it. 

Now, for the funnest part, arranging the flowers into the pot.  This is your preference and might depend on how tall you want your card to be.  My card measures just under 5 x 7.  After arranging my flowers, I added some leaf sprigs die cut from a piece of the Green Basic PP, using a die from my stash, and placed them sporadically within the flowers.  I then adhered the plant pick to the inside of the flower box with strong glue.  Lastly, I added a few extra touches to the front of my flower pot.  I tied a piece of twine and added the garden tool charms to a jump ring and knotted onto the twine.  I added a pink ribbon bow and a die cut heart to the sentiment and the watering can.  

Hydrangea Window

 Hello AI Friends!

I have a window card for you today inspired by the newest floral set #6062 - Hydrangea Floral.  These flower sets are so pretty!  

I decided to try a new coloring medium for me.  I usually color using copic markers, but this time, I thought I'd try my hand at a little water coloring using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens.   Needless to say, I need a lot more practice but it still was fun playing and I feel like this turned well.  I used the water color technique where you color the stamp with the markers and then stamp it onto the paper.   I colored the leaves using the #41 Light Green and the blooms with the #81 Light Violet and stamped the image onto a 3 1/2" (top) x 3" piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock.   Using the blender brush, I pulled out some of the color on the leaves and the flower blooms.  

Ta da, that's it!  Fairly simple coloring!  

For the card, I cut a 4 1/4 x 11" piece of heavy cardstock and scored at 4 3/4" along the 11" side.   I turned the cardstock and scored from the other end at 1/2", 1", 1 1/2".   I burnished each of the score lines creating a top fold card with a valley, mountain, valley fold at the bottom.   I also cut a narrow 2" piece of cardstock and created a spring-like piece with the same valley, mountain, valley fold to fit behind the image and onto the back side.  See picture below.

 This spring-like piece is optional, but it helps hold the image slightly back from the window opening.

 

I die cut the window, using #4619 - Window die, from the base card front (the longer side with the scored V, M, V edge).  I adhered a lavender pattern piece of paper from the #5955 - Encouragement PP to the front of the base, over the window opening.  I then took a die from the #5725 - Nested Square die set, that is slightly larger than the window opening, and placed it over the pattern paper where the window opening will be.  Tape down temporarily and run through your die cut machine.  I scored the window panes on the window die cut and folded them open.  I then adhered the window to the pattern paper centering over the square hole.  I then sealed up the card by gluing down the bottom edge to the back panel.  The scored mountain should be in the center.  See above.

On the image panel, I scored a tab 1/4" - 1/2" from the top.  Fold it towards the back and adhere it to the inside back of the card, centering it behind the window.  If needed, take the spring-like piece and  adhere to the back of the image and the other end to the back inside of the card.  

Now, to finish the front, I created the fringe-like grass by cutting a strip of green pattern paper and snipping the long edge every 1/8 of an inch (approx.).   I then slightly curled the fringe edge so that it came over the fence.   I weaved a piece of ribbon through the fence, popped up a sentiment from the #6062 - Hydrangea Floral set and added a few small white hearts for the finishing touch.

Thanks for joining me today!

Have a wonderful day and keep creating!