Day 1 Collection of Cards

I am making a special collection of cards for my boyfriend.  He is going on two trips in May.  He will be in Orlando with some friends and then he is coming to see me.  :-)  So I am making him a collection of cards so he will have one for each day from the day before he leaves for Orlando until the day he comes to visit me.

This card is for Day 1.  It is a side step card and the sentiment is on a scrolled piece of white cardstock and then layered onto a cherry cobbler base.

Supplies:

• 6 x 9 cherry cobbler plus a scrap
• White cardstock
• Computer generated sentiment (white cardstock)
• Cherry Cobbler classic ink
• Deminsionals
• Cuttlebug (Love is in the air folders)

The base is made to fit into an A6 envelope (4.5 x 6).  It is cut at 6 x 9 and then measure in 1.5 inches and cut from 1 1/8 to 7.  Then score the wider side at 1 1/8", 2", 3 3/8", 5" & 7".  Score the 1 1/2" section at 4 1/2".  Fold alternating mountains & valleys (1 1/8 is a mountain, 2 is a valley, etc) and the 4 1/2" score is a mountain fold.

I cut a piece of white cardstock 1/8" smaller on all sides and then embossed it using the cuttlebug and Love is in the Air folder.  I adhered this to the front of the card.  I printed the sentiment from my computer and left an inch on either side to roll up to form the scroll.  I adhered the scroll to a piece of cherry cobbler cardstock and then adhered it to a white piece of cardstock and adhered this to the base of the card.

Lighthouse Side Step Card

I was commissioned to make a card by a friend.  She knows someone who is going through a very hard time and wanted a card that would be encouraging.  This is what I came up with.

Supplies:

• Black cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
• Blue shimmer paper
• Brown shimmer paper
• Red shimmer paper
• White shimmer paper
• Yellow shimmer paper
• Computer generated sentiment

This is a very simple card.  The black cardstock is cut 3 1/2" in from 1" to 6 3/8".  It is then scored from the score mark to the edge at 1", 2", 3 1/8", 6 3/8" and all the way across at 4 1/4".  This forms the base. 

I cut the waves using the border feature on the cartridge.  The brown shimmer paper is handcut to fit the corner to give the impression of a cliff.  I also hand cut a scrap of the yellow shimmer paper to put behind the lighthouse.  Using my paper cutter, I eyeballed another bit of yellow shimmer paper to form the rays. 

I cut the birds and the base of the lighthouse out of white shimmer paper and hid the blocks in the middle of it (just to make it easier to assemble).  I cut the layers for the lighthouse out of the red shimmer paper.

Assembly is fairly straight forward.  I adhered the sentiment first and then the waves.  The border feature on the waves (at 1" I believe) is just slightly too long, but it works to the advantage that you can move the waves back and forth so they are not all the same.  So the first waves are lined up from the score mark and then they are lined up 1/4 of an inch over and so on.  I cut a total of 6 waves.  There are 3 on the back stair, 2 on the middle stair and 1 on the front stair.  I put the one on the front stair all the way to the top to leave room for the verse directly below them.  Next I adhered the brown shimmer paper to form the cliff and then the lighthouse base and the red layers and the birds.  Finally I adhered the verse at the bottom. 

Valentine's Day Hidden Message Side Step

I'm so excited about this card. For February, I am leading the Ladies' Joy Fellowship meeting where we will be making Valentine's Day cards.So this is what I decided on.  Since side step cards typically do not have a lot of room to write, I added a little extra where each person can write something.

Supplies:

• 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 white cardstock
• Tag - 2 1/2 x 7 1/2 white cardstock
• 3 3/8 x 4 Cherry Cobbler SU cardstock (plus scrap for hearts)
• 6" white ribbon
• Cherry Cobble SU Classic Stamp Pad
• Fine Glitter
• Sponge
• Computer generated sentiment (font - Penhurst)
• 4 Dimensionals
• Self-adhesive peals
• Cuttlebug folders (Love is in the Air, DeVine Swirls & Swiss Dots)
• Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz

Measuring in 3 1/2 inches at 1" put your cutting blade into the paper and cut down to 6 3/8".  Next score at 4 1/4" all the way across.  Score just the wider section at 1", 2", 3 1/8", and 6 3/8".  I embossed 3 hearts and the 3 3/8 x 4 cardstock using different embossing folders. 

I put 4 dimensionals on the back of the 3 3/8 x 4 piece.  Using a Zig 2 Way Glue pen, spread glue on the top heart and add glitter.  Adhered it to the last "step" on the card base.  The tag then is slid in behind this piece.

Ink the edges of the tag and the sentiments.  I also inked the white ribbon.  I added tape to the back of the Happy Valentine's Day sentiment.  Then snipped an inch of ribbon off and tied a loose knot into the middle of the longer piece of ribbon and slid the inch piece into the center and pulled it tight.  This was attached to the top of the Happy Valentine's Day sentiment.  I adhered both sentiments to the card, as well as the hearts.

Mistle-Toad Stairstep Card

I made this cute little card for a friend of mine who really likes frogs.

Supplies:

• Green shimmer paper
• Scrap black metallic paper
• Red shimmer paper
• Cream shimmer paper
• White cardstock 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
• Computer generated sentiment (Font is Curlz)
• Sanding block
• Swirls Cuttlebug folder
• 8" white ribbon

I used the basic stair step base (explained in another post).  I embossed a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 piece of the red shimmer paper with my cuttlebug.  The frog is cut twice with popdots holding the legs up to give it dimension.  The black metallic paper is put between the two frogs.  I know that isn't much of an explaination, but it was a very simple card.  :-)

Shoe Side Step Card

Side step cards look really complex, but they are very easy.  It is mainly just a matter of cutting and scoring in the right places.

Supplies:

• White cardstock - 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
• Pink shimmer paper 5 1/2 x 4 1/4
• Red shimmer paper
• Cream Shimmer paper
• Glue Dots
• White satin ribbon 18 inches
• Computer generated sentiment (Font is Penhurst)
• Swirls Cuttlebug folder

Measuring in 1 1/2 inches, cut from 1" to 6  3/8".  Then score at 1, 2, 3 1/8, 4 1/4 & 6 3/8 (only score from the cutline, except at 4 1/4 you score all the way across).  Then make mountain and valley folds. The first score line will be a mountain, then valley, etc.  For the 4 1/4 score line, the smaller side is a mountain fold and the wider side is a valley fold.   I then embossed the pink shimmer paper with my cuttlebug   By cutting a 4 x 3 1/4 piece out of the shimmer paper, I was able to make the piece that fits perfectly onto the "L" shape. The second stairstep is cut at 4 x 1 1/8 and the final stairstep is cut at 4 x 2 1/8.

Bowmaking tip: I bought the Ultimate Crafter's Companion.  The only part of this that I use is the pegs for making my bows.  To save money, you could easily make your own bow maker.  Take a small board and drill holes at several different incriments and cut 3" pieces of a small dowel to fit into the holes.  You just wrap the ribbon around the 2 pegs (which forms the loops of the bow) and then take the piece that is on the bottom under the loops (between the pegs) and then tie a knot).  It is super easy.  To make a double bow, such as the one on this card, you simply use two pieces of ribbon. 

Another item that could be purchased is something called a Bow Easy.  I don't have one, but I saw a video demonstrating how to use it and it looks like it is very easy to use.