CARD# HPJ-2014-66: Maligayang Pasko

Christmas is just around the corner and here's another commission for a Christmas card. The customer wanted it to be a Filipino-themed Christmas so she asked for a parol for the main embellishment as well as Christmas lights. 

I've made several tent cards a few weeks ago and I thought that a tent card base would be able to show off the parol really well. I've tried a regular fold card with a die cut background at first, but it just wouldn't do. Here is the final look after adding some red and green elements as the customer suggested:

The card measures 4.5" x 5.75".

I honestly got a bit frustrated with the star because I wanted to do an origami, but I couldn't remember exactly how I made each point of the star when I was in high school. What added to my frustration was that I couldn't find anything similar online. There was this tutorial that looked close to the one I was envisioning, but the way the points are made is different. Well, after having my patience and energy drained, I decided on just using a piece of rubber foam for the base of the star and covering it with metallic paper since it is hard to make a tiny origami star like what I wanted. Fortunately, the rubber foam star looked good.

I adhered black strings onto the top of the window for the 'Christmas light wire' and added crystals for the actual lights.

I tied a length of red baker's twine and stuck three red stamens to add more color to the front of the card.

I hope the recipient likes it. Thank you for looking today!

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel White Board Paper, Prestige Board Paper Zulu Black, kraft paper, Rives Tradition Board Paper Black, Eno Greeting Wrapping Paper Book, Starburst Specialty Paper Dark Brown, Reynold's Wax Paper, My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Two Blush, # White Baronial Envelope, strings, baker's twine, self-adhesive crystals, brad, rubber foam, stamens, Uni-ball Signo Broad White, Spellbinders Nestabilities A2 Card Creator Tranquil Moments and Labels Thirty-Five, Cuttlebug Machine V2

CARD# HPJ-2014-65: Magical

I received another custom order, but I couldn't seem to work out a design or a layout in my mind when I first learned about it. The color palette is just white. I struggled a bit on this one.

What was needed was something special for a special someone with an image of a unicorn on it. I was given free reign with regards to the design. I may not have worked out a solid design yet at that time, but I already thought of making a special fold card. Tri-shutter, easel or napkin fold would not do. I looked through my collection of images, but I still couldn't decide on which to use.

The free tutorial from Splitcoaststampers for the weekly newsletter was a big help. It was for a pop up book card. I have seen some projects before using this folding technique and I have wanted to try it for myself. I guess I got too caught up with the other techniques that I only remembered it when I saw the e-mail.

What a great idea! I thought that it would really be something special if I used it. Awesome. Now that the base had been decided, I concentrated on the color palette and the layout next. I will definitely go for mixed media, but without the distressing of paper edges part. It would just be gesso, molding paste, stencils, crackle paint and ink pads. Here is what I came up with.

 The closed card measures 6" x 6". 

If you're interested to make one for yourself or if you would just like to know how the base was made, you can check Norma's step-by-step tutorial here or here. Instructions for an A2 card are also available on the page. There is a video tutorial as well.

The image I used for the front of the card is by Jen. She calls it the Free Winged Unicorn Template. You can find it on her Deviant Art Gallery jenzgu.

The other image (adhered on one of the inside panels) is from a downloadable coloring book.

This is what the leftmost panel looks like up close. I used a stencil and a couple of ink pads to create the delicious little stars and then I made a second batch of stars by applying molding paste onto the stencil.

I added several things more to the inside panels as they looked so bare before with only the stars scattered here and there. I affixed some stickers, crystals and metal charms  to make the whole inside part more interesting.

The card comes with a matching box. I no longer decorated the lid since the card itself is fully embellished. I hope the recipient likes it and that she would have a memorable birthday.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel White Board Paper, All About Scrapbooking 12x12 patterned paper, Dream Street Papers Unique Boutique Antique Chic, lace trimming, Eno Greeting Wood Embellishments, metal charms, crystals, paper flowers, silk flowers, baker's twine, beads, printed images and sentiment, Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils, Ranger Distressed Crackle Paint Rock Candy, Ranger Stickles, Marie's Gesso, Elmer's White Glue, white glitters, Golden Molding Paste, ColorBox Cat's Eye Queue Pignment Ink Pads Shabby Pink, Celadon, Mint, Orchid, Lilac and Plumberry, Faber-Castell Multimark 1513 permanent Black, The Crafter's Workshop Stencil Mini Punchinella, Spellbinders Nestabilities Splendid Circles and Adorning Labels Twenty-Five, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Tags One, Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish, Cuttlebug Machine V2

COMMISSION# 12

HPJ-2014-50: Time To Celebrate

Here's another card with a box. It measures 4" x 3/4" x 7" when closed.

I love how this project turned out. You've seen my previous creations using the same papers. Though the paper collection was not Christmas-themed, it was very versatile. You can actually use it for so many different themes. I especially liked using it for my vintage Christmas cards. Now I only have a few pieces left from the pack. I wish I have another set. It would really be awesome.

By the way, this card was commissioned by my cousin and it was to have hearts, an 'I love you' and the name of the recipient somewhere. 

I had the red stamens from last year and when I looked through my stash of wooden embellishments I found a heart frame among them. I immediately thought about winding the stamens into the frame making a heart-shaped wreath and that was what I did. It looks really beautiful, I must say. The red color of the stamens accentuated the green and white background.

I stamped a banner from the Bundle of Joy stamp set on a piece of patterned paper and cut out the image. I then wrote the sentiment on it.

The recipient's name and the 'I love you' are yet to show themselves. Heh. The name was stamped on a small tag that went below the box inside the card. I stamped the 'I love you' on the inside of the box. I made a shining heart using Stickles to symbolize love (There's another heart!). Now the conditions are all met. Woohoo! Don't you find it lovely? I really really love it. I'd want to keep it, but it should go to the person it is supposed to go to. [sigh].

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel Ivory Board Paper, Prestige Board Paper Zulu Black, Rives Board Paper Tradition Black, Kaisercraft 12x12 Pickled Pear Collection, ?, paper doily, lace trimming, silk ribbon, Eno Greeting Wood Embellishment, self-adhesive crystals, stamens, Ranger Archival Ink Pad Jet Black, ColorBox Cat's Eye Queue Pigment Ink Antique Pewter and Olive, Artline Drawing Pen 0.4 Black, Ranger Stickles Pink, Graphic 45 Staples Antique Typewriter Wood Stamp, Kaisercraft Clear Stamps Bundle of Joy and Leaves, Spellbinders Nestabilities A2 Card Creator and Labels Thirty-Five, Cuttlebug Machine V2, Lil Sew 'N Sew Portable Sewing Machine

The next six cards are clean and simple. They have the same crisp white base and a small amount of embellishment.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel White Board Paper, Star Dream Specialty Board Paper Silver and Gold, kraft board paper, Graphic 45 8x8 paper pad Couture Collection Couture, buttons, glass beads, self-adhesive crystals, pearls, lace trimming, twine, baker's twine, silk ribbon, foam tape, Ranger Distressed Crackle Paint Rock Candy, Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black, ColorBox Cat's Eye Queue Pigment Ink Pad Cream White, Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fancy Framed Tags One and D-Lites Sprigs, Cuttlebug V2 Machine

The next set of cards is a collection of tent cards. It was my first time making them and it was really fun. I was able to put my horde of Christmas 3D stickers to pretty good use. I thought of making some with circle windows, but there would be more work since I don't have circle dies. I have to cut the windows and the frames using a circle cutter. Phooey. One day I will have those dies in my hands!

The finished cards were small at 4 1/4" all around, but they are such pretty things. I have decided to make them for my former colleagues as well.


HPJ-2014-57:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel White Board Paper, Prima Marketing Just Us Collection, 

HPJ-2014-58:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED:

HPJ--2014-59:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED:

HPJ-2014-60:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED:

The last set is composed of regular fold shabby/vintage cards.

HPJ-2014-61:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel Ivory Board Paper, Prestige Board Paper Zulu Black, Rives Board Paper Tradition Black, Graphic 45 8x8 paper pad Couture Collection Style and Classy, organza ribbon, baker's twine, jump rings, bead, chipboard embellishment, self-adhesive crystals, Uni-Ball Signo Broad White, Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish, Cuttlebug Machine V2

HPJ-2014-62:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel Ivory Board Paper,  Prestige Board Paper Zulu Black, Tim Holtz Paper Stash French Industrial Revolution, baker's twine, self-adhesive crystals, pearls, chipboard embellishment, jump ring, glitters, Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Ovals, Spellbinders Shapeabilities D--Lites Sprigs, Cuttlebug Machine V2, Lil Sew 'N Sew Portable Sewing Machine

HPJ-2014-63:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel Ivory Board Paper,  Tim Holtz Paper Stash French Industrial Revolution, Graphic 45 8x8 paper pad Couture Collection Style, stamens, chipboard embellishments, Beauty Premium Pigment Ink Pad Black, Ranger Archival Ink Pad Jet Black, Ranger Distressed Crackle Paint Rock Candy, Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish, Cuttlebug Machine V2, Lil Sew 'N Sew Portable Sewing Machine

HPJ-2014-64:

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel Ivory Board Paper,  My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 6x6 paper pad Portobello Road, Beauty Premium Pigment Ink Pad Black, Ranger Archival Ink Pad Jet Black, Artline Drawing Pen 0.4 Black, lace trimming, baker's twine, silk ribbon, chipboard embellishment, self-adhesive crystals, Kaisercraft Clear Stamps Bundle of Joy, Spellbinders Nestabilities Fleur de Lis Squares and Captivating Squares, Cuttlebug Machine V2, needle and thread

That was all for this particular order. I will be posting my personal Christmas preparations on my tumblog soon. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

CARD# HPJ-2014-49: Saengil Chukahaeyo

I guess most of the people who stumble upon my posts on Facebook or wherever think that I only make feminine cards which are mostly vintage or something that has a distressed look about them. Well, the majority of my close friends ARE girls and the orders I get are usually FOR girls so that's that. Besides I love using paper flowers and masculine cards are really a challenge.

For this particular commission, I was asked to make a birthday card. It was to be a trishutter card and vintage is a no no. It was to be blue and monster themed. The recipient, as I was told, was fun and adventurous. They wanted it to be similar to the one I made for Ayen a few years back. It was a blue dutchfold card with touches of green here and there. Here is what it looked like:

 

 The card measures 4" x 5.5" when closed.

I thought of adding other colors to it as well to make the card lively and fun. Of course I did not adhere all the papers down until I received approval to proceed.

This is what the card looks like when it is spread on the table without the embellishments. I had to take care of the background first before putting in the decorations.

This is when the embellishments were added.

Hey there little guy! Heh. It's the little monster on a die cut. I had to affix all the embellishments that needed to go on top of the die cut first before adhering the whole thing onto the front of the card.

This die has become one of my staples in papercrafting. I used the second biggest in the set. I cut out another piece from a white cardstock to strengthen the patterned paper. I made all the parts for the embellishments. The monster is made of felt. I handstitched the outline of the body. I cut out a small triangle for his party hat and adhered a pompom at the tip.

The cupcake is composed of different bits of patterned paper. The balloon is also paper, but instead of drawing a string, I used a length of baker's twine.

I used a shoutout to show the sentiment. It's Happy Birthday in Korean. I wrote the sentiment with my felt pens.

I added two other cute monsters on the inside of the card. They are made of felt as well, but I just drew the details instead of sewing them. I did not put in a pompom because the right side of the card would not be level with the other side when closed. I added another shoutout on one panel.

As I have mentioned in my other posts, trishutter is the one special fold card that my customers are fond of. I don't blame them. Almost any design on a trishutter base looks wonderful. I am still feeling great about this card that I think I would make another trishutter card in a little while for my friend Daidai's birthday. Hmn. I really think I will. Most probably I would be posting the details on my tumblog, but I would also try to post the finished card here. I won't ramble. I promise.

That being said, I say thank you for looking today. Till the next project (commission). Have a wonderful day!

PS I forgot about the Christmas goodies. I have started with the Christmas preparations and I already received an order for 15 pieces from my cousin. I wasn't able to post it earlier. I'll do it once I am done with the other samples. Thanks again!

MATERIALS AND TOOLS USED: Bevania Splendorgel White Board Paper, Graphic 45 8x8 paper Typography Collection, All About Scrapbooking 6x6 paper pad, My Mind's Eye 6x6 paper pad Lost and Found Two Spring Breeze and Six By Six Away We Go, Echo Park This & That 6x6 paper pad, felt, buttons, googly eyes, needle and thread, baker's twine, pompom, Artline Drawing Pen 0.4 Black, Crystal Pens, Dong-A FineTech 0.3 Black, M&G Ballpen Blue, Stanley Glue Gun, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Thirty-Five, Cuttlebug Machine V2