Pop-up digger card- Free cut file and Card Candy

          BirdsCards  offfers so many wonderful cut files, and this digger was perfect for my grandson's 7th birthday.  I hardly ever use the cricut cartridges. I'm so use to using SCAL with the computer to size, cut and create images that using the cricut keypad is challenging. 

I just went for an eye exam...new prescriptions for distance and reading along with nightly eye drops. 

So about the card... isn't it cute? The shiny parts are a bit smeary...it's impossible for me to glue 2 cuts together without getting gluey fingers. I like to layer cuts to add depth.

The background paper is perfect for this digger, and the camouflage envelope holds the message it dug up. Here's the inside:

My grandson loves anything with wheels and everything camouflaged so I printed this on erasable paper. Erasable paper was used back when everything was typed and it has 25% cotton fiber so it feels like fabric. I love it, thin yet durable! 

I used the army stickers I had stashed and cut the letters using SCAL. I had fun playing with this but it took me all day, double cuts - glued together, inked edges, stickers layered on card stock for support then fussy cut, letters glued to acetate to pop up and a spare digger to include on the envelope.

I'm hoping that if he wants to remove the digger - it will be the one on the envelope and not the card. If I were 7 I'd rip it off , after all the digger moves, you have to figure out how that works...right? Do you remember wanting to take things apart to figure out how they worked? I could tell you a story or two.

Now about the card candy. I have 95 followers I'm hoping to have 100 sometime soon so that I can choose a random winner.

 Pictured here are some possibilities to offer the potential winner. All you need to do is follow my site... and then leave a comment telling me that you would like to win. If you're the winner I will request your email address for contact information so that I can mail the winning package.

To see more card candy click here  and here to see how I used it. I would love to share these embellishments and see how you would use them. Does that sound like fun? 

 Now I do have some errands run so I'll end this post wishing you joy and well being.  
~Carole

Designing with card candy...Ideas for prizes

Using the captains wheel and anchor on the stripes  begged for another element so I punched a 1.5" circle twice, one red one blue,then I punched a 1" circle out of the center. After I cut and glued the pieces together I embossed it to create this  lifesaver. 

After I tied on some twine, I discovered the white cord.  Grommets on the corners and tie it all together with an S.O.S.....ahoy and set sails matey. 

Have you ever done this...look again...I mounted the card topper on the wrong side, or upside down. Have you ever been in public when you look down and see a tag on the inside of your collar? Your hand goes to your throat and covers your blunder. Will anyone notice? Probably not...but first chance you get you'll find a place to turn it right. Well I think I will leave it on backwards....nobody knows...right? Make this card fun.

Nobody enjoys crabby people...yet many of us enjoy eating them...crabs that is! Simple and fun. The grill is from SVGcuts. and the little crab is on the summer shape library available with SCAL. I love playing with die cuts...embellishing them adding a bit of whimsy.

I love the sakura gelly roll pens they add just the right sparkle to enhance a cut. So here are but a few possibilities if you are the lucky winner of the prize package I'm offering when I have 100 followers. 
I've made quite a few embellished elements and many more die cuts to choose from. I'll be posting more pictures of all the card candy I'm playing with. Would you like to win some? Leave a comment and you too could win. 

I want to welcome my new followers ...95 ....only 5 to go. I hope it doesn't take to long. I invite you to leave a comment and I'll be happy to return the favor. 
Be well and craft on~ Carole

Fun Fold Tropical Dreams

 Today's card was inspired by Robin Arnold a designer for Card Maker Magazine. Robin's Halloween card featured pumpkins, but I'm in a tropical state of mind. 

This folded card reminds me of a cascading card, but it opens to reveal the message inside. I spend way too much time creating this but it turned out so bright and colorful.

. I used several SVG file cuts I made previously for a step card, I just had a hard time deciding how to arrange them.

 

I started with navy blue card stock layered with shades of blue and aqua, very much like tropical waters. The palm trees and hibiscus were cut on water color paper and them colored with Marvy LePlume markers.

 All the stamps on this card are  from "Life's A Beach" stamp set by Gina K's Stamp TV. This was the delightful surprise gift I received along with an order I place for Gina K's wonderful card stock. How's that for customer appreciation?

The dolphin, starfish, ukelele, crab, bucket and shovel are SVG cuts. I hand cut the flip flops, and left some white space to write a note. 

What do you think? Was it worth the time???

"Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations."   ~Faith Baldwin

Till next time...Be well ~ Carole

Card Patterns Sketch 169

Time for another challenge. Card Patterns Sketch 169  Knowing next Sunday is Father's day I decided to create a card using this pattern. Remembering a trophy svg I made and spying a medallion I thought of using silver paper to cut them, then add some red white and blue.


This card came together very quickly. I wasn't sure about adding the red circle behind the medallion so I took a picture with and without it. Now seeing them together I prefer the card without the red circle. What's your opinion?


I'm sure I've had the football button and the medal letters for many years. Time to let them go. The navy blue and white paper are both embossed using a star folder.

I'm offering the trophy svg file for free. Leave a comment and contact information and I'll email it to you.
                 



Any man can be a father.  It takes someone special to be a dad.  ~Author Unknown
 

 That's all for now. Be well and thanks for visiting.Carole

                 

You're a classic

My BIL is celebrating his 60th birthday this year so I made him this card: You're a" Classic "featuring this Studebaker. I think it's perfect for a fellow born in 1952. 

Traveling west to California was the thing to do. Traveling on Route 66 was the way to go. Even though Studebaker was the bomb, seriously the worst selling car of the time, it remains a classic car, bringing big bucks at car auctions today.

 I remember my father bought one in 1960's...an ugly green model probably got a really good deal. . I was mortified when he drove me to school in this atrocity. I'm serious... I was so embarrassed to be seen in this relic, but it seemed to delight my father. In the 60's - 1957 Chevy's rocked the drive-in hamburger joints. Studebaker's were mocked. And so it goes. 60 years later it's cool to own a Studebaker. Definitely a classic...Happy Birthday Jerry Sweeney, we love you. You are a classic!

Easter Cards

I've been having so much fun I almost feel guilty. I can't wait to get up in the morning, so I can look through Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. Then I start pinning my cards and creating new ones. But it's the challenges that bring visitors to my blog. So then I look for a challenge to inspire me. Today with hopes to present at a local craft show I've made 4 of these Easter cards. The quality of the paper shows the embossing so well.

Now lying awake this morning I thought about creating an embossed cross. I created the cross in SCAL then centered it on a rectangle measuring 

4" X 5.25". 

Then I cut 4 of the crosses inside the rectangles on a heavy weight card stock (I had to use the cut twice option and the heavy weight blade). 

After lining up the rectangles with the negative crosses and gluing them together I glued the 4 crosses together and secured them on a piece of cardboard matching that up with the negative crosses thus creating an embossing folder.

 I'm happy to say it worked but I didn't use it here. Instead I layered and glued 4 crosses together to  create an "old rugged cross" inked with Rangers vintage photo ink and distressing the cross with ...pliers. You know they have the gripping ridges. It really makes a difference close up. 

Now I have a piece of white card stock with the negative cut cross, I used my cuttlebug and a framed embossing folder to create that beautiful embossed outline. I insert the 4 layers of distressed inked crosses into that negative space... wrapping the purple ribbon around and under the cross. Beautiful. Layered on violet or lavender card stock embellished with 2 punched pine boughs and 3 punched double flowers topped with white nail head dots, a dove and the sentiment "He Has Risen" Perfect! What do you think?

Next I made a "punny bunny"card. I used the same Cuttlebug embossed frame folder with SB (SpellBinders) oval cut die to create the negative space. I framed that with the 3 double punched flowers and leaves. I used tiny beads to add color to the flowers. The bunny and the chick are svg cuts available in the SCAL library of basic shapes-Spring. If you don't have a die cutting machine or Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) you just don't know what I'm talking about.  It's a great option often forgotten.

Wow do you notice the ridges on the bunny cut? That's the fabulous quality of
Gina K's Pure Luxury card stock. Again I had to double cut it, then layered 2 pieces together, and for added dimension its attached with foam squares. Colorful eggs were added and a black seed bead for an eye and a cotton ball tail with the sentiment 
"A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention." So fun.

"Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimension"          Oliver Wendall Holmes

Be well.  Thanks for visiting Carole

The Clean and Simple Challenge CFC41

"Jest for the Pun of it"-take two. After visiting all the Girl Fridays blogs I took a second look at my card. It's not so clean and simple. So I"ll try again.

"Everyone needs a friend that's all ears." 

The little chick and the bunny are spring shapes in the SCAL library, cut from watercolor paper then colored and detailed. SB oval, embossed with Swiss dots, a cotton ball tail and the sentiment computer generated.

A clean and simple card and a clean and simple post. Thank you for looking. Be well Carole

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." Ralph Waldo Emerson