Happy Birthday Card and Gift Card Holder

Such a fun card, this is one of those where I probably went a bit overboard with all the different elements I added to the card. A combination of fun paper, punches, Memory Box dies, and embossing folders all came together to create this fun card. The punches are Martha Stewart, I have had the most success with her punches, and prefer them over other brands. There is, of course, glitter for that touch of sparkle.

This birthday card also has a secret "gift card" holder, lol.  When you open it up, you will see the gift card nestled inside. I used some chipboard elements to hold the gift card in place. When you remove the gift card you can see the sentiment. The best part about this approach is you can use any embellishment, pop them off the page and there you have a place to rest your gift card. One more tip: I put the tiniest dab of removable tape to hold it in place.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Deepest Sympathy Card

Deepest Sympathy Card - All White

I created this Sympathy card for a friend who lost her father.  I did a bit of research before creating this, and ultimately decided to create an all white card.  In India, the color for death is white, and that is the reason I selected white.  I embellished the card with pearls, glossy accents, and glitter. I find that I often get lost in my research when trying to come up with ideas for my cards.  Do you also research your cards before you create them? I'd love to hear about some of the things you research or do as part of your creative process when you make your cards.

Antonella Deepest Sympathy - close up

You may be wondering why the little card peeking out in the photo above. I was challenged in creating a card that was so monochromatic that I decided I would add a little color by creating a mini card. In the end, I could not mar the card in the inside and created a cut file with the words "Deepest Sympathy" that I placed inside.  I never did write inside of this card, instead writing inside the mini card.  I layered the sentiment on a doily that I had on hand.

Deepest Sympathy Studio Cut File

If you join me on Friday, Click here where I share the silhouette cut file that I used to create the "Deepest Sympathy" sentiment.  I love the delicate flow of the font, don't you?

I may have gone a bit overboard on this card, I used many different die cuts including a few of my Memory Box dies.  I think I like adding multiple die cuts on my cards.  I used the following Memory Box dies: Floral Circle and Quinn Fourish dies.  The Floral Circle is on both the main card and my little mini card!

I am or will be sharing this at the following link parties (buttons are in my link party tab above):

• Make It Monday - http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/
• The Happy Housie - http://thehappyhousie.com/
• The Answer is Chocolate - http://www.answerischoco.com
• Craft Frenzy Friday - http://www.craftdictator.com
• Made to be a Momma - Homemade by You - http://www.madetobeamomma.com/
• Whipperberry - Friday Flair Link Party - http://whipperberry.com
• Practically Functional Link Party - http://practicallyfunctional.com
• A Marvelous Mess Link Party - http://www.marvelouslymessy.com/
• Alderberry Hill - Make the Scene Monday - http://www.alderberryhill.com/

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Punches and Dies and Glitter Oh My!

Here it is, my January calendar page! I wanted something that used snowflakes and represented winter, because in my neck of the globe, it is winter :-)  My plan is to create a calendar page for each month of the year and since I hope to post February next week, I figured I should start the year off right with January - lol.

I have a theme for this year, and if you recall I shared a link from My Owl Barn last year.... you remember, she lets you design your own 2012 calendar using owl art from various artists... So, I started with one of the owl images (this is the hardest part because they are all so great), added my own January calendar page (not because I am a glutton for punishment, well maybe I am, but because hers didn't quite fit... and January was started.

If you are wondering how I got the texture on the owl image, I printed it out on art paper - acrylic painters paper... I prefer it over watercolor paper because I like that it makes my printed image look like the artist painted it just for me :-)  Oh, speaking of which, the artist who created this beauty is Kelly Ann, you can see some of her other paintings by clicking here.

The paper is DCWV, the pink has been run through my Cuttlebug, using one of my friend Lucy's embossing folders, I also used one of Martha's snowflake border punches, and don't forget the glitter.

On the inside, I used the quote from one of the printables I've created (click here to get the quote) and added my Memory Box Frosty Border die (yeah, this is a fun one!)... I cut the die apart and framed the quote... and glitter here too!

Have a happy day! It is a cold one here, guess I shouldn't complain, it is winter :-)

Enjoy! Copyright for Personal Use Antonella DeFalco

Fabulous Filigree Quilled Blue Bird Ornament

Hello and Welcome!

I have a new addiction passion... I am in love with my new cutting dies... I now have a small collection of Spellbinders Nestabilities dies and these incredibly detailed Memory Box dies....

I have to share what I have done with them over the holidays... I made these super cute ornaments! It is always a bonus when the fun products you have purchased actually make your handmade gifts even more beautiful and special.

So my plan is to share some of the ornaments that I have made and also embark on my 2012 calendar project, so each month I will show you a new calendar page, I can see where this is taking me already, I cannot decide which images, so I may have more than one calendar - at least this is something useful that I can force my friends to take give to friends! lol

It is a new year, so I have lots of ideas and energy... now if I could just win the lottery so I could do all of them :-)

These dies are so much fun to use! I am really having fun cutting them out of different paper and seeing how they look, what I like best.... Oh, the possibilities - now only if I could get my imagination to catch up to those possibilities!

For this lovely Blue Bird Ornament I used the Nestabilities Lacy Ovals  -I picked those specifically because I knew I was going to make ornaments and I wanted to be able to have something so they would hang nicely, and this lovely die did the trick! I also absolutely had to use some of my new Memory Box dies, and this lovely Frosty Border is what I chose.

Well, maybe I should take a step back and tell you how the process works... You see the ornaments are for my son's teachers, so on those years that I think I will be able to make handcrafted ornaments he gets to decide what his teachers get... So, his music teacher needed an ornament with birds and music notes... So with that information in mind, I get to pull my hair out figure out how and what exactly to make... This year he was very specific that they had to be blue birds :-)

Ok, so now that I have birds and music notes, I really did need something for them to be resting on, and did I tell you I absolutely love my Memory Box dies? So you see I had to find a way to include them, I really did! And this lovely "Frosty Border" die arrived and the idea was born.

Now, for my blue lovelies, I could have chosen quilling strips that were blue, but as I was placing my order for Christmas colored quilling strips, I happened upon this lovely paper called "Touch of Blue Gilded on Edge" and I thought, now that will make a statement!  Isn't it pretty? The base paper is white, and on the top edge is this beautiful shimmery blue!

To make the birds I followed the same process, I just used a little bit more paper for the larger bird!

• I started with the tail feathers - I really did, and you'll find out why in a sec... So, for the tail feathers...
• 2 - 2 inch (5 cm) strips of paper, fold them in half, and curl the ends.  
• Now, I rolled the teardrop for the body of the bird
• 1 full strip of my Touch of Blue quilling paper, rolled and shaped into a Teardrop
• Don't glue it just yet... but hold on tight to the pinched end, because this is where the tail feathers go :-)
• Where you would normally glue your teardrop, you will take those tail feathers and glue them to the bird before you glue that outside strip to hold everything in place.  
• Squeeze tightly to get a nice set of tail feathers

Beak, Feet, and Wing

• For these remaining pieces, I took small scrap pieces and added them to the cuties
• I can't give measurements, because I literally cut small pieces (and didn't measure, just figured what I thought would be proportional)
• A small piece cut and bent for the beak and glued to the nice rounded end of the teardrop
• A small piece bent in half, and then bent again for their feet
• Finally 2 small pieces bent and rolled for the "wing"

I am entering this in the Sentimental Sundays "Snow, Blue, and/or Glitter" and my project has all 3 Yeah :-)

Make It Monday - Anything Goes!

I used the following products on this ornament:

Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacy Ovals and Classic Ovals




Memory Box Frosty Border from Ellen Hutson

Quilling Paper from Whimsiquills (thanks Pat)

Enjoy the ride!! Copyright for Personal Use Antonella DeFalco