Jacob's Ladder Book

The Jacob's Ladder book is a perfect example of a project that appears to be difficult, but in fact is very easy to construct. I won't give instructions here, because there's a great tutorial over at making-mini-scrapbooks.com. Don't be afraid to change the size of your book or add additional pages. I used the same paper on both the inside and outside of my book, so you won't be able to tell from my photo how it works, but if you've ever played with one of these, you know how much fun they can be.

This book is on its way to someone who appreciates the unusual. I'm afraid I'm long overdue on sending her a birthday package. I hope she enjoys it!

Happy Anniversary

A card I made for my Aunt Dottie and Uncle Jerry, who celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary today. Paper from My Mind's Eye, and cardstock, ribbon, and gold cord from Stampin' Up!. Starfish charm - unknown source.

Happy Mother's Day!

Every Day Is the Best Day of the Year

I never make New Year's resolutions, but this year I've decided to make an "attitude resolution". Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up perfectly: "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Good words to live by, I think. After an especially tough year (um, make that 2 years), I think a more positive attitude certainly can't hurt.

For this small card (2-3/4" x 4-1/2"), I heat-embossed the text with Versamark ink and silver detail embossing powder, and layered it on plum then silver metallic cardstock. Next is a patterned cardstock layered over mauve. Finally, I finished the card with a beige ribbon.

Happy New Year!

How To Add A One-Hole Bow To Your Greeting Card

The one-hole bow has been around for a while, but just in case you've never made one, I've provided some directions below. What I like about this bow-making method is that the bow is always straight when it's finished. I typically end up with bows that are slanted to one side, but not with this technique.

First, punch a hole where you want the bow to be. I used a 1/4" hole-punch for my 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.

Next, place your ribbon on top of the cardstock. Be sure you cut a longer piece of ribbon than usual, because it will be wrapping completely around your cardstock before being tied into a bow.

Wrap the ribbon around to the back of the cardstock, then thread both ends through the hole from back to front. Pull one end out below the ribbon, and one end out above it.

Now tie a bow and you're done. I've attached this small element to a card, but this technique is also very effective when used directly on a full-size card, especially if you use a dramatic or fancy ribbon.

Recycling: Using Paint Chips On Your Cards

I've repainted a lot of rooms over the years, and I always end up with a stack of these paint chips when the project is over. If it's a color I actually used, I'll file it away in case I need to buy more for touchups, but I really don't need to hang on to the others. Instead of throwing them in the trash, I've been using them on cards and other projects. They come in handy when you don't have cardstock in the colors you need. I especially like the ones with the little window openings, because they make nice frames for small designs.

Here are some quick instructions on one way I recycle paint chips into greeting card components.

1. Trim the paint chip to the size you need.
2. Glue on a ribbon to cover the text at the bottom. You can cut the text off if you don't want to use ribbon.
3. Hmm, that red ribbon is a bit plain, so I'll add a gold ribbon on top of that.
4. Heat emboss a small design onto a scrap of cardstock, and glue that to the back of the paint chip so that it shows through the window. I embossed a snowflake with Versamark ink and gold embossing powder.
5. Dry emboss a background on the Cuttlebug, or use plain or printed paper.
6. Attach to a folded card, and you're done.

For more stamped projects with snowflakes, go over to Wednesday Stamper this week, where the current challenge is Snowflake Kisses.

Wildflowers and Butterflies

I've been trying to change up my cardmaking style just a little bit, and have been experimenting with color combinations I wouldn't ordinarily try. I saw a similar red, green, and teal combo on the Stampin' Up! website, and was surprised at how much it appealed to me. Although the bottom of this card appears to be a different color, it's actually the same cardstock as on the top. The bottom is heat embossed with winter white, and the top is SU!'s Old Olive ink on Mellow Moss cardstock. The letters were embossed as well, then punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.

Thinking of You Card

For a friend going through a tough time.

Supplies: cardstock, ink, and stamp from Stampin' Up!; Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder; metallic gold cord.

Moo Cards - Wheels

"Wheels" is the topic this week over at Make a Moo or Two. I haven't participated in a challenge in a while, but I've been saving up a sheet of scrapbook paper that features cute vintage illustrations, and I thought the two images above would be perfect for this creative prompt. Have I told you how much I love to make moo cards? They're the perfect size for using up scraps of paper, they're quick and easy, and they're fun to collect and trade. They can also be attached to handmade greeting cards if you think you actually need to use them for something!

How-To: Boxes from Recycled Greeting Cards

I promised months ago to post a tutorial on how to recycle greeting cards into tiny boxes, and finally managed to photograph one tonight while I was making it.

Before we get started, I have a couple of tips for box-making success. First, try to use a ruler that measures in sixteenths of an inch. You'll be able to measure more accurately. I don't have one, but I've made enough of these that I can estimate 1/16" fairly easily. Second, look for greeting cards that have a matte finish. For the box pictured here, I used a card with a glossy finish, and you can see cracks in the surface where I made the creases. A matte finish is less likely to do this, and will result in sharper edges and less cracking.

OK, first select a card and determine the largest size square you can cut from the front. You can go smaller than that if you like, but for your first box it's easiest to work as large as possible.

Next, on the reverse of your card front, draw your square, then place your ruler from corner to corner and draw an X in the center. This will mark the exact center of the square. On the back of the card (the blank area or the space where the greeting is), draw a square that is 3/16" smaller than your previous square. Mark the center.

Cut out the squares with scissors or a rotary cutter.



Beginning with the square you cut for the box top, fold all four corners to the center X and crease the folds.



Fold each straight edge toward the center, crease, and unfold.


Note the crease lines in the photo at left. It's important to complete all the folding steps above so that you make the correct cuts in the following step.



Using sharp scissors, cut from point A to point B. You'll be cutting through 2 layers of cardstock. Then cut from point C to point D. Repeat these cuts on the OPPOSITE edge of your folded card. IMPORTANT: You're only cutting on 2 sides, NOT 4.


Fold out the 2 sides you cut, as pictured at left.


Fold up sides 1 and 2 so that they're vertical.

Fold sides 3 and 4 over to hold sides 1 and 2 in place. If the little pointed sides don't stay down by themselves, glue them in place.

Repeat all steps for the box bottom. The top and bottom may fit very tightly together, depending on how carefully you cut and measured, or on your folding technique. Take this into account for your next box, and cut the box bottom smaller or larger accordingly. Be warned, these are addictive!