Simple Santa Card

I wanted to design a super simple Santa card that could be made with or for kids and was inexpensive to mass produce. This is what I came up with.

• Begin with a black standard 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inch card base. 
• The red layer is 4 x 5 1/4 inches. 
• The white fur is a 2 x 4 inch strip that has been scalloped on both long edges (I used the Stampin Up Scalloped Edge Border Punch). Secure fur piece to card as shown
• The belt was made with an 8 1/2 x 1 1/4 inch strip of black faux leather specialty paper but plain black cardstock will work just fine
• Cut 5 1/4 inches off  the black strip and use a 3/16 hole punch (or Crop A Dile) to make 2-3 holes in the right side of the belt as shown.  
• Lay the belt across the card horizontally. 
• Cut the remaining piece at 2 1/4 inches and round the ends using a 1/2 inch corner rounder (or Corner Chomper). 
• The remaining piece should be trimmed to 1 x 1 inch. It will be used to create the belt buckle. 
• Put dimensionals (foam tape) on the back of the 2 1/4 inch belt piece and secure over the left side of the belt (with the rounded end about 1/2 inch from the edge of the card)
• Make the belt buckle by punching silver metalic paper (or brushed silver paper) with the Stampin Up Curly Label Punch - layer over center of belt (use a dimensional only on the right side of the belt)
• Place the 1 x 1 inch black square in the center of the silver piece. 
• Decorate inside as desired. 

Hope you give this fun little card a try. It's sure to make any little or a big kid smile!

Ribbon Weaving

Ribbon weaving looks so much more difficult than it really is and it makes a great focal point for a card. This monochromatic card is simple yet elegant because of the ribbon weaving and embossed detail but it was fast and fun to make.

If you remember weaving strips of construction paper in grade school to make one of those ugly paper placemats then you know everything you need to know in order to make this very grown up card! Just use the same technique with ribbon instead of paper. Use a hand held punch or die to create a negative on a 4 x 5 1/4 inch piece of solid colored cardstock then emboss it. Create a slightly larger base card  (4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches) from the same color of cardstock. Layer the ribbon weaving behind the negative and apply both to the base card using dimensionals (foam tape).  Embellish with ribbon and pearls.

Quick and Easy Baby Shower Card

I bought two adorable baby outfits for a friend who is expecting her second child then realized I didn't have a card. I went to my craft room, took out my Big Shot, scalloped oval Sizzix die and Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and in just a few minutes my problem was solved. I cut the Scalloped oval twice -once in blue and once in white (It's a boy!)  I ran the white oval through the big shot to add the cute polka dot texture and surrounded it with the blue scalloped border. The neck hole was made using a 1 3/4 inch circle punch and the ribbon was just secured in place beneath the edge of the bib and tied. The whole thing was popped up on may base card with dimensionals (foam tape). What a sweet little card and nobody has to know how easy it was to make :-)