Kids Birthday Cards

Hi everyone!
Teri here again, and I'm happy be partying up today at the GCD Studios blog.
Today, I'm bringing you two silly and goofy shaped birthday cards for kids.
Our theme this month was to party it up and make something birthday inspired. To kick things off, Heidi presented us with collage of pictures.

She also mentioned her little guys were having their birthdays this month so I thought, "Hey, kids birthday cards. Hmmmmm. That would be fun." Needless to say, I was off and creating.
The first card I came up with was this goofy cup of slush.

No cup of slush would be complete without a happy face, right? ;)
All the paper on this one is from GCD's Smoothie Shoppe collection.

The second card I made was this birthday hat.

Again, I was going for goofy so I just had to add a happy face.
I finished the card off by cutting a flower from patterned paper and then adding a brad to it. I thought they looked a bit festive together and were perfect for the top of the hat.

Well, that is all for now. I'll be back soon!
Thanks for stopping by.

this collage makes me giddy inside

Hello everyone! Its Windy Robinson here and with a couple of cards to share based on this month's inspiration...

...this collage makes me giddy inside... I can imagine myself in one of these confectionary settings with my girls running around in their cute sun dresses and flip flops, sneaking drinks of soda pop and eating way too much cake or candy... so fun! As soon as I saw that iced bow I immediately imagined it in paper...

Patterned paper (Homespun Chic collection: Homespun Garden and Blue Redwork; Zippity collection: Big Flower); embellishments (Homespun Chic Word Strips); cardstock (Bazzill Basics Salt Dot & Berry Sensation); thread (Coats & Clark).

... and this one reminds me of charming summer showers or parties... flowers, beautiful colors, banners flapping in the breeze.

Patterned paper (Homespun Chic collection: Homespun Garden, Petite Blossoms, Pink Redwork; Ava collection: Emral & Sunny Pinwheels; Zippity collection: Big Flower & Dandelion); embellishments (Homespun Chic Word Strips); cardstock (Bazzill Basics Salt Dot); thread (Coats & Clark); flowers (Prima & Zva); pearls (Mark Richards)

Have a great weekend!

party with a carnival theme

Hi to all of you and thanks for stopping by today! Our inspiration piece this month immediately got my creative juices flowing! Can you see why?! Look at all those fun colors and festive images!
I knew I wanted to make something big, and after a trip down the party supply aisle at my local craft store I located the perfect item to alter...a ferris wheel!!! It is meant to be a center piece for a party with a carnival theme and was originally red and white and quite plain looking! The carnival theme was perfect, but I thought it needed a little more flair to help kick it up to the next level! Now when I look at it, I think it has gone from a simple carnival theme center piece to the perfect glitz and glamour center piece that any girl who loves butterflies and bling would adore! The baskets would be perfect for holding your favorite candy or treat or maybe even a little teddy bear with matching ribbons and bling! (My DH gave me that idea!!!) What do you think?!
I started by covering all of the pieces with patterned paper using the fabulous Homespun Chic collection. I then embellished it with punched and layered butterflies, a handmade multi-layered flower and some vintage lace.

Here you can see some of the details I mentioned above...

Everything spins and moves on this ferris wheel too, which makes it even more fun!!!

Supplies:

GCD Studios
Patterned Paper: Homespun Garden, Blue Redwork, Homespun Mod Flocking, Vintage Birdie, Pink Redwork, and Pink Sparkle from the Homespun Chic Collection
vintage Buttons: Homespun Chic Collection

Others:
Ferris Wheel: Hobby Lobby
Butterfly punches: Martha Stewart and EK Success
Gems: Me & My Big Ideas and Bazzill
Lace and Ribbon: unknown
Decorative Scissors: Fiskars

I hope you all have a fabulous day!

Happy Hugs!
Juliana

HOT GLUE GUN + CHIPART TOOL!

Here's what you'll need:
A hot glue gun
Colored hot glue sticks
Clear embossing ink (as a release)
Small square of parchment paper or a non-stick mat
Chip Art Stamps

1. Start by squeezing a small amount of glue, just slightly smaller than the stamp you are going to use onto a non-stick surface.


2. Press you Chip Art stamp into the clear embossing pad. The ink will act as a release, letting you remove the cooled glue more easily.


3. Gently press the stamp into the hot glue. Don't press too hard or the stamp will go all the way through to your work surface leaving a hole in your seal. Since there is no pounding involved, you won't need to use your stamp handle.


4. Let it set until the glue has set and it is cool enough to handle.


5. Lift the stamp with the cooled glue from your work surface...


6. and gently peal to release.


7. Here is the finished seal.


8. To add more definition or interest to the seal, dab on a generous amount of acrylic paint.


9. Quickly wipe the majority of the paint off, leaving some settled in the cracks.


10. The finished result! Just add a little glue to the back and attach to your project.

I had so much fun playing around with this technique! Some of the results I absolutely LOVED, others...not so much. At the end of it I have a whole sandwich baggy full of new embellishments!


Now for a couple of cards I created with my favorites!

Here I actually created my sentiment out of seals.

The red glue with the black accents went perfectly with those Artsy Urban papers and embellishments!


I love this fun and funky pink and yellow crown.

Perfect paired with some Homespun Chic for a fun and funky princess!!


I had tons of fun with this technique, I really hope you give it a try!

Thanks a bunch!
Heidi V

2011 Birthday

I love to be organized, and at most things I am. However, I often am late in sending out birthday cards, so I decided that I was finally going to make something to help me keep my birthday cards in order, and perhaps to actually get them out early next year.

This month we have been inspired by these images. I love birthdays! Cake, cupcakes, presents, balloons and fun!
I was inspired not only in color, the reds in the candle background, the cream of the icings and the blue of the tablecloth, but also by the theme of a birthday.

I used papers from the gcd studios Independence collection,
a Pink Paislee 6x6 album, prima flowers and letters from cosmo cricket and colorbok, some color misted doilies, ek punches and lots of fussy cut pieces cut from the Independence flocked floral paper.

For each page, I made a single monthly calendar, and will circle the dates of birthdays in that month. I made my calendar with a publishing program on my computer.

Each page also includes a pocket to hold cards, and I am thinking I will stick a note in each pocket for names of who needs birthday cards that month.

I simply added patterned paper to each chipboard 6x6 page, then added another piece of scallop punched paper for my pocket. I then added decorations, and my calendar page.

Each page is decorated individually, and of course, I haven't taken the time yet to personalize my album, but once I get it done, I can be organized for a whole year's worth of birthdays in just a few moments. You could also add anniversaries, teacher cards, and friendship cards to this as well.

I hope this inspires you in someway to organize! I hope to have a great year in 2011 with getting all my cards out on time!!
kris

Lydia Collection

I have loved this piece of paper in the Lydia Collection from the moment I first saw it...



I decided this was the day I would create a layout with it...this paper was just begging me to do some hand cutting...



This is my niece Adrienne and she had a fabulous time digging hands first into her birthday cake...oh, to be a kid again...

Check out how great it looks popped up for dimension...



I simply added some glitter glue to the center of each flower...done! I love that this layout was embellished with a piece of paper...definitely makes for a cost effective layout that still has all the dimension of a layout made with expensive embellishments.

From our house to yours :)

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had to be a GCD designer throughout the month of July. I knew that I wanted to use some of the cute Chip Art chipboard houses and trees in one of my upcoming projects, and this card gave me the chance. First, I glued down patterned paper to the chipboard houses, cut them out, and inked them to give them a little dimension.


Then I used some glimmer mist to spray the chipboard trees.


I created what was to look like a little “road”, and then glued everything in place to create the front of the card. I also inked everything before adhering it. Here is the finished product:



And the inside message:



Finally, here are a couple of close-ups:





Card says, “Thanks” (outside); “from my house to yours” (inside)

Supplies used: patterned paper, chipboard, journaling spots: GCD Studios; letters: October Afternoon; ink: Color Box, Tattered Angels; pearl, ribbon: misc.

-Christy

Sanding

The month of July is when America celebrates its independence. But, we wouldn't have that independence without the sacrifice of our armed forces, and their families. For this month's technique post, I chose to focus on cards that honor those in our military.

The technique that I am sharing with you is by no means a new one, but one that maybe you haven't visited in awhile. I seem to forget how much texture and detail sanding can add to a project, and paired with the beautiful texture of GCD Studios papers....it is a sure winner.

The supply list is pretty basic. All you need is some sandpaper, your patterned paper block, and an old surface that you don't mind getting scratched up.

When I sand paper block, I start by sanding the edges first. It brings out that nice white core to the paper, and adds a great border to the paper block.

I don't normally sand inside of the paper block....but GCD Studios paper just screams for it to be done. Check out how much texture and detail the sanding brings out of the paper block:

And here is a little side by side comparison to some unsanded GCD Studios paper. They are both gorgeous....

And here are the two cards that I came up with. My first card was meant for sending to wherever your soldier might be located. I read somewhere online that you don't want to ever send cards that have glitter on them to a soldier, because glitter makes them visible at night if it gets on them at all. So, I made sure that I didn't use any type of paper with glitter on it. I also made the card very flat, so it would be easier to send, and wouldn't possibly cause any mail problems. Look at how much texture the sanding gives the card, even with the card being so flat in nature.

This next card is meant to give to your soldier once they get home. This one is chalk full of glittery paper, jewels, dimension, sanding, texture....you name it. Soldiers coming home deserve all the decoration in the world....so why shouldn't their welcome home card be the same?

All of the papers on these cards are from the Independence collection by GCD Studios. This is a completely fabulous paper set, and works with so many different themes....but especially patriotic themes. They are a perfect addition to your scrapbooking paper collection!

Thanks for honoring our soldiers with me this month!

Until later,
~Lea