Punch Art Care Bears Tutorial

Hello there,

     I feel like I am visiting an old friend, reading back through my past posts. I cannot believe over a year has passed since I last posted. I must thank all of you who visited my site and requested a tutorial. This was one of the reasons I started a blog, to share my love of crafts with others. Well I have to say I would have liked to have been able to get this tutorial up right away, but I am in the middle of my night shifts so I am stealing moments and getting the tutorial done bit by bit.

     I have been wanting to make templates of all of my punches for some time now, and that is how I started out. I punched out a bunch of tags and then proceeded to punch out a negative of every punch I have, including edge punches. I then took my laminator that I purchased about 3 or 4 years ago, because I just had to have it, and used it for the first time to laminate each tag to make it sturdier. Then I punched a hole in the corner and placed them collectively on a key ring. Now when I want to know what punch works best with a stamp I can lay it over and decide ahead of time. Also when deciding what punches I used on a punch art piece I can lay the template over top to find what matches.

 So that is how I decided what punches I used for my Care Bears.

     Ok, on to what you came for..............

Head - full heart punch
          I used a corner rounder on the end to smooth it out

Ears - 3/4 inch circle punch and 1/2 inch circle punch in white for inside of ears

Muzzle - 3/4 inch circle punch in white with the heart from the 2-step owl punch in the color of your bear for the nose

Body - 1 3/4 inch circle with 1 3/8 inch circle in white for the belly

Feet - 3/4 inch circle punch with small hearts in the center, I used a darker shade of the bear color for the hearts

Arms - the large oval 1 3/4 x 7/8 inch punch

Next I chose a shade darker and sponged around all of the edges. This really adds dimension to the punched out shapes.

Then google search for different Care Bears and their body colors and belly shapes.

Not sure what center for the purple bear, but I just went through my paper stash and picked out different colors to use.

I have been having a difficult time deciding how to make draw the faces on, and found bear eye shapes that you can download and cut out on The Beary Scrap website. I think they might work.  http://thebearyscrap.com/pages/printables.htm

Sorry it took me so long to get this tutorial up but I ended up working 2 shifts of overtime and today is my first day off. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Crafting, Tina

Care Bears Punch Art

Hello everyone,
      Ever since I was a child I have always loved the Care Bears. Not sure why, but I had a dream about these adorable bears on cards. So today I spent part of the day trying to find some punch art ideas of bears, but none of them were Care Bears. The Care Bears have a look about them, and no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find samples of them. So I did a google search for pictures of the bears themselves and thought I would make an attempt at creating my own punch art. Personally I think they turned out wonderful, and what a great way to use up scraps!! Here are some pictures of the ones I have finished and as I finish more I will be sure and post them too.

I haven't added any faces yet, I have been practicing faces to get them just right. Well I we got buried last night by a snow storm. I am sure most of you heard about it on the weather channel, well I worked all night and drove home in the aftermath this morning. The roads really weren't that bad, where they were plowed that is.

Well I hope you like these little guys, Happy Crafting, Tina

 

I finally added a tutorial to these little guys, here's the link to exact spot  http://craftbreakforme.blogspot.ca/2013/07/punch-art-care-bears-tutorial.html

 

Enjoy!!

Matthew's Birthday Card

Hello again,

     It was my oldest son's birthday this past Wednesday, wow hard to believe he is now 22 years old. I bought the Totally Tool stamp set from Stampin' Up!, because he is an electrician. As soon as I saw this stamp set I just had to have it, I knew it would be perfect for him, and any other male cards that I may have to make. 

I looked around all over the internet looking for inspiration to make his card. I had a rough idea of what I wanted but just wasn't sure. This is the card I ended up with. I saw a bunch of different ideas and took a little inspiration from each and created my own which is loosely based on 3 or 4 other ideas, and I sized it to make it a card. I covered the saying on each of the idividual stamps and just Versamarked the tool itself. I then used detail black embossing powder and heat embossed it. Next I used my Versamark marker and colored the areas I felt should be silver, and I sprinkled these parts with sterling silver embossing powder and heat embossed these parts. Next I colored in the other parts like the handle of the screwdriver, the tape part of the tape measure, and the hammer handle. I used a chain I had and attached it to a belt loop to make a "key chain" of sorts. I used the Happy Birthday greeting from the Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set. I wanted more than just a sentiment and I found a great greeting inside of another birthday card. I printed it out onto a piece of vanilla cardstock and cut it into the shape of a tag. Next I punched a hole in the top and attached ribbon and slipped it into one of the pockets (along with gift cards in the other pockets). As you can tell from the photo, the gift cards have been removed. I didn't want to take pictures or post this card until after his birthday in case someone saw it.
I hope you like and if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Happy Crafting, Tina

Makeover Monday

Hello everyone,
     now for some reason I had a difficult time trying to decide how I wanted to make this card all mine. I love these challenges, you really get to tap into your creativity. I tried making this card one way, but wasn't happy with it, and just kept fiddling with it until I finally came up with a card I was pleased with. So without further ado here it is.......

I know over at the Paper Crafter's Library, their inspiration was a 12 x 12 scrapbook page, but I really wanted to continue making my cards. Now looking at it maybe if I had made it a 5.5 x 5.5 card I would have had a littlemore room to play with, but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.
     I used the Cheerful Treat designer series paper and my eyeley border punch and created the decorative layer on the the bottom of the card front. I used my Sizzlits alphabet set "Girls are Weird" and punched out the letters and shadows for the word "Spring". I wanted another layer for the lettering and decided to cut out 1-3/8" circles and place the letters on top. I was going to place one letter on each circle, but there wasn't enough room, but lucky enough there was enough room for two letters on each circle. I stamped sentiments from the Best Yet stamp set, in Brilliant Blue Classic ink and sponged around the edges. I layered in a coordinating color and punched a hole in the top using my Big Bite. I used the Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine and wrapped the card and used the twine to attach my sentiment. The flower and ladybug are stickers that I have had forever, they are made by Provo Craft and are called Dandy Daisies.
I hope you like and until next time,
Happy Crafting, Tina

Makeover Monday Challenge

Hello everyone,
     Well here is another makeover Monday challenge card. I really like this card, and I find with all of the challenges this month it really gets your creative side thinking. My husband asked me if I had made his card yet, he has no idea I have been working on cards all month long.

I like the 4.25 x 5.5 cards that stand on end, so I kept my card the same as Tracy's that way, and used my corner rounded punch for the bottom corners. I used a light pink card base, and added the front making it a little smaller leaving a border of the pink around the card. I used my Spellbinder Classic Hearts dies and cut out hearts and went from the smallest upwards and layered them as well, and after gluing them together I sponged the edges with Cherry Cobbler classic ink. I liked the buttons Tracy had on her card, but couldn't get my bows just right so I just threaded it through the two holes and knotted it in the back. I used some decorative Valentine paper and using the eyelet border punch I created a decorative layer at the bottom and used Stampin' Up! ribbon to hide the seam. I stamped my sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and created a banner with a brad at the end, and adhered it with stampin dimensionals from Stampin' Up!
I hope you like the inspiration I got from this weeks challenge.
Happy Crafting, Tina

Another Makeover Monday Challenge

Hello again everyone,

     This is a pinwheel card, I found the pinwheel idea over on Andrea Walford's site quite a while back. I know the cards in this challenge use a sentiment as the large accent piece but I wanted to use this pinwheel idea. I used paper from the Cheerful Treat DSP pack and used the colors in the paper to pick out the colors for my cards. I love this little "magazine/file" holder for the cards. I will add a link to the site where I saw the directions for this holder, when I find it. I went through my stash of ribbon and couldn't find one that I really liked so I took my Creative Memories 12 inch decorative trimmer and made a border for the card. I used sentiments from the Teeny Tiny  Wishes stamp set for the cards, and Dear Santa stamp set for the to/from tag.

I hope you like and happy crafting, Tina



I am finally entering a challenge

A Valentine's Card..........now this challenge was from Andrea Walford's site and is called Makeover Monday. The idea behind the challenge is that you take an example from another site and make it your own, using only the supplies you have on hand. As much as we all love to have an excuse to go out and buy a new paper or punch, if you are anything like me, you already have enough in your stash to sink a ship!! So I thought this challenge would be a good one for me. Now, anyone who knows me will not believe that other than the card bases I did not cut one new piece of paper. I opened up my boxes of scrap paper and found everything to make the card, actually I made 16 of them, because I can never make just one, you never know when you will need a card, or someone might ask for one.

I love the butterflies, they are an embossilits folder that I bought from Stampin' Up! I actually made Ladybugs to go on each card, but the red seemed too harsh against the pinks, so I opted for the butterflies.

I hope you like the card, and maybe, if I try and take part in more Makeover Monday Challenges, I can keep more current on my blog.

Have a great rest of the week, and Happy Crafting,

Tina

Angel card for the Holidays

Hello everyone,
This is a little spin on a card I made a little while back. I just loved the angel and thought she would be perfect for Christmas cards, as well. So I decided to use Christmas paper for her skirt.

I started by using my Scalloped border punch and punched along both long edges of 8.5 x 11 card stock, this way you can do more all at once, and then I cut my paper in half.

Then I counted and marked every 8 scallops, and cut the card stock and this makes her skirt. To round the edges just mark the middle of the top flat side of the card stock and cut up the sides to the mark you made. Next take the extra-large oval punch and punch out a skin tone colored card stock and this is her head. I haven't added a face or pink for the cheeks yet.

I used the petal punch and using red glitter card stock, I punched out 3 flowers for each angel, added a yellow center and you have poinsettias. Using silver card stock, and my Creative Memories oval cutting system I used the smallest oval template and the blue and green blades and cut out the halos.

Next I ran the cardbase through the Cuttlebug with the Petals a Plenty embossing folder. I took sponge and Handsome Hunter and ran the sponge back and forth across the embossed surface until I had the color I wanted. I realized after that I could have udes my Brayer instead of the sponge to apply the color.

Next I centered and adhered the angel in place. I used the Merry Christmas stamp from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, stamped in Real Red Classic ink and punched out with the Word Window. I layered with the |Decorative label and adhered the sentiment to her dress.

I added red glitter glue to the centers of the embossed images, and to a few centers I added little beaded red flowers, that I got at Michaels in the bargain bins. (they came in a sheet of 25 flowers for $1.50, and I got 20% off)

Enjoy and if you have any questions, feel free to send me a note.
Happy Crafting, Tina

A Beautiful Morning

Hello there,
     I was just going through my pictures that I took this week, and found this picture. I took it yesterday morning as the sun was coming up. I love how the sun reflects on the trees, I knew I had to get the picture as soon as I saw it, and sure enough, 15 minutes later it was gone. I hope you like the picture and that it makes you smile, especially with the rain and wind we have had last night and today.

These pictures were taken while I was standing on my front porch.
Have a great day, Tina

Coffee Thankyou Card

Good morning,
     With how busy things have been lately, with Chris being sick (he's better now), I had moved alot of my craft supplies upstairs into the middle of the livingroom. Well I spent all of this afternoon putting it all away! The house is back to normal now.
My mother in law wants me to make her Christmas cards this year, so I have been busy making those and I have a card request from one of the guys I work with.
 He wants a card for one of the girls that we work with, she is changing rotations and we won't be working with her, except in passing.
So yet another dilemma, what type of card do I make for someone who is not a girlie girl? Well she is a good friend of mine so I got to thinking about things she likes, and what stamps and punches I have. Coffee, that's it, she loves her coffee. We like our wine too but didn't think he would like to give her a card about that, hehehe.

So I got thinking about types of coffee, espresso.......express, espresso my thanks? Yeah that works, now what? A coffee cup die cut and my card is starting to take shape. Hmmmmm perhaps a chalk board in the background naming different types of coffee? Ok now this I don't have so guess I'll pull out my computer and make one.

Well I have that finished, and I layered it with dark brown card stock, and sponged all my edges with Chocolate Chip ink. I had Chris cut me out some coffee cup die cuts with the cuttlebug and I like how you can swap the pieces out to give them more dimension. I used My Digital Studio by Stampin' Up to create the "chalkboard" as you can use all of the colors that Stampin' Up has and match your colors.

Here is a picture of the finished card......now on to more Christmas cards.
Happy crafting, Tina

Another Christmas card

Hello again,
I know it's still a little early to be thinking of Christmas, but truly I don't think a week goes by that I don't find myself humming a Christmas Carol or thinking of how I want to decorate this year. Shoot and I haven't even decorated for Halloween yet!

This card is made with the Come to Bethlehem stamp set. I have always liked this stamp set and it was one I finally ordered, in my last Stampin' Up order. I decided to go with a silver and blue color scheme. I took a light blue card stock and used Versamark and stamped the three wisemen stamp on the card stock. Next I used silver embossing powder, and heat set it.

I bought this shimmer paper pad at Michael's using my 50% off coupon. I took the silver shimmer paper and cut it out 4 x 5.25 inches. Next I layered my stamped/embossed image. At first I cut the top layer 1/4 inch smaller but decided I wanted more of the silver showing, so I cut each of the top layers 1/2 inch smaller than the silver layer. I then wrapped ribbon around the card and placed it on the front of my A2 card.

I offset the top layer, more to the side, so you could see the sparkle and color in the ribbon. Added a sentiment, layered it, and used Stampin' Dimensionals to give some dimension to the card. I then added a sentiment to the inside. I think my mother in law will like this card too.

Happy crafting, Tina

Halloween Card

Good Morning,
     I have been working on this card this weekend and I really like how it is coming togather. I still have Chris helping me by punching and cutting my papers down to size. He doesn't think I have finished nearly enough for the amount of time we have spent on cards. hehehe Maybe he's starting to realize how much time actually goes into making cards.

I love how this card turned out. It took a little time and little trying this, and trying that, but I think the final product is really nice.

I took black card stock and used my scalloped circle template, for making clouds, and made white clouds on the black background, to create a nighttime setting.

Next Chris punched out a bunch of black owl bodies. I was going to make black owl silhouettes for the card and then thought I would like to have a bat "flying" by the moon. So we then punched out some yellow moons and I sponged them with So Safron. And using the scalloped oval punch I punch out along the edge of black paper and then finished cutting out the wing with the 1 3/4 inch Circle Punch.

Next I sponged the edges of the owl body and wings with white, to help them stand out better on the background.

 I decided to add pumpkins to the setting, so another job for Chris. hehehe He punch out ovals in orange card stock and I sponged the edges with Dusty Durango and glued two oval to the back of the center oval, to make a pumpkin. I used my Creative Memories maple leaf punch and punched out some green leaves, sponged them in Old Olive and added them to the pumpkins.

The vines you see were punched from the Two Step Bird Punch. I stamped the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny stamp set, so glad I got this stamp set, punched it out with the Word Window punch and sponged the edges with Dusty Durango. I layered the sentiment with the Modern Label punch and attached it with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Hope you like and hope this gives you a little inspiration.
Happy crafting, Tina

Strawberry Hearts

Hello everyone,
I have had Chris home all week, and have had him cutting paper, to try to keep him occupied but that is growing old I think. He feels better one day, does too much and then feels exhausted and tired the next, today is a tired day. So I have put him to bed and hopefully he'll get some rest.

I have been playing with my Square Lattice embossing folder, I really like impression it makes. It looks like wood or a basket. I am working on some bird houses that I think are cute, both 3-D and flat ones for cards, and I embossed them with this folder, but I'll show those another day when I figure out what I am going to do with them. I also used my Scalloped Border punch by Fiskars on the edges.

I used my Cricut and the Designer Calendar cartridge and cut out some hearts with red card stock. Then I used my Petals Punch, from Michael's, and punched out some white petals and green ones, and some yellow centers.

I ran the hearts through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder.

Then I attached both a green and white petal and used the yellow for the centers, to make strawberries.
Next I took pieces of light brown card stock and cut it for the front of my card, and ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Square Lattice embossing folder.

I cut strips of red card stock and used the Scalloped Border punch and punched the top and bottom edges, and added ribbon along the center. As you can see I ran out of one type of ribbon and had to switch to another.

I attached the strawberries to each card with Tombow glue, and added a ribbon and sentiment to complete the card front. I then attached the card front to an A2 size card base.

I used a yellow brad down through the center to hold the blossom together and Tombow glue for attaching the little pieces.

Here's a whole patch of cards. Hope you enjoy.

Happy crafting, Tina