Birthday Fun Fold Pop-UP

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today.

The month of March is winding down. It came in like a lamb but going out like a lion. Just the opposite of what's supposed to happen. But our winter season here in Pittsburgh was mild so maybe our Spring is going to be a different one. 

The Spring flowers are in bloom and the trees are budding. We have lots of Robins flying around our yard. We usually get a nest underneath our deck. Last year Momma Robin had trouble getting it to stay put as she was building. 

So, hubby came to the rescue and her nest was completed. I just forget what he did to help. And when he was out in the yard working, she didn't fly out of the nest in fear but would stay put. Now when I came out, she did fly away. I guess she somehow knew that he was a helper to her. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for my son's birthday. I liked how this funfold turned out and he did as well. 

I started with my card front. I used the Guitar, Music Notes and Records die and the Fifties Phrase #1 dies from CottageCutz.

Then I cut my card base and layers.
Turquoise card Base: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Red Layering Panel: 41/8" x 5 3/8"
White Image Panel: 4" x 5 1/4"

I attached the Happy phrase and stamped the birthday sentiment. To complete the front of the card, I attached the records, stars and music notes images.

Now I am ready to start my card inside.

I started with decorating the four inside panels. This is a die from Divinity Designs- the Twist & Pop with Layers die. If you don't have this die here is a link to a YouTube video that gives step by step. 

I used the guitar image from the Fifties Phrases #2, the Jukebox die and the "you rock" phrase from the Fifties Phrases #1 die. I layered the images on white panels and then attached to a black rectangle panel. This will get attached to the pop-up mechanism. 

White Image Panels: 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"
Black rectangle panel: 8" x 3"

This is the pop our mechanism that's part of the die. The die embosses the "x" pattern and you just fold it. 

Then you pinch this panel in, so it forms a sort of arrow shape.

Then to attach this to the inside of the card you use a strong adhesive (I used Scor tape) and attach to the top and bottom of the triangle areas only. Then lay it inside the card at the top of the card and close it. The photo below shows the mechanism open without the image panels attached.

Now I am ready to attach my image panels to the mechanism. You use a strong adhesive- again I used Scor-tape on the bottom right and top left part of the mechanism only. Then the image panel is attached to the mechanism, and you fold and close it.

This is what it looks like when it's opened. To finish off my card I added another sentiment and layered in red and black cardstock.

Here is a short video that shows the card open & close.

Well that's it for me for this post. So until next time.......God bless. 

I am also entering:  

1.  Cutie Pie Challenge is something with a "B". 

2.  Creative Creases #53 has an anything goes with a fun fold. 

3.  Creative Finger Challenge #251 is anything goes.

4.  Cut It Up #274 is add embellishments and a die cut. 

5.  Simon Says Stamp has an anything goes challenge.

Happy Easter

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this Sunday in March. 

Hope your weekend is going well and you had something fun or relaxing on the calendar. Mine was relatively quiet. I am going to start my Spring decorating when I finish this post. Time to take down all the Valentine decorations. 

I am part of a shower that we are giving for someone at church. I volunteered to make the favors. I found a really cute idea on Pinterest using a "perfect pair" theme. 

I bought the pear candies to place inside and now I just have to design the tag that will be on the outside. I have a really cute Lawn Fawn set that I will use for stamping. I just want to get the couple's names and wedding date on the tag. I plan on working on that layout today.  Hopefully I can figure the layout using Micrsoft Word.

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #938. We were to use Flirty Flamingo, Pear Pizzazz and Crushed Curry for our color trio. Optional was to add a 4th color. I chose gorgeous grape. I think the colors have a great Spring or Easter vibe.

flirty flamingo, pear pizzazz, crushed curry

My card was inspired by an ad for an off-brand stamp company I saw on Facebook. I decided to recreate it with this week's colors and CottageCutz dies to make it my own.

I used the Stitched Alphabet die from CottageCutz for my Easter phrase and I cut the letters in different dotted designer paper. 

Then I layered the letters on gorgeous grape ombre specialty paper. It's from Stampin' Up. The Happy phrase is another die from CottageCutz and it also included the bunny ears. I cut the ears in flirty flamingo and the happy word in pear pizzazz cardstock.

I added the bunny feet to complete my card. This one I will send to my 8 year old great-niece. She loves to get cards from me in the mail. 

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time......God bless. 

card details:

Paper: gorgeous grape, basic white, flirty flamingo, pear pizzazz, dotted designer paper, ombre speciality paper (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: 3 3/4" x 6 1/4"

Accessories: stitched alphabet, happy easter greeting, bottoms up bunny baker dies (CottageCutz)

Techniques: mini slimline

I am also entering:

1.  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends has an anything goes challenge. 

2.  C.R.A.F.T. has a female challenge. This one is for my great-niece.

3.  Craft Rocket Challenge is "for the girls". This one is for my great-niece.

4.  Die Cut Divas has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Gem of a Challenge is anything goes. 

Easter Stained Glass Cross

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today. 

Well, we are already halfway through the month of March. It has come in like a lion and hopefully it goes out like a lamb as the proverbial saying goes. We had snow a couple of days this week. That was a surprise since we didn't get much at all this winter. 

My hubby has already started his seedlings for his gardens. He has lots of stuff under the grow lights in the basement. Not sure what it all is but I do look forward to the vegetable gardens and the subsequent harvest. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #937. We were to use so saffron, parakeet party and orchid oasis. Optional was to add a 4th color. I used polished pink. 

so saffron, parakeet party, orchid oasis

I decided to go with an Easter theme for my card. I used the Stained-Glass Cross die from Taylored Expressions.

I cut the image once in white and then again in all the challenge colors. Pieced in the die cuts for the stained-glass look. On this one I used an orchid oasis card base.

Used white glitter cardstock and cut just the cross image and then popped it up over the first cross.

The He is Risen phrase is a die from Frantic Stamper and the Tulips are a die from CottageCutz. I layered them over a piece of vellum because they seemed to be competing with the background. I thought the vellum is a nice separation.

Finished off this card by adding a few orchid oasis enamel dots.

I had a lot of pieces left over from my first card, so I decided to make another. I just pieced in what colors I had left. I switched it up a bit and used a white card base on this one. 

The Easter phrase and Tulips are dies from CottageCutz. Finished off my card by adding a few polished pink jewels.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.......God bless. 

I am also entering:

1.  Double D Challenge is Easter. 

2.  Allsorts Challenge is a trio of something. I have 3 tulips and 3 pink enamel jewels.

3.  Crafty Catz has an anything goes w/optional of Spring. 

4.  Creative Fingers has an anything goes challenge. 

5.  Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday is anything goes. 

Let It Snow

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today.

March is rolling right along. The basketball tournaments and March madness is starting. We went to watch a tournament game yesterday with my hubby's family. Univ of Pittsburgh is in the ACC tournament and defeated Georgia Tech.  Well, the game was on big screen tv's at Buffalo Wild Wings but it was a great family time. 

And we are having a St Patrick's Day parade here in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The parade is always fun to watch but the excessive drinking and carousing that goes on not so much. Not that we are involved in that part (LOL)!!

Now onto my card for today. It might seem odd to show a Christmas card in March, but I will be making and sharing them throughout the year. Trying to avoid the end of year crunch. 

Both cards have elements from an older Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin Kit. The kit is Winter Gifts from November 2019. Trying to get these older kits completed. 

The blue background paper and the tree are from the kit. The sparkly snowmen and background striped papers are from Stampin' Up designer paper - "Let it snow" collection. I fussy cut the snowmen. 

Their scarves, hats, arms and coal buttons are from the "Let it snow" embellishment kit. Stampin' Up was selling this back in 2019 and this is the first time I have used it. Stamped my sentiment with the stamp from the kit and added some sequins to complete the cards. 

Well, that's my cards for today. So until next time.......God bless. 

I am entering:

1.  Merry Little Christmas Challenge is anything goes. 

2.  The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge is anything goes. 

3.  Christmas with the Cuties is something with a sentiment. 

4.  Peace on Earth challenge is anything goes. 

5.  Christmas Crafts All Year Round Challenge is 3 of something or a French sentiment. I have 3             sequins and 3 "coal buttons".

Easel Fold Congratulations

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog. 

Hope your day is going well and the March weather is good in your area. We have had sunshine for 4 days in a row. I mention it because that's unusual for the Pittsburgh area in the wintertime. It's still cold here but when the sun is shining it makes the cold bearable. 

We are still enjoying last summer's harvest from my hubby's gardens. I stuffed and froze lots of banana peppers. Pulled some of them out and roasted them along with some of my homemade marinara sauce. Then last night I made a homemade pizza with the marinara sauce. I buy dough from Trader Joe's and roll it out to make the crust. It turned out so good. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I made for the color challenge #936 on Splitcoaststampers. I was the hostess, and I chose blackberry bliss, bumblebee and mossy meadow for the color trio. Optional was to add flowers.  

blackberry bliss, bumblebee, mossy meadow

I decided to go with a fun fold design for my card. It's an easel card and there is a tutorial on SCS if you need the how to - click here. I made mine a bit larger than an A2 size card. I started with blackberry bliss cardstock measuring 4 1/2" x 11 1/2". I scored at 5 3/4" and then get the center point of the 5 3/4" part and score. Then the directions are the same from this point. 

For my background I used a card base from the Sweet Sunflowers Paper Pumpkin kit from Stampin' Up. I cut it apart and then layered with bumblee and blackberry bliss cardstock.

The inside of the card I layered with bumblee designer paper from the Stampin' Up "simply marbleous" collection.

My butterfly is cut in blackberry bliss cardstock and designer paper from the Stampin' Up "oh so ombre" collection. I used the same paper for the congratulations phrase. I was able to get a different gradient by using different sections of the designer paper.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So, until next time........God bless. 

card details:

Paper: blackberry bliss, bumblebee, simply marbleous dsp, oh so ombre dsp (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: 4 1/2" x 5 3/4"

Accessories: sweet sunflowers Paper Pumpkin Kit, bumblebee enamel dots (Stampin' Up) lisbeth butterfly, congratulations w.shadow die (CottageCutz)

Techniques: easel card

I am also entering:

1.  Shopping Our Stash challenge is flowers, flowers everywhere.  

2.  Triple B (new challenge) is all about birds, blooms and butterflies.

3.  Creative Creases Challenge #52 is anything goes with a fun fold. 

4.  Beautiful Blossoms has a say it with flowers challenge. Mood board is optional. 

5.  Love to Craft has an anything goes challenge. 

Peony Birthday

Hello Blogger Friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this first Sunday in March. 

It's a beautiful sunny but cold day here in Pittsburgh. I have noticed that when we have these sunny days our sunsets are so majestic. I will be looking for one of those tonight. 

Hope your Sunday is going well. Mine started off with church and our Pastor delivered a great message at service. Now I am home and enjoying a quiet Sunday. 

My card for today is one that I created for the color challenge #935 on Splitcoaststampers. We were to use rich razzleberry, fresh freesia and evening evergreen for the color trio. Optional is dry embossing.

fresh freesia, rich razzleberry, evening evergreen

I started my card by dry embossing the fresh freesia cardstock with the Leaf Bundle 3d folder from Simon Says Stamp. Then I started building my card.

I stamped and die cut the peony image and colored with Stampin' Up Blends (Alcohol markers). The peony image is from the "Prized Peony" stamp set from Stampin' Up.  I used the Botanical Garden 2 die from CottageCutz to cut out the other greenery.

My birthday phrase is another die from CottageCutz. It's the Happy Birthday w/Shadow die. Finished off this card with a few evening evergreen opal rounds.

I really liked how this card turned out. I will send it to someone special on their birthday. Just not sure who that will be as yet. 

And that's it for me for this post. So, until next time........God bless. 

Card Details:

Stamps: prized peony (Stampin' Up)

Paper: fresh freesia, rich razzleberrry, evening evergreen (Stampin' Up), X-press it Blending Card(Imagination Int)

Paper Size: A2

Accessories: Peony dies, in-color opal rounds, rich razzleberry, fresh freesia Blends (Stampin' Up), botanical garden 2, Happy Birthday w/Shadow dies (CottageCutz)

I am also entering:

1.  Beautiful Blossoms Challenge is "flowers as the focus". 

2.  Can You Handle the Pressure is anything goes. Optional - things with wings. 

3.  Polkadoodles Challenge is anything goes.

4.  Beyond the Blue challenge is Blooms. 

5.  Arty Divas challenge is anything goes. 

Baking Mice

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog this first Saturday in March. Another weekend is upon us and hopefully a crafty one for you. 

Today I was organizing one of the bedroom closets and I happened to notice a scrapbook that I started for my oldest son about 15 years ago. Yikes- I don't know why I never completed it. But my goal now is to complete this book for him. I would like to give it to him for Father's Day. 

Now onto my card for today. This one I created for the color challenge #917 on Splitcoaststampers. We were to use bermuda bay, parakeet party and highland heather for our color trio. 

bermuda bay, parakeet party, highland heather

For my card I used a CottageCutz Christmas die (Christmas Baking Mice) and turned it into a birthday card. My next door neighbor is an avid baker so this card is perfect for her. She loved the card by the way. 

I stenciled a brick wall background with peacock feathers distress ink - it's a close match to bermuda bay.

I cut the baking mice in the challenge colors and some allowed neutrals. I used some older Stampin' Up designer paper the- "wood textures" collection for the wood floor. The Happy Birthday sentiment is also a die from CottageCutz- Happy Birthday w/Shadow die.
 

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time.......God bless. 

Card Details:

Paper: bristol Smooth cardstock (Canson), bermuda bay, highland heather, parakeet party, basic white, kraft, ivory, choc chip, close to cocoa, wood textures dsp (Stampin' Up), gray (Bazzill)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: peacock feathers distress (Ranger)

Accessories: small brick stencil (MFT), Christmas Baking Mice die, Sentiments w/Shadow die (CottageCutz),

Techniques: stenciling

I am also entering:

1.  Creative Fingers Challenge #249 is anything goes. 

2.  Die Cut Divas has an anything goes challenge. 

3.  Gem of a Challenge is anything goes. 

4.  Craft Rocket Challenge is for the girls. Made this for my female neighbor.

5.  The Creative Crafter has an anything goes challenge. 

Ewe and Me....Forever

Hello Blogger friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with The Charmed Life Blog today.

We moved the calendar to March and soon we will be pushing the clocks forward and entering into Spring. Here in Pittsburgh, we haven't had much of a winter. Hardly any snow but we did have cold weather. 

Over Christmas it was bitter cold and lots of people had frozen pipes. But since then, it's not even been that cold. Maybe we will get snow this month. It has happened before in previous years. 

Now onto my cards for today. These cards were made for Valentine's Day but with the sentiment they could easily be used for an anniversary card. 

My first card I used the colors from the Splitcoaststampers color challenge #931. We were to use soft succulent, calypso coral & petal pink for our color trio. Optional is sequins or gems as an embellishment.

calypso coral, soft succulent, petal pink

I decided to try and make a Valentine with these non-traditional colors. I like how it turned out. I don't own petal pink cardstock, so I subbed it with pretty in pink.

My background xoxo die is from Lawn Fawn. I cut in white and layered on the pink cardstock and then did the die inlay technique using soft succulent on the xoxo's.

My sentiment is from Darcie's Stamps. On the cute little lambs, I added some fun flock to the "fur" on the top of their heads.

I finished off this card by scattering a few soft succulent opal rounds.

Stamps: G-4209 (Darcie's Stamps)

Paper: pretty in pink, basic white, smoky slate, basic gray, soft succulent, calypso coral (Stampin' Up)

Paper Size: A2

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)

Accessories: fun flock (Stampendous), xoxo backdrop die (Lawn Fawn), spring sheep die (CottageCutz), in-color opal rounds (Stampin' Up)

This card was the one I gave to my hubby for Valentine's Day. My Background paper is from the Stampin' Up "sweet talk" collection. I used highland heather cardstock for my base. 

Next, I cut my sheep in shades of light and gray cardstock. For their furry heads I used fun flock. You can't really tell on the photo but IRL - its fluffy and adds a bit of dimension and interest.

I wanted a large heart to place the sheep in and also for stamping my sentiment. Stamped my sentiment with the help of my stamp-a-ma-jig in red ink. To finish off my card I added a few heart enamel dots.

Well, that's it for me for this post. So until next time......God bless. 

I am also entering:

1.  Alphabet Challenge is "X" is for xoxoxo. 

2.  The Crafters Cafe Challenge is "cute".

3.  Crafts Galore Encore is anything goes. 

4.  Crafty Animals Challenge #70 is anything goes with an animal. 

5.  Critter Crazy Challenge is anything goes with a featured critter.