Category Archives: shaped cards

hello gardener

Hello friends and happy Thursday!

Today I am on the Art Impressions blog with a card using one of my all-time favorite Ai sets…His & Hers Gardeners (SC0650) .  In fact, this was the first set I used when I joined the Ai design team…you can see my first card here.  What a fun memory!

This set, along with several others, was exclusive to the Michael’s stores but if you don’t have a local Michael’s, you are in luck!  These sets can now be ordered through the Ai website!  yay! Click here!

hello gardening diane zechman pc

My images were colored with Copics and cut out by hand, then added to a diecut card base.  I knew I wanted to use that cute bee so I went with black & yellow!

I love this gal!  Here’s a close up…

hello gardening 2 diane zechman pc

And the cute bee and flowers… (I dotted over the “trail” with a white pen).

hello gardening 3 diane zechman pc

Have a great day and… happy stamping!

Diane Signature Medium size

stamps-His & Hers Gardeners (SC0650) ; paper- white, black, SU! Daffodil Delight, Studio G paper scrap; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black; accessories- Copics, Sizzix Scallop Card w/ Banners & Greetings Drop-Ins, Sharpie white extra fine water based paint pen, rhinestones.

it’s ok…

Hello friends!

Today I am on the Art Impressions blog with a tutorial for our NEW Challenge… Laughing WITH you!  We are also featuring the new stamps exclusive to Hobby Lobby with a Blog Hop. 

You should be hopping here from Dana’s blog.  Thanks for joining us!  Ai is giving away 1 grand prize of all the new Hobby Lobby stamps!

There are 5 new wood mount stamps and 5 new clear sets which is quite a variety!  I am using the Jealous Too (4713) wood mount stamp on my cards.  I like to make shaped cards and I’ll show you two ways to easily create them.

Jealous Too 1 diane zechman

If the shaped card you want to make has a flat edge like my hexagon card, then you can simply die cut your card base by keeping the fold slightly below the straight edge of your die. This leaves the fold of your card intact.

Jealous Too 2 diane zechman

If your desired shape does NOT have a flat edge, as my flower die, it is still very easy.  Die cut 2 shapes and set one aside (for the front). The second one will be the back…simply score a line close to one edge.  (This scored line will be your card fold.)  Note: I kept 2 “petals” along the left edge for my card bottom so it will easily stand up.

Jealous Too 3 diane zechman

Apply strong adhesive to the smaller scored part and adhere the 2 flowers together.

Jealous Too 4 diane zechman

It will look like this when opened…

Jealous Too 5 diane zechman

I also love to use up small scraps of patterned paper by paper piecing the Ai character’s clothing.  I decided to make 4 cards so I’ve stamped and cut out the elephant’s dress 4 times.  I matched the hexagon patterned dresses with the hexagon shaped card, and the same with the florals!

Jealous Too 6 diane zechman

Smaller shapes were cut from white cardstock, stamped, colored and the dresses were adhered.  I omitted the sentiments and stamped them separately.

Jealous Too 7 diane zechman

The finished cards…

Jealous Too 10 diane zechman

Jealous Too 8 diane zechman

The inside sentiment is another wood mount block from Hobby Lobby, Happy 29th (4597) .

Jealous Too 9 diane zechman

Now it’s your turn to make a card or project and join us in the new Ai Challenge!  And don’t forget to hop along with us for a chance to win the grand prize of all the new Hobby Lobby stamps!!

HL ad May2016

Just click below for your chance to win.  Happy stamping!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are the blog links & hop order:

Art Impressions Blog

Cheri Burry

Dana Warren

Diane Zechman

Karen Day

Kerry Kung

Reneé Matarese

Sharon Caudle

 

Your next stop is Karen’s blog!

Diane Signature Medium size

stamps- Art Impressions Hobby Lobby exclusives- Jealous Too (4713) and Happy 29th (4597), paper- white, SU! Poppy Parade and Daffodil Delight, MME- The Sweetest Thing; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Black; accessories- Copics, Spellbinders Blossom and Circle Nestabilities, Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Hexagon dies, Scor-Tape, 1/2″ circle punch, Sweet ‘n Sassy Speech Bubbles Dies, foam tape, rhinestones.

deepest sympathy

Good morning!  Today I am sharing this card on the Sweet ‘n Sassy blog. I am using one of my favorite sets, Parisian Postcard, along with the Sympathy Innies.

I think if you ask any card maker what their least favorite card to make was, sympathy cards would come to mind.  But unfortunately we all need them so sometimes I like to go monochromatic for a quick and easy way to create a beautiful, yet heartfelt card.

Parisian sympathy diane zechman

I die cut my card base and layers, then stamped the images first and second generation (stamping off once).

Here’s the coordinating inside…

Parisian sympathy inside diane zechman

I hope you don’t need to make a sympathy card soon, but if you do then I hope I’ve given some inspiration.  If possible, I like to make them when I don’t need them and keep one or two on hand.

Thanks for popping in and… happy stamping!

stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy Parisian Postcard, Sympathy Innies; paper- white, SU! Wisteria Wonder; ink- Versafine Black, SU! Wisteria Wonder; accessories- Spellbinders Grand Labels Eleven, pearls, SU! Wisteria Wonder ribbon.

warmest wishes easel card

Hello friends!

The current Ai Challenge is “Use Water-Based Inks” and we are showcasing the NEW Watercolor images and the NEW Easel Card Dies!  How exciting!  I am sharing how I made my card today with the Ai Wooden Door (4702) stamp set and the Ai Scallop Easel Card Die (4700).  I also used a sentiment from the Christmas Scene TryFold (4687) stamp set.

Ai wooden door diane zechman

I started by die-cutting two of the Scallop Easel Card die with vanilla cardstock for my card base, and set those aside.

I wanted to make a scalloped mat for my card, so here is how you can easily do that.  Using the widest (open) scalloped section of the die, I cut a patterned paper layer for the front.  Start with a piece of patterned paper that is 3 1/2″ x 5″.  Center the 3 1/2″ width in the die (leaving equal space on both sides).  Use low-tack tape to hold in place and diecut.

Ai wooden door 2 diane zechman

Now trim the height of the patterned paper to 4 3/4″ tall.  Adhere this layer to one of the vanilla diecut card bases.

Next diecut an oval window with the smallest oval die.

Ai wooden door 3 diane zechman

Set aside and use both oval dies to cut a frame with red cardstock. Also cut a sentiment label from a scrap of vanilla cardstock.

Ai wooden door 4 diane zechman

I stamped the door, tree, and logs with Versafine Black ink and water-colored the images with Twinkling H2Os and a water-brush.  Then I inked the wreath with a green marker and stamped it last.  I lightly touched the wreath with the water-brush.

Ai wooden door 5 diane zechman

When dry, adhere the water-colored image behind the oval diecut window.  Then adhere the second vanilla card base behind the image, lining up both card bases and the scallop edges.

NOTE:  Kate has a wonderful video HERE showing how to put the Easel Cards together.  Please check it out!

Ai wooden door 6 diane zechman

Following Kate’s instructions in the video, fold both sides back.  Then cut the small tab on both sides half-way to the scored line, starting from each end.  Fold the easel sides on the scored lines and fold down the tabs.  I glued the sides down but it isn’t necessary.  It will look like this from the back:

Ai wooden door 7 diane zechman

Adhere the diecut oval frame around the window.  Stamp the sentiment, and finish your card as desired.  I placed some punched branches under the sentiment and popped it with foam dimensionals.

Ai wooden door diane zechman

Now it’s your turn to make a card or project and join us in the “Use Water-Based Inks” Challenge!

Happy stamping!

Diane Signature Medium sizestamps- Art Impressions Ai Wooden Door (4702) and Christmas Scene TryFold (4687); paper- vanilla, SU! Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Provo Craft- Snowflakes on Red; ink- Versafine Black, Always Artichoke marker; accessories- Art Impressions Scallop Easel Card die (4700), Twinkling H2Os, water brush, Martha Stewart branch punch, adhesive pearls, foam dots.

peek a Boooo to you!

Hello friends and happy Thursday!

Today I am on the Art Impressions blog with a card using one of the NEW Ai Spinners setsPumpkin Spinner! (4676)  This set is perfect for creating a fun, interactive Halloween card!

CHA 5a diane zechman

I decided to make the shape of the card look like a pumpkin too with a few dies and hand-cut stem.  The string is attached between the patterned paper layer and the card front.  Matching dies make lining up the spinner a breeze!  Just wind up your spinner and close the card.  When you open the card, it spins!

CHA 5b diane zechman

Some close ups of the spinner…

 CHA 5d diane zechman

…and the back…

CHA 5c diane zechman

The Spinners are very popular and some of my favorite Ai images!

Have a great day and… happy stamping!

Diane Signature Medium sizestamps- Art Impressions Pumpkin Spinner; paper- white, SU! Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, and Daffodil Delight, Bo Bunny Autumn Plaid, KI Memories- 1918 Haunted Candy Corn Plaid (dots); ink- Memento Tuxedo Black; accessories- Copics, Scor-Tape, Spellbinders Labels 12 and Wavy Rectangles, crochet thread, Sweet ‘n Sassy Leaf Silhouettes and Stars dies, Stickles, McGill tiny Star punch, Cuttlebug Halloween die.

in the doghouse

Hello friends!  Today we are having an Ai DT Reunion Blog Hop and we are also featuring the NEW Ai Spinners Release!  FUN!!

You should be arriving here from Deloris Thiede‘s blog.  If not, you can go to the Ai Blog to get started!

The Ai Spinners are lots of fun to create with!  They are intended to be used on a piece of string in a 3.5″ opening, so you can wind it up, mail it, and your recipient can see it spin when they open it!  BUT…you will see that there are many ways to get creative with these images!

For my project, I used the Ai Dog Spinner (4675). At the time, I didn’t have the matching Dog Spinner Dies (4694) but I am happy to have them now!  I decided to make a doghouse shaped card.  (I love shaped cards!)

CHA 7a diane zechman

Isn’t that sentiment perfect for the dog chasing his tail?  Here’s a look at the inside (and back side of the dog)…

CHA 7b diane zechman

And a closer view…

CHA 7c diane zechman

Be sure to check out all 7 of the NEW Art Impressions Spinners!

Spinner Graphic

Kate has a quick video here introducing them all.  (The Santa, Angel, and lady wearing the Robe cards are mine!)
[youtube]https://youtu.be/PIEkBN3Gta0[/youtube]

Here’s the list of blogs to follow in our DT Reunion Hop!

Ai Reunion

Art Impressions Blog

Cheri Burry
Crystal Lopez
Dana Warren
Deloris Thiede
Diane Zechman
Isha Gupta
Jessica Griffin
Karen Day
Kerry Kung
Kirsi Kamppikoski
Maria McGuire
Marie-Pierre Capistran
Mary Witter
Piali Biswas
Reneé Matarese
Sharon Caudle
Soili-Maria Seppala
Tammie Koehnen
Tracy Gray
Tracy MacDonald
Trena Brannon
Zora Bergstrom

 

 

Aaaaand….what is a HOP without PRIZES??  🙂  Ai is giving away 7 prizes, 1 of each of the new stamp & die sets!  Just click on the Rafflecopter below to enter!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now…head on over to see what Isha Gupta has created!!

stamps- Art Impressions Dog Spinner (4675); paper- white, SU! Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, and Gumball Green, DCWV The Pets Stack; accessories- Copics, Crafts-Too Bone & Paw Print embossing folder, Scor-Tape, Sweet ‘n Sassy Grass and Banner dies, The Paper Studio (Spare Parts) Dog Bone Brads, CC Designs Skull and Bones dies.

 

 

eerie cheery window

Hello friends!

It’s week two of the current Ai Challenge, “Cut Your Cards”.  We are featuring the NEW Tryfolds and Windows to the World collections and I’ve used the Eerie Cheery Window Set (4690) on my card today!

CHA 2a diane zechman

I used a pumpkin shape diecut for the base of my card, leaving the top (fold) of the base card uncut by keeping the fold below the top of the die when cutting.  Then I cut another full pumpkin to layer over top.

CHA 2b diane zechman

One of the Window Dies (4619) was used to cut through the front so you can see the cute image peeking through.  Here’s the card opened…

CHA 2c diane zechman

And a close up…

CHA 2d diane zechman

Now it’s your turn to create a card and join us in the “Cut Your Card” Challenge!

Happy stamping!

Diane Signature Medium size

stamps- Art Impressions- Eerie Cheery Window Set (4690); paper- white, black, SU! Pumpkin Pie and Garden Green; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black; accessories- Copics, Ai Window Dies (4619), Spellbinders Pumpkins Nestabilities, Marianne Creatables Ribbon Flowers dies, Sweet ‘n Sassy Leaf Silhouettes dies, Clear Wink of Stella, Cuttlebug Creepy die.

 

precious little one

Good morning!

Today I have a baby card to share with a sweet little elephant from Sweet ‘n Sassy’s Baby’s Circus stamp set.  My daughter wanted a shower card and her friend is expecting a boy so I went with blue!

babys circus diane zechman

I also used the SNSS Banner dies to create my sentiment.  Some foam dots gave the card dimension.

babys circus side diane zechman

A few teeny rhinestones and a tiny button finished it off.

Thanks for popping in!  Happy stamping!

stamps- Sweet ‘n Sassy’s Baby’s Circus; paper- white, SU! Bashful Blue; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Bashful Blue and Marina Mist; accessories- Sweet ‘n Sassy Banner dies, Spellbinders Big Scalloped Squares Large, Copics, button, crochet thread, gemstones.

gift box pocket card

Hello friends and happy Thursday!

Today I have a pocket card in the shape of a gift box.  I used part of the Art Impressions Birthday Gal Front & Back (3199) and my sentiment is from the Michael’s exclusive set called His & Hers Camper.

I made a picture tutorial to show you how to create this pocket card (below).  They are great for tucking in a gift card or cash.  😉

Here is the front of my pocket card…

Ai gift box pocket card diane zechman

…and the inside…

Ai gift box pocket card inside 1 diane zechman

And…you can also create this without a pocket if you just want it to open like a regular card…

Ai gift box pocket card inside 2 diane zechman

It’s easy and fun so let’s get started!

Ai gift box pocket card 1 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 2 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 3 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 4 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 5 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 6 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 7 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 8 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 9 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 10 diane zechman

Ai gift box pocket card 11 diane zechman

Note: I like to use the CLEAR sticky-back Velcro dots.  They are thinner and less noticeable!

That’s it!  Now just decorate your pocket card with your favorite Ai characters!

Have a great day!

Diane Signature Medium size

stamps- Art Impressions Birthday Gal Front & Back (3199) and Michael’s exclusive set- His & Hers Camper (sentiment); paper- white, SU! Crisp Cantaloupe and Pool Party, SU! Sweet Sorbet designer series paper; ink- Memento Tuxedo Black; accessories- SU! Oval Punches, 1 3/4″ circle punch, Velcro, Scor-Tape, Copic markers, My Mind’s Eye- The Sweetest Thing Enamel Dots.

bone appetit!

Hello friends!  It’s time for another Challenge Chicks Challenge!  We’re a small group of friends who post a new challenge on the first Sunday of each month…no stress, no deadlines…just for fun.  And we’d love to have you join us!  This month it is Anna’s turn and her challenge is “Halloween”…Make a card/project with a Halloween theme! 

I LOVE shaped cards and I love to make my own patterns but I haven’t had much time for that lately… so it was super fun to sketch a bit and create this Cauldron Card!

The card fold is at the top, underneath the brew.  I added a few bubbles, some bones, and an eyeball….uh…yum? 

Here’s a template if you want to make one too.  🙂  Click on the image and then right-click to save it to your computer.

Please join us and create a Halloween card… then share it on our Facebook page!  Also, you can upload it to the Splitcoast gallery…and use the keyword CHXJUL14.  Now be sure to click on the links below to check out what the other Chicks created!

  • anna wight
  • diane zechman (me)
  • jeanne streiff
  • kelli hull
  • kelly schirmer
  • lydia fiedler  
  •  

    stamps- SU! Piece of Poison, Wicked Cool, and Monster Munchies; paper- white, Basic Gray, Lucky Limeade, Cool Caribbean; ink- SU! Lucky Limeade, Distress Black Soot, Versafine Black; accessories- Cuttlebug Kars Snowflakes folder, foam dots, circle punches.