Welcome to cards by cara!

Wonderful to have you here visiting my blog.  I love making cards and enjoy giving them to friends and family.  I also sell them to anyone who is looking for the handmade custom touch.  In my posts, you will see a variety of cards that I have made.  If you would like to order any, just send an email to cardsbycara AT hotmail DOT com

Happy browsing and have a wonderful day!

Card Creations - Damask and Brocade Challenge

Here's the challenge issued over at Moxie Fab:
Create a paper crafted project (card, gift bag, tag, layout, home decor item, mini-book cover, etc.) that incorporates damask or brocade in an innovative way.

Well, I do adore damask and my Papertrey set hasn't seen much use lately so I decided to give it a workout.

I used my Pretty Peonies die to make a mask and stamped the damask all over the card with Vintage Cream from PTI.

Then I stamped the frame in silver lilac ink and the sentiment with steel blue.  A simple one layer card, easy for mailing.

I decided to make another one using the tag sale die:

I cut the tag sale die cut in spring moss card stock and stamped a Think Big sentiment in black before stamping a large damask in Versamark.  A quick clear layer of embossing powder to add a little more definition and the centre was done.

I stamped the background all over in pear ink but it is really hard to see ... The centre one is stamped in tuscan olive. a A green button with some button twine and the card was done!  I popped the die cut up on foam dots for some dimension.

I decided the card deserved a decorated envelope so I stamped the damask background with pear ink right in the centre.

Supplies:

Paper: PTI kraft
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs, Pretty Peonies
Ink: PTI vintage cream; Fresh silver lilac and steel blue
Misc: Eclipse masking paper

Paper: PTI kraft and spring moss
Stamps: PTI Damask Designs, Think Big
Ink: Versamark, Fresh pear and tuscan olive; Memento tuxedo black
Misc: button from stash, button twine, PTI tag sale die,foam dots, clear embossing powder

Folded Cards - Flip Flop / Swing Card

Well, I found this card online and wanted to try making one of my own.  It actually uses a Sizzix die to create it, but I made a hacker's version with a die and a scoring board.

I started with a piece of card stock with the dimensions 5" x 7".  Now you score at 3" and 4".  Then, take whatever die you want to use and find its centre point.  Line up the middle with the 3 inch line and then cut only from the left of 3" and right of 4".  You can do this by adhering the die in place with post it notes and then line up the cut lines with the edge of the cutting plates and running it through your die cutting machine.

I cut a few extra labels 1 die cuts to frame the centre portion.  Then I used a Think Big Sentiment and selectively inked it to have part of it on the front and part on the inside.

I used a amber gem as the dot over the 'i'.

Here's how the front looks flat:

I also made another one and actually cut too much so it is only half of a flip card:

I made a frame using the two sizes of Mat Stack 1 and adhering them to each other.

Unfortunately, while photographing it, I got some soy candle wax on the card and so took it back to my craft space to stamp the peonies in Versamark! 

 Had to cover the oily smeared Scarlet Jewel areas ....

Well, it worked out in the end but needless to say, that abalone place mat will get a good wipe down! :)

What interactive folds have you done on your cards?  I'd love to hear some more ideas ...

Supplies:

 

Paper: PTI Kraft card stock, Basic Grey Kraft Basics 6x6 pad

Stamps: Think Big 

Ink: Fresh chocolate

Misc: Spellbinders Labels 1 dies, amber rhinestone

 

Paper: PTI Scarlet Jewel, Basic Grey Olivia 6x6 pad, Staples 110lb white

Stamps: PTI Happy Trails sentiment and butterfly, Pretty Peonies

Ink: Fresh red currant, PTI vintage cream, Versamark

Misc: Mat Stack 1 and layerz

 

Runway Inspired Challenge #12

Thought I would try my hand at the latest Runway Inspired Challenge using this picture as the jumping off point:

The blue and orange are not colours I would usually use together but they look really cool so I thought I would try ...

Here's my first attempt ....

For this card, I used my one of my favourite sets, Pretty Peonies with my new Fresh Inks.  Love how they look on kraft card stock. I went to town with the blue and orange ....

I stamped one outline in black as well as the sentiment and then layered solid peonies over top in the two colours (sky blue and mango).  I went back in with harvest ink over top of the outlined peony.

Simple and easily mailable since it is completely flat ... always good to have some of those ready to mail! :)

Ok, card number two, here we come!
I can't get enough of these hexagons!!  I stamped the strip in provincial gray ink and then layered some Rosie Posie die cuts.  I stamped them in Distress Inks and then used an aqua pen to layer on darker colour.  The great thing about Distress Inks is how they react with water but keep their true colour.  Really fun to play with!

I was impatient and didn't let the Glossy Accents dry so it is not yet perfectly clear, but on the two little flowers, I covered them completely with GA to give them a shiny finish.

For the sentiment, I stapmed it once with mango ink and once with sky blue, continuing with the colour theme of orange and blue.

Great to stretch my card making muscles and try making something a little different!  As you can see in the close up, I layered the die cuts in various heights using one or two foam dots on top of each other.  This adds a little extra visual interest.

edited to add: It turns out that we were only allowed to upload until Friday so I missed the deadline ... oh well! :)

Supplies:

Enjoy the moment
Paper: PTI kraft
Stamps: PTI Pretty Peonies
Ink: Fresh mango, sky blue, harvest; Memento tuxedo black
Misc: corner chomper







Congrats
Paper: Staples 110lb
Stamps: PTI Rosie Posie, Think Big (sentiment)
Ink: Fresh mango, sky blue, provincial gray; Distress Inks dusty concord, broken china, spiced marmalade, fired brick weathered wood
Misc: PTI Rosie Posie dies,foam dots, aqua pen

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop/Make it Monday #67 - Chevron extravaganza

 This month at Papertrey Ink, this is our inspiration for the blog hop:

 

For my final card, I decided to take the colour scheme and the patterns and use that as my inspiration.  Since I have the new chevron dies, I don't have to make faux chevron die cuts like I did here in this post:

So I went to town cutting lots of strips of chevrons from a patterned pack of paper that has a subtle glittery green with an overall colour scheme of black and white.  Perfect for this blog hop (and you can see in my posts of other cards that I used these patterned papers a lot for my contributions this month! :P)

I glued them all to a piece of asparagus card stock with some Tombo Mono Multi glue and then cut the overhanging pieces to make all of them flush on the card panel. 

Ah, I just love chevrons!  Thanks, Papertrey, for coming out with those this month!  It is rare for me not to stamp or put a sentiment of some sort on but I kept this one super simple and if I want a sentiment, I will stamp one on the inside when I decide what occasion this will be for!  It is definitely for my brother in law as he likes these shades ...

I will be adding this card to the Make it Monday challenge at Papertrey as well since it does incorporate lots of different patterned papers.  I love stretching myself and branching out to other styles, techniques and colour schemes.

Plus, since it has more of a masculine vibe with the dark green and fine linen, I am also entering it into the CAS Fridays challenge with patterned papers and a masculine theme.

Supplies:

Paper: PTI fine linen, My Mind's Eye Garden Vignettes, Gina K asparagus

Misc: foam dots, PTI chevron dies

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop - In Bloom + butterflies

 This month at Papertrey Ink, this is our inspiration for the blog hop:

 

What a pretty picture, right?  The combination of graphic black and white and soft green is gorgeous.

 Disregard the light hitting the card at an odd angle, please! :)  I decided to die cut a bunch of butterflies and adhere them to an impressed card front.  I curled the little guys up a bit to give them some dimension. 

In this closeup, hopefully you can see a little bit of the subtle heat embossing - I impressed the card front with an impression plate but before I ran it through my Big Kick, I smooshed some Versamark ink on the impression plate.  Then I sprinkled some clear embossing powder over the card stock and heat embossed. 

Supplies:

Paper: PTI Spring Moss, My Mind's Eye Garden Vignettes (butterflies)

Ink: Versamark

Misc: PTI Pretty Peonies die (butterfly), clear embossing powder, PTI In Bloom impression plate

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop - Happy stitches and swirls

 This month at Papertrey Ink, this is our inspiration for the blog hop:

Again, I used the colours as my inspiration and the graphic feel of the black and white with green.  A simple negative die cut of 'happy' and then some Stitches and Swirls stamped in a background sort of a pattern.

I attached the vintage cream 'happy' stamped panel behind with snail adhesive and then popped the green panel up on foam dots for some dimension.  You could use this card for anything - leave it as is with just 'happy' on the front or you could stamp 'anniversary' or 'birthday' or whatever you like. 

Supplies:
Paper: PTI vintage cream, Gina K asparagus
Stamps: PTI Pretty Peonies, Stitches and Swirls
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Misc: foam dots, PTI Pretty Peonies die set (happy die)

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop - Enjoy the moment

 This month at Papertrey Ink, this is our inspiration for the blog hop:

 

I loved the combination of green and graphic black and used that as my jumping off point.  I just got my Pretty Peonies dies (thanks, Sonya!) and wanted to try them out.  I can fussy cut simple shapes but when I tried to cut both of the frames in this set, it was a hot mess!  I am SO thankful that PTI decided to come out with dies for this set - it is truly appreciated especially since this is not a regular set and can only be bought with reward points since it's what they call an anniversary set.  So thank you, Papertrey! <3

I stamped a bunch of butterflies from Pretty Peonies and then die cut one of the frames from the set and stamped and embossed the outer frame.  I stamped off the sentiment because I thought that it might look better slightly lighter.

 Have any of you tried out your Pretty Peonies dies yet?  Which are your favourites?

Supplies:

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Spring Moss

Stamps: PTI Pretty Peonies

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Fresh Inks Tuscan Olive

Misc: PTI Pretty Peonies die set (only frame used), foam dots

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop - Congrats to the grad!

 This month at Papertrey Ink, this is our inspiration for the blog hop:

 

I was inspired by the colour scheme and made a clean and simple card for one of my students.  I have a bunch to make and am making them all unique as they love to share and compare them with one another! :)

I just got this piestra tile die and wanted to try it out!  I love the modern feel to this die ... What did I ever do without my die cutting machine?  :)  I held off buying one for the longest time because I kept telling myself that I didn't need it and it wasn't worth the purchase.  Boy, was I wrong! :) 

Just a tip for adhering intricate die cuts like this - you could run it through your Xyron if you have one, but some strategically placed dots of Tombo Mono Multi glue and you can adhere it, no worries.  The thin tip helps make the job super fast and super easy.

I stamped one sentiment in black and then over that the Think Big sentiment.  Pigment inks work really well layered like this and it's fun to layer sentiments and even images over one another.

I made an envelope using my score board - the Martha Stewart one even has a simple way to make envelopes.  I die cut a circle for the front to write my advisee's name on it.

Supplies:
Paper: Staples 110lb white, My Mind's Eye Garden Vignettes (envelope), PTI Spring Moss
Stamps: PTI Mega Mixed Messages, Think Big Favourites
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Fresh Inks Pear
Misc: Memory Box Piestra Tile die, 1 3/4" punch, Tombo Mono Multi glue