Dannie's Designs

Graduation Card Tutorial

I got several emails asking how I did the fold on the graduation card that I recently posted.

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but I came down with a terrible cold.  It zapped every bit of energy out of me.  I'm feeling a little better now and was able to sit down and take some photos for you.

***You may want to practice with a piece of printer paper first***

Step 1:  Start with an 8" square piece of cardstock.  For best results, stamp your images BEFORE you start folding.  Fold the cardstock in half with the stamped images on the inside.

Step 2:  Unfold the cardstock, rotate it 90 degrees, and fold it in half going the other direction.

The cardstock should have a "+" sign going across it from the fold lines.

Step 3:  Open the cardstock flat and turn it so it's shaped like a diamond as seen in the photo below.

As you can see, there are four squares on the cardstock.  One at the top, one at the bottom, one on the left, and one on the right.  Keep that in mind for the next couple of steps.

Step 4:  With the stamped design on the outside, fold the cardstock diagonally across the left and right squares as seen in the photo below.

Step 5:  Open the cardstock flat.  Now it's time to fold the cardstock on all of the scored lines at the same time.  The left and right squares will get folded in to the center as seen in the photo below.

When you are finished, the cardstock will be folded into a 4" square.

Step 6:  Lay the cardstock so that the top square (from step 3) is on the bottom.  Take the top corner of the front layer and fold it down as shown in the photo below.

That's all of the folding. I added adhesive to the back of the top square and adhered it to a 4 1/8" square piece of Basic Gray cardstock.  I also added a 4 1/4" square piece of Real Red cardstock behind the Basic Gray.  Be sure that the final layer isn't larger than 4 1/4" so it will fit in a standard size envelope.

Last I stamped and layered my sentiment.  I added adhesive to the bottom half ONLY of the sentiment and then adhered it to the front layer that is folded down.  I lined up the left and right corners of the sentiment with the fold on the front panel.

I tried to be as clear as I can, but if something in my directions doesn't make sense then please don't hesitate to ask questions.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Graduation Card

I can't believe it's Wednesday already.  Things have been crazy around here.  I've been rearranging bedrooms, putting new furniture in, and spring cleaning.  It feels so good getting things done that have been on my "to do" list for over a year!  I keep telling myself that one day I'll conquer everything on my list, but I doubt that will ever happen.  It seems that for each item I cross off my list, I'm adding five more.

This past weekend my nephew graduated from high school.  That makes me feel so old!  I can remember seeing him for the first time when he was two weeks old.  He was so tiny.  How did he manage to grow up so fast? 

Of course I had to make him a graduation card to celebrate this huge achievement.  I dug through my stash of cards looking for inspiration and I found a really fun folded card.  I decided to use that for his card.

It's a square card that sits like a diamond.  If you open it up, it looks like this.

There's plenty of room inside to write a message and have all of my children sign it.  The border was made using the Graduation Day wheel.  I put a scratch piece of paper over the center of the Very Vanilla cardstock and then wheeled around the edges.  I finished it off with some sponging around the edges. 

UPDATE:  Click here to see the tutorial on how to make this card.

Well, I'm off to tackle more things on my list.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Tassel Time, Graduation Day Wheel
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Real Red, Going Gray
Ink:  Real Red, Going Gray
Accessories:  Sponge

5-petal Flower

I was worried that I wouldn't have time to stamp today, but I managed to squeeze in some time to make one more card using this sketch.

I made this flower using the 5-petal flower punch.  Click here to see a tutorial on how to make it.  I mounted the flower on a large scallop circle that I cut out using one of my Big Shot dies.

I pretty much stuck to the sketch for this card.  The only difference is that I left off the three small flower accents.

Again, the inside of my card looks pretty much like the inside of the other cards I posted this week.

This will be the last card I make (for now) using this sketch.  It truly is a great sketch to work with and it can be used to make a huge variety of cards.  I hope you've enjoyed stopping by the last four days seeing the different cards I made using this same sketch.  Thanks for stopping by!

Paper:  So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Hawaii Papaya DSP
Ink:  More Mustard, Tangerine Tango
Accessories:  Rhinestone Brad, Buttons, Kiwi Kiss Ribbon, Dimensionals, Sponge
Punches:  5-petal Flower, Scallop Trim Border
Big Shot:  Scallop Circle #2

3x3 Valentine's Card

I'm back to show you a very quick card that I made using the same Mojo Monday sketch.

The previous two cards that I made were 5 1/4" square.  This time I made a simple 3x3 card.  Ever since I made the Valentine's heart container for my daughter, she has been reminding me that I forgot to make her a Valentine's Day card.  So I made this card for her and she is thrilled.  She especially likes the glimmer paper.  She keeps touching the heart and then looking at her finger to see if any of the glitter came off.  I love this paper because the glitter doesn't rub off.

As you can tell, I changed my card a little bit from the sketch.  I tried to put a few different accents where the small flowers are, but they didn't work so I left them off completely.  I also changed the large circle shape into a heart.  I think that people often see a sketch and think that their card has to look *exactly* like the sketch.  So long as the basic layout is there, it works.

My goal is to be back tomorrow to post one more card using this sketch challenge.  I'll see you then.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Rough Edges Alphabet
Paper:  Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Glimmer Red, Love Impressions DSP
Ink:  Real Red
Accessories:  White Ribbon, Dimensionals
Punches:  Heart to Heart, Full Heart, Pinking Hearts Border

Black and White

Are you ready to see the second card I made using the same sketch as yesterday?

As you can see, I stuck more to the sketch today than I did yesterday.  Even though I used the same sketch for my starting point, both cards look completely different.  This card is much more elegant than the Christmas card.

I stamped the sentiment in Basic Black ink, cut it out with a circle nestability, embossed it with the nestability, and then sponged it with Basic Black ink.  I layered it on top of a scalloped circle, and finished it off with some die-cut flowers.  You can't see it in the photo, but the white flowers have a gorgeous shimmer to them.

Like yesterday's card, I used the same basic layout for the inside of my card only rotated 90 degrees.  I also stamped another sentiment on the inside. 

I think everything else on the card is pretty self-explanatory.  If you have questions on how I made a certain part, just let me know.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  One Person (Verve)
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Night & Day DSP
Ink:  Basic Black
Accessories:  Nestabilities, Black & White Brads, Dimensionals, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Die-Cut Flowers (Brides), Sponge
Punches:  Flower Border (Martha Stewart), Flower (SU!)

Happy Holidays

I hope you enjoyed my Valentine's Day post yesterday.  Today I thought I'd go with another holiday and show you a Christmas card.  I used this Mojo Monday sketch for inspiration.

 

The inspiration for the colors in this card came from this gorgeous ribbon I had in my stash.  I got this ribbon from a friend a while ago and I set it aside to use "later."  I decided that it has been collecting dust long enough and it's time to use it.

I wheeled snowflakes all over the large Tempting Turquoise layer using Tempting Turquoise ink.  The sentiment and snowflakes come from the Christmas Stamp Ensemble from JustRite.  I finished off the front with some small white buttons.

For the inside of my card, I kept a similar layout.  I decided to rotate it, however, so that the ribbon went across the bottom.  This helped the card lay flatter when I closed it.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I *love* sketch challenges.  You also know that I regularly say that these layouts would work well with a variety of stamp sets for different occasions.  Well, this week I've decided to show you what I mean.  For the rest of this week I will be using this same sketch to create a variety of different cards.  When I asked what you guys would like to see on my blog, this was one of the requests that I received. 

I'm off to create card #2.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Snowflake Wheel (SU!), Christmas Stamp Ensemble (JustRite)
Paper:  Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Night of Navy
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise, Night of Navy
Accessories:  Dimensionals, Ribbon, Nestabilities, Buttons

May Valentine's Day

I was recently cleaning and found a heart shaped notepad that I bought forever ago.  My youngest daughter confiscated the notepad and decided that she needed to color every heart in the entire notepad.  She has torn the individual pages apart and has taped hearts to all of my cupboards, doors, and cabinets.  She said (and I quote), "Jesus told me to color these and decorate for Valentine's Day." 

She has officially declared today Valentine's Day and is ready to celebrate.  She even wants me to go and pick up her older siblings from school *right now* so that they can come home and celebrate with her.  She said, "On Valentine's Day Santa Claus told me that you need to go to school and pick up the kids."  How do you respond to that?

Needless to say, I don't have the heart to burst her bubble and tell her that she needs to wait nine more months for the real Valentine's Day.  So I went through my stash and decided to make her a Valentine's Day surprise.

I bought these tins a couple of years ago at one of the local craft stores.  I added a small piece of Designer Series Paper to the sides and a ribbon around the edge of the lid.

I tied the ribbon in a simple bow at the top.

I finished off the tin with some rub-ons on the window.  Because it's May and stores no longer have any Valentine's Day candy, I had to go with the next best thing...red and pink jelly beans leftover from Easter.  She didn't seem to mind at all. 

I need to run and go entertain my daughter.  She just put her shoes on and is literally standing at the front door as I type this demanding to go pick up the kids from school.  She doesn't believe me that they still have two more hours of school.  It's going to be a long two hours!  Thanks for stopping by!

Paper:  Love Impressions DSP
Accessories:  Pretty in Pink Ribbon, Sticky Strip, Love & Happiness Rub-ons

Tab Book Tutorial

 Several days ago I posted pictures of the Father's Day Tab Book and told you that I was finishing up the tutorial for the book.  I'm happy to announce that I have finished my Tab Book Tutorial and it's ready for sale!

For $3.95 you get a 20 page tutorial packed full of photos, directions, and tips on how to make these darling tab books.

Birthday book closed

Birthday book opened

(I left the bottom row on the book blank so I can personalize it later)

Side view of Birthday book

Simply click on the button below to purchase your copy of the tutorial for only $3.95.  You can also click here to see the other tutorials I have for sale.

Thanks for stopping by!

Insiration

When it comes to sketch challenges, I'm usually way behind and don't get them done on time.  Today I surprised myself and got this weeks Mojo Monday sketch done on the same day it posted.  That's a first!

As soon as I saw the layout, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I love this sentiment from Verve.  "You have been my inspiration, my confidante, my friend.  Because of you I've learned to love, to forgive, and to live a life filled with purpose."  Isn't that beautiful?  It expresses exactly how I feel.

If this card looks a little battered, that's because it is.  I got all of my designer series paper glued on, sewed a border around the edge, stamped my sentiment, layered it, etc....and then glued it all on upside down!  I put the sentiment on top of the striped part and then couldn't figure out why the red section looked so empty.  Duh!  Thank goodness the glue hadn't completely fixed itself in place because I managed to peel the layers apart without ripping my designer series paper or cardstock.  It's a little warped and bent, but nothing tore.  It was a close one.

At least it didn't matter on the inside of my card because all I'd have to do is flip it upside down and it would still look the same.  Next time I'll pay better attention to what I'm doing.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Because of You (Verve)
Paper:  Whisper White, Real Red, Soft Suede, Christmas Cocoa DSP
Ink:  Real Red, Soft Suede
Accessories:  Nestabilities, Sponge, Dimensionals, Ribbon, Rhinestones, Janome Sew Mini

Gift Card Holder Tutorial

Recently I showed you this Gift Card Holder and told you I'd post a tutorial.

I finally finished the tutorial today so here we go.

Materials needed:

• 11" x 2 5/8" piece of cardstock
• (2) 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" coin envelopes
• 3/4" Circle punch (you can use a different size)
• SNAIL adhesive
• Velcro Dots
• DSP, Stamps, Punches, etc. to decorate the front of the Gift Card Holder

Step 1:  Stamp or wheel a design on the 11" x 2 5/8" piece of cardstock.  This step is optional.  I was going to wheel my sample, but forgot until half-way through the tutorial.  Oops!

Step 2:  Insert the 11" x 2 5/8" piece of cardstock into the paper scorer (11" side going across the top) and score at 3 1/8", 3 3/8", 7 1/4", and 7 1/2".

Fold the cardstock on all of the score lines and set aside.

Step 3:  Cut off the flaps on the two envelopes as shown in the photo below.

Step 4:  Insert the open end (where you just cut the flap off) of one of the envelopes into the circle punch and punch about 1/2 a circle as shown in the photo below.  If you don't have a 3/4" circle punch, any circle punch will work.

Step 5:  Starting directly below the punched out circle, run a line of adhesive straight down the middle of the envelope.  Do not put any adhesive down the sides or across the bottom of the envelope.

Step 6:  Adhere the two envelopes together.  It's important to line up the TOPS of the envelopes rather than the bottoms.  You can barely see the punched out 1/2 circle in the photo below.

Step 7:  Insert the envelopes into the Circle Punch.  Using the punched out 1/2 circle as a guide, punch a matching 1/2 circle in the second envelope just like you did in Step 4.

Step 8:  Take the 11" x 2 5/8" piece of cardstock and lay it vertically in front of you so the 3 1/2" section is closest to you.  Just like you did in Step 5, run a strip of adhesive straight down the middle of the back of the envelopes.  Adhere the two envelopes to the MIDDLE section of the cardstock.  As you can see in the photo below, the two envelopes are centered left to right and they are *slightly* above the score line at the bottom.  They need to be near the bottom of the middle section.

Step 9:  Repeat Step 5 a third time and run a strip of adhesive down the front of the envelopes.  Fold up the bottom section of the cardstock on the score lines and adhere it to the front of the envelopes.  As you can see in the photo below, the bottom flap should cover both envelopes entirely.

Here's a look at the envelopes from the top view once they are adhered in place.

By only placing one strip of adhesive down the center of the envelopes, this gives them flexibility so the recipient can easily remove the gift card and/or note that's tucked inside the envelopes.

Step 10:  Stick both pieces of the velcro together.  Remove the adhesive backing off one side and adhere them both to the top flap as shown in the photo below.

Step 11:  Remove the backing off the second piece of velcro and fold the flap down to adhere the second piece of velcro in place.  Once finished, it will look like this.

Step 12:  Decorate the front of the Gift Card Holder as desired.

Optional:  This Gift Card Holder can possibly hold up to four coin envelopes so long as the contents in the envelopes are not bulky.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and have fun making one of your own.  As always, if you make one of these please be sure to leave your link in the comments below so I can come and take a peek.  Thanks so much for stopping by!