Cards to Make You Smile!

Hello there, Michelle Short here and I am delighted to be back on the Spellbinders blog using the Little Smiles collection. This beautiful collection features lots of cute critters and elements to create scenes that are perfect for new baby cards, as well as children’s cards, as well as just because cards to put a smile on someone’s face!

HELLO, BABY!

My first card uses Bundle of Joy, Little Smiles Sentiments, and Wishing Stars Embossing Folder to create a new baby card.

To make this card:

• Die cut stork from Bundle of Joy from white, Peony, Mustard, Pitch Black, and Gold Pearl Metallic Adhere together using Bearly Art Glue.
• Die-cut cloth diaper from Passion Flower and Amethyst
• Die cut baby from Antique Ivory Cardstock, adding Pitch Black and Peony behind the face for the eyes and cheeks.
• Adhere baby inside the cloth diaper, adhering arm on top.

• Take 4.25” x 5.5” panel of white cardstock and add ink blending towards the bottom with Mermaid Lagoon, Prize Ribbon, and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Inks and Large Blending Brushes.
• Place inside Wishing Stars 3D Embossing Folder and run through Platinum Six.
• Adhere to A2-sized white card base.
• Die cut cloud from panel of white cardstock and adhere to the bottom of the card.
• Adhere stork to the left-hand side with thin foam tape.
• Adhere baby in cloth diaper to card using thin foam tape.

• Hot foil Little Smiles Sentiments Press Plate:
  • Cut Opaque Black Glimmer Hot Foil to size.
  • Place on top of white cardstock, shiny side up.
  • Place Little Smiles Sentiments plate on top of foil, design side down.
  • Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
  • Place on Glimmer Hot Foil System platform, plate side down.
  • Press button and wait until it goes solid green. Remove platform from base and then place back into base to reset the timer. Press button again.
  • When solid green, remove platform from base, place shims on top and run through Platinum Six.
  • Carefully remove plate and tape from cardstock, being careful not to touch the hot plate.
• Die cut sentiments out using coordinating die.
• Adhere ‘hello, baby!’ sentiment to card.

TOP TIP: At what stage you add the ink blending to 3D embossing makes a difference to the look you achieve. Here I added the ink blending before embossing to get a more subtle look on the raised areas. To make the embossing stand out more, and get a darker coverage of ink, add the ink blending after embossing.

BUCKLE UP

My next card uses Swinging Among the Stars, Falling Stars, and Little Smiles Sentiments for a fun night-time scene.

To make this card:

• Die cut the star balloon from Swinging Among the Stars from Canary, Pitch Black and Peony Add ink blending to the star with Mustard Seed and Fosilized Amber Distress Inks and Mini Blending Brushes. Adhere Pitch Black and white cardstock to the back (for the eyes and highlights) and adhere the cheeks on top.
• Die cut elephant from Fog, Pitch Black and Peony Add ink blending to the gray areas with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink. Adhere head to body using thin foam tape but keep arm to the side for now.
• Die cut balloon strings and basket from Cup O’ Joe and Woodland Add ink blending with Ground Espresso Distress Ink. Adhere layers of basket together.

• Hot foil Falling Stars BetterPress Plate onto white cardstock with Champagne Foil, using the same method as the sentiment.
• Add ink blending to the panel with Mermaid Lagoon, Prize Ribbon, Chipped Sapphire and Villainous Potion Distress Oxide Inks, and Large Blending Brushes.
• Remove excess ink from foil with a soft dry cloth.
• Die-cut clouds from white cardstock and adhere to the background using Bearly Art Glue. Cut off excess from the sides using scissors.
• Adhere panel to A2-sized card base.

• Adhere balloon strings onto the back of the basket, as well as the back of the star (the basket can swing from side to side if using foam tape, but I chose not to do that for this card).
• Adhere elephant inside basket and adhere to card using thin foam tape.
• Adhere arm on top with Bearly Art Glue.
• Adhere sentiment to card using Bearly Art Glue and foam tape.

TOP TIP: Adding ink blending on top of foil can sometimes make the foil a little duller. To avoid this, add ink blending first and then foil on top. In this case, I quite liked the look of it being a little more matte!

ZOOMING BY

For my last project, I’m using Go Kart Go, along with Little Smiles Sentiments, for a clean and simple just because card.

To make the card:

• Die cut car from Go Kart Go from Iris, Amethyst, Pitch Black, Canary, and white cardstock. Adhere pieces together using Bearly Art Glue.
• Die cut monkey from Cup O’ Joe, Antique Ivory, Peony, and Pitch Black Adhere pieces together using Bearly Art Glue.
• Die-cut clouds from Swinging Among the Stars from white cardstock.

• Adhere clouds to white A2-sized card base using Bearly Art Glue.
• Adhere monkey inside of car and adhere car and monkey to card using thin foam tape.
• Adhere sentiment below.
• Die cut flower and leaves from Go Kart Go from Waterfall and Peridot Adhere to monkey’s head.
• To finish, add yellow enamel dot to center of the flower.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my projects today and I have inspired you to create some fun cards to put a smile on someone’s face! Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Spellbinders Supplies:

OTHER SUPPLIES

Thin foam tape, Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide Ink, Prize Ribbon Distress Oxide Ink, Villainous Potion Distress Oxide Ink, Mustard Seed Distress Ink, Fossilized Amber Distress Ink, Hickory Smoke Distress Ink, Ground Espresso Distress Ink