Sunday, May 24, 2015

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 5

Well, here it is! The last installment of "Exploring the 'W' Key". The final feature on the "Artfully Sent" Cricut cartridge is "Pocket Card".
Like the two previous features, the Pocket Card allows you to cut two different cards - one that is 4" x 6" and one that is 3" x 4". These were designed specifically for Close To My Heart's "Picture My Life" Scrapbooking Program - a pocket scrapbooking program with specially designed Memory Protectors which have 4" x 6" and 3" x 4" pockets for photos, sentiments, journaling, and embellishments. Being a card-maker at heart, though, I chose to use these two pocket cards to make cards!

Both of the cards I created use two of my favorite things - Washi tape and the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set. Let's see the 4" x 6" card first:
I cut the 4" x 6" Pocket card from Lagoon cardstock. It simply has the arrow shape cut out of it. Next, I backed the card with a piece of white cardstock stamped with the striped "In The Background" stamp in Thistle ink. Using a 5" x 7" white cardstock base, I adhered a piece of Lagoon Hearts Washi Tape through the center, then my 4" x 6" Pocket Card on top of that. The rest is simply stamping and cutting out a couple of hearts from the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set, and a sentiment from the "This Moment" stamp set (no longer available).

Now for the 3" x 4":
My finished card is 4.25" x 5.5" Hollyhock cardstock with several strips of Ruby Chevron Washi Tape run through the center. I random-stamped the 3" x 4" Pocket Card, which I cut from Cranberry cardstock, with Cranberry ink and the small hearts image from the "Forever in My Heart" stamp set. I then backed it with white cardstock and embellished it with more stamped heart cut-outs and a sentiment.

Seriously, did you ever think you could get so many different cards from just one key on this "Artfully Sent" Cricut cartridge?! This thing is truly amazing. I am going to try and do a card workshop that focuses on another one of the keys - I hope to see you there!

Thanks for joining me in my "Exploration of the 'W' Key". Hope you'll come back real soon!


Sunday, May 17, 2015

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 4



We’re heading into the home stretch! Only two more styles left to explore – that’s four more cards – all on this one key! This second-to-last style of card/function from the “Artfully Sent” Cricut™ Cartridge again contains two different cards. Today we’ll be looking at the Sleeve cards.
The Sleeve function has both a 4” x 6” and a 5” x 7” card – the former of which was designed to hold a 4” x 6” photograph. Both sizes will have the same pattern cut into the front of them – the 4” x 6” card, though, will fold into an actual sleeve, or pocket, whereas the 5” x 7” folds into a standard card.

Let’s look at the 4” x 6” card on the “W” key. I absolutely love the wood-grain pattern! After cutting the card from Chocolate cardstock, I folded on the score lines, glued the bottom and side pieces, and cut a piece of patterned paper to slip into the inside.

The back of this piece (not shown) has a bunch of journaling lines on it with the caption, “This Year’s Highlights”. After tying a piece of ribbon around the center, this would be the perfect addition to a scrapbook page! Or use it as a stand-alone card with a photo, invitation, or special message on the inside.

The 5” x 7” card was so simple. After cutting the card on the Cricut from Saddle cardstock, I simply backed the front of the card with Cashmere cardstock and embellished the front with stamped images from this past January’s Stamp of the Month set, “This Moment”.
How cute is that? There are SO MANY fun patterns throughout this cartridge – you will have such a blast discovering all of them.


Next week – the last function on the “W” key – the Pocket Card! Don’t miss it!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Artfully Sent – Exploring the “W” Key – Part 3



This next style of card/function from the “Artfully Sent” Cricut™ Cartridge actually contains two different cards. Today we’ll be looking at the Sentiment cards.


The Sentiment function has both a 5” x 7” and a 4.25” x 5.5” card within it. When you think of the sheer number of cards that this function alone allows you to cut from this cartridge, it’s mind-boggling! Let’s look at the first sentiment card – the 5” x 7” – on the “W” key. Many of the Sentiment cards on the cartridge cut a sentiment and an icon into the front of the card. This key happens to cut a sentiment only. You could simply back this with a piece of patterned paper or colored cardstock. But I wanted to go just a little bit further.

After cutting the card from black cardstock on my Cricut, I folded it and slipped a second piece of black cardstock, about 1/8” smaller on each side than the card front, into the middle of the card. I then took a pencil and lightly traced around the insides of the cut letters, so that my sentiment would be transferred onto my black cardstock insert. This allowed me to block out each word with a different patterned paper/color on the insert:


I continued covering the traced words with paper (for one I used shimmer trim!) until I had everything covered. I could then go back to my card and adhere the paper-covered insert to the inside front, thereby allowing the color blocks to show through the cut letters – and you see none of it on the inside of the card!

This is a fun and easy technique to really make your cards one-of-a-kind.

The vast majority of the second sentiment cards on this cartridge cut a border into the bottom front. For this key, it cuts a fun leaf pattern. This was a very easy card to make. Once the card was cut, I simply backed the cut with a strip of Topiary cardstock, wrapped a piece of Topiary Mini Chevron ribbon around the front, and stamped and mounted the tree image from the “Country Born” stamp set. Simple, yet beautiful! 


The next two function keys we will explore with the “W” key also each have two different cards within them. Next week, it’s the Sleeve function – it’s a fun one!