Wednesday, January 18, 2023

We Go Together Hot Cocoa Pocket Box Surprise Card

Hello Cottage Cutz Friends!
Melinda here with you, and today I am sharing a fun and colorful Valentine's day card with a little surprise. Here's a look at my finished project.

Here's a look at just the cover. It features images from the following die sets
Cookies & Cocoa
Santa Gnome w/Cookies
Snowmen Friends
Nested Scallop Rectangle Set
Stitched Heart Set
 I used my markers to color in the various pieces. The cute image was from my Doodlebug paper pack as was the patterned papers I used for the scallop rectangle mat and the two hearts. I also used my puffy paint for the showgirls' hat and pompom and some stickles for the whipped topping on my mugs.


To make this fun card with a surprise you will start with a 5.5 x 11 piece of cardstock. I used white for mine. I then scored it at 5.25 and 5.75.

When scored you should have a half inch seam or section in the middle. See photo below. You will score and fold both lines so your base will close.



To make the little pocket you will need to create a little box like the one I created in the photo below. 
The base measurement is 4.75 x 11
You will score your piece of cardstock along the 4.75 side at .5", 7/8", 3 7/8" and 4.25"
You will score along the 11" side at .75", 1 1/8", 5 7/8", and 6.25"
You will cut it according to the photo below.

Here's a template image to offer a little additional help.

Once you have scored and cut the box, you will assemble it. When put together, this is what the "top" side should look like.

It has a flap that folds on the top so you can easily put a packet of Hot Cocoa inside.

Here is a photo of the "backside". I left the extra flaps so that I could adhere all of it to the base. Doing this makes the sides more sturdy. When you assemble the box, it will make more sense. They are optional and you could choose to cut them off to make the sides "flush" with the sides and not wrap around to the back. Here you can see I just added a piece of tape to keep down those flaps and then added adhesive to the entire back. This makes sure the little pocket/box is going nowhere...lol!

I added a blue mat to the inside background and then adhered my pocket/box to the center. I then decorated the top with a mat of patterned paper, a decorative piece of corresponding patterned paper and then a little rectangle, heart and another little snowmen friend. For this one, I added the little Santa Gnomes boots to him. Super cute! The rectangle and heart are left blank so I can write a little note to the recipient.

Here is a side view of the inside of the card, opened up. This gives you a good idea of what the box attached will look like and how the cocoa packet will be accessed.


Here is one last look at the top

I think it turned out super cute and you can make these for co-workers, friends and loved ones for Valentine's day and have a lot of fun doing them!

Dies I Used


Cookies & Cocoa

Santa Gnome w/Cookies

Snowmen Friends


Nested Scallop Rectangle Set


Stitched Heart Set


Well that about covers it for today! Until the next time, have a wonderfully craft-die day!
Melinda Beltran

Monday, January 16, 2023

Rockin' Fifties Stand & Pop Card

Happy Monday crafters!

Kris here sharing with you today.  I tried a new-to-me card fold called a Stand & Pop Card!  It has a kind of "kick stand" on the back that helps it to stand, and the front has a pop out feature.  I've used the  Fifties Jukebox, Guitar, Music Notes & Records, and Fifties Phrases #1 from the Classic Fifties Release (all of which are 40% OFF right now!) along with some cute stamped images.  



CUTTING & SCORING
Below is my photo tutorial with written instructions, however, if you'd like to watch a video on this style of card fold, you can watch that here.

RED CARD BASE:
• Cut a 9" x 4-1/2" - score at 1" (mountain fold) and 3" (valley fold) 
• Cut a 7" x 4-1/2"
• Cut a 6-1/4" x 3" - score at 1/4", 1-1/4", and 5-1/4" - fold & burnish
Cut a 5" x 2"
• Cut a 3" x 1" - score at 1/2" and 2-1/2" - fold & burnish

WHITE CARDSTOCK:
Cut a 2-3/4" x 3-3/4" (layer for pop out piece)
Cut a 4-1/4" x 6-7/8" - score in half at 2-1/8" (for back)
Cut a 1-3/4" x 6-5/8" (for back)

TEAL CARDSTOCK MATS:
Cut a 4-1/4 x 5-3/4"
Cut a 1-3/4" x 4-1/4"
Cut a 1-3/4" x 4-3/4"
Cut a 1-1/2" x 6-3/8" (for back)

PATTERNED PAPER LAYERS:
Cut black/white checkered paper at 4" x 5-1/2"
Cut a patterned paper at 1-1/2" x 4"
Cut a patterned paper (or holographic cs) at 1-1/2 x 4-1/2"

DESIGN STEPS

1.  Lay your two biggest red pieces as shown below. 


2.  Add glue/tape to the top 6" portion of  your 9" piece, then adhere your 7" x 4-1/4" piece on top so that the top is flush with the top of your 9" piece.  *NOTE:  You will have a 1" overhang at the bottom that is not adhered down.  This is the BACK of your card.



3.  Flip your card base over to the front side.  

4.  Adhere your checkered piece to the teal mat layer that is 4-1/4" x 5-3/4" and adhere to card front. 


5.  Attach your 1-1/2" x 4" patterned paper to the 1-3/4" x 4-1/4" teal mat and attach between your 2 score lines on card front.

6.  Attach your white piece to the middle of your 6-1/4" x 3" red piece.  

7.  Hold that piece so that the 1" scored section is at the bottom and apply glue to the front of that 1" section.  Lay it flat onto your checkered card front so that the bottom of the part you just glued is right at the score line of card base and bring the rest of the card base up onto your glued tab and rub to secure.

8.  Add glue to the front of the 1/4" tab.  Fold the 1-1/4" flap backwards and with the card in folded position, attach the top of your pop out piece to the checkered back.  

9.  With card still in folded position, add glue to both flaps on your 3" x 1" piece and attach one flap to the very bottom of card and the other to the back of your short scored flap as shown below.


10.  Add glue to the flap pictured above and attach your 5" x 2" red piece to that flap so the bottom of your piece is flush with the bottom of that glued piece.  *NOTE:  It will stick up above the glued piece by 1".


11.  Attach your patterned paper that is 1-1/2" x 4-1/2" to it's coordinating teal mat and then attach to that front piece you just glued in step 10. 


12.  For the BACK of card, you can stamp inside your folded white piece, then attach just HALF of it to your card back.  It should be flush with the bottom of card (oops!  I missed that part!)

13.  Attach your teal layer to it's white mat and adhere to the right side of card back as shown.  You can cut a piece of patterned paper to that teal piece if you wish.  


Here is what the card base looks like before decorating.

14.  Die cut your pieces and assemble.  Stamp your images and fussy cut.


15.  For one of my poodles on the top of card, I wanted to pop him out away from the back of card a bit, so I created a 1/2" cube and glued the back and bottom of cube and insert to back and top of red pop out feature, then glued my poodle to the front of the cube.


16.  Finish decorating with all your images/die-cuts.



This card folds flat to a 5" x 7" size and fits into an envelope ☺


I hope you'll try this or something creative with your favorite CottageCutz dies!

-Kristine

PRODUCTS I USED:





Saturday, January 14, 2023

Festive Elephant Valentine

Hello CottageCutz friends! Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit with us today. It's Mary Marsh here bringing you the Sunday edition of the Blog.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and holiday week. Now it's time to settle in for the winter months. It's a perfect time for cardmaking, scrapbooking and other crafting pursuits. I am onto my Valentine cards. This one I am sending off to my nice who loves elephants. 

For your viewing pleasure today, I am featuring the Festive Elephant die. It's from the Christmas Part 1 release. I like taking dies intended for one season and move them to a different holiday. It allows you to get more use out of your dies that way.

Card Details:  

I started my card this week with the layout. I saw this older sketch #838 on Splitcoaststampers using a slimline design and decided to use it for my card. Slimline cards are so popular now and add such great eye appeal.

Then I chose my designer paper and card base colors. I really like this metallic heart paper from my Valentine collection for my card. I changed the circle image to a heart. It's from the 2019 "be my valentine puppies" die.
 
Red Card Base: 7 1/2" x 4"
Heart Designer Paper: 7 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Red Cardstock Strip (Element 3): 1/2" x 7 1/2"
Next, I cut the elephant image from 2 shades of gray cardstock. I sponged around the edges for more contrast. Instead of using the Christmas Tree, I cut a heart from the Stitched Heart Set.  
I stamped my sentiment in red ink on the heart. It is a one-line sentiment and I had to space it on the heart with my elephant. So I masked and with the help of my MISTI, I was able to stamp it vertically.
Now I am ready to start card assembly. I attached the designer paper and the red strip to the card base with double sided tape. I ended up having to recut my designer paper and the pattern is a bit different than this photo. 
For the elephant, I used dimensional adhesive to lift the image off the heart background. And, I used the same adhesive to attach the heart to the designer paper. I added some additional white and red hearts to finish off this card.
If you have this Festive Elephant die, I hope I have given you a way to use it for another season. If you would like to purchase this die, it's still available in the online store at 30% off. And you can get it in time to create Valentine cards. 

dies I used to create card:







 

Friday, January 13, 2023

New Video Tutorial - Pocket Card





Hi everyone! Linh here and I have a new video up on the Cottage Cutz YouTube channel. Here's a really easy and fun card I recently just learned - a Pocket Card!  Very easy to make, but I decided to add a bit of a twist where I create a heart flap (using a slimline die!).  While technically, I used many Valentine's day die sets, this isn't much of a Valentine's day card - it can be a just because card or  V-day card for a crafty friend. These dies are so versatile!