October Sincerely

 October is such a wonderful time of year!  After a long, hot summer, the cooler temps in October and the wonderful changing colors get me really excited for the upcoming holidays....including Halloween!  So this month for Sincerely, we're focusing on Halloween cards.  

Designed by Debbie Budge

We have a lot of fun Halloween ideas and cards in our blog already and on our Facebook page, so I tried to think outside the box and come up with more fun ways to use our Designer Templates!  This card measures 8 by 5 1/2 inches.  I wanted to focus on a witch's hat and broom, and it turned out really cute!  I made the border using Mini Strips and Mini Abbie.  For the witch's hat I used the Tiny Shapes set...the larger oval and rounded triangle, trimmed with some ribbon.  Super easy to do!  Then I really wanted to make a witch's broom, and the Tiny Tags worked great!  I used the Tiny Tags 6T for the body of the broom, clipped to make it look like bristles.  I wanted a crooked stick feel for the handle, so I used Happy Trails 1B and traced it twice to get the size handle I was looking for.  Then I wound some string around the handle just where it joined the broom.  It turned out really cute and took no time at all to do!

Designed by Debbie Budge

Next I used some Halloween paper from my stash to make this card.  I was messing around with the maple leaf template from the Tiny Holiday set and realized I could make a different kind of ghost from it.  Remember when your little ones would put a sheet over their heads and pretend to be ghosts?  That's the feeling I was looking for and the maple leaf was perfect, with the addition of some googly eyes...so cute!  I tucked a tiny pumpkin right up next to the ghost from the Tiny Holiday set also and added a Halloween strip over the top of them.  Behind the pumpkin and ghost I tucked a border from the Sentiments card border set.  

Designed by Gail Owens

Gail Owens, one of our wonderful design team members, created the next two cards for us this month.  

This card measures 5 x 7 inches and uses the following supplies:

Templates

Holiday 4T, 5T

Spook 1A

Shapes 7T, 37

Celebrate 5

Wacky 2T 

PAPER AMERICAN CRAFTS

Pearls doodlebug

twine- lily belles paperie on etsy

Designed by Gail Owens

4x6 card

Paper American Crafts paper and brads

ink-Ranger

twine-lilly Belles Paperie on etsy

templates

spook alley 1a

holiday 5t

Both Gail and I had a lot of fun designing our Halloween Cards.  What can you come up with?  We'd love to see!  Be sure to share your own creations with us on our Facebook page.  

September Sincerely - Back to School

It's that time of year again...Back to School time!  I love shopping for school supplies and I love the cooler mornings and Fall smells that this time of year brings here in Idaho.  This month for our Sincerely segment, we are focusing on Back to School ideas for cards.  And just for fun, I used my DTs to cover this composition book...so easy and quick!  I cut a piece of paper to fit the cover and used my corner rounder to round the edges to match the book.  I used the Tags set, Tiny Accents, Tiny Brackets, Tiny Tags and Adventure to decorate it.  And now...for the cards!

Designed by Debbie Budge

Gail Owens, one of our Design Team members, has created some adorable cards with our Back to School theme in mind, so be sure to take a look at all of them closely...they are so cute!

Supplies: patterned paper, stamp (Imaginisce); card stock (Provo Craft, Bazzill); ink (Ranger, Tsukinedo); alphabet stickers (DCWV); ribbon (Offray); circle punch (EK Success)

Kiwi Lane Templates: Thoughtful 2B, Tiny Wacky 3T, Tiny Accents 4T, Tiny Tags 3T, Adorn 2A

For this card, I stamped the notebook paper on white card stock, cut it out and added letter stickers.  I also made a pencil using layers of the same template shape. First, cut a full tag shape out of cream colored paper This serves as the base for all your layering and ends up only showing the tip of the pencil.

 Turn the yellow paper so the back side is showing and score every 1/4".  This makes raised lines and adds some texture to your pencil.  You can use a scoring board or the groove in your paper trimmer.

 Now use sandpaper or a sanding block to gently sand off the surface of the scored lines, exposing the white core. If you used a solid core card stock, use a bit of ink on a dauber to add some ink to the scored lines instead.

 Next, trace just part of the tag onto pink cardstock for the eraser.

 Layer your yellow paper and eraser on the pencil base and add the "metal" part of your pencil just below the eraser using a silver metallic ribbon (I used 1/8", but 1/4 would also work.)

  As the final touch to your pencil, punch a 1/2" circle out of black cardstock and adhere it to the point of the pencil.  Now all you have to do is trim off the extra black card stock and silver ribbon and you have a pencil!

Supplies: patterned paper (Imaginisce, Prima); card stock (Provo Craft); ribbon (Pebbles); crayon (Crayola); ink (Ranger)

Kiwi Lane Templates: Tiny Tags 3T, Tiny Wacky 1T, Tiny Strips, Tiny Shapes 8T

This card has a crayon, also made out of the tiny tags! I wanted to point out that I used crayon to write the sentiment.  Remember that in your card making, you can use things that you normally would never use for your scrapbook layouts, like writing with crayons and pencils.  You don't have to worry about your card materials being archival quality and acid free, which opens up a whole world of options.

Trace the tag on card stock like this.  

 Then make a dotted line across the tag, separating the tip from the rest.  Move the tip down a bit and trace again, only going to the dotted line.  Make another line at the top to mark where you will cut the point off the tip to make the flat crayon top.  

 Now erase the outside line where you have doubles, and the pointy part of the tip.  This is what you should have left.  Cut along the solid lines (NOT the dotted line) and you have your crayon base.  Just flip it over (or erase all the lines), add a "wrapper" and whatever you want to use to embellish it and you're done!

Supplies: patterned paper (Imaginisce, Prima); card stock (Provo Craft); twine (SupplyOwl on Etsy); "school" sticker (DCWV); glitter letter stickers (Making Memories); ribbon (Offray); ink (Ranger)

Kiwi Lane Templates: Tiny Holiday 4T, Tiny Accents 4T, Adorn 3A/3B

Kiwi Lane does not currently have an apple template, but you can think outside the box a little and use a pumpkin with a bit of modification.  I trimmed the bottom so it looked more like an apple, and I made the stem more rounded.   -Gail Owens http://glowormdesigns.blogspot.com/

Sincerely...

It's the middle of August already!! Where has the summer gone??  School starts here on Monday and we are scrambling to get ready for that.  You're probably doing the very same thing!  It's nice when we have a little bit of extra time to sit down and make some cards.  This month we are focusing on note cards....those cards you send to someone just to let them know you are thinking of them...or the notes you send to teachers thanking them for helping your child...or the notes we send to neighbors to welcome them to the neighborhood.  Note cards are so great to have on hand for any occasion where you want to let someone know they are being thought of!

Gail Owens, one of our Design Team members, has designed some adorable note cards.  More details can be found on her blog: http://glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

 "Just a Quick Note"  (Finished size- 4 1/4 x 5 1/2)  Templates: Adorn, Tiny Wildflower, Tiny Nature

 "Just for You"  (Finished size- 4 1/4 x 5 1/2)  Templates:  Tiny Accents, Adorn, Tiny Strips, Tiny Brackets, Tiny Tags

Butterflies  (Finished size 5x7)  Templates:  Tiny Nature, Mini Photo, Mini Scallops, Mini Strips

I enjoy making note cards very much.  I love using the scraps from my layouts and projects to create a lovely note card and have some on hand for when I need them.  I think, if we had more note cards ready to go, we'd write more 'thinking of you' notes to those in our lives!  Here are a few examples.  Debbie Budge

Beautiful (finished size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2)  Templates: Strips, Thoughtful, Tiny Wacky

Cutie (finished size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2) Templates: Thoughtful, Strips, Tiny Wildflower

Friend (finished size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2) Templates: Thoughtful, Strips, Tiny Floral

Snipping...easy and so cute!

We have a lot of fun trying new techniques to make our designer templates more versatile! And we love this idea used by our very own Gail Owens! She just snipped around the edges of the small and large circles in our Tiny Shapes set to turn them into a really cute embellishment!!

I used the same technique on this Easter card to give the feeling of grass in the basket. I snipped the edges of the Tiny Wacky template...and it worked great! We hope you'll experiment with different ways to use our template designs to suit your creativity! Debbie Budge

July DT Doodle Challenge

• We are changing it up this month and making our DT Doodle a challenge! You have until Friday morning (July 20th) to create a layout or card using these sketches to enter our challenge.
  
  
   Once you have your page or card created, upload it to Facebook to be entered to win. Friday morning we will open it up for voting.
  
  
   We will close the voting Monday morning (July 23rd). The designer with the most votes will win this pre-made page and a Free Designer Template set our their choice. Good Luck!!

Sincerely - Boy Birthday Cards

This month on Sincerely we are focusing on birthday cards for boys.  We have some really great designer template sets that will help you design quick and easy....and adorable cards for your boys, whether big or small!  

These first 3 cards were designed by Gail Owens, a member of our Design Team and a master card maker!

#1- Star birthday

Card size: 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

Templates: Spook Alley 1B, Rings 2, Tiny Shapes 7T, Adventure 1 & 2

For full instructions and supply list, visit www.glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

#2- Balloon birthday

4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Templates: Sentiments 1 A&B, Celebrate 1, 2 &3

For more instructions and supply list, visit www.glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

#3- It's your day

5" x 7"

Templates: Tiny Tags 1T, Celebrate 6, Tiny Wildflower 2T

For full instructions and supply list, visit www.glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

These next two cards were designed by Susan Budge and would be great for a little boy's birthday!  The top card was created using Sentiments, Tiny Strips, Adventure and Tiny Accents.  The card below was created using Sentiments, Adorn, Playtime and Tiny Accents.  

And finally, a card designed by Debbie Budge for an older boy...teenager....or man.  It is a bigger card: 4 1/2" x 8" and was created using Tiny Strips, Happy Trails, Rings, Tiny Shapes and Tiny Accents.  The paper used was Authentique's Celebrate line.  I used this paper for a layout of my daughter, Sarah, and had some left, so I made this card.  I love using my scraps to make cards!

I hope this month's focus on boy birthday cards has inspired you to make some for the great guys in your life!

June Sincerely - Birthday Cards for Girls

This month for our Sincerely segment, we decided to focus on Birthday Cards for the girls or women in you lives....so fun!!  I also had fun designing a gift tag and party invite with our designer templates!

Birthday Card

This fun birthday card was designed by Debbie Budge using Adorn, Sincerely, Tiny Shapes, Tiny Accents, and Tiny Strips. Stickles were used to dress up a paper punch out cupcake and Glossy Accents was used over each letter in Celebrate to make them look like epoxy letters. Baker's twine added a fun fiber touch to the card, especially when topped with the orange butterfly! 

Ice Cream Cone Party Invite

You can create a party invite easily by using our Celebrate Accessory Set! I made this Ice Cream Cone with that set and topped it with a Tiny Accents flower. You can print off the party info and attach it to the back of the cone, or you can do as I did and cut the triangle on the fold, allowing it to open up on one side, even when you put the scoop on top! Then you can put the party info inside the cone. This could also be used as a really cute birthday card! Or, even as a unique gift tag! I used My Mind's Eye paper and added some Glossy Accents to each letter in PARTY to help them shine!

Birthday Gift Tag

I love our new Tags and Tiny Tags DT Sets....and this tag shows you why! It was so easy to make using a large tag from the Tags set and a smaller tag from the Tiny Tags set. I used Adorn and Tiny Accents to embellish the tag and added some ribbon and little flowers from my stash. I left room on the Tiny Tag to write TO: and FROM: and then attach it to the gift bag. Who wouldn't love to get a gift with an adorable tag like this attached! Designed by Debbie Budge using My Mind's Eye paper.

Happy Birthday Pocket with Tag

This card is a bit different- it doesn't open. The card itself is just a flat piece of 5x7 patterned card stock, but the tag is in a vellum pocket so you can pull it out and write your birthday message on either side! Templates used: 4x4 photo (pocket), Adorn 3A, Tiny Accents 2T, Tags 5, Tiny Wildflower 1T -- Finished card size: 5x7. For details and a complete list of supplies, go to www.glowormdesigns.blogspot.com. Designed by Gail Owens for Kiwi Lane Designs

Happy Birthday Cupcake Card

Designed by Gail Owens. Finished card size: 5 1/2"x 5 1/2" Templates used: Tags 7, Tiny Shapes 4T & 6T, Celebrate 3 & 5 For details and a complete list of supplies, go to www.glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

May's Sincerely Focuses on Father's Day Cards

We know that Mother's Day just ended, but we thought we'd go ahead and focus on Father's Day cards for our Sincerely segment this month. It will be here before you know it! 

These two adorable cards were designed by Gail Owens....aren't they cute?!! 

You're a Rock Star! Templates used- Sentiments 2B & 3A, Tiny Wacky 3T, Adventure 1 & 2 and Tiny Strips Authentique Gathering paper kit; kraft paper card base; ink; jewels (Doodlebug); letter stickers (SEI and Authentique) Finished card size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 

Gail left the tips of the star hanging over the edges of the card, but you can cut them off so it fits in an envelope. My "Rock Star" is handwritten, but you can get the same effect by using a stamp or stickers.

This card was also designed by Gail Owens! Be sure to check out her blog to see the details of how she made the tie.

 Shirt and Tie: Templates used- Tiny Tags 5T (pocket), Tiny Shapes 6T (tie and collar) and Celebrate 6 (tie) Authentique Gathering paper kit; white card stock; brown card stock; ink; buttons Finished card size: 5x7 

Gail has a tutorial on her blog with the full instructions (it's easier to explain with step by step pics!) http://glowormdesigns.blogspot.com

Mother's Day Card Ideas

Mother's Day is coming soon, so this month we are focusing on Mother's Day Cards! This beautiful card was designed by Gail Owens using Tiny Nature 6T, Tiny Shapes 3T, Tiny Tags 1T, Tags 1 - and would be a perfect card for your favorite Mom! For details on how she made this card, please check out Gail's blog GLOworm Designs.

This Mother's Day Card was designed by Debbie Budge using Adorn, Tiny Wildflowers, Tiny Tags and Tiny Accents. The chipboard letters were sanded a bit to give them more texture.

Designed by Gail Owens using Tiny Accents 1T, and Tiny Shapes 2T, this card is so fun! Such a creative way to use the Tiny Shapes! She fit them together just like a mosaic! For details on how she made this card, please check out Gail's blog GLOworm Designs.

This last card was designed by Debbie Budge using Adorn, Tiny Wildflowers, Tiny Accents and Tags. The edges of the background paper were distressed for a fun look, and the sentiment...Mother, I Love You, was first printed on the paper and then the Tag template was used to cut it out. Easy and a great way to add your feelings to your card!

Sincerely...Adorable Easter Cards

Hi! This is Debbie with Kiwi Lane Designs. With Easter coming in just a couple of weeks, Gail and I decided that we would focus on Easter Cards for this month's Sincerely segment. We've been having so much fun! It's amazing how many cute ideas you can come up with when using the designer templates to create your cards.


On this first Easter card, I wanted to create the feeling of an Easter basket...the kind I used to make with my kids when they were young. You know...cut strips of construction paper and weave them together to make a basket. So I cut strips to make a basket-type border and then filled my basket with eggs and even a little 'peep', which was made out of the Tiny Nature 1T leaf. I added a jewel for the eye and used some yellow stickles to color the beak. I used Tiny Shapes 4T and 8T to make the different-sized eggs, and just cut one of the eggs apart so it looked 'cracked' open. I wanted some grass in my basket, so I took the Tiny Wacky 3T shape and clipped the edges for grass. It worked great! I used the Rings 2 behind the eggs to give the impression of a handle for my basket. Then I added the Tiny Accents 5T as a really cute embellishment for the basket. It turned out better than I expected...really, really cute!

On my second card, I wanted to use Glimmer Mist to shape the flower and add some sparkle to it and to the title. I hope you can see the shine in the pictures. If you've never heard of Glimmer Mist, or you've never used it...let me introduce it to you!


Glimmer Mist is a Tattered Angels product and comes in a whole bunch of different colors. I always have a bottle of Pearl Glimmer Mist with me when I scrapbook. It gives a glimmer and a shine to anything you spray it on, but I also like to use it to 'mold' my flowers or to give texture to any embellishment that I'm using. So, instead of a flat tiny accents flower on this card, I sprayed it with glimmer mist and then used my fingers to mold it into the shape I wanted. I love how it brings the flower to life!


The templates I used in making this card were: Sentiments 2a2b, Tiny Shapes 4T, 8T and Tiny Accents 1T.

Now, it's Gail's turn!

Hi everyone! Once again it's time for some card inspiration- yay! I thought a Spring and Easter theme would be appropriate right now since we are all ready for warmer weather. I was also asked to try to use Glimmer Mist on my cards this month, and I enjoyed using something I often forget about using! The only color of Glimmer Mist I own right now is pearl, which I love, but doesn't show up in pictures very well. So make the pics as big as you can to get the most detail! And visit my blog for more how-to's and details.

Spring Birds Card

I loved the Love Birds card that Kiwi Lane did for Valentine's Day, and I took that as inspiration for this card. If you missed the tutorial about how to use the leaf template to make a bird, go check it out here :) I sprayed pretty much everything on this card with glimmer mist and I love how it shimmers!

Templates used: Nature 1, Tiny Nature 1T, Mini Paisley Place 2B, Tiny Wacky 2T. Finished card size: 5”x7”.

Happy Spring Card


For this card I thought I'd try my hand at using glimmer mist with masking. It turned out great! Seriously, pictures won't do it justice so just try this at home! I first traced and cut 3 eggs using the smaller oval in the Tiny Shapes template set. Then I made masks from the sticky part of some sticky notes using punches and scissors. I put the masks on the eggs where I wanted them, sprayed the eggs with a heavy dose of Glimmer Mist and let them dry. I also used glimmer mist on the flower layers. The center of the flower is bakers twine and the sentiment is handwritten (you can use a stamp or leave it blank).

Finished card size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/4" (slightly off the standard notecard size, but what can I say? Tip: measure twice cut once :P )

Templates used: Tiny Nature 1T, Tiny Accents 1T, Sentiments 2A and 2B

Easter Bunny Card


There was no Glimmer Mist used on this card. But it's still fabulous! Know why? It's a 10 minute card!! Really! (In all fairness, if you choose to ink everything like I do, that will add a minute or two more. Which makes it a 12 minute card. Still quick!) It's pretty self-explanatory from the picture. Just a few tips: use those fancy edging scissors you don't use very often (we all have at least a few pairs, right?) to cut out the white "fur" of the bunny. I used a medium scallop for this card; you don't have to use brads for the eyes and nose- use whatever you have- goggly eyes, buttons, felt and paper would all work just great; instead of jewels on the sentiment bracket, try using stickles.

Templates used: Rings 2 (trace the outside, not the inside), Tiny Shapes 4T and 8T, Tiny Brackets 2T and 4T

What I learned from making this month's Sincerely... cards: I need to get some more colors of Glimmer Mist!! It is so much fun to play with and, paired with KLD templates, the possibilities are endless!