Pop Up Cards

These pop-up cards were fun to make.  The card looks kind of plain on the outside but when you open it up .... Pop!   I used vellum cut at varying heights to attach the balloons and butterflies to my card but you could have easily used clear window sheets for the pop ups.

The measurements for this card are:

• Designer Paper:  5 1/2" x 11 1/2"
• Score at 4 1/4", 5", 5 3/4", 6 1/2" and 7 1/4"  Accordian fold DSP.
• You can adhere the accordian folds on the outside of the card but wait until you have your pop ups inserted to adhere the inside folds.
• Whisper White for the inside - 3 3/4" x 5"

I used the Balloon Punch for the Happy Birthday along with the Well Written dies for "happy birthday."  The stamp set I used for this card is Broadway Birthday.

For the daisy, I used the Daisy Punch and punched two flowers out of white card stock.  I put dimensionals between the flowers.  The stamp set I used along with the dies are from Butterfly Basics which is a retired set.  I am patiently waiting for the Butterfly Punch to be shipped to me.  It has been on backorder for several months!!

My daughter is visiting me all this week so I probably will not be posting on my blog until next week.  She had been here since Saturday and we are having so much fun!   It won't be long before she will be just a few hours away permanently!

Bokeh Technique

When I was in Spartanburg a couple of weeks ago, I made this card using the Bokeh Technique.  I watched a video on line so I would know what to do.  There are several You Tube videos - just search for You Tube Bokeh Technique and you'll find several.  They are all a little different so you just can figure out which one you like the best. Splitcoast Stampers also has a tutorial.

Bokeh is a technique that's been around in photography circles for years and is starting to pop up in card making I've noticed.  By definition, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image.  Not so sure that's what it is for card making but ....

Here's a sample of the bokeh technique in photography:

The way I did my card is:

• Use Painters Tape all along the edges of a piece of watercolor paper and taped it down to my work space.
• Use the Aqua Brush and brush water all over the watercolor paper.  Make sure it is completely wet - but not sopping.
• Pick up ink from the lid of the ink pad (or use reinkers) and lay down colors randomly.  (I used Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky and StrawberrySlush)
• Once you get the colors the way you want them, let it dry (or use the heat gun to speed it along)
• Carefully remove the painters tape.
• I punched 3 different size templates from Window Sheets (transparency) with circle punches (1", 3/4" and 1/2"). 
• Use daubers to "pounce" Whisper White ink in the circles or rub the ink in the circle templates onto the watercolor paper.  Move your template and keep adding circles of Whisper White ink.
• You can also use a pencil eraser for tiny circles.  I found I had to go over the circles I did with the template again once they dried.
• Let it dry (or zap it with the heat gun) and stamp your image.

For my card, I used the Butterfly Basics stamp set from the Occasions Catalog.  I punched the butterfly from the Irresistibly Yours DSP in Sale-a-Bration and sponged it with different colors.