Cuppa Cactus

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

Today I'm sharing a sweet little card created with a new-to-me stamp & die set...
(and new at Newton's Nook)

Cuppa Cactus...from Newton's Nook

I also have an impromptu  tutorial that will walk you through creating this card...

In case you decide to create one of your own!
(Because it was impromptu..an afterthought...
There are a few photos missing that I would have otherwise included...
(Next time...I won't be so impromptu 😉)

I stamped the images with Momento Tuxedo Black Ink...using my MISTI.

Each image was colored with Copics and then die cut with the accompanying die set
using my Big Shot

I had a sketch in mind...

and so I got out MFT's Stitched Arched Stax dies....

Green card stock for matting...

and a sheet of 12 x 12 paper that has a slight water color look.

I also used...ATG adhesive... and Sook Wang adhesive and some fun foam. 

The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Tim Holtz's Crazy Talk stamp set.

I created 3 of this card...

and have 6 more images colored ...on stand-by....and ready to be used to create cards
this weekend. 

Play...so here we go...

a little impromptu card making tutorial

After the images were colored and die cut I set them aside.

I cut & scored the A2 white base cards and inked some yellow...green and rose colored ink 

on the center of the front of the card base using sponge tipped daubers 

(Inking seen in the photo above)

I matted the water color look paper on a green mat layer using ATG adhesive.

Then, I used the second to largest Stitched Arched die & my Big Shot to die cut the "window"

on the layered card stock and "print", paying attention to centering the die.

Next, I used the largest die in the set to die cut a window in a piece of self adhesive fun foam

that was cut approx 1/4 inch smaller than the card stock/print paper layer.

I used the large arch die so that the edges wouldn't show

when it was placed behind the cards tock and "print" layer

I peeled away the paper on the adhesive side of the fun foam

Then..I added strips of Sook Wang adhesive tape to the sticky side of the fun foam

(The fun foam is self -adhesive...but in the past I've found that sometimes...

it needs a little bit of extra adhesive...

so I've made a habit of always adding some Scor Tape/Sook Wang adhesive tape

when using fun foam .

Once the fun foam had the extra adhesive...

I attached it to the back of the card stock/print/die cut layer

After the fun foam was secured to the card stock...I attached the entire piece to the card front

Like this...

I wanted the ink daubering to be a bit splotchy...

I wasn't trying for a smooth ink covered look...

Next...

I put a small piece or Sook Wang adhesive on the back of each colored image

Then attached the fun foam to the back of the images....sticky side down

When the fun foam was attached to the images...

I added a small piece of adhesive tape, to an extra strong hold.

(Same thing that I did with the fun foam in the photo above)

Next I created the matted sentiment banners.
Once the sentiment was stamped and the banner was cut to size...
and the tails at each end as cut by hand..
I added some light inking to the sentient piece.
Then..I turned each banner over...
and attached a thin strip of fun foam...using the adhesive tape ...as I did before.
I attached the fun foam...sticky side down...to the banners.

After the fun foam strip was attached to each banner...
I added a small piece of adhesive tape to the top of the fun foam (non sticky side)

Then it was time to position the colored images and matted sentiment banners
to complete each card

After the images were positioned..I released that I wanted some stability 

behind the small cactus that extends off of the large cactus in the image on the left...

So, I used tweezers to add a small foam dimensional behind that portion of the image.

(Very easy to do with tweezers)

Creating 3 of this card was very enjoyable...

I chose Happy Birthday for all 3 cards because this is the category of cards 

that I seem to always need more of.

(I'm not sure what the card sketch or sentiment will be on the next 3 Cuppa Cactus cards)

Thank for stopping by today...

Wishing yo a wonderful Saturday!

Michelle.

PS

I wanted to show you one last photo...

One of these two guys (photo below) didn't cut well with the die..

My die positioning was a bit off.

I really didn't want to throw away the image after spending time coloring it.

So...I trimmed the bottom edge..where the cutting was "off" a bit...

then trimmed one of the second image so that it also was trimmed on the bottom.

This made both images look alike as far as the bottom edges went 

(Had I not trimmed them..the white edges would have been uneven...not matched... on both)

By trimming both to look alike ...removing all of the white border...at the bottom edges...

they matched..

and I was able to use them for a card...

(*Sometimes...a "goof" can be salvaged 😃)

And...that's a good thing!

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