Rainbow Magic Slider by Trina Pham

 

Hello everyone.  No Valentine’s / heart card today.  Instead I’m sharing a fun and colorful magic slider card featuring the Arched Collage die.  Confused with the “colorful” description from the picture above? 🤔   Then see it in action in the video below! 😉

 

 

 

I’ve only made this type of card using stamps and wanted to try it with dies.  Started by trimming a white top folding card base and a piece of mixed media paper to 4.25”x5”.  The width was 0.5” shorter than a regular A2 size to accommodate for the slider pull tab handle.  Next, die cut the Arched Collage from the mixed media piece, which leaves a negative cut.  This will be the front.

 

 

The cutout arches were coloured in rainbow order with Copic markers.  Adhered the negative cut front piece on top of the card base with temporary adhesive and used it as a guide to adhere the colored arches directly onto the card base like so.

 

 

For the slider, it was cut to 3.5”x5.5” from white woodgrain paper.  Dies from Rectangle Basics were then used to partial die cut a t-shape on one end and a notch for the slider pull tab handle on the other end.  No measuring… just eyeballed it.

 

 

Acetate was then adhered to the back of the front piece.  Still working on the back, strips of thick white cardstock (could use foam / mounting tape here instead) were adhered to three sides to create a channel for the slider to move back and forth.  To help guide the slider and provide a stopper, a stabilizer was created by wrapping a strip of 0.5” copy paper onto itself around the slider piece. 

 

 

Note: Very important to add glue only on the outside of the stabilizer and the perimeter strips when assembling the card… otherwise, it will interfere with the sliding action.

 

 

A circle was die cut from black cardstock and folded in half to create the slider pull tab handle.  The Hello Friend posh script was die cut from Bristol paper 3x and stacked for dimension before mounting onto its black shadow.   

 

 

For a polished look, a frame was added to the front.  The clouds were die cut from white woodgrain paper as well and their edges inked with a finger brush and Tumbled Glass distress ink.  Assembled the card then hand printed “pull” with a white gel pen on the slider pull tab handle to finish.

 

Thank you for joining me today.  Have a wonderful week, especially if you are celebrating Valentine’s day.

Supplies

 

94586 Hello Friend Posh Script craft die

94549 Arched Collage craft die

98172 Puffy Clouds

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

30087 Circle Basics Set

SH44001 Woodgrain Paper Pack White

Nativity Pop Up Slider by Trina Pham

Hello and happy Sunday.  I was playing with more goodies from the current Holiday release to create a fun interactive pop-up slider card.  

To allow the nativity scene to fit nicely on the card, I  made my first A6 size (6.25”x4.5”) card.  To begin, two pieces of cardstock, one white and one black, were trimmed to A6 size.  The white is the front and the black is the back, essentially forming a closed pocket card.  On the front piece, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord and Black Soot distress inks (DI) were blended on.  Stars were added with a white gel pen.

 
Next, used the 2.5”x7.5” Slim Basic Rectangle die and partial die cut the slider channel, leaving the top uncut across.

Score between those two ends.

Took the open cut end next and fold in half up to the score line.  The arrow points to the area in which the pop-up element will adhere to.

 
Next, traced the slider channel opening onto the back black piece so that the sentiment can be white heat embossed within that area and show when the tab is pulled.

For the pull tab, a piece of white cardstock was trimmed to 3.5”x6.5” and scored at 0.5” on one end.  Used a pencil to mark 0.5” in from each side, then cut away the two outside squares with scissors.  Could have left it white, but in keeping with the design, ink blended the same colors on it. 

All the pieces (except for the star) from The Nativity House Frame were die cut from black cardstock.  The star was die cut from white glitter paper then colored with a Y000 Copic marker. 

The House Frame Background piece was die cut from white cardstock, then Squeezed Lemonade and Scattered Straw DI were blended on to give it that glow.  With all pieces ready now, the card was assembled to finish. The star was suspended above the house by a piece of acetate.

Here’s a side view.

And that’s it!  Thank you for joining me today.  Have a wonderful week.

Supplies

 

94602 Nativity House Frame craft die

94606 House Frame Background craft die

94556 Slim Basic Rectangle Layers craft die

CL5273 Festive Christmas Greetings clear stamp set

GP1008 Majestic Hues Glitter Pad

Interactive Sailing Card by Trina Pham

Happy Fri-YAY everyone.  I have a summer interactive double slider card to share today.  I have not made one of these in years and after seeing Ali’s card on IG, I thought the Marina Sailboats would be fun to use for my card.  She even has a video, so it may be easier to understand after watching it.

I started by die cutting three rectangle panels from Bristol paper using the second largest Rectangle Basics die.  Trimmed two of them so they all can be layered in the end to create one scene.  Ink blended with blender brushes and distress inks (DI) Squeezed Lemonade, Spun Sugar, Peacock Feathers, Salvaged Patina, Brushed Corduroy and Antique Linen to create the sky, water and sandy beach.  Splattered with water and blot with a paper towel to give them texture.  Additional splatters was done with Vintage Photo DI for the sand.

Next, I created the double slider mechanism from thick white cardstock measuring approximately 2”x3.5”.  Used one of the rectangle dies to die cut the notch on each end where the plastic will fit in.  Attached a pull tab at one end on the plastic next.

I forgot to take a picture, but I used medium weight acetate strips to attach the sailboats to the plastic slider.  To make them move in opposite direction, the left one was adhered on the left front and the other one on the back right side.  The sliding mechanism was adhered onto the largest panel like so.  

To not impede the sliding action, glue was added only to the four outer prongs.  Furthermore, foam tape was used to pop the second panel up.  A channel was cut from it to pop the left sailboat through and allow it to move across.

Stamped the sentiment from Poppy Stamps Birthday Blowout with Brushed Corduroy DI to the third sandy panel before adding it directly onto the second panel.   While the ink was still wet, smudged it to give it a sandy look... it looked better in my head. 😂

Mounted the whole piece to a white card base, then added waves to the water with a white gel pen and a few birds with a black marker to finish.  

I have a video showing it in action, but had trouble uploading it here.  Once I post it on IG, I will update this post with a link to it.  In the meantime, here’s a collage of it in different positions.

Update: as promised, you can view the card in action HERE.  Thank you for joining me.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Supplies

 

94575 Marina Sailboats craft die

CL470 Birthday Blowout clear stamp set

30086 Rectangle Basics Set

30087 Circle Basics Set

Holiday Cards That Move Video by Dave Brethauer

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to share a couple of interactive card ideas that hopefully will get you inspired to create some memorable holiday cards.

Like many of you, I have made A LOT of holiday cards over the years! I love handmade cards with moving elements, but I often find myself short on time to mass produce them - so they have to be simple. These projects are perfect - simple to make, but they are really fun to receive and look like you worked really hard on them!

My first project is a "pocket card" that can be used as a holder for a holiday photo. I have created lots of photo cards over the years - embellished with stamps, or ribbon or dies. But for this one, I had designed a die with this very purpose in mind!

(Watch this video in HD by clicking here)

When I created the Snowman Panel I was thinking that there would be some sort of layer behind the panel that could just slide away to reveal a new background. At the time, I wasn't sure exactly what the background would be but after playing with the die a bit in the studio, I got an idea.

So I began with the Pinpoint Rectangle set - by cutting two large rectangles I could create a "pocket" by gluing them together. But before I glued them, I cut the Snowman Panel in the front.  When you put the insert into the pocket, all you see is white.

 

But when you pull the slider piece out (I stamped the top of it with the Merry Christmas Sentiments set), then you see the background! I chose a bold red, so that the snowman would really stand out.

I decided to dress him up just a little bit too - so I used a few shapes from the Snowman Heart Collage die to create his hat, eyes and carrot nose. I think this adds a little character on the all white background!

 

Here's a look at what the Snowman Heart Collage looks like all done up - I used some soft velvet paper to fill in the heart area, and various cardstock colors for his face, hat and scarf. I used the stamp set called Each Day is a Blessing for the sentiment - this set is very versatile and can be used on all sorts of cards.

I only used a few of the elements - just the eyes, nose and hat - so that I could keep things simple!

You can use the back of the sliding panel for a photo, a recipe or simply your holiday greeting. The person receiving the card will have so much fun moving the panel up and down.

And here is what the slider piece looks like when it is flipped over - a cute photo card! The person who receives the card can display the photo separately from the slider pocket - it's like receiving two for one!

Now there is another die that I designed with the same goal in mind - the Snowy Spectrum die. I created the same idea here - this time using the Stitched Rectangle Layers to create my pocket.

I thought it might be fun to create a Distress Oxide background for this card - so I blended Wilted Violet, Broken China and Faded Denim to make a snowy wintertime background for the snowflakes. I spritzed with just a bit of water for some simple texture and that was all there was to it!

I love this color scheme - a nice alternative to traditional red and green! I could embellish this a bit further - the snowflakes in the Snowy Spectrum die match the Batavia Snowflakes die - so I could cut some out and layer them on here in some sparkly white cardstock, but I decided to keep it simple.

For my second project, I was still really into slider cards, so I wanted to create a card that had that interactive element, but was still relatively simple to mass produce.

So I used one of the Jumping Elves from the Christmas Elves Die set and  Christmas Elves Clear Stamp set and figured out a way to make him "leap" over the word Christmas. I realized that the Large Sentimental Merry Christmas was big enough for what I had in mind.

I got out my Copic markers for some simple coloring - the elf is small so you can color him in pretty quickly! 

I had to choose the right slider die and found that the Slider Grooves set worked perfectly. It has a small curved arch that creates the perfect path for making the elf look like he is leaping! In the video, I show the basics for making a slider card - and how easy it is to get him to spin.

To dress it up a bit, I used a Poppystamps Holly Berry Sprig die in the corner - just something simple to put a little more color onto the front of the card. I inlaid the cut out paper - green cardstock for the leaves and some sparkly red cardstock for the berries. This created just the right touch.

There are endless variations on these ideas - reindeers jumping over chimneys, polar bears hopping from igloo to igloo, the list goes on and on. What will you make?

 

Zig Zag Slider Video by Dave Brethauer

Hello and welcome!

I am always trying to use my dies in new and different ways - and I wanted to share a new idea for working with slider dies. Sometimes these ideas do not come easy - I am always super impressed when I see designers use dies in a way that I never would have imagined - so I was excited to try this when I started thinking about connecting the paths of sliders.

This idea uses the Memory Box Slider Grooves die set to create a unique slider pathway in a zig zag shape. Take a look at the video to see how it works...

(Watch this video in HD by clicking here)

I am fascinated by interactive cards, so slider cards have been really inspiring to me lately. I received my Mechanical Engineering degree about 25 years ago and even after all this time I still gravitate a bit towards cards that have some sort of movement involved. And what better way to spend an afternoon than to play with some slider cards! (Instead of pursuing an engineering career I took up stamping, then started Memory Box, then Poppystamps and then Birch Press - and I have had a lot more fun in this creative field!) 

I decided to apply the zig zag slider idea to a Halloween card so I used the Whimsy Ghost and the Playful Boo dies to create the scene.

When you put the ghost in the upper right corner and start to tilt the card back and forth, the ghost twirls and slides down the pathway to the bottom!

When I designed the Whimsy Ghost die I was playing with the notion that some areas could be cut out (like the bow tie) and some areas could just be cut (like his smile). I think creating designs for craft dies has endless possibilities and every time I sit down at my desk to design I literally smile while I am drawing.

When I am creating a die design I think about how fun it will be to try out the new die, and to see what others will do with it. When I was drawing the ghost I was thinking how fun it will be to put a little dot of white ink (from a White Gel Pen) onto his eyes! That little twinkle gives him a little bit of charm - don't you think? I was thinking that he would look kind of good with a small witch's hat - and then thought the witch's hat would look good on a stamp set I was drawing at the time (the set was the Feline Spooky set in poppystamps, and the hat would be perfect on one of the cats!).

I wanted the background for the slider card to be a little special- so before I cut the slider pathways into the black cardstock, I splattered it with metallic watercolor paint. This set of metallic watercolor paint is my favorite - a few sprinkles of this onto a card transforms the whole thing!

What is it about silver and gold on black cardstock that looks so magical and rich? I think I splattered paper for about 10 minutes before I remembered that I had other things to do!

I love these paints - they are so bright and dense, and when you start building the color onto the black cardstock it becomes hard to stop.

I was trying to create sort of a sparkling and spooky effect - like the ghost is flying across a starry sky. But then I saw some Distress Oxide inks on my desk and...

...I had to try it with a Distress Oxide background! I used Wilted Violet and Broken China with a spritz of water to create this look - a magical background with more of a twilight color scheme.

Then, I thought - well this would work as a beautiful color scheme for a winter card - and I bet a snowflake would work as the slider!

I went through my designs and grabbed the Batavia Snowflakes and matching Batavia Stitched Snowflakes to create a winter themed slider element. The Batavia Stitched Snowflakes are slightly larger than the Batavia Snowflakes - so that when you layer them together, the result is dimensional and detailed.

I put the snowflake slider card together in a flash - and I show it in the video too as a bonus card. The snowflake spins down the zig zag pathway, just as you might expect a snowflake to drift back and forth as it settles to the earth. The Let It Snow die is a peaceful and subtle addition to the lower corner.

I spritzed the background with a bleach and water solution - about 2 teaspoons of bleach to a cup of water. This is a little stronger than I usually use for a bleach and water solution - but I noticed something when I was playing with this solution the other day.

You will notice that where the drops hit the paper, they spread just a little into the surrounding ink and lighten it - this creates a bright spot in the middle of the splatter, which is then surrounded by a little halo of color. Can you see it on the close up above? It really shows up in the Wilted Violet area - there is a nearly white spot in the middle, surrounded by a soft blue halo of color.

I think this is really effective for snow scenes - the way this softens the colors and gives the idea of snow blurring slightly as it falls.

I hope you enjoyed today's video! Get out your slider dies and create this card! What will you come up with? 

I want to encourage your creativity so I am having a giveaway! Please leave your idea for a fun zig zag slider card in the comments section by September 30, 2017 Midnight Pacific Time. I will choose one comment at random - and that person will win a metallic watercolor set from Finetec! I can't wait to read what people come up with!

Neighborly Narwhal, Slider Grooves and Seaweed Stalks by Jean Okimoto

The Neighborly Narwhal swims along with one of the new Slider Grooves on a birthday card today.  September is a popular month for birthdays - I think this slider would help celebrate that special day for anyone you know!  Hi, Jean Okimoto here, with a versatile design that would also work on a thank you, hello or thinking-of-you card.

Cut Neighborly Narwhal from dark gray and white cardstock.  Attach a scrap of black cardstock behind the eye hole.  Assemble the narwhal.

Cut the 3-1/2" x 4-3/4" Wrapped Stitch Rectangle from a Pool Notecard half.  Cut the Slider Groove.  Stamp the greeting - from the Watching the World Bloom Clear Stamp Set - with Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers.  Heat-emboss it with detail clear powder.   The words are actually straight - curve the flexible stamp to match the path of the groove.

Use two 5mm pompoms on a strip of cardstock to attach the slider  - like we did in  my previous slider card.  Push the pompoms through the groove and attach them to the back of the narwhal.  

Attach the rectangle to a Pool Notecard with narrow strips of foam tape.  

Cut Seaweed Stalks from green and coral cardstock.  Cut a second short green stalk and trim the bottom a bit before attaching it to the background.  Add blue gem stickers.

Sliders usually require extra postage and special handling...but your thoughtfulness and creativity will be appreciated!

If you're in the Seattle area - join us for a calendar class at Impress on September 16th.  Dies, stamps and art papers will accent a sweet little desk or countertop calendar to inspire you throughout 2018.  Enjoy a 10% class discount on everything you buy that day - including our just-released Fall 2017 Collection!

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy making slider cards to brighten someone's day!

 

Supplies

CL5197 Watching the World Bloom clear stamp set

99741 Neighborly Narwhal

99840 Slider Grooves

99717 Seaweed Stalks

30094 Wrapped Stitch Rectangles

Playtime Elves in the Snow by Anne Thompson

It's time for the Playtime Elves (and their polar bear) to have some more fun sliding in the snow! Today's cards feature the PLAYTIME ELVES Clear Stamp Set CL5216, the coordinating PLAYTIME ELVES dies set 32216, SLIDER GROOVES dies 99840, PICCOLO SNOWFLAKES 99850, and LET IT SNOW PERKY SCRIPT die 99866.

Card One:

Here the elves are sliding on their tummies, racing each other down the hills.  When I die cut the two slider grooves from light blue cardstock, I saved the two pieces, covered them with adhesive and sprinkled on some glitter before adhering them below each of the slider grooves. I colored the two elves with Prismacolor Colored Pencils after stamping them with Archival Jet Black Ink and die cutting them.  I used the penny method so the elves would slide in the grooves.  I added the Piccolo Snowflakes cut from dark blue cardstock and I put a small blue pearl in the center of each one.  To finish the card I added "let it snow" cut from the same dark blue cardstock and I used a pearl to dot the i.  I attached this panel to a notecard of the same color with thick foam adhesive strips.

Card Two:

This time, the two elves are chasing each other over the hills which I again made by glittering three pieces of cardstock that had been cut out of the slider grooves.  I left a lot of space at the top to add a die cut sentiment or some snowflakes later, as well as the names of the two children who will receive this card.

Card Three:

I love this elf careening at top speed down the steep hill!  He really spins, often ending upside down at the end!  I cut the slider groove first then lined up a piece of white cardstock with the discarded piece and created a bigger hill.  I covered it with a large piece of sticky-backed adhesive and then sprinkled on lots of fine white glitter.  

Card Four:

Whee!  The elf is hitching a ride from his polar bear!  This bonus card doesn't use a slider groove, although it could.  I wanted to see if I could find a way to have the polar bear pull the elf on the sled.  So I made a harness for the bear from some thin twine, tying it around the bear's head and securing the twine with tape on the back of the die cut.  I attached it to the elf's hands by punching tiny holes with an awl and looping the twine through, attaching it with tape on the back of the elf.

Now I'm thinking that I have to make a series of slider cards featuring the polar bear(s) playing on the hills.  I might even put an elf hat on him or perch him on the sled.  And maybe an elf (or two!) has to ride on his back down a hill.  So many possibilities!  Kids are going to LOVE these cards!

Happy Crafting!

Supplies

CL5216 Playtime Elves clear stamp set

32216 Playtime Elves die set

99840 Slider Grooves

99866 Let It Snow Perky Script

99850 Piccolo Snowflakes

Hooray for Holiday Mail! by Sherry Hester

Hi everyone!  Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Don't you just love holiday mail? I sure do! Today's card uses two of the elves from the Christmas Elves clear stamp set and matching dies. The little guy on the right looks really excited to be hitting the road to deliver the mail to his little elf friend who's waiting so patiently!

I sponged Faded Jeans Distress Ink through the Birch Landscape stencil to create the background directly onto a folded A2 card base. The Fresh Pine Landscape was cut from white card stock. I love how this die can be cut as low or as high on the card stock as you want, depending on how much space you want to work with below. You can also snip off the individual trees to thicken the forest, so to speak (although there is a matching die set with just the trees).

That little elf is getting closer and closer! I sponged my go-to green, Peeled Paint, onto the trees, and added some blue shaded snow drifts using a piece of paper that I hand cut. I stamped, die cut and colored the two elves, and once I decided where I wanted them to be placed, I die cut the groove using the middle die of the three grooves in the set.

Looks like that very patient elf is finally going to get his holiday mail! As you've seen from earlier posts, the mechanism for sliders is pretty simple. Before I moved on, though, I remembered (thank goodness) to stamp the sentiment onto the piece while it's flat. We've all been there ... you get a piece all ready to add with foam tape already attached and oops ... you realize you should have stamped the sentiment, and good luck getting a good impression, right?

Rather than a penny, I had to use a dime for my little guy, otherwise you would have seen the penny sticking out from his sides. I positioned the dime behind the slot, added a narrow piece of foam tape and then attached the elf with the mail to that.  I doubled up on the foam tape on the back before adhering it to the card base, making sure there was plenty of room for the elf to slide.

If you haven't ever made a slider card, I hope you've been inspired this week to give it a try. This was my first slider card and I loved making it! Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Supplies

CL5217 Christmas Elves clear stamp set

32217 Christmas Elves die set

99851 Straight Slider Grooves

99507 Fresh Pine Landscape

88550 Birch Landscape stencil

Playtime Elves Slider Card by Jenny Griffiths

Hello Everyone!

   Ready for a little slider fun and an introduction to a brand new clear stamp set and coordinating die?  Take a look at these adorable "Playtime Elves" having a great time running and sledding in the snow.    

  These slider cards are easy to create using the Straight Slider Grooves dies and I have a few steps to show you how this one came together.

  After sponging the center-front of a sky blue note card with broken china distress ink, I stamped the "spread some Cheer" sentiment (included in the set) using my stamp positioning board.  I also added a white strip of card stock (shown) which is positioned to show through the slider channel coming up in the next step.  A fun splattering of white ink imitates falling snow for this wintery scene.

 The photo below shows the Stitched Curves layers adhered together to form the snow drifts.  The longest of the Straight Slider Grooves was cut into the snow drift on the left.  The snow drift panel on the right was cut short (1/2" above the slider groove opening) so that the die only had to cut through one layer of card stock.   The penny shown has double stacked mounting adhesive cut a bit smaller than the width of the slider groove.  A bit of anti-static powder applied to the edges of this mounting adhesive ensures there will be no sticking and the sledding elf can glide effortlessly across the scene.  

  Position the double stacked mounting tape into the slider groove (penny on the reverse side), peel off the protective paper and attach the colored sledding elf.  Generously cover the reverse side with more mounting tape making sure to avoid the area in the path of the penny...you don't want to impede the penny's movement.   Peel off the tape's backing and attach to the blue note card and finish up...

Add the trees, second elf and the heart (all included in this new set) to the playful scene.  In the next few photos note the sledding elf's progress across the note card.

Here is the sledding elf half way across the snow drift!

 And now he has made it all the way across the snowy landscape thanks to the slider groove!

 That was fun!  Hope you enjoyed getting a look at the new stamps and dies and feel a bit inspired to create your own cheery sliding scene. 

  

Supplies

CL5216 Playtime Elves clear stamp set

32216 Playtime Elves die set

99842 Stitched Curves

99851 Straight Slider Grooves