Focus on Faith Ornate Gatefold Card by Sara Furr

Blessings Crafty Friends, and welcome to my Focus on Faith.
I can't believe it is April already!
Christ is Risen, and Spring is finally here!
Hallelujah!

Today, I have a pretty gatefold card for you using the brand new "Ornate Margin Dies"

and the new "Peony Margin Set" along with some older Art Impressions products.

I started out by creating my Gatefold card base. I cut a white base 10x7in. and then scored at 2.5in from each end (Landscape) to create the 2 side flaps that fold in. I then 2 pieces out of white cardstock that were 2 1/4x6 3/4in., and on those 2 I stamped the Peony Margin stamps in Gold metallic Encore ink, after treating my cardstock with an antistatic powder to prevent getting embossing powder where I didn't want it. I then applied my gold embossing powder, tapped off the excess, and heat set it with my heat tool. Once cooled, I distressed the edges of both panels and adhered them to the 2 flaps of the Gatefold card base with tape runner.

Next, I created my center panel with a bottom layer of gold mirror cardstock, then a layer of white, and then a layer of the gorgeous purple floral dsp from the Bible Journaling S1 paper pack. Before I adhered them I took the gold mirror cardstock and from the center of it I die cut my 3 words "Faith", "Hope", and "Grace". No sense in wasting more expensive cardstock when I can use the real-estate hidden behind other layers of cardstock, right? Waste not, want not!

I then distressed the edges of the white and dsp layers with the edge of a scissors to give them that frayed edge look to give them some lovely texture. I then adhered them together with tape runner, then down to the center of the Gatefold card base.

I then created a focal point layer that will be popped up in the center. Starting with another layer of gold, then white, and then a purple and teal cross and finally the gold "grace" die cut that I cut from the gold Base. I adhered those all down with a thin layer of liquid glue to the white panel and then distressed the edges, and adhered that panel to the gold, and then popped up that whole focal piece with foam tape in the center of the pretty dsp panel.

I then created a Bellyband for my card to keep it shut and make the front look pretty. I cut two of the "Ornate Margin dies", (the one without the heart) and glued them together just slightly overlapping, and then cut them down to be 5in. I used the left over strip of my pretty floral dsp that was absolutely perfect to fit in the center. I cut that down to 5in also and distressed the edges and adhered it in the center of the 2 Ornate Dies to hide the seam! Clever right? Haha. I then made a bellyband that wrapped around my card and joins in the back behind the die cut focal piece. I cut 2 more Crosses and adhered them down with liquid glue and then added the gold die cut word "faith". 

As a bonus project, I created a book mark out of the Decorative Journal Page 1 die set cut from white cardstock. I added another purple cross with a bookmark tassel at the top, and then I added the last gold die cut word "hope".

I hope you will try a Gatefold card if you never have. They are super easy, and fun to make. They stand up nice and look beautiful on display!

Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed my project and are inspired to create a Faith filled project of your own!

With love and crafty blessings,

Sara Furr- The Crafty Farm Chick 

Art Impressions supplies:

6155- Ornate Margin Dies

6164- Peony Margin Set

5909- Crosses Die Set

6082- Bible Journaling S1 paper pack 

5768- Decorative Journal Page 1 Die Set

Other supplies:

Misti Stamping Tool

Die cut machine

Antistatic powder

Gold embossing powder

Heat tool

Gold Mirror cardstock

White cardstock

Purple cardstock

Teal fine glitter cardstock

Scissors

Bookmark tassel

Liquid adhesive 

Tape runner

Focus on Faith Easter card with Sara Furr

 

Blessings Ai Friends, and welcome back to another edition of "Focus on Faith" with me, Sara Furr! I am so glad you are here with me today! Here were are in the middle of March already, with Easter coming just around the corner, so I knew I wanted to create a pretty Easter card for you today! I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

I started my project by pulling out my floral dsp from Art Impressions, and I chose a pretty blue floral and a blue gingham from the "Bible Journaling S1" paper pack. I already had a cross cut from the "Crosses" die set, so I pulled that out as well. I cut a fancy white panel from the "Decorative Journal Page" Die set and used all of those elements to start building my card.

I decided to use some of the pretty florals from the "Water of Life" stamp set. I began by placing my cross die cut,that I had cut from a fine glitter paper, in the center of my white die cut panel, and decided how I wanted to arrange my florals coming off either side of the top and bottom, behind the cross. I set the cross aside, and I began

stamping the outline posies and also one of the leaf branches in Black Momento ink, and I colored the florals with alcohol markers in a very light blue and green. Then, I went into each floral and added in details with the fine point of a dye ink marker in 2 darker shades of blue. I then added some foliage and flowers in the background stamped using dye ink markers. To blend and add in some blue shading, I used a very light greenish blue alcohol marker. Once I was happy with my background florals, I glued down my cross die cut. 

Next, I stamped the Hallelujah from the "Frameworks Sentiments" stamp set onto a piece of white scrap cardstock with Black Versafine Ink, let it dry a bit, and then fussy cut it out with my detail scissors, and popped it up with tiny pieces of foam tape. I applied foam tape to the back of that focal panel and set it aside.

I distressed the edges of both the gingham panel and the floral panel, and added foam tape to the back of the gingham panel and adhered that to the floral panel on the right side. I wrapped and tied a crinkle bow off to the left hand side with a white button tied to the middle of the bow. That whole panel was adhered to my white card base. Lastly, I adhered down the popped up focal panel with my pretty floral spray and cross with the Hallelujah sentiment. 

And that finishes my card for today. I hope you like it and that maybe you got inspired to create some pretty Religious Easter creations as well. I wish could have gotten the Religious Easter sets, as there are so many that I would love to get, but I just don't have the money, so I made do with what I have. After all, you can't go wrong with pretty florals and Crosses, right?! Haha.

I hope you all have a very happy and Blessed Easter with your family, and I will see you back here on the Tuesday just after Easter. 

Wishing you all many Blessings, 

Sara Furr- The Crafty Farm Chick 

Here is a list of all the products I used:

#5909 Crosses die set

#5417-Frameworks Sentiments set 

#5768- Decorative Journal Page 1 die set

#6055- Water of Life set

#6082- Bible Journaling S1 paper pack

Focus on Faith Gift Set by Sara Furr

Greetings my dear friends, I am back today with another Faith filled project. This time I'm featuring a gift set including a card and coordinating necklace to go with it for a friend. 

I started out by making the necklace. I cut two 1 1/2" squares of watercolor cardstock and on one square I inked up one of the roses from the "His Love" stamp set with a purple, for the petals and a jade green marker for the leaves, and then stamped it inside my Misti stamping tool. Leaving the square in the corner of my Misti, I pulled color from each outline and added in more color where the shadows or darker areas would be. Then I reinked my Stamp with the 2 markers and re-stamped the image over top of the watercoloring to add the outlines back into the image. I then added a wash of blue around my floral image, then let that dry. In the right hand corner I added some watered down coral to add some warmth to the sky. In the left hand bottom corner I added a tiny bit of the Jade green to act as grounding. I then set that aside to dry and worked on the back of the necklace.

On the second square of watercolor cardstock I stamped the cross, and again while leaving the cardstock in my Misty stamping tool, I pulled color from the outline with a damp brush, and then re-inked the cross and stamped the image again over the top to add the outlines back in. I then stamped the sentiment over top of the cross with Black Versafine ink. Once my first panel was dry I stamped the sentiment over top of the right hand corner of the Rose in Black Versafine Ink. Once both panels were dry I encased them, back to back, in the two pieces of glass and put them inside of the metal necklace casing. I added a jump ring and chain. To the chain, I tied a piece of seam binding ribbon that I had hand dyed with re-inkers, and a little water, and scrunched and left to dry.

With my necklace gift complete, I moved on to creating the coordinating card. 

For that, I began by cutting a 6x12 piece of 2 tone jade colored cardstock for my card base, and folded it in half. I then created two layers on top of my card base. The first layer is out of the back side(which is a shade lighter)of the jade colored cardstock a cut at 5 1/2 x 5 1/2, and the second layer is a purple polka dot designer paper cut at 5 1/4 x 5 1/4, and that is out of the Mother's Day paper pack. I distressed the edges of both layers with the edge of a scissors. I then created another layer using a square lace doily die cut out of Jade colored glimmer paper and the top layer out of watercolor cardstock. On that watercolor square I did the same process as I did for the necklace. I started out by stamping the image as I individually colored the roses in purple and the leaves in green. I moistened the ink with my breath and then stamped on to the watercolor paper. I pulled color from the lines with a damp brush, and then re-inked the entire stamp again with the individual markers, and re-stamped the outlines back in. Once dry, I stamped the sentiment in the center of the heart-shaped wreath with black Versafine ink. I added fun foam behind my stamped image, and more fun foam behind the doily layer. Before adding my focal piece down, I added a strip of white lace and some purple organza ribbon and a bow off to the right side. I then added my focal piece on top finishing the front of the card. 

I then moved on to the inside of the card, in which I placed a strip of designer paper from the Bible Journaling series 1 paper pack that had a foliage print with the coordinating colors that I had used for the front in purples and greens. I cut a mat of jade cardstock, 4 1/2 x 4 1/2, and then cut another doily die cut out of white cardstock. I stamped "He will sustain you" at the bottom in black Versafine. I cut a cross from the "Crosses die set" out of the Jade colored glimmer paper and added that to the top of my inside focal piece. Both Sentiments on the card are from the "Frameworks Sentiments" stamp set.

And that finishes my faith inspired gift set, ready to give to a dear friend.

Do you like to make little gifts like this for your friends? I do!😊

This is the list of all the supplies I used to create my little gift set.

Art Impressions Supplies used:

[ ] 6150- His Love

[ ] 5417- Frameworks Sentiments 

[ ] 5909- Crosses die set

[ ] 6051- Mother's Day PP

[ ] 6082- Bible Journaling S1 PP

Other supplies

[ ] Misti stamping tool

[ ] Paper cutter

[ ] die cutting machine

[ ] Watercolor brush

[ ] Watercolor cardstock

[ ] Glimmer paper

[ ] Two-tone cardstock

[ ] Lace doily die cut ( From Divinity Designs)

[ ] Necklace frame and glass and chain

[ ] Seam binding ribbon, lace, and organza ribbon

[ ] Assortment of markers

[ ] Scissors, glue, tape, and fun foam

Thank you all for joining me for another Faith filled project I hope you will join me again February 17th.

Blessings to you all,

Sara Furr-The Crafty Farm Chick 

First Communion Banner by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

This was a first for me.

I had a friend ask for a First Communion Banner.

This is pretty foreign to me, so I pulled out lots of my Art Impressions stamps and especially the dies.

She said she wanted her son's banner to be really unique and stand out from the rest.

I hope I did it justice. I've never actually seen one.
(all Art Impressions products are linked at the bottom of this post)

Working from top to bottom, I used an assortment of Art Impressions Dies and capped things off with two stamps from the 5419 – Bible Icons Set 1. The church and roof were completely free handed with the help of my paper trimmer. 

The stained glass windows are my favorite part, although those tiny little doves are a very close second. I hope this is something that they save and he treasures. He'll be wearing a little navy blue suit with brown shoes so I used my very old Sizzix doll die to try to recreate Michael.

May the Joy of Easter be Yours and Happy Mother's Day Cards by Diane Mason

 Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!

Happy Easter, Ai Watercolor Friends! I hope you are having a joyous weekend. I have two watercolor cards to share with you today. The first is an Easter card and the second is a Mother’s Day card.

May the Joy of Easter be Yours Card:

Recently, I’ve seen multiple versions of Cross Pop-up cards online, but none yielded an A2-sized card. So I decided to create my own. Since it is Easter Sunday, you probably won’t be creating this card today, but maybe an idea for next year? I think this design would also make a lovely Confirmation or Sympathy card. If you like this design, you can bookmark this page and save it for future reference.

To create an A2-sized card, I used the following measurements, shown in the photo below, for the pop-up. All of the elements will get attached to an A2 card base (8 ½ x 5 1/5 inches, folded in half).

As shown above, I cut a piece of light purple cardstock, sized 5.5 inches by 5.25 inches. Using a scoring board, I scored the cardstock at 1.5, 2, 3.25, and 3.75 inches to create the pop-up piece. Next, I adhered the patterned paper pieces (6033 – Inspirational Easter Paper Pack) to the pop-up base, leaving an even border in each section. I folded the pop-up piece on the score lines to create the raised area in the center. Then I adhered the pop-up base to the front of the card base. I started on the left side and lined-up the left edge with the fold of the card base, and continued across the card. To maintain the pop-up, I matched the right edge and adhered it in place. I then pressed the pop-up flat to be sure it would lie flat to fit in an envelope. I then adhered the patterned paper to the cross piece (3.25 by 1.25 inches cardstock piece). I waited to adhere this piece to the pop-up until my painting was finished, die-cut, and matted.

The image of the pot of Easter Lilies is from the recently released 6029 – Easter Lilies Set. I inked the pot with 603 and the lilies and leaves with 177 and stamped them onto my Canson XL watercolor paper. I pulled some color from the leaves and added more 177 from my palette. For the highlighted areas of the leaves, I applied a mix of 173 and 177. I used 565 to shade the white flower petals and added 173 to the centers. Once dry, I painted in the flower stamens (177 for the filaments and 925 for the anthers) with a 0-round brush. I painted the pot with 603, leaving the center lighter to give the pot a rounded shape. Shadows were added with more 603 and 565. White stripes were added to the pot, using Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White. I brushed in a watery mix of 407 for the background and 565 for the shadow under the pot.

I die-cut the painting and mat with dies from 5065 – Oval Double Stitched Dies and 5727 – Nested Oval Dies. I then adhered the cross piece to the back of the center of the ovals. I pressed the pop-up flat to the right, lined up the edge of the cross piece with the edge of the card, and adhered it in place. When adhered properly, the card will lie flat and fit perfectly into an A2-sized envelope. I inked the Happy Easter (6029) sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black ink and stamped in the bottom right of the card.

For the interior of the card, I inked the “May the joy of Easter be yours” sentiment (6029) with 603, and stamped a couple of times to darken, using a stamp platform. I did the same with the flowers from 6025 – Fear Not Set.

With Joy on my mind, I decided to create a little bookmark to tuck into the card. I die-cut the decorative cross (5909 – Crosses Die Set) three times from metallic gold cardstock and adhered them together to give the cross some thickness. I die-cut the Joy die (5986 – Jesus & Joy Dies) twice from light purple cardstock and adhered it to the cross with glue. I looped a piece of white and gold baker's twine through the hole at the top of the cross and tied the two ends together to form a tassel. I tucked the cross into the card and temporarily attached it to the card with a glue dot. And to be a little extra, I die-cut a tiny gold cross (5987 – Bible Journal Icon Die Set) and adhered it to the back of the card.

 “Happy Mother’s Day” Card:

For this whimsical Mother’s Day card, I used the stacked teacup image from the recently released 6024 – Tea Time Set. I inked the image with N52 and stamped it onto watercolor paper. Here is a list of colors I used for each cup, starting from the top down:

Pink Polka Dot Tea Cup: 703 and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White
Yellow Tea Cup:  993, Bleed Proof White, and Yellow Gold Gansai Tambi paint
Green Tea Cup:  249 for the cup and floral design
White Tea Cup:  565 for shadows and Yellow Gold Gansai Tambi paint
Orange Tea Cup:  925 and Bleed Proof White
Pink and White Floral Tea Cup:  725 for lip, handle and base, 565 for shadows, 249 for vine and 993 for flower

* 565 was used to shade all of the teacups and for the shadow under the cups.

I had planned to use a gold gel pen to add the gold accents to the cups, but sadly, my pen had dried up. So instead, I remembered I had some beautiful metallic Yellow Gold Gansai Tambi watercolor paint. I used that for the accents and also painted the frame of my die-cut piece (5588 – Journal Oval Frames Die Set). For the card front, I used patterned paper from 6036 – Easter Bunny Paper Pack. I popped the green striped piece up with foam tape and adhered the painting to the popped-up piece.

For the interior of my card, I stamped the “Happy Mother’s Day” sentiment and floral vine from 6024, in Versafine Onyx Black ink. I painted the vine with 249 and the flowers with 993. I adhered a leftover strip of patterned paper to the bottom edge of the card to make it “fancy”.

I had a great time dreaming up fun designs for the teacups. Drawing colors from the patterned paper really helped the composition come together nicely. I think this same design would make a lovely birthday, hello friend, or just because card too! I would love to see some variations of this card. If you make this card, be sure to tag us on social media – we’d love to see your work!

That’s all for now, thank you for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend. Until next time, Happy Painting!