Category Archives: Polly’s Paper

Dream Out Loud Honeybee Greeting Card

RRR Flower and Ribbon Challenge: Dream Out Loud Honeybee Greeting Card

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! It’s time for a brand new challenge over at Really Reasonable Ribbon! The theme this time is Flowers with Ribbon or Trim. Making this Dream Out Loud Honeybee Greeting Card really brought the sunshine into my studio!

Do you love this aqua and yellow color palette? I sure do! I combined fabulous Aqua Checkerboard Satin Ribbon from the April Ribbon Club assortment with a gorgeous tag from Polly’s Paper Etsy “Bees, Please” digital images. Hello, springtime!

The Ribbon Club Assortment makes it easy to mix and match ribbons. You need just a snippet of Crosshatch on Tropic Satin Ribbon to add that extra bit of texture and pattern to the top of the tag.

Aqua and yellow color palettes are trending right now, and you can see why that is so when you look at this bow cluster. Topping the luxurious ribbon with a cluster of pretty yellow flowers really pops! To add a rustic touch to the card, I used Natural Burlap string to add fullness to the bow and to soften the edges of the card.

A Peek Inside

I carried the design and color palette over to the inside of the card.

A little inking, a little stamping, and this card is ready to roll!

What do you think of this color combination? To me, it feels like spring, and that’s a good thing! I hope you’ll play along with us by linking your own flower and ribbon project up over on the RRR Challenge Blog. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

More Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

More Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags with Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! I’m back today with more Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags. With the Day of Love just a week away, I know we are all looking for some last minute Valentines that are quick and easy to make. But we also want them to look great, right? So these little cards and tags come together in about 20 minutes each, but look like you spent hours and hours on them. That’s a win/win in my book!

How cute are these Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine cards and tags? Once again, I used the Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine digital download from Polly’s Paper Etsy Shop and paired them up with some fabulous ribbons and flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Tips and Tricks for Making Quick Cards

There are some simple tricks I use when I need to make a quick card that I thought you might find helpful:

Keep a file full of scrap papers that you’ve cut to measure 4″ x 6″. I have mine organized in a bin by color. That way, I can just reach in and grab papers that go well with my images and quickly cut them to fit my card base. It’s a huge time saver, and a great way to use up your scraps.
Keep an ephemera file for small tickets, tags, and other goodies that you can layer in with your papers. I have a small bin that is full of little bits and pieces I’ve salvaged.
Be prepared! Tie a bunch of neutral bows and store them for future use. This black and white houndstooth plaid is one of my favorite ribbons. It goes with everything and ties beautifully. I always tie an extra single or double loop bow and then toss it in a little container. That way, the work is already done for me when I’m in a hurry!
Don’t worry about matting each layer. Since these cards are more simple, maybe just mat the focal image to make it stand out. This will save loads of time!

Make a Tag!

Another trick that I use when I’m in a hurry is to make a little tag. Instead of packing my scraps away in the scrap drawer (aka “the land Kathy forgot”) I’ll make a quick little tag and pop on a pre-tied bow. This grey plaid ribbon is another favorite of mine. The neutral color goes with so many different palettes..and always looks great with pink.

Don’t have any pre-tied bows? Add flowers for texture!

This sheer white organza is another ribbon that I use quite often. Again, it’s a neutral so it goes with everything. The real bonus here is the texture and shimmer it adds to a project.

So there you have it! A few tips and trick that will have you cranking out super cute cards in a flash! I hope I shared some ideas that you’ll be able to use. I’d love to hear if you have any tips or tricks that you use to make cute cards in a hurry.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

RRR Heart Challenge: Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! It’s time for a brand new challenge over on the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Bonnie wants to see projects that feature hearts and trim. I printed out some digital files from Polly’s Paper Studio Etsy Shop and put together some darling Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and tags. These simple cards and tags can took just minutes to make, but look like you spent hours on them. You have to love that!

I paired each card or tag with some of my favorite ribbons from RRR.

This black and white houndstooth plaid is a perennial favorite ribbon for me. It’s soft and supple and ties the most beautiful bows. it also looks great paired with the striped background of the Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine images. This Graphic 45 Staples Tag is turned upside down for a fun presentation.

It also looks great turned right side up!

For this sweet little 4×6 card, I topped a 1/4″ micro gingham ribbon bow with a pretty red rose. The black buttons and the plaid ribbon help to anchor all the elements on the card.

I love the way this 3/8″ red gingham picks up on the pattern of this cutie pie’s dress.

These lovely little Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and tags are being tucked into my Kathy by Design ETSY Shop orders this month as a special Valentine treat.

Now it’s your turn to join the party! Create your own project with hearts and ribbon or trim and link it up on the RRR Challenge Blog so we can all enjoy it. Here’s the link with all the information. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Joyous Greetings Woodland Christmas Card

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts: Joyous Greetings Woodland Christmas Card

Hello, Friends! We are just days away from Christmas, and I am still working on Christmas cards! Ay-yi-yi! Thankfully, I found a way to make a truly fabulous Christmas card in very little time. It doesn’t look simple, but I promise you, this Joyous Greetings Woodland Christmas Card comes together in a jiffy. Beautiful chippies from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts make it sparkle and shine.

I added texture, shine and depth to this lovely card with the Medium Honeycomb & Bees set and my favorite Birds Scribble Frame. The process is simple:

Paint chippies with Ivory Chalkboard Paint
While Paint is still wet, sprinkle liberally with Stampendous Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder
Gently tap off the excess and heat set.

It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Once again, I pulled an “oldie but a goodie” from my Christmas paper Stash. My Mind’s Eye Joyous Collection looks fabulous with these golden hues. My focal image is from Polly’s Paper Etsy Shop. The Scribble Bird Frame makes it pop right off the frame. I added more circular elements with a Tim Holtz Rosette, a big red button, a sticker from the collection and some vintage gems. I diluted the chalkboard paint on my craft sheet and spattered it randomly onto the card to add the feeling of a snow flurry.

10 Easy Steps to a Joyous Greetings Woodland Christmas Card

Create a 5×7 Kraft Cardstock card base
Cut a slightly smaller panel of the red glitter dot paper from Joyous
Cut a 3.75×5.75 panel of red damask paper and glue in the top left hand corner of the card, leaving a 3/8″ border on top and side.
Glue the prepared honeycomb over this panel
Add a second panel of the same size using the red glitter text paper. It should be aobut 3/8″ from the bottom edge and 3/4″ to the right of the red damask paper.
Add the bird tag using waste chipboard on the back side to add lots of depth and dimension
Glue Bird Scribble frame in place
Make rosette and glue in place
Top with button and sticker from collection
Add bow, vintage gems and sentiment

A Peek Inside:

I added a stamped sentiment from Tim Holtz’ Doodle Christmas Greetings to the top half of the card. The bottom half is a pocket stuffed with goodies.

These tags and chocolate candy transform the card into a gift. The tags make great tree ornaments. I love to hang them from knobs to add Christmas cheer all over the house.

A Fond Farewell to Gypsy Soul

I wanted to let you all know that this will be my last post as a Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Educator. Now that we live so close to our lovely granddaughters, I am spending much more time with them. This makes my heart happy! But it also means that I have to lighten my work load a little. I had to make the tough decision to step back in order to keep my life in balance. I have loved being on this team, and I will guest design now and again as time allows. I’ll continue to use the product in my post, and will be sure to link to the shop for your convenience. But I just can’t keep up with the time consuming tutorial writing. Life is short, and “The Littles” will not be little forever. I don’t want to regret not having made the most of the amazing opportunity to be with my precious grandchildren as much as possible.

So that’s it for me, my friends! I hope I shared some ideas here that you can incorporate into your own crafting.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

More Merry Christmas Cards

More Merry Christmas Cards with Polly’s Paper Studio Goodies

Hello, Friends! How are you coming along with your Christmas card/gift list? Little by little I’m getting it all done…or as done as it is going to be! LOL I have a couple more Merry Christmas Cards to share with you here today. This time, I’ve used gorgeous vintage and retro tags from Polly’s Paper Studio. You are going to love these sweet images.

Christmas Joy Hanger Card Look at the precious faces on this darling wood grain tag. If that doesn’t make you feel like smiling, then you need a dose of christmas punch! I downloaded the tag from Polly’s Paper Studio Etsy Shop and printed it onto matte photo paper. It took hardly any time at all to layer it up with cute papers from MME Joyous Christmas, Black Plaid Ribbon from RRR, and Petaloo Burlap Poinsettias.

I designed this with a hanger so that I could dress up a bottle of holiday cheer. It looks fabulous on a wine bottle, or even a bottle of really good olive oil. As a bonus, you can hang it on a door knob or even on a Christmas tree.

Christmas Angel Gift Card Holder

Next I created a gift card holder using the Black Plaid Vintage Christmas Tags digital download. I fell in love with this sweet angel face.

A mini file folder is a great spot to tuck in festive Christmas goodies!

I added another tag from the download along with a little chocolate treat and a candy cane. This is such a fun way to present a gift card, don’t you think?