Graphic 45 Sneak Peeks Day 9: Midnight Masquerade Birthday Shaker Card

Hello again, G 45’ers!  It’s Day 9 of Sneak Peeks over at the fabulous Graphic 45 Blog.  Today they are featuring the fanciful, mysterious and oh so fun Midnight Masquerade collection.  This collection is filled with whimsy, vibrant colors and a real playful vibe.  I took one look and thought, “Why not make a shaker card?”  And that’s how this Midnight Masquerade Birthday Shaker card came into being.

See what I mean?  It’s perfect for Mardi Gras parties, prom parties, and shaker cards, of course!

The making of a shaker card

I’ve only made a few shaker cards, but I found a wonderful new product that makes quick work of the process.  It’s call Kool Tac Double Sided Clear Foam. In the past, I’ve sewn my shaker cards together, which is not so easy.  But using this foam with clear acetate sheets makes quick work of the job.

First I cut my 4×6 focal image from the designer paper.  Next I ran the clear foam tape all around the perimeter.  Then I filled the cavity with beads, sequins  and glitter.  Peel off the top layer of the tape and place your cut acetate sheet over top, being careful to line up all the edges.  Burnish with a bone folder and voila!  You’re done!

Each image is featured twice in the paper collection, which allows you to frame the shaker portion of the card.  I used my ruler and craft knife to carefully cut the frame away from the inside image.  Then I used glossy accents to secure it to the top of the shaker.  (Glossy accents works well on non-porous surfaces like acetate.)  Since the feet were printed into the frame, I fussy cut some flowers to cover them up.  I also added more fussy cut flowers to the sides.  It really only took a few minutes and it looks so great, don’t you think?

What could possibly be more fun than a shaker card?  Well, how about a shaker/easel card?  Yeah, I think so, too!  This time I used a flower/bow cluster as the stopper.  I also mounted a fussy cut postage stamp that is propped up on dimensionals just for fun.

Take a Look Inside

What a glorious riot of color!  It makes me feel like I’m at Mardi Gras in New Orleans!

Remember the frame we cut from the second image?  I went back and fussy cut the dancing lady from the inner portion and placed her above my flower cluster.  It’s hard to tell here, but she’s propped up with foam dimensionals.  I also added another fussy cut stamp on either side.

Once again, when decorating the top of an easel card, make sure you don’t let your paper cover the break.  I hand wrote this simple sentiment on one of the journal cards from the collection.

So, what do you think of Midnight Masquerade?  To be honest with you, I was not at all sure about this collection when I opened my box.  I rarely work with such bright colors.  But almost as soon as I started working with it, I fell in love with it.  It has such a fun, playful vibe and it’s so warm and cheery.  I ended up making more samples with this collection than any other.  Funny, isn’t it?

To see more of this collection, pop on over to the Graphic 45 blog today.  And be sure to leave a comment as they are giving away a lovely prize package.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Midnight Masquerade Easel Card in the comment section below.

Sneak peeks are the BEST!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy