Tag Archives: Laserowe Love

Laserowe Love Lavender Date Card Folio Tutorial

Laserowe Love Lavender Date Card Folio Tutorial with Gecko Galz Challenge Image

Hello Friends!  Summer is winding down, although you would not know it by consulting the thermometer.  It’s still very hot and humid here in North Carolina.  It was time to cut the blossoms from my lavender yesterday morning.  While I was gathering up those fragrant blooms, I remembered this lovely Laserowe Love Lavender Date paper.  It’s been patiently waiting its turn in the Closet of Shame. I decided it was time to make something beautiful with it.  I also had a gorgeous free image from Gecko Galz printed out and ready to go.  (Subscribe to their newsletter…they give away loads of free digital images! )

There’s something captivating about this image.  It makes you feel serene and happy when you look at it.  I wanted to create a card that enhanced the peaceful expression on the woman’s face.  I chose soft colors and simply, shabby chic accents to achieve that goal.  The end result is a card folio that feels like a framed portrait, and I just love the way it turned out.

Laserowe Love Lavender Date Card Folio Tutorial:  The Basics

This card is quite a bit larger than my normal 5″ x 7″, measuring 6 1/4″ x 8 1/4″ with a 1/4″ top fold spine.  Since I haven’t done a card tutorial in a long time, I thought I would share a video tutorial for making the base and decorating the card cover.

Learn how to layer this Little Birdie Floral Cascade in the video tutorial.

I dug deep into my vintage button stash looking for these rhinestone beauties.  Then I tucked a few more “finds”  into the floral cascade.  These vintage clear buttons catch the light and add a subtle touch of sparkle to the card.

Laserowe Love Lavender Date Card Folio Tutorial:  A Peek Inside

After building the card base, line it with panels of the Lavender Fields and White Cardstock.  This is beautiful to look at, but it also helps to strengthen the card base.  Once that is done, add your layers of designer paper. Then you can put your interactive elements in place.

Build a simple pocket on the top half of the card by cutting your cardstock 3″ longer than the length of the card base.  Then score and fold.

TIP: Create “gussets” for your simple pocket by cutting 1″ x 2 7/8″ scraps of paper.  Score on the short side at 1/2″ , then fold and adhere to the pocket sides.  This makes it easier to fill the pocket.  Of course, you can always just glue the sides to the base if you are in a hurry.

I broke out my Envelope Punch Board to make mini envelopes for this card.  These both measure 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ .  A purple tea bag is tucked inside the envelope to go with the vintage enameled demitasse spoon and the honey stick.

The bottom half of the card has a sweet little flip page that’s secured with a ribbon closure.

Turn the flip page to find a hidden pocket with a little surprise tucked inside.

This envelope holds a lovely little button card made from a bit of ephemera.

The sentiment panel is hand stamped, then matted on more of the soft green and lavender papers.  I explain how I did this in the video.

Laserowe Love Lavender Date Card Folio Tutorial Video

If you’d like to learn how to build the card folio base and watch the cover design come together, please enjoy this video tutorial.

I’ve loaded this beauty into my Etsy shop.  It would make a lovely gift or a bit of home decor.  You can find it HERE.

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and techniques that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Beach Buddies Mixed Media Card

Gecko Galz Guest Designer: Beach Buddies Mixed Media Card

Hello, Friends!   I’m back with another Gecko Galz Guest Designer post.  This Beach Buddies Mixed Media Card is made to go along with their Shabby Chic Seaside Challenge for the month of August.

When our kids were little, we would save up all year for a week at the beach.  This was better than Christmas or birthdays or anything else I can remember.  Watching our kids dig in the sand, frolic in the waves, search for beach treasures filled my heart with joy.  The beach is the perfect spot for a family vacation!  This lovely image from Cuties by the Shore Digital Collage Sheet brought all those wonderful memories back to me.

I’ve paired the digital image up with Laserowe Love’s Nautical Holiday Papers and Chipboard.

TIP:  Cheesecloth adds great texture when sandwiched between paper layers.  Create the “tide pool” with the anchor frame.

  • First, heat emboss the anchor frame with Versamark Embossing Ink and Stampendous Aged Gold Embossing Enamel.
  • Next, adhere the back side of the frame to slightly crumpled and stretched piece of cheesecloth.
  • Now, fill the frame with little shells, sand and chipboard fish.
Beach Buddies Mixed Media Card: A Peek Inside

I’ve been cleaning out The Closet of Shame, and found this pretty lighthouse paper.  The color tones were a perfect match for the Gecko Galz image and the Laserowe Love papers, so I used it inside the card.    Create a little pocket for a sentiment card on top.  Decorate with a fussy cut anchor from the paper collection.

This 3″ x 5″ gift card wallet is a real product mashup.

  • First, cut an 8 1/2″ x 5″ panel of navy cardstock for your base.
  • Line the cover with lighthouse paper and then a smaller panel of the distressed dots pattern.
  • Now, die cut a clock image from Gecko Galz “Time Flies” Digital Collage sheet.
  • Next, emboss the Ship’s Wheel Chipboard with Seth Apter Chunky Rust Baked Enamel.
  • Then heat emboss the anchor with both aged gold and Chunky Rust.
  • Layer the elements together on the front of the gift card.
  • Finally, add brads to the corners.  (These are ancient…I think maybe from Canvas corp???)

Room for a little note, and a gift card inside.

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and techniques you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: Crafting with Sophie on My Birthday

Hello, Friends!  Last week was a whirlwind!  But I managed to squeeze in time to spend a day with my sweet Sophie Grace making this Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album.  Oh, what fun!  Sophie spent my birthday with me, helping me to design and and decorate this delightful little mini album.

Sophie is a veteran crafter.  She began playing in my studio shortly before she turned 3 years old.  Now that she’s 10, we can tackle meatier projects, like this mini album together.  Since I knew the focus of our time together would be filming us decorating the album, I took a little time the day before to prep the album base and pages.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Basics

The base for this album is an older version of the Graphic 45 Tag and Pocket Album.  There are 48 pages in that album, and I could never manage to make one and have the covers close!  Plus, it took forever to make and used a ton of material.  So I began by “gutting” the album.

  • First, insert a kraft knife carefully between the interior spine and the binding mechanism.  With a little effort, you can lift the entire thing out in one piece!
  • Next, use scissors to cut the 6 sections into individual bundles.  Each bundle has 4 pages.  I chose to work with just 2 sections, and set the other 4 aside for later use.
  • Now, score an 8 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ piece of kraft cardstock at 1 1/2″ on both ends . Then score at 1″ intervals between those 2 marks.  Follow THIS tutorial to create a tab style binding for the album.
  • Next, adhere the binding in the center of the album spine and burnish well.
  • When you are ready to add your 2 page units to the album, simply slip the open edge over the tabs and use adhesive to seal in place.

TIP:  I find it easier to decorate the pages before adding them to the album.

To create the shabby chic finish, paint the album inside and out with ivory chalk paint.  Then come back and lightly sand the edges to reveal the kraft base beneath.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Basics: Designing the pages

Each page in this cute album has an interactive element to it.  Here’s a little guide for making the pages.

  • Front Pocket: Cut a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ panel of green cardstock.  Then score on the long side at 5 3/4″.   Adhere the designer paper behind the pocket, then adhere the sides of the pocket for a quick and easy pocket page.
  • Tip in pages: Cut the cardstock base to measure 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.  Score at  3″ for left  hand tip  in, or at 5 1/2: for right hand tip in.

To make the hidden pocket insert page on the left:

  • First, cut  base cardstock to measure 6″ x 6″.
  • Next, score 1/2″ on the sides and the bottom.
  • Now trim out the bottom corner pieces.
  • Fold the flaps to the back side of the panel and adhere to the album base.  This creates a “channel” for the insert to slide into, and allows a little more room for the insert.

To make the insert:

  • Cut cardstock to measure 4 3/4″ x 8 1/2″.  Score at 3 1/2″ on the long side.
  • Line the panels with designer paper.
  • Slide the longer side of the insert behind the page.
  • Decorate!

Pocket Pages are part of the album page unit.  Simply line the top and bottom with papers that play well together.  All set!

Sophie and I will show you how to make these cute little bookmarks in the video.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Video

If you’re ready to get your craft on, you can watch Sophie and I make the album together in this video.

This was such a fun way to spend my birthday!  And I think Sophie enjoyed it, too.

I hope Sophie and I shared some tips, tricks and techniques that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, we’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cheerio,

kathy (and Sophie!)

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Watermelon Friendship Pocket Card

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friendship Pocket Card with RRR Watermelon Plaid Ribbon

Hello, Friends!  Don’t you just love it when you find just the right ribbon to finish off a card?  This Watermelon Plaid Ribbon could not be a more perfect match for this Laserowe Love Watermelon Friendship Pocket Card.

This 5 1/2″ square top fold card is a real slice of summer fun.  Here’s how it came together:

  • First, cut a 5 1/2″ x 11 panel from Gumdrop Green cardstock.  Score in half on the long side and fold to make a top fold card base.
  • Next, cut a 5 1/4″ panel from Ripe Raspberry Cardstock.  Center and adhere over the Gumdrop Green.
  • Now, cut a 5″ panel from the Laserowe Love Watermelon Summer paper.  Center and adhere over the Ripe Raspberry.
  • Cut a 2″ belly band from the text pattern from Watermelon Friends.  Double mat on both Ripe Raspberry and Gumdrop Green.  Adhere in the center of the card.
  • Add a doily in the center of the belly band.
  • Now fussy cut the best friends from a small tag. Save the top half of the tag to tuck in  as a design feature.
  • Fussy Cut the large ice cream cone tag from the collection.  Double mat and adhere on the left hand side of the card. Tuck the fussy cut friends in on the right hand side of the tag and the tag top on the left.
Watermelon Friendship Pocket Card: Finishing Touches

To finish this card front off in style follow these steps:

  • First, top the ice cream tag with ribbon, burlap string and a little ice cream cone charm.  I’m not sure where this charm came from.  I’ve had it in my stash forever.
  • Fussy cut the banner, back with foam adhesive and adhere along the top edge of the card.
  • The tie 1″ burlap string bows for the corners of the banner.  Top with bitty black buttons.
  • Tie a 2 1/2″ double loop bow with the Watermelon Plaid ribbon.  Hot glue in the lower right hand corner of the tag.  Top with pink flowers.
  • Finally, run ribbon scraps through the legs of a paperclip and top with a small flower.  Add buttons.
Watermelon Friendship Pocket Card: A Peek Inside

Mat the inside of the card with more Ripe Raspberry cardstock.  Then top with panels of designer paper.

TIP: Create a quick and easy tag pocket by cutting a 5″ x 7 1/2″ panel for the bottom of the card.  Score this on the long side at 5.  Use an oval die to cut a pocket opening.  Fold the 2 1/2″ flap up and adhere the sides to form a pocket.

This is such a quick and easy card to make.  You could easily adapt this “recipe” to work with any collection you have in your stash.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card for Really Reasonable Ribbon

Hello, Friends!  Don’t you  just love it when you find the perfect paper collection to you with your RRR Monthly Ribbon Club Assortment?

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 01

This Laserowe Love Coral Romance paper collection pairs up perfectly with the Bright Pink Plaid Ribbon from the June Ribbon Club Assortment.    I’ve topped it with some retired Petaloo flowers from my stash to make a pinkalicious bow cluster.

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 02

Everything about this card says “Summer is here!”

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 03

The gorgeous lasercut chipboard frame on this card is also from Laserowe Love.  I’ll tell you more about them in a moment.  But first, let’s take a look inside this pretty pink card.

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card: A Peek Inside

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 04

I used a new Heartfelt Creations Pocket Die to made the hidden pocket on the card interior.

 

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 05

Then I used the cut out tags from the paper collection to make this adorable book mark.  The sentiment stamp is so fun, don’t you think?  It’s a retired stamp set that I just love.

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card by Kathy Clement Kathy by Design for Really Reasonable Ribbon Photo 06

Here’s how I made the bookmark:

  • First, trim the tag from the Coral Romance Paper Collection.
  • Then adhere only the top edge of the tag to a slightly larger rectangle of the coral fabric paper in the collection.
  • Now trim about 1/8″ around the tag to make a 2-layer tag.
  • Next, stamp a sentiment on a scrap of cream cardstock and trim it out into a square.
  • Then stitch the sentiment onto more of the coral fabric patterned paper and adhere to the tag.
  • Punch a hole at the top of the tag and loop crochet lace, 3/8″ Hot Pink Satin with a Metallic Edge,  and Summer Fun Diamond Print Grosgrain Ribbon through the hole. (These are all part of the June Ribbon Club Assortment.)
  • Slip charms over a length of silver metallic string and tie to secure in place. Add to the ribbon cluster.
  • Tie a bow with Bright Pink Plaid around the above ribbons to hold everything in place.
  • Adhere a pretty flower to cover the knot.

By leaving the bottom 2/3 of the tag open, you can now slip it over the pages of a book, making the perfect bookmark.

Laserowe Love Coral Romance Birthday Card: Who is Laserowe Love?

If you are like me, I had never  heard of Laserowe Love until I received a lovely message from my new friend, Sylwia at Laserowe Love about 6 weeks ago.  She sent me a link to her website and asked if they could send me a box of goodies.  And of course, I said yes!    I’m so glad I did, because these paper and laser cut primed chipboard pieces are gorgeous.  Here’s a look at my unboxing video.

You can purchase Laserowe Love products in the US at The Frantic Stamper.

I hope I’ve shared some tips, tricks and ideas that you can use with your June Ribbon Club Assortment.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy