Who Put That in a Mailbox?

Hello Crafty Friends!

I am back to share what I have been up to lately. I fell in love with the mailbox stamp and die set from Spellbinder’s.

Here are a few of the cards I created using this set from Spellbinder’s Mailbox Die set.

I used patterned paper scraps on the background of this card. Balloons in the mailbox are perfect for a birthday card. The little pooch adds some whimsy to this fun card!

I created card for a wonderful man who has two beach houses. Seashells and starfish happen to wash up on shore and found their way to this mailbox. I can see this as a thank you card if you have rented a beach house for a fun vacation!

Any mail carrier would love to receive a card thanking them for delivering your mail and giving the neighborhood dogs a treat. I would think this card would make them smile!

This mailbox could also have newspapers in the box for the person who delivers your newspaper. (Yes, some people still have a newspaper delivered to their homes!)

I loved creating this card for a special person who loves cats! I fussy cut each cat from a background stamp. It seemed appropriate that cats would be curious about the inside of a mailbox. Such a fun card!

There are endless possibilities for using this mailbox die set…

Filling it with baby items and stamping ‘Special Delivery’ on the front would make a cute baby shower card! I am also thinking of flowers, small forest animals, candy and fishing and other hobby supplies to be used for so many occasions!

I hope you enjoyed these cards and hopefullyI have inspired you to create your own mailbox cards! What will you put in the mail?

Thank you for visiting and enjoy your creating time!

~~Vickie~~~

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Airplane Pop-Up Card!

Hello Crafters!

Life keeps us busy and my posts are not as frequent as I would like, but I do try to post a card daily on my Instagram account. I would appreciate you visiting my other social media sites ~ just click on the icon on the side bar below.

Today I am sharing a card using older patterned papers from American Crafts. I have so many patterned paper packs I’ve ‘collected’ over the years and was glad that this paper worked for this card.

This stamp and die set from Lawn Fawn (Plane and Simple) was perfect for creating my card.

I used the images of the plane and banner for my card. I filled in the plane windows with my clear star gel pen. I popped the plane using a small folded piece of acrylic. (Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for this handy and easy way to pop items on a card. ‘New Pop-Up Die-Cut Technique”)

This is the card I created for a friend living several states away from me. I used coordinating paper to make a card protector to keep the plane and smile sign safe during its journey. It will also allow the plane and banner to ‘pop’ when taken out of the envelope!

I also stamped the envelope, which I do for most of the cards I mail. It adds a bit of something when the card is delivered, and the mail carrier may enjoy the images too!.

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope to have another post up later this month. Enjoy your creative days!

~~~ Vickie Horsfall ~~~

‘Button Up’ a Card!

Hello Crafty People!

I am still trying to use up my massive collection of embellishments, some of which I have had for several years!

Today, I am focusing on the decorative buttons you find at the fabric stores and on the craft aisles at many stores.

Many buttons are flat and easy to attach on a card, but some have the little sewing loop on the back. This adds bulk to a card, so I decided to snip it off!

Once the loop is snipped, the button can be attached to a card. There is still dimension from the flat button and it may require extra postage if the card is mailed. I usually tuck the card in an embossed folder, then put it in an envelope. This method helps protect the button from being damaged when it is processed through the mail.

I attached this little hedgehog button to this birthday card for a special little kid! It ties in with the little forest critters paper I’ve had in my stash for a few years. Creating this card was a wonderful way to use up items from my patterned paper and embellishment collections!

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to use buttons you may have stashed away! Buttons are always in a crafter’s collection!

Thank you for visiting my blog today! Enjoy your days of creating awesome cards and projects!

~~~ Vickie ~~~

It’s a Cover-Up!

Hello! I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog today!

When I create cards, sometimes a design requires a bit of a ‘cover-up’ to make sure the completed card meets my high standards.

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The front of a card is the star. When you look inside the card, the printed message and any decorations must also shine. Even the left inside, or top inside, of the card needs to look polished.

If the front of a card has been cut to reveal something on the inside, both sides must look finished.

This heart card is one of my favorites! When I finished the front and lined up the heart on the inside, I goofed. It was a bit off and you could see a part of it when the card was closed. Luckily, the pretty paper has the beautiful flowers which were easy to fussy cut. So, the white inside heart where you would write a message has a flower added to the top! Problem fixed!

When I created this ’Strength and Hope’ card, I realized after I adhered the front panel that the top corner was a bit off. The solution… A purple heart covered it and I don’t think it looks out of place.

Sometimes fixing a problem on a card requires a ’snip’ or two. When I opened this ‘Hello’ card to finish the inside, the top corner accidentally came in contact with an open ink pad. (My fault..always close your inks when not using.) Since it resulted in a smudge, I simply cut the corner and also cut the bottom to match.

I am a fan and frequent user of the ’cover up’ technique in creating cards! Spending time creating a card means I want it to look nice in every way when finished. I am proud of my cards and I hope the people who receive them enjoy them.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit to my blog. I hope you have a wonderful time in crafting your creative projects! Enjoy your day!

~ Vickie ~~

Embossed Card Repair!

Hello Readers!

I hope you and your families are doing okay, both physically and mentally. These are trying times and we must all do our part to get through these days.

One of the activities that has really helped me is creating my handmade greeting cards. It is a way for me to ‘escape’ the realities of today’s world and focus on something positive.

Yesterday I took a solid piece of card stock and embossed it with one of my favorite ‘swirly’ designs. The paper had a white core, and part of the embossed design revealed several white spots. Well, that was not going to work with the card I had in mind.

Since I do not like to waste papers, I decided to fix the exposed white spots. I turned to my tried and true (and old) chalks. I found the perfect shade to match my paper and started covering up the spots! It worked! I went ahead and lightly dusted the entire surface to give it a more consistent look.

I was very pleased with the results of my repaired background. You can see cracks in the chalks, but they still work beautifully when I need them!

This is the card I created. I love this little squirrel stamp, (also very old) and hope the person I am sending it to will like enjoy it.

(The background looks darker, but it is the same background. I need to work on my photography skills!)

Sending cards is more important now than before, as so many seniors, veterans and others are feeling isolated since they can’t have visitors. If they receive a card it will help them remember they are not alone.

Thank you for supporting HorseMark Cards. Stay Safe.

~~~ Vickie~~~