Handmade Card #2

Thanks for the positive comments about Card #1 (I'm not being sarcastic - there were comments on FB just not here on my blog!).  I appreciate your kind words.

Now for Card #2:

They aren't all birthday cards - I promise!

Card #2 is a birthday card with a cut out window.  I needed to use a clear, plexi glass stand to photograph this card because when it was standing by itself it was very hard to get the vision.  So, that's why you see what you see.

Moving on.  I decided that I wanted to do a cut out window on this card, something I don't ever do, and by the time I was done I swore I wouldn't do it again!  But I did, as you will see in the coming days.  I will explain what made it so hard later in this post.

I again started with a white card base and then chose this fun green and brown floral paper from my stash.  I used my Cricut to cut the window out of the patterned paper; I used the Accent Essentials cartridge and cut the window at 2.5".  This was the easy part, because I just put the entire 12" X 12" piece of paper through my Cricut and then cut it to size afterward, centering the window.

The hard part came when I realized that I also needed to cut the window out of the card base.  If you have used a Cricut you may agree that it's kind of hard to know exactly where the cut will end up on the paper you are using.  You can move the blade anywhere you want, but once you press start you lose all control and the blade shifts this way and that while you stand and watch in horror!  Dramatic, right?  So I was confused about how to make that next cut.  I gave it a try and had very bad results; the cut was not at all centered on the card base.  On to Plan B, which was to attach the patterned paper to the base and then use it as a template to freehand cut the window out of the base.  It worked - but there's nothing like watching the Cricut do the work so I was bummed that I couldn't figure it out.  Oh well, I got the result I wanted in the end, it just wasn't the quickest way to get it done.  I wouldn't want to do this if I was making multiple cards.

Once I conquered the window challenge the rest of the card was super easy.  I used a balloon stamp from my American Crafts birthday set and stamped the balloons using green ink from Studio g.

Next I used some coordinating green cardstock and some white cardstock and cut a little banner.  I free hand cut the strip and then just notched the end to make the banner shape.  I used rub ons from Pebbles, Inc. for the Happy Birthday sentiment.

A little bit of adhesive to attach everything and Wa La - Card #2!