Vintage Masculine Card + Free Tips

Hello there, how are you doing today? I hope very well. Have you ever felt so blessed that it's almost overwhelming? I did last week. It was my birthday, and my friends, extended family, husband, and son just poured their love on me. I received so many amazing messages that truly blessed my weekend. God is awesome like that. He places people in our lives who can do and/or say things to make us feel really special, doesn't He? So I decided that I wanted to be a blessing in someone's life too. One way I can do that is to make some greeting cards, put in a cute box and give to someone just because. The card I'm posting today is one of them.

Supplies I used for this card
Paper: White, wood brown, cream cardstock, sand cream silk paper ("accordion"folded)
Tools: Cutting/ embossing machine, gift tag die, wood embossing folder, brown fine point marker, 3D adhesive foam (for clock sticker)
Stamps: text background (The Journey- Tim Holtz), Happy Birthday (Stampabilities)
Ink: Espresso, black
Embellishments: Fabric self-adhesive patterned tape, brown and withe twine, gift tag, antique clock sticker, chain used in mini key-chains.

Tips: 
1. use an ink pad to distress the sides and corners of card and tag
2. when stamping the background on tag, stamp a paper first then stamp the tag. You want to have that 'fading' effect.
3. with fine point marker, write over a couple of words of the background stamp

Thank you so much for stopping by. You too make me feel special when you take time to read my blog.

Vanías Reed  

Football Helmet Birthday Card + Free Template + Free tip

Hi there. Did you watch the Super Bowl? I didn't (smile). I'm not really into football at all, but my husband is. His favorite team is actually a college team - Michigan Wolverines. So, for his birthday this year, I decided to make a card in the shape of his favorite team's helmet. I used my electronic cutting machine with the print and cut setting, but I'm sure you can do it using a craft knife too. Just print a picture of your team's helmet the same size you decide your template will be.I'm posting the template I created, so you can make the card with your team's colors. Here is the card.

Supplies used
Paper: white cardstock
Tools: Cutting machine, computer, printer, banner die, cutting/embossing machine, template, scoring board, scoring tool
Stamp: Happy Birthday (Stampabilities)
Embellishment: Self- adhesive silver gemstone

Template

I left the background of the template pink on purpose, so, when you print the picture, you'll easily know where tho cut. 

TIP: If you are going to use an electronic machine, download the picture to your computer, then upload it to your machine program, and choose the cut setting.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderfully blessed week.

Vanías Reed    

Box Shaker Romantic Card

Hi there, how are you doing during this cold winter (for us on the north hemisphere), or not so hot summer (south hemisphere)? Today we are getting some really low temperature here in Florida. 48 degrees -actual temperature - but it feels like 41. Or for those who use Celsius, 9 degrees - feels like 5. So we are staying inside, having some hot cocoa, watching a movie... no, wait. That's my son. I am working, cleaning the house - hahahaha. But I have my breaks too (smile). During one of my breaks, I decided to have some fun, so... I MADE A CARD, of course. (smiling again). Here is what I made.

  I saw that sentiment phrase - or something similar - on the internet the other day which gave me the idea for this card.

Supplies used
Paper: White, glitter red,  and red cardstock, transparency film
Tools: cutting/embossing machine, hearts embossing folder, large heart punch, little hearts dies (Avery Elle More Stories set), label die (Die-namics Framed Greetings Die), computer and printer, red gel pen
Embellishments: bakers red and white twine, glitter (red and clear), glittered hearts, label with sentiment phrase

Sometimes I don't have the stamp with the exact sentiment I want. Does that happen to you? What do you do? Change the sentiment? I just use my computer, write and print what I want on cardstock and voilá...

Thank you so much for stopping by. Stay warm, or cool, and have a very blessed weekend.

 Vanias Reed 

 

Not Any Valentine's Day Card

One of the things I love about my husband is that he does not wait for Valentine's Day to show his love for me. Sometimes he leaves a note on the kitchen counter, before going to work, to tell me how much he appreciates everything I do for our family. Other times he will bring me a little something like my favorite candy bar or a single rose. And sometimes he'll just do things at home like washing the dishes, or making the bed, etc. He makes me feel special all the time and not only one day a year. But we still celebrate Valentine's Day, and we still exchange cards. So here is the card I made for him this year. The original idea belongs to a Craftsy instructor. I just put my own spin on it. 

Supplies I used
Paper: White cardstock, clear velum, and blue -patterned with some white - scrapbook paper
Tools: cutting/embossing machine, little fox and moon dies (Avery Elle), stitched hillside border (Lawn Fawn), computer and printer, watercolor markers, white glitter gel marker, colored grey pencil
Stamps: Little fox, stars, and moon (Avery Elle), pine tree (Stampabilities), snowy hillside
Ink pads: Black, forest green, and white
Embellishments: heart shaped gemstones, speech bubble with sentiment phrase "I love you to the moon and back"

So, even if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day, this is a card you can give to that special someone in your life at any time. 

Thank you for stopping by. May God bless you and yours with His abundant love.

Vanías Reed    

Thank You Note + Easy Distress Technique

How was your Christmas celebration? How about your New Year? Did you make any resolutions? If you made any, how's it going? We don't do new year's resolutions in our family, but one thing we do is send thank you notes to those who blessed us with gifts during the Holiday season, even if we can only send them in January. Not only is it appropriate to do so, but I'm sure the person who receives a nice, handmade (or not) thank you note smiles as they realize how appreciated their gifts were. It is always a good idea to take time to make someone's day special by letting them know they are appreciated. I got the idea for the card I made here,
and put my own spin on it.  

Material needed for this card
Tools: cutting board, stamping pad, 3D self-adhesive foam
Paper: white, brown and cream cardstock, patterned scrapbook paper
Stamp: thanks
Ink: espresso
Embellishments: "gift boxes", 1/8" (3mm) brown ribbon and bow

Distress technique: rub the edges and corners of cream color cardstock piece, and patterned paper with stamp pad - the same one you're going to use to stamp the sentiment phrase.

Measurements- Card: 4" x 5.5
                                 Bigger box: 2 1/8" x 3/4"
                                 Medium box: 1 5/8"x 3/4"
                                 Small box: 1" x 3/4"
This card is not difficult to make. I made 6 of them in an "assembling line". It was fun to do it, and it didn't take long. You can actually make a card similar to this for any occasion.

Thank you for stopping by, and have a very blessed 2016.

Vanías Reed   

Merry CHRISTmas.

I love to celebrate my Savior's birth. Some people have told me that there is no proof that Jesus was not born on December 25th. They are right. But I was just thinking about my son's birthday that was on a Friday this year. We couldn't celebrate his birthday on a week day for several reasons, so we decided to have a small celebration on Saturday. 

That's what Dec. 25 is - the CELEBRATION of Jesus' birth. He came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. He gave His life for us, He defeated death for us. Why not pick a date to celebrate Him? So let's decorate our homes, let's spend time - not necessarily money - on special gifts for the special people in our lives. Most of all, let's thank God for sending His ONLY SON to pay the debt we could not pay, to die the death we could not die… to give us the eternal life we cannot earn. Let’s celebrate Jesus, the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE, LORD OF ALL, IMMANUEL – that is GOD WITH US!!! Because the manger did bring God to mankind, and the cross brought mankind to God. 

Thank you for checking out my ideas, designs, creations. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope I have been of inspiration to those who like crafts. I hope you have a very merry CHRISTmas, and a blessed 2016

Vanías Reed

Noel - Christmas Card

Have you ever asked yourself why we use the word Noel in so many Christmas songs, and during the Christmas season? I am originally from Brazil and my first language is Portuguese. In Portuguese we say Feliz Natal when we want to wish someone a Merry Christmas. The word Natal means birth. So literally translated, we say Happy Birth. Why is that? Well, the word Natal comes from the Latin word natalis, which translated to English is NOEL. Since Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, it is natural for people to refer to the celebration as the “nativity” or THE “birth.” The card I'm posting today has the word Noel, in celebration of the most important birth in the world's history - the Son of God's birth. The birth of the One who humbled himself, left all his heavenly glory, to die on the cross for you and for me. So Happy Noel!

Supplies and techniques
Paper: White, dark brown, maroon, and glittered silver cardstock, mint green with polka-dots scrapbook paper
Tools: Paper cutter, electronic cutting machine, alphabet design, precision scissors, 3D foam adhesive
Embellishments: Fussy cut 'wrapped presents', Noel sentiment phrase

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a very blessed Christmas.

Vanías Reed