A Year of Card Techniques - (April) Shaker Cards

Welcome to...

It's month four of our year long adventure into different card-making techniques,
folds and paper crafting products. We hope you got the chance to hop with us in previous months. If not, it's not to late to hop and comment.
If you missed January's hop, you can still hop and comment by starting HERE; if you missed February's hop, you can still hop and comment by starting HERE; if you missed March's hop, you can still hop and comment by starting HERE.

This month we will be creating shaker cards and you won't want to miss the amazing and fun cards we've got for you today.
We really love feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in today's hop. Each comment on the 12 hops throughout the year will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Blitsy.com gift certificate.

Now on with the projects.

I'm thinking this is my year of do-overs. I absolutely love some of the things I've made, but have given them up to other people as gifts, or even just because I'm that nice. And now... I'm wanting them back to add to my hoarding collection I'm wanting to have more "stash" to be able to give when I need to. But... My inventiveness aka: creativity has been slightly dwindling due to a hectic schedule. Yeah... I know ya'll have them problems, too... so feel my pain together, with me and instead of some "Wink of Stella", we'll be drinking some Rose of Stella.. or Platinum.. I'm not picky (all the Stellas are my friends)! Anyway... Back to my project. I searched through my shaker cards and found this fave... So I remade her with a little Stella in my cup.
 

First... I took searched my shelves for Mod Podge Glitter! NOTE* One of my pet peeves... When someone says, "MODGE" Podge. Do you here the "ge" in the the "MOD" part? Uh... No. (Yes... I got it on clearance quite a while ago at Joann's. Don't judge. Taking THAT back... Do! I'm a total tight-wad and save money every which way I can. Proud of it!) And it comes in quite handy... dries clear (with little flecks of gold glitter)... you'll see... keep reading and scrolling...

Then... I sponge-brushed it on 5"x4" acetate panels (2 of them)... and let it dry... (FYI... I used scraps of plastic aka: acetate that I saved from packaging. Save... SAVE MONEY!)

See? It's all clear now! Well... Kinda... It's a little smear-y looking, but hey... reminds me of those modern showers with the "water-works" in the glass...

Cut out "F A L L" (in Storybook font, without weldin) on a Terrifically Tacky Tape (sheet)... well, what was left of it (it was 3.25"x3.25"). It ran off the edge, obliterating an "L", so I deleted 3 letters from my screen, rotated and moved the "L" to squeeze it onto the leftover bits of the sheet (improvisation at it's finest!) and cut again. Note: Set the pressure higher on a project like this, otherwise you'll do like I did and have to manipulate separation afterward. Fun.

Now... here's the really CAREFUL part. I outlined (on white paper... the one I used as a mat while I Mod-Podged them) the area of the acetate. Then... I centered lines, so the placement of my letters would be just that... CENTERED! I'm sure I really do have some sort of tool that would let this go smoother (and easier), but I seriously did not feel like looking/searching through the craft room. If you must know... it is STILL not organized and is a total mess... STILL.

Then, I super duper carefully peeled the white backing off my letters, and placed them on the plastic acetate, beginning with the center letters, then adding the others to achieve this...

and carefully peeled off the red plastic coating to get THIS... (another note... I placed the white paper underneath ALSO so that bits of things wouldn't cling to the acetate... I love hate when that happens...)

Then... added a little burnt orange ProvoCraft glitter (thanks to goodness to clearance sales from years ago... twenty-five cents keeps on going!!!)... to achieve THIS. (it'd'n't purtee?)

I had already cut out an aperture in a card blank (craft cardstock! one of my FAVES!!!), large enough for my acetate. (btw... I can't find the pics of these steps... sorry...) I adhered the non-FALL acetate to the underside of the card opening, sprinkled in some punched out apples and leaves from various scraps, put adhesive around the edges of that acetate (be sure to adhere the complete perimeter, so that whatever you're putting in your shaker-box doesn't escape through an itty-bitty opening!!!), lined up my FALL acetate, and pushed it down. Another NOTE: I think I'd use my infamous caulking next time, but was looking to not have SO much shaker room...

Then I finished it up, by inking the framed portion of the card with Cat's Eye gold ink and a tad of Wink of Stella (Gold)...

... tied a strip of twine (recycled from a kids' toy packaging! be sure to check out the awesome extras that come with your kids' toys!!!! Remember... I recycle EVERYTHING. This... in a mental-health issue is now called a hoarder. Years ago, it would've been called conservatism and maybe thrifty...  [this held HAIR on a Barbie-type doll!] you'll be amazed at what you paid for and are throwing away!!!) around the card's "spine"... and found these two little leaves (yes... I only had TWO!), pierced a hole in them with a piercer... threaded the twine through and knotted it from behind... 

Really... I am super happy with the total result. You have to look "beyond" the pictures, actually look "through" them to see the full thing. I loved the idea!

Thanks for stopping by... and if you'd like to participate in our technique, feel free and be sure to leave me a link to your project, so I can comment and return the favor!

Hope you have a great "falling-in" with Spring! ... Up next is Kim.

Here's today's line-up in case you get lost along the way:

Theresa
Sharon
Lisa
Kim
Claudia
Denise
Debbie