Monday, May 30, 2022

Stair-Step Cards Tutorial Series featuring Graphic 45 “Cottage Life”

Stair-step cards
“Lovely” card made same as “Mother” card

Trending in the craft world!

Stair-step cards are hot-hot-hot in the paper crafting world right now! You see them everywhere- Pinterest, You Tube, Twitter, and Instagram! Hi Crafty friends! ReNae Allen here, with the FotoBella Design Team. So sorry it’s been a while since my last post...I got sidelined with a foot injury. However, while on the mend, I spent a lot of time on my favorite crafting websites and social platforms. There was a trend emerging that I could not ignore... Stair-Step cards!

Stair-step cards

Stair-Step Card Tutorial Series in 3 parts

I designed four cards using the gorgeous “Cottage Life” paper collection by Graphic 45. (This collection is now available in our online store) I will teach you how to make each of these cards in a Step-by Step pictorial tutorial.

See the little dots under the photos below? You will be able to first, click on each photo, next you can enlarge it, and lastly follow the step by step directions to create four of your own stair-step cards. Easy-Peasy!

Stair-step card
Living is Joy Enough Card

Supplies Needed for Stair-Step Cards

  • 8x8 paper collection by Graphic 45*
  • Journaling Cards by Graphic 45*
  • Life Stickers by Graphic 45*
  • Die Cuts by Graphic 45*
  • Chipboard by Graphic 45*
  • Cardstock in pink, blue and green
  • Paper Timmer
  • Adhesive (Wet glue or Tape Runner)
  • White Glitter
  • Bone Folder
  • Pencil
  • T-Ruler
  • Trimming Scissors
  • *The above 5 items are all from the G45 “Cottage Life” Collection

Cutting the Stair-Step Card Base

The two stair-step cards we are making today are made with the same card base, however by decorating them differently they will appear to be two completely different cards! You can first navigate through the photos by clicking on the tiny arrow on each side of the photos.. Next, follow the step-by-step directions at the bottom of each photo. You may also refer to the tutorial on the Graphic 45 YouTube page here. (Note: You may recognize the Mother’s Day card...it was featured in a previous post!)

Decorating the Stair-Step Cards

Show us your Stair-step cards!

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of the Stair-Step Tutorial Series. Please post your cards to the comments below. We love to see what you create! Also, next time we will be making a really cute “side-stepping” card with lots of fun embellishments to make with it!

So see you soon and until next time, Happy Crafting!

ReNae

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Two Cards, One Collection: Golden Coast Slimline and Gatefold Cards

Two cares with Prima Golden Coast

Hi crafty friends. It’s Kristine and I’m back again with one more project for you using the Prima Golden Coast papers. This time, we will be making two cards from the collection - a slimline and a gatefold. Hopefully, this post will give you some ideas of how different two cards can look even though they are from the same collection!

Supply List

For these two cards, we will be using the Prima Golden Coast A4 paper pad, 6x6 paper pad, 4x6 Journaling cards, 3x4 Journaling Cards, pink cardstock and Cream cardstock. Then, we will use the Golden Coast puffy stickers, Ephemera, laguna flowers, and Washi tape to embellish the two cards. For the gatefold card, we will need ~30” of ribbon. Finally, we will be using Buttons Galore and More Sparkletz and some floral dies (optional, from your stash) to add a bit of extra dimension and texture.

The First of Two Cards - The Slimline

Golden Coast Slimline Card

Cut one piece of cardstock to 7” x 8 1/2” and score at 3 1/2” on the 7” side. Then fold on the score line and use a corner punch if desired. Next, cut one piece of the A4 paper to 3 1/4” and ink the edges. To add more color to my background, I added strips of the Washi tape between the stripes on my paper. Also, I will use my scissors to rough up the edges of the paper. This piece will go in the center of the card base.

Using another piece of cardstock, cut a mat to 3” x 6 1/8”. Then, select one of the 4x6 journaling cards such as the sailboat paper I am using on my card, and cut to 2 3/4” x 5 7/8”. Again, use the corner punch, rough up the edges, and ink them, if desired. To give my card some dimension, I will add a piece of chipboard (or foam tape) to the back of this piece before I adhere it to the base.

two cards made with Golden Coast
Type caption (optional)

Select the seahorse Washi tape and back onto a pice of cardstock. Ink the edges and trim to 6 1/2”. Next, place the strip in the center of the sailboat paper. Then, select one of the 3x4 journaling cards (I cut the Good Vibes card in half), cut it down to fit the card, and mat with cardstock. Next, add some chipboard or foam tape to the back for dimension and place in the center of the card.

slimline card

Finally, add the blue flower, some floral die cuts (optional), and the puffer fish sticker to the front. Two hearts and two Sparkletz are the finishing touches to the card front.

The Second of Two Cards - The Gatefold

Cut one piece of cardstock to 6” x 12”, scoring at 3” and 9”. Then, fold on the score lines to create the gatefold card base. Cut one piece of the 6” x 6” paper to 5 3/4” x 5 7/8”. Ink the edges and glue to the inside center of the card. Next, cut another 6” x 6” paper into two pieces measuring 2 7/8” x 5 3/4”. Ink the edges and glue onto each of the inside gatefolds. Add the floral Washi tape to the bottom of the left and center panels. Then, select the 3x4 journaling card and glue to the left center of the card. Fussy cut the sun from the 4x6 journaling card and glue to the top of the card. Finally, select one of the cut apart images on the 6” x 6” paper and glue to the top right gatefold.

first of two cards

An optional extra is to personalize your card. If you want to stamp a sentiment inside, there is room in the center panel or either of the side panels. Alternately, you might also consider using some of the Graphic 45 sentiment dies to add text to your two cards.

Outside of the Card

First, select the floral 6” x 6” paper and cut two pieces to 5 3/4” x 2 7/8”. Ink the edges (if desired) and glue to the front panels. Select the hot air balloon ephemera piece and back onto cardstock. Then, use one of the 4x6 journaling cards to add a layer of green. Next, back on cardstock. Add a horizontal line of glue in the center of the lefthand gatefold and adhere the ribbon so that it wraps behind the card and meets on the righthand side. You will also need to add glue across the center of the back panel to hold the ribbon in place. Do not glue the ribbon to the right front gatefold. The photo below is shown with the card open so the panels are reversed.

Then, add glue only to the left side of the hot air balloon cluster and adhere to the center of the card. The piece will only be glued to the left flap. Next, flip the card over, adhere the ribbon across the cluster, and cut a piece of the 6” x 6” floral paper to cover the ribbon.

Finally, to decorate the front of the card, fussy cut two flower clusters from the 6” x 6” floral paper. Add foam tape for dimension and adhere to the left side of the card. Then, place one of the flowers in the center of the card. To finish the card, add four Sparkletz to the corners of the hot air balloon card.

second of two cards with Golden Coast

Don’t forget to head over to the FotoBella online store to pick up the Prima Golden Coast collection. The papers are perfect for summertime!

Until next time, happy crafting!

~Kristine, FotoBella Design Team

Monday, May 23, 2022

Creating a Graphic 45 Wild & Free Earth Angel

graphic 45, fotobella, mixed media, earth angel

Today I am excited to share this the details on Creating a Graphic 45 Wild & Free Earth Angel. This project is a trash to treasure project! I found the antique-y looking mannequin at my local goodwill store.

graphic 45, fotobella, mixed media, earth angel

She then sat in my “supplies” for, well over a year, because I could never find the perfect papers! And then I received my Graphic 45 Wild & Free -I Want it All Kit from FotoBella! You could also use a paper Mache mannequin from your local hobby shop.

Supplies needed

Graphic 45 Wild & Free -I Want it All Kit - including Graphic 45 Wild & Free 12" x 12" paper pack (2 sheets of 8 double-sided designs and two 6"x12" decorative sticker sheets), 12"x12" Patterns & Solids paper pad (2 of 8 double-sided designs), decorative chipboard, 4x6 & 3x4 Journaling & Ephemera Cards, Ephemera embellishments, Wild & Free Stamp Set and exclusive FotoBella paper storage box

Other supplies- flower punch or die, liquid pearls, large butterfly die, flower

Creating a Wild & Free Earth Angel

Start by punching or die cutting flowers from both your peachy Graphic 45 Patterns and Solids papers. I used about 50 flowers. You could need more or less depending on the size of your punch. NOTE: The leaves were part of the original design but got “scrapped” and not used.

Adhere flowers along bottom of your mannequin. I used both side of the Patterns and Solids papers.

Continue layering flowers all around your mannequin.

Here is a picture of the “covered” mannequin.

Wrap the Graphic 45 Wild & Free Ephemera around waist to act as a belt.

Layer flower and leaf ephemera over top left of bodice and bottom of “dress”

Add floral centers with liquid pearls. This is the photo of her back side so you can see the detail.

Die cut a large butterfly from blue Graphic 45 Patterns and Solids papers. Adhere to your angels back

graphic 45, fotobella, mixed media, earth angel

Finish your Earth Angel by adding a flower and leaf ephemera to the belt line.

graphic 45, fotobella, mixed media, earth angel

I hope you enjoyed this project and are inspired to get creative with your G45 Wild & Free -I Want it All Kit.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Summer Mini Album Featuring Prima’s Golden Coast

Summer mini album Prima Golden Coast

Hi crafty friends. It’s Kristine and I’m back today with summer mini album project share using the Golden Coast papers. Designed by Frank Garcia, these papers feature the soft colors and whimsical images Prima is known for. With a name like Golden Coast, the collection is perfect for those summer vacation photos. So, I decided to create a mini album that’s beachy yet elegant.

Supply List

Summer Mini Album Covers

Since I am using a pre-made mini album by Frank Garcia, my project is easy to assemble. I started by adding the Nuvo mousse to the edges of every page and the covers of the album. Then, I chose the A4 papers and cut them down to size for the covers and spine. Once adhered, I will add pieces from the journaling cards, ephemera pack, and stickers. Also, I fussy cut the hot air balloon image and used some of my Tim Holtz foliage dies with white cardstock for some extra dimension.

Golden Coast cover

Inside Pages

For inside my summer mini album, I will add one frame to each page using my Spellbinders die. Then, I will add fussy cut images from the paper and journaling cards to the frames. Next, I will select pieces from my flowers, stickers, and ephemera pack. I am careful to leave the top of each photo frame open for the photo to slide into when I place my decorative pieces. Finally, I will add a few 3x4 journaling cards to some of the pages.

I hope this project has given you some ideas on how to use the Prima Golden Coast papers for your summer vacation photos. Don’t forget to check out the FotoBella online store to purchase this collection and all your other paper crafting supplies. If you would like a chance to win this summer mini album, go to the FotoBella Facebook page, leave a comment on the Summer Mini Album blog post and like the main FotoBella Facebook page. One winner will be randomly selected from those who comment on the blog post (US residents only) on May 26!

Until next time, happy crafting!

~Kristine, FotoBella Design Team