G45's A Ladies' Diary Birthday Card

This is a birthday card for my Stepmom.  I choose to use Graphic 45 A Ladies' Diary for two reasons.  First, it has all the colors my Stepmom likes-pale pinks, blues, peaches and creamy whites. And second, it is really beautiful paper with great graphic images of turn of the century and twenties fashionable ladies and pastel colored flowers.  I decided to make a card using a tabbed file folder look that some fun tabs and folds.  I started by making a base for the card in Cricut Craft Room. I used the welding feature to merge together the basic card rectangles with tag shaped to make the folder style tabs and the curved window cut out. 

 

I cut the base out on cream cardstock and chalked around the whole card with creamy brown. Because the final base is more than 12x 12 it is made of two pieces that I attached at the right side fold.  I did this by extending the paper past the (scored) fold and gluing the overhang to the the back of middle piece like a tab.  For the very front portion with the window I used the Cricut again, to cut the A Ladies' Diary paper to match. In some parts,  I also traced the base and hand cut to fit.

 Once I had the front panel of pattern paper cut, I attached a layer of iridescent blue gauze/tulle so it covered the window area.  I did this with with double sided tape that could multitask.  When I glued the pattern paper to the base it sandwiched the mesh securely between the two pieces of paper. After that I covered the entire card base with A Ladies' Diary pattern paper and began to decorate the card.

For the front, I choose one of the fashionably dressed ladies out of the 12x12 pad.  I really liked the image of this womanin silky blue, because she its on the card well and I can see my Stepmom in the dress. I fussy cut the image about 3/4 of the way around, leaving a portion of the left side near her purse with a staright edge.  I then glued her on top of a piece of vintage lace I had hand colored with Glimmer Mist (Sea Shells)and Fireworks (Pink).  I added some faux pearl halves to the lace and some German Glitter Liner (Holographic) to the centers of the flowers, the necklace, the purse and feathered headpiece on the paper.  I placed the lace and woman on the front so it overlapped the window and portions of the lace and image dangle off the base a little bit. I also added another fussy cut and glittered flower to the folder tab on the edge.

On the inside of the first flap I added a small cameo and some glitter on the tab on the edge.  I used an edge punch on some "wooden" paper to make a zigzag art deco-ish strip I attached along the side of the window (below the layer of A Ladies' Diary paper covering the base.) I then added some of the stamp images and a pink and metal embellishment with a strip of lace behind it.  On the page opposite I hand wrote my Stepmom's name and added some bling (Teresa Collins) to the folder tab at top. I then, fussy cut one some of the roses and added some Distress Glitter and pink rhinestones on the petals. When I attached the flowers I only glued along the left and bottom edge to make a pocket. Using two pieces of the patterned paper glued back to back, I added one of the images from A Ladies' Diary with a group of ladies with umbrellas to make a tag. 

I glued the two clock/button chipboard pieces back to back at the top of the card and then threaded a piece of ribbon through the holes. (If the chip board is too think try pealing a layer or two of the chipboard off the back before attaching. Just remember glue runners do not always like the "peeled" cardboard, but liquid glue works fine.)  On the back of the tag I added a birthday sentiment I printed on vellum with my ink jet printer along with a purple tinted faux pearl and some washi tape (Tim Holtz-Sketchbook) with a vintage writing look.

 

 The center panel folds down to reveal a pretty blue print with a squre of the handwritten text paper from the 8x8 pad of A Ladies' Diary.  On top of this it says Happy Birthday, which was printed on vellum with my ink jet. (the font is Black Adder)  I used Tombow's vellum tape to adhere it with out leaving tape marks. on the "folder" tab at the top I placed large and small faux pearls.  Across the page is more washi tape in both the writing and butterfly patterns of the Sketchbook collection. At the top right I adhered a small chip board tag of roses from A Ladies' Diary with a piece of grey-blue dotted ribbon tied through it.  There is also a Bo Bunny floral cameo embellishment across the washi tape.

The final tab/flap opens to the right and displays the card's "centerfold" of the umbrella holding cover girl of the A Ladies' Diary paper.  She was fussy cut and placed so that the feather in her hat over hung the card base at the top. Distress stickles in pink was added to her umbrella and gloves. There are some smaller stamps cut out and placed around her.  There is also a Prima white washed heart embellishment at the top of the page. Below her are a post card and fussy cut rose from the Diary paper. I added some glitter to the petals with the distress stickles.  I really like how the rose fills the tab at the bottom, i thnk it kind of hides the upside down back of the tab.

I also really like the subtle blends of pinks and yellow in the coloring. That is why I have been using the distress style glitter as opposed to regular glitter, I think the slight iridescent shine from the mica enhances the colors better than a sparkly flashy glitter would.

 On the last page there is a small scallop-edged envelope cut with the Cricut on the rose and clock paper from the 8x8 pad. It is matted on some of the blue striped pattern paper.  The edged of the envelope are curled back and both inked in brown and lined on the edge with champagne colored German Glitter Liner from Splash of Color (Viva Decor). There is also a grey cameo on the envelope.  Inside the envelope in another tag. it has the blue-grey polka dot ribbon at  the top. I made the tag by gluing two pieces of the pattern paper back back and adding an image of the beautiful ladies to one side.  On the other side I added a piece of vellum, it is blank so I can write something and sign the card.

I really enjoyed making this card and am thrilled with how vintage it looks.  I hope my stepmom loves it as much as I do.

Materials used:
Cricut Cartridges: Artiste, Holiday Tags and More, Craftroom Basics
Papers: Graphic 45 A Ladies' Diary (12x12, 8x8 & chipboard tags), cream colored cardstock , thin vellum, wood paper
Inks/Glitter/Paints: Colorbox chalks (Creamy brown & Chestnut roan), Ranger Stickles (Distress pink), Splash of Color (Viva Decor) German Glitter Liner (Hologram & Champagne), Tattered Angels Glimmer mist (crushed shells & wisteria?), Tsukineko Fireworks (angel pink)
Other: Teresa Collins bling, Prima heart embellishment, Tim Holtz Washi tape (Sketchbook), Bo Bunny embellishments, Fab Scraps embellishments, ribbon, vintage lace, blue tulle, pink rhinestones and faux pearls