Sunday, October 9, 2011

Colorful Birthday Cards!

Hey there...does someone have a birthday coming up? Well...I tried something new here.. not a new concept...however, it's new for me...cards from scraps! It's actually quite simple...and I am totally addicted to using scraps to make card.
Set of six cards
When it comes to designing a card...I tend to think a lot! I plan before making a single cut of any paper. This time, I was little conscious on saving my time...and entered the scrap pile :) My idea was to use scraps along with simple cardstock bases and limit extra embellishments to finish up each card. Instead of using patterned papers...I used clear stamps to decorate each card.

Top view
Let me share a few words about clear stamps. Unlike the rubber stamps, clear stamps are transparent and slightly tacky...allowing them to be adhered to an acrylic block...They come in a variety of  designs such as floral, swirls, borders, sentiments, objects, animals and more funny shapes. Each element on a set of stamps can be inked separately or can work together to create a larger image...sounds cool right? They are amazingly easy to use...believe me, you can do wonders with them! I made these cards using the circle and dots stamps. Check out this video on how to use clear stamps...

Thanks for visiting Nifty Crafty! 

Friday, October 7, 2011

Anniversary - Love you!

Hello everyone...it's good to be back to Nifty Crafty after quite a long rest. A lot of cards to make!...keeping my spirit high... step by step will get them done!

Here I made another beach and diving themed card for a lovely couple for their wedding anniversary. A simple modification of the previous beach themed anniversary card which was made for a friend of mine. It was quite challenging for me to modify the card in the first place. But with a proper sketch and many try outs...I finally finished off this card happily.
The card with it's envelope
Front View
The front of the card shows the "Happy Anniversary" greeting being held by the divers. This horizontally folded card perfectly fits two divers along with the coconut tree, cloud and striking sun which were made using quilling technique. It was pretty interesting to sketch and cut out the bits and parts of the diver images.
Inside View
The inside card was something I loved the most! A "Love you" sentiment which was stamped and embossed led me to emboss the hearts shaped stamp...which happened to go well with the sentiment. How nice to have the embossed and glossy effect on the card! I really like how it turned out...I hope the couple will like my work...wish them a wonderful happy wedding anniversary!

Thanks for visiting Nifty Crafty and for any comments that you leave.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Dora's Birthday Wish

Hi there...hope you all had a great weekend! I recently have been working on this easel card (like a tabletop frame) for one of my friend's lovely little niece. Actually, it was for her niece's second belated birthday...and therefore my friend thought it would be nice to have her niece's name on the birthday card instead of any wishes. I was told that her niece loves Dora - role model of every little girls...
Side View
Front View
Inside View
So, here I made this colorful flowery background card for the little girl...My idea was to make her feel happy by looking at the character Dora...standing in a garden and calling out her name to wish happy birthday! Since my friend insisted not to include any wishes on the card I simply placed two birthday candles inside the card. This card is one of my favorites :) It was easy to make one...simple and looks unique too. Another way of making this card is to include your favorite pictures or photos.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Hello Little One!

Here's a lovely card to welcome a beautiful baby girl to the world! I truly enjoyed making this card for my dear friend. She has requested a warm welcome card for her newborn niece...Well, I have tried some new things here...
Front View - Personalized with baby's name
I picked ivory color for the card base, and layered Swiss dot card with another layer of adorable pink patterned card and formed the base design. The metallic pink scallop circle holds the message "Hello Little One" with coordinating handmade prima flowers. The bottom of the front design has the baby's name personalized using hand-stamped alphabet stamps.
Inside View - Handmade baby stroller
A handmade baby stroller has been used to decorate the inside of the card. Since I used the same set of cards to make the baby stroller...I decided to place it inside. The fun part was putting them together...and the challenging part was assembling the bits and pieces!
Hello little one...a closer look~
I love making my own embellishments...especially  flowers of all kinds, tiny objects such as the baby stroller on this card, the little car which I made for the father's day card and other quilling decorations. It was my very first try at making prima flowers using a simple embossing technique. I was pretty happy to see at the outcome as it feels so real to touch....and I can't wait to try out more of these using different colors and sizes of petals. Look for more on my upcoming posts. 

Thanks!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Card for Daddy

Since it's getting close to Father's Day, I figured...it was time to start working on some Father's Day ideas...Hmm what kind of dad do you have?...Some dads are strict and disciplinarians...while others play more of a friend role, a hero or a role model! No matter what type of dads we have...we all love them! Of course, every one of us can proudly say..."My dad is the best in the world!"...Take a look at some of the father's day cards that I have made last week...
A simple card to show how much you love and care your dad...
I don't have any masculine stamps...but I was still able to come up with a "Love u Dad" message which I made using alphabet stamps. I love to use textured card compared to the design card as it looks more impressive and rich in quality. Hence, I used Swiss dot card as the base card for my alphabets.
Handmade car greeting card for your dad! You're my #1
For this card, I simply used the layering technique to form the base design. Then, I sketched a little car image on a navy cardstock and outlined it with a silver pen. Buttons are the best form of embellishment out there...using buttons add a dimension to any card design...so here I used two black buttons as the car tires.

Cute little daddy's car...
On whole, it was fun to work with tiny and cute things. Check out the price of each card on the gallery section. A lot more on the way...

Thanks.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Medley of Colors

These cute little thank you cards are great inserts for bag of goodies or to tag on decorative party bags. You can even place it on top of any wrapped gifts! The stamped "thank you" note is placed on the front of each card and the inside card is left blank for you to write a personal note of gratitude. A set of five different color cards! - Pink, Green, Blue, Orange and Yellow - pick the matching card that coordinates with your cheerful gift bag color!
Set of five mini note cards
The pink-ie!
If you need any additional coordinating items, such as embellishments , ribbon bows , or different note for e.g. happy birthday wishes... just send me an email! I would love to make more of these type of cards...I just love simplicity :) 

Thanks for viewing. Stay tuned for more special note cards and gift tags!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Triangle Shaped Card

Brighten up the birthday celebration with this simple triangle shaped card! It's made of a green metallic stock card as base and a coordinating glittery cardstock. It was pretty easy to make this card as there is not much embellishments used for decoration. The message "Happy Birthday" was hand stamped on a circle scalloped card and finished off with a gold string on both sides. I think the shape is the element that makes the card more special :)
Front View
Inside View
This card fits for any occasion perfectly and comes with an appropriately sized envelope. The inside card is blank for you to write personal message. Please drop me an email if you would like to customize the wishes and colors to fit your preferences. 
Thank you for taking a peek!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Beach Themed Anniversary

My latest craft work is this adorable beach themed anniversary greeting card made for a dear friend on request…for her upcoming wedding anniversary. She has made a special request to surprise her husband with a beach theme card as he loves beach vacations. So…a chill and romantic beach leisure view has been placed on a metallic blue color stock card and stamped with a "Happy Anniversary" greeting on top of the card. It comes along with a lovely handmade envelope.
 
Front View
Side View
I have tried my best to add the special touch…I really had loads of fun while making this custom made card…I hope my friend likes it…Wish the couple a wonderful wedding anniversary :)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quilled Thank You

Here comes a lovely way to show someone your appreciation and gratitude... I believe, a handmade thank you card adds special essence to it! Thank your family and friends for the unexpected wonderful things that they have done in your life by having this lovely quilled thank you card!

Friday, May 13, 2011

For Her...

Every woman loves to receive flowers on their special day since flowers are one of the most prettiest and beautiful creation of God. Including flowers in your gift is an ideal way to make them feel special and loved. So here, I made a floral designed birthday greeting card - perfect for mom, daughter, sister, co-worker, special friend or anyone who adores flowers!
Tiny flowers and stems
I have created three pretty flowers (combination of gold and ivory colors) and embellished with a gold brad on each of the flowers. The stems were made of a strand of brown paper raffia which I saved from trash. :P The end of each paper raffia was tightly twisted and glued on a curvy cornered red card. The other ends were also well glued to hold the flowers firmly.
Finished Card
I often use ribbons on my handmade cards as it enhances the design beautifully. In this card, the flower bouquet is nicely placed over a gold ribbon which also can be treated as a grand base for the flower spreads. The flowers are mounted on an ivory color card which has a decorative border. This design suits for any kind of greetings such as "Thank You", "Congratulations", "Best Wishes", or "On Your Special Day". Here I stamped a simple "Happy Birthday" greeting.

So, come on and make your choice! Make her feel elevated and convey your thoughtfulness by sending this sincerely made card.

Personalized Goodie Bags!

Time to impress your guests! :) These flat-bottomed goodie bags were specially made for my baby shower function. Believe me, it fits a lot of tiny and cutest favors! I stuffed each bag with a mini feeding bottle (filled with mini M&M's) , candies and milk chocolates. These bags comes in two vibrant colors - of course the blue and pink, the traditional colors that are commonly used for baby shower parties. I made them using blue cards...so yea it's pretty obvious... a baby BOY! :)
Front View
Side View
Well, different themes are available for your baby's arrival such as teddy bear, baby bassinet, baby rattle, safety pins, baby feeding bottles or yellow rubber ducky. I guess the diaper theme will be the least preferred one. I simply chose a baby crawling picture for the back of the bag. Below that, I add our signatures to express gratitude to our family and friends who made our day special!
Back View
Goodie bags!
Are you planning for a baby shower function? Get this bag for your guests and make the shower unique...There will be no more leftover bags!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Rainbow Birthday

These rainbow stripes birthday cards without a doubt will put a smile on your face and perfect for birthday during the summer months!
Front View
Inside View
It was made with a rainbow background card layered on a white corner punched card to highlight the colors of rainbow. "Happy Birthday" is printed on a crisp white circled card and sticked on a circle scalloped card that matches the color of the base card. The whole layer is tied with a nice transparent snow white bow. This card is available in different colors such as baby pink, brown, lavender, yellow, sky blue, navy blue, purple, orange and silver. Send this card to someone special who brings wonders in your life and celebrate a cheerful birthday.

The card is blank inside for you to write your personal message and comes with an ivory envelopes. Please email me if you are willing to make an order of these rainbow themed cards. Don't miss this season cards!
Thank you! :)

Royal Congratulations!

Just imagine holding these cards in your hands…they are lovingly handmade! These cards can be used to congratulate your loved ones for a new home, engagement or any special occasions. Definitely, a lovely way to appreciate someone!

Go Butterfly
This card was made with a rich red base and glittery pale green patterned paper bordered with a gold ribbon. A grand saffron butterfly was slightly raised to give a deep impression and dimension to the card. The word "Congratulations"  has been stamped on a contrasting yellow square scalloped piece of card and three little flowers were nicely placed above the golden border as a final touch to the card.
Front View
Inside View
Floral Wish
This floral congratulation card is layered with three different papers and a capturing floral embellishment has been used to add a pinch of beauty to the overall look of the card. The card is layered with a green embossed paper and a coordinating floral cardstock. A solid pink card is used to give a sweet outline to the design. The "Congratulations" word is decorated with tiny crystal gemstones.
Front View
Each card comes with an envelope and its blank inside for you to personalize. 
Please drop me an email if you are interested in purchasing these card(s). 
Thank you! 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Anniversary Gift

Time for more strips and coils! I was very much excited to make a wonderful gift for one of my friends wedding anniversary. It was their first wedding anniversary…and they both love pets…So, I thought it would be great to create a small animal or bird themed gift for them. Instead of googling, I bought a quilling book titled Twirled Paper by Jacqueline Lee which includes the kit. Yay! now I have a proper twirling wand, paper strips in different colors, glue and cute goggly eyes! Okie, let's come to the making…

(1) A twirly bird
It may look simple and I felt not much twirling work involved…but it took me hours to get those funky feathers! Gluing the bitty bits was the toughest part while making the bird. Overall, it was fun working on its curly tails and colorful feathers!

(2) Spotted butterfly  
This lovely butterfly was the most easiest I would say. At first, I thought its going to be difficult to get the exact size of upper and lower wings…but I was wrong…I made it within an hour! The antennae alone took about five to ten minutes…

(3) Peacock  
This guy is tough! It was challenging to get it done as the peacock's feathers was made with loose curls and it took some time to glue the feathers together in bunches. Next on the list was, the leg and feet with bent knees and "S" shaped neck. Oh not forgetting, the top knot…it was made with just half a inch of strip.
Bird + Butterfly + Peacock = A lightweight wall hanging! 
I'm glad that the couple loved my gift :))

Blooming Fan!

My first quilling experience has given me the confidence to try out more, much better and greater than the first one. The ingredient is - experiment! I did a bunch of search in Google and found out the advanced techniques of quilling. Gosh...! they have something called quilling kit! It has a slotted tool, designer board, quilling cork board, paper strips, and more... sounds great! but I was just a beginner and not afford to buy those stuff at that time. I thought, alright! I better stick to my tools and try something with what I have. Actually, I wanted to create something bigger, bright and colorful! So, my second attempt was a paper quilled fan!

 

My idea was to create a fan that can be lifted and stand...but it was pretty difficult to glue it with a sturdy base...so I glued them on a piece of black cardboard. Oh wait...I didn't let my work unframed! I chose a nice frame style that goes well with the bright colors and give it to my parents as a gift! :)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Passion towards Quilling

Few years back, when I was studying in Singapore, I used to spend my spare time in the library...flipping some craft books, comics etc. One day, I came across a quilling book (can't recall the title) and amazed looking at the decorative artwork...how simple it is! with just simple paper strips rolled and shaped..you can make almost anything! flowers, alphabets, animal, tiny bugs, even aliens! woah ~ like a wonderland! That was the moment where I started to look deep into arts and craftwork. Quilling involves simple technique but you need A LOT of patience! even if you want to make a small swirl! Well, this is what I have tried after getting some intro to the art of quilling. 

I made my own paper strips (tiring task) and came out with the above result! A butterfly on a Compact Disc :)