Even at that early point in my life, I had a powerful love for both history and all things vintage.

Very sweetly, my grandma answered my questions and shared stories about the relatives that I was looking at, many of whom had long passed or lived in far-off areas, which meant I rarely, if ever, got a chance to see them in person.

By the age of five, I was utterly obsessed with history and found myself especially drawn to the period spanning the late 1930s to the early 1960s. This passion manifested itself in a plethora of ways – including rushing home after school to slip, nearly daily, into a cute pink and white gingham poodle skirt that my mom had sewn for me.

This was the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s. Most kids my age were rocking slap bracelets, high-top sneakers, neons, and acid wash denim. I yearned to have a closet that looked like what the characters wore in some of my favourite vintage movies (especially the Haynes Sisters in White Christmas) and modern films (such as A League of Their Own) set in decades past.

Far from being a quaint childhood interest or passing fancy, my appreciation of, and love for, mid-century vintage would only deepen over the years.

By the time I hit my early teens and my parents began allowing me to buy my own clothes, I took the funds I earned from babysitting, birthday money, and any other income I could scrounge up at the time and hit my town’s thrift stores.

The late 1990s were upon us by then and while vintage and antique clothing had begun to experience a serious revival in recent years, one could still snap up incredible mid-century pieces for a song.

Bias cut slips from the 1930s, pleated plaid wool skirts from the 1940s, adorable cardigans, sundresses, and jaunty hats from the 1950s, and gloves from each of those decades (and more) were still relatively plentiful, as older people or their families donated closet after closet of mid-century attire to thrift shops.

Not only were vintage pieces fairly easy to come by, but in settings like that – along with yard sales and flea markets – they were often exceedingly reasonably priced. Meaning that a vintage adoring teen on a tight budget could still manage to pepper her closet with clothing, accessories, and jewelry from the eras when my own grandparents were my age.

As I grew into adulthood, I continued to build a wardrobe that was primarily filled with vintage, vintage reproduction, and vintage appropriate pieces (the latter being a term I coined many years ago to describe contemporary items that while not intentionally designed to be vintage reproductions, channel the look of the mid-twentieth century well enough to easily be used instead of, or in conjunction with, actual vintage and repro garments).

This love extended beyond my clothing, makeup, and hairstyles. Online and off, I studied mid-twentieth century history around the clock, talked to people who experienced my favourite decades firsthand, hit every museum I could to learn about the local history, played vintage music and watched old films every chance I got.

Naturally, while I adore the fashions and many other elements of times gone by, it is worth mentioning that like most of my fellow vintage enthusiasts I believe in vintage style, not vintage values and am exceedingly grateful for the progress that has been – and continues – to be made in many areas of society these days.

In my mid-20s, while in the midst of an especially challenging time on the health front during which I felt like I was losing a lot of myself and my identity to the ever-present medical issues that filled my day, I launched a vintage fashion and lifestyle blog.

Doing so allowed me to reclaim a greater sense of my identity, happiness, creativity, and purpose in life. Helming that blog for eight years would turn into one of the most rewarding, memorable, exciting, meaningful, inspiring, and enjoyable experiences I have ever had.

That website – which some of my readers here who have known me for a number of years will no doubt remember – ran from 2009 – 2017, only being retired in the wake of the arson fire we experienced. As, at the time, I had to focus as much of my time and energy as possible on rebuilding our shattered life.

Few decisions have ever been more difficult for me than the one that I agonized for months over regarding if I should retire that blog or not. Ultimately, I do not regret my choice and know that it was best for myself and my family at the time.

These days, while I no longer wear mid-century attire (nearly) exclusively and my style has come to envelop a wider range of my eclectic tastes, one can still find plenty of vintage attire hanging in my closet and tucked neatly into my dresser drawers.

I might not be blogging up a storm on vintage related topics, but I have not lost one iota of my passion for the past and continue to study, appreciate, wear, and adore the mid-century era that was at the heart of my previous website.

By now you are likely wondering why I am discussing all of this with you at the start of a paper crafting project share post.

The main reason for such, dear friends, is that the elegant birthday card at the heart of this post features an exceedingly glamorous vintage woman and an overall theme that conveys a charming yesteryear vibe.

I let a lot of my assorted passions shine through in my paper crafting. Vintage is no exception and I love finding ways to weave elements that channel the past into my 21^st century makes.

This particular card was made with a fellow vintage adoring friend in mind.

She is someone I have had the pleasure of knowing for many years and whose friendship + ceaseless support of my online endeavours never fails to touch my heart to its core.

Vintage Inspired “Life is a Party, Dress Like It” Birthday Card

In terms of my personal style of paper crafting, this is not an overly complex or elaborate card. I feel, though, that it still packs a great visual wallop.

As much as I love layers, dimension, and embellishments, I am also the first to say that not every project I make needs to be dressed to the nines – especially if it features an image on it of someone doing just that.

In this lovely vintage illustration, we see a woman sporting a look that typifies the post-war passion for garments that were at once fitted and voluminous at the same time.

Today, we most strongly associate this drastic break from the austerity and fabric rationing of the war years with Christian Dior’s iconic and incredibly beautiful “New Look”.

However, Monsieur Dior was by no means the only designer to embrace a trend towards extremes of femininity, generous amounts of fabric, and chic elegance in the 1940s, 50s, and very early 60s.

That said though, his iconic New Look styles remain my all-time favourite from any decade of the previous century. A point that I doubt will ever change.

I was – and still am – hugely inspired by the glam, sophisticated, creative, and often very well-made attire, accessories, and jewelry from the years spanning the release of the New Look in 1947 to the end of the 1950s.

Just as I am with the broader picture of the 1930s – the early 1960s.

I telegraphed a sense of that period via this card. Its eye-catching colour palette of red, black and cream is powerfully timeless – not unlike the crimson roses, rendered here in paper form, that bedeck this captivating card.

The vintage style filmstrip paper, much like the central image itself, is another nod to the past and one that many of us who were born prior to the advent of digital photography are apt to have plenty of memories pertaining to.

For me, it is also a subtle nod to those days of my early youth spent pouring over old photos.

Not, mind you, that I have stopped doing so since then.

While this particular card is destined to be a birthday greeting, you could just as easily give it for other occasions or reasons as well.

New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, bachelorette parties, congratulations, new jobs, thinking of you, and various other possibilities all lend themselves to a card design like, too.

Given its abundance of red and cream, you could even deliver or post this ritzy greeting out for Christmas as well.

If you’re keen to channel a sense of the mid-twentieth century, too, read on for a detailed list of materials and instructions needed to whip up a stylish vintage fashionista card of your own.

Products used to make this chic red and black birthday card

-Ivory or cream cardstock

-Black cardstock

-Red Metallic cardstock – Foil Cardstock Paper from Recollection (Michael’s brand)

-Matte black metallic cardstock – Black Velvet Mirror Cardstock from Tonic Studios

-Red and cream diamond print paper

-Filmstrip paper – Art of Life “Thankful” paper from Kaisercraft

-Ornate frame die

-Vintage woman image – En Vogue 3”x4” Journaling Cards from Carta Bella

-Red cabbage rose die cut piece – Noteworthy Boulevard Die Cuts from Bo Bunny

-Decorative edge scissors – Sunflower Paper Edgers decorative scissors from Fiskars

-Dark red/burgundy ink – StazOn Claret Solvet Ink from Tsukineko

-Black dye ink – Wicked Black Archival Dye Ink from Color Box

-Red paper roses (the ones that I used here are from Dollar Tree’s “Crafts” brand)

-Mini red paper roses (from Ali Express)

-Cream/ivory crochet trim – Tinsel & Twigs Market Trims from The Girl’s Paperie

-Cream/ivory mini burlap bows – Burlap Bows from Recollections (Michael’s brand)

-Red rhinestones or the red bling of your choice

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make an elegant mid-century vintage inspired birthday card

Begin by making a card base from cream or ivory cardstock. Top it with a piece of red metallic cardstock cut slightly smaller than the front of the card base. Adhere.

Using the decorative edge scissors, cut a piece of Black Velvet Mirror Cardstock from Tonic Studios a little smaller than the red metallic layer. Adhere.

Cut a piece of red and cream diamond print paper slightly smaller than the black mirror cardstock layer. Adhere.

Cut a narrow rectangular piece of the same metallic red cardstock using the same decorative edge scissors, then cut a piece small rectangular piece of Black Velvet Mirror Cardstock.

Fussy cut out a film strip from the Kaisercraft Art of Life “Thankful” paper. Back this piece along the left-hand edge with a piece of cream/ivory crochet trim.

Arrange and adhere the Black Velvet rectangle, the red metallic rectangle, and the film strip piece all at an angle on the left-hand side of the card, as shown.

Die cut an elegant frame from Black Velvet cardstock. Top center of the frame with a piece of red metallic cardstock. Top this layer with the vintage lady image from Carta Bella – inking the edges with black die ink before adhering it in place. Adhere all layers together and to the previous card base layers.

Arrange Bo Bunny red cabbage rose die cut, small and big red paper roses, and cream/ivory burlap bows around the bottom left and center of the framed image, as shown.

Lightly run the dark red/burgundy ink pad across the tops of some (or all) of the red paper roses to give them a subtle hint of additional depth and visual interest.

Arrange and adhere red rhinestones around the paper flowers and bows.

That’s all there is to it with this chic handmade birthday card.

Much as with a wonderfully glamorous outfit, you have put together something timelessly lovely that is sure to brighten anyone’s day.  

Life is a party, dress – and craft – like it!

Naturally, one does not have to have a lifelong passion for the past to avail of vintage themed paper crafting products.

Just about anyone can put together a vintage influenced craft project, and turning to days gone by can be an amazing source of creative inspiration.

Many different paper crafting brands have released – and continue to release – vintage inspired lines and products.

Some of your current best bets on that front include Spellbinders, Pion Design, Graphic 45, P13, Kaisercraft, Carta Bella, Bo Bunny, Simple Stories, Dress My Craft, Prima Marketing, Stamperia, Authentique, Tim Holtz, and Paper Rose, to name but a few.

Vintage images and other aesthetic elements can convey a wide range of things. They are sentimental and nostalgic, but can also be everything from kitschy (in a good way) to solemn, sweet to playful and more often than not, they are stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous.

The sentiment on this particular card encourages people to dress like life is a party. Albeit from an introvert’s take on that message, I have long embraced a similar mindset when it comes not only to my wardrobe choices, but also to my paper crafting style.

Clean, understated, and modern designs can look amazing and I sincerely appreciate them, but at the end of the day, they rarely feel like me.

I eschewed acid wash jeans and neon pink slouch socks in favour of frilly dresses and granny boots while still in elementary school, so it is a safe bet to say that I have only continued to lean ever-more into those vintage styles and eras that call to me as I’ve gotten older.

Whether vintage makes you go weak in the knees or not, I encourage you to look to the past sometimes for inspiration and ideas aplenty when making craft projects.

If the 1940s and 1950s aren’t your bag, what about the Victorian and Edwardian eras? How about the exhilarating 1920s, the groovy 1960s, or the earthy boho style that many embraced in the 1970s?

Heck, at this point, even the 1980s and 90s themselves are technically old enough to be classified as vintage. They too can be a super fun way to channel the past in your paper crafting projects.

You know, I rather love the fact that the very decades in which I was born and came of age are now considered old school in some respects. There is a coming full circle element at play there that delights me something fierce.

As does making cards like this one for cherished friends and relatives around the world.

Do you include vintage/antique inspired elements in your craft projects? What is your favourite decade from the 20^th century? 

The post Chic Vintage Inspired “Life is a Party, Dress Like It” Birthday Card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

However, it is important to keep in mind that men – like those of all genders – have varying tastes and interests, styles and passions.

Whereas cards for some gents may feature stereotypically male interests or themes, there is, of course, nothing to stop any card from being suitable for a male recipient.

After all, it is the intended party, far more than the imagery or wording on a card that helps to land it a masculine, feminine, gender-neutral, etc camp.

From newborn babies to chaps well into their golden years, throughout my time as a paper crafter, I’ve had the pleasure of making cards for males of many ages and truly relish the experience.

I know that cards for guys are not everyone’s cup of tea to create and readily acknowledge the challenges such greetings can pose at times.

In some cases though, cards for boys and men need not be a daunting or difficult prospect – especially if you know at least a wee bit about the likes, hobbies, favourites, and so forth of a given individual.

Happily, when it came to the person who will be receiving this card, that is definitely the case!

This chic black, gold, kraft, and cream hued honeybee themed card will soon be whisking its way off to one of my male family members (there’s a slim chance he might read this post, so I don’t want to reveal precisely who this card is for).

His birthday falls during the same week of two other close family members. That same week houses my wedding anniversary and, some years (it transpires annually on the second Monday in October), Canadian Thanksgiving as well.

Add to that mix the lead up to Samhain/Halloween, plenty of festive fall happenings, and the fact that by the tenth month of the year, I’m usually shifting a lot of my paper crafting focus to Yule + Christmas projects and it is easy to see why October is often the busiest chapter of the year on my end.

All that to say, knowing how full October tends to be around these parts, I’ve long learned to make birthday and Thanksgiving cards in advance, if at all possible.

And that is exactly what I did with this birthday greeting.

My relative is a skilled home chef (IMO, his homemade bread is award-worthy) who enjoys gardening and spending time in the great outdoors, so a bee themed card felt like a perfect fit for his special day this time around.

Elegant bee and honeycomb themed birthday card

This card is heading off to a male recipient, but its design is highly versatile and could easily be used for any gender.

Just as it is open to a wide range of possible events, if you were to switch the sentiment out for something that suited the occasion at hand.

I could easily see this card working fabulously for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, anniversaries, Thanksgiving Day, thinking of you, missing you, encouragement, congratulations, just because, get well, and sympathy cards.

And on the (Northern Hemisphere) Pagan front, I think its theme and warm, sun-baked palette are a fantastic fit for the sabbats of Litha, Lammas, and Mabon, in particular.

Bees are a familiar sight in many areas of the world during the spring, summer, and early fall. These industrious creatures are an integral part of the ecosystem, a source of inspiration for many cultures stretching back to time immemorial, and, famously, the creators of one of nature’s most scrumptious sweet treats: honey!

I really wanted to drive home the bee theme here, so went with a colour palette that channels honeybees, honeycomb, and of course, gorgeously golden honey itself.

Bees appear here on the layers of bumblebee patterned paper and again in the form of darling little 3D Jolee’s Boutique bee-shaped stickers.

The iconic design of a honeycomb shows up in the form of metallic gold cardstock that was die cut with a repeating hexagonal design die.

To increase the gold factor and help create further visual interest, I placed some of the die cut pieces back into their respective hexagons so that you see a mix of both open and solid “honeycombs”.

This birthday card was a joy to make. Creating it reminded me all the more of why I cherish those brief, gorgeous months when summer melds into autumn, nature is hard at work on the harvest front, and the hues of this card abound in many locations across the globe.

Products used to make this sophisticated black, gold and cream bee themed birthday card

-Black, cream/very light beige, white (used for card base), and kraft cardstock

-Metallic gold cardstock

-Black and gold cut apart sentiment paper – With Love Just Because paper from Kaisercraft

-Black and gold leaf/flourish print paper – Transatlantic Travel Explore The World paper from Carta Bella

-Bee print paper – Classic Pooh Busy Bee paper from EK Success

-Elegant nested die set

-Honeycomb/hexagon card background style die

-Postage stamp edge scissor – Paper Edger Stamp Scissors from Fiskars

-Black seam binding

-Gold and black scrolling leaf/flourish print ribbon

-Metallic gold thread (or embroidery floss)

-Good sized wood veneer flourish shaped piece

-Faceted black plastic button – Style 20539 from La Mode

-3D bee stickers – Bee Repeats stickers from Jolee’s Boutique

-Glue gun and glue sticks

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make a beautiful honeycomb and bee birthday card

Begin by making a card base from white cardstock (as the front portion of the card base will be entirely covered by other layers, you could easily make your base from cream, light beige, ivory, kraft, or black cardstock instead, if so desired).

Cut a piece of gold metallic cardstock the same size as your card base and adhere it to the base.

Next, cut a piece of black cardstock slightly smaller than the metallic gold layer. Using postage stamp edge scissors, cut a piece of kraft cardstock a touch smaller than the black cardstock layer. Adhere together and then adhere to the card base layers.

Cut a piece of cream cardstock and a slightly smaller piece of black and gold flourish print paper. Die cut a layer of gold metallic cardstock using one of the elegant nested dies.

Layer these three pieces together, as shown, including a small piece of the EK success bee print paper on the left side of this grouping. Adhere all layers and attach to your card base layers at an angle.

Using the postage stamp edge scissors, cut a piece of black cardstock. Top this layer with a piece of kraft cardstock and a piece of EK Success bee print paper. Adhere these layers together.

Cut a piece of black seam binding and attach it vertically down the middle of this group of layered pieces. Follow this step up by cutting two equal length pieces of black and gold print ribbon. Adhere one piece horizontally near the top of this group of layers and another horizontally near the bottom.

Adhere this group of layers to card base.

Using the nesting die set, die cut a black background layer and a smaller kraft layer. Adhere together, then cut and attach a piece of black seam binding horizontally across the middle of these two layers.

Die cut a honeycomb/hexagon background from metallic gold cardstock. Adhere to the kraft cardstock layer. Place some of the hexagon shapes back into their slots and once you’re happy with your arrangement, adhere them in place.

Cut the sentiment piece from Kaisercraft With Love Just Because paper. Adhere in the middle of the gold metallic honeycomb piece of cardstock. Adhere this grouping layer to the existing card base layers.

Adhere a Jolee’s Repeats Bee sticker on each of the four corners of the metallic gold cardstock honeycomb piece.

Create a bow from black seam binding (I crinkled mine ahead of time using the water and embossing heat tool technique; this step is optional and you can easily use straight/uncrinkled seam binding instead).

Run gold metallic thread or floss through a black button, tying a bow with the thread/floss. Adhere the threaded button to the centre of the black seam binding bow using hot glue or a strong, suitable adhesive of your choice.

Attach the large wooden flourish piece just below the center of the card, ensuring that it will be partly covered by the black seam binding bow. Attach the seam binding bow on top of the wooden piece.

And there you have it! One bee-utiful bee-day card that is ready to bee sent or delivered to someone special in your life. (Yes, I am having way too much fun with the word “bee” in this post, as the closing section bee-low will further attest to. )

Handy sentiments for bee cards

Given the fact that many of us refer, at least some of the time, to birthday as “b-days”, creating bee themed cards for this special event is a natural fit.

The theme of “bee day” opens itself up to a great many possible designs and sentiments, be they punny, cute, classic, or anything else you desire.

As touched on above, bee themed cards are a great fit for many other occasions as well.

If you’re keen to create a bee card of your own, the following is a list of bee-related card sentiments that I came up with (though I’m sure most, if not all of them, have been used before and am certainly not claiming originality here) to help you out on that front.

-Thank you for bee-ing there for me (or us)

-Don’t stop bee-lieving in yourself

-Happy bee-day

-Ha-bee birthday

-Thank you for bee-ing a great friend

-Wishing you a bee-utiful day (or birthday, anniversary, Thanksgiving, etc)

-For the parent(s) or grandparent(s) to bee

-You are sweeter than honey (or, may your day be sweeter than honey)

-Thank you for being such a sweet friend

-You are the bee’s knees

-We were meant to bee

-Thinking of you, my sweet friend

-I would bee lost without you

-Just bee-cause

-Welcome new bee-bee (aka, baby)

-You make the world a sweeter place

-Always bee yourself

-We bee-long together

-Congratulations to the bride/groom/happy couple to bee

-Wishing you the sweetest of days

-You are bee-yond amazing

-Bee mine (such a classic!)

-Love you bee-yond bee-lief

-You are the undisputed queen bee

-Honey, you make my world a sweeter place

-So bee-lessed to know you (or have you in my life, as my friend, as my sister, etc)

-Thank you for bee-ing there for me

-With love (or support, sympathy, encouragement, etc) from our hive to yours

I hope that these wordplay filled bee card sentiments, as well as this card share itself, inspire you to create a bee themed project of your own.

If you make one, please don’t hesitate to drop a link to it in the comments below and/or tag me on social media (or should I say, bee-media ) so that I can see what’s buzzing on your own card making front as well.

Do you enjoy incorporating bees into some of your paper crafting projects? What was the theme of the last masculine card you made?

The post Sophisticated Bee and Honeycomb Masculine Birthday Card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

There’s just something about the return of my own birthday month, however, that makes me want to churn out twelve months worth of b-day cards for friends, relatives, neighbours, complete strangers – you name it! – in the span of just a few weeks.

Does that actually happen? No, not so far, but the spirit is there all the same!

Earlier this month my own birthday transpired on July 10^th. However, even with the candles having been blown out for another year, I’m still in a celebratory + birthday card making frame of mind.

This is bolstered all the more by the fact that less than a month after my birthday, Tony’s returns in early August (we’re both summer babies, which is such a fun point to share in common).

That I’m often in full-on birthday card making mode during the summer is both enjoyable unto itself and wonderfully pragmatic at the same time.

Several friends and family members have fall time birthdays (including three in the middle of October alone), so being able to create some of those cards in advance is really handy.

Especially since I’m often enmeshed in a glorious haze of fall, Thanksgiving (Canadian and US alike), Halloween, and Pagan autumn sabbat paper crafting during fall time itself.

To say nothing of Yule, Christmas, and New Year’s cards as well!

This particular greeting will be zipping off to an immensely dear long-time friend of mine in the States, whose birthday falls in the final weeks of the year.

We both adore animals, especially cute woodland creatures, so I knew that a handmade card starring a darling bunny surrounded by plenty of beautiful foliage and toadstools – not to mention the whimsical little teacup and blueberries – would be a lovely fit for her own special day.

An adorable woodland themed Happy Birthday card with lots of layers and fussy cutting

This birthday card looks like it might be a bit complex or require a slew of products. In reality though, it is relatively straightforward and calls for just a handful of different items.

Fussy cutting is the MVP when it coms to making this lovely birthday card.

Cue up a good movie, YouTube video, podcast, or music playlist, grab a pair of comfortable fine-tipped scissors (or craft knife and suitable cutting surface, such as a self-healing mat) and settle in for a fussy cutting session.

I really enjoy fussy cutting and find it is both relaxing and a marvelous way to stretch one’s paper crafting supply stash.

Sure, you can often purchase various types of premade die cut paper and chipboard pieces, and I certainly enjoy working with those types of products, too.

However, fussy cutting opens up an even broader range of images that we can use in the same types of ways as these premade products.

On top of the versatility of fussy cutting, there is often a fair bit of cost saving involved as well, as most patterned paper sheets cost less than premade die cuts.

And, of course, sometimes it is oodles of fun to mix premade die cuts and fussy cut images together.

In the case of this sweet woodland rabbit themed birthday card, I opted solely for fussy cut shapes – including a fussy cut panel for the central image.

For the sentiment, I stamped a cute little “Happy Birthday” greeting in which the letter A is replaced by a heart in both words onto a fussy cut banner piece from P13’s Forest Tea Party 07 sheet of paper.

This same piece of paper is where all of the fussy cut pieces, save for the central bunny image, hailed from as well.

The darling little rabbit image is from the same P13 Forest Tea Party line, hailing specifically from the Forest Tea Party 06 sheet of paper.

Beyond the fussy cutting, this card is a speedy breeze to put together.

A few layers of a cardstock and printed paper (some with inked edges), a couple of die cut decorative edge rectangle shapes, two earthy hued wood veneer butterflies, and a barely-visible-but-definitely-there piece of light blue seam binding, as well as a length of cream eyelet trim are all it takes to put this enchanting birthday greeting together.

Products used to make this layered and fussy cut woodland critter birthday card

-Medium or dark brown cardstock

-Navy or midnight blue cardstock

-Rose gold metallic cardstock – Rose Gold Cardstock from Recollections

-Foliage, mushroom, and banner print paper – Forest Tea Party 07 from P13

-Bunny image print paper – Forest Tea Party 06 from P13

-Elegant blue and light brown print paper – Vintage Summer Basics 1915 from Maja Design

-Two different decorative edge rectangular shaped dies

-Dark brown ink – Dewdrop Rich Cocoa Ink from Memento

-Happy birthday sentiment stamp

-Brown wood veneer filigree style butterflies – Wooden Butterflies from Recollections

-Light blue seam binding

-Cream (or ivory or white) cotton eyelet trim

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

How to make a cute woodland themed birthday card

To make this sweet woodland bunny birthday card, begin by making a card base from brown cardstock.

Cut a piece of rose gold metallic cardstock (you could use aged gold or copper coloured metallic cardstock here instead, and I suspect that classic white or cream vellum would look terrific as well) slightly smaller than the size of your card base. Attach to card base.

Cut a piece of navy blue cardstock ever-so-slightly smaller than the piece of rose gold cardstock. Attach to rose gold cardstock.

Follow this up by cutting a piece of Vintage Summer Basics 1915 blue and brown print paper from Maja Design slightly smaller than the navy blue cardstock. Ink the edges of this paper layer with dark brown ink, then attach to the navy blue cardstock.

Adhere a length of light blue seam binding or ribbon horizontally across your card front, a touch below the middle point of the card.

Die cut two different elegant/decorative edge rectangles. One from navy blue cardstock, the other from the same brown cardstock that you used for the card base here.

Layer and arrange in a similar fashion to those shown here. Optionally popping the upper layer of die cut cardstock up with foam doats or a similar raised adhesive for an added sense of dimension.

Cut a piece of cream eyelet trim and adhere it so it overlaps with part of the bottom of the navy blue die cut cardstock.

Fussy cut the central bunny (with teacup and blueberries) image from the P13 Forest Tea Party 06 paper. Attach to the die cut brown cardstock central panel.

Next, from the same sheet of P13 paper (Forest Tea Party 06) fussy cut an assortment of different leaf and toadstool shapes.

Arrange and adhere as desired around the central panel of the card.

Fussy cut a scrolling banner shape from the same P13 (Forest Tea Party 06) paper.

Using the same brown ink that inked the edges of the Maja Design paper with, stamp a happy birthday sentiment onto the banner (if you have one, I suggest using a stamping platform for this so as to help ensure precise placement of the sentiment on this fussy cut shape).

Adhere the “Happy Birthday” banner in the center of the cream eyelet trim layer with pop dots or another dimensional adhesive.

For the final touch on this cute woodland themed birthday card, tuck two wood veneer butterflies between some of the fussy cut leaves, as shown.

And there you have it! A card that looks complicated, but really isn’t, and which is sure to delight the lucky recipient that you send or present it in person to is now all ready to go.

Let the seasons be your paper crafting muse

This card was created with a friend’s birthday in mind, but you could easily swap out the sentiment or forgo including one all together.

Instead of making this into a birthday card, why not turn it into a Mother’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, thinking of you, missing you “just because”, get well, or congratulations card?

It would also make for a fantastic seasonal greeting card, be it from any point (in the Western Hemisphere) between spring and mid-autumn.

And for my fellow witches and Pagans, I think this design would be fantastic as a Beltane, Litha, Lammas, or Mabon greeting. And, given the rabbit imagery, it would not be out of place for Imbolc or Ostara either.

This card embodies a good deal of my personal style, not only in terms of card making, but in regard to my overall paasion for Mother Nature.

I am a nature/green witch through and through, and spend as much time as possible outdoors the whole year through.

I have long joked that I’m one tent purchase away from simply moving into the backyard during all but the coldest months.

As much as both Annie (our dog) and I would surely enjoy that, I haven’t quite taken my passion for being outside to that extreme yet. Especially since it would a bit tricky to cram a craft room’s worth of paper crafting supplies into a small tent…

I draw a great deal of inspiration from nature – just as many others around the world have done since time immemorial – and apply that inspiration to countless areas of my life. Paper crafting 100% included.

This summer (or winter, if you are south of the equator), I encourage you to look at nature through the lens of inspiration. Take photos or make written notes of natural elements or scenes that speak to you, detailing them for potential future inspiration in some of your own wonderful crafting projects.

No other season is quite as alive or rich with natural abundance as summer. From flittering dragonflies to sprawling seas of wildflowers, sun-kissed beaches to gorgeous green leaves rustling in warm breezes, feel, connect with, and translate nature into your crafting.

Then rinse and repeat, so to speak, with each of the other seasons – as well as what I like to call the “micro seasons”. These are the brief periods of, on average, 1- 3 weeks, as one season gently melds into the next.

The sights and colour palette of summer into fall are represented on this card, making it especially well suited for a late summer or autumn time birthday like that of my cherished friend.

Do you delight in letting nature influence your paper crafting as well? What are your favourite seasons to draw creative inspiration from?

The post Adorable Woodland Themed Happy Birthday Card with Lots of Layers and Fussy Cutting appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.

Like many of us, I’m drawn to the sweet, tender shades of the current season when paper crafting during the spring months (which I got the ball rolling on a few weeks ago with my Be Amazing Springtime Bird’s Nest Card).

With that very palette in mind, as my paternal grandma’s birthday rounds the bend next month, I recently set to work creating a card for her special day.

Shabby chic springtime happy birthday card

My grandma is a lovely woman who has had a lifelong passion for crafting (particularly knitting, sewing, and fabric doll making) and beautiful home décor.

Years before the term “shabby chic” entered mainstream vernacular, she had peppered her home with elements that would now fit squarely under that banner – along with ones that were rustic country and American primitive.

I learned about Victoria magazine, how to make a sublime English trifle, the best way to hang laundry on an outdoor line, and when a raspberry is perfectly ripe for the picking all from my grandma.

I attribute several of my own lifelong interests and passions to her as well – not the least of which is my unending love of, and interest in, the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Growing up, my grandma’s house was full of soft, sweet, thoroughly feminine touches. There was white wicker furniture on the covered deck, cabbage rose print bedding, a pale blue bathroom, crisply pressed table linens in Easter worthy shades, and much more.

My grandparents moved from that house over twenty years ago now. Some of those same elements went with them to the home they relocated to after retiring. Naturally though, a fair number changed with their new abode, downsizing, and shifting interests.

Still, when I think of my grandparent’s home as it looked in my early youth, the colours that I used in this birthday card are amongst those that jump out at me first. As such, I was eager to incorporate them in my grandma’s birthday greeting this year.

As much as I would have loved to go for an even more dimensional card, Canada Post has a rather irksome letter mail height limit of just 2cm (not inches, centimetres!) under which letter-sized mail must fit. If it goes over that thickness, you’re looking at parcel rates, which even at a national level are nothing short of comically steep in this country.

Therefore, if I know a card that I make is going to be mailed off (be it within Canada or abroad), I try to keep it on the flatter side.

This doesn’t automatically mean that I can’t still involve multiple layers, embellishments and plenty of engaging details. Thankfully that remains possible for many different types of cards.

Putting this feminine spring birthday card together

Funnily enough, I had originally taken some of the elements used on this card out to make a different birthday card that day. As soon as this design started to take shape, however, I knew that it was destined for my grandma.

I began with a sheet of lightly textured pale pink cardstock for my card base. This was then topped with a beautiful piece of white on cream lace print paper.

Another layer of the same light pink cardstock, pale blue printed paper that I embossed (though the embossing ended by being so obscured here, I won’t even mention the folder in the product list), and  various ornate die cut frames and border pieces were the next to be added.

I then fussy cut the large piece of floral print paper from a gorgeous sheet of Prima paper and positioned it to intentionally overhang a wee bit off the left-hand side of the card.

Next, I dug around in my stash for a vintage-y looking piece that tied into the theme of birthdays and found it in the lovely Webster’s Pages mini calendar page that I tucked behind the flowers (and banner).

After that, it was on to the banner. A few die cut banner pieces created from pale sage green and the same light pink cardstock used before, each of which I added faux stitching to with a white Uniball pen.

I topped each banner flag with a round pink and white Jenni Bowlin alphabet sticker to spell the word “happy” and strung them on a length of rustic braided garden twine that I attached to my card with mini clothes pegs.

If you don’t have banner flag/pennant dies, you can cut as many matching shaped and sized strips of paper or cardstock as you need by hand instead (I’ve done this many times for various projects over the years).

I wanted a bit more texture on this card, so I included a springtime perfect piece of classic daisy chain style white trim. To complement this trim and to help the fussy cut floral panel stand out a bit more, I die cut some leaves with trailing vines from basic white cardstock.

Next, I die cut the banner outline from pale brown cardstock and the decorative label shaped piece from light sage green cardstock. I stamped my classic sentiment of “happy birthday” in dark green ink and added some faux stitching around it with a white Uniball pen.

A few soft pink Prima gems nestled here and there, a flourish of pink pearls atop the fussy cut flower panel, and some strategically placed Glossy Accents on various parts of that panel finished off this pastel hued birthday greeting that I suspect many shabby chic lovers would enjoy receiving.

Card making tips and ideas from this project

-Obvious though this may sound, card bases do not have to be white, kraft, or black. They can be any colour that works for your project and are a great way to help set the tone for the rest of the palette that you’ll build on top of it.

-Look for trims that match or complement your die cuts and vice versa. Here, the white fabric trim goes awesomely with the border on the rectangular die cut piece that I used behind my sentiment.

-If you’re working with a large area of patterned paper (in this case, the fussy cut floral panel), try to match/harmonize as many of the other elements used on your card to that panel. This is what I did with my choice of light pink, blue, and green cardstocks.

–Hand drawn stitching works fabulously for small pieces and fiddly shapes that might be tricky to machine stitch on without potentially damaging (or if you don’t have – or don’t want to use – a sewing machine).

If you don’t already have a good quality white gel pen, I suggest investing in one if possible. They’re hugely useful for drawing stitches by hand on a huge range of different cardstocks and papers.

-I used rustic garden twine here for the string that the banner flags hang from, but you could easily swap in baker’s twine, hemp cord (natural or dyed), yarn or wool, a skinny piece of ribbon, beading chain, or a strip of paper or cardstock instead.

-Mini clothes pegs/pins are one of my favourite embellishments (they last appeared here in my Only Love Lets Us See scrapbook layout). They’re tons of fun, can be found from various online and offline sources (from eBay to Etsy to some dollar stores and craft stores), and add heaps of charm to any most any project.

-Let a little bit of your card base show. A design this full and eye-catching isn’t exactly overflowing with empty space. To help the eye rest and the design stops short of being too busy, I often like to ensure that a wee bit of the card base is visible in at least two areas of my design. In this case, that occurs at the top and bottom of the card.

Repeating the same pale pink colour of cardstock in the center panel of the card also helps to give a sense of open or white space, as it tricks, so to speak, the eye into thinking that it’s part of the largest area of the card (the base), when in fact it’s one of the last layers.

Products used to make this pastel floral birthday card

-White, light pink, light blue, light sage (or similar toned) green, and light brown or kraft coloured cardstocks

-Floral print paper – Rose Avenue Suite Collection Paper from Kaisercraft (the white + cream lace print paper that I also used here is the pattern on the back of this sheet)

-Happy birthday sentiment stamp

-Dark green ink pad – Ranger Archival Ink in Library Green

-Various decorative frame metal dies (or border punched pieces)

-Elegant border die (or punch or premade fancy border strip)

-Mini calendar page – Mini Calendar Cards from Webster’s Pages

-Mini alphabet stickers – Butterfly Pink Stickers from Jenni Bowlin

–Mini wooden clothes pins

-Natural braided twine (see tips above for alternative product ideas that you can use here, too)

-Pink pearl embellishment flourish (this one is from Zva Creative – Prima and Recollections have released similar ones over the years as well)

-Light pink faceted adhesive gems – Midnight Garden Say It In Crystals from Prima

-White floral design trim – Vicki B. Wraps from Bo Bunny

–Ranger Glossy Accents (optional)

–Signo Uniball white ink pen

-Dimensional foam, pop dots, or similar to elevate some of your layers

-Adhesive, such as a tape runner, of your choice (I often use my Scotch Tape Glider)

Keep your recipients in mind when creating cards

While it’s definitely useful to have some general purpose cards on hand for birthdays and various other occasions that work well for a wide range of recipients, whenever possible, I truly love tailoring my projects to the person (or people – say a couple or family) who is going to be receiving it.

That’s exactly what I did with this cheerful, confectionary hued birthday card for my dear Grandma.

The past couple of years have not been the easiest for my grandparents, including on the health front, and I really wanted to convey my wishes for a positive b-day celebration and year ahead (which is why I purposefully used the word “happy” here two times).

I sincerely hope that my grandma’s birthday abounds with happiness – just as trips to her house did for me when I was growing up – and that this pastel floral card helps to make her special day all the more so.

Project share

Pin the image below – or any other in this post – to Pinterest, pop it into your Instagram Stories, post in on Twitter or Facebook, or share it anywhere else you wish to help yourself find it again and to inspire others at the same time.

If you make a project based on or inspired by this card – or want to share any of your other handmade crafts with me – please use the hashtags #WitchcraftedLife and #WitchcraftedLifeMakes on social media so that I see can your beautiful creations.

The post Elegant springtime happy birthday card appeared first on Witchcrafted Life.