Birthday Hat Card

Welcome back!  For my second card instillation I made a birthday hat card.  I feel I have to say before I get started that this card (above) may be used for any occasion by adding different embellishments and colors.  I'm a simple girl so of course you can bling it up too!  I had the basic design idea for the card in my head, but this time the card was going to be for my oldest daughter's friend so she had her hand in designing it.  We started with core'dinations card stock 8.5" X 11" I bought at Joanne fabrics.  I really like these paper packs because you get so many different colors.  

Then we used my new Cricut Cuttlebug Machine, V2 Green to emboss the cardstock.

I LOVE my Cuttlebug!! I found out they were being discontinued at my monthly crop with my friends at my favorite local scrapbook store Scrappin' in the City and I totally freaked out!  I had been using my friends machines and the one at Scrappin'.  I know there are other die cutting machines out there but I really like the way this one works, and I've found that the other ones are harder to use.... So I promptly went home and asked my husband if he would get one for me. Perhaps the planets were aligned just right that day because he said yes!  I ended up getting mine on eBay of all places for $40 (which was awesome).  A quick piece of advice if you are thinking about purchasing a Cuttlebug: Buy an extra set of mats (Cuttlebug Replacement Cutting Mat B, 2 Mats) because they wear out when using dies on the machine.  But I digress!

So we embossed the green paper with a Darice chevron embossing folder.  Which can also be purchased at Joanne fabrics. 

I love chevron so I use this folder a lot for all kinds of projects.  But just like with colors and embellishments, you can change embossing patterns to suit your needs.  First, I used my Fiskars paper trimmer to cut my paper to card size.

Then I used my Fiskars mini paper cutter and cut a random shape on a piece of purple core'dinations card stock 8.5" X 11".  I love this little paper cutter it is handy for so many things and since I work with small pieces of paper for my cards all the time it is priceless!                

Then my daughter selected an embossing folder to use on the purple paper.  She picked this project life embossing folder.

There was no rhyme or reason to choosing that specific embossing pattern, but they turned out looking really great together.  If not for that we would pick through trial and error!  That's the great part about this, you just try until you get it right, and nothing is a mistake because you can just use your scraps later for another project.  You never know when things will come in handy later.  I keep two bags handy when I scrapbook or make cards 1) scraps of paper all shapes and sizes  2) punched or cut shapes I didn't use.  Nothing is too small to keep for later!  

So a quick tutorial for using the Cricut Cuttlebug Machine, V2 Green for embossing, and it could not be easier!  Begin by placing your paper inside the embossing folder.  Then, place the A plate down.  Stack one B plate on top of the A plate.  Next you place the embossing folder on top of the B plate.  Finally, put the second B plate on top of the embossing folder.  Like a big embossing sandwich.
 

 

Then you run it through the machine.  You need to push it into the machine as you first start the crank, but then the crank takes over and it runs through quite easily!

 My daughter wanted to try it and after she was done she made me swear I'd never get rid of it!  And like I said before I LOVE my Cuttlebug!!!  So now that we had our two pieces cut out and embossed, we were ready for the next step.

Ok, so next it was time for the hat and circle.  I envisioned the circle kind of like a button holding the two parts of embossed paper together.  My daughter picked a cute patterned paper to use for the hat and we picked a color of Core'dinations card stock 8.5" X 11" that matched.  She picked blue.  So the next step was to punch it out.  I used this punch that I got at a scrapbook outlet store.

Any circle punch will do!  Then it was time to make the hat.  The second card I ever made was the the hat that goes on this particular card, but back then it was just hat on paper. I know it's not fancy, but I still think it was a good looking card.  I remember being super proud of it!  I punched out the hat using my Fiskars banner punch.

Then I punched out the topper.

I carefully cut out a strip to put on the bottom of the hat from the paper I used for the topper by using my Tim Holtz scissors.  They are amazing for cutting detailed items and/or small items.  I heard they have a large pair now and that is definitely next on my list to pick up.  

Then I assembled the hat.

I love this Mono Aqua Liquid Glue adhesive for pieces that are too small for miracle tape.  It works really well, and you have a second or two to adjust your paper if you don't get it just right the first time you place it.

Using my Tim Holtz scissors I trimmed the bottom of the hat to size.

Now all that was left was to assemble the card.        

  

So here comes the miracle tape!  I love this stuff!  You can get it at my local Scrapbook store Scrappin' in the City.  It lasts for such a long time! I put the miracle tape on the back of my purple embossed card stock, and then I attached it to the green embossed paper.

Then I placed the hat onto the circle.

I used pop dots (I call them poppers) on the back of the circle.

Next I attached that circle to form my "button" and the pop makes it stand out.

Lastly, I assembled all of it.

I attached it to an A2 card base and I have a nice looking birthday card for somebody special.  Thanks for reading! Happy crafting!


Supply list:

• Core'dinations card stock 8.5" X 11" (or any card stock at least 3 different coordinating colors)
• A patterned paper that matches your 3 colors of cardstock
• Cuttlebug embossing and die cutting machine
• Two embossing folders that coordinate well together
• A large circle punch
• Fiskars paper trimmer
• Fiskars paper cutter
• Fiskars banner punch
• a small topper punch for hat (I used a small flower punch)
• Tim Holtz small scissors
• Aqua liquid glue
• Miracle tape
• pop dots
• A2 card and envelopes  

I am not an affiliate of my local scrapbook store but I love it!  It gives me my sanity and I consider it my second home!  So I have to put in a plug for my favorite scrapbook store!  As we all know many of our local scrapbook stores are an endangered species.  So if you happen to be in town or want to order online please do!  There are so many unique products available.  I would truly appreciate you supporting my cropping haven!