Window Frame Card

Ok, so I said yesterday I had a bunch of cards to do. Well, I put my 3 yr old to work today--Happy birthday to my little man today. I got some 12 x 12 archival scrapbooking canvas at H/L and cut a 5x7 piece and gave him some oil pastels and told him to color a picture.

First of all, this would've been the pefect opportunity to do my first video huh? LOL
Sorry no detailed gypsy pics. I always enjoy those because I'm sure I'm not the only visual learner!!

I got my gypsy and went to GW and used the frames. I sized at 4 1/4 x 5.5 and duplicated, grouped and welded together. On the side that was the back of the card, I used hide/contour to hide the "inside frame" cutout. All that was cut.

Then, I cut just the one frame side 2 additional times for some thickness when I glued everything together.

Then, I used just the same frame side that I just did the hide/contour on (the back side of card cut) and put a piece of the clear plastic cricut clamshell packaging on the mat. I was lazy and didn't put my deep cut blade/housing in. So, turned blade to 6, pressure max and speed max. I had to multi cut it 2 additional times but it worked.

Now, for the inside patterned paper. I used the same frame cut again but used hide/contour for the inside part for both before grouping/welding together. I cut the birdhouse paper out. Then, just used one side of the frame with the inside hide/contoured and cut 1x with the floral/vine paper.

Then, went to Winter Frolic and cut the tree branch 2x in brown, size at 3". I had to trim the shadow of the bird & nest off since hide/contour wouldn't work for this cut. Then, used the "Happy Birthday" phrase on GW sized at 2 in red.

The bird is from Animal Kingdom and cut at 1". The base was yellow, the top layer (without beek or legs) was in a tan. I used Tim Holtz distress ink pads & MS chalk inks and applicators to highlight the belly and wings--colors used were MS cream, walnut stain, weathered wood, and honey.

Ok, now for card base. Ran through cuttlebug and use the sizzix/Tim Holtz tree folder. Then inked entire card in walnut stain distress ink pad.

Remember the 2 extra frame layers I cut for thickness? I glued those inside the card base to give the frame part extra thickness. Then, I used my ATG to glue the cut piece of plastic inside the frame (like glass on a picture frame). To make sure things would stay in place, I used an embroidery needle and the natural bakers twine and 2 small red buttons to go completely through the plastic & 3 pieces of cardstock. I left ends long on top of the button so I could tie a bow. It was hard using the needle through all those thicknesses so I had to also use some needle nose pliers to pull through.

Ok, for the "art masterpiece" LOL I wanted it stiffer so I painted a thin layer of Modge Podge on both sides of the canvas. It took 30 min to dry. Then, I ran a layer of the ATG tape from the inside of the card on the plastic. Then, I thought "THAT WON'T HOLD" so I also used some of the zip dry on top. I placed the canvas down so it would show through the "plastic window."
I used some of those black butterfly clips around the edges of the card to hold the zipdry/layers together while it dried good.

An hour later I came back and glued the inside pieces of cardstock to the card, then glued down all the inside details.

I just got done with this card and it took me aaAAALLLllllllll morning!! First time I ever tackled anything like this. Who knows, there was probably an easier way to do this. It was a learning and creative thinking project. LOL

But my 3yr old is so happy his little artwork is made into a card. My Mother-in-law loves birds and nature so I think it all works.