Zebra Get Well Card

Here's the second card in the Get Well series. This one is for my friend Cindy who is about to have major surgery. I wish her well and hope that this card brightens her day.

I had so much fun making this card. I cut out the zebra and the card evolved from there. The zebra's scarf was inspired by the old movies with the actresses who rode in convertibles with scarves flowing in the wind. I added the crystal bracelet just to give her extra dimension. Although this was meant to be a get well card, this design could be used for any occasion.






Zebra Get Well Directions:

1. Using a computer greeting card program, generate a get well sentiment and verse and print it on parchment card stock.

2. Cut a piece of green patterned paper approximately 2 3/4 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Glue to bottom of the card.

3. Cut a piece of light blue card stock approximately 4 1/4 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Emboss using Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder. Glue card stock to card above the green patterned paper.

4. Using Cricut Paisley cartridge cut a 3 inch zebra out of black card stock. Load white card stock into the Cricut and press the shift key and zebra to cut the stripes and muzzle. Glue the stripes and muzzle on the black zebra. Using pink card stock cut a 3 inch car. Glue the car over the black card stock car. Cut a small flower out of purple and the center out of green card stock.

5. Cut a slightly curved strip out of coarse sand paper to resemble a road. Glue the road on the green patterned paper.

6. Make small dots close together with Alene's Tacky Glue and sprinkle Flower Soft on top of the glue. Lightly press down on the flower soft and shake off the excess. After the glue dries apply glue on top of the Flower Soft and sprinkle with a fine glitter. Shake off the excess and let it dry.

7. Use flower shaped brads as hub caps on the wheels of the car. Tie a piece of sheer ribbon around the zebra's neck to resemble a scarf. Glue three small clear stones to the zebra's wrist for the bracelet. Attach the zebra and car to the card using Zots raised glue dots.

8. Draw a tree trunk and cut it out of brown card stock. Using the button function on the Cricut keypad cut a 2 inch flower shaped button out of purple card stock. Glue flower shaped button behind the the tree trunk. Glue small flowers randomly around the top of the tree. Glue pearls to the center of the flowers. Attach to the card using raised glue dots.

9. Using the button feature and the shift key cut a 2 inch circle out of yellow card stock. Cut 1/4 inch strips of yellow card stock and glue to the yellow circle to resemble the sun's rays. Spray the sun with Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist. Attach sun to the top right of the blue sky using raised glue dots.

10. Punch a butterfly out of pink card stock using Martha Stewart's butterfly punch. Apply opal glitter glue to the butterfly and sprinkle clear micro beads over the entire surface. Shake off the excess beads and let the glue dry. Make antennae out of black card stock. Glue butterfly to the top of the card near the tree. Attach antennae to the butterfly with glue.

Get Well Cards

The weather in the Washington area has been beautiful and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Cherry Blossoms. If you are ever in the Washington, DC area in the spring time you should try to see the Cherry Blossoms, you won't be disappointed.

Over the next few weeks I have friends and family members who will be having major surgery so I have stopped work on my Mozart project to make a few get well cards. I will be posting the cards and the directions here over the next week.

My husband's Aunt Pat is the first to have surgery. She is such a wonderful person and I have come to think of her as our Aunt Pat. This is the card that I made for her.






Directions for Snail Card:

1. Using parchment color card stock and a computer greeting card program print a get well sentiment and verse.

2. Cut a piece of light blue card stock approximately 6 1/2 inches by 4 inches. Emboss using Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder.

3. Cut a piece of green patterned paper approximately 2 1/2 inches by 4 inches and glue to the bottom of the blue card stock.

4. Using the Paisley Cricut cartridge cut a 2 inch snail out of yellow card stock. Cut the cheeks and flower center out of pink card stock, the snail shell out of light green card stock and the flower out of purple card stock. Using the shift key cut another 2 inch snail out of black card stock. Remove the eyes and glue on the yellow snail. Glue the green shell, purple flower and pink cheeks and flower center on snail.

5. Using a narrow strip of 4 inch wide light green card stock make random cuts to resemble grass blades. Glue grass under the edge of the green patterned paper.

6. Attach snail just under the edge of the grass using raised glue dots.

7. Using Making Memories Blossoms & Buttons Flutter glue green felt leaves on green patterned paper. Sew a button in the center of a pink felt flower and attach the flower over the leaves using raised glue dots. Sew a button over the center of a patterned paper flower and use raised glue dots to attach to the upper left corner of the card. Glue a small piece of pink ribbon across the bottom left corner of the card.

8. Make a small bow out of pink satin ribbon and glue to the upper right of the card. Make a pink butterfly out of card stock and embellish with glitter glue and pearls. Glue the butterfly slightly below the bow. I drew the butterfly free hand and cut the body out of a strip of black card stock. I cut two narrow strips of black card stock and rolled the edges to create antennae. You could use a pre-made butterfly or use a craft punch to make one.

Quilling

I'm always looking for ways to expand my craft repertoire. Recently I while I was looking through my copy of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts I came across a section on quilling. Quilling is surprising easy and only requires a few materials (quilling paper and a slotted quilling tool). It's perfect for adding decorative touches to framed art and cards.

My daughter Brittany's favorite poem is Langston Hughes' Hold Fast to Dreams. She has always dreamed of going to Germany and last August she finally got the opportunity to work and study over there. In October she became very ill and had to have an operation. She began to question why she wanted to go to Germany at all. I reminded her of the poem and encouraged her to hold fast to her dreams. Now that she's feeling better and things are going well, I decided to frame the poem and give it to her. I printed the poem on parchment paper and added quilling to enhance it.


(Click on picture for a larger view)


Here are the directions for the project.

1. Type the poem into Microsoft Word using the Gigi font and print onto parchment paper.

2. Using the Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge set the dial to 1 1/2 inches and cut Bird 3 out of white card stock. Using the blackout feature cut Bird 3 out of antique gold metallic card stock. Distress the edges of the birds feathers, tail and beak tea dye Distress Ink. Glue the white bird on top of the gold bird.

3. Cut six pieces of lavender quilling paper in 6 inch lengths. Slide one end of the paper into the slotted quilling tool. Roll the paper into a tight circle. Remove the paper from the quilling tool and let it rest on the work surface. The circle will begin to uncoil slightly. Don't worry, this is normal. Put a dot of glue on the end of the paper and press into place. Do this five more times. Pinch the coil between your fingers to make a marquis shape.*

4. Cut nine pieces of lavender paper and four pieces of pink paper into 3 inch lengths. Repeat the process in Step 3 to make a marquis shape.

5. Cut one 3 inch piece of yellow quilling paper and roll into a tight coil. Place a dot of glue on the end of the paper and remove from the quilling tool.

6. Cut ten 3 inch pieces of green quilling paper. Make eight marquis shape. Fold the remaining two pieces in half and lightly crease. Roll a circle at each end of the paper.

7. Cut two 3 inch pieces of green quilling paper. Curl each piece using the blade of a pair of scissors (similar to curling ribbon).

8. Cut eight 6 inch pieces of green quilling paper fold the paper in half and roll the ends into circles. Do not glue the ends. Using your fingers shape the ends into loose curls. Glue the paper together near the fold to form vine shapes.

Assembly:

Arrange the large lavender marquis shapes around the yellow circle and glue into place. Arrange vines on either side of the flower. Glue the small pink and lavender marquis shapes around the vine to resemble flower buds. Glue small green marquis shapes around buds to resemble leaves. Use the two small rolled pieces to accent the top of the buds on the hanging vines. Embellish the buds with pearls.

Glue the bird below the vine and above the title of the poem.

Arrange five small lavender marquis shapes into a flower and add a pearl in the center. Glue the flower at the bottom of the page. Glue a vine shape on each side of the flower.

*For basic quilling instructions can be found on Martha Stewart.com or in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts.