Tuesday 28 October 2014

Christmas rocker card

The latest challenge over at Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge is 'If you want to get ahead, get a hat'. It's the 200th week that Hazel has been running the challenge - wahoo!!

At first I intended using a NBUS stamp but then I turned to the box of last year's received shop-bought cards and found one which was perfect to upcycle.

I'd spotted that Elizabeth had made some lovely rocker cards recently, so after an online search I'd already bought some bigger circular dies (the largest one is 14cm/5.5" diameter), then yesterday just sat and worked out how to make a card. It really is easy-peasy lemon-squeezy but such a fun result :)
I used:

- SU 'Cherry Cobbler' card stock, die cut into a circle using the largest (14cm) die from the Tonic Studios 'Circle Layering Die Set'. Then scored right across the centre at 7cm, using the Hougie Board

- then dropped down a couple of sizes in the die set and cut out the adorable penguins

- cut a further circle in toning paper the same size as the image to cover the back of the image and stuck it down

- used a bit of eyeballing to line up the image onto the rocker base and drew a line across the centre of the back of the image

- spread a thin layer of Collall glue onto the bottom half of the back of the image and, using the line I'd drawn used that as a guide to stick the image onto the rocker section

- then added teeny little googly eyes to each penguin, which wobble to and fro as the card rocks, snigger

- final touch, a Kanban sentiment banner at the top of the card

The in-house critic was muchly impressed, and of course immediately suggested Christmas rocker cards for the little girlies in Germany. I was already ahead of him there as it was why Elizabeth had been playing making these initially!

And my opinion of the Tonic dies? Brilliant! There are 14 dies in the set, they go up in pretty small steps from 2.3cm to 14cm. They come on their own magnetic sheet in a nice little plastic packet which has fitted into one of my die folders perfectly. And, as I have no immediate intention of changing my beloved Cuttlebug, they are well within the cutting plate size. They cut beautifully too, I bought mine from Amazon UK here.

I've only made this one card so far, but am wondering if it would pay to be really careful if you add extras such as gems, die cuts etc. - just in case it ends up too weighted at one side or another so wouldn't sit properly. Mine does but then what I did add is pretty much balanced out.

Edit: And too funny - when I'd written this post I hopped back to Elizabeth's blog to link to her cards and found a lot of what I've written here about which dies to use, balance issues etc. Shame that I didn't think to check first and save a load of time; but a few blog posts slipped past when we were getting ready for the bathroom workers :(

And of course, this card is also for Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra, where it's always anything goes'

Di
x

26 comments:

  1. Di, this is awesome!!!! Great recycling and those little guys are precious! I'll have to check out the dies now too.
    Lynn

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  2. Di, This is a gorgeous creation, love the shape and the penguins are darn cute!

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  3. Love your rocker card Di love those penguins are sooo cute

    Anne

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  4. Love it! And the googly eyes were a stroke of genius! :-) x

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  5. Morning Di,
    I love your very clever rocker card - top marks!

    Thank you for your feedback with my blog dilemma!!
    xx

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  6. Fab card soo cute! Their little googley eyes are brilliant!!
    Lucy x

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  7. Fabulous image Di,and the googley eyes are fun. I don't usually make shaped cards but I like this idea, thanks for the how to tips.
    Jean x

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  8. Lovely rocker card Di and those penguins are so sweet with their googly eyes. I have made a few rocker cards in the past but have forgotten how clever they are, and such fun too. x

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  9. I love this Di!!! so cute and love those tiny goggly eyes LOL huggles Sue xxxx

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  10. This rocker card is awesome Di! I love how you up-cycled this cute penguin card. I was wondering at first how you colored this to look so amazing and then I read your post. lol I need to up-cycle more of my cards I think! Hugs, Brenda

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  11. LOVE this rocker card . . . and what a SUPER CUTE penguin image -spesh the one in a hat!

    Hilarious.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  12. This is great Diane, I love those cute penguins, lovely card.
    hugs Jacee
    Simply Paper Card Design

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  13. This is so cute Di, love those penguins. HUgs Veerle xx

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  14. Hello Di received my pixie post this morning! The stamp is fab can't wait to play! And what a lovely card you sent with it! So pretty and love the design! Thank you ever so much!xx

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  15. Love, love, love this Di, such a cute image and a great shape card.
    Note to self must give the card shape a try, that's a laugh, unless I do it immediatly, which I can't, I'll just forget.
    Hope the home improvements are progressing well.

    Kath x

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  16. Great card there Miss. Love the penguins. Can we have some in the Playground this winter?
    Even Mr Hettie liked your card.
    Hugs
    xx

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  17. Rocker cards..so cute...what a fun idea! It's adorable.

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  18. This is one seriously cute rocker card!! I love those fuzzy birds and their googlie eyes! Totally cute!

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  19. Fabulous card, Di. The penguin topper is so cute and those googly eyes are such fun. I'm sorely tempted to get that set of circle dies - my X-cut set doesn't go up to 5", especially as my Cuttlebug would cope with them. Hugs, Elizabeth xx

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  20. The rocker colour matches the Hat perfickly. A great card for kids of all ages! Smirk.
    Hugs Mrs A.

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  21. I like the rocker card look but haven't attempted any myself. I wouldn't have given weighting both sides of the card properly a thought.... and then would wonder why my card sat cockeyed.

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  22. What a ROCKIN' card, Miss! (Sorry, I couldn't resist the awful pun!) Seriously, this is one very cute card!!

    love Mags B x

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  23. Oh this is too cute! I should try one of these for fun sometime! :)

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  24. Thanks for entering both of my CHNC challenges with your lovely crafting - hope to see you again soon. x

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