Birdhouse Mobile made with the Birdhouse Box by Simply Crafty SVGs

Hiya, This week I've been making a mobile to decorate my craft room using a simplified version of the Birdhouse Box from Simply Crafty SVGs. I love the shape of this birdhouse design and decided to miniaturise the file and use just the foundation shapes (walls and roof base) to make some light-weight houses for the mobile. This is a great project for displaying your hand decorated papers. I have lots of background papers made from gel printing, but for this project I used paper that I'd decorated with distress inks. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut all the card and paper pieces, but any cutting machine that uses SVGs could be used instead.

Materials Used


Wooden Mobile Hanger Bracket
AC White Textured Cardstock
Smooth Watercolour Paper
Distress Oxide Inks (Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet & Picked Raspberry)
White Gel Pen
Silhouette Pen Holder
Pink & Turquoise Beads
Turquoise Embroidery Thread


Hand-decorated Paper

Each birdhouse roof is cut from watercolour paper that I'd first damped with water and then painted with Distress Oxide inks, blending each colour into the next. Once it had dried, I stamped a crackle pattern in the Salty Ocean colour over the top. Although I'd taped the paper to a board, it still warped as it dried. My solution was to finish off the drying in my heat press. When it was almost dry, I sandwiched it between clean sheets of paper and applied a little low heat. Then I turned of the press, and left in in the closed press to dry completely.

Sketch and Cut Birds

Using a bird design from the Silhouette Design Store (#268417) I sketched the outline of the bird in white gel pen onto the decorated paper and then cut an offset around it. I made a duplicate and some mirrored images, and gave each an eye in crystal Nuvo Drops. Then I adhered them back-to-back on a length of embroidery thread.  Beads were added at the end of the thread to ensure that the thread would hang straight, pulling out any kinks. These beads were re-purposed from a discarded child's bracelet. N.B. If you were making this for child you'd need to omit the beads and spend more time straightening the thread.

3-Dimensional Clouds

I designed my own 3-D clouds to hang on each thread. Each cloud consists of three identical cloud-shaped pieces with a fold line down the centre of each.  Any cloud shape would work so long as it is symmetrical along the fold line.

The clouds were cut from white textured cardstock and the cut edges highlighted with blue oxide ink.

The pieces were folded in half and they were adhered together in sets of three with one side left open. The last sides were stuck with liquid glue around the embroidery thread once the birds and houses had been attached to the threads.

Miniature Bird Houses

I made the houses by reducing the size to 65% of the original.

I used just the house and the roof (without the panels). To keep the weight down, I didn't use the door and frame, but just added a hole in their place, with a simple circle frame around it. The house parts were assembled and two small holes added in the floor, used to attach the thread together with a bead. The the roof was then threaded on and adhered to the house with a bead added on top.


Assembling the Mobile

The four 'house' threads (of identical length), were attached to the mobile hanger arms, and the 'bird' thread was attached to the loop in the centre. The finished mobile is in constant motion and consequently proved somewhat difficult to photograph.

I'm so looking forward to putting this up in my craft room once I've finished tidying and decorating. There is something rather special about having a moving paper craft project on display!

Simply Crafty SVG Files:
Bird House Box


Additional Silhouette Files:
Bird (Fox Sister) #268417
or
Bird (Fox Sister) #268416

Tiered Ombre Cake Box Card

Hiya.   Today I'm sharing another fun greetings card from Simply Crafty SVGs.  I've used the Tiered Cake Box Card, a 3-dimensional card that folds flat for posting.


I love ombré shading, and have some seen some wonderful real cakes decorated in that style. I decided to give the cake on my card an ombré look, and also used vellum to make the plate look more like a glass cake plate.  I made a few small adjustments to the Tiered Cake Box Card design though, adding more detail to the icing using internal offsets, then adding the recipient's age with a matching offset. I describe how I did these things in a little more detail below using my Silhouette Cameo. I used a Silhouette Cameo® 3, and the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. However, the SVG files can be used with other desktop die cutting machines and software (details here).


Materials Used:
Pale Blue Heavyweight Smooth Cardstock
White Mediumweight Textured Cardstock
Pearlescent Vellum
Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
Double-sided Adhesive Tape
Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pads in Salty Ocean & Faded Jeans
Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool
Lawn Fawn Starry Backdrops Clear Stamp
Versamark Clear Watermark Ink Pad
Wow! Ultra Fine White Embossing Powder
Embossing Heat Tool
Sizzix Tim Holtz Stripes Embossing Folder from the Harlequin & Stripes Set
Alcohol Markers for colouring the candle flames (Optional)
Silhouette Cameo


Files Used:
Simply Crafty SVGs Tiered cake Box Card

Fonts Used:
SW Swirl Dance Font



Heat Embossing the Cake
Once I'd cut out all the pieces, I stamped the two cake front pieces with Versamark ink and applied white embossing powder to provide a resist for the ink blending. It isn't necessary to stamp on the lower part of the taller piece, as only the top part shows once the card is assembled.

Coloring the Ombré Cake
I blended the lighter colour of ink (Salty Ocean) on to the top three quarters, and then blended the darker colour (Faded Jeans) to just the top edge.

Here is the before and after, (actually after, and before) showing what a difference it makes!

Vellum Cake Plate

I cut three plates from vellum as well as from the blue cardstock and then adhered them together using double-sided tape. Yes, I did trim those excess end pieces first!

This is what they look like stuck together. The tape shows through the vellum a little, but as it runs parallel with the stripes it looks like part of the pattern.

Coloring the Candles (optional)

I coloured the candles on cake background (cut from white cardstock) with Copic Markers of various colours. I followed part of this YouTube video for colours choices.  Alternatively, you could use colored card, paper, or add chalks, or colored paper.

Offsetting the Icing

To give a little more detail to the icing I made an internal offset of 0.55". I cut the offsets from the textured side of the card, and the original pieces from the smooth side.

I did the same with the swag parts, but released the path and deleted the inner-most parts, copied the original inner parts, and made a compound path with them and the new offsets (otherwise the pieces would have been too small to handle easily).

This is how the finished icing looked.

Adding an Age

You'll notice that I also added an age. It would also possible to add a small sentiment in the same way. I typed out the number (using SW Swirl Dance font from the Silhouette Design Store) and added an offset to match that of the icing. I cut the offset from white card, and the number itself from a scrap piece of ombré blended card.

I cut the number from different parts of the card and from white, and chose to use the lighter ombré version.

Assembling the Card

The card was assembled following the directions in the pdf document included with the file download. I used panels in the same colour as the card base, shading the edges lightly with the distress inks.

The card fits into a US A7 envelope.  A free envelope file is available on the site that fits perfectly (for cards up to 5" x 7").

These are the files I used. Just click on the photo to visit the item in Simply Crafty SVGs online store.




This is a great card for all sorts of occasions and goes together very easily. Wouldn't it be great for Mother's Day? I'm sure I'll be using this one again before too long!



Janet, DT Member Simply Crafty SVGs

Blog: Crafting Quine 
Instagram: @CraftingQuine



Simply Crafty SVG Files:
Tiered Cake Box Card
Basic Envelope Set (Free)

Halloween Gruesome Brew Luminary from Simply Crafty SVGs 3D Beer Glass File

Hello, Janet here with a Halloween project using another amazing cutting file from Simply Crafty SVGs. There are many fantastic Halloween designs in the shop, but I decided that I'd transform the 3D Beer Glass into a gruesome brew luminary, complete with eyeballs, green foam, and led lights.  I've included details on how you can make this 'brew' for yourself. I used a Silhouette Cameo® 3, but the SVG files used for the glass can be utilised with other desktop die cutting machines (details here).

MATERIALS:
White Cardstock
Green Paper
Vellum
Glow-in-the-dark Sticker Paper
Scraps of Coloured Paper and Card
Beacon 3-in-1 Glue
Distress Ink in Walnut Stain
Distress Oxide Ink in Distressed Pistachio
Bubbles Embossing Folder
Manual Embossing/Die-cutting Machine
Silhouette Cameo
Multi-coloured LED Light String
Drinking Straw with Firework Frill


The Faux Glass Base

Cut the base pieces from white cardstock and the panels from green paper. Make an offset of the base pieces and cut them from vellum.

Before assembling, darken the bottom edge of the green panels to represent sediment in the glass.

Curl the base pieces before attaching the green panels.  Align the vellum pieces and bend over the right edge and adhere it on the underside of the panel with clear craft glue on the right edge only.

Before securing the vellum on the other edges add eyeballs and vellum circles. For the circles I used vellum left over from another project which had been 'smooshed' with Distress Oxide Inks.

Make eye balls with circles cut from glow-in-the-dark sticker paper, with smaller circles adhered on top (white card could be substituted). Draw on red veins to the eyeballs if desired.

Continue to assemble the base as directed in the designer's instructions.


The Green Foam

Since the completed base is thicker because of the extra vellum layer, enlarge the lid pieces slightly to compensate (base pieces and panels).

To allow light to shine though the top, add a large circular hole to the top of the lid on both lid pieces with sufficient width to cover the tabs. Cut from white cardstock.

Cut the panels from vellum. Duplicate the 10-sided shape adding a smaller hole to allow the straw to pass through. Cut that from vellum.

Emboss all the vellum pieces with a bubble embossing folder.

Tint the pieces with Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide Ink.  Adhere them to the main lid piece and assemble the lid.


Additional Decorations

Add a dangling spider to the side of the glass.

Attach small black bats and glow-in-the-dark bubbles to the ends of the firework frill on the straw. 



To Finish
Add a battery-operated white or coloured LED light string. (My lights were bundled with blue and green lights at one end and red and orange lights at the other, I left them bundled as they were).

Turn on the lights, put the lid on, and insert the straw.

Display

I displayed the brew with a 'Drink me if you dare' sign in a black bracket-shaped frame, a layered green paper and vellum background, and words in black sign vinyl.

I think this will make a great addition to my Halloween display this year.


Bye for now,
Janet, DT Member Simply Crafty SVGS

Blog: https://CraftingQuine.blogspot.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftingquine

Simply Crafty SVG Files:
Beer Glass

Files for Accompanying Stand:
3D Bracket Shaped Frame by Lori Whitlock  
Drink Me Phrase by Rhonna Farrer

Haunted Halloween Castle using Crafty SVGs Dragon Castle Card

Hello, Janet here with a new Halloween project. I've used the SVG file for the Dragon Castle Card from Simply Crafty SVGs as a starting point for this folding haunted castle.

You might have noticed that I can't resist changing things up a bit and as Sandy's files are so well designed and versatile they are the perfect for this.  Sandy's castle box card is great as it is, and comes with a super dragon - brilliant for all the 'Game of Thrones' fans in your life. Not only that, the file contains a bonus shaped card of the dragon in all his/her glory!

However, I needed something bigger so I enlarged the castle design and used two castles stuck back-to-back. Then I added some Halloween embellishments and the castle was transformed. I was so pleased when I realised that it still folded down. That means I can easily store it and reuse it next year.

 

Materials Used:
Grey Heavyweight Card in A3 sheets 240 gsm
Crackle-textured Background Stamp
Black Soot and Frayed Burlap Distress Oxide Inks
Patterned papers in Grey and Orange
Black Paper
Silhouette Glow-in-the-Dark Sticker Paper
Black Wink of Stella Pen
Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
Dimensional Adhesive Pads
Silhouette Cameo
Silhouette 12" x 24" Cutting Mat

Files Used:
Simply Crafty SVGs Dragon Castle Card

Silhouette Studio Files:
Haunted House Accessories by Samantha Walker (ghosts) (#34010)*
Trick or Treat Halloween Banner by Emily Dyer (#97615)
Spider Web by Silhouette (#2954)*
Spider & Web by Sarah Bailey (spider) (#33514)
Bats by Lori Whitlock (#156856)
*also available as SVGs



Resizing and Cutting

I enlarged all the castle card components so that the biggest piece would fit onto A3 cardstock approx. 11.5" x 16.5". The file piece shown is roughly 8" x 16".  The I cut double the number of card bases, panels and door frames from the grey cardstock.  I also cut additional small towers to put on the inside of the castle.

Decorating the Card/Castle Base

I used black distress oxide ink to blend some ink around the the edges of the inside parts of the castle (parts not covered with panels).

Decorating the Panels

The panels were stamped with a texture background stamp. This is an old one from Personal Impressions (P765). I think it may be discontinued as I couldn't find it online. It's so long since I used a quality large mounted stamp like this, it has a real luxury feel to it!  However, most texture stamps would work, especially brickwork, stone or marble.

I then blended Distress Oxide ink around the edges with a mini sponge dauber and also lightly rubbed some Frayed Burlap ink over the surface to give the panels a bit of colour variation.

Windows and Doors

Using the panels as a template, I drew the windows onto the bases. On the front of the castle I added scraps of glow-in-the-dark sticker to cover the window openings (they will later be covered with the panels). As an alternative I cut out the windows on the rear of the castle with a craft knife and placed orange vellum over the windows.  I preferred the glow-in-the-dark ones, but the vellum is an adequate alternative.

Attaching the Panels

The window frames, flagpoles and battlement strips were cut from black paper, the flags from orange, and the roof pieces from grey patterned paper.  It is a good idea to made up the panels before attaching them to the base. Sandwiching the vellum or glow-in-the-dark paper between the base and the panels really shows the detail in the window frames off nicely.  The picture below shows the vellum version.

Card Assembly

Both written (PDF) and video instructions are available for this file and it is very straightforward to put together. I assembled both halves of the castle independently, remembering to put the rear panels on the inside of the card rather than the back, where the two castles are joined together. I reversed one of the castles so the towers matched up on each side, but it would look fine with them alternating too.



Decorations

The two ghosts were cut from the glow-in-the-dark sticker paper, with a second set in reverse. I sandwiched a narrow strip of grey card between each matching set which was used to attach the ghosts above the castle walls.

I substituted the door for a glow-in-the-dark panel with a spider's web sandwiched between the two door frame parts.

The spider was made from several layers of black and orange card and mounted proud of the web on adhesive foam pads.

The 'Trick or Treat' banner was cut from black paper and layered with some orange paper behind and mounted above the door frame. A black Wink of Stella pen was used to give the black parts a bit of gloss and shine.

Finally, a few bats were added on the flag and in other random places.



Here is the castle in the dark with the ghosts a-glowing!

There are so many options for decorating this Halloween castle, it is hard to know when to stop!


Bye for now,
Janet, DT Member Simply Crafty SVGS


Blog: Crafting Quine 
Instagram: @CraftingQuine



Simply Crafty SVG Files:
Dragon Castle Card