Print and Cut Clipart for Cards

The perfect clipart can really make a card!  Finding the perfect clipart is a bit of a bother, but it can be done.  Every time I find something really cute or clever, I create a card around it. 

 

I found this cute little frog in the Pazzles Library and had to use it in a card.  I found this layout online and created my own version in my Inspiration software.

 

I got lucky and found this darling race car when I went looking for something "speedy" for this Get Well card.  I suspect that I'll be making this card again shortly, as it will sell first to the next person needing a Get Well card!

 

And one of my co-workers is actually hoping for someone to retire soon, so she can buy this card.  She just loves it!  I have to say that the alligator was an inspired find.  The clipart having the front feet in that position made the placement of the sentiment a breeze.

 

 

I just love adding print and cut butterflies to a feminine card - in person, they really pop!  Because these are actually photos of real butterflies, with a little shaping, it looks like a beautiful butterfly just stopped by to grace your card! 

 

Pazzles offers great videos on how to do Print and Cut so I won't bother to repeat any instructions.  Just know that it is easy and nearly foolproof and takes a simple and easy card over the top!

Lottery Scratch Ticket Birthday Card

My Dad's birthday is coming up next week and he LOVES lottery scratch tickets.  I decided I wanted to try to make him one for his birthday card.

Here's how it was created.  First, I made the card with my Pazzles Inspiration.  It's a standard size - 4-1/4 x 5-1/2.  I perforated a tear-off piece 1/4-inch around the whole card.  I added my sentiment inside along with his "instant winnings", making sure to stay inside the 1/4-inch perforation.

 
Then I glued the front to the back along the perforation lines.  To make the "scratch off" panel, I tried several things.  First, I penned the winning dollar amounts onto slick paper with my pen tool on the PI and cut it out.

I taped off the edges and painted the piece with 1 part dishwashing soap and 2 parts silver craft paint.

  Gotta watch for bubbles - they dry as bubbles.  And since the paint has soap in it, bubbles are everywhere!  I let this dry completely and scratched it off.  Guess what - the numbers penned on the paper scratched off too!  This did not work.  I tried it with printed numbers on both plain untextured cardstock and more glossy paper.  Nothing worked - it scratched off everything.  So here's my solution:

I printed the number on plain paper and glued them to the glossy cardstock.  Then I painted a piece of acetate with the same soap and paint combo.  Again, bubbles are a pain!

I then glued the number piece to the card and taped the painted acetate with double sided tape to the card.  Now I'm just hoping that the motion it will endure in the mail will not rub off any of the paint.  I really hope he likes it! 

The possibilities in this type of card are endless.  I can think of several off the top of my head - date night, movie night out, chores, back rubs, etc.  Such fun to think about!