Crackerbox Stamps: Electric Sex

One of my holiday traditions is to watch the movie, A Christmas Story, so I couldn't resist making this interactive card inspired by the movie.  Read more on the Crackerbox Stamps blog.

• Crackerbox Stamps Leg Lamps & Sayings Set of 3
• Lawn Fawn Push Here
• Lawn Fawn Outside in Stitched Heart Stackables
• Lawn Fawn Window Frame
• Echo Park Snowed In 6x6 Paper
• Versamark
• Ranger Detail Fine White Embossing Powder
• Versafine Clair Nocturne (interior sentiment)
• Copics:  E00, E11, E40, E55, E57, E59, N6, N7, N8, Y00, Y21

CDD -- Interactive Card Time

Hi Everyone!  I'm sharing an interactive card with you today using Christmas Wishes, Snowflake Flurries Stencil, Fall Border Dies, and the Fancy Frames Dies.  Did you spot Rudolph's blinking nose? Beep beep!  LOL.  

I started out with the basic Chibi light components (conductive copper tape, a watch battery and a Chibi light). I had already done a mock up of the card so knew where I wanted the light and "push here" point to be.  I thus prepared the card panel and image by making small holes for the light to show through.  It's not absolutely necessary to do that but I did want to make sure the light would be as bright as possible. 

I had stamped the image twice--once for coloring and once on the card front to make it easier to see where the hole for the light and push point needed to be.

Next came the assembly of the light unit. I've done this a few times so have come up with cheats to help myself. These include using two layers of sticky-back foam to and dies to create the height needed for the components. Notice I had saved the diecut portion of the foam and used it to cover up the light except for that hole. I did this so the light would come only through the hole rather than lighting up the entire area there.

The Chibi light has a positive and negative side (noted in the photo) and you need to have a conductive copper line leading to/from both.  Notice how I made a scored casing to hold the battery and to provide a place for the positive line to wrap up and over to reach the positive side of the battery.  Also notice I had drawn where my card front opening was so I knew exactly how much space I had to work in.

Here you can see how the positive copper tape wraps over the scored casing. When the battery touches BOTH the positive and negative ends, the circuit is complete and the light will activate. Be sure to test that it works before you use the diecut foam to cover the components and finish up your card. By the way, I've had no difficulty with light activation when the foam covers the copper tape.

I assembled the card by adhering the front panel to the Chibi card base, stenciling the Snowflake Flurries stencil using Distress Oxide, adhering the two Fall Border Dies layers I had colored with Copics, and stamping the sentiment with VersaFine Onyx Black.

COPICS
Skin: E00, E02 (blush), E11 (shadow)
Hair: YR0000, Y21, Y35, YR24
Clothes: B01, B02, B04, RV06
Scarf & Trees: YG03, YG05
Reindeer: E50, E51, E53, E55
Houses: B04, RV06, Y15, Y17

Christmas Wishes

Snowflake Flurries

Fall Border Dies

Fancy Frames Dies

Distress Oxide

VersaFine Onyx Black

Swimming by with Halloween--Wait, What?

Halloween stamps are the ones I have the absolute least of--it's such a specific holiday. BUT, I also have multiple nieces and nephews of trick or treating age so there's no way I could get away with not sending them Halloween cards.  What kind of aunt would I be?  I'd be that aunt and no one wants to be her.  So I thought about the sets I have and how they could Halloweened up.  This is the result!

I started by coloring the background using Distress Inks.  I used a lot of ink to get this level of saturation so the paper needed to dry overnight before I cut it using the coverplate.  Next I colored up the mermaid who would normally be seated on a rock but instead I perched her on the trident that comes with the LF set.  I extended the length using a Copic multiliner.  I found her hat as clipart online.  I printed the hat, masked it, then stamped her beneath.  I then had my Scan n Cut 2 cut out the lot.  I colored her up and added Wink of Stella for shine.

Next came the haunted aquarium house.  Notice the "tree"?  I replaced the regular tree with coral! Oh, I'm having fun now!  I also added a Chibi light to make the house light up.  To do that, I added a piece of vellum to the back of the house and colored it a dark yellow orange.  This tones down the brilliant white of the light and makes it a bit spookier imo.  I also cut out openings in the card front beneath the house windows so the light would shine as much as possible. I've added pics of the mechanism below.

1. On my card base I penciled in where the house and mermaid were so I would know where to place the light and battery.
2. I created a box of sorts for the battery using scrap paper I had scored.
3. I laid down the copper tape.  I used to cut the copper tape in half to save it then realized I have a 55 yards of the stuff so I won't be running out any time soon.  LOL.
4. What you can't see because the Chibi light is covering it, is the gap between the positive and negative copper lines.  They must not touch.
5. Note that I have only used one Chibi light centered between the lights.  This proved sufficient to light the windows during testing.

1. You can see the light at work.  The first pic in this post is also animated so you can see the light in action.
2. Note the positive side of the copper tape wraps up and over the battery box.  This way the light will only activate when the box is pushed down and the positive tape makes contact with the battery. 

1. I cut openings for the battery box and Chibi light through two layers of sticky back fun foam.
2. I also cut a channel through one layer of the foam to accommodate the tab that prevents the light from being activated in transit and wasting the battery.
3. I attached the foam to the card base only along the edges.  I thought the adhesive of the foam might interfere with the conduction of the copper tape if I used all of the fun foam sticky backing.  Just an untested idea.
4. The next step is adding the tab and card front then lots of testing of the light because it's fun!

I'm entering this in Fab 'n' Funky #321 Include the Word Happy, Naughty or Nice #32 Spooky Sistahs and Wild, Wild Women, Stamp Ink Paper #68 Card Maker's Choice

The Details:  Lawn Fawn Mermaid for You and Booyah, Ranger Round Ink Applicator and Multi Medium Matte, VersaFine Onyx Black, Wink of Stella, Impression Obsession Halloween Hill die, Taylored Expressions Build a Scene - Underwater dies, Simon Says Stitched Whirl Background die, Distress Inks, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampendous Detail Fine White embossing powder, VersaFine

Lawn Fawn Mermaid for You	VersaFine Onyx Black	Ranger Round Ink Applicators	Ranger Round Ink Applicators Refills
Ranger Multi Medium Matte	Wink of Stella, Clear

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