• Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

all the sparkle

jessica frost-ballas

  • home
  • about me
    • about
    • creative resume
    • disclosure
    • house tour
  • video tutorials
  • craftroom
  • favorite shops
  • contact
  • all the sparkle ink blends

Wishing on a star!

15 Apr

This is my second post of the day.  If you’re looking for my Butterfly Reflections Ink card, please scroll down or click here!

Good morning!  Sorry I didn’t have a post yesterday…I realized that it was the first day I’ve skipped since January.  As you’ll see, I was a little busy with this project over the last few days.  Just a warning…this is a long, photo-heavy post…but I think it’s worth it!

When I was younger my parents hosted several Japanese exchange students in our home.  When they went back to Japan we stayed in touch and they would send the most elaborate greeting cards to us for birthdays and holidays.  The cards would play music, they’d light up, they’d move…in the early 90s this was a totally unheard of concept in American greeting cards and I was enthralled.  We still have those cards and despite me turning them on repeatedly during my childhood many still light up and play music…

A few weeks ago I was thinking about those cards and wondered if the technology to add sound or lights to cards had been made available to hobby crafters.  After a bit of googling I stumbled upon Chibitronics and opened up a whole new world of cardmaking!!  I purchased their starter kit and completed my first project today!

Here’s my finished card:

And here’s what it looks like when you turn down the lights!!! 😉

Can you see the shining star the bears are wishing on?  I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was when it actually worked!

But let me back up just a bit!  When you purchase the starter kit from Chibitronics they send you this instructional sketchbook, copper tape, 30 LEDs in 4 colors, 2 batteries, and clips to make several light-up projects.  The sketchbook is so cute…it walks you through trying out various patterns and circuits and gives you the creativity to customize your sketchbook.  You could simply complete the sketchbook with the materials they provide and be totally thrilled with your results….but I had something a little different in mind!

chibitronics-starter-kit_jpg_ltdetailI started off by blending distress inks onto a piece of white cardstock to create my night sky.  I used Seedless Preserves, Chipped Sapphire, and Black Soot.  Once it was totally dry I stamped the Hero Arts Constellation background stamp with versamark and then heat-embossed it with white embossing powder.  Next I spritzed the entire panel with water and then dabbed the water off to create lighter patches throughout the sky.  Finally I sprayed it with Tsukineko Frost spray to add a lot of shimmer.  A LOT.  This panel practically blinds you when it catches the light…but it reminds me of a starry summer sky!

Next I stamped the bears from the Mama Elephant Bear Hugs set with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored them with copic markers.  I also cut a hillside with the Mama Elephant Borderline Trio out of green cardstock and added a little extra color and shading with Forest Moss distress ink.  Then I die-cut a rectangle of vellum using the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles dies and stamped the Mama Elephant Make a Wish sentiment with versamark and heat-embossed it with Ranger silver embossing powder.  Once all the pieces were complete I adhered the hill, bears, and sentiment to the sky panel and then set the panel aside to work on the LED component!

First I selected the star I wanted to light up and used a tiny hole punch to cut out the center of the star.  Then I lined up a piece of black cardstock behind the sky and used a pencil to mark the hole on the black cardstock.

Then I traced the circuit on the black cardstock so I’d know where to place the copper tape.  The LED light has a positive and negative side and you’ll need to connect the copper tape from the positive and negative side of the battery to the LED light.  Here’s my sketch circuit.

And here’s my finished circuit without the battery:

I’ve gotten progressively better at laying down the copper tape each time.  I’ve learned that it’s best to leave the backing on and just expose a little bit at a time so that it doesn’t stick everywhere.  If the tape rips you can’t really make a good connection by just laying another piece of tape down on top so it’s important to try to use a single layer of tape for the best results.  The book gives great photos on how to make turns without ripping the tape.

Finally it was assembly time!  I started off by glueing battery down onto the negative side making sure to keep the adhesive off of the copper tape.  I don’t know if that would make a difference or not but I decided not to risk the connection between the battery and the tape.  Then I scored and folded the positive side down over the top of the battery.  Next I added a double layer of foam tape to the piece of black cardstock to match the height of the battery.  The two layers of foam tape are a little higher than the battery which means that the card won’t turn on unless it’s pressed and for battery conservation, that is what I wanted.  I lined up the hole in the night sky with the LED light and then adhered the panels together.

I added the panel to a black cardstock base, crossed my fingers, pressed down on the mother bear’s paw, and this is what happened…

Whew…I mean, HOORAY! 😉  I love that the card is totally fine as is but the light component just adds a little something extra special!  (I apologize for the not-so-great video…still working on that…)

When I send the card I’ll include a little note telling the recipient to press the mother bear’s paw and “make a wish.”  I’m definitely going to continue experimenting with adding LED lights to cards.  There are instructions in the book for chaining lights together and there are additional options at the Chibitronics website for adding music, light sequences, and more!  I have SO many ideas running through my head…I’m going to have to order more lights!

Here’s a final look at my card:

Thanks for visiting today and a very special thanks if you made it all the way through this post!  I’d love to know what you think about adding lights to cards!

I’m entering this card into Virginia’s View Challenge #14: Layers and Dimension!

Layers and Dimensions

Share This:
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

You May Also Enjoy:

  • Missing You (+VIDEO)
  • Twinkling Stars LED Card with Chibitronics
    Twinkling Stars LED Card with Chibitronics
  • MarkerPop: Wishing You Rainbows

Comments:
8 Comments
Categories:
card-making, crafting
Tags:
chibitronics, distress ink, hero arts, mama elephant

« Butterfly Reflections Ink: Belated Birthday Snail
Happy 1st Birthday Rogue! »

Comments

  1. ~amy~ says

    April 15, 2015 at 10:35 am

    SUPER fun!

    Reply
  2. Jessica lynn says

    April 15, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    Just Amazing! I love this.

    Reply
  3. Kerian says

    April 15, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Awesome…for the kid in us all

    Reply
  4. Celeste Goff says

    April 15, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    Wow, what a fun card and so pretty too!

    Reply
  5. Gail says

    April 16, 2015 at 1:39 am

    Jessica this is amazing, I just love those lights. Gail xx

    Reply
  6. Nina-Marie Trapani says

    April 16, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    This is absolutely the cleverest card ever!!! I love the light you installed, that is just SO AWESOME!!

    Reply
  7. Kara Lynne says

    April 16, 2015 at 10:24 pm

    That is so amazing! It’s a perfect night scene and then, BAM! It just gets better! it’s so cool!

    Reply
  8. Erin C. says

    August 31, 2015 at 7:17 am

    WOW, just amazingly beautiful!!! (I’m seeing this post quite a long time after you posted it, but I am SO glad that I stumbled onto it!!) I know this is a difficult request but I’m going to ask anyway (hehe), would you consider doing a video of the construction of the card & how you did the circuitry?

    This is such a cool card, and I just love it!!!!

    Hugs, Erin 😀

    Reply

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I read and appreciate all of your thoughts! :) Please know comments are moderated so it may take a few minutes for it to show up! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Jessica About Me Photo
Hi, I'm Jess! Thanks for visiting my blog where I share my adventures in cardmaking and papercrafting! I hope I can inspire you to craft with a little sparkle!

Subscribe Via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email!

Join 2,653 other subscribers

Crafty Sales (updated regularly)

Favorite Crafty Shops

Instagram

jessicafrostballas

3,208 24,609

Jessica Frost-Ballas

jessicafrostballas

There’s a new release from @waffleflowercrafts and some fantastic layering stencil sets! I’m using the Heart Blooms set with distress oxide inks and a fun new sentiment set! Head to my blog for more details and hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #waffleflowercrafts!! 🌸❤️🌸 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/wf121/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #waffleflower #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #stencil #distressoxideinks

View on Instagram

Jan 5

363 37
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17946345070411377 There’s a new release from @waffleflowercrafts and some fantastic layering stencil sets! I’m using the Heart Blooms set with distress oxide inks and a fun new sentiment set! Head to my blog for more details and hop along for a chance to win a gift card to #waffleflowercrafts!! 🌸❤️🌸
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/wf121/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#waffleflower #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #stencil #distressoxideinks

jessicafrostballas

The new My Monthly Kit from @heroarts is now available and it’s Bee-utiful!! 🐝💛🐝 I’m sharing four cards from one watercolored background over on my blog and YT channel! Head over for more details and snag your kit before it sells out!! 💛💛💛 ••• LINK - https://shrsl.com/2ph6v (clickable link in profile) ••• #heroarts #mymonthlyhero #mijellomissiongold #hydracolour #watercolour #watercolor #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

View on Instagram

Jan 4

525 55
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17980797202329692 The new My Monthly Kit from @heroarts is now available and it’s Bee-utiful!! 🐝💛🐝 I’m sharing four cards from one watercolored background over on my blog and YT channel! Head over for more details and snag your kit before it sells out!! 💛💛💛
•••
LINK - https://shrsl.com/2ph6v (clickable link in profile)
•••
#heroarts #mymonthlyhero #mijellomissiongold #hydracolour #watercolour #watercolor #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

We have a new Lawn Fawnatics challenge to kick off the new year and we’re creating cards for Outstanding Occasions! 🎉❤️🎉 Today I created a wedding card featuring an adorable squirrel party! 😉 Head to my blog for more details and join the challenge! 🐿🐿🐿 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/lfch92/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #lawnfawn @lawnfawn #lawnfawnatics #inkblending #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

View on Instagram

Jan 4

339 44
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 18184726213057099 We have a new Lawn Fawnatics challenge to kick off the new year and we’re creating cards for Outstanding Occasions! 🎉❤️🎉 Today I created a wedding card featuring an adorable squirrel party! 😉 Head to my blog for more details and join the challenge! 🐿🐿🐿
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/lfch92/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#lawnfawn @lawnfawn #lawnfawnatics #inkblending #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

🐝 Today we’re kicking off the countdown for the @heroarts January My Monthly Hero kit and it’s the perfect cheery way to welcome a new year! 🐝🌸🐝 Head to my blog for a closer look and comment for a chance to win a kit before you can buy it! 💛🐝💛 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hacd121/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #heroarts #mymonthlyhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

View on Instagram

Jan 2

520 72
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17938042399439973 🐝 Today we’re kicking off the countdown for the @heroarts January My Monthly Hero kit and it’s the perfect cheery way to welcome a new year! 🐝🌸🐝 Head to my blog for a closer look and comment for a chance to win a kit before you can buy it! 💛🐝💛
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hacd121/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#heroarts #mymonthlyhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

Starting off 2021 with a clean and simple card featuring one of my very favorite companies! 🖤💛🖤 I love the new Lovely Letters alphabet set from @concordand9th and how nicely it pairs with the other alpha sets to create this card! Lovely Letters is a stand-alone alphabet set that looks like hand lettering and it’s designed so you can stamp and build whatever sentiment you want! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉 ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hny21/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #concordand9th #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #happynewyear

View on Instagram

Jan 1

481 41
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17856831182398826 Starting off 2021 with a clean and simple card featuring one of my very favorite companies! 🖤💛🖤 I love the new Lovely Letters alphabet set from @concordand9th and how nicely it pairs with the other alpha sets to create this card! Lovely Letters is a stand-alone alphabet set that looks like hand lettering and it’s designed so you can stamp and build whatever sentiment you want! Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/hny21/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#concordand9th #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb #happynewyear

jessicafrostballas

🎆 HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE! 🎆 Today I’m sharing a look back at my favorite cards from each month of 2020 and hosting a $50 crafty giveaway over on my blog! I am honored and thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with so many of my favorite crafty companies this year! These companies are the heart and soul of this industry and I love to support them! ❤️❤️❤️ Swipe for a closer look as well as a look at my favorite cards from 2015-2019! 😳 It is really fun for me to look back and see my growth as an artist and cardmaker (and it shows me that there’s always room to keep growing)!! 😉 I hope you have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and I’ll see you in 2021! ❤️❤️❤️ ••• LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/mfc2020/ (clickable link in profile) ••• #allthesparklejfb #inkblending #alcoholink #distressoxideinks #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas

View on Instagram

Dec 31

433 62
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17866448675260868 🎆 HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE! 🎆  Today I’m sharing a look back at my favorite cards from each month of 2020 and hosting a $50 crafty giveaway over on my blog!  I am honored and thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with so many of my favorite crafty companies this year!  These companies are the heart and soul of this industry and I love to support them! ❤️❤️❤️ Swipe for a closer look as well as a look at my favorite cards from 2015-2019! 😳 It is really fun for me to look back and see my growth as an artist and cardmaker (and it shows me that there’s always room to keep growing)!! 😉 I hope you have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and I’ll see you in 2021! ❤️❤️❤️
•••
LINK - https://www.allthesparkle.com/mfc2020/ (clickable link in profile)
•••
#allthesparklejfb #inkblending #alcoholink #distressoxideinks #copicmarkers #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas

jessicafrostballas

Today I’m sharing a card over on the @heroarts blog for the newest Stay Crafty with Hero challenge! We’re challenging you to create a card using a creative team member’s card as inspiration for your card! If you swipe you can see the beautiful card @thecardgrotto created that I used as inspiration for my card! ✨🌌✨ I hope you’ll play along with the challenge! 💙💛💙 ••• LINK - https://heroarts.com/blogs/hero-arts-blog/galaxy-focal-point-inspired-by-michelle-short (clickable link in profile) ••• #heroarts #staycraftywithhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

View on Instagram

Dec 30

411 15
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17915304478546934 Today I’m sharing a card over on the @heroarts blog for the newest Stay Crafty with Hero challenge! We’re challenging you to create a card using a creative team member’s card as inspiration for your card!  If you swipe you can see the beautiful card @thecardgrotto created that I used as inspiration for my card! ✨🌌✨ I hope you’ll play along with the challenge! 💙💛💙
•••
LINK - https://heroarts.com/blogs/hero-arts-blog/galaxy-focal-point-inspired-by-michelle-short (clickable link in profile)
•••
#heroarts #staycraftywithhero #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas #allthesparklejfb

jessicafrostballas

So earlier today I posted the most liked alcohol ink work from 2020 and here are the cards you liked the most this year! ❤️ There are definitely some surprises in there 😂 but it’s fun to see what you liked best! It appears that ink-blending is popular! 😉❤️😘 ••• #allthesparklejfb #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas

View on Instagram

Dec 30

883 52
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17855338049408350 So earlier today I posted the most liked alcohol ink work from 2020 and here are the cards you liked the most this year! ❤️ There are definitely some surprises in there 😂 but it’s fun to see what you liked best! It appears that ink-blending is popular! 😉❤️😘
•••
#allthesparklejfb #cardmaker #cardmaking #cardmakersofinstagram #papercrafting #papercrafts #diycards #handmadecards #cardinspiration #cardideas #cardmakingideas

jessicafrostballas

It’s always fun to look back and see what posts you liked most over the year. And often I’m surprised by what is or is not liked. I’ll be sharing my annual favorite cards series in a few days but I thought I’d share your favorite 2020 alcohol ink posts and cards today! ❤️ Surprisingly alcohol ink art and ink-blending are more liked than most of my cards 😅 so I thought I’d share them separately! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 It does make me wonder if I should change a bit of my art focus for next year! 😂🤔😜 ••• #alcoholink #alcoholinkart #alcoholinkartist #fluidart

View on Instagram

Dec 29

686 34
Link to display lightbox
Instagram post 17893561561794477 It’s always fun to look back and see what posts you liked most over the year. And often I’m surprised by what is or is not liked. I’ll be sharing my annual favorite cards series in a few days but I thought I’d share your favorite 2020 alcohol ink posts and cards today! ❤️ Surprisingly alcohol ink art and ink-blending are more liked than most of my cards 😅 so I thought I’d share them separately! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 It does make me wonder if I should change a bit of my art focus for next year! 😂🤔😜
•••
#alcoholink #alcoholinkart #alcoholinkartist #fluidart
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

  • ►2021 (6)
    • ►January (6)
  • ►2020 (111)
    • ►December (11)
    • ►November (15)
    • ►October (8)
    • ►September (16)
    • ►August (12)
    • ►July (17)
    • ►June (8)
    • ►May (1)
    • ►April (6)
    • ►March (6)
    • ►February (6)
    • ►January (5)
  • ►2019 (171)
    • ►December (12)
    • ►November (17)
    • ►October (12)
    • ►September (22)
    • ►August (15)
    • ►July (17)
    • ►June (21)
    • ►May (15)
    • ►April (11)
    • ►March (10)
    • ►February (10)
    • ►January (9)
  • ►2018 (209)
    • ►December (11)
    • ►November (16)
    • ►October (10)
    • ►September (36)
    • ►August (11)
    • ►July (12)
    • ►June (16)
    • ►May (21)
    • ►April (21)
    • ►March (19)
    • ►February (19)
    • ►January (17)
  • ►2017 (246)
    • ►December (20)
    • ►November (20)
    • ►October (21)
    • ►September (22)
    • ►August (23)
    • ►July (21)
    • ►June (20)
    • ►May (21)
    • ►April (15)
    • ►March (21)
    • ►February (19)
    • ►January (23)
  • ►2016 (225)
    • ►December (16)
    • ►November (17)
    • ►October (22)
    • ►September (23)
    • ►August (19)
    • ►July (18)
    • ►June (18)
    • ►May (19)
    • ►April (17)
    • ►March (23)
    • ►February (22)
    • ►January (11)
  • ►2015 (287)
    • ►December (16)
    • ►November (32)
    • ►October (15)
    • ►September (21)
    • ►August (14)
    • ►July (16)
    • ►June (23)
    • ►May (25)
    • ►April (27)
    • ►March (37)
    • ►February (40)
    • ►January (21)
  • ►2014 (69)
    • ►December (4)
    • ►November (14)
    • ►October (19)
    • ►September (15)
    • ►August (4)
    • ►July (10)
    • ►May (3)
  • ►2013 (45)
    • ►November (6)
    • ►August (7)
    • ►July (3)
    • ►June (7)
    • ►May (2)
    • ►April (1)
    • ►March (3)
    • ►February (16)
  • ►2012 (11)
    • ►November (1)
    • ►September (9)
    • ►February (1)

Disclosure

I design for several companies because I truly love their products! Anything I recommend on my blog is something that I genuinely love and regularly use. I do not get paid for product reviews and I will never recommend a product that I do not like or would not use.

I am affiliated with several of my favorite crafty companies which means I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you!!) when you click on one of my links and make a purchase through the store.

You can find my full disclosure as well as a list of the companies I am affiliated with HERE. Thank you so much for supporting me!

Most Popular Posts

VIDEO: Creating Four Cards from One Background - Hero Arts January 2021 My Monthly Hero Blog Hop (+GIVEAWAY!)
Waffle Flower January Release (+GIVEAWAYS!)
Hero Arts January My Monthly Hero Countdown, Day 1
Lawn Fawnatics Challenge #92: Outstanding Occasions
Honey Bee Stamps Love Letters Release!
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Swatch Card Download and a revelation!
CASE Me a Christmas Card with Michelle Lupton
Alcohol Ink Explorations
Hero Arts June My Monthly Hero Blog Hop (VIDEO + GIVEAWAY!)
VIDEO: 20 Ink Blending Tips and Tricks! (+GIVEAWAY!)

Copyright

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Copyright © 2021 · Bloom theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2020 · All The Sparkle · Blog Designed by Riss Blog Design.