When Paper Crafts magazine announced a July gallery contest on its blog with a theme of summer shapes, a few ideas ran through my mind. Beach balls, flip-flops, the sun, popsicles …

Mmmm, popsicles. Almost as good as cupcakes. I liked the idea of making a popsicle-shaped card. It would be colorful and have a bit of sparkle. My crafting sidekick, the Slice, can die-cut an ice pop, but not card-sized and not in a form that would fold into a card. I searched websites for digital stamps and clip art, but saw nothing I liked. I wanted a double-stick version, with a bite shape at the top. I’d have to create my own template in Adobe Illustrator.

A little time, a little bling and lots of glitter was all I needed for this card … and two jumbo craft sticks, supplied by a friend (because 150 sticks per package is a bit much for me). You can see my card and other contest entries on the contest’s Flickr page.

My template and a few 2-inch popsicle shapes I also created are available here. Have fun!

Here’s how to make it:

You’ll need this template to create this card. If your printer can print on cardstock, you may print directly onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch cardstock and cut out the shapes. Make the card and inside of the card front out of orange cardstock (I had textured cardstock and wanted the texture on the inside of the card when folded, so I printed the template on the smooth side). Make the “you’re so sweet” tag out of white cardstock. I used textured cardstock and printed the template on the textured side.

Cut out the card piece and fold it in half. Apply glue (such as Aleene’s Jewel-It) at the top of the card, in a shape that gives the ice pop the appearance of “melting.”

Cover the glue in orange glitter (I used Wow! extra-fine glitter in tangerine by American Crafts). Adhere three orange rhinestone stickers in graduated sizes vertically below the glitter, smallest to largest (my small and medium rhinestones are from the Brenda Walton Neopolitan collection by K & Company, and my largest one is a Twinkle Goosebump by Queen & Co.). Apply dimensional glaze (I used Inkssentials Glossy Accents) in teardrop shapes over each rhinestone.

Allow the glue and dimensional glaze to dry.

Trim two jumbo craft sticks to 3 3/4 inches. Adhere to the back of the card front, lining them up with the stick shapes on the other half of the card. Cut out the card front’s backing, apply adhesive and turn it over to attach to the card, lining up the outer edges (the backing is shorter for the edge on the fold, so that the card folds properly) .

Cut out the “you’re so sweet” tag and adhere it to the card front’s right popsicle stick, wrapping the tag’s left end around the back of the stick. Punch a small hole to the left of the sentiment, through the tag and the stick (I used a Crop-a-Dile) and insert a light-blue rhinestone brad.

Tie orange thread and cyan ribbon around the right stick, underneath the tag.