You’re the Lava My Life – Interactive Card | Featuring Taylored Expressions

Lava lamps might not have been born in my generation, but they definitely made a groovy comeback in the '90s and early 2000s when I was growing up. I vividly remember a friend having a purple lava lamp in her room, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever—at least until it cooled down. Then the blobs looked kind of... yucky. 😅

But there's nothing yucky about the blobs in this card!

As soon as I saw this lava lamp set from Taylored Expressions, I knew I had to have it—and turn it into an interactive card. It gave me all the nostalgic vibes, and the idea of making the “lava” move like the real thing was too fun to pass up.

I created this card for my husband, adding a punny sentiment and a whole lot of shimmer. With squishy goo, floating stars, and retro flair, this shaker-style card is filled with love—and movement!

I used Taylored Expressions products to bring this interactive idea to life, blending a bold purple palette with some heat embossing and an unexpected surprise inside the shaker-style lava lamp. The sentiment “You’re the lava my life” adds the perfect punny touch to this love note.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Create the Background

   I started by stamping the Artsy Hearts 6x6 Background Stamp in Flirty Fuschia onto Sugar Cube Cardstock. This pattern gives a fun, vintage vibe while reinforcing the theme of love radiating out—just like a lava lamp! To give the center of the panel a soft glow—just like a real lava lamp—I lightly ink blended the same shade of purple toward the middle. This subtle glow helps the lava lamp stand out even more. Once the ink blending was done, I die cut the panel using a Wonky Stitched Rectangle Die for a bit of extra visual interest and whimsy.

   
   

2. Assemble the Lava Lamp Window

   I die-cut the Lava You Lots lava lamp shaped die from the center of my ink-blended background panel. This creates the window where the interactive “lava” will show through. Since the ziplock bag will act as both the goo and the "glass" of the lamp, I didn’t need to add any acetate. Just make sure your bag fits neatly behind the opening and is sealed tightly before adhering it in place.

   
   

3. Make It Interactive!

   To create the “lava” effect, I used a 2" x 3" ziplock bag filled with Taylored Expressions Happy Medium in Iridescent Glitter. I tossed in a few purple star-shaped gems from my stash, closed the bag while carefully pressing out the air, then sealed it with tape to make sure everything stayed put. After smooshing the bag around a bit to evenly distribute the stars, I adhered it behind the lava lamp-shaped window. It gives such a magical, shimmery, squishy effect—just like watching real lava blobs floating around!

   
   

   

   
   

4. Build the Card Front

   I die cut the top and bottom pieces of the lava lamp from Plum Punch Cardstock and adhered them directly onto the front panel, framing the window opening. This gives the lamp its classic shape and helps hide the edges of the ziplock bag behind it for a clean, finished look.

   
   

5. Sentiment Time

   I stamped the Lava You Minis Strips sentiments onto Sugar Cube Cardstock and used the Asymmetrical Mini Strips Die to cut out all the sentiments at once. Not only did this make it super quick, but now I have extras ready to go for future cards! I chose the “You're the lava my life” strip for this card and popped it up with foam tape on the bottom of the lava lamp.

   
   

6. Final Assembly

   With the lava lamp assembled and interactive element secured, I mounted the entire front panel onto a Plum Punch card base using foam tape for dimension. This raises the card front slightly, which helps accommodate the thickness of the ziplock pouch.

   
   

This card turned out exactly how I envisioned—fun, funky, and full of love. The interactive element takes it to the next level, and my husband got such a kick out of it! This would also make a perfect Valentine’s Day, anniversary, or “just because” card.

If you haven’t played with gooey interactive cards before, I highly recommend trying it out—it’s easier than it looks and makes such an impact!

Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever made an interactive shaker-style card with a twist like this. I’d love to hear what you’ve tried or want to try next!

Until next time,

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