Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Cardstock for sale!!

I have returned from Ohio with some new cardstock!! I have it listed on my spare blog so you can check it out here:

http://www.tmalakrsc.blogspot.com/

Several colours are already gone but there is some Vintage Christmas, Autumn, Spring and Summer left along with a few other collections!! Click on the links on the right hand side for quick access to the scans!

To email me click on my profile!!

Have a great day!!

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking - window

This card features a window on the front that highlights part of the inside image!! It takes a bit of figuring out and working in a certain order to get everything lined up but effective once you are done.
This is a card that fits in the #8 envelopes. The front flap is white cardstock layered with colour printed decorative paper which has the window. Once you lift this flap you see the coloured flower image which is glued to the bottom flap. Once your flip open the bottom flap you see the insert on the inside! A bit complicated!! I started by gluing the white flap to the top of the coloured card. Next coloured the stamped image and glued it to the bottom flap ensuring it did not show once the front flap was folded down. It sticks up beyond the edge of the bottom flap. With the front flap folded into place sneak it up a bit and see where you want to cut your window to see the little flower on your coloured image. I used a 1" punch to make the window but you could just cut it out. If you glue your decorative paper in place before you cut your window you will not have a white frame around it. To get a white frame on your window cut your white cardstock first and then trace the window onto the back of your decorative paper and trim it just a bit larger. Either way works well. Then you just need to add your single sheet insert to the inside!

It is good to try out new things - a card design, ethnic food, etc!! Makes life interesting!!

Have a great day!

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking - Pop up

Pop up cards!! Have never made one of these before though have wanted to for quite a while!! They are fairly easy!! The card front has a layer of decorative paper (colour printed), a ribbon through a slot with shorter ones tied on and an accent on the lower right corner. I made several different ones and the accents are different on all of them. The pop up insert is made of cardstock cut just a little smaller than the card. To create the little pop up step make two cuts into the spine of the insert about 3/4" deep and 3/4" apart in the middle of the insert. Push the popup to the inside of the insert and fold gently to get the edges of the pop up folded. Your insert should look like the lower right hand image. Once you have created your pop up just glue your layered greeting to the front of it and then fold the card shut. This ensures that the card will fold properly with your greeting in place. For those of you with kits, you will have a piece of cardstock in your kit with a small P on it. That is the pop up you would use if the inside of your card is not messy with ribbon and so on!! You can make a pop up step with just a small strip of cardstock and glue that to the inside of your card and add your pop up element. It works best with light coloured cardstock where you can write on the inside of the card. You could have more than one pop up on the inside and so on!! The pop up greeting adds a nice touch to the card! You can put anything in the pop up just make sure you test it before you glue to make sure it does not stick outside the card!!

My Art - Cardmaking - roses tissue

I love the colours of this card!! Here I stamped the leaf stamp on white in black Memories and then watercoloured it. I trimmed off one of the end images so it would fit on the pink layer which I distressed. Layered that on the green which I also distressed.
The background it created similar to the faux silk technique - crumple the tissue and open up. After sort of fitting it on the card front apply glue and layer your tissue paper over it leaving some wrinkles and texture! Trim off any that overlaps the edges. I have a box of tissue paper and I do not want to tell you how long I have been carrying this one around!!!!! I glued the accent to the card front,added the window punchie with a brad and simply folded the other end to the inside of the card. I added a bit of green stippling to the edges with my stipple stamp and a green ink. This card design could be changed up using different supplies for just about any occasion.

My Art - Cardmaking - sunflower

A quick and simple card featuring a new sunflower stamp!! I used the SU Sanded background stamp with navy ink on the yellow cardstock. Reminds me of the Basic Gray papers!! The sunflower is coloured with watercolours and then mounted to a rectangle of navy which has been distressed. This is mounted over the fiber using 3D foam tape! The greeting is stamped in navy ink on the left hand corner.

Therese

My Art - Cardmaking - slider

Just had my last cardmaking session for the next few months!! It would seem that I chose some more complicated cards! I was just trying to do something different!
This card hides its colour!! When you pull the fiber (it should have been on the right hand side to make the pulling easier but that's what happens when you are talking instead of paying attention!!) the tag is removed to reveal the colour beneath!!
The main element of the card consists of a frame which has stitching around the opening, an acetate with an image stamped on it and then a layer of coloured paper. These are taped to each other in order and the tag with the fiber fits between the acetate and the decorative paper. This whole accent is then attached to the card front with four brads. I used glossy paper, a spectrum pad and a brayer to create the decorative paper so it would simulate a nice landscape. Used a punch to create a little recess for the fiber on the tag. Really like the way this one turned out. The tag could also reveal a greeting!!

Therese

Monday, June 23, 2008

My Art - fat book mingle page

Here is the fat book mingle page I made for June!! Started with another scrap of that great watercolour paper!! Added a transparency with a large C on it using gold photo corners leaving a margin on the left for binding. I added "olour" with Letraset rub on letters from many moons ago!! I added the words "Why does ...sing?" with a fine tip marker right on the watercolour paper. On the back of the page I added a layer of "Caught in crystal" which uses a piece of acetate covered with ink or paint onto which you lay some tissue paper. In this case I used acrylic paints for good effect. I used a fine Sharpie to add the verse and then my info!! I am enjoying the alpha mingle and am trying to work in art supplies I have on hand.

Therese

Friday, June 06, 2008

My Art - tip in pages for journal

Finally got this one off the camera! The theme for these 9x12 pages was nature. I usally do nature themes in greens and browns so decided to think outside the box and worked with pink and blue this time. Worked out well. I started by choosing the vellum quotes and collaged papers all around them. I added some layered calendar pages for more visual interest and a few 3D items for more texture. I did do a bit of stenciling on the right hand page as well. It was fun to dig through my collection of collage "stuff" to find pieces that worked with the colour and nature theme.
Thanks for checking out my art!!

Therese

Thursday, June 05, 2008

My Art - journal tip in

This is my tip in pages for a journal project I am involved in on another group. The theme was nursery rhymes and fairy tales so I decided to do The Ugly Duckling. I downloaded the images off the internet. The one on the right is colour printed and the one on the left was laser printed and I watercoloured it.
The background is watercolour paper with liquid watercolour randomly applied with a foam brush. It was an offcut from my Christmas card project I did a couple of years ago. I sewed four pockets into each page to hold tags. The tags have letters on the ends and spell " IT'S" "ONLY" "SKIN" "DEEP". You can only see the two middle words on the front. The tags have quotes on them such as " Is different, ugly?", "This too shall pass", "Is it true? Can you be really sure it is true?", etc. The quotes I made up in reference to the story of the duckling coming to see himself as he really is!! Don't we all need to ask ourselves such questions to come to recognize the beauty of our true selves! Added some fibers to the edges of the pages where the sewing ends. Really like that this piece works on several different levels.
I have last months pages to upload yet! Still on the camera! My time flies!!

Therese

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

STAMP FEST

Hey! If you are a stamper in central Ontario I would like to recommend that you check out Stampfest!! It is a little stamping event that is hosted by Verna Wallace in Bancroft, ON! This year it is on July 12th! Coming up fast!! There are some great vendors and some make and takes through out the day! Several trade ATCs and there is also a card contest! I have ordered some new Cuttle Bug embossing folders and will be picking them up at Stamp Fest!!

So check out the site!!

Therese

My Art - cards, cards, cards - mini collages

These cards feature mini collages from a sheet of scrapbook paper I picked up a couple of years ago at Michaels. I cut them out and trimmed their edges with my Fiskars postage stamp decorative scissors! Works so well!! Keep your eye out for paper - scrapbooking or gift wrap - that has some individual elements that can be used in your cardmaking. Great for making coordinating cards for gifts!!
These are layered onto altered drywall tape. I simply laid the drywall tape down on a piece of bond paper - it stays in place because it has adhesive on the back - and used my ink pads to add colour. Have also used acrylic paints in the past to add colour. I expect you could also used pigment ink and embossing powder to change it up quite dramatically!! You can purchase drywall tape at a hardware store in large rolls or possibly at a $$ store in a small roll. Check the garage or workshop - you may already have some in the house!!
This is layered onto cardstock that has been distressed on the edges. I use a little SU tool (page 184 of the current catalog) that does a wonderful job. It is designed like a thread cutter used for sewing or quilting. Some have mentioned that this little tool is available in sewing notions departments as a thread cutter so check it out next time you are at your local fabric store.
I gave them the option of adding greetings using SU round greeting set layered on a round punchie or just stamping a greeting with coordinating ink.
I embellished the card fronts with a bit of script in a very light colour - in some cases I stamped off once to get the ink light enough - just to add a bit of interest to these cards.
It was a totally fun morning!! One of the girls was new to cardmaking. She enjoyed adding her own spin to her cards and thinking outside the box!! That is the name of the game!!
Therese

My Art - cards, cards, cards - CB embossed

These cards feature white cardstock embossed with the Cuttle Bug D'vine swirl embossing folder!! I love that design and like to incorporate it into simply elegant cards!! The right hand one with the Always tag and ribbon is great as an anniversary or wedding card.
The left hand one has a scallop baby accent created with the SU scallop punch and a stamp from one of this past year's hostess sets. The stamps and punch work so well together to make quick and easy accents for your cards!!
The bottom one uses one of the SU circle greeting sets with the 1 1/4" punch, 1 3/8" punch and the scallop punch to create the accent. I simply added a coloured sequin with a brad!! I cut the CB embossed layer into a nice curvy line and used the cut off part on the inside bottom of the card. Trim the card front to show off the inside.
So when you are looking for simply elegant consider embossing!! The CB embossing folders make it quick and easy!!

Therese

My art - cards, cards, cards - handmade paper

These cards feature some of my handmade paper and pressed botanicals! In this particular case the handmade paper features cedar bits and pieces of pressed ferns. The others included pressed calendulas, maple leaves and queen anne's lace with clover "hearts". The three leaf clovers grow here most anywhere as weeds but I thought they would be great for St. Patrick's Day cards. When I took several of them from the phone books - great flower presses - I had a few come apart and then I notice that the individual leaves were hearts!! How cool!! So I may use some of them in male looking cards for Valentine's!!
It is really fun to recycle your paper scraps into your very own handmade paper!! Scrapbookers can also consider this option using their acid free scraps to make paper for use in their scrapbooks!!

My Art - cards, cards, cards - OSW

These cards feature a One Sheet Wonder accent. I used a half sheet (4.25"x 5.5") and stamped it with three different stamps in three coordinating colours and the cut it into 5 pieces. Works very well for this card design. One of them is a Christmas cards just to say that they had a start on their Christmas cards!! I think the green one would be very suitable as a sympathy card or a male birthday so I have not yet added a greeting.

One Sheet Wonder is great technique you can use to make cards sets for gifts. Make a few ahead and you will always have a last minute gift for almost any occasion!!

My Art - cards, cards, cards

It is raining in Ontario!! I had a great all occasions cardmaking session on Saturday morning where we made twenty cards each!! I tried to vary the colours in each group of cards and brought a variety of greeting stamps so each person could customize their cards to suit their needs.
This set of cards features a piece of Polished Stone that has been stamped with an image to create the accent for the card. I used SU Classic Dye pad reinkers and regular rubbing alcohol to create my Polished Stone pieces.
FUN!!
For some I cut my half sheet (4.25"x 5.5") into six and stamped only one image. The the others I cut the half sheet into 4, stamped the images randomly with coordinating ink and then cut them apart. I have made this design before and cut the piece into 4 even pieces. This time I thought I would change it up some and cut the piece into uneven pieces and/or used a curvy line. Some of the girls used decorative scissors to cut theirs apart and it that was very effective.
I really love the watercolour effect of Polished Stone and with deeper colours it can be very dramatic. I would recommend having a session of creating some pieces of PS and keeping a few on hand for when you need a quick card!! I wish I had brought my camera to record all the different cards that were created!!

Therese