Quilted Nature Christmas cards

A few more Christmas cards!!  I have had this stack of cardstock sitting on my desk since I made these cards.  Today, I decided to make with them into cards.  I used the Stack and Whack technique that I used for the last ones with a much different cutting pattern.  I stacked my four pieces of patterned cardstock - 2 blue and 2 green and made my cuts - ten in all.  There are two that are almost completely hidden by the focal element and could have been eliminated - hind sight is a wonderful thing!!  I deconstructed my stacks and created four unique layouts by arranging the pieces in a different order.  I used regular tape on the back to hold the pieces together during reconstruction, double sided tape to adhere the assembled unit to the card front and added a row of stitching all the way around the outside using my sewing machine and white thread.  I added faux stitching on the green pieces using a white gel pen.  I used a slot punch (SU) to create an opening on the spine in which I inserted one end of a piece of white vintage seam binding.  I adhered both ends to the inside of the card front using double sided tape.  I tied a short piece to the long piece to simulate a bow.  I adhered a decorative label (SU) punchie in red over the seam binding using 3D foam tape and sewed my laser printed greeting to the card just below it.  I watercoloured my oval (NS) laser printed cardinal images (Beccy's), distressed their edges and adhered them to the center of the labels.
Happy to have a few more done.  They are appropriate for Sylvia's February Challenge - Christmas animals. You can find her monthly Christmas card challenge here.  That makes my total 27 for this year!!
Therese

Handmade paper

Made some paper yesterday!!  I had a class with some young people in the afternoon and made up the rest of the pulp when I got  home.  I started them off with white pulp - we made some white sheets and embossed a few.  Then I added green (blended paper napkins) to one vat so they could make some green sheets.  I added some green, red and gold confetti (snippets of paper, tissue, ribbon, etc) to another vat and added similar confetti to the green vat as well.  As you can see in the photo there are some pink bits in the green.  This is a result of some of the red bits letting colour and becoming pink in the process. It is a different look than I was expecting but that is the way it is with papermaking - you just never know exactly how all the additions will affect the overall sheets.  A fun process!!
Might be making Christmas cards with these sheets.  If you are wanting to challenge yourself to making Christmas cards over the year and would like a little inspiration I would like to recommend the Christmas Card Challenge  that my sister is hosting.  Here is the quick link to this year's challenges.  Here and here and here are the quick links to past challenges.

Therese

Paper Bead Jewelery

 I participated in a Wild and Wacky challenge a couple of weeks ago and we have to reveal our projects today!!
We were instructed to go to this website:
http://inoyan.narod.ru/kaleidoskop.swf
which generates wild and wacky kaleidoscopes in vibrant colours, when we saw something we liked we just had to print it and create something with the printed copy!!  Too easy!!
I started by stamping my sheet with a solid looking butterfly stamp (SU) and embossing them in silver.  I thought right away that I would like to make paper beads so I found a small piece of wood to make the main element for my necklace, cut a nice accent piece with a butterfly out of the sheet and then cut the remaining piece of W&W paper into long thin triangles with which I created my paper beads.  I rolled them on a toothpick, sealed them with clear finish onto which I sprinkled sparkly embossing powder and then heated them to dry the finish and melt the embossing powder.  I made 13 sparkly beads!!

 For the main element of my necklace I glued my W&W paper to one side of my little piece of wood and created a collage on the other using hand decorated paper, sheet music and a rhinestone.  To seal up the edges I applied clear sealer and then dipped it into pewter UTEE and heated it.  I did the other three sides the same way.  It needed more visual depth so I reheated the first side and dipped it in the UTEE again.  In the end, each side got about 3-4 coats of pewter  UTEE before I was happy with the way it looked - sort of like solder!!  I sealed the collage side and added clear glass beads to the sealer I applied to the W&W side to just tone it down a bit.  The piece is very reflective and you can see part of a silver butterfly in the piece.  Once everything was dry, I drilled a hole at the top and added a metal loop and some beads so I could add it when I strung my beads.  I added blue glass beads and some pewter Ebeads to complete my necklace.  I used Beadalon plastic coated wire to string it and a clasp from my stash of jewelry findings.

So you can see in this photo the collage I made on the other side of my main element as well as the full length of the necklace.  I really like the way the blue glass beads and the pewter Ebeads work with my glittery paper beads.

This was a very great project!! It is fun to get out of the usual and try something different!!  I enjoyed making the beads the most.  I had never used wire to string beads before and it took a little R&D to find the best way to finish it off.  So all in all, a successful venture into the unusual with some wild and wacky paper.  Really looking forward to what all the participants made with theirs!!

Therese

Christmas - Joy

Still more Christmas cards!!

Embossed white core cardstock with a star embossing folder (Darice) and sanded it! I cut out the inside of the frame using an exacto knife, tied on a white ribbon with a gold tie and backed the hole with white embossed (CB) cardstock.

The joy is a diecut (SX) which I cut from adhesive backed cardstock (release paper facing up), peeled off the backing and sprinkled with red glitter (MS) which I pressed into the adhesive rather than rubbing it in. Pressing gives more of a dimensional look to the glitter - rubbing gives a more reflective quality to the glitter!! I applied glue to the back using a fine tip applicator, gently placed it into the opening and applied only slight pressure to not disturb my glitter. I applied this layer to a red card front!!

This card satisfies this week's challenge on CST - having the sentiment as the main element of the card and Sylvia's August Christmas card challenge - glitter!!

Thrifty Tip: Need a fine tip applicator for white glue?? Use an empty fabric paint bottle with a fine applicator tip!! Works wonderfully!! Have paint left in the bottle?? Create some decorative paper with the paint - squeeze onto paper and distribute with a brush or fingers!!

Therese

Vintage Christmas card

Been creating Christmas cards to add to my stash!! Sure is nice to have them all ready when November 1 comes around!!

This card features a colour printed vintage Santa (CD) layered onto red and a silver snowflake brad. The brad was too shiny so I sanded it. It might also look good with a bit of a white wash to antique it some.

I added silver ink to my green embossed (SU) layer and I am not sure I really like it so I will leave the others plain. I love the poinsettia paper (gift wrap) I used for the background.
This is a large card - more than 5"x7"!! Fun to work with a larger format.

I am submitting this card for the Vintage Christmas challenge on Sylvia's blog.

Check out her monthly Christmas card challenge if you are looking for inspiration for your cards in July!!

Therese

Christmas Cards - monochromatic challenge

Christmas cards!! I have started on Christmas cards so I will have the amount I need in November!! I started in January last year but for some reason I have had a slow start this year but I am planning on catching up!! I created these for Sylvia's Christmas Card Challenge for March - Monochromatic!!

I started with the ribbon, found cardstock to coordinate and auditioned my stamps to see what would work. I had originally wanted to use the stand of trees from the Lovely as a Tree (SU) set but it was a bit too long to work well. I am happy with the fir tree. I stamped it in white pigment ink and embossed it with a mixture of white embossing powder and Iridescent Ice (SU). Added a little greeting and embossed it the same way. I layered this element onto a white layer with distressed edges.

I added the ribbon, a green punchie with a small white snowflake sequin and attached it with a tiny white brad. I embossed the background green layer using the Swiss Dots embossing folder (CB), ran my white pigment pad gently over the bumps and embossed them with the same mixture of embossing powders. Added a couple of pieces of ribbon and mounted it to a white card front. The image layer is attached to the card front using 3D foam tape to raise it from the surface for a bit of dimension. I made six of these cards!! I do plan on adding inserts and envelopes yet before I store these away because that will finish them off completely and they will only require addresses, postage and a newsletter to be on their way!! I had not prepared inserts last year for most of the cards I made and it just took more time to get them out the door!!

Have you started your Christmas cards?? I highly recommend doing them monthly!! There are so many benefits including spending a bit more time to make them special, having a variety of designs and they are ready to go when you are ready to send them!! I have several Christmas card challenge blogs listed at the top of "Places I like to visit" on the right hand sidebar. Go check them out and see if you can get inspired to start your Christmas cards early this year!!

Therese

Altered page layout!

I am visiting at Linda's and we decided to do an internet challenge and chose GPP's Crusade #42!!

I ripped my strips from a variety of white and blue papers and glued them onto a page in my altered book placing those with colour on the edges of each page. Dug through Linda's stash of collage images and choose what I needed to create my first collage angel. FUN!! The large U is actually a photo of a train upside down onto which I collaged an "I" and some hearts!!

Happy with my layout! Having a great time!!

Therese

Christmas cards for challenges - snowmen

Created these cards for a couple challenges - Snowman and mostly green at Christmas Cards All Year Round

and snowmen was the theme for Tracy's Christmas Card Challenge #3 on her blog.

I am pretty happy with how they turned out!!! I used a brass stencil and embossed the snowman (do not know manufacturer - gifted to me) on an off white cardstock circle (3"). I added a bit of chalk to highlight the details - nose, hat, etc. I find it works best if you apply the chalk with the stencil in place - less mess. I added faux stitching to the outer edge with a micro tip marker. I layered him onto a scalloped circle (Nestibilities die) cut from green cardstock which had been embellished with clear glittered 3D paint. Coordinates nicely with the glitter on the decorative cardstock I used below him which features numbers and some cool colours - pink being one of them - so I added a pink paper ribbon just below the scalloped border which I punched (SU) on the upper edge. Added two snowflake embellishments. The large one features a micro mini white brad (M), an iridescent confetti snowflake, a fabric snowflake, a diecut snowflake all layered onto some tulle and attached to the front of the card with the brad. The upper one is a fiber snowflake layered over a confetti snowflake, also attached with a micro mini white brad.

I am super happy to be participating in the Christmas challenges because I will have my cards ready for next Christmas when it arrives and it will be the very first year in 20 years or more of cardmaking that MY cards will be ready when I need them!!!!

Thanks to the girls who are willing to make up the challenges and put them out there!!

Therese

Challenges - Christmas cards!!

February Christmas cards!! I have decided to follow Tracy's and Sylvia's Christmas card challenges this year so I have created this card to satisfy both of those!! Very happy with the cards!! Thanks to both of them for issuing the challenges which the rest of us can use to get cards made early. I have also used the sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches just for the challenge with a few tweaks.

I am enjoying the challenges!! Tracy wanted us to use Olympic colours and Sylvia wanted us to use an evergreen tree so combined with the TM sketch I used a white card base, layered on a turquoise layer which was embossed with the D'vine swirl embossing folder (CB), added a white strip border punched with the new SU scallop trim punch on both sides with a pin pricked design, green and blue squares and a scallop that features a glittered tree!! The scallop is from a scalloped circle Nesties set. The tree is a label cut with a small Sizzix tree die. I glued the paper side of the label tree to the scallop and used a stipple brush to add some blue sky. I cut the backing of the label which is facing out with an exacto knife to reveal the tree trunk and added black fine glitter ($1 store), then removed the snow part and added white fine glitter and lastly removed the tree part and added green fine glitter (MS). I burnished the glitter in nicely so it would be well stuck in place. I am loving this technique - using glitter with sticky label die cuts - so many possibilities!!!

I totally encourage you to give the challenges a try and get your Christmas cards made early!! 10 before the end of February! Unheard of for me!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - coffee greetings

It was great to be back at Cardmaking and being creative with a group!! Welcomed some newbies!! A really different set of cards this time around. To start - easel cards. Found a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers. I modified it a bit to suit my needs - really cool cards!! Substituted hearts for coffee beans and added a stamped greeting to make one of them a Valentine's card. I am happy with both of them.

I really liked this coffee mug but it had a greeting on the curve of the mug which did not always suit so I took my exacto knife and trimmed my unmounted stamp!! It was a delicate operation but all is good and both pieces survived to be used again together or separately. I black embossed the mug for a really nice contrast and it made it very easily to watercolour. I altered my ribbon with walnut ink so it would not be so black and white - worked great!! Some decorative paper and a ribbon slide to complete the card.

This design was inspired by Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C20!! You will see that I have used the same sketch for a Christmas card because I am following Tracy's Christmas Challenge. More about that later!!

Therese