Two all occasion cards featuring masterboard butterflies, ribbon and tracing wheel texture

I continue to make cards from the masterboard I created a while back.  I cut a red cardstock layer the same size as the piece of masterboard (3 5/8" x 4.25") I had trimmed from my letter sized masterboard. I had to use a small cutting plate (broken piece) to avoid cutting more than the butterfly from my large Sizzix die (butterfly and dragonfly).  I was reasonably successful with two passes.  I embossed the red pieces - a butterfly and a layer with a butterfly opening with two different embossing folders.  I die cut some bodies from black paper, trimmed them and adhered them to the butterflies.  I swapped the butterflies and then attached them into the openings using two pieces of regular tape on the back - one on the head and the other on the tail.  This allows the wings to be pulled up to give dimension to the card.  

For my first card, I trimmed my large butterfly focal element to 4" or so, embossed an extra scrap of red cardstock with the same Swiss Dot - CB embossing folder and adhered them to a black card front.  I punched a piece of brown cardstock with a ribbon border punch and them trimmed it to size afterwards.  I inserted a blue gros grain ribbon into the slots adhering one end to the back using double sided tape and brought the other end to the front, flagged it and then stitched in place using red thread and including a tiny button.  I ran my tracing wheel on both long edges to add texture.  I  secured this layer over the gap between my pieces using double sided tape.  Love it!!

For my second card, I adhered my masterboard butterfly focal element to the front of a soft green card and added a scrap of embossed red cardstock to the right hand side.  I used a fine tip permanent marker to add some lines to the outside edges of my focal element.  

Really enjoying the process of creating these cards and really liking the texture and interest created by the masterboard collage!!

Therese

Front flap birthday card featuring stamped decorative papers, some faux stitching and a digital image of a typewriter with a font greeting

I have been enjoying making these front flap cards!!  Much different than my usual A2 cards as I am using large envelopes for these which gives me lots of options when I start creating!!  I started this one with a large envelope and I created a gray panel card to fit inside.  I dug a gray wood grain 12" x 12" sheet of new decorative paper from my large bin and trimmed out a piece to fit on my panel card.  I found the second piece of decorative paper in my cardstock stash as it had been printed on gray cardstock.  I cut out a piece for my flap, scored a half inch from the top and folded over the little flap.  I hooked the flap onto my panel card and trimmed off the bottom to be even with my panel.  Because it was cardstock I simply treated it to a black border created with a black permanent marker and then added a hand drawn line on the inside of that with a fine tip Sharpie.   Next, I added faux stitching to my panel which was better.  The typewriter is a digital image is from CLKER which I sized and then printed on white cardstock.  I trimmed the image from the sheet, sponged its edges with green ink and then ran my pattern tracing wheel along all four edges to add yet more texture.  I layered my focal element with two shades of green cardstock.  I needed to introduce some green to my layers so I used a little solid square stamp (used for the first time today) and created little groups of three on the four corners of my  panel card and a raggedy row on my flap.  That really helped to tie these elements together!!  I adhered my  layered focal element off the right hand side of my flap and finished off my card by adding a piece of white bond behind my flap to give me a place to write my message.  

Therese

Front flap birthday card featuring decorative paper, ribbon and a colour printed digital image of a birthday cake

I am still at making front flap cards!!  For this one I started with a large envelope and created a pink panel card to fit inside.  I layered on the polka dot paper (SU digital - colour printed) which I trimmed to leave an even border.  I found a piece of blue cardstock that coordinated and then found a piece of paper that coordinated with both of them.  I scored the cardstock at a half inch from the top edge, folded over the little flap and then hooked it on my panel and trimmed the bottom edge.  I trimmed the piece second piece of decorative paper  to fit on the front of my flap with an even border.  The birthday greeting is one I downloaded from the internet and colour printed.  I used a large black permanent marker to colour all four edges of my image to highlight the greeting and coordinate with my decorative papers.  I mounted the cake image so it overlapped half onto the flap and I adhered it in place.  I added a length of pink ribbon at the top of the flap and tied it with a double knot.  Added a message area behind the flap using a piece of white bond.         Therese

Birthday card featuring a fun cupcake with a star and some ribbon flags

A fun card for one of my grandaughter's birthday which is coming up soon!!!  I started with a large envelope and created an off white card to fit inside.  I cut the piece of polka dot red paper for my background and decided to embellish it.  With a black Sharpie I added some hand drawn circles and three dots in all the large circles and put a single dot in the each small circle.  Next, I coloured all the circles in with yellow.  Finally, I used the open end of a nerf bullet to stamp red circles in between all the other ones.  The result adds some pizzazz!! I adhered it to my card front.  I laser printed the cute little cupcake (Melonheadz) after adding the birthday greeting, trimmed it to size and then watercoloured it using shimmery paint on the icing and a clear glitter gel pen on the dots and the swirl at the top.  I ran my tracing wheel on three edges and just below the greeting on the bottom.  I punched the bottom with a scallop punch (SU) and then added four shimmery embellishments in the four full scallops.  I layered it with red cardstock and added seven little red checkered ribbon flags on the right hand side.  To finish off my card I used 3D foam tape to adhere this focal element to my card front.  I like how the star echos the little yellow circles in my decorative paper.          Therese

Christmas cards featuring a large Merry Christmas greeting, ribbon and glittery gift wrap backgrounds

Another set of Christmas cards for my stash using the same glittery pine cone gift wrap as I used for my last set.  These ones feature a large greeting I downloaded from Mom Junction which I sized, laser printed onto white cardstock and added a black line all the way around to give it some depth.  I watercoloured the  greeting and holly and then added some clear glitter in the stars and dots around the top, on the berries and all the way around the edges.  I added a strip of double sided tape on the right hand side and added short lengths of  coordinating ribbon then flagging their ends.  I mounted the trimmed backgrounds - glittery pine cone gift wrap which came wrapped around one of our gifts this past season - to red card fronts and then mounted the greetings to them using 3D foam tape.  As you can see I made a few angled a bit and two square and even.  I did these cards more assembly line style.  I did each step for all of them one at a time.  Trimmed all the images, added a black line to all of them, watercoloured them and then added ribbon to all of the greetings.  I glued all the backgrounds to the front and then mounted all the greetings to them.  It was easier to make them all the same when using this method of assembly.  Happy with these and they are headed for the bucket when they are finished being pressed.        Therese

Stained glass art in support of essential workers

 Wanting art that was a bit more interactive and would really work with the sun in the front window I decided to see if I could make some stained glass art.  After a bit of research I found a few places with tutorials on how to make stained glass art with tissue paper and wax crayons.  The wax crayon ones reminded me of the melting wax technique I have done in the past for decorative paper.  I decided to use bond paper instead of cardstock which I have used in the past which would make the art more transparent.

To really simulate stained glass I decided to add some lines using a large permanent marker.  I just made a pattern of lines.  I plugged my griddle in and set it on low, added a layer of foil and then laid my sheet decorated bond paper over it.  To decorate the sheet I simply coloured in the pieces using wax crayons which melt immediately when they are in contact with the warm surface below.  It is totally fun!!!!!

As you can see from the stained glass sheet on the right the wax dissolved to some degree the permanent marker in the lines and ran into the spaces.  I just went with it and kept filling in the spaces until I was done.  I think it looks pretty interesting and the running of the colour gives it a bit of an antique  feeling.  To remove it, I simply lifted a corner and placed it on newspaper until it solidified which only takes a few minutes.

I made up these four though it was a conscious decision to not spend all day at it which I could easily have done!!!!!!  We did not need that many pieces of art.  I made the second heart with a thicker outline and only put blue all the way around which really helped to make the heart stand out.

To display them I simply taped them to the front window.  Two each on the side panels where they really look great.  They will be wonderful when the sun shines through.

I encourage you to make art to display in your windows in support of those who are putting themselves in harm's way to keep us safe.

Get the kids involved and make it an art day!!  With very little prompting the kids will come up with art that is meaningful in every way once they know what the cause is!!                Therese

Cute little quote patches for my grocery shopping bags

I went grocery shopping this morning and decided that the grocery bags should be washed.  They needed it as well.  I have been wanting to add little patches to them since I acquired them second hand and with a bit of time on my hands I decided that today was the day!!! 

 

I ran across some little quote tags from a swap when I was looking for coordinating fabric and I remembered that a while back I had my sister inkjet print some for me onto fusible cotton.  I even remembered where they were so after finding the perfect fabrics for my little tags I got started.  I made them 1.5" x 4", ironed on the trimmed quotes and then folded over a little bit on each side so I could stitch them to the bags.  I stitched them on with white thread which highlights the stitching which I like.  After getting them all stitched on I thought they still needed a bit of something so I added faux stitching with a fine tip Sharpie marker all the way around the quotes.  That was definitely better!!!!!!!!!  I am very happy with my little project and love my embellished bags!!!             Therese

Birthday card featuring a puffin, an hand embossed layer and a tiny greeting

For this card I started with this puffin image from CLKER which I laser printed onto white cardstock and trimmed to size.  I watercoloured it, mounted it to a hand embossed orange layer inserting a tiny laser printed font greeting in between before pressing everything down.  I left some an extra border of orange on the right hand side and the bottom which nicely highlights the puffin's beak and feet!!  I adhered this large layered element to a black card front and thinking it still needed something I added dots and dashes around the edges of the image.  That was much better!!

Therese

Thank you card featuring a framed floral collage, a stamped greeting and some embossed elements

For this card I used a framed floral collage which I downloaded from Pixabay.  Once trimmed from the sheet of white cardstock, I distressed its edges and stamped the little greeting in black.  The greeting is from Taylored Expressions.  It was a freebie when I order my Bethlehem and Nativity dies last year.  It stamps very nicely!!!  I found a coordinating pink card and added gray randomly cut scraps which I embossed with coordinating embossing folders and then sponged with a bit of black ink to highlight the design.  I mounted the scraps to my pink card and then added the floral image.  Thinking it still needed a bit of something I added some faux stitching with a sharpie all the way around the edge.  That was better!!!!!!!          Therese

Birthday card featuring plovers in the sand, trimmed ribbon, decorative paper and a layered font greeting

I am back at making cards for family this week!!  The plover image is from CLKER.  I laser printed it onto white cardstock and using masks I sponged the horizon line, the mountains in the background and added some brown for the sand in the foreground.  I watercoloured their bodies a little after the sponging and added eyes with a white gel pen.  I layered the image and the little font greeting with with black.  I cut a tan card to fit in my large envelope, added a layer of decorative paper cut from a larger sheet and then added a purple ribbon which I trimmed with a wavy edges cutter.  I mounted the plovers with 3D foam tape and the greeting with one side 3D foam tape and the other just double sided where it overlaps the image.  To finish it off I added a decorative border using a black permanent marker on the background.  Love how it worked out!!            Therese

Birthday card featuring a resist background, an embossed oval and a balloon with a greeting

Still working on getting card kits made up into cards.  This one is from the January card class.  The background was created by stamping and embossing with silver embossing powder a heart image and then watercolouring all over.  Once dry, you simply wipe the embossed areas to remove any dried watercolour.  I adhered the background to a coordinating blue card.  I manually embossed the oval from the kit using a texture embossing folder and glued it at a bit of an angle on my card.  I added a lavender frame from my stash using 3D foam tape.  I added a shadow to the white balloon from the kit using a black Sharpie marker, tied on a black thread and mounted it inside the frame with 3D foam tape as well.  I found the little greeting in my stash, trimmed it to a tag shape, punched a tiny hole and used the balloon's string to loosely tie the greeting on.  I positioned the greeting and secured it with 3D foam tape.  The string hangs very naturally because I only loosely tied on the greeting.  I love how it turned out!!  Had I used been a red or yellow balloon it would have given the card a bit more punch!!           Therese

Card from a card kit featuring a serendipity heart die cut, some thread and a sanded embossed background

This is the final kit from this class.  I love the serendipity collage paper and this card showcases it very beautifully!!  I die cut the heart from some red serendipity paper and added three little clear rhinestones which I coloured with Sharpie markers so they would coordinate.  I corner rounded the white core cardstock, embossed it with a swirl embossing folder (D'vine swirl - CB) and sanded it to reveal the white core.  The sanding also makes the surface feel very velvety - great texture!!  I wrapped the red thread around the embossed layer and tied it off before adhering it to the red card front.  I mounted the heart using 3D foam tape over the threads!!  Great for Valentine's or an anniversary - hence there is no greeting. 

Therese

Birthday card featuring double sided decorative paper, an original floral doodle and a layered greeting

I am working on special occasion cards for my family.  It is good to be back to making cards after the holidays. 
I started with a light yellow card.  I trimmed the flourished teal background (gift wrap) to fit with an even border all the way around and then punched three flowers from the left hand side.  I flipped over the punchies and fit them back into the openings and secured them with regular tape on the back.  I added black punchie centers and added a few details using a sharpie marker.  I found this laser printed flower in my image stash.  This is one of my own images which I doodle while watching a doodling tutorial on YouTube.  I scanned my doodles to create my own digital images for cardmaking!  Pretty cool!!  I coloured the flower to coordinate with the background and sponged around the edges with blue ink.  I created a layered greeting using a oval greeting punchie and a pink scalloped oval punchie which I punched from the background paper which will be under the flower image.  Coordinates perfectly!!  After adhering my background to the front of my card I added a length of pink paper twine on the right hand side.  I mounted my watercoloured flower image over the twine and opening using 3D foam tape and then added the layered greeting in the same way.  Finished!!           Therese

Thank you card featuring gift wrap, die cut gears, handmade washi tape and a little punchie greeting

After the holidays I always send cards to those who have blessed us with gifts over the season!  I got started with this card.  I started with a burnt orange card, added the kraft and black background (gift wrap from England) and then layered on three gears die cuts (TH-SX) in ivory, kraft and black.  I added a length of handmade washi tape from my stash (clothes pattern paper and double sided tape) over the bottom edge of all of them to give me a horizontal element to anchor my greeting.  The greeting ( laser printed punchie - Modern Label Punch - SU) I found in my stash, sponged the edges and added dots using a sharpie marker. I adhered it to my card using 3D foam tape.    I love the look of that washi tape and it is so easy to do.  Click on the link to go to the tutorial.    It is amazing how long supplies last - our trip to London was over a decade ago!!!            Therese

Birthday day card with a fun fold and lots of candles!!!!!

 I am getting started on my 2020 family cards as some have their birthdays early in the new year!!  I made this one for my brother.  It has a LOT of candles which were created by using strips of decorative papers.  I rounded their tops a bit by hand and then glued them all across my card.  It is a Z fold card so the back is full size and the front is folded over to the right which leaves the whole length available for decorating!!  I hand cut gold foil (Christmas chocolate) for the flames of each candle and added a wick with a black sharpie!  I had embossed the top edges with this sort of starburst design which I thought look a lot like the glow of a flame.  Next time, I will try to get the flames all in the middle of a glow which will be more effective!!  I added a length of green fiber ribbon to the card using double sided tape to secure the edges to the back and a few places along the way to keep lined up from the front to the back.  I found this large greeting in my stash.  I used the corner punch on it and on the navy layer as well.  I watercoloured the greeting, layered the greeting and the navy rectangle and adhered it to only the front piece of my card which allows it to move with the front.  I added white embossed layer to the inside for my handwritten wishes for him.  It is nice to be back to making cards!!!!!!  Therese

Christmas cards featuring a little truck with a tree, sponged & stamped background and torn snowbanks

 A few Christmas cards with these cute little trucks!!  I cut these a while back when I visited my sister.  It is a stamp and die set (SU) so I stamped and embossed them in black and the die cut them.  I made a lot of different colours but my favorites are the red and yellow ones.  The four backgrounds are blue scrapbook papers I found in my stash.  I cut them to 4" x 5.25" and then sponged several lines of blue using a torn paper strip which makes a mountain range.  Next, I sponged a row of green which makes a sort of horizon line.  Finally, I stamped a row of pine trees in green.  Always so effective!!  I embossed all the trees using the Manhattan Flower embossing folder which gave them all really neat texture.  I sponged the edges of the lighter coloured ones.  The little trucks were all embellished with glitter gel pen on the window, door handle, lights, bumper, running boards and hubcaps.  The wheels were coloured black with Sharpies and the fenders were watercoloured to coordinate.  For the first one, I added torn snowbanks at the bottom, added my truck using 3D foam tape in the center and double sided tape behind the wheels to give it a bit of dimension.  I added the tree the same way in the back of the truck.  I added a layered oval greeting (SU - punches) featuring a font greeting and glued this large element to the front of  a black card.  To finish it off I added some dots of iridescent glitter glue to the sky and let it dry.  For the second cards I followed the same procedure (oops! missed the tires - I will fix that) and stamped the greeting on the snow bank instead and left the sky as it was.  Glued to a blue card. 

 This card features a stamped greeting on the snowbank and iridescent sparkles in the sky created with glitter glue. 
The fourth card has manually embossed dots in the sky which I sanded to give them their white appearance.  I love this effect!!!!  On this one the greeting was stamped and embossed with silver embossing powder. 
Really happy with these cards!

Therese

Cards featuring illustrated panels, ribbon and little font greetings

I am finishing off a few more cards today for my stash.  Always handy to have a few cards on hand for when you need them for friends and family going through a rough patch in their lives.  These cards feature calendar pages which were trimmed to fit on coordinating card fronts.  For the first one, I punched an opening on the top left, tied on a little bit of white fiber and then adhered this large element to a red card front.  I added the little laser printed punchie greeting in the opening with double sided tape.  

For the second card, I added a length of blue ribbon to my illustrated panel and the adhered it to a coordinating blue card front.  I finished it off by tying on a short piece of the same ribbon to the one on the front using a single knot to simulate a bow and added the little laser printed font greeting punchie using 3D foam tape.  

For my third card, the trimmed panel was not long enough to cover the whole card front so I adhered it to a yellow layer and adhered it to a black card.  I stamped the greeting and then dots above the image and below the greeting to finish off my card.  Made the overstamped edge a design feature using a fine tip marker.  

Therese

Christmas card featuring a card front, metallic border and bling

I am still refurbishing used Christmas cards to create a stash of cards for myself. 
For this one I trimmed this image from the large card and added a coordinating gold metallic border on the right hand side.  I cut it with a wavy cutter from gold metallic packaging from my stash.  I mounted this layer to a dark green card front, added a rhinestone to the middle of the star which I coloured with Sharpies and then used a red Sharpie to add colour to the ornaments on the tree!! 

Therese

A large card with a beautiful maple leaf on handmade paper and some ribbon and brads

This is another card I found in my stash of cards to be refurbished.  Again, it is one my sister made years ago which featured a large pressed leaf mounted to handmade paper.  Unfortunately, the leaf had missing pieces due to its travels so I managed to remove it and so dug in my stash of pressed leaves and found this one that worked well with the green and the handmade paper.  I wanted to add some ribbon below the leaf but that hid the end of the stem so I decided to cut the stem and rearrange the bottom down a bit.  I used white glue to position both pieces to the handmade paper.  When the glue was dry I added the maroon and gold ribbon which I had layered and mounted it over the bottom section of the leaf covering up the gap in the stem.  I added three little square brads which I coloured to coordinate with a maroom sharpie marker.  I glued the ends of the ribbon to the back of the green layer and then adhered this large element to the front of a large maroon card.  I was happy to be able to give this card another go around!!  Therese

This birthday card features original art, a tiny greeting and a bit of embossing

Needing some cards for family birthdays that are coming up next month. 
The art on this card was done in watercolour and finished off using shimmery gel pens in a variety of colours.  It is beautiful!  Not sure how I acquired it but I have kept it knowing it should have the opportunity to have another life!!  I trimmed it down and then found a large envelope which would allow me to create a card large enough to hold it.  I created a black card for my envelope, added a red layer of cardstock which I embossed on both ends with a polka dot border embossing folder. I adhered the trimmed image to the red layer and added this layer to the black card.  Not wanting to take away from the art I added a very small stamped greeting which I layered with red to make it noticeable.  I added some black dots to it to help it coordinate with the image.  Perfect!! 

Therese