My Art - Kersal Monogram

This is a Kersal letter!! I taught my class of students to make a Kersal letter so they could create their own monogram cards!! A very versatile lettering style!! They each created an original which I scanned and laser printed so they would have monogram cards of their best work. I borrowed this lettering form from one of the artists on the ByHand group. Thanks, Yogi!!

We used pencils for our practice sheets and then a Sharpie Ultra Fine on coated paper to make our good copies. They made as many as they wanted and in the end picked one to be their best one!!

Therese

My Art - Yalphamingle - A

Our fat book page mingle has morphed into the Yalpha mingle!! I am so glad it is continuing on!! This year we will be featuring letters on our pages!! I started with A but it could have been any letter!! Though my letter looks black it is actually covered with silver foil paper! I got a new Cropadile at my SU party and really like it! It sets eyelets better than anything else I have used in the past - still not always perfectly but pretty close!! And in a breeze of time and with no banging!! A win - win in my books!! It sets several different sizes of eyelets along with other embellishments like snaps, etc. So I played with it for this page. Added black eyelets to attach my letter and three silver ones to the right hand edge. I added fiber to those!! The Cropadile is not as versatile as the Memories setter in that it cannot set them in the middle of a page so I will likely not liquidate the Memories setter just yet. My friend, Linda, used her Cropadile to punch a hole in a thick plastic game piece when we were making danglies at her house! Cut it like butter!! The Cropadile punches two sizes of holes and because of the design easily punches them through metal and any sort of chipboard, etc!! A versalile piece of kit!!
I laser printed ALWAYS and the list on a laser transparency! Very fun to make your own transparencies!! Printed off some keys and some large letters for future Yalpha mingle pages while I was at it to fill an 8.5"x11" page!! I have more art to scan and put up so maybe later this week.

Thanks for checking out my blog and get creative this week!

Therese

My Art - "Faux Silk" Thank you cards

These are the Thank you cards I made for the gang that came over for my Stampin Up party a few weeks ago. I have a wonderful SU demo who does a great job of presenting SU and always has great Make and Take cards!! We had a great time as usual!!

I bought a box of 500 envelopes (#8 - 3 5/8" x 6 1/4") because they were perfect for the monogram cards I was doing with a class of students a few weeks ago. So now I am experimenting with them for regular cards!! For these cards I cut 8.5" x 11" down to 3.5" x 11" and added a white layer on the front to make up the few inches I was short. Worked out quite well. The panel is made with the "faux silk" technique.
Take a piece of tissue paper and stamp and colour the images. Cut cardstock smaller than the size of the tissue paper - 1/2" -1" smaller on all sides. Crunch the tissue up into a ball and carefully unball leaving the wrinkles in. Cover the cardstock all over with glue and gently place the tissue paper on it leaving some hanging over on all edges. Gently press the tissue paper into the glue all over. You want a nice all over textured look. Then turn over the cardstock and glue down the overlapping edges of tissue to the back.
Makes a very nice feature element for your projects - cards as well as scrapbooks and altered art! The greeting is colour printed and layered with the SU circle punches!!
I would encourage you to experiment with different envelopes! It helps you think outside the box!!

Therese
where spring is trying really hard to melt the snow!!

My Art - cardmaking - flowers

Another very versatile card which can be changed up very easily to accomodate different occasions and themes!! Decorative paper has been added at the bottom and top of the card, a watercoloured image has been layered on the left and a greeting stamped on the right. Quick and easy if you are creating a variety of cards for different occasions - just change the image and the greeting!

Enjoy being creative!!


Therese
Mixed Media Market
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mixedmediamarket/

My Art - cardmaking - Blue asian

The bookplate on this card looks like silver metal but it is not! I used a Sizzix book plate die in my Cuttlebug machine to cut these out of scrap silver coated cardboard!! Worked so perfectly!! I am always saving interesting packaging and recyclables for use in my crafting!!
The background paper is some I printed with my cyan and magenta ink when my colour printer ran out of yellow ink. I downloaded a wide variety of backgrounds from the internet and tiled them in a layout program to create decorative paper!! Worked out so well. I have printed them on coated colour laser paper which nicely absorbs the inks and keeps the colour vibrant!!
The decorative paper is trimmed just smaller than the card, a coordinating strip of cardstock is added to the bottom of the card, a greeting glued to the back of the bookplate, a ribbon inserted to span the width of the card and glued in place. Added the layered silk flowers with a silver brad.

Therese

My Art - cardmaking - fabric pansies

I used fabric on this card!! There is so much wonderful fabric avaible that can so nicely be incorporated into cardmaking. Consider using scraps from your quilting or sewing. Easily create coordinating cards for gifts you may be giving. A large amount of Christmas cards can also be made in very short order using fabric!! Just keep an eye out for a pattern that is easily cut out!!

I used Heat and Bond on the back of the fabric and it just needed to be ironed to the front of the card. There are other products (stitch witchery) out there that can be used as well. Ask at your local fabric or craft store. I bought mine at Michaels years ago.

Added a metal embossed butterfly with 3D foam tape and a flight path in black marker. The stitched border in gold gel pen mimicks the gold in the fabric. A greeting could easily be added as well.

So consider what supplies you might already have on hand for making a quick sets of fabric cards!!

Therese

My Art - cardmaking yellow flower

The embellishment on this card is a button with some fiber!! I used the SU scallop punch (love it!!) for the bottom layer of the flower with brown cardstock!! Layered onto that rust and peachy circles (1.25" and 1"). Tied the bright yellow fiber onto the button and hot glued it into place. For the stem I cut a piece of green cardstock to which I tied similar coloured ribbon. I stamped the little wish greeting (SU) in olive green. The left hand side is adorned with a floral border by Magenta trimmed to the scalloped edge. Once I glued the border into place I added the stem and then glued the flower into place with hot glue. A little card that heralds the hope that is spring!!

Therese

My Art - cardmaking - Ribbon slide buckle in brown

Just found these on my desk!! This month at cardmaking I was featuring cards with embellishments!! I had bought a few packages of these buckles a while back and thought they would fit into this classe nicely. A fairly simple card which can be changed up to any season and occasion by just changing your supplies. I used decorative scrapbook paper which I stamped over to give it a bit more interest. I like doing that!! Added a colour printed greeting that is tucked nicely under the ribbon. The buckle is a ribbon slide which works best with 3/8" ribbon. In this case, I used brown which I purchased last year some time. I added some 3D foam tape under the buckle to keep it secure as it is relatively heavy compared to the card. I nice masculine card!!\
Therese

RSC - on hold!!

Just a note that Rubber Stamp Club is on hold until the fall! Michaels is revamping their classes and coming up with a completely new format!! Wilton's will be staying on and I expect we can expect to see a similar format for future classes!! This will take effect on March 11th and new classes should start to appear by some time in September!! I am looking forward to seeing what is coming and how the new classes will be structured. You should start seeing this take place in your local Michaels very soon!!

Therese

My Art - coaster calendar

Decided to let the art students have a bit of collage fun so we created coaster calendars last week. I provided each with some coasters and a little baggie of colour coordinated paper, images and bits of this and that!! The coasters were first covered with paste paper and then collaged with a variety of images. It is always fun to have time to play!! We added some 3D elements - one being a shrink plastic charm with the quote "Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day life". Shrink plastic was a hit!! We added the calendar on the right hand side in a little plastic pocket which, come the end of the year, can be refilled or can hold a photo!! I really like making these!!

Therese

My Art - Journal

I have been keeping just ahead of a cold - lots of Vitamin C, echinacea and green tea and as much rest as my schedule will allow so it has meant less creative time. Here is the journal I created with my art students. The base is watercolour paper folded and glued together with double sided tape and fabric tape. I hope they will consider added more decorative elements as the mood strikes them. The journal has a stack of pages incorporated into it with a little metal holder. Not sure what they are called - two prongs with backer and metal strip with two holes for the front with two slides that hold the prongs in place. This will allow them to remove pages or replace the whole stack and reuse the journal. We each created our own decorative element for the front and added it with brads. The folded flap incorporates an elastic which keeps it closed. I also created journal prompts for them and a little holder that will easily fit in their journal.
I talked a bit about journaling and how important it is as a self discovery tool. Many of us expect everyone else to pay attention to us and listen to what we have to say without giving ourselves the same opportunity. What comes out of us DOES say something about US and in the process of writing it down we may start to see patterns and be surprised by what we have in there that needs unleashing. Very often, if we let out what we have inside, it completes the process and we can let it go!! So it was a creative project on several levels. We are always called upon to witness our experiences!!
Therese

My Art - Handmade Paper Cards

Handmade paper cards!! These are a project I am doing with a school in the area where the students get exposed to a variety of art and crafts! In the first 45 minute session we made the blue paper sheets and laminated the images to a sheet of white handmade paper. The second day we made the cards with the blue paper - just folded them in half, ripped apart the images on the white one and watercoloured them. The images were hot glued to the front of the blue handmade paper cards. Inserts were glued inside and they made envelopes for them using a quick and easy template by Green Sneakers that utilizes a square of paper.

The blue handmade paper is recycled white bond paper - used and printed. I added some blue construction paper for colour. The last blender full I only blended slightly so there would be some larger bits that would show up as accents in the paper. I also added some herbal tea (used) and some blue flower botanicals that were slightly blended as well.

The white handmade paper is also from used bond paper. I rip off any white areas in my sheets when I am setting paper aside for papermaking in a separate box so I have the ability to make plain white paper with no black bits. I also save all of my white paper and cardstock scraps in the same box.

The images are stamped on tissue paper with waterproof Memories ink and laminated to the wet sheet! They look like part of the paper. Some of the edges lifted a bit while we were watercolouring them so we just applied a bit of glue behind the tissue paper image laid them back down. Good as new. The dragonfly and leaf are silver embossed. The effect was not quite what I had envisioned. The embossing powder was too shiny and reflects too much light which is not enough contrast for the watercolour. Live and learn. I have in the past also laminated embossed greetings into my handmade paper cards which works very well. In this case we used white tissue paper on white handmade paper.

It was great to get my hands in paper again and the students enjoyed the process and the results.

Happy Valentine's Day!! I am celebrating on the weekend with a great meals cooked at home with my DH!

Therese

My Art - Exchange cards

Just had to use my Sizzix die one more time!! Decided to make some white and gold hearts from the leftover Serendipity piece I made for my litte house blessing!! These are for a monthly card exchange I participate in. I layered the heart on gold and trimmed by hand. Makes you appreciate a die cut!! Tried several different backgrounds with very little luck so went with a standby - the Cuttlebug D'vine swirl! I used my to SU oval punches to create a frame from my handwritten "love". Worked out really well. I coloured the edges of the gold frame with watercolour to make it blend with the gold front and it helped a lot to make it look more like a metal frame. I applied all of the elements to a textured premade card!!

I have been staying ahead of the snow today!! I shoveled 4 times and it will need it again in the morning!

Have a great weekend!!

Therese

Stamp Club - New classes

I am going to be teaching classes at Michaels!! I have scheduled three classes - "Pressing out the details", Rubber Stamping THE BASICS, and Waterfall cards. The first in February and the other two in March!!

You can check out more info and see more samples here:

http://tmalakrsc.blogspot.com/

Thanks for checking it out!!

Therese

My Art - House Blessing

This project is a year old.
I made several of these for my children last year for Christmas. I was short of the white and gold serendipity collage so mine has been sitting on my desk since last year. Tonight I decided to finish it. The white and gold serendipity was quick and easy. The frame was purchased at $1 store and painted white. I trimmed the white and gold serendipity to fit in the back of the frame and used 3D foam tape to attach the heart leaving it curved a little to create a little pocket for my blessing.
It will sit by the front door to bless all those who come and go from our house!!

It is nice to have a piece of my art on display in my house. I hope there will be more pieces that will show up over the course of the year!!

Therese

My Art - 31 hearts for January

Art everyday!!

Here is my collection of 31 hearts for January!! I have to admit that I did not make one every day. It was more more a case of making a few once a week or so. It has been fun and I hope to find a project to incorporate them in. I have created quite a few more this month which have already been included in several of my projects.

I am tempted to hoard them - they are all kind of cool and seem to be the begin of a collection!! I expect it will be wiser to let them go when they need to!!

Therese

My Art - Valentine's card

A Valentine's card for my special guy!! Used more pieces from that heart sticker pack I used earlier this week to create this one!! The tag in the vellum envelope features one of the round sticker tags which I layered onto a white one which is stamped on the bottom with a phrase from SU. This set was a hostess set last catalog and I managed to snag it at the open house my SU demo had on the weekend!! I am getting to a place where I need more time not more stamps!!! The sidebar is also a sticker. I stamped the background with the collage love stamp from my latest SeeD set!!

The vellum envelope is created from a square of vellum and sealed with a punchie!! Very quick and easy way to make an envelope - just fold three points to the middle - and they can be created any size!! I like to use this one on cards because of how quick and easy it is!!

Make sure you take some time to let that special person know how much you love and appreciate them!!

Therese

My Art - Journal tip ins

Created this layout with the theme of vintage children for the journal group. It was totally fun to do!! I used my Sizzix Alphablock dies to cut out the header letters. Added a strip of white scalloped cardstock between the "bulletin board" and the header. I use my scallop scissors and then a push pin to poke holes in each scallop to create a lace effect. Try using thick fun foam or a foamy mouse pad under your cardstock to get even holes. I created the diamond pattern with cardstock strips over the scrapbook paper. I glued the edges and used thread and white pearl seed beads on the inner junctions so it would be like a real bulletin board and the images could be just tucked in. The images are laser printed to which I have added, in Dymo font, a characteristic of children - wise, loyal, curious, etc. This is for February and I am way ahead of the game!! So new for me!!

Therese

My Art - guy cards

A couple more guy cards. On the first I layered a watercoloured
baseball image onto a piece of "caught in a crystal" background paper!! Added a bit of a ribbon and a tag. I used the horizontal slot punch (SU) to cut a very slight slot on the spine so I could pass my ribbon through. I like to use a punch to make a slot or hole on the spine for ribbon or fiber because it cuts so cleanly.

To do this just hold your punch upside down so you can see the paper through the punch hole. Line up the spine edge so the punch just barely catches the edge. Will nicely cut a slot for your ribbon. If needing a hole for fiber I usually use a round hole punch the appropriate size. Again, hold the punch upside down so you can see how much of the spine you are punching. Usually, about 1/4-1/2 of the hole is sufficient for passing your fibers through.

On the second I used several elements and combined them in an interesting layout. I added some track in front of the train with a black marker, watercoloured the image and then cut out. The lake scene I watercoloured, trimmed and layered onto black. I layered the black colour printed greeting on black and then created an interactive layout with them. It was fun to play and rearrange until it "worked"!! Just glued all the elements to a testured white card.

Try using your images in a way you have not done before. Cutting them out, stamping in a different colour, using only part of a image, etc. It makes for more versatility with the stamps you already have and a different look to your layouts. It is good to step outside the box - our own or someone else's - to see what is possible. If something really doesn't work out put them in your serendipity or collage box for addition to some later work of art!!

Therese

My Art - Guy cards

Guy cards can be a challenge for some so I am sharing the few I made this afternoon. I happened upon this wonderful gift wrap a while back and thought the colours were great and it would be good for guy cards, driving & auto projects or layouts. I have used the paper as a background and featured old automobiles. These stamped images were received several years ago in a "male images" swap and it has been great to use them for cards!! I watercoloured the images and then cut them out to layer them. To the first I added sticker letters for "birthday" and stamped "happy" with rubber. On the second one I handwrote the greeting in black beneath the car. On the third I used a small greeting (SU) and stamped directly on the image.

I have missed watercolouring in the last few months. I have used other techniques but I still really like the look of watercoloured images.

Therese

My Art - T&T Fat Book Mingle page

Created this fat book page for the This & That Fat book page mingle. I chose do a page on Valentine's this time around. The background paper I used is actually gift wrap which started out being ivory with tan writing. I colour washed it with acrylic paint to better suit my colour scheme. Worked out very well!! It is always better to colour wash your paper before you cut it to size because sometimes the paper shrinks a little. The top of the image is the back and the bottom is the front. I created a shaker to add to my page using acetate and a frame from the same sticker sheet I used for my coaster calendar. I had hoped the words underneath would be more legible - just a few too many red and gold confettis in it!! The words are repeated on the back so that works. I added some paper lace from a doily, some ribbon, a bit of the border sticker and some handwritten love quotes. I am a bit early with this one - not my usual MO - but I have classes to teach in February which will be taking a lot of my time so I am planning ahead with some of my other projects.

Therese

My Art - Valentine's Mingle

This Valentine's mingle has been going on for a few years and it is always fun to participate!! I decided to step it up a notch for myself this year and created a double coaster calendar!! It was so fun to make!! I covered both sides of my chipboard coasters with my own hand decorated paper. The inside piece had to be colour washed a bit with yellow to bring it up to the same warmth as the stickers I wanted to use. No problem - worked very well. The strips are stickers from a $1 store pack. I created a little acetate pocket for my calendar pages (printed using PrintMaster). It can be filled with another small calendar for the next year or a photo, postage stamps, or whatever!! I attached it with double sided tape. Added ribbon on both coasters for accent and interest. Added a gold embossed heart on the left hand side along with "CREATE"!!
Created a little binding with gold thread so the coasters would stand and not be wobbly with each other. Added gold hearts to the outsides to cover the holes I punched for the ribbon. The front also has an interesting angel transparency on the front. A totally fun project and will make a great addition to someone's studio!!

Therese

My Art - Journal Tip ins

I am part of a new group that was spawned off of one of my regular groups to experiment with altered journals. The eight of us have each chosen a theme and indicated the size of pages we need to tip into our journals. Here is the spread I created for Bettiann's journal whose theme is nature and quotes. I started with light weight cardstock and glued in place two pieces of scrapbook paper which I colour washed with umber to tone them down a bit. I added butterfly borders from a sticker pack. Added a strip of flourishes on transparency and attached it with eyelets in the center of flower punchies. A few of the flowers "burst" with the application of the hammer to the eyelets. They have a more organic look. Real pressed flowers - a pansy and a yellow daisy. A few more stickers, a colour printed quote and some quotes written in by hand. Added a cinquain I wrote several years ago for an exchnage which worked well with the theme. I attached it with corner stickers and leaf eyelets in the top corners to create a pocket. Inside the pocket I added a tag with my info and a photo. I was careful not to add too much bulk to the spine area. Very happy with the way this layout turned out!! We will all have wonderful journals by the end of the year.
I would certainly encourage you to modify any preprinted paper to suit your needs. Amazingly, a very light colour wash can bring a paper that is just "off" in colour right up to where you need it to be. I also use my stipple brush and inkpads to modify the colour of items which are not quite what I need them to be. Works really great with silk flowers!!

Therese

My Art - January Cardmaking

Just a little card!! Has a pocket to slip things into - a gift card, cash, some coupons, love notes, a poem or even a little bling for someone special!! I included a card inside for a greeting or message. This card is 4.25" x 4.25" and is created using a 4.25" x 11" piece of cardstock. Score and fold at 4.25" and 8.5". The last little piece is folded up and creates the pocket!! I used 1/4" double sided tape on the sides of the pocket to keep it in place.

Have a wonderful day and be a little creative!!


Therese

Mixed Media Market http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mixedmediamarket/

My Art - January Cardmaking

These square cards can be made into frames by the recipents!! Adds a little fun to recieving a card from a friend!! The card front has a hole cut into it which in this case is in the middle and is also a square. I cut this one by hand but it certainly could be cut with a die instead. There are LOTS of other possibilities!! I simply attach the greeting (colour printed) to the inside front of the card with invisible tape so it can easily be removed. It is then just a matter of removing the insert and applying some glue to the right hand and bottom inside of the card and folding over the front to create a pocket in which a picture can be added. For display, add a magnet to the back, a ribbon hanger or feature on an easel.

A gift in a card and a little project for your friends to be creative with!! Great as a baby card to display the latest picture and to finally be added to a scrapbook.

Therese

My Art - January Cardmaking

This card features a piece of seed paper which I made myself. I incorporated seeds into a small sheet of handmade paper!! I used a wildflower seed mix available from T&T seeds but if you are wanting to make your own any seeds that are not too bulky can be used. I wanted the seed paper to be easily removeable so I created a tab in the lower right hand corner to tuck it into and then added a flower accent put on with a brad. I included instructions for planting the seed paper so everyone could include them with the card. It is a really fun way to "send flowers by mail"!!!
I created the tab using my SU slot punch. First I used my corner rounder on the corner of the card then put the slot punch over the corner and punched it equidistant from each side. Worked very nicely!! I had tried using the slot punch without first using the corner rounder and it did not punch quite far enough for the seed paper sheet to be centered on the card front. When assembling the flower accent it was best to glue all the elements to each other before putting in the large brad. It is frustrating to have all the elements lined up and have them move in the process of adding the brad. Another card that gives a little more and just the thing for spring birthdays for the gardeners on your list.

Speaking of lists - if you want to stay ahead of the cards you need for family and friends a birthday calendar is the perfect thing. It has a page for each month and a list of each day. You simply add the names and occassion by each day as appropriate. For example on February 14 - Valentine's Day card for DH. It stays the same year after year and you can keep adding to it as the years go by. If you add the year as well, you can also stay aware of the special occasions like a fortieth birthday or a fiftieth anniversary. My birthday calendar is actually a word processing document which I print up at the beginning of the year that lists months and day along with the names and occasions and dates if I know them. As the year goes by I highlight the names as I send the cards and add, by hand, the new ones I want to add. At a moment's notice I can see the cards I will be needing in the next month. At the end of the year I update my electronic file with the additions and print off a new one for the new year. In the end, it is important to use the tools that work best for you. I find it helpful when others share how they manage their lives because it sometimes provides inspiration for me to update or complete revamp what I am doing. It is good to have a process for managing what is important in your life.

My Art - January Cardmaking

Have always wanted to teach a shaker card to my cardmaking group but the challenge was always how to create the shakers in class - sticky tape, beads and confetti - had potential for not going so well!! Yesterday, I decided to create shakers ahead of time which made the whole process so easy!! Here is how I created the shakers:

- Stamped the frame image on a piece of paper
- Laid over a piece of acetate - over head transparency cut to size
- Taped the corners to keep it in place
- Added double sided foam tape so it would be hidden by the frame
making sure that there were NO gaps where items could escape
- Added about 1/2 teaspoon of "shaker" - glass beads & confetti - how much depends on the thickness of your foam tape - double up if you need more space
- Removed the protective paper from the foam tape
- Placed another piece of acetate over top
- Press to seal nicely

These worked so well. We used double sided tape to attach the trimmed frame to the trimmed shaker and then to attach it to the next layer. I stamped a greeting on this layer so it would be visible through the shaker!! So cool and I think a little shaker action makes a card really fun for kids of all ages!! So give shaker cards a try!! They do add a little pizzazz to your cardmaking. Consider interesting "shaker" items - seed beads, glass beads, confetti, punched shapes, seeds, grains, sequins, etc. Make them large or small. Change up your frame to suit the recipient and the occasion - a bag, a box, a gift, a heart, a snow globe, etc.
Therese

My Art - January Cardmaking

My January Cardmaking session was last night!! Had a good crowd and we had fun making cards!!
I wanted to present cards that give a little more than the usual. This one features a heart magnet!! I removed the covering from several "advertising" sheet magnets I have collected over the years and glued paper over them. I used my Cuttlebug heart dies - the largest in the set of four - to cut out the magnets using my little SideKick. Could have used my Cuttlebug but the available space on my desk was VERY limited so the SideKick fit much better. I hot glued a 5/8" metal disk - bought at a thrift store years ago - to the cardstock and added the magnet. You could use any ferrous metal - tin can or flashing to do the same. Just cut a small square with tin snips. The other hearts I cut out of decorative paper - mostly papers that I have decorated myself. The green ones are polished stone and the bottom ones are from a page from a travel magazine. The photo was of a woman in a cave and featured some very wonderful yellows, reds and browns!! I glued the page to cardstock and then cut out the hearts!! Made very "arty" looking hearts for my cards!! Just what I wanted.
Whoever receives this card will be able to put the little heart on the fridge and be reminded of you often!! Just a little some extra!!
Therese

My Art - Card exchange

Made this little card for my Card Club card exchange the other night. I was thick into my prep for my cardmaking session and was inspired by one of my designs to create this one. The white on the front is clear cellophane printed with white. The cello is covered with a collage of images included hearts, flowers and script!! Bought the roll for a $1 at Dollarama last fall sometime. It has so much potential for collages and other pieces. I freehand cut this image from the sheet along with a few others. I have layered it onto silver which in the scan looks black. I traced the heart from the front to make an impression on the silver and free hand cut out the heart out of the silver so the red cardstock would show through. I love the transparency of the cello and it worked out just as I had intended. I attached the cello and silver layer to the card with four silver brads. I made a little pocket on the inside and included a few images for playing!!

Could be a quick and easy Valentine's or anninversary card!!

Therese

My Art - Card

Another early January birthday card!! I stamped leaves on the navy stripof cardstock with embossing ink and used several different embossing powders over them - clear, gold, silver and copper!! I stamped one on white, gold embossed & watercoloured it then cut it out to use as an accent over the mutlicolour fiber I tied around the strip. Added a navy greeting on the bottom.
I truly love making cards and most enjoy being creative with my tools and papers!!

I have added a header to my blog. This is digital art I created several years ago for my Christmas letter. It was fun to play in the paint program and see what I could make with the different tools available. I will be changing it up every so often.

Therese

My art - Card

My first card of the year!! I have always tried to get my January cards made and out for the end of December so that those with early January birthdays will receive their cards before their birthdays!! It has always been a challenge to make it happen and this year I was late getting them out though I did manage last year!!
I made this card for my brother who is an artist and handyman. I used a piece of polished stone cardstock and layered it with gold gift wrap onto a black card. Added a slidemount with an architectural building transparency I printed a while back along with some old postage and an interesting punch out with a date on it. I just arranged the elements until I was happy with them and then glued them into place. I added the stamped greeting afterwards. Added a bit of a "signature" on the black card with a gold gel pen.
I have a file where I file anything printed materials that I have leftover after any project. I like going through the file when I am looking for collage elements or that "just something" to finish off a piece or card.
I have one personal resolution this year and that is to listen more! I expect it will enrich my life and hopefully will be a benefit to the others that share my life as well. I have also made one art resolution too - to make art everyday! I am making hearts. At this point I do not know what I will do with the hearts but it is a manageable goal so I will see how it goes. I have managed to make 17 hearts but necessarily one each day but I continue to embrace the spirit of the resolution!!

Therese

Giftie Swap

Have been saving this since early fall when I actually made these little ornaments for a giftie swap on one of my lists!! I gold embossed on polished stone cardstock. I made an effort to leave a halo area at the top for the candle on each of the ornaments. I packaged the stamped cardstock into a portrait name tag holder and added a 2007 tag along with a colourful fiber hanger. I hope everyone enjoyed them.

I am so happy with the wonderful gifties I got back in this swap!! Thanks to you all - you know who you are!! - for the wonderful gifts!!

This is my last art of 2007!! Very happy with how well blogging has gone this year and am looking forward to 2008 and adding some features to my blog!!

Therese

Thank you cards

Have some of this wonderful paper sitting on my desk from my last class so incorporated it into a few cards!!

I added a silver snowflake to the second one!! I used the Martha Stewart punch snowflake punch. I see that she must have two designs out because my daughter sent wonderful gingersnap cookies with our Christmas parcel and had snowflakes punched out of the packaging and it is a different design. I will have to do some swapping with her for my Christmas cards for next year!!

Therese

Thank you cards

Another very different look with the same decorative paper!! I bought the SU baroque motif before Christmas and have been itching to use it!! Worked quite nicely with the paper in this layout!!

Therese

Thank you cards

A totally different look with the same decorative paper!!

Therese

Thank you cards

Another card made with the second generation from the POD technique!! The white greeting was stamped in white pigment ink and then embossed with white embossing powder. Love that wrought iron corner punch!!

Therese

Thank you cards

I like the use of the three different pieces in this layout! The white lettering and brads stand out nicely!! This is a second generation from the flower POD.

Therese

Thank you cards

This card features the decorative paper I made with the trees stamp as well. It is layered onto yellow and then onto dark green. I used the SU large oval punch to make a hole to reveal the greeting. The greeting is stamped on ivory and it needed a bit of stippling to soften its look and work better in the design. Quick and easy once you have your decorative paper made so make a few sheets when you have your supplies out!!

I made three - the flowers, the trees and the hearts and made up the second generation ones as well so I had a nice little stack to work with for these cards.

Therese

Thank you cards

I used trees - Magenta - to make this paper along with fall colours paints. Happen to find the center medallion in my 'Extra images" envelope and it worked perfectly to tie the desing together. I beleive the medallion design is also Magenta.
I like to make larger pieces when making decorative paper so I can use them in different shapes and sizes!! The greeting is laser printed and then stippled with green to coordinate with this card!

Therese

Thank you cards

More Thank you cards! Similar to layouts I have done in the past. The center portion of this card is the second generation of the "Pressing out the details" I mentioned in the previous posts which I added more stamping and colour to! Makes for three or four levels of colour and intensity in the pieces which I really like. Used a push pin over a small double layer of fun foam to pierce the scallops. I like the sort of eyelet look of that technique. You could use an old mouse pad or some styrofoam under the cardstock instead of the double fun foam. These could easily have been made into Valentine's cards!!

Therese

Thank you cards

I have managed to get all of my Thank you cards made for the blessings we have received over the holiday season!! It is fun to be able to do just any fun thing. I made this "Pressing out the details" paper in preparation for a class I will be teaching in February - more about that later! I was more specific about where I applied my colour to accentuate the resist flowers than I have been in the past when making this resist paper. Olayed with punches as well. The "Thank you" is a new small SeeD set I bought while I was away at Christmas!!
I hope all had a wonderful holiday season and I wish you many blessings over the course of 2008!!

Therese

Last minute gifts

Two last minute gifts you can make for those people on your list that have everything!!
Monogram cards for their notes of congratulations or thanks! Everyone can use these! I colour printed an initial on a panel card that fit into a set of envelopes I had handy. Consider stamping and embossing instead or hand lettering them and then adding colour - lots of possibilities!!
I also did up some address labels!! Used some of the photos I took last year, added names & addresses and printed on labels! Quick and easy and everyone can use them! Always nice to have some special ones for those special cards!!

Have a wonderful Christmas season! I expect I am pretty close to having my prep done so I can enjoy the season. My cards and newsletters will go out tomorrow, bought my baking at the bake sale last weekend, gifts are bought and only need a bit of wrapping! Have been listening to the Christmas music too!! Do enjoy your holiday activities and take a bit of quiet time in the new year to set a few goals, think of areas that need work and make a plan, do what is important and plan so that things don't get too urgent. We all struggle with something and a "one step in front of another" approach is best if you are going in the right direction!!
Therese

Winter Solstice Fat book page

Another Fat book page for our T&T mingle!! Doing research on this day I started to realize that we need to build traditions that help us reconnect us to our lives. The Winter Solstice - the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere is overlaps so many holidays celebrated at this time of the year. Many entwined their event with the festivals already celebrated for the Winter Solstice. Very early on, people lived close to nature and on the land. They observed that the days changed in length and with diligent records ascertained on which day the earth started back towards the sun!! It was a reason to celebrate, a time to pray for spring's arrival, good crops and fair weather.
The celebrations of this time of the year regardless of their origins encourage us to join with family and friends, to eat and make merry, to give gifts, to support those in need, to make peace, spread our love and be grateful for the blessings of the year. This year I encourage you to SEE with new eyes the celebrations that are familiar to you. Change up what no longer works but do take the time to celebrate as our ancestors did long before these traditions overcame those of the Winter Solstice!!

Therese

Another card that features gift wrap!! Do not recall exactly where I acquired this paper but it was too beautiful to be left!! This paper is quite thin so it was best to apply the glue to the cardstock and then lay the paper over the cardstock! I cut the paper just a little oversized and then trimmed to the edge of the card with scissors. I tied the two ends of the ribbon in a double knot and then cut it!! Estimated where I wanted the knot on the card before I cut the ribbon. I stamped the greeting in navy on the right hand bottom of the card!!

I expect this paper would be great used in collages and serendipity pieces as well. Love the watercolour look!!


Therese in Trenton
Mixed Media Market
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mixedmediamarket/

I CASEd this idea from somewhere on Splitcoast. The original had been trimmed to the edge of the Cuttlebug design. Instead I layered a white embossed layer over a white card! Happy with how that turned out. Created a colour printed tag to go with the ribbon. I cut a piece of ribbon that would overlap both sides of the card (6"-6.5") and glued the ends to the inside of the card on both the top and bottom. Tied a shorter piece (3"-4") to the first with an overhand knot. This technique saves ribbon and looks just as elegant if you provide an insert in the card. I trapped the tag's gold cord in the knot. You can glue the tag in place if you want or leave it dangling.

I always include inserts in my cards to allow them to be reused by simply removing the old inset that has been written on and replace it with a new one. I think it would be cool to see how many times a card could be reused!! Handmade cards are so beautiful that I think they should have more than one life. Besides it is a very green and environmentally friendly thing to do. I refurbish all the handmade (sometimes some of the commercial ones as well) cards I receive and donate them to a local non profit organization!! They really appreciate the cards!! You could donate the refurbished cards to seniors homes or retirement residences, any non profit, or package them up and donate as prizes for a fundraiser. Be creative!! It goes without saying that it is inappropriate to refurbish a card and then to present it as your idea and creative work!! Whenever possible I retain the creator's credits on the cards I refurbish. It works out perfectly when they have added an insert to their card!!
Therese

This card features duplex cardstock. This one is navy on one side and white on the other!! I stamped the frame, added the greeting and then embossed the whole thing in glittery embossing powder.
I made my own mixture with clear embossing powder, some fine prisma glitter and a little Iridescent Ice (SU) embossing powder as well. I find that the glittery embossing powders have a lot of glitter in them and I prefer a higher percentage of embossing powder to glitter. I usually mix right on my catch sheet - 1/2 teaspoon or so depending on how much embossing I have to do. It does require that you find another container to put your mixture in if you have leftovers so you don't contaminate your original embossing powder. I sometimes mix my leftovers together and end up with some very interesting combinations. For some of the cards I mixed copper and gold with some gold tinsel embossing powder with great results!! So have some fun and mix yourself a few to see what you get!!
Back to the card. I layered the image onto a coordinating layer and then to accentuate the duplex paper I cut off half of the front to allow the inside colour to show. Glued my accent piece to the left hand piece on the front of the card. Another fast and easy card you can make with duplex cardstock!!
Therese

This card features some holiday gift wrap I bought on sale last year after the holidays!! It is a very subtle pewter with shiny gold leaves. Very nice! I layered this onto a dark pewter cardstock and added a greeting I laser printed on oatmeal cardstock. Added some stitching with a black marker and two gold eyelets. The heart is a fun foam stamp! I made it myself by cutting out the shape out of fun foam and mounting it to a small clear acrylic mount with double sided tape. As you can see it stamps very nicely and the cost was almost nothing!! I also cut a fun foam stamp for one of my snowflake stamps for my OSW class. Stamped the snowflake on fun foam and then cut out the part I wanted to stamp in a solid colour! Worked wonderfully!! So save yourself a few dollars by making your own solid stamps! You will have the advantage of being able to make coordinating solid stamps for some of your other stamps - lady bug, flower, star, etc. More money for rubber!!

I have been checking out the gift wrap in the stores I visit! There are some very nice pearly ones at Michaels as well as some very elegant and funky ones that would be great for cardmaking all year round!! A gorgeous red and silver swirl that would be great for Valentine's! Consider getting together with a group and buying a few rolls to share!! There are, of course, a lot of wonderful Christmas papers that would be great for your Christmas cards next year and will be deeply discounted on Boxing day!! I am always on the look out for getting supplies for cardmaking at a discount. I am hoping to find a nice snowflake paper for next years cards!!

Therese

Always like to have my Thank you cards ready before the rush of Christmas so my December cardmaking session featured Thank you cards. Here a quick and easy featuring my Baroque Motif swirl (SU)!! I added two flower punchies with a gold brad over the swirl which was stamped with Chalk Memories in chocolate brown on a tan speckled cardstock. The greeting (SU) was stamped with coordinating ink. I love this swirl!!!

I would highly encourage everyone to acknowledge the gifts they receive this holiday season. Acknowledgement is a very strong relationship building tool and in comparison to the time invested it reaps large rewards. So start your New Year off well, by investing some time in your relationships with friends and family by acknowledging the blessings they are in your life!!

Therese

Marble coasters make a wonderful gift! I made a set of four of these for a gift exchange. I stamped the central image (SU) first with black StazOn. Created a paper mask and then stamped the French Script around it in the same ink. I then "watercoloured" the image with watered down acrylic paint so that it would be permanent when dry. Did give the tiles a bit of a spray of matte acrylic once everything was dry. Added little cork feet, tied with a nice ribbon and I was done!! If you are needing some inspiration there are LOTS of coasters in the gallery on Splitcoast Stampers!
Great as last minute gifts. The marble tiles are available at Home Depot here and maybe other home improvement stores in your area. Definitely recommend Staz ON ink for crisp and clean lines if you are going to stamp and colour your images. I have used Memories Inks for images I wanted to be a certain colour like green leaves, etc. I would definitely recommend a permanent ink so the colours don't run into each other when you spray on your clear finish (Krylon Matte Acrylic spray). I bought the cork feet at Stockade Craft Supplies but you could use rubber, felt or clear plastic ones instead. Or consider covering the whole bottom with self adhesive cork or felt. Quick and easy.
Therese