Thank you card for Christmas - strips and metallic buttons

Have finally found a bit of time for cardmaking in my craft room!!  Christmas was good - quiet in a few spots, family time too and great food all the way around!! 
I have started on my thank you cards for those wonderful blessing which showed up over the Christmas season!! 
I usually use gift wrap from my gifts but no gift wrap as the gifts showed up in bags and boxes which will be reused!!  So I decided to use up some of my scraps and cut some strips in green and red for this card.  I flagged the ends of the strips and glued them to a layer of white cardstock and trimmed them even with the left hand side.  I die cut some buttons from gold paper that housed some of the small ornaments we used for our Grinch Trees Fundraiser before Christmas.  It was great because the very well used foam and cutting plates added some fun texture to the very shiny gold paper.  I added white fiber to them and tied it off with a double knot before gluing them to the left hand side of the strips.  I stamped the greeting on the red vellum strip and embossed it with gold embossing powder.  Finally I glued this large element to the front of a red card!!
It is great to be back in my craft room and I am looking forward to a few more cards!!

Therese

First birthday card of the year!!

It has been weeks since I was in my craft room being crafty!!  I hope you all had a good Christmas season and are considering your creative goals for the season!! 
I am committed to making Christmas cards year round so will be working with my sister, Sylvia's challenge when I can.  You can check out her Christmas Card Challenge here on her blog. 
I will also be working on home projects this year as I have been putting them off for 3-4 years and they need doing.
I am continuing my special occassion cards for family and friends and my bimonthly cardmaking classes as well. 
On that note, here it the card I made today for my brother who has an early January birthday!!!  I used one of my serendipity backgrounds which was embossed with the Lattice Embossing folder (SU).  I stacked a gold layer with it and then die cut the HAPPY (SX) word from both of them.  I backed the holes with packing tape and inserted the gold letters and made sure to add back in the openings from the serendipity in the a and the p s.  I used my homemade stamping jig to get my "birthday" stamped exactly where I wanted it and then embossed with gold embossing powder.  I like the distressed look of it!!  I layered on a gauzy fiber below it and added a gold round paper clip to which I had tied some raffia using a single stitch of crochet thread.  I backed this layer with green cardstock strips and then distressed them before gluing this large element to a tan card front!! 
I have the gold layer with the serendipity letters still sitting on my desk and they will likely be my next card of the year!!
I hope you will find a way to be creative this coming year and will take the time to share it with those around you!  At every moment we have the opportunity to make a different choice and today is as good a time as any!! 

Therese

House fabric postcard

I participate in the Birthday Swap on my fabric postcard group and I created this one for my next swap partner.
I have had this house concept in my head for a while now and the paper piecing I did for my last swap encouraged me to give it a try and see how well it would work.
I started with the house rectangle and then found a triangle which would work for the roof.  Next I found some blue pieces that I could use for the sky and the floral greenery fabric for the background landscape around the house.  I found a pieced length of browns for the foreground.  It was a bit short so I added another length of brown brick looking fabric.  I started by stitching the sides (greenery to blue sky) to each other and then I stitched them to the house.  I positioned the roof over the large sky rectangle and stitch it to the house with the sides.  Next, I stitched the brown piece to the pieced one and then stitched this large piece to the bottom of the house rectangle I had just created.  I ironed all my seams and then trimmed the whole thing to 6" x 4".  I added iron fusible webbing to the back of the roof and ironed it into place added hand stitching to it afterwards.  I found a small dark red scrap to use as my front door, added fusible webbing to the back and ironed it into place.  I stitched all the way around using black floss, added a yellow half moon window and hand stitch around it with yellow floss.  I added a small gold sequin with a large french knot to create the doorknob.  I added some hand stitched flowers on either side of the house as well.  I stitched batting to my white backer, layered on my front and then stitched all the way around to attached all the layers to each other.  I created a chain of single crochet stitches using textured dark green yarn and stitched to the each of my postcard using dark green floss in an over hand stitch.   To finish off my postcard I used a small piece of fusible fabric, added my handwritten message using a permanent marker and ironed it into place above the door.  Pretty happy with  how this one worked out!!  Looking forward to trying this design out again with different colours.              Therese

Dove ornament for Christmas!!

I created this red dove ornament for a special person and like it so much I will be making more to include in my Christmas cards to my friends this year!!
I cut two doves (SB) and glued them back to back and added a gold embroidery thread hanger.  Added the year on the back using a black marker.  They would certainly be great in any wonderful paper - glitter, metallic, shimmery, etc so I will have to scour my stash to see what I can find to make them special for each person on my list!!

Therese

Dragonfly with alcohol inks on a collage background

I needed a special card this week and so went looking in my stash of collage backgrounds to see if anything would be suitable.  I chose this serendipity background which has been embossed with the Lattice embossing folder.  I die cut the dragonfly from it and wanted to fill the space with a striking dragonfly die cut.  This is my fourth attempt and I am very happy with it!!  I die cut the dragonfly (Spell binders) from silver foiled cardstock and coloured it with alcohol inks.  I punched 1/16 inch holes to create a flight path for the dragonfly and then backed my serendipity background with some turquoise metallic paper which shows through the flight path and the die cut dragonfly hole.  I glued this large element to a kraft card front.  I applied glue dots to the back of the body my dragonfly die cut once it was dry and glued it into the hole.  I lifted the ends of the wings a bit to give the dragonfly some dimension.  Love the way it turned out!!              Therese

I have been sewing mobius infinity scarves!!

 My sister was wearing an infinity scarf she had sewn up a few weeks ago at my Dad's birthday and so we visually dissected it to see what might be necessary to make one.  We decided that 60" x 18" of fabric would do and it just needed to drape nicely to create the cowl effect that makes this accessory work so well.  I did some internet research and found a few tutorials.  I made mobius infinity scarves - they have a twist in them that makes them sit more nicely around your neck.  I dug some fancy fabric from my stash and made up a few!!!  They are quick and easy and can be made of very thin fabric or heavier as long as it drapes nicely.  I have a few last minute Christmas gifts!!!           Therese

Die cut red dove Christmas ornaments

A few weeks ago I found this little pile of special red duplex paper in my stash.  I bought it years ago from a store that indicated that this paper was used by their Chinese community for Chinese New Year celebrations.  It symbolizes good fortune and joy!! Having recently become more aware of the Chinese New Year I did a google search and found that it is a country wide festival/celebration where people make every effort to go home and bring in the new year with their extended families.  They let go of the old year and welcome the new year wishing everyone good fortune and joy with little gifts in red envelopes.
So I have decided to wish my friends and special others good fortune and joy with little red dove die cut (Spellbinders) ornaments made out of this special paper. I added a simple gold thread hanger which made these very quick and easy!!  The paper is scented which just adds a little something to these ornaments.
They would look great on the Christmas tree but are beautiful enough to hang anywhere year around as a reminder to keep an eye out for the good fortune and joy that is coming their way.

Therese

Christmas cards with embossing and colour

 I needed a few more Christmas cards for this year so I made the last of the card kits I had on hand from this set of cards from my November class.  I love these images!!  I gold embossed the star in gold and the candle in silver, added a coordinating layer beneath - silver for the candles and red for the star.  These elements were then layered onto a card front which was layered with decorative paper using 3D foam tape.  These are quick and easy once you have your embossing done.  I coloured the star's center with a bit of yellow watercolour as well as the flame on the candles.  I did the body of the candle using chalk which gives them a nice soft look. 
Will prep these today and I will be finished my Christmas cards for this year.  I have only a few kits left from this class which I will make up and start by Christmas card stash for next year!!

Therese

Affirmation cards about the power of your thoughts, words and actions

I made up these affirmation cards for a group that I hosted last week.  I laser printed the words onto white cardstock and then randomly applied watercolour until I was happy with how they looked.  Once they were dry, I cut them apart and pressed them under weight to help them lay flat.  They would make great book marks or can be tucked on a shelf or near the bathroom mirror as a daily reminder to choose wisely. 
It behooves us to remember that we have creative power and that what we think, say and do affects our experiences and the process of our lives.  Fear creates a much different life than does love.  We get to choose!!

Therese

Wonky tree and snowman on kids Christmas cards

I was making up a few Christmas for my grand children and in the final few I decided to combine the wonky tree and the snowman I had used on previous versions of this card. 
I used blue decorative paper for the background and ripped a strip off the bottom which formed a snowbank.  I added texture to the two navy strips on each one and mounted them on the left and right hand side.  For three of them I tucked the trees under the strip and later realized that I could just have placed the tree on the card and then mounted the navy strip which would have been easier!!  You can check my tutorial for the snowman here.   I added the snowmen to the cards using 3D foam tape and then added iridescent glitter glue to the trees and navy strips to add a bit of texture and glitter!!  I am sure the kids will enjoy them!!

Therese

Card kits - a few paper strips, some embossing and a punchie embellishment

Another few cards from kits that I prepared to add to my gift for the exchange.  These are from this class in April.  I changed them up a bit because I had a bit of time and the inclination.  I embossed the white space near the greeting, I layered the greeting and I added a brad to the flower embellishment.  I like that the extras help to highlight the greeting a little more than the previous ones.  Just goes to show that there are always a lot of options!!  

Therese

Birthday card for a retired carpenter

My Dad will soon be celebrating this 88th birthday and because he is a retired carpenter I like to include some wood on his card.  I am fortunate to have a woodworker in the house so little pieces of wood appear regularly with "Can you use this?"  Case in point, that is what happened this afternoon, as our son is here working on his walnut railing and a little scrap showed up!!  It was very thin so I backed it with packing tape before die cutting it with the Sizzix "Happy" die.  It worked perfectly!!  After working out just where I needed to stamp the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" (SU) I used my LEGO stamping jig to get it exactly in the right place.  I stamped it over several times to get the depth of colour I was looking for - very easy to do with the stamp jig.  I inked the inside of my wood grain embossing folder and used it to "stamp" the background onto my cardstock.  The dye ink cleaned up very well from the inside of the folder.  I added a bit of black watercolour to the right hand sides of my wood word to just give it a bit of depth before using double sided tape to adhere it to my stamped background.  I added a little comma and an exclamation mark using a brown marker.  Next, I used my chevron punch (SU) to punch out a few chevrons below the greeting and one above.  I chose a dark maroon card which nicely highlighted the chevrons.  I used my tracing wheel to add some lines of texture to the outside edges of my background then glued it to the front of my card.  I watercoloured this laser printed tools image from Beccy's Place - http://beccysplace.blogspot.ca/ - then distressed the edges.  I added a bit of brown fiber to the back before adhering this focal element to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  Pretty happy with how this card worked out!!  Fortunately, I will be able to hand it to my Dad personally as we will be celebrating as a family up home.                Therese

Card kit - Lighthouse with a wavy border

On the weekend I needed a little gift for a gift exchange so I put together a few cards from my stash and added a few that I made up from kits that are sitting on my desk from previous classes. 
This one is from this class and very similar to one that I made that day.  The light house is a digital image from ClipartPal.  I laser printed several on a sheet, trimmed them out and then die cut the tops using a Sizzix tag die.  I watercoloured the image and added a laser printed greeting which was distressed on the edge and a short piece of navy seam binding in the hole.  I layered two pieces of decorative paper to my blue card front and then layered on a navy strip which I had cut with wavy decorative scissors, pierced and that added a few lines with my tracing wheel. 
Glad to have a few card kits on hand because it makes getting cards ready quick and easy!!

Therese

Two kids birthday cards with a small note card

The striped background paper on the first card and the dark blue background on the second card were a complete notecard in their previous life!!  I used the striped piece as a background for my large Happy die cut (SX).  I added "birthday" using a laser printed transparency which I trimmed added just below my die cut gluing the ends to the back of the layer.  I embossed a small rectangle with the D'vine swirl embossing folder and added a length of green mesh which I tied with silver embroidery thread which transformed it into a gift.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere it to my card front just below the greeting.  Really happy with how well this card came together.  Wanting to not waste the "hole" from the die cut,  I backed it with piece of embossed yellow cardstock and was sure to glue the "holes" which fell out of the "A" and the two "P"s  in their proper place by using my sample die cut which I store in the sleeve of the die.  I border punched the bottom edge with a scallop border punch (SU) and then punched tiny holes in each scallop. I cut the right hand side with a slot border punch and inserted a red gros grain ribbon leaving a portion hanging below the edge which I flagged.  The other end went over the top and was glued to the back.  I added a layer of green dotted scrapbook paper which I had ripped on the bottom to the front of a blue card and mounted my large focal element to the top portion of my card.  I added a little laser printed greeting below the die cut to complete my greeting and a little yellow star to finish off my card.    A very effective reuse of a card which transformed it into two new ones!!              Therese

Three new "praying for you" cards with reused card fronts

In the process of making a few more cards for my stash I am reusing card fronts that have been donated to me for my cardmaking!!!  For the one on the left I included the framed lighthouse image to which I had added a small vellum greeting which was stamped and gold embossed.  Next I added a gold layer and mounted this large element to a maroon card front.  For the middle card, I trimmed the floral image from the card front and then ran my tracing wheel around the edges to add texture and then added a gold embossed vellum greeting gluing both ends to the back.  I mounted this image to a green cardstock layer which I had border punched on the right hand side with an eyelet punch (SU).  Thinking I needed something to echo the gold on the greeting I added gold paper circle punchies to the back of the green layer behind the eyelet bumps covering three holes at a time.  I layered this large element to the front of a pink card.  For the right hand card I trimmed the image, added a length of purple seam binding gluing both ends to the back and then loosely tied a shorter piece to it which allowed the tails to lay nicely on the initial length.  A bit of a different look than I usually get  - I like it!!  I added a flagged stamped greeting to the upper right hand corner - the only place it really worked!!!  So a few more for my stash!!                 Therese

November Card Class - the star of wonder and season of hope candle

I love this design and have used several times over the years!!!  I created the little town of Bethlehem graphic many years ago when I first created cards with this stamp using kraft paper which bleaches to yellow.  This time I laser printed the town onto ivory paper and watercoloured the star's center after embossing it in gold.  Still works beautifully!!  I layered this focal element onto a green layer and used 3D foam tape to adhere it to my red card front to which I had already glued a beautiful gold/red decorative paper.  The most time consuming part of this card is embossing the stamped image with gold embossing powder!!  Still a pretty quick card to make up!!!
For my second card, I used a green card and glued on some metallic holly decorative paper leaving a small border all the way around.  The image - Season of Hope candle was stamped and embossed with silver embossing powder.  This is one of my favorite Christmas card images!!  I watercoloured the spaces in the image using green, yellow and orange.  Once it was dry, I mounted it to a red rectangle of cardstoc and adhered it over the decorative paper using 3D foam tape.  One of the girls used chalks on her image tonight and it turned out beautiful and much easier to do that using watercolour with a very similar effect. I will have to try that next time. 
Therese

November Card Class - Die cut tree

I created a few cards with this sketch as my exchange cards for this month and decided to use this design to make a set of  kits for this class.  I used several different dies to cut the opening and a variety of greetings as well so all the cards will be a little different.
I used the same cardstock for the card front and the large topmost layer of this card which has been stamped with a greeting and die cut with a tree.  I added a coordinating decorative paper in between which provides the contrast that creates the focal element.  I added a little star punchie to the tree.  I hand embossed this front layer to avoid having the greeting be lost in the embossing.

For this card I used the medium sized poinsettia die from the Spellbinders set.  I die cut the flower on the top portion and gold embossed a greeting on the bottom section.  The center was created using 3 gold sequins which were held to each other and the card front using mini glue dots.  Again, the top layer is held above the decorative paper which is glued to the card front using 3D foam tape.  I like the contrast and dimension that is created.  I chose to not emboss this one because it seemed more complete and less in need of any more texture possibly because of the larger greeting. 
These kits were pretty fast to assemble as most of the work was already done!!

Therese

November Card Class - wonky tree

I have used this design in one of my previous classes and with a few leftover "trees" I decided to incorporate it into this class.  I love how unique the trees are because of the randomness of the little triangles which allows everyone to put their own spin on their cards.  The background (light blue floral paper with snowflakes stamped on it) is torn across the bottom creating a snowbank by revealing the white of the card front.  I glued it even with the top of the card.  The torn edged dark blue rectangles were glued in place after that.  To build the tree, I glued the brown trunk onto the snow bank and then glued triangles in place over the trunk until it was tall enough.  I added a yellow punchie star at the top using 3D foam tape.  I layered the laser printed font greeting punchie (SU Word Window) over a red label punchie (SU Decorative Label) and mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.

This card uses a different background - a hand decorated piece of paper with light blue/aqua paint on it.  I used a single layer for the greeting and chose to glue my layer just a little off of the top of the card.

A fun card for this Christmas season.  I counted my cards today and I will be short around twenty so I will see about getting some of these cards kits made up after my second class on Monday.

Therese

All occasion cards without greetings

For these two cards I was reusing a portion of a used card that had this bright pink border with some orange ribbon and a zigzag edge. 
For the left hand card I embossed the top portion of a white card with the Swiss Dot embossing folder in my Big Kick and then glued my wide decorative border to the bottom.  I punched two butterflies (MS) which I layered onto two handmade paper butterfly punchies to which I added silver cording to simulate antenna.  I drew in a flight path with a gel pen before gluing the butterflies in place.  For the right hand card, I die cut flowers (SU) from the same fun pink floral paper and three different coordinating pink cardstocks.  I layered the flowers and bound them with a brad which I coloured with a Sharpie marker.  I embossed the front of a white card with the leaves embossing folder before adding my wide border to the bottom edge.  I cut stems and leaves from green cardstock and glued them in place tucking their ends behind the top of the border.  I used glue dots to adhere my flower to my card front.  Love this floral paper!!               Therese

Reusing cards to create fun new ones!

These cards were created using parts of used cards which were donated to me for my cardmaking efforts.  The one on the left is a a friendship card and was cut from the front of a large card.  I added a green border on the right hand side which I punched with a scallop border punch and then added some iridescent glitter glue to coordinate with the glitter on the rest of this cute ladybug card.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel a few times in between the glitter dots and the card front I had glued my border to.  This focal element was glued to a coordinating card front and I was done!!  The card on the left has a front trimmed from a large card leaving the central oval image of a cute kite flying mouse intact.  I wrapped some green crochet thread around this layer and added a layered punchie greeting over it.  I adhered this large focal element to the front of a coordinating card.  Two more for my stash!!               Therese