SISTER STASH - All occasion card featuring coordinating papers in pink, black, pink and orange and three little square floral elements

 For this card I used the same papers as I did on my last card.  I started with a large deep red card and then I paper pieced the background from the scraps I had on hand.  I added a strip of black cardstock across the card just above the middle.  Next, I created my three little floral elements.  I started with three little squares of light pink and added three different squares of decorative paper from which I had punched a flower.  After gluing them in place I added red centers to finish them off.  I auditioned on my card front and they needed a bit of contrast from the background so I used a black marker to distress the outside edges.  That was better.  I adhered them diagonally over the black strip. Done!!  I added the three little flowers to the insert inside my card.  I always add bond paper inserts to my cards so they can be reused.   Therese

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with coordinating decorative papers, a flower and some embossed flags

I found a little stack of 8" x 8" papers in the stash of paper crafting supplies my sister left here a while back and thought it would be fun to make a few cards with them.  

For this card, I started with black card and added the background by cutting the piece diagonally to make up the difference between 8" and the 8.25" that I needed for my background.  I cut a 4"x4" piece and die cut a flower (Nestibilities) from it.  I layered it onto a larger piece of  orange and then added a center which consists of a dark pink circle punchie and an embossed yellow one which has been highlighted with black ink.  I embossed three little black strips with a distressed embossing folder (Cuttlebug) and then fish tailed the ends.  I tucked them up beneath the four inch piece.  When I laid this large element onto my card front it needed a bit of something so I added a vertical strip of pink letter paper which worked well.  I added my large floral element using 3D foam tape to finish my card.   Therese
 

SISTER STASH - An all occasion card featuring a feather stamped background, some peacock feather paper and a bright yellow butterfly

 It has been fun to play with someone's stash of paper crafting supplies.  My sister left a few bins with paper crafting supplies here after visiting for a weekend and I agreed to make cards for her with it!!  I have made quite a few and now with a bit of time on my hands I thought I would make an effort to quite a good stash made up for her.  This card started with a large white card to which I added a layered green background made of sturdy tissue paper.  I stamped the one piece with a feather stamp in green and overlapped it over the other one which I stamped with a script stamp in the same green.  I had several pieces of the peacock paper - the last of it  - and decided to trim out three pieces in increasing sizes, then wove a piece of green cardstock between them before gluing them all down onto my background.  I found this coordinating yellow butterfly in my stash! I adhered it to my card front using double sided tape behind the body which leaves the wings free to add depth to my card.  Therese

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with a gingham/distressed background and a cute bunny with a large turnip

Still working on getting the stash of cards I made for my sister blogged!!  This one started with a large taupe card which will fit in the envelopes she has on hand.  For my background I sandwiched a piece of coordinating gingham paper between two pieces of distressed red paper and adhered them with regular tape on the back.  I trimmed the rabbit from a large sheet of scrap booking paper from my stash.  It was the perfect size to cut with the large scalloped circle (StampinUP).  Once cut I used a round Nestibilities as a guide to add the faux stitching around the edge.  Worked perfectly!!  I added a strip of the distressed paper onto the gingham piece and tucked the scalloped circle behind.  I added three little black punchies to the strip to finish off my card.  
 

SISTER STASH - An all occasion card featuring three balloons and some bright paper

I have been working on being creative with the cards I am making for my sister with the stash of paper crafting supplies she left here a while back.  I have always liked balloons on cards but with only a small punch it limits where I can use them.  For this large card I started with a red card and added the bright striped paper!!  I used my Nestibilities to cut three circles which I wanted to turn into balloons.  After die cutting the circles I embossed them and sanded the blue one to reveal the white core.  To create the knot in the neck of the balloons I took a scrap of the same cardstocks and cut a strip with a triangle shape at the end which I adhered to the back of the balloons which quite nicely simulated the knots.  Next, I sponged all their edges with coordinating ink and then tied dark gray threads to all the balloons.  I die cut a purple fence to tie them to and tore a piece of green cardstock for the grass.  I adhered the grass and then tucked the fence into it.  I used white glue in a fine tip applicator on the fence.  Worked really well.   I used a large needle to get the strings of the balloons wrapped around the top rail of the fence.  I will certainly be making balloons this way again!!  I like the way they turned out.  Therese
 

SISTER STASH - Birthday card with bright background paper and four embossed gifts

 For this card I started with a large blue card and added some very bright striped decorative paper using two pieces with the striped going in different directions.  I cut four rectangles from coordinating cardstock and embossed them.  I sanded the blue one because it was white core cardstock to add more texture.  I used a flower die (Cuttlebug) to cut a swirly yellow flower which I used to simulate a bow on the top of the blue gift.  I attached it to the back of the gift with double sided tape and then cut a strip from the same cardstock to create the ribbon on the front.  I did the same for the other three gifts.  After auditioning them for placement I adhered them to the front of my card using 3D foam tape on the yellow and pink one and just glue on the blue and green ones.  The gifts and bright colours make this a great birthday card for a child or any one who is young at heart!!  Another for the card stash I am creating for my sister who left some paper crafting supplies here a few years ago.   Therese

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with more cute birds, decorative papers and one special one

For this card I started with a large white card.  I gathered my supplies - the bird panel, an orange background, a green textured layer and some coordinating ribbon.  I cut the bird out of the cute paper and then cut the orange scalloped circle (Nestibilities)to mat it from the orange background before I adhered it to my card. I added the borders to the bird panel and glued this large element over my background.  I adhered the bird to the scalloped circle and decided to trim the corners of the green paper with a corner punch before assembling my focal element.  In the process I decided to add the long strip of aqua paper which was on my desk and then added the green layer.  Wanting a bit of something to off set the strip I added two lengths of this beautiful red ribbon to the back of my bird before adhering it over the green paper.  It was fun to maximize the use of this bird paper.  The few leftover scraps might show up in a collage somewhere down the road.  

Therese

SISTER STASH - All occasion Card featuring cute little birds, stitched decorative papers and some maple leaf embellishments

This is one of the most fun papers that I found in the stash of papers that my sister left here a while back.  I have made several cards with it before and I am nearing the end of all this cuteness!  I started with a large white card which fits in the envelopes she has on hand.  I added a large orange layer and then worked on getting the other elements ready.  The borders were on the edges of a 12" x 12" sheet and had been trimmed off in a previous session.  The coordinated nicely. I took several small pieces of the bird paper to create my central element after I had trimmed out my little red bird (Nestiblilities).  I then added the borders on each side.  The borders were embellished with my pattern wheel before being glued down.  I die cut a scalloped circle (Nestibilities) from the same coordinating orange paper.  I adhered it over the birdie strip but it did not pop quite as much as I wanted it to so I added the two little strips of orange which were sitting on my cutting table.  That framed it nicely and was an improvement.  Thinking it still needed something red to coordinate with the glittery red bird I went looking for something in my stash.  I found these bright red maple leaf embellishments which were just the right colour.  I added them to my card using large glue dots.  That was much better!!  Therese
 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card featuring a cute flower (digital), a band of sanded & embossed cardstock and decorative paper

Another card for my sister's stash!!  This one started with a large red card to fit in her envelopes.  I added two pieces of this colourful polka dot paper and then a strip of embossed and sanded cardstock to cover the gap in between.  The flower was colour printed on white cardstock, trimmed out and then the edges distressed.  I matted it with this dark red textured paper and trimmed the bottom edge with a scallop border punch (StampinUP) and finally added an embossed line using my score tool.  I mounted this large focal element to my card front using 3D foam tape and then finished it off by adding clear rhinestones to each of the scallops in the border.  

Therese
 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with beautiful strawberry paper and a great cupcake with a strawberry on top

I really loved this strawberry paper when I found it in my sister's stash of paper crafting supplies she left here a few years ago.  I have been making cards for her here and there but recently decided to make a more serious effort to make her a stash of cards.  

I chose a dark green cardstock for the large card I created to fit in the large envelopes she has on hand.  I trimmed a couple pieces from the paper which nicely featured the strawberries and mounted them to the top and bottom of my card. I trimmed a piece of coordinating textured paper, trimmed the top and bottom edges with scallop decorative scissors and then used a push pin to pierce each scallop.  I adhered this piece to overlap the strawberry ones.  I added a strip of texture white cardstock with a fish tail end.  I added watercolour around the cupcake to just soften the background from stark white as I colour printed this digital image of a cupcake (CLKER) on white cardstock.  To add a bit more texture I ran my pattern tracing wheel along all four edges.  I layered the cupcake image onto dark green cardstock and then mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  Love this one!!

Therese

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with an airplane, eyelets and blue green duplex paper

Still getting the cards I made for my sister blogged here.  She left some paper crafting supplies here a while back after I agreed to make some cards for her with them.  It was good to get quite a few made!!  

This one features a colour printed image of an airplane which I down loaded off of CLKER.  I chose this blue green paper to go with my image and because it was double sided I trimmed out the middle section and flipped it and put the pieces back together with regular tape.  Wanting to add a bit more interest I used a zigzag stamp (Hero Arts) and dark blue ink to stamp on the line where the papers join.  I really like how it looks and will have to keep that process in mind.  I have several other "stitch" stamps which would be effective is other situations.  I adhered the decorative paper to a coordinating blue card and used a scrap to mat my image.  I added pewter eyelets in the corners and then mounted this focal element to my card using 3D foam tape.  To finish off my card I added a border around my background using a clear glitter pen.  

Therese

 

A birthday card featuring a cute camping image (digital), a font greeting and a punchie button

 This card is for my other grandson whose birthday is a few days earlier though they will be celebrating together at home this year due to restrictions.   I created a green card to fit in an envelope from my stash.  I added a green and taupe decorative paper (gift wrap) leaving a small border.  The camping image is one I downloaded from Pixabay and laser printed onto white cardstock.  I trimmed it out with a circle die (Nestibilities - Classic Circles) then watercoloured it lightly - a bit of blue in the sky and green for the trees and hills.  The tent and the fire were already coloured.  I trimmed another circle as mat for my image from a coordinating taupe cardstock, adhered them together and mounted this focal element to the left on my card front.  I trimmed out the font greeting, colourwashed it and added it to the lower edge.  I found a green punched button (Sweetly Scrapped) in my stash which coordinated very nicely.  I added brown thread to it and mounted it between my focal element and my greeting.  

Both of these cards will soon be on their way to arrive in time!!         Therese

All occasion card shaker card with a floral theme in yellow's and gray's

My friend is having surgery next week so I made her this card to cheer her up.  

I started with a large envelope from my stash and created a gray card to fit inside then added a layer of this elegant floral paper. 

After deciding to make it a shaker card I went looking for the packaging from my rolls of double sided tape which I have recently saved for this purpose.  I have four of them.  I took one and trimmed all the way around the central depression which is a trough that the roll of tape sits in when packaged.  I die cut a large label out of textured yellow  cardstock  (Tim Holtz Sizzix. Ornamental) and backed it with a strip of gray cardstock which I embossed with the Cuttle Bug Swiss Dots embossing folder. I used my Classic Round Nestibiities to cut an opening that would accommodate the shaker I was creating.  I applied double sided tape on the edges of my plastic shaker piece and adhered it into the opening from the back.  That looked good!!  I decided to back it with a piece of clear plastic which I cut from packaging using a larger round Nestibilities.  I filled the depression with little glass beads and flowers in silver and yellow.  Once I thought I had enough in there I added double sided tape all the way around and attached the large clear plastic circle which nicely sealed all the little fun bits inside.  I decided that I needed to add a flower under the shaker so there would be something interesting to see when the elements were all sitting on the bottom of the shaker.  I die cut, embossed and layered a flower in grays and yellows which I glued to my card front once I had positioned my shaker.  With my flower in place I adhered my shaker element to my card.  I added faux stitching to the yellow layer along with a few rhinestones to finish my card.  

 You can see below the packaging I used to create my shaker and how I cut it.

Therese

 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with a piece background, a cute cupcake with a cherry on top and some bling

I am really enjoying revisiting these cards as I blog them. I created them a while back with supplies which my sister left here a few years ago after I promised to make cards for her with them.  I have made several batches for her and thought it was time to make a few more.  I did organize them all by colour this time when I had everything laid out so it will be a little easier to find coordinating papers and cardstock when I made the next set!!  For this card, I started with a deep red card (85" x 5.5") that will fit in her large envelopes.  I had one piece which I trimmed to fit on the card and had a strip from which I punched the circles using a 3/4" circle punch.  Worked really well and I really like the look of them.  I added a strip of texture red paper with fish tail ends over the large piece and then added my layered cupcake image.  The cupcake image was colour printed.  It is a digital image I downloaded from CLKER.  I layered it onto a coordinating green cardstock and punched the bottom edge with a daisy border punch (Martha Stewart).  I adhered it to my card front over the red strip and then added clear rhinestones to the middle of each little daisy to finish off my card.  Therese
 

A camping themed birthday card including a cute little tent, some watercolour and some layered papers

Our oldest grandson is having a birthday soon and he & his brother will be celebrating together with a camping theme.  I found some excellent images on Pixabay and this is one of them.  I laser printed it on white cardstock and watercoloured it.  I traced a spool for the sun with a pencil before I started colouring.  I did it first and let dry a bit before I did the rest - the sky, trees in the background, grass and a bit of brown in the foreground for a road.  I added a layer of gray brown and black decorative paper and used black watercolour to connect the two with common elements.  I created a brown card to fit in an envelope from my stash.  I added a brown decorative paper and then my large camping site image.  I added a torn distressed paper on the bottom and trimmed it to the edge of the card on both sides.  The greeting is a laser printed font which I colour washed to coordinate and added to the lower section along with a paper punched button to which I had added brown thread.  Happy with how it all came together!!

Therese
 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card with a paper pieced background, a cute cupcake (digital) and some eyelets and paper piercing

Another card I made for my sister from the stash of paper crafting supplies she left at my house a few years ago!!  I have enjoyed the process!!!  I started this card with a large red card (8.5" x 5.5") which will fit in her envelopes.  I added a paper pieced background using two coordinating background papers by simply cutting three strips and then cutting them randomly across so the cuts did not line up.  I used a colour printed cupcake image (digital) which I downloaded from CLKER. I layered it onto a deep red textured paper and added red and white eyelets.  Have not used those in quite a while.  They always add interest and texture.   I trimmed the bottom edge long and then punched it with the scallop border punch (StampinUP).  I backed it with a white one just off setting the scallops a bit for a fun effect.  I added three embossed lines using my score tool and it was ready to be applied to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  This would work well for a birthday or a sweet thank you!!            Therese
 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card featuring a vintage car, some red corrugated paper and black brads and ribbon

 Having a lot of fun playing with the stash of cardstock and papers which my sister left here a while back and I am using to make cards for her.  She prefers cards without greetings which are more versatile because they can suit more than one occasion.  For this one I started with a large black card (8.5" x 5.5 ") which will fit in her envelopes and added this speckled background which very well suited this vintage card image.  The vintage car is one I downloaded from CLKER, laser printed and then embellished with watercolour to simulate a parking lot, grass, shrubs and sky.  I added clear glitter to the headlights, bumper and hubcaps.  I ran a thick black marker around the edges once it was dry which helped define them and added a bit of a vintage look to it.  I tore the piece of red corrugated paper on the top and bottom and trimmed it neatly on the two sides.  I added a length of thin black ribbon and secured the ends to the back with doubled sided tape.  I tied a short piece to it using a single knot which nicely simulates a bow.  I positioned the car image over the red corrugated and attached it with four black brads.  I adhered this large focal image to my card front and put it under weight to dry.  Another fun card that can be used for a variety of occasions!!    Therese  

SISTER STASH - All occasion card featuring bold stripes/plaid decorative paper, brown grosgrain ribbon and a blue plane

 This is my third card from my sister's stash of supplies.  It has been really fun to find fun papers, coordinating cardstock and make a card with them.  For this card, I colour printed a little plane (digital from CLKER) and then added clouds by sponging around a torn shape with blue ink.  They look much better than I expected ( have saved that little piece for next time) and the colour laser resists the sponging so it does not affect the printed image.  I ran my tracing wheel all on four sides and mounted it to a scrap of blue from the stash.  I left it with a bit on the bottom which I trimmed with pinking shears which no longer cut fabric and then embossed a line using my score tool.  I chose this double sided paper in blues and greens for my background.  I trimmed the middle section out and flipped it over to the blue plaid side and reattached it with regular tape on the back.  I used a zigzag stitch stamp (Hero Arts) and dark blue ink to stamp over the joints which worked beautifully.  I mounted my background to a medium blue card (8.5" x 5.5") which will fit in her envelopes.  I added a length of wide brown grosgrain ribbon which I fish tailed on one end and adhered with double sided tape on the other.  I secured the fish tail end with a bit of double sided tape as well and added a bit of glue in between.  I added my layered airplane image using 3D foam tape.    Therese

Christmas cards for February - Peace cn Earth with a variety of colours and decorative papers and embossed ornaments

I have committed to making my Christmas cards monthly this year.  These are the six I made for the month of February.  I found the gold embossed Peace on Earth (Prairie Rubber Stamps) images in my stash of Christmas images so I have to think I had a plan at the time I put them there but maybe not.  I could simply have been making good use of scraps.  Either way, I went ahead and chose some coordinating decorative papers - poinsettia, plaid, brown holly and large stars are all commercial decorative papers.  The red/green on is a digital from Stampin UP which I colour printed a while back.  I tore top and bottom edges off each of the stamped greetings and ran my tracing wheel on both straight edges.  I mounted my trimmed decorative papers to coordinating card fronts and then added the large greetings.  I wanted to add a bit of an embellishment so I cut six little ornaments (Sizzix - long Love Peace Joy sizzlet die) in a coordinating colour for each one.  Next, I dug through my embossing folders and found little elements which I could use to add a focal element to my ornaments.  After embossing them all with images from different folders, I used an embossing pen and just coloured the raised areas and embossed them with gold embossing powder.  I tied six little bows from some gold thread and glued them to the top of the ornaments with a tiny drop of white glue.  Once they were dry, I added them to my cards using 3D foam tape.  

So glad to have another set of cards to add to my Christmas card box!!  Therese

 

SISTER STASH - All occasion card featuring a red berries photo, an embossed metallic layer and red ribbon

Making cards for my sister who left a stash of supplies at my house a while back has begun.  

This card (8.5" x 5.5") started with a red card to fit in the large envelopes in my sister's stash.  I cut the photo of the red berries (4" x 4") from a calendar which I received from my other sister, Sylvia for Christmas a few years ago.  I have saved all the pages from my previous calendars from her to use in my card making.  I found this beautiful metallic copper heavy weight cardstock which worked perfectly with the photo and then the gray (SU) which went very well on the red card.  I tore the edge of the piece I trimmed for my background - I like the white line that reflects the white in the photo.  I trimmed the copper metallic to leave enough below the image to trim decoratively and place a bow.  I trimmed the bottom edge with one edge of a Tim Holtz Styled label by carefully aligning it and being careful with how I positioned my partial cutting plate (parts of broken plates).  I embossed it with the CuttleBug Swiss Dots embossing folder and sanded it a bit to highlight the core which I thought was black but was white.  I used a black pad to cut back the white a bit.  I mounted my photo onto this layer and then adhered it to my card front over my background paper.  I tied a bow using Martha Stewart seam binding and adhered it to my card below the photo using a large glue dot.  This could easily be a Christmas card or a sympathy card.  I love the colour combination of red, gray and copper!!

Therese