Cardmaking - cards for donation featuring images on paper coloured with coloured pencils and layered

 I have been working at decluttering my creative space and in the process of cleaning out a box I found these images printed on bond paper.  They were likely found unsuitable for the project at the time and were stowed away for later use.  Unfortunately, the location was not conducive for me finding them again.  I will work on that!!  Because they were printed on bond I was hesitant to watercolour them so decided to use a dry medium  - pencil crayons  - instead.  I don't use them very often but they worked very well in this case.  

Before starting the colouring I had cut white cardstock bases, trimmed decorative papers and layers for the images so it was fairly easy to pick at colour for the flowers. It was fun to pick colours and layer them to get some shading and variation. My fingers got a workout so fortunately I did not do all the images in one day. I added paper piercing to the images, adhered them to the layers, added the backgrounds to the card fronts and then added the focal elements. I am happy with how they turned out!!!

Therese

Cardmaking - map hexagons, a torn and distressed car collage and a ribbon banner

 Another card for a grandson!! He is old enough to have his driver's license!!  I cut the hexagon paper with maps (Melstampz) for the background for my large warm blue card.  I tore around the car collage and distressed the edge before adding a bit of blue watercolour to tone down the white background.  I added 5 pewter eyelets to add some texture.  I created a coordinating banner using cording and short pieces of ribbon.  I punched holes on each side near the fold and secured the end of the cording inside the card front using regular tape.  I secured the collage with 3D foam tape and added two pieces of cording - one on each side - that goes through an eyelet and to the back of the card front.  I secured them with tape as well.  I will put a fun insert in order to hide the ends.  He has been reading car magazines for quite a few years now and I am sure is looking forward to getting a car!!!  Therese

Cardmaking - cards for donation reusing card fronts

I had a request for more cards from the admin person at our church so I got started on making some . These cards are made reusing card fronts and matching them with envelopes I have on hand.  It was fun to work with these image and add elements to make them to fit into the envelopes.  I like the one of a wharf  where I added an embossed piece of red cardstock with a circle embossing folder on the bottom and punched out a few holes before adding it to the card.  Most have paper piercing, embossed layers, embossing on the image, etc.  

Therese

 

Sewing - three pet bowl mats for Gramma Africa merchandise

I worked on sewing projects over the Family Day weekend.  I managed to make good use of this dog fabric which I have had in my GA bin for a while.  For this first one I added the last strip of dog fabric to the back of a brown denim rectangle using a decorative stitch which I am hoping to use for raw edge fabric applique in the future.  I added a cotton terry cloth as the batting and then a layer of the bone fabric.  I turned over the edges and stitched them down with the same stitch and double stitched the corners as I went.  I then added some quilting lines to get all the layers nicely secured to each other.  If I had anticipated where the edge stitching would be I could have trimmed my dog fabric a little more but that is the way it goes sometimes!! 

For this mat I used dog fabric and bone fabric sandwiching a layer of terry cloth in between.  I did a self binding with the dog fabric which worked really well.  This one is a  little lighter because it does not have any denim.  Maybe someone will like a mat that is a little lighter in weight.  I stitched quilting lines between the dogs to secure all the layers together.  

For this last one I  added the last of the bone fabric to the denim layer and stitched it down with the decorative stitching.  I added terry cloth and then brought the dog fabric forward to self bind the mat.  I added lines of stitching to quilt all the layers together.  

These are about 12" x 16".  It was good to finish off some fabric from the bin and make three useful items for our next sale.  

Therese

 

Cardmaking - three butterfly cards for IWIN from a scraps

 Another three cards for IWIN.  I had a bit of time so I just dug out the leftovers from previous cards and thought I would see what I could make up from them.  I managed three cards!!  I used the butterfly paper strips to make two cards. That paper is now all gone!! I layered the first cut of the strips onto shimmery plum paper, embossed the center with a floral border and added several paper pierced circles and a tag onto which I had secured two layered butterflies (one punched and a sequin) with a brad.  I mounted this large element to my card front and then added the little Word Window greeting.  

I added the remainder of the butterfly paper to a panel of the plum shimmery paper and mounted it to a purple card front.  I added another couple of circles in coordinating colours and mounted two butterflies to them with a brad.  I mounted the little window greeting to a decorative label and added it over the bottom edge.  For my third card I mounted a red strip between the two scraps and mounted that to a blue card.  I embossed a green square and added a small square scrap of the decorative paper which I paper pierced.  I set this element as a diamond over the background and added a little layered greeting to the bottom.  Three more done - several more to go!!!  Therese

Cardmaking - a graphic car collage, embossed gears and metal plate background

 I made this card for one of my grandsons!!!!!!  He is a real engineer - makes very complicated machines with LEGO so I think he will appreciate this collage for cars and parts and the fun gear die cuts (TH) which I added over a riveted metal background.  I used black and gold wax on the embossed gears and added some to the collage as well.  I added paper piercing to the background and added it to a large card I trimmed to fit in my large envelope.  I added the collage and then arranged the gears around it in a pleasing arrangement.  Really like how it turned out!!  Therese

Cardmaking - Cards for IWIN featuring butterflies and thinking of you greetings

My sister came to visit and brought a stack of cards for IWIN so I decided I needed to work on some as well.  

I collected a variety of backgrounds from my stash which were mostly ones left from previous card making sessions. I also printed up a whole bunch of butterfly images (CLKER) and fussy cut them all in one go!!  Easy to do when watching TV.  Then I matched cards to each background and added a greeting (punched from last session) with punched a coordinating backer.  These sat for several days before I started assembling them.   I left the butterflies for a different day as it was enough to choose the fiber and other embellishments as I went along.   I watercoloured the butterflies yesterday and added them to my finished card fronts.  I pressed them over night and added insert in them today.  

They will be ready for the spring session of backpacks for those they rescue!!! 

Therese

 

Cardmaking - a heart with some embossed musical notes

I made this card for my DH for Valentine's Day!!!  I cut a red card to fit in a large envelope from my stash  I cut a piece of feathery yellow and red leaves and tore it in two pieces.  I embossed musical notes in the garp before adhering the two pieces to my card front.  I did watercolour the white edge of my torn paper to coordinate better with all my elements.  I added the short piece of yellow seam binding with double sided tape where the heart would cover it and then added the fussy cut heart (Melonheadz) watercoloured to coordinate with my background and seam binding.  

We had a wonderful meal at home which DH planned and cooked.  I prepped chocolate for dessert and salad!!  It was delicious!!  There were a few leftovers as well which made another meal for us.  

Therese

 

Slow Stitching - fabric collage tea cups on black fabric

 I have made it back to Knit and Stitch this month and finished up the tea cup fabric collages I had started earlier.  I really like the way they turned out.  I did blanket stitch around the edges of all the pieces and then added a row of stem stitch to define the inside of the saucer and added stem stitching for the steam.  

I have started on the cacti and will post when they are done.  

Therese

Cardmaking - a beautiful horse for Chinese New Year

Our daughter in law gave us a gift in this beautiful envelope with a horse on it to celebrate Chinese New Year - year of the horse!!  I could not resist making it into a card of Thanks for her!!!   I was able to trim it only slightly to get it to fit in a slim envelope.  I added paper piercing and mounted it to a red card.  She is a wonderful part of our family and so great that she continues to celebrate her traditions.  She is also a wonderful cook - we always enjoy great Chinese food when we go to their house.  

Therese 

 

Cardmaking - large card featuring a little robin bathing in a puddle

I trimmed up a large brown card to fit in the orange envelope.  I added strips of coordinating decorative paper which I paper pierced on both edges with my pattern tracing wheel.  I die cut two green elements with my TH border die and added a pewter eyelet in each of the points.  Added some paper piercing and then adhered it to the 4" x 4" photo I trimmed from my 2025 calendar from my sister, Sylvia.  I mounted this large element to my card front.  Love this photo!!!

Therese
 

Sewing - hot pad with cover - houses, teapots, farm and leaves

Have been wanting to work on a project so I made up this hot pad with a removable and reversible cover.  The insert was one I had on hand from a previous sewing session. I dug through all my bins and found several pieces that I thought would work together and provide a bit of variety.  

A little village scene, a farm yard, leaves in squares and Debbie Mumm teapots flanked in coordinating cotton fabric.   I made up the four pieces.  Stitched two to each other and then stitched them wrong sides facing and leaving a gap so I could turn the cover inside out.  I then stitched the both edges which closes the gap and provides a bit of structure.  I will be adding several rows of stitching to this cover along the edges of the village and teapots to help it keep its shape when it is washed.    Therese

 

Sewing - more bowl cozies!!

I spent a day  this week working on bowl cozies which were all cut and had the batting stitched to each fabric.  I had to sew the darts, and then sew them together.  As you can see there were quite a few different colours and it was a great sewing day!!  Some of these used some of my Mom's pansy fabrics!! They are headed to family events later this year as prizes so it was nice to get so many stitched up. Again, just a note to say that it is imperative that only 100% cotton fabric, batting and thread be used as they go into the microwave and any polyester could melt and catch fire.  

Therese

 

Cardmaking - a half dozen cards from card kits using handmade paper backgrounds

These were the last ones I finished up - quite quick and easy even with the watercolouring of the images.  I really like the seam binding on these ones and the variety of images I used.  I did manage to change the orientation on a couple with smaller images.  

Therese
 

Cardmaking - a few more cards with corrugated cardboard

 I finished off the few card kits I had leftover from Card Club with these corrugated cardboard backgrounds.  I changed a couple to landscape and used longer raffia on those ones.  The different embellishments make for different looking cards!

Therese

Cardmaking - made up Whack & Stack card kits from Card club

 I have been working on getting these card kits made for a few days.  I made some up to be landscape and I like how they turned out.  It has been fun to work on cards again and though life is busy doing something that you really enjoy and is creative has good.  

Therese

Slow Stitching - small fabric collages added to my colourful circles on black fabric

I have decided that these will become potholders so I took some of my sketches and made up some little fabric collages inside my stitched circles.  I made two little cacti in pots and two with tea cups.  I did my best to used my sketches to estimate the size I needed.  I cut the elements from cotton scraps and used regular Elmer's washable glue stick to adhere them to each other and the black backer as I layered them.  I did some research and there are quite a few creatives using regular washable glue sticks for securing their fabric collage elements.  Too easy!!  It simply washes out!!!  I hope to get to start stitching them by the end of the week!!

Therese
 

Cardmaking - large card featuring a wonderful photo of pelicans

What cool photo of a few pelicans just hanging out!!!  I cut the photo off of my 2025 calendar which my sister, Sylvia, gave me last year for Christmas.  I trimmed out a  gray card to fit in my large blue envelope and added three pieces of decorative paper after I had embellished them with paper piercing using my pattern tracing wheel.  I die cut (TH) two borders from brown cardstock, added paper piercing on both edges - one done with the PTW and the other with a push pin.  I mounted this large element to my card front with 3D foam tape.  Therese
 

Cardmaking - beautiful rose photo with rose decorative paper

I have started on the cards I will be needing for the next few weeks as family occasions come up.  

This one is for my sister.  The photo is from our last year's photo calendar which my sister gives us each year for Christmas!!  She does such great photography and so the 4" x 4" photos make such great cards!!!!  

For this card I used a dark rose photo and found rose decorative paper in my stash which worked really well.  I added an embossed strip of gold between the two papers and added a length of knotted yarn before gluing it all down.  Mounted all these elements onto a large dark green card.  

Theres
 

January Card Club - Card #3 - handmade paper, seam binding and a watercoloured image

 These cards came together fairly well with few elements to manage.  We secured our piece of seam binding to the back of our handmade paper and trimmed off the excess.  After adhering our handmade paper to our card front, we coloured our images.  Most of us used watercolour but the pencil crayons were also available.  I added paper piercing to my image before adding them to my card front with 3D foam tape.  We tied the bit of seam binding that we trimmed off to the length on the front using a single knot.  It looks a lot like a bow but is so much easier!!!  I did not realize that both of mine had pink handmade paper and a floral element!!  I love the look!!!  Therese