Thank you card featuring a reused pressed flower panel and a gold embossed greeting

For this card I started with this beautiful pressed flower panel which has very cleverly arranged pressed flowers to make them look like butterflies!!  The pressed flowers were originally protected by a clear acetate and because of that they are still in perfect condition.  The white panel was trimmed from it original card which was donated to me for cardmaking a while back and I simply adhered it to a dark blue card front which I created to fit in one of my large envelopes.  I trimmed a gold embossed greeting (SU) from my stash and layered it with brown before adhering it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  It is really nice to be able to reuse art which has so lovingly been created!!

Therese

Quick and easy card featuring a reused card front

This card came together very easily as I simply trimmed this beautiful image from a card front and adhered it to a dark blue card.  This is a large card which fits in a one of  the large envelopes from my stash!!  Therese

Sympathy card featuring a calendar page with crocuses and a layered greeting

Another sympathy card for my Mom. For this one I started with a purple card front and trimmed the calendar page to leave the frame image of spring flowers.  I used the scraps to create a border with decorative edges which I cut with deckle decorative scissors.  I added a strip of yellow to join the two pieces, two lines of purple using a purple pen and added a little sponged greeting using 3D foam tape.  Went together fairly quickly once I had all the elements decided!  Therese

Sympathy cards reusing original artwork

A couple more sympathy cards using original artwork/photos which were found in my stash of cards to be reused for cardmaking.  The first is one is a photo from a card that was sent to my Mom from someone from out east. Lovely photo of a daisy!!  The second is original art created by my aunt, Maria, which was our Christmas card from her a while back.  Both of these lent themselves to being sympathy cards so I simply trimmed them just a wee bit and adhered them to my coordinating card fronts.  I added a small sentiment to the one on the right but could not bring myself to do the same on the photo so it will go the way it is. 

A large card featuring a reused panel and a watercoloured flower image - my own digital stamp!

This is my last card for my sister in this cardmaking session!!  I reused the second panel from one I made recently with the scalloped edge.  Unfortunately, I had already used the other layer to make the other card so I could not trace the pattern so I just made it up - drew it in with a pencil and trimmed it with small scissors!!  It worked out well!!  Better than I expected!!  I decided to frame this floral image.  This is a digital stamp that I made myself!!!! You can check out the pages of doodling I did while I was watching a doodling video on YouTube!!  I did not always follow her instructions and did not do all the ones that she made but I was pretty happy with my pages of doodling.  I recently found these in my craft room and decided to scan them so I could use them as digital stamps.  I scanned all of the pages but only isolated about a half dozen images so far.  I cleaned them up digitally before saving and printing them.  I am pretty happy with this one!!!!!  After printing I trimmed the image to fit in the opening I had cut in my panel with a rectangle die (Nestibilities).  I added a ribbon below the opening and then a little gold star brad over the knot leaving the ends to extend on both sides. I adhered this large element to my large green card.   I watercoloured my image and added it in the opening using 3D foam tape.  I will certainly be doodling more pages of images - maybe butterflies or mushrooms next time!!  There are a LOT of doodling videos online!!  I will be making myself a few more digital stamps!!           Therese

Another large card that features a reused card front and some silk flowers

Still making cards for my sister!  For this card I created a large blue card and then trimmed a piece of pink shimmery paper to leave a small border all the way around.  I trimmed my card front into three pieces - two plaid borders and the main section in the middle.  I adhered both borders to my pink layer and then added the middle section in between spacing it evenly top and bottom.  I found some coordinating silk flowers, added iridescent white sequins and mounted them in the gaps using tiny white brads.  This worked out so well - a beautiful card with lots of texture and dimension!!   Therese

A large birthday card featuring a reused card front and layered punchie greeting

What a cute little peacock!!  Another card I made for my sister.  The card front was just perfectly sized with rounded corners so I dug in her stash and found a piece of blue cardstock that had a white core and decided to create a sanded background for the peacock.  I embossed my trimmed piece of blue cardstock with a swirl embossing folder and had to do it four times to get it all embossed. The center portion was a little funky looking but fortunately it is covered and the edges look good after a bit of sanding!!  I adhered my background to a large white card and then adhered my peacock panel.  I added a little layered greeting  - a punched laser printed greeting laid over a little green scalloped circle (Nestibilities) and adhered to the card on the lower right.  I added two blue rhinestones to the greeting because it just seemed right to add a bit of bling to this card!!  Therese

A quick and easy card created with a reused card front with a beautiful saying & great artwork

Still making cards for my sister and this one was pretty easy!  I loved the artwork and the greeting so I decided to use it as it was!!  Unfortunately, the one side was straight because I had trimmed it from the original card so I used the other piece of the card and traced the scallops onto the back and cut them out!!!!!!!!!!  I am very happy with how that worked out!!  I did add a little gold star brad because it just needed a little bit of texture and dimension!!  I created a large blue card and simply glued this large element to the front of it!! 

Therese

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

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

A fabric needle book case as a gift

 My Mom is having a milestone birthday this year and we are celebrating as a family.  Not sure she has ever had any sort of birthday celebration so I am so grateful to my sister for suggesting it and getting it started!!!  I wanted to make her something special that would be just for her.  She is a long time sewer and quilt maker so I thought it would be appropriate to have my gift connected to these activities.  After a bit of time I was inspired to make her a needle book.  Not sure she has one but I do know that she has a little metal box in which she stores her hand stitching supplies which she often took with her when they traveled and went camping.  She certainly in the last few years has embroidered panels for quilts with little scenes especially for baby quilts.  It keeps her hands busy when Dad is watching TV.   So I went looking for inspiration online and there are a LOT of images and tutorials.  I was tempted to make several of them but eventually came to the realization that I had to make a needle book that my Mom would appreciate rather than one that was most appealing to me.  So I decided it had to have a quilted cover and it would be best to be rectangle in shape.  Blue is her favorite colour so I choose four fabrics that coordinated and cut strips that when combined would give me a 5" x 8" rectangle.  I wanted to include some hand stitching so I cut a strip from plain fabric and embroidered some flowers in pinks to echo the bit of pink in two of the fabrics.  I went back to the notes I had made when I embroidered these felted wool coasters.   I drew in a few basic lines, stitched the stems in green and then added the flowers which are all french knots in three different colours of pink embroidery thread.  Love how they worked out!!!!!  I stitched the panel to the area of my rectangle which would in the end be the front of my needle book.  I cut a piece of batting and then a piece of cotton for the inside.  I chose a subtle white and gray with a few pink flowers to again echo the pink from the front.  I added an elastic loop then stitched around the edge leaving an opening so I could turn it inside out. Once I had it turned I pressed it really well.  I hand stitched the opening closed and then added hand stitching to the rectangle to better incorporate the three layers and to give a bit of texture to the front.  Finally, I machine stitched all the way around the edge to finish it off nicely.  I cut two pieces of batting to create pages inside my needle book and stitched on ribbon to add a decorative feature and to help give a bit of order to the needles as they are added.  I stitched the pages to the cover down the center using my sewing machine.   I created a heart shaped button for my needle case using shrink plastic and embossed it with a rubber texture mat while it was hot to give some texture.  I hand stitched to the front of my book and the elastic loop will now keep all the pages nice and neat.  

I am looking forward to giving it to her and I hope it will always be a reminder of a special day and how much I love her and how much I appreciate how much of an inspiration she has been for my life.  It sometimes takes years to really appreciate how another's life has been an inspiration for your own!!!!  I am grateful my mother is still here with us so I can tell her in person!!!!  Therese

A birthday card for my Mom (85) featuring a blue tag, an embossed collage background and a beautiful silk flower

My Mom will be 85 at the end of the month and we will be celebrating with her!!!!!  Blue is her favorite colour so I always like to include it when I am making a card for her.  I started with a large blue envelope and made a blue card to fit.  Next, I worked on a blue and white collage background. I dug through my scrap paper bucket and found a variety of white and blue pieces - a bit of watercolour trimmed from a decorative paper piece, some glittery gift wrap, tissue paper, etc.  I dug out a piece of scrap paper and glued on my white and blue scraps which included a few pieces of sheet music.  Once it was dry I embossed it with a large embossing folder which I had to do in three different runs to get it all done.  I stitched on two lengths of while lace and then adhered a length of white seam binding over the stitching tucking the ends to the back and adhering them with double sided tape.  I found this tag in my stash which coordinated so I added a small ribbon at the top and adhered it over my lace.  I found the greeting in my stash, trimmed it to size, distressed its edges and glued it to my tag.  A trip to my silk flower stash yielded these blue and white silk flowers which I layered and secured with a white button brad.  I added it to my collage background before adhering this large element to my blue card front.  I am very happy with how it turned out!!  My Mom is an amazing woman who has lived her life within certain confines but did it with grace.  This is a perfect card for her!!  She has been a seamstress and quilter most of her life hence the stitching and button brad!!             Therese

A birthday card featuring a sanded embossed background, bit of decorative paper and a layer with an image, a greeting and some fiber

One of our son in laws has a birthday coming up - same as my Mom's!!  I started with a large beige envelope and I created a sandy card to fit inside.  While in the drawer for cardstock I found the packaging for a neutral cardstock pack and I thought that maybe I could emboss it and sand it like white core cardstock.  It worked very well.  I trimmed the other edge and taped it to the other edge which added a strip of beige and brown.  I trimmed it to fit on my card front.  I added a small piece of decorative paper (gift wrap) with a driving theme just gluing it over the background.  I found the watch and scarf  image (Beccy's Place) in my stash and the greeting as well.  I watercoloured the image to coordinate with the paper and distressed its edges when it was dry.  I also distressed the edges of the trimmed greeting.  I mounted them to a coordinating rectangle of brown cardstock and added a leather looking fiber in between.  I tied a shorter piece to the front to simulate a bow!!  I mounted this large element to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  Really like how this one turned out and it was fun to use free supplies!!  Therese

A large card featuring a beautifully embossed card front, some shimmery paper and a collaged focal image

I have been enjoying the process of making some large cards for my sister!!  This one features a large embossed card front which had a greeting in the center embossed area.  I decided to replace the greeting with a layered focal element.  I trimmed the shimmery pink paper first to fit in the embossed rectangle and then when looking for an image that would work.  I found a collaged postcard which I received in a swap which had the right colours and could be trimmed to the right size.  So I trimmed the large flower from the postcard.  I am guessing it is a floral paper napkin which has been stamped in black with a flower image and then the image has been coloured.  It is perfect!  Just what I needed.  I added two little strips of shimmery pink to the top and bottom of the card and mounted this large element to a dark pink card front!!  I tried to convince myself to add a greeting.  In the end, it did not get a greeting because I could not find anything that worked really well!!           Therese

A cute thank you card featuring a reused card front, some ribbon and silk flowers

Another large card for my sister!  This one features a very cute pink and yellow card front which was donated to me for cardmaking.  I made a large white card and then trimmed a coordinating pink layer leaving a even margin all the way around.  I trimmed the original card into three pieces - the yellow top portion, the little border and the bottom floral portion.  I adhered the top and bottom to my pink layer and then added a length of light pink ribbon in the gap between the two securing the ends to the back of the layer using double sided tape.  I positioned the little border over the ribbon and added three silk flower/sequin embellishments which were adhered with little white brads.  I then adhered this large element  to my large white card to finish my card.  I love this colour combination!!

Therese

Sympathy card featuring a reused card panel, a punched greeting and some ribbon

I made a few sympathy cards for my Mom.  They are at an age that they are often in need of them and she is no longer making them.  I chose a few envelopes and made cards to fit in them.  This one is a light green one and I trimmed this image from the front of a used card just fussy cutting on the to left and then cutting the other portion straight to the edge of the panel.  I used scalloped decorative scissors on the right hand edge and embossed a line using my scoring tool.  I used a push pin to pierce each scallop to add texture and interest.  I punched an opening in the card with the regular oval punch (SU) and then punched a little laser printed greeting with the small oval punch (SU).  I wanted to add a ribbon to the top right but needed a slot behind the layer to bring the ribbon up so I drew a very light line and used an exacto knife to cut it in the front of my card.  I inserted the pink ribbon into the slot from the back (inside of the card front) and the through the opening when I glued my decorative element to my card front.  I was then able to tie the two ends on the front with a double knot.  I sponged the edges of my little oval greeting before positioning it in the opening.  I will make a few more for her.  Therese

A nautical themed card featuring a reused card front

 I am making up some large cards for my sister who a few years ago left a pile of cardstock and decorative papers at my house with me promising to make cards for her from her stash!! I have been making cards for her regularly and usually when I know I will be seeing her so I can give to her in person.  With Mom birthday celebration coming up I decided to see if I could get a few made.  I dug through my stash of cards to be reused and found this one my sister made years ago that features a paper napkin image of a schooner which she laminated onto a piece of white handmade paper - a very fun and effective technique!!  The greeting below it was stamped and clear embossed.  Not much had to be done as this was originally a large card so I trimmed it from the back and mounted the card front to a large white card.  Perfect!!

Therese

A large birthday card featuring a stamped & stenciled background, a bit of teal doily and a butterfly punchie

Another birthday card which features the last two pieces from my large teal doily!!!!!  I layered the last two pieces onto a layer of dull gold cardstock and die cut a 1 7/8" opening using my round Nestibilities.  I started my background with a warm leafy paper with I stamped and stenciled  with coordinating colours.  I mounted my background to a large light aqua card and then mounted my accent strip to it.  I found this fun paper that coordinated so I punched a little butterfly (SU) and tied gold cording to it center to create antennae.  After auditioning it on my card I decided to add a circle of gold paper to the opening before mounting my butterfly with 3D foam tape.  I found a little laser printed greeting which coordinated so I flagged one end and tucked the other under my butterfly!!  It has been fun to do a bit of collage, stamping and stencilling!! 

Therese

Teesha Moore patches combined to make a cover for our Trailer Journal

A Teesha Moore cover for our trailer journal!!!!!!! I have been making Teesha Moore inspired squares for quite a while as I really love the hand stitching and the very creative look of them.  For some reason I have been resistant to combine them into larger projects though there is enough inspiration online to make a wide variety of projects from journal covers, trivets, mug rug, and bags!! I did do a composition book journal cover a few years ago. You can check it out here, but have not really come up with anything else for quite a while.  Recently, we purchased a travel trailer and at an event on the weekend my aunt, Maria, suggested that we keep a trailer journal to document our travels and the repairs and improvements along the way.  I was immediately inspired to use my stash of Teesha Moore patches!!!!!!!   
I dug out my bag and started sorting them to general size and then placing them on the cover of a composition book leaving a bit of over hang on the top and bottom so I could stitch up the flaps on both ends that will hold the book in the cover.  It was so great!!!!!  I decided to use my three stitch zigzag on my sewing machine and multicoloured thread to attach them to each other.  The stitch is wide enough to have decent purchase on both pieces and with the multicoloured thread I found it did not distract from the colourful hand stitching I had done on the edges of the patches.  I ensured that I double stitched at all the joining points to ensure integrity in the cover and it went together fairly quickly using the sewing machine.  I had individually hand stitch the surface of the patches and then used hand stitching to combine them into a cover when I made the last cover which was a bit time consuming.  I still plan on hand stitching the individual patches on this cover and using one of them to give it a title - probably the coral ferny one which will give the best contrast.  It will be a great hand stitching project for around the campfire!! I am so very pleased with it!!!!!!!! Here are a few more photos!!

The back of the cover!  Love that little rainbow on the right hand side of the front.

The two inside flaps.  The one on the left is quite loose so I will be adding an elastic to the inside to tighten that up a bit but the extra give will allow the storage of a pen or two.  

Here is the inside of the cover with the composition book removed.  You can see here that I used a blue bobbin thread and it is less beautiful than the cover.  It might have been better to use a neutral colour but in the end no one is likely to ever see this part of it so all is good!!

Therese

A birthday card featuring a teal doily, handmade paper flower and a shimmery flourish

I found this handmade paper flower in my stash and thought it would work well with my teal doily so I trimmed a couple more pieces off the whole for this card.  I started with a large envelope and I created a large sun yellow card to fit inside.  I wanted to tone down the card colour a bit so I used a doily stamp(SU) and stamped in a few times on the front using a blue ink.  Did just what I needed it to do!!  I adhered the two doily pieces in opposite corners of my card and the auditioned my handmade paper flower.  It seemed to need something  - a flourish maybe!!  But what colour should it be?  I did a search online to see what sorts of colours would work.  It was suggested that green, orange or gray would be good choices.  I dug through my metallic paper stash and chose this piece of junk mail which I saved because of its shimmery finish.  I cut it out with a large flourish (SX) die and trimmed it into two pieces before layering it under my flower.  Just what I needed!!!  I found this perfectly coordinating greeting in my stash so I trimmed it to size, highlighted the edges in teal and adhered it my card front using 3D foam tape.  Love it!!!!!!!  Very bold!!   Therese

Anniversary card featuring piece of a teal doily, laser printed decorative paper and heart die cuts and a tiny greeting

 I have been gifted a little stack of these teal doilies and decided to see what I had that coordinated in my paper stash.  I had this fun flower decorative paper which is a digital image which I laser printed a while back.  I had started with a large white card and it seemed too stark so I sponged the edges with pink to help it coordinate with the paper.  I added two sections of the teal doily in opposite corners and then added two embossed white heart die cuts which I also sponged with pink to make them less stark.  To finish off my card I tucked a tiny laser printed greeting among the hearts which worked very well.  Those teal doilies have a lot of presence!!         Therese