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