Handmade Paper Card Holder

The card holder features a full sheet (8.5"x11") of handmade paper and is secured on both sides with ribbon!! The front flap of the paper was reinforced with fabric tape, three holes were punched with a Cropadile and ribbon was woven and tied to create an enclosure for the cards!! The top flap is simply folded over the cards and a ribbon holds it closed and gives a great look for presenting as a gift.
It was great fun to coordinate all the pieces to the handmade paper to make a great package!! Nice to feature so many items that were reused or recycled for these Earth Day cards all the while still making beautiful cards that are elegantly packaged.

Therese

Handmade Paper cards and holder #2

These cards also feature the same handmade paper!! The one on the left features a thermally embossed flower which the students coloured with chalks once their cards were finished. It was layered onto colour cardstock and features a flower embellishment. I created the embellishment using two Cuttlebug die cuts - the solid one from coloured vellum and the outline cut from metallic chipboard. They were layered onto each other, highlighted with a sequin then attached to the card front with a coordinating brad.
The right hand card features an embossed metal heart which was die cut from a heavy foil pie plate. The students embossed their hearts as they wished using a pencil and a newspaper pad. Once embossed, it was mounted using 3Dfoam tape on a double layer of cardstock which was previously glued to the card front. The ribbon features a pop can tab as a buckle which was a great accent with the embossed metal heart.

Therese

Handmade paper cards and holder

Here are the details from the Earth Day cards and holder I posted earlier. This was a fun class with a group of students from several different ages groups. Several in the class were really keen and just got going with the instruction sheet and did a great job. I think all the students enjoyed the class and were happy with the final results - four cards and a presentation holder!
All the cards feature handmade paper on the card fronts. All the embellishments and trims were coordinated to the handmade paper for the best presentation should the students choose to use it as a gift.
The top card features three chipboard hearts which started their lives as packaging! I covered the box board with scrapbook paper and then cut the hearts using the smallest Sizzlet heart die. These were layered onto neutral cardstock and then onto a strip of cardstock that was bordered punch to add some style. The little ribbon on the left hand side added just enough texture to make the whole design work.
The lower card has an embossed layer of cardstock over a neutral strip. The flower was created using a dryer sheet and I added coordinating scallop circles for the center - all attached to the card front with a brad.

Therese

Cardmaking - April - candles

Candles are perfect for birthdays!! These cards feature "candles" - scraps of cardstock and scrapbook papers about an inch wide. I embossed the cardstock to add texture and trimmed the tops to more closely simulate candles. Used heart punchies for the flames - added some colour to make them more dimensional!! Drew in the wicks above the candles with a fine tip Sharpie before I added the flames using 3Dfoam tape. The greeting is printed on vellum which I tore on both sides and added with two brads.
A few ideas for using what you have!!

Therese

Cardmaking - April - Gate fold

These were fun to make!! Featuring a gatefold and a central image they can be made for any occasion!! I used the largest circle on the Sizzix circle die (SU) to cut the white circles and then stamped a variety of images on them in black Memories so they could be coloured in any manner, even watercolour. Added a layer of silver foil - my reuse item - foil seal from yogurt - which I cut with my circle cutter. The scallop circle is a leftover from a Christmas card a while back which I embellished with a push pin but some used a white gel pen instead! Used a variety of scrapbook paper for the backgrounds. I created the background paper for the card on the right. The scrapbook paper was quite monochromatic so I added some script and pink flowers! Zipped it up perfectly!! Thrifty Tip: Consider adding some stamping to any paper that is not really speaking to you - it is a great way to use up with you have in your stash.

Therese

Cardmaking - April - Butterflies

These cards feature butterflies which were stamped and black embossed on calendar pages!! You can easily reuse calendar, junk mail or magazine pages by stamping bold images in areas of overall colour/texture or where a change in colour would be appropriate for your image. The white butterfly was stamped on a snowy road and the blue one on the water of an ocean scene.
They were neatly cut out and traced on the back with a black Sharpie to remove the white line of the paper. Neatly layered onto black cardstock and arranged as desired above the greeting which is printed on the card front and revealed by ripping the embossed layer. I added some dots with a white gel pen. Some in the class chose to cover up the greeting by not ripping the embossed layer in which case a greeting or accent could easily be added later.

Therese

Cardmaking - April - Handmade paper

Just getting to posting my cards from last week's cardmaking!! In support of Earth Day I incorporated some "reduce, reuse, recycle" techniques to my cards!!
These ones feature several earth friendly items - recycled handmade paper, reused coloured images and dryer sheets!! The handmade paper I made myself using printed bond paper and other additives - paper confetti and dried flowers!! It is such fun to make handmade paper with your scraps. The coloured images are cut from commercial cards! I usually save any cards I receive and reuse them to make cards for donation to a local not for profit. In this case, I scoured the boxful and cut out images that were the right size for use with this sketch. I really like the way these turned out. I added a little flower I created using a USED dryer sheet!! They are really easy to make! Sort of invented them by compiling flower ideas from several different places over the last few months. Thrifty Tip: Cut a rectangle of USED dryer sheet and fold in half and then in half again, joining the fold to the two ends. Round the four corners with scissors and unfold. Gather the rectangle in the center somewhat accordion style and tie off tightly with string or crochet thread. Now just spread the "petals" all the way around the middle and you have yourself a flower!!
These cards feature a quarter sheet of handmade paper with torn edges layered on the card front, trimmed images over a coordinating cardstock rectangle - both with distressed edges and a flower with a sequin attached to the card front with a brad.
These would make perfect cards for Mother's Day!! Coming up in a just over a week or so!!

Therese

Card for a special guy!!

He is a special guy and I am fortunate to have him in my life!! Made this card for my DH birthday yesterday. He loves music so I used sheet music as the background paper. I had originally thought this would be a portrait card so the music now reads a bit funny now that it is a landscape card but I did not have the time to redo the background paper. I used a resist technique - embossed the large harelquin pattern (SU) on the paper and added walnut ink over that. Added some script in dark brown. It was a little stark so I added some brown ink on the back which added colour to the diamonds and evened things out a bit but maybe too much. It work reasonably well so I kept it. Added a strip punched with border punch (SU) and added a dark strip over it and punched the bird and branch (SU) from decorative paper and cardstock. Added a round greeting in brown tied to one of the loops on the border!! Happy with the results of this card.
We had a good day! Great cake made by Sherry - carrot cake with cream cheese icing - his favorite. Great moist cake!! Needless to say it is almost all gone!! Went out for brunch with a friend and had a relaxing day. First time to cut the grass this year!! I think it is early!! It was a beautiful sun shining day!!
Be sure to celebrate with your family and friends those special times in your lives and not to get so caught up in the details and special touches that you miss the big picture!!

Have a great day to you all!!

Therese

Card for a special child!!

My granddaughter will be three very soon so I made her a special card. She wants a dinosaur theme for her birthday so I incorporated dinosaurs in her card!! I added some watercolour wash at the top of the card to simulate sky and added a bit of green as I went lower to simulate jungle. Added some ripped layers of green cardstock to create a horizon and added some jaggedly cut dark green at the very bottom for grass. I cut the tree tops free hand and added embossed tree trunks!! A bit of watercolour on the trees to add dimension as well as some scoring to allow them to fold a bit. I used 3D foam tape underneath to help them look 3D. Added the dinosaur crossing sign (internet) which I laser printed and added with 3D foam tape. The inside has two pop ups - a dinosaur and the greeting with a bit of free form cut grass. The background is a laser printed scene which I found on the internet.
A bit of a change up for me but I like the way it turned out. It is already headed her way!!!

Therese

Exchange Cards

Canadian Card Exchange has a new blog!! You can check out the challenge and get other info about the exchange there!!
I created a few cards last week and will be sending out two of them for the exchange.
#1 features a fiber flower layered over a brown strip of cardstock punched on both sides with an eyelet border punch (SU) which is overlaid with lace. The card front has been embossed at the top with my new floral screen embossing folder (CB) and stamped at the bottom with script background stamp(SU)!! Thrifty Tip: Fiber flower is created using used dryer sheets!! You take a strip about 2.5" x 5" and fold into four and round the corners to create the "petals". Lay it flat, gather accordion style in the middle and tie with string or crochet thread. Spread the petals around and you have a flower!! Too easy!! I added punchies to the center and attached it to the card using a brad. All kinds of options!!
#2 - D'vineSwirl (CB) embossing on the top, a strip of brown border punched (SU) embellished with faux stitching in white gel pen (SU), a ribbon and a watercoloured heart 3D accent!! The birds (SU) I stamped in brown and watercoloured!! New stamp set from my SU party!!
#3 - SwissDots (CB) embossing on the top, a strip of brown as previous card and a watercoloured flower 3D accent. The little birds are the same as I used in the previous baby card - a new set from my SU party!!

Therese

Baby card

A baby card!! It is always a great thing when babies are born!! I made this card for the new baby in our extended family born to my cousin and his significant other. Everyone is doing well.
These little birds are new to me!! One of the sets I ordered at my SU party in March. I love that there is a mom with her babies and that they are cute but not too much.
Stamped them in brown and watercoloured. Added the greeting in brown. Some brown accents with white gel pen embellishment. Used the Swiss Dot (CB) embossing folder on the card front.
You can see below the brag book I made as a gift.

Therese

Baby Brag Book - gift

For the new baby! Decided on a brag book as a gift. Everyone wants to see photos of the new baby and this little album will be the perfect place to keep them and later it can be given to him to carry around photos of his family.

I used a commercially available photo album and created new covers for it using letter die cuts for his name, some layered stars for an accent and a few stamped stars in brown on the plaid colour printed paper!!

The letters are die cuts from the Bounce Sizzix alphabet set. I cut the shadow in brown and the letter from blue. The blue ones are quite slim and a bit of a challenge to glue in place with traditional adhesives. I have white glue in a fine tipped bottle which used to hold dimensional fabric paint. Worked very well to apply glue just where I wanted it!! THRIFTY TIP: If you have a bottle of paint with a fine tip consider making decorative paper with the paint and using the bottle for glue. I used this one as well for applying glue to an image when we were making glittered Christmas cards last year.

I cut the stars with a Sizzix die - clear (packaging), med blue, dark blue and brown - and attached them with a blue brad. I added stitching with a brown marker.

Kids like to have things of their own. By the time he is two he will want to have things to carry around and this album filled with photos of Dad, Mom, Grandma, uncles, cousins, etc will be a great way for him to stay connected to family.

Therese