Envelope book

Created this cute little envelope book for a swap on AFTCM!! We were free to choose a theme and any kind of envelopes we wanted!! A while back, I received a similar book from a swap hostess on another group and thought it would be perfect so decided to go with this concept.

The envelopes were cut from one 12x12 travel scrapbook paper using a Sizzix little envelope die. It gave me eight die cuts. I sponged the inside of the flaps so they would blend with the other side, folded and glued the sides to create the envelopes. I used a different 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper to create the little cards for inside - technically twinchies - they are 2" x 2" - mostly great travel destinations - Eiffel Tour, Statue of Liberty, etc.

After cutting out my images I made a collage with the scraps and cut 1.75"x1.75" squares from it and used those to back my twinchies. I added some hand written inspirational words with a black sharpie on the collage pieces.

Now they needed to be bound to each other. I decided to create my own paper tape to use for binding. I cut off a piece of tissue paper tape from a roll that would normally be used to bind a bandage to your skin which I purchased a while back with intentions of altering it for papercrafting. It is wonderfully strong, very light and translucent. I used a sponge and inks to colour it and then stamped it in a dark brown using a collage stamp. Perfect!! Similar look to the Tim Holtz tissue paper tape!!

I used lengths to bind each envelope to the next one until I had all of my little envies bound to each other. You can see here that without a tie they want to create a circle!!

In my first photo you can see that I added a tie using seambinding and a metal embellishment that reads "Dream Big"

A fun little book to make!! You could use any envelopes to make a similar book - coin envelopes would be excellent!!

It is off to my partner in this afternoon's mail!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - wax crayon background

I was really wanting a punch of colour for my last card of this class so I decided to create some wax crayon backgrounds which never fails to add colour!!! These backgrounds are so fun to create!!

You need a warm surface so the crayons will melt. I used a griddle which I completely covered with foil to prevent the wax crayon from touching the actual surface of the griddle to preserve its ability to make pancakes for breakfast!! You do not need a lot of heat so 200 - 225F is hot enough. Place a sheet of white cardstock on the foiled surface and let it heat up a bit. Now, start colouring on your cardstock with wax crayons - they will melt as you rub them on the cardstock!! Just keep adding colour until you are happy with how it looks!! I sometimes use clear wax or a white/light coloured crayon to help blend the colours. I use a small plastic fork to hold my cardstock steady as I apply wax to the surface and sometimes use the tines to move the wax around and create swirly patterns in it. Needless to say, eventually the plastic tines become deformed by the heat and a new fork is in order!! I have removed the paper casings from my wax crayons to help the process go faster. I am using just scraps of wax crayons - the kind that end up in the bottom of the crayon bucket because they are broken into little pieces!! Ask any mother, and she will gladly donate you the broken crayons her children no longer use!!

Once cooled, I cut the papers down to size for backgrounds on my cards. I made them just slightly smaller than the transparencies so that they would not transfer colour to the envelope!! The images are from Dover, printed onto transparencies, trimmed & layered over the wax crayon backgrounds and attached to the front of the cards using brads!!

Just the punch of colour I was looking for!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - butterfly

I love this butterfly!!! A recent acquisition created by Marianne Designs and sold at Ecstacy Crafts!!

I started by stamping a subtle background on my card and added a free form border with a fine tipped Sharpie marker. I added a layer of embossed metal tape which was trimmed with decorative scissors then layered on this beautiful butterfly using double sided tape only to its middle so its wings are free to flutter. To finish it off I added three little black punchies (1/4" circle punch) to the lower edge and a flight trail below the butterfly with the black marker!!

It can be difficult to cut a die with this intricate a pattern and get all the pieces to come out of the die when removing the die cut. I have found that using a layer of wax paper between the die and the cardstock really helps though it does not completely prevent having to pick some of bits out of the solid backed die!! But, it is so worth it!!

I applied the metal duct tape to some scrap cardstock which gave it some substance before I embossed it.

Therese

All Occasion cards - stack & whack quilted

Another quilt card!! I am really loving this concept of using paper pieces to create a quilt pattern and embossing it to give it a quilted look for my cards!! In my perusal of Splitcoast Stampers I found a quilt card that was created using the Stack and Whack quilting technique which I thought was an interesting concept. You stack your pieces of fabric, cut them apart and then swap the pieces to make squares for your quilt!! I used the same concept for these cards. I stacked four pieces of decorative paper exactly the same size. I made three cuts which gave me four pieces of each decorative paper. I swapped the pieces to create four different "wholes".
These were glued to a piece of white cardstock leaving an even gap all the way around and some space between the pieces and then run through the Big Kick in an embossing folder. The embossing really hides any uneven gaps that occurred while gluing, unifies the elements and gives the whole thing the look of a quilted piece!! I wrapped it with a length of fiber which I double knotted on the right hand side. To the left I added a 1 3/4" circle which was laser printed with a digital image layered onto a coordinating scalloped circle (Nestibilities). This large element was then glued to the card front.

Love the look of these quilted cards!! You can see a patchwork one here and a log cabin one here OR check out my labels on the right hand side and click "quilting" to find them!! I watercoloured my laser printed images.

The little patchwork horse is a digital image from Beccy's and the roses and the vase of flowers are digital images from the Paper Squirrel blog. I also used her quilt on the laundry line image which I thought was perfect for a quilted card!!

A set of these would be a great gift for any friend who into quilting!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - special greeting

Another all occasion class!!

I created a large greeting for this card using a decorative font called NOEL. It is very calligraphic with great flourishes. One of the girls at class asked me why the card said "nappy" and once I took another look at it, I can see how it might be read like that. I expect that the font is based on the uncial alphabet and therefore the H looks more like an N.

I laser printed the greeting and added some colour using pencil crayons. Layered it a couple of times, mounted it to the card front which already had an embossed layer using 3D foam tape and added a punchie accent on the corner!! A quick and easy card to start the day!! It is amazing how many versions of a card can be made with the very same kit!! Lots of people were adding their own twist to the cards today!!

Therese

Book card!

I created this book which is really a card for a special friend on the occasion of her fiftieth birthday!!

What fun!!

I purchased the kit at the Sweet Sentiments Yard Sale a few weeks ago just intending on altering the pages to suit my needs. It was a wonderful surprise to discover that the book had DREAMS as its theme!! It included the pages, ribbon and chipboard elements in this great colour scheme of seafoam, celery green, warm red and ivory so I decided to work with it. I worked out my wording, cut letters using my Sizzix Doodle Block alphabet in coordinating cardstock, added ribbon to the chipboard pieces and laid everything out so I could see how it would all fit together!! I placed the large chipboard letters on the lower halves of the pages and added my words and accent chipboard elements - two frames and two buttons to the upper sections. With everything laid out, I glued my diecut letters in place using white glue and a fine tip applicator. The chipboard elements were glued in place using a double layer of glue dots to make sure the glue was thick enough to offset the ribbon on the back. Worked well.

Thrifty Tip: use an empty fabric paint bottle with a very fine tip for precise application of white glue.

On the backside of the book I added some envelopes in which she can store images or notes to herself and record the manifestations of her dreams as they become reality!!

As you can see on the left, I glued the outside of the envelope flap to the back of the page and added two clear photo corners to secure the right hand side of the envelope. I added colour printed circles with a message for her on the outside of the envelopes.

Once my pages were finished I bound them together using ribbon. Love the way it worked out!!

I have packaged it in the original container - a plastic box with a handle!! How cool is that!!

It looks so great!! I added my personal message on a panel I added to the inside of one of the envelopes. I hope it will be a reminder of all the life she has left to live and an inspiration for her to choose everyday to take baby steps in the directions of her dreams!!

To achieve any goal, you need only to decide where you want to go, take baby steps every day, stay focussed and never give up! How you get there will unravel in ways you could not even imagine because the Universe takes care of that part.

It is your life, chose to follow your dreams!!

Exchange cards - CB scroll work EF

Love this Scroll works embossing folder by Cuttlebug!! A couple more cards I have created using the folder and the stencil I created for it!! Love the gentle shading possible with the sponges. The images are ones I downloaded from CLKER and digitally coloured to suit my card stock colour!! These are for my monthly card exchange!! Check out other ones I made here.

If you have the Scroll works embossing folder and would like a stencil/mask for nicely shading the inside I have a few for sale. They are quarter sheet size - $1 each. If you are local, you can come and pick one up!! If not, send me an email and we can set up a trade!!

These cards will be on their way today!!

Therese

CD charms

We are having a charm swap on AFTCM!!

This time we needed to use a CD to create our charms so I sanded off the shining layer, added some colour with Sharpies and/or alcohol inks and cut them apart!! Once cut, I laid the pieces on a heatproof surface (corrugated cardboard covered with foil) and heated them until they cleared up, their edges softened and they bubbled a bit. They look like glass!! I layered up the scraps and those made really cool looking charms as well. On the left, those that are finished. I have a variety to choose from - two going in the mail tomorrow!!

These are the ones that I made that I thought were acceptable for being considered for "charmdom"!! I have a half dozen rejects which I am not sure what I will do with. Maybe try redoing them or painting them - we'll see.

These ones are the first I made and in the final evaluation I decided were probably too big to be considered charms!!

Fun! We are going to have some great looking bracelets by the end of the year!!

Therese

Cardmaking - May - sponging

I have been admiring these softly shaded cards on Splitcoast Stampers as well!! I used digital images from CLKER for these cards!! Just love that dress!! You can find it here! The loon, here!

I designed an oval that would fit perfectly on the inside of the Scroll works (CB) embossing folder, printed it on a transparency and cut it out - voila - a stencil for sponging!! I printed the digital images on white cardstock, cut the sheet into quarters and embossed each one with the Scrollworks embossing folder. At class, I provided the stencils, sponges and inks and let each person sponge the frame as they wished. It is best to start sponging gently, from the stencil to the paper. You can mix colours or use different colours to get a very layered look. The image can also be coloured using any other method you desire!!
I mixed a bit of green into the blue for the loon image and it looks good!! To add a little colour to your embossing gently rub your sponge over it. I will be adding a rhinestone to the bodice of the dress and it should make a perfect wedding card!!!

I really like the soft look of sponging so I think I will incorporate that more into my cardmaking. Certainly, have seen others sponging the edges of their layers and greetings which gives a cohesive look to their cards!!

Thrifty tip: I am using the sponges that SU sells - cut into eighths. Just staple on a little cardstock handle in the colour of ink so you can keep them straight. Check out how they did it here! Stored in a baggie they are always ready to go and don't need cleaning!!

If you haven't tried sponging yet, try it!! Stamp an image and use the stencils you have!! Use a die to cut a stencil from scrap plastic - get creative!! Sponging works best with a rounded edged sponge which does not leave lines, so trim the hard edges off your sponge for a better experience.

Therese

Cardmaking - May - rainbow

Rainbows!! I used the rainbow scraps from my last card on these ones!! I made at least four prototypes of this card before I was happy with it!! That does not happen to me very often!!

I punched the right hand side of the rainbow layer with my SU scallop punch, layered it onto white cardstock, embossed it with the D'vine swirl (CB) embossing folder and punched the edge again!! I like the look of the repeated element. The die cut butterfly (SX) has been embossed with the Swiss Dot (CB) folder and threaded onto the ribbon!! I mounted this layer onto the card front and added a layered greeting!!

The rainbows are wonderful!! Great for a baby card or for a little girl's birthday!!

Therese

Cardmaking - May - bare tree

I have been admiring the great tree cards on Splitcoast Stampers so I decided to see what I could do to make one myself. I do not have a stamp of a bare tree so I went looking on the internet to see what was available in the way of digital images. I did find a couple but was not able to change their colour to brown from black - I am sure it is possible but the learning curve was beyond my alloted time!! So I just created my own using the SU one as a visual!! I printed the tree on some rainbow desktop publishing paper from my stash. After trimming, I was left with scraps of rainbow paper (watch for it later) and my tree with a beautiful blue sky!! I stamped on some leaves and added bushes using a torn piece of paper, a sponge and green ink. To finish off my card, I layered my tree onto brown, added some flowers and a grass die cut then glued it to my card front. I added Sapphire Stickles to the blue flowers and I will be adding some iridescent glitter glue to the pink one - just the right amount of bling!! Some of the cards had red apples and looked very much like this card I made earlier this week!!

Fun cards!!

Therese

Cardmaking - May - classic cars

Father's Day is coming up so I prepped a few of these cards for my cardmaking class last night. I prepared several different greetings so the cards could be customized though my "For you, Dad" was not flexible enough for the ones in the group that needed a card for Father's Day for their husbands or sons, so the next time the greeting will say Happy Father's Day!! Without a greeting, it is well suited to a variety of occasions!!

The cars are from a font I downloaded off the internet called OLD CARS. I used four different ones even though both of my cards ended up with the same car!! Must be the one I like the best!!

Layered decorative paper and added a fabric trim. On the first one I colour washed the twill and at class I decided to use colour pencils. They worked remarkable well for removing the starkness of the new twill and helping to integrate it into the look of the card. I laid the short piece over the longer one and tied them together with a piece of string. This works well for giving you the look of a bow without the bulk. Watercoloured the laser printed image, trimmed it close and mounted it above the trim using 3D foam tape. I colour washed the greetings before adding them to my cards. For a more balanced design, I added three little black cardstock punchies to the top left hand corner. A little Dimensional Magic or a similar clear gloss product would give them a bit more shine!! In an effort to use what I have, I will be adding some to mine! Unfortunately, it takes too long to dry for use in the class room.

The guys in our lives need to be celebrated for all they contribute!! Make your special people a card today!! "Just because" is enough of a reason!!

Therese

Paradise challenge - tree and hearts

Scrapbooker's Paradise is having a challenge - dig into your stash and use three things to make a card!!

From my paper stash I dug out some desktop publishing paper with a rainbow on it!! After a bit of thought I decided to print a brown bare tree (digital stamp) in the lower left hand corner of it. With the other three quarters trimmed off I was left with tree with some beautiful sky - perfect layer for my card!! I dug deep into my wood mounted SU stamps looking for this leaf stamp which has not see the light of day for quite a while and added leaves to my tree using green ink. The tree was still in need of something so I dug into my cardstock scrap bin and I found this scrap of red that has leather texture!! It has been sitting there a long time!! Next, I dug into my small punch drawer and dug out this heart punch - it has not been out of there for a good while, though its friends, the flower punches come out regularly!! I punched some little hearts for my tree!! I layered these onto a brown cardstock and added a green grass die cut below - still needed a bit of something so I added some greenery to the background using a torn piece of paper, a sponge and green ink. I added the laser printed greeting from my stash of extra greetings and layered the whole thing onto a black card front. As I was admiring my creation I had a flash of insight - I had some Dimensional Magic - which I purchased years ago that still have not been used so I dug it out and added it to the red hearts!! It gave such a wonderful glossy finish to my hearts!! I will be using it more often!!

Join the challenge - I know you have something in your stash!!

Therese

Masculine card

I created this card as a follow up to my exchange card in hopes of being able to work out a card design for my next class.

I used double sided tape punched with my 1/4" punch to create my little domes of glossiness. They grabbed the embossing powder really well and heated up nicely though gave a more pebbled effect. The little punchies are more touchy to get positioned and more easily damaged in the process so not ideal for the class room. I also tied my twill with a string instead of using a double knot. It is easier for most people to manage that process and creates a card with less "lumps" to catch in the postal template. If the card catches in the template it requires more postage to send.

I am back to the drawing board to see what I can do to change up this design to suit my class.

Therese

Class Act contest card - masculine

The card exchange tomorrow evening is themed masculine so I checked out Class Act challenge#5 guidelines - use a masculine image in combination with fabric and/or stitching - and used them as my starting off point!! I stamped and black embossed Class Act's classic car, watercoloured it and trimmed it closely. I added faux stitching with a fine tipped Sharpie marker to my decorative paper, glued it to the top part of my card front, added a colour washed fabric twill which is double knotted and included a colourwashed laser printed greeting. I added the car using 3D foam tape to add a bit of dimension. Thought it needed just a bit of something, so I added three mini glue dots and sprinkled on black embossing powder expecting the embossing powder would be immediately adhered to them. Not so, I had to rub in the embossing powder to get it to stick to the glue dots - who knew! After heating them with the heat gun I had three nice little domes of black glossiness!! Just what I wanted and just the thing to finish off my card.

So check out Class Act's challenge #5, dig out your masculine images and start creating!! If you use a Class Act stamp you will get two chances to win.

While you are there check out the great cards created by their design team!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - embossed

I love the elegance of an embossed image done in white cardstock!! Does not require much else so I simply added a piece of ribbon and a layered greeting!!

The tree embossing folder is by Darice and the flower stems is one by Quickutz!!

I have created greetings in a layout program (Corel Draw) that can be printed and punched out with my punches - in this case the large SU oval punch!! Great for customized greetings!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - masculine

Masculine cards because everyone eventually needs one and Father's Day is coming up!!

I printed these digital images (Arthur's clipart page) onto kraft cardstock and embossed the area below them with a variety of embossing folders which added texture. Tied a piece of ribbon to a strip of black cardstock and layered it over the top edge of the embossing!! A variety of greetings were available and could be added to the strip before it was glued into place.

I love the look of kraft and black!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - patchwork

Quilted cards!! They really look quilted because the paper/cardstock has been embossed using an embossing folder and Big Kick. I love the look of this technique. I cut 1.25" squares for these cards but you could get much more detailed and create your favorite quilt pattern. Check out the log cabin design I used earlier this year.

We used 12 coordinating squares and glued them to a 4"x 5.25" piece of white cardstock leaving a tiny border all the way around and some space between the squares. Embossing the whole layer gave it a lot of texture and hid any little variances in the spacing that occurred as we glued our squares into place. I added my ribbon to the corner but it was long enough to go across in either direction so we had a lot of different variations in these cards. I varied the 3D embellishments and greetings as well.

I actually added the little butterfly (Sizzix) to the ribbon as it had slits on both sides of the body which easily accommodated the ribbon!!

A fun card that could easily be created using scraps of decorative paper!! You know what I am talking about - that little stash of scraps you are having trouble parting with because they are so beautiful!!

Go make some cards!!

Therese

All Occasion cards - spray of flowers

A friend was over the other night with a bunch of her friends for an evening of creating!! What fun to spend time with like minded people being creative and trying something new!! It is the best!

Started with coloured cardstock, added a piece of decorative paper with a border and layered on a coloured image with a small piece of ribbon!! I watercoloured my image but other chose chalks or pencil crayons instead. I mounted my image onto cardstock added a little piece of folded ribbon then mounted it to the card front using 3D foam tape. We had a variety of colours to keep the whole process interesting.

The digital image, which I laser printed, is one offered over on Beccy's blog. She has some cool images - check them out!!

So consider getting together with a friend/s and making a few cards!! You could even consider wrapping up a few in a card holder and using them for gifts!!

Therese

Calligraphy

Calligraphy in a guest book for a local convention!! I used fluid acrylic paint in a shimmery blue for the lettering and added a few flowers in pink with yellow centers. The leaves and stems were added using a Stardust gel pen - just the right amount of sparkle!!

It has been a long time since I pulled out my pens and did some lettering so it was great to get the opportunity to add some elegant lettering to this guest book!!

Therese

Hat pins for a swap!

Hat pins!! Made these for a swap on AFTCM!! It was very fun and easy!! Very tempting to make LOTS of them.

I used corsage pins and added a handmade flower and some beads, some ribbon and beads and the first one in the photo is my ode to steampunk - bits of things wired together and industrial looking accents instead of beads below! Take a close look and you will
recognize earring backs used a decoration on this hat pin!

Here is a close up!! I used very glittery fiber to create this flower shape which is hand sewn from a 2" length using clear thread. I used "Goop" as a clear adhesive to keep the flower and beads near the top of the pin.

Totally fun to use supplies in a new and creative way!!

If you are using pins on your creations please plan to provide some protection from injury for the recipient by covering up the sharp point of the pin. Depending on the creation, you could use an earring back, a small piece of foam or a glue dot to keep the sharp point secure. You could also consider dulling the point some with sand paper to reduce the risk of injury!!

Challenge yourself to something new today!! What have you never created before?

Today is the day!!

Therese