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