Heart fabric postcard

On my TFPC group I have joined a no theme postcard swap for August. I have Traci Bautista's Collage Unleashed book out of the library and saw that she had created one of her backgrounds using little strips of fabric.  Having seen a bag of fabric strips at the second hand store a while back I went back to see if it was still there.  Yes, it was!!  I brought it home, ironed all the little strips and choose several that coordinated to create my first background.  I have no idea what these would have been cut up for but they were perfect for this technique.

I started with a scrap piece of fabric.  It doesn't matter what it looks like because it will all be covered up.  I adhered my strips to my base fabric using "no sew hem tape" which is just heat and bond fusible web in a strip which worked perfectly!!  I cut a strip of no sew tape for each strip and layered them onto my base fabric then passed the iron over it which fused it in place. Repeated until the whole surface had been covered.  Next, I added a 4"x 6"piece of batting to the back and used red thread in my sewing machine to randomly sew all over the surface which bound all the layers to each other.  I added a fabric heart which I stitched in place using several colours of thread and then added black stitching all the way around it as well.  I added a white backer, folded it to the front and stitched all the way around to finish it off.  It still needed a bit of something so I ironed on a little strip of label tape on which I had written "Love is kind".  Perfect!!  I added postcard details to the white back using a black sharpie and it is ready to be mailed off to my partner.
I am really enjoying making these little fabric projects!!  This one is a little more textured because the edges are left just cut but that is the way it is with love and life - it is always beautiful but a little more textured in some cases.

Therese

Zentangle Art Charms

 I have been working on Zentangle art charms for a personal swap.  The above are my first attempts which ended up being much too large to be art charms - the feathers are 2.5"!!  I am very happy with them so they will be put aside and used for a different project.  

I used Rough and Ready Translucent Shrink plastic.  I used a fine tip Sharpie to create my designs on the smooth side and coloured them on the rough back side using coloured pencils except for the one on the far right which I coloured with alcohol inks.  I should have been much more light handed with the ink because once they shrink the colour is much darker.  Lesson learned!!

 So, at my second attempt I created the designs much smaller so they would end up closer to 1.25" once they were shrunk.  I was then able to add the findings and danglies and have them much closer to the 1.5" criteria for the exchange.  I created two so I can keep one and will be sending the other to my partner.  These are the mandalas I created.

I changed up my leaf design on my second attempt because it was harder to created the thin point at the smaller scale.  Still very happy with how these turned out.  I made beaded danglies for them.  

Loved how these turned out too.  I simply reduced my original hand drawn design and tried to replicate my original zentangles but as you can see I had made a few changes!!  I added metal charms to the zentangled ones to create some movement and interest!!  

So I will have these ready to go to my partner in tomorrow's mail.  I am a few days late because of having to redo in the smaller size but all in all I am sure she will be happy with them.  Looking forward to hers in return mail.  

Therese

Stash busting weekend!!

My sister (I have five) is here this weekend and she brought along some supplies for card making!!  She is wanting to translate a pile of card stock and decorative paper into something she can use.  So after a couple days of creating we have over twenty cards made between the two of us. Here's a sampling!!
These are large cards - 8.5" x 5.5"!!  It has been so fun to create with abandon.  She is looking for a variety of cards so pretty much anything goes. I dug out my little boxes of images & greetings, ribbon, the bins of scrap paper and tools and so far we have managed with the supplies we have out.  Great fun!!!            
Therese

 

Raised N postcard with a twist

We have an ongoing swap on one of my groups - postcards with raised letters.  I thought I would give "raised" a bit of a twist and created a postcard where you raise the N using a ribbon!!  Very cool technique I have in the past used with tags and cards.  I created the front on blue cardstock by first drawing wavy lines in pencil and tracing them using a fine tip black sharpie.  I punched the hole for my ribbon, drew in my letters, filled them in and then zentangled the rest of the spaces.  I added the foil elements with a bit of a black strip of cardstock to set them off from the artwork.   I created my back on green cardstock - just postcard elements hand drawn along with my swap information.

 
Next, I created my N.  I started with a small piece of alcohol ink background that was the right colour, hand wrote "never" all over the front and then hand drew the N and filled it in.  I ran a large black marker around the edge just to give it a bit of definition.  I then created the U I needed to hold my N between both layers and glued the front to the back using double sided tape which left a pocket in the middle which will hide my N until someone pulls on the ribbon.  As you pull on the ribbon the N element slowly rises!!  Very cool!!  You can find a tutorial for the pull up mechanism here on SplitCoast Stampers.  It will be off to my partner in the next few days!!

Therese

Magical 4x4 chunky book page!

On one of my groups I joined a 4" x 4" chunky book swap with the theme of magic and the colour orange!!  I did a bit of brainstorming, sketched a layout and went looking for what I would need to create it!!  I found the book of spells on line on a geocaching site.  It was exactly what I was looking for - a beautifully illustrated book with a orange undertone.  I found the bottle on CLKER and added the label which I also found somewhere on line. Perfect!!  I imported the book in Corel Draw after I had made a few modification in PSElements to give it more height.  I imported the bottle as well after I had added the label in PSElements.  While looking for elements I had found an illustration of a little magician spewing magic so I decided I wanted something similar on the back of my page.  I downloaded this little guy (b&w) from CLKER and modified it in PSElements changing the eyes, hair, mouth, position of the arm and added a wand.

I positioned everything in Corel Draw and then laser printed it on white cardstock.  I trimmed it to be 4" x 8" and folded it in half.  I trimmed my bottle close and then ran a black sharpie around the edge to remove the white shadow.  I watercoloured the bottle and then applied glossy varnish to give it it a shiny finish.  I rounded the edges a bit and mounted it to the front of my 4x4 using 3D foam tape.  I felt like the page needed a bit more texture so I added an orange organza ribbon to the top.  That was better!!  I added some hand lettering and it was done!  On the back, I watercoloured the whole thing - the background in yellow and orange, the hill in browns and the wizard in purple.  He is a bit strange looking but I like him.  I have very little experience in digital drawing.  Once it was dry, I sprayed it with hair spray to seal the surface so I could add my magical zentangle.  I used a fine tip sharpie for the zentangle and just kept adding until I thought it was finished.  There are a few hearts in there because it is Love Potion after all!!!  Super happy with the result of my experimenting!!!
This little chunky book page will be off to my partner next week!!!

Therese

Thank you cards with die cut greetings

I made a few thank you cards for my card bucket.  I started with the left one - cut out the word using a set of small alphabet framelits from a decorative paper I created using a mouldable foam stamp and some cedar branches.  I love the colours - Kaleidacolour - Creole Spice rainbow pad!!  I added two layers - dark green and then light green.  I used a leafy embossing folder and manually embossed the outside edges of a navy blue card and then mounted my focal element to the center.  On the center one I used a very similar technique but added texture to my card front using green ink on a harlequin background stamp instead of an embossing folder.  Again, hand decorated paper cut with alphabet framelits, layered onto dark green and then light green and mounted to my green card front.  For my last one I got a little carried away which happens to me - I don't like to make two cards exactly the same.  I used the same decorative paper as the first one, layered it onto navy and then purple.  I found these two scallop circles in my stash, cut them both in half and mounted them on my card front and then mounted my focal element with the greeting over that.  I like the halo of scallops!!
My card stash is very low so I am need to start making a few every week to build it back up so I will have cards on hand.

Therese

Another set of card that reuse a card

After making these two cards, I was digging through a container on my desk and found this small card which I had also received in a swap package a while back. I thought it would also be quite appropriate for making cards.  I used the front on the left hand side card.  I layered it onto purple, added some gold details with a gel pen and mounted a layered punchie greeting to the lower right hand corner.  All these elements were mounted to a red card front.  Love the beautiful travel theme!!

For the second card on the right hand side I used the back of the card.  It had information on the back so I needed to find a way to cover up the writing.  I found this colour printed punchie greeting that was the right colour and also perfectly hid the writing.  I added a red embossed layer behind the decorative layer, added a green ribbon and mounted this piece to a green card front.  I mounted the greeting punchie over the ribbon using 3D foam tape.  One will be added to my stash and the other is off to my other monthly card exchange partner.  

Therese 

Cards created with reused card front and back

I received a small card in one of my swaps a while back and thought it would do very nicely for a layer on a card so I set it aside.  I made two cards with it!!
The front with the butterfly I layered onto purple and then onto a blue green card front.  I punched a large oval in the front layer and added a small oval punchie colour printed greeting into the opening!!!  Done!!
For the other card I used the back which was simply printed with little butterflies.  I layered it onto a light aqua layer, added a layered watercoloured image of a fish and a punched coloured printed greeting over two ribbons.  Very happy with how this one turned out as well.
It is fun to use free crafting supplies and make use of something that most would simply throw out or recycle.  I will be sending one of this off to my partner for my monthly card exchange.

Therese

Birthday cards with balloon stickers

 I bought a sheet of balloon stickers when my granddaughter was visiting so I could make cards while we were crafting.  She is a very independent and capable crafter so she usually does her own thing during crafting time though we do discuss all sorts of things as well as craft.
I am just getting them finished this week.

 I will be passing them to my daughter who is often in need of last minute kids birthday cards.
It was fun to pull the colours for my card and the layers from the balloons and just do whatever I wanted.  Generally, I prepared the main element - white cardstock, balloon sticker and a stamped greeting first and then decided what else I was going to do.

As you can see, I added ribbon, punchies, glitter glue, a bit of watercolour, embossed layers and layers trimmed with decorative scissors.
Lots of fun!!!  It is amazing how many cards can be made with one sheet of stickers.  I have run the course of this inspirational tool and have a few leftover which I will be sending to grandchildren to create with.

Therese

Bottle cap pin cushion

My needles have been living with my straight pins and today I decided to give them a new home.  I created this little bottle cap pin cushion for them.  I started with a yellow lid from a salad dressing bottle and cut a circle three times the width out of stretchy blue fabric.  I handstitched all the way round the edge of the circle and created a little cup which I filled with fiberfill.  Once it was full enough I tied off my ends.  I dug through my button collection and found this beautiful white rose button which I sewed into the middle of my little ball tugging it nice and tight before I tied off my threads.  I stuffed the little ball into the bottle cap and I was done!  I new home for my needles!!  The straight pins will live in the red one and the needles in the blue one!!

Therese

Small sheets of handmade paper

While my grand daughter was visiting we made handmade paper. We started with the blue the first day and made pink the next.  We had prepped all the pulp the first day so we were able to add to our vat as we went.  You can see that we made a variety of hues by added more coloured pulp as well as different colours by adding pink or blue to make several shades of purple.  We also added coloured snippets at several junctures in the process.  It was fun and very nice to be making handmade paper again!!


Therese