Thinking of you card featuring decorative paper, embossed flagged strips and a round digital image of a girl in a garden

I made this card for an aunt who loss her sister during this crisis.  

I started with a large envelope and made an aqua card to fit inside.  I added decorative paper and then two strips of cardstock - a wide pink on embossed with circles and a slimmer orange one embossed with a chevron pattern.  I flagged one end of each of them, layered them before mounting to the front of the card.  I trimmed this circle image of a girl in a garden (laser printed digital - CLKER) using my new dies - a set of stitched circles thinlits which I got for my birthday.  I watercoloured the image and used 3D foam tape to mount the image to the front of my card overlapping the cardstock strips.  I colourwashed a small laser printed font greeting, mounted it to a label in aqua before adhering it to my card just below the image and overlapping the strips using 3D foam tape.  

Therese

Anniversary card featuring lots of heart punchies, an embossed greeting and fiber and gold thread

After finding an inspirational card on Splitcoast Stampers I made a brown card and added found a mottled piece of decorative paper for my background.  I needed some hearts - I found some little brown hearts in my stash.  I wanted several colours and some with text so I dug into my scrap stash and punched a few more.  Some from gold gift wrap, a piece of printed text and dark brown decorative paper.  I started gluing them to my background starting from the bottom. It gives them the look of having been poured from above.  Next, I gold embossed my anniversary greeting, added the last three hearts arranged around the greeting and then I tied on a combination of a piece of kraft colour thread and one of gold embroidery thread with a double knot.  I let the ends hang free.  I glued this large element to the front of my brown card.  I like how it turned out but the inspirational one was better coordinated in the colours and had a softer look which I really liked.  This colour scheme is more masculine and appropriate for my guy!!         Therese

Father's Day card featuring embellished tree die cuts, fiber and a laser printed digital greeting from Desert Diva

Father's Day card for DH.  I started with the trees as they are cut from a new die which I acquire at a thrift store on the weekend!  Yeah when that happens.  It is brand new - never been opened.  It is a yellow Sizzix and the perfect size for making cards.  There were several others which I left because they were too large for cardmaking.  

I cut three trees, stamped them with bleach and then added green watercolour to give them a bit of texture and interest.  I cut a navy card and added the dark brown word scrap booking paper to it.  I auditioned my trees and found this little greeting in my stash (Desert Diva) that would work for my sketch.  I auditioned the yellow circle of handmade paper and really liked that so I adhered it in place and then added my trees - the two side ones with double sided tape and the middle one with  3D foam tape.  I watercoloured the greeting and mounted it over the stems of my trees using 3D foam tape as well.  To finish it off I decided to add a little length of kraft fiber to the top. I used a 1/16" hole punch to make a hole in the spine of my card and threaded the fiber through and tied it with a double knot.  Loving it!!

Therese  

Front flap birthday card featuring a large daisy digital stamp, decorative paper and a little layered font greeting

This is my last front flap card birthday card for my June birthdays!!!!  I started this one with a large envelope and I created a lavender card to fit inside.  I found a piece of plaid scrapbook paper which coordinated nicely and would work well with my daisy image.  This daisy image is one of my own digital stamps which I created while watching a floral doodling video tutorial.  It is fun to be have your own images for cardmaking!!!  I found a deep yellow piece of cardstock for my flap and once I had scored and folded over the top edge it was a bit short so I added a little strip of orange cardstock on the bottom and trimmed it off with scallop decorative scissors to be even with my panel card.  I used regular tape to adhere the two pieces together which was hidden by my layered image.  I watercoloured my large daisy image, added a layer of lavender cardstock and then adhered it to my flap.  I used a pushpin and pierced each scallop on the bottom edge - gives some nice texture to this layer.  I adhered my flap to my panel using double sided tape and glue.  I created a little layered oval greeting using an oval punchie with a green laser printed font greeting over a deep yellow larger oval which I distressed all the way aorund.  I mounted the little greeting hanging over the edge of my flap then finished off the flap with a little piece of kraft fiber which I tied on.  I added a piece of white bond on the inside where I will add my personal greeting.  

Totally fun to be in my craft room and creating cards!!!        Therese

Front flap card featuring a tea set (digital), decorative paper and rhinestones

Still working on cards for special occasions in my family in the month of June.  This one is for my twin sister, Sylvia.  She loves tea and when I found this digital tea set I knew it would be perfect for her birthday card.  I arranged the tea pot and tea cup and added Happy Birthday using a font before printing the image on white cardstock and trimming it out of the large sheet.  I rounded the corners and layered it onto a light green cardstock to coordinate with the background paper I chose for my card.  I made this one another front flap card.  They have been fun to make!!  I started with a large envelope, created a white card to fit inside and then added this beautiful background paper.  It is a sheet she donated to me from her stash in an effort to downsize.  She has a very good eye for paper and the sheets she gave me are all very nice.  I found the stamped blue cardstock in my stash, trimmed it to size after scoring it at a half inch so I could adhere it to the back of my panel card.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel over it several times before attaching it to my card using double sided tape and glue on the flap.  I mounted my focal element with the tea pot on my blue flap after distressing the edges of the green layer using my distress tool.  I added several dots of pink using a gel pen on each of the corners to add a bit of interest.  We are looking forward to seeing each other somewhere outside with social distancing!!  Therese

Father's Day front flap card featuring decorative paper, washi tape, a cute little truck and a fun greeting (digital)

I made this card for my other son in law for Father's Day!!!!! He has been working hard for his family and likes to take bike rides with his kids.  I started with a dark blue panel, added the mottled blue decorative paper (digital) which was in two pieces so I added strip of green washi tape which works to create a horizon line in my background.  I pieces a flap from two pieces of green cardstock and added washi tape to keep them together.  I scored a half in flap at the top and added it to my panel using double sided tape and glue.  The little truck is a download from Beyond the Fringe Crafts which I sized, laser printed and then fussy cut.  I then watercoloured all basic parts of the truck.  I used a clear glitter gel pen on the hubcaps, bumpers, lights, door handle and windows.  I found some die cut stars in my stash that coordinated and arranged them, glued them to each other and then added them to the back of the truck.  Thinking they still needed something I added some details to them using the clear glitter gel pen.  I mounted the truck on the green flap using 3D foam tape and then added the fun little greeting.  It is a digital greeting from Desert Diva which I laser printed, watercoloured, distressed the edges and then mounted with 3D foam tape as well. I do like this little truck and will certainly be using it again!!!          Therese

Front flap card featuring a little truck (digital), an embossed panel and a fun greeting

Father's Day is around the corner and I made this card for one of my son in laws.  He is a great Dad and we appreciate all he does for his family.  He is back at work after being home for a while due to the Covid situation.  I started with a large envelope and made a large black panel card to fit inside.  I added this cool subtle background paper with flash cards on it.  I choose a coordinating piece of brown cardstock and embossed it with a wood grain embossing folder, scored a half inch on one end and then mounted to my card using doubles sided tape and glue on the flap which I glued to the back of my panel.  I downloaded the truck digital from Beyond the Fringe Crafts, sized it and then laser printed it onto white cardstock.  I fussy cut all the way around, watercoloured the body, fenders, the wheels and the side window.  I used a clear glitter gel pen on all the metal and glass surfaces - lights, hubcaps, bumpers, windshield, window and door handle.  I added greenery (TH dies) to the back of the truck before mounting it to the front flap.  I watercoloured the greeting (DesertDiva), distressed the edges, added some ribbon flags and then mounted it to the flap above the truck using 3D foam tape.  Love how it turned out!!!!!  Therese

Father's Day card featuring a fun digital greeting and some decorative paper

For this card I found the striped paper which I really like and then went looking in my yellow scraps and found this piece of yellow with stars that coordinated very nicely.  I then found the green cardstock which worked so I trimmed it to size.  I taped the two decorative papers to each other on the back and them trimmed them to create the background for my cad.  I added a length of coordinating seam binding securing the ends to the back of my background using double sided tape.  I tied on a short length with one knot to simulate a bow.  I adhered this large element to my green card front.  I layered the fun greeting (Melonheadz) which is a free digital and was laser printed on white cardstock.  I passed my tracing wheel on all four edges to add a bit of texture then layered it with a light green paper.  I mounted the greeting just below the tied ribbon and over the length using double sided tape.  

Therese

Father's Day card featuring real wood accents, a chickadee digital and a little font greeting

My Dad was a carpenter most of his working life and wood reminds me of him.  I am fortunate that my DH is also a wood worker and saves me all the beautiful thin pieces which get trimmed off of his projects.  These little pieces are cedar.  I backed the thin wood with sticky label before trimming the pieces out so they would keep some integrity.  I cut a large brown panel to fit inside the large envelope I had chosen and then adhered the wood pieces to it using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  I immediately put it under weight (encyclopedias) so they would dry flat.  Once the panel was dry I added the front flop which is embossed with a wood grain embossing folder.   I scored a half inch from the top, folded over the flap and adhered it to my panel to cover the gap in the wood elements where I will adhere my insert.  I trimmed my flap to the edge of my panel.  I added a little laser printed digital image of chickadees (clker) which I watercoloured before adhering it to the flap.  I watercoloured the font greeting then added some faux stitching lines with my tracing wheel.  I layered it onto brown leaving a larger border on the bottom which I cut it with scalloped decorative scissors and then paper pierced the scallops with a push pin.  I mounted the greeting to my front flap overlapping my chickadee image.  I really like how it worked out.  I am every grateful that my Dad has been well through this Covid situation as he has underlying health issues.  Everyday is a blessing!!             Therese

Crumb squares - a double set of rainbow squares and two brown ones

I have finished up a few more crumb squares.  It has taken several weeks working on and off to get them done but they are totally fun to make!!!  I simply pull out a large ziploc of scraps and use what is there to make up squares.  Here is a tutorial if you are new to Crumb Quilting.  I have a bag for each colour and so the supplies are all right at hand.  

I have made up two of each colour - brown, green, blue, purple, red, orange and yellow.  Not sure how they will be incorporated into quilts but I am swapping 10"crumb square for scraps with my sister, Sylvia so some will likely end up in her quilts.  

I will be making some other colours - peach, teal, brights, black with colour, golden yellow, etc.  I may do some exploring on line and see about incorporating many colours into one square. I am sure there are some that are doing that as well.  Might be easier to incorporate into a quilt that way.  We shall see!!

Therese

Rainbow hearts quilt

I have finally finished my rainbow hearts quilt.  I added a turquoise backing and used a cotton flannel sheet as batting.  I am really happy with how it turned out and the turquoise is really a good complement to the bright colours in the top of the quilt.  It measures 42" x 63" and I will be sending it off to the Linus Project via my sister.  She has several to deliver to them as well and will simply add mine to hers.   Check out the squares here.

I will certainly be doing squares of hand quilting for adding to quilts in the future.  I might consider larger squares but in the end I used these 4" x4" squares because they are precut.  I will consider sewing four of the same together to make a larger square but that may limit my colour selection.  I could also mix them up and use full squares for any colour which I am missing pieced ones.  

So totally fun!!!!!

Therese  

Christmas Card Kits - Card #3 features a large snowflake, decorative paper and small snowflake punchies combined with a brad

For Card #3 I used both the diecut and the opening that it leaves for make the cards I needed.  

For the cards made with the snowflake die cut (SU) I added a few more to make it the focal element.  I added a large coloured snowflake, a smaller punched snowflake in white and then a tiny daisy snowflake which I bound together with a silver brad.  Assembly was easy - glue the paper to the card front and then add the snowflake using 3D foam tape secured around the center and hidden by the arms of the snowflakes.  

For the cards made with the opening, I trimmed the edges of the original quarter sheet a bit to leave a margin and then embossed them with a snowflake embossing folder (CB).  Next, I combined a coloured snowflake punchie with a small daisy one using a silver brad to bind them.  The decorative paper was glued to the back of the embossed layer then glue was applied to the card front and this large element was adhered to the card.  The little snowflake embellishment was added using a small glue dot into the center of the snowflake opening.  I really like how they both turned out.             Therese

Christmas Card Kits - Card #2 features an embossed ornament die cut, decorative paper and two decorative coloured strips of cardstock

For Card #2 I put together a few elements including some white embossed ornaments die cuts from my stash.  I added a couple of strips of coordinating cardstock.  One trimmed with the Ribbon punch (SU) and the other trimmed to size and the other simply trimmed.  I did embossed some of them.  These are combined with a layer of decorative paper and coordinating card bases.  Again, these kits are easily assembled requiring only glue.  With a variety of backgrounds and coordinating strips every kit has a variety of cards.  I do love putting together various elements and using versatile sketch to provide some interest in these kits.  

Therese

Christmas Card Kits - Card #1 features Mary Engelbreit stickers, decorative paper and an embossed flagged strip

 

I have created a few Christmas card kits in response to a friend's request for kits to get started on her Christmas cards at a time when she has time on her hands.  I have created three different designs and made them so they can be simply assembled with glue.  

Card #1 feature Mary Engelbreit stickers from my stash.  I chose three different designs and layered them with red cardstock.  I made only one sample with the Happy Winter because I needed all the others in the kits.  In the end, I discovered that I had miscounted and had one left over to make up a second sample.  I always enjoy putting together card kits because I get to mix and match elements.  I choose a variety of decorative papers that coordinated with the stickers and then added a coordinated embossed and flagged strip and card bases.  I included single layer panel inserts because they are the easiest to glue to the inside of the cards.    Therese

Exchange cards featuring a side flap, decorative paper and laser printed digital greetings

I have made these two cards for my Card Exchange partners for our June Swap.  I have created a flap on the left hand side instead of the top like the front flap cards have made recently.  For the first one, I choose a large envelope and created a panel card with a flap to fit inside.  I simply scored on the left hand side and folded the flap to the front.  I added a piece of light gray cardstock to the flap by butting it up and then adhering it in place using regular tape on the front.  Next, I  added a narrower strip of black cardstock which I punched with my scallop border punch (SU) before adhering it to the light gray piece.  I added two pieces of floral paper  - one to the full inside panel and the other to the front of the side flap which covers the tape I used to secure the pieces to each other.  I punched 1/16" holes in all the scallops on the edge.  I found this little greeting in my stash (Desert Diva) which is digital and I laser printed it on white cardstock after sizing it.  I added a black layer to it and then a coordinating yellow one.  I distressed the edges using my distress tool.  I used double sided tape to adhere the left hand portion of the greeting to the flap.  I added a white bond insert to the back side of the flap for the handwritten message.  

For my second card, I choose a large envelope and created a dark gray panel to fit inside.  I added a piece of floral paper which left a small margin all the way around.  I created a flap for the left hand edge using a light gray cardstock, scored the left hand edge and adhered the little flap to the back of the panel.  I added another piece of floral paper to my flap and then a strip of yellow cardstock which I punched with an eyelet border punch (SU) and then added several embossed lines with my score tool and then passed my pattern tracing wheel to add a row of pierced holes to the left hand edge.  I mounted it overlapping the edge of my light gray flap which finished it off nicely.  Next, I found this greeting in my stash which I created with a Chalk Writing font and laser printed.  I layered it with light gray and dark gray cardstock and then added to my flap using 3D foam tape.  Again, I added a small piece of white bond to the back of the flap for any handwritten message.  

It was fun to change up the flap on these cards.  I really like the look of this floral paper with the gray and yellow cardstock and monochromatic greetings.  

Front flap birthday card featuring stamped decorative papers, some faux stitching and a digital image of a typewriter with a font greeting

I have been enjoying making these front flap cards!!  Much different than my usual A2 cards as I am using large envelopes for these which gives me lots of options when I start creating!!  I started this one with a large envelope and I created a gray panel card to fit inside.  I dug a gray wood grain 12" x 12" sheet of new decorative paper from my large bin and trimmed out a piece to fit on my panel card.  I found the second piece of decorative paper in my cardstock stash as it had been printed on gray cardstock.  I cut out a piece for my flap, scored a half inch from the top and folded over the little flap.  I hooked the flap onto my panel card and trimmed off the bottom to be even with my panel.  Because it was cardstock I simply treated it to a black border created with a black permanent marker and then added a hand drawn line on the inside of that with a fine tip Sharpie.   Next, I added faux stitching to my panel which was better.  The typewriter is a digital image is from CLKER which I sized and then printed on white cardstock.  I trimmed the image from the sheet, sponged its edges with green ink and then ran my pattern tracing wheel along all four edges to add yet more texture.  I layered my focal element with two shades of green cardstock.  I needed to introduce some green to my layers so I used a little solid square stamp (used for the first time today) and created little groups of three on the four corners of my  panel card and a raggedy row on my flap.  That really helped to tie these elements together!!  I adhered my  layered focal element off the right hand side of my flap and finished off my card by adding a piece of white bond behind my flap to give me a place to write my message.  

Therese

Front flap birthday card featuring decorative paper, ribbon and a colour printed digital image of a birthday cake

I am still at making front flap cards!!  For this one I started with a large envelope and created a pink panel card to fit inside.  I layered on the polka dot paper (SU digital - colour printed) which I trimmed to leave an even border.  I found a piece of blue cardstock that coordinated and then found a piece of paper that coordinated with both of them.  I scored the cardstock at a half inch from the top edge, folded over the little flap and then hooked it on my panel and trimmed the bottom edge.  I trimmed the piece second piece of decorative paper  to fit on the front of my flap with an even border.  The birthday greeting is one I downloaded from the internet and colour printed.  I used a large black permanent marker to colour all four edges of my image to highlight the greeting and coordinate with my decorative papers.  I mounted the cake image so it overlapped half onto the flap and I adhered it in place.  I added a length of pink ribbon at the top of the flap and tied it with a double knot.  Added a message area behind the flap using a piece of white bond.         Therese

Christmas cards featuring a JOY ornament die cut, metallic paper, decorative paper and thread hangers

 Another batch of Christmas cards featuring these red ornaments I cut a while back.  I coupled the ornaments with metallic/pearly papers.  Some are very bright metallic foils and others have a more subtle metallic/shimmery finish.  The ornaments were die cut with a Sizzix ornament die from red cardstock scraps.  I added metallic/shimmery accents - an oval behind the JOY (TH-SX) and on the ornament topper cut, trimmed and glued in place.  The oval is cut using an oval Nestibilities which is just the right size to fit behind the word!  Love it!!!!  The cards all have scrapbook paper backgrounds which I discovered in my stash of scraps.  Very happy to have another few Christmas cards made up.  I am keeping my commitment of getting my cards made before I need them in November!!

Therese