All occasion cards featuring flowers and die cut and stenciled oval with a small black butterfly

Another two all occasion cards.  This idea for these cards came from Splitcoast Stampers though I cannot recall what images were used but there was a stenciled and die cut oval.  I thought it was an interesting way to add depth and texture to a fairly Clean and Simple card design.  I started by laser printing two floral images (Dover) onto white cardstock and trimming them to size for my A2 cards.  I stenciled the ovals next.  A while back I created an oval stencil for a different card and it was just the perfect size for this application.  I sponged the ovals onto the image layers incorporating the floral images using yellow and blue for one of them and yellow and orange for the other.  Next, I positioned my oval Nestibilities die over the sponged one and used sticky notes to keep it in place while I die cut the openings.  I placed sticky notes on the back once they were cut to keep the die cut image in proper orientation with the frame.  I applied 3D foam tape around the opening on the back of the frame and some double sided tape on the back of the die cut oval.  I positioned an extra layer of white cardstock over this area which just covered the 3D foam tape and a little push in the middle captured the center oval allowing now a gap between the frame and the central oval.  When the card is seen from the side you can see the gap that now has formed between the oval which is glued to the new layer and the frame which is raised from it with the 3D tape.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel on all four edges of each of them and then applied 3D foam tape to the corners of both.  I chose a peach card for the dogwood and a blue card for the daisies and mounted these large elements nicely centered on my card fronts.  They still needed "something" so I punched two little butterflies (Martha Stewart) from black cardstock and added them to the edges of the frame using a fine line of white glue in the center of their bodies which leaves the wings free.  Clean and Simple is a style I struggle to execute well because I want to fill the spaces!!  These ones worked out well and, mostly, I resisted the urge to embellish more.  It is easier to copy a successful design when you are venturing into a style you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with.  It will give you the courage and experience to give it a go another time.    Therese

 

Christmas cards with little elves with presents and ornaments

These images were printed to fill in a sheet of images when I was working on a set of cards a while back.  I decided to get them made up after I finished the tree ones.  They are from the same designer.   (https://skogstokiga.blogspot.com).  I laser printed the the different designs, fussy cut them and then ran a black Sharpie marker around the edges to make them disappear.  I watercoloured them before I chose my paper for the backgrounds so I had to go back and add a warmer red to the hats and ornaments.  I had used silver on the hangers and strings so I added a bit of gold to them to warm them up as well.  I added coordinating ribbon and gold snowflake sequins with brads to the top of my images to add interest and texture.  I cut four striped backgrounds and two green and two red cards.  I mounted my backgrounds to my cards, added a little strip of coordinating cardstock and then mounted my images to my card fronts using 3D foam tape.  These are very cute and made such wonderful Christmas cards.  Totally fun!  A total of 14 Christmas cards for March.  Therese

 

Christmas cards with doodled trees, little yellow stars and book page snowbanks

These are my Christmas cards for March.   I have committed to making Christmas cards monthly for the year to ensure a good supply when the time comes to send them on their way to family and friends.  Here is a close up of the details of the tree images I have used.  I started with the little doodled trees from ( https://skogstokiga.blogspot.com/) which I laser printed and fussy cut.  To make the white edges disappear I ran a black Sharpie around the edges from the back  - not the front in case of a slip.  I watercoloured the texted insides with every green colour I had so they would be different.  I filled in the outside doodled areas with green gel pens and markers so they would contrast with the insides.  I coloured the doodled lines inside the trees with red and yellow gel pens to coordinate with the backgrounds and the star I had chosen for them.  After they were dry, I added the stars and brown tree trunks with double side tape.  I trimmed red backgrounds for my trees then created snow banks with old dictionary pages and tucked the tree trucks behind them before pressing them into place.  The trees where adhered with 3D foam tape to give them dimension.  These large elements were then adhered to brown card fronts to finish off my cards.  I totally love these cards!!  They were so fun to make up and have so much texture and character.    Just a note that the two last ones are not the same as the others - white snowflake backgrounds and white embossed snowbanks.  I can only make so many of anything and I had reached my limit!!         Therese

 

SISTER STASH - Christmas - Glittery papers, ornaments and beautiful ribbon

This Christmas card has been created from the stash of paper crafting supplies my sister left at my house a while back.  I started with a large red card and created a pieced background for it.  I used a strip with glittery ornaments and added a strip of coordinating wavy glittery paper and then added pearly strips to each end.  I found this beautiful red ribbon with glittery gold edges in my stash and added it over where the papers join tucking the ends to the back and securing them with double sided tape.  I tied a piece of gold cording to it using a double knot to add some texture and create a space for my little greeting.  The greeting is layered using an oval punchie (StampinUP) with a font greeting over a scalloped oval punchie (Stampin UP) in red cardstock.  I mounted it with 3D foam tape just below the gold cording.  I adhered this large element to my card front and pressed it overnight.  The stash of Christmas papers is much less extensive so I will be making up a few cards.  Some of the papers are not well suited to cardmaking so I will be leaving her those for scrapbooking.  Therese