Tunnel card featuring decorative paper, label die cut, coffee vellum, fiber and a layered coffee cup

For my September family special occasion cards I decided to make tunnel cards.  I checked out several tutorials and decided to use heavy weight decorative paper (12" x12") for the outside and light weight decorative paper (12"x12") for the inside tunnel.  I made them all large cards to fit in envelopes from my stash.  

For this card I started by trimming my heavy weight paper to 11" x 8.25" or so.  The light weight paper was trimmed to 8" x 8".  The scraps will make A2 background very nicely.  I folded the inside in half and then scored 1.5" from each edge to create the tunnel.  I die cut a label shaped (SX) opening in the center fold which allows the recipient to see the greeting on the inside of the card.  I stamped the greeting on the inside of the card and watercoloured all around it in coordinating colours.  Once dry, I stamped several flowers around the greeting to be visible through the tunnel.  I stamped several extra on scrap paper to add to the tunnel edges.  I glued the two 1.5" flaps to the inside of my card laying it flat and lining up the center fold of the tunnel with the center fold of the card.  I fussy cut the extra flowers I had stamped and added them to the side flaps of the tunnel.  I used the piece I had cut from the inside to decorate the front of my card.   I cut a smaller opening in my label and then stamped it with dark brown ink to distress it.  I crumpled some coffee vellum and tore its edges to be just a bit larger than my label die cut.  I tied a coordinating piece of fiber to the die cut and glued it to my vellum and then glued this large element to my card front placing the double sided tape behind the die cut.  I watercoloured a small coffee cup (CLKER) in coordinating colours, punched it with a circle punch (SU) and then added a brown circle behind it.  I added this small element to the opening in my label using 3D foam tape.  

It was fun to do something different and my other cards will show up over the next few days as I get to blogging them.  I really enjoyed using some of the "special" papers that I have been setting aside for special cards!!             Therese
 

Slow Stitching - Houses quilt top

I have finally finished the quilt top around my Slow Stitching - Houses.  I had set aside the fabric for this quilt top a while back and was pleased to find that when I took out the little pile of fabric it made sense.  I had quite a few strips of fabric - 42" in there and also quite a few that needed to be pieced.  I started by stitching together all the strips that needed stitching including the two with little strips, the long strips, the blue blocks and the triangles.  Once I had the strips finished I worked on the layout.  I framed the houses with six strips of the same fabrics above and below.  I really like how the sky pops against the black strip.  I was fortunate to have enough long strips to be able to place one in between all of the stitched strips.  The stitching of the strips went well and I was very happy to have everything line up reasonably.  I did add two strips to either side of my houses to make sure I did not lose too much when I did the binding.  After the stitching I trimmed it to size - 41.5" x 64".  I will be adding a batting, backing and binding for finish it off.  The fabric for this quilt all came from a grab bag of fabric I purchased from a quilter who was liquidating her scraps.  I sorted them all by colour which allowed me to choose all similar colours for this quilt top.  Some of the stiching had already been done - the little strips were stitched four together and the larger strips were two together and a longer piece which I cut into three and added other strips in between.  It is so nice to have this slow stitched piece in a quilt top.  

Therese