Large all occasion card featuring an assembled butterfly, a coordinating frame and ribbons over a hand decorated background

Number 9!!  No wonder the stash never diminishes!!  

For this card I started with a red card and trimmed a background from a hand decorated piece.  I embossed it with the Script embossing folder (SU) and then highlighted the writing with a very light touch of green ink.  I added a faux stitching border with a fine tip Sharpie marker.  I die cut a coordinating frame (SX) and added coordinating ribbons from the frame to the sides of the background tucking the ends in behind.  I added my background to the card and layered my assembled butterfly (fussy cut petals and a black die cut body) over the frame.  

Therese

 

Quilting - borders for cat squares

I worked on sewing bright borders for my cat squares on the weekend.  I had cut the fabric previously from my Mom's stash of poly cotton and just sewed them all together cutting off the long lengths into manageable pieces for the borders.  I am just sewing a length to the top of the cat square and cutting it off.  Again, the same on the bottom and then again on each side.  No planning other that choosing the colours before I started which was pretty much rainbow!!!  Therese

 

All occasion card featuring a large daisy over a hand decorated background with eyelets and string

Number 8!!  I started a series of cards featuring fussy cut flourished petals and circles and have so far made eight different cards!!  This one features a set of six petals adhered to a circle punchie backer with the petals adhered with double sided tape.  I adhered the circle over the center using tape as well.  I found this coordinating hand decorated background in my stash!!  It matched perfectly!!  It was created with acrylic paint and my fingers!!  I trimmed it it to be short by about 3/4" each way and then tore it in both directions to allow the red of the card front to show.  It would have been preferable had I tore the paper just a little more to the left to allow my daisy to sit more centered on my card but as it is it does not overstep the card edge so I was good to go!!  I added pewter eyelets and used red crochet thread to add a textured element on both the lower left and the upper right.  I adhered the pieces to my card and then added my daisy with double sided tape!!  Done!!  Therese
 

All occasion card featuring assembled hearts tied together with string, a piece of linen lace over a pieced background

 #7 in my series of card created with focal elements created with stamped and fussy cut petals!!!  I love how these hearts look - flourishes and all!!!  I used double sided tape to secure to fussy cut petals to each other.  I added two pewter eyelets to each of them and tied a beige cord to the first one and then to the second one leaving the ends free.  I pieced a background and added faux stitching to the little panel on the left.  I added the large piece of linen with lace securing the ends to the back.  I added three little pewter eyelets to each end to echo the ones I put in the hearts.  I mounted my background to a large red card and then mounted the hearts over the ribbon using 3D foam tape!!  Love the little loop that formed between the two hearts!!!  Therese 

All occasion card featuring a collage background and a shimmery heart

I made this card for DH for our anniversary!!!  Similarly to my Father's Day card for him I started with a distressed brown piece of cardstock.  I auditioned paper scraps until I was happy with the layout and then glued them down.  There is music, tools, book & dictionary pages!!!!  Once it was dry I embossed it with a sheet music embossing folder (CB) on both the bottom left and the upper right.  I printed the little heart with an arrow (Wikiclipart) on white cardstock, trimmed it out and then watercoloured it.  I added red shimmer paint over the heart.  I specifically embossed the edges using a checkered embossing folder (TH)  by very carefully inserting only the area I wanted embossed into the folder before running it through my Big Shot.  I sponged the edge with brown ink to highlight the embossing.  I added two little lengths of suede cording and then tied them together with beige twine.  I cut a square of brown cardstock just a bit larger and embossed it with an all over pattern before mounting it to the back.  I adhered this focal element to my background and then the whole to a red card!!  So glad to have this man in my life and to be able to celebrate our time together!!             Therese
 

All occasion card featuring two assembled dragonflies with a ribbon embellishment and faux stitching

#6 in my current series of cards featuring focal elements created using fussy cut petal shapes with flourishes.  For this card I used the same body as I did for the butterflies but added only one set of wings in a more horizontal stance which makes cute dragonflies!!  I pieced by background from scraps and stamped a green stitched pattern (SU) unto the joints.  I mounted the dragonflies with double sided tape and then drew in their flight paths.  Feeling like this card needed a bit more I added faux stitching around all four edges and then an embossed blue strip (CB) embellished with little bits of ribbon and adhered with two white eyelets.  I glued this large element to a blue card!!  Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring an assembled butterfly over a hand decorated background

#5 in my current series of cards!!  The main focal elements are created by assembling fussy cut petal shapes that were stamped on scraps of decorative paper.  I die cut a black body and adhered the four petals to the body.  In the process of handling this butterfly while coming up with a card design I added white glue to the area to better secure the wings to the body.  I created a custom background for this card.  I started with a piece of cardstock which had red ink painted all over it.  I added some green areas with watercolour to echo the colours in my butterfly.  I used two flower stamps (Magenta) to stamp flowers - large ones in red, little ones in light green.  I added yellow centers with a marker and then leaves and swirls with a teal gel pen.  I added a bit of green watercolour to the leaves to flesh them out a bit.  I embossed the whole piece with the Subtle Texture embossing folder (SU).  I added a coordinating blue ribbon securing the ends to the back with double sided tape.  I folded a shorter piece over a yellow strip and secured it with a green glittery brad.  I adhered the strip to my background!!  I added the butterfly with double sided tape, created the flight path with a fine tip Sharpie.  To echo the glitter from the brad I added lines of clear glitter to the butterfly.    Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a large daisy assembled from stamped petals, three flagged strips and embossed one with eyelets

#4 in my current cardmaking series featuring elements assembled from fussy cut stamped petals and circles.  I used six petals for this daisy adhering the points to a circle and overlaying the flourished circle over the middle of them.  I started with a deep yellow card, added a green layer and then a yellow brocade background over it.  I added an embossed red strip using two pewter eyelets leaving the middle section loose.  I trimmed three green flagged strips, added rows of paper piercing all the way around and adhered them to each other.  I slipped them under the red strip before gluing them to the background.  I added double sided tape to my large daisy and adhered it over my collagy background.  This one worked out really well!!  

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring two tulips assembled from stamped petals and a flourished round with hand cut stems and leaves

Third in my current series of cards created using fussy cut petals and round shapes.  I stamped the shapes in black and then fussy cut the shapes before assembling them into fun shapes.  These tulips feature two petal shapes and one round circle.  I really like the flourishes!!  I assembled the tulips using double sided tape.  I used a zig zag yellow background and added two rows of torn green papers to the bottom edge leaving the space in the middle without glue.  I fussy cut stems and leaves from green scraps and did some paper piercing with my pattern tracing wheel and added a bit of watercolour too!!   After auditioning all the pieces I adhered the stems to the tulips and inserted them into the gap between the two torn green pieces.  I added glue to the leaves and did them the same way.  Again, the card needed a "bit of something" so I dug through my butterfly stash and found these three in different sizes.  I embellished them with watercolour and then added bodies with a brown marker.  That was much better!!  I added tiny pieces of double sided tape to their middles and adhered them to my background.  I glued this large element to a red card.   Therese

I am really enjoying creating cards with the petal creations!!   That's three so far - large daisy, butterfly and tulips!!        Therese
 

All occasion card featuring a shimmer cup of coffee with musical notes over a paper pieced background with eyelets

For DH's Father's Day card I decided to feature some of the things he likes - music and coffee!!!  The little cup was printed, watercoloured and then embellished with shimmery copper paint!!  The background started with a distressed piece of brown cardstock which I embossed with the Script embossing folder from SU.  I added small pieces of scrapbook paper to create a bit of a grid to frame my image.  After weaving the strips and gluing them into place I added some pewter eyelets for added texture.  I tied beige twine in the two eyelets on either side on the lower edge.  More texture!!!  I ran the pattern tracing wheel all the way around my coffee cup once it was dry and then mounted it to copper foil and then added it to my background.  My ivory card then contrasted too starkly so I embellished its outer edge with a texture stamp and brown ink and then watercoloured it in yellow.  Much better!!!  

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a butterfly assembled from stamped petal shapes with a stamped border and watercoloured flower embellishment

This is my second card for this series of cards created using stamped petals on scraps from my red scrap bin.  I stamped them in black and fussy cut them.  For this butterfly I diecut a black body using a Sizzix dragonfly die.  I trimmed out just the body and added four petals in two different patterns.  Worked out quite well.  I initially just used double sided tape but when I started working with it I added some white glue where they all join which I held until the glue was dry.  Much better!!!  I embellished the butterfly with clear glitter on the wings and the body.  I trimmed a swirly green and white background and added a couple of stamped flower borders with fussy cut edges.  Then I added a red strip between them.  I added the butterfly with double sided tape and created the flight path using dots made with a black fine tip Sharpie marker.  It still needed a "bit of something" so I dug into my flower stash and found this little stamped flower which I watercoloured to coordinate and then glued in place on the red strip.  That was much better!!!  Glued the background to my card to finish it up!!

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a paper pieced background and daisies in a jar embellished with hand stitching

For my last card in this session I used scraps of decorative paper which I have cut off of stationary which simulated handmade paper with blue inclusions from bachelor buttons.  I glued the strips to a bond paper substrate and then added gray washi tape to the top and bottom pieces to help give some horizontal lines to the whole piece.  I adhered this background to a large yellow card front.  I watercoloured my laser printed image of daisies in a jar (Clipartimages.com) to coordinate with my background and ran my pattern tracing tool on all four edges.  I layered it to a blue rectangle of cardstock leaving a larger margin on the right.  I used an eyelet lace border punch (SU) on the right edge and added one embossed line next to it.  I paper pierced holes opposite of the three created by the punch and then used light yellow heavy weight thread to stitch little chicken feet.  It is fun to add stitching to my cards.  I mounted my focal element to my card using 3D foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.  Therese
 

Sewing - three sets of potholders for my Christmas stash

 I stitched these three sets as well today!!  I used scraps of the Budweiser fabric with coordinating solids for the fronts of two of them.  One of them was backed with red and the other with navy.  The center set features birdhouse fabric and yellow scraps on each side.  I added several rows of stitching to each side of the center strips to keep all the layers together.  The birdhouses were backed with black.  These are going into my personal stash.  After my Mom passed earlier this year I decided I would be the one to take over making potholders for the family for Christmas.  She had made potholders for many years now and everyone gets to choose a new set at Christmas.  I am looking forward to adding a few more to this stash in the next little while.  Therese

Large all occasion card featuring a flower with fussy cut petals and stems and bright background

I have no cards in my stash!!  The last of them went out this morning so I decided to find a new technique and give it a go!!  I used a petal stamp with a couple flourishes and a little floursihed round stamp.  I stamped them in black ink on scraps from my red scraps bin.  It was fun to just stamp on all sorts papers and get as many as I could in each scrap.  Once they were dry, I fussy cut around them and stacked them with all the same paper in one pile.  Next, I started combining petals to see what I could invent for shapes.  A flower was a no brainer so that is what I started with.  I used a punched circle on the back and adhered all the petals points to it and then added the little flourished circle to the center.  I did manage to invent a few more shapes which will show up here once I get them blog.  I assembled all my fussy cut pieces into shapes and then started making cards.  

For this card, I started with a deep yellow card and trimmed a bright colour printed background for it.  I trimmed a stem and two leaves from green scraps.  I paper pierced these with my pattern tracing wheel and sanded the stem a bit then added watercolour.  I adhered the stem to the back of the flower and then played with placement on the background before securing the flower to the background.   Decided to add some layers between the stem and the leaves.  Prepped a torn piece of vellum, a red strip and a yellow strip.  They all got some paper piercing too!!  I added double sided tape to the back of the leaves and positioned them on my card without removing all the release tape.  I was then able to slip the strips between the stem and the leaves and secured them in place.  Finally, I removed the release paper from the back of the leaves and adhered them to the layers.  

It was fun to challenge myself to something different.  I have played with this technique before using magazine pages.  Scraps of paper provided more predictable results though I do like the scrappy collageness of the magazine pages.  Looking forward to making cards with all my little creations!!

Therese

 

Sewing - a variety of potholders - Budweiser and red, blue and floral, quilted red and beige

I worked on potholders today.  These have been sitting for quite a while with everything cut and ready to be sewn together.  They went together very quickly.  I made four sets with the Budweiser fabric on the outside and the red inside.  I quilted them all differently and added navy loops for hanging.  

The blue ones feature a floral blue fabric on the top and they are back with solid navy blue fabric.   I added an X in a square to keep the layers together.  

The dark red set have a solid deep red backs and quilted fronts.  To keep the layers together I did stitch in the ditch following the quilted pieces.  

These are going to the Everything Rhubarb event as well. 

Therese

 

Sewing - a little pouch with a rhinestone zipper with fun fabrics

I made up another little sewing project for The Everything Rhubarb event for the Gramma Link Africa group.  I found a tutorial on line @ erinerickson.com.  I did not do it quite like she did.  I cut three pink polka dot circles and folded two in half for the front.  I stitched them to each side of the black rhinestone zipper to make my top layer.  I did add a layer of flannel inside them.  I also put a layer of flannel between my third polka circle and the zebra lining circle to make up my back.  I did add several lines of stitching in pink on both the back and the front and a little black tab before stitching it together.   I laid them good sided together leaving the zipper open so I could turn it inside out.  Worked out really well!!  I trimmed the front to be even with the back (there was a bit extra fabric because I added the zipper) and then clipped  the seam allowance a bit to assist in giving the outside edge a smooth finish.  Once I had it turned inside out and pressed I added a row of stitching to keep everything well lined up and capture the seam allowance on the inside.  It is a sparkly little pouch that would be great for carrying earbuds, money or a spare plastic bag for your next shopping trip!!  

Therese

 

Cards for a prize - all occasion cards from my stash in a metal tin

I put together a group of nine cards to package as a prize for the upcoming Everything Rhubarb event for the Gramma Link Africa group coming up in a couple of weeks.  I just took a good variety of cards from my stash.  They are examples of the cards I have made it the last little bit.  When it came time to package them I decided to add one to make an even ten.  I wrapped them in cellophane and put them in the metal tin which has been around for a while.  I printed a visual of all the cards and added it to the inside of the tin.  It can now be displayed open and then easily closed.  I added an organza ribbon to make it pretty.  

Therese

Large all occasion card featuring a pieced background and leaf element with hand stitching

For this card I used the same paper piecing technique I used on my previous one.  I used red scraps which I cut into strips this time.  I added a stitched collage strip layered onto an orange one over the background and added three eyelets at the top to help keep it in place and add some interest.  I mounted this large element to my red card front.  For my focal element I used a leaf image (CLKER) which I watercoloured.  After it was dry I ran my pattern tracing wheel on all four edges.  I layered it onto a dark maroon piece of cardstock leaving more space on the right hand side.  I used a border punch to trim the edge and then added one embossed line which I created using my score tool.  I embellished the border by hand stitching with yellow heavyweight thread in and out of the holes in the border.  It was fun to take a bit of a break and sit with small project.  I mounted this focal element to my card using 3D foam tape.  Therese

NOTE: I just realized that I forgot to stamp stitching on this one!!! OOPS!
 

Large all occasion card featuring a paper pieced background with faux stitching and a cute ho air balloon

I used orange scraps to create the background for this card!!  I cut them into strips and then glued them within an X which I created with the first few pieces I glued down.  It was then quite easy to finish by just adding strips butting the ends to the X and the side to the one next to it.  I stamped "faux" stitching zig zag lines over the joints which gives a more interesting effect.  I added a length of wide orange organza ribbon before adding it to a large orange card.  I chose this fun hot air balloon (Digital Graphics Cafe) which I watercoloured to coordinate with my background!! I layered the image with green and blue cardstock and then added it to my card using 3D foam tape overlapping the ribbon and putting it at a bit of an angle to help it look like it was floating in the sky!!  Therese
 

Large birthday card featuring a cute cat and a black and white background

I have been having fun with paper scraps!!  I have been paper piecing backgrounds for cards and for this one I used black, gray and white scraps which I cut into strips and glued to a bond paper substrate starting with a X pattern near the middle.  I simply butted the scraps to the leg of the X and trimmed them off at the edge.  I used the zig zag stamp to add faux stitching to my background.  I adhered it to a large black card.  I watercoloured the cat (CLKER) to coordinate and when it was dry ran my pattern tracing wheel on all four edges.  I mounted it to a black rectangle of cardstock and added a variety of coordinating ribbons to the right hand side using double sided tape.  I like the little pop of orange on the cat which I echoed  with the ribbon.  Therese
 

All occasion cards made from kits - embossed mesh, sanded white core layer and fun images

I had a few card kits leftover from May Card Club so I made them up to add to my stash.  It is always fun to emboss and sand white core cardstock.  I then added colour embossed mesh for a pop of colour.  After adding the ribbon I added these backgrounds to my coordinating card fronts.  The images  a fun too!!  A little robot (Cre8tive Hands), candles (SU), dragonfly (SU) and little flower doodle I created.  I added paper piercing to all of them and yellow cardstock to the flower because it seemed to need " a bit of something" more.   More cards for my stash!!!!  There will be some for sale at the Everything Rhubarb event later in June.  Therese