Christmas card featuring a beautiful angel painted with shimmer watercolour, a border punched layer and an aqua and gold gift wrap background

This is my last card in the bunch which I created with the reused aqua and gold gift wrap which arrived on one of our gift this past holiday season!  For this card I used an image from my stash of this beautiful angel which was stamped in brown.  I coloured it using shimmery watercolours in coordinating colours.  Love how it turned out!!  I mounted it to a piece of aqua cardstock leaving a large border on the right.  I used my MS doily punch to decorate the right hand side and then added two embossed lines using my Score tool.  I mounted my aqua and gold gift wrap background to an ivory card and then adhered my large angel layer to it. Done!  It has been great fun to play with stamps and a lot of my supplies to make these cards.  I am very happy to be so far ahead in getting my Christmas cards ready for next Christmas!!!           Therese

* I have been creating my cards during my self isolation for the Covid 19 crisis.  The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day!!

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

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.  

Anniversary card featuring embossed layers, border punched eyelet ribbon and serendipity hearts

Our daughter and son in law are celebrating their anniversary this month and I have made up this card for them. 
I started with a large envelope and created a brown card to fit inside.  I dug through my white core cardstock and found this similarly sized off cuts.  I embossed them with different embossing folders and then sanded their edges and middle to reveal the embossed design and them texture.  I adhered them to my card which left a gap perfectly sized for another scrap I had in my little stash.  I did not emboss the green one and trimmed it just a little longer.  I mounted red strip which was punched with the ribbon border punch from Stampin Up before mounting the green strip.  Thinking it needed a bit of something I stamped it with a script stamp (SU) in a dark ink which helped to unify the design.  I added two serendipity hearts punched with the SU heart punch over the green strip and then added three little brown rhinestones.  I found a coordinating greeting and mounted it just below the hearts.    Therese

Birthday card featuring a fun cupcake with a star and some ribbon flags

A fun card for one of my grandaughter's birthday which is coming up soon!!!  I started with a large envelope and created an off white card to fit inside.  I cut the piece of polka dot red paper for my background and decided to embellish it.  With a black Sharpie I added some hand drawn circles and three dots in all the large circles and put a single dot in the each small circle.  Next, I coloured all the circles in with yellow.  Finally, I used the open end of a nerf bullet to stamp red circles in between all the other ones.  The result adds some pizzazz!! I adhered it to my card front.  I laser printed the cute little cupcake (Melonheadz) after adding the birthday greeting, trimmed it to size and then watercoloured it using shimmery paint on the icing and a clear glitter gel pen on the dots and the swirl at the top.  I ran my tracing wheel on three edges and just below the greeting on the bottom.  I punched the bottom with a scallop punch (SU) and then added four shimmery embellishments in the four full scallops.  I layered it with red cardstock and added seven little red checkered ribbon flags on the right hand side.  To finish off my card I used 3D foam tape to adhere this focal element to my card front.  I like how the star echos the little yellow circles in my decorative paper.          Therese

Birthday card featuring a watercoloured coffee cup, some hand stitching and embossed velvet paper

 I made this card for DH birthday later this week.  I found some brown velvet paper in a box of serendipity supplies when I was making this heart in support of front line workers who are out there every day during this health crisis.  I embossed it with a coffee bean border from Pink Cat Studio which belongs to a set I bought a while back.  I simply laid the rubber stamp on the velvet surface of the paper and passed it through my Big Shot with very little pressure. Worked really well!  I adhered this little piece of embossed paper to a piece of mottled watercolour paper which I had stamped with a script stamp (SU) in brown.  I added a strip of red cardstock which I border punched with a ribbon/eyelet punch (SU).  I added stitching by hand using ivory and gold floss using the holes in the border.  I tied another short end to the left hand side before adhering it over where the two paper join.  I adhered this large layer to a dark brown card front.  For my focal image I chose a large coffee cup (Stamp Barn) which I stamped and gold embossed.  I watercoloured the cup and added a bit of colour to the background to make it less stark.  I used my distress tool on the edge and then smudged it with a brown stamp pad to help it stand out from the background.  I mounted this large image to my card front using 3D foam tape and then trimmed and layered a small font greeting with brown which I tucked under its bottom edge and adhered in place with double sided tape.   Therese

All occasion card featuring a beautiful butterfly, an embossed background and an embellished border

For this card I started with the butterfly image which I downloaded from Pixabay.  Once trimmed from the letter sized sheet of white cardstock I distressed its edges and then added a line of paper piercing using my pattern tracing wheel.  To highlight the yellow in the wings I layered it onto a light yellow piece of cardstock leaving a bit extra on the bottom for embellishing.  I punched it with the scallop border punch (SU), punched 1/16" holes in each one and then added two lines of embossing using my scoring tool  I really like all the texture on this piece.  I embossed a weathered brown cardstock with a swirly background, added a small strip of aqua over it and mounted this large element to an aqua card.  I mounted the large butterfly element over the strip using 3D foam tape to finish off my card.  Love the colours of this one!!  Appropriate for sympathy, get well, thinking of you or just as a note card to a friend!             Therese

"You are awesome" card featuring a colour printed cute little bear, rhinestones and thread

I so love this little bear and his balloon!!  It is an image from LaPetiteFemme on Pixabay!  I added the "You are awesome" font greeting I created then colour printed it onto white cardstock, trimmed it out of the letter sized sheet and mounted it to piece of black cardstock.  When trimming,  I left a large margin on the right hand side, punched the edge with the scallop border punch (SU), added clear rhinestones to each scallop and then added white cording between them and the image.  I mounted this large element to a red card front.    Therese

Christmas card featuring colour printed background paper, a border punched focal element, a little greeting and ribbon flags

For this card I used supplies from my stash.  These are from a digital SU set which I colour printed a while back.   I trimmed the background paper and mounted it to a red card.  I trimmed the little greeting from a full sheet of images and mounted it onto a layered background of red and aqua cardstock.  I adhered my image, embossed a line and punched the botttom edge with the Eyelet Border punch (SU).  I added double sided tape to the upper right hand corner of my image and added three little pieces of flagged coordinating ribbon.  I adhered this focal element to my card front using 3D foam tape and then added the little font greeting punchie to finish off my card.   Therese

Doily Challenge - a large birthday card featuring a vellum greeting, hand decorated paper and a layered background

My fifth card for the Doily Challenge!!  For this card I started with a large white envelope and created a white card to fit inside.  I cut a light aqua layer for my card which left a small border all the way around.  I created a border using blue, green and purple cardstock adding short snippets of the teal doily border to the left hand side to create a bit of a scalloped edge.  I used the off cut of hand decorated paper I used on my last card and trimmed a small strip off of the left hand side and punched the right hand side with an eyelet border punch.  I adhered the strip to the coloured cardstock accent and added the remainder equidistant away.  I tucked my greeting behind this layer and adhered it to my card front using double sided tape where it would be hidden by the focal element.  I adhered the large focal element to my card front.  I added three pink flower die cuts over the gap in the hand decorated paper and positioned two aqua paper sequins in between them.  To finish off my card I added clear rhinestones to the paper sequins.  I will likely add clear glitter to the center swirl of the flowers because I think they need just a "bit of something".  Very happy with how these cards worked out and it was fun to find ways to incorporate the teal doily into my cardmaking!!!     Therese

Doily Challenge - a large birthday card featuring hand decorated paper, vellum greeting and some paper sequins

This is the fourth card I created for my Doily Challenge.  I started with a large white envelope and created a white card to fit inside.  I trimmed a piece of light aqua cardstock to fit on my card with a very tiny margins all the way around. I found a piece of hand decorated glossy paper which was created with a wrinkled wax paper resist and watercolour.  The colours worked well with the dark teal doily.  I trimmed a piece off and used a scalloped border punch on the right hand side after trimming it to size to fit on my aqua layer.  I used a vellum greeting which I printed when I was creating my last card.  After positioning it on my card I created a green strip to hide the double sided tape I used to adhere my vellum greeting.  I added four aqua flower paper sequins to the strip, trimmed four little flowers from my doily and adhered them to the paper sequins.  To finish off my card, I added clear rhinestones to my paper sequin flowers which  was perfect!!  I love the look of the hand decorated paper with the vellum and the paper sequins!!     Therese

Birthday card featuring hand coloured silk leaves, dimensional sticker letters and stamped decorative paper

My oldest daughter's birthday is coming up and I made this card for her.
I started with a long thin envelope and created a dark brown card to fit inside leaving it a bit short so I could highlight the edge with the insert.  I punched the top edge with a scalloped border punch (SU).   I dug out two coordinating scraps from my decorative paper stash and used regular tape on the back to attach them together.  I trimmed the right side to fit on my card front.  Thinking that the edge of the piece on the left needed a bit of something I decided to stamp it with a solid leaf stamp using a multicolour stamp pad (Kaleidacolour - Creole Spice).  I simply inked my stamp and then stamped the edge using a piece of regular bond paper to mask off the music paper.  I stamped the stamp twice - once right next to the edge and another a little farther over which gives are a really nice layered effect.  I added the dimensional letter stickers to spell out my greeting over where the paper were joined.  I added the "HAPPY" stickers to kraft coloured half inch punchies before adding them to my card using double sided tape.  I used letter punchies which I watercoloured before adding clear dimensional dots to create "BIRTHDAY" and then glued those to my card using double sided tape as well.  I started from the bottom for "birthday" so I would have a space between the words.  I watercoloured a sprig of white silk leaves to coordinate with my stamped leaves and let them dry.  I pierced a hole between the words of my greeting and mounted my silk leaves using a square gold brad.  I love how this element adds so much interest and texture to my card!!  I mounted this large element to my card front.  To finish off my card I used a push pin to pierce each of the scallops on the edge of my card.  I cut an oversized insert and trimmed it to the same length as my card on the top and bottom an added a quarter inch on the right hand side to allow the scalloped border to really be showcased!!            Therese

August Exchange card featuring my digital image, decorative paper and some bling

Having caught up on my July card exchange cards I thought it only made sense to keep going and get my August ones made as well. 
I started with a large blue envelope from my stash and created a card to fit inside.  I added some brocade decorative paper and because it was a bit shy in length I cut it into two pieces and added a strip of coordinating grey cardstock on between.  I created this fun image of a trio of flowers while watching a doodling video on YouTube.  I scanned my pages, cut out a few images which I cleaned up a bit digitally and then laser printed on white cardstock.  I watercoloured my image and layered it with yellow cardstock.  The piece was a bit long so I used an eyelet border punch on the bottom edge and them used my score tool to emboss a strip between it and my image.  I added my focal element to my card using 3D foam tape and finished it off with three little clear rhinestones on the right hand side.             Therese

Exchange card featuring my digital rose image, some embossed borders and raffia & ribbon

I am tardy with my July card exchange cards so I managed to get them done this week!!!!  I started this card using a large pink envelope from my stash and I created a white card to fit inside.  I had chosen this little rose image which is my art!  I created several pages of doodles a while back while watching a doodling video on YouTube.  I scanned them, saved a few as individual elements and did some digital clean on those that needed it before printing them on white cardstock!  Pretty cool to be using my own images on my cards!!  I decided to use this beautiful scrapbook paper but it was a bit short so I created embossed borders for the top and bottom using pink cardstock that coordinated.  I punched the decorative paper with a scalloped border punch (SU) and pierced each scallop with a push pin.  I glued the pink borders to my card front and then added the pink raffia before I adhered my decorative paper over the borders centering it nicely.  I watercoloured my laser printed image and then added it to a cardstock background that was a combination of three different greens. Adds a bit of interest and uses up scraps from my stash.  I added a strip of double sided tape to one edge and placed six little pieces of flagged ribbon into it.  This helped add some texture to my card.  Very happy with how it turned out!!
Therese

Birthday card featuring an upcycled card front, ribbon and a punched border

I found this card front in my bag of donated cards and thought it would be perfect for my sister whose birthday is coming up soon.  She loves to sew and makes all sorts of beautiful bridal gowns so I think this will be perfect!!  I love the colours and I am sure she will too!
I started by finding a large pink envelope and made a dark pink card to fit inside.   I trimmed the card front, layered it onto black cardstock which I trimmed to leave an even border when placed on the dark pink card.  I punched the bottom edge with a eyelet border punch (SU) and then added a length of iridescent ribbon in between the pattern and the card front which coordinates with the glittery accents on the image!  I adhered this large element to my dark pink card to finish it off!! 

Therese

Anniversary card that features a hand embossed metal heart, an embossed background and braided fiber

I created this card for DH for our anniversary!!  He is a music guy so I like to include sheet music when I make a card for him.  I started with an oversized envelope and made an ivory card that fits inside. 
I manually embossed the red metal heart which was in my stash with swirls and then found these TH die cuts which I cut a while back when I was visiting my friend, Linda.  I combined a large sheet music heart with a black inner piece and then sponged all the way around in black so it would contrast against the polka dot embossed background.  I chose three different fibers - white flat, red bumpy and black crochet thread and braided them together to create a fiber accent for my card.  I added a black border to both ends of my white/watercolour background, positioned my fiber gluing the ends to the back and then mounted this to a red layer leaving a small margin all the way around.  I mounted the red heart with 3D foam tape and then added the musical heart below it.  I glued this large element to my ivory card.  Finally, I added a small laser printed greeting which I sponged with a bit of red so it would stand out a bit using 3D foam tape.  I seem to always gravitate to hearts for anniversary cards though I don't need much of an excuse to use hearts on any of my cards - one of my favorite elements.    Therese

Birthday card that features a reused panel and a decorative border

I made this card for  my sister in law for her upcoming birthday!!  I started with a large envelope and created a purple card to fit inside.  I trimmed down the panel of the used card to fit on the card I had created.  There was extra space on the one side so I created a green layer which I border punched on the left hand side with an eyelet punch (SU).  I simply layered the trimmed panel to the green layer and then to my card front.  A quick and easy card!!!!

Therese

Birthday card featuring a reused image, a layered greeting and some bling

A card for my friend's birthday coming up soon!! 
I really liked the quote on this card front and decided to make a card with it.  I chose a large envelope and made a dark pink card to fit inside.  I added a purple layer which coordinated nicely with the flowers in my image.  To transition the image to my card front I used a scalloped border punch (SU) on the bottom edge and added clear rhinestones in each scallop.  I added a coordinating pink ribbon across the image before adhering it to my layered card front.  I found this oval laser printed greeting in my stash and the coordinating silver scalloped oval as well.  I layered them an adhered this element to my card using 3D foam tape.  Finishes the card very nicely!!!!!!!

Therese

An anniversary card featuring decorative paper, a punched border and a little birdie die cut

An anniversary card for my sister and her DH.  They were married just a month before us many years ago now. 
I started with a large envelope and made a red card to fit inside.  I added a green ribbon to this piece of glittery decorative paper before adhering it to my card front.  I then border punched the right hand side of my card using this sort of ivy leafy punch. I backed the punched area with green in that it was a bit floppy on the ends.  I will consider leaving a solid end when I use it next time.  I had this die cut sitting on my desk from a while back and decided that it would work well with this card.  I watercoloured the birds, the hearts, the wings and the branch.   I slipped the end of the die cut under the ribbon and wrapped the little swirl around the ribbon.  I used small pieces of 3D foam tape behind the birds and a bit of white glue behind the branch.  Stamped the greeting on the upper portion of my card and added the two little hearts as well. Added the wings to finish off my card !!            Therese

Fashionable Mother's Day card featuring beautiful paper, a punched floral border and a digital greeting

I made this Mother's Day card for my youngest daughter.  She is a seamstress and very much involved in the Slow Movement of making conscious choices when buying clothes.  I thought this paper was most appropriate for her. 
I chose a large envelope and made a navy card to fit inside.  I added the beautiful paper and not wanting to cover up too much of it I simply added a floral punched border where it did not interfere too much with the design and added some yellow dimensional paint to the flower centers.  I added a laser printed greeting (Desert Diva) which I had printed on white cardstock.  I watercoloured it to coordinate with the paper on my card.  I added some faux stitching to it as well to augment the theme.  I applied it to the front of the card using 3D foam tape and I was done!!  Really happy with it!!

Therese