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

Birthday card featuring glittered flowers, handcut stems, embossed oval and a small greeting

This kit is one from my January cardmaking class.  I am making them up to build up my stash of ready made cards.  I am changing up a few of the elements as I go because too much of the same does not work really well for me.  For this card, I adhered the stamped, embossed and watercoloured resist background to a coordinating card front.  I embossed the oval with a Swiss Dot embossing folder and adhered it to my card front.  I hand cut some leaves and stems, embossed them and then glued them to my oval.  I added the flowers using 3D foam tape after trimming the stems to a proper length.  I tucked the little greeting from the kit into the leaves and used a small piece of 3d foam tape to the end which I flagged.  I really like this one!!

Therese

Birthday card featuring a resist background, an embossed oval and a balloon with a greeting

Still working on getting card kits made up into cards.  This one is from the January card class.  The background was created by stamping and embossing with silver embossing powder a heart image and then watercolouring all over.  Once dry, you simply wipe the embossed areas to remove any dried watercolour.  I adhered the background to a coordinating blue card.  I manually embossed the oval from the kit using a texture embossing folder and glued it at a bit of an angle on my card.  I added a lavender frame from my stash using 3D foam tape.  I added a shadow to the white balloon from the kit using a black Sharpie marker, tied on a black thread and mounted it inside the frame with 3D foam tape as well.  I found the little greeting in my stash, trimmed it to a tag shape, punched a tiny hole and used the balloon's string to loosely tie the greeting on.  I positioned the greeting and secured it with 3D foam tape.  The string hangs very naturally because I only loosely tied on the greeting.  I love how it turned out!!  Had I used been a red or yellow balloon it would have given the card a bit more punch!!           Therese

Birthday card featuring a cute little owl an oval frame and a background from Digital Graphics Cafe

I have been meaning to check and see what was new at Digital Graphics Cafe for a while and I managed to get there this week.  She has some new graphics so I downloaded a few new ones and decided to create cards for my grandsons while I was at it.  I layered the little owl over the middle of the oval frame - the colours coordinate so well!!!  I added a little font greeting before printing them on cardstock.  I also printed the background paper which I have used in the past and had already sized to a quarter sheet from the original which is larger.  The images coordinate very nicely.  I trimmed the background and adhered it to a gray card.  I trimmed the oval from the sheet, sponged its edges with aqua ink and them mounted this large element to my card over my background.  It was fun to really use a different technique and do some fussy cutting.

Therese

Birthday card featuring a rocket ship, framed greeting and background paper from Digital Graphics Cafe

Here is the other card I made using new digital images from Digital Graphics Cafe which I downloaded this past week.    I love the cool background paper.  The one I downloaded was a bit too much towards the aqua range so I made some adjustments to the image using Photoshop and it now coordinates with this rocket image much better.  I trimmed it to size after printing and adhered it to a green card front.   I trimmed out the rocket and the framed greeting as well.  It was interesting to be doing some fussy cutting for this card.  The greeting was added to the frame using a font.
It was a nice change to what I normally do when I am card making.

Therese

Birthday day card with a fun fold and lots of candles!!!!!

 I am getting started on my 2020 family cards as some have their birthdays early in the new year!!  I made this one for my brother.  It has a LOT of candles which were created by using strips of decorative papers.  I rounded their tops a bit by hand and then glued them all across my card.  It is a Z fold card so the back is full size and the front is folded over to the right which leaves the whole length available for decorating!!  I hand cut gold foil (Christmas chocolate) for the flames of each candle and added a wick with a black sharpie!  I had embossed the top edges with this sort of starburst design which I thought look a lot like the glow of a flame.  Next time, I will try to get the flames all in the middle of a glow which will be more effective!!  I added a length of green fiber ribbon to the card using double sided tape to secure the edges to the back and a few places along the way to keep lined up from the front to the back.  I found this large greeting in my stash.  I used the corner punch on it and on the navy layer as well.  I watercoloured the greeting, layered the greeting and the navy rectangle and adhered it to only the front piece of my card which allows it to move with the front.  I added white embossed layer to the inside for my handwritten wishes for him.  It is nice to be back to making cards!!!!!!  Therese

Christmas cards featuring reused panels with ribbon and greetings

A few more cards for my stash of Christmas cards!!  

This first one features a small card front which was square so once trimmed was just the perfect size to layer onto my green card front.  I added a black layer to which I adhered the Santa image and the layered laser printed greeting.  The second card features an image trimmed from the center of a large card.  I fussy cut the two corners with an exacto knife so I could slide on my stamped greeting.  I added a little holly brad on the right before gluing this large element to the front of a red card.  

My third card features art from a friend of mine years ago.  I simply trimmed the card front, added a red ribbon gluing the ends to the back and added a little laser printed font greeting which I had trimmed with scallop decorative scissors and used a push pin to paper pierce the scallops.  I simply tied a short end of ribbon to the front using a single knot to simulate a bow.    Therese

Christmas card featuring a textured tissue paper with a star cut out layered onto decorative paper and a layered greeting

I found this tissue/freezer paper star cut out in my stash of Christmas card making supplies.  It was from a card I made a while back and worked perfectly with this colour printed background paper.  I glued the decorative paper to a green card front and then gently glued the star tissue paper over it.  I added a layered laser printed greeting created from a font greeting oval punchie (SU) over a gold scalloped oval punchie (SU) adhered with 3D foam tape.  A fun blast from the past on this one!!

Therese

Doily Challenge - a large birthday card featuring a teal doily, a vellum greeting and rhinestones

Card #3 in my Doily Challenge!!  For this one I trimmed some of the center portions of the doily and featured them prominently.  I started with a large white envelope and created a light aqua card to fit inside.   After trimming the two large pieces of doily from the whole I laid them on my card front overlapping the middle flower.  I estimated the size of vellum greeting I would need and printed it on vellum.  I tore the bottom edge of the greeting and trimmed the sides to come just inside of the edge of the doily pieces.  I adhered the top edges of the doily pieces to my card with double sided tape and then tucked the vellum below them adhering it to my card front where the doily would hide the double sided tape.  Next, I added small pieces of double sided tape below the flowers in the edge of the doily pieces to secure those pieces.  I added rhinestones to the centers of all the flowers.  Liked that!!  I trimmed a flower out of the scraps of the doily and added two little hand cut leaves and mounted it just above my laser printed greeting.  Added a rhinestone to that one too!!  Love the simplicity of this one.  Elegant with a monochromatic colour scheme.    Therese

Sympathy card featuring a reused card panel, a punched greeting and some ribbon

I made a few sympathy cards for my Mom.  They are at an age that they are often in need of them and she is no longer making them.  I chose a few envelopes and made cards to fit in them.  This one is a light green one and I trimmed this image from the front of a used card just fussy cutting on the to left and then cutting the other portion straight to the edge of the panel.  I used scalloped decorative scissors on the right hand edge and embossed a line using my scoring tool.  I used a push pin to pierce each scallop to add texture and interest.  I punched an opening in the card with the regular oval punch (SU) and then punched a little laser printed greeting with the small oval punch (SU).  I wanted to add a ribbon to the top right but needed a slot behind the layer to bring the ribbon up so I drew a very light line and used an exacto knife to cut it in the front of my card.  I inserted the pink ribbon into the slot from the back (inside of the card front) and the through the opening when I glued my decorative element to my card front.  I was then able to tie the two ends on the front with a double knot.  I sponged the edges of my little oval greeting before positioning it in the opening.  I will make a few more for her.  Therese

A birthday card with a baseball theme

A friend asked if I could create a birthday card with a baseball theme.  I used an image I printed a while back that features a dotted background like baseball uniforms often are, a baseball bat and the large baseball with a birthday greeting.  I fussy cut the top edge of the image, watercoloured the bat and added a shadow on the baseball and a bit of distressing on the edges.  I mounted it to a dark brown card front which I manually embossed on the top edge using a wood grain embossing folder. 

Therese

Birthday card with cool tool background paper and fun chalk board greeting

This card is for DH for his upcoming birthday!!  I chose this really cool background paper which I received in a swap a while ago and mounted it to a large black card front.  I cut a fun shape from silver cardstock and added a strip of red and black washi tape down the middle.  After mounting it to my card front I added a fussy cut chalk board greeting which was laser printed from a digital file.  I adhered it with two red brads which are silver brads coloured with a red Sharpie permanent marker.  I really love how it worked out!!!  He is a wonderful woodworker so I am sure he will appreciate the fun paper.  Therese

Birthday card featuring a cute felt owl, embossed & sanded trees and a little label greeting

My sister gave me several of these cute little felt owls a while back.  I embossed duplex cardstock with a birch trees embossing folder and then sanded it to reveal some white areas.  This duplex cardstock was much sturdier than others I have on hand and required LOTS of sanding so I expect that the black layer was fairly thick.  I like how it turned out.  I mounted this layer onto a white card, added a white die cut circle, a black branch (TH) and then the owl so he is framed by the circle.  Love it!  To finish off my card I added a little laser printed greeting which I laser printed and fussy cut.  I mounted it with 3D foam tape. 

Therese

A monochromatic baby card with a hand cut corrugated cardboard star with some twine over a polka dot background

I continue to create cards for my stash!!  This one is also a creative stretch in that is very monochromatic.   I used a brown card front and mounted a piece of colour printed polka dot paper to it which I had sponged around the edges to soften it a bit.  I applied some double sided tape in the area I wanted to position my star and applied a length of twine which I had wound onto my hand which gave me some nice rounded loops.  I rearranged them a bit and then just pressed them into the tape to keep them in place.  I sponged the edges of my hand cut star.  I had cut a bunch of these for a project and while back and it the last one from my stash.  I applied tape to the back of the star and mounted it over the twine.  I really like the look of it!!  I sponged the circle greeting in the center and on the outside edge before mounting it to the center of my star.  Super happy with the way this one worked out!!

Therese

A set of cards which feature decorative paper, flower die cut with hand cut foliage and an embossed oval as a background

I made this set of cards to package as a gift!!  They all follow the same sketch with a wide variety of colours and textures.  I started with the ovals (leftover from a Christmas card class a while back) and found decorative paper and a card which coordinated.  Next, I die cut a flower (SX) in a coordinating colour and hand cut the greenery and adhered all the pieces together using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  I punched a 5/8" circle and embossed it along with the oval.  I sponged the edge of the oval.  Now all the pieces were ready for assembly.  I ripped a strip from the decorative paper - some times lengthwise, other time crosswise.  I glued the two pieces to my card front and adhered the embossed oval over the gap.  I used white glue to adhere my flower over the oval and then the circle to the center of my flower.  You can see that there are a variety of ways the pieces can be put together.  I made them without greetings so the recipient can use them for any occasion.  

I made this set with butterflies earlier.  It has been fun to make these sets and fairly quick once you get going because all the design decisions have been made it is just a matter of getting all the pieces to coordinate.  

Therese

Faux stitching, fussy cutting and a beautiful image of Peggys Cove

Back to making cards!!  This image has been in my stash for a long time because a portion of the sky was not well stamped.  I was looking in my stash for an image that would fit into this frame (also from my stash) and this one I thought was pretty close so I just fussy cut along the horizon and when I put it in the frame the lighthouse overlapped the frame!  I love it!!  I watercoloured the image (PSX), added a blue decorative paper to make the sky, trimmed the outside edges to fit in the frame and adhered all the pieces in place.  I adhered the top of the lighthouse to the front of the frame with a bit of 3D foam tape which makes it stand out very nicely from the scene.  The frame had already been embossed with a distressed embossing folder so I simply added some faux stitching to give it a bit more definition.  I adhered this large element to a gray card and I was done!!  An card for any occasion!!  Therese

A fun old bicycle image with a cool chalkboard greeting and some bakers twine

Still working on cards for my stash!!  This card features a cool image of an old bicycle (CLKER) which I laser printed on white cardstock, trimmed and sponged the edges with purple to coordinate with the bakers twine I had chosen.  After sponging I decided to distress as well so I had to sponge the edges again to eliminate the stark white.  I also decided to add some faux stitching to give the image a bit of punch.  I fussy cut a chalkboard greeting which coordinates with the sort of vintage feeling of the bicycle image.  I adhered the greeting to the background using 3D foam tape and then inserted bakers twine in the holes of label greeting and used double sided tape to adhere the ends to the back.  I adhered this large element to my card front.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere my bicycle image to my card. 

Therese

Large cards from my sister's stash!!

My sister visited a few years ago and left a bit of her stash behind so I have been making cards for her when I get a chance.  Knowing that I would be seeing her I set about making a few cards for her.  I have been enjoying these large format cards - 5.5" x 8.5".  

For the first card I started with some large images which I printed when I was working on another project.  I usually fill a half sheet of images or greetings while I am at it when I am colour printing.  This little bear with the balloon (Pixabay) is one of my favorites from La Petite Femme on Pixabay!!  I started with a red card and mounted a fun scrapbooking paper to it.  I added a strip of brown cardstock about a third down from the top.  I added  short pieces of coordinating ribbon to the back of the image and added a line of faux stitching before mounting it to a dark red layer and adhering to my card front using 3D foam tape.  The colour printed greeting I found in my stash and was just what I needed.  I trimmed it, layered it onto brown and flagged the right hand side.  I mounted it below the image to the left hand side of the card.  Love it!!
For the next card I used a dark pink card and mounted this fun background paper to it after cutting it twice to made four different sized pieces.  I added a length of pink polka dotted ribbon about one third down using double sided tape to keep it in place.  I layered the colour printed balloons (CLKER) onto yellow cardstock, trimmed it and mounted it over the ribbon on the the top of the card using 3D foam tape.  I added another length of the ribbon to the lower portion and mounted the laser printed greeting which I had also mounted to yellow cardstock over it!!  A fun birthday card!!

For the next card I started with a light pink card and mounted to it some beautiful shimmery pink embossed decorative paper.  I found the two halves of a paper doily in my stash and cut out the centers with a doily thinlit die (SX).  I embossed the dark pink layer for my rose image (CLKER) using a lace border die (SU) on top and bottom and fussy cut the edges.  I mounted the lace doily pieces to the back of this piece using double sided tape.  I inserted the lace between the paper doily and the rose layer before mounting this large element to my card front.  I adhered the ends of the lace to the inside of the card using double sided tape and added the laser printed greeting to the rose image to finish of my card.  Thinking it still needed " a bit of something" I added two clear rhinestones to either side of the greeting.  Done!!

For my next card I started with an off white card and mounted a layer of this fun striped scrapbook paper which I had backed with a layer of brown cardstock.  I layered the colour printed image of the brown coffee cup with blue cardstock and mounted on the top portion of my card.  I layered the laser printed greeting with the same blue cardstock and adhered it below the cup image using 3D foam tape as well.  Thinking it needed a bit of something I stamped and embossed with clear embossing powder a little coffee bean from one of my stamp sets.  I fussy cut it  and mounted it to my greeting!!  Much better!!
For my next two cards I used that same little bear image from Pixabay - la petite femme!!   For the first one I created a card using red and black embossed cardstock by just taping together the pieces I needed.  I added a strip of shimmery pink embossed paper which I flagged on the left hand side.  I added the laser printed digital image of the little bear with a balloon onto the red section of the card and added the laser printed chalkboard greeting overlapping the image and the pink strip.  Love how it worked out. 

Very pleased with how the first one turned out I decided to use the same colour scheme for my second one!  The triangle is what I had trimmed off the black layer for my first card so I mounted it to the top of a red card so it would highlight the greeting.  I used a polka dot border embossing folder to emboss a strip of dots on my card front before adding my bear image and the chalkboard greeting.  Love this one too!!
So a few cards for my sister made in one afternoon of creating!!                 Therese

Stash busting - a card from bits from way back

I found the pieces of these card in my long time ago stash and am not sure why I did not make it up at the time of creating the pieces but I finally made them into a card.  The image was inked with two colours and stamped onto ivory cardstock which was hand cut on the right hand side with a bit of wave.  I added the red layer which was also cut with a bit of a wave to the back on the right hand side. Thinking it still needed a bit of something I added a few lines of piercing with my pattern tracing wheel.  Fun!!  I layered this large element onto a coordinating green card.  Digging through my stash I found this greeting which coordinated perfectly so I sponged its edges with green and punched another label (Decorative Label -SU) from red cardstock, cut it in half vertically and mounted each half on either side of it and mounted it to my card using 3D foam tape. Perfect!!          Therese

Mixed media collage card for a birthday

DH has a birthday this week!  I have not been in my craft room in quite a while because of other commitments and having a bit of a cold for just over a week!!  So I headed into my room hoping that something would come to me and I would get a card made. 
I started with a book page from a song book that has been discarded as he is an avid music fan.  I used my new stencils - large circles - to sponge a background all over it in blues. I dug through my scrap box and found the round heart elements which I cut out, sponged the edges with blue and glued to them to the book page.  In my scrap box I also found some coffee themed vellum - he loves his coffee - so I ripped that into strips and glued that down.  As you can see there was no real plan - I was just "going with it".  I wanted to echo the gold in the vellum and circles I had originally stencilled on so I used a polka dot stencil, applied gold pigment ink and the applied gold embossing powder and heated it all over.  I then used a polka dot embossing folder and embossed the whole background and then sponged on the same blue inks I had originally used to highlight the pattern randomly.  I laid my background over a large piece of black for contrast and found that the black border was a bit two stark so I gold embossed polka dots on the edges of before I glued them together.  I wanted to emphasize the collage aspect so I added washi tape to the bottom and top of the background securing the song sheet to the black.  I added a line of blue washi tape which I wanted to use to as a base for my focal element.  I like how well that worked.  As the main focal element I die cut a bare tree (TH SX) out of dark gray and embossed it with a gear embossing folder (TH).  I created a little embellishment using gold embroidery thread and two heart punchies and tied it to one of the tree branches and glued it to my layered background using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  I fussy cut a laser printed greeting, watercoloured it to coordinate with the heart embellishment and glued it over the trunk of the tree. Really liked that!!  It still needed a bit of something so I headed back to my scrap box and this die cut gold key caught my eye!!  I auditioned it and found that it balanced the tree quite well by positioning it below the base line of washi tape.  I mounted this large element to a large ivory card which I had sponged on the front edges with the same blue inks I had used to sponge the original background circles!!!!!!!  Pretty happy with how it worked out!!             Therese