Special Card class - card featuring a fun fold, double sided scrapbook paper and a 3D embellishment with a textured center

One of the girls who comes to my regular cardmaking class asked if I could put on a class for her daughter and some of her friends.  For sure!!!  I am always up to spend some creative time with like minded people.  They were over this week and here is the first card we made.  

For these kits I used double sided scrapbook paper and cut pieces that measured 3 7/8" by 5 1/8". I then cut each of these into four - at 1 15/16 and then again 2 9/16" to get four equal sized rectangles.  Next I created a folding template so they could consistently score and fold the little flaps.  For this paper we had to be careful to score the right corner in order to keep the bunnies with their heads pointing up.  On some of the other papers it was less important and some mixed their papers so that two had one pattern and the other had the other pattern on the front.  Once all the rectangles were folded we glued the four to a coordinating card front.  For the embellishment in the center I punched coordinating 1 3/4" circles which we embossed with circle elements from embossing folders - clocks, gears and a medallion.  The other elements were also embossed - flowers or gears.  Next, we had fun and created these fun textured centers using hot glue and a texture mat.  

We started with an eighth inch disk of gold hot glue which we placed on a scrap of paper and heated with a heat gun over a foil wrapped piece of cardboard until it had melted into a puddle.  We moved the paper/puddle to a sheet of paper and poured gold embossing powder over it then removed the extra.  The embossing powder sticks to the hot glue puddle and starts melting.  We put the puddle/paper back onto our foil surface and heated it through which melted all the embossing powder as well.  We gently laid a silicone texture mat which had been inked with gold pigment ink over the puddle and let it sit until the hot glue solidified.  Well, actually we put them the freezer for a minute or so because we were anxious to see what they turned out like!!!  If you try to remove the mat before the glue has set you have a mess of hot glue with stringy things - not good!!  We removed the mat to reveal our uniquely textured centers!!!!  We pulled off the paper from the back which left enough paper to allow us to glue our little gold embellishment to the middle of our flowers or gears.  That was how I made my samples but a wide variety of sketches played out as the girls did their own thing and rearranged their elements to follow their own inspiration.   After gluing the textured centers to my flowers I glued the flowers to the embossed circle to complete my 3D embellishments.  These were glued in the center opening created by the folded back flaps. I provided greetings but this sketch does not really require a greeting so it was up to them whether to adhere their greetings or not.  These are both greetings are both punched with the Modern Label punch (SU).  The one on the left is a combination of a digital oval image and a font greeting.  The one on the right is just a font greeting punched out.  I added a bit of colour to both of them so they would blend with their backgrounds nicely.   They were a creative bunch though several had not made cards before.           Therese

Large birthday card that features watercoloured digital stamp, fiber and some glitter

I made this card for my grandson whose birthday is coming up next week!!!!  I laser printed several images from Cre8tive Hands on a sheet of white cardstock and trimmed them out last week and I decided to use this little dog for his card. 
I started with a large envelope and I created a beige card to fit inside.  I found a piece of decorative scrapbook paper that coordinated and added a brown punched border (SU) on the right hand side.  I pierced each scallop with a push pin and then scored a line next to them.  I glued this to the back of my decorative paper.  I watercoloured my image and sponged the edge with blue to coordinate.  I added dots with a brown marker to highlight the edges.  To add texture I tied a length of orange fiber around my decorative paper layer and tied a knot on the right.  Wanting to add a bit more interest I dug through my stash of round punchies and found several that coordinated and glued them to the back of my coloured image.  I glued this large focal element to my card front over the fiber before gluing the whole thing to the front of my beige card.  I added some glitter glue in a coordinating colour to the circles' edges and one dot in the middle of the two brown ones.  Once they were dry I pressed my card a bit because the glitter glue had caused the circles to buckle a bit.  Pressing helped them to settle back into place.  This card is ready to go and will be send off when I get his brother's card ready as well.   Therese

Valentine's cards featuring vintage images and embossed layers

Another few Valentine's cards.  These ones feature colour printed vintage images from Sweetly Scrapped.   The first one features a couple of very cute clowns.  I laser printed them, trimmed around the edges and rounded the corners. I custom embossed a white layer using my chipboard embossing tool and some custom lines that I added using my scoring tool.  I positioned the image on the back to help ensure that the space I left between the lines would accommodate my image.  I adhered my image with 3D foam tape and then added a length of white fiber before gluing this whole element to the front of a red card.  I dug through my heart punchies stash and found these three little hearts that accented my card perfectly!!  Love it!!

My second card features a cute little girl with an umbrella in a forest of birch trees.  I laser printed the image, trimmed around it then rounded the corners by hand. I embossed a peach piece of cardstock with this beautiful delicate flourish then added a length of white vintage seam binding.  I adhered my image using 3D foam tape positioning it over the seam binding.  I glued the whole element to the front of a green card.  After tying on a short piece of seam binding to the length I already had, it still needed a bit of something so I went looking for some options.  I found these ivory/pink sequins which worked perfectly!  I adhered them to the front of my card using glue dots and then added little dots of iridescent glitter glue in the centers.  Really happy with how it all worked out!!   My third card is very similar to my first one - vintage image with rounded corners added to a white custom embossed layer embellished with three little heart punchies!!  The images already have enough message that these cards really did not need any additional greetings!!

Therese

Light house birthday card

For this card I used a colour printed image of a photograph I took in PEI on our vacation a few years ago.   I created the green layer by border punching the right hand side of a rectangle of green cardstock and then for some texture I used my score tool to add some lines above and below the image before gluing it into place.  I glued this element to a navy card front which I embossed on the right hand side.  I was unable to use my Big Shot because I could not get the card and embossing folder to go through the machine so I used the manual method - a small mallet to apply pressure to the areas I wanted embossed.  Worked well but takes a bit of time to ensure that all the areas have been properly embossed.  I found the greeting in my stash.  I trimmed it, punched a slot, sponged the edges, added dots with navy marker and finally added a coordinating gros grain ribbon in the slot.  I adhered it my card front using 3D foam tape.
Having fun creating "one off" cards with supplies from my stash!!             Therese

Card of Appreciation

I created this card for DH.  One of his choir members is moving on and he wanted a nice card to give her.  I went for subtly beautiful with lots of texture and muted colour.  I love the way it turned out!  I used a large pearly white envelope and created a white card that fit inside.  I layered on a piece of shimmer paper which I embossed at the top and bottom.  In between I scored a couple of lines right next to both embossed edges with my score tool and added a piece of white lace in between then sponged the edges just a bit before I glued it to the card front.  I laser printed this blossom image I downloaded from  Beccy's blog, watercoloured it, layered it onto a border punched layer, added some half pearls and attached it to the card front using 3D foam tape.  As a final touch I watercoloured a flower confetti, added a white brad in the center and glued it to the corner of the top layer.
She has been an invaluable part of the choir and will be missed!  We wish her well in her new pursuits!!

Therese

Casablanca Arch swap

On AFTCM,  I joined an arch swap with the theme of Casablanca.  I did some internet research and found a poet  - Abhallah Zrika - from Casablanca who has been jailed for his prose poetry and a quote where he expresses his wonder at the power of words.  In the process, I found out a lot about the region and their culture.  Beautiful architecture and tiled buildings!  I found a blog that talked about mosaics and how to create some simple patterns so I decided to create a tiled wall for my arch using one of his simple shapes.  I added an inner arch where I

added some arabic words and a hamsa  - a protection symbol that is used to attract the magic of life and repel evil - it is a lovely hand with a heart!!  I added a cage to protect the words and symbolize this poet's struggle with freedom and two white doves to symbolize peace and the pureness of following one's bliss.  I watercoloured all the squares blue - used extensively in their buildings - and added clear dimensional paint to make them look like tiles.  Once they were dry I added a clear sealer to the rest of the wall to make it look tiled.  As a final touch I added a short piece of white seam binding tied to the cage with a single knot and some blue half pearls to the bottom edge to add a bit of texture.
On the back I used the same hamsa symbol and this quote - " Words are a precious thing; everything can live in them." by Abdallah.   I used my "new to me" score tool (Thanks, Carol) to create a cross hatch pattern inside the inner arch and added my own quote in handwriting!!
A totally fun project which I am really happy with!!  It is off to my partner in today's mail.  


Therese