Subtle thank you card

For this thank you card I found the stamped background in my stash - solid flower stamped in blue, outline stamped in pink along with a stamped greeting in blue .  All the images are from SU.  I chose a coordinating pink card front, added a tied vintage seam binding embellishment and glued the layer to my card front.
Another relatively quick card and a stash buster as well.

Therese

Shoe shaped card!

I joined a "Shaped card" swap on AFTCM for a SHOE!!  There were so many possibilities but in the end I found an elf shoe card on Splitcoast Stampers that was really cute so I decided to make one of those.  I made my own pattern and traced it onto a top folded red landscape card and cut it out.  I added a piece of white flocked ribbon which I trimmed by hand into little flag ends. I glued it to the top of my shoe using double sided tape and trimmed it to the edge of my card.  I used double sided tape to create a doubled rick rack embellishment to go over the white and positioned it mid way between the flags and the top.  I added large green self adhesive rhinestone bling to the bottom of each flag - perfect!!  I embossed my greeting using silver embossing powder and then decided the whole thing needed a bit more texture so I stamped the shoe with Versamark ink using a snowflake background stamp.  On hind sight, I should have reversed the order of this process so that the stamping was done first and the embellishing of the top done last.
I will be making a few more of these for my Christmas card stash!!  They are really cute!!!

Therese

Thank you card with silhouete image

Another thank you card!!  You can see the others I made here and here.
Again, I have used the IO flourish background stamped on a card front.  I found an image in my stash that coordinated nicely (black EP on an acrylic & ink background) which I layered onto black.  I added a layered circle punchie greeting below the image.  It needed a bit of something so I added white faux stitching around the bottom section and dots around the image using a white gel pen.

Therese

Magical greetings with serendipity paper

I made these two cards for my monthly card exchange!!  I was working on these serendipities a few weeks ago and because they were still on my desk I chose to use them for these cards.  I cut them with the largest labels framelit (SU) of the set and punched a slot (SU) on one side.  I found two pieces of coordinating cardstock for the backgrounds and embossed them with a swirl embossing folder (TH).  I added coordinating grosgrain ribbon to the left hand one and white vintage seam binding to the right hand one.  I glued the ends to the back of the embossed layers with double sided tape before I adhered them to white card fronts. I laser printed the digital greetings which I downloaded from Pink Cat Studio and embellished them with gel pens.  I die cut them with circle Nesties, layered them over a coordinating scallop circle (Nesties) and added them to the cards using 3D foam tape.
Serendipity is a wonderful technique for using up scraps.  I should use it more often!!  It might be a good "Art Every Day" project for me because I always have scraps sitting around on my desk.  You can check out my other projects using this technique by clicking HERE!

Therese

Thank you card with roses

Another thank you card!  I used a background I found in my stash that was created using pigment ink and window screening as a stencil which gave it a subtle cross hatch pattern.  I stamped it with the IO flourish background stamp in a darker blue colour and glued it to my warm blue card front.  I added an embossed rose image which I watercoloured using very neutral colours.  I sponged the edges, added a colour printed greeting to the side and adhered it to my card front using 3D foam tape.

Therese

Thank you card using an ATC

Still making thank you cards for my friend.  This one features an ATC from my huge collection.  The ATC had a blue brad in the right lower corner which seemed to be throwing off my colour scheme so I found a star brad in my stash that was a more appropriate colour and substituted in.  Much better!! I added a colour printed greeting, embossed the background using Swiss Dots (CB) embossing folder and glued all the elements to a very light blue card front.  Makes for another subtle card with a beautiful loon image.

Therese

Thinking of you angel "ATC" card

I made this card for a friend who is facing a challenge and I wanted to send her angel.  I found this bright and cherry angel in my ATC collection and thought it would do perfectly for her.  I added an all over gel pen squiggle to the blue layer and adhered it to an orange card front.  I added the angel ATC with 3D foam tape and hand lettered my greeting just below it using an orange gel pen!!
A hand made card is like a gift to someone who needs a lift or a bit of encouragement.  It is a physical reminder that they were on your mind and the hugs you sent along!!

Therese

Monochromatic thank you cards

These are the first of several thank you cards I made for my friend.   I found the three images in my stash and went about finding some coordinating cardstock.  I stamped each card front in a coordinating ink using a flourish background by Impression Obsession.  I added colour printed greetings - either attached to the image as in the blue one on the right or layered with a label as the turquoise and green ones to the left of it. I love the softness of these monochromatic cards and feel that the image is appropriate,

Therese

Sympathy card with polished stone

A friend has lost a loved one this week! It is never easy when someone passes away.  We are often at a loss as to what to say and do.  I have made a card and will be sending it on it way tomorrow along with a variety of thank you cards which is something I can do.
I used a piece of polished stone cardstock I had in my stash and stamped it with a wildflower silhouette stamp (SU) using Concord Distress ink.  I stamped it first in the center and then again to one side then the other.  I used an eyelet border punch (SU) on the bottom edge and sponged all the edges using the same purple stamp pad.  I added a length of yellow ribbon gluing the ends to the back using double sided tape and tied a short piece to it using a single knot which makes a simple looking bow.  I adhered this layer to a yellow card front and added an oval colour printed layered punchie greeting over the ribbon.

Therese

A card created with pieces

I needed a card for a family birthday and created this one from the pieces left on my desk after creating this card.   I started by embossing the left hand side of my yellow card front using a QK embossing folder.  I sponged the embossing a bit with read ink and used my stipple stamp (SU) to add yet a bit more texture with the same red ink.  I added the strip of red origami paper to the right hand side.  I love the serendipity flowers!!  I added some sponged yellow punchies in their centers to finish them off and used double sided tape to adhere them to the embossed side of my card.  I wanted a nice prominent greeting and found this one in my stash.   It was laser printed on white so I simply watercoloured it using coordinating colours.  It is a greeting from Birds Cards.  Really happy with this one too!!

Therese

Another Serendipity card

I had this serendipity background sitting on my desk and needed a card for special someone so decided it would do perfectly.  After stamping it in red with my stipple stamp (SU) I trimmed the background to have an even border on a quarter sheet card, die cut a label out of the center portion and backed it with a piece of yellow cardstock.  I had a die cut greeting which I had punched the greeting out of for something else so backed it with this transparent greeting (laser printing on transparency) and it was just what it needed.  I sponged the outer edges to soften the look and adhered the whole element centered in the hole I had die cut in my background.  I added a short piece of red ribbon to the card front using a star brad!!  Really happy with how it worked out!!  I used a similar piece of serendipity for this card!!

Therese

Anniversary card

For card for my daughter and her husband whose anniversary is this week!!
This is another successful washi tape card!!  I added a white embossed layer to a pink card front.  Added three little strips of washi tape that coordinate and added the black and white chipboard heart to which I had tied a short piece of pink ribbon.  I added the laser printed and punched (SU) greeting to which I added a bit of pink sponging and some dots with a fine tip Sharpie.
Here is the first card I made with my washi tape.  It would seem I am sort of getting the hang of it!!

Therese

Window Clings!

 We had a great time with this project!!  I had covered my basement windows with cling a while back so we could enjoy the light from them without feeling like we were in a fishbowl.  The rolls were a bit too wide so I had cut them off which had left a roll about 5 inches wide.  At the time I thought they would make great window clings!! And they did!  We drew our images on quarter sheets of scrap paper, put our small pieces of window cling over them and traced our images with coloured Sharpies!!  My granddaughter made a few free hand ones as well.

I was more structured with my designs and used black Sharpies around the edges which gave them a more stained glass look.
You simply peel off the backing cellophane and apply to the window!!
Had we trimmed them close to our images we would have had a more custom look.
This was a fun creative project that has inexpensive besides!!  We got about 20 clings from one roll end.

Therese

Bottle cap pendants

Another project we tackled when my grand daughter was visiting.  We had collected several bottle caps from an event we attended and thought we would apply some creativity and turn them into pendants.
It took a little more effort to flatten these ones as they had already been crimped onto bottles.  Read - lots of prying with pliers and hammering iwth mallets!!
We printed the sayings off of the internet, glued them into our bottle caps and added beads and bling.  For some of them we also added some clear dimensional paint (clear sun catcher paint). Once they were dry we added a string and some danglies using jump rings.  We created our own jump rings using paperclips.  You just straighten the paper clip, wrap tightly around a skewer, remove and cut down one side with wire snips - quick and inexpensive jump rings!!  She took a few home to continue to craft with.

Therese

Paperclip bracelets

My grand daughter was visiting recently and she wanted to make paperclip jewelry!!  I was not sure what that meant so after a bit of an explanation we decided we would give it a go so we got started.  We straightened some paper clip, added a metal charm and made a loop to capture it.  We threaded on some beads and made another loop.  I had to use two paperclips per side but she was able to use only one.  We bent the beaded wire to conform to our wrists and added clasps!!  They turned out very well!!

Therese

Card with watercolour background

I found this watercolour background in a box on my desk and decided to turn it into a card!!  I had created it in the process of finding ways of creating fast and easy crafts do with my grandchildren using markers, coffee filters and a spray bottle.  This was a piece of white cardstock I used to print off of a coffee filter that was saturated with water and colour.
I added half of a paper doily.  The other half was included in the making of this card.  I added a piece of coordinating vintage seam binding and decided to sew it to the layer capturing the doily in between.  I glued this layer to a blue card front, added a watercoloured birdhouse image (Beccy's Place) and a double layered printed greeting.
I created the corners on my birdhouse image using a half inch circle punch.  I turned the punch over so I could see the paper, inserted the corner until it was a quarter of the circle and punched it.  Nicely done!! I like using my tools in different ways.
I am really liking these handmade backgrounds!!!

Therese

Canada geese and washi tape

Whenever I need inspiration for cardmaking I always head to the gallery at Splitcoast Stampers.  There is a veritable bevy of wonderful cards there to provide as much inspiration as I need.  I found one that featured a round focal element and some layers attached with washi tape!!  I have been wanting to use the washi tape I bought months ago and have been struggling with finding a good sketch that would make the best use of my limited colour options.  This one did the trick!!  I started with a dark gray card front, added an embossed strip of light gray cardstock using two different washi tapes - black & white plaid above and the diagonal stripes below.  Perfect!!  I found the geese (Arthurs Clipart) image in my stash as well.  I cut it round using Nesties and cut it a black layer while I was at it.  The original card had a greeting with a flagged end so I decided to add a black strip with a flagged end and a small laser printed greeting below it.  I glued the strip with the greeting attached on the card front using double sided tape and mounted the geese image using 3D foam tape.
I am encouraged by this card.  I hope to be able to incorporate more washi tape in my cards as time goes on.  I realize that having only a limited supply of colours and patterns certainly curtails my options but as this card proves I just need to keep at it and I will find more sketches that work with what I have.

Therese

Waterfall Card with glittered serendipity squares

Joined a swap on AFTCM for creating a waterfall card.  You can check out a tutorial for this card on Splitcoast Stampers.  I wanted it to be special so I created a quarter sheet of serendipity paper to highlight the squares on my waterfall.
I used red, yellow and brown in my serenditpity and if you look real close you can see some of that special paper I used on these cards.  Once it was dry, I cut it into 2" squares and cut a hole in them using the smallest flower on the TH Tattered Flower die.  I applied double sided tape to the back of them, adhered them to a coordinating yellow cardstock and trimmed them leaving an even border all the way around. I added red punchie centers, sprinkled gold glitter over the flower area which had double sided tape in it which gave me a sparkly flower in the middle of my serendipity.  Really like the way that worked out!  I found this origami paper in my stash that was just the right colour of red and glued it to my yellow card front.  I created my waterfall from a strip of darker yellow cardstock and adhered my elements to it using double sided tape. I intentionally offset them and like the effect it gave. I attached a strip of red cardstock to my waterfall to create the belt and attached this element to my card front using a gold brad on one side and gold staple on the other.  I corner rounded the right hand edge of my pull and stapled on a bit of ribbon to help with activating the waterfall.  I added a double layered oval greeting over the staple I used to attach my belt.  I love that the lines in the paper line up perfectly with my oval greeting.
I am really happy with how this card turned out.  Lots of dimension and texture and a 3D element to boot!!

Therese

Tree Fabric Collage - How to

I created this fabric collage of a tree and thought I would provide a bit of information for anyone who might be inspired to make one themselves.

I started with a floral bed sheet!!!  I cut two 9" squares from it and then cut a piece of batting just slightly smaller.

I laid the fabric on a piece of plastic and applied acrylic paint colour washes in blues and greens to create a landscape back ground for my tree.  Once the fabric was dry I used a hot iron to heat set the paint.  I do not expect this piece will ever be washed but I thought it would be best to do it anyway.  I painted both pieces similarly though there is only one in the photo.

 I found a piece of brown fabric in my stash and cut out a tree trunk, pinned it to my front piece and used my sewing machine with brown thread to sew it in place.

 Next, I dug out scraps of green and brown fabric and cut out, by hand, LOTS of leaves - really just pointy ended ovals about 1.5" long.  I used a glue stick - yes the kind you use for paper - to glue all the leaves in place making sure that I distributed the different colours through out the tree.

Once they were all in place I used my sewing machine with green thread and sewed down the center of each leaf to securely attach them all to my fabric.  Next, I created the little quilt by placing my back over my tree with the right side facing down and positioned my batting over that.  I sewed around the perimeter using a half inch seam allowance and left a 2.5" opening in the seam. I then turned it right sides out and pressed it.  I hand stitched the opening closed and then top stitched about 1/8" all the way around the edge of the piece in green thread.
I began the process of adding stitching and beads with the trunk and then did all the leaves.  I used what I had in my stash of beads - mostly round seed beads and a few longer thin ones.  I mixed the colours and tried to coordinate them with the leaf colour.  I used brown, green and blue embroidery floss to stitch on my beads.

You can check out the final project here.   It was a really fun project and I expect I will be making a few more!!  If you are inspired I hope you will give it a go!!

Therese

Fabric collage - a beautiful tree!

 On AFTCM, I joined a fabric collage swap!!  I was very excited about the possibilities because I have been enjoying making these little quilties inspired by Teesha Moore and a bigger piece just seemed like it would be more fun!!!  It is 8" x 8" and features hand painted fabric, fabric leaves, floss and beads!!!  I sewed the foundation together and then embellished it by adding hand stitching and beads.  Here are some close ups of the beading!!

I download some embroidery stitching instructions off the internet which was very helpful in figuring out how to get the beads on as I was stitching.  It was totally fun and I love how it turned out!!  I believe there will be a few more of these stitched projects in my future.
Check out my next post to see how I created this piece!!

Therese