Birthday card with some bling

For this stash card I layered the colour printed decorative paper (SU) to a black card and added a strip of black cardstock about a third down from the top.  I created the focal element using a clipart image (CLKER) to which I added a greeting before laser printing it onto white cardstock and trimming.  I added a bit of watercolour that coordinated with my decorative paper.  I layered it with peach and a warm blue leaving it long enough on the bottom to punch with the scallop border punch (SU).  I added clear rhinestones to each scallop which blinged it up nicely!  Therese

Get well card with embossing

Another card for my stash using an alcohol ink polished stone background to which I added an embossed floral image (SU) in silver.  I chose a steel blue layer, punched out a scallop circle before I embossed it with a floral embossing folder (SU),  then sponged the edges with dark blue and layered it onto a deep yellow card front. I glued the focal image over the embossed layer which covered the hole I had created.  I sponged the scallop circle (SU) with some dark blue ink, pierced the scallops with a push pin and added a laser printed punchie greeting (Bird's Cards). Once I added to it the card with 3D foam tape I thought it needed a bit of something so I added yellow watercolour to the outside frame of the greeting.  That was better!!

Having fun creating some unique cards!

Therese

Cards with embossed and sanded solid core backgrounds

I am making cards for my stash.  I found these two square embossed and sanded backgrounds in my stash which were created with cardstock which has a solid colour core that is different than the outside colour.
For the first card I layered one of them over an ivory layer which I punched on the top and the bottom using an eyelet border punch (SU).  I also embossed three lines on both ends which I applied using my score tool and then I adhered this large element to a rust card front.  I waterecoloured the small floral wreath image (Melonheadz) and used 3D foam tape to adhere it to the front of my card.  I tore the edges of a laser printed vellum greeting and I glued it below the wreath.
For the second card, I layered the embossed square over white and then glued it to the top of a rust card.  I watercoloured a small stamped coffee cup image and layered it over blue then adhered it to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  I found the perfect greeting in my stash so I punched three little stars out of the left hand side and layered it onto the same blue as the image.  I adhered it to the space below the focal element and then added the three small stars around the image.
Love how these turned out!!

Therese

Butterfly Wishes fabric postcard

Another birthday postcard for my birthday swap on one of my groups.  I had three little squares of pieced green fabric which coordinated with the butterfly really well so I went looking to find another piece that worked with both of them and found this beautiful scrap of red!! Perfect!!  I sewed the three little green squares to each other to create a strip, sewed on the scrap of red and trimmed out a 4" x 6" piece for the front of my postcard.  Next, I searched for a piece that coordinated for the back which was big enough to come to the front as a binding.  I cut this backer from a larger piece of fabric but I love the way it coordinates with all the pieces I had already chosen.  I added fusible web to the edges of my backer and trimmed it to be wavy.  I cut and laid down a piece of batting and positioned my front over it and pinned them all together.  I put red thread on the top and yellow in my bobbin and stitched an all over wavy design to connect all the pieces and provide some stability for the postcard.  I trimmed the corners out, folded the sides to the front and ironed them into place.  I couched some deep yellow yarn with a zig zag stitch over the wavy edge of the binding using the same red and yellow thread.  Like how that worked out!  I positioned my butterfly - a self adhesive fabric embellishment - on the front, drew a flight line which I embroidered with gold thread before adhering the butterfly in place.  I used a marker to add "Buttefly Wishes" in red.  It will be winging its way to my partner this week!!

Therese

Wedding card with die cut hearts

Creating a few cards for my stash and needed a wedding card.  I chose the embossed hearts (SU) from my stash and decided to create a card around them. I die cut hearts from white handmade shimmer paper to back them using the embossing sizzlet which once they are layered gives them just a beautiful little edge of white.  I chose a textured dark red cardstock for my card and added a length of flowery lace using double sided tape along the straight edge on the front and short pieces on the inside of the card to secure each end.  I added a strip of white shimmery cardstock over the edge of the lace to finish it off nicely and to provide an element to anchor the hearts and greeting.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere the hearts into place and the layered greeting (SU) as well.
I am really liking lace on cards!!  You can check out the last few I made here and here.

Therese

Sympathy card with a lacy heart

I prefer to make sympathy cards before I need them so I decided to add a couple to my stash.  You can check out the other one I made here.  I started with the lacy die cut heart which arrived in one of my exchange cards this year!!  I found this handmade watercolour background which coordinated very nicely so I cut it to size and chose a light green cardstock to go with these two elements.  I attached my die cut to the background paper using two white brads in the center of the large flowers on the die cut.  I added a slim ribbon adhering the ends to the back of it using double sided tape.  I adhered this large element to the front of my green card.  I thought that the die cut still needed a bit of something so I added green rhinestones to the small flowers and that helped.  I added some hand embossed lines to the large flowers and that was better.  I tied a short length of ribbon to the one on the front to simulate a bow and added my layered greeting (SU) over it near the bottom.
Very happy with my card!!
Therese

Some more floral cards with pop

Here are the rest of the cards that I finished off with the bright and popping images I found a white back. Here are the other ones I posted the other day.  I used white pencil crayon and a stardust glitter gel pen to embellish the laser printed digital image so they would pop a bit from the bold ink background.  I digitally created frames with greetings, printed them on white cardstock and glued my images into them.  I trimmed the quarter sheets just a bit to allow the card colour to show all the way around. Love the bright and bold artsy look of these cards.  Therese

Butterfly sympathy card

Always want to have a few of these on hand so I decided to see if I could make up a couple.  I found this watercoloured butterfly in my stash so decided to make the rest of the card to coordinate.  I found this embossed layer in my stash as well which was just white cardstock.  So I added watercolour until it looked like what I wanted and dried it with my heat gun. I like the way the colour was absorbed more deeply in the embossed areas because the fibers were stretched.  I chose a gray card to coordinate with the body and glued my embossed layer to it.  I positioned the butterfly and glued it in place with a little piece of double sided tape so the wings with be free.  I added a flight path with dots from a black marker and overlaid a layered greeting (SU) over it with 3D foam tape.
Love using up items I find in my stash!!

Therese

A fun card for a new home owner

A friend of mine has just bought her own place and so I made her this card in recognition of her accomplishment!!  The house image was cast into a sheet of white handmade paper many moons ago but was just perfect for this card.  I layered it over a red and kraft decorative paper on a red card front and stitched it into place using red thread  and incorporating a little punchie in the left hand top corner in the process.  A quick and easy card!!  I wish her every blessing in her new home!!!

Therese

A birdie fabric postcard for a birthday exchange

I created this fabric postcard for a birthday swap on one of my groups!!  I started by sewing two blue scraps to each other and then I stitched two green ones together.  I applied fusible web to the dark green fabric and trimmed it roughly to look like a treed horizon line.  Once I had ironed it to the bottom of the blue piece I trimmed the whole piece to 4" x 6".  I then added a piece of batting to the back and stitched wavy lines across the whole thing using blue thread for the top portion and green thread on the bottom section. I fused a piece of white cotton to the back to give the whole thing a bit more body.
To create my little birdie I created a collage button using a scrap of yellow and red fabric paper.  Once it was dry, I created a little beak out of dark brown fabric to which I had fused some webbing so I could just iron it in place once I was happy with how it looked.  I positioned my button, then placed my beak and ironed it into place and stitched the long legs with dark brown embroidery thread.  I added a black brad to create the eye of my bird.  I worked on making a tail and a wing using tulle and bits of fabric scraps which were cut off when I was creating this postcard.  I tied the tulle into the holes of the button to create the wing and added a few of the yellow scraps to add a bit of colour and bulk.  I used yellow embroidery thread to sew the button to the postcard and left the ends long once they were tied off to add yet another bit of texture to the wing.  I tied off another section of tulle with yellow bit included to create the tail which I glued to the back of the body of the bird once it was stitched in place.  I did find that the wing was a bit too undefined so I hand stitched the fibers together with brown floss and tied them off loosely.  That was better and I added a glue dot just beneath the wing so it would stay in the right position.  I bound my postcard using a dark brown polyester trim which I sewed to the front, folded over the edge to the back and restitched so it would stay in place.  Very happy with my little birdie postcard which will be winging it way to my partner in the next couple of day.    Therese

Super Hero birthday

One of our grandsons is having a Super Hero birthday this year!!!  He is a very a physical kid and loves to jump, climb and punch so the theme works for him!!  I found these graphics on line and thought they combined very well to make a fun card for him!!  I sized the frame to fit on the front of an A2 card, laser printed it and mounted it to a red card front.  I sized the greeting to fit on the frame, laser printed and fussy cut it before mounting it over the frame using 3D foam tape.  

We are looking forward to seeing him on his special day!

Therese

Christmas cards - manger scenes and winter wonderlands

 I always make the last card an easy one so because by then most are anxious to be finished.  These cards feature full colour digital images colour printed onto white cardstock. I printed them as close to 4" x 5.25" as possible so that I just needed to cut them close as I cut them apart.  The shepherds and manger scene are from a holiday clipart CD I have owned for years called Click It.  The other four image I found on Pixabay - they have LOTS of great images which you can download and use for free.  My favorite is the mountain ash berries!!!

 Actually, I really like all of them!!  This is just a sampling of the ones I used.  For this card the participants simply had to adhere the two ends of the ribbon to the back of the image, glue this element to the front of the coordinating card, layer their greeting (SU oval and scallop oval ) and adhere it to the card using 3D foam tape.  I located mine over the ribbon but not everyone saw fit to follow suit so again there was a good variety of designs that emerged from this card kit.  Some did not use their ribbon as to preserve the integrity of their nativity images.

So the day finished with lots of finished cards and many happy card makers - some first timers too!  I am very happy with the amount of money that was raised through this process and we also gleaned deeper friendships and much happiness as a bonus!!

Therese

Christmas cards - embossed images combined with greetings

 These are part of the second set of cards we created at the classes yesterday.  I used five small Sizzix embossing folders which I have not used very much if at all since I bought them.  I see that I have one missing - the little Christmas tree!!
I cut 8.5" x 11 colour printed papers into four and trimmed them to 4" x 5.25", found coordinating cardstock for the cards and then some coordinating 1/8" ribbon.  It took a couple of times to create the rectangles for embossing with the greeting in exactly the right place so that I could emboss the top, add the ribbon over the greeting, trim the bottom with decorative scissors and have everything balanced. Once I worked it out I printed the greetings on neutral cardstock - white or ivory to coordinate with my decorative papers.  Next, I embossed them two at a time with my Big Shot and trimmed the bottom edge with the scalloped scissors.  Each kit included a card, decorative paper, an embossed image, ribbon, an insert with a saying in an envelope.  The participants glued the decorative paper to the front of the folded card leaving a even margin all the way around.  Next, they had to adhere the ribbon below the embossed image, trim the long end off, and tie the leftover piece onto the front to simulate a bow.  Next they used a push pin with a foam to pierce each little scallop.  I forgot this step on one of mine.  This focal element was then glued to the front of the card over the decorative paper.  Again, there was much creativity applied to the process of designing the cards which is one of the reasons I love to teach - I learn so much from those who come to learn from me.

Again, I used a wide variety of papers so the cards easily differentiated.   Because I had provided portrait inserts most created portrait cards but there were a few who when they came to put in their insert discovered they had created landscape cards. No problem, I had printed spare inserts in both formats so that if this situation arose, I could simply provide them an insert that was appropriate to their design.
UPDATE:  Had another small class with these kits so I changed the focal element so the cards would not be the same.  I used a triple embossing die which produces three images.  I choose to use the ornament one as it fit nicely with this card design.  I printed the greeting on the same size cardstock as for the Merry Christmas/Joy to the World ones and simply glued the little embossed ornament to the top.  Worked out really well!!

Therese

Christmas cards - little trees, a baby Jesus and a snowflake

 I taught three Christmas card classes yesterday as a fundraiser.  These were the first cards I taught at each class.  The kits all had the same supplies - 4"x 4" decorative paper, 1 1/8" strip of coordinating paper, 3/4" strip of coordinating cardstock, a little embossed tree die cut (SX) (CB) OR a colour printed Jesus die cut (Nesties) MDZ) and a coloured laser printed greeting punchie (SU - Word Window) with a coordinating layer (SU- modern label).

 As you can see there were several options available to the participants in designing their  cards.  The pieces could be arranged to create a portrait or landscape card with the large piece on the top or the bottom OR the left or the right.  The embellishment could be placed on the left or the right and the greeting could be positioned in quite a variety of locations.

It was fun to play with the layout to see how many options were possible.  It was also fun to work with so many different papers as well which really helped to give all the cards a bit of a different look.  I created over 200 kits for the three classes so to make the process manageable I located sheets of decorative paper which coordinated with the little trees which were already cut.  I cut each sheet of decorative 12" x12" paper into nine 4" x 4" pieces and then I found scraps of decorative papers in my stash that coordinated and cut nine strips.  Then I dug into my cardstock scraps to find coordinating pieces and cut the little strips and punched the greeting layers.  I embossed all the little trees and the cardstock strips to add texture to the card.  Once all the pieces were cut I designed my greetings, chose colours that coordinated with each decorative paper, printed and punched them all out.  As I assembled my kits I added coordinating cards, quarter sheet inserts with sayings and put all the pieces into an envelope.  One of the ladies requested all religious cards so used the little Jesus graphic from Melonheadz, digitally coloured it to coordinate with the papers I was using, laser printed what I needed on white cardstock and die cut them with my scalloped circle Nestibilities.  This is only a sampling of all the options that I created.
Everyone was happy with their cards and they created even more variety as they positioned elements diagonally, left some elements off completely and located their embellishments and greeting it yet many other locations!!
UPDATE:  I had another small class so I changed up the kits just slightly so they would not be exactly the same as the previous ones.  This is the one features a snowflake as the focal element.  I added a snowflake brad in the center to add some dimension and stability so it could be adhered with 3D foam tape.
Love the versatility of this sketch!!!!

Therese

Cards with more than a pop of colour!

I found the central images for these cards in a box I was scrounging through the other day looking for something else.  I originally had found them to be too powerful in colour to work the way I had originally intended so they had been set aside.  So I took the time to embellish them with white pencil crayon and a star dust glitter pen to help the images stand out a bit from the backgrounds.  I had originally laser printed the images on white cardstock and added coloured inks in large swatches with a foam brush.  They were created at the same time as the background for these cards.    I created a digital frame along with digital greetings for them and printed them on white cardstock. I cut them into quarter sheets and then trimmed each one just a bit so the colour of the card would show all the way around before I adhered the images into the frame.  These have been pressing for more than a week!!   I have a few more to make up so keep an eye out for them a bit later on.    Therese

Exchange cards with quotes

I found coloured quotes (Melonheadz) in a box this week and decided to use these two to make my exchange cards for this month.  These were laser printed and embellished with bright colours a while back and so I went looking for coordinating supplies.  I added a black border to the quotes using a large tipped permanent marker.   For the left hand card, I added yellow and red ink to the inside of the embossing folder before I passed the orange cardstock through my Big Kick.  Love the look!!  I added two lengths of black gros grain ribbon before adhering my quote with 3D foam tape and then adhered the whole element to a red card front.  I created a layered greeting using a ripped strip of cardstock, a small greeting punchie and some small black circles which I adhered to my card front below the focal element using double sided tape.  

For the card on the right, I stitched a rectangle of my own handmade paper in orange to my red card front using black thread capturing the ends of my black ribbon in the process.  I adhered several ripped pieces to the back right hand side of my quote and glued it to the handmade paper above the ribbon.  I created a layered greeting which I glued over the ribbon on the right hand side.

These cards feature a different quote from Melonheadz.  She had a LOT of great digital images on her site!!  I created these in much the same way I did the ones above.  Quotes outlined in black marker, coloured embossed backgrounds on orange cardstock, black gros grain ribbon and layered punchie greetings.  

Love the quotes - such good advice to follow in the pursuit of happiness in the process of living a good life!!  

Therese

Fun bird cards

I sold some of my handmade cards at church on the weekend to raise funds for one of the organizations I belong to.  It was very successful so I am making more for next month.
I found these two laser printed card fronts in a box I was rummaging in to find something else this week so I decided to use them to create another couple of cards for my stash.  The bird images (Graphic Fairy) were framed with colour and laser printed.  I embossed the bottom with two different embossing folders and added coordinating vintage seam binding just below the images tying a short piece to the length to simulate a bow.  I glued this whole layer to a coordinating card front and added layered greetings which I created with a label die (SX) and the Window Word punch (SU).  It is nice to find a bit of a stash of supplies that make getting cards made a little faster.  I found a few more things in the box which will show up in the next few posts.
Therese

Birdie fabric postcard for a birthday swap

Another fabric postcard for a birthday swap on one of my groups.   I started with a piece of this fabric collage background which I created a while back.  I added batting and then some crazy quilt hand stitching on all of the lines between the different fabrics.  I then cut a paisley shape out of light blue fabric and stitched it into place with my sewing machine going around several times to give the bird some definition and once in the middle to create the wing.  I added a beak using a small triangle of heat & bonded black fabric.  I hand stitched the eye, the legs and feet and the frilly tail feathers in black.  It needed something to help define the ground so I added some turquoise flowers with green stems and yellow centers.  That worked!!  I stitched on a black border with zigzag, added a white anf pink floral backer and stitched it into place with straight stitch all the way around.  Next, I  folded over the black border and adhered to the backer with fusible web.  I restitched the border with straight stitch really close to the outside edge to finish it off.  Pretty happy with how it turned out though it is a bit busier than I thought it would be when I started!!
Therese

Several cards using faux linen backgrounds

 Needed to add a few sympathy cards to my stash so went looking for a technique to use for my background.  I always find inspiration on Splitcoast Stampers  so I went looking and found someone who had created a card using the Faux Linen technique.  Had not created some of those for quite a while so I decided to give it a go!  I used quarter sheets of glossy white cardstock, sanded them vertically a.d horizontally and then sponged on some colour using four different dye ink pads.

For my first card I stamped a fern leaf (Salt Spring Island Stamps) using a light wheat colour highlighted with dark brown before stamping.  I added a length of mesh (gold embossed window screen) along with three lengths of twine which I tied on the left with a short piece.  I stamped my greeting on ivory in dark brown, sponged on some colour and added stippling.  Layered it onto dark brown, distressed the edges and mounted it over the mesh/twine using 3D foam tape,  I added a coordinating paper butterfly to which I tied some twine to create a body and antenna.
For my second card I stamped a flower image in black after stamping it in gray which did not show up well enough.  I offset the black one a bit which is another technique I found on Splitcoast when I was cruising the other day.  I coloured the image with markers, stippled the back ground a bit, added three eyelets (coloured with Sharpie to coordinate) and added a layered vellum greeting.  I layered a flagged piece of parchment just below the greeting on my vellum to help it stand out, adhered it to the background with glue then folded the ends to the back and secured them with double sided tape.  I glued this whole element to a red card front.
For my third card I stamped a leaf stamp (SU) all over my background in two different brown inks.  I layered my watercoloured image onto a dark brown circle and watercoloured my greeting (CLKER) as well.  I added a length of blue vintage seam binding adhering the ends to the back of my background, added my image and greeting with 3D foam tape and then tied on another short piece of seam binding to simulate a bow.  I glued this whole element to a dark brown card front.
For my fourth card I stamped a large solid flower (SU) using coordinating ink onto my background six times without reinking which gave a perfectly dimensional look to my design.  I used the small three flower stamp (SU) to add flowers in between my large ones in coordinating ink.  Added a bit of stippling in the same colour.  Love they way it turned out!!  I added a vellum greeting adhering the ends to the back.  I found this little butterfly in my stash so I added tied on some white fiber to create a body and antenna and glued it right near the greeting.
It was fun to revisit this technique and use some of my stamps again!!!

Therese

Baby cards for my stash

 I am filling out my card stash with a few baby cards!!  I printed the image from BrokenBoxStock with a greeting on letter size vellum and cut them out into quarter sheets.  

I made four different cards -  pink & blue and two other colours for anyone who does not yet know the gender of the child.  

For the pink one,  I used a piece of background paper that featured a gingham border and attached the vellum image and greeting combo to it using an innie & outie bow using green vintage seam binding.  I coloured the image on the back of the vellum using watercolour with as little water as possible to avoid buckling the vellum.  I added a punched ribbon border (SU) in pink after mounting the background/image layer to a white card front.
For the lavender one, I coloured the image to coordinate with my background paper, ripped off the bottom and stitched it to a scalloped border punch piece of white cardstock. I folded the three remaining sides to the back and adhered them using double sided tape.  I glued my decorative paper to a purple card front, added a length of lavender ribbon and adhered my focal element over it using 3D foam tape.  I tied a short piece of ribbon with one knot to my main ribbon just below my image to simulate a bow.  

For my green card, I die cut a circle (3.75") out of my quarter sheet of decorative paper with Nestibilities, centered my coloured image behind the opening and attached them to each other using yellow seam binding and an innie & outie bow.  I trimmed the decorative paper and glued this whole element to a white card front.
For the blue one, I coloured my image with watercolour being sparing with water as before, backed it with a piece of white cardstock which I stitched to the vellum using my sewing machine.  I ripped the edges of the vellum to make it just a smidge smaller than the decorative paper and attached it to my card front using an innie & outie bow after I had glued the decorative paper to the front of my green card.  Really happy with these cards!!
Therese