Cardmaking - a stitched square of collaged fabric scraps that make a gift

I started by stitching small scraps to a substrate of white cotton ensuring that all the pieces were secure.  For the first card I stitched it to the handmade paper and added a stitched bow.  For the second one I added short strips of yellow and green fabric folded in half about where they needed to be and stitched them into place on their bottom edges.  I added a yellow strip to my collaged fabric square and then placed it over the bottom of the strips and stitched it into place.  It created a very different kind of bow but still effective.  I stitched a border all the way around each of these pieces.  I added paper piercing lines to the top of the green one and then watercoloured white cards on their edges to coordinate with each of these large elements.  A different look which I like!!!  Therese
 

Cardmaking - circles of fabric forming a flower

For these two cards I cut three circles from red fabrics and a small one from yellow.  I positioned all the element and then stitched the stem and leaves.  Next, I stitched the largest circle of the flower in place then added stitching from the outside to the middle several times to secure all the other pieces of the flower.  Lastly I stitched an outside border in coordinating thread.  

Therese
 

Cardmaking featuring handmade paper with stitched fabric appliques which form butterflies

I am on a roll!!!!  These cards were all made with the same concept where I used the little triangles cut from darts when making bowl cozies to create wings for butterflies!!!  Worked really well and I was able to make three cards with two butterflies on each card.  I just offset the triangles, applied a little glue with a glue stick to keep them in place and then I stitched them down to the handmade paper.  I added a stitched border all the way around to finish off the top layer and then watercoloured my white cards to coordinate with the elements on the front.  I then adhered the large handmade paper piece to my cards using glue stick.  I pressed them to keep them flat.  I love how they worked out!!!  Therese

 

Cardmaking - handmade paper and layered fabric flowers in pink

 Another one in my current series of cards which features layered pink flowers and green leaves which are stitched with coordinating thread.  The flower layers were hand cut from scraps as were the yellow centers and green leaves.  I added a border of dark pink thread.  I watercoloured the edge of my white card to coordinate before adhering the large element to the card front.  Therese

Crafting - new Sizzix multipurpose platform

 I have pretty much worn out my platform which came with my Sizzix Big Shot when I bought it.  I am not sure how long it has been but it may be twenty years ago!!  It has certainly been used extensively during that time and has held up very well.  My older platform still works but the individual layers are delaminating and no longer very neat.  I was able to buy this one from Amazon.ca as they are no longer available at Michaels.  Looking forward to using it soon!!  Therese

Crafting - slow stitching - final bunch of card holders

I managed to finish up all the cardholders that I had kitted up a while back.  It has been fun but a bit tedious to get these all done but they are now ready for Christmas so I have stashed them away and will be digging them out when the time comes.  It has been fun to see all the bright fabrics and to find buttons coordinate with them.  I think I have just over 50 which I hope will be enough.  Theres

 

Cardmaking - fabric triangles stitched to handmade paper to create a forest

 For this card I used little triangles to create a forest!!!  These little triangles are ones trimmed from the darts made in the bowl cozies I have been making.  I simply removed the stitching and then stitched them to the handmade paper using yellow thread. I did cut a larger tree from a scrap to give the composition a focal element.  I watercoloured the edge of my white card to coordinate with this large composition.  

Totally having fun with this process!!  Therese

Crafting - buttons for card holders using decorative butterflies

 

I have been making card holders for Christmas and thought I would see if I could find some colourful buttons at our local thrift or dollar stores.  Unfortunately, not much was available.  I did find some colourful wood ones but with such bright and busy fabrics they would probably blend in too much.  Maybe it doesn't matter if they blend in???  I will think on that!!  They were $2 for less than a dozen buttons.  So I kept looking to see if I could find any sort of resource with which I could make buttons.  I was successful in finding these plastic butterflies at Dollarama.  There are about 50 in a package for just under $2 with tax.  I brought them home and thought they would make great buttons and fit quite well on the card holders so I made them into buttons.  I used a 5/64" bit in the drill press and made a hole on each side of the body just about where the wings meet.  Worked out really well and they look great on the the card holders.  I put regular buttons on the other side.  So I will be looking for other options in this vein to make buttons with.  In the meantime I bought a few more packages and will make them into buttons and add them to my stash and use them where they work the best.  Therese

Slow stitching - another batch of card holders for Christmas

 I have been busy making up card holders with the kits I prepared a little while back.  It is fun to repurpose unused CDs along with some fabric scraps and buttons to make a functional and useful tool for anyone who has trouble managing lots of cards when playing card games.  I have been raiding my stash of buttons so will be on the look out for a few more for the next batch!!!

Therese

Cardmaking - lots of fun candles made from decorative paper strips, marker wicks and bird wing flames

Another card for a family occasion!!  Lots of candles - paper strips trimmed diagonally and adhered to the long card front.  I added wicks with a black fine tipped marker and then embellished some "flames" punched with the wing of the SU bird punch to more realistic and added clear glitter to give them a bit of shine.  I adhered them to the card front over the wicks to finish my card.  It will be a fun card for a birthday!!  Therese

 

Cardmaking - handmade paper and fabric scraps to make a kite

For this card I used two triangles to create a square and them trimmed the two sides to create the kite shape.  I stitched it to the handmade paper all the way around, added stitching to make the cross in the middle and then stitched the tail by using a very narrow zigzag with very short stitches and added little navy bits as I went.  Worked really well!!!!!  I added the navy border of stitching, coloured my white card base with watercolour and adhered the large piece to the card front.  Really enjoying the process!!

Therese
 

Cardmaking - handmade paper and fabric scrap hearts with ribbon

Another card I created recently which follows the same format as the candles ones I made.  This one features two hand trimmed hearts cut from a red/yellow batik scrap.  I added a strip of white dryer sheet fabric and overlaid a gold ribbon and them stitched them down with yellow thread.   I added the two hearts and stitched them with red along with the outside border of stitching.  You can check out my first two cards here.  

Therese
 

Hand stitching - a few more card holders in some fun fabrics

 A few more card holders ready to go!!!  I have a good bunch of precut and kitted card holders which I made up a while back so I did manage to make a few more this week!!  I will add them to the stash - several will be prizes at our family reunion in July and others are ready for Christmas!!

Therese

Cardmaking - white card with watercoloured edges, handmade paper with stitched candles and a stitched border

 Wanting to change up my cards this week I decided to create large cards using handmade paper (I have a large stash) and fabric scraps (I have a large stash).  I trimmed the candles and the flames from fabric scraps.  I embellished the flames with Derwent Inktense watercolours and then dried them between sheets of white paper using the iron.  I used a bit of glue stick to keep them in place and then stitched all the way around using my sewing machine with a slim needle (#11) and thread that I did not have enough on the spool to really sew anything else.  I added a border with the navy thread and then used watercolour to paint the edges of a white card to coordinate.  I made another one with different colours which I have added below.  Worked really well and will be making more of these!!

Therese

Crafting with fabric - three more card holders with fun fabrics

 I have made up quite a few "kits" for card holders (fabric circles, batting circles, CDs, buttons) that are now in line to get made up when I have a bit of time.  I managed to get three of these done this week and I will keep working the system until they are all done.  I did manage to get some free CDs during our last session of Trash to Treasure which was really good!!  Therese

Fabric dyeing - braided trivets, floral fabric, a few cottons and some poly cottons

I played with dying fabric this weekend.  I started with these braided trivets which I made a while back.  The original fabric was multicoloured with red, blue, black and white and I upcycled it by tearing strips of about 1.25" and braiding them into long lengths.  I used navy thread and a wavy decorative stitch when I sewed up these round trivets using a heavyweight brown and navy floral fabric as the substrate.  So the colours were off in regards to coordinating so I dyed them with Navy Rit Fabric Dye!!!  They turned out well in colour but in hindsight I would have preferred to have a finished substrate as the dying and washing frayed it quite a bit.  I will trim off the long pieces and use blanket stitch with navy embroidery thread to finish off the edge of the substrates.  I really like how the front of these look with the original colours providing some variety in the colour and the braiding giving them nice texture.  I have one more length of the braid which I dyed and so will see about sewing that up into a trivet with a more suitable substrate fabric.  I did dye some of the brown and navy floral so I may use some of those pieces.  The two lighter ones were only left for a few minutes and therefore the pattern shows quite nicely.  As the dye became diluted I continued to add pieces of fabric - white cotton, blue cotton with a printed white zigzag pattern, the peony fabric (cotton) had a white background, several pieces of white poly cotton which did not take the dye as easily and lastly a pair of light coloured jeans which are now more a medium tone.  I rinsed them until the water ran clear and then washed and dried them.  New fodder for getting creative with!!!!   I always enjoy dying fabric and am looking forward to doing some red and maybe brown as well.  Therese

 

Cardmaking - small slim cards featuring focal elements from used cards

I made up some slim cards as an experiment and they turned into Father's Day cards and a birthday card!!  I cut the cardstock from 8.5" x 11 cutting two strips about 3 3/8" wide and 11" long.  I used the scrap that was left over to add pieces to the bottom of the fronts to make them the right size.  I used regular tape on the front to keep them in place.  The tape will be covered by the decorative paper.  I added decorative paper to each of them  - had to piece together the one for the flower card.  I added little fishing images from another card on the three cards and added a greeting as well.  I added a strip of rose cardstock to the pink one to which I had added a bit of white seam binding folded over and secure with a flower and brad.  This element was positioned below the focal element to finish off the card.  

I was really glad to find a way to make slim cards with 8.5" x 11" cardstock!!

Therese

 

Cardmaking - a dryer sheet flower with a brad and sequin over an arty background

A card for someone special on one of their special days!!!  I made a dryer sheet flower and painted it blue and yellow.  I embossed a strip of vellum which I embossed with a plaid embossing folder.  I mounted the flower with the gold brad and then found some green yarn to make the stem and leaves.  I pierced the vellum with a needled about every half inch along a very lightly drawn  pencil line on the back and then used a piece of green embroidery thread to couch the yarn to the vellum.  I used the remainder of the yarn to make a leave on each side and a bit of greenery on the bottom also stitched in place.  I like it!!!  I found a green and blue decorative paper which I cut and then tore in two pieces.  I adhered them to my yellow card after adding paper piercing all the way around the outside edges of the two pieces.  I used double sided tape to secure the vellum to the front of my card which is discreetly hidden by the flower and leaves.    Therese

 

Sewing - a set of three little chicken pin cushions

 I worked on these little chicken pincushions this week.  I found some quilt squares which I have acquired over time and chose several to make these cute little chicken pin cushions.  They are constructed from two squares of fabric with some flannel (batting) which I stitched to them following the stitching lines on the squares.  I did peruse several places on line to find instructions and settled for ones with beaks, tails and combs.  The bottom is stitched with an opening for stuffing later, the front is where the beak goes (prairie point), the comb goes on the top and the tail (larger prairie point) in inserted in the back.  You stitch starting with the bottom, then the front and the top.  Then you line up the side seams, insert the tail and stitch this last side. It creates a very cute little triangle shape.  I stuffed them with my "stuffing" and it worked really well.  I did add about an 1/8th of a cup of rice at the bottom before hand stitching the opening closed which gives them a bit of weight.  They sit very nicely - about 3" tall!!!  I stitched on two black beads for the eyes which worked perfectly!!!   A fun experiment which I will likely try again with squares of my own creation next time!!  Therese

Stuffing created using lofty fabrics which I trimmed out for cardholders

 I acquired several pieces of fabric while checking out our Trash to Treasure event.  Items you no longer want but are still useable are set out near your front walk with FREE sign and people can come around and see if there is anything there they want to take home.  We put out a variety of items and all were rehomed.  We had put out 3 toilets but because they are ceramic which if broken would present a danger to workers were not allowed to be picked up by the city after the event so those were brought to the landfill the following week.  I used two little pieces of fabric I picked up and washed to make batting for my card holders!!  I cut up the scraps into bits to use as stuffing!!   No waste!!  Therese