Leaf artwork

Another quick and easy page for the calendar.  Here we used the handmade paper sheet that had been layered with tissue paper.  We simply added a leaf die cut (TH) that had a small piece of fiber tied to its stem. The students have been enjoying adding texture to their pieces using embossing folders in the Big Shot.  I will be putting this one on my calendar page for October!!

Therese

Flowers and newspaper art

Another piece for the calendar.  We used one of the small sheets of handmade paper we created the first day.  This one is layered with a small rectangle of newspaper.  We added an embossed flower die cut, two punchies for the center of the flower, three little round punchies as accent and layered the whole element to an embossed quarter sheet of cardstock.  These were nice and quick to do which is great because we have 12 pages to make in less than 8 classes.

Therese

Packing tape transfer for art page

Another piece of art for the calendar!!  We did some packing tape transfers for this piece which was really fun and new for this group of students.   I created the ART graphic, printed it with my laser printer, applied the image side to the sticky side of a piece of packing tape and burnished it really well.  Just before class I put them to soak so they would be ready as soon as class began.  We simply removed them from the water, laid them packing tape down and started gently rubbing the paper with our fingers and the paper just started peeling off!!  These are a really cool way to apply a printed image to a layout, journal page or any other surface.
 NOTE:  In response to a few emails about this technique I found a great tutorial online for this technique.  You can check it out at Little Junk Shop!!

The students applied theirs to labels (ornamental - TH) cut from decorative cardstock and then trimmed the transfer to the edges of the die cut.  We layered them onto shiny silver foil cardstock which we had embossed and added our little glittery hearts!!
This one is going to be the first page of my calendar!! Love art!!

Therese

Paper beads

I joined a Paper Bead swap on AFTCM and these are the beads I created!  I used pages from a song book and ensured that the treble clef was at the end that would show.  These are not quite a quarter inch around and 1.5" long.  I used double sided tape and some black glitter embossing powder for the middle band of colour and black glitter for the ends.  They each give a bit of a different look which I like.  Once finished I coated them with a clear acrylic finish to seal them and make them a bit more durable.  I used a rectangle of paper instead of a triangle which means that these beads are nice little cylinders instead of beads that are thick in the middle like these ones.
So they are packaged up and ready to be mailed off.  Looking forward to seeing what comes back!!  Maybe I will have a few more I can use as charms for my next bracelet which I am currently using as a decoration on one of my vases!!

Therese

Postage stamp art

The last art piece for today features a cancelled postage stamp.  I have a collection of old postage stamps which is a great resource when I am looking for little pieces of art for a project.  This one is from a bird series and it reads 46 cents.  How long has it been since we paid 46 cents for first class postage??  I dug out all the stamps I had from the series and chose those whose cancellation was the least conspicuous.  I added them to coloured tags which I layered over handmade paper sheets that had a handmade paper layer (my own) glued to a quarter sheet of cardstock.  I added a large brad through all the layers and tied on a short piece of coordinating fiber!!
That is number four and we have eight to go!!

Therese

Glittered elements

 Today we played with glitter!!  These are two more pieces of  art which will be added to the calendar which I am creating with my class of young adults.
I layered double sided tape onto red cardstock and cut it with my Big Shot and a heart die (SX).  I did both large ones and small ones.  They used the large ones today on this piece of art and will be using the small ones later for a different page.
I added glitter to a plastic container which was big enough for them to place their shapes into which worked very well.  This double sided tape is very sticky and we had difficulty removing the  backing paper.  I found it helpful to use a push pin to get it started on one side.
The die cut trees had a triangle of double sided tape added to the back which allowed us to rub glitter into its openings which immediately created a "decorated" tree!!

So for the first piece I embossed a quarter sheet of red cardstock, glued down a small sheet of layered handmade paper and then added a few staples where they would be hidden by the heart.  I then added the heart using 3D foam tape.  The students used their creativity and made their pages their own.  It is one of the best things about teaching when students just do their own thing and show how many ways the same supplies can be combined to create art.
For the second piece, I peeled off the backing paper from the triangle I had added to the back of the tree for the glitter and placed it over the handmade paper layered with a book page.  Glued that to the red embossed cardstock, pierced a hole through all the layers and added an embossed gold star sequin using a gold brad.

Two more pieces of art for our calendar!!

Therese

Embossed metal art

Here is the first piece of art I designed for the calendar I am creating with my class of young adults.  I provided them with several foil shapes and they embossed them with their own designs.  For this page they embossed a design around a teal paper confetti flower.  Embossing foil is easy.  Simply place it upside down on a piece of folded newspaper to provide a bit of cushion and draw your design using a pencil.  In this case, we confined our designs to the inside of a frame which I had already embossed with an embossing folder.  We glued a small sheet of pink paper to a quarter sheet of teal paper and added our embossed metal art to the pink using 3D foam tape.  We then added a rhinestone brad to the flower by piercing through all the layers.  This will help to provide integrity to the whole piece when we add it to the calendar page.

Therese

White on White card with a twist!

I created a couple of these cards for my monthly card exchange!  They are the same design as these that I created for my cardmaking session a few weeks ago.
They could be used for a wedding, anniversary, baptism, confirmation or first communion!  I really like the look of the white on white!!

Therese

Handmade paper sheets with layers

Last week I taught papermaking to a class of young adults as part of an art program.  I prepared ivory paper pulp - white post consumer paper scraps, yellow paper napkins and brown paper napkins.  I gave them a variety of papers to layer onto their handmade paper while it was wet to create cute little sheets!!  The tissue paper (stripes) and the mulberry paper were the only ones which did not peel off.  The newspaper, book page, sheet music and gift wrap all had some areas that were lifting a bit when I was pressing them so I glued them back in place.  It is really neat because the layers had created a debossed area in the handmade paper so it was very easy to position them back exactly where they had been!!  I have also created this layered look using my own handmade paper and it incorporates easily to become part of the sheet.
Over the next few weeks we will be creating little pieces of art which will be incorporated into a calendar!

Therese

Cardmaking - February - Wax crayon & wall paper

I just love the vibrant colours of wax crayon backgrounds!!  Here I used wax crayons over textured wallpaper!!  Check out this post for more information!!  It was a total blast to create these backgrounds and still more fun to choose images that would work well with them.  The sailing ship is a digital image from CLKER and the cupcake is from Beccy`s Place.  I wanted to keep the design simple to let the background shine so I simply added a length of rick rack and the coloured image.  You can see the versatility of this medium - the top one makes a great masculine card and the bottom one with its circle greeting makes the cutest kids card.
I found this greeting in my greetings stash - applesauce containers that stack and store extra greetings by subject - birthday, thanks, etc.   I bring them to class so participants can customize their cards.
I hope you will be inspired to create some backgrounds!! Make a few extra while you are at it and you will have what you need when you need a card in a hurry!!

Therese

Cardmaking - February - botanical bird

The decorative background on this card is sticky backed fabric which was designed for use in home decor.  I have had it for a couple of years and have several times tried to incorporate it into my creations without success.  This week it all just gelled and I created this design!!  Because the fabric is sticky backed it is best to apply it like a large label.  I peeled back just a small amount of the backing paper and positioned the top onto my card front ensuring it was straight and true.  Once that little piece is properly positioned I was able to remove the backer paper easily off the rest of it and the whole piece settled nicely into place.  Love the look of it!!  I added a length of lace, tied some black cording around the card front over the lace and slipped the cardstock paper clip (SX) over it sliding it along until I was happy with the placement then anchored it with 3D foam tape.  Glued the little bird (TH) to the paper clip and added it the wing with 3D foam tape. Used a white gel pen to add an eye.  Stamped some script with grey Memories ink onto the fabric to add a bit of texture as some areas needed a bit of a boost.
Use what you have!!  I know it is good advice but I can totally relate when in an effort to use what you have you seem to be hitting a road block and nothing is working!!  I admit to moving on and trying something else because forcing the design process tends to be not an effective use of time for me, though having said that I am trying more and more to use what I have in an effort to reduce the stash!!

Therese

Cardmaking - February - border punch tags

This card was inspired by my sister's border punch tags blog post! How cool that you can use a border punch to create cool little tags!!  I used the eyelet border punch (SU) which makes tags that are five eighths of an inch wide.  You can make them as long as you like.  Follow the link above to check out her tutorial.
I created the greetings in my layout program and printed them before I punched the edge and cut them apart.  Very cool!!
The images were downloaded from Meljen`s blog.  She has a lot of beautiful whimsical images on her site!!  I added some nice floral decorative paper and some coordinating ribbon to finish off my card.  I watercoloured the images and added some stitching lines with a Sharpie marker.  Coloured the tag too,tied it to the ribbon and positioned it with 3D foam tape.
Try making your own little tags!!  Love being able to use a tool I own for more than one purpose!!

Therese

Cardmaking - February - with a Twist

After making this snowflake card with a twist I decided to add this design to my cardmaking session for February!!  Love cards that move!!
I created it to fit in a #8 envelope by combining two pieces of cardstock that overlap in the back and create a flap on each end.  The white cardstock flap on the right hand side features the twirling element and the coloured flap on the left features the greeting and extends to the fold on the right.
The twirling element is created by capturing a piece of crochet thread between two silver circle punchies using double sided tape being sure it is centered.  I applied double sided tape above and below the punched opening, centered the twirling element in the opening and pressed the threads into the tape being sure the thread was taut.  I added another piece of double sided tape over the threads and folded the ends over and adhered them to the double sided tape, respectively.  This folding helps to ensure that the ends will remain captured and that the twirling element remains taut. Finish off the element by adhering confetti shapes to each side using double sided tape or glue dots.  I added a double knotted ribbon to the decorative paper and adhered it over the glued threads.     I trimmed my greeting and added it to the left hand side so the left flap would just tuck in slightly.  Here is a link to a video tutorial I found that was helpful.
So, to get the twirling action, you twist your element, lay it flat on your card and tuck it into your envelope.  When the recipient opens the card and lifts the flap the element twirls!!
The twirling element can be almost any size and shape so there is a lot of potential to make this card really fun!!
Enjoy!!

Therese

Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! I have made up a Valentine's version of one of the cards I made up in January for my cardmaking class!! The little clown is from The Graphics Fairy. I did remove the words on the graphic so it would work for this card!  I laid it over vintage full scap attaching it with my own version of washi tape and added a vellum greeting sticker of my own making.   I hope you will connect with your partner today and set aside some special time to celebrate all that is good about being together!! Therese

Wax crayon and wallpaper backgrounds

This card features a decorative background that I created using wall paper and wax crayons!!  I read on Daphne's blog that she had used wax crayons on Anaglypta wallpaper for her cards so I thought I would give it a try!! I did not have the specialty wallpaper so I  used what I had which was very textured in a very light colour.  I cut the wall paper into pieces that would fit on my griddle (covered with foil) and just started applying wax crayon by rubbing them into the warmed paper.  Too easy!!  It was a very fun process and it created some really awesome backgrounds!!  I created backgrounds using wax crayons and cardstock a while back.  You can find them here!
So consider using what you have!!  I will be scanning my backgrounds for future digital use!
I created this card for a Orange and Yellow Colour swap on Just Cards!  The image is a digital stamp I downloaded from Michelle Perkett's blog.  She has some very cool images on there!!  I just watercoloured the laser printed image and mounted it over the rick rack using 3D foam tape.  The greeting was laser printed on transparency, trimmed and adhered with discreetly placed double sided tape.  A totally fun card!!  It is already winging it's way to my swap partner!!

Therese

Heartstrings swap - Quietfire Blog challenge

Love is in the air!!  I have created a large card for my Heart Strings swap on AFTCM and combined it with the Queen of Hearts Challenge on Suzanne Cannon's Quietfire blog.
I created the background using an image I downloaded from Maybemej's blog.  I cut and pasted the piece I wanted into my layout program, duplicated and mirrored it so it would be wide enough for my card.  The "queen of hearts", the floral hearts and the large vintage heart were all downloaded from The Graphics Fairy and modified to what I needed for my card design.   "Love" is a Quietfire Designs stamp which I gold embossed on ivory cardstock, punched with the SU scalloped oval punch and paper pierced in each scallop.  I added some paper lace (SU eyelet border punch), some really lace below it and a piece of pink vintage seam binding with a bow in between.  I added a bit of watercolour to the queen's dress and hat.  The card swap suggested we use lots of layers so I have!  I used 3D foam tape to give most of the pieces some dimension as well.
This card was a stretch for me - getting lots of layers to coordinate and look pleasing is always a challenge for me but I think this is a credible attempt.  There is so much inspiration out there so I took some time to peruse some blogs as I was choosing my pieces and deciding on my design.  Thanks to those who so willingly share their creations to inspire others!!

Therese

Paper Bead Jewelery

 I participated in a Wild and Wacky challenge a couple of weeks ago and we have to reveal our projects today!!
We were instructed to go to this website:
http://inoyan.narod.ru/kaleidoskop.swf
which generates wild and wacky kaleidoscopes in vibrant colours, when we saw something we liked we just had to print it and create something with the printed copy!!  Too easy!!
I started by stamping my sheet with a solid looking butterfly stamp (SU) and embossing them in silver.  I thought right away that I would like to make paper beads so I found a small piece of wood to make the main element for my necklace, cut a nice accent piece with a butterfly out of the sheet and then cut the remaining piece of W&W paper into long thin triangles with which I created my paper beads.  I rolled them on a toothpick, sealed them with clear finish onto which I sprinkled sparkly embossing powder and then heated them to dry the finish and melt the embossing powder.  I made 13 sparkly beads!!

 For the main element of my necklace I glued my W&W paper to one side of my little piece of wood and created a collage on the other using hand decorated paper, sheet music and a rhinestone.  To seal up the edges I applied clear sealer and then dipped it into pewter UTEE and heated it.  I did the other three sides the same way.  It needed more visual depth so I reheated the first side and dipped it in the UTEE again.  In the end, each side got about 3-4 coats of pewter  UTEE before I was happy with the way it looked - sort of like solder!!  I sealed the collage side and added clear glass beads to the sealer I applied to the W&W side to just tone it down a bit.  The piece is very reflective and you can see part of a silver butterfly in the piece.  Once everything was dry, I drilled a hole at the top and added a metal loop and some beads so I could add it when I strung my beads.  I added blue glass beads and some pewter Ebeads to complete my necklace.  I used Beadalon plastic coated wire to string it and a clasp from my stash of jewelry findings.

So you can see in this photo the collage I made on the other side of my main element as well as the full length of the necklace.  I really like the way the blue glass beads and the pewter Ebeads work with my glittery paper beads.

This was a very great project!! It is fun to get out of the usual and try something different!!  I enjoyed making the beads the most.  I had never used wire to string beads before and it took a little R&D to find the best way to finish it off.  So all in all, a successful venture into the unusual with some wild and wacky paper.  Really looking forward to what all the participants made with theirs!!

Therese

Sailboat birthday card

After getting the sheets all made up last week, this morning I decided to use the little sailboat stamp to make a card for my grandson!!  I had used the sailboat for a masculine card previously but decided that his card needed a lighter look so I used a large blue paint chip for the background. There was some writing on the top right hand side which I unsuccessfully tried to remove with several different chemicals. A search of the internet did not locate any better options so I finally gently sanded them off.  I die cut the chip using TH Ornamental and then highlighted the edges using the same blue ink I used to stamp the sailboat.   I stamped a greeting, tied on a string and added a layered punchie accent which features a hand drawn #3.  Layered this element onto a white embossed cardstock and mounted it to a blue card front.
It is fun to create cards for kids! They so appreciate everything they get!!

Therese

Stamped fabric - sheet set

 My oldest grandson is turning three at the end of the month and just got his big boy bed so I thought a new set of sheets would be fun for him for his birthday!! My daughter suggested that low key and subtle would be best so I started by dyeing white sheets a "cafe au lait" colour and then proceeded to stamp them with little sailboat scenes!!  As you can see on the left I started with the water.  I did not have a "water" stamp so I went looking through the discarded rubber I have saved from my SU sets.  Lo and behold, I found this edge that looked enough

 like waves and water to me so I trimmed it out of the whole sheet and voila, I had a water stamp.  I used a permanent stamp pad - Palette hybrid - to

stamp the water in a turquoise colour.   I stamped both sheets and the pillow case with the water in an offset pattern before I moved onto stamping boats. I inked my little sailboat stamp using three different colours - blue for the hull, brown for the sails and red for the flag and stamped it overlapping my water.  I overrode my desire to stamp the boats in every colour of ink I had and limited myself to blue and green hulls and two different browns for the sails.  The green for the hull was Ancient Pages ink, the blue was Palette, the browns for the sails were Memories ink - one regular, the other chalk ink,

the flag was a Memories Chalk ink.  As you can see I eventually had a whole flotilla of sailboats on the sheets.  After all the stamping was done, I took them to the ironing board and heat set each image.  It took longer to heat set them all than it had to stamp them.   It took me the better part of a day to sort out the design and inks, get all the stamping done and ensure that each image had been heat set but I am loving how well them turned out.  I have washed the sheets to ensure that the colours will be

permanent and there would be no colour letting from the dye.  Perfect!!

I stamped a little heart on each piece and signed it so he would always be reminded that I love him!!

I will be posting my R&D for figuring out what would work for dyeing the sheets and then stamping them at a later date.  I am up to my ears in projects and hope to get them to my blog ASAP!!

Therese

Masculine card

My card box is completely out of masculine cards so I set about making one today.  I am hoping to be able to use this same sketch in different colours with a different stamp to make a few more!!
Used the TH Ornamental die to cut my book page, sponged and stamped the edges of the die cut and stamped my little boat in a teal ink.  Laid it over a double embossed background from my stash, added a knotted ribbon and a colour printed greeting.  I punched the greeting using the SU tab punch which I thought echoed nicely the shape of the die cut, sponged it a bit too and attached it using 3D foam tape!!
The next ones should go more quickly!!

Therese

Charm bracelets

 Here are the two charm bracelets I created today using charms I created and received during my participation in the AFTCM charm swaps last year.   I started by separating my charms into two groups - ones with gold tones and ones with silver tones.

I laid the charms out as I wanted them to appear on the bracelet with the largest ones towards the middle and filling in with all the others. Just adding them to the chain's links using jump rings. I did create a few simple charms using I-pins and beads to use as fillers as well.  Our swapped charms were made using bottle caps, fragments, shrink plastic, CDs, dominoes and polymer clay.

I added some I made on my own using Scrabble tiles, "glass" beads I made using plastic from pop bottles and even one made from a paper bead.  I also added a cool stitched fabric inchie I received in one of my inchie swaps last year.
This project was a real stash buster for me.  I had the chain bracelets, jump rings, the I-pins & beads and the extra charms in my stash .
I am not sure how often I will wear these bracelets so I thought I would try to find a neat way to display them.


Here I have tied them around the sloping sides of an inverted glass. They sure look great!!So I am considering finding a bottle with the right diameter so I can display them nicely when I am not wearing them.  It seems a shame to store them in a box where no one will see them!!Might even wear them more often if they are where I can see them often!!

I am so glad I participated in the charm swap!!

Therese

Steampunk Doll

A steampunk doll!!  I created her for a swap on AFTCM.  We had free rein to create a doll that fit our imagination of what a steampunk doll was, so I did a bit of internet research, downloaded a few images and a template and started a bit of list of items I thought would be neat to include.
I started with a paper doll template from The Enchanted Gallery which I printed on white cardstock.  I rough cut all the pieces, glued them to thin chipboard (back of a writing pad) and then cut them out properly.  I chose to use the articulated arms and was happy I did when I was dressing her.  I printed another set, cut them out and glued them on the back so she would be the same colour on the front as the back.  I used a push pin to make holes and assembled my doll using black mini brads.
I downloaded a page of clipart from Aisling.net and printed one of the faces large enough to fit on the head.  I had originally started with a moveable head but when I was getting ready to glue on the face I decided to remove the brad and glued the head to the body and the face to the head.  I drew a bodice on her torso, coloured it in and added some sparkle.  I drew her some stockings as well and coloured them in.  I had taken a picture of her with just her undies but alas my camera did not have a memory card in it at the time, so, no picture!!  I coloured the rest of her in with a mix of chalk and pencil crayon and drew her some boots which I glued in place.
The hat was on a victorian woman I downloaded from the Vintage Feed Sacks  blog.  I isolated the hat and sized it to fit on my doll.  I coloured it, added some bling and then traced it onto cardstock and cut another one which I glued to the back of her hat just at the top which makes it removable!!

I created a necklace for her using chain and a little pendant to which I added a rhinestone.  It nicely covered the transition from the neck (clipart) to the body (template).  I also created a blouse for her.  I laid her out on my fabric and marked out the T top I thought would be a good size and cut it out.  I hemmed the sleeves and then put right sides together and stitched the back to the front.  I did cut a small slit for the head before I sewed them together which I had to enlarge just a little to get the top on her.  I was really glad she could fold her arms when I was fitting this top.  I added a horizontal cut at the top of my slit which created the back of the neckline and folded the extra flaps from the front slit inside and sewed them in place by hand which finished the front quite nicely. You can see just a bit of her bodice peeking out of her V neckline.  I did sew in a bit of a bauble at the bottom of the V and added a butterfly brooch once I was finished.

I sewed a straight black skirt for her.  The selvage was all fringed so I used that instead of hemming it and created a cool metal embellishment to highlight the waist.  I sewed on the embellishment and then ran a basting stitch from each side to the back leaving ends which I used to tie up the skirt once it was on her.  Keeps everything nicely in place and gives a bit of a bustle look in the back. I added more metal embellishments  - a few I sewed on, the others I added to the waist embellishment.   I took the photo before adding the final embellishments.
It was fun digging through my stash to create embellishments.  The waist one was created using an old earring back in the middle with a double heart stud earring attached in the center.  I used modified shepherd hooks on either side.

I created a purse for her using a graphic I downloaded from Arthur's clip art.of an Astrolab.  I isolated one of the circles, printed two of them, added colour and sandwiched a piece of chipboard between them.  I added a black fiber ring all the way around to cover the chipboard's edge.  I punched a hole in the top section and inserted my hardware (back of a clip on earring) and held it in place on the front using a glue dot.  I love that it has a heart on it!!  I punched a hole on each side and added a length of chain with jump rings.

It was fun to be dressing up a paper doll and creating metal embellishments from odds and ends I have saved from other projects!

Therese

Flip Flop card with a twist

In one of my groups we are having a Flip Flop card swap and the theme is Happy New Year!!  I found this tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers which I used as a guideline for creating this card.  I experimented a lot with this design in hopes of being able to use a half sheet of cardstock effectively.  I did not success to get it working the way I wanted to so I just trimmed the middle section so it would fit inside the front and back sections.  I am sure there is a formula for how deep the fold has to be in comparison to the length of your cardstock for it to work perfectly but at this point I just needed to get the card done so I just made it work.
As you can see I went with a snowflake theme and punched my border with my Martha Stewart "daisy" punch.  I cut each piece to fit on the edges and miraculously the corners lined up with snowflakes in them so I just cut each of the pieces diagonally and mitered my corners.  I embossed them

individually with my Swiss Dot (CB) embossing folder before gluing them to my card front.  With them in place I added sparkle in each snowflake and opening using my clear Stardust gel pen.  I added lines around my central panel, around the circle  that holds my snowflake and on the back around the punched hole as well.
In the center panel, I punched a 1.75 hole (SU) and then used a Nestibilities round die to cut a hole in the white layer so that a bit of the black would show then embossed it as well.  I punched two snowflakes (MS) from silver cardstock and glued them to each other sandwiching some clear thread between them.  I applied double sided tape to the edges of the hole - top and bottom - and centered the snowflake in the hole and pressed the clear thread into the tape.  I would recommend that you fold the thread over and apply another piece of tape to prevent the thread from coming out later.  I glued the white layer centered over the black opening which effectively framed my snowflake.

So, now I can twist the snowflake, lay it flat and insert it in the envelope.  When the recipient removes it from the envelope the snowflake will twirl!!  It happens very quickly but is ever so cool!!
Here is a link to video tutorial on how to create the twirling part of this card.
On the left you can see the back of the center panel which is what is revealed when you open the card by pulling the ends apart.  I did punch the back side of the center panel with my snowflake punch and added a double knotted ribbon to the front edge.
Pretty happy with this card!!  The black and white colour scheme does Happy New Year very nicely and the twirling snowflake is the little extra excitement that each new year should have!!  It will be off to my partner on Monday!!

Therese

DIY - Vellum stickers

Vellum stickers!!  Who would have considered that you could create your own??  I certainly had not until I wrestled with getting the look I wanted on those vintage cards!!  I laser printed my greetings on vellum, cut them apart and applied double sided tape on the back of them!!  That easy!!  Though I must point out that you have to have a continuous layer of adhesive on the back of your vellum to get a nice smooth look when you apply your sticker to your surface.  As you can see from the photo I used a metal ruler to hold my little piece of vellum in place which also gave me a line to work from when I was applying my double sided tape. I used double sided tape with a paper backer which makes it easier to trim and apply.  I trimmed the vellum to the edge of the tape so I would get the seamless look I was going for.  I expect you could carefully apply several lines of tape on a larger piece of vellum and get the same effect.  Wider double sided tape would also be beneficial!!
So I anticipate using this technique again!!  There are times you just want sticky vellum and nothing else will do!!  Give it a try!!

Therese

Faux washi tape

So here is how I created my vintage looking "washi" tape!  I started with paper tape which I bought at a discount store, which is designed for keeping bandages in place.  I applied lengths from the roll to my large cutting board and started adding colour using permanent Memories stamp pads.  The ink beaded up so I added a bit of water with a foam brush which helped to spread the colour around.  I added several layers in several different colours and then stamped all over it using a large "worn" background stamp.  It was taking a long time to dry so I eventually just rubbed off what I could with a paper towel and decided I was done.  As you can see, the tape did take on some colour - it was less obvious when they were all side by side on the cutting mat.  I simply rerolled the coloured paper tape back onto the roll it originally came off of.  I am pretty happy with my first attempt at making my own "washi" tape.  Because this paper tape is somewhat resistant to inks I decided to use acrylic paints on my second attempt.  It was more successful though it still resisted the colour washes in the beginning - a thicker consistency seemed to work better.  The second one I created was for use on the butterfly and bee cards.  I will keep experimenting!!  I expect this substrate will not work very well for creating the very bright and fun types of washi tape that is all the rage at the moment.  There are other options to consider and try!!
A fun project!  I am looking forward to using my tape in my projects!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - Vintage cards

Don't these look like they were taken from a vintage scrapbook??  I found these great images at Graphic Fairy and thought it would be fun to see if could create cards with them.  I love the soft colours and the beautiful edges.  I had also wanted to try my hand at creating my own "washi tape" so I decided to combine them into a vintage card.  I went looking for a vintage ledger paper graphic or something similar to layer my image on.  Not happy with much of what I found I asked my DH if we had any fullscap, which I intended on aging.  As it turns out, we have a stash of fullscap and some near the bottom of the pile was nicely yellowed and perfect for these cards.  The fullscap is vintage!!  Probably from our high school years!!  I scanned several pieces before I used it, in case I ever need it again - I will be able to print my own.   Once cut to size for backgrounds on a black card front I stamped them in light ink to mimic old faded handwriting - really happy with how that worked out.  Then to complete the look I needed some old looking tape so I created my own vintage looking washi tape using white paper tape.  I will include more info in my next posting.  To finish off my card I wanted a bit of a Victorian greeting but had nothing that would really do, so again I decided to create what I needed.  Combined some neat fonts with some scrollwork graphics from my clipart and I had some Victorian greetings I was happy with.  Now, to get them onto the paper without it looking like they had been added.  I eventually decided to create some vellum stickers which did the job very nicely!!  Check out my next posting for more info on how I did that!!
So in the end, some vintage looking cards that I am happy with!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - little strip of art

These cards feature a stamp set called "A little bit of happiness.." by Stampin UP.  Four stamps in the set - flowers, butterflies, hearts and leaves!!  I stamped them out onto white cardstock using Staz On ink and trimmed them to size.  I watercoloured the images, layered them onto slim rectangles of cardstock that coordinated with my decorative paper which was glued to my card front.  I added a couple strips of ribbon which I adhered with double sided tape to finish the card. I may consider adding a greeting in the lower right hand side when I am ready to use the cards!!

A handmade card is like giving love in an envelope  - everyone should do it!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - Little stacks of...

After seeing a card on Splitcoast Stampers that had a repeated image up the side I decided to see what I could do to make one that was similar.  They had used a bird but I decided I would like a cup.  Not having a stamp that was small enough I decided to check out the clipart section of my layout program - Corel Draw.  Oh my!!  Needless to say, I found what I needed and more!  Look at that cool stack of gifts!!  I created one with hearts for anyone who needed a Valentine's card and created a horizontal one with little houses!!  I had not expected to create four different designs, but that is the way it often goes once you get started!!  I added a bit of embossing, simple layering and a little tie for dimension onto my watercoloured image and it was done!!
These were really fun to create!!
Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - "R" tape

I am back to my cardmaking sessions!  I had a great time designing cards this week!!
These "R" tape cards turned out so neat.  What is "R" tape you ask?  Well, before Christmas I picked up a roll of "R" tape at the craft store in the discount bins.  I was not sure what I was going to do with it but they had lots of rolls with all sorts of letters on them.  I decided on "R" because it can be word as well as a letter!!  It is 2" wide and has a black background and clear letters!!  How cool is that?? I was sure it would be great fun for using in mixed media and journalling,  but this week I was prepping card kits. so I thought I would see what I could come up with!!  I glued a strip of tape to a quarter sheet of colourful cardstock and

then trimmed the top and bottom so they would be even with the edge of the tape and squared off the ends if they needed it.  Tape can have a mind of its own sometimes!! I finished off this layer by punching the edges with a border punch.  Then, I decided to add a greeting and incorporate one of the "R"s from the tape into it.  I used a font called "Kidnap" to generate the other letters I needed and created a word oval, as well.  Once the letters were cut out I auditioned them on the tape to see which "R" would incorporate best into the greeting then attached the letters using 3D foam tape.  I placed the little word oval just above the "R" to help the greeting read properly.   Layered this great greeting over an embossed layer then onto a black card front.
I love the way these turned out!!  They are just a bit funky and would be great to give to a teenager!!

Therese

4x4 chunky book page

On AFTCM, we are exploring the Teesha Moore style and are having a 4x4 chunky book page swap. " Let's face it" is the theme and this is the concept I came up with - four faces.  Using handmade decorative paper  cut to 4x4, I laid one on top of the other and drew the center line and then cut it out.  I transposed the pieces so that each side would have a pink and blue face and glued them to a 4x4 of white cardstock.  Started by tracing the cut line and continued adding texture and details such as the eyes with black Sharpie markers in three different sizes.  Also, cut out hearts for lips and glued them in place.  Added silver Sharpie in several different areas for accent and a bit of bling.  Happy with the result!!
It is a reminder that we can only change ourselves.  As we change our perspective, we see the world differently and, therefore, make different choices which changes the world for us.  We are co-creators!!

Therese

Black Magic Snowflakes!!

This technique is so dramatic that I thought I would try it with snowflakes!! There is a tutorial on Splitcoast you can check out!
 I stamped three different snowflakes on a quarter sheet of black cardstock using white pigment and the greeting on a black scrap using the same ink.  Once dry, I coloured all the white using blue, lilac, mauve and silver pencil crayons.  For the final touch, I added dots using a white gel pen - just makes everything pop!!  I trimmed the quarter sheet to leave a small border all the way round on an A2 card and then cut out a rectangle from the middle using a rectangle Nestibilities.  I cut the greeting close and layered both using white cardstock.  The elements were assembled onto a white card.  One little white punched snowflake (MS) attached with a black mini brad was the final touch!!
I am really happy with the way this one turned out!!  Makes a great card for a winter celebration!!

Therese

Monochromatic Blue!

Lots of blue!!  Created this one for a Monochromatic Blue swap!! I am really happy with how the blues in this card work with each other.  There was a fair amount of swapping until I was happy with all the layers!  The image is from my image stash - clear embossed on white and colour washed with watercolour.  I keep printed, stamped, coloured, cut out images - actually all images that don't work out for the project I am working on.  As in this case, this image was the focal point of the card and I built all the blue layers and embellishments around it!!  Perfect!!  I used some very cool velvet ribbon on this card - it is such a nice baby blue and has lots of texture - would have been too thick to knot so for this application - backed with double sided tape - it worked out just right.  Added blue rhinestones to each scallop on the border (SU border punch) as well.  The greeting was stamped in blue.  After a bit of experimenting I ended up stamping off once before stamping on my layer to reduce the intensity of the ink.  I like how it turned out!!
It has been fun to play and make cards one at a time!!  I am using the supplies that I really like and have only in limited supply!!  One more swap - finished!!

Therese

Valentine card

Back to creating!!  I have combined a swap with a challenge and created this Valentine's card!!  The swap is for a Valentine's card and the challenge is a Valentine's card using red, pink, white and teal.  I started with the bird cage graphic which I download from Graphics Fairy.  Lots of great images there for free!!
I opened the bird cage jpeg in my graphics program (Photo Elements) and removed the numbers and the top perch to allow enough room for my birds.  I had fully intended on stamping the birds but getting them just where they needed to be became problematic so I decided to draw a couple instead.  They are simple line drawings but I am happy with the way they turned out.  I combined them in my layout program (Cored Draw) and sized them for my card before laser printing them.  I dug through my paper scraps and found this red and pink paper which I combined with the teal trimmings created when I layered my watercoloured image.   I punched a hole at the top of the cage and tied in some vintage pink seam binding to finish off my card!!
So I will be submitting this card to the Valentine card challenge at Class Acts and sending along the actual card to my swap partner!!
I have several other projects on the go and will be uploading them as they are completed!!

Happy creating!!

Therese

Happy New Year!!

The gift of a new year!!
As you can see from the photo, we are welcoming this year with mild weather and today has brought the first "snow day" with lots of ice and very little snow!!  With no snow before it started and the prediction of above freezing temperatures for the next few days I expect there will be none to speak of again!
We had a wonderful Christmas with lots of family in many different places so we are happy to be back home and getting back into a routine.  Though, with saying that, our routine will be a different one as my DH retired and we will be learning to live with each other.  We are up to the task, looking forward to having more time with each other and fully aware that there will be bumps in the road before we are full speed ahead with the rest of our lives!!  We are grateful that we have all we need and have been blessed with more!!

Therese