Baby cards using cute images from La Petite Femme on Pixabay

 I love this image from Pixabay (La Petite Femme) and it is perfect for making baby cards.  I sold all I had and needed some in a hurry so I dug through my image stash to see what I had and found the pink one.  I wanted to make a gender neutral one as well so I experimented to see if I could digitally change the colour of the balloon and found that it was very easy in Photo Elements!!  Excellent!!  So I printed off a few in different colours - green, blue and yellow which should make a few more baby cards when I need them next.  Yeah!!!!!!
The first card features a green card layered with some swirly green and white decorative paper cut just a bit smaller than the front of my card.  I laser printed the image after I digitally made the balloon a coordinating green and added a greeting, trimmed it to size and layered it onto grey before mounting it over my decorative paper background using 3D foam tape. 
For the second card I used a larger image which I had already printed with pink balloons.  I cut a pink layer for the image.  I layered a laser printed circle punchie greeting onto a silver circle punchie and adhered it to my image.  I punched a larger circle from the middle of the of my pink layer before adhering it to the back of my image and then I mounted the circle behind my image so it would highlight the greeting.  Really like how that worked out!!  I manually embossed a grey card front around the edges before mounting my focal element to it using double sided tape. 
Loving these cards!!
Therese

A bear with apples and a primary colour scheme!

A few more cards for my stash!!  I love this image of the bear with the apples by Birdie Brown which is laser printed on white cardstock and trimmed!!  I also highlighted the edges with a black marker.  The background features blue decorative paper and a red embossed panel with yellow gros grain where they meet with the ends glued to the back.  This is mounted to a white layer and then to a brown card front.  The image is watercoloured to coordinate with the background.  No greeting makes this card versatile and appropriate for a fall birthday or a thank you card!!

Therese

Two cute truck cards with laser printed special occasions greetings

I love this little truck die cut which my sister cut for me when she visited earlier this year!!  I made up some kits for my January card class and am making up a few kits for my stash.  These have fun greetings!!   I mounted some blue decorative papers to the black card fronts to simulate a sky and then overlapped a torn piece of green decorative paper below that to simulate roadside greenery leaving a strip of black at the bottom.  I added white strips to the black strip to simulate pavement.  I coloured in my little truck - black for the tires and glitter pen for the headlights, windshield, bumper, hubcaps and door handle.  I added balloons to each of them in a different way.  For the one on the left, I printed a balloon bouquet, fussy cut it and mounted it over the back of the truck.  For the one on the right, I added balloon punchies and used a fine tip black marker to draw in the strings.  I mounted the trucks over the ends of the balloons and then added my fussy cut laser printed greetings to make them look like they are being flown from the back of the truck cab.  I have a few more so there will at least a few more that will appear in a bit.  

Therese

A cute bear die cut makes a beary special card

This bear die cut (SX) is so conducive to making these special cards!!  I created kits for my March class and am just getting to making up a few kits for my card stash. 
This one features a lavender bear die cut with its details watercoloured in pink.  I added a little white heart punchie to his middle and positioned some black cardstock behind his eyes and nose to get them to show up nicely.  I used decorative paper that features a rainbow as a background which works perfectly.  I trimmed the laser printed greeting on the bottom edge with decorative scissors and glued it to bottom of my card front. I border punched a piece of coordinating pink cardstock and cut a slot on every second set of holes in which I threaded through a white satin ribbon adhering the ends to the back with double sided tape.  I positioned this embellishment over the top edge of the greeting using double sided tape to keep it in place.  I added the bear tucking one of his legs behind to border to give the card a bit of depth. 
Therese

Love this cute little bunny with a balloon tied to his foot

Love the bunny!!   A digital image from Pixabay which is an amazing image gallery!!!  One of my latest go to places for digital images. 
I printed the image on white cardstock and trimmed it to size.  I found some pink cardstock that coordinated and embossed a quarter sheet  with a fun diamond pattern.  I glued the embossed layer to a white card front and added a black fiber across the card and then tied on a short piece.  I glued my image over the fiber and added the laser printed greeting just above the fiber embellishment.  I dug into my sequins stash and found a few that coordinated.  I added four - two little pink ones, one medium white iridescent and one large one with a very pink iridescence - using small pieces of glue dots. 
I had to talk myself into not using more layers and I like how the greeting still stands out from the focal image because of the layering of them. 

Therese

A card that features a butterfly opening, ribbon and a little greeting

While I was making the kits for this card for the All Occasion Class I made this card!!  It uses a spoiled embossed layer in that because I misjudged the location of my little cutting plate I cut part of the die next to the butterfly on this large die.  I burnished the slit closed and added regular tape on the back and it still showed after I embossed the layer so I decided to use this one to make a sympathy card and simply added a little greeting over the the mistake and no one is any the wiser!!!
So this card sketch works with or without a greeting!  You can check the ones without a greeting here that I created for my All Occasion Class last week!!

Therese

All Occasion Stack Class - Card #3 - a wide strip of decorative paper, a thin strip of cardstock and a die cut focal element

This is card #3 in the All Occasion Stack Class this week!  I always make the last card easy because as the evening moves on some are getting tired and are having trouble staying focused!!
This is a quick and easy card!!  It features a wide strip of decorative paper (3" x 5.5") glued right up to the top of the coordinating card and the sides as well.  Depending on how accurately I have cut the pieces there is usually a bit to be trimmed on one side or the other.  Next, the thin strip of coordinating cardstock (.5 x 5.5") is glued over the bottom edge of the decorative paper.  I added three passes of my trusting tracing wheel to give this piece a bit of interest and texture.  Finally, the 3D embellishment is added over the thin strip using 3D foam tape to give it some dimension.  This one is a star die cut which I manually embossed using a hammer and a star included in an embossing folder.  Gives it a bit of texture and interest!!  Without a greeting this card would be appropriate for a new baby or a three year old's birthday!!  Therese

All Occasion Stack Class - Card #2 - embossed backgrounds, fiber and colour printed focal elements

Here is my second card for the All Occasion Stack class this week!!  I went through my stash and discovered two sets of colour printed flowers - these blue Lily of the Valley and beautiful red poppies!  I trimmed them apart and layered them where needed to create my focal elements.  Needing a few more I decided to visit one of my sources for free to use colour graphics - Pixabay!  I found a new person who does the equivalent of loose pen and ink sketches of everyday things and adds a bit of colour.  Love them!! I printed out a few of those and a good variety of others which means that we will not have to colour images in this class.  Again, a good variety of images yields a good selection of themed cards.
So we will be gluing our embossed layers to our coordinating cards and them wrapping our fiber around several times and tying them all together on the front using a couple of knots.  Spreading the fibers apart adds interest and definition to this wonderfully textured aspect of this card.  The colour printed focal elements will be added over the fiber using 3D foam tape.  This vintage image includes a greeting but the others do not therefore keeping the card appropriate for a variety of occasions!
Therese

All Occasion Stack Class - card #1 - a die cut opening in an embossed layer which reveals the decorative paper below

This is our first card for the All Occasion Stack Class this week!!  We will be making 12 cards - 4 of three different designs.  I have designed them with no greetings to increase their versatility and have also used a variety of dies and papers to make all the cards different even if they all use the same sketch.
For this card I used an oak leaf die which is part of a large Sizzix die which requires smaller cutting plates (broken pieces) and precise placement as to cut the one die in this large layer.  After cutting out the leaf I embossed the white layer (3.75" x 5") using the CB Swiss Dot embossing folder.  I added a length of coordinating ribbon just below the opening adhering both ends to the back and tied on a short piece using a single knot to the one on the front to simulate a bow.  I glued my decorative paper (4 " 5.25") to the front of a brown card and then mounted my embossed/die cut layer over it using 3D foam tape near the edges of the opening and double sided tape near the outside edges.  Gives the opening some dimension!!! 

So in the course of making the kits I used a variety of dies - hearts, stars, snowflake, trees, bee, butterfly, flowers, etc to ensure a good variety of cards. 

Therese

Another quick and easy card with scrapbook paper

For my final quick and easy card I combined a piece of scrapbook paper with lots of coloured stripes with a dark brown card along with a green raffia trim which I found in my stash.  I tied a short piece to the one on the front to simulate a bow.  After gluing this element to my card I added two rows of paper piercing across the bottom edge using my pattern tracing wheel and added clear glitter gel pen dots in between.  Just enough to echo the dots in the paper and keep the overall look subtle.  I used a laser printed greeting punchie (Word Window - SU) layered over a label punchie (Modern Label - SU) which I mounted using 3D foam tape.  This one was very quick and easy because I had precut supplies on hand in my stash!!  Therese

Beautiful watercolour background with some embossing and simple layered greeting

I made this card along with a few more at the last minute last week!  I was looking for quick and easy!!  I found this watercolour background in my stash and wanted to jazz it up a bit without covering any of it up so I embossed it with a simple floral flourish which did exactly what I wanted it to.  I mounted it to a green card front and added a simple layered greeting to finish it off.  The greeting is laser printed onto white cardstock, punched out with the Word Window punch (SU) and layered onto a Modern label punchie in bright turquoise blue!!  Perfect!  I mounted it to my card using 3D double sided tape just where it needed to be so it would be in the flow of the watercolour design!!  I love doing these watercolour backgrounds - just random spots and swipes of colour on a large piece.  Once dry, I trim them to 4" x 5.25" for A2 cards and they make awesome cards quick and easy!!                  Therese

Fun card for a young artist

I made this card for my grand daugther's birthday!!  She is growing up and really loving sketching at the moment so I when I found this lovely little illustration on Pixabay the other other I thought it would be perfect for her card.  I love the simplicity of the art and that it might be inspiration to create her own little bear!! or bunny or cat!!
I colour printed the digital image onto white cardstock and trimmed it out of the sheet - I printed several others while I was at it!!  I used a broad tipped permanent black marker to highlight the edge and mounted it onto a rectangle of red.  Very different for me, I mounted the image off of center, added sequins using tiny pieces of glut dots and dots with a clear glitter gel pen in between them.  Just a little greeting to finish it off mounted with 3D foam tape!!! 
I am really happy with the way this one turned out!!! 

Therese

Quick and easy handmade card for a friend

Needed a few cards the other day and made them as quick and easy as I could. 
I found this background in my stash.  It is preprinted scrapbook paper with three different layers which coordinate beautifully.  I trimmed the piece to size and adhered to a dark red card front.  I perused my stamps to find one that would be suitable for making a friend card and lo and behold I found one I had never used before.  I stamped it in brown on yellow and punched it out using the Decorative Label punch (SU).  I punched another one from dark brown, cut it apart and adhered the piece to the back of the yellow one to create a highlight on both the left and the right.  I mounted the greeting onto my card front using 3D foam tape and found that it needed a bit of something so I watercoloured the flower and the dots and added clear glitter gel pen dots all the way around the edge as well.  That was better!!!!!!!!!!!                       Therese

Mixed media collage card for a birthday

DH has a birthday this week!  I have not been in my craft room in quite a while because of other commitments and having a bit of a cold for just over a week!!  So I headed into my room hoping that something would come to me and I would get a card made. 
I started with a book page from a song book that has been discarded as he is an avid music fan.  I used my new stencils - large circles - to sponge a background all over it in blues. I dug through my scrap box and found the round heart elements which I cut out, sponged the edges with blue and glued to them to the book page.  In my scrap box I also found some coffee themed vellum - he loves his coffee - so I ripped that into strips and glued that down.  As you can see there was no real plan - I was just "going with it".  I wanted to echo the gold in the vellum and circles I had originally stencilled on so I used a polka dot stencil, applied gold pigment ink and the applied gold embossing powder and heated it all over.  I then used a polka dot embossing folder and embossed the whole background and then sponged on the same blue inks I had originally used to highlight the pattern randomly.  I laid my background over a large piece of black for contrast and found that the black border was a bit two stark so I gold embossed polka dots on the edges of before I glued them together.  I wanted to emphasize the collage aspect so I added washi tape to the bottom and top of the background securing the song sheet to the black.  I added a line of blue washi tape which I wanted to use to as a base for my focal element.  I like how well that worked.  As the main focal element I die cut a bare tree (TH SX) out of dark gray and embossed it with a gear embossing folder (TH).  I created a little embellishment using gold embroidery thread and two heart punchies and tied it to one of the tree branches and glued it to my layered background using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  I fussy cut a laser printed greeting, watercoloured it to coordinate with the heart embellishment and glued it over the trunk of the tree. Really liked that!!  It still needed a bit of something so I headed back to my scrap box and this die cut gold key caught my eye!!  I auditioned it and found that it balanced the tree quite well by positioning it below the base line of washi tape.  I mounted this large element to a large ivory card which I had sponged on the front edges with the same blue inks I had used to sponge the original background circles!!!!!!!  Pretty happy with how it worked out!!             Therese

Fun Easter images with textured backgrounds and 3D embellishments

Another couple Easter cards!!!

I started with a very elegant digital Easter greeting which I laser printed, trimmed and layered onto coordinating cardstock.  I found a piece of coordinating scrapbook paper and glued it to my black card front.  I used punches to create these little flower embellishments to finish off my card.  I used silver brads to combine a pink sequin, a light pink and a dark pink flower punchie.  I punched some light green feathery leaves (MS) and adhered them to the back of my flowers using double sided tape.  I glued my focal element to my card front and then glued the flowers around it.  It still needed a bit of something so I used my pattern tracing wheel to add some paper piercing to the card front in between my elements.  I was careful to not pierce too deep as to not damage my black card front and I think it adds a lot of interest and texture to my card!!  Perfect!!

For my second cards I started with this very bright floral digital image (Pixabay) to which I added a font greeting before laser printing it.  I layered it onto dark pink cardstock and went looking for a coordinating piece for my background.  I found this beautiful yellow piece, embossed it and added the green gros grain ribbon before I mounted this large element to a dark brown card.  I mounted my focal element above the ribbon and thought that it needed just a bit of something so I created a little flower 3D embellishment that coordinated.  I used a dark brad and layered on a yellow sequin, a dark pink flower punchie and added ribbon leaves to the back using double sided tape.  I cut a piece of dark pink ribbon, folded it and used the brad from the flower to adhere it to my card front over the green ribbon.  That worked very well!!  

Therese

Easter cards that feature laser printed digital images and ribbon

For this trio of Easter cards I used laser printed digital images as my focal elements.  

The first card has a cute little bunny collage (Pixabay) which I trimmed and layered onto yellow cardstock before distressing the edges. Thinking it still needed a bit of something I cut two triangles from a square of the same blue cardstock as my card and mounted on opposite corners of my layered image.  That was better!!  I found this piece of scrapbook paper which coordinated nicely so I trimmed it and mounted it to a blue card front.  I found a green piece of ribbon which worked well and machine stitched to it an ivory rick rack before adding it to my card front using double sided tape to adhere the ends to the inside of my card.  I used 3D foam tape to mount my focal element to my card front!!

The center card is a beautiful digital image (Pixabay)  to which I added a font greeting before laser printing it. I trimmed it and layered it onto green and added three little rhinestones just below the greeting to finish off my focal element.  I embossed (SU) some pink cardstock, added an organza ribbon and then a piece of this very fun textured ivory ribbon which is a bit ruffled adhering the ends to the inside of the card using double sided tape.  I mounted my large image/greeting over the ribbon using 3D foam tape. 

For my third card I trimmed my Easter Greetings image onto orange cardstock, trimmed the bottom edge with scallop decorative scissors and paper pierced all the scallops to add texture.  There was just enough room to add a row of piercings with my pattern tracing wheel between the scallops and the image.  Love that look!!  I chose a neutral scrapbook paper for my background and glued it to a green card front.  I added a yellow ribbon gluing the ends to the inside of the card.  I used my slot punch to to punch just a tiny sliver of cardstock from the spine which creates a perfect slit for inserting my ribbon!!  I mounted my focal element to my card front using 3D foam tape and added three little brown dots (1/4" punchies) below the ribbon on the right hand side of my image.  

Again a sketch that works pretty well but delivers a set of versatile cards!!!

Therese

A few more Easter cards!!

I am still making Easter cards!!  These two combine decorative paper, ribbon and a focal element!!

For the first one, I used a hand decorated piece of paper which features wax resist, watercolour and for green flourish stamping.  I trimmed it and sponged the edges,  dded a length of lilac ribbon and punched a hole (SU) for my greeting before adhering it to a green card front.  I tied on another short piece to simulate a bow!!  I watercoloured the laser printed image which I trimmed to help the cross feel like it is more upright.  I layered it onto green and then onto purple to create my focal element.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere it to my card front over the ribbon.  I added a laser printed greeting from my stash in the hole I created in the background paper which allows the green from the card to nicely highlight the greeting.
For my second card I used a laser printed digital greeting/image (Pixabay) which I trimmed to size, layered onto dark pink and then distressed the edges using my distress tool.  I found this background paper in my stash which nicely reflects the pink I used and the colours in the greeting.  I added a length of ribbon to it before adhering it to a green card front.  I mounted my focal element to the card using 3D foam tape and tied a short piece of the same ribbon to the one on the front to simulate a bow.  I like this cute little bunny image and it makes a cute Easter card!!
Pretty much the same sketch and technique which yields to very different cards because of the supplies I used!!

Therese

March Cardmaking - bunnies and bears for some very special wishes

For my last card I wanted a fairly quick card so I created these great cards with fun greetings!!  For anyone wanting Easter cards I had a few "hopping" greetings!!  I checked the internet for bunny greetings and found quite a few fun ones which I incorporated into my kits.  The teddy bear also provided the opportunity for some fun greetings which are "beary" special.  I have owned both of these dies for quite a long time and had only ever cut them once to provide a white cardstock sample which I store with the die.  I cut the bunnies mostly from brown cardstock and inserted a pink nose which I die cut from scraps.  I adhered a scrap of black cardstock behind the face to give it black eyes and highlighted the whiskers with a fine tip black permanent marker.  I gave all the bunnies an egg to hold which I created with an oval punchie embellished with washi tape. They look pretty cute!  The die comes with a flower for it to hold.  It will be fun to see how many other items I can find to put in its hands.  For the bear I cut the first one from black cardstock and cut the other little pieces from white cardstock, fussy cut them and glued them in place.  I watercoloured the muzzle and the paws.  Black would not work for eyes on this one so I put a piece of white in behind and added a dot with a black marker to create his eyes.  For all the others I cut them from different colours and used black on the back to create the eyes and watercolour to embellish their noses, tummies and paws.  I added coordinating hearts to all of their bellies!!  I created the coordinating ribbon embellishments as well.  I punched the cardstock strips with a border punch (SU), trimmed out every third set of holes with an exacto knife and then threaded through 1/4" ribbon securing the ends to the back using double sided tape.  I made all of these ahead of time!! 

Assembly was fairly easy.  Glued the backgrounds to the coordinating card fronts - scrapbook paper for the bear and hand decorated watercolour paper for the bunny, added the trimmed and embellished laser printed greetings and then positioned the ribbon embellishments above and over them.  The final step was to add the bears/bunnies with 3D foam tape to give them some dimension. Great cards!!  So glad I finally pulled these dies out and used them!!  They will make fun cards with special greetings!!!

Therese

March Cardmaking - a fun folding technique with ribbon and a layered focal element

For the second card I decided to try out this fun fold which I have seen quite a bit on Splitcoast Stampers.  

I cut my scrapbook paper backgrounds to 4" x 5.25" and then cut a 1 3/4" slit from the right hand side at the center (2 5/8").  I scored from the end of the cut to each of the corners and then folded the flaps back.  This works best with double sided paper which makes the flap interesting!  Digging into my stash I did find several pieces of double sided paper to make up my kits.  Both of the above are gift wrap.  I added a ribbon from the bottom of the cut to the opposite side securing the ends with double sided tape and then mounted this element to my embossed card front.  I added a tiny bit of double sided tape right near the fold on both flaps to encourage them to stay open but still allowed the tips to lift from the main area which creates a bit of dimension.  The focal elements were all layered scalloped circles - some with greetings and others as above without.  The flower (CLKER) is laser printed, punched and layered with green then onto a blue scallop punchie (SU).  The button was laser printed, fussy cut and mounted to a circle punchie and then to the scalloped circle punchie.  I pierced the scallops with a push pin to add some texture.  One of the girls at class mentioned that it looks like a blouse if you rotate it to the left!!  So it does!! This would certainly work well in the portrait orientation to create a shirt with a tie for a Father's Day card.   You can check out another of these cards here and here.  So a fun fold for a fairly quick card once you have your focal element worked out!!

Therese

March Cardmaking - a handmade card featuring a little birdie in a cage

 

Little birdie cards are so versatile because they can be used for so many occasions!!

For our first card for cardmaking this time I decided we would make some!!  I choose decorative paper which had a decorative element on the left hand side and we positioned our little birds with their cages to the right of them.  This used some scrapbook paper which has been languishing in my stash because some of the papers were made for specialty layouts and had decorative elements that were not uniform.  A few more pages cut up and out of the bin!! 

Started by adhering the decorative paper to the coordinating card fronts.  Next, I cut the cages (TH SX) out of coordinating cardstock, trimmed off the finial and manually embossed the top with a round element from a gear embossing folder.  I die cut the birds and then the wings a different colour.  I started with the bird - created a beak with a marker and added a tiny black brad to create its eye.  I did not want mine behind the cage so I positioned it so it had its head sticking between the bars of the cage and glued the lower branch to the back of the cage.  I added the wing next using a little double sided tape.  Next, I added the hanging ribbon through the hole at the top, secured it with tape and slid on the little birdie tag before mounting this large element to my card front using white glue applied with a fine tip applicator.  The little tags were cut with a tag die (SX), stamped with a little stamp from a birdie set (SU) using a stamping jig and then had a little string tied on.  Next, I wrapped the ribbon to the inside of the card and secured it with double sided tape and tied the off cut to the front with a single knot to simulate a bow.  To finish off my card I glued rhinestones inside the holes at the bottom of the cage with white glue and secured my tag with 3D foam tape.  In the end, I added a bit of chalk to the tag to soften its edges.  Some of the girls did not secure the bird cage to the card which left it swinging which was also a nice effect.  It could then easily be removed and hung in a window or reused.  

Therese

Decorative paper with a watercoloured laser printed image of a cross

I wanted a simple cross image for this Easter card so I managed to find one on a clip art site.  As I look at it now, it looks a little off center so I will have to correct that before the next time I use it.  I laser printed the image and watercoloured it.  I layered it onto brown cardstock and distressed the edges.  I found this scrapbook paper background in my stash and it coordinated perfectly so I simply added a blue ribbon that coordinated adhering the ends to the back and then mounted it to a beige card.  I embossed the greeting (SU) onto a watercoloured yellow scrap, ripped the bottom edge and trimmed the left hand side and tucked it below the ribbon adhering it in place.  I offset my focal element so it would just cover the right hand side of my greeting which worked perfectly!!! 

It is always good to be reminded of the reason for the season. 

Therese

Some fun vellum combined with some bright images

These cards both feature a vellum layer!!  The one on the left has some cool bunny vellum which I cut just slightly smaller than my card front.  I created my focal element and positioned it before stamping and embossing my greeting.  The focal element combines a bright laser printed image of Easter eggs (Anji's Antics) which I watercoloured and layered onto yellow cardstock.  I mounted the focal element to the vellum and then applied double sided tape to the back of it where I knew that it would not show through to the front and then adhered this large element to a purple card front.  You have to be really careful when thermal embossing on vellum as the vellum can warp a bit.  You can see that there is a bit of warping even if I was very careful not to apply too much heat for too long.  I am a bit out of practice!!  Really like these bright Easter eggs and I added just a bit of clear glitter gel pen to them as a final touch. 

For my next card, I mounted a hand decorated background paper (watercolour and plastic wrap) in red and pinks to coordinate with my focal image to the front of a purple card. I trimmed the laser printed image (Pixabay), ripped a piece of vellum to frame it nicely and adhered it to the back of the image using double side tape.  I applied double sided tape to the back of this element where it was hidden from the front and adhered it to my embellished card front. 

Therese

Mixed media exchange cards that feature serendipity backgrounds, die cuts and embossing

Wanting to create cards that are a bit more mixed media that my regular cards I dug out my serendipity backgrounds stash and found two in blue, green and brown tones.  These are a little less serendipity in that they feature square edged scraps instead of torn and are generally a little less layered and overlapping. They were embossed with an allover patterned embossing folder - Lattice (SU).  I die cut a leaf (TH SX) out of one and a flower (SX) out of the other.  Because these are the large dies that have three images on each die it required a bit of work.  I have several broken plates for my Big Kick which I use to allow myself more flexibility when I am cutting and embossing.  In the end, I broke one of my half plates in two to get two quarter plates so I could cut these where I wanted on them my background.  It takes a bit of working out so that you can get the small plate positioned to cut only the one die.  For the flower one I used brown heavy white core paper to cut another one and embossed it so that there was some swirls and a bird, sanded it a bit to reveal the white core and then added ink to help it coordinate with the background.  I cut a dark yellow center as well which I dotted with a gold gel pen.  I inserted the center into the flower and held it in place with regular tape and did the same with the flower into the background.  I used a border embossing folder to emboss the leaves on both sides and highlighted the embossing with green ink.  I used a bit of watercolour afterwards to make some of the leaves more solid.  For the leaf, I used the coordinating embossing folder to emboss brown cardstock with the leaf shape, added some colour and finally a bit of gold embossing powder to give the leaf added texture.  I mounted the leaf behind the hole in my background and then used a swirl embossing folder (TH) with the small plates to emboss three of the corners which I highlighted with green ink as well.  I layered these large elements onto coordinating layers (gold for the leaf and yellow for the flower) and then onto coordinating card fronts before machine stitching them all the way around.  Very happy with how these turned out and they are headed to my partners in today's mail!!!

Therese

REUSE - Hand decorated gift bags reusing banana bags!!

I needed some gift bags for Easter gifts this week and thought I would give a go to making my own from the bags that discounted bananas come in at the grocery store.  I always keep these because they are really handy for packaging garden produce for passing onto neighbours and friends.  So I dug a couple from my stash and decided I would create a bit of a collage on the front using scraps from my serendipity box.  I used some thinned white glue to adhere all of my scraps to the front of the bags which nicely covered up all the writing on them.  Wanting to unify the collage a bit I decided to glue a paper napkin (just the top layer) over my collage.  You can see the napkin - green stipes - at the top of the photo.  It was much to bold so I used the second to last layer of the paper napkin instead.  You can see that it worked much better and the subtle pattern really allowed the collage to show through.  I added layer of glue over the whole front and pressed the paper napking layer into it.  For my last layer of glue I used some thinned gold glitter glue that I found in my glue bucket.  Love the look!!  Just a bit of nice glitter overall and the whole front is nicely sealed.  On hindsight, the next time I will cover the handle on the front as well.  For these ones, I will be adding some doodles on the handles to make them coordinate a bit better with the whole look of the bag.  

Very happy with how they turned out and I really enjoyed making these quick collages this morning!!

Therese

Beautiful crocus paper for Easter cards

I love this crocus paper for Easter/spring cards!!  This is almost the very last of the paper I have which has been my go to paper for these cards for many years!!  Not sure if it is still available anywhere!!  I may have to find a new favorite!!

For my first card, I cut my background with a slit - 1 3/4" from the right hand side half way up and then folded the flap up.  They were plain white on the back and I thought they needed a bit of something so I added little rectangles of a subtle patterned paper to make them more interesting.  I like how it looks.  Next time I will glue a strip of paper to the back before I cut the paper which will help to get everything lined up and create a nicer fold.  I used a small piece of double sided tape right near the fold to keep the flaps open.  I added a piece of purple ribbon from the folded area to the outside edge and adhered the ends to the back of the paper using double sided tape.  I embossed (SU) the right hand edge of a yellow card and then added my folded background.  I watercoloured my laser printed digital greeting, layered it onto a purple scalloped circle die cut and mounted it over the end of my ribbon using 3D foam tape.  I added a bit of clear glitter to the flowers and the line on the greeting.  

For my second card, I used two small scraps and taped them together on the back to created a full background.  I glued it to the front of a green card and added a ruffled ivory ribbon gluing the ends to the inside of my card with double sided tape.  I created an opening on my spine using a slot punch by just punching off a sliver.  I added some purple and white bakers twine over the center of the ribbon which worked out quite well.  I used regular tape to secure the ends on the inside front.  I watercoloured my laser printed punchie greeting and mounted it over the ribbon just a bit to the right as to not cover up the yellow crocus.  Again, a bit of clear glitter was added to the greeting to give it a bit of fun!!  

Therese

Fussy cut pansy fabric with an gold embossed greeting

I have had this pansy fabric for a long time and have used much of it for making cards by applying a fusible webbing to the back.  I found these two scraps in a box of spare parts I had not been through in a while and thought they would make wonderful Easter cards.  I fussy cut the edges around the flowers to give myself room for the greeting on my black background.  This fabric does better on a white background because it makes the colours pop where as the black dulls it a bit.  None the less I really like the gold embossed greeting (SU) which highlights the gold in the fabric.  After embossing the greeting I positioned the trimmed fabric and carefully ironed it onto the background.  I had to be careful not to touch the embossing powder because it would have melted to the iron.  I added ribbon to the other end of my fabric (yellow on one and purple on the other) and tied on a short piece to the longer length to simulate a bow.  I glued the one to a yellow card and the other to a purple card.  As you can see the fabric is very versatile and can be used in both orientations!!!  Very happy with these cards!!  I will have to keep an eye out for more fun fabric for my card making!!

Therese 

Piano card for my grand daughter

We went out of town last week to see our oldest grand daughter's first piano recital.  She just started piano lessons in the fall and her teacher felt she had improved enough to participate!!  I wanted to let her know that we were proud of her and "good on her" for doing well with her piece. 
So I decided to make a musical card for her and I found this piano card  tutorial on line which seemed pretty straight forward so I decided to give it a go.  I started with a black card base.  I cut a piece of white cardstock and added black lines with a permanent marker.  I used this method of marking even spaces on a piece of paper using a ruler and it worked perfectly to define the white piano keys.  I found some small scraps of black cardstock and cut them about 2/3 of the white piece and used double sided tape to glue them over the lines.  I was sure to put them in the correct order by finding a piano on line and duplicating the pattern.  I hand drew the grand piano shape and trimmed it with scissors.  I printed the sheet music offered in the tutorial and glued it to the inside of the card.  I added a small insert on the inside front of the card to write my note!!  Very happy with how it turned out!! 

Therese

Easter card with a ribbon cross and printed greeting

My first Easter card!  I used a piece of packaging for my background - beautiful yellow and white stripes!!  There is a joint below the ribbon vertically and I angled the black gros grain just a bit so it is still covered by the ribbon.  I added a piece across horizontally to create a graphic cross on my background.  I really like the effect!!  I glued this background to a blue green card which coordinates with my greeting.  I really wanted to layer this round colour printed greeting but I could not find a layer colour that did not distract from the cross so I put it on without one using 3D foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.  A simple card with a simple message!!  Love it!

Therese

A set of handmade cards with fun background paper

 In an effort to expand my repertoire of card sketches that feature decorative paper backgrounds I decided to see if I could come up with a set of cards using four backgrounds cut from the same sheet of decorative paper.  I trimmed my backgrounds and set about finding coordinating cardstock for my card bases.  With that done it was just a matter of finding sketches that would work.

For my first card, I added a length of green ribbon and layered on a floral focal element which was constructed using diecuts/punchies.  I die cut the petalled flower and manually embossed the petals before adding a green circle punchie and then an embossed pink center.  I added a sponged laser printed punchie greeting to the lower left hand side to finish off my card. 
My second card started with the same background to which I added a dark maroon strip of embossed cardstock near the bottom.  I die cut the word "happy"(SX) in green and mounted it to the left hand side of the maroon strip which left just enough space on the right for my little "birthday" which I fortunately was able to tuck under the maroon strip. 
For my third card I chose to cover the only bright red on my background with my layered focal element which gives this one a bit of a different look.  I layered a green "hole" of a flower punchie over a maroon scalloped circle punchie and then embossed the petals before adding a pink circle punchie in the center to finish off the flower.  I added a light green ribbon across the middle of the background paper before gluing it to my green card front then adhered my focal element over the end of it using 3D foam tape.  The background paper details support the idea of the focal element being a flower. 
For my last card I decided to try a technique that I have seen quite a few times on Splitcoast Stampers  which involves cutting the decorative paper on the center about one third way in on the right hand side.  I measured 2 5/8" up and 1 3/4" from the edge of my 4" x 5.25" background and cut the paper with my exacto knife.  Next, I scored between the end of the line and both corners so I would get a neat fold.  I gently folded the flaps up and used a tiny piece of double sided tape very near the fold to keep the flaps from springing up too much - just enough dimension and texture!!  I added a ribbon across the middle from the end of the cut to the outside edge gluing the ends to the back with double sided tape.  The cardstock in the "v" needed a bit of something so I manually embossed that area with a distressed strips embossing folder.  For my embellishment I die cut a small red petal flower, added a green center and two embossed leaves before adhering it over the end of the cut with 3D foam tape. 
Very happy with my challenge and did manage to find some sketches that worked with my backgrounds.  I like that with these busy backgrounds I feel that the card don't really need greetings.  My favorite is the one with the flaps - a great sketch.  Will be using that one again!!

Therese

Card set #4 - washi tape/decorative paper backgrounds with 3D embellishments

For my final set of cards I have these warm and bright washi tapes combined with a very subtle off white and beige scrapbook paper for my backgrounds which I have mounted to off white card fronts. 
For my first card I again went with a bird theme.  I die cut a portion of the bare tree (TH) using a scrap of brown cardstock, trimmed it to fit and adhered it to my card front.  I punched a bird from red cardstock, coloured in the beak and added a tiny black brad for the eye.  I punched the wing from brown cardstock, manually embossed it and adhered it to my bird.  I added the bird to my card using 3D foam tape. 
For my second card I die cut the butterfly from yellow and manually embossed its wings, added a paper butterfly from my stash and layered onto it the brown body/antennae die cut (QK) from a different butterfly die set.  I adhered it to my card front using 3D foam tape and added a dotted flight path using a fine tipped permanent marker.  

For my third card I die cut a large flower using the Tattered Flowers die (TH) from maroon cardstock and added some texture by colour washing the petals with watercolour.  I fussy cut this cute laser printed button, used a black marker on its edges and watercoloured it yellow to coordinate with the background before adhering it to the center of my flower using 3D foam tape.  I hand cut from green scraps a stem and two leaves, glued them to my card front and then adhered my flower over the end of the stem.  To finish off my card I colour washed the stems as well for a bit more texture.  

For my fourth and final card I went back to my heart theme and layered several heart die cuts.  I started with a red heart, layered on one with musical notes and finally added a smaller one cut from gold card and manually embossed.  This heart focal element was added to my card front using 3D foam tape.  

I have so enjoyed making these four sets of cards!!!  I love the collagy look of them and that they are very versatile.  I may consider using this concept again for my card making in the future when I am looking to make cards without greetings.  I still have a small stash of washi tape that needs to be used up and certainly strips of paper would likely have the same effect.  Got some of those as well!!  

Therese

Card Set #3 - collaged washi tape with 3D embellishments

Feeling very positive about the results of my first two sets of cards (set 1) I worked on this set!!
I started by gluing my washi tape/decorative paper backgrounds to white card fronts. You can see that the decorative paper has subtle script and design elements.
For my first card, I decided on a layered heart embellishment!! It is such a versatile element appropriate for birthdays, anniversaries, thinking of you, etc.  I started with a small decorative paper die cut which I layered onto a serendipity heart die cut and then onto a large manually embossed heart die cut.  I machine stitched them together with yellow thread gluing the ends to the back with regular tape.  I mounted this heart focal element to my layered card front.
For my second card, I started with a small brown flower punchie, added it to a blue flower punchie made from hand decorated paper and then layered that over a green embossed die cut flower.  I used a manually embossed five petal punchie (SU) in white as the base and tied them all together using a tiny silver brad.   I adhered this floral element onto a manually embossed scallop circle die cut (N) with paper pierced scallops before mounting this focal element to my card front using 3D foam tape.

For my third card, I decided on another bird because it lends itself so well with the " a little bird told me..." saying which is a good lead in for almost any occasion.  I punched the bird (SU) from blue cardstock, coloured in the beak and added a tiny black brad for the eye.  I punched the wing from silver card and manually embossed it before adhering it to the bird.  I punched the branch from green cardstock, mounted it to a pierced and manually embossed scalloped circle (N) then mounted the bird above it using double sided tape.  I added the folded piece of ribbon to the back using double sided tape and then mounted the whole element to my card front using 3D foam tape.  

For my fourth card, I layered four stars  (green manually embossed, clear plastic, dark blue, lighter blue), added a green sequin and tied them all together with a tiny silver brad.  This focal element was mounted to my layered card front using 3D foam tape.  Stars are great for many occasion including birthdays, special accomplishments and new babies!!

Really loving this process and finding that these cards stand on their own without greetings.  

Therese

Card set #2 using collage washi tape backgrounds and 3D embellishments

I am working through the backgrounds I created using decorative paper and washi tape to make sets of cards for gift giving.  You can check out the first set I made here.  For these cards I used a off white and green decorative scrapbook paper that has a somewhat watercolour/tie dyed look.  I trimmed the paper to fit on my off white cards (just a bit smaller than A2), glued all my backgrounds to my cards before getting started on my embellishments.
For my first card, I took inspiration from my other set and created a layered heart embellishment.  I used a serendipity heart die cut which I found in my stash, layered on a tiny red heart die cut and then machine stitched them together using yellow thread gluing the thread ends to the back with regular tape.  I dug through my stash and found a green die cut scalloped circle which was sponged around the edges which coordinated nicely.  I manually embossed some texture using an element from one of my floral embossing folders and then mounted my heart element to it with double sided tape.  I mounted my heart focal element to my card front using 3D foam tape.
For my second card, I die cut part of this bare tree (TH) from brown cardstock and mounted it to my layered card front.  I punched the bird (SU) from blue cardstock, coloured in the beak and added a tiny black brad to create the eye.  I punched the wing from shiny silver card and manually embossed it with a round element before mounting it to my bird using double sided tape.  I mounted the bird just touching the branch using 3D foam tape.

For my third card, I thought I would give a nod to Christmas and created a little tree embellishment.  I dug the green tree from my stash (a die cut shared by a friend) added a triangle of red in behind which shows through all the opening and added the gold sequin star using a tiny gold brad.  It still needed a bit of something so I used a clear glitter gel pen and highlighted all the scallops and added dots all over the tree.  Once finished I mounted my little tree embellishment to my card front using 3D foam tape.  

For my fourth card I created a star embellishment by layering a silver sequin over, a yellow star die cut, over a clear star die cut over a manually embossed light green star die cut and holding them all together with a tiny black brad.  I layered my star onto a red circle punchie and then paper pierced around the edge with a push pin before mounting this focal element to my layered card front.  

This process has been very enjoyable!!  Looking forward to working on the other sets!!

Therese

Woven paper strips to create a background!!

This is the last kit to be made up from the bunch I found on my desk a while back!!!!!!!!!!  This one featured strips of paper, a greeting and embellishment which were laid out differently for this card.   I wove the strips together and then laid this large element over the ivory cardstock background and glued all the ends into place before trimming them off to the edge.  I mounted this background to my peach card, inserted and trimmed my greeting and mounted the 3D embellishment  ( punchie/sequin) to one end of it.  As an after thought I decided to use my tracing wheel on my greeting.  It worked out pretty well but is much more difficult to do once the greeting is already mounted to the card.  I love how this one turned out and it exemplifies the versatility of card kits!!  You don't have to follow the original instructions  - you can just do your own thing!!!!            Therese

Colour blocked background with a new greeting and some leaf die cuts

One of the last kits to be finished off from my desk.   I used this colour blocked background and relegated the chalk board greeting to my stash.  I added the embossed background to a green card front and went looking for a greeting.  I found this laser printed one (Beccy's Place) which I have found difficult to include in my cards for some reason but it worked perfectly for this card.  I trimmed the greeting and flagged both ends, layered it onto yellow and flagged both ends again before watercolouring the flower and leaves.  I mounted this greeting with a bit of 3D foam tape in the middle and double sided taper on both ends which gives just the right amount of dimension and allowed me to tuck in my leaf die cuts.  I die cut the leaves (SU) from white cardstock and tuck a full one above the greeting and trimmed off the leader from the other and tucked it below the greeting.  I glued them in place with white glue applied with my fine tip applicator.  I love how it turned out!!!!!              Therese

Cards with fun collaged washi tape backgrounds embellished with 3D layered elements

 I have decided to make several sets of cards to give as gifts and was really pondering what I should use as my backgrounds and if I should include any greetings.  Cards without greetings are always more versatile in that they will be appropriate for more occasions but they need good sketches to work.  Because I had washi tape sitting on my desk I decided to play a little and see if I could make up a few backgrounds.  In an effort to reduce the size of my paper stash I wondered if it would work to use decorative scrapbook paper for my backgrounds.  I went looking through my stash and found a few sheets that I thought might work as they were somewhat subtle in pattern and intensity of colour.

So I cut up this sheet of paper - a checkered background with quite a few different colours finely spattered over it.  Next, I checked out my washi tape supply and found a few that worked reasonably well with the paper.  I simply cut or tore the washi tape into strips and applied them to my trimmed pieces of decorative paper.   While, I was at it I made four sets of backgrounds using four sheets of decorative paper.  I put those to press and started dreaming up some embellishments that would be substantial enough to balance the backgrounds I had created, large enough that they would not need greetings and versatile enough in subject matter that they would be appropriate for more than one occasion.  I started by digging out any dies I had that fit the bill as to size and subject matter - hearts, flowers, butterflies, birds, etc.
For my first, card I layered three different sized hearts. The large one is a die cut (CB), the middle one is an embossed heart die cut (SU) and the final one is die cut (SX) cut from white solid core cardstock which I embossed and sanded.  I put just a bit of glue between them to hold them in place and machine stitched them to each other adhering the thread ends to the back with regular tape.  I glued my background to an off white card (a bit smaller than A2) and then adhered my 3D embellishment to the card front using 3D foam tape.  That worked pretty well!!  Now the challenge was to see if I could come up with a few more embellishments that worked as well.
For my second card, I cut a maroon flower (SX), manually embossed it with the Swiss Dot embossing folder (CB) using a hammer, added a manually embossed circle in the center then two leaf punchies which were also manually embossed and mounted this focal element to my card front to which I had already mounted my washi tape background.
For my third card, I mounted my washi tape background to my off white card and then worked on my embellishment. I cut this paisley pattern (SX) from both dark pink and yellow.  I swapped the pieces to create a yellow paisley with a dark pink heart and a small yellow heart and secured them with tape on the back.  The holes were too hard to situate so I simply cut a dark pink shape that was just smaller than the whole and glued it to the back and shows in all the holes.  Decided that it looked a bit like a cute bird with a heart wing and added a tiny black brad for an eye, a tiny brown triangle for the beak, swirly wire tail feathers and mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  Finished it off by adding two legs with a black permanent marker!!
For the fourth card in this set, I die cut a butterfly (SX) from yellow cardstock and overlaid a paper butterfly that I had in my stash and to finish it off added a body and antennae that I die cut (QK) from a butterfly die set.  I glued them together just in the middle so the wings would be free to flutter.  Added it to my layered card front using 3D foam tape and used a black permanent marker to add a dotted flight path.
I am pretty happy with how this set of cards turned out!!  So I will continue to work on my other card sets and will share them here as I finish them up!!

Therese

A bright and colorful baby card using an ink and photo paper background

I am finishing off the last of the card kits I found on my desk.  This was a quick and easy card which was made faster because it was a kit!!  I glued the colour inkjet printed (black) digital image (Melonheadz) of a little clothesline onto the laser printed greeting layer and then mounted this large focal element to the front of a stamped pink card. The heart background (SU) was stamped in a darker pink.  I did highlight some parts of the printed image with a bit of pink watercolour.   The colourful background was created using colour inkjet cartridges and glossy photo paper.             Therese

A light hearted St. Patricks' Day card featuring an inked background

A fun and light hearted St. Patrick's Day card.  I often have to work on getting out of my comfort zone in my card making so I went with a fun inked background which I created with used ink cartridges from our inkjet printer and glossy photo paper.  It was a blast to make these papers!  You can check out the fun here.
I toned down the brightness a bit by stamping over it using a darker green ink and a flourished leaf background stamp.   I added a length of bright green organza ribbon to the background before adhering it to a green card front.  I tied on a short length of the same ribbon using a single knot which simulates a bow.  The greeting is a digital one I created last year using Corel Draw, laser printed and punched out.  I layered it onto a dark green label (SU) and then mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape overlapping the ribbon.  As a finishing touch I added a clear rhinestone to the center of my shamrock.   Happy with my creation!!                   Therese

Cards from kits that feature a tag, seam binding and watercolour!

In a effort to finish all the card kits I found on my desk I made these two up which use the same sketch.  I watercoloured both laser printed images of flowers in a vase (Anne's Cards) and sponged the edges of the tag.  I trimmed the bottom edge of the greetings and sponged those as well before gluing them to the back of the tag.  I added the seam binding using double sided tape.  I mounted the decorative papers to the front of my coordinating cards and added the embossed cardstock strips over where they join.  I adhered the tags I had prepared onto my card fronts using 3D foam tape to get them a bit of dimension.  I trimmed the ends of the seam binding after they were mounted to the card to ensure they fit within the boundaries of my cards.  Always love how these turn out!!!                Therese