All occasion note cards with bits & pieces to create backgrounds and focal elements

 I am making up a few notecards to give as a gift.  I used some smaller envelopes from my stash and cut cards that fit inside.  

#1 - brown card, split background with an embossed strip, watercoloured coffee cup

#2 - pink card, pink and gray background, strip with three pewter eyelets, layered stamped butterfly (SU)

#3 - blue card, collage background, layered watercoloured dragonfly (SU)

#4 - aqua card,

torn hand decorated background, layered floral element

#5 - rose card, decorative paper background, strip with ribbon & eyelets, layered circular watercoloured flowers

#6 - rose card, pieced & embossed background, ribbon, embossed flag with a rose (CLKER). 

#7 - pink card, pink polka dot paper, punched border with butterfly

sticker

#8 - pink card, 4 decorative paper panels, strip with dragonfly sticker

#9 - rose card, collaged background, layered circles with watercoloured fussy cut flower

#10 - rose card, decorative paper split, four inches 2 rose, 2 turquoise

#11 - blue card, split polka dot paper, 

layered circles with a watercoloured fussy cut flower

#12 - blue card, bright background with a green strip, layered circles with a butterfly sticker. 

Lots of fun - just creating cards with elements I have at hand!!!

Therese

All occasion cards featuring large butterflies, red wavy frames over decorative paper backgrounds

 I started with large grey cards and then a cool background paper.  I tore the second on in two and then glued them to my card fronts.  I added the red embossed wavy frames which have added embossed vellum layers behind the opening to soften the look of the backgrounds.  I found the butterfly parts in my stash.  I adhered them to little pieces of cardstock so I could add a body.  The first one had silver cording tied between the wings to make the body and antennae.  The second one has a little black die cut body and antennae which I glued over the wings.  I added a flight path with glitter on the first one and one with black and glitter dots on the second one.  One of these will be for a family who has lost a loved one in our community.  Therese

Sewing - three sets of potholders with some fun doggie fabric

I finished these off on the weekend.  The fronts had been cut with battings the same size.  I used the remaining red fabric to finish off these three sets of potholders.  They are 7" so just a little bit smaller than I usually make but that works anyway!!  I had already set aside some doggie fabric for the loops for one of the sets so the others just got red ones!!  Too easy!!  Another unfinished project out of the bin!!!  Will add these to my stash of potholders!!  Therese
 

Slow Stitching - cards with embroidered flower embellishments

I have been working on these for a while.  They are finally finished and I am please with how they worked out.  The embroidered flowers were cut from some fancy fabric that was being recycled while we were sorting for the Gramma Link Africa fabric sale.  I trimmed them out of the fabric,  layered them onto a woven fabric interfacing and then stitched them into place.  I layered them onto embossed brown cardstock and then onto off white cards.  They make really nice cards!! 

Therese
 

Sewing - blue star casserole carrier with a checkered inside

I was on a roll and found in my stash from my Mom this star square.  I added a checkered blue fabric all the way around to make it 22".  I added a batting I made from scraps from by Mom then stitched all the way around the star square to keep them together.  I added a checkered red fabric for the inside and stitched them together leaving a gap so I could turn it inside out.   I added two rows of stitching to the edge once I pushed out the corners.  I then stitched just inside the star in red thread and then added a row of decorative stitching all the way around the star square. Next, I  added a red handle (22") and two loops (6") to the inside.  Works well with outside as well and is perfect for the inside.  It is nice to be finishing some of my Mom's projects!!  Therese

 

Sewing - casserole carrier with coordinating potholders with a quilted panel

I have had some of this on hand for a while.  The panel was two bears paws with checked design in between and I expected to incorporate it into a quilt at some point.  On the weekend I decided to turn it into a casserole carrier.  I had to change the orientation of one of the bears paw and then I cut it down the middle which gave the the 22"' that I needed.  I dug through precut scraps and found enough to make a small border to go between then to make it 22" going the other way.  Perfect!!  I added a batting I made up from my Mom's scraps and a nice warm checkered fabric for the inside.  Stitched them together leaving an opening and then turned it inside out.  Stitched all the way around twice for a nice finish.  Added dark red handles (22") and loops (6") and I was good to go.  Had some spare squares sitting there which will become a different project but decided to convert two of them into coordinating potholders!!!  Therese

 

Quilting - a bright little quilt from a flimsy

 I finished up this quilt top (40" x 54") yesterday!!  It has been sitting since December of last year and I have been really trying to not have too many unfinished projects in my stash.  I added a layer of cotton as batting and then this white and yellow checkered cotton on the back.  I stitched the cotton to the backing and then I added the quilt top and stitched rows of fancy stitching in white thread about 8" apart to quilt the sandwich together.  I trimmed the backing with enough extra to bind my quilt with it.  Worked out really well and I love the nice bright colours!!!  Therese

Fire starters made with rings, newsprint, pine cones and wax

I have had some wax sitting under my craft table for a while now and decided on the weekend to make some fire starters with it.  I collected some toilet paper rolls and newsprint.  I cut the toilet paper rolls into four and then filled them with newsprint.  I filled a 4" square with smaller pieces to make sort of a nest.  I collected small pine cones from the bush outside and dried them in the oven while I was preparing the nests.  I dipped the pine cones into the melted wax several times dripping the wax into the nest and then added the pine cone.  It was a bit messy but I did get a whole lot of fire starters made!!!!!   

Once they were all dry I packaged them into cardboard boxes I found in my stash.  This way the packaging can also be burned once it is empty.  No garbage!!!!  I had a little bit of wax leftover so I added some sawdust and wrapped little balls of the mixture into some squares of newsprint.  I added another layer to give them a bit of something to light them with.  These ones were not very pretty so they will go into our wood box and will be used to light our fires over the summer.  The others will be given to campers in our entourage of friends and family when we see them over the summer!!!  Therese

Quilting - QAYG quilt incorporating handstitched cat squares with bright borders

I finished up this QAYG cat quilt on the weekend.  I did not do a traditional QAYG using the backer as the piece that wrapped to the front to create a sashing effect.  Instead I made my "front" larger and wrapped it to the back.  The gray squares are 10" and I made the cat squares 12".  You can see that bright colourful border worked out quite well without any fussing about the order of the pieces.  I added a precut 3" square of black and white fabric to the back which allowed me to quilt the batting (one layer of flannel and one of white cotton) to the back all the while stitching the square onto the gray back. 

I had to add a layer of white towards the front of the quilt because some of the poly cotton I used for the borders was quite see through which allowed the flannel pattern to show through.

I laid the colourful cat square over the gray backer squares and then stitched all around the inside edge of the cat squares to provide another layer of quilting.  I used black thread in the bobbin so the stitching adds a bit more interest to the back as well. Check out the  photo below.  Once all the squares were done I laid them out and figured an arrangement for them then started sewing them together.  See the photo below.  There are photos of the front and back of the first row.  I stitched all five rows and then used the same technique to sew my rows to each other.  Finally, to bind the edge you simply fold the outside edge over twice and stitch it in place all the way around like any other quilt binding.  I like the front a lot and the back has a lot more interest!!!  I will likely decorate both the back and the front on my next QAYG quilt as well.  

Therese

Baby cards featuring a little blue zebra and a baby carriage with fun backgrounds

These are my last two cards in this session of making baby cards!!

The pink one has a collaged background using torn scraps of decorative paper and strips of the green and pink all adhered to a green layer.  I trimmed the end of the layer with a scallop border punch (SU) and added clear rhinestones.  I added this to a dark pink card base.  I watercoloured the baby carriage (Cre8tive Hands), added paper piercing for texture and then layered it to a green rectangle.  I added some little ribbon flag before adhering to my card front using 3D foam tape.  

The blue one started with a yellow green card base and I layered some striped paper below the diagonal cut I made in the blue layer.  I trimmed a piece of green cardstock, punched the left hand side (MS), embossed the remainder (CB), added some paper piercing for texture and then tied on some coordinating fiber.  I watercoloured the little zebra to coordinate, adhered him to the strip and then mounted this large element to my card using 3D foam tape.  So much fun!!

Therese
 

All occasion card featuring a piece of cake, an embossed label over a foil background

 For this card, I started with a large gray card and trimmed and adhered on a blue silver foil background.  I trimmed a little piece of cake with a round Nestibilities and watercoloured it to coordinate.  I decided to use a large label (TH) die cut in blue.  The blue was a bit off so I embellished it with water colour to bring it along to the right tone.  I embossed it with the D'vine Swirl embossing folder (CB), punched the two ends with a slot (SU) and then trimmed a gray strip to be inserted into the slots and cover the length of the card.  Once I auditioned it was too bright so I stamped a texture stamp in light gray ink to tone it down. Gave it some nice texture as well - bonus!!  I inserted the strip and trimmed it to the right length, slid the label to where I wanted it and added two cherry red eyelets to keep it in place.  I die cut a silver oval to go between my label and my little piece of cake.  Glued it in place and then distressed the edge of my image before I glued it over the oval.  Therese

All occasion cards featuring assembled flowers over fun backgrounds

Cards 10, 11 and 12!!!  It has been so fun to make up cards using my fussy cut petals and circle!!  

For these three cards I used long slim envelopes from my stash!! Worked really well for the last few flowers I had left. 

The first has an assembled tulip (two petals and a circle).  I hand cut a stem and two leaves.  I trimmed a honeycomb background, added faux stitching and adhered it to my red card.  I glued my flower with to my background and then hand trimmed a bit of grass for the bottom, adhered it to the bottom edge.  The grass has added texture with some paper piercing!!  

The second card is very much as the first one.  A decorative paper background that looks like watercolour, the assembled tulip and some grass at the bottom.  I added a different border this time.  I have appreciated this sort of border on other people's cards and thought I would use it on this one.  

The third card features two flowers assembled from the stamped and fussy cut circles I had left. I added yellow centers from my stash of small circles.  They turned out very cute!!!  I trimmed a green card, added a light green layer at the bottom and then  added my flowers.  I drew the border and the stems and leaves with a fine tip Sharpie marker.  I added a little piece of grass over the joint of the two green cardstocks.  I really like these and will be making more of them with some larger circles from that same stamp set!  Therese

Large all occasion card featuring an assembled butterfly, a coordinating frame and ribbons over a hand decorated background

Number 9!!  No wonder the stash never diminishes!!  

For this card I started with a red card and trimmed a background from a hand decorated piece.  I embossed it with the Script embossing folder (SU) and then highlighted the writing with a very light touch of green ink.  I added a faux stitching border with a fine tip Sharpie marker.  I die cut a coordinating frame (SX) and added coordinating ribbons from the frame to the sides of the background tucking the ends in behind.  I added my background to the card and layered my assembled butterfly (fussy cut petals and a black die cut body) over the frame.  

Therese

 

Quilting - borders for cat squares

I worked on sewing bright borders for my cat squares on the weekend.  I had cut the fabric previously from my Mom's stash of poly cotton and just sewed them all together cutting off the long lengths into manageable pieces for the borders.  I am just sewing a length to the top of the cat square and cutting it off.  Again, the same on the bottom and then again on each side.  No planning other that choosing the colours before I started which was pretty much rainbow!!!  Therese

 

All occasion card featuring a large daisy over a hand decorated background with eyelets and string

Number 8!!  I started a series of cards featuring fussy cut flourished petals and circles and have so far made eight different cards!!  This one features a set of six petals adhered to a circle punchie backer with the petals adhered with double sided tape.  I adhered the circle over the center using tape as well.  I found this coordinating hand decorated background in my stash!!  It matched perfectly!!  It was created with acrylic paint and my fingers!!  I trimmed it it to be short by about 3/4" each way and then tore it in both directions to allow the red of the card front to show.  It would have been preferable had I tore the paper just a little more to the left to allow my daisy to sit more centered on my card but as it is it does not overstep the card edge so I was good to go!!  I added pewter eyelets and used red crochet thread to add a textured element on both the lower left and the upper right.  I adhered the pieces to my card and then added my daisy with double sided tape!!  Done!!  Therese
 

All occasion card featuring assembled hearts tied together with string, a piece of linen lace over a pieced background

 #7 in my series of card created with focal elements created with stamped and fussy cut petals!!!  I love how these hearts look - flourishes and all!!!  I used double sided tape to secure to fussy cut petals to each other.  I added two pewter eyelets to each of them and tied a beige cord to the first one and then to the second one leaving the ends free.  I pieced a background and added faux stitching to the little panel on the left.  I added the large piece of linen with lace securing the ends to the back.  I added three little pewter eyelets to each end to echo the ones I put in the hearts.  I mounted my background to a large red card and then mounted the hearts over the ribbon using 3D foam tape!!  Love the little loop that formed between the two hearts!!!  Therese 

All occasion card featuring a collage background and a shimmery heart

I made this card for DH for our anniversary!!!  Similarly to my Father's Day card for him I started with a distressed brown piece of cardstock.  I auditioned paper scraps until I was happy with the layout and then glued them down.  There is music, tools, book & dictionary pages!!!!  Once it was dry I embossed it with a sheet music embossing folder (CB) on both the bottom left and the upper right.  I printed the little heart with an arrow (Wikiclipart) on white cardstock, trimmed it out and then watercoloured it.  I added red shimmer paint over the heart.  I specifically embossed the edges using a checkered embossing folder (TH)  by very carefully inserting only the area I wanted embossed into the folder before running it through my Big Shot.  I sponged the edge with brown ink to highlight the embossing.  I added two little lengths of suede cording and then tied them together with beige twine.  I cut a square of brown cardstock just a bit larger and embossed it with an all over pattern before mounting it to the back.  I adhered this focal element to my background and then the whole to a red card!!  So glad to have this man in my life and to be able to celebrate our time together!!             Therese
 

All occasion card featuring two assembled dragonflies with a ribbon embellishment and faux stitching

#6 in my current series of cards featuring focal elements created using fussy cut petal shapes with flourishes.  For this card I used the same body as I did for the butterflies but added only one set of wings in a more horizontal stance which makes cute dragonflies!!  I pieced by background from scraps and stamped a green stitched pattern (SU) unto the joints.  I mounted the dragonflies with double sided tape and then drew in their flight paths.  Feeling like this card needed a bit more I added faux stitching around all four edges and then an embossed blue strip (CB) embellished with little bits of ribbon and adhered with two white eyelets.  I glued this large element to a blue card!!  Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring an assembled butterfly over a hand decorated background

#5 in my current series of cards!!  The main focal elements are created by assembling fussy cut petal shapes that were stamped on scraps of decorative paper.  I die cut a black body and adhered the four petals to the body.  In the process of handling this butterfly while coming up with a card design I added white glue to the area to better secure the wings to the body.  I created a custom background for this card.  I started with a piece of cardstock which had red ink painted all over it.  I added some green areas with watercolour to echo the colours in my butterfly.  I used two flower stamps (Magenta) to stamp flowers - large ones in red, little ones in light green.  I added yellow centers with a marker and then leaves and swirls with a teal gel pen.  I added a bit of green watercolour to the leaves to flesh them out a bit.  I embossed the whole piece with the Subtle Texture embossing folder (SU).  I added a coordinating blue ribbon securing the ends to the back with double sided tape.  I folded a shorter piece over a yellow strip and secured it with a green glittery brad.  I adhered the strip to my background!!  I added the butterfly with double sided tape, created the flight path with a fine tip Sharpie.  To echo the glitter from the brad I added lines of clear glitter to the butterfly.    Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a large daisy assembled from stamped petals, three flagged strips and embossed one with eyelets

#4 in my current cardmaking series featuring elements assembled from fussy cut stamped petals and circles.  I used six petals for this daisy adhering the points to a circle and overlaying the flourished circle over the middle of them.  I started with a deep yellow card, added a green layer and then a yellow brocade background over it.  I added an embossed red strip using two pewter eyelets leaving the middle section loose.  I trimmed three green flagged strips, added rows of paper piercing all the way around and adhered them to each other.  I slipped them under the red strip before gluing them to the background.  I added double sided tape to my large daisy and adhered it over my collagy background.  This one worked out really well!!  

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring two tulips assembled from stamped petals and a flourished round with hand cut stems and leaves

Third in my current series of cards created using fussy cut petals and round shapes.  I stamped the shapes in black and then fussy cut the shapes before assembling them into fun shapes.  These tulips feature two petal shapes and one round circle.  I really like the flourishes!!  I assembled the tulips using double sided tape.  I used a zig zag yellow background and added two rows of torn green papers to the bottom edge leaving the space in the middle without glue.  I fussy cut stems and leaves from green scraps and did some paper piercing with my pattern tracing wheel and added a bit of watercolour too!!   After auditioning all the pieces I adhered the stems to the tulips and inserted them into the gap between the two torn green pieces.  I added glue to the leaves and did them the same way.  Again, the card needed a "bit of something" so I dug through my butterfly stash and found these three in different sizes.  I embellished them with watercolour and then added bodies with a brown marker.  That was much better!!  I added tiny pieces of double sided tape to their middles and adhered them to my background.  I glued this large element to a red card.   Therese

I am really enjoying creating cards with the petal creations!!   That's three so far - large daisy, butterfly and tulips!!        Therese
 

All occasion card featuring a shimmer cup of coffee with musical notes over a paper pieced background with eyelets

For DH's Father's Day card I decided to feature some of the things he likes - music and coffee!!!  The little cup was printed, watercoloured and then embellished with shimmery copper paint!!  The background started with a distressed piece of brown cardstock which I embossed with the Script embossing folder from SU.  I added small pieces of scrapbook paper to create a bit of a grid to frame my image.  After weaving the strips and gluing them into place I added some pewter eyelets for added texture.  I tied beige twine in the two eyelets on either side on the lower edge.  More texture!!!  I ran the pattern tracing wheel all the way around my coffee cup once it was dry and then mounted it to copper foil and then added it to my background.  My ivory card then contrasted too starkly so I embellished its outer edge with a texture stamp and brown ink and then watercoloured it in yellow.  Much better!!!  

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a butterfly assembled from stamped petal shapes with a stamped border and watercoloured flower embellishment

This is my second card for this series of cards created using stamped petals on scraps from my red scrap bin.  I stamped them in black and fussy cut them.  For this butterfly I diecut a black body using a Sizzix dragonfly die.  I trimmed out just the body and added four petals in two different patterns.  Worked out quite well.  I initially just used double sided tape but when I started working with it I added some white glue where they all join which I held until the glue was dry.  Much better!!!  I embellished the butterfly with clear glitter on the wings and the body.  I trimmed a swirly green and white background and added a couple of stamped flower borders with fussy cut edges.  Then I added a red strip between them.  I added the butterfly with double sided tape and created the flight path using dots made with a black fine tip Sharpie marker.  It still needed a "bit of something" so I dug into my flower stash and found this little stamped flower which I watercoloured to coordinate and then glued in place on the red strip.  That was much better!!!  Glued the background to my card to finish it up!!

Therese
 

Large all occasion card featuring a paper pieced background and daisies in a jar embellished with hand stitching

For my last card in this session I used scraps of decorative paper which I have cut off of stationary which simulated handmade paper with blue inclusions from bachelor buttons.  I glued the strips to a bond paper substrate and then added gray washi tape to the top and bottom pieces to help give some horizontal lines to the whole piece.  I adhered this background to a large yellow card front.  I watercoloured my laser printed image of daisies in a jar (Clipartimages.com) to coordinate with my background and ran my pattern tracing tool on all four edges.  I layered it to a blue rectangle of cardstock leaving a larger margin on the right.  I used an eyelet lace border punch (SU) on the right edge and added one embossed line next to it.  I paper pierced holes opposite of the three created by the punch and then used light yellow heavy weight thread to stitch little chicken feet.  It is fun to add stitching to my cards.  I mounted my focal element to my card using 3D foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.  Therese
 

Sewing - three sets of potholders for my Christmas stash

 I stitched these three sets as well today!!  I used scraps of the Budweiser fabric with coordinating solids for the fronts of two of them.  One of them was backed with red and the other with navy.  The center set features birdhouse fabric and yellow scraps on each side.  I added several rows of stitching to each side of the center strips to keep all the layers together.  The birdhouses were backed with black.  These are going into my personal stash.  After my Mom passed earlier this year I decided I would be the one to take over making potholders for the family for Christmas.  She had made potholders for many years now and everyone gets to choose a new set at Christmas.  I am looking forward to adding a few more to this stash in the next little while.  Therese

Large all occasion card featuring a flower with fussy cut petals and stems and bright background

I have no cards in my stash!!  The last of them went out this morning so I decided to find a new technique and give it a go!!  I used a petal stamp with a couple flourishes and a little floursihed round stamp.  I stamped them in black ink on scraps from my red scraps bin.  It was fun to just stamp on all sorts papers and get as many as I could in each scrap.  Once they were dry, I fussy cut around them and stacked them with all the same paper in one pile.  Next, I started combining petals to see what I could invent for shapes.  A flower was a no brainer so that is what I started with.  I used a punched circle on the back and adhered all the petals points to it and then added the little flourished circle to the center.  I did manage to invent a few more shapes which will show up here once I get them blog.  I assembled all my fussy cut pieces into shapes and then started making cards.  

For this card, I started with a deep yellow card and trimmed a bright colour printed background for it.  I trimmed a stem and two leaves from green scraps.  I paper pierced these with my pattern tracing wheel and sanded the stem a bit then added watercolour.  I adhered the stem to the back of the flower and then played with placement on the background before securing the flower to the background.   Decided to add some layers between the stem and the leaves.  Prepped a torn piece of vellum, a red strip and a yellow strip.  They all got some paper piercing too!!  I added double sided tape to the back of the leaves and positioned them on my card without removing all the release tape.  I was then able to slip the strips between the stem and the leaves and secured them in place.  Finally, I removed the release paper from the back of the leaves and adhered them to the layers.  

It was fun to challenge myself to something different.  I have played with this technique before using magazine pages.  Scraps of paper provided more predictable results though I do like the scrappy collageness of the magazine pages.  Looking forward to making cards with all my little creations!!

Therese

 

Sewing - a variety of potholders - Budweiser and red, blue and floral, quilted red and beige

I worked on potholders today.  These have been sitting for quite a while with everything cut and ready to be sewn together.  They went together very quickly.  I made four sets with the Budweiser fabric on the outside and the red inside.  I quilted them all differently and added navy loops for hanging.  

The blue ones feature a floral blue fabric on the top and they are back with solid navy blue fabric.   I added an X in a square to keep the layers together.  

The dark red set have a solid deep red backs and quilted fronts.  To keep the layers together I did stitch in the ditch following the quilted pieces.  

These are going to the Everything Rhubarb event as well. 

Therese