Father's day featuring a funny digital, some watercolour and bright background paper

 This card is for our son in law for Father's Day!!  I am stretching my creative muscles and going out of my comfort zone with images and paper. 
I thought this image was funky!!  It is my Anne's Cards 4U.  I chose a large envelope and made a dark blue card that fit inside.  I added the fun party background paper, trimmed it and glued it to the card front.  I printed the digital image with a font greeting onto white cardstock, trimmed it out and watercoloured it.  I added a faux stitching border, a small piece of coordinating ribbon and adhered it to my card front using 3D foam tape. 
I am usually much safer and coordinating with my images and colour choices so in an effort to stretch my creativity I decided to be a bit bolder.  I used the red flag and the blue bag to echo the colours in the background paper.  I used a clear gel pen on the metal and glass parts which adds a bit of shimmer which works well.          Therese

Graduation card from a card kit which features layered die cut, embellished scrapbook paper and a laser printed greeting

With a few requests for graduation cards I made another.  This is a card kit from the May card class.  This scrapbook paper has been in my stash a long time and I decided it needed some embellishing before I would every be able to use it so I stamped with a variety of stamps using a variety of green ink pads.  It was orginally the dark plaid which you can see on the flaps.  The back had been white and it got the stamping treatment as well.  I was much happier with it after the embellishing!!!  I cut the four little rectangles, scored their corners and fold over the flaps before adhering them to my green card front.  I layered the star and the circle to create my central focal element.  I adhere it in place using 3D foam tape.  I cut through my stash of greetings and found this one which I laser printed from a digital stamp I downloaded from Desert Diva.  I trimmed it down a bit, flagged one end and sponged it with green ink.  Thinking it still needed "a bit of something" I auditioned several options before deciding on this white star eyelet.  I punched a hole and set the eyelet on the left hand side of my greeting and the hole seemed large and empty so I added a glue dot on the back and a clear rhinestone to the front.  That was much better!!!!!!  I adhered it to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  To finish it off I added clear glitter to the star and the cap on my greeting!!  Love it!!         Therese

Graduation cards from card kits featuring hand decorated paper, metallic die cuts and gold embossed greetings

It is the time of the year when graduations are happening everywhere!  I received a request for more so I made up these two from kits which I did a while back as well.  

I embossed the stamped greeting with gold embossing powder, adhered the decorative paper to the back of the frame and adhered this large element to the front of a coordinating card front.  I added tiny dots of white glue to the back of the die cut greenery (TH) which were cut from metallic cardstock and then gently placed them on my card fronts.  Just a bit of pressure to make sure they were in contact and then left them to dry.  It is not pretty when the white glue squishes out from under the leaves.  Really quick and easy to make cards up from kits!!!!!!!!!!  You can check out the last  one I made here.  That is the end of those card kits so I will have to invent something new for next time!!

Therese

Exchange cards featuring hammered botanical paper, a die cut butterfly and ribbon and bling

I created these two cards for my Card Exchange partners for this month.  I started with half sheets of hammered botanical paper which I created a while back with my Big Shot.  It is a very cool process where you place fresh botanicals - flowers, leaves, etc - between two sheets of white cardstock and pass it through your die cut machine which acts as a press and creates these cool images.  I added blue watercolour to the edges of these prints which really changed them up for me and made them look more like art.   I chose two large envelopes and made cards for them.
For my first card I created a light green card and added a decorative butterfly die cut in purple.  I adhered it using 3D foam tape and added clear glitter on the body and a few of the pieces in the wings.  I found a piece or torn green decorative paper in my stash and it coordinated perfectly so I placed it just below my butterfly which helped ground the background paper.  I added five tiny rhinestones to one of the dips to create a focal point and added the flight trail with a coordinating pen.  I glued this large element to my card front and then added purple dots to each side which nicely repeats the dots in the flight path.  I decided it did not need a greeting so I added an insert and I was done!!!
My second card was created in a very similar process.  I created a blue card for this one and added the same blue watercolour to the edges of my hammered botanical paper.  I so love the look!!  I found a torn strip of paper in my stash that coordinated so I added to the bottom of my decorative paper.  I added the butterfly using 3D foam tape and added some details using a clear glitter gel pen.  I added the same flight path using a coordinating marker and was pretty happy with it.  But it still needed "a bit of something" so I auditioned a few things and settled on this green gros grain ribbon which coordinated very nicely.  I added it to my decorative paper adhering the ends to the back using double sided tape.  I tied the remaining short end to the front using a single knot to simulate a bow.  That was better!!!!!!!!!!!  Again, I chose not to put a greeting on this card.  It holds its own without it.  Therese

Birthday card featuring a gardening image and a torn greeting

Still making cards for family!!  I chose this calendar page because the image depicts the tools of a gardener which the person I made it for certainly is. 
I trimmed the image from the calendar page leaving a white border.  I layered it onto navy blue leaving some spare cardstock on the bottom.  I chose a large envelope and made a brown card to fit into it.  I layered on a green layer leaving a very small border.  When I laid the layered image on the card it was a bit short so I simply tore the bottom section and adhered both pieces onto the green on my card front leaving an even border.  I tore the two edges of the laser printed greeting and adhered it to my card using 3D foam tape.  I like the look of the two different torn pieces being layered over each other. 

Therese

Birthday card featuring a reused image, a layered greeting and some bling

A card for my friend's birthday coming up soon!! 
I really liked the quote on this card front and decided to make a card with it.  I chose a large envelope and made a dark pink card to fit inside.  I added a purple layer which coordinated nicely with the flowers in my image.  To transition the image to my card front I used a scalloped border punch (SU) on the bottom edge and added clear rhinestones in each scallop.  I added a coordinating pink ribbon across the image before adhering it to my layered card front.  I found this oval laser printed greeting in my stash and the coordinating silver scalloped oval as well.  I layered them an adhered this element to my card using 3D foam tape.  Finishes the card very nicely!!!!!!!

Therese

May Cardmaking - felted wool acorns with hand stitching and some torn decorative paper

I had used this card sketch for my last All Occasion Class which these ladies did not attend.  You can check out the cards here.  I cut these little acorns from felted wool and added some handstitching to give them a bit of definition.  The kits included rectangles or squares which gave them several options for lay outs.  For this one I tore a square of decorative paper and mounted the two pieces for a coordinating piece of  cardstock. I glued that to a coordinating card front.  The little acorns were glued in the gap and one was added to the bottom section.  I provided little greetings but chose not to put one on this card.  I may add an appropriate one when I decide where it will be going!! 
This was a our last card - always a quick and easy one!! 
We will be taking the summer off and get back to cardmaking in September. 

Therese

May Cardmaking - a little birdie with a cage and stamped greeting

This sketch I used more than a year ago for a class and with a few kits still sitting in my craft room I decided to make them work for this class. 
We added a beak and a tiny black brad for an eye to our bird die cut (TH).  Some added a bit of chalk for colour on theirs to make it more realistic.  We inserted our birds into the cage and added the wing using 3D foam tape which gave it a bit of dimension.  We added double sided tape on the bottom section to adhere it to the decorative paper which also allowed us to add some rhinestones at the bottom - bonus!!  We added the ribbon at the top of the cage, slipped on our stamped greeting tag and once adhered to the paper we were able to glue the end to the back using double sided tape.  We tied another short piece to it using a single knot which simulates a bow.  We then adhered this large element to our coordinating card front.  In order to not have the greeting be to floppy we used a small piece of 3D foam tape to adhere it in place.  Most of the decorative papers had some sort of accent on the edge which helped to situate the bird cage and give the card interest.    Therese

May Cardmaking - a fun fold with a central element and a little greeting

Our last cardmaking session before the summer!!  We met last week and had a fun evening making cards. 
I prepped kits for the evening using some of my previous sketches from other classes I have had recently. 
For this card I cut double sided decorative paper into four even rectangles and we scored and folded one corner and once glued to our card fronts it created an opening in the center of the card. I punched 1.75" circles which we embossed before adding them to our opening.  I created a variety of 3D embellishments to add to the middle.  On this card, I added a butterfly punchie cut from serendipity paper which coordinated nicely with my decorative paper.  I sponged the edges and tied on gold cording to create antennae.  The greeting is laser printed, punched with a Word Window (SU) punch and layered onto a coordinating Modern Label (SU) punchie.  Love the look!!  Lots of texture and dimension!!  You can check out here the ones from the last class.
Therese

This birthday card features original art, a tiny greeting and a bit of embossing

Needing some cards for family birthdays that are coming up next month. 
The art on this card was done in watercolour and finished off using shimmery gel pens in a variety of colours.  It is beautiful!  Not sure how I acquired it but I have kept it knowing it should have the opportunity to have another life!!  I trimmed it down and then found a large envelope which would allow me to create a card large enough to hold it.  I created a black card for my envelope, added a red layer of cardstock which I embossed on both ends with a polka dot border embossing folder. I adhered the trimmed image to the red layer and added this layer to the black card.  Not wanting to take away from the art I added a very small stamped greeting which I layered with red to make it noticeable.  I added some black dots to it to help it coordinate with the image.  Perfect!! 

Therese

Birthday card that features a light house, some ribbon and a chalkboard greeting

More family birthday cards!!  I started with a large envelope and made a black card to fit inside knowing that I would be using this light house image which I trimmed from a used card.  I trimmed a red layer just a  bit smaller than the black card and embossed a line across the upper portion.  I used a black stamp pad to highlight the embossed dots and then added a bit all the way around to soften the transition from red to black.  I adhered my image to the upper left which left room on the lower right for my greeting.  I chose a chalkboard greeting from my stash that worked well and added some bits of coordinating ribbon before adding it to my card front using 3D foam tape.             Therese

An anniversary card featuring decorative paper, a punched border and a little birdie die cut

An anniversary card for my sister and her DH.  They were married just a month before us many years ago now. 
I started with a large envelope and made a red card to fit inside.  I added a green ribbon to this piece of glittery decorative paper before adhering it to my card front.  I then border punched the right hand side of my card using this sort of ivy leafy punch. I backed the punched area with green in that it was a bit floppy on the ends.  I will consider leaving a solid end when I use it next time.  I had this die cut sitting on my desk from a while back and decided that it would work well with this card.  I watercoloured the birds, the hearts, the wings and the branch.   I slipped the end of the die cut under the ribbon and wrapped the little swirl around the ribbon.  I used small pieces of 3D foam tape behind the birds and a bit of white glue behind the branch.  Stamped the greeting on the upper portion of my card and added the two little hearts as well. Added the wings to finish off my card !!            Therese

Graduation card featuring hand decorated paper, a layered greeting and ribbon

My niece has finished first in her class at university this year and will be working on a Masters next year so I made her a card to celebrate her great achievement.  I started with a large envelope and made a black card to fit inside.  I added this great piece of hand decorated paper which I created a while back with leftover paint from a project after I had added a length of black ribbon.  I trimmed the greeting (Desert Diva) and added both an orange layer and a yellow one with two flagged ends.  I added black dots to the yellow layer and then mounted it to my decorative paper.  I adhered this large layer to the front of my black card then tied a short piece of the same black ribbon to the front of my card to simulate a bow. 
I love making decorative paper with leftover paint - seems a waste to put it down the drain and it so easily makes such a statement when you create with it.             Therese

Sympathy card featuring a layered butterfly embellishment, organza ribbon and a layered greeting

Friends of ours have lost family members on both sides this week so I made up this sympathy card for them.
I started with a large envelope and created an ivory card to fit inside.  I added a very pale yellow organza ribbon to a piece of scrapbook paper which I trimmed to size and embellished with a bit of script (SU) stamping before adhering it to the front of my card.  To create the butterfly embellishment I started with a little champagne butterfly die cut which I got from my sister, Sylvia.  I found the large butterfly in my stash - it was cut from white cardstock.  I set about modifying it with watercolour and shimmer paint until it coordinated with my background.  Once it was dry, I embossed it with a script embossing folder to echo the script in my background.  I used double sided tape to adhere the two butterflies together and a piece of 3D foam tape to adhere it to my card front.  I created my layered greeting in a similar fashion.  I found the greeting my stash (colour printed & embellished with watercolour) and layered it onto a champagne oval which I had to colourwash just a little to tone down its brightness.  I layered these two onto a white scalloped oval punchie (SU) which I embellished with watercolour and shimmer paint in the same way as the butterfly.  I tied a short piece of the same ribbon to the one on the front of my card using a loosely tied single knot securing it with a piece of double sided tape on the back to ensure it did not come undone.  To finish off my card, I added my layered greeting using 3D foam tape.  It will be on its way today!!            Therese

Fashionable Mother's Day card featuring beautiful paper, a punched floral border and a digital greeting

I made this Mother's Day card for my youngest daughter.  She is a seamstress and very much involved in the Slow Movement of making conscious choices when buying clothes.  I thought this paper was most appropriate for her. 
I chose a large envelope and made a navy card to fit inside.  I added the beautiful paper and not wanting to cover up too much of it I simply added a floral punched border where it did not interfere too much with the design and added some yellow dimensional paint to the flower centers.  I added a laser printed greeting (Desert Diva) which I had printed on white cardstock.  I watercoloured it to coordinate with the paper on my card.  I added some faux stitching to it as well to augment the theme.  I applied it to the front of the card using 3D foam tape and I was done!!  Really happy with it!!

Therese

Mother's Day card featuring an embossed frame, a little blue bird and a beribboned greeting

I made this card for my Mom for Mother's Day!  I am again using my stash of large envelopes so I found one that would suit and made a white card to fit.  Blue is her favorite colour so I chose a background paper that featured blue prominently though not boldly and trimmed a piece that would leave a small border all the way around.  I added an embossed frame made from silver cardstock.  I love how well it goes with the paper!!  After adhering it in place I created the little blue bird using the SU bird punch.  I punched the bird and the wing from blue cardstock, added a beak with a black marker and filled it in with yellow gel pen then added a tiny black brad to create its eye.  I embossed the wing and sponged it a bit to highlight the embossing and added to my bird using 3D foam tape.  The branch I found in my stash and watercoloured it green. I used white glue from a fine tip applicator to adhere it into place in the frame and then added my little bird.  I added blue ribbon to my little greeting tag (Desert Diva) which I laser printed, trimmed and sponged with blue.  I adhered it to my card using 3D foam tape.  Pretty happy with how it turned out.  Therese

Mother's Day card featuring a hand decorated border, a beautiful ribbon and a digital greeting

I made this card for my oldest daughter for Mother's Day.  Using some of her favorite colours I started with an ivory card with a large envelope.  I added a stamped and watercoloured background and then a gold edged coral ribbon.  The border was one I found in my stash which I created a while back for a different project using the clear embossed resist technique but the colours were very appropriate so I used an eyelet border punch on each long side and mounted it over the ribbon.  I die cut a flower in a coordinating cardstock and then added a layer which was die cut from gold metallic cardstock.  Once layered I adhered them over the circle in the border.  I corner punched my laser printed greeting (Desert Diva), punched a hole in the left hand side and sponged it to coordinate with my card, then added a piece of soft vintage seam binding in a wonderful green colour before adhering it to my card using 3D foam tape.    Therese

An anniversary card featuring two heart die cuts, lacy ribbon and a stamped greeting

My parents have been married 65 years this year!  We are fortunate they are still with us and living independently.  I am grateful everyday!! 

I used a large envelope and created a white card to fit inside.  I chose this soft elegant paper and stamped it with a script stamp (SU) in light blue green to coordinate.  I added a layered ribbon/lace combo to the left hand side before I adhered it to my card.  I stamped the greeting in a coordinating colour as well and then added the two heart die cuts using small pieces of 3D foam tape and a bit of white glue on the bottoms. 
Beautifully elegant!!

Therese

Anniversary card featuring two little birds die cut, an embossed greeting and a vellum frame

I made this card for my daughter and her DH for their anniversary.  I chose a burnt orange card and a coordinating decorative paper trimmed to leave a bit of a border.  I wanted to frame the focal element but the paper was too beautiful to cover up so I used vellum to give the effect I wanted without losing the look of the paper.  I stamped my "Blessings" greeting on the top portion of my decorative paper in copper and found that it blended too much so I reheated it and added gold which was much better - still subtle but visible.  I added the vellum frame which I created using a rectangle Nestabilities and then trimmed the outside edge with a wavy blade in a rotary cutter.  I attached it to my background using four tiny antique gold brads.  I die cut the little birds on a branch from ivory cardstock and then watercoloured the birds to reflect some of the blue in the background.  I mounted the die cut with some pieces over the vellum and others behind using small pieces of 3D foam tape behind the birds.  I was then able to add white glue using a fine tip applicator behind the main branch to secure it in place.  I used white glue to adhere the wings to the birds and the hearts around the greeting.  The little birds are very cute and I love how well they coloured.  I did add a bit of black cardstock behind the heads to get the eye to be black and also coloured their beaks black with a marker.                  Therese

Card exchange cards - stamping, ribbon and a large layered greeting

I made this card for one of my Card Exchange partners for May.  I started with an odd envelope and made an ivory card to fit inside.  I chose the decorative paper and then set about making my decorative greeting for the front.  I die cut (Nestabilities) the greeting (SU) which was stamped on white cardstock and layered it onto an orange embossed oval.  Layered next onto a funky oval from my stash which I sponged with yellow and orange.  Next, I added a large label (TH) which I embossed and sponged to coordinate with the decorative paper.  I punched holes in the ends of the label die cut and added a burnt orange ribbon which I adhered to the back of the background using double sided tape.  To finish off my card I adhered this large element to the front of my ivory card.  Still thinking it needed a bit of something, I watercoloured a small butterfly in yellow and added it using a small piece of 3D foam tape.  Better!!          Therese