All occasion card featuring diecut wild flowers (TH), ribbon and three dots

The colour combination for this card was inspired by the polka dot red and pink paper from which I cut some of the wildflowers (TH).  It has a shade of blue green on the back of it so I decided to layer some hexagonal blue green paper onto red for this card.  After trimming a piece to size I added a length of ivory gros grain ribbon near the bottom securing the ends to the back using double sided tape before adhering it to my card.  Next, I die cut several of the same wildflower (TH) from some of the scrapbook paper and three different red cardstocks from my stash.  To get the change in direction in the flowers I used the back of the die cut.  They have a bit of a different texture and the edges are less rounded - it provides a bit of variety.  I simply tucked them behind the ribbon and used white glue applied using a fine tip applicator to adhere them to the background.  I added three little red circle punchies to the ribbon to finish off my card.  Therese
 

All Occasion card featuring a silver embossed gift, embossed vellum and ribbon

I had stamped two of these while I was at it and decided to make this one with a different colour scheme.  I started with a blue card and found this colourful paper that coordinated nicely.  I added a strip of embossed vellum and then a silver gray ribbon before adhering the background to my card front.  I watercoloured the gift (Artful Stamper) to coordinate.  This stamp has lanquished in my stash for quite a while and it was fun to make use of it again!!  

Therese
 

Slow Stitching - Cat squares Q2, Row1, Squares1-5

 

This is my first row of squares for Quilt 2.  Therese

A set of cards as a gift with decorative paper backgrounds and coordinating butterflies

I made this set of cards as a gift.  I used white card bases, added a variety of backgrounds using decorative papers and then stamped this butterfly image in a coordinating colour on white as the focal element.    The first one has a full size purple background with a sanded purple stripe of white core paper. I mounted the butterfly image (SU) which I fussy cut after it was dry to my card using 3D foam tape.  The second one has three layers of this fun green paper with a little stripe of blue in between on a white card basse.  The butterfly was stamped in Ochre, fussy cut and mounted with 3D foam tape.  The third one is very much the same except in purple!!  The next one has a piece background with the butterfly layered onto yellow.  I embossed a line with my score tool, used the scallop border punch (SU) next and then used a 1/16" punch to punch holes in the scallops. Mounted it to my card with 3D foam tape.  The next one has a full background of green with white polka dots to which I added a length of white vintag seam binding and then tied on a short length to simulate a bow.  After adhering the background to the card I added the butterfly using 3D foam tape. For my last card I trimmed a piece of decorative paper a bit smaller than my card into four and adhered them neatly spaced on my white card front.  I stamped the butterfly, fussy cut its edges and then adhered it to a yellow layer which had distressed edges.  This element was adhered to my card front using 3D foam tape.  Happy with how all of these turned out.  It was quick and easy to choose one set of design elements and then change up the colours and embellishments to make them all unique.  Therese

 

All occasion card featuring a large fussy cut gift, embossed vellum and brad embellishments

Another pink and green card!!  I really love this one!!  I trimmed the swirly pink background, added a swirly embossed (CB) strip of torn vellum across the middle and then the three silver brads before mounting it to my green card front.  The gift (Artful Stamper) was silver embossed and fussy cut.  I watercoloured it to coordinate with the rest of the card!!  

Therese

Slow Stitching - cat squares

 I started this slow stitching project earlier this year.  The cat fabric was donated to me and I thought they were so cute it seems overkill to put them all in the same place.  I cut all the cats out  - they were randomly distributed on black with gray cat paws in between.  After cutting them all out I decided to apply them to black squares which I would then assemble into a quilt.  Turns out there were enough with some sashing to make two quilts.  I took the time to arrange them all so that like ones were not touching and to distribute colours as best as I could.  I think there are 7 different cats and they were not in even numbers so it took a little to get a good layout in each quilt.  I layered and marked them as to which quilt (1,2), which row (1-8), and then their place in the row (1-5).  I then cut some black squares of fabric (6.5") to stitch the cats to.  Very quickly, it became apparent that all the time I spend organizing these cats could easily be lost by mixing up the squares as a stitched.  I decided to pin the cats to the squares and then mark the back to show their place in the row.  I kept my original markers for which quilt and the row number ( to the left in the photo).  Once I actually started stitching I found that it was difficult to keep the fabrics well aligned as a stitched so I decided to stitch the cats to the squares using black thread and my sewing machine.  This ensured that none of them got mixed up and that they remained flat to each other as I stitched.  Glad I did!!  I have been using embroidery thread in colours from the cat images to stitch them to the squares using a variety of stitches.  It has been fun to experiment with colour combinations and different stitches.  The funky edges were created as I cut out the cats without wasting any fabric.  

You can see that in some I rounded the corners a bit because it worked better for the stitching I was doing.  So they will all be different and I am hoping will end up making nice quilts.  I am not sure I will be able to wait to include 40 of these into one quilt.  I am already thinking of putting one row into a quilt using some bright fabric scraps in much the same way I have been working my other quilt - a row with hand stitching as a focal point and rows of stitched scraps and lengths to make up the rest.  We shall see!!  Therese 

NOTE:  Detailed photos of each square will show up in following posts a row at a time!

Care bear quilt top

 I worked most of the day yesterday and managed to get this care bear quilt top finished.  I had only pieces to work with so I made sure all of them were standing up and then added pieces where necessary.  I had one long strip and the goal was to make the  pieces into strips of the same lenght so that no Care Bears had to be sacrificed to the trimming of this top.  I ended up not needing to add to the right hand side row - the pieces as they were cut were long enough so I created some strips of white cotton coated with fusible webbing and joined the pieces as they were.  I found some pink seam binding which was just the right width once opend to cover the front an make the joint secure.  I had two in this piece.  On the left hand one I had to add two strips of yellow to make two of the pieces wide enough and again there was no extra fabric for the seams so I applied the same treatment.    Next, I did up both of the left hand pieces joining the bottom two and then the top two.  I had just enough of the yellow fabric to fill in the middle section of both of these strips so I used the same techinque to join these pieces into two strips.  I used white seam binding because I did not have any more pink.  It trimmed out pretty good. I had measured and sewed carefully to ensure the best results in getting the ends to align.  It is not perfect but no care bears had to be sacrificed!!!  I will be slow stitching some hearts in the yellow strips before adding batting, backing and binding.  Pretty happy with how it worked out.  

Therese

All Occasion card featuring roses, a decorative border and bling

In our family cards are refurbished and used again if possible.  I regularly get little care packages of cards I have sent handed back to be reused.  I decided to reuse this beautiful rose panel from my previous card.  I layerd it onto pink and then added a white punched border on the bottom (MS).  This large element was added to a green card and then I added little clear rhinestones to the middle of the daisies in the border to finish it off.  My favorite colour combination!!

Therese
 

All occasion card featuring lace and ribbon with a die cut flower

This is my next card with no greeting.  I did leave some room so one can be added later.  I started with a soft green card and then added a background which I pieced from a few scraps of beautiful watercolour paper.  I added a piece of ecru lace, a peach ribbon and then three tiny brads on the right hand side.  A nice textural embellishement.  I added some paper pierced texture on the remaining piece using my pattern tracing wheel.  For my focal element I created a flower using a dark brown "stem" which was cut from a die from a greenery set by Tim Holtz.  The flower is layered (CB) with a brown outline with a flower cut from the scrap of the same paper as the background.  It worked out really nice that the flower was a good contrast to the background.  It is fun to find that your tools are versatile!!

Therese
 

All occasion card featuring a border punched decorative background, a watercoloured flower and gold layers

For this card I started with a white card base.  I trimmed this piece of decorative paper from the back of a used card.  I punched the right hand side with a zig zag punch and added a piece of cardstock in behind to really show off the holes in this design.  I added my background to my card and then went looking for an image in my stash.  I found this stamped image of a flower  (Magenta) which was stamped with a black ink that tended towards purple which worked well with my background.  I watercoloured it to coordinate and then layered it with two fancy gold corners which I had paper pierced with my pattern tracing tool.  This element was then mounted to my card front using 3D foam tape.  Using premade elements often forces you to use colours that you don't automatically reach for!  Feels good to try something new!!   Therese
 

All occasion card featuring decorative paper background, ribbon and a leather leaf die cut

I have been working on and off on all occasion cards for my stash.   This one is going to a member of our faith community who is moving to another city.  We most appreciate all he has given to us over the years and are wishing him every good thing as he goes on another adventure.  

This card started with a white card base.  I adhered two pieces of coordinating paper to each other and then a ribbon to create my background.  I tied a little piece of kraft twine to the stem of a leather leaf die cut and then mounted it to my card front using double side tape.  I used a wood burning tool to add details to the leaf.  I added my little stamped greeting which was punched with the Word Window punch (SU) and then sponged on the edges with 3D foam tape to finish off my card.  

Therese
 

All occasion card featuring die cut leaf (TH), embossed layer and twine

A friend of mine asked for a few cards so I decided to get started on making a few.  This one uses a dark brown panel from which I had die cut a leaf (TH).  In my little stash I had several different coloured die cut leaves so I chose a green one to off set from the opening in the panel.  I trimmed a yellow background, distressed its edges and mounted it to a dark brown card.  I like the way the yellow background shows through the opening of my panel.  I adhered my green leaf to the side a bit and then tied on a piece of twine at the stems.  I mounted my panel to the front of my card a little bit offset.  I am leaving all my card without greetings so she can choose the occasion she will use them for.  There is room for a greeting if she decides she needs one!!

Therese

Thank you cards featuring embossed greetings, decorative paper and ribbon

 I needed a couple of thank you cards so I went to my craft room to see what I could come up with!!  I have recently been reminded about this stamp and thought it would be perfect for the cards I needed.  I stamped it twice on a scrap of white cardstock and embossed them with silver embossign powder.  I cut two white cards to fit in my envelopes and then trimmed two pieces of decorative paper from my stash of pink scraps. I added a length of pink ribbon to each tucking the ends to the back and securing with double sided tape then mounted them to my cards.  After fussy cutting the greetings I watercoloured them both to coordinate with my backgrounds and mounted them to my cards using 3D foam tape.  

Therese

Birthday card featuring some fun pink flags, washi tape and a little greeting

For this card I started with a decorative paper with pink diamonds and added five little pink flagged strips of  paper which I kept in place with a length of pink and black polka dot washi tape.  I found the greeting (Desert Diva)  in my stash, watercoloured it to coordinate, added some paper piercing with my pattern tracing wheel and then mounted it to a layer of black cardstock.  I mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  Just to finish it off nicely, I added a little pink butterfly punchie!!  I am enjoying playing with my tools and using up some of my scraps!!  Therese

 

Thank you card featuring a fancy greeting, washi tape and a black silhouette of a wild flower (TH)

I combined two pieces of scrapbook paper by joining them with handmade coordinating washi tape to create a background which I mounted to my white card base.  I found the greeting in my stash.  I created this image from an oval frame which I filled with a font greeting before laser printing and punching out the shapes (SU).  I watercoloured it to coordinate.  I found the black silhouette wild flower in my stash and thought it went very well with my greeting so I adhered it to my card using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  Once it was dry, I added my little greeting using 3D foam tape.  

Therese
 

Birthday card featuring blue decorative paper, washi tape and butterfly punchies

For this card I started with a white card base and added the background I created by combining two scraps of decorative paper.  I used a length of coordinating washi tape to cover over where they join and then trimmed the tape to the edges of the card.  The birthday greeting (Desert Diva) is from my stash.  I embellished it with paper piercing uisng my pattern tracing wheel and mounted it to my card front with 3D foam tape after mounting it to a bright blue piece of cardstock.  Searching my stash I found a little flight of butterflies in coordinating blues which I mounted to my card front using double sided tape.  Finished off my card very nicely!!

Therese

 

All occasion card with a stamped coffee cup, a black strip and a geometric background

I am still making cards for my stash!!  This one features a white card base and for the background I reused a fun geometric card back with some wonderful colours.  I added a strip of black cardstock and then added a layered focal element.  I started with a stamped coffee cup which I fussy cut to have a bit of an uneven edge.  I layered it onto a coordinating piece of green cardstock which I distressed on its edges.  Once adhered to each other I mounted this element to my card front using 3D foam tape.  I did run a fine tipped black permanent marker around the edges of the coffee cup to reinforce it edges and help it echo the black strip I added.  Therese

A star card with a fun greeting, a paper pieced backgrond embellished with washi tape and a large gold star

For this card I started with a white card base and then used green decorative paper scraps to create a fun background which I held together using washi tape.  Have not used those in a while!!  I adhered it to my card, added two layered flagged strips to my background and then my embellished greeting (Desert Diva).  It has several tracks made by my pattern tracing wheel and is embellsihed with a little gold confetti star.  I adhered the large gold star with 3D foam tape.  It nicely unifies my design and creates a wonderful focal element for this great little digital greeting.  Therese
 

All occasion card featuring stitched flowers, embossed panel and some ribbon

This card started with the panel from a card I had refurbished a while back.  There were these wonderful stitched flowers which were embellished with glitter and done in shimmery thread.  I trimmed the piece to fit on my card, punched on side with a scalloped border punch and then embossed a line with my score tool.  I embossed the other side with a birdie embossing folder (CB) and then added a piece of coordinating satin ribbon over where the embossing stopped.  I added this embellished layer to the front of a lilac card.  

Therese

 

All occasion card featuring a little cactus, an embossed strip and some paste paper for my backround

Another card for my stash!!  I started with a white card and trimmed a piece of beautiful paste paper to fit with a small border.  I found a strip of coordinating cardstock in my stash, embossed it a dotted embossing folder (SU) and then flagged the end.  I mounted the strip over the background and then found this cute little cactus image that I thought would work really well.  I water oloured it to coordinate with my card and then cut a piece of dark pink cardstock to back it with to echo the colour of its little flower.  I used a border punch on the one side and after adhering them together I mounted this focal element to my card front.  Therese