Wedding or Golden Anniversary card

Always want to have a few wedding or anniversary cards in your stash so I made another one today.
I started with an ivory card and added this beautiful gold paper to it.  I found a lace that worked perfectly with the stripes in the paper and added just the right amount of texture.  I added it to the paper before adhering it to the card.  I added two heart punchies (SU) - one stamped and punched, the other punched from another beautiful gold paper which I embossed to give it some texture.  I layered my little laser printed greeting punchie onto a yellow label punchie (SU) which was just the right colour and finished off my card very nicely which I added with 3D foam tape.
This one would be suitable for a golden anniversary as well as a wedding.  Nice to have it be versatile as well as beautiful!

Therese

Burned wood for my birthday card

My Dad is a retired carpenter and I like to add wood to his birthday cards.  I am fortunate that my DH also does some wood working so little pieces of wood show up from his shop regularly.
I retrieved this one from my little stash of wood pieces and decided to do some wood burning on it because I have been wanting to try that for quite a while.  Never having done it before and very little time I decided having a image to trace would be best so I dug through my stamps looking for something appropriate as well as simple in design.  This little maple leaf was just what I needed.  I stamped on my thin piece of wood with my greeting, then in an all over design with the leaf and then plugged in my wood burning iron. Once it was hot, I started going over the leaves one at a time tracing all the stamped lines.  The grain of the wood affects how dark the burn is and how deep the tip goes so it was a bit of a learning process.  After doing all the leaves and greeting it still needed a bit of something so I added stippling with the iron.  Just what it needed!  I reinforced several areas of my wood with tape before I glued it to a brown layer and cut the edges of the cardstock with decorative scissors.  I added strips of gold cardstock on both side of my element and glued it to a dark maroon card which I had border punched on the front edge.  I added dots in the scallops and lines on either side of my focal element with a gold gel pen.  That was looking pretty good but it still needed a bit of something so I decided to add water colour.  I started with one leaf thinking I was going to do them all and decided that one would be best.
Loving my first wood burning project!!  I have a few other ideas so maybe that will show up here in the future some time!

Therese

Cute butterfly for a kid's card

For this stash card I went for a different look for a kids card using brown, blue and yellow. I started with a brown card front and added an embossed (SU) dots layer which I watercoloured to coordinate with the greeting and sponged the edges a bit too.  I stamped it all over with a bit of blue using my stipple stamp (SU) to keep the theme going.  I watercoloured the little butterfly (meljens) with shimmery paints and layered it onto blue and then glued this element to my card front.  I layered my little laser printed greeting to a little brown label die cut which I found in my stash.  Changes it up a bit which I most appreciated.  Therese

Simple Sentiments - quick and easy cards with images from a photo calendar

I was needing a gift for an exchange and thought I would work with calendar images from my sister's calendars.  She produces several every year - this year she created a nature, black and white cityscape, owl and tea one! They have wonderful photographs and it seems a shame not to reuse them.  I used photos from the past two years from a Nature and Alberta Road Trip calendars that I received for Christmas.  You can check out her Simple Sentiments cards sets with a similar format.  She also has several sets listed here.  

I started by downloading frames - the scrolly one is from Clipartkid and the oval one is from Graphics Fairy - which I positioned at the bottom four quarter pages in my layout program, added the greetings with a nice font and printed on white cardstock.  I laser printed the letter sized pages and trimmed them apart to be 4" x 5.25".  I trimmed the images from the 4" x 6" calendar pages to fit above the greetings leaving an even margin.  I glued the images to the greeting layer and then added a bit of watercolour to the greeting to coordinate with the image and then glued this larger focal element to the front of a coordinating card.  Quick and easy greeting cards and a environmentally friendly reuse project!!   I am off to get them packaged for the party!

Therese

Sympathy card with a butterfly

Another addition to my stash! For this sympathy card I started with a turquoise card front, added a white embossed scroll frame to which I added a turquoise oval (Nestie) and a fussy cut stamped butterfly.  I stamped the greeting on the oval using white pigment ink and embossed it with white embossing powder.  It took three tries to get it right but I am happy with how it turned out.

Therese

Baby cards

 A few baby cards for my stash!!  I started my first card with a lavender card, added striped decorative paper, added white seam binding on the right hand side and tied a bow on the bottom third before adding my layered sentiment (SU).  The sentiment is a digital image which I printed on white cardstock and trimmed to size before layering onto lavender cardstock which is cut just a bit long on the right hand side.  I trimmed that edge with scalloped decorative scissors and then pierced each scallop with a push pin.
The next two feature focal elements which I created in the process of making birth announcements for my grand daughter last fall.  For the left hand card I layered the laser printed and embossed background onto the front of a lavender card after I had added a length of purple seam binding.  I added the cute little elephant layered element over the seam binding using 3D foam tape and tied a short piece of seam binding with one single knot to the one on the front to simulate a bow.

  I layered my laser printed greeting onto a label punchie (SU) and adhered it to the card using 3D foam tape. For the right hand card, I created a background using colour printed background paper in purples on lavender cardstock, punched the one side using an eyelet border punch (SU) and then embossed a line using my score tool which helps add texture and define the edge of the colour printing.  To add still more texture I embossed it with the Swiss Dot embossing folder.  I added a length of white gros grain ribbon to the background before adhering it to my white card front. I layered my laser printed greeting punchie to a purple label punchie (SU) and adhered it over the ribbon with 3D foam tape after I added my little elephant focal element to the right hand side.   Was fun to work with different colours and supplies!!  Therese

Maple leaf birthdaycard

This card features a laser printed graphic maple leaf image which I watercoloured and layered onto a rectangle of embossed yellow cardstock which I border punched (SU) and pierced before adding red gros grain ribbon below the image and tying a short piece to it to simulate a bow.  The background is embossed black cardstock to which I added a length of wide white gros grain ribbon gluing the ends to the back before layering onto a red card front.  The greeting is laser printed and glued to the right hand of the card.  Love this colour combination!!

Therese

Get well card with an image in an embossed frame

I combined a watercoloured image (Meljens Designs) with an embossed background almost seamlessly!!  I embossed the background and then the watercoloured image so that the frame would encompass the image.  I then trimmed the image along the inside of the embossed border and glued it into the debossed area inside the frame. To really incorporate it nicely I embossed the whole thing again!!  Worked perfectly to really sink the image into the frame though you have to be very careful to really put the embossed areas back into place properly or you get a bit of ghosting happening.  Love how it worked out.  I glued this large focal element to the front of a blue card and added a single punched greeting below the image.  Thought it needed a bit of something so I sponged a bit of blue ink over the embossing to give the whole thing a bit of unity.  Much better!!!
Will have to see about using this technique with some of my other embossing folders which have frames in them.   If you give it a try, let me know!!

Therese

Light house birthday card

For this card I used a colour printed image of a photograph I took in PEI on our vacation a few years ago.   I created the green layer by border punching the right hand side of a rectangle of green cardstock and then for some texture I used my score tool to add some lines above and below the image before gluing it into place.  I glued this element to a navy card front which I embossed on the right hand side.  I was unable to use my Big Shot because I could not get the card and embossing folder to go through the machine so I used the manual method - a small mallet to apply pressure to the areas I wanted embossed.  Worked well but takes a bit of time to ensure that all the areas have been properly embossed.  I found the greeting in my stash.  I trimmed it, punched a slot, sponged the edges, added dots with navy marker and finally added a coordinating gros grain ribbon in the slot.  I adhered it my card front using 3D foam tape.
Having fun creating "one off" cards with supplies from my stash!!             Therese

Cards with double embossed backgrounds

Have not done some double embossed backgrounds in quite a while so I made a few the other day for some thank you cards I had to get ready to send.  I used colour printed cardstock (green core with a blue denim printed background), embossed them with one folder then sanded the embossing.  Next, I embossed them with another folder and rubbed a stamp pad over the embossing giving my backgrounds all a very unique look!!  I used two different blue inks on the right and left and a green on the middle one.  

For the left hand card, I adhered my background to a navy card, added a navy strip over it and then glued my layered greeting over it.  The layered greeting was created using a circle punchie with a colour printed greeting, over a green circle punchie (SU) and a turquoise scallop punchie (SU) to which I added two short lengths of green ribbon with flagged ends.   For the center card I used green cardstock for the card front and the different layers.  For the right hand card, I used a punchie with a watercoloured boat (Arthur's Clip Art) on it and layered it over a stamped and glitter embossed image which I punched with the scallop circle punch.  Love the bit of sparkle that shows all the way around the image and the white border around it!!  I added a length of white ribbon to the background before gluing it to a green card front.  I tied on another short length using one single knot to simulate a bow.  I adhered my focal element over the ribbon using 3D foam tape.  I added a layered laser printed greeting on the lower right hand corner.

For the last background I had created I created a birthday card.  I added a length of light blue ribbon to the background before adding it to a green card front.  I looked through my image stash to find something that would go with what I had already created.  I found this little colour printed vintage image in the perfect colours.  I trimmed it and rounded the corners my hand.  I created a white layer slightly larger, rounded the corners and embossed it.  I used my distress tool on the edges of both pieces to emphasize the vintage feel.  I layered them to each other and then adhered them to the front of my card using double sided tape.  I tied a short length of ribbon with one single knot to the piece on the card to simulate a bow.  The image already had a greeting so my card was finished!!!
Love the look of the double embossed backgrounds!!  If you have not tried it - give it a go this week and let me know how it worked out!!

Therese

Birthday card with some bling

For this stash card I layered the colour printed decorative paper (SU) to a black card and added a strip of black cardstock about a third down from the top.  I created the focal element using a clipart image (CLKER) to which I added a greeting before laser printing it onto white cardstock and trimming.  I added a bit of watercolour that coordinated with my decorative paper.  I layered it with peach and a warm blue leaving it long enough on the bottom to punch with the scallop border punch (SU).  I added clear rhinestones to each scallop which blinged it up nicely!  Therese

Get well card with embossing

Another card for my stash using an alcohol ink polished stone background to which I added an embossed floral image (SU) in silver.  I chose a steel blue layer, punched out a scallop circle before I embossed it with a floral embossing folder (SU),  then sponged the edges with dark blue and layered it onto a deep yellow card front. I glued the focal image over the embossed layer which covered the hole I had created.  I sponged the scallop circle (SU) with some dark blue ink, pierced the scallops with a push pin and added a laser printed punchie greeting (Bird's Cards). Once I added to it the card with 3D foam tape I thought it needed a bit of something so I added yellow watercolour to the outside frame of the greeting.  That was better!!

Having fun creating some unique cards!

Therese

Cards with embossed and sanded solid core backgrounds

I am making cards for my stash.  I found these two square embossed and sanded backgrounds in my stash which were created with cardstock which has a solid colour core that is different than the outside colour.
For the first card I layered one of them over an ivory layer which I punched on the top and the bottom using an eyelet border punch (SU).  I also embossed three lines on both ends which I applied using my score tool and then I adhered this large element to a rust card front.  I waterecoloured the small floral wreath image (Melonheadz) and used 3D foam tape to adhere it to the front of my card.  I tore the edges of a laser printed vellum greeting and I glued it below the wreath.
For the second card, I layered the embossed square over white and then glued it to the top of a rust card.  I watercoloured a small stamped coffee cup image and layered it over blue then adhered it to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  I found the perfect greeting in my stash so I punched three little stars out of the left hand side and layered it onto the same blue as the image.  I adhered it to the space below the focal element and then added the three small stars around the image.
Love how these turned out!!

Therese

Butterfly Wishes fabric postcard

Another birthday postcard for my birthday swap on one of my groups.  I had three little squares of pieced green fabric which coordinated with the butterfly really well so I went looking to find another piece that worked with both of them and found this beautiful scrap of red!! Perfect!!  I sewed the three little green squares to each other to create a strip, sewed on the scrap of red and trimmed out a 4" x 6" piece for the front of my postcard.  Next, I searched for a piece that coordinated for the back which was big enough to come to the front as a binding.  I cut this backer from a larger piece of fabric but I love the way it coordinates with all the pieces I had already chosen.  I added fusible web to the edges of my backer and trimmed it to be wavy.  I cut and laid down a piece of batting and positioned my front over it and pinned them all together.  I put red thread on the top and yellow in my bobbin and stitched an all over wavy design to connect all the pieces and provide some stability for the postcard.  I trimmed the corners out, folded the sides to the front and ironed them into place.  I couched some deep yellow yarn with a zig zag stitch over the wavy edge of the binding using the same red and yellow thread.  Like how that worked out!  I positioned my butterfly - a self adhesive fabric embellishment - on the front, drew a flight line which I embroidered with gold thread before adhering the butterfly in place.  I used a marker to add "Buttefly Wishes" in red.  It will be winging its way to my partner this week!!

Therese

Wedding card with die cut hearts

Creating a few cards for my stash and needed a wedding card.  I chose the embossed hearts (SU) from my stash and decided to create a card around them. I die cut hearts from white handmade shimmer paper to back them using the embossing sizzlet which once they are layered gives them just a beautiful little edge of white.  I chose a textured dark red cardstock for my card and added a length of flowery lace using double sided tape along the straight edge on the front and short pieces on the inside of the card to secure each end.  I added a strip of white shimmery cardstock over the edge of the lace to finish it off nicely and to provide an element to anchor the hearts and greeting.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere the hearts into place and the layered greeting (SU) as well.
I am really liking lace on cards!!  You can check out the last few I made here and here.

Therese

Sympathy card with a lacy heart

I prefer to make sympathy cards before I need them so I decided to add a couple to my stash.  You can check out the other one I made here.  I started with the lacy die cut heart which arrived in one of my exchange cards this year!!  I found this handmade watercolour background which coordinated very nicely so I cut it to size and chose a light green cardstock to go with these two elements.  I attached my die cut to the background paper using two white brads in the center of the large flowers on the die cut.  I added a slim ribbon adhering the ends to the back of it using double sided tape.  I adhered this large element to the front of my green card.  I thought that the die cut still needed a bit of something so I added green rhinestones to the small flowers and that helped.  I added some hand embossed lines to the large flowers and that was better.  I tied a short length of ribbon to the one on the front to simulate a bow and added my layered greeting (SU) over it near the bottom.
Very happy with my card!!
Therese

Some more floral cards with pop

Here are the rest of the cards that I finished off with the bright and popping images I found a white back. Here are the other ones I posted the other day.  I used white pencil crayon and a stardust glitter gel pen to embellish the laser printed digital image so they would pop a bit from the bold ink background.  I digitally created frames with greetings, printed them on white cardstock and glued my images into them.  I trimmed the quarter sheets just a bit to allow the card colour to show all the way around. Love the bright and bold artsy look of these cards.  Therese

Butterfly sympathy card

Always want to have a few of these on hand so I decided to see if I could make up a couple.  I found this watercoloured butterfly in my stash so decided to make the rest of the card to coordinate.  I found this embossed layer in my stash as well which was just white cardstock.  So I added watercolour until it looked like what I wanted and dried it with my heat gun. I like the way the colour was absorbed more deeply in the embossed areas because the fibers were stretched.  I chose a gray card to coordinate with the body and glued my embossed layer to it.  I positioned the butterfly and glued it in place with a little piece of double sided tape so the wings with be free.  I added a flight path with dots from a black marker and overlaid a layered greeting (SU) over it with 3D foam tape.
Love using up items I find in my stash!!

Therese

A fun card for a new home owner

A friend of mine has just bought her own place and so I made her this card in recognition of her accomplishment!!  The house image was cast into a sheet of white handmade paper many moons ago but was just perfect for this card.  I layered it over a red and kraft decorative paper on a red card front and stitched it into place using red thread  and incorporating a little punchie in the left hand top corner in the process.  A quick and easy card!!  I wish her every blessing in her new home!!!

Therese

A birdie fabric postcard for a birthday exchange

I created this fabric postcard for a birthday swap on one of my groups!!  I started by sewing two blue scraps to each other and then I stitched two green ones together.  I applied fusible web to the dark green fabric and trimmed it roughly to look like a treed horizon line.  Once I had ironed it to the bottom of the blue piece I trimmed the whole piece to 4" x 6".  I then added a piece of batting to the back and stitched wavy lines across the whole thing using blue thread for the top portion and green thread on the bottom section. I fused a piece of white cotton to the back to give the whole thing a bit more body.
To create my little birdie I created a collage button using a scrap of yellow and red fabric paper.  Once it was dry, I created a little beak out of dark brown fabric to which I had fused some webbing so I could just iron it in place once I was happy with how it looked.  I positioned my button, then placed my beak and ironed it into place and stitched the long legs with dark brown embroidery thread.  I added a black brad to create the eye of my bird.  I worked on making a tail and a wing using tulle and bits of fabric scraps which were cut off when I was creating this postcard.  I tied the tulle into the holes of the button to create the wing and added a few of the yellow scraps to add a bit of colour and bulk.  I used yellow embroidery thread to sew the button to the postcard and left the ends long once they were tied off to add yet another bit of texture to the wing.  I tied off another section of tulle with yellow bit included to create the tail which I glued to the back of the body of the bird once it was stitched in place.  I did find that the wing was a bit too undefined so I hand stitched the fibers together with brown floss and tied them off loosely.  That was better and I added a glue dot just beneath the wing so it would stay in the right position.  I bound my postcard using a dark brown polyester trim which I sewed to the front, folded over the edge to the back and restitched so it would stay in place.  Very happy with my little birdie postcard which will be winging it way to my partner in the next couple of day.    Therese