Birthday card for a retired carpenter

My Dad will soon be celebrating this 88th birthday and because he is a retired carpenter I like to include some wood on his card.  I am fortunate to have a woodworker in the house so little pieces of wood appear regularly with "Can you use this?"  Case in point, that is what happened this afternoon, as our son is here working on his walnut railing and a little scrap showed up!!  It was very thin so I backed it with packing tape before die cutting it with the Sizzix "Happy" die.  It worked perfectly!!  After working out just where I needed to stamp the "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" (SU) I used my LEGO stamping jig to get it exactly in the right place.  I stamped it over several times to get the depth of colour I was looking for - very easy to do with the stamp jig.  I inked the inside of my wood grain embossing folder and used it to "stamp" the background onto my cardstock.  The dye ink cleaned up very well from the inside of the folder.  I added a bit of black watercolour to the right hand sides of my wood word to just give it a bit of depth before using double sided tape to adhere it to my stamped background.  I added a little comma and an exclamation mark using a brown marker.  Next, I used my chevron punch (SU) to punch out a few chevrons below the greeting and one above.  I chose a dark maroon card which nicely highlighted the chevrons.  I used my tracing wheel to add some lines of texture to the outside edges of my background then glued it to the front of my card.  I watercoloured this laser printed tools image from Beccy's Place - http://beccysplace.blogspot.ca/ - then distressed the edges.  I added a bit of brown fiber to the back before adhering this focal element to the front of my card using 3D foam tape.  Pretty happy with how this card worked out!!  Fortunately, I will be able to hand it to my Dad personally as we will be celebrating as a family up home.                Therese

Card kit - Lighthouse with a wavy border

On the weekend I needed a little gift for a gift exchange so I put together a few cards from my stash and added a few that I made up from kits that are sitting on my desk from previous classes. 
This one is from this class and very similar to one that I made that day.  The light house is a digital image from ClipartPal.  I laser printed several on a sheet, trimmed them out and then die cut the tops using a Sizzix tag die.  I watercoloured the image and added a laser printed greeting which was distressed on the edge and a short piece of navy seam binding in the hole.  I layered two pieces of decorative paper to my blue card front and then layered on a navy strip which I had cut with wavy decorative scissors, pierced and that added a few lines with my tracing wheel. 
Glad to have a few card kits on hand because it makes getting cards ready quick and easy!!

Therese

Two kids birthday cards with a small note card

The striped background paper on the first card and the dark blue background on the second card were a complete notecard in their previous life!!  I used the striped piece as a background for my large Happy die cut (SX).  I added "birthday" using a laser printed transparency which I trimmed added just below my die cut gluing the ends to the back of the layer.  I embossed a small rectangle with the D'vine swirl embossing folder and added a length of green mesh which I tied with silver embroidery thread which transformed it into a gift.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere it to my card front just below the greeting.  Really happy with how well this card came together.  Wanting to not waste the "hole" from the die cut,  I backed it with piece of embossed yellow cardstock and was sure to glue the "holes" which fell out of the "A" and the two "P"s  in their proper place by using my sample die cut which I store in the sleeve of the die.  I border punched the bottom edge with a scallop border punch (SU) and then punched tiny holes in each scallop. I cut the right hand side with a slot border punch and inserted a red gros grain ribbon leaving a portion hanging below the edge which I flagged.  The other end went over the top and was glued to the back.  I added a layer of green dotted scrapbook paper which I had ripped on the bottom to the front of a blue card and mounted my large focal element to the top portion of my card.  I added a little laser printed greeting below the die cut to complete my greeting and a little yellow star to finish off my card.    A very effective reuse of a card which transformed it into two new ones!!              Therese

Three new "praying for you" cards with reused card fronts

In the process of making a few more cards for my stash I am reusing card fronts that have been donated to me for my cardmaking!!!  For the one on the left I included the framed lighthouse image to which I had added a small vellum greeting which was stamped and gold embossed.  Next I added a gold layer and mounted this large element to a maroon card front.  For the middle card, I trimmed the floral image from the card front and then ran my tracing wheel around the edges to add texture and then added a gold embossed vellum greeting gluing both ends to the back.  I mounted this image to a green cardstock layer which I had border punched on the right hand side with an eyelet punch (SU).  Thinking I needed something to echo the gold on the greeting I added gold paper circle punchies to the back of the green layer behind the eyelet bumps covering three holes at a time.  I layered this large element to the front of a pink card.  For the right hand card I trimmed the image, added a length of purple seam binding gluing both ends to the back and then loosely tied a shorter piece to it which allowed the tails to lay nicely on the initial length.  A bit of a different look than I usually get  - I like it!!  I added a flagged stamped greeting to the upper right hand corner - the only place it really worked!!!  So a few more for my stash!!                 Therese

November Card Class - the star of wonder and season of hope candle

I love this design and have used several times over the years!!!  I created the little town of Bethlehem graphic many years ago when I first created cards with this stamp using kraft paper which bleaches to yellow.  This time I laser printed the town onto ivory paper and watercoloured the star's center after embossing it in gold.  Still works beautifully!!  I layered this focal element onto a green layer and used 3D foam tape to adhere it to my red card front to which I had already glued a beautiful gold/red decorative paper.  The most time consuming part of this card is embossing the stamped image with gold embossing powder!!  Still a pretty quick card to make up!!!
For my second card, I used a green card and glued on some metallic holly decorative paper leaving a small border all the way around.  The image - Season of Hope candle was stamped and embossed with silver embossing powder.  This is one of my favorite Christmas card images!!  I watercoloured the spaces in the image using green, yellow and orange.  Once it was dry, I mounted it to a red rectangle of cardstoc and adhered it over the decorative paper using 3D foam tape.  One of the girls used chalks on her image tonight and it turned out beautiful and much easier to do that using watercolour with a very similar effect. I will have to try that next time. 
Therese

November Card Class - Die cut tree

I created a few cards with this sketch as my exchange cards for this month and decided to use this design to make a set of  kits for this class.  I used several different dies to cut the opening and a variety of greetings as well so all the cards will be a little different.
I used the same cardstock for the card front and the large topmost layer of this card which has been stamped with a greeting and die cut with a tree.  I added a coordinating decorative paper in between which provides the contrast that creates the focal element.  I added a little star punchie to the tree.  I hand embossed this front layer to avoid having the greeting be lost in the embossing.

For this card I used the medium sized poinsettia die from the Spellbinders set.  I die cut the flower on the top portion and gold embossed a greeting on the bottom section.  The center was created using 3 gold sequins which were held to each other and the card front using mini glue dots.  Again, the top layer is held above the decorative paper which is glued to the card front using 3D foam tape.  I like the contrast and dimension that is created.  I chose to not emboss this one because it seemed more complete and less in need of any more texture possibly because of the larger greeting. 
These kits were pretty fast to assemble as most of the work was already done!!

Therese

November Card Class - wonky tree

I have used this design in one of my previous classes and with a few leftover "trees" I decided to incorporate it into this class.  I love how unique the trees are because of the randomness of the little triangles which allows everyone to put their own spin on their cards.  The background (light blue floral paper with snowflakes stamped on it) is torn across the bottom creating a snowbank by revealing the white of the card front.  I glued it even with the top of the card.  The torn edged dark blue rectangles were glued in place after that.  To build the tree, I glued the brown trunk onto the snow bank and then glued triangles in place over the trunk until it was tall enough.  I added a yellow punchie star at the top using 3D foam tape.  I layered the laser printed font greeting punchie (SU Word Window) over a red label punchie (SU Decorative Label) and mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.

This card uses a different background - a hand decorated piece of paper with light blue/aqua paint on it.  I used a single layer for the greeting and chose to glue my layer just a little off of the top of the card.

A fun card for this Christmas season.  I counted my cards today and I will be short around twenty so I will see about getting some of these cards kits made up after my second class on Monday.

Therese

All occasion cards without greetings

For these two cards I was reusing a portion of a used card that had this bright pink border with some orange ribbon and a zigzag edge. 
For the left hand card I embossed the top portion of a white card with the Swiss Dot embossing folder in my Big Kick and then glued my wide decorative border to the bottom.  I punched two butterflies (MS) which I layered onto two handmade paper butterfly punchies to which I added silver cording to simulate antenna.  I drew in a flight path with a gel pen before gluing the butterflies in place.  For the right hand card, I die cut flowers (SU) from the same fun pink floral paper and three different coordinating pink cardstocks.  I layered the flowers and bound them with a brad which I coloured with a Sharpie marker.  I embossed the front of a white card with the leaves embossing folder before adding my wide border to the bottom edge.  I cut stems and leaves from green cardstock and glued them in place tucking their ends behind the top of the border.  I used glue dots to adhere my flower to my card front.  Love this floral paper!!               Therese

Reusing cards to create fun new ones!

These cards were created using parts of used cards which were donated to me for my cardmaking efforts.  The one on the left is a a friendship card and was cut from the front of a large card.  I added a green border on the right hand side which I punched with a scallop border punch and then added some iridescent glitter glue to coordinate with the glitter on the rest of this cute ladybug card.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel a few times in between the glitter dots and the card front I had glued my border to.  This focal element was glued to a coordinating card front and I was done!!  The card on the left has a front trimmed from a large card leaving the central oval image of a cute kite flying mouse intact.  I wrapped some green crochet thread around this layer and added a layered punchie greeting over it.  I adhered this large focal element to the front of a coordinating card.  Two more for my stash!!               Therese

Ready made card fronts and a friendship card

A friend of mine donated these cards to be used in my cardmaking efforts.  They are A2 sized so presented a bit of a challenge when trying to refurbish them into the same size. 
I found place for a greeting on the first one.  I stamped the greeting on vellum, embossed it in gold and then punched it out with a circle punch.  I added a gold flower sequin with a small gold brad.  Afterwards, I decided to add some coral crochet thread which I wrapped around the layer slipping it under the greeting and tying it off to the left.  I glued this large focal element to the front of a brown card.  I was not able to find a way to embellish the other card front so I simply trimmed it smaller and also glued it to a brown card front.  The message is uplifting and positive!!!    Therese

Fabric postcard that features prairie points, sequins and hand stitching

I created this fabric postcard for the birthday swap on my Trading Fabric Postcards group.  I started by creating the prairie points and worked up my design from there.  I stitched them to the edge of an orange strip, pressed them over and added a line of stitching in white to hold them in place.  I folded and pressed the other side of my orange strip leaving it about 3/4" wide. Next, I created a navy patterned border from a strip of fabric by just folding it in half and pressing.  I laid it on the top edge of  my orange strip and stitched it in place.  Once I had that created I looked for a piece of fabric that would work for a background for my focal element.  I found some green fabric with a bit of floral texture in a darker shade which worked well.  I added a layer of batting and stitched several wavy lines across to secure the two together.  After laying my focal element on the background I decided to add another layer above my strip in dark green.  I cut a strip about 3/4" wide, added fusible webbing to the back and then die cut it with a scalloped Sizzix border die. To finalize my design I positioned my element and then positioned the green strip with the scallops just above it then fused it to my background.  I embellished the scallops with orange sequins with green seed beads - one in each scallop and finally adding some blue stitching in each valley.  Next, I stamped celebrate (SU) three times in dark blue ink across the orange strip.  I applied fusible web to the back of my focal element and fused it below the embellished scallops.  I added a white backer and added yet more lines of wavy stitching in between the ones I had created earlier which tighten the visual texture of the background.  I applied fusible webbing to strips of green fabric to use as my binding and trimmed strips to fit each side.  I lay the strips on the front overlapping about a quarter of an inch and fused it in place.  I flipped the postcard over, folded the remainder of the binding strip to the back and fused it into place.  I repeated the procedure for the three other sides.  Once they were in place, I added two lines of stitching using orange thread to very neatly finish off the binding.  A much different look than the last few I have made but I am as happy with it as the others.  It is off to my partner in hopes that it will arrive before her birthday!!         Therese

Tall slim Christmas cards that feature two different snowman

I decided to make some Christmas cards for my daughter while I was at it.  I have enjoyed making individual cards for birthdays but decided it would be more efficient to make all the Christmas cards using the same sketch.  I started with purple cardstock which coordinated with the handmade purple paste paper I dug out of my stash. I added my decorative paper to my short card fronts and then added a length of double sided tape on the very bottom edge and then added a strip of white which was cut on the top edge using a wavy blade cutter and which I had embellished with several lines of texture using my tracing wheel.  I am loving my tracing wheel!!  The images are digitals from Dearie Dolls which I laser printed, trimmed and then watercoloured.  I cut several strips of silver decorative paper, border punched the edges and added my images then scored a few lines to define the bottom edge.  I tied on a piece of colourful fiber that coordinated then glued this large element to my card front.  I embellished the centers of the snowflakes with clear rhinestones. 
I made the next set exactly the same way using a different snow man from Dearie Dolls and another piece of paste paper from my stash.  Really happy with how these turned out!! Therese

A flower silhouette combined with decorative paper

Another card for my stash!!  This one uses a floral image (CLKER) which has been sitting in my box of images for a little while and I thought would work very well with this paper being as it has a bit of black in it.  I sponged the edges of the image, layered it onto a coordinating green cardstock and then added a length of ribbon gluing both ends to the back.  I tied a short length to it using one knot which simulates a bow.  I added the decorative paper to an all over stamped card front leaving a even border all the way around and then mounted my focal image using 3D foam tape.  Decided to not add a greeting which makes this card more versatile. 

Therese

Holy Family Christmas card

I found two sets of the cardstock and coordinating decorative paper in a box I unpacked recently and today I thought I would see if I could make up a couple cards with them. 
I adhered the decorative paper to the maroon cardstock and added my watercoloured image of the holy family which I layered with silver cardstock on the left hand side with 3D foam tape.  I layered a coordinating punchie greeting (SU) onto the same silver cardstock and mounted it to the right of the image with 3D foam tape as well.  I made two of them and they are headed to my Christmas card stash which is sorely lacking!!  I expect a few more will show up after my cardmaking class next week!! 

Therese

Quick and easy cards for gift giving

 I am making cards for my stash and in cleaning up a packed box I found several of these paper backers which I created when I first designed these cards.  It involves printing two lines that intersect with a greeting on the bottom right side of a white backer.  I went looking for some bright decorative paper to create my "flower".  I cut four 1" squares from the paper I chose and corner rounded two corners on each square before gluing them to the backers.  I cornered rounded two corners of the backers and glued it to a card front that coordinated with my decorative paper squares.  These are quick and easy cards that can be made for any occasion and combine nicely for a set of cards for gift giving.  And, everyone can use a few cards for sending out to their friends and family.    I did add a rhinestone to the intersection of the lines which nicely finishes off the flower.  The first two have scrapbook paper, the pink one uses scraps from a used commercial card and the last one uses an alcohol ink background which I stamped with a flower and embellished with clear glitter gel pen.  Therese

A kid's card that features a fun alien robot

For this kid's birthday card I lengthened my front with a piece of brown cardstock the same as I had used for the card holding them together using regular tape on the front.  I added my piece of decorative paper over everything which helps keep the pieces in place.  I trimmed the image, (a cute alien robot from Dearie Dolls) watercoloured it and added some copper metallic watercolour to some of his parts so he would coordinate with the decorative paper.  I added a blue layer to my image and then adhered it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  I trimmed my laser printed greeting, flagged one end, sponged the edges with blue ink and then slipped the other end under the image and adhering the flagged end with double sided tape.  It was fun to change the orientation on this card. 

Therese

Kid's birthday card that features an embossed background

For this kid's birthday card - part of a set I am making for my daughter - I decided to use embossed rectangles for my background like I did for these Christmas cards and these ones too!  I started by lengthening my card using a rectangle of green which I positioned over a piece of double sided tape which I positioned on the very edge of my card front and then trimming it to the edge of my card.  I embossed some rectangles with the circles and glued them in place on my card front leaving a gap for my greeting.  I watercoloured my image, layered it onto brown and adhered it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  I flagged the ends of my laser printed greeting and then added texture with my tracing wheel before adhering it to my card front between the background and the green strip on the bottom.  I added a few lines of texture to the green strip as well. 

Therese

Christmas cards with triangle trees and stamped snowbanks

My daughter has been organizing her Christmas list and noted that she needed some Christmas cards for the kid's teachers so I put together some card kits to work on with the grand kids. 
I made up cards for the #8 envelopes.  Because I cut them from letter sized cardstock I had to add a rectangle to the card fronts to make them as long as the backs which fortunately is covered by the background paper. 
For this card I used a light blue floral paper which I stamped all over with a snowflake stamp in blue ink.  I glued it on my card front leaving an even border.  I stamped the greeting (SU) on a strip of 1.5" white cardstock in red ink then cut out a wavy line to create a snow bank.  I ended up using the cut off to create a second snowbank by trimming it's length and inserting in behind the first one.  I glued both ends of my first snow bank down with double sided tape to allow space in behind for tucking in my trees.  The second snow bank was just glued a bit on the bottom edge before being inserted in behind.  I auditioned all the little triangle trees and when I liked the arrangement I glued them down one at a time starting with those at the back and working my way to the front.  You can see that some of my trees are duplex which I created by gluing two leftover halves together.  The halves are the leftovers at the end of a strip of decorative paper after you have trimmed as many triangles as you can in between.  I like the collagey look of them!!  I punched a little star from yellow card stock and glued it above one of the trees using 3D foam tape.  Pretty happy with how they turned out!!  My oldest grand daughter made up a few of these in between the creation of the little felties for her teachers. 
I like that this design is flexible - the background could be stamped or not, you could use as many or as few trees as you wanted, you could use one snowbank or two. Here is one my grand daughter put together.  She is long time card maker so she just did her own thing which was wonderful!!  By the end of the day I had 20 cards ready for my daughter in a variety of colour schemes - another check in the box for Christmas preparations!!  Therese

Kid's birthday card which features a cute cupcake

For this card - part of a set of kid's birthday cards I am making for my daughter - features a cute cupcake image from Dearie Dolls.   I laser printed it, trimmed it out and then watercoloured it.  I used a pink card front which I lengthened to the right size using a rectangle of white.  I added a piece of pink harlequin paper to the top portion before adding a pink rectangle over the joint of the cardstocks using double sided tape to keep everything where it belonged.  I trimmed my laser printed greeting, distressed the top and bottom edges and then tied on a piece of coordinating ribbon before adhering it place over the pink strip.  I trimmed the ends to the edge of the card.  I watercoloured the image and layered it onto pink cardstock before adding it to my card.
Enjoying making cards for my grand children to use for their friends birthdays. 

Therese

Kid's birthday card that features a cute little cat

Another card for the set I am preparing for my daughter.  I am using #8 envelopes.  I added a rectangle of the same pink cardstock to the front flap of this one, held it in place with regular tape and then glued my full length piece of decorative paper over the top which helps reinforce the join between the two pieces.  I did add a length of turquoise ribbon to the decorative paper before gluing it down and then tied on a short piece with one knot to simulate a bow.  I trimmed my little greeting giving it flagged ends and then added some texture with my pattern tracing wheel before adding a bit of colour to the edges.  I glued it over the ribbon using 3D foam tape.  I watercoloured my laser printed image (Dearie Dolls) of a cat with a wedge of birthday cake.  I added two triangles to two of the corners and then glued this focal element to the top portion of my card over the ribbon and above the short piece.  This simulated bow works well because you can slide it along and put it just where you want it after you have tied it. 

Therese