Card set - Buttterflies and backgrounds!!

I created a few more cards for my friend who was kind enough to share some cardmaking supplies with me!!  These two do not have greetings so will be a little more versatile.  

For these two I created backgrounds with decorative paper, added scallop die cut circles and butterflies. 

For the green card I started with an ivory card base and added three strips of decorative paper - two the same size for the top and bottom and a coordinating one in between leaving borders all the way around and in between.  I used an embossing folder to add lines and a circle element to the green scalloped circle die cut.  I centered it on the card front adhering it in place.  I added a little silver body to this butterfly (Quick Kutz) and mounted it over the central embossed circle.  These little butterflies were part of a butterfly mobile that was included in a birthday card my daughter gave me a while back.  They are beautiful elements that are working great for cardmaking!!
For the second card I mounted a vintage scrap quilt background which was a colour printed digital image (freebie) from Cathe Holden at Inspired Barn.  I chose a dark green scalloped circle which I distressed with bleach, embossed and sanded and then embossed with a round circle Nestibility to give it an embossed circle element onto which I mounted the butterfly.  Another butterfly from the mobile to which I added a little gold body to coordinate with the gold dots in the butterfly's wings.  

Loving creating with a wide variety of supplies using techniques I have not used in quite a while!!

Therese

Card set - printed greeting, decorative paper and texture

 I started on a set of cards for a friend as she has donated some small envelopes to my cardmaking stash. I made a few cards for her last year.  You can check them out here, here, and here. She generally needs thank you cards and this year I thought I would allow myself a bit more freedom and we shall see what I end up creating.

I have mined my stash for supplies to use and found a box of paper which I had almost forgotten about.  It has a wide variety of single pieces of beautiful paper which I received in a swap a while back.  The paper I used on these two cards is one of those pieces!! 

For the card on the left I started with a dark pink card and added a piece of paper which covered the front leaving a small border all the way around.  In my greetings stash I found several of these laser printed font greetings which I had printed a while back for my Christmas thank you cards.  They coordinated very nicely so I used my pattern tracing wheel and added a line of piercing on the top and bottom edges.  Next, I flagged both ends and mounted the greeting to the front using 3D foam tape.  

For the one on the right, I used the scrap that I trimmed off and ripped it in two and mounted the pieces top and bottom on a medium pink card front.  I added wavy lines of piercings with my tracing wheel and then used my distress tool on both top and bottom edges.  I added two square gold brads which coordinate with the gold in the paper - one on each side and mounted this greeting to the front of my card between the pieces of decorative paper using double sided tape.  Love how they turned out!!!  

I will be dipping into my stash of beautiful papers for these cards!!  Beautiful papers make beautiful cards!!        Therese

A birthday card featuring a fun golfing image, a font greeting and some chevron punchies

My last card for my stash for the moment!!!!!  This one features a fun golfing digital image from Anne's "Cards 4 U" which I laser printed on white cardstock and trimmed to size.  It was fun to colour this image.  I started by watercolouring the sky, added some green sponging with torn paper to simulate a horizon line and then sponged black below that to simulate a path.  Next, I watercoloured the image and added some grass in green below the font greeting.  I added some clear glitter to the head and tail lights, the hubcaps and his glasses. Love how it turned out!!!  I added it to a green layer that I embossed on the right hand side with a polka dot border embossing folder.  I adhered this large element to a dark red card front.  Thinking it still needed " a bit of something" I dug though my stash looking for something that would be appropriate and coordinate. Found these chevron punchies which very nicely filled that criteria so I glued them into place on the upper right.  Done!!!!!!!!

Therese

A quick and easy thank you card featuring a reused card front

This stash card features the front of a thank you card my in laws sent after their fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration.  I have a little stash of them that has been in my stash for a while!!  They feature an embossed heart with a gold foiled "Thank you" in the middle.  Very delicate and beautiful.  I layered it with a peach rectangle of cardstock and then onto an off white card front.  Another quick and easy card!!

Therese

A thank you card featuring bright scrapbook paper, a large label and a round greeting

This fun and bright thank you card started with a piece of scrapbook paper which I found last week in a hunt for something else!!!!!  No idea how long it has been "lost" but it was in an envelope so it must have been from a swap so it has been a while.  I trimmed a piece of navy that would fit on an A2 sized card and next trimmed a piece of the scrapbook paper to leave a small border.  I found this orange label in my stash and thought it would be perfect for hosting my greeting.  I dug the round greeting (laser printed digital stamp) and the orange and white scalloped circles (Nestibilities) from my stash.  The white was too bright so I coloured it with a grey stamp pad and then embossed it for more texture.  To create my focal element I started with the orange label (SX) which I sponged all the way around with grey ink.  I layered on two circle punchies on each side - black and yellow to which I added blue brads. I modified the brads with a blue sharpie marker to get them to coordinate more closely with the decorative paper.  I added the large grey circle to the center of the label and added the greeting which was layered on the orange scalloped circle using 3D foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.  To finish off this card for my stash I adhered the background to a grey card front and then added the large label at a bit of a diagonal.  Thinking it still needed " a bit of something" I added faux stitching to the edges of the label with a fine tip black marker. That was better!!         Therese

A sympathy card featuring scrapbook paper with roses, a vellum greeting and a border punched layer

For this card for my stash I started with the piece of scrapbook paper trimming out the image of the roses.  I added the vellum greeting (laser printed) by folding the sides to the back and adhering with double sided tape.  I layered it onto a piece of green cardstock which I border punched on the bottom with an eyelet punch (SU).  I adhered this large element to an oatmeal coloured card.  Was quick to put together once I found all the pieces that coordinated in colour.          Therese

A thank you card featuring hand decorated paper, flower punchies and a chalkboard greeting

For this card I started with the scraps of hand decorated paper I had on my desk.  They were part of a masterboard I made a few months ago. You can check it out here.  These are the final scraps.  I trimmed the scraps into long rectangles, squares and small rectangles which I adhered to a green layer adding orange flowers to the top right and bottom left to create my background.  I added orange fiber to the fussy cut chalkboard tag greeting and mounted it over my background using 3D foam tape.  I added dots in the center of the flowers and then thinking it still needed something I added little glittery flowers which added a bit of texture and some bling.  Better!!!!  I mounted this large element to a sand coloured card to finish off another stash card. 

Therese

A sympathy card featuring a stamped greeting, a butterfly die cut and a vellum layer

Another stash card!!  I started with the butterfly which was part of a mobile which I received in my birthday card from my daughter a while back.  I tied a length of silver cording around the middle, tied a double knot and trimmed the ends to simulate antennae.  I found a coordinating piece of scrapbook paper, a torn piece of vellum and a coordinating peach card front.  I used a rose ink to stamp the greeting on my card, added the vellum using double sided tape situated where it would be hidden my the strip of scrapbook paper and then adhered the strip over the vellum.  I added the butterfly using 3D foam tape to give it a bit of dimension.         Therese

Birthday card featuring a old plane digital, a distressed background and a label greeting punchie

This stash card started with the airplane image which is a digital from Arthur's Clipart which I colour printed onto white cardstock and trimmed to size.  I distressed its edges and sponged them with brown.  For some texture I used a grid (plastic canvas) and did some paper piercing in the corners.  I embossed a brown rectangle of cardstock with a distressed embossing folder passing it through twice to get the whole width and adhered it to a black card.  Seeing as the plane has red and blue markings I created a flagged element from two strips of coordinating cardstock  and adhered it to my card front.  I used 3D foam tape to adhere the plane image over the flagged element.  I dug this little punchie greeting (Modern Label - SU) from my stash and used a blue marker to colour the oval and watercoloured the textured portion in brown.  I mounted it below the image on the right hand side with 3D foam tape.    Therese

Thinking of you card featuring embossed and sanded background, reused butterflies and tracing wheel texture

This stash card  started with a white card.  I embossed a pink piece of duplex cardstock with a polka dot pattern and sanded it to reveal the white paper below.  I combined these two little butterflies which were part of a mobile which I received in a birthday card from my daughter a while back.  I die cut the body from silver card and adhered it to the pink butterfly.  I had to cut another body to adhere to the other butterfly to get the body to be long enough.  I attached them to each other using double sided tape.  I found this gray and pink greeting in my stash and cut a silver foil scallop circle (Nestibilities) to put behind it.  When auditioning the pieces on the pink layer I decided I needed to add a silver gray ribbon behind the butterfly so I added a length of it adhering both ends to the back using double sided tape, added the butterfly with 3D foam tape and then the little greeting to the lower right hand corner with double sided tape.  When I positioned this layer on my white card I found that it did not leave an even border all the way around so I added a green layer with some tracing wheel texture on the right hand side to balance the layout.  Green and pink being my favorite colour combination it was no hardship to make that happen.  Glad to have given this beautiful butterflies another life!!!!!!!!             Therese

Birthday card featuring a photo, a layered greeting and some ribbon

For this stash card I started with the photo of the zebra which I trimmed from a photo calendar that my sister gave DH last year for Christmas.  She is a photographer and puts together several photo calendars every year for sale and we are always blessed with one each every Christmas.  Making cards with the images gives them another life and reduces waste. 
The photo was trimmed to be just less than 4" and I then glued it to a black layer which fit on an A2 card with a bit of a border all the way around.  I added a strip of green scrapbook paper below the photo and put a length of black ribbon over where they met.  I dug through my stash of laser printed greetings and found this round one (Netty's Cards) that would work perfectly so I layered it onto a black scallop circle (Nestibilities) and added a embossed green circle to the middle and attached them with a large black eyelet which I set with my Cropadile.  I layered the large element to a kraft card front and then used 3D foam tape to adhere the greeting to the front.       Therese

Friends card featuring a digital stamp, ribbon and butterfly die cut

Another card for my stash!!  This one started with a panel from a used card which I cut to size and trimmed the corners with a corner rounder.  I embossed the right hand side of it using a distressed embossing folder passing it through twice to get the whole side done and adhered it to a soft green card.  I found a small piece of blue cardstock that had a butterfly opening, added silver foil to the back and a black die cut butterfly to the front (TH).  This is a set from Tim Holtz that has the solid and the intricate butterfly dies that coordinate. I used a small piece of double sided tape on the body of the butterfly to adhere it to the foil which allows the wings to be lifted for more dimension.  I tore the edges of the piece and then added more texture with my pattern tracing wheel.  I adhere this focal element to my card using double sided tape to ensure the integrity of the foil.  I found this bold greeting for Mud Maven which I had laser printed and trimmed.  I used the corner rounder on it as well and then added little ribbon flags on each side than adhered it below the butterfly on my card.  Love the colours of this card!!         Therese

A thank you card featuring a large reused layer - quick and easy!!

This card was quick and easy!!  I trimmed the rose layer from a used card, layered it onto green cardstock and then onto a pink card front.  Done!!

Therese

Birthday card featuring a cute felt owl, embossed & sanded trees and a little label greeting

My sister gave me several of these cute little felt owls a while back.  I embossed duplex cardstock with a birch trees embossing folder and then sanded it to reveal some white areas.  This duplex cardstock was much sturdier than others I have on hand and required LOTS of sanding so I expect that the black layer was fairly thick.  I like how it turned out.  I mounted this layer onto a white card, added a white die cut circle, a black branch (TH) and then the owl so he is framed by the circle.  Love it!  To finish off my card I added a little laser printed greeting which I laser printed and fussy cut.  I mounted it with 3D foam tape. 

Therese

A Thinking of you card featuring a hand decorated background, a strip with a chevron border and a little punched greeting

I had created this background a while back using some fun handmade stamps which I used on a piece of paper on which I had cleaned up some extra paint from a project.  I always clean up my palette of paint onto pieces of paper in order not to waste it and to create very unique backgrounds.  I simply cut it to size and layered it onto green cardstock and then onto an ivory card front.  Wanting to let as much of the background show as possible I decided on a simple strip of coordinating orange cardstock as my focal element.  I punched with my chevron punch  and flagged the end before mounting it to my card front.  I added the little greeting which is laser printed and then punched (Modern Label - SU).  Thinking it still needed " a bit of something" I added three little clear rhinestones below the greeting.  That was better!!!

Therese

Thank you card featuring a glazed cup of coffee, a reused layered focal element and a little greeting punchie

For this card I started with a background which was set aside after a session of refurbishing cards.  I am not sure what or if there had been a focal element but I found this little coffee cup (stamped image) which fit perfectly so I watercoloured it and mounted it over the scalloped square.  I had to trim the background to fit on an A2 card but fortunately I was able to carefully trimmed the decorative paper after I cut it to size using my exacto knife so I could replicate the bordering frame.  I mounted this large element to a yellow card front and added the little punchie greeting using 3D foam tape.  Lastly, I embellished the coffee cup image with clear dimensional paint and left it to dry which took the better part of the day.  It looks wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!              Therese

Birthday card featuring watercoloured sailboat, label greeting and some bling

This card is the first of a few cards I am making for my stash!
I laser printed a sheet of digital images and greetings on white cardstock in hopes of being able to make up a few birthday cards. 
This one features a digital image from Arthur's Clipart which I laser printed and then watercoloured.  I added some highlights in the water with a white gel pen and then added some shimmer with a clear glitter gel pen. Worked out really well!!   I mounted this image to a navy blue layer of cardstock and punched out a label opening on the bottom (Modern Label - SU).  I mounted it to a yellow card, added a little laser printed greeting punchie (Word Window - SU) and three little clear rhinestones to finish it off!!  I am really liking the larger border on this card which nicely frames the focal image.  Will have to do that more often.       Therese

Valentine card with non traditional colours, stamped tissue and ribbon

 I made this card for DH for Valentine's.  It is very non traditional in the way of colours but I like the way it turned out.    I started with a large envelope and made a card to fit in it from a subtle green cardstock.  I manually embossed the edges and the bottom with a music embossing folder (CB).  I decided to create a collage so I started with a piece of gray packaging that was printed with a bold floral/filigree pattern and tore off the bottom edge.  I dug through my heart stash and took out several in the green persuasion which I glued down.  Next, I found a book page with a love title and tore a heart from it.  I glued the large heart over my collage of the other hearts.  I took a piece of white tissue paper which I stamped in black with a heart flourish stamp in black ink and then again several more times which I embossed with clear embossing powder which created some clear sections.  Afterwards, I stamped it all over with a script stamp (SU) in black as well.  I applied white glue over all of my collage and adhered my tissue paper over it leaving some of the wrinkles and folds to add texture and finally folded the edges to the back and glued them in place as well.  I applied white glue to the front as well and mixed in a bit of glitter glue in light green which worked as well to create a bit of transparency in my tissue paper.  After it was dry, I added a ribbon, tied on a piece of raffia to simulate a bow, a little "Always" tag and some little iridescent sequins.  Finally, I added a large heart sequin over a little green heart punchie and then attached that with a small gold brad. I am happy with my collage but my grey background hardly shows through but that is the way it goes sometimes.  I glued this large element to my embossed card front to finish off my card!!  I pressed it to ensure that the layers were nicely glued to each other.  We are celebrating Valentine's tomorrow!!        Therese

A set of cards for a friend that feature paper buttons, a stamped greeting and some paper flags

 I created these four cards as a hostess gift for a friend who invited us for a meal this weekend!!

She really appreciates cards and likes to bless her friends with them so I know she will appreciate them.  To continue using my stash of large cards I chose four envelopes that were the same size in four different colours.  I created white cards for them and then created the cards to coordinate with the envelopes.  I stamped the greeting in one of the corners and then dug through my paper scraps and found small scraps in the colours that coordinated with the envelopes.  I used my chevron punch to flag the one end and then applied a piece of double sided to my card front and started applying the scraps to the tape varying their length to create a bit of interest.  I trimmed the pieces just above the tape.  Next, I dug through my cardstock stash and found a strip of cardstock that worked with my chosen papers, trimmed it to size and then embossed it with a fun embossing folder.  I glued this strip over the tops of the papers and added a paper button to which I had tied some thread/fiber with 3D foam tape.  Really happy with how they turned out!!!!!!!!      Therese

Large birthday card with an embossed label, gift wrap background and lots of glitter

I made this birthday card amidst the Valentine's cards I was making so it ended up with this red, white and black theme. 
I started with a large red envelope and made a red card that fit inside.  I added this layer of cool gift wrap that looks like weathered wood that was saved from Christmas.  I created a background by gluing strips of red cardstock onto a piece of scrap paper and die cut a large label (SX) from the panel.  I embossed it with a large embossing folder with a delicate geometric pattern.  I had to trim off the two bumps on the sides to get it to fit on the front of my card so I glued those inside the top and bottom curved areas on the label.  I added a chalk board greeting to the middle of the label and then embellished it with red and iridescent dots of glitter glue.  After it was dry I glued this large focal element to my card front sandwiching a loop of light gray organza ribbon in between.  To finish off, I flagged the ends of the ribbon.  Really happy with how it worked out.  I am enjoying the large cards but it does mean that to stick to my plan of destashing large envelopes this year I cannot dig into my stash for a last minute card!!!!                Therese