Christmas card featuring a beautiful angel painted with shimmer watercolour, a border punched layer and an aqua and gold gift wrap background

This is my last card in the bunch which I created with the reused aqua and gold gift wrap which arrived on one of our gift this past holiday season!  For this card I used an image from my stash of this beautiful angel which was stamped in brown.  I coloured it using shimmery watercolours in coordinating colours.  Love how it turned out!!  I mounted it to a piece of aqua cardstock leaving a large border on the right.  I used my MS doily punch to decorate the right hand side and then added two embossed lines using my Score tool.  I mounted my aqua and gold gift wrap background to an ivory card and then adhered my large angel layer to it. Done!  It has been great fun to play with stamps and a lot of my supplies to make these cards.  I am very happy to be so far ahead in getting my Christmas cards ready for next Christmas!!!           Therese

* I have been creating my cards during my self isolation for the Covid 19 crisis.  The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day!!

Christmas card featuring a gold embossed season of light image, ribbon and an aqua and gold gift wrap background

Another fairly quick card!!  I stamped and gold embossed the Season of Light image onto the aqua cardstock, added a layer of gold gift wrap and watercoloured the flame.  I mounted the aqua and gold gift wrap background to an ivory card and added a piece of gold shimmery ribbon to the bottom section securing the ends to the inside of the card.  I trimmed the spine with a slot punch to create the opening in which I inserted the end of my ribbon.  A very nice look for this process.  I adhered my large focal element to my card front and I was done!!             Therese

Birthday card featuring one of my own floral digital images, an embossed strip and a small font greeting

For this card I started with the colour printed background paper.  I chose a large yellow envelope and created a very light green card to fit inside.  I added a strip of dark yellow to the front flap gluing the strip of yellow to the inside of the card front.  I trimmed the decorative paper to fit the front and adhered it to the card.  I embossed a coordinating strip of green cardstock and adhered it to my card a bit to the left of center.  I found the image in my stash - this is one of my doodled images which I laser printed.  I watercoloured the image and sponged the edges with blue and brown.  I adhered it to my card using 3D foam tape.  I found a small greeting in my stash that coordinated and to set it off I added a small strip of dark yellow cardstock behind it before adhering it to my card front below my image.      Therese

Christmas card featuring a gold embossed starburst layered with gold on an aqua and gold background

I have been enjoying playing with stamps!!!!  I gold embossed this large starburst image on the aqua cardstock, trimmed it to size and then added yellow marker to colour in the center.  I layered it with gold gift wrap and mounted it to my card front which was layered with my aqua and gold gift wrap background on an ivory card.    This one was fairly quick and easy!!!

Therese

Christmas card featuring Saint Nicolas on an embossed layer, aqua and gold gift wrap background and a layered font greeting

Here is another card created with a colour printed image of a St. Nicolas from an image collection CD.  I die cut the right edge using a TH border die and then paper pierced the edge with a push pin.  I added four vertical embossed lines, three to the left of the image and one to the right, using my Score tool.  Next I added two horizontal embossed lines, one each above and below the image to frame it nicely.   I added a layered font greeting which was created with a scalloped oval (SU) cut from gold metallic paper and a little greeting punched with a large oval punch (SU).  I mounted the greeting using 3D foam tape to my layer.  I mounted this large element to my card front which consists of an ivory card and the aqua and gold gift wrap background. 

Therese

Christmas card featuring Saint Nicolas, ribbon and a small greeting

For this card I am using a colour printed image from my Christmas images stash!  These were printed from images from a CD I acquired years ago at a garage sale.  I mounted the trimmed image to a layer of the aqua cardstock and trimmed it a bit wider on the right side.  I trimmed the edge with scalloped scissors and paper pierced each scallop with a push pin.  I added one embossed line next to them using my Score tool.  I added by background to an ivory card, added a flagged gold ribbon with an echoing piece of aqua cardstock which I adhered in place on the top portion of my card.  I mounted my layered image using 3D foam tape and then added the little layered font greeting with double sided on the left and 3D foam on the right.  I love the soft colours in the image and the way it works well with the background.         Therese

Christmas card featuring aqua and gold gift wrap for the background, a gold embossed nativity layered with gold

Another card using that aqua and gold gift wrap from the past Christmas season! It is a very nice heavy weight paper which I really nice to work with.  I trimmed it to a 4" x 4" and adhered it to an ivory card.  I gold embossed this nativity stamp onto the aqua cardstock, trimmed it to size and then added a layer of gold gift wrap before adhering it to my card front.  I added a bit of colour to the center of the star and I was done!!

Therese

Birthday card featuring a watercoloured, laser printed digital background, vintage seam binding and a fun greeting

This is a birthday card for my son which I will be sending digitally as he is out of the country right now.  He is a pilot so I went looking on line for aircraft blueprint images and found several that were very good!!  This one is from Drawing Database.  There a blueprints for vehicles, aircraft and watercraft among other things.  I imported the image into Corel Draw, sized it  and then rotated and duplicated it several times to create a background I was happy with.  To add some texture, I cut and pasted the definition of airplane from an online dictionary, changed the font and sized it so it would fill the page by duplicating the text as many times as necessary.  That was what I wanted it to look like.  I printed the letter sized sheet and then trimmed out four quarter sheet backgrounds.   For this card, I watercoloured the background with blue to simulate a sky, added a piece of vintage seam binding to the middle of my background and adhered it to a blue card front.  I tied a short piece of seam binding onto the one on my card with a single knot to simulate a bow.  I found a laser printed greeting in my stash, flagged the end, sponged the edges and then ran my pattern tracing wheel on both long edges.  I mounted it over the seam binding using 3D foam tape.  I like that I can colour this laser printed background any colour  to give these images a very different feel.    Therese

Christmas card featuring a nativity die cut, ribbon, a punchie star and gold embossed Merry christmas on gift wrap aqua and gold background

I am working at getting a few more Christmas cards made with these aqua and gold gift wrap backgrounds.  I cut the nativity wide this time and got a much large scene, gold embossed the greeting on the bottom section,  added a gold ribbon with a tie and then ran my tracing wheel a couple of times across the bottom.  I adhered the background to an ivory card and then mounted the large element I created over it.  Added a little gold star punchie over the stable to finish it off!!

Therese

Christmas cards featuring aqua and gold gift wrap, die cut Nativity and gold embossed greetings

These cards feature the last piece of gift wrap I have to turn into cards!!! Is it a wood grain in gold and light aqua which I have been mulling over exactly how I would use it!!  I started by digging out some aqua cardstock which I have had for a while and worked really well with this paper.  I die cut two nativities (Taylored Expressions) leaving a length of cardstock below.  I trimmed off the star and gold embossed the greetings on the bottom section.  I trimmed the bottom edges using decorative scissors.  I selectively embossed the middle section on the first card using a wood grain embossing folder and then added a length of gold ribbon.  I added a wider ribbon with a tie to the second card without any dry embossing.  I mounted the trimmed gift wrap backgrounds to ivory card fronts and then mounted the large elements I created over it.  I punched little star from gold metallic card (packaging) and adhered them in place over the stable.    Happy with how these turned out! Have a few more to go!!        NOTE:  Creating these during our self isolation during the Covid 19 panemic.     Therese

Thinking of you card featuring decorative paper, embossed flagged strips and a round digital image of a girl in a garden

I made this card for an aunt who loss her sister during this crisis.  

I started with a large envelope and made an aqua card to fit inside.  I added decorative paper and then two strips of cardstock - a wide pink on embossed with circles and a slimmer orange one embossed with a chevron pattern.  I flagged one end of each of them, layered them before mounting to the front of the card.  I trimmed this circle image of a girl in a garden (laser printed digital - CLKER) using my new dies - a set of stitched circles thinlits which I got for my birthday.  I watercoloured the image and used 3D foam tape to mount the image to the front of my card overlapping the cardstock strips.  I colourwashed a small laser printed font greeting, mounted it to a label in aqua before adhering it to my card just below the image and overlapping the strips using 3D foam tape.  

Therese

Anniversary card featuring lots of heart punchies, an embossed greeting and fiber and gold thread

After finding an inspirational card on Splitcoast Stampers I made a brown card and added found a mottled piece of decorative paper for my background.  I needed some hearts - I found some little brown hearts in my stash.  I wanted several colours and some with text so I dug into my scrap stash and punched a few more.  Some from gold gift wrap, a piece of printed text and dark brown decorative paper.  I started gluing them to my background starting from the bottom. It gives them the look of having been poured from above.  Next, I gold embossed my anniversary greeting, added the last three hearts arranged around the greeting and then I tied on a combination of a piece of kraft colour thread and one of gold embroidery thread with a double knot.  I let the ends hang free.  I glued this large element to the front of my brown card.  I like how it turned out but the inspirational one was better coordinated in the colours and had a softer look which I really liked.  This colour scheme is more masculine and appropriate for my guy!!         Therese

Father's Day card featuring embellished tree die cuts, fiber and a laser printed digital greeting from Desert Diva

Father's Day card for DH.  I started with the trees as they are cut from a new die which I acquire at a thrift store on the weekend!  Yeah when that happens.  It is brand new - never been opened.  It is a yellow Sizzix and the perfect size for making cards.  There were several others which I left because they were too large for cardmaking.  

I cut three trees, stamped them with bleach and then added green watercolour to give them a bit of texture and interest.  I cut a navy card and added the dark brown word scrap booking paper to it.  I auditioned my trees and found this little greeting in my stash (Desert Diva) that would work for my sketch.  I auditioned the yellow circle of handmade paper and really liked that so I adhered it in place and then added my trees - the two side ones with double sided tape and the middle one with  3D foam tape.  I watercoloured the greeting and mounted it over the stems of my trees using 3D foam tape as well.  To finish it off I decided to add a little length of kraft fiber to the top. I used a 1/16" hole punch to make a hole in the spine of my card and threaded the fiber through and tied it with a double knot.  Loving it!!

Therese  

Front flap birthday card featuring a large daisy digital stamp, decorative paper and a little layered font greeting

This is my last front flap card birthday card for my June birthdays!!!!  I started this one with a large envelope and I created a lavender card to fit inside.  I found a piece of plaid scrapbook paper which coordinated nicely and would work well with my daisy image.  This daisy image is one of my own digital stamps which I created while watching a floral doodling video tutorial.  It is fun to be have your own images for cardmaking!!!  I found a deep yellow piece of cardstock for my flap and once I had scored and folded over the top edge it was a bit short so I added a little strip of orange cardstock on the bottom and trimmed it off with scallop decorative scissors to be even with my panel card.  I used regular tape to adhere the two pieces together which was hidden by my layered image.  I watercoloured my large daisy image, added a layer of lavender cardstock and then adhered it to my flap.  I used a pushpin and pierced each scallop on the bottom edge - gives some nice texture to this layer.  I adhered my flap to my panel using double sided tape and glue.  I created a little layered oval greeting using an oval punchie with a green laser printed font greeting over a deep yellow larger oval which I distressed all the way aorund.  I mounted the little greeting hanging over the edge of my flap then finished off the flap with a little piece of kraft fiber which I tied on.  I added a piece of white bond on the inside where I will add my personal greeting.  

Totally fun to be in my craft room and creating cards!!!        Therese

Front flap card featuring a tea set (digital), decorative paper and rhinestones

Still working on cards for special occasions in my family in the month of June.  This one is for my twin sister, Sylvia.  She loves tea and when I found this digital tea set I knew it would be perfect for her birthday card.  I arranged the tea pot and tea cup and added Happy Birthday using a font before printing the image on white cardstock and trimming it out of the large sheet.  I rounded the corners and layered it onto a light green cardstock to coordinate with the background paper I chose for my card.  I made this one another front flap card.  They have been fun to make!!  I started with a large envelope, created a white card to fit inside and then added this beautiful background paper.  It is a sheet she donated to me from her stash in an effort to downsize.  She has a very good eye for paper and the sheets she gave me are all very nice.  I found the stamped blue cardstock in my stash, trimmed it to size after scoring it at a half inch so I could adhere it to the back of my panel card.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel over it several times before attaching it to my card using double sided tape and glue on the flap.  I mounted my focal element with the tea pot on my blue flap after distressing the edges of the green layer using my distress tool.  I added several dots of pink using a gel pen on each of the corners to add a bit of interest.  We are looking forward to seeing each other somewhere outside with social distancing!!  Therese

Father's Day front flap card featuring decorative paper, washi tape, a cute little truck and a fun greeting (digital)

I made this card for my other son in law for Father's Day!!!!! He has been working hard for his family and likes to take bike rides with his kids.  I started with a dark blue panel, added the mottled blue decorative paper (digital) which was in two pieces so I added strip of green washi tape which works to create a horizon line in my background.  I pieces a flap from two pieces of green cardstock and added washi tape to keep them together.  I scored a half in flap at the top and added it to my panel using double sided tape and glue.  The little truck is a download from Beyond the Fringe Crafts which I sized, laser printed and then fussy cut.  I then watercoloured all basic parts of the truck.  I used a clear glitter gel pen on the hubcaps, bumpers, lights, door handle and windows.  I found some die cut stars in my stash that coordinated and arranged them, glued them to each other and then added them to the back of the truck.  Thinking they still needed something I added some details to them using the clear glitter gel pen.  I mounted the truck on the green flap using 3D foam tape and then added the fun little greeting.  It is a digital greeting from Desert Diva which I laser printed, watercoloured, distressed the edges and then mounted with 3D foam tape as well. I do like this little truck and will certainly be using it again!!!          Therese

Front flap card featuring a little truck (digital), an embossed panel and a fun greeting

Father's Day is around the corner and I made this card for one of my son in laws.  He is a great Dad and we appreciate all he does for his family.  He is back at work after being home for a while due to the Covid situation.  I started with a large envelope and made a large black panel card to fit inside.  I added this cool subtle background paper with flash cards on it.  I choose a coordinating piece of brown cardstock and embossed it with a wood grain embossing folder, scored a half inch on one end and then mounted to my card using doubles sided tape and glue on the flap which I glued to the back of my panel.  I downloaded the truck digital from Beyond the Fringe Crafts, sized it and then laser printed it onto white cardstock.  I fussy cut all the way around, watercoloured the body, fenders, the wheels and the side window.  I used a clear glitter gel pen on all the metal and glass surfaces - lights, hubcaps, bumpers, windshield, window and door handle.  I added greenery (TH dies) to the back of the truck before mounting it to the front flap.  I watercoloured the greeting (DesertDiva), distressed the edges, added some ribbon flags and then mounted it to the flap above the truck using 3D foam tape.  Love how it turned out!!!!!  Therese

Father's Day card featuring a fun digital greeting and some decorative paper

For this card I found the striped paper which I really like and then went looking in my yellow scraps and found this piece of yellow with stars that coordinated very nicely.  I then found the green cardstock which worked so I trimmed it to size.  I taped the two decorative papers to each other on the back and them trimmed them to create the background for my cad.  I added a length of coordinating seam binding securing the ends to the back of my background using double sided tape.  I tied on a short length with one knot to simulate a bow.  I adhered this large element to my green card front.  I layered the fun greeting (Melonheadz) which is a free digital and was laser printed on white cardstock.  I passed my tracing wheel on all four edges to add a bit of texture then layered it with a light green paper.  I mounted the greeting just below the tied ribbon and over the length using double sided tape.  

Therese

Father's Day card featuring real wood accents, a chickadee digital and a little font greeting

My Dad was a carpenter most of his working life and wood reminds me of him.  I am fortunate that my DH is also a wood worker and saves me all the beautiful thin pieces which get trimmed off of his projects.  These little pieces are cedar.  I backed the thin wood with sticky label before trimming the pieces out so they would keep some integrity.  I cut a large brown panel to fit inside the large envelope I had chosen and then adhered the wood pieces to it using white glue in a fine tip applicator.  I immediately put it under weight (encyclopedias) so they would dry flat.  Once the panel was dry I added the front flop which is embossed with a wood grain embossing folder.   I scored a half inch from the top, folded over the flap and adhered it to my panel to cover the gap in the wood elements where I will adhere my insert.  I trimmed my flap to the edge of my panel.  I added a little laser printed digital image of chickadees (clker) which I watercoloured before adhering it to the flap.  I watercoloured the font greeting then added some faux stitching lines with my tracing wheel.  I layered it onto brown leaving a larger border on the bottom which I cut it with scalloped decorative scissors and then paper pierced the scallops with a push pin.  I mounted the greeting to my front flap overlapping my chickadee image.  I really like how it worked out.  I am every grateful that my Dad has been well through this Covid situation as he has underlying health issues.  Everyday is a blessing!!             Therese

Crumb squares - a double set of rainbow squares and two brown ones

I have finished up a few more crumb squares.  It has taken several weeks working on and off to get them done but they are totally fun to make!!!  I simply pull out a large ziploc of scraps and use what is there to make up squares.  Here is a tutorial if you are new to Crumb Quilting.  I have a bag for each colour and so the supplies are all right at hand.  

I have made up two of each colour - brown, green, blue, purple, red, orange and yellow.  Not sure how they will be incorporated into quilts but I am swapping 10"crumb square for scraps with my sister, Sylvia so some will likely end up in her quilts.  

I will be making some other colours - peach, teal, brights, black with colour, golden yellow, etc.  I may do some exploring on line and see about incorporating many colours into one square. I am sure there are some that are doing that as well.  Might be easier to incorporate into a quilt that way.  We shall see!!

Therese