Tree quilt with leaves

I worked on a quilt top today which turned out exactly as I had imagined.  I used some neutral oatmeal coloured fabric for the background and stitched in three lengths from my roll of stitched 2.5" pieces.  It took a while for me to figure out how I would angle the trees in the fabric.  In the end I stitched my background and cut it apart in order to insert the "trees" -  a strip of stitched pieces.  Worked very well!!  Next, I cut out 36 little green leaves from scrap fabric.  These will be slow stitched in place along the trunks of the trees.  I may consider some slow stitching to the background as well once I finish the leaves.  We shall see!!  It does look a little plain right now.  Once that is finished I will complete the quilt with a batting, backing and binding!!  Likely will be a while before it it done but that is the nature of quilting with slow stitching!! I really like the look and feel of stitching on my quilts.  Therese
 

Slow Stitching - large leaves - blanket stitched edges and filling in

I am progressing with my current slow stitch project - my border with large leaves.  I have now finished my double blanket stitched edges on all the leaves.  I did one set of blanket stitch with the line a generous eighth inch from the edge and then went around again with another row of blanket stitch with the line on the edge.  I really like how it has finished the edges and given them some presence.  

I used different colours of thread which also gave the edging some interest.  Have the double row of stitching has also nicely filled between the lines of stitching.  Should protect the edges from fraying too much.  You can see below that I have started filling in the leaves with running stitch.  I drew one line to begin with to keep the stitch straight and I have using different colours of thread to give some interest and texture to the interior of the leaves.  It will be quite a while yet before this project will be complete but I am looking forward to doing running stitch and using a variety of colours of thread.  It will be a fun project and one that will not require too much concentration which is the benefit of a slow stitching practice.  Will post an update when I move on to the next leaf.     Therese

 

All occasion card featuring an embossed and sanded heart background, ribbon and a cute little dog

For this all occasion card I started with a tan card front.  I embossed and sanded a brown cardstock with a white core which the sanding revealed.  I added a little red plaid ribbon and tied on a little red fiber to add some texture.  I watercoloured the little dog digital image (Cre8tiveHands) which was laser printed and trimmed to size.  I layered it onto a piece of red cardstock and mounted it to my card front over the ribbon usind 3D foam tape.   

Therese
 

An all occasion card featuring a cute kitten with a balloon, ribbon and a diamond background

I just loved this paper and image combination so I made another card because I had one more little kitty and balloon image (Kisspng).  I trimmed my background paper, adhered it to a caramel cardstock and then added a row of paper piercing on the right hand side using my pattern tracing wheel.  I layered my trimmed image of the little kitty with black and mounted it to my card front using 3D foam tape.  I tied a loose knot using wide black organza ribbon and adhered it to the image using double sided tape.  Love it!!  Therese
 

Christmas card featuring a snowflake border embellished with silver foil, a paper pieced background and small font greeting

 For this card I mounted a paper pieced background - green and pink - to a pink card front.  I trimmed the snowflake border and added a strip of thin silver foil - chocolate bar - to the back and burnished it in which very nicely filled in the openings on the front.  Really like the look!!  I ran my pattern tracing wheel along the bottom edge and mounted it to my card using glue.  I added the little greeting (SU - Word Window) using 3D foam tape.       Another for my stash!!         Therese

A sympathy card featuring a crocus with a font greeting, decorative paper background and some ribbon

In my cardmaking session of all occasion cards I made this sympathy card as well.  I added the font greeting to the crocus image before printing, trimmed it out and then watercoloured it to coordinate with my background paper.  I trimmed my floral background paper and mounted it to a dark yellow handmade paper and then added a dark yellow piece of ribbon.  I mounted my background to a purple card.  To finish off my card I added my crocus image to my card front using 3D foam tape.        Therese
 

Christmas card featuring a paper pieced background, an embellished strip of snowflakes and a small font greeting

 While I was prepping my Christmas card kits last week I played with these snowflake borders which I punched quite a while back when working on other Christmas cards.  I backed the snowflake strip with thin foil (chocolate bar) and burnished it which allowed it to fill the openings on the front.  Very cool look!!  I mounted this focal element to a paper pieced background which I created with scraps from my Christmas paper stash!!  I mounted this large element to the front of a red card and finished it off with a small font greeting punchie (SU - Word Window).    Another for my stash!!   Therese

An all occasion card featuring a sanded embossed background, a poppy digital image and ribbon

This all occasion card is suitable for several occasions - birthday, sympathy or thank you.  

I started with a dark blue green card.  The background was embossed and sanded to reveal the white core of  the cardstock.  I added a wide dark red ribbon with a flagged end using double sided tape to secure it to the front and the back.  I adhered my background to my card front.  The poppies were laser printed, trimmed to size, the edges distressed and then lines of paper piercing added with my pattern tracing wheel.  I wanted to add "something" to the lower right side which was so white. I eventually decided on punching a little butterfly out which reveals the ribbon through the opening.  Perfect!!  I mounted this focal element over the ribbon on my card using 3D foam tape.     Therese
 

Christmas card featuring a die cut tree embellished with silver foil, decorative paper and a small font greeting

 Another card created from pieces left on my desk while I creating this card for my sample for the Christmas Card Kits I put together in the last few days.  

I started with a dark maroon card with lots of linear texture.  I took a 4" square of striped decorative paper and tore it into two pieces.  I glued one to the top and the other to the bottom of my card leaving an even border.  The little tree was embellished with triangle of thin foil (chocolate bar) on the back and burnished on the back which allowed the foil to fill in the openings on the front.  Really cool!!  I punched a little star from silver foil carstock add adhered it on the top.  I mounted the tree to my card with 3D foam tape.  The little colour printed font greeting was mounted with glue.  

I am gaining on the cards I will need for Christmas so this one is headed for my stash as well. 

Therese

Christmas Card Kits #2 - Card #3 - Peace on Earth gold embossed on vellum with some paper piercing on a decorative paper background

For the last card in this kit I decided to feature this Peace On Earth (Prairie Rubber Stamps) stamp which I have had for a long time and have used several times.  It is a large stamp so I used it on a landscape card.  I cut a sheet of vellum in half and then tore each of them into four strips which gave me really nice edges.  I stamped the greeting on vellum and gold embossed it.  I used my stamping buddy to ensure no stray powder which worked really well.  I added swirly paper pierced lines with my pattern tracing wheel after stamping.  I then added small strips of double sided tape to the back in areas of dense embossing like behind the stem of the P and the "h" and  the edge of the E and the "c".  The use of adhesives and glue with vellum are difficult because they are translucent and allow the mediums to show to the front.  By carefully placing the tape in dense areas it reduces the visibility of the tape and busy backgrounds help camouflage it as well.  Both worked in my favor for this design.  This one features a blue card with a painterly decorative paper.  I positioned the vellum greeting to the paper and trimmed the vellum to the edge of it.  I adhered this large element to my card to finish my card.  The vellum may react to the moisture the glue if you use a glue stick as I did.  I simply placed my card under weight until the glue was dry and all was good.   You can see below another version of this card in different colours.  The kits all have a gold embossed greeting with different papers and colours.            Therese

 

Christmas Card kits #2 - Card #2 - A gold embossed PEACE with a flagged strip and decorative paper

For my second card I used a little stamp (SU) with snowy sky and PEACE as the greeting.  I embossed them all in gold which really gives a good result.  I trimmed them all after stamping as I was not able to align them all perfectly when stamping.  I used a black card on for this one and added some beautiful bell decorative paper.  I added a coordinating embossed strip of green cardstock which I flagged on the end.  I tore the bottom edge off the image and then mounted it over the strip using 3D foam tape.   The kits have a variety of papers and colours which coordinate with the gold embossed images.  You can see below another version using gold foiled background paper and a very light sage green cardstock for the card and the embossed strip.  The image could also be placed on the right hand side and the strip flagged on the other end.    Therese

 

Christmas Card Kits #2 - Card #1 - O Holy Night on a scalloped circle, an embossed strip, a ribbon knot and decorative paper

I decided to make as second set of Christmas card kits focusing more on the reason for the season.  

My first set of cards use this cute little image (SU) of baby Jesus and a "o holy night" greeting.  It is the first time I have used it though I have had it for a while.  I love the simplicity of the image.  I stamped the image in blue and then punched it out with a 1 3/8" circle punch (SU).  Next I checked my box for blue themed paper to coordinate.  I found this double sided paper which worked well and punched the scallop circle (SU) from coordinating blue cardstock.  I used a white card and added the decorative paper and then an embossed green strip which I flagged on the bottom.  I added the baby Jesus image using 3D foam tape and thought it still needed something so I made a knot in white ribbon and used double sided tape to adhere to my card.  That was better!!  The kits have a variety of papers and colours but all have a little blue "o holy night".    

You can see below another version of this card in different colours.    I flagged the end of the strip differently and modified the position of the elements on my card front.             Therese   

An all occasion card featuring a pink paper pieced background, a rose and ribbon

This is a very pink all occasion card.  The background is paper pieced using scraps of paper and regular tape.  I thought the triangle piece and the stripes gave interesting direction to the background.  I added a gray ribbon with another little piece tied on with a single knot to simulate a bow to my background before adhering it to my dark pink card front.  The little rose (CLKER) was colour printed, punched and then layered with a dark pink circle and then a green scalloped circle punchie (SU).  I added this layered element to my card using 3D foam tape and added some clear glitter dots in the scallops because it still needed a bit of "something".  That was better!!

Therese
 

Christmas card featuring striped decorative paper, a die cut Christmas tree and a little font greeting

I made up this card from several items on my desk leftover from the development of my sample for this card for my Christmas Card Kits. 

It features a dark red card.  I tore a long strip of decorative paper on the top edge and the cut it in half to create two pieces that fit on my card front.  You can see that both edges are white from the tearing.  After mounting my two pieces leaving an even border. I mounted my little tree which was embossed and sanded which revealed its white core.  I used 3D foam tape to mount it.  The little punchie font greeting (SU - Word Window) was glued in place between the torn edges.   

Another for my stash and to fulfill my commitment to getting my cards ready for sending this year. 

Therese

 

A Minecraft birthday card featuring a square background and black face, a little Minecraft Lego man and a stony birthday greeting

Made this card for my grandson on his birthday!!  He is a Minecraft fan as was his sister when she was that age.  I had a friend request a Minecraft card kit a while back and so I had already developed the pieces I would need for this card.  The grid background is one I found on line and trimmed to the size I needed for my card.  I cut the black pieces as I needed them to create the face.  The little Lego Minecraft guy was downloaded off the internet, sized and printed before being fussy cut.  I applied ink to his edges to ensure that no white showed.  The greeting is another one I found on line.  I sized it and printed it for my card.  I added an orange line to my background after I trimmed it.  I used 3D foam tape to add the black pieces to my background.  I adhered the background to a green card.  I trimmed my greeting to size, flagged the end and then distressed all the edges with my distress tool.  Wanting it a little less crisp I sponged the edges with black ink to just tone it down a bit.  I glued the greeting below the background and then added the little man using 3D foam tape.  He looked like he was walking on air so I added some stippling with a marker to simulate the ground.  I really like how it turned out.  Therese
 

An all occasion card featuring a die cut deer and evergreen tree, torn paper and some coordinating fiber

Another all occasion card which would work very well for Christmas or a birthday.  I started with a kraft card and added a kraft and green paper background.  I tore the top off of a brown cardstock rectangle to create a foreground and added it to my card gluing only on the bottom edge to allow me to tuck the tree and deer in behind.  The deer was sent to me by a friend and I embossed it to give it a bit of texture.  I mounted the tree with double sided tape and the deer with 3D foam tape.  The top area needed a bit of "something" so I added some fiber secured on both ends using with a half circle of kraft cardstock.  This way of securing fiber worked quite well and leaves the inside of your card clean.  I tied on another little piece to give my card a bit more texture.  

Therese

 

Birthday card featuring an embellished decorative paper background, ribbon and a watercoloured landscape

Birthday cards for family were made up this week!!  For this card I started with a gray card.  The background striped and plaid paper have been in my stash for a while and were just too stark to be used so I decided to embellish them a bit.  I added watercolour in green and blue and then stamped green trees in an all over pattern to the both of them.  I trimmed the striped on and added a piece of plaid one below and added a green ribbon over when they join.  I adhered this large background to my card front.  I sized, printed, trimmed and watercoloured the landscape digital image (CLKER) to coordinate with my background.  I cut a black rectangle to back it and when I came to layer them I decided to offset them instead of layering them symmetrically.  Works - I should do it more often.  I mounted this focal element to my card using 3D foam tape.  It is already on its way!!!!

Therese 

 

Christmas card featuring a little gift, a stamped background and decorative paper and a font greeting

This card was created while I was working out samples for this card for my Christmas card kits.  I had all sorts of pieces I tried out and finally once the design was finalized I decided to make up cards with what I had sitting on my desk.  For this card I trimmed the gift from sticker packaging I have hand on hand for a while.  I cut it square (2 1/8") and added a white ribbon from top to bottom and an embossed flower for the bow.  It was not too bad but the ribbon did not go with a lidded box and the embossed flower did not have enough detail for what I was looking for.  I did add a silver flower outline between them and that was much better.  I stamped my maroon card front with a distressed background stamp (SU - Worn) with red ink.  I trimmed the triangle from a red paper with glittery swirls.  The greeting was laser printed and I added texture with my pattern tracing wheel before trimming it to size and flagging the end.  I glued the triangle leaving the  top loose, added my greeting and then glued the top down.  I added the gifts using 3D foam tape to finish off this card.  I have another triangle of this glittery paper so I will probably make one more for my stash.  I have not made cards for myself yet this month.           Therese
 

An all occasion card featuring a bubbly dog in a tub, ribbon and a striped background

For this all occasion card I started with an aqua card.  I added a little blue gingham ribbon to my brown striped background before adhering it to by card front. I tied a small length of ribbon to the one on the front which nicely simulates a bow.  The laser printed digital image of a cute little dog in a tub (Kisspng) was trimmed to size, distressed and sponged in brown on all four edges.  I ran my pattern tracing wheel along all four edges to create some paper piercing texture before mounting this focal element to my card using 3D foam tape.  I am having fun making cards!!          Therese
 

An all occasion card featuring a pink and black paper pieced background, ribbon and a cute kitten image

Another all occasion card to add to my stash.

I started with a dark pink card. I created a paper pieced background using scraps of paper secured with regular tape on the back.  I added a black ribbon before mounting it to my card front.  I tied on another small piece using a single knot to simulate a bow.  The little kitten with the balloon is a digital image which I colour printed (Kisspng), trimmed to size and layered with dark pink before mounting to my card front using 3D foam tape.     Therese