ART - just do it!

Masculine card

2012-01-29T17:15:00.001-05:00

My card box is completely out of masculine cards so I set about making one today. I am hoping to be able to use this same sketch in different colours with a different stamp to make a few more!!
Used the TH Ornamental die to cut my book page, sponged and stamped the edges of the die cut and stamped my little boat in a teal ink. Laid it over a double embossed background from my stash, added a knotted ribbon and a colour printed greeting. I punched the greeting using the SU tab punch which I thought echoed nicely the shape of the die cut, sponged it a bit too and attached it using 3D foam tape!!
The next ones should go more quickly!!

Therese

Charm bracelets

2012-01-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

Here are the two charm bracelets I created today using charms I created and received during my participation in the AFTCM charm swaps last year. I started by separating my charms into two groups - ones with gold tones and ones with silver tones.

I laid the charms out as I wanted them to appear on the bracelet with the largest ones towards the middle and filling in with all the others. Just adding them to the chain's links using jump rings. I did create a few simple charms using I-pins and beads to use as fillers as well. Our swapped charms were made using bottle caps, fragments, shrink plastic, CDs, dominoes and polymer clay.

I added some I made on my own using Scrabble tiles, "glass" beads I made using plastic from pop bottles and even one made from a paper bead. I also added a cool stitched fabric inchie I received in one of my inchie swaps last year.
This project was a real stash buster for me. I had the chain bracelets, jump rings, the I-pins & beads and the extra charms in my stash .
I am not sure how often I will wear these bracelets so I thought I would try to find a neat way to display them.

Here I have tied them around the sloping sides of an inverted glass. They sure look great!!So I am considering finding a bottle with the right diameter so I can display them nicely when I am not wearing them. It seems a shame to store them in a box where no one will see them!!Might even wear them more often if they are where I can see them often!!

I am so glad I participated in the charm swap!!

Therese

Steampunk Doll

2012-01-23T22:11:00.001-05:00

A steampunk doll!! I created her for a swap on AFTCM. We had free rein to create a doll that fit our imagination of what a steampunk doll was, so I did a bit of internet research, downloaded a few images and a template and started a bit of list of items I thought would be neat to include.
I started with a paper doll template from The Enchanted Gallery which I printed on white cardstock. I rough cut all the pieces, glued them to thin chipboard (back of a writing pad) and then cut them out properly. I chose to use the articulated arms and was happy I did when I was dressing her. I printed another set, cut them out and glued them on the back so she would be the same colour on the front as the back. I used a push pin to make holes and assembled my doll using black mini brads.
I downloaded a page of clipart from Aisling.net and printed one of the faces large enough to fit on the head. I had originally started with a moveable head but when I was getting ready to glue on the face I decided to remove the brad and glued the head to the body and the face to the head. I drew a bodice on her torso, coloured it in and added some sparkle. I drew her some stockings as well and coloured them in. I had taken a picture of her with just her undies but alas my camera did not have a memory card in it at the time, so, no picture!! I coloured the rest of her in with a mix of chalk and pencil crayon and drew her some boots which I glued in place.
The hat was on a victorian woman I downloaded from the Vintage Feed Sacks blog. I isolated the hat and sized it to fit on my doll. I coloured it, added some bling and then traced it onto cardstock and cut another one which I glued to the back of her hat just at the top which makes it removable!!

I created a necklace for her using chain and a little pendant to which I added a rhinestone. It nicely covered the transition from the neck (clipart) to the body (template). I also created a blouse for her. I laid her out on my fabric and marked out the T top I thought would be a good size and cut it out. I hemmed the sleeves and then put right sides together and stitched the back to the front. I did cut a small slit for the head before I sewed them together which I had to enlarge just a little to get the top on her. I was really glad she could fold her arms when I was fitting this top. I added a horizontal cut at the top of my slit which created the back of the neckline and folded the extra flaps from the front slit inside and sewed them in place by hand which finished the front quite nicely. You can see just a bit of her bodice peeking out of her V neckline. I did sew in a bit of a bauble at the bottom of the V and added a butterfly brooch once I was finished.

I sewed a straight black skirt for her. The selvage was all fringed so I used that instead of hemming it and created a cool metal embellishment to highlight the waist. I sewed on the embellishment and then ran a basting stitch from each side to the back leaving ends which I used to tie up the skirt once it was on her. Keeps everything nicely in place and gives a bit of a bustle look in the back. I added more metal embellishments - a few I sewed on, the others I added to the waist embellishment. I took the photo before adding the final embellishments.
It was fun digging through my stash to create embellishments. The waist one was created using an old earring back in the middle with a double heart stud earring attached in the center. I used modified shepherd hooks on either side.

I created a purse for her using a graphic I downloaded from Arthur's clip art.of an Astrolab. I isolated one of the circles, printed two of them, added colour and sandwiched a piece of chipboard between them. I added a black fiber ring all the way around to cover the chipboard's edge. I punched a hole in the top section and inserted my hardware (back of a clip on earring) and held it in place on the front using a glue dot. I love that it has a heart on it!! I punched a hole on each side and added a length of chain with jump rings.

It was fun to be dressing up a paper doll and creating metal embellishments from odds and ends I have saved from other projects!

Therese

Flip Flop card with a twist

2012-01-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

In one of my groups we are having a Flip Flop card swap and the theme is Happy New Year!! I found this tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers which I used as a guideline for creating this card. I experimented a lot with this design in hopes of being able to use a half sheet of cardstock effectively. I did not success to get it working the way I wanted to so I just trimmed the middle section so it would fit inside the front and back sections. I am sure there is a formula for how deep the fold has to be in comparison to the length of your cardstock for it to work perfectly but at this point I just needed to get the card done so I just made it work.
As you can see I went with a snowflake theme and punched my border with my Martha Stewart "daisy" punch. I cut each piece to fit on the edges and miraculously the corners lined up with snowflakes in them so I just cut each of the pieces diagonally and mitered my corners. I embossed them

individually with my Swiss Dot (CB) embossing folder before gluing them to my card front. With them in place I added sparkle in each snowflake and opening using my clear Stardust gel pen. I added lines around my central panel, around the circle that holds my snowflake and on the back around the punched hole as well.
In the center panel, I punched a 1.75 hole (SU) and then used a Nestibilities round die to cut a hole in the white layer so that a bit of the black would show then embossed it as well. I punched two snowflakes (MS) from silver cardstock and glued them to each other sandwiching some clear thread between them. I applied double sided tape to the edges of the hole - top and bottom - and centered the snowflake in the hole and pressed the clear thread into the tape. I would recommend that you fold the thread over and apply another piece of tape to prevent the thread from coming out later. I glued the white layer centered over the black opening which effectively framed my snowflake.

So, now I can twist the snowflake, lay it flat and insert it in the envelope. When the recipient removes it from the envelope the snowflake will twirl!! It happens very quickly but is ever so cool!!
Here is a link to video tutorial on how to create the twirling part of this card.
On the left you can see the back of the center panel which is what is revealed when you open the card by pulling the ends apart. I did punch the back side of the center panel with my snowflake punch and added a double knotted ribbon to the front edge.
Pretty happy with this card!! The black and white colour scheme does Happy New Year very nicely and the twirling snowflake is the little extra excitement that each new year should have!! It will be off to my partner on Monday!!

Therese

DIY - Vellum stickers

2012-01-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

Vellum stickers!! Who would have considered that you could create your own?? I certainly had not until I wrestled with getting the look I wanted on those vintage cards!! I laser printed my greetings on vellum, cut them apart and applied double sided tape on the back of them!! That easy!! Though I must point out that you have to have a continuous layer of adhesive on the back of your vellum to get a nice smooth look when you apply your sticker to your surface. As you can see from the photo I used a metal ruler to hold my little piece of vellum in place which also gave me a line to work from when I was applying my double sided tape. I used double sided tape with a paper backer which makes it easier to trim and apply. I trimmed the vellum to the edge of the tape so I would get the seamless look I was going for. I expect you could carefully apply several lines of tape on a larger piece of vellum and get the same effect. Wider double sided tape would also be beneficial!!
So I anticipate using this technique again!! There are times you just want sticky vellum and nothing else will do!! Give it a try!!

Therese

Faux washi tape

2012-01-18T23:54:00.000-05:00

So here is how I created my vintage looking "washi" tape! I started with paper tape which I bought at a discount store, which is designed for keeping bandages in place. I applied lengths from the roll to my large cutting board and started adding colour using permanent Memories stamp pads. The ink beaded up so I added a bit of water with a foam brush which helped to spread the colour around. I added several layers in several different colours and then stamped all over it using a large "worn" background stamp. It was taking a long time to dry so I eventually just rubbed off what I could with a paper towel and decided I was done. As you can see, the tape did take on some colour - it was less obvious when they were all side by side on the cutting mat. I simply rerolled the coloured paper tape back onto the roll it originally came off of. I am pretty happy with my first attempt at making my own "washi" tape. Because this paper tape is somewhat resistant to inks I decided to use acrylic paints on my second attempt. It was more successful though it still resisted the colour washes in the beginning - a thicker consistency seemed to work better. The second one I created was for use on the butterfly and bee cards. I will keep experimenting!! I expect this substrate will not work very well for creating the very bright and fun types of washi tape that is all the rage at the moment. There are other options to consider and try!!
A fun project! I am looking forward to using my tape in my projects!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - Vintage cards

2012-01-18T23:36:00.000-05:00

Don't these look like they were taken from a vintage scrapbook?? I found these great images at Graphic Fairy and thought it would be fun to see if could create cards with them. I love the soft colours and the beautiful edges. I had also wanted to try my hand at creating my own "washi tape" so I decided to combine them into a vintage card. I went looking for a vintage ledger paper graphic or something similar to layer my image on. Not happy with much of what I found I asked my DH if we had any fullscap, which I intended on aging. As it turns out, we have a stash of fullscap and some near the bottom of the pile was nicely yellowed and perfect for these cards. The fullscap is vintage!! Probably from our high school years!! I scanned several pieces before I used it, in case I ever need it again - I will be able to print my own. Once cut to size for backgrounds on a black card front I stamped them in light ink to mimic old faded handwriting - really happy with how that worked out. Then to complete the look I needed some old looking tape so I created my own vintage looking washi tape using white paper tape. I will include more info in my next posting. To finish off my card I wanted a bit of a Victorian greeting but had nothing that would really do, so again I decided to create what I needed. Combined some neat fonts with some scrollwork graphics from my clipart and I had some Victorian greetings I was happy with. Now, to get them onto the paper without it looking like they had been added. I eventually decided to create some vellum stickers which did the job very nicely!! Check out my next posting for more info on how I did that!!
So in the end, some vintage looking cards that I am happy with!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - little strip of art

2012-01-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

These cards feature a stamp set called "A little bit of happiness.." by Stampin UP. Four stamps in the set - flowers, butterflies, hearts and leaves!! I stamped them out onto white cardstock using Staz On ink and trimmed them to size. I watercoloured the images, layered them onto slim rectangles of cardstock that coordinated with my decorative paper which was glued to my card front. I added a couple strips of ribbon which I adhered with double sided tape to finish the card. I may consider adding a greeting in the lower right hand side when I am ready to use the cards!!

A handmade card is like giving love in an envelope - everyone should do it!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - Little stacks of...

2012-01-18T23:02:00.003-05:00

After seeing a card on Splitcoast Stampers that had a repeated image up the side I decided to see what I could do to make one that was similar. They had used a bird but I decided I would like a cup. Not having a stamp that was small enough I decided to check out the clipart section of my layout program - Corel Draw. Oh my!! Needless to say, I found what I needed and more! Look at that cool stack of gifts!! I created one with hearts for anyone who needed a Valentine's card and created a horizontal one with little houses!! I had not expected to create four different designs, but that is the way it often goes once you get started!! I added a bit of embossing, simple layering and a little tie for dimension onto my watercoloured image and it was done!!
These were really fun to create!!
Therese

Cardmaking - Jan - "R" tape

2012-01-18T22:44:00.002-05:00

I am back to my cardmaking sessions! I had a great time designing cards this week!!
These "R" tape cards turned out so neat. What is "R" tape you ask? Well, before Christmas I picked up a roll of "R" tape at the craft store in the discount bins. I was not sure what I was going to do with it but they had lots of rolls with all sorts of letters on them. I decided on "R" because it can be word as well as a letter!! It is 2" wide and has a black background and clear letters!! How cool is that?? I was sure it would be great fun for using in mixed media and journalling, but this week I was prepping card kits. so I thought I would see what I could come up with!! I glued a strip of tape to a quarter sheet of colourful cardstock and

then trimmed the top and bottom so they would be even with the edge of the tape and squared off the ends if they needed it. Tape can have a mind of its own sometimes!! I finished off this layer by punching the edges with a border punch. Then, I decided to add a greeting and incorporate one of the "R"s from the tape into it. I used a font called "Kidnap" to generate the other letters I needed and created a word oval, as well. Once the letters were cut out I auditioned them on the tape to see which "R" would incorporate best into the greeting then attached the letters using 3D foam tape. I placed the little word oval just above the "R" to help the greeting read properly. Layered this great greeting over an embossed layer then onto a black card front.
I love the way these turned out!! They are just a bit funky and would be great to give to a teenager!!

Therese

4x4 chunky book page

2012-01-13T12:16:00.000-05:00

On AFTCM, we are exploring the Teesha Moore style and are having a 4x4 chunky book page swap. " Let's face it" is the theme and this is the concept I came up with - four faces. Using handmade decorative paper cut to 4x4, I laid one on top of the other and drew the center line and then cut it out. I transposed the pieces so that each side would have a pink and blue face and glued them to a 4x4 of white cardstock. Started by tracing the cut line and continued adding texture and details such as the eyes with black Sharpie markers in three different sizes. Also, cut out hearts for lips and glued them in place. Added silver Sharpie in several different areas for accent and a bit of bling. Happy with the result!!
It is a reminder that we can only change ourselves. As we change our perspective, we see the world differently and, therefore, make different choices which changes the world for us. We are co-creators!!

Therese

Black Magic Snowflakes!!

2012-01-12T20:01:00.000-05:00

This technique is so dramatic that I thought I would try it with snowflakes!! There is a tutorial on Splitcoast you can check out!
I stamped three different snowflakes on a quarter sheet of black cardstock using white pigment and the greeting on a black scrap using the same ink. Once dry, I coloured all the white using blue, lilac, mauve and silver pencil crayons. For the final touch, I added dots using a white gel pen - just makes everything pop!! I trimmed the quarter sheet to leave a small border all the way round on an A2 card and then cut out a rectangle from the middle using a rectangle Nestibilities. I cut the greeting close and layered both using white cardstock. The elements were assembled onto a white card. One little white punched snowflake (MS) attached with a black mini brad was the final touch!!
I am really happy with the way this one turned out!! Makes a great card for a winter celebration!!

Therese

Monochromatic Blue!

2012-01-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

Lots of blue!! Created this one for a Monochromatic Blue swap!! I am really happy with how the blues in this card work with each other. There was a fair amount of swapping until I was happy with all the layers! The image is from my image stash - clear embossed on white and colour washed with watercolour. I keep printed, stamped, coloured, cut out images - actually all images that don't work out for the project I am working on. As in this case, this image was the focal point of the card and I built all the blue layers and embellishments around it!! Perfect!! I used some very cool velvet ribbon on this card - it is such a nice baby blue and has lots of texture - would have been too thick to knot so for this application - backed with double sided tape - it worked out just right. Added blue rhinestones to each scallop on the border (SU border punch) as well. The greeting was stamped in blue. After a bit of experimenting I ended up stamping off once before stamping on my layer to reduce the intensity of the ink. I like how it turned out!!
It has been fun to play and make cards one at a time!! I am using the supplies that I really like and have only in limited supply!! One more swap - finished!!

Therese

Valentine card

2012-01-12T14:01:00.000-05:00

Back to creating!! I have combined a swap with a challenge and created this Valentine's card!! The swap is for a Valentine's card and the challenge is a Valentine's card using red, pink, white and teal. I started with the bird cage graphic which I download from Graphics Fairy. Lots of great images there for free!!
I opened the bird cage jpeg in my graphics program (Photo Elements) and removed the numbers and the top perch to allow enough room for my birds. I had fully intended on stamping the birds but getting them just where they needed to be became problematic so I decided to draw a couple instead. They are simple line drawings but I am happy with the way they turned out. I combined them in my layout program (Cored Draw) and sized them for my card before laser printing them. I dug through my paper scraps and found this red and pink paper which I combined with the teal trimmings created when I layered my watercoloured image. I punched a hole at the top of the cage and tied in some vintage pink seam binding to finish off my card!!
So I will be submitting this card to the Valentine card challenge at Class Acts and sending along the actual card to my swap partner!!
I have several other projects on the go and will be uploading them as they are completed!!

Happy creating!!

Therese

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-12T13:30:00.002-05:00

The gift of a new year!!
As you can see from the photo, we are welcoming this year with mild weather and today has brought the first "snow day" with lots of ice and very little snow!! With no snow before it started and the prediction of above freezing temperatures for the next few days I expect there will be none to speak of again!
We had a wonderful Christmas with lots of family in many different places so we are happy to be back home and getting back into a routine. Though, with saying that, our routine will be a different one as my DH retired and we will be learning to live with each other. We are up to the task, looking forward to having more time with each other and fully aware that there will be bumps in the road before we are full speed ahead with the rest of our lives!! We are grateful that we have all we need and have been blessed with more!!

Therese

Masculine Cards

2011-12-17T17:04:00.001-05:00

I am always in need of masculine cards at this time of year and usually there are none to be found in my card box. So it was yesterday when I went looking. I decided to make a few to rectify that situation!!
I used a few preprinted images from my cardmaking supply box and while I was there I picked a few pieces that I thought would be appropriate as backgrounds and some greetings as well. It was fun to make up some cards with different designs and supplies and only have to make one of each!! I watercoloured my images, distressed their edges and found paper and cardstock to go with them. The boots are a digital image from Beccy's. She has several different images that are really appropriate for masculine cards. The backgrounds are ones I have created - green one is acrylic paint, the corrugated is walnut ink and the bottom one is watercolour with plastic wrap. Two of the greetings are printed on transparency and the other is an oval punchie. Added a few brads and I had three cards ready to go!!
We are down to the short strokes for being ready for Christmas! That feels good!!

Therese

Baby cards!

2011-12-17T15:32:00.001-05:00

I have been busy for the last few days making receiving blankets and burp cloths for my daughter on occasion of the arrival of our newest grandson. My niece also had a baby at the beginning of December so I decided to make a few cards for each of them using the scraps of flannelette I had leftover.
For the top one, I sewed a piece of yellow handmade paper onto dark brown cardstock with a strip of polka dot fabric placed in between which I then tied with brown embroidery floss to simulate a bow. The little patchwork horse is a digital image from Beccy's. I coloured it in appropriate colours, trimmed it with scallop decorative scissors and pierced each scallop using a push pin on an old mouse pad. Used 3D foam tape to adhere it to the card front overlapping the fabric strip.
For the lower one, I sewed a piece of fabric overlaid with some brown rick rack to dark brown cardstock. I tucked the ends of the rick rack inside the card and secured them with double sided tape. Coloured and embellished my image and secured it to the card front with 3D foam tape.
The cards will make perfect Thank you cards!!

Therese

Retirement Card

2011-12-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

My DH has retired!! I made him a card to celebrate this momentous occasion! I included on it images or words to represent all the activities he plans to participate in as he finds himself with more time on his hands. I downloaded most of them off the internet, sized them and laser printed them onto kraft cardstock. Trimmed them to size, sponged all the edges, laid them on the stamped card front and then glued them into place. Used 3D foam tape for some of them just to make them pop a little more!!

Therese

Winter greetings card

2011-12-13T09:44:00.003-05:00

Created a card for winter greetings for a couple who do not celebrate Christmas. A new year is always a time for reflection and in Canada also a time when we can most appreciate the winter season so I created a soft white on white card for them.

Embossed a panel with the Swirl oval embossing folder (SX), die cut an oval (NS) and embossed it with Swiss Dot (CB), added snowbanks trimmed at the bottom with the oval nestie, a 1" moon punchie from pearly paper and a little pine tree (M) all layered on a white card. Finished it off with a white and gold ribbon simply tied with gold cording.

Therese

Christmas - embossed with bling

2011-12-09T14:50:00.002-05:00

Created another set of kits the other day using several of the designs from my last class and this one!! This is a quick and easy Christmas card. Stamp the greeting, emboss the layer (SU), add a ribbon and attach to your card front. I added some rhinestones to the center of the snowflakes as well which is a great finishing touch for these elegant cards!!

Not sure I will be posting again before the holidays so I thought I would add my wishes for all of you here.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas season and every blessing in 2012!!

Enjoy your family and friends!

Celebrate the joy and fun of the season!

Make some memories!!

Treasure the blessings you receive!!

Thanks for being here and letting me share my creative experience with you!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Dec - #8 envelope

2011-12-09T14:31:00.004-05:00

I have seen quite a few cards online lately with elements sticking out of the sides of the card and so challenged myself to see if I could figure how to make that happen!! I know it is not that difficult to make it stick out but getting it to fit in the envelope is what I was concerned about. In the end, I decided to use a 5.5"x8.5" piece of cardstock folded into three sections, added a tab punchie to create a bit of interest and that fit perfectly in the #8 envelopes I have on hand!! So fun when a plan comes together!

From a variety of hand decorated paper/cardstocks I cut 2" panels, punched some shapes out of them, glued them to my card bases and then scored a line to give them an even border. Next, I folded the other end up to make a 3.5" card which was perfect for my envelope. I embossed the bottom flap and added the tab punchie to the top flap. Added a single layer insert to the middle section for writing a message.

Here you can see how easily this design can also be used to create Christmas cards!! I punched out snowflakes, backed the openings with packing tape, added a small rhinestone in the center then rubbed on glitter!! Used the snowflake embossing folder on the bottom flap and added an appropriate greeting on the inside!!

Very quick and easy!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Dec - flocked ribbon

2011-12-09T14:21:00.005-05:00

I have been collecting flocked ribbon for a while thinking it would be a great way to add texture to a card so I dug out the rolls and worked out a design!! I started with a quarter sheet of designer paper that coordinated with the ribbon which I border punched and added a coordinating cardstock strip which I embossed. I cut "V"shapes on all of their bottom edges. Love the look!! Added a colour printed greeting with brads!! Done!!

It always helps to make quick work of a card when the supplies are few and quick to assemble!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Dec - fabric ribbon

2011-12-09T14:06:00.006-05:00

I have been wanting to challenge myself to use fabric on some of my cards for a while now and decided I would give it a try for this month's Thank you cards. I created "ribbon" by cutting a strip of lame fabric and hemming both sides!! I love how reflective the lame fabric is while still being very soft and light. I did use some of my wider ribbons for these cards too. When I assembled my sample card, I gathered the ribbon and then placed the layered greeting with 3D foam tape on the back of it over the gathering to capture it. Sometimes, easier said that done!! One girl at class simply placed her greeting oval where she wanted it and then slipped the ribbon in behind!! Way easier!!!! One of the reasons I so love teaching - I learn from my students!! After that, it is a simply a matter of tucking the ends of the ribbon between the decorative cardstock layer and the card front using double sided tape!! I love the simple elegance of these cards!!

This design could easily be created as Christmas cards using a wide Christmas ribbon, some coordinating decorative paper and cardstock!! I laser printed my greeting but it could just as easily have been stamped and punched!! Those supplies will be going on sale with deep discounts in the next few weeks so consider planning ahead and getting your 2012 Christmas cards started in the new year before the Christmas feeling wears off!!

Therese

Cardmaking - Dec - Cardinal

2011-12-09T12:50:00.006-05:00

December has arrived and most of us are counting down to Christmas hoping the to do list will be conquered in the time we have to get it done! I designed cards for this month's class that are
appropriate for expressing your appreciation for the blessings received over the Christmas season. It is more likely they will be sent if they are ready to go before the season truly gets busy!!

I saw this card on Splitcoast Stampers with its cute little cardinal and after a bit of examination, figured it was created using several punches so dug out my selection to see if I could replicate the little bird. *See below for details in creating the cardinal. I am very happy with the way it turned out!! I sponged all the pieces with black ink and then assemble it. After embossing the label (TH-SX) I added the little green sprigs (MS) punchies and sat the bird just above them. I used the slot punch (SU) to create the openings for my ribbon and glued their ends to the inside of the card. The background paper is one that I created a few years ago using acrylic paint washes and a background stamp I created by gluing fun foam snowflakes to a piece of acrylic. Once I had washed the paper with colour I simply placed the stamp on the wet surface and it moved the colour around which gave a very beautiful subtle texture to the paper which was perfect for this card. I brought along some stamps to let everyone customize their cards to their needs.

It is getting busy! I have parcels to send out, a Christmas letter to print and cards to mail!! Most of the shopping has been done - thanks to DH!!

If your list is looking too long for the time left I suggest you start deleting and/or delegating!! Get creative - no one will ever know that you had intended to make pies and goodies instead of buying them from the local bakery, (baker, friend, farmers market or bake sale)!!

Therese

*A Cardinal tutorial I found on line which is pretty close to what I did. I used a 1 3/4" punch (SU) for the body, 1" punch (SU) for the wing and a scallop punch (SU) for the tail. I used the 1 3/4" punch to create the "face" and just hand cut the beak.

Face: The photo on the left shows the creation of the beak section using the 1 3/4" punch. I first cut a 3/4" strip of black cardstock and removed a concave section from the end by placing the end into the punch and lining up both corners with the cutting edge of the punch and taking out a small slice. The next step is shown here: place the concave end into the punch until you have one edge lined up with the cutting edge and the other edge of the cardstock is about 1/4" away from the cutting edge. The little piece makes a perfect "face" for your cardinal.

Body: Use the 1 3/4" punch and fill the punch opening to about 3/4 full just off the edge of the paper. OR Punch a full circle and trim off about a 1/4 of it.

Wing: Punch about a half of the 1" circle OR Punch a full 1" circle and cut it in half to create two wings.

Tail: Punch a full scallop punchie and cut from the bottom of one scallop to center of punchie. Count two scallops and cut from the bottom of that scallop to the center. One scallop punch will make several tails. NOTE: you could substitute a heart punchie for the tail.

Beak: 3/4" x 1/4" scrap of yellow cut to a blunt point on one end

Eye: mini white brad.

Green Gift Tags!!

2011-12-03T14:19:00.007-05:00

They don't look obviously green do they?? They are green as in good for the Earth - rather than green in colour - because I created them to be reused!!!

I used quilting fabric with a variety of images on it, applied Heat and Bond to the back and cut them out to create the central elements for the tags. I used a heavy cotton fabric for the base of the tags and added a

backing of light fabric at the back of the top section that will show above the pocket. I added stitching on the top section to attach the fabrics to each other which also provided some texture. I had planned to do some free motion stitching but my first attempt with a new foot broke the needle so I will be going to the shop and getting a demonstration on how to use it before I try again. I have never used this kind of free motion foot before so it is possible that I had it installed incorrectly or am unaware of the finer points of its use.

I hemmed the top of the pocket, folded it up, pressed the fold and ironed on my central element leaving even margins. With everything in place I used a zig zag stitch all the way around which finished the edges and created the pocket at the same time. After trimming off the hairy bits I used cotton cording in a large eyed needle to create ties. Here is the reusable part - I created cardstock tags that fit in the pocket and can be replaced every year!!! So you can have beautiful tags on your gifts every year!! By adding a hanger instead of ties, these could easily be used as ornaments on your tree. With a bit of planning, they could also be used as gift card holders!! It is a bit of an investment of time but they will last for years!!

Do you consider green options when wrapping your gifts? Reusable fabric bags instead of paper ones? Gift certificates or coupons for services that can be packaged in reusable packaging like little metal boxes or handmade paper or fabric holders?

To keep your holiday dollars in your community consider buying local - gift certificates for hair cuts, lawn care, snow removal, craft or exercises classes, meals at locally owned restaurants, etc. Give locally made jams/baking or "meals" (the ingredients to a favorite dish) in a basket. These also require less "shopping" which will leave some time to enjoy hot chocolate and a movie with your family, visit shut ins or volunteer to help a neighbor with their tree decorating!!

I am happy to have my tags ready to go!! We will be having our exchange later this week!!

Therese

Birth announcements!!

2011-11-29T20:19:00.004-05:00

A new baby!! He joined the family earlier this month and everyone is doing fine. His big sister is enjoying her new status and he is eating sufficiently to grow a few inches before Christmas. We are looking forward to seeing the whole family over the holidays!!

I started with a great picture of this little boy cradled in his Dad's arms!! To avoid clashes of colour I converted the photo to black and white and increased the contrast a bit to get better definition. I laser printed the photo, cut it out using a large oval die (NS) and glued it in the center of the panel which I had previously embossed using the Swirl oval embossing folder (CB). His name is printed on the front of the folded accent which I trimmed with decorative scissors, his birth information is inside and the whole piece is nicely tied with some blue fiber. I adhered it to the panel using double sided tape.

My daughter is including them in her Christmas cards so I kept the layers and embellishments to a minimum.

I am grateful for family!! So fun to have little ones to keep our perspective on life focused in the here and now!!

Therese

Cute mitten Count down calendar

2011-11-28T20:26:00.003-05:00

What fun I had today!! I bought 24 little red mittens, a green foil garland and made an advent calendar for two of my grandchildren!!

I created the numbers (1-24) using Corel Draw and printed them out, but stickers or stamped numbers would work just as well. Punched them out with my 1.25" punch (SU), punched a hole at the top and stitched them to the front of the mittens using cotton cord. I laid out the garland, positioned the mittens evenly and using a length of the same white cord I used a needle to attach the cording to the top edge of the mitten and then tied the two ends around the garland. Cute!!!!!!!!!! There is enough room in the mitten to stash a little surprise for the two of them and it works perfectly as a Christmas decoration!! When they are no longer interested in participating in the process of counting down to Christmas the whole thing can be dismantled leaving twelve pairs of mittens and a green garland to repurpose elsewhere!! These little mittens were so cute and would make great ornaments as well.

Thrifty tip: Create an unbreakable and long lasting countdown calendar for less than $10 which can be repurposed when no longer needed!!

So it is winging its way to their house as we speak!!! I included a few little surprises as well!!

Therese

2012 Calendar

2011-11-22T19:10:00.004-05:00

On AFTCM, I signed up for a desktop calendar swap. I created this one using two blank coasters which I bound together after they were embellished. On the right hand side, I added a label die cut (TH-SX) layered with an oval (NS) and a butterfly punchie (SU) using brads over the last bit of this decorative paper I had left from my trip to London two years ago. I left the layer loose so that little notes could be tucked under it. On the right hand side, I attached a clear acetate layer with brads and tucked a set of small calendar pages in behind it. After the year is over the recipient can add another set of small calendar pages or insert a photo or quote instead. It will be a gift that keeps on giving!!

I love the soft colours and flowery design of this paper!! Very happy with the way the calendar worked out!!

Therese

Tree ornaments

2011-11-22T18:44:00.004-05:00

With card classes behind me I have been working on getting some of my other projects done!! In this case, tree ornaments for a swap on one of my groups - Art Techniques.

I started with a piece of fabric paper I created a while back. I always thought I would use it to make some hearts so when it came time to make ornaments I
decided to make some heart shaped ones!! I free hand drew the hearts on the back of the fabric paper, cut them out, laid them onto some coordinating ruby coloured upholstery fabric (remnant/sample) and cut out a backing piece for each one. I sewed a piece of cardstock with my info printed on it and embellished with a cancelled Christmas postage stamp to the backer. The filling I cut from some fleece I had on hand. I embellished the fronts by sewing on a piece of lace, ribbon and a length of twill tape on which I had stamped "spirit of peace" with a magnetic rubber stamp alphabet. I added a cancelled Christmas postage stamp from my collection to each one!! I layered all the pieces, added a ribbon hanger between the front and the fleece and sewed a close zig zag stitch all the way around to combine them. For a little dimension I added a little rosette of gathered tulle and a metal key charm. On the back I tied on a pearly button using the ends of the floss I used to sew on the rosette.

It will be fun to see what I get in return. If I am lucky they will arrive in return mail before Christmas!!

Therese

Christmas cards - label die cut

2011-11-18T10:58:00.004-05:00

This was a very fun card to do. I created the background paper!! Earlier this year I was drawn to start collecting all the strips of paper I was creating as I was trimming paper for my paper crafting. I had accumulated a good sized pile in a wide variety of colours and saw this card on Splitcoast Stampers where she had created a background using layered strips so I decided to give it a try!! I sorted through the box and put all the green, red and yellow strips in one pile and the teal, blue, purple and pink in another. I used quarter sheets of scrap paper and just applied glue to the paper and started adding strips until the paper as completely covered. Once they were dry, I die cut them using a large label die (TH - SX), embossed them with a large polka dot embossing folder, ran a dye ink pad over some of the surface, quickly added some glitter embossing powder and heated it under my heat gun!! Voila!! A beautiful background!!! As not to cover up too much of the background, I decided to add a simple greeting. The little Merry Christmas greeting I downloaded from When the Scrap Hits the Fun a while back was just perfect for what I needed. I added a few bands of red and green and some holly to the first one and some blue bands and some snowflakes to the second one, printed them, punched them out (1 3/8" SU) and layered them onto a scalloped circle punchie (SU). Added a ribbon and tied a short piece to it for the look of a bow and glued my greeting embellishment just below it with 3D foam tape.

It is a very fun and rather different look for a Christmas card!! Last night, one of the girls' husband is Jamaican and she thought that this card would be perfect for sending their holiday greetings to his relatives in Jamaica!! Love it when things work out that way!!

So that was the last of my Christmas card classes for this year!! We will be making Thank you cards in early December to acknowledge the blessings of the seasons as they arrive!!

Winter has yet to arrive here - there is someone cutting their grass this morning!!

Therese

Christmas card - embossed candle

2011-11-18T10:44:00.003-05:00

These elegant cards are quick and easy!! Just some decorative paper as a background and a gold embossed candle image (Hampton Arts) layered onto coordinating cardstock and adhered using 3D foam tape. What really makes these so great is the paper that I have used for the backgrounds which work so well with the gold embossing of the candle. I used bleach to lighten certain areas on the images embossed on the kraft cardstock - it bleaches to a beautiful yellow colour. Worked perfectly on this card I made earlier this year!! In this case I just painted watercolour into some of the bleached areas to add just a bit of colour as I did to the pale pink one!!

THRIFTY TIP: Keep an eye out for great paper as you are shopping this holiday season!!

Therese

Christmas cards - snowman

2011-11-18T10:27:00.004-05:00

A cute little snowman!! This snowman image with its chunky style works really well with this embossed handmade paper I made during the summer using an embossing surface I created with fun foam snowflake shapes. The snowman image is actually one from an internet font - Winter Wonderland*. Fonts contain vector based images so they enlarge quite nicely!! I trimmed my handmade paper to size, added the black organza polka dot ribbon and tied on the left over piece using a single knot, coloured and layered my image which I adhered with 3D foam tape and finally added my snowflake (SU) punchie with a mini black brad.

I am happy with my card and how well all the chunky elements work together and are contrasted by the soft polka dot ribbon!! I don't usually buy printed ribbon but it was the perfect fit for this card.

*THRIFTY TIP: Keep an eye out for graphic fonts that have images you can use for your cardmaking. Many are free to download.

Therese

Christmas cards - three trees

2011-11-18T10:07:00.007-05:00

Had a wonderful bunch of girls over last night to make Christmas cards!! It is always great to spend time with like minded people doing something you enjoy!!!

Three little trees (Sizzix -movers and shapers die) each cut from a different material - dark green wool felt (felted the sweater myself), handmade paper (my own) and white cardstock!! I have been appreciating cards with these large greetings on the front so I thought I would try designing one. Colour printed mine after doing the layout in Corel Draw and cut them apart. I glued it to the card front which has some snowflakes stamped on it in a very dark green. Added the ribbon and glued both ends to the inside of the card then added the snow banks with a white gel pen below it. The little felt tree has been embellished with red metallic embroidery floss and three little white brads. I moved them around until I was happy with the layout and glued them down. I used regular glue stick for the white cardstock and handmade paper trees. The little felt one required three glue dots applied to the back of the brads to keep him in place.

I really like the texture provided by the felt and the handmade paper and it contrasts nicely with the smooth surface of the greeting and the white tree!!

I hope you are on your way to creating your Christmas cards. Lots of inspiration on my blog from the classes I have taught in the last month, so check them out!! It is not too late to start!!

Therese

Cardmaking - November - Peace

2011-11-16T23:06:00.003-05:00

This was my quick and easy card for this session!! I laser printed this very cool sentiment in black onto kraft carstock, layered it onto red and then onto black. I used thisgreat decorative paper which I had in both green and red onto coordinating cardstock for the card fronts. Just a bit of 3D foam tape and a little heart punchie and the card was ready to go!! I did add faux stitching around the edges of the red one but I did not find it necessary on the green one!!

So keep an eye out for some great papers when you are shopping the malls in the next month or so!!

Therese

Cardmaking - November - Snowman

2011-11-16T22:50:00.004-05:00

More sparkly handmade paper!! This is the last of it but it was great and I will be making more. I used the rest of it on these cards a while back. In this case, I layered the handmade paper to the card front after attaching my ribbon ends with double sided tape to it's back side. Watercoloured my little snowman image which I layered onto coordinating cardstock and trimmed close using decorative scissors. I trimmed my printed greeting as well and layered it onto coordinating cardstock. I attached both elements to the card front using 3D foam ape. Tied a loose knot in a short piece of ribbon and glued in place over my image using double sided tape. The little snowflake sequin was added using a small white brad.

I love this little snowman! It was a download from Jelly Park challenges blog. It was a freebie on their first challenge in July!

I will be watching for that prismatic gift wrap over the holidays to be used in my handmade paper for Christmas cards next year!!

Therese

Cardmaking - November - glitzy medallion

2011-11-16T22:30:00.003-05:00

Love the glitz and pizzazz of this card!! The background paper is one that I printed at home on my laser printer from a file I downloaded from the internet. You can check it out here!! All Free Dowload has lots of great images!! I downloaded the green and red one and with one little slide of the hue button under "Adjust colour" in Photo Elements I created the blue one!! Fun!!

I added the ornament which features a large snowflake metal embellishment which in a former life was an earring!! I glued it to the embossed ornament using a large glue dot because of the weight of the embellishment. I added a silver top to my ornament and punched a hole for the ribbon (the punch I forgot to bring to class) which I ran to the top of my card and glued to the inside of my card using double sided tape. I tied another short length of ribbon into a bow just above the silver hanger. The ornament is attached to the layered card front using 3D foam tape. I trimmed my sentiment with decorative scissors and attached it with two tiny white brads!!

Therese

Cardmaking - November - sanded elements

2011-11-16T22:12:00.002-05:00

Another great cardmaking session!! Had a few new cardmakers which was great!!

The three elements on this card were embossed and cut in one piece with a Sizzix embossing die using white core cardstock. I sanded the raised surface then cut them apart to create individual elements. I layered them over an embossed (CB - Swiss Dot) background using 3D foam tape. Once in place, I embellished the elements with tiny rhinestones!!

I used this die a while back - you can check out my other card here! Also sanded a different embossed design on this card.

We did discover at class that one could sand the element too much and we all had to make do because I forgot a punch at home so we were really using my class motto - "There are no mistakes, only opportunities for creativity!!"

Therese

Christmas cards - shiny ornaments

2011-11-12T16:12:00.003-05:00

Who knew that sequins could make such cool looking ornaments!!! To convert sequins into ornaments I created little strings with words in them and bows on the ends to hang them from!! I just used double sided tape and attached the sequins below the laser printed strings!! Cute!

I layered the ornaments onto cardstock, added a snowflake border (MS), a length of ribbon using double sided tape and a snowflake sequin with a brad to my stamped card front to complete my card!! As you can see, the border can be used in several different ways and the girls got really creative with these!! The best part of teaching is the opportunity to see others be creative in ways you simply could not have envisioned with the supplies you have provided!!

THRIFTY TIP: Of course, you could substitute circle punchies instead. These are 3/4". It would be a great way to use up the little scraps of cool paper you have been hesitant to throw out!!!

Two more classes to go, so am still in Christmas card mode!! More later!!

Are you inspired yet?? I hope so - make a few cards today!!

Therese

Christmas cards - sketchy images

2011-11-12T15:49:00.004-05:00

I just love these little images!!! I downloaded them (Christmas themed Sketchy) from All Free Download sometime in the last few weeks and really thought they would make great Christmas cards. I had to separate the elements electronically so I could use them individually which took a bit of time in Photo Elements. I laid the images out in Corel Draw and laser printed 16 to a sheet of 8.5 x 11!! I am super happy with the way they turned out.

A simple layout - embossed kraft backgrounds with a bit of sponging around the edges, cording in white or black and colour printed images layered onto black cardstock!! I added a little stamped greeting (SU) in black to the images!!

NOTE: I just did a bit more research on these graphics and found the artist!! They can also be downloaded from his blog - Blog.SpoonGraphics!

Therese

Christmas cards - poinsettias

2011-11-12T15:13:00.007-05:00

I love the texture of these flowers - a beautiful velvety surface!! They were beautiful, the perfect size for cardmaking and a good price - needless to say, several bunches came home with me from Michaels last week!!

To ensure that the flowers were the star of these cards, I layered them onto a simple green label die cut (TH -SX) through which I had threaded a subdued gold ribbon. I glued the label to a piece of white cardstock which had been shimmered, embossed (SU) and also had a colour printed greeting. I laser printed the greetings before I shimmered the paper so was a little concerned that the printing might be affected by the alcohol in the shimmering process. No problem!! I used Gold Interference Pearl Ex which because it has no binding agent required that I seal the surface before proceeding with the embossing. I used aerosol hairspray as a sealer.

The flowers had chunky glittered centers which I removed and replaced with a little punchie and a brad to hold the layers together. I dug through my stash of silk greenery for leaves that were more appropriate in size than what came with them. I found several options which worked. I positioned the flowers and leaves on the die cut, removed the flower and glued the leaves in place and then added the flower using double sided tape. I had no trouble getting mine to stick but it is possible that glue dots might be a better adhesive for that purpose. With ribbon ends wrapped to the back and adhered with double sided tape I glued the whole layer to my card front. The flowers have some dimension but I think they will not pose a problem when being mailed as they should flatten easily when inserted in the envelope.

Therese

Christmas cards - sanded snowflakes

2011-11-12T14:46:00.005-05:00

Spent another wonderful morning with a great bunch of ladies making Christmas cards!!

I love the look of these snowflakes - a bit shabby chic!! The look is the result of sanding embossed white core cardstock!! For these cards I thermally embossed a greeting in the top section of the cardstock layer and dry embossed the bottom section using a snowflake embossing folder (CB). Just a bit of sanding removes the printed colour to reveal the white below. Less sanding gives a more subtle look and a bit more reveals more of the white core and gives a more pronounced look!! For sanding, I used a piece of fine sandpaper over a wood block but you can use what you have.

To the sanded layer I added a snowflake border (MS) in white. a coordinating ribbon and adhered a snowflake confetti using a brad. This whole element was then glued to my card front. It was fun to create these in different colours but that left me wanting snowflakes in colours which I did not have on hand so I altered white snowflake confetti to coordinate with my cardstock by applying ink to them using my Sharpie markers and using a cotton swab dampened with alcohol to blend and/or dilute the colour. Worked perfectly!! You could use Copic markers or alcohol inks in a similar way.

THRIFTY TIP: You can make your own white core cardstock by simply painting a quarter sheet of white cardstock with acrylic paint and letting it dry thoroughly!! The great thing about making your own is that you can make it any colour you want and it is also cost effective!! You can check out my double embossed backgrounds here where I used the above technique for creating white core cardstock.

Therese

Christmas - embossed elements

2011-11-05T18:36:00.005-04:00

I used an embossing Sizzlits die by Sizzix to create these embossed elements!! There are three elements combined in one piece so I cut them apart so I could use the ones I wanted and arrange them to suit me. I simply added the elements to dark cardstock, incorporated a ribbon and a couple of rhinestones and I was done!! You could always add some lines of faux stitching with a gel pen if you need a little more embellishment. This is a quick and easy card!! I will be using this die again!!

This is a different kind of fake bow. For this one, you tie a shorter piece of ribbon to a length of ribbon. It has the advantage of being movable on the piece which allows for adjustment once it is tied. Just one single knot is all you need.

A note on the rhinestones: I bought these on a roll and cut them apart so I could use them individually. I first cut down the middle of the double row with an exacto knife and then into twos for the kits. They are easy to use - simply cut apart and peel the rhinestone off the carrier material and position where you want it!! These were the smallest rhinestones available (3mm) and I anticipate they will not cause problems when these cards enter the postal system on their way to their final destination! There are a LOT of rhinestones in one package and when purchased with a coupon makes them a great value.

I saved the easiest card for last because after a few hours of cardmaking everyone is wanting to get finished and on with their day. We were finished in really good time today!!

If you need more inspiration as you tackle getting your Christmas cards done just click the " Christmas" label in the list on the lower right hand side of my blog!!

Therese

Christmas card - sparkly handmade paper

2011-11-05T18:15:00.006-04:00

I kept this card simple to highlight the great handmade paper!! I made this paper this summer using SU cardstock, prismatic gift wrap and some white paper confetti!! You can check it out here!!

I trimmed the handmade paper to leave an even margin all the way around by folding and tearing it to maintain the deckle edge then glued it to the white card front. I layered the snowflakes from large to small (SX dies, MS punch), used a push pin to make a hole in the center and added a brad. The other element on the card is a cute little saying printed on vellum. I played with the two elements until I was happy with the design, pierced a hole through the vellum and card front to which I added the snowflake element. The brad holds all the elements to the card front as I resisted using any sort of adhesive on the vellum. It was fun to create the little greeting which includes the words, a little snowflake and a dotted line that creates the path the little snowflake might have taken on its way down. I think all the elements work very well together - glitter and the look of falling snow in the handmade paper combined with the layered snowflake and the little greeting! We had fun making these in four different colours - blue, purple, pink and turquoise!!

Therese

Christmas card - little round window

2011-11-05T17:34:00.004-04:00

Love the simplicity of this card!!

Some of the girls were having trouble with the bows so I suggested that they just try making a fake bow instead. That worked very well and was much easier to execute. To simulate a bow just add a shorter piece of ribbon in a single knot and pull tight. I make the knot loose, slip the smaller piece into it and slowly pull tight adjusting the short piece if needed. A little less bulk that way too.

I layered the decorative paper onto cardstock, punched a window about 1.5" from the top and added the ribbon. By positioning all the pieces on the stamped card front I was able to locate and then carefully glue the coloured image in place so it would be nicely displayed in the little punched window!! I adhered the punched layer to the card front using 3D foam tape. Some of the girls glued the image to the back of the window instead of the card front. That works too!! The stamping on the card front gives just the right amount of texture to the rest of the card!!

The little images are digital stamps that I printed onto heavy weight paper. You can find these two images at CLKER. I used two other ones from Arthur's Clipart - little jingle bells and santa with his reindeer.

Therese

Christmas card - Victorian ornament

2011-11-05T16:59:00.006-04:00

Another Christmas card class this morning!! It was so good to spend the morning creating and listening to Christmas music!!

I really love the look of these cards - they have a soft vintage feel!!

The decorative paper is handmade paper with gold embellishment that I bought a few years ago because I really liked the texture of it!! I added a length of coffee dyed lace at the top using double sided tape. Coffee dying the lace was just what it needed - just a little soft colour!! I simply added the lace to some strong coffee (instant coffee and hot water), left it to soak for a few minutes, rinsed it out and hung it out to dry!! Just had to touch it with the iron a bit before using it on my card. Once I added the lace I glued the decorative paper to the front of my card. I added the colour printed punched victorian snowflake image (CLKER) to my die cut ornament (SX) and glued it to the front of the card using 3D foam tape leaving enough room to the right for my stamped NOEL oval greeting (SU punch). The greeting is from Quietfire Design!! I tied a bit of gold cording using a single knot to the lace above the ornament and drew a line from the ornament to lace with a marker to make it look like it is hanging. I drew the line to the top of the handmade paper on the maroon card and I find it is too much. Less is more in this case!!

I am always on the look out for different and interesting paper!! Really glad I picked some of this paper up when I did!!

Therese

Christmas cards - snowman

2011-11-02T16:10:00.006-04:00

A wonderful little snowman!!! Used some of these little guys on this card last year!!

The card front has been stamped with white snowflakes which creates a snowy scene when combined with the ripped white strip at the bottom which simulates a snowbank. The front accent has been trimmed to size, cut with a circle die (NS) and embossed with a snowflake embossing folder. I added a cute little ticket as the greeting on this card. It is a freebie I downloaded from Scribbles by Sandy!! She has a some really neat digital stamps on her site!! I printed the little tickets, added a bit of colour and stapled this one to the layer incorporating a red string which I just tied to the staple. For the class, I decided to use a paper clip instead which works better for the kits I created!! After attaching the greeting I used 3D foam tape to attach this element to the card front. Finally, I glued my little snowman embellishment inside the opening with 3D foam tape!!

Really happy with how this one turned out!!

Therese

Christmas cards - confetti tree

2011-11-02T15:47:00.004-04:00

This was a fun card!! I have had these little confetti trees for a really long time so I decided to see if I could come up with a design that would highlight them adequately - they are so shiny and bright!! (Not evident on the scan) Very happy with this design!!

I added shimmer to white cardstock using gold interference Pearl Ex and alcohol in a spray bottle. A beautiful subtle shimmer - just what I was looking for!! Once dry, I embossed quarter sheets using this star embossing folder which is available at Ecstasy Crafts!! It nicely echoes the stars on the tree and creates the perfect little embossed space for showing off this shiny little accent! I adhered it in place using tiny pieces of double sided tape but several girls at class this morning just used glue stick. I added ribbon diagonally to the corners and used double sided tape on the back to hold the ends in place, then glued the whole embossed layer to the green card front. The lower right hand ribbon has a second piece of ribbon tied to it using a single knot which also encompasses several strands of gold embroidery thread. This treatment gives you the look of a bow without the bulk which is often a concern when mailing handmade cards during the holiday season!!

Therese

Christmas Cards - Peace Dove

2011-11-02T15:32:00.004-04:00

The little dove featured on this card has been die cut using a Sizzix die that belongs to my sister. I love being able to borrow tools from creative friends and family!! It just expands the opportunity for creativity!!

For this card, I cut two pieces of decorative paper and glued one to the top and the other to the bottom leaving even margins. I added the colur printed greeting between them using 3D foam tape. I layered the dove to a die cut circle (NS) and then to a darker scalloped circle (NS). I embellished the greeting and the dove accent with a clear Stardust gel pen before mounting the accent to the left of the greeting. I love this pen because it lays down just clear glitter - no colour - so you can add it anywhere!! Available locally at Ecstasy Crafts! Certainly, you can use any other gel pen or even glitter glue instead.

Therese

Christmas cards - snowflakes

2011-11-02T14:42:00.006-04:00

How is this for non traditional colours for a snowflake card?? I loved this red, orange and white paper the first time I laid eyes on it and after creating cards with it for several card classes over the the last few years it has come to an end!! The small leftover scraps have been added to my box of collage scraps. You can check out the other cards I have made with this paper here and here!

I started with a piece of this great paper which I cut with a wave on the bottom to simulate a snowbank which I layered onto white cardstsock and glued to my red card front. TIP: When gluing thin paper - apply glue to the cardstock and lay your thin paper onto it.

To create the accents, I layered a white cardstock snowflake punchie (MS) to a red circle punchie (SU 1 1/4") then to an orange one (SU 1 3/8"). Adhered them to the card front using 3D foam tape which also captured the white thread I used between them and the colour printed layered greeting. Used 3D foam tape to capture the thread at the top and then applied the greeting!!

It was fun to be creating Christmas cards this morning with a fun group of FLY women. First, Love Yourself - I just love their name!!

So begins the Christmas card making season for me - one class down - three more to go!!

If you need inspiration, just click the "Christmas" label on the lower right hand side of my blog to see what I have created.

Therese

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-31T11:41:00.003-04:00

Happy Hallowe'en!!

Natural Christmas card

2011-10-22T11:39:00.005-04:00

This doily stamp is my latest acquisition from Stampin UP. I love it!! In an effort to use what I buy I decided to combine the doily stamp with Sylvia's Christmas card challenge - Natural, By Hand's Challenge of using a circle die and CST's challenge of using stitching in the creation of this card!! I am super happy with the way it turned out!!

I stamped the doily on an ivory card front and embossed it with clear embossing powder. To add colour, I used my newly acquired Portfolio water soluble pastels by just scribbling with the pastels onto the embossed image and using a paintbrush to spread the colour. I need a little more practice as I was not able to mix quite the colour I was looking for so I added some sponging once the surface was dry and that was closer to the look I wanted. Just love the way the doily pops!! I laser printed a round greeting and a poinsettia image from Birds Cards for the middle accent. I cut them out with a round Nestibilities, sponged them lightly, added colour with the pastels and layered them onto a brown scallop circle (NS). Added some faux stitching to the circle accent and the card using a caramel coloured marker to continue my soft and subtle look. Mounted them to the card front with 3D foam tape and added a seam binding bow to finish off the card.

Thrifty Tip: I created the bow using two pieces - one straight across the card and another folded in thirds tied to the middle of the other one with cording. It gives a nice bow with a very flat center which keeps costs down when mailing your cards because they will fit through the slot!!

So another 3 cards added to the stash - total count for this year so far 84!!

Therese

Wax paper resist!

2011-10-21T12:34:00.007-04:00

One of my blog visitors wondered if using wax paper over white cardstock in an embossing folder would transfer enough wax to the cardstock to be used as a wax resist. I gave it a try because all the tools were sitting right at hand. Unfortunately, not so! You can see to the left my experiment. The second from the left is the cardstock I put through the embossing folder and painted with watercolour. It has a nice relief but it did not resist the colour. I decided to transfer the wax to cardstock using heat. I placed my embossed wax paper over a piece of white cardstock and wrapped it in white paper and applied heat with my iron. The cardstock has a VERY faint image of the design once colour is added - it is the far left. The cover paper I used had a much better image and resisted the colour very nicely - it is second from the right. On the right is the wax paper!! It looks interesting enough to be used as a layer on a card!!
My visitor does not have an embossing machine so I tried using just crumpled wax paper and created the paper on the left - wrinkled wax paper (left) and the resist paper on the right. You can create all sorts of patterns in wax paper - fold, draw, etc - that can be used for wax resist.

Thanks for asking!!

The two following scans are of the tissue I used as a paintbrush for the application of colour in the above experiment and the two sheets of copy paper I used to dry them with the iron. I did not expect the colour to transfer.

So one little experiment!! 10 pieces of paper I can use in my paper crafting!!

Everyday is a good day to play!! I may use these later today when I am working on challenge cards!!

Therese

Fragment Charms!!

2011-10-20T13:07:00.008-04:00

More charms for a swap on AFTCM!! Our bracelets are going to be great!!

Fragment charms was the theme this month so I used these plexiglass shapes as my base. The little rectangular ones were clear - the larger ones were red!!

These were fun to create!!

From my collage box I chose little images and papers for each side of my charms. I used Dimensional Magic to glue the focal element to the back of the plastic shape so it would show through the front.
I glued the back paper/image to the back of the focal image so it would show at the back - a double sided charm. It was fun to cut out shapes and create small collages!!

You can see here the fronts of three charms on the left and the back of the same charms on the right.

I coated the sides and backs of the charms with Dimensional Magic to nicely seal in the images. How do you do that without holding them, you ask?? I attached the front of the charm to the top of a push pin using double sided tape. Planted the push pin into a strip of styrofoam which gave me something to hang on to while I was applying the finish. Worked like a charm!! You need to make sure the charm is level to prevent the finish from pooling but you don't get your fingers gummed up and they can stay there until they are completely dry!!

I drilled holes near the top edge for a jump ring and my charms were finished!! I have mine packaged and ready to go to my partner in the mail today!!

Therese

Cardmaking - October - Handmade paper

2011-10-20T12:25:00.004-04:00

I made handmade paper several times this year so my box is overflowing!! Several batches were such nice bright colours - yellow, blue and pinks which I created using SU cardstock scraps donated to me by several local demonstrators. The paper is beautiful and I wanted it to be prominent in my cards so I decided to use a full sheet (8.5" x 5.5") as my card base. I most appreciate the deckle edge on handmade paper but the sheets were not all exactly the right size so I pondered the task of trimming all the errant edges by hand which is how I normally do it. That was going to take a while!! After a bit of experimenting I came upon the idea of using my distress tool on any edges of the paper that had to be trimmed with my cutter. Worked beautifully!! Nice straight edges with a soft deckle look in a fraction of the time!!

I layered three embossed cardstock die cuts - Tattered Flowers TH (SX) and attached them to my card front with a brad. Trimmed my colour printed greeting and glued it into place!!

Love the way they turned out and my favorite is the pink and green combination!!

Therese

Cardmaking - October - Serendipity

2011-10-20T11:49:00.004-04:00

I love creating serendipity backgrounds for cardmaking!! It is a process that does not require too much attention and only a few supplies - paper scraps, glue and a substrate. A great activity when you are feeling less than inspired but still would like to do something creative. You can check out these other projects I have created using this technique here or click the Serendipity Label - lower right hand side of my blog.

I created a few full sized pages earlier this year and in September dug out several kits I had prepared for a class a couple of years ago and decided to just get them made up.

I silver or gold embossed my sheets before cutting them into squares and rectangles. Each card has 4 squares and 2 half squares. There are a variety of layouts you can use but I decided I would offset the half ones - one top right, other bottom left. Because each one is like a little piece of art I usually use minimal embellishments. This time, I added a small embossed butterfly punchie!! Click on the photo and check out the cool way I made a body, head and antenna for it!! I saw this on a blog recently - sorry not sure where!! Here's how you do it - fold your cording in half, place the butterfly's midsection inside the fold, tie two knots at the top of the midsection and trim the ends. Voila!! - a body, a head and antenna!! Not sure who invented this cool idea but it works so well!!! I attached my butterfly with 3D foam tape just below its body so the wings can be folded out.

I love the glitz and bling of these cards!! Would be great for Christmas cards in red, green and gold!!

I have a couple of links to tutorials on my April 2011 blog post here!! Have fun!!

Therese

Cardmaking - October - step card

2011-10-20T11:01:00.006-04:00

Have been seeing step cards on blogs for a while and thought I would give it a go!! I watched a few videos, checked out a few tutorials and decided for my first attempt I would create only one step. You can check out this tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers which gives step by step instructions for a center step card. They are some times also referred to as stair cards if you want to search for a few examples or tutorials.

Once I figured out my dimensions, I designed a layout with the cutting/folding lines and printed them on the back of the cardstock which made the process of creating the cards in class much less time consuming.
We made one cut and scored three fold lines. The last fold (bottom of the step) was created during the process of getting the card to fold flat. Worked out quite well!! To decorate the front panel I cut a small piece of decorative paper into three little rectangles, trimmed the tops into a slant, and positioned them making sure there was enough room for the flames above them. Glued them into place and trimmed any over hang at the bottom. Added wicks with a black sharpie marker and glued the flames into place with 3D foam tape. The flames are actually wing punchies from the SU bird punch!! Love versatile tools! I added some colour to my flames to give them a bit of dimension. I used watercolour on the top one and chalks on the bottom one - some used pencil crayons in class. Tie fiber to the card front overlapping the candles. With no place for a regular insert in this card I decided to add a flap with a greeting so there would be a place to write a message. I created this cool digital stamp!! I really liked the one put out by SU recently in their Delightful Dozen set so I decided to create my own. I used Corel Draw to lay out all the words in different fonts. Really happy with the way it turned out!! Can see a few more of these greetings in my future. Printed them in colour on white cardstock to coordinate with the card front, folded them and glued the back flap to the back of the step. The front flap can be tucked inside the step as well.

I really like the look of this dimensional card!!

Therese

Cardmaking - October - Rainbow Wishes

2011-10-20T10:32:00.003-04:00

Love these rainbows!! I was inspired by this card from Splitcoast Stampers!! I dug through my cardstock scraps and started cutting little rectangles in seven different colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink. Made a pile of each colour and then started matching them up - some more pastel, some more muted and others very strong and bold. I made a few specialty cards with what I had left over - all pinks or blues for baby cards and this green, orange and yellow combination for a Halloween card!! We did all sorts of embossing on our cards last night - some did just the elements others did the whole card front!!

I gave each person a scrap of white paper to glue their rainbow pieces to which allowed them to emboss the rainbow as an element before gluing it to the card. The greeting is laser printed onto white and then the pieces were trimmed apart (3/4" and 1.25") After embossing the elements were glued to a black card front. A bit of ribbon, a die cut, a stamped image or a few rhinestones would all be great 3D elements to add a bit more dimension to these cards!!

These are a quick and easy card once the rainbow pieces are cut. I have a lip on my trimmer which easily allows me to cut 3/4" strips so it was fairly quick to cut the scraps into strips. I really enjoyed matching up the colours but you could easily plan your colour combination in advance and only cut the pieces you need.

Consider red and green for Christmas cards!! A simple 3D element or some ribbon and you could make a bunch of cards in one day!! Are you inspired?? Make a few cards to add to your stash today!!

Therese

Fall Fairy!

2011-10-14T21:48:00.005-04:00

A fall fairy!! I have a swap on Just Cards for a Thank you or Thanksgiving card so I decided to use some fall colours which worked in perfectly with the Fall challenge over at Class Act blog. The challenge at the By Hand blog is to use Pennants so I decided to add my greeting using little pennant triangles. I really like how that worked out!!

There have been all sorts of options explored in the creation of this card before this one finally emerged. I created the background using my new Fancy Fan letterpress plate (SU) inked with yellow and green craft inks in a random pattern. I created a new sandwich to allow me to use my silicone mat when I put it through my Big Kick so it would emboss the design as well as print it!! Loving the look!! I trimmed this layer and added to the top of a card front in the same red colour. Added a strip of green cardstock to which I glued my little pennants. I watercoloured my alphabet punchies and added them to the pennants using 3D foam tape. I watercoloured my image (Class Act - fairy), trimmed it close and layered it to a yellow rectangle which had been distressed a bit with ink using my stipple stamp then attached it with a couple copper brads.

I am really loving the bright warm colours of this card!!

Therese

Christmas cards!!

2011-10-14T15:42:00.005-04:00

Pink Christmas cards!! Have been wanting to make some pink ones for quite a while, so with a card swap on Just Cards themed The Letter P I decided that pink and peace would work for the month of October and made it happen. It also works for Sylvia's Christmas card challenge for September which was Non Traditional colours so I am on a roll!! Come to think of it, the challenge on CST is monochromatic and this card will work for that as well!! Wow - lots of bang for the effort. I created 7 of these - one will be sent off for the swap and the others are headed to my Christmas card stash!!

If you haven't started your Christmas cards yet, check out Sylvia's blog for her challenge - she has had a monthly challenge since January - and get started with any of the challenges that catches your eye. A few cards per week until December 1 and you will be happy!! There are other challenges available. Just do a search or check out the ones I have listed on my right hand sidebar!!

As you can see there are two versions of this card - the simple and elegant one which I started with and as I proceeded card #4 received some bling and so did a few others!! I am of two minds about whether they all should have bling or not!! It is so like me to not be able to make more than a few cards exactly the same!! I will have to sleep on it!!

I cut the ornament (SX) from shimmery pink Core di nations cardstock! I cut the wave from shimmery white cardstock (Bazzill) using a Quikutz Cookie Cutter die I recently acquired!! I also cut the hanger from the same shimmery cardstock layering them onto the main ornament with a bit of white glue and trimming the wave to the edge. I stamped Peace (Chapel Road - Class Act) onto the lower bottom corner of a piece of white cardstock in pink and embossed the whole thing with Musical Flourish (CB) embossing folder. I mounted the ornament to the embossed layer using 3D foam tape incorporating a pearly string beneath the hanger, used double sided tape to hold the free end to the back of the card and added a length of shimmery pink and white ribbon about a half inch from the top by gluing both ends to the back with double sided tape. I glued this layer to pink, trimmed it close and mounted it to a white card front. I decided to add a short piece of string to the pink ribbon. Simply tied it around the ribbon with a double knot and situated it to overlap the ornament's string. I like the look!! The last few got some bling!!

Still have one more card swap to finish and a few other projects on the go!!

Class Act has a new challenge on their blog! You could win some rubber!! Go and check them out!!

Therese

Spooktacular card!!

2011-10-10T15:46:00.005-04:00

Another card which is not typical of the cards I usually create!! This one is for the Technique swap - TORN - on Just Cards combined with the challenge on the Created By Hand blog which is OVAL. I was perusing this on line e zine called Crafting Ireland and on page 77 found a card tutorial for a mummy which used an oval and torn fabric!! Just what I needed as inspiration for this card!!

I cut a black oval (NS) and wrapped it with torn strips of white tissue paper. Initially, the strips were about an inch wide but in the end I trimmed them down to about a half inch to be more in scale with my oval. I applied glue to the ends of the strips and started wrapping them around the oval leaving spaces for eyes and a mouth. It looked too ghoulish with just blank spaces for eyes so I decided to use my punches to make some. I started with one large black oval (SU) and glued on a small yellow one. I cut that in half and added the two ends of a large oval with the middle perpendicularly punched out of it using the large oval punch. Unfortunately, I had to use two ovals because one of the ends fell inside my punch!! Who knew there was even an opening there!! So, I now have two pieces of cardstock inside my punch. Yes, two!! I did it again!! I will have the punch doctor (DH) take a look at it and see about extricating the pieces before they get lodged somewhere that interferes with the workings of the punch!! I added the details using a black fine tip Sharpie marker. I eased them under the tissue paper a bit which made them look more real. I mounted this to a purple card front on which I had dawn a haunted house, a cemetery and some bats and added a round punchie in yellow for the moon! I coloured in the details with glitter gel pens - I am loving those!!

Lastly, I added the laser printed spooktacular greeting with mini black brads and the two letter punchies using 3d foam tape!!

Very happy with how this "one of a kind card" turned out!! It was fun to do some hand drawing right on the card and embellish it with the gel pens!!

Therese

Handmade paper swatches!

2011-10-05T21:39:00.003-04:00

Handmade paper swatches - all ready to go!! I signed up for a swap where paper makers from everywhere will be sending in little swatches of their handmade papers and one blessed soul will be creating a book for each of us - 56 of us!! There will be page for each sample along with the recipe!! They had scans of previous swatch books and they looked so cool and what a resource!! So I managed to get my papers made, my swatches ready along with all the other required elements like payment and a return address label, put all the elements into a large bubble envelope and sent it on its way yesterday!! Not sure how long it will take to get a book back but I am hoping that maybe by Christmas though it may be the new year if any of the swatches are delayed for any reason! Regardless, I am sure the book will be a feast for the eyes when it finally arrives!!

Therese

Trick or treat card!

2011-10-05T20:52:00.003-04:00

Have joined a new card group, Just Cards and the swap info came out this week. I joined four swaps so I thought I would get started!!

I created this card for the Colour Theme Swap - Orange and Black. As my DH just commented - this is not my typical card!! I downloaded the digital stamp from Robin's Art Musings - here!! She has several there including a cat, a spider and a bat!! I laser printed it and cut it out with a round Nestibilities die, coloured it with my "new to Me" Portfolio water soluble oil pastels and mounted it to a black and then an orange scallop circle (NS). I added some stenciling to the top right of the card using some punchanella (thanks, Dale) and the Portfolio pastels. I simply placed the punchanella on the card front, rubbed an orangy red pastel over the surface and took a damp paint brush and washed over the area which nicely coloured the cardstock through the holes! I can see a lot of potential for these pastels!! I washed some colour over my harlequin decorative paper as well to help it coordinate better with the orange scallop. I embossed my black torn strip with a large dot embossing folder and added stitching with a white gel pen. Added stitches to the card and on the diamonds of my decorative paper with a black gel pen. Once the decorative paper and the black strip were glued down I added the plaid ribbon which was the subtle addition of colour that this card really needed. I went "stash diving" to find this cool glittery green wired fuzzy stuff - it was on someone's discard pile at Christmas so I took it home. Perfect to add a bit of glitz to this card!! Final touch was to add some dots on the orange scallop with a glittery black gel pen!!

Really happy with how this card worked out!! I will be submitting it for our weekly challenge on CST which this week is Stitching!!

If you are a Canadian paper crafter consider joining CST - Canadian Stamp Talk. It is a great group moderated by group owner, Nancy from Calgary.

So fun to create without limits!!

Therese

Mail Art

2011-09-30T19:46:00.003-04:00

On AFTCM, I signed up for a mail art swap!!

I started by printing the names of the recipients using a nice chunky font and traced them onto the front of my yellow envelopes using a black gel pen. I filled the names in with some doodling, added the address of the person as well as my return address and the postage stamp. Next, I added a border and some doodling in the body of the envelope as well. Once finished with the artwork I started filling in the designs with glittered gel pens in a variety of colours!!

This is my first mail art!! I really enjoyed the process and after I was done I decided to search on line to see what others have done. There is as much difference in mail art as there are artists, though most of the art I found on line was a bit more edgy that what I have done here.

I have added a RAK to the envelopes so they will have a bit of surprise when it arrives in their mail box!!

I enjoyed challenging myself to do something I have never done before!! I have been exposed to mail art online over the years and have received several different examples as well.

Challenge yourself to something you have never done before!! Grow!!

Therese

Fall themed spring card

2011-09-28T15:13:00.007-04:00

Made a few more spring cards!! You can find my other spring cards here along with a link to the tutorial. I used 6"x12" to create these cards which makes them 6" square so I will create custom envelopes for them!!

I stamped the rust cardstock with a newspaper background from Impression Obsession which I bought over the summer. Added some distressing around the folds with a dark brown ink pad and added an embossed and sanded piece of decorative white core cardstock. To that, I added a large oval (NS) which I stamped with a text background stamp in beige chalk ink. The leaves were cut using the

TH tattered leaves die - both oak ones. I watercoloured them, dried completely and embossed with clear several times toget a nice glossy finish. Layered these onto the ovals and added raffia bows!! I added a TH ticket strip die cut on the lower flap which I filled with light coloured layers which were stamped with a QF flourish in dark brown. The greeting was printed transparency leftover from a previous project which suited this project perfectly!! I added a small silk flower with a brad and adhered the elements to the top of the bottom flaps so the greetings are hidden by the card front.

Really happy with how these worked out!! I am off to make my envelopes so these can be ready for giving!!

Therese

Challenge Christmas cards

2011-09-24T08:52:00.015-04:00

A friend of mine decided to create a challenge!! She cut a whole bunch of these scallop cards using her XL Sizzix die from bright red cardstock and handed them out to 5-6 of us and challenged us to think outside the box and make some cards!! Some were beginner card makers and others have been at it a bit longer and I am probably the veteran. It was a fun challenge and I was super impressed by what the other created - much more out of the box and

creative than I managed to be!! She brought all 23 cards to cardmaking class on Wednesday night and let everyone who was there vote on which one they liked the best. She also had the girls at her workplace vote so we don't yet know who's card came in first but it was fun for all of us to have the chance to create. She has created a prize for the winner - a nice quilted bag.

As you can see, I got started making Christmas cards and just kept

going!! The others were much more broad in their creations - sympathy cards, etc. I also used the cards as is, others added them as a layer on A2 sized cards!!!!!! Those were really nice and that option created so many more possibilities.

Card #1 - A layer of decorative paper to which I added a greeting and some other stamping, some die cut buttons with embroidery thread tied into them, a bit of ribbon and some embellishment to the scallops using a white gel pen.

Card #2 - mini fiber snowflakes attached with glitter glue, large rhinestones, an embossed rectangle on which I layered a stamped greeting!

Card #3 - decorative paper trimmed by hand to reflect the scalloped border, a stamped label embellished with a stamped greeting and 5 petal punch (SU) poinsettia!

Card #4 - decorative paper die cut with an oval with a colour printed winter village scene below it, a bit of ribbon and a stamped greeting layered below the opening.

Card #5 - Lots of piercing, an embossed layer, a glittered tree and a round greeting layered over a die cut bookplate!!'

It was a very fun challenge and I congratulate all the other players for their great cards!! Will let you know if any of the above won or placed at all!! Thanks to Diane for the challenge!!

UPDATE: Just a note to say that Card #4 was the second most voted card in the challenge. One of my friend's card came in first so she decided to award the prize to the next in line which was me!! Here is the wonderful bag that she made as the Grand Prize!!

It is a large colourful bag which is great for all sorts of occasions!! Opens up wide for great access to the contents - I took it shopping on the weekend!!

Thanks, Diane!!

Therese

Cardmaking - September - butterflies!!

2011-09-22T13:21:00.004-04:00

I love the little butterfly borders on these cards!! A friend of mine has the punch (MS) and she punched a whole bunch of long borders for me!!

I embossed the background using my newest embossing folder Musical Flourish from Cuttlebug!! When gluing the border to the layer I chose to just lightly tap my glue stick to the back side of it then lightly pressed it to the embossed surface. Swiping the glue stick just adds glue to the holes yielding a messy card front. Added a short piece of ribbon, a colour coordinated stamped and punched butterfly (SU) with a mini black brad and glued the entire layer to my colour coordinated card front. Added a little greeting to one using some 3D foam tape.

Love the contrast between the black and the other colours! Worked well with both the bright or softer pastel colours!!

Have a few swaps to work on so watch for more in the next few days!!

Therese

Cardmaking - September - spring easel

2011-09-22T12:56:00.005-04:00

Just love this cool little easel card!! It is created using a tutorial I found at SplitcoastStampers!! You can find the Spring Card tutorial here! They use larger paper but somewhere online I had seen instructions for using a piece that was 8.5" long but when it came time to actually create a sample I could no longer find the tutorial but I did figure it out. You need to use a piece of paper that

is twice as long as it is wide. So I used cardstock that was 4.25" x 8.5" which created a card that is 4.25" square and fits into a regular A2 sized envelope. Using 5.5" x 11" would create a 5.5" inch card and 6" x 12" would yield a 6" square card. So create what works best for you!!
You can see from the top photo that the card stands

very nicely!! You can write a small greeting on the area directly below the image if you pull it open. To get your card to stand you may have to burnish the bottom flap fold very neatly!!

Once you have created the four folds you simply trim off the two top corners of the card to create your diamond shaped front. It took a bit of thinking when creating images for these cards because they had to be on a diamond shape (square on its point). The little teapot is a digital image from CLKER and the flowers are from digital stamp sets that were available from StampinUP during Sellabration last year!!

So a little cutting, foldi

ng, colouring and gluing - the result is a cute little card!!

I really like the easel idea so I may be using it later on for mounting a larger card front!!

NOTE: Here is another spring card I created yesterday! Added clear dimensional paint to the wings!! Love the way it turned out!!

Therese

Cardmaking - September - chalkboard

2011-09-22T12:38:00.003-04:00

What a cute little chalkboard card!! It is a real chalkboard!! I created it using some chalkboard sticky backed poster paper I purchased at Michaels. So fun!!

I die cut the frame using the large frame (SX) die though I did fold the cardstock in half before cutting to ensure that the frame would fit the width of the card. The original size is about a quarter inch short. I embossed the die cut frame using the distressed lines embossing folder (CB) which gives it the wood texture I was looking for then rounded the corners. I mounted the chalkboard piece to the back of the frame, removed the backing and adhered the entire element to the front of a white card. I printed the apple and leaf (digital stamp from ABCteach) and cut them out. Created a stem using a scrap of brown cardstock and mounted them all to the card front using 3D foam tape. Added the greeting using chalk!! The cool thing is that it can be erased and a new one written in!! I included a little post it note in the card kit to be included in the card informing the recipient that they can use the card front as a little chalkboard!! Would be cool in a locker or on the fridge for leaving little notes!!

Therese

Cardmaking - September - leaves

2011-09-22T12:21:00.010-04:00

Fall is coming!! We get back to our regular schedules - for me that is my regular cardmaking classes!! Great to see familiar faces, some new ones and get back to cardmaking!!

We started the evening with this card. It features an embossed background which I distressed around the edges with my distress tool and also aged with watercolour. I used my Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die to cut the leaves - two of them from my own handmade paper and one from fabric paper which I created earlier this week. I embellished the handmade ones with watercolour to give them a bit more dimension. Layered them onto my embossed layer, added a double knotted raffia accent and glued it to my card front. Would make a great card for a fall birthday or for Thanksgiving!!

The fabric paper was able to withstand a lot of folding and bending as I did my best to not waste any of it when I was die cutting my leaves!! If you are needing sturdy paper for anything, fabric paper is a great option. I have included more information on the fabric paper posting so check it out by clicking the link above!

Therese

Fabric Paper!

2011-09-16T15:56:00.004-04:00

I created fabric paper today!! Have been wanting to give this technique a try for a while and discovered it was the Monthly Technique over on Art Techniques so I decided to give it a try today!!

Basically, you are using glue to adhere paper to fabric. Once you have the concept down you can go in so many directions that the sky is the limit as to what you end product is going to look like.

I decided to keep it simple for my first time. I dug into my fabric stash, discovered several medium sized scraps of bed sheet that I had left over from another project and decided to use that as my base. Next, I dug into my collage paper scraps and collected a few pieces - decorative paper, music sheet, book pages, paper napkins, white and coloured tissue paper and a few stamped images left over from previous projects. Rip all your papers into small pieces (2"x3" or so) before you start gluing as your fingers will get all goopy and make ripping paper challenging.

I used glue that DH was prepared to throw out because it had become too thick to use in the shop. You can use any PVA type glue you have. It needs to be watered down so add at least 1 to 1 water. I added more than that because my glue was very thick to begin with. It should be soupy.

Lay a piece of plastic that is larger than your largest fabric piece on your work surface. I used a garbage bag but you can use what you have. This will allow you to remove the fabric paper from the surface once it is dry. Lay your fabric piece down. I started with scraps but I would recommend a piece that is about 12"x12" or so. Smooth out your fabric and start brushing on the watered down glue until your fabric is completely saturated. Now, it is just a matter of laying pieces of paper over the fabric and ensuring it is also saturated with glue. Just keep adding glue as you need it. You can use your brush or your fingers to incorporate your pieces. Once you have covered every inch of fabric with at least one layer of paper the whole thing needs to be set aside to dry!! Fortunately, I have drying racks that I use for my handmade paper which worked ideally for this purpose and my fabric paper dried much more quickly that otherwise. Most people recommend leaving to dry at least overnight to make sure it is completely dry. Your fabric paper is ready to use once it is dry!!

I added stitching to my papers after they were dry. It helps to keep all the layers together and adds wonderful texture as well.

#1 - (top piece) I started by adding a layer of white tissue paper one little piece at a time and overlapping them as I went along. Added some small pieces of music sheet and book page over that. Added some decorative tissue paper, some paper table cloth, some maroon handmade paper and some gold plastic netting (onion bag) and then added some pieces of kraft tissue paper over that.

#2 - (middle piece) I started with a paper napkin ripped in pieces, added pieces of book page, maroon handmade paper, red tissue paper, decorative red tissue paper and kraft tissue paper pieces. Added stitching after it was dry.

#3 - (bottom piece) I started with a flower paper napkin ripped into pieces and added all sorts of flower images from other paper napkins and tissue paper then filled in the holes with ivory/gold paper tablecloth and yellow tissue paper. Added stitching when it was dry.

I am very happy with all the papers I made today!!!!!! Not sure exactly what I will make with them but I expect that at least one or two will end up in my cardmaking class next week!!

You can find instructions by simply doing an internet search for Fabric Paper instructions. Here are a couple of links you can use - CPS , Craft Test Dummies, for more info. Colour can be added during the creation process or afterwards. Stamping and embellishments can be added once it is dry.

This fabric paper is very sturdy so can be used for all sorts of projects - journal covers, collage, 3D projects, etc!!

Have fun!!

Therese

More handmade paper!!

2011-08-26T09:38:00.003-04:00

Had a couple of papermaking classes this week!! It is always fun to create with like minded people!

I made up several different batches of paper so there would some variety in the sheets the girls brought home.

You can see the small sheet - 3.25" x 4.5" - perfect for the front of a card but also perfect for tags, book pages or covers, etc.

We made 8.5" x 5.5" in class which is just the size you need to make an A2 sized card - fold and embellish!! Can also be trimmed to create layers on cards, die cut or embossed, etc. I used this size of paper for the covers of my handouts. Check them out here!

To finish up the batches I took out my other vat and large mould and deckle and made large sheets from the leftovers!!

Had a wonderful time and I have a few more sheets to add to my stash of handmade paper!!

Therese

Leaf shrink plastic charms!

2011-08-25T10:30:00.004-04:00

Don't you just love Shrink plastic?? It is such a versatile product!! I am involved in a Charm swap on AFTCM and this month we have been challenged to use shrink plastic to create our charms.

I started with black shrink plastic because when it shrinks it just creates a bit of a shadow on your project instead of clear dimension which is hard to disguise when you use the clear shrink plastic.

I used my Big Shot and TH leaf die (SX) to cut my shrink plastic and then I sanded each leaf on both sides.
Usually, I sand before I cut but today I simply forgot but I am glad I did because you can see here that I created a great background image by photographing the "dust" after sanding!! You simply never know where you will find creative fodder, so stay vigilant as you craft for serendipitous art that will just present itself when you least expect it!!

Back to the charms! I trimmed the stems off because they are likely to break off once they shrink to half their size. I also punched a hole (1/8") at the top for the jump ring. I painted them with acrylic paints including some shimmery stuff to help them glitter and be beautiful. I painted one side of each of them, set them aside until dry and then painted the other side to create double sided charms. Once they were all dry I laid them on my heat proof surface (foil over corrugated cardboard), placed the sharp end of a skewer in the hole and heated them with my heat gun - voila!! Little leaf charms!! I did add some Pearl Ex and spray matt finish just to finish them off!!

I have a wonderful little collection of charms which will make a wonderful bracelet!!

These will be on there way to my partner later today!!

Therese

Gate fold - raven

2011-08-24T19:24:00.005-04:00

I was on a roll!!

I created another gate fold card for a card swap on AFTCM! I folded the edges to the middle and decided to make this one landscape. Added hand decorated paper to the top flap and another piece to the bottom flap layering in a piece of black ribbon. I tied a short piece of ribbon to the long one to simulate a bow. I embossed a yellow label die cut (SX) on which I layered the raven image which had previously been mounted on black.

Love the colours of this card!!

Therese

Gate fold - Thank you

2011-08-24T19:15:00.006-04:00

Two more gate fold cards!! A couple Thank you cards this time. Used colour printed collage images on both, layering them a bit differently.

On the left, I simply layered the collage image on black, added a greeting and layered it again on green. I added the ribbon later by sliding it between the black and green layers, then behind the yellow I layered onto the card front.

On the right, I layered my image onto an embossed blue rectangle and added a colour printed greeting. This element was layered onto an embossed label die cut (SX) which I attached to my layered card front with a couple yellow brads.

It was fun to play with my elements and come up with different layouts!!

Therese

Gatefold cards - ladies!

2011-08-24T19:04:00.004-04:00

Created these for a monthly exchange I participate in!! Have not made gate fold cards in quite a while and surprisingly I made five of them today!!

For the first two, I started with the same colour printed collage image and layered it several times - with blue & yellow for the left hand card and green with yellow for the one on the right. Was fun to create two fairly different looks using the same image. Added hand decorated paper to my card fronts once they were folded encasing the vintage seam binding as needed. A little bit of bling was enough to finish them off!!

Therese

Handmade paper booklets

2011-08-22T11:51:00.004-04:00

I finished off these booklets this morning!! They are handouts for my papermaking class tomorrow and feature handmade paper covers!!!

I laser printed my pages, layered them between the handmade paper covers, punched the holes using a template and bound them with colourful fibers!!

I am looking forward to my class tomorrow! Have prepped several different batches of paper so the participants will be able to take home several different sheets and really get an idea for the scope of what is possible when recycling paper scraps!!

No doubt there will be a pile of paper to feature here in the next few days!!

Therese

More beeswax!

2011-08-22T11:12:00.005-04:00

What is better than one friend and a play date?? Two friends and play date, of course!! We visited with Marg a few days later and brought along our beeswax collage box of goodies and played all day!! I started with this collage which I created on a chipboard coaster - be on the look out at garage sales, etc for these -they are perfect little canvases!! This one was ivory so I just created on the back side. First, I applied some beeswax and layered in a piece of paper napkin that coordinated with the woman's dress and added the script and edging (paper napkin). I cut out and layered in the woman who was printed on cardstock which helped her stand out and not be transparent like the paper napkin images which had been separated into single layers and were very transparent after the application of beeswax. The paper napkin rose and words on bond paper were added afterwards. Again, I applied beeswax to the edges of the coaster and applied gold Pearl EX to the whole thing. Marg suggested buffing with pantihose afterwards and it REALLY makes the whole collage very transparent and shiny!! Really happy with the way it turned out!!
This was my second attempt!! Went with a bit of a steampunk look!! Started with some copper and black mesh from Magenta, added some blue paper napkin over that, then added my cut out collage images - map, tower, clock face over medallion, portrait and little man. This time, I added texture by using a rubber stamp!! I added a pool of wax over the map, heated it with a heat gun until all molten and then placed my stamp into the wax. I had added embossing ink to the stamp - rubbed it into the surface so that all the rubber was covered - before placing it in the wax. When the wax had cooled the stamp came off very easily but you do have to wait for the wax to cool before removing the stamp. Instant texture!! I added a small copper gear as my little 3D embellishement and I was done. Added beeswax to the edges and copper Pearl EX as usual. The Pearl Ex really highlighted the texture I added using the stamp!! A little buffing with the pantihose and I was done!! Really happy with this one too!!

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UPDATE: I finished off this beeswax collage today for submission for an Art Lottery I am participating in!!

I cut a brown circular backer for it and glued it in place with double sided tape and glue to be sure it would stay in place. I punched two holes and set copper eyelets in each one to accommodate a hanger. Added a short piece of black 3/8" gros grain ribbon as a hanger.It finished it off quite nicely!!

Therese

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After a wonderful lunch - Thanks Marg!! I created this little collage. I was experimenting with adding colour using wax crayons and the little mini iron! Works like a darn!! It will take a little practice to get the coloured wax nicely blended and dripped where I want it!!

For my first try, I am happy with the results. Realized as well that elements can be attached with drops of wax - coloured or otherwise. Adding colour takes a bit of planning and is a little harder to remove completely!!

All in all, a great day of projects and learning as you go!! It was great to have others playing at the same time, comparing notes and seeing what others were doing!! I will be relegating a pair of pantihose to my craft room to be used with beeswax. They are a little lonely in the drawer anyway!!

Nights are getting much cooler and the days are comfortable!! The seasons are changing!! So are the trees here and there!!

Enjoy the last bits of summer and play a little with your friends!!

Therese

Beeswax collage - friends

2011-08-22T10:47:00.005-04:00

Have been visiting with my friend, Linda!! It is so wonderful to have creative friends that you can have play dates with!! We played with beewax and came up with several collages!!

Here is my first one! I brought along some 4" masonite squares and we started with those. I layered some small collage images - Eiffel Tower, bottle of wine on an elegant table, an old trunk and an old clock face (scrap bin) over an embossed panel and a handmade paper background which were all layered onto the tile using beeswax. We painted our tiles with white gesso before we started to help with the reflection of light through the layers. Really glad we did because it turned out a bit on the dark side because of the elements I used. Finally, I added some words which I layered onto white bond so they would be clearly visible and a copper eyelet to the center of the clock. I like to have at least one 3D element to add a bit of dimension though I was able to add a fair amount of texture to the wax using my little clover leaf mini iron. Once I was happy with my collage I added wax to the edges and highlighted the whole thing with copper Pearl Ex -sides as well. The Pearl Ex really brings out the texture in the beeswax. I had predrilled holes, so it was easy to add a wire hanger and some beads to finish it off!!

I am using a small crock pot to melt my wax and a natural bristle brush to add the wax to my collage pieces and substrate. We used both a heat gun and the mini iron to help encase our elements into the beeswax surface we had created when adding our backgrounds. I am melting ivory beeswax sheets in my crockpot and Linda was using Ranger Beewax in her Ranger Melting Pot with an insert. Both work perfectly well!!

We experimented with coasters next!!

Therese

Christmas - Joy

2011-08-10T15:04:00.005-04:00

Still more Christmas cards!!

Embossed white core cardstock with a star embossing folder (Darice) and sanded it! I cut out the inside of the frame using an exacto knife, tied on a white ribbon with a gold tie and backed the hole with white embossed (CB) cardstock.

The joy is a diecut (SX) which I cut from adhesive backed cardstock (release paper facing up), peeled off the backing and sprinkled with red glitter (MS) which I pressed into the adhesive rather than rubbing it in. Pressing gives more of a dimensional look to the glitter - rubbing gives a more reflective quality to the glitter!! I applied glue to the back using a fine tip applicator, gently placed it into the opening and applied only slight pressure to not disturb my glitter. I applied this layer to a red card front!!

This card satisfies this week's challenge on CST - having the sentiment as the main element of the card and Sylvia's August Christmas card challenge - glitter!!

Thrifty Tip: Need a fine tip applicator for white glue?? Use an empty fabric paint bottle with a fine applicator tip!! Works wonderfully!! Have paint left in the bottle?? Create some decorative paper with the paint - squeeze onto paper and distribute with a brush or fingers!!

Therese

Christmas card - reason for the season!

2011-08-09T10:56:00.004-04:00

I designed this card around the beautiful star stamp which was perfect for Sylvia's May challenge - The reason for the season!!

I gold embossed the star onto a layer of kraft cardstock (M) on which I had previously laser printed a small Bethlehem graphic. The graphic was designed for a different card a few weeks ago which never saw the light of day! I painted bleach onto the center star section of the embossed image and to my delight it bleached out to this wonderful yellow colour which was perfect for the image and the look I was going for!! I used a stipple stamp and bleach to add some glow below the star. Once all was dry, I mounted the image onto red cardstock. I layered the card front with this beautiful gold flourish paper and added the star layer with 3D foam tape!! Done!!

I did modify both of my cardstocks to be a better fit for the flourish paper.

THRIFTY TIP: I sponged/stippled just the edges of the card front and the red layer with ink to get its colour to coordinate closer with the decorative paper. I used OCHRE ink on the red layer to bring it closer to the scarlet that I needed and PINE ink on my garden green card front to darken it enough to coordinate.

I would not want to do this for a large batch of cards but for the few I made it was worth the effort to have cardstock that coordinated better with my decorative paper!

I have one challenge to go!! Maybe my tomorrow!!

Therese

Christmas cards from my stash!

2011-08-09T10:39:00.003-04:00

One of the benefits of playing in your craft room is finding "stuff" that you didn't really remember you had!! Case in point - I found this ribbon in my ribbon drawer and thought it was the perfect colours for making a few Christmas cards!! I was expecting - quick and easy - a few cards in less than a hour!! The process took much longer than I thought it would but this design finally emerged and it is a quick and easy card!!

I embossed the cardinal (SX) onto white cardstock and mounted it onto the right hand side of my card which was designed to fit in some envelopes that were given to me a few years ago. I cut the ribbon to fit, added it to the left hand side with double sided tape and added three confetti stars using gold brads!! Voila - a Christmas card!! I did embellish the stamped image with my StarDust gel pen which provided just enough bling!! The ribbon is flocked and came prebound in the red, green and red format!! It provides texture and richness in this card.

I am always on the look out for interesting supplies to include in my creations and this ribbon was the perfect accent for this card!!

Therese

Christmas around the world!

2011-08-09T10:19:00.005-04:00

Sylvia's challenge for July was Christmas Around the World!! It got me thinking how many different traditions are associated with this celebration. For many, going to Midnight Mass as a family is a highlight in their Christmas season. With that in mind, I colour printed some snowy village images that featured people on their way to church.

I cut the images with my oval Nestibilities (N), glued it to coordinating cardstock and trimmed it with scallop decorative scissors. The card front has a full layer of embossed (CB) cardstock and an embossed die cut (SX) in which I punched a slot (SU) on the left hand side and a 1/4" hole on the right hand side. I tied in some vintage seam binding using a double knot. I mounted the oval scene over the ribbon using 3D foam tape and glued the whole piece to the card front.

I am really happy with these cards. The cardstock and image give just the right feel and I love the vintage seam binding!!!

I will have to do a final count of my Christmas card stash once I have these all done!! If you have not yet started I urge to start now! You will be very happy to have your cards all finished when November comes around!!

Therese

Snowflakes & a snowman for a card challenge!

2011-08-09T09:44:00.012-04:00

My sister is visiting and we are crafting up a storm!!

I have been making Christmas cards for my stash using the challenges she has posted to her blog. These ones are for the April Challenge - Winter.

I started with this wonderful paper that my daughter used on my gift last year!! It is gorgeous!! This card features a snowman cut out which I embossed with the Swiss Dot embossing folder (CB) and backed with the paper. I embellished the corners with a flourish corner punch and added a gold snowflake with a gold brad. I like the card but somehow it did not highlight the beauty of the paper as much as I liked so I moved on and designed another card!

For this card, I layered my decorative paper onto cardstock which eliminated the fold marks, trimmed it to 4" x 5.25" and glued it to the front of my A2 sized card. Next, I cut a scallop (N) from white and layered over it two snowflake die cuts (SX) in blue and purple. I added a small fiber snowflake and attached them all together using a gold brad. I pierced each scallop and embellished the whole thing with my Stardust gel pen!!

I tied some white pearly fiber to the left hand side of my card and added my snowflake element using 3D foam tape. Thought it needed a bit of something so added a colour printed "Let it snow" greeting which I punched out using my Window Punch (SU) and mounted with 3D foam tape!!

I am happier with this one! It nicely highlights this wonderful snowflake paper!!!

I love reusing items in my creative projects!! It is even better when the item has been given with love and care!! Consider giving new life to some beautiful paper, a wonderful commercial card, some awesome ribbon, a great gift bag or envelope by reusing them in your creations!!

My stash is coming along!!!

Therese

Inchies!!

2011-08-03T07:52:00.005-04:00

Inchies for a swap on AFTCM!! These were fun to make though I discovered that finding items small enough to be included on these little canvases needed some creative thinking. I found confetti worked really well - check out the coffee cup, cat, angel, doves and the sun. Punchies, rhinestones and snippets from other projects worked well too. It is a perfect place to use scraps of beautiful paper and words from a really small dictionary!!

I started with leftover supplies from my June cardmaking session where I created these quick and easy cards - they were the perfect little canvases!! A trip to my collage bucket gave me everything else I needed. The canvases were created using a 1" cardstock square and a 3/4" piece of decorative paper. They were embellished with small decorative elements - confetti, punchies, snippets, ribbon, dictionary words and rhinestones. Finally, embellished using my Stardust clear or metallic gel pens!!

The Stardust gel pen by Sakura is great!! It puts on only glitter - no colour! A very rich glitter!! Every papercrafter should have one of these pens though I have not found them anywhere locally. My sister brought me one two years ago when she came on vacation. I love it!!

Crafting with my sister this week and getting caught up on my Christmas cards using her challenges!!

Therese

Cards with handmade paper!

2011-07-29T12:51:00.005-04:00

I love crafting with kids! They are so spontaneous and do not second guess themselves!! I had a little friend over today to make cards with the handmade paper we made last week. She loves pink and purple so those are the colours I started with.

For this card I started with a sheet of purple handmade paper and added some wriggles all around with the glitter gel pens she brought along to share. I stamped a darker layer with her butterfly rubber stamp, embossed it using the D'vine Swirl (CB) embossing folder and glued it to the front of my white card. I added glittery dots to the outside edge, glued on my handmade paper to which I had tied a piece of glitter purple fiber, using 3D foam tape. The greeting is a digital stamp that I downloaded from Birds Cards. It has been trimmed with decorative scissors, embellished with glittery dots & flowers and glued to the card front, over the fiber, using 3D foam tape. A few glitter dots on my butterflies (SU) and they were also added using 3D foam tape.

One of the best things about crafting with others is that you can bounce ideas off each other and learn a different way of doing things. It is a bonus that you can share tools and supplies. Very happy with this card!!

We were very productive today!! I made two cards and she prepped two cards and a tag.

This card features a pink handmade paper die cut (SZ) butterfly which has been embellished with glitter gel pens and a shimmery body. Its companion is a butterfly that my friend stamped, coloured and cut out for me to add to my card. I added a little quote and a button to my card front which had been layered with a blue embossed layer and a small sheet of blue handmade paper.

It was a fun cardmaking day!! Make some time this coming week to craft with a friend! We had rain this morning which was a wonderful break from the HOT weather we have been having!!

Therese

Botanical handmade papers!

2011-07-27T19:10:00.004-04:00

These are the papers I finished off by the end of the day!! These have botanical additions (grass, flower petals and herbal teas) as well as cardstock confetti.

The yellow batch has orange day lily flowers in it. They were dry so I soaked them, blended them well and added them to the slurry!! A bit of grass and some herbal tea for interest and I was good to go.

I did incorporate a few "ends of batches" into these paper as well. It is always fun to see what you get when you mix colours and batches.

These will do well in my card making in the spring when I am looking for colour!

Therese

Embossed handmade paper

2011-07-27T18:56:00.004-04:00

I had a pail full of turquoise paper pulp and had just finished making glittery snow falling paper so I thought I would see what I could do to make some embossed paper!!

I hand stitched a bunch of fun foam snowflakes to a handiwipe using fine clear plastic thread, wet it and laid it on my couching surface. I used my mould and deckle to form a large sheet of handmade paper and couched it right over top of my new snowflake embossing surface. It worked very well!!

The snowflakes did not stick to the handmade paper so it easily lifted off the surface leaving beautiful embossed snowflakes in the paper!! Once the paper is dry, the embossed design is permanently part of the paper. I have a stack of these light turquoise papers which will be great for making Christmas cards!!!

I am imagining the possibilities for creating embossing surfaces using other types of materials, die cuts, etc!! I can see that there are more embossed handmade papers in my future!!

Therese

More handmade paper!!

2011-07-27T18:38:00.004-04:00

More handmade paper!! It has been hot so it has been good for drying it!! I made these sheets with Christmas cards in mind! The first photo is a close up of the surface of the paper along with a sample of the kind of gift wrap I used to get the sparkles in my paper! On a whim, last year, I cut up and blended some of this glittery prisamatic paper in hopes of getting some silvery accents in my paper and to my surprise I got a clear glitter instead!! The paper looks like glistening snow!!

You can see in this photo that I made four colours of this snow paper - lilac, aqua, pink and blue!! If you take a closer look (click on the photo) you will also see that I have added white paper confetti to these papers to really make them look like there is snow falling!!

So I will be creating a Christmas card for one of my stack classes this fall using this paper!! I am loving the look!!!

So I will be saving any of this paper that shows up on presents at Christmas this year!! If you are a papermaker consider giving this a try - I know you will love the results. The base pulp for these handmade paper sheets is cardstock and white bond which gave me some nice pastel colours. Check my previous post or click here to see what the colours look like full strength.

Therese

Handmade paper - large, medium and small

2011-07-25T12:16:00.005-04:00

A full day of papermaking with friends!!

I started the day with a couple of friends and we made medium sheets using several different batches of brightly coloured pulps - blue, pink, turquoise and yellow - accented with paper confetti!! I put the paper onto screens which I placed outside on the patio to dry - it was HOT here on Friday!!

Took a break for lunch and checked out my friend's brand newly finished craft room!! It is great -LOTS of beautiful antique white cabinets with black handles, a nicely mottled black wrap around counter top and sunshine yellow paint! An easy clean flooring that looks like white washed wide pine boards on the floor!! The large windows have beautiful blinds and let in a lot of light. She is just starting to move in all of her craft stuff and then will be spending a bit of time getting it all sorted out!!

In the afternoon, I had a small friend over to make small sheets of handmade paper!! She really enjoyed the process and took home 3 sheet of each colour which we will use later for making cards!!

After supper, I finished off the leftovers and the one batch of blue we did not get to in the morning using my large mould and deckle!!

The paper is all dry and needs to be pressed. I love the colours!!

I used scraps of SU cardstock that has been donated to me by two SU demos which they have collected from their demonstrations and home parties!! You can check out their websites here and here! The new catalog came out on July 1st and you can check it out here!!

My sister will be visiting soon and I am looking forward to making a few more sheets with her!!

Therese

Beeswax collage - friend

2011-07-25T10:52:00.005-04:00

Been playing with beeswax again!!

I bought myself a mini iron a couple of weeks ago knowing I wanted to create a little beeswax collage for a friend of mine. I started by gluing several pieces of white embossed cardstock to a 4"x4" square of masonite. A shopping trip through my stash for collage items yielded the following - a striped tissue in green, gold and red, a yellow tissue on which I stamped "friend" (SU) in green, some music sheet, a short piece of lace and a deep red handmade paper from which I cut out a heart.

I applied melted beeswax (mini crock pot) over the textured cardstock with a natural bristled brush and laid the striped tissue paper in it. I used the mini iron to embed the paper into the wax - worked so well!!!!! The mini iron allows you to add heat just where you want it and immediately heats all the layers through which embeds them into your collage. I added the yellow friend tissue paper to the left of it and the torn sheet music to the top and used the iron to embed them as well. Added the lace in the same fashion leaving the ends sticking out the sides and added the red heart. I decided the heart needed a bit of texture so used a scroll stamp (SU wheel) over the melted wax, let it cool and then gently pulled it off. Great texture!! Decided to add the same texture to the bottom of the collage. Had a bit of trouble because the wax was sticking to the stamp** but just reheated and tried again and got a good impression. I applied mica powder ( Perfect Pearls or Pearl EX) to the textured wax which nicely highlighted it. Added some to the heart as well. Thought the collage needed just a bit of something 3D near the word Friend so added a plastic butterfly charm!! Just what I was looking for.

I trimmed all the papers to the edge of the masonite tile using an exacto knife and added beeswax along all the edges to finish them off. Used the mini iron to set them and add a bit of texture then applied some mica powder to the front and sides of all the edges.

I drilled a couple of small holes at the top, threaded through a wire hanger with some ebeads and tied on a copper ribbon!!

I am very happy with the way it turned out!! Looking forward to making a few more of these this summer.

Therese

**If you try to pull the rubber stamp off before the wax has completely hardened it will take the wax up with it. I will consider using a spritz of water or some embossing ink on my stamp before applying it to the wax to prevent sticking the next time around. Will let you know how it goes. You can also place your collage in the fridge or freezer to ensure that the beeswax has solidified completely. To remove wax from your rubber stamp heat with your heat gun for a few seconds and blot with paper towel to remove the wax.

Christmas card kits - SOLD!

2011-07-16T11:43:00.006-04:00

"Christmas card kits" have been sold!!

Each set has sixteen card kits ($20). Some of each of the five designs pictured to the left. There are varying amounts of cards per design (none less than two) as these were prepped using extra supplies that were at hand from my last Christmas card class and from this week's catch up session of Christmas cardmaking!!

First come first served!! Only basic supplies are required to assemble them so would be great for taking to the cottage or as a summer or holiday craft project.

Let me know if you are interested!! The weather is glorious!!! Enjoy!!

Therese

Poinsettia card

2011-07-15T12:40:00.003-04:00

More Christmas cards! I am way behind my goal of making some every month so I am trying to catch up!!!

I used the Nestibilities poinsettia die set (3) to create the flower. I added some sponging on the edges and embossed each petal with my embosser to create some dimension. The leaves are cut with the large die, cut apart and placed behind the flower where they looked best. The poinsettia is held together with a gold brad and I added a large gold sequin beneath it to create the center of the flower.

I used printed music with "alleluia" printed on it and layered it onto red cardstock which I had bordered with double sided tape. The music paper is just a bit smaller than the cardstock so I added red glitter to cover the difference! Really like how that turned out!! Just enough bling! Stamped a red Joy and I was done!!

I am submitting this one for Sylvia's Chocolate, Red and Cream challenge as well as her Musical one!!

Are you inspired?? If so, leave me a link so I can check out your Christmas cards!!

Therese

Kris Kringle Christmas card

2011-07-15T12:33:00.003-04:00

Another Christmas card for the stash!! This one uses a #10 envelope and features black embossed cardstock at the top and a red greeting layer at the bottom which continues the greeting from the image. On the green layer I punched some holes in the scallops and added some paper piercing on either side of the ribbon for texture! I did add another little piece of ribbon to the left of the image to create a bit of an accent. I just tied a short piece of the same ribbon with one knot pulled tight - much less bulky!! The colour printed image (CD) has been applied to the card front using 3D foam tape.

Am happy to have a few more cards ready for Christmas!!

Therese

Vintage Christmas card

2011-07-15T12:19:00.003-04:00

Been creating Christmas cards to add to my stash!! Sure is nice to have them all ready when November 1 comes around!!

This card features a colour printed vintage Santa (CD) layered onto red and a silver snowflake brad. The brad was too shiny so I sanded it. It might also look good with a bit of a white wash to antique it some.

I added silver ink to my green embossed (SU) layer and I am not sure I really like it so I will leave the others plain. I love the poinsettia paper (gift wrap) I used for the background.
This is a large card - more than 5"x7"!! Fun to work with a larger format.

I am submitting this card for the Vintage Christmas challenge on Sylvia's blog.

Check out her monthly Christmas card challenge if you are looking for inspiration for your cards in July!!

Therese

Our shared welcome card!

2011-07-08T16:27:00.002-04:00

This is the card I made for my little friend. I know she likes pink and purple so those are the colours I used for her card. I watercoloured the cupcakes (MelJens Designs) and trimmed the edges of the image with scallop decorative scissors. Afterwards, I paper pierced holes into each scallop and layered that onto a purple rectangle. I used a swirl embossing folder (TH) on the card front and mounted my element to it using 3D foam tape. I gave the same treatment to my greeting. Finally, I added some glitter glue to the swirls on the image and to the little hearts!!

Here is the card we created together that will be going to welcome two little girls who moved into the neighborhood this week. I watercoloured the hello and she watercoloured the hearts. She chose the green layer and embossed it while I cut out the hearts. I embellished the image and she added the row of paper piercing to the bottom of the card. We layered our elements with 3D foam tape and added an insert!!

A very successful afternoon of cardmaking!!

Share your joy of creating!! It can be with your friends, the kids next door or members of your extended family!! It is for certain that you will be creating memories that will last.

Therese

Cardmaking with a friend!

2011-07-08T16:08:00.004-04:00

I had a young friend over this afternoon to do some cardmaking!! You can see here the card she made for me. I had preprinted a variety of digital images (Meljens Designs) onto white cardstock and let her choose which one she wanted. She had me pick the cardstock and then used chalks to colour the little butterfly fairy image. She used the decorative scissors to cut around the edges of her image then used a push pin to paper pierce the edges. She used a different pair of scissors on the bottom edge of the card and then embossed the front and the back with a swirl embossing folder.
With that finished she layered her image and glued that element to the card front!!

She used glitter glue to create a nice design on the inside of the card as well!!! It is not dry yet but she did add her handwritten message to the inside before she added glitter glue.

Yeah! and "Good job" to her for creating a wonderful card for me!!

It is so fun to create with kids!! They are so spontaneous!! They love using tools and always know which colour they want to use!!

We will be meeting again over the summer to glitter pinecones which we picked on our way home from the park!!

Therese

Bon Voyage card!!

2011-07-06T13:23:00.002-04:00

A special person is going on a trip and I made this card for her!! I layered some travel scrapbook paper on the card front though I had to split it because the ticket border went all the way around on the 12x12 and my card is smaller so I had to cut down the sheet. I covered the joint between the two pieces with a short piece of terracotta piece of cardstock and added a die cut button with fiber.

I hope she enjoys her summer holiday and comes back with a few cool souvenirs and some great memories!!

Therese

Domino charms!

2011-07-05T19:01:00.008-04:00

I am in a charm swap on AFTCM and this month we are using dominoes!! Unfortunately, the dominoes I have on hand are too large to make charms so I decided to use these little balsa wood rectangles (right hand photo) instead which are a much better size

- 5/8" x 1 1/4" or so. I chose papers to cover them then painted the ends to coordinate -white or black (middle). I used modge podge to attach my papers (right) which were all retrieved from my scrap box. After they were dry I embellished each one with a variety of items - dictionary text, confetti, hand drawing and copper foil. I did seal them with modge podge after adding the papers so they will stand up to the wear they will get when they are added to a bracelet. I have uploaded a photo of the front and the back of the charms.

I used a drill press with a small drill bit to make holes at the top for jump rings. The last photo is of them all finished and ready to go!!

These were fun to make and very different because the size is so small. Everyone is going to have a great bracelet by the end of the year!!!

The summer has arrived and I hope you will find some time to be creative, to relax and to spend time with your family and friends!!

Therese

Fat book page - at the movies

2011-06-23T13:05:00.003-04:00

Created this 4x4 fat book page for a swap on AFTCM!!

For the front I designed a clapperboard, printed it and attached it to a 8" x 4" piece of black cardstock folded in half. I added a popcorn box which I designed, printed and trimmed. The filmstrip is one I found on the internet, sized and printed - I liked the wave it had in it and I mounted it to my page using three pieces of double sided tape and two pieces of 3D foam tape in between which makes it undulate. Really like the effect!! Lastly, I designed and printed a little ticket that reads "At the movies", printed and trimmed it and added to the front using 3D foam tape. I also added a #4 to the clapperboard ith a white gel pen to make it look authentic!!

On the back I stamped "shine" and silver embossed it. I added bling by gluing on tiny rhinestones in swirl and dot patterns.

For the inside I designed, printed and trimmed two tags to which I added red eyelash fiber!!

Very happy with the way it turned out!!!

Therese

Exchange card - Canada

2011-06-21T15:18:00.007-04:00

I created this card for my card exchange tonight!! It will also fit the challenge on ORSA for a Canada Day card and for the yellow theme on By Hand!!

I started with a piece of yellow decorative paper, overlaid a 1 3/8" punchie and the stippled 3 different yellow inks all the way around to make a nice bright sun. I then used the "hole" from the punchie and sponged some orange into the sun area. I added a set of bare trees in brown and some evergreens in olive. Used a mask and sponged on some blue to create the look of water. Layered my image onto brown cardstock. I used a brown card which had a green embossed layer - reeds - laid over it. I raised the image element using 3D foam tape and added some DYI bakers twine.

Thrifty Tip: Follow this link to the video OR click the link under TUTORIALS on the right hand side bar!! The twine is super easy to make and requires only a few basic supplies. Try it!!

NOTE: Be sure to really saturate your thread with ink so that there are no light spots when you are using it on your project.

A card that celebrates summer, camping, Canada and all that is good about all of them!!

Therese