A Fun Fold

I have seen a couple demonstrators post some cards with this little different fold so thought I would try it .  I like it - and so easy.

 



I used some of the Comfort Cafe DSP and this sheet has Soft Suede and Cajun Craze on it so thought those would be good fall colors.  The stamp set is te Mixed Medley hostess set but there are many different ones you could use.   



 The "friend" scallop sticks up off the edge of the inside flap of card stock.  Isn't that a neat way to dress up a card.

 And it opens completely  - of course there is a circle hole through the base but that really doesn't matter.

 

So while I was playing with the design I thought I would try a Halloween one.  This uses a retired set Batty for You but there are some cute sets available now.   The spider web is from the Mixed Medley and I added some of the Googlie eyes available in the holiday min-catalog.

 

You could do this for any occasion - wouldn't it be cute with a balloon stamp//cutout used.   I think I will have to try it with a bunch of balloons on the card front and one of them is attached to the inside.  Oh boy!  More play time coming up.





Cards and more cards

Today I finally got to play a little with some new toys and some ideas I have seen from other demonstrators.   It was fun and I think we will do a couple of these at the club on Saturday. 

This is one I have had planned for a while.  Still need to add a sentiment in the lower right corner.    I saw the flower pot punch art on a another site so had to try it.

Here I got to play with more of the Perfectly Preserved stamp set and coordinating products, Orchard Harvest paper and Cannery framelits.    I used the spritzer to add some of the Raspberry Ripple in the background - can't see it very well in the photo though.

This is one of my favorite techniques - triple layer stamping.   It is so easy but looks so nice with the designs all lined up.    French Foliage is one of my favorite sets - it was in the holiday mini-catalog a couple years ago and then they added it to the big catalog. 

 

And this is one of the easiest cards I have ever done but it is really striking in 'real life'  I have all the cards lined up on the entertainment center and this one catches my eye every time I look up.  The color is just scribbles with the SU markers - that's it !   Add a silhouette type image and a sentiment.    What fun it will be to try different color combinations.

 

And don't think I just sat around making cards today.  I made a big double batch of French Onion Soup in the crock pot and two batches of bread, French bread to eat with soup (can't eat french onion with a toasted slice of French bed and melted cheese floating on top) and some Italian Herb bread to take to a dinner at church tomorrow.

 



Perfectly Preserved Orchard Harvest

I have been playing with some new toys - the Perfectly Preserved stamp set, Orchard Harvest paper and Cannery Set framelits.   So much fun!   I found lots of cute ideas from other demonstrators - and made them in my own way.

 This was probably the simplest one - just a row of jars stamped on some Whisper White card stock, then mounted on Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight.  A simple basic note card.

 This one is a string of lights for a backyard party or camping trip.  The jar were cut from Whisper White and then sponged using Melon Mambo, Pacific Point and Lucky Limeade.

 A jar of lemonade  - stamped then sponged very lightly with Daffodil Delight.  The apple and pear stamps are also from the set.

 

A closeup of the lemonade. I used the jar stamp and just inked up the bottom curves with a marker, stamped it off on scrap paper then stamped the upside down on my paper. Stamped the jar over that. Very simple and the faint lines give the lemonade the proper detail to look three dimensional.

 

 

 This is one I am going to use at a club workshop this weekend.   The jar is stamped on Very Vanilla and cut out using the die.   Flowers are stamping in the jar using More Mustard.  Additional flowers are stamped in Pacific Point and Cajun Craze then cut out with the die.   Strips of the designer series paper are placed in the background.

My idea for a get well card - Heard you caught a bug ......  well let it go :-)    The bugs are made using the leaf stamp and adding a head and little antennae.

 

Another bug one - lightning bugs in a jar.  Remember when.....  those were the days.  We caught lightning bugs and put them in the freezer  because we wanted to send them in to the local TV station for medical research.  Not sure that was even legitimate.  I do know that fluoroscein  (sp?) is used in some laboratory testing and they may have used the fluorescent chemicals from the bugs before there was a synthetic product.  Outs never made it anywhere except the trash I 'm sure.

Fabric Workshop



Last evening was my fabric workshop - what fun we had!   I made 7 sample cards and the attendees chose 3 that they wanted to make.  (Didn't have time to make them all- but they got the instructions for all 7 plus 4 cute fabric projects).

Strip flower

The first one we did was the Strip Flower.  This uses 3 strips of fabric about 1/2 inch wide and 5 1/2 inches long.  Fold over into a loop and layer to make a flower.  We put a brad through the strips to hold it all together then covered the brad with a button.  A piece of linen thread was tied through the button before adding it.  A very simple but attractive card that could be for almost any occasion.

Gathered Flowers

We moved on to something a little more challenging - gathered flowers.  The flowers are made from the scallop die cut which is part of the Tasteful Trims Big Shot die.  One strip of scallops makes 2 flowers.  After cutting the strip in half, take a needle and thread and gather along the straight edge (make a row of loose running stitches and pull the thread tight to gather the fabric).  When you have it all gathered make a little stitch to join the ends.  Ta-da - a flower.   We used a little piece of sticky strip to attach them to the card front.  Bright buttons were put in the center with mini glue dots.  The stems are just narrow strips of Old Olive.  The small heart punch was used to make the leaves. 
What a cheery card - and could be used for almost any occasion just by changing the sentiment.

Pleated Doilies

And for the challenge of the evening - the pleated doilies card.   They really loved this card - not sure they will make another though.   Delicate doilies were stamped randomly on Melon Mambo using Whisper White craft ink.  A strip of fabric 1 1/2 inches wide was used.  We pleated it (folding repeatedly with the folds not overlapping - and 'pressed' the creases with a bone folder.  Leave about an inch of unpleated fabric at the start and pleated enough to cover the card front. 
It worked best to do this before adhering it to the card front.  We put two strips of sticky strip on the card front where we wanted our fabric.  Then add the fabric - you don't want to try to keep it pleated - let it open up and start at one edge pressing a single section to the sticky strip.  Watching the bottom edge to try to stay fairly straight, continue with the rest of the pleated sections.  Adhere the ends to the back (trim if necessary).
A piece of white stitched 1/4 inch grosgrain was added.   This makes it look like you stitched through the fabric - and helps to hold the pleats flat.   We added a Melon Mambo stamped doily (had to cut it out by hand - the scallop punch did not line up with the design) - and a sentiment tag - also cut by hand.
And here are the projects I showed them -

Framed artwork

A small frame with fabric and quilt batting in the photo opening.  Decorated with a novelty brooch I got from my sister.  Added a little ribbon and a button and a cute little decoration for a desk or shelf.   This could be used to display a keepsake or anything you can attach to the fabric.



Pincushion Button Jar

A jelly jar converted into a button jar with pincushion top.   This also uses a piece of fabric and quilt batting placed inside the lid on the flat, then pushed inside the ring.   I added a ribbon and bow and some coordinated buttons.

Headband

A flower attached to a headband - the flower is made from 8 scalloped circles.  The circles are folded in 1/4 and layered on top of each other.  I tied a piece of crocheted lace through the button and attached it to the stack of circles with a needle and thread.  I sewed a safety pin to the back and then used that to attach it to the headband.  It can be removed easily and worn as a brooch or added as an adornment to a purse, hat, whatever you can think of.

Baby Bonnet

And - my favorite.  I took a white crocheted baby cap that I had made and added a piece of Rose Red seam binding then made a cute flower using two sizes of circles.  I cut at least 6 or each size and folded them in half.  Layered them with the larger on the bottom of the stack and added a Rose Red button to hold them all together.  I used mini glue dots to add an adornment to the center of the button.  Too cute!
This one was especially fun to do since I am going to be a grandma in April - have to start thinking baby projects :-)  
Hope you enjoyed seeing our fabric workshop.  I still have some scrapbook ideas and clothing iron-ons to play with :-)  More baby projects!