Metallic Abstract

This card was time-consuming, but well worth the effort. I got the pattern from "Card & Thread" by Polly Pinder.

After tracing the shape onto tracing paper, I scribbled over the reverse side with a white pencil. I laid this white pencil side down onto black cardstock and retraced the image plus the little notch markings. That was very tedious, luckily I had "Dr. Phil" on the tv to keep me company.

I cut the little notches out with tiny scissors and then I was ready for the threads. Using silver and then gold metallic threads on the upper one, I wrapped the thread around the shape in a numerical order and taped the loose ends to the back. The bottom one used silver and copper metallic threads. I think they turned out great!

I cut metallic card stock to make a 4"x 8" side opening card. Well, actually, I just made the card face. I plan on making a card with black or grey cardstock and gluing it to the front. I don't think metallic cardstock folds well. It always cracks if it's not folded 'on grain'. I wanted the stripes on the silver card face to be horizontal but that was 'off grain'.

Same Card, Different Envelope

Some time ago, I received a little "flat" card (one that wasn't folded) and it had a little rounded edge on top so it could be pulled from the envelope. I liked it so much, I decided to make some of my own. I carefully opened the envelope and made a pattern from it. My card is a folded one, but I'm probably going to make some "flat" ones, too. The sentiment would be written on the back, either by printer or by hand.

I used some of that delicious paper from Hot Hues. I glued that down on the front of the card. All around the edges of the paper, I used my ruler and a gold paint pen. I used a ruler because I wanted the line to be straight. Sometimes I don't want to use a ruler and then it looks more "casual". At the top, I handwrote 'happy anniversary'. I punched a circle from gold vellum and folded it into a cone shape and tied it with a brown 1/8" ribbon, then glued it to the front of the card. The flowers were punched from brown and pink glitter matstack from Joanne's. I glued each flower down covering part of the back of the gold wrapper.

I lined the envelope with some of the leftover paper. This card could be (and probably will be) made as a birthday or 'get well' card.

Busy, Busy, Busy

As soon as I found out about the new grandbaby, I started making things. I think I got out of control. This afghan, sweater, coverall, two hats and a pair of booties won 1st place at the county fair. This is only a part of what I actually made for the newest angel in our family.

I have an idea for a smocked "bubble-suit", but I'm having a hard time finding the pattern for the bubble-suit. I have the smocking design I want to use and since Brenda gave me a pleater, I'm all set to go and anxious to start! I want to make two - one for a boy and one for a girl. Both of them will be white suits, but with different smocking. A girl could actually wear both, but no so much for a boy. I have a pattern for little yellow ducks, so maybe I'll use that one and then it won't matter. The one for a girl will have roses and girly stuff on it. I'll have more time to work on it once school starts and the pool closes.

December will be here before you know it!!

Other "Craps"

Not everything I make is with paper and glue. I also like to crochet, knit, smock, cross-stitch, put together scrapbooks and do a little "one-stroke" painting.

This is a crocheted scarecrow with crocheted pumpkins and crocheted crows sitting on his hat and arm. It won first place in this year's fair in the holiday decoration division.

At one time I made a doll-house from a kit for Kara and then checked out a book from the library on making minature doll-house furniture. I made all the furniture from balsa wood. I had a ball.

One of the ladies from church had set up her kiln in one of the vacant Sunday School rooms and let people come in and make pottery. She had a couple of molds for doll-house items. I made a complete bathroom set - tub, sink and toilet. I also made some dishes and some of them had food on them. If I remember correctly there was also a turkey on a platter and some loaves of bread. They were really cute! One was a birthday cake and I wrote her name on the cake. Unfortunately, the doll house was knocked off a shelf and broke into several pieces. Unfixable. She still has the furniture and the pottery, I think.

Green Frog Card

This card was fun to make. I used the green stems and leaves paper from Hot Hues! and just a regular green cardstock that seemed to match. I punched a 2" brown scallop (Marvy) and then cut a 13/16th " square from the green. I mounted the googlily-eyed frog on the center of the squares. The inside says "Have a hoppy birthday". The frog is from Sandylion Essentials. I bought two packages so I have 10 of them. They are so cute!

Glitter Flower Card

This card was made using Hot Hues! paper, gold vellum for the flower wrapper and brown 1/4" ribbon. The flowers were punched using an EKSuccess punch - once with pink and once with brown from the Spring Glitter Matstack from Joanne's. I also punched out the brown centers for the flowers from the brown glitter paper. The flowers are layered with a 1/4" foam sticky pad and then the whole flower is glued to the card. I tried to use double-stick tape, but it wouldn't hold the flowers on. I set a heavy large punch on top of them until they dried. I need a big heavy paperweight.

Green!

I made these cards several months ago. I think I was in my green period. I need to think in other colors.

Cards, Cards, Cards...

I hope to use this blog to display the cards I've created. If you want to copy them, be my guest! The only problem is getting them uploaded without using all the space available. This blog is named "Arts and Craps" because that's what my g-daughters called my arts and crafts room. They were little then. Now they're 6 and 7.