My Lumpy Valentines

Ah, my lumpy Valentines. Look at those huge buttons and wooden hearts. I have to add some of my vintage 20-cent Love stamps to the new ones to cover the extra weight and bulk. I was thrilled to see the new Love stamps featured on one of my favorite design blogs, Felt & Wire.

These were the first few cards I made this year. They will finally go into the mail tomorrow, carrying my love and warm wishes through the post to family and friends, far and near.

I ended up making 22 designed Valentine cards, usually in a series of four (some lumpier than these!) as well as 18 packets of papery goodness to share. Many will travel to family and friends who don't often write back. I'm hoping the packets will encourage some of them to share the mail love, not necessarily with me, but with anyone they know who might benefit from a little something special in their mailbox.

My papery packets included a puzzle purse I learned to fold at LancasterHistory.org while I was visiting with them and their patrons on First Friday to promote the Lancaster County stamp. You can view their Love Letters exhibit online. The puzzle purse was also mentioned over on Red Letter Day. Be warned, once you start folding, you may not be able to stop!

While you are preparing your love letters for the mail, you could give a listen to this lovely interview with the talented Donovan Beeson of Letter Writers Alliance and the INtangible blog fame. Enjoy!

Fly Away with Me CPS 249

For some reason, I thought I might keep working on winter holiday cards; you know, get a head start for next year while I still have all the supplies at hand. My, do I have a lot of supplies for Christmas cards. When I cleaned it all up, I needed one of my old suitcases in order to store everything together (and I haven't tried to close it yet.)

Front of card, CPS 249

But alas, I remembered I had one more new Tim Holtz Sizzix die to try, the winged heart. I was saving it for Valentine cards. So, I've let go of Christmas (though I'll listen to the music a few more days) and I made a few Valentines. I used a simple sketch from Card Positioning Systems (#249) and went wild with glitter, vintage lace, buttons (French glass) and postage stamps. The paper is 7gypsies "Lille" and Papertrey cardstock on a PaperSource Luxe card. So many lovely bits collected and brought together on this card!

Interior of above card

I did some machine sewing around the edges, a straight stitch with zigzag accents. I had a few comments on a previous post where I mentioned machine stitching, and I am embarrassed to say I have yet to answer the questions, so I'll do that now!

I have a sturdy old Singer machine, Model 401A, that I use for all my sewing (fabric or paper.) I use a ball point needle when sewing on paper to avoid dulling sharps. (Ball points are normally used for sewing knit fabric, something my machine refuses to do.) Sometimes thread tension can be a problem, so I recommend sewing on a scrap of paper and then adjusting before sewing the final project. Longer stitch length will make fewer holes and therefore create less chance of tearing the paper. You can use an unthreaded machine to create perforations, if that's what you're trying to achieve. I have mailed postcards with machine stitching naked (without an envelope) and they seem to travel well. If I add buttons, the cards always go into envelopes. Better for the cards, better for the postal machines!

Happy crafting!

CPS 246 Believe

Well, gee whiz, I missed the deadline to share this card on the Card Positioning Systems blog, but I'm going to post it anyway! This week I flipped the sketch. I was so excited to use a whole row of buttons on a card! I had seen it on some other designs, and I finally found a spot it worked for me. I do love buttons; the more, the merrier I say! The little charm is hard to read on the scanned image--it says "believe." I decided to use some of my jewelry making supplies on cards, since I have been too busy playing with paper to make bling for myself. The paper is more from the 6x6 My Mind's Eye pads, some vintage ribbons, and machine zig-zag stitching around the image, also from the paper pad.

Today I helped out with a group of 6th through 9th grade girls, my oldest daughter included, charged with making Christmas cards to include in gift bags for shut-ins. It was great fun to see what the girls designed, their different styles and tastes. I made a few cards to contribute too, and I managed to do it all without my cutting mat, metal straight edge and craft knife! Sometimes it is freeing to "rough it!"

Card Patterns Sketch 143

I decided to play along with several card sketches this week, to get a few more Christmas cards made and have fun doing it! This one comes from the Card Patterns blog. I have some fancy, but bulky, trims that I decided would be just the ticket on some of my more formal cards.

I usually wrap the ends of ribbons and trims around to the back of the design to hide the ends, but that just wasn't going to work with these stiff, thick trims. I broke out the Fray Check and the Tacky glue and cut flush to the edges with a sharp craft knife. I'm pleased the results and glad to make use of some these lovely bits and pieces, a gift from a sweet neighbor .

The paper is My Mind's Eye, the star is die cut from glittered paper and mounted over a tulle rosette. The buttons are hand-stitched to the card, my favorite way to secure buttons. A little zig-zag machine stitching finishes the bottom edge. The angel stamp is from the same series as the previously featured reindeer, from the recent half-price stamp sale.

I decided I really liked the design, so I made a series of four similar cards from a single 12x12 sheet of Basic Grey double-sided paper, changing the color of the base cardstock or the vertical trim. I also added a strand of gold thread to the tail of the tulle rosette and tried out my gold Stickles to accent the stars and snowflakes in the angel stamp. (After trying dollar-bin glitter glue, Stickles is heavenly to work with!) Enjoy!

Button Snowflakes: Mojo Monday 216

Instead of joining in the mad rush of holiday shopping, I opted to stay home and craft (in between meeting the needs of children on Thanksgiving break.) I am trying to use some of the current sketches available on the many fabulous card-making blogs I read to get going on some handmade holiday cards.


This card is based on the Mojo Monday 216 sketch. When I showed my finished card to my husband, he said something to effect of, "Oh, the snowflakes have tails! They look like fast snowflakes!" Not exactly what I was going for; maybe I should rethink the ric rac.

Mail Art Project: October

"Surely two could play at this game,
if only someone would explain the rules."
Sent to Danny via Jaime B's Mail Art Project

Jaime B contacted me through IUOMA to participate in this project. A senior in college, Jaime is creating a mail-art network of participants as part of a final project. If I had known about mail art in college, I would have done the same! (I was sending it then, I just didn't know it had a name, and others were doing it too!) A little Anne Taintor flavor to this one, using some fun vintage supplies, mailed off in a popcorn bag envelope.

A Happy Card #19

Today was tiresome. I am worn out.
This card makes me happy every time I see it.
I made it for my middle daughter's 6th birthday (she's now 7 1/2.)
It is my favorite layout with some of my favorite Cosmo Cricket paper.
I hope it makes you smile too.

Quilt #14 and Fun with Die Cuts #15

I'm back, with two cards to make up for missing yesterday! I call this a Pocket Tag Card. As I noted before, I like tags and cards that do something more that just open in the usual manner. I was making some library pocket cards, and this design grew from that. I have been using this basic style for quite some time, though I continue to tweek details. I recently began sewing the sides closed instead of gluing them, and I changed the tag style. I often use these for my own notes, and several mail friends told me they enjoyed reusing the pocket. A bunch of these will soon leave my desk and travel to the quilt museum.

Here's a bit of fun for today.
I spent my quiet time playing with an owl Sizzix die.

Rather sweet with it feathered belly!

Bewitching #9

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

Fresh off my desk this afternoon, a fashionable card for Halloween. I had not done any vintage pattern book page cutouts or typewriter captions for awhile. I found a different kind of glitter paper, the DCWV Glitter Cardstock Stack, and of course, had to try it out with the flourish die. I finally, FINALLY found a witch hat paper punch, at a local warehouse clearance center of all places! It is a huge punch and includes a bat, ghost, and pumpkin as well. The houndstooth background paper is from the DCWV Mod-Retro Stack. The clock face is die cut from a Tim Holtz paper pad. The jewels, felt flowers, and buttons are from my stash of tiny things.