Halloween Cards 2015

Yes, I know it's time to post pictures.  The Halloween cards this year used a diecut design set on Mulberry paper (silk fiber).  The background is fabric.

This one has printed paper instead of the Mulberry paper.

And I figured out how to use the sketching capability of my digital cutter.  So I did some envelopes.

Thanks for checking out what I've been up to.

Nancy

Birthday Card & Book Cover

It's August and that means my Aunt Judy has a birthday.  Of course I did her a card.

Last night I played.  I watched one of the PBS sewing programs where they made book covers so I had to try that.

Here's the front.  The horizontal piece is some dyed cheesecloth.  The lace on the right is hand done tatting.  I have no idea where I picked up a sample.  It could of been from my grandmother or it came in one of the grab bags of lace I have picked up at St Vinnies.  Most of the fabric is from a $5 grab bag I bought in Shipshawanna, Indiana from a batik dealer.

And the back.

This was definitely a sample.  It took several tries to get the back and the flaps to be happy with each other, but now I know the tricks.

Thanks for checking out my blog.

Nancy

Bed Runner

When I retired/left JCI l got several quilting related gifts.  I was told they are expecting Christmas gifts.  Tammy went so far to put her order in for a bed runner.  I finished Tammy's bed runner.  She asked for neutral colors.

I like how this turned out.

Nancy

Class at Fabric Etc2 in Bensenville, IL

I took a 2 day class at a wonderful fabric store just south of O'Hare Airport.  Terri Johnson came and taught several projects with the Silhouette cutting machine.

We cut vinyl with adhesive backing and decorated travel mugs.  The tricky part was putting sticky vinyl on a round surface.  I ended up with some wrinkles.

We cut heat activated vinyl and decorated a tote.

We cut a stencil and did some glass etching.

We cut flocking to hold rhinestones and decorated a little bag.  I was amazed how easy the rhinestone project was and it looks just like the stuff you buy in the store.

We also cut stickers.  Basically you can cut an image that is in the Silhouette software.  So you print and then  cut the designs.

We got a demo on fabric cutting.  The best part is the shop owner has figured out the tricks to cutting fabric.  They make a starch that turns the fabric into something more like paper and they are also using a fusible by Lazy Girl designs.  It works.  The shop is cutting kits for fusible wall hangings using this method.

We also got a demo of drawing with the Silhouette.  The trick is to buy the pricey pen holder.

Have a good day.
Nancy

May Cards

In the US, we generally don't recognize May Day.  I live in Wisconsin.  May means there is hope that winter is finally gone.  The US does have Mother's Day in May.  So I do a  combined Mother's Day and May Day card.

These are soooo easy.  Some genius decided to make stickers that are just outlines.  So you stick them on cardstock and color them.  Walla, you have something to use on a card.  The black lines of the tulips are the stickers.

The black and white pattern paper and the blue and white pattern paper are more paper napkins.  So if I steal napkins from you, this is why...

Thanks for stopping.

Nancy

Easter Cards

Easter cards came in two flavors.  The first is a die cut design.  Of course I couldn't use the design as it was intended.  It was simply a folded card.  I cut the design out, backed it, put it over fabric and then placed the entire sandwich on a card.  These were incredibly quick to make.

This is the normal Nancy, one-sided card.  It is fabric that I colored and the black is paper that I die cut.  I was playing with different lettering.  Some letter styles work better for die cutting than others.

Have a good day.

Nancy

More Valentines

I am finally pasting pictures to this blog.  I find I even have Valentines that were not put up here.

This one is all paper, cut with my Cameo cutter.

This one is a combination of fabric and paper.

Nancy

Shopping Bag Valentines

Since my cards seemed to get saved and used as decorations, I decided to make some that had handles.  These started out as a thrift store buy of 50  cents worth of bags.  I was amazed at how the fine details like cupid's bows came out every time without a problem.

The lace on the background is a drapery sample.

I love the fuzzy edge of the velveteen fabric.  The white is an embossed piece that came off of an old birthday card.

The fabric is from scraps I stole from my aunt.  It is a beautiful embroidered demin.

Of course when I went to mail these valentines, they didn't fit a standard size mailing envelope.  A little tape and magazine covers from the recycle bin work wonders.

Thanks for stopping.
Nancy

Birthday Cards

I've figured out how to design cursive writing for cutting using the Silhouette Cameo.  The font I've been using is  called Amaze.  Once the letters are cut out, you are left with a great piece that was screaming to be used as a stencil.  So I designed the words "Happy Birthday" and used the blank as a stencil.

The lettering was done with a fabric die product called De-Colorant I picked up in Houston.  I also played with a rayon 40 wt thread for the decorative thread.  That thread did a bit of shredding that means I won't be using it for any larger projects.  The blue fabric is a hand dyed cotton.

Then I wanted to try the De-Colorant on silk.   This is a piece from a favorite shirt that eventually was at the end of life, but I couldn't throw away the entire shirt!!

The other technique I did that I haven't done much of is using a zig-zag stitch as an edging.  The back is watercolor paper.

Thanks for looking.
Nancy

Die Cutting Fabric

I purchased a Silhouette Cameo with the money I received from my co-workers when I left JCI.  It cuts cardstock beautifully.  It took some trial and error to figure out how to cut fabric.  The trick is to use Heat 'n Bond paperbacked adhesive.  I don't generally use Heat 'n Bond since it makes fabric stiff.  For die cutting that is ideal.  First I had to figure out that neither the Pellon product nor Steam and Steam 2 was going to work.  Then I had to track down Heat 'n Bond.  The only place locally I found it was at Walmart (another place I generally don't go).

This is on a base of wool felt with no batting.   The size is 8 x 10 inches.  These fit the plastic borderless picture frames.  I simply made a sleeve on the back and slide it down on the picture frame.  I can't believe the detail I can cut using the Heat 'n Bond.

These are incredibly quick to make since the deer and letters are cut by the machine and their is no actual quilting.

Have a good day.
Nancy

Christmas Cards

Happy New Year.

I am finally posting pictures of Christmas cards.  I received several comments this year that all are variations on a theme.  If I stop making homemade cards, I will have a riot on my hands.  I seem to have created a monster.

Most of my cards use recycled items or repurposed items.   These all include gift tags.  Some used, some new.

These include bits of Christmas cards.  I now have people that save their cards for me!!

Last summer I was gifted fabric and notions from my aunt.  She is a bit of a saver and has concluded she won't live long enough to use up everything she has.  So I happily took some goodies home.  This is what you can do with white buttons and tiny rickrack.

Cindy Walter showed this idea at a demo in Houston.

And then there is the circles I cut from a UW mailing that ended up in a card.

And of course I am still using the panels from cracker boxes as my base.  After using them for several years, I don't know if I could use a substrate I actually have to pay for.

Have a good day.
Nancy