The Card-Crafting Group Has Been Active

I just haven't kept up with photos or posts.

Another catch-up!

Carol brought this great get well card kit

with mini-tissue box and tissue!

In November we made Christmas tags.

Sue brought these tag kits in the new pastel Christmas colors.

Jean brought us lots of goodies to make single cards.

We took photos of finished cards to remember

what to do with all the parts!

15 Minute Pillowcases for the Holidays

I started a project through our Living & Learning Committee here at Laurel Ridge to sew a couple dozen holiday pillowcases for the children and teens at the local shelter or food bank.  I was able to make almost 24 kits from my stash and donations from generous residents. The kit included 27 inches of a 42-45 inch wide fabric for the body, 9 inches for the cuff and 2-4 inches for the trim.  Made from 3 coordinating fabrics, it makes a nice pillowcase with two seams, one straight and one going around a corner (twice if you make French seams like we did).  Often called Burrito pillowcases, I called them Sushi pillowcases because you roll up the body and seam the cuff and trim altogether like a sushi roll.  Then you need to pull the fabric from the center to reveal the whole body of the pillowcase.  Next I use a chopstick to poke out the corners from the side seams.

This You Tube video from Crafty Gemini is a good tutorial.

And these written directions from Craftsy with still photos make a good printed guide.

The Community Activities Committee plans to buy pillows for them.  Those children will enjoy a fluffy new pillow and a bright winter-themed pillowcase to send them off to sleep for a long, winter's night.  Thanks to all the sewists, especially the new one!

Catching Up!

We've made some great cards in the months of May, June, July and August.

Here's a sampling:

from Carol a Mr. and Mrs. combo

and from me, some Anniversary styles

same design, different message

and inside

from Sue, a great little design for all occasions

and from Jean, another designer kit masterpiece!

A birthday card I made.

A sympathy card sent.

And another humorous birthday card by me

Sue brought these vellum stained glass card kits.

Jean had us add glitter to some tape backing to make the sparkle.

These Rinea foil papers were great.

And this beauty was from Sue's kits for September.

It was an inlay technique using a precision die cut platform.

Some more Sue Wilson die cut examples from Sue

A very creative summer of card-making and sending!

April Card-making Session

I missed this month's session but here are the lovely note cards

from Sue and Carol.

Can you guess who made which card?

I have bought them both!

Spider Man and Unicorns

I made a great boy's birthday card for my niece's little boy.

And unicorn headbands for the girls.

Catching Up from Winter

The crafts and sewing were spotty but I did accomplish a few things through the miserable Spring we've had.

I finished a strip quilt for Violet to coordinate with Lily's quilt.

Mostly Amy Butler fabrics...

I learned to make burrito pillowcases with scraps from the quilts.

Here's a closer look at Violet's long quilt (twin size).

February Card Making with the Group

Sue brought this lovely cherry blossom design for us to make together.

We stamped with Staz-On on vellum.

With a coordinating background behind the vellum

the soft markers deepened.

A lovely card for spring!

Jean brought a surprise--a masculine project for all.

The Anna Griffin collection "For the Boys" made beautiful cards, each different.

Bonnie brought a card with a beautiful bouquet.

Could even be a Valentine card!

We ran out of time for the two other kits,

but we'll do them next month!

Be My Valentine!

Two versions of a vellum Mason jar design.  One for a 2 year old.

And one for a 5 year old.

Cute design variations span the age gap.

New Life for Some Old Card Kits

I needed some birthday cards in a hurry.  This card was already made, but lacked embellishment and a sentiment.  That's a candle 3-D sticker, a stamped sentiment and a stamped and glittered confetti pattern on the tabs of the tri-fold card.  Some jazz!

This kit had a gray card base and a plain white top.  I embossed the white top with a crackle folder.

Then added some pennants using the scraps in the kit.  With twine hung between eyelets and a silver die-cut sentiment, it now has some pizzazz and yet can still be masculine or feminine.

Moral: Save those incomplete cards or kits!

January Gathering of the Card-making Group

It took us many weeks to find a date that all might attend, and still, like January weather, not all were able to come. We still had a wonderful time being creative.

Sue brought a lovely card design that could be chosen or sent by men (our goal this month.

The bee stamp was from Magenta Style, a Canadian company.

The corner die cut was from a Tim Holtz set, Mixed Media.

The color choices were terrific, as usual.

Bonnie brought a bird card.  She tried to keep the flowers to a minimum!

The birds and branches were die cut ahead by Bonnie.  What a job!

Again, her color choices were incredible.

A man would definitely buy this for his sister.

I brought this woodland scene design embossed with a Darice folder.

Some twine, a tag and some distressing or antiquing made it suitable 

for a masculine birthday.  

We tried a de-bossed version also by gently swiping the raised 

part of the embossing folder with a stamp pad.

A nice effect also!

This wood panel with a swag of greenery would be perfect for 

a frosty January birthday, male or female.

The paper pad has a variety of wood panel colors with a distressed look.

New Big Girl Quilt for Violet

Violet is almost 2 1/2 but still in her crib.

Soon, she'll have a big girl bed and need a twin size quilt.

It's just a scrappy quilt, but the colors are wonderful!

More later...

Unicorn Headbands

My granddaughter wanted a unicorn headband.

My daughter saw some directions on Facebook.

Grandma got elected!

Supplies:  headbands, felt, ribbon, glue gun, stuffing and some metallic cord.

Very cute!  Can't wait to see them on their heads.

Directions available with a horn pattern at 

headband.htmlhttp://www.howtogal.com/2014/08/how-to-make-unicorn-horn-headband.html