Brighten Foliage

Yes... I do think this is an odd name for a Betterpress plate??  The May Betterpress Society plate is called 'Brighten Foliage'.  Not really sure what it means... but it is lovely!

My first project with the plate was a simple one.  I pressed it in Betterpress Black ink on a Porcelain Cotton Card panel, so it has wonderful texture!  I used an Art Impressions font set to cut out Happy from some Concord & 9th cardstock, then glued them together, overlapping slightly.  I wrapped some metallic gold thread around my panel several times, then added a gold foiled sentiment and some gold pearls.

You can get a Betterpress Society subscription from The Papercrafter's Workshop!

Cards 4 Cancer Patients

There is a new Facebook group called 'Cards 4 Cancer Patients', for Canadian card makers to create cards that will be given to patients in hospitals.  *I believe there is an American group as well if you search for it.  I've started to prep a package of cards to send off later this summer, or whenever my envelope is full.

I pulled out some (ANCIENT!) papers from my craft room to make up some bright, encouraging cards using the Awareness Ribbon & Sentiments set designed by Sheri Ballantyne for Spellbinders.

This is the perfect set to cheer people on, and comes with a whole bunch of different sentiments.  I have four done so far, and I love being able to use up some pretty older papers.

If you're interested in the die set, you can find it at The Papercrafter's Workshop.

Quilted Cards

 I adore making sewing themed cards!  I pulled out the gorgeous October Afternoon 'Farmhouse' papers (from many moons ago...), and got busy die cutting.

The frames and squares are the Quilted Frames Dies from Waffle Flower - a little finicky to assemble (don't look too close!), but the result is so lovely.

I used the Needleworker Tool Kit dies from Spellbinders to cut out all the notions - using some brushed silver cardstock for the metallic items.

I had some already pressed sentiments using the You Are Everything Betterpress plate, done on cream cardstock with black ink, and added them with some foam adhesive.

Newsprint Lilies

 This paper is so ancient, I can't even tell you when I bought it!  Happy to be using it to create another card using the April Betterpress Society plate, Cascading Lilies.

It's a very thin paper, so I pressed it with Betterpress Black ink, and an extra shim - worked beautifully.  I cut the entire image out with a stitched rectangle die, then added some Dried Marigold and Bundled Sage ink to the image with blending brushes - just to make it stand out a little.

Finally, I added a hot foiled sentiment from the You Are Everything plate set, attached with 3D foam adhesive, plus a few gold pearls.

You can get a Betterpress Society subscription from The Papercrafter's Workshop.

Hot Flash Happy Hour!

What a fun stamp set name... by Unity Stamp Co.  

I coloured her up with Copic markers, and die cut her with the Essential Arches dies from Spellbinders.

Sentiment is from Uncorked by My Favorite Things

Lilies on patterned paper

My second project with the April Betterpress Society plate, Cascading Lilies was done on patterned paper.  I found several pieces of patterned paper in my stash that were 'calm' enough to support a pressed image overtop of the print.  This was an old paper from Graphic 45.

I wanted to keep it tone-on-tone, so used Betterpress Tawny Brown ink, and did a little ink blending over the flowers and foliage with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink.

I used Spellbinders Hemstitched Rectangle dies to cut out my image, then layered it over a cream pearlescent cardstock with some 3D foam adhesive.  I used the same cardstock to press the sentiment, which I cut out with the coordinating die.

You can get a Betterpress Society subscription from The Papercrafter's Workshop.

Needle Felting

 A little something different!  My daughter and I took a needle felting course today, and we created this little fox!

I have wanted to try this for ages, so jumped at the chance.  It wasn't difficult, but there's definitely a bit of a learning curve!

This was a 5 1/2 hour class if you can imagine?  And we worked pretty solidly the entire time.

Lots of new skills learned, and I definitely have the bug now.  And of course, I hurried home and did a little photoshoot.