Thursday, May 15, 2014

Mother, may I have some help?


Cards are thoughtful and wonderful happenings to give and receive.  I have often thought a stash of homemade cards would be the right thing to have.  This past week's Mother's Day  and an upcoming gathering of the clan to celebrate a cousin's 85th birthday were the impetus to do it.

I had a package of bought blank cards and matching envelopes.  I gathered my supplies.

The first card is a light weight Lutradur stamped with permanent ink.  I use a double sided tape (1/4 inch) to hold it down.  The coloured lines are stripes from card stock and again adhered with double sided tape (1/2 inch).

I did not use anything but the white card for the background as I kept the look simple.

Next I used a scrap of Lutradur that I'd practiced drawing with crayons on.  The grand kiddies luv snail mail.  It needed to have the colours deepened and I used a variety of markers.
I would rather 'draw' on a scrap and then fiddle with placement later.  Takes the pressure away from that commitment to a blank white square, don't cha know!   ;}

 It looked a little forlorn in the centre of this card as the Lutrador didn't cover the whole surface so I added some washi tape borders.  Remember  when you fuss over the process that it is the thought that counts and the journey is progressive.  ;^)


I had a piece of medium weight Lutradur that I had embossed on the Bigshot.  I wet it and used Distress Paints to create a soft wash of colours.

 When it dried I positioned a stamp I'd prepared and cut out.

 This is more sophisticated and I think pop dots should hold the flower.  Very quick and satisfying.  


My thoughts turned to some dark Lutradur.  I wanted some glimmer.  The Radiant Rain nozzle was plugged so I just brushed some on.

 After it dried I ran it through the Bigshot.   I'm thinking I can get two cards with this particular process.

This is okay but...  I need to bump up the glimmer, perhaps a more opaque one.  Two works if the die is a bit smaller sized for the card and if I hadn't thrown away that wee bit between the branches.  ;)

 Next I stenciled a feather onto another piece of Lutradur that had a swipe of some kind of acrylic paint on it.

To show the translucence of the Lutradur I fixed it to patterned card stock.  Fun!


Lastly, I had another piece of Lutradur that had some spray on it and I masked off a flower and sprayed again.

A little addition of some washi tape and another card for the stash.  I try to keep them plain so I can use them for most occasions.  I could have done a few more but it was time to quit procrastinating and finish up the primary project for the week.  :)

Now I'm asking for help because the 12 inch square pages for the portfolio book each tell a story.  The current page is about helping with chores and needs to include past and present.  At some point I'll give a nod to the future. It also needs a wee bit of data.  Everything I put in has a purpose, at least to my mind.  But that is a lot for one page.  :O

 I started with a sheet of Lutradur that had photos printed on it.  They were too faint so I gessoed, painted, stenciled and sprayed the Lutradur.  The large piece wasn't going to do it so I divided it up, divided some more and spread them around to act as a corral for all the wildness in the middle.  Trimming and shuffling things around and taking stuff off and putting stuff back. ???  I thought about it while I fiddled with cards.

 "He who hesitates is lost.", to quote my dear ol' Dad!  It is what it is.

Ah, a final tweak.  I'll be adding a wee white "photograph' border around the page.  This one will finish 12 1/2 inches square.  Good enough.   Ten more to go.    Mother may need some more help!  :~)

7 comments:

Vicki W said...

I love your cards, especially the one with the stamped trees.

Createology said...

Each and every one of your cards is a delight and extra special because they are handmade! You really did a wonderful job on them. I understand how a memory photo page can get overwhelming with so much to share. I think you have allowed each photo to show forth. Maybe you will just need more pages for all your memories. Creative Playful Bliss Dear...

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm trying to catch up, because life has been a bit overwhelming lately. Your cards are adorable. I like them all.

I first heard about Lutrador years ago and looked for it at some local fabric stores. Seems there was nothing local, so I gave up. Yours looks fun to play with.

Jo Ferguson said...

I've never thought about making cards but you've now inspired me to do so. What a great way to try new techniques and then have a place to use them. That would be intentional...wouldn't it? I keep changing my mind about which is my favourite card. The portfolio page is stunning. I can't wait to see the rest.

Margaret said...

I confess I can't help you with the paper work...but I love the "trees" stamp you used on the one card and the bird on another. However...I would want to translate to fabric. Hope you had a great Mother's Day and that the work for the reunion is well worth it! :-)

Threadpainter said...

WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!

What Comes Next? said...

love your cards - each one so unique. You have so much fun when you play!