Paper Princess Christmas Card

Each year the members of Paper Princesses draw a name out of the hat to determine who we make a special Christmas card for. This year I have Gaye to make for and this is my card.

Special Christmas cards and Congrats

The first was for a friend who won a national award with her employer yesterday. The next bunch are 9 I made for my husbands' clients. The tall one is for my boss from all his staff, and the next is for my parents and the tree cards were my previous US swap cards.

Christmas cards

The first card was for a holiday swap I was in. The next are a few I made for friends and family locally and the stamping Santa were for my US friends.

Get well card for Mary

My dear friend Mary has also had recent surgery and I made this card for her.

21st Birthday and With Sympathy

My dear friends Marilena and Marlene, neither of which have a blog, have shared with me a card each has made and designed. I have reproduced these using my own stamps and papers but the design is all theirs.

Get Well card for Gaye

I bought this stamp recently after my friend Kasha received it for a birthday gift. I had to have one also and desperate to use it, decided to make our friend Gaye a get well card following recent surgery.

Birthday Bags and Tags

I made these bags from painted brown paper sheeting. Layers and layers of paint using various techniques and stamping. The painted sheet was then covered in clear contact and a bag pattern and straps were cut from this.I've then sewn them into handy carry bags for the birthday girls, Judy and Marilena to that contain their gifts and is usable afterwards as well.

The tags were made firstly by stamping in layers and glueing a paper serviette at the bottom, a die cut branch and little girl image fixed in place then wax ironed over top and buffed for a lovely shine, as inspired by a recent project in The Craft Stamper.

First attempt

Well, a while back I started the Bella Donna online class with Jodi Ohl, from her Roses on My Table workshop.

I used what supplies I already owned rather than buying more gear in hopes of and getting use out of supplies sitting around my craft room collecting dust, so my efforts look different to Jodi's.

However, I will try again soon and hopefully achieve an end result similar to the class sample, still using the same supplies used before. I think it was really all in my technique rather than the supplies that made the difference.

Marlene's birthday art

This canvas was covered like Kasha's below, using the back as the front to allow a window space. The wing of the owl lifts to reveal a nest. There is a discreet hanger attached on the back to allow almost flush hanging.

Wax was used to finish.

Kasha's birthday art

This canvas was covered on the front so I could use the back as a window, hence the back is the front and front is the back! Beeswax was applied all over to finish. The theme was fun and perfect for my dear friend Kasha.

Birthday art wrapped

I made these gift bags and used some of the transparency I made to frame the lovely vintage photos. Inside, the gifts were wrapped with old music, map and dressmaker pattern papers.

Here are the birthday girls, Marlene and Kasha on the right.

Card for Dad

My father turned 75 last week. My brother and I gave him a hot air balloon ride from Byron Bay Ballooning. Here is the pull out pocket card I made to insert the voucher.

My Bird Swap Mobile

With some found sticks I assembled a mobile and attached all 9 birds. This was quite a challenge to get them to hang straight and balanced, but it looks great hanging in my stamp room.

Recent cards

Here are a few I've made recently for friends.

Altered CD Case

Recently we celebrated Paper Princess Margaret's birthday. I made an altered CD Cover using my favourite themes of birds and chairs.

Birdie Swap

My dear friend Kasha organised a birdie swap that consisted of nine participants. This was my contribution and gift presentation. The bird consists of two layers of cardboard with wire wrapped in between for the hook. Then this was covered in vintage text and music papers before stamping the swirls over top. Finally, wax was applied for a smooth and soft vintage feel.

Waxed Cube

This cubed key ring was altered for a monthly art exchange. Sorry, but I didnt have glasses on when I took this photo or I might have noticed the image was blurry. Such a bummer to need glasses now for reading or close up work.

Birdie Door hanger

Something I made a while back. A door hanger for a monthly art exchange group. Wax has been used over the top.

40th Birthday guest book

I made and bound this book for my friend and colleague Deborah for her surprise 40th Birthday party to pass around and allow her guests to write something meaningful for her.

I used a coptic stitch in sage and stamped the front of each signature with various lovely vintage images, like bird cages, a lovely filigree heart, a tree, butterfly flourish, chandelier etc.

She loved the book and has it has become a wonderful memento of the occasion for her.

Playtime with Kasha

Last weekend I enjoyed a wonderful visit to Queensland to catch up with my arty friends. During my stay with Kasha, we found time to play and made these cards using some new stamps. We thought it was time they got inky! The houses are from Crafty Individuals, the wording from Hero Arts and the the others from Art Journey. Thanks Kasha for a lovely weekend with you.

Serviette card.

These were made using a lovely serviette I came across and are my latest cards to swap with my dear US card swap pals. The disk stamps are from Inkadinkadoo and the centre letter from 7 Gypsies. With some leftovers I made an ATC using a lovely stamp from Alpha Stamps.

Quirky Birthday art for Gaye

I'm not sure what Gaye really thought when she unwrapped this quirky doll, but she was sure fun to make. She is probably almost 30cm (12 inches) high and her "backbone" is a vintage tradesmans' rule that my friend Judy bought for me at a local market. The face is a jar lid, the middle is a belt buckle, with the round centre a children's game piece. The rest are bits and pieces I've been hoarding for some time and finally came in handy.

Next US swap ready to go

Well, I just had to play with some new stamps and decided to use them together in the one card. The background consists of Dressmaker tissue paper adhered to dictionary paper, then gesso applied over top. Finally, a thin layer of Golden fluid acrylics swipped across in pinks and golden tones. A tab was added as well, since it arrived the same day and just had to be incorporated into the card somewhere. This was such a fun quirky card to make and just adore my new supplies.

New Years' US card

This was a fun quick card and I made several of them, most with Australian bird stamps. These all flew to my very dear US card swap pals who many have been exchanging with me since the mid 90's. The leaves were coloured with a green metallic gel pen.

Waxed Christmas Cards

The card on the left was made for my mother, and the other for my friend at work. I applied wax with the iron for a smooth vintage look and feel.