Embroidered Peacock

by Edith
(Lancashire)

We have friends who recently just changed the colour scheme in their dining room.

I know that they are looking for items to match.

As they are both keen orinthologists I decided to embroider this peacock which has the same new colours.

I know for a fact they will be pleased with this small gift and am now looking for a frame to put it in.


Christina says ...

Embroidering on your cards is something that many people are afraid to attempt, and yet the results can be so rewarding.

This a lovley gift to give to your friends and your embroidery as always is equisite Edith.

The colours are fresh and I would love to see the finished dining room too.

I am sure that your work will take pride of place in there, and to add it to a frame would make it really special.

Something they can add to the wall and treasure for a long time.

Clowns

by Edith
(Lancashire)

I was asked to make a card for a 4year old boy. He was being taken to the circus as a birthday treat and I thought that this one was suitable for the occasion.

As always I embroider in good quality sewing thread as it gives a neater finish.

I finished it by colouring in some parts with painting pencils, then finished the image with wobbly eyes and added some punched stars.

The greeting, number and name are peel offs.



Christina says ...

What a wonderful card for a small boy and what a treat for him to look forward to.

The embroidery on this card is beautiful, as always from Edith, and the colours are so bright and cheery, and I love the name tucked at the bottom of the card.

Embroidery is such a special technique to use and the finished result can be spoiled by the use of inferior materials.

You will see many of Ediths creations in this Gallery page that are sure to inspire you to have a go at this craft for yourself.

Some Folks will do anything for attention

by Edith Coleman
(Lancashire)

My sister recently spent some time in hospital and this is the card I made for her. The images came from a clear stamp.

Normally I write my own verses but this one I acquired free from the internet, which staff, other patients and visitors alike thought was quite apt

The main card is actually pale blue but is only showing white. I used the orange card to brighten it up.

The verse says...



Get well quick you lazy bum
There's lots of things to do
If you stay sick it's more work for him
And he'd rather it be you

Come on get up stop faking it
Get your sorry behind out of that bed
Try positive thinking to get back in stride
Your illness is all in your head


Christina says ...

What a fantastic verse, I had to highlight it as it is well worth reading, and it really made me laugh.

If your sister laughed as much then she will be feeling better already.

A verse can say so much in any card, whatever the occasion, and you can find many Freebies on the internet.

You will find a link to a website that has literally thousnads and thousands of FREE verses to suit anything that you want to say.

Take a look in Card making Verses in the NavBar to your left. The link to Free Card Verses is at the bottom of the page.

It will open a new window for you to look at the Verses4cards website.

You can use the verses, quotes and sayings by downloading and then printing off what you need.

Paper Lace

by Edith
(Lancashire)

I decided to have a clear out and came across some lace paper which I had completley forgotten about.

I applied some to this card as the background to the embroidered flowers, which I filled using chalks.

It is very delicate and has to be handled very carefully.


Christina says ...

Paper Lace is so effective on frilly feminine cards and I love using it. It makes the whole look very pretty.

But buying real lace can work out to be expensive, especially if you use a lot of it.

So save yourself a fortune and make your own from some of the paper doyleys that are used to decorate a cake stand.

It is just as pretty... at a fraction of the cost.

The Doyleys are cheap in the supermarket and a packet can have 20 or more inside and in several different sizes too.

You will find the instructions on how to make your own in Paper Lace in the Papercrafts section in the NavBar to your left.

Happy Birthday

by Edith
(Lancashire)

This card has been half finished for some time as I couldn't just make my mind up what to do after I had embroidered it.

I was asked a few days ago for one with roses and and remembered this one

I finished it today by adding strips of checked paper edged with silver peel offs, then I coloured in the roses with chalks.

The flowers were punched using some scraps of the paper.

Although it looks pale the actual card is cream.

Not so bad saying I had to finish it in a hurry.


Christina says ...

It is always handy to have a part finsihed card to fall back on when just such an occasion when you are asked for a card.

Especialy with embroidery as this is a process that can't be rushed. It takes intricate work to produce a card like this.

One that you are proud to give and that the recipient will love just as much.

Embroidered Wedding Card

by Edith
(Lancashire)

Embroidered Wedding Card

This is my latest creation. This took a while to make as I had not planned it out previously.

I embroidered the cake first and went on from there.

I used pearlised card, mettler variegated high sheen thread, ribbon and lace, and a Hougie Board to indent the diamonds.

I then added a dot of crystal metalic lacquer to the cross overs, and then added the flowers.

The initials and greeting are peel offs.

Christina says ...

Embroidery on cards is becoming very popular and the effect is stunning as you can see from Ediths creations.

I am sure the recipients were delighted with it.

The Hougie Board is a piece of equipment that will help you score straight lines and the measurements are in inches on one side and centimetres on the other.

It has a bone folder tool for accurate scoring and you can score the lines in any direction.

Edith has scored the Diamonds in the background of her card. Another effect is the Sunburst and that is really special too.

Altogether a very beautiful card.

Book marks

by Edith
(Lancashire)

These embroidered book marks are made using scrap card and I matched the thread to the colour of the card. I then laminated them

I have made them instead of birthday cards for my friends.

I also did some with a Christmas theme and used them instead of cards and the recipients were quite pleased.

The little girl I embroidered, then coloured with chalks


Christina says ...

Combining a gift as well as a card is always a practical idea and these Bookmarks are such a useful gift.

Adding stitching to your cards can give them a really unusual finish and the embroidery on these is lovely.

Matching the thread to the card colour is a useful tip and the laminating will keep them safe for years to come.

A truly worth while keepsake for all your friends and I am not surprised that they were delighted with them.

If you like the idea of adding stitching to your cards but you don't have the inclination to embroider them then why not think about adding Faux Stitching to them instead.

You will find some ways to achieve this in the Techniques section in the NavBar to your left.

A very easy technique to do and yet can add just the touch you may want to your cards.

Embroidery On Card

by Edith Coleman
(Lancashire)

I first saw hand crafted cards at a friends mum's house some years ago and thought "I can do that"... Apparantly not. The technique she was using left me all fingers and thumbs.

She showed me various designs and methods of which I tried most of them.

The style I became most interested in was "Embroidery on Paper"

I purchased a number of templates, reputable books and struggled with the patterns but was determined to master the art of embroidery on paper.

At first I used ordinary embroidery threads but found they fluffed due to the continious passing through the pricked holes. I now only use high sheen sewing threads such as Gutterman, Mettler and Maderia

Although they take me a while to produce I am always pleased with the end product. I love to see and hear comments from the recipients which are always positive.

Sadly, patterns are not readily available on the card craft market for this type of card so I am always looking for images which I could possibly adapt.


Christina says...

Edith thank you so much for adding these beautiful cards to the website, and telling us your story.

The technique is lovely and I am glad you mastered it. The recipients of these cards must be delighted with your efforts.

Happy Birthday

by Edith
(Lancashire)

This card was quite easy, It is pink marbled and of A4 size

I folded the card in half then in half again. Using the same backing paper I placed panels on the inside and on the fold back.

I placed a panel of embroidery on the left half in matching colours and made a drop of beads with an organza bow on the main panel.

The verse is under the short fold.

I only use quality high sheen threads such as Maderia, Gutterman and Matisse to embroider.

Christina says ...
What a very pretty card Edith and as always your embroidery is lovely. The colurs make it a very girly card and I am sure that any recipient would be delighted to receive it.

Is the beaded drop removable for the recipient to wear? You could add this to a brooch back and then it would a wonderful gift as well as a card.

For more beaded ideas take a look at Working with Beads. They are such a reasonably priced embellishment and you can do so much with them.

Embroidered Christmas Scene

by Edith
(Lancashire)

The image which is plain I acquired from a book.

To enhance the finished card I added a star and rays from the tree top then embroidered smaller silver stars over the card.

It is finished with a peel off greeting and a multi coloured ribbon.

Christina says ...

Another lovely card from the talented Edith. I wish I was on your Christmas Card list Edith as your cards are really lovely...epsecially the hand embroidered ones.

You must have the patience of a saint to persevere with all these stitches and all your cards are wonderful.

You have inspired many of the visitors to the website who see your work.

Embroidered Christmas Card

by Edith
(Lancashire)

I acquired this image from a book. It took some time to make as all the "words" and "gold edges" are tiny stitches.

The card is plain red and cream and is A4 folded in half. It is finished with a peel offs

The verse I placed on the front which reads:

Christmas is many things
But mostly it is the birth of a child
Who was born long ago.
As the Herald Angels Sing the glory and
Mystery that is Christmas
Let the power of this joyous season
Fill your hearts with gladness.

Inside I just printed to who and from who


Christina says ...

Christmas is always a special time and the cards that can be created can be just as special. This one is elegant and so very much to the point.

The work involved to make all those tiny stitches Edith is amazing ... where do you get your patience from?

The traditional colours of red and green are always favourites but don't forget the modern themes too.

They can be made to look stunning and the addition of some glitter to spakle things up never goes amiss.

Embroidered Christmas Card

by Edith
(Lancashire)

I felt I wanted something religious for my cards this year This image came from a Christmas card from last year.

I took off the part of the card I needed and made it to the size I was happy with. I then measured out the card.

So as to be sure I had the centre correct, I faintly drew the oval and measured it before cutting out.

To hold the image in place I used double sided tape round the aperture and the sides of the image. It was finished with a strip of blue peel off.

The embroidery was done with Gutterman silver and blue metalic thread.

Christina says ...

I love turquiose for any card as it always seems so fresh and clean.

It is one of my very favourite colour combinations and nothing is lost on this Christmas card.

As always the embroidery is wonderful. This is not a technique I have tried and I am not patient enough to sit and practise it.

But never the less I can apprectiate the work and time involved to create a cards as lovely as this one.

New Birth

by Edith Coleman
(Lancashire)

The image for this card I got from an embroidery book and is made up with pink marbled card and a small patterned pink flowered background paper.

The greeting is a computer print out which I covered with glitter glue, added a double bow using two widths of ribbon. I dotted it with crystal lacuqer.

I used to sew on beads in this fashion but find this method is equally as attractive and a lot less time.

The pink marble seems to show up more than it does on the actual card.

I deliberatley do not make a lot of fuss on my cards due to the fact they take so long to make and I want the embroidery to be the focal point.

Christina says ...

What a beautiful baby card this is and it always such a pleasure to send cards for an occasion
such as this.

I love the double bow on the card and the colour as always is right up my street.

And if I could embroider as good as you Edith I would be happy to have it as my main focal point too.

I Love You

by Edith Coleman
(Lancashire)

The card is of plain rasberry pink, 10cm x 17cm three pieces of white card measuring 6cm x 4cm, the embroidered hearts took me no time at all, I finished off with criss crosses along the bottom,

Once in place I applied glitter glue, a gem and peel offs coloured pink inside the hearts, then topped with a bow.

Again I used the crystal lacquer to finish off.

I felt this was good as the card was left over from another project and was quick and simple to do.


Christina says ...

The embroidery, as always, is lovely Edith and the card would be suitable for so many occasions.

I love the pink colour scheme and any girl would be delighted to receive this.

80th Birthday Embroidered Card

by EDITH
(LANCASHIRE)

The card is of just plain pink and white. I used the Houghie Board to create the embossed lines, dotted the crossed parts with lacquer.

The bottom half is of pink striped paper seperated with ribbon, lace and a bow.

I cut and embossed four flowers and added glitter to finish.

Christina says ...

What a beautiful card and I love the delicate colour scheme that you have chosen. Pink and white always appeals to me as it looks clean and fresh.

The embroidery is also delicate and I am sure that the recipient was delighted with this gorgeous card.

Sympathy Card

by Edith Coleman
(Lancashire)

Sadly we all send this type of card at some time.

The main card is purple which I added a shiny silver square. The top card is marbled lilac embroidered with Gutterman purple metalic and high sheen thread.
I finished with silver peel offs to form a border.

I felt this was just enough on the card.
The verse was personal.

Christina says ...

It is always a sad occasion to have to make a card at this time but it is something you may have to do, or be asked to do in the future.

But for whatever reason you make a card Eidth it is always so very beautiful, and this one is no exception.

I love the colour and the simplicity of it all and your stitching is as always a credit to you.
I would love to be on your mailing list...

You will find other ideas for Sympathy cards in the Ideas section in the NavBar to your left.