Giving Thanks Cards II

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

The Grummer company and family have always promoted using “stuff” you have on hand that otherwise might just go into the trash; whether it’s using onion skins to make gorgeous paper, using those dried needles from your Christmas tree as inclusions, or just not wasting your resources. I am a firm believer in “waste not want not” and re-purpose whenever I can. Join me in this adventure - I would love to see what you come up with.

 Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon QuickGrip™ and ZipDry Adhesives, double sided foam tape or foam dots
• Scraps of golden toned papers (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dies:  Spellbinders™  - pumpkin, gourds and cornucopia, small frame

          CheeryLynn™ - “Happy Thanksgiving” 

                       Die- Versions™ - Indian Corn    

• Various Autumn themed embossing folders
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine
• Scrap of autumn toned junk mail or scraps of autumn toned cereal boxes
• Scraps of tan chip board (back side of cereal boxes)
• Kaleidacolor™ Creole Spice and Cappuccino  ink pads
• ColorBox™ Stylus handle and soft tip
• “Happy Thanksgiving” stamp to fit the tag die
• Fall leaf stamp
• A2 envelopes (or make matching envelopes using the AG envelope template)
• Autumn toned scrap ribbon
• Bow-Easy™

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create several sheets of golden toned heavy weight paper (think card stock weight.)  
2. When the sheets of paper are dry, cut the sheets in half (8 ½” x 5 ½”).
3. Score at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create the card bases.
   (Save one half sheet of the golden toned paper for the stamped saying and small frame.)
4. Use autumn themed embossing folders to emboss the fronts of all the cards, or randomly stamp leaves onto the fronts of some of the cards with Creole Spice ink.
5. Stamp “Happy Thanksgiving” onto scrap of golden tones handmade paper (this will be placed inside the die cut frame) with Cappuccino ink.
6. Die cut and emboss the frame from the golden paper. (Always save your scraps for other projects.)
7. Die cut and emboss the chip board cornucopia, gourds and pumpkin. Leave these three items in the dies for now.
8. Die cut the words “Happy Thanksgiving” from the chipboard (back side of the cereal box).
9. Die cut the Indian corn from autumn toned junk mail or cereal boxes.
10. While the cornucopia, pumpkin, and gourds are still in the die, use the Stylus™ tip to apply Kaleidacolor ™ Creole Spice ink through the stencil portion of the dies.
11. Apply bits of color to the frame.
12. Apply the Creole Spice ink randomly to the die cut words.
13. Use the BowEasy™ to tie tiny bows with the scrap ribbon.
14. Attach the bows to the Indian corn with QuickGrip™ adhesive.

Assemble the cards:

“Cornucopia” card:

1. Attach the inked “Happy Thanksgiving” die cut words to the top of the card with ZipDry™ Adhesive.
2. Attach the cornucopia, pumpkin, and gourds across the bottom of the card with double sided foam tape or dots.

 “Blessings” card:

Attach the die cut Indian corn to the left side of the embossed card.

“Frame” card:

1.      Attach to stamped words to the back of the frame with ZipDry™ adhesive.

2.      Attach the frame to the front of the card with small pieces of double sided foam tape.

3.      Attach the Indian corn with double sided foam tape to the left of the frame.

Refer to photos. These completed the 50 Thanksgiving cards I need for next year, since I did several of each design - and ALL were made from “stuff” that someone else would have tossed! Silly people. Smile.

Giving Thanks Cards I

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I love working ahead, and will often start creating for the next year’s holiday a day or two after this year’s holiday. Take a peek at some of my Thanksgiving cards for 2015.

The Grummer company and family have always promoted using “stuff” you have on hand that otherwise might just go into the trash, whether it is using onion skins to make gorgeous paper, using those dried needles from your Christmas tree as inclusions, or just not wasting your resources. I am a firm believer in “waste not want not” and re-purpose whenever I can.

Join me in this adventure - I would love to see what you come up with. Here are just a few Thanksgiving cards created with “stuff” that someone else would have thought of as “trash”.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon™  ZipDry™, Double sided foam tape or foam dots
• Scraps of rusty brown paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dies:    Spellbinders™ fall leaves, decretive tag

CheeryLynn™ words “Happy Thanksgiving” and pumpkins

Dreamweaver™ oval

• Autumn themed embossing folder
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine
• Paper sanding block
• Scrap of autumn toned paper
• Scraps of autumn toned magazine pages/ junk mail etc
• Scraps of glossy white card stock
• Scrap of golden colored handmade paper (for the decretive tag)
• Scrap of chip board large enough for the “(Happy Thanksgiving” word dies)
• Ink pads:   Kaleidacolor™ Creole Spice
                   ColorBox™ dark brown and olive green ink pads
• ColorBox™ Stylus handle and soft tip
• Large “Thanksgiving” word stamp (or computer generate it)
• “Happy Thanksgiving” stamp to fit the tag die
• A2 envelopes (or make matching envelopes using the AG envelope template) 

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create several sheets of rusty brown/burnt orange heavy weight paper.
2. When the sheets of paper are dry, cut the sheets in half (8 ½” x 5 ½”).
3. Score at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create the card bases.
4. Use autumn themed embossing folders to emboss the fronts of all the cards.
5. Stamp the large “Thanksgiving” word onto the scrap of autumn toned paper with dark brown ink.
6. Stamp “Happy Thanksgiving” onto the scrap of golden tone handmade paper with the Kaleidacolor™ Creole Spice ink.
7. Apply Creole Spice inks to scraps of glossy card stock with the Stylus™ tool.
8. Use the Stylus™ tool to apply the olive  green ink to the scrap of chip board
9. Die cut the decretive tag from the stamped golden scrap.
10. Die cut the oval from the stamped autumn toned scrap paper.
11. Die cut the fall leaves from the inked glossy card stock.
12. Die cut the pumpkins from the scrap magazine pages/junk mail
13. Die cut fall leaves from the scrap magazine pages/junk mail
14. Die cut the words “Happy Thanksgiving” from the inked chip board
    (Always save your scraps for other projects.)
15. Use the paper sanding block to lightly sand the inked glossy card stock die cut leaves.

Assembling the cards:

Attach the die cut words and the pumpkins with ZipDry™ adhesive. All of the other pieces are attached with small pieces of double sided foam tape or dots.

Refer to photos for ideas. These completed 25 of the 50 Thanksgiving cards I needed. I did several of each design, and ALL were made from “stuff” that someone else would have tossed!

Next up: “Giving Thanks Cards II”

Wallpaper Cards

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

Recently a friend gave me several large boxes of wallpaper samples. I was in the process of sorting the samples when I remembered that I still needed some Thanksgiving cards and had just come across the perfect piece of scrap wall paper! I had enough of the wallpaper border left to also create a great birthday card.

 Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon ZipDry™ Adhesive, foam tape or foam dots
• Scraps of white, tan and brown paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dies:    Spellbinders™ acorns
              Dreamweaver™ ovals
              Sizziix™ Tim Holtz leaves and matching embossing folder
              CheeryLynn™ words “Happy Birthday”
• Spellbinders™ Grand Calibur™ Machine
• Several pieces of wallpaper border
• Scrap of autumn toned paper
• ColorBox™ dark brown ink pad
• Large “Thanksgiving” word stamp (or computer generate it)
• A2 envelopes (or make matching envelopes using the AG envelope template)

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create several sheets of medium brown heavy weight paper and one sheet of ivory paper.
2. When the sheets of paper are dry, cut one piece of the medium brown paper in half (8 ½” x 5 ½”).
3. Score at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create two cards.
4. Die cut the Happy Birthday and the large oval from the second sheet of medium brown paper. (Save the scraps for another project.)
5. Die cut the acorns from the scrap of autumn paper.
6. Stamp the word “Thanksgiving” onto the scrap of autumn paper.
7. Die cut the stamped piece of autumn toned paper with a smaller oval die.
8. Die cut three leaves from the ivory paper and emboss with the leaf embossing folder.
9. Cut the wallpaper border to fit the front of the folded cards.

Assemble the cards:

Attach the wallpaper to the fronts of the cards with Beacon ZipDry™ adhesive.

“Thanksgiving” card:

1. Attach the large tan oval centered to the front of one of the cards with foam tape or dots.
2. Layer the stamped oval and foam tape to the tan oval.
3. Add the acorns to the left side of the stamped saying with foam tape or dots.

“Happy Birthday” card:

1. Attach the three embossed leaves to the left top of the card with foam tape or dots.
2. Attach the “Happy Birthday” die cut with ZipDry™ adhesive.

Quotes Fan Book

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I always need “stocking stuffer” kinds of gifts… you know the ones that are really easy to create, don’t cost an arm and a leg to make, and can be made by the dozen, but look like they took a lot of work to make! Once again I turn to my stash of Arnold Grummer’s® products to solve the problem. The books can be used for thoughts, quotes, memories etc.  You can make paper for the covers, use scraps left from other projects, or just scraps of patterned cardstock or paper. Follow along and see how easy it is to create this great
quote book.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Beacon QuickGrab™ Adhesive, double sided foam tape or dots
• Scraps of black paper (think junk mail, left over cardstock scrap, etc.)
• One or more of AG #2718 Mini Fan Book
• Verbiage stamps and black ink pad or computer generated quotes or sayings
• Small scrap of chip board and tan/black print papers
• Dies: CL tiny leaf strip, IO tiny rolled roses, small frame
• Die cut machine: Spellbinders’ Grand Calibur
• Punches: 5 petal flower, stamen

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create black slurry. Create a sheet of thick black paper.
2. When the paper is dry, die cut the leaves and the frame.
3. Die cut the tiny rolled roses from the tan/black print paper.
4. Punch the 5 petal flower from the tan/black paper.
5. Punch the stamens from the black paper.
6. Remove the screw hinge and pages from the book.
7. Stamp a saying onto the front cover.
8. Attach the frame to the cover with double sided foam tape or dots.
9. Stamp the saying onto the pages (or print out verbiage using your computer and printer, then cut and glue to the pages). NOTE: make sure the verbiage is all oriented the same (my book is portrait and has the hinge on the top left). If you are making several of these books, stamp or print all of the sayings at once. (I will often do many different related saying at a time and save them for later “Fan” book projects.)
10. Reassemble the fan book.
11. Attach the flower, roses and tiny leaves to the top left corner of the cover of the book.

These little books go together in a jiffy and can be any theme you chose and will be treasured by all who receive them.

Rustic “Bark” Journal

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I love creating journals and handmade books both for myself and to give as gifts. The books are always a big hit with the recipients.  I had several males in mind when creating these very rustic small books. Each book is one of a kind and is made with handmade paper with dried leaf and grass inclusions. The books go together quickly so it is easy to make them in batches of 10 or more at a time. I can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces when they open their gifts. Maybe I can find some of those “stick” pencils to go with the books!

These make the perfect gift for the hunter, fisherman, hiker, bird watcher or gardener in your life!

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Scissors
• Scraps of white, ivory or off white paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Dried leaves and grasses, small pieces of bark
• Chip board (I used pieces of cereal box) for the covers
• Awl, needle tool or Japanese Screw Punch (JSP)
• Thin twine/cord for binding
• Large eyed needle
• Beacon Quick Grab™ Adhesive

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create numerous sheets of handmade paper.
2. When the papers are dry, fold and tear each sheet into half (or quarters for smaller books) leaving the rough torn edge.
3. Fold the pages in half, nestle several sheets together (this is a signature). You will make as many signatures as you wish for each book. 
4. Use the awl, needle tool or JSP to place holes in the signatures. Bind the book with a simple pamphlet stitch (also called saddle stitch). If needed, refer to this quick how-to video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvf0Idog10  
5. Attach the small pieces of bark to the outside of the book covers with the Beacon QuickDry™ adhesive.

Autumn Leaves

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

Autumn has arrived in Southeast Arizona! Cooler temperatures and the beautiful colors of changing leaves - yes, there are trees here, at the base of the Huachuca Mountains, anyway. I love making fall cards to cheer up friends and family. I hope you will enjoy this card as much as I did creating it.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• AG Large 4 Petal Fold Envelope (card) template #553
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon ZipDry™ Adhesive, double sided tape
• Scraps of light green paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Tiny dried flower petals and/or spices and iridescent sprinkles
• Verbiage stamp and black ink pad or computer generated saying
• One half sheet of ivory vellum
• 18” of ½” sheer ivory ribbon
• Oak leaf punch or die and Spellbinders’ Grand Calibur machine
• Envelope to fit the card

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create light green slurry with inclusions.
2. Use the template to create one (or more) light green 4 petal envelope/cards.
3. When the paper is dry, score three sides of the envelope/card.  
4. Stamp the saying onto the vellum, or use a
   computer generated print of the saying. (If you
   are making several of these cards, print all of the sayings at once. I will often do many different related saying at a time and save them for later projects.)
5. Punch or die cut an oak leaf at the top of the card (the part that was not scored). You will use this leaf on the inside of the card.
6. Cut the vellum to fit the top arch and center of the card.
7. Punch or die cut one oak leaf from the bottom of the printed velum.
8. Punch or die cut several leaves from the leftover velum.
9. Attach the vellum to the inside of the card with ZipDry™ adhesive.
10. Layer and attach a velum leaf, the green leaf and two more vellum leaves at the top of the card.
11. Use the double sided tape to attach the ribbon to the outside of the card.
12. Add a personal message.

Dragonfly Dreams

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I love dragonflies. They are one of the most beautiful of insects. They predate the dinosaurs with fossils showing wing spans of over 2 ½ feet, and today there are approximately 450 species in the US alone. In mythology the dragonfly symbolizes lost loved ones and rebirth.  

Supplies:

·        Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits

·        Mold:  Arnold Grummer Dragonfly, # 703

·        Microwave, heat gun or a sunny window

·        Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels

·        Beacon Quick Grab™ and ZipDry™ Adhesives, double sided foam tape or dots

·        Scraps of off white and yellow paper (think colored junk mail, etc.)

·        Dried flower petals and/or spices

·        Several twigs and dried Eucalyptus leaves

·        8 ½ x 11” Easel Frame

·        Rust Brown suede matt board, cut to fit frame

·        Gold PearlX™ powder, small brush

Arnold Grummer

Instructions:

1.      Follow the direction for paper making and casting found in any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits or books to make slurry from the off white scraps.

2.      Cast one (or more) of the dragonfly molds.

3.      Dry the castings in the microwave, with the heat tool, or place in a sunny window.

4.      Create two sheets of yellow handmade paper, and one sheet of off white paper – add a small amount of tiny dried flower petals or spices to both slurries.

5.      Allow the papers to dry.

6.      Fold and tear the yellow paper to create a piece approx. 6 x 8 ½” and a piece 4 x 4”.

7.      Fold and tear the off white paper to create a 5 ½ x 7 ½” paper.

8.      Layer and attach the dragonfly casting to the 4 x 4” yellow paper with the double sided foam tape.

9.      Attach the twigs and the leaves to the off white sheet of paper with Beacon QuickGrab™ adhesive.

10.   Layer and attach the 4 x 4” yellow paper to the 6 x 8 ½” off white paper with Beacon ZipDry™ adhesive.

11.   Layer and attach the off white sheet of paper to the 6 x 8 ½” sheet of yellow paper.

12.   Insert the rust brown sued matt board into the slot of the easel frame.

13.   Attach the layers to the matt board.

14.   Highlight the dragonfly casting with the brush and gold PearlX™ powder.

(Reminder - save all your scraps for other projects)

I have created many of these castings and given them as remembrance gifts to people who have lost someone they loved. The castings are beautiful in different colors and mounted to the tops of boxes, the front of cards or handmade journals or framed.

Here Kitty Kitty

©Michele Emerson-Roberts  2014


I love October! Fall colors, cooler weather and one of my favorite holidays, Halloween. I’m not into witches and goblins but black cats are great. We have a wonderful black kitty named “Bitty”, who we rescued from under our porch 13 years ago. She is precious and rules the roost, keeping the two dogs in line at all times. My card today honors Bitty and all the kitties in our lives.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• Molds:  R320 Cat With Heart (available from AG)
• Microwave, heat gun or a sunny window
• Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels, paper cutter, scissors, bone folder
• Beacon Quick Grab™ and ZipDry™ Adhesives, double sided foam tape or dots
• Scraps of yellow paper (think colored junk mail, etc.)
• 1 sheets of black 8 ½ x 5 1/2” cardstock
• Envelope for a 4 ¼ x 5 ½” card (or use the AG template to create a matching envelope)
• Dies: Stamp Doctor Center Step Card, Cheery Lynn Chasing Rainbows Doily
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine
• Punches: small cat foot print
• Bow Easy^TM
• 12” yellow 1/8” satin ribbon
• Small flat backed yellow heart cabochon
• Fine tip black Sharpie™ marker, yellow gel pen

Instructions:

1. Follow the direction for paper making and casting found in any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits or books to make slurry from the yellow scraps.
2. Cast one (or more) of the cat molds.
3. Dry the castings in the microwave, with the heat tool, or place in a sunny window.
4. Create a sheet of yellow handmade paper. Allow the paper to dry.
5. Cut one yellow doily.
6. Cut two strips of yellow scrap to go behind the punched foot prints. (Save the scrap for another project.
7. Cut one of the center step cards from the sheet of black card stock.
8. Fold the card and use the bone folder to get a good crease.
9. Punch kitty foot prints along the outside edges and the two bottom corners of the center step card.
   
   

Assemble the card:

1. Carefully color the kitty with the black Sharpie™ marker.
2. Tie a tiny bow with the yellow ribbon.
3. Attach the bow and the heart cabochon at the neck of the kitty.
4. Use the ZipDry™ adhesive to attach the yellow strips behind the kitty foot prints and to attach the doily to the center of the card.
5. Use double sided foam tape or dots to attach the kitty casting to the center of the doily.
6. Write a Happy Halloween message inside the card with the yellow gel pen.

Tag…You’re It!

©Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

I love creating small gift items for special friends and family to include with a handmade paper card. These tag necklaces can be made ahead of time and stashed away for later gift giving.  Since I make dozens of sheets of paper at a time and always have scraps, I will often use leftover handmade papers and simply draw around the template and cut the tag shape with scissors. Great way to use up leftover papers and beads too!

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Arnold Grummer tag template #360
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scraps of white or ivory paper, scraps of colored paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• ColorBox™ Ink pads in various dark colors to match the hand made tags
• Decretive stamps (patterns for the covers… words would be great for the inside pages)
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat tool
• Standard size round hole punch
• Four feet of soft metallic cord (for each tag necklace)
• One large bead, two medium beads and six spacer beads (for each tag necklace)

Instructions:

1. For each tag necklace, follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create two heavy weight tags for the covers and 6 light weight tags for the pages.  
2. When the tags are dry, stamp designs onto the covers, and emboss with clear embossing powder and the heat tool.
3. Stamp the words onto the inside pages (encouraging words for a friend who is going through a rough time are a nice addition.)
4. Punch the hole at the top of the covers and pages.

Assemble the necklace:

1. Fold the metallic cord in half, insert the loop into the stacked tags and tread the loose ends through the loop.
2. Place one spacer bead, the large bead and one spacer bead onto the loose ends of the cord.
3. Tie a loose overhand knot approx. 8” from the ends of the cords.
4. Thread one spacer bead, the medium bead and one spacer bead on each end of the cords.
5. Tie a knot at the end of each cord.

Birthday Greetings

Michele Emerson-Roberts 2014

Recently a friend gave me a bag of old greeting cards that she had been saving. The cards represented many holidays and celebrations themes. I separated the cards by category and filed them away for future use.

I had just finished several sheets of handmade petal paper and remembered that I needed a birthday card for the very friend who had given me the bag of cards. I checked the stash of cards from her and found the perfect one to die cut and use for her BD card! Wonder if she will notice? Smile.

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• A sunny window
• Blender, cello sponges and soft towels
• Personal paper cutter, scissors
• Scor-Pal™
• Beacon ZipDry™ Adhesive, and foam tape or foam dots
• Scraps of white paper, scraps of turquoise paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Small dried flower petals
• An envelope (or make matching envelopes with the AG envelope template)
• An already used store bought card to die cut
• Dies: Spellbinders’ Large Scalloped Ovals
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur™ Machine

Instructions:

1. Follow the directions found in any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits to create one or more sheets white “petal” paper and one sheet of heavy weight turquoise paper.
2. When the sheets of paper are dry cut the turquoise paper to 81/2” x 5 ½”.
3. Score each at 4 ¼” and fold in half to create two turquoise cards (set one aside for a future project).
4. Fold, crease and tear the white “petal” paper to create a deckled edge piece slightly smaller than 4 ¼  x 5 ½” card. (Note - always save the scraps)
5. Attach the deckle edged “petal” paper to the front of the folded turquoise card with Beacon ZipDry™ adhesive.
6. Die cut and emboss the sentiment shape from the front of the old birthday card.
7. Attach the die cut verbiage to the middle of card with foam tape or dots.
8. Add a personal message.