Rubber Stamping Stitched Cards

Dotty Flowers Card by Maria Adams

Stamp, and emboss in gold, ‘Dotty Flower’ (by Funstamps) on scraps of textured cardstock three times, and then cut outside the dotty lines. (See Picture 1)
© Maria Adams

Take a piece of 3.75" x 8" cardstock and very lightly sponge with Color Box Fluid Chalk ink pad in Olive Pastel. Cut a piece of 3.5" x 3.75" green paper. I used a scrap of Basic Grey. Cut a gentle wave at the top of this piece, and attach it to the bottom of the sponged card with a glue stick. There is no need to be thorough about the gluing as the piece will be held together by the stitching. Color all around the edge of the card with the Olive Pastel ink pad. (See Picture 2)
© Maria Adams

Machine stitch with green variegated thread, using a zig-zag stitch, along the wavy line at the joint of the card and paper. Change your machine stitch to straight stitch, and continue to sew wavy lines of stitching randomly on the green paper. Set stitch to zig-zag again, and sew 3 vertical wavy lines, to represent flower stems. (See Picture 3)
© Maria Adams

Stamp an oval tag with a greeting and punch a small hole at each end. Thread a thin piece of sheer green ribbon through each hole. Attach to the back of the card with double-sided sticky tape, stretching the tag across the ends of the three ‘stems’. (See Picture 4)
© Maria Adams

Take a 8" x 8.25" piece of maroon colored textured cardstock, and fold in half to make a 4" x 8.25" card. Attach stitched piece to this card very lightly with a glue stick. Remember that this is just to secure the stitched piece to the card while you sew. Set your machine to zig-zag, and carefully stitch all around the card to attach stitched piece. (See Picture 5)
© Maria Adams

To finish, stamp, and emboss in gold, Aud Design large and small leaves on scraps of green cardstock, cut out and stick to stems. Save one small leaf to stick on the right-hand corner of card. Stick flowers in position, using glue dots for the two top flowers, and 3D foam squares for the lower flower. Attach buttons, in toning colors, to the center of the flowers with glue dots. Click here for a larger view of this card.

Seashells Spun in Gold by Daylene Strickland

Stamp the block grid stamp (Block Group #11 from Expressions in Ink/Stamp It! Art Stamps) using Encore metallic gold ink on a light navy cardstock. (See Picture 1)

© Daylene Strickland Allow the Castaway ink to dry at least 5-10 minutes and then place cardstock between two clean sheets of paper and iron with a hot, dry iron.

Emboss the large nautilus shell in the center grid using gold EP (Judi-kins Egyptian gold was used). Mask 4 corner grids and stamp tiny shells with Encore metallic gold ink. Spray 2 light coats of workable fixative over cardstock and trim around outside grid leaving approximately 1/4" inch.

Use a sewing machine with no thread to apply single holes around the center square. Hand stitch using gold lame cording and the backstitch. Tip: Go slow when using the machine to avoid tearing the cardstock and if the thicker cord is troublesome when sewing by hand, run some candle or beeswax across it to help it to glide through the holes easier. Add seed beads with regular thread and needle.

Mount first layer on coordinating cardstock layers using foam dots.

Stamp credits: Large Shells by Anitas; Medium Shells by Posh Impressions; Tiny Shells by Rubber Stamp Tapestry

Remembering Paris by Daylene Strickland

1) Distress background and small piece of muslin using Ranger Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Frayed Burlap, Aged Mahogany, and Broken China). Use distressing method by Tim Holtz of applying ink directly from ink pads one at time to make rows of each color on craft sheet. (Avoids contaminating ink pads). Spritz with water and apply cardstock with a slight twist. Reapply cardstock and mist again if desired. Sponge colors around on cardstock to obtain desired results. Do not twist on craft sheet too much or the colors will run together and muddy. Clean craft sheet and repeat this process to distress the muslin. Iron distressed pieces between clean paper to dry and set colors. (Note: use a larger piece of muslin than planned and trim/fray it after stamping.)

2) Stamp Eiffel Tower image (Tim Holtz/Stamper’s Anonymous) with archival black ink on background. Stamp remaining collage images to complete background using Distress inks and black ink. (Paris Post Mark (Stampabilities); Amore Heart Print (Hero Arts); Women in Coat (Hampton Arts); Camera (Inkadinkado); Luggage (Raindrops on Roses); France Post Marks (Repeat Impressions). Tear the bottom edge of cardstock and sponge black on it.

3) Trim muslin to desired section for card and fray edges. Further distress by sponging black ink on frayed edges. Place (or tape) the muslin over the section of the Eiffel Tower image to be covered. (See Picture 1)

© Daylene Strickland

4) Place stamp positioner (with Eiffel Tower image stamped on it) over the entire image. (See Picture 2)

© Daylene Strickland Stamp the image on the muslin to coordinate with the lower section.

5) Align the stamped muslin piece to coordinate with the stamped image, tape it to the cardstock. Stitch by machine using black thread on two sides of the cardstock to further attach the muslin. Stitch very slowly to maintain control of the cardstock and keep the muslin in place and avoid wrinkles. Tape the excess thread on back of cardstock. Add background to speckled cardstock layer and black card. Embellish with architecture shape (by EK Success).

Heartfelt Love Stitched Swan Card by Linda Strawn, Design Team Leader

This card is time consuming but very fun and easy to do once you get the hang of it. Make one for that special someone in your life.

Assemble your supplies: (See Picture 1)

© Linda Strawn
1. Print out swan pattern, cut a piece of white linen cardstock 4-1/2 x 6 inches.

2. Using a light box position pattern over the front of your cardstock. Center your image and Tape the corners to secure. (See Picture 2)

© Linda Strawn Remove from light box.

3. Using a mouse pad or felt pad and a needle tool, lay pattern and cardstock on top of felt pad and punch all holes going thru to linen cardstock. Remove your pattern carefully.

4. Tread a small needle with 1 strand of floss cut about 1 and 1/2 yards long. Do not put a knot in the end. Instead secure thread to the back with a small piece of tape.

5. Start at hole #1 bring your thread up from the backside at hole 1, see stitching guide. Count over 11 spaces and bring needle down thru hole 2.

6. Bring needle up thru hole 3 and down thru hole 5. You will start to see a pattern of stitching, always the needle is brought up at odd numbered holes and needle is brought down at even numbered holes. (See Picture 3)

© Linda Strawn

7. Continue to sew as above always counting 11 spaces, start your counting at the hole your needle is coming up or down from. You will keep sewing in the direction of the arrows till you reach the hole numbered #2. At this point you will cut and tape down your thread on the backside of cardstock.

8. Next we will do the beak. Anchor thread with a small piece of tape on the back near hole #3, bring needle up thru hole #3 and make a long stitch to beak point. Count over 4 holes making sure you count the hole #3 as 1 and bring needle up thru the 4th hole from hole #3. Bring needle down into hole at beak point and up again at next hole. (See Picture 4)

© Linda Strawn This will form the beak with 3 long stitches.

9. Bring the thread up at any hole in the eye and stitch the eye by going straight across each hole. See stitching guide.

© Linda Strawn

10. Next bring thread up thru hole #5, skip 7 stitches this time and bring thread down 7th hole. Bring thread up thru 8th hole and count over 7 stitches to hole 2. Keep stitching skipping 7 stitches each time till you reach #6. Anchor thread.

11. Start again by bringing thread up at #6 and count over 17 stitches and go down at the 17th hole. Bring thread up the 18th hole and down again at the hole next to #6. See stitching guide. And fig 4

12. To finish stitch to #8, then at 8, come up and go over all threads and go to #8. Anchor thread to the back of cardstock. This finishes your swan stitching.

13. Using black water color ink, ink up corner stamp available from Stampin Up! and stamp image in top left corner and bottom right corner. See picture.

14. Using black ink, ink up and stamp heartfelt image also available from Stampin up, across the top of card. See finished card.

15. Using Twinkling H2O-s and a small paintbrush. Paint the image. I used French Lilac for the ribbon, Irish mist for the leaves, and apple blossom for the roses.

16. When dry, mount swan onto a pink cardstock and then a pink and burgundy plaid cardstock available from All My Memories.

17. To finish card thread a heart LOVE ribbon charm from All My Memories thru a small piece of pink silk ribbon, cut the ends at an angle and use a few glue dots to secure under the word heartfelt. See finished card. Now bless someone special with your hand stitched card.

Thinking of You Card by Karen Slusher

1. Using gray dye ink, stamp large flower randomly on white card front. Using black dye ink, stamp spirograph flower over gray flowers. Stamp various sized dots randomly in gray, second-generation gray and black around flowers. Set card aside.

2. Using gray dye ink, stamp square of dots on separate piece of white cardstock; cut out along stamp edge. Stamp “thinking” and “of” in black ink on this square (see sample for placement). Stamp smaller flower in black ink on white cardstock and cut out leaving a small margin of white around the flower. Attach to this square using a large silver brad.

3. Attach dotted square to center of flowered card front with a little bit of glue just to hold it in place. Using black thread, zig zag stitch around entire edge of dotted square, adhering it to the card front.

4. Stamp the word “you” from the same stamp set first in gray ink, then slightly off center stamp it again in black ink (the gray will show as a drop shadow). Trim around the word, leaving extra room below the letters. Sponge a little black ink around the edge of this cardstock, then align near the edge of the dotted square and adhere to the card using a silver staple.

All stamps from Close to my Heart’s “Rustic Flowers “ set.

Tulip Stitched Card by Heather Getson, Reader Submission

Make an A2 card (5-1/2 by 4-1/4 inches) from yellow cardstock.

Cut a rectangle of the rose colored cardstock and stitch around the perimeter. Attach to the front of your card.

Cut a rectangle of the green colored cardstock and ink around the perimeter. Stamp the tulip image in the center then color using colored pencils.

Tie a ribbon around the width of the green colored cardstock and knot then cut the ends of the ribbon into a v shape. Attach to the front of the rose colored cardstock.

Mermaid Fantasy by Nancy Thaut

Begin by stamping the Hearts in Touch mermaid on pale peach paper with Brilliance Ivy ink and emboss with Malachite embossing tinsel by Personal Stamp Exchange. On patterned scrapbook paper stamp fantasy with Ivy ink and emboss with clear powder. The 2 shells are just stamped with green ink. Layer all stamped items with medium green card stock. Cut a strip of green paper 1-1/8", mount 7/8" piece of patterned paper and then mount stitched leather in the center. Attach all pieces to lime green card stock. With a gelly glitter pen, do a running stitch along the outside and bottom of strip.