This is #36 of approximately 50 hand-stitched card I created in about an 18-month period. I gave a large set of 44 hand-stitched cards to my Mom as a gift and a tribute to her great talent and expertise in cross-stitch and many other crafts including quilting, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, sewing, and baking especially wonderful bread, to name but a few of her many talents.
For years, I had been searching for a way to simulate hand-stitching on cards for my Mom, but I was not satisfied with what I had found and purchased. Then, I watched a wonderful Jennifer McGuire YouTube where she introduced a new hand-stitching die plus she gave a fantastic introduction to hand-stitching. I immediately bought the die and some basic supplies and started playing with it. I was determined to use all of the hand-stitched pieces from the beginning, and as a result, I was able to make about 50 hand-stitched cards in A2 and A7 sizes. I am a great admirer of Jennifer McGuire's work, and I appreciate so much what I have learned from her and as well of Gina from Gina K Designs, as Gina, a friend of Jennifer McGuire, who started Stamp TV and who created the most wonderful videos on various card-making techniques taught me so much, and as I tend often to work on my own, I learned so much from watching and trying these techniques. Jennifer McGuire made the hand-stitching on the cardstock die-cuts, that it was so very easy to try. With the exception of 2 cards (I have not uploaded those yet, when I do, I will certainly with gratitude acknowledge Jennifer McGuire's patterns), all patterns are my own. I would very much like to learn more stitches and to be able to create more intricate patterns, especially geometric patterns for these hand-stitched pieces.
Jennifer McGuire talked about the relaxation benefit she receives from hand-stitching onto these paper die-cuts, and I have found that I too really enjoy hand-stitching and that I too find this to be very relaxing and enjoyable. I have much to learn about putting together color combinations, but I am particularly interested in finding ways to improve my ability to create color combinations that work better together. One issue is that I am limited to the colors that come in the reasonably priced packages, although my mother has offered to give me some DMC floss, and I'm hoping that the combination of colors that I already have plus those that my mother has so kindly and generously offered of her large DMC floss collection will mean that I will have the impetus as well as the ability for the first time to really create some neat and very interesting color patterns. Then, I will need to find a way to learn more basic stitches so that I can put together some much better or at least more intricate and interesting--at least different geometric patterns for some new hand-stitched cards going forward. I have a list of at least a dozen cards that I need and want to make to mainly send to some dear ones I want to thank for their influence upon my life, especially spiritually, and a few to say hello especially as so many have such limited in-person visits and those in nursing homes and assisted living situations especially, and I want to help.
Thank you so very much for taking a closer look at this hand-stitched card. I am listing those cards that did not go in the large collection I gave to my Mom, this card was part of that set. I have let my Mom know that I will gladly make more of these cards for her and that if she wants me to make some with different sentiments than the ones I have already made for her, or if she has used the ones I have made, it will be a pleasure anytime to make more for her. She has told me that she's careful about who she gives one of these cards because she wants to make sure that that person won't just throw out one of these cards. As she is a crafter herself, a much more talented artist than I think that I will ever be, she understands that especially for these hand-stitched cards, that each took more effort and time to complete, and she very kindly wants each of these cards to be appreciated and kept. That has meant a lot to me. This large set of hand-stitched cards that I gave to her a few years ago has meant more to me to create this than it could ever mean to my Mom to receive this set and to use it, for it was so meaningful to me to make these as a tribute to my Mom's great talent and her generosity. I have many memories of Mom giving her art to others, and so often when she would bake bread (she makes the most fantastic bread and rolls in both white and a multi-grain brown with raisins) and rolls, that she would give away a lot of it, often to friends and family who were alone and often elderly. She would wrap them in a tea towel as these would still be warm, and she would drive to their homes and drop off this wonderful, fragrant-smelling bread usually right before their evening meal, and I can only imagine what joy and enjoyment her bread brought to those she delivered it, and that this gift showed her love and her friendship, and that these people mattered a great deal to her.
Thank you so much for taking a closer look at this hand-stitched card, it gives me great joy to remember each of these cards that I made, most of them went to my Mom, and she continues to carefully give them to her friends and family and that means a great deal to me. This has been one way that I could express my love and my admiration for her great artistic talents that she has been given and that she has used a lot. I'm so very grateful that because of my great desire to create these for my Mom, that I found out how much I love hand-stitching, even though I started stitching solely to create cards that I hoped that my mother would really love, and that she would be pleased to use them to give to her friends, especially to her stitching friends and those friends who are such talented artists on their own, plus to beloved family members, one of which especially had a major role in getting me into card-making, and I will always be so very grateful to my Aunt Joan!!!
Thank you as well to anyone who leaves a comment on one of my cards, it's truly a great encouragement and I am excited and so pleased when someone takes the time and goes to the trouble of leaving a comment. It's because I know just what receiving a comment means to me that I take the time and effort to leave comments on the cards that really knock my socks off, cards that truly inspire me and delight me with the beautiful examples of exquisite coloring especially of flowers (my favorite, I will confess it), and of any cards that inspire me, and I see many.
Do be careful, stay healthy, and do stay safe especially at this very unusual and difficult time. For us who love to craft and create, it's a great time to stay at home and get into our crafting and create cards for our loved ones to show our loving support, and as well, it's a great time to make cards for our medical heroes who are taking care of the multitude of those who are ill.
Sending blessings with my best wishes,
Joanne
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2021 GMT Views: 1069
Favorited:2
Registered: April 6, 2009 Location: Weyers Cave, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley Posts: 31237
Mon, Apr 12, 2021 @ 5:39 AM
What a Beauty, Joanne! I love each bright color; they just make me happy and put a smile on my face! I like the fact that you used different types of stitching to create this beautiful thank you card. The fun foam pieces add lots of charm and warmth to this card and the embossed flowers in the bg are so pretty. Enjoy your day, Joanne~
------------------------------ ~Roberta
�Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.�
― Lou Holtz
Registered: December 25, 2005 Location: Drinking in God's Good Grace...! Posts: 42121
Tue, Apr 13, 2021 @ 5:40 AM
Wow! Beautiful card! I love the colors you used as well as the beautiful stitching!! TFS!!
------------------------------ "God designed the human machine to run on Himself. HE Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn..." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity