Stitched Cards + GIVEAWAY (Jennifer McGuire Ink)

Well… after many, many, many requests, I have a video sharing how I do stitching on my cards. Lots of information and LOTS of examples!

(All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click

HERE.)

I often do stitching on paper while I am on the go and have shared pictures on Instagram. I had not intended to do a video but received a lot of requests. This video happened over the course of over two months (yes – note the many nail polish changes – lol) and it is SUPER long. But I had lots of examples to share!

I know that this type of card is not for everyone. But I also know that many of you were also stitchers or still are, so I am hoping you enjoy it. Please also know that I am not an expert – just sharing what I find works best for me.

Be sure to watch the video to learn the basic stitching, tools used, etc. In this blog post I am just sharing close-up photos and the products used on each. For all of my cards I used a size 20 needle, DMC Pearl Cotton Size 5 Floss (but you can also use the many other options HERE), and the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die. This die is amazing!

Now for the examples…

This card was one of my first stitching-on-paper projects. I did basic cross stitches to fill the entire Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die cut area. I adhered the stitched piece with Darice Foam Adhesive Strips to a Carta Bella Light Silver Shimmer 12×12 Cardstock notecard and added a black-embossed-on-vellum sentiment from the Birch Press Make a Statement Stamp Set. I like that this stamp set has a coordinating die set so you can cut the words out perfectly. I adhered the words with hidden drops of Ranger Multi Medium Matte Adhesive.

Here is another with all cross stitches, but I really like the bright colors on the black cardstock. I added a Simon Says Stamp Happy Days mini sentiment and sun die cut, along with a vellum heat embossed Birch Press Make a Statement Stamped die cut.

This one was a favorite of mine to make. It was inspired by a sweater my friend Kathy Racoosin was wearing! I used the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die to die cut twice on cardstock to give me a bigger area to stitch. The heart is from the My Favorite Things Stitched Heart Stax Die Set and the sentiments are from the Birch Press Make a Statement Stamp and Birch Press Make a Statement Stamps. (I used the Memory Box Sew Fond of You Stamp Set on the envelope.) Finally, a few Lucy’s Cards Ice Cube Jewels for accents…

I covered the area with random stitching and then went back to add sequins. I just made sure I left spots for them. (I always do the sequins last.)

Here is another with all cross stitches, but this time on Carta Bella Light Silver Shimmer Cardstock. I added a vellum and black Memory Box Big Halo Hello die cut and a Winnie and Walter Sentimental Love sentiment strip.

I find that die sets like this “hello” (where there is the word die and it’s shadow die) are great for adding on top of stitching. The vellum helps the word stand out over the busy stitching.

This is the only example I have where I did stitching on felt. I realllly like the look of it but honestly enjoyed the paper stitching better. I adhered cardstock to the back of a felt piece and then die cut them together with the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die. (The die won’t completely cut through the cardstock but enough so you can stitch.) The “hello” is from the Memory Box Big Halo Hello Die Set and the sentiment is again from the Winnie and Walter Sentimental Love Stamp Set.

This pattern too a long time, but I like the results and hope to do more. All the stitches are basic back stitches on a diagonal.

I just had to do a rainbow! I enjoyed making this so much that I am currently making a few more just like it on kraft and black cardstock. After covering the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die Cut background with a variety of stitching, I added Kat Scrapiness Blossom Sequins with french knots.

The layered “love” is from the Memory Box Little Halo Love Dies Set, with the stamped sentiment from the Winnie and Walter Sentimental Love Stamp Set. Oh – and the notecard is from Carta Bella Light Silver Shimmer Cardstock.

Stitching is also fun on colored cardstock. I created stitching with various colors of pink and added a vellum-and-glitter-paper-layered Pink and Main Congrats die cut.

I like that the My Favorite Things Silver Glitter Cardstock is thick and has a white core so that it can be used as a notecard.

Want to save time? Just do half stitches and skip a few rows. I like the chevron look to this one. The butterfly is from the fabulous Memory Box Stitched Butterfly Trio Die Set and the “thinking of you” is from the Simon Says Stamp Happy Days Stamp Set.

I decided to mix stitches on this next one. The outside is made up of cross stitches, and the inside is filled with back stitches both horizontally and vertically. (It ends up looking like little boxes.) And I love that sweet sentiment from the Paper Smooches Kindness Sampler Stamps Set.

I really like the look of a simple white heat embossed sentiment on a vellum heart. I find that it is not too distracting from the stitched backgrounds, but also still stand outs. Here I used a Gina K Sentimental Summer Kit sentiment along with Kat Scrapiness Blossom Sequins.

After making lots of stitched backgrounds, I wanted to try something different. When I finished this piece, I honestly didn’t love it. But once I pulled it together into a card, I was much happier! I did little areas of different stitches… then did long stitches to separate the areas. The sentiment is white heat embossed on vellum using the Simon Says Stamp Sea You Soon Stamps Set.

Yep, This “blessed” card took me a long time to stitch. However, it made a few plane rides go by fast! I double die cut the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die to cover the whole background and used a metallic DMC floss to make it even more fun.

I layered two vellum hearts and added a Memory Box Blessed Perky Script stacked die cut. I can’t wait to send this to a friend!

This next card took a lot less time. I also show in the video a trick for adding the letters from the Paper Smooches Thanks So Much Die perfectly onto my card. That die is a new favorite of mine. Oh – and you can see the stamped cross stitch heart on the envelope from the Waffle Flower Stitched Cup of Tea Stamp Set.

I remember stitching this next one at my daughter’s first soccer practices. I topped it off with a black My Favorite Things Celebrate Die Cut covered with Wink of Stella Shimmer and a few layers of clear embossing powder. I love that you can get so many looks from the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die.

It is amazing how layers of embossing powder add so much dimension to a die cut!

This card shows a rainbow of cross stitching with a few rows of Kat Scrapiness Blossom Sequins between. I created the word “hugs” by stacking Echo Park Script Alphabet Die Cut letters and covering them with Glossy Accents.

Time for a few teacher cards! I make a lot of teacher cards and put a lot of time into each. So stitching is perfect! This first teacher card features a background created by doing ombre cross stitching. I then topped it off with pieces cut from the SugarPea Designs Schoolscape Dies Set and a sentiment from SugarPea Designs Sweet Sentiments Teacher Stamp Set.

Isn’t this school scene so cute? That SugarPea Designs Schoolscape Dies Set is creative and I will be using it again soon. It would even look great with a non-stitched background.

I also really like this SugarPea Designs Teacher Dies Set… the perfect addition to this colorful plaid background that I created while waiting on a 4th of July parade. I added the die cut to a piece of vellum along with a Mama Elephant Sunday Sentiment Stamp greeting.

I like that the SugarPea Designs Teacher Dies Set includes an apple that you can die cut, color and add to the “a.” So clever.

I also used the SugarPea Designs Teacher Dies Set and Mama Elephant Sunday Sentiment Stamp Set on this next simple card. To save time, I just did a few stitched borders and left the other holes open.

In addition to stitching, I love crafting with felt. Here I used the Simon Says Stamp Plush Daffodil and Daisy and Memory Box Plush Prairie Flowers Dies to cut felt flower and leaves. After creating my stitched background, I added the felt pieces along with a sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Happy Days Stamp Set at the center.

It is also fun to stitch borders on cards. Here I used the Paper Smooches Dots & Dashes Die to create three lines of holes. I then cross stitched the grass and added Memory Box Plush Prairie felt flowers. The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches Kindness Sampler Stamps Set. I like how these flower dies cut holes to add stitching details.

Finally, I wanted to show that you can do stitching on your cards even if you don’t have a die to create the holes. Here I created holes in a square with a needle… all about 1/4″ apart. I then added cross stitches. Simple! And I REALLY like the look of it. I topped off the stitching with Mixed Flower Sequins and a Echo Park Script Alphabet Dies Cut “hi” greeting.

I plan to make more like this but next time I will put a piece of graph paper over my cardstock to make poking the holes much faster!

Whew! That is a lot of examples. And if you would like to create your own patterns with the Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die, you can print a free download HERE.

And by the way, I really like stitching on the go. In the video I shared the system I used with the Illustrated Faith Organization Bag & Kangaroo Pouch Set, Illustrated Faith Kangaroo Pouch, Plus FitCut Twiggy Compact Scissors, and 3 Inch Rings. This system REALLY works well for me.

GIVEAWAY

How would you like to win a Paper Smooches Cross Stitch Die? For your chance, leave a comment below by 11:59pmEST on 8/25/17 telling me if you have ever been a stitcher. (To leave a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post and click the green “leave a comment” button. The winner’s name will be randomly selected, emailed and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too!)

SUPPLIES

Want to find the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. Thank you! Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. All products were personally purchased except those with an asterisk. As always, this post was NOT asked for, paid, or sponsored.) Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), etc. 