Unstampabelles and Challenge 28 - Stitching

Unstampabelles Challenge #28 - Stitching

This is something that I find difficult for a variety of reasons. I do have a sewing machine (and so does hubby; he uses his more than I use mine!) but the tension is always going on it and I get very frustrated. I have had it for about 40 years and it is a small Elna. Not many people know how to repair them either, I have discovered.

I used to cross-stitch and embroider, and would love to go back to this but my hands are not up to the work. I tend to get a bit obsessive and would stitch for hours and then not be able to walk or use my hands for the next 24 hours!! I have much stuff just sitting and one piece wound around a wooden embroidering frame, waiting to be completed (it's about 50%) ......... not sure if it will in my lifetime. I used to knit a lot as well.  Not sure how I fitted it all in now I think about it. 

I found papercraft too and time had to be divided (or not); the pressure on my hands was less as well. So, mending something occasionally or sewing on a button is about it now......so this challenge was a challenge for me indeed!

I decided to do just a little bit of hand sewing.  

No, not on this bit

The prize for this challenge at Unstampabelles comes to us from Blue Edge Crafts.   Look at all that stash!

I took a piece of card from a 6 x 6 pack called Simple Stories - Vintage Bliss and marked a swag onto the back freehand with a pencil. I used a piercer and foam pad and pierced along the line to enable me to hand stitch easily.  I make two holes quite close together and did six sets altogether. 

I then used buttons and twine and stitched the buttons down at each set, stringing the twine between each button.  I then used an SU 1" circle punch to get five circles from the paper pad scraps. I folded each circle in half and slipped them over the twine, gluing down the flap of the circle when in place. I also added a car charm while sewing. That was enough stitching for me!

The car charm has been in the stash for a while.......

I was going to smear ink around everything but at the last minute I decided to keep it a bit cleaner, so didn't go for the full vintage look.  However, I did add a small paper doily which was sitting around on the workstation. Now I had found various bits of ephemera and put them together...........the car from a vintage pack of chipboard (no name on pack), the yellow flag and the sentiment flag (Kaiser) from two different sources, as were the buttons and the bling. It seems to all work together.

Up close at the car

The letters for DAD were die cut from a Hero Arts alph die in scrap black card. I now have a packet of alph letters which contains no D but  two of everything else except A! More scraps!

I folded a piece of SU Kraft to make a base card and put the DP onto this.  Hubby told me it was a good one - male eyes are so different, are they not!! It is not so much vintage as rustic. This is a good Birthday card for Dad, or even keep it until Father's Day!!

Now, your turn to make a card - remember: NO STAMPS, either digital or rubber (although you can use a small sentiment of one or two words occasionally if there is no other alternative available)

I will enter this in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create: Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody:  Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges: Buttons

A Gem of a Challenge: Lets Hear it for the Boys