the hybrid chick

Handmade Christmas gifts are always a huge hit. Even if you are not giving a gift you can really make someone’s Christmas special with a handmade card. Digital kits and stitched elements work well together to help achieve this in a short amount of time. Great if you are the super busy type! Also great if you like to work on your cards during the year. Stitch up the front’s then assemble them closer to the time you want to send them out.

For this card I chose to hand stitch a Christmas type star and layer it up with a digital kit from The Digi Chick. Vintage Yuletide Mega Collab from Roben-Marie Designs and Hazel Olive Designs is a must have kit for your scrapping this Christmas. Mega does not even really begin to describe it!!

These cute little embroidered fronts are not as difficult as they look. You will need some paper, card stock, thread, a giant needle or spike, a needle for the stitching and a towel to make your own hand stitched card.

First you will want to draw your shape to embroider on a piece of paper. You could also use a digital outline or shape from your editing program. Just make sure it is fairly simple to start with.

Then layer up a towel and your chosen cardstock colour. Choose cardstock that will coordinate with the colour of thread you want to stitch with. Here I have chosen red as a contrast with the metallic gold thread I planned to use.

Take a spike and punch through the outline of the shape. You can pre-space the holes by drawing them in beforehand like here. Or if you are really clever and not too much of a perfectionist you could eyeball it.

Now if you don’t have a spike you can use a pearl headed pin, hat pin or even a large needle pushed into an eraser to protect your fingers while punching the holes. Whatever works right?

You should end up with something like this. Make sure to punch a hole in the middle. Thread up your needle and you are ready to begin stitching.

Turn the card over and stick the thread down with some sticky tape. I find this easier than a knot. It does not pull out or create a big bump on the back. Begin at the side, taking the needle and thread through to the front of the card stock.

Then working from the front continuing stitching all the way around the shape. Work from the outside, coming up from behind and going down through the middle on the front. The threads tend to sit better that way.

When you are finished tuck the tail of the thread under the sticky tape or use another piece to hold the end down. You should then end up with something a little like this.

I also decided to add some “sparkle” by adding random stitches around the outside which you can see on the finished card. Something to resemble starlight twinkling!

After you have made one of these you will find them very quick to do. You could carry a little zip lock bag around in your purse with your pre punched shapes, a thread and needle and just work on them when you have a couple of minutes. Great while waiting in line somewhere.

Then add them to a handmade card.

I like to make my cards up as they would look in a digital version first. Then drag the layers across to a page ready to print and cut out. As a hint, adding a stroke or shadow around white backgrounds helps you to find your cutting edge easier too.

Layer it up with some three dimensional mounting tape, inked layers and any other embellishments you might like.

Now there is a card that looks like a whole lot of thought and love has gone into making it.

Other Articles by Shabby Shaz:

• Wedding Gift Frame - March 5th, 2010
• Love Notes - February 14th, 2010
• Disc Album - January 6th, 2010
• Romance Pack - November 25th, 2009
• Travel Notebook Diary - November 4th, 2009