ED155 Christmas borderCompleted by Pamela Horton The whispering Platypus

Thank you Emy, for another beautiful, simple design to stitch and attach to a greeting card front. This was such an easy quick versatile design, I will be able to use it in a variety of ways many times.

I have chosen to use 2 different types of metallic threads for the stitching and pearls, tiny glass seed beads, glass tube beads, metallic rice beads and sequins to complete the beading.

I copied the design onto a white 120gsm card which I had originally cut at 14cm square and centred the design.

I completed the stitching before attaching the beads. The side swirls I have stitched using a single thread of hot pink metallic thread.

The top part of the design I have stitched using a single thread of variegated metallic in the hues of pink, purple, green, gold and silver.

I have used short lengths of the hot pink thread to attach all the beads, to avoid the twisting that sometimes occurs with the metallic threads.

I have used 4 matt silver sequins, 4 pearls, 2silver metallic beads, 2 hot pink metallic beads, 4 pale pink glass tube beads, and 28 tiny pink glass seed beads, which makes a total of 44 beads used to complete this project.

I have made the main card from a white spot on pink, printed on both sides of a 200gsm card cut at 29 x 15cm.

I cut the completed stitched and beaded project down to measure 12.5 x 12cm, and I used a paler version of the spot backing sheet, as used on the main card to make a 13.5x 13cm backing sheet.

I attached a plain white copy paper 11.5x 11cm backing sheet directly onto the back of the stitched and beaded topper, using red power tape, to secure the stitching and then this topper onto the pink with white spot backing sheet using D.S. tape.

I used a hot pink pen to edge the backing sheet. I made a narrow ribbon strip and tiny bow with rose pink, white spot ribbon to wrap around this topper and attached it to the card front.

I used peel off letters in gold to make the sentiment.

I have used a Sassy Cheryl Valentine image for the centre of the card, and used silver ornamental peel off strips as embellishments on the edges of the backing sheet and the main stitched and beaded topper.

To complete the insert, I have written a verse, which I have uploaded onto the free verses section, and attached this to the lower half of the insert and used a different Sassy Cheryl Valentine image with a peel off sentiment as an embellishment on the top half of the insert.

I am very pleased with the outcome and know this posted gift will be well received. Please NOTE, I didn’t have any hot pink rice beads, so I have used a permanent pen to colour the 2 I have used and allowed a day’s drying time before attaching them.

Pamela Horton. The Whispering Platypus.