Sunday 28 July 2013

Christmas Card Club Challenge - Origami/Teabag fold

Good afternoon everybody.  Well I slipped up today because I forgot all about today being challenge day!  I guess all the sun and heat must have fried my brain!  Lol!  I have never done teabag folding so I went onto the internet this morning to learn how to do the folding and I also downloaded a sheet of tiles.  However, I realised that for the Christmas tree I decided to make I didn't  actually need tiles, I could have just cut patterned paper into squares.  The tiles are needed if you make a snowflake or star apparently so that you get a pretty picture.  Oh well, you live and learn.  Perhaps I'll try that next.

My Card

I saw a picture of a teabag folded tree that I liked but couldn't find a tutorial, but it was easy enough to just stick the folded tiles into position.  I did actually trim a little bit off a couple of the folded tiles in order for them to fit neatly together.  I'm not sure whether that is really allowed but the first one I made without trimming just looked very uneven and wonky, so I took a bit of license here in order for it to look okay.

My card is 6 x 6 inches and as the tree is fairly large and takes up quite a chunk of the card  I decided to keep it very simple. I used a Crafts-Too snowflake embossing folder for the background and then just added a few red pearls. I have some very tiny peel off greetings which have been there for years so I popped the greeting onto the pot. Et voila, c'est fini!

Yesterday evening the weather broke well and truly here.  We attended an open air trad jazz concert at a National Trust property near here with a couple of friends.  Having had three weeks or so of glorious weather you might have thought it would hold. Oh no! The concert was due to start at 7pm but in fact it actually started early - and the heavens opened!  Boy did it toss it down! It was such a shame because it was one of those events where you could dress up or be casual, and you took a picnic and wine etc.  There was a group of four couples next to us who had really gone to town and were celebrating a wedding anniversary. They were in full evening dress and their table was beautiful. They ended up pouring water out of the food plates and dishes and the poor cake suffered terribly. Unfortunately because of the torrential rain people started leaving quite early which was a shame for the performers.

But come on - we are Brits and we don't let a bit (a lot!!) of water put us off.  Up went the umbrellas and the people danced on in the rain. There was also an exhibition of Charleston and lots of us got up to learn the steps and do a dance. John, Sue and I had great fun but Maurice was a bit too proud to make a fool of himself I think!  Couldn't use umbrellas for that because of the hand movements so we got absolutely soaked but had so much fun!! Unfortunately the exhibition dancers couldn't do too much because their stage was in the open and was too slick with rain and it would have been rather unsafe.

Today the weather is again glorious.  Fairly typical eh?

Well enjoy the rest of the day and have fun, whatever you are doing.

Love and hugs from Christine xx

28 comments:

Karla said...

Christine wat een mooie kerstboom, heel leuk gedaan.

Groetjes Karla

Jacqui's little piece of England said...

Your card is beautiful Christine I've never done teabag folding but I must admit it looks interesting
jacqui x

Sue said...

Great card Christine think me you and Hazel all had the same idea huggles Sue xx

cuilliesocks said...

Hello Christine, what a shame about your evening out, that's just typical British weathe for you, it soundsed good fun though.

Love your card, never done anything like this, gorgeous papers and love the embossed background, Kate x

sue w. said...

Hi Christine, your tree is wonderful. Love the colours. Had me stumped, haven't done any for years and didn't even know where to look for my book, never thought about u tube, der...
Shame about the rain for the concert.
Hugs Sue W.

janieworkum said...

Wat een prachtige kerstkaart
groetjes Janie

Planetsusie said...

This is very very nice Christine - love your tree! Am just off to finish mine now. Not sure what it will look like but hey ho!

Big hugs to you Sue Pxxx

Gibmiss said...

Hi Christine
Fabulous card.... Nearly finished mine... I did tea Bag folding years ago..... I am not that keen on it now though....
Hugs Sylvie xx

Doreen said...

Beautiful....love the design.xxx

Hazel said...


Love your card Christine, such a shame the weather broke, if it was anything like ours I know what you went through, it's only stopped here about an hour ago.

Hazel xxx

May said...

Gorgeous card Christine, Love the tree & the papers are perfect! So sad that the weather changed for the couple's anniversary party....But still like you say it's only water..sounds fun dancing in the rain.... Hugs May x x

Gerrie's kaarten said...

Mooie kerstkaart, leuk met de kerstboom
Groetjes Gerrie

Unknown said...

Hi Christine

This is a grear card. Teabag folding is one of the few things I have not done. It is very effective indeed. I did do Iris Folding and loved that.

Crafty Hugs
Heather xx

Unknown said...

Hi Christine, What a shame the weather spoilt what sounds as if it could have been a wonderful evening, so glad you made the most of it. We are used to the weather playing havoc with outdoor events so it is not surprising you all pulled together to make the best of it. Love your card, the Christmas tree is adorable. Not into teabag folding myself, gave it a try way back when but have not tried agein.

Wilma x x x

Jenny L said...

Hi Christine,
such a shame about the weather for your concert, but it still sounds like you had a super time.
Love this card. Great teabag folding, something I haven't done for ages. Love the colours used in this.
Have a wonderful crafty day.
Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

Patricia said...

Well Christine, I could just picture the scene at the Jazz Concert. We have similar here at Glamis Castle just along the road. Sure as eggs is eggs it rains, as you say you just have to accept this is Britain and it rains!!!! Glad you managed to have fun anyway.

Love your Christmas Tree good for you having a go. It looks real good from where I am sitting.
Hugs

Patricia xxx

Sue said...

This is gorgeous Christine, such a wonderful tree design and I love the paper you have used.
Glad you had a good time despite the weather!
Sue xx

Hazel said...

Great minds think alike! I love your tree - it's perfect for Karen's CCC challenge. x

scrappymo! said...

Great folded paper tree. Looks good on your lovely card.

Your evening out sounds like fun...too bad about the rain. Sounds like you made the best of it though!

dutchess said...

Great card I just dont know how you did it.....lovely papers .....hugs Margaret

Brawny x said...

I love your Christmas tree Christine. A very clever idea....something new for me to try I think. Sounds like you had a great time at the concert. I'd have danced in the rain too!!
Best wishes Lea x

Karen Petitt said...

I would never have guessed that you had never done any origami/teabag folding before - this is beautiful and so beautifully folded too. Thank you for joining in and sharing this beautiful card with us Karen x

Crafty Lark said...

I think this is a great card Christine, haven't done any folding for ages and I have been known to do a wee bit of trimming.
Such a shame for the event to end up that wet. Cannot believe the force the rain is coming down with. xx Flora

Marie-Louise said...

Sorry I'm running behind Christine. Love the tree . Really great card. A lot of work has gone into this.

Carole Z said...

Hi Christine, your card is gorgeous.. beautifully folded & love the colours! Carole Z xx

Lia said...

I am sitting here smiling about your story about the concert. You are telling it so brilliant: I can see everything happening in my mind. Over ehre the same weather: we had a thunderstorm like never before: thunder and lighting during 3 hours, floods and trees broken down: even just next to our gardenwall. I was really glad when it was over! Now it's a bit coller but it seems going to be hot again. What a summer....!
And about your Christmas cad: well, I can't see you never did teabag folding before because your tree is very nice! Keep the good things doing!
Lia xx

Unknown said...

Fabby card Christine, love it to bits.
hugs
Dawn xx

Peanut said...

I just had to laugh at your concert escapade...so funny. Anyway, love the card. Looks very scottish to me.
hugs, Asha
Sunny Summer Crafts
Sorry I'm late visiting, Christine. No excuse. I just plum forgot. ooops!