Tuesday 29 March 2011

Kimono Countdown!

Hello Everyone

Just a quick post today as I am busy getting ready for the launch of the new Mini Catalogue, out at the beginning of April. I am REALLY excited to share all the fabby new goodies, but until 1st my lips (and blog) are sealed.

So today I am sharing two cards made with my FAVOURITE stamp set in the main UK catalogue, Kimono Kids. I just adore this set and although it looks good in the more obvious reds and blacks, it works beautifully in a whole range of colours, including Baja Breeze, Marina Mist and Crumb Cake.

These images are SO much fun to colour in. Here I used blender pens and inks and layered up over Elegant Soiree designer paper. I added tiny pearls to finish the card.



I coloured the pearl in the top corner with a marker and heat embossed over the top to seal it. I am loving the Curly Cute sentiment stamps too - I have them in clear mount, which means my sentiments are now straight without having to reach for my Stamp a ma Jig!

Back on the 1st with the NEW MINI CATALOGUE!!! {Dancing around my craft room in excitement!!!}

Saturday 26 March 2011

Another Fancy Flower

Hello Everyone

Today I am sharing another card made with the Fancy Flower punch, mixed Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette with So Saffron leaves made with the Two Step Bird punch.


The background is stamped with the swirly leaf image from Vintage Vogue and the flowers are stamped with the Flower Accent, Fresh Cuts and Flower for You, (which is the one that matches the Fancy Flower punch.

Hope you like it.

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Welcome Back Fancy Flower Punch

Hello Everyone

Finally it's back! We have been waiting for the Fancy Flower punch to return to our warehouse for a few months and I am delighted because it is such a fun punch to use. These started as very vanilla cardstock, punched, daubed, layered, fixed with a brad and scrunched to make sweet old fashioned roses.


You can see how the fancy flower punch looks before you create the roses as I have used it on the vase above. The leaves are done with the large heart punch run through the crimper and I used floral wire wrapped with cardstock to make the stems.

Here is a close up of that flower...


I dedicate these flowers to my little sister Maria as it is her birthday today.

Back soon with more fancy flowers! :)

Saturday 19 March 2011

Florence Elizabeth

Hello Everyone

This is not the first time I have done a scrapbook page featuring my Great Grandmother and namesake Florence Elizabeth, known as Florrie.

I wanted to use my pearls and distressing kit and see what I could create.


I do apologise for the reflection on this one - but I hope you can still see all the elements that I have used. This is a 6" X6" piece of Soft Suede cardstock. I included Newsprint designer paper, the music notes wheel, tiny tags - and my scribbles! LOL

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Greenhouse Garden

Hello Everyone

Today I thought I would share this bright spring-like card with you today.

I designed it as something to teach as a Make & Take project for a charity event I did earlier in the month. I wanted something fairly quick and that could be suitable for beginners as well as experienced crafters.



For this type of project I always reach for Greenhouse Garden. It features two-step stamping and everyone who hasn't used this stamp set before is always delighted with how easy it is to create such pretty flowers.

The colours I chose were Pretty in Pink with Rose Red, Bashful Blue with Marina Mist and Certainly Celery for the card itself.

The sentiment is from Perfect Punches, which of course goes PERFECTLY with the Large Oval punch!

Hoping spring is just around the corner for you.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Pink and Brayered

Hello Everyone

As promised, I am back with another brayered sample card - this time in pink!

This time I used the flower from Hopeful Thoughts in Melon Mambo ink, then brayed over again at the lower part to give a soft misty image.


I then stamped over the top with an image from Pocket Silhouettes with White Craft ink. I love the effect. A bit of bling on the bottom left corner finished the project.

Back tomorrow with the final brayered sample...

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Brayered for the Boys!

Hello Everyone

This final brayered sample for March was my husband's favourite - hence the title! It would make a good man-card as approved by DH. LOL He said he loved the orange colour - so I didn't spoil it for him by telling him it was Peach Pizzaz not orange! :)

So to create this card I brayered with all the neutral colours first and then finished with the Peach over the after removing the mask.

I stamped the Lovely as a Tree image in Early Espresso and then brayered over the bottom with Early Espresso again. The Peach card was stamped with the Sandy Speckles wheel in Crumb Cake and I added a strip of Designer paper from Woodland Walk.


I hope you have enjoyed my selection of brayered cards - I must say they were fun to make and my brayer will be making a more regular appearance on my craft desk from now on.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Calling All Hostesses!

Hello Everyone

I thought today I would share a little card I made with my the Cute by the Inch hostess set. Our hostess sets are exclusively given to our hostesses and cannot be purchased, so if you fall in love with this card you will have to contact me or your own demonstrator to book a workshop! ;)

The background is our beautiful textured cardstock in Crumb Cake, daubed around the edge to finish it nicely.

The Old Olive, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise & Daffodil Delight and layered up with their matching cardstock. (I used the 1 1/4" square punch for those layers).

The bird at the bottom was done using markers direct on to the stamp to give a multi coloured effect.



I hope you like it - and see you at a workshop soon! :D 

Thursday 3 March 2011

March Classes - the technique project

Hello Everyone

Each month one of the three projects I teach at my classes features a stamping technique. This month we are going to play with the brayer and the lovely Glossy White Cardstock that has appeared in the UK catalogue this year. I am really pleased to be able to teach this technique, because it works SO much better on the glossy cardstock.

I like to give some choice, so this month the ladies can choose from the two different designs, although the colour scheme will be the same. Here is the first option...


To make this card I brayered the card with several inks from Sahara Sand to Not Quite Navy to create the gradient. As my upline Amanda says, "don't be afraid of the Brayer", just ink it up will and go for it and you will be delighted with the results you can achieve.

The first choice uses the stamp set Hopeful Thoughts, the second option was made with Just Believe. Here is the panel I made as the example.




Sometimes I make a further example to show the ladies some other ideas of what they can create using the technique I am teaching and this month I did two. Here is a sneak peak - pop back here in a couple of days to see them in full.