Friday 29 July 2011

In Stitches

Hello Everyone

Today I am sharing a card featuring a very cute Jumbo Wheel from the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue. I didn't really notice this wheel until I got to try it at team training - and then I knew I had to have it!


For this card I used Riding Hood Red cardstock and ink. I first rolled the lines of stitches vertically on the base card, the horizontally on the Very Vanilla top layer.

Now this is one of my more-is-more cards - sometimes I don't know when to stop with the embellishing! I took some layers in Crumb Cake and used the Mat Pack and Pricking Tool to create some faux stitches around the edge.


I finished the card with the Sweet Buttons Embosslits die - cutting buttons in matching cardstock and using the white gel pen to make faux stitches.

Hope you like my no-stitching stitched card!

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Owl Thinking!

Hello Everyone

This was such a fun card to make! It was the first card I made with my Owl Punch when it arrived. The sentiment is part of one from Hopeful Thoughts, (called Thoughts and Prayers in the US). I love that you don't have to use all of a stamp - just ink up the part you want with a marker and stamp!

I hand-drew the think-bubble and punched a range of circles with my circle punches and those that make part of the owl punch.


The background uses the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder in Sahara Sand, brayered over with Early Espresso ink.

Hope you like him - I do!

Saturday 23 July 2011

Quick Daisy Card

Hello Everyone

Just a quick post and a quick card today, made with the Daisies #2 die and some buttons.  The background is a piece of the beautiful Elegant Soiree paper. I layered up the middle of the flowers with punched circles and buttons - that big one is from one of the sets in the mini catalogue - they are SO big you can thread 1/4" ribbon through them as I have here.


I finished with the greeting stamped with Curly Cute and the little cake from Itty Bitty Bits.

Back soon with more projects.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Welcome Wreath

Hello Everyone

Today I am sharing a Welcome wreath that I made using the Fun Flowers die and my Big Shot. I have shown this before, but I have had a couple of questions about how it was made - so today I will share!

I purchased an inexpensive flat wire frame and with the Big Shot the wreath was very quick to put together.

First I cut 6 sets of flowers in Rose Red, then 6 in Pretty in Pink cardstock. This is so easy - the Big Shot will cut up to 8 sheets of cardstock at once! Then I used a dauber and daubed ink around the edge of each flower to add dimension.

I curled the petals lightly with a bone folder and layered them up, attaching them with a brad. I made a 12" backing for the frame by drawing around some scrap card and attached the flowers with dimensionals.

I felt the wreath needed some greenery, so I cut leaves with the Little Leaves die. Next I pulled out my French Foliage stamp set and stamped some of the leaves onto Wild Wasabi paper in Garden Green ink. I cut them out and then glued them and the Little Leaves in around the flowers. Here is a close up...




I finished the wreath by stamping my 'Welcome' sentiment using the Broadsheet Alphabet and added some Basic Rhinestones on this and on a few of the flowers.

Now - pretty in a different way - I am going to show you such a cheap decoration - almost free! As a demonstrator, all my goodies from Stampin' Up! arrive carefully packed in brown packing paper. I have reams of the stuff and am always looking for interesting ways to recyle it. This is what I did with the paper from my last order...

I made over 60 paper flowers - with this paper my Big Shot easily cut 12 layers at a time, so I had them done in a trice! I attached them with little eyelets using my crop a dile and now they are all ready to decorate my table at my next event. What a bargain!

Sunday 17 July 2011

Embedded Foliage

Hello Everyone

As promised, I am back with another embedded embossed card. (For more on this technique, scroll down to my previous post).

Here I am using my favourite stamp set from the Stampin' Up! mini catalogue - French Foliage.



I stamped the text and 'blobs' on first, then stamped the leaves on a separate sheet before embossing them into the background.

The cardstock is Riding Hood Red, which really sets off the Autumnal colours.

Hope you like :)

Thursday 14 July 2011

Embedded Embossed

Hello Everyone

I love this technique! It is such an effective way to make your own background - or even foreground - design.

We did this one in class and used the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set, along with the matching punches. We stamped six images at a time, (so easy when you attach the clear mount ones all to one little block). Then we punched them out and stuck them onto In Colour DSP. We also punched shapes in the Concord Crush DSP.

Next we ran them through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice embossing folder. It presses the little pieces in embedding them and creating an easy and very effective background.




The card is Concord Crush - love that colour! We finished with the 'wonderful friend' stamp from Occasional Greeting stamped onto a large circle, created with the Circles #2 die.

Back in a couple of days with another example of this techinque.

Monday 11 July 2011

Want to come to a class?

Hello Everyone

By special customer request I have come up with a Just Believe Stationery Box class, which I will be teaching in a local hall on Thursday 18th August.

This project comprises six luxury square cards, six matching envelopes, six tags, a stamps envelope, a matching pen and the stationery box itself. Wouldn't this set make a great gift?



The cost for this class is £25.00 and includes a pot of Tombow glue or £22 if you are one of my regular class ladies.

Now this class is filling up FAST - so let me know ASAP if you would like to join us for this 3 hour evening class.

Hope you can make it! :)

Friday 8 July 2011

Beach Huts

Hello Everyone

Well after giving you lots of Christmas projects in the last two posts - I thought I would get back to the season in hand with this cute little 3D project.

My Mum & Dad live in Milford on Sea, near Lymington on the south coast, and the beach they overlook has a long row of beach huts.

I wondered whether I could turn the milk carton die into beach huts - and this is what I came up with...


Aren't they sweet?

I cut the milk cartons with the Big Shot, then scored at half inch intervals to create the planks of wood. I then used the woodgrain technique to create the weathered effect. Before I assembed the boxes, I drew in doors and added brads for door knobs.

The roofs are made with a strip of Basic Gray cardstock, with a bit of texture added with the Sandy Speckles wheel. I made the life belt with two circle punches and the flag with 5/8" Grossgrain Ribbon.

Hope you like them!

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Jolly Holiday #2

Hello Everyone

As promised on the last post, these are the other projects we made at the Jolly in July Christmas class I ran recently.

Here is the first card we did a punch project card - making candles with the 2 step bird punch.


Next we did a bauble card featuring the fabby glass glitter. I love the sparkle!


The last card uses the bird punch in it's original form!


 We also made some gift tags using the fabby Gifted stamp set...



And because my ladies had lots of beautiful DSP and card stock left, I suprised them with instructions for making these beautiful bows...


Hope you like our projects. Back soon with something less festive! :D

Monday 4 July 2011

Feeling Jolly?

Hello Everyone

Overy my next couple of posts, I am sharing the projects we made at my Jolly in July class. We decided to start our Christmas projects a little early and made a lovely selection of goodies! This is them all together...



As you can see, we made them with Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive cardstock, Old Olive satin ribbon and the beautiful Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper.

Today I am sharing the 3D projects. First what I call the Box of Boxes. Here it is closed up....


But that is just the start, by lifting off the lid and unlatching it from the closure you open it up....

...and then see it in all it's glory!


Next we made a large size gift box....

This is made using 12X12 cardstock to create a nice big box for the bigger gift! :)


Back in a couple of days with the rest of the projects.

Friday 1 July 2011

Owl Punch Ideas

Hello Everyone

Do you love that little Owl punch? I have been making all sorts of critters and other things with the Owl punch - it is so much fun to use. I did all my lovely ladies a handout recently showing lots of owl ideas. Not many of these are my original ideas - there have been many talented people out there thinking up owl projects before me...but I take credit for the robin! :)


Here is one of the owl cards I have made...



I did the eyes with Crystal Effects. My non-crafty friends all shook this card because they thought they were goggle eyes! LOL