Glistening Silver Baubles

Apologies for the dreadful photograph here - there was so much sparkle it was a tricky one to capture! This is a 7x7 white card blank, layered with silver mirri card and white Centura Pearl cardstock. The sprigs of holly were cut from the same silver mirri using one of Sue Wilson's dies called 'Holly Sprays.'
The sentiment is from a Crafter's Companion Sentimentals stamp plate - 'Mistletoe Kisses' and has been stamped with black Stazon ink. The gorgeous baubles themselves are a Sweet Poppy metal stencil used with Imagination Craft's Sparkle Medium in silver. A small silver ribbon bow was added to each and done! I quite like how the simple colours turned out.

 

Sledging Away with LOTV

I love all the craft card that is about at the moment, and I fancied teaming it with some other earthy colours. I have used Distress Inks to bring out the different layers and also to define the Spellbinders die-cut image. The image and the sentiment are from LOTV. I love this stamp because it reminds me of our little dog and my boys having fun; one of those sweet moments in time that we cherish. I have coloured the image using Distress Markers in coordinating earthy, pastel colours. The watercolour card has then been cut-out using Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles. The flowers are die-cut poinsettias from a Marianne Creatables die. The papers are from a DCWV pad and the snowflake edge is a Memory box die. The seam binding bow, some pearls and some die-cut lea'bilities trees were the final touches, along with some glitter, of course!

Santa Delivering Presents!

Two 6x6 cards, again using my old faithful, the Hunkydory Santa's Pants Collection. I have decoupaged the layers on the card to my left, and the bottom card has been turned into a shaker card (filled with snow and glitter!)

Cute and Simple Christmas Patchwork

This month in Lisa Baker's class, we were making small square cards and 'patchworking' the images together. Both the stamps are from Woodware I believe, and have been stamped several times in onto various Christmas papers. We have cut thee pieces all out and then put them back together. Some Stickles to add some glitter etc. and away you go... The different layers and textures are quite 'Scandinavian' once all put together.

Continued...

 Ok some more designs for you, another 6x6 and two DL style cards now!

Santa's Pants Continued...

 Again, I have been using more from the Santa's Pants collection from Hunkydory. The  two 6x6 square cards have Anne Marie Designs card blanks for the base, which I have been really impressed with. Lovely thick card and in Centura Pearl double-sided card as well. The A5 card has been created using a whole sheet from the collection and I have also added matching inserts into each one. Basic, quick, but hey...still enjoyed making them!

 

Christmas Panic!

Ok, I always have very good intentions every year in the run-up to Christmas. I have perfect images in my head of sitting down in my craft room watching the snow, listening to carols and crafting away. Pah, that never happens. So in reality: last minute panic, need to make cards, so reach for a Hunkydory kit! Santa's Pants it is then...
The card to the left is an 8x8 blank with elements from the Santa's Pants collection and a Spellbinders Poinsettia used in the middle. Bottom left is an A5 card created from the same collection with snowflake acetate across the whole card as well. The right-hand one uses
                                                                                    acetate over the Santa scene and is also 8x8.

 

Golden Fairies

This 6x6 card was the result of playing with Flitterglu and gilding flakes. I have layered the main card onto gold mirror card and then black card to make it pop. The text is from a Tim Holtz Stampers' Anonymous set and is one of my favourites. The main panel was made by inking with Distress inks and Inkilicious brushes using green and yellow tones. I have then stamped the dandelions from Lavinia Stamps in plain ink to create the background. Over the top of this I have used the dandelions again, this time stamping with Flitterglu and adding some golden gilding flakes. The fairies are also from Lavina, this time stamped and embossed with detail powder.

Fluffy Penguins!

Here they are again, those little Hobby Art Penguins! They are all rather cute and I have been having fun. All the elements have been made using the Penguins set, including the sentiment. I have silver embossed the background snowflakes and used Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for the icy sky. The red matt layer has faux stitching all around to draw the eye in. The best bit I think though is the Woodware Fluffy Stuff on the hat! When added and heated gently, the stuff expands and then goes hard. You can't help but feel it! I have also used some large icy glitter to add to the frosty feel.

Snowy Winter Scenes

 Both these cards have been made using 6x6 card blanks. For the card to my right, I have cut an aperture in the front using a Spellbinders Circle die. I have then used a snowflake frame die from Memory Box to create an intricate border to the edge (cut from mirror card). The inner circle panel has also been framed with a Spellbinders Scalloped Circle die (again in mirror card) to continue the theme. I have created the scene from a Hobby Art Scene-It collection called Country Scenes. I have coloured the edge and sky of the image with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to give a frosty feel, and then used a muted colour palette of Promarkers to shade the scene. Glitter has been added on the edges of rooftops. The sentiment is also from Hobby Art - part of the Penguins set.

This card is much the same, this time playing with my Sue Wilson dies from the Californian Collection. I have cut the aperture using a basic shape and then created a frame with one of the co-ordinating decorative frame dies. Again I have used the Scene-It set to create a similar picture, extending it slightly to fit the die shape. Both simple cards, but I quite like them.

Posted Penguins!

These two little chaps are from the Hobby Art Penguins Christmas stamp set. I was inspired by one of their gallery posts and decided to make my own take on it. The card to the right has been made using the penguin stamped on Neenah Card and coloured using Promarkers with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink in the background. The papers are from the Craftwork Cards Christmas Post collection along with the flower and sentiments used. To create the opening I have taken a circle die, placed it on my chosen section and cut from the middle to the outside several times. I then cut halfway down each of the torn segments and then folded them back. The coloured image was attached behind the created aperture. I have used Glossy Accents on the stamp and some ribbon from my stash.

This is a slightly simpler version, same stamp and papers, this time also using an embossed sentiment from the penguin set. I have also coloured the back of the torn section here, as it looks more like brown paper this way. I love the look in his eyes!

Crackle Background

Another one of Lisa Baker's class makes here, this time using a technique with Imagination Crafts Crackle Medium. We started with a piece of their panel card designs and covered this with a light layer of crackle medium. This was then dried and a layer of acrylic paint spread in even stokes over the top. Once this was dry it started to crack giving a peeled paint effect. The Indigoblu Poinsettias were stamped on another piece of panel card, embossed and cut out. They were all randomly attached on the page with a sentiment in the middle.

Sparkly Magical Fairies

Here is a card which came about after experimenting with some Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium. The background card is one of the new Imagination card panels designed by Tracey Dutton (Lavinia Stamps).  You can't really see the outside edges from the photo here, but some gold Sparkle Medium has been used around the edges to add some background sparkle. The flowers have been added using a Creative Expression mask with Sparkle Medium directly on top. I decided to play with different colours so have used Champagne, Lavender and Turquoise, attempting to spread them in stripes. The sentiment is one I found recently and is from Quietfire Designs. The fairies are, of course, from Lavinia Stamps. I rather like the effect, although maybe I should calm down a little with the colour mixture! I am going to enter this into this month's Imagination Crafts Challenge is 'Anything Goes'.

Winter Snowflake Wishes

In my stash I found some cut, tuck, fold Spellbinder's snowflake dies, so I decided to have a play with them! I used an 8x8 card blank and used centura pearl, pale blue and teal cardstock to matt and layer. To create the cut-out circles I used my Spellbinder's Standard Circle dies in 2 sizes randomly on the pale blue card. Once the circles were cut I then ran the paper though the machine using the Embossilicious Regency Swirls folder. The sentiment is from Tattered Lace. To create the snowflakes I cut them from centura pearl, then inked through the dies with the paper still inside. I also inked the back of the snowflakes so that when they are folded there is more of an interest to them. Silver ribbon was then put on the tops of the circles to create a 'bauble' type of effect.

Skating Penguins

I rather fell in love with the new Penguins stamp set from Hobby Art this year, so had to start playing! I decided to use the skating penguin as a central feature here, using one of the Stamps Away patchwork design stencils to plan the layout. I wanted to use cool blue colours for the card, so have reflected this in my paper choice and Promarker colours. I chose to paper piece the penguin's scarf with the dotty card and had to add some glitter! The background of the penguin has been lightly shaded with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to take some of the harsh white away. A sentiment was taken from a Spellbinder's sentiment collection and the snowflakes were made using Spellbinder's Create a Flake 3, cut using the same papers and inked through with the same Distress Ink.

 

Sparkle Medium Snowflakes

Amazingly, I made my first Christmas card! Again, I was playing with my Sparkle Medium! I have used a small square card base, and added some acetate on top. The acetate has been secured on the left front of the card using a Memory Box die cut with some glue behind. The die cut has also been covered in some Stampendous! Stamp 'n' Bond powder, then I have added some pearl mica powder on top. I have used a Sweet Poppy metal stencil  to add the snowflakes using Turquoise Sparkle Medium. The sentiment is from the Just Rite Noel Christmas Ornaments Set.

Thoughtful Fairies

 This card was made in an attempt to try and use a 'less is more' theory. I have chosen a large A5 size funky card blank from Hunkydory and cut an aperture from the centre with a Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles Large die. The sentiment stamp, and indeed all the stamps, are from Lavinia.
I wanted to create a centre panel with a subtle background in my favourite colours. At my last craft class I went a little mad with my purchases and decided to add some Imagination Crafts Silkies paints to my basket. I have used them here to create my graduated background, and am really impressed with the seamless blending and sparkly finish you get. I used the colours called Pearl Satin, Turquoise Satin and Purple Lace. All the colours were put in large blobs on the top of a craft mat, dragged downwards with a brayer and then applied to the card in firm downward stripes. There are no lines, brush marks or streaks anywhere! Once the Silkies were dry I have then used Versafine ink to stamp the fairies and thistles. The ink soaked in really well, leaving a really subtle black behind which I have then embossed with clear detail powder. I have used Jones Tones iridescent glitter to add some fairy magic (you can't have fairies without some glitter!) The zen butterfly has been stamped onto white card, embossed and then coloured with the same colour Silkies as before. The antennae have been made from purple jewellery wire twisted into coils (I was defeated with whilst trying to 'fussy cut' them out!). Hope you like it, it's a bit of a different style for me! I am going to enter it in 2 challenges this month: Lisa Baker's Butterflies and Flowers and Lavinia's Add Some Glitter.

A New Baby Boy!

Ok, so it's not hard to guess the theme here! There seems to be a trend for lots of babies where I work at the moment...
Anyway, I wanted to make something for my friend, so here was the prefect excuse to make a bag charm again! I ordered some baby charms and had fun choosing blue and clear beads to make the charm.





 The card has been made using a Lili of the Valley image coloured with Promarkers as well as one of their funky sentiments. The elements were layered onto Spellbinders Circles Large and Scalloped Circles, as well as a Decorative Labels One die. The stars were cut using my Cricut machine and the Essentials cartridge. A small piece of lace and some buttons were used to bring it all together.

Butterflies and Florals

Here are two more cards made in another of Lisa's classes. The first, to my left, uses a die cut butterfly for the main feature. If you look closely you will also see that the white section to the left has been embossed and then cut around. The white script in the top right has been stamped and embossed with white powder. The card is from Anne Marie Designs and comes in lots of pastel shades.
The same dotty card is used on the card below to create a square frame for a large Woodware floral stamp. The stamp has been stamped and embossed with black powder, then coloured with Promarkers, Certain flowers have also 
                                                                                    been picked out to paper piece and coloured
                                                                                    to match.

Funky Inky Stencils!

Changing the style now, and back to some more craft class makes with Lisa Baker!
These cards were both made using the Imagination Crafts Diamonds stencil and various Distress Ink colours. The card to my left was made by using the stencil on top of a piece of plain card and applying the inks liberally all over. Unbelievably, the large Woodware flowers were then stamped on top of the design and then embossed. At this point we took some household bleach and an old paintbrush and bleached all the areas inside the flowers. Once the bleach was dry the ink in the flowers became very pale. We then used similar Promarker colours to put the colour back into the petals. The sentiment is from Indigoblu's Live, Laugh, Love plate and has been stamped and embossed onto a piece of card coloured lightly with the same colours of ink used previously. To do this I replaced my stencil over the card to align it and find where I wanted to place it. I then placed a piece of card underneath, inked it, removed it and cut it out at funny angles before matting it onto the card. Funky and fun I think!

The card to my right uses the same stencil, but only covers a section of the card.  We then added some random black gesso drips for a modern twist. The flowers are from Indigoblu again and have been stamped, inked using the same colours again, and then 'fussy cut' out. The flowers have then been arranged along the border of the stencil in a flowing motion. We got to keep the stencil, so no doubt it will feature again...!

A Birthday Fairy Shaker Card

This was an 8x8 card made for my daughter's 10th birthday. She had previously said how much she liked shaker cards and she is mad about fairies, (can't think where that comes from!) so here it is!
The main die set is the Tonic Moonglade Wish set. I have used a sheet from the First Edition Dreamcatcher pad for the background paper and layered lilac paper on top of this. The main centre panel was a large square cut in purple paper, with the inner die sections only used to cut the shape and 'leave it in' the card. A piece of acetate was used behind the cut section to seal it. This centre panel was then mounted on foam to raise it up and create a space for the shaker glitter and sparkles to be added. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and has been cut and mounted onto a Spellbinders Lacey Circles die. The butterflies have been cut using a die from the Tonic Butterfly Purse corners set and some ink has been used through the die to highlight the embossing. Pearls to finish and done!

A Box of Friendship

This project came about after I was asked to make a box to hold a present for someone. My brief was to make a box with some friendship quotes on it. The cogs starting whirring and I decided I might have a go with my new Cricut Mini Books cartridge on my Expression machine. Whilst looking through I noticed an exploding box and the rest is history!














I chose purple colours and papers from the First Edition pad 'Dreamcatcher'. The Cricut worked out all the layer sizes for each part and all I had to do score and cut the right bits with the right colours! Each inner tab had a flower on it with several layers behind it. Although not obvious here, each layer then had a friendship 'quote' on it. There were different quotes for each layer. The quote theme continued on the outside of the box, with matching flowers on the lid. All the flowers were stamped using Versafine and were from the Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur plate. The matching die was then used to cut them out and purple Distress Inks were applied for some shading. The green foliage was cut using the Tattered Lace Ornate Leaves die and the pearls were from a Hobby House pinwheel set. Once all finished the gift was added to the centre all ready for the box to explode with quotes! I am glad to say the recipient liked it.

Friendship with Elizabeth Bennett

I love Jane Austen's works and sometimes it is lovely to get lost in novel such as Pride and Prejudice, no matter how many times you have read it! IndigoBlu made this beautiful portrait stamp of Elizabeth, and it is a pleasure to work with. I decided that I wanted to work with only one 'colour' and shade parts of images with lighter and darker tones. I have stamped and embossed Elizabeth with detail powder and then used Spellbinder Opulent Ovals to cut her out and to provide a background shape behind her. The floral panel has been made using a Creata stamp, again embossed with detail powder. The paint is a Cosmic Shimmer H2O colour. The sentiment is also from IndigoBlu and is part of the 'Enjoy Life' plate. The pearl swirls are from Creative Expressions.

Memory Books for a Friend

Ok, it has been some time since my last post, but I have been busy on what turned out to be a mammoth project! I had a small MDF book with metal book rings. I had the idea that for my best friend's 30th birthday, I wanted to make something for her, other than a card. As we have known each other all our lives, I thought a memory book would be fun to put together in a few pages. Several hours and days of photo hunting later, I had found so many memories that I knew I was going to need more space. The few pages I had planned doubled. Then I needed more space again, and so one project became two books in the end!

If I had planned it properly beforehand, I would have certainly used a 12x12 book, but hey, we live and learn... Anyway, here are some of the pages that I made to celebrate 30 years of friendship, dodgy hairstyles, dubious fashion choices and memories of events past. I managed to organise them in some chronological order so that the books made sense, right up to the present day.

All the papers used were from a First Edition paper pad called 'Sweet Owl' along with some matching pain cardstock. The photos were cut using a range of Spellbinder basic shapes and D'Lites dies. All the other phrases, words, flowers and emblems have been using my Cricut Expression. My Cricut was a Godsend for this project, as it gave me pages of elements very quickly and I could manipulate text using the Design Studio. The main cartridges I used were Storybook, Type Candy Font, American Alphabet, Cindy Loo and Cricut Essentials.
I gave the books to my friend at her surprise 30th birthday party and she really liked it. I am sure however that there were a few cringe moments with some of the photos...!
Overall, it was a project that took far longer than I had envisaged, but I really enjoyed making it for a very special friend.

A Lacy Card for a Lady...

This card features one of the new dies from the Californian Collection by Sue Wilson. I have used the die called 'Grenada' to cut an aperture from the left-hand side of some textured ivory cardstock. The same die was used to cut some pink cardstock to sit inside the shape. The card was layered using some pale pink card on an 8x8 card blank, followed by some chocolate brown card. The ivory layer was then mounted on some foam to lift it slightly from the other layers. The pink die-cut was placed back inside the original aperture, now showing the brown under layer. The small centre sentiment comes from the main die set as well, and has been cut in ivory card, stamped with a Hunkydory stamp from the Flutterby Garden plate and slightly embossed (through the die) with a pink ink pad. All the flowers were cut using Tattered Lace Lacy Daisy dies as well as the Ornate Leaves dies. Pearls were added to the centres and corners. I quite like it!

Tonic Fairy Birthday Card

I was lucky enough to be given a set of Tonic fairy themed dies for my birthday this year. I hadn't really used Tonic dies before, but I really like the way you can interchange them with each other. The die used here is called 'Moonglade Wish' and comes in 4 parts. This card is an 8x8 card, with the front card piece folded back on itself. The folded section was then cut using the die, but not with its matching edger (meaning that the aperture remains inside the cardstock). The outside edger was then cut out completely on some purple card and laid over the top to create a see-through lacy effect. The same principle was used for the panel on the other side, (rear card piece) although this was not left see-through, as I mounted a large piece of pink card behind it. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and has been stamped, cut out and mounted on card stock cut using a Spellbinders Lacey Circle die. Once attached to the front panel, a second lacy circle was applied to the back for neatness.  The fairy's wings were also highlighted by cutting a piece of glitter card and laying it behind the wings. Finally 6 diamantes were used for the corners and the stars on the front. The insert was made using coordinating card stock and placed on the inside of the card, behind the folded front section.