Time for Summer!

I'm getting a bit fed up with the cold! 

As it's my day for the Creative Studios Blog I thought that instead of more Christmas Projects, I'd do something completely different and go for a very summery card!

So here it is!

I've used the "Caught in Crystal" technique to make the flowers and have posted a full step by step on the Creative Studios Design Team Blog.

The link is on the right....just click on Sam Poole.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, I should be bobbing around on a cruise ship and heading somewhere warmer but I will still be posting so please visit.

Many thanks for stopping by and leaving comments, I do appreciate them.

Until next time.....keep crafting!

Crackle Paint Technique

Good Morning All.  It's Tuesday, so that means it's my day for the Creative Expressions Design Team project.

So without further ado, here goes.

Paint one of the small MDF plaques with Eco Green Moss Acrylic Paint.  Leave to just about dry.  Paint over the top with a layer of PVA glue.  Dry lightly (it should still be tacky) and paint a layer of Eco Green White Acrylic Paint over the top.  Dry thoroughly with a heat gun until the crackles appear.

Stamp the Christmas Rose with Black Archival Ink and heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Embossing Powder.

Paint the leaves with Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours Set 6 (Luscious Greens).  I've used Antique Green and Golden Mint.
Paint the flowers with Cosmic Shimmer Watercolours Set 3 (Brights).  I've used Candy Floss and Rose Hue.  The flower centres have been painted with Yellow Sun and Scarlett Sunset.

Paint around the edges and the back of the frame with Eco Green Black Acrylic Paint.
Paint a Scalloped Studio 490 Art Part Border with White Acrylic Paint and the edges with Black Paint.
Stamp the sentiment with Black Archival Ink and heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Powder.
Glue the border into position and it's finished!

I hope you've enjoyed today's project.  Many thanks for visiting and don't forget, for more ideas using this fab stamp set, visit the Creative Expressions Blog (link on the right) and see what the rest of the Design Team have been up to.

Until next time....

An Excuse to Visit the Pub!

Good Morning All and a very Happy Wednesday!

This is only a very quick post as I'm off on my travels.  Did you all enjoy the blog hop yesterday?  The Couture Creations 3 in 1 sets were great to play with.

Anyway, I'm doing a step by step on the Creative Studios Design Team blog today using a beer mat.

I hope you pop over there and have a look.

I'll still be blogging with new projects a couple of times a week while I'm away so do please come and visit!  And of course, I always enjoy all the comments you leave.

If we reach the magic 300 followers, I'll do the draw when I get back (on 18th December).

Until next week, have a happy, crafty time!

Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Creative Expressions Couture Creations Blog Hop.

In order to get here, you must have come from Kim Robertson's Blog.

If you have arrived from Kim Robertson's Blog you are in the right place.

This is the card I thought I'd share with you today using the Butterfly Notes Couture Creations 3 in 1 set.

Apply some Flake and Glitter Glue onto a piece of Cut 'n Dry Foam.  Dab onto the large collage stamp and stamp onto a piece of Foundations Black Cardstock.
Apply Summer Meadows Gilding Flakes over the top.
Cover with Creative Expressions Double Sided Adhesive Sheet.  Remove the backing and apply Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Sprinkles Glitter Jewels.

Onto a piece of Coconut White Cardstock, randomly stamp the Dandelion and Butterfly with Perfect Medium Ink.  Heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Bright Gold Embossing Powder.

Cut a strip of Coconut White Cardstock measuring 1cm wide, stamp the Music Notes with Perfect Medium Ink and heat emboss as before.
Go around the edge of the larger white card with Perfect Medium Ink and heat emboss with the CS Bright Gold Embossing Powder.

Matt and layer.  To finish, add a bow made from the Crushed Satin Ribbon and apply a Black Dazzler to the centre.

I really hope you like it and would like to thank Sue Wilson for passing on this technique.

Thank you for visiting my blog, please leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning a prize!
Once you have done that, you will need to click here to visit Neil Burley's Blog.
http://perfectly4med.co.uk/2013/11/19cc-ce-bloghop/

Thank you for taking part in our Blog Hop - good luck!

WOYWW

Another Wednesday, another WOYWW! Hope everyone is well and the Christmas Card preparation is in full swing!

Here's my desk this week.

I'm working on a Design Team project for Creative Expressions using some beer mats that I "liberated" from a pub a while ago!  There's an empty cup, lots of Distress Inks, the Winter Flowers stamp set and of course, my trusty paper trimmer.  In answer to a question a few weeks ago, there are 4 bone folders in the tub (I don't know why there's that many!).

I have been making Christmas cards and I've got a very quick and easy one on the Creative Studios Design Team Blog today (the link is Sam Poole on the right).  The full step by step is there but here's the finished thing.

And the final picture is.....the sweetest kitten in the world...fact!  It's Dr Gonzo!

He's laying on his favourite fleecy blanket and cuddling a knitted toy.  He loves having something to cuddle.  My daughter has just got Dr Gonzo a goldfish to watch swimming around and he's fascinated by it.  Well, the vet did say to try and stimulate him with interesting things!

I'm going away on my travels next week so although I won't be able to join in with WOYWW I'll still be blogging, hope you'll pop by for a visit.  We're down to the final 9 followers for the blog candy...if it happens while I'm away, I'll do the draw when I get back.

There's going to be a blog hop next week with all the Creative Expressions Design Team taking part and prizes on offer.  Have a look at the Creative Expressions website news (there's a link on the right) for details.  It's to celebrate the launch of a brand new product...watch C&C on about 15th/16th November.  There's lots of gorgeous samples that the team have made for the shows.

So, until next time, have a very happy week and many thanks for your visit.  I'll get round as many desks as I can before I go away. 

Loving the Winter Flowers!

Good Morning All, hope everyone is well and in fine fettle!

Today is my Creative Expressions Design Team blog day and I've used the gorgeous Winter Flowers A5 stamp set again.  I just can't stop playing with them!!

So here we go with a step by step.

Die cut a Spellbinders Labels8 from the Creative Expressions Double Sided Adhesive Sheets.  Remove one of the backing pieces and add 4 or 5 drops of Sunshine Yellow Alcohol Ink and the same amount of Sunset Orange.  Use the backing paper to smoosh the ink down onto the adhesive.

Apply Warm Sunrise Gilding Flakes over the top of the ink.

 

Turn it over and remove the other piece of backing paper.  Stamp the Snowdrop with Black Archival Ink directly onto the adhesive sheet.  Colour in the flowers with Alcohol Ink Pens.  Cover with Micro Beads.  Matt and layer onto a white

 

 

 

Labels 8 die cut.  Edge with gold pen.

 

Draw around the outside edge of the same die onto Creative Expressions Dark Roast Coffee Foundations Cardstock and cut out.  Matt and layer.

 

Dry emboss a piece of Coconut White Cardstock with the M-Bossabilities Dainty Dots Folder.  Cut a strip of white card for the side panel and emboss again.  Matt and layer onto the coffee card.

 

Using the same technique as before, make a strip of the double sided adhesive with Gilding Flakes and Micro Beads.

Matt and layer.

 

 

 

Mount the snowdrop panel onto the card with 3d foam pads.  Tie a bow with Rust Satin Ribbon.  Colour a Silver Dazzler and 2 Pearl Stick Pins with Alcohol Ink Pens and attach to the card. 

 

I've also added a little bit of a gold chain I had in my stash.

 







 

This is another one of those times I wish you could see it for real instead of a photo!  The shine on the card is fab!  I was surprised how well the Alcohol Inks worked and that the Gilding Flakes still stuck.

 

Well, that's all for today, back tomorrow with WOYWW and a Christmas Card for Creative Studios.

 

Don't forget the blog candy, just 9 more to go!  Do have a look at the Creative Expressions Website, there's a link to the Design Team Blogs on the right.

Many thanks for your visit and comments.

 

WOYWW

Well, here we are again, another Wednesday has rolled around and it's time to have a snoop at desks around the world!

I've taken a photo of another part of my desk.  It's where I keep the samples that are waiting to be blogged for the DT's.

You can make out my trusty Grand Calibur in the background and the purple bucket has the Creative Studios stamp sets.  The bag made from the zig zag paper is my DT piece for this week at Creative Studios.

And here's a close up of it!  I've put the full step by step instructions on the Creative Studios Design Team blog.  To get there, just click on Sam Poole on the right of the page and head for the blog section.  All the measurements are there as well.

Thank you to everyone who left comments last week about Dr Gonzo (the kitten!).  I'm trying to get a photo of him to put on here.  He's doing very well and had a night away from home with his other "grandparents" who spoiled him rotten!

Have you been over to the "Particraft" blog yet?  Sue Wilson has done some amazing video tutorials on there (about 30 minutes long).  Well worth a visit.  Also, try the Creative Expressions website, there are some great step by step projects on there.  Go to the news and workshop sections and you'll find them there.

Well, that's about it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and I promise to try and get round to as many desks as possible.  Last week was a bit of a disaster on that front!  Just another 12 followers needed for the blog candy draw!
Until next week, have a happy, crafty time!

Winter Flowers ...2nd Installment!

Good Morning All and a very Happy Tuesday!

I'm really enjoying using the Winter Flowers set of stamps from Creative Expressions and thought I'd show you a card today made with the Crocus stamp.  It's nice to think that Spring will be here eventually!

So here we go!

Stamp the Crocus onto Coconut White Cardstock with Black Archival Ink allowing enough room to die cut later.
Stamp the Crocus again onto a Post-it note with as much on the sticky strip as possible.  Cut out just inside the black line.

Using the cut out as a mask, cover over the stamped Crocus and stamp again to the left of it, then to the right.  Stamp slightly higher than the original one.
Paint the leaves with Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint Distress Inks.  Paint the flowers using Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks.

Cover with Creative Expressions Double Sided Adhesive and die cut with Spellbinders Labels 28.  Take off the backing sheet and apply Micro Beads.
Draw around the outer edge of the die on Dark Roast Coffee Cardstock and cut out to make a matt slightly larger than the previous one.

Using the Creative Expressions A4 Basket Weave Embossing Folder, dry emboss a piece of Coconut White Cardstock.
Stamp the word "Crocus" onto a strip of card with Dusty Concord Distress Ink.  Lightly distress the edges with the same ink.  Matt and layer onto a piece of the Coffee Card.

Tie a triple bow with Purple Seam Binding, spritz it with water and scrumple up.  Dry with a heat gun. 
Mount the Crocus picture onto the card with 3d foam pads.
Attach the bow with a glue dot.

Stamp "With Love" onto Coconut white card using Dusty Concord Ink and die cut with Labels 28.  With the die still in place, distress with the same ink.  Draw around the outer edge of the die onto the Coffee card and cut out to make a matt.  Curve the tag and attach to the card using Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue and a 3d foam pad.
Add a Dazzler to the centre of the bow to finish.

I do wish that I had screen that allowed you to touch the picture so that you could get the full effect of the Micro Beads!

Well, that's all for today.  I'll be back again next Tuesday with another project using the Winter Flowers.  Until then, do pop over to the Creative Expressions blog so that you can see what the other members of the Design Team are up to!
Also, Just 12 more followers before I draw for the blog candy!  Until next time, have a happy crafty week!