Winter Flowers

Good morning all and a very happy Tuesday.  Well, this is exciting!  My first "proper" post as a member of the Creative Expressions Design Team!

So without further ado, here is what I came up with using the new A5 stamp plate "Winter Flowers".

Stamp the Christmas Rose with black Archival Ink onto a piece of Coconut White card and heat emboss with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Embossing Powder.

Colour the flower with Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Inks.  I've used Meadow Lush and Lime Burst for the leaves and Cosmic Skin and Pearl Shine for the flower heads.  The centres have been painted with Rich Gold and Ancient Copper.

Die cut the picture using Spellbinders Labels 28.  Using the same die, draw around the outer edge of it onto Green cardstock and cut out with scissors.  This enables you to make a matt that is just the right size and also gives you more flexibility with the dies making them even better value for money!

Using the Dainty Dots M-Bossability Folder, emboss a piece of Coconut White Card.  When using the Grand Calibur, make sutreere you use the Raspberry plate without the tan mat.

Use 3d foam pads to attach the flower panel to the card.  To finish, tie a double bow and attach with a glue dot.  Add a silver Dazzler to the centre of the bow.  Use another glue dot to attach it after peeling off the 3d foam pad. 

Stamp the sentiment with black Archival Ink and heat emboss as before.  Cut it into a banner shape, matt and layer it onto green card.  Gently bend the banner and stick to the card with glue at the ends and foam pads where the banner rises.  Add a couple of Crystal Stick Pins to finish.

Well, that's the first of my DT pieces and I thoroughly enjoyed making it.  It's a nice quick and effective card to make.  The Drawing Inks are fantastic, lots of Mica to give shine and glimmer and also a very fine brush to paint with.  The other great thing, if you're a bit clumsy like me, is that they are non-spill!!

You may have noticed that I have some blog candy on offer.  To enter, all you have to do is sign up and follow.  When I reach 300, I'll do the draw.

Hope you'll be back soon.  Many thanks for visiting and please leave comments especially if there are any techniques you would like covered.  Until next time......

Hearts!

Morning one and all...hope the weather is going to be a bit better today.  I definitely work better when the sun is shining.  On a miserable day I just want to go back to bed and hide under the duvet!
Anyway, to start the day with something a bit brighter, I thought I'd show you this card.  It's another one from a past workshop I taught but I still like it.  The colours aren't my usual ones and it's nowhere near as distressed as I usually go!
I've used some of the Studio 490 stamps for this one.  The stamps are a gorgeous quality and pre-mounted. 
I stamped the hearts twice onto white card using Crimson Archival Ink and once onto red card with Perfect Medium then heat embossed it with Cosmic Shimmer True White.
The background is a piece of white card that I ran through the Grand Calibur with the Baroque embossing folder then picked up some of the embossed detail with Shabby Shutter Distress Ink.  The seam binding ribbon was also coloured with the same ink.  That's what I love about the seam binding...you can colour it so easily and have ribbon to match every project.
The message is from the same set of stamps and has been stamped with the Crimson ink but heat embossed using CS Clear.  To finish I just edged it with the Shabby Shutters.  A bit of matting and layering with the top heart stuck on with 3d foam pads et voila!!  A really quick and easy card.  Hope you like it.  All of the products used are available from Creative Expressions.

Another piccie from my travels.  We visited the island of Burano in Venice and I saw these beautiful Murano glass pendants all in a bowl.  They looked so stunning all mixed together with the sunlight reflecting off them that I couldn't resist taking a photo.  My wonderful OH was on a different tour that day (we were both working as tour escorts) and when we met up he had bought me a gorgeous Murano Glass bracelet as a surprise.  He earned MANY brownie points that day!!!

Well, that's it for today.  Back down to the studio where the Creative Studios DT project is coming together (finally!)
Hope you have a great day whatever you're doing and thanks for visiting.

La Coruna

Today we're in La Coruna, Spain...we could play "Where in the World is she Today!"

I thought I'd post another card I made using gilding flakes for Ally Pally.

I've embossed the cogs and gears mask using the Grand Calibur.  Then I picked up some gilding glue on a piece of Cut 'n Dry and swiped it over areas of the card and applied the gilding flakes.

The main image has been stamped with Black Archival and I've used 2nd generation stamping for the other images to give a more faded effect.

I've added faux pearls around the edge with Black PVA glue (Cosmic Shimmer).

The findings are all Tim Holtz bits and pieces.

All of the products I've used are from Creative Expressions.

Many thanks for stopping by and looking.

Safely on Board!

We're all unpacked and have the cabin looking like home...except there's no craft stuff in here!  There's definitely no trace of gilding flakes which seem to be everywhere at home!

Anyway, a day at sea today so a chance to relax with a good book or 2 and watch Steve (the better/other half) perform his comedy songs.

I'm sorry I didn't do it yesterday (I was a bit frazzled) but I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who stopped by the Rubbernecker stand and said hello...also for coming in to the demo's.  I had a ball and hope you did too.

This is another sample card I made for the show.

I've used the cog mask which I've embossed, then with the mask still in place, I applied the glitter and flake glue.  After removing the mask I applied the Copper Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes.

The Main central images are from some of the Steampunk stamps from Creative Expressions.  I "inked" up the satamps with some of the glue (on a piece of Cut 'n Dry Foam), stamped it onto black card then applied the gilding over the top.

A tip when using the glue on stamps.....don't press the cut 'n dry too firmly when "inking" up.....just light gentle tapping.  Don't press the stamp down too hard onto the card...it's a very strong glue and you might pull away the top layer of the card when you lift the stamp.  Experiment with it...it's worth the effort.

Anyway, my books await and it's a good murder (or research as I tell my husband!) so I shall leave you for today.

It was fantastic seeing so many of you on Saturday and it's always a joy to work with Sue Wilson.

My postings will be a bit sketchy over the next 3 weeks but do check in and I'll post when I can.  I'll definitely be back to normal on 7th May at the latest!

Many thanks for visiting.

Mixing it up

I do wish that the photo had come out better!

You're going to have to use your imagination a bit with this.

The background was made by inking up a mask with Perfect Medium, running it through the Grand Calibur with black card then adding clear embossing powder and heating.  Tip: use your anti-static bag on the card before you start!

The tag was a really cheap and nasty one from a stationers..I don't think they'd recognise it now!

I inked it up with Perfect Medium and added UTEE then heated.  Next I got a teaspoon and added some silver and black emboss powders (Cosmic Shimmer) in different areas on the tag and heated again.  I always let it cool and then apply Perfect Medium between each stage.  When you're happy with the coverage, heat it again and, using a teaspoon, add some Luna Silver Mica Flakes and Micro Beads.  They stick really well into the UTEE.

The tag was put on with 3d foam pads after I'd removed the string and added some ribbon instead.

In real life the card is very sparkly.  It's one that we're making at the May 18th workshop at Martells.  Hope you like it.

The very fab Sue Wilson has a Pick of the Day on Create & Craft from 9pm tonight so don't miss the shows....they're bound to be fab.

I'm up to my neck in packing for the cruise.  I'm sure that most of the clothes have a sprinkling of gilding flakes on them!  It's a fairly tight schedule as we get home from Ally Pally on Saturday evening and leave for the cruise on Sunday morning.  This is where organisation comes into it's own....does anyone know where I can buy some!!

Back down to the studio for more sample making ready for Saturday.  Hope you all have a fun, crafty day and thank you for visiting.

An Oldie but a Goodie

This card was made using such an old technique but one that's great fun.

The background was embossed with the Fretwork Mask through the Grand Calibur and lightly inked with Spun Sugar Distress.

The next stage was to make the background for the stamped image.

Cut your cardstock to size.  Put shaving foam into a container...I use a throwaway plastic plate.  Smooth the shaving foam down with a ruler.  Add ink...for this card I've sprayed Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Misters onto the shaving foam but you could use Distress Re-Inkers.

Swirl the inks around but try not to "muddy" them too much.  Whatever you see on the top of the shaving foam is what you will get on your card.  Press the piece of card down onto the foam, lift and remove excess foam.  Voila..you now have a piece of marbled background card!  It even smells nice!  Use the very cheapest shaving foam you can find...mine was about 45p!

The stamp is from a set by Creative Expressions as were the hat pins, fabric rose and seam binding.

Now onto other matters!!!

Many thanks to all of those who came to the demo yesterday.  I had great fun "playing" and I hope you went away with a few new ideas.  Hope to see you again at the workshops or perhaps we can persuade Henry to have another demo!  Don't forget, if he doesn't have an item in stock from Creative Expressions, he can order it for you.  If you have any problems, please contact me.

I'll be demo-ing Gilding Flakes at Ally Pally on Saturday 13th April.  Just waiting for the "goodies" to arrive from the lovely Sue Wilson so I can get started playing  working, I mean working!!!

Anyway, off to the studio to tidy away all of the stuff I took with me yesterday and wait for inspiration to strike.

Many thanks to all who visited the blog yesterday...I'm going on a mission today to visit as many desks as I can!

The blog candy is still there so look for the posting about how to enter for it.

Until tomorrow...have fun and happy crafting.

Blog Candy and Fairies!

As promised, the blog candy has arrived.

I thought it should be a bit special to "kick things off" and celebrate the fact that I'm finally blogging again!

To win is simples!!

First, become a follower of the blog.

Next, leave a comment.

And finally, put a link to your blog if you have one...if not, don't worry.

The more posts that you comment on, the more entries you get into the draw.

The draw will take place when I get to 300 followers.

Good luck everyone, they're a fantastic set of stamps and the Tim Holtz mini masks are fab.

I thought I'd put a different sort of card on here today...very different to my usual grungy, distressed look!

This is one that I taught at a workshop last year.

The stamp is from Creative Expressions.  I heat embossed the image then painted her with Distress Inks mixed with Mica Powders.  The wings were stamped twice onto fusible film, cut out and glued on with CS dries clear glue.

I cut the image out using a Spellbinder die.

The background was made by putting a piece of card into a Creative Expressions Embossing Folder, running it through the Grand Calibur, then inking with Spun Sugar Distress Ink.

It's a nice easy card to make and I usually forget about using fusible film but it does make beautiful wings for fairies, butterflies and dragonflies as well as a stained glass effect for windows.

A Eureka moment!!!

I must get down to the studio straight away...I have some of the Spellbinder D Lite window dies!!

Don't forget to watch Hels fab shows on C&C over the next few days...the melt pot techniques are amazing.

Have a terrific day whatever you're up to and many thanks for visiting.

While it's Cold!

Thought I'd post a Christmas card I've designed for the September workshop at Martells!  I know, it's Easter, but while the weather is so chilly it almost seams right for an Easter card this year!

 

I've used Studio 490 stamps for the message and red stamped background.

In the set is the most gorgeous swirl which I stamped 4 times in Crimson Archival ink.

Before that, I used the Micro Dot mask to emboss the white card in the Grand Calibur and inked the edge with Peeled Paint Distress Ink.

The holly leaves are also in the same set of stamps but much bigger!  I thought I'd get out my Shrink Plastic for these...it's been on the shelf for ages.  After stamping, I coloured them with Promarkers, then heat shrank them.  Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue works a treat for gluing them into place.

The matt for the message was cut with Spellbinder dies.

I stamped the message onto the white card before cutting it and covered it with double sided adhesive.  After it had been cut, I covered it with Micro Beads.  You can just about see the sparkle.

I may have got a new camera but the photography hasn't improved!

Well, that's it for today,  Hope you're all having a good Easter Break and relaxing.

Should be back tomorrow but we're planning on going to a Boot Fair...I want to buy some bits to "alter!"

Happy Easter to all.

Another Quick Card

Happy Easter everyone, hope you all have a great weekend with lots of time for crafting.

I thought that I would show you another very simple card that will be taught in one of my upcoming workshops at Martells.

 

First of all, I cut a matt from some Fancy Pants paper then a smaller one from Coconut white card.  The white card was put over a mask and embossed in the Grand Calibur.

I cut the flowers in the same paper using the Bitty Blossoms Spellbinder Dies and a couple of leaves from a Foliage set.  The tag was cut from another Spellbinder set..

The next step was to make the flowers up which couldn't be easier using these dies.  I do get asked quite often how to roll them and the answer is to start from the outside and roll in towards the centre.  I always use a glue dot to hold them in place but Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue is brilliant for it as well.

I stamped a message from a Sam Poole set of stamps...I think it was the "Art Sayings" set.  If you haven't got this set yet I'd advise you to get hold of it.  There are so many useful phrases in it.  I know that Martells in Cliftonville stock this set of stamps (as well as lots of other Creative Expressions goodies!).  You can also see the set on the Creative Expressions website.

The next step was to thread the ribbon through the tag and stick it onto the card.  The flowers and leaves were the next to be added.

Once the card was put together, I applied Cosmic Shimmer Gold glue to form faux pearls in the embossed flower background. 

It really is an easy card to make and I hope that the bright colour makes you all feel as though Spring can't be far away!

Hope that some of you can make it to the demo on Wednesday...it would be great to see some friendly faces!  There will be lots of Distress, masks, emboss folders, paint and mess!!

Hope to be back tomorrow with another card.  Sorry the details are a bit sketchy on some of these but I don't want to give the whole game away before I run the workshops!!

Thanks for visiting and I do love to read any comments that are left for me.

Woyww

WOYWW

 

Well, good morning all.  This is the mess that is my workshop desk today!

 

Believe it or not, I'm prepping a workshop for Christmas Cards...thought it might be difficult this time of year but with all the pictures of snow I keep seeing, it's not too bad!  The workshop isn't taking place until November for the Xmas projects but this year my resolution is to be MUCH better organised!

 

 

This is a card I designed for a workshop taking place in July this year.  I thought I'd include it today for Hels challenge of stamped and shiny!

I've stamped Studio 490 flowers onto vellum and embossed with True White.

The background is silver card, painted with black Eco Green acrylic paint then put through the Grand Calibur with the Creative Expressions Bark embossing folder.  The paint was sanded off to reveal the silver underneath.

The message is from the same set of stamps as the flowers and I've stamped it onto a Spellbinder Fancy Tag die.

I've also stamped the butterflies onto vellum, cut them out and layered them.

Just a few gems, hat pins, a piece of black seam binding and a Dazzler and voila...it's done!

All of the items used are from Creative Expressions.

Hope you all like it...makes the mess on the desk worthwhile when I finally see the finished results.  Hopefully I'll have the "work in progress" in the top picture finished today.

Don't forget the demo at Martells on April 3rd.  I'll also be doing a demo at Ally Pally on Saturday 13th April so hope to see some of you there.

Thank you for visiting and leaving any comments. 

Simples!

 

Lace work style card

 



This is such a nice quick card to make and looks so effective when it's finished.

 

I've used a Spellbinder die for the pinwheel in the centre.  Firstly, cut a square of card to the right size then cover it with a double sided adhesive sheet.  Run it through the Grand Calibur with the die.  Remove the die and covering from the adhesive sheet and dip it into a container of Micro Beads.  Make sure that you press the Micro Beads firmly into place.

 

The next step was to run the white card through the Grand Calibur with a mask for an embossed look.

 

I cut out 4 corners with a Spellbinder die and glued them onto the main card before matting and layering.

 

The final touch was a Black Dazzler for the centre.

 

This is one of the cards we'll be making at a forthcoming workshop at Martell Press.

 

All of the products mentioned are from Creative Expressions and if you go to their website you can find a list of local retailers.

 

Hope you all managed to see Dee yesterday on Create and Craft...she had some great ideas for using gilding flakes which I can't wait to try.

 

I'm really looking forward to the demo at Martell Press on 3rd April and hope to see some of you there.

 

Until next time, hope you all stay warm and safe in this crazy weather we're having!