Creative Studios DT Post

Good Morning All, just a quick one today.

It's my turn to design for the Creative Studios Team today and I've come up with a little wall plaque using Sam's gorgeous Doodle Flowers and Butterflies Stamp sets.

As usual, I've posted a full step by step (with photos) on the Creative Studios Website.  I have a link on the right...just click on Sam Poole and it will take you there, then click on design team.

As the winner of the blog candy hasn't claimed the prize I'm going to re-draw a winner.  So to be in with a chance, just leave a comment under this post and I'll pick someone from there.

I'll leave you with a picture of Table Mountain in Cape Town.  I can't believe that we were there on Saturday and now we're back in the cold and wet!

So until next time, have a happy, crafty week!

WOYWW

Good Morning All and happy WOYWW!

It's nearly that time of year again, Ally Pally is this weekend and so I'm busy prepping demo's hence the state of my desk.  It's my excuse and I'll use it if I want to!

After I took this photo I did finish the card and here it is in all it's glory.

I've used one of the new Christmas Bauble stamps from Creative Expressions with the ultra fine glitter.  It doesn't really show up very well in the photo but there's lots of bling on this one!

It's also my DT day on the Creative Studios blog and I'm in Halloween mode again.  I've used one of Sam Poole's new stamp designs and had a ball making this one.  I've put the full step by step on the design team blog.

In other news, the kitten has settled in well, he loves cuddles and playing with all the new toys he's been bought!  I still can't understand how anyone could have dumped him in a sealed cardboard box but I guess it was his lucky day.  He's at the vet's at the moment having another check-up before getting his vaccinations.  I'll miss him when my daughter moves out but I do have full kitten-sitting rights!  News update...kitten back and medically fit!  His age, they now think, is between 8 & 12 weeks....I thought he was small for 15 weeks.

The blog candy is still there, I'm really hoping I can send it to someone soon! 

Thank-you to all the lovely ladies who came to the workshop at the weekend, it was slightly chaotic but, I hope you agree, good fun!  The next one is in November (dates on the sidebar). 

Hope to see some of you at the weekend, come over and say hello.  Many thanks for visiting today and leaving comments.  I'll try my best to visit as many as possible of you over the next couple of days.

WOYWW

Happy Wednesday everyone and that can only mean one thing....time to go for a snoop around everyone's desks!

I didn't have much on mine today so I thought I'd take a piccie of a corner of my cabin. 

Looking at this, I realise that I have a terrible paper habit!  I just can't stop buying it and then don't want to use it as it's too nice.  I really must "have a word with myself!"
If that was all the paper it wouldn't be as bad but I've also got a tall paper rack on another wall and my cardstock is stored on another wall!  Repeat after me..."you're a bad person and it's only paper so just use it!!!"

As it's Wednesday, it's also my day on the Creative Studios Design Team blog.  Here's what I've come up with for this week.  It's also a project that I'll be teaching at a workshop in September at Martells in Cliftonville.

I've used the "Art Houses, Art Flower and Wise Friends" sets of stamps from Creative Studios.  There's step by step instructions on the blog and the link is Sam Poole Designs on the right of this page.

So, now in to today's travel photo.

This is St David's Cathedral in Wales.  St David's is the smallest city in the UK.  It's also true that it rains a lot in Wales but the grass is always lush and green!

That's about it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and thank you to those who have signed up as followers.  We're creeping towards the 300 mark and then I'll draw the blog candy winner.  Also thanks for all the wonderful comments.  I'll try to visit as many of you as I can.  I seem to always get to about 90 before real life comes along and drags me kicking and screaming back into the real world!
So Until next time, have a happy, crafty (and possibly sunny) week!

WOYWW

Well fellow bloggers, here we are again.  Another Wednesday has snuck up on us and we're showing our desks in all their glory!

In spite of my repeated promises to myself to tidy up it still hasn't happened, maybe next week!  So here it is!!

As you can see, there are assorted ribbons, Spellbinder dies, masks and embossing folders as well as sample cards for upcoming workshops.  The brown drawers in the background have stamps in and on the shelves is my collection of cardstock.  I just noticed some ribbon weaving on there as well!

Now on to more pleasant matters!  Here's this weeks project for the Creative Studios Design Team Blog.

 

I've used the Enchanted Souls set of stamps for this one and I've posted a full step by step on the Creative Studios blog so I won't so it again on here.  The link is on the right, just click on Sam Poole.

 

A couple of weeks ago I had a chipboard mini book lurking on my desk and some of you said that you'd like to see the finished thing.  Well, I did finish it and it's on yesterday's post if anyone is interested.  It took a while to do as I wanted to use a lot of stamps that I haven't played with for a long time.  I was quite pleased with how it came out though.

 

So now for today's travel photo.  I've been researching the family tree and found out that this is where my great, great grandparents were married and my great grandfather was christened.  It's the Parish Church in a town called Ibstock in Leicestershire.  It seems as though we lived there from the 1500's.

 

Anyway, that's it for today.  Many thanks for visiting and all the lovely comments.  I'll try to visit as many of you as I can.
Don't forget the blog candy!!

WOYWW

Good Morning and a very happy WOYWW!  Wasn't last week terrific!!  I tried to get around as many desks as possible but time ran out and I can only apologise to those I didn't get to.

Time waits for no man etc. so here we are, another week on and my desk still hasn't shown much sign of improvement!

I found a chipboard book I'd bought in a sale about 3 years ago for 30p lurking in the back of a cupboard so thought I should start to do something with it.  I've only got as far as covering it with some Graphic 45 papers so far.  I have used some of the paper to cut out the pictures to decorate parts of it.  The stamps on the desk are the Art Houses from Creative Studios.  Not sure if they are going in the book yet but wanted to colour them in!!

What I have been working on though, is my next DT project for Creative Studios using the Wise Owl set of stamps.  I just can't stop using them!

I'm posting the full step by step on the Creative Studios blog this morning so I won't do it on here as well (hope you don't mind!)  The background is Alcohol Inks and the owl is coloured in with Copics to give you some idea.  Hope you like it and it is a nice quick card to make.
Sam will be demoing the Wise Owl and Enchanted Tree stamp sets on Create and Craft this Saturday (8th) and you might just recognise a few of the samples!!

Now for today's travel photo!

These are the giant waterlillies that grow in the Amazon.  They really are quite spectacular and I just wish that the photo did them justice.

Please don't forget the blog candy...I really would like to draw out a winner!  It's easy to enter, just sign up as a follower and when I reach 300 I'll draw a winner for the Paper Artsy stamps and Tim Holtz mini mask.

That's all for today, I'll try and get to as many of you as possible over the next couple of days.  As always, many thanks for visiting and leaving all your lovely comments.

Have a happy and crafty day!

Using Up Scraps

I don't know about you, but I always end up with a box of scraps that sit there and glare at me for years until I give up and throw them away!

Here's and idea to finally get rid of some!

This card was made using paper weaving.  I cut an aperture in a separate piece of white card using a Spellbinder die (saving the cut out of course!).  Next, cut the paper into strips of various widths.  Attach a line of double sided tape to the top of another piece of card that is slightly smaller that the top aperture layer.  Start sticking a line of the papers onto the tape.  When you get to the other end, weave the papers in and out horizontally.  Place the aperture over the top.

To finish the card, I stamped and embossed a butterfly onto vellum.  Cut out 2 more dies in black and white and stamped a sentiment onto the card.

This one hasn't been made from scraps as it's for a workshop and I wanted everyone to have the same paper but it was paper that I didn't like and would never have used so it still counts!

All the stamps and the set of dies are from Creative Expressions.

I'm up to my neck in gilding flakes at the moment making samples for Ally Pally.  My biggest problem is that in my studio I have a wall mounted heater that blows out warm air.  I have to wait for it to go off before I remove the lid from the flakes......timing is all!!!

Right, better get back to the studio, lots more demo ideas to prep.  Please remember to leave comments to be in with a chance of the blog candy.  The post with how to enter is further down.

Thanks so much for visiting.  Until next time.....

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.