Monday 29 September 2014

Ralph With Hat - Polka Doodles/Incy Wincy

Afternoon peeps!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

A new challenge starts today over at Incy Wincy, the theme is 'something old, something new' (nothing to do with weddings, you need to use a new craft item and an old craft item). 

My 'old' - twine, buttons & markers; my 'new' - patterned paper & die-cut sentiment.

I'm so excited as this will be my first challenge as a DT member with Incy Wincy.



This weeks sponsors are Polka Doodles!


I had great fun coming up with this cute little card...his name is Ralph. I know Ralph is an owl, but with his little hat and scarf and it being for a Christmas card, I thought he would make a perfect little penguin. :o)



What you need... 

Digital image: Ralph with Hat digi stamp - Polka Doodles
Card stock: white
Patterned paper: Let it Snow (12"x12") Be Merry Collection - American Crafts
Die-cut sentiment: Cookies (Bits) Be Merry Collection - American Crafts
Promarkers: Berry Red, Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 5, Pumpkin
Button: pale aqua
Baker's twine: red
Gems: clear

What you do...

Cover the top of a white 10.5cm x 15cm top fold blank with Let It Snow paper 10.5cm x 12cm.
Wrap red twine around the blank at the edge of the patterned paper, thread through an aqua button at the left side and tie in a bow.
Download, print and colour in Ralph.
Cut out Ralph and attach him to the right just above the twine.
Add a die-cut sentiment centrally to the top of the blank and decorate a few snowflakes with gems.

Isn't he adorable? 

Why not head on over to Incy Wincy and join in this fun challenge?

Well that's me for now, thank you so much for dropping by! xxx

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Thursday 25 September 2014

PaperCrafter Issue 75

Good evening my lovelies!

I hope you are all happy, fit and well! 

The new copy of PaperCrafter (#75) is in the shops and I'd like to share with you the projects I have in this months issue.

I am so pleased and honoured to have made front cover with the cute little Santa card. In the kit you get a pop out die cut sheet to make a cone shaped Santa. I decided to adapt it and I made it into a rocker card. I think he's so adorable.


Here are the rest of my projects...

Mistletoe My Dear & Polar Bear Stroll
Red Rocker
Be Merry
Seasons Greetings
Winter Trees
The kit this month is stunning. It has lovely shades of red, greens and blues. The images are so cute, with gorgeous animals and birds with a simple retro feel. There is also a wonderful reindeer stamp and some mini gift boxes for you to make up.

The fab paper on the holly card is part of a set you can download from the PaperCrafter website for free. They have a lovely vintage, folk art feel inspired by the artwork on narrowboats.

If you subscribe this month you get a lovely craft storage tote. Perfect for taking to classes or crops, just pop in your kit, magazine a few tools and adhesives and away you go!

I really enjoyed working with this kit and I'm sure you will too. If you go to the PaperCrafter Facebook page you can upload photos of your kit creations.

Thanks for popping by! TTFN xxx

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Tuesday 23 September 2014

Blast From The Past!

Heevernin peeps!

I hope you are all having a good week so far. I've just posted of another couple commissions to Crafts Beautiful today for the December issue. So I can now catch up on a couple of things :o)

Talking of Crafts Beautiful, way back I illustrated some cool Halloween drawings for the '7 Ways with Witchy Motifs' project October 2012 issue. I really loved these cards and as Halloween is fast approaching I thought I'd revisit and share a few of the cards.

Here are the actual layouts in the magazine...




...and a few close up shots that I took...





Here is a close up of the cute little froggy...


You can still download the templates from the Crafts Beautiful website, just sign up for free and then you can download templates, patterns and papers! Click here to take you to the October 2012 template download page.

This is what the templates will look like...



The templates are downloaded as a PDF, you can then open it up and print off the images onto card, colour in and cut out.

I've enjoyed going back to some of my early makes. I had great fun illustrating, designing and creating this set. I can't pick a favourite as I love them all.

Thank you for popping by and I'll be back soon :oD xx

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Warm Wishes - Crafts Beautiful Oct 2014 Issue

Good afternoon my lovelies!

It's very autumnal here in Norfolk today. Still mild, but there is that lovely mist in the air that you only get in the autumn :o)

Anyhoo, I have the second card from the October issue of Crafts Beautiful to show you. The projects feature paper/card piecing.




What you need...

My lovely, cosy templates: Crafts Beautiful
Textured card stock: textured aqua, cream, chocolate brown, pale aqua, pale pink
Ink pad: Rich Cocoa - Memento
Blending tool: Inkssentials - Ranger
Punch - corner rounder
Gems: clear
Lettering: Basic Grey
Baker's twine: pink, brown
Adhesives

What you do...

Use the templates to cut out a pale aqua mug and handle, an aqua inner, a pink snowflake and cream steam.
Ink the edges of each with Rich Cocoa ink, then assemble straight onto chocolate brown card and trim to leave a narrow border.
Round the top right corner of a white A6 blank.
Cut a slightly smaller section of pale pink card, round the top right corner, ink the edges and attach to the blank.
Use foam pads to mount the mug onto the blank.
Add lettering to make a sentiment in the top right. 
Wrap and tie pink and brown twine around the spine and add a few gems to finish.

Ta dah!

Ooh! It makes you want a lovely mug of hot steamy cocoa.

Craft tip!!! I used some cream lettering from a sheet of alphabet stickers by Basic Grey. I then coloured them in with a brown Promarker. Great if you want to match up your colours.

The templates are in the back of the October issue or you can download them free from the Crafts Beautiful website. You will need to register to download templates, patterns and papers, but it quick, easy and free to do. There are loads of projects and ideas on the web site.

Just before I go, the new Christmas Special issue will be hitting the shops on Friday. I have a lovely snowflake paper cutting master class, 3D bauble cards and I'm featured in the 'Ask the Expert' pages on how to cut out circles by hand and what triple stamping is. 

Ooh! Get me! Colette (I am a fountain of knowledge) Smith. Bwah har!

Anyway peeps. I have to sign off for now, but I'll be back. Toodle-pip! xx

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Tuesday 16 September 2014

Exciting News!

Hello peeps!

I do hope you are all having a good week so far.

Ooohh! I've got some exciting news.... I've made it onto the Incy Wincy Challenge Design Team! Sooo happy! Thank you  to Chris, Heather and all the team for choosing me to be part of their Design Team.

I know I'm going to have great fun working alongside some lovely and very talented ladies. 

There is a new challenge every Monday and they have some fantastic sponsors on board. 

This week the theme is 'shaped cards' and the sponsor is 'Dilly Beans Digi Stamps'. Why not pop on over and have a peek?



You'll be seeing my Design Team challenge cards soon, so watch this space. In the meantime, get those entries in!

TTFN xx
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Sunday 14 September 2014

Define Good - Crafts Beautiful Oct 2014 Issue

Hello my lovelies!

I do hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I've had a busy day making onion bread, sun-dried tomatoes (oven dried really), a big, huge enormous pot of ham hock, lentil & leek soup. I also picked the remaining few tomatoes and chillies in the greenhouse; plus I washed and sorted through some brambles I picked last week ready for a yummy apple & bramble crumble. 

Phew! I thought Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest! I've actually really enjoyed doing it. When I get into the home made foody stuff there's no stopping me.

After all that, I've managed to find a few minutes to say hello and show you the card I did for the master class in the current issue of Craft's Beautiful.




Isn't the image cute? It's from a stamp set called 'Define Good' by The Cat's Pajamas. I used some papers from my Christmas stash (one of my fave collections from My Mind's Eye called Colorful Christmas). I wish you could still get this collection :o((  The image was coloured in with the ol' faithful Promarkers.

Why not pop on over to the Crafts Beautiful website where there is loads of stuff for you to download for free. There are also lots of projects for you too.

Okay, that's me for the moment. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and thanks for popping by. TTFN xx

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Friday 12 September 2014

A few changes are afoot...

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you are all looking forward to the weekend.

Just a quick post to say that I'm making a few changes to the blog. You may have noticed I now have some page tabs at the top. 

These should make it a bit easier to navigate around the blog and you won't have to scroll down for evermore to find what you are looking for. I will be adding some more, such as a page listing challenge blogs, a gallery of my past makes, a contact page and maybe one with hints and tips :o)

Hopefully the new pages will be added soon.

Thanks for popping in. TTFN xx

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Thursday 11 September 2014

Cosy Christmas - Crafts Beautiful October 2014

Hello peeps! Happy Thursday to you!

As some of you may or may not know, I have regular monthly projects in Crafts Beautiful magazine. 

This month I have a heat embossing master class and a two card project featuring simple paper (or card) piecing. It is one of the paper piecing cards that I would like to share with you today.

I decided to come up with a warm and cosy theme using lovely ice-cream colours, and here it is...



What you need...

Textured card stock: chocolate brown, cream, pale aqua, pale pink, peppermint green
Ink pad: Rich Cocoa - Memento
Lettering: Basic Grey, brown
Baker's Twine: green
Gems: clear
Punch: corner rounder
Tool: Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool - Ranger
Adhesives
Templates: Available to download from Crafts Beautiful

What you do...

If you have the magazine, copy the templates from the pattern pages or log on to the Crafts Beautiful website and download.
Create two pale pink mittens, two pale aqua cuffs and two peppermint green trees. 
Colour the edges of each piece with Rich Cocoa, leave to dry and assemble.
Round the corners of cream card, 10cm x 13cm and pale aqua card, 3cm x 13cm and ink the edges.
Mat onto a white 13.5cm square blank with the cream panel at the top and the pale aqua panel below.
Round the corners of the blank.
Stick the mittens onto chocolate brown card and trim, then fix a tree to each. 
Attach a short length of green twine between the two, securing on the reverse. 
Adhere to the cream panel with foam pads.
Add the sentiment with brown lettering to the pale aqua panel and a gem to the top of each tree.

There you have it! A cosy card that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside :o)

I'll share with you the other card in this set at a later date. That one features a steaming cup of cocoa - yum!

You still have a week or so to grab this fantastic mag. As usual it's packed with gorgeous makes, great ideas, hints, tips and more; or you could pop on over to the Crafts Beautiful website, where you will find lots more projects and ideas. There are also lots of free patterns, papers and templates to download, you'll be spoilt for choice.

I'm going to sign off for now, I have to get on with some illustrations for a future issue of the magazine. Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for calling in. xx

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Monday 8 September 2014

I Heart U This Much

Hi there!

I'm back today with a cute little Christmas card. 

I've been very good and used stamps and papers from my stash. 

Saying that, I did get some lovely goodies through the post this morning (naughty girl - slap wrist). Oh well, I can't be good all the time ;o))

So onward we go to the card....



Don't these little guys want to make you go 'Awww!'?

What you need...

Stamps: Freezy Fellas - Paper Smooches
Patterned papers: Snow Day - Crate Paper
Card stock: white
Ink pad: Onyx Black - Versafine
Promarkers: Amber, Bright Orange, Chilly Red, Warm Grey 1
Buttons: beige, orange, red
Baker's twine: purple
Gem: red
Adhesives

What you do...

Stamp the images onto white card, colour in and cut into a circle. 
Mat onto a slightly larger piece of aqua patterned paper.
Create a white top fold A6 blank. 
Attach a 6.5 cm wide strip of scallop paper down the length of the blank approximately 1.5cm from the left edge.
Cut a simple banner 3cm x 6cm in aqua patterned paper and fix to the top left corner.
Attach the snowmen to the lower right corner.
Tie twine through a red and orange button and glue to the lower right of the snowmen. 
Thread twine through a large beige button, tie in a bow and glue to the left of the banner. 
Finish with a red gem in the heart.

So cute!

I based this card on retrosketches#56...


Pop on over to the retrosketches blog where this and many more fab layouts can be found.

I would also like to enter this in The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog - Challenge #77 - another gorgeous blog, I'm so glad I discovered it :o)


Craft tip!!!! I find that Versafine pigment ink pads are the best to use with photo-polymer stamps as it gives very clear, precise results and you don't get the patchy result that you can get with dye based inks; but it does have a tendency to bleed when using alcohol based pens such as Promarkers or Copics. Of course you can use embossing powder to fix the image, which can be messy and time consuming.

Solution? A quick fix is to gently set the image with a heat gun for a few seconds. Let the image cool down and colour away!

Anyway, that's me for now. Thank you for dropping by...xx

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Sunday 7 September 2014

Mumpkin

Happy Sunday my lovelies!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I've been for a nice walk with a friend this afternoon and have just had a lovely glass of Pimms (naughty - I know).

Well, this morning I made a little Halloween card. I don't think I made any last year and absolutely adore Halloween. Anyway, I came up with this cute little card...



Isn't he just the cutest little Mumpkin? I've had the stamp a couple of years, I've checked on the Internet and youcan still get it if you shop around. The paper is from a K and Company 12x12 Halloween collection that I've had in my stash for some time.

What you need...

Stamp: Cling Mumpkin (CRH280) - Stampendous
Card stock: black, orange, white
Patterned paper: black/white striped
Ink pad: Onyx Black - Versafine
Embossing powder: Detail Clear - Stampendous
Promarkers: Lime, Pumpkin, Ice grey 1
Stickers: stars, black
Font: Evil Bunny
Adhesives

What you do...

Stamp the image onto white card, cover in embossing powder and heat set. 
Colour in and cut out. Mount onto black card and trim.
Make a black 12cm x 12cm square top fold blank. 
Mat a piece of orange card 11cm x 11cm centrally onto it followed by a 10cm x 10cm piece of striped paper.
Attach the mumpkin image to the lower left corner and stick a few stars around it. 
Type and print the sentiment onto white card, trim into a banner, mat onto black card, trim and adhere to the top right corner.

Cool or what?

Unfortunately there isn't an equals sign in the Evil Bunny font, so I had to put in a dash and add the extra line with a fine liner, but I don't think you can tell.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges....



Why don't you hop on over to these cool challenges and have a go?

I'm going to sign off for now. Thanks for popping by and I'll be back soon. xx

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Thursday 4 September 2014

Snow Bear

Good afternoon and happy Thursday!

I'd like to say hello to my new followers and thanks for joining Cosmic Strawberry.

I have another Christmas card for you, again using some of my old stash (very old in the case of this stamp).

This card is only a little diddy one, 8cm x 11cm. I sometimes think it's nice to make little cards, plus they are so cute. You can purchase envelopes to fit this size - C7 in the UK. Then again, if you have an envelope maker, make your own from lovely Christmassy papers!

Without further ado....



I used a polar bear wood stamp by Anita's (like I said, years old). I stamped him in Onyx Black Versafine and shaded him in with Icicle Promarker. I mounted him onto black card and cut him out leaving a narrow border.

I measured a piece of black card and cut a wavy section from the bottom, hand drew snowflakes with a white gel pen and then mounted this panel to a white top fold blank, 8cm x 11cm. 

The polar bear was seated at the lower left and a 'Believe' rub-on was applied at the lower right corner. I then added a few clear gems to finish.

Is he cute or what? It's a shame you can't find this stamp now as everyone says how sweet he is...  I'm saying 'him/he' it might be a 'her/she' - it looks like a 'him' to me :o)

Okay, so that's me done for now. Thank you for calling by and enjoy the rest of your Thursday. xx

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Wednesday 3 September 2014

Christmas Wishes

Afternoon lovelies!

Okay, this card is unusual for me as I used, wait for it.....peel-offs! Yes! Me using peel-offs. I usually 'ugh' at the thought of them. 

A few years ago I stumbled across a sheet of black peel-offs featuring a lovely bird. I purchased a few sheets and have had them hidden away for years. I think you can still get these peel-offs if you have a hunt on the Internet.

I was having a sort through some of my stash the other day and came across them. So I decided to give them a shot; as at least when you place them on white card it looks like a stamped and heat embossed image, and this is what I came up with...



What you need...

Card stock: white
Peel-offs: Christmas Doves, black - Elizabeth Craft
Promarkers: Lime Green, Molten Red, Pear Green
Patterned paper: lime swirly
Ribbon: red
Gems: red

What you do...

Cut a piece of white card 10cm x 11.5cm and place a dove sticker centrally, 1cm above the bottom edge. 
Add a length of the circle border sticker as a hanger.
Colour in the dove and hanger with Promarkers.
Create a white 10cm x 15cm  top fold blank and mat the dove panel to the top.
Cover the remainder of the blank with lime swirly paper. 
Wrap and tie ribbon around the top edge of the lime paper. 
Add a sentiment in the top right corner and embellish the dove and hanger with a few red gems.

There you have it. A quick, clean and simple card. Not bad for peel-offs eh?? I may even have a go a doing some more of these in different colour combinations. 

Looking through my sticker stash I did come across some other peel-offs that may come in handy. Am I new convert? I don't think so, but watch this space, you never know....

Right! That's me for the mo. I have commissions to get on with. Thank you for popping by and I'll be back soon.

TTFN xx

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