Crafts Beautiful Jan 2013 - Pt2

Evenin'!

Here is the next sneaky peep at my projects in the current issue of Crafts Beautiful, January 2013.

These seven cards were to feature gilding flakes. I had never actually tried them before this project, they are fantastic. The effects you get with them are amazing. Rather than go for the normal gold, silver and bronze, I went for mixed flakes.

The flakes are called Mega Flakes by IndigoBlu and some of the mixed ones are simply stunning. The three I used were Winter Dawn, Morris Dance and Royal Peacock. I think the Royal Peacock is my fave. It has flecks of blues and greens, in with the silver and gold. The Morris Dance has a more red tone to it with a hint of blue and green. The Winter Dawn, is mostly silver but has touches of blue, gold and green. IndigoBlu also do a starter kit, which has everything you need to get going right away. You can buy the starter kit with a pot of Winter Dawn included, or without. Go on, give it a try. I promise you'll be hooked.

The January issue is available now from good newsagents and retailers and comes with an exclusive vibrant paper pack especially designed for Crafts Beautiful. It also has a few ideas on how to use your free gift.

Don't forget, you can download the templates for all projects, free from the website www.crafts-beautiful.com. Pop over for inspiration, top tips, projects and loads of other stuff!

Until next time, take care and thanks for calling by. xx

Crafts Beautiful January 2013 - Pt 1

Aft'noon peepsicles!

Are you nearly ready for Christmas yet? I lurrve Christmas, the open fire, mulled wine, hot chestnuts, carols... and you can't beat a bit of Perry Como, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby!

I'm not into a really modern Christmas, I like the old traditions. Weird really when you think the cards I design are quite modern, but I think they definitely have the retro 50's - 60's feel about them - the era I love.

Today I would like to show you the first of my Crafts Beautiful projects. I have three projects in this issue. I tell you, they'll be getting sick of the sight of me! No seriously, I'm honoured that they like my work enough to ask me to contribute so much, plus it keeps me busy!

This is another Card School project, this month focusing on card inserts. I admit I'm not of fan of inserts (or verses) to be honest, but I really enjoyed creating these. I'm pleased with the way they turned out, once again putting a modern twist onto something that can be 'twee' or old fashioned.

That's a little sneaky peek. The issue is jam packed with ideas, projects and features, and for more crafting ideas visit Crafts Beautiful. There are loads more hints, tips and projects on the website, plus you can join the forum, where you will find lots of lovely, friendly people.

Okay, that's enough from me for now. I'll post the second part soon. Until then, toodle pip! xx

True Spirit of Christmas

Well hello there chums!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I really don't know where it went to and at what speed. Back to Monday already.

The showcasing of my Christmas cards is winding down now. I just have one more to make, the most special one of all...Simon's (mushy stuff...bleugh). So this one I want to show you today is the last one of the cards I'm sending out.

I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get more made, I still have loads of new stamps, papers and ideas to play with. I've been so busy and basically ran out of time. Maybe I will make the odd one or two throughout the coming year and at least build a stock up.

What you need...

Stamps: Happy Holidays Star - Fancy Pants Designs

Dies: Framelits Circles - Sizzix

Embossing folder: Seeing Spots - Cuttlebug

Ink: Onyx Black - Versafine

Promarkers: Lime Zest, Cardinal Red - Letraset

Embossing powder: Detail Clear - Stampendous

Card stock: white, lime green, red

Ribbon: red

Glitter Dots

How you do it...

Onto a top fold white square blank, mat a smaller piece of lime green card, making sure you line up one edge with the fold of the blank. Emboss spots onto white card, trim so that it is slightly smaller than the lime green panel and mat on top.

Stamp and heat emboss the image onto white card and colour in. Cut out using a circle die. Mat onto a larger circle in red card. Attach to the blank so the circle overlaps the fold and trim off any excess.

Finish with red ribbon tied around the bottom and a few random glitter dots.

I'm not sure if you can this stamp now. I have had it a few years, but you could use any stamp and sentiment you have in your stash, just follow the layout of the card. Try using a different colour theme too.

Okay, that was the last one, except for Simon's card. I will post that one up when I've made it and given it to him (he reads the blog).

I'll be back soon with some sneaky peeks at my projects in the new issue of Crafts Beautiful, until then, take care and thanks for stopping by. xx

Santa Claws!

What'cha peeps?

It's a bright and breezy Sunday here in Norfolk. Cold though. Bazoo wanted to go out, so as cats do she sat by the door for 5 minutes waiting for us to open it. Open it we did, Bazoo stands on doorstep, sniffs air, Bazoo turns round and legs it back into the house. Brave cat...not.

You may remember me telling you about the gift wrap cutting thingy in a previous post; missing, presumed dead. Well the latest news it that we still haven't found it. I am fearing the worst. One of my socks was the latest victim of Bazoo, though thankfully it has pulled through. I will keep you updated of any news.

On a lighter note, here is a Christmas card I made for two lovely people, John and Joyce, of whom are fast becoming great friends. I did do another version of this card last year, I think I did showcase it in a previous post. The eyes on the cat makes me laugh.

What you need...

Paper: 12 Days of Christmas 6x6 Designer Paper Pad - My Mind's Eye

Card stock: white, pink, grey

Punches: teardrop, circles 2", 1", 1/4"

Ink: Black Soot Distress Ink - Tim Holtz

Pens: black, white

Button; red, large

Baker's twine; black

Rub-on letters: black, white

Pom-pom: white sparkly

Adhesives

How you do it...

Cover an A6 blank with aqua star paper, doodle lines around the edges in black and highlight the corners in white.

Cut a piece of white card with and uneven scalloped top edge, ink the edges in black. Cut a piece of red stripe paper, ink the edges and mount onto the scalloped piece, attach to the blank approximately 1cm from the bottom. Thread baker's twine through the red button and tie in a bow, attach to the left of the scalloped piece.

To make the cat, punch a 2" circle in grey card, two 1" circles in white, two teardrops in grey and three in pink and two 1/4" circles in black. Ink the edges on all pieces, trim one of the pink pieces for the nose and assemble as shown in the picture. Cut a hat shape from red chevron paper and white card, ink the edges and attach to the cat.

Hand cut a large wonky circle, draw another wonky circle within in it (slightly large than the cat) and divide this outer circle into stripes, colour alternate ones in black and ink the edges. Mount the cat onto the circle, slightly off centre. Add details and highlights in black and white pen. Attach the circle to the top left of the blank. Apply rub-ons to make the sentiment, finish with a pom-pom on the hat.

It's amazing what you can create from a few punched shapes and a little imagination. This card is easier to make than you think, it is a bit more time consuming than most, but it's one of those cards you send to someone special.

Righto, I'm now off for the nonce. The washing machine just finished it's cycle so I suppose I'll have to get another load in and put his lot in the tumble dryer - boring!!!! Then I'm going to wrap Simon's pressies whilst he is out in the garage. I don't want any peeping.

Thanks for calling, ta ta. xxxx

Dude, ...chill

Good afternoon!

Now here's something you don't get very often, two posts in one day. It is another Christmas card (I'm trying to get as many made as I can, but still not sure if I will have enough - oops).

This one again is very simple and very cute.

What you need...

Stamps: Freezy Fellas - Paper Smooches

Ink: Onyx Black - Versafine

Embossing powder: Detail Clear - Stampendous

Card stock: white, Kraft

Promarkers: Bright Green, Lipstick Red, Pumpkin - Letraset

Button: red, small

Crochet Cotton: white

Felt holly leaves

Adhesives

How you do it...

Create a top fold blank 8cm x 11cm. Stamp and heat emboss the snowman, two arms and the mistletoe. Cut out and colour in with Promarkers. Assemble the snowman and attach him to the front of the card.

Stamp the sentiment in the bottom right hand corner. Stick the holly leaves above the sentiment, thread cotton through the button and tie in a small bow, attach to the holly.

There you go, one very cute card indeed! Everyone go awwww.

That's me for the moment, until next time, toodle-pip. xx

Merry Christmas

Mornin' chums!

It's a wet, windy, dark and nasty day here in Norfolk. Not good. Then again it's the type of weather you want to cosy up on the sofa with a hot cocoa and an old Christmas movie, such as Holiday Inn or White Christmas. 

On the other hand National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Blackadder's Christmas Carol are good for a giggle. I watched Blackadder's Christmas Carol last night on the laptop whilst I was making a couple of cards. I say watched, I know it off by heart so I'm really listening rather than watching.

Talking of cards, here's another Christmas one for you.

What you need...

Stamps: Christmas Tree Stamp Set - Yellow Owl Workshop; Christmas Sampler - Paper Smooches

Inks: Sea Breeze, Turquoise Gem, Aquatic Splash, Purple Hydrangea, Spring Pansy, Pretty Petunia - VersaMagic

Card stock: white

Gems: clear, assorted sizes

Adhesives

How you do it...

Stamp the tree with Sea Breeze ink onto the left side of a top fold square blank. Stamp five presents under the tree using the remaining five colours. On a scrap of white card, stamp the sentiment with Purple Hydrangea ink, trim and adhere to the top right corner of the blank. To finish, embellish the tree with a few gems.

Another quick and simple card, perfect for last minute makes. I think it would also look good in shades of pink... maybe I'll try that colour later.

Right, must get on, lots to do. Thanks for popping in and see you soon. xxx

Advent Calendar

Aft'noon peepsicles!

I thought I would post a few piccies of an Advent calendar I made a couple of years ago. It always stands on the dresser in the kitchen and is very much part of the Christmas decorations. I bought the calendar from Craft Mill, it's still available and costs £31.99. It comes all assembled in bare pine, ready for you decorate. It's really sturdy and the doors open and close really easy and it will last for years.

Here's a few close ups of some of the doors.

I used a selection of retro themed papers from K & Company, My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket and American Crafts. Some of the embellishment are die-cuts that co-ordinate with the paper collections. Others are ribbons, gems, shaped buttons, brads, snowflakes and rub-on words/phrases. The numbers are a mix of black and white glittered and plain white (some I coloured in).

I waxed the whole calendar, except the door fronts. Then I sanded it back, more in some places than others, to give it a distressed look. I made a basic template in card and then used it to cut out the papers. The papers were then carefully glued onto the door fronts. When dry I again sanded the edges, to give the distressed look. 

To finish, I embellished each of the doors and added the numbers randomly. Ta da!

The most important job is to fill it with loads of choccies. I usually buy the chocolate coins, mini bars and little chocolate puddings, except for 24th December, when we have Lindt miniatures! Oooh yummy!

The good thing is, if it starts to look tatty in a few years time, I can remove the existing decor and do something different. Apart from the fact it's going to last years, and you get the pleasure of decorating it (and filling it - eating any left over choccies - rule #1) £31.99 doesn't seem that bad, especially when you think of how much the throw away calendars cost.

This could be your New Year's resolution, to buy and decorate one of these calendars ready for next year, or you could get one now, decorate and fill it, then have a catch up choccy fest. I think the second suggestion is the best:)

Right, that's me for the nonce. Off to make a coffee and get the fire going. Until next time....xx

Let's Make Cards Magazine!

Good Mornin'!

 

Exciting news! A few weeks ago I was approached by Let's Make Cards (a sister title to Crafts Beautiful) to become one of their designers - yippee! Of course I jumped at the chance. It's a fab magazine. I know it's a bit more expensive to buy, but what you get with it is amazing.

 

For those crafty peeps who maybe haven't got a lot of storage space or don't really buy many supplies, LMC is perfect because you get everything you need to make the projects with the mag. You can add your own little extras if you wish, but all the papers, embellishments and die cuts etc. that you get are so lovely, you probably wouldn't want to add anymore...just glue or tape. Plus of course, everything co-ordinates perfectly.

 

My first set of projects will be in Issue 59, due out in February. Can't say anymore at the mo, but hope they will like what I come up with.

 

On that high note, I will sign off for now,  see you soon :) xx

Making Spirits Bright

Aft'noon chums!

Sorry I haven't been around for a few days, I've been busy working on a commission for Crafts Beautiful, which is now all finished and posted off.

Last night I spent hours wrapping Christmas presents 'helped' by Bazoo. I have one of those gift wrap cutting thingies, which is now missing, presumed dead. Last sighting of it was under the Christmas tree, in a state of shock, disbelief and finally acceptance that it was no longer for this world.

I have to say, Simon and I were in great danger and it was only through Bazoo's instinct and bravery that we have come through what could have been a truly grisly ordeal. No doubt I will find the gift wrap cutter's body somewhere under an armchair. I will let you know when and where the service will be held. No flowers and no black please.

Back to the moderately sane world. I did manage to make a couple of cards before I started work on the CB stuff. This is a very simple Christmas card, I used solid circle stamps and created a background of different sized dots in greens and red, finishing with a sentiment, ribbon tied in a simple knot and a few gems.

Here it is.

What I used...

Stamps: Round Designer's Block - Judikins; Joyful Greetings - Paper Smooches

Ink: Tea Leaves, Key Lime, Red Magic - VersaMagic; Onyx Black - Versafine

Ribbon: red

Gems: clear, red

How I did it...

Stamp the sentiment with black ink in the bottom right corner of an A6 blank. Stamp dots randomly over the rest of the card with the red and green inks, starting with small dots around the sentiment, then getting larger as you move up the card.

Embellish the 'i' in 'bright' with a small red gem. Apply a few clear gems on a few of the dots and finish with red ribbon wrapped around the card and tied in a knot at the top.

Ta da! There you have it. I think it would also work really well with snowflakes stamped in lovely shades of blue. Hmmm...might have a go at that.

Again, this is a quick simple card, which can be whipped up in no time.

Well then, that's me for the mo, but I'll be back later. Thanks for dropping by. xxx

Happy Christmas - dangly bauble!

Whatcha peeps!

It's manic at the moment. I'm in the middle of another Crafts Beautiful commission, so I've not been around much this week.

Well, this Christmas card I want to show you, I made a couple of weeks ago. So glad I did now. This is another very quick simple card, again perfect for those last minuters (is that a word? minuters? - will have to check the 'ol Oxford later).

Righto, on to the card...

What I used...

Stamps: Joyful Greetings - Paper Smooches

Paper: Soda Fountain Dots & Stripes - Echo Park

Card stock: white

Die cut: 12 Days of Christmas Accessory Sheet - My Mind's Eye

Ink: Onyx Black - Versafine

Gems: black, red

Ribbon: red

Punch: corner rounder

Adhesives

What I did...

Create an A6 top fold blank and round the bottom corners. Cut a slightly smaller piece of turquoise stripe paper, round off the bottom corners and attach centrally to the blank. Repeat with white card.

Stamp the sentiment about 1" from the top of the white card. Add a row of black gems leading down from between the 'a' and 's' on the Christmas.

Attach the red bauble from the accessory sheet to the end of the black gems with foam tape, embellish with red gems. Wrap ribbon around the top of the card and tie in a knot on the right. Add a red gem over the dot on the 'i' to finish.

Having a large size sentiment means you don't have to go too mad on filling the rest of the card. These sentiments from Paper Smooches lend themselves very well to having things 'dangling' from them.

Well, that's me for the nonce.

Don't forget you can enter my blog candy giveaway, with a chance to get hold of some fab K & Company papers (rules of entry are in the post dated 21st November 2012). Just a little thank you to those of you who follow, read my waffle and leave fab comments; or to my new followers a thank you for joining :)

Take care, until next time. xx