The Powder of Pixies...

Happy Thursday,

Today Im filming does You Tube videos for Creative Expressions on the new Cosmic Shimmer projects with the wonderful Julia Watts!  Julia will be demoing how to us the new Pixie Powder which I juts Love so I couldn't resist a quick peak at one of the cards I made with these fab new Products.

I teamed a piece of watercolour paper covered in the Midnight Blue powder with my Primrose Everyday sentiments and daisy trail heart stamps.

i wet half a sheet of watercolour card whilst testing the new powders.  I then 'shot' the midnight blue over the card however it only stained the card where it was wet leaving a trail of the different colours within the product and a mica coating.  The Powders all have Mica in them which leaves a stunning sheen and shine along with the intense colours.

I+Next I stamped over the edge of the coloured section using the largest of the individual primrose stamps own my primrose elements et in Cobalt archival ink.  I then continued with the remainder of the white paper using increasingly smaller flowers.

I the added a stamped image of the daisy daisy heart and one of the heart sentiments ion the centre.  I finished with a double thin satin ribbon bow and a few layers of white and cobalt.

Ill let you all know when the videos are ready and live!

Enjoy...

Dotty Daisy Lauren...

Happy Wednesday,

Today I am running a workshop at my Friend Anettes Crafty Ciorner in Breedon on the hill, it seems to be workshop week this week!

Todays card is using the same background as yesterday it seems to have become a firm favourite as the base for every project at the moment!  This time I cut the main die into the dotty daisy pair form my new spring shades pad in the chambray colour way.  I then cut the outline dos from the Lauren frame  into the middle of the background.a

Next I cut each done in the set in subsequent order using the cut piece from the front turned over to the striped side to back the white diet.






I cut the Beaded swirl in the colour clouded background and then used the waste form the pice with the dots, again with the striped side showing to make up some of the sweetheart flowers.In the centre I added layer of the white and stamped the sentiment, form the Lily of the Valley elements set.

This would work in any colour from the paper pad, even the yellow lol!

Enjoy....

Yellow Lillies...

 Happy Tuesday,

Today I am running a workshop for a lovely craft group in St Helen's, the ladies have booked this with me and we will be making an array of projects as well as crafting and chatting.  Remember if you would like me to run a workshop in your area you simply need to either get your local craft shop or group to email me and I will see what I can arrange.

Today's card is a real change from yesterday and back to the spring like yellow that I seem to have fallen for at the moment.  It seems so easy to use this colour now I have eight designs in matching shades in my paper pack! ( honestly I don't just design for my own use lol)







I started by stamping the lily lattice circle in watering can archival ink onto the spring trail pattern in buttermilk.  I cut this out around the edge and then added one of the sentiments that fit in the centre from my Lily of the Valley everyday sentiment set.  I cut this out with the circle die in the Maggie frame and tags set and added a thin white mat cut using the larger circle in the Melbourne shape die set  and foam mounted these into the centre.

Next I cut the three complete petals sweetheart flowers form the daisy dots paper and added the outline open petals ( that come in the same set) in bright white foundation card.  I added a PVA pearl drop using Phill Martin's graceful mustard to add interest and finish the flowers.

to make the backing I embossed apiece of bright white using the Rose Blooms pinpoint embossing folder and rubbed Pearl Lustre metallic gilding polish all over out, i polished it off and cut a panel using the outline die ( die number 2) from the Australian background die set.  I added this to a panel cut using the largest die in the Australian background set I added the waste from the spring trail pair behind this and matted it with primrose foundation card.

I cut the lace edged leaves ( you get both mirror images in the set) from bright white foundation card.  I arranged these around the circle and added the flowers on top around the bottom right.  I added the whole panel to an embossed piece embossed using the victorian tile embossing folder again covering it i the metallic gilding polish.  A few more layers of white and primrose, a few PVA pearl dots and done.




Long instructions but thought I should make up for the lack yesterday! I had a fab day at Mountain Ash crafts yesterday what a wonderful place in the middle of a vineyard!

Enjoy..

Chocolate for Easter Monday...

Happy Monday,

I hope you all had a nice break over the aster period and have plans for today's bank Holiday, I will be demoing at Mountain Ash Crafts in Stourbridge today form 10am till 4pm so if you want a trip out come and say hi!  As its Easter an we traditionally have chocolate eggs I would make a card in a chocolate shade today especially as I am on a diet and am avoiding real chocolate!

This is a darker and richer card than I have been making but it can't all be spring can it lol?  I hope you don't mind but with so much on I'm really struggling with instructions at the moment!  Suffice to say this card is made using the scattered leaves background by Sue Wilson for Creative expressions.

Ingredients:
Dies
Scattered Leaves Background
New Zealand Tag
Lace Edged Leaves

Cosmic Shimmer
Diamond Snow,
Chocolate Metallic Gilding wax

Foundation card in Chocolate & Iris

I hope you are all having a f=great Easter break!

Enjoy...

CE Sunday...

Happy Easter Sunday,

It's Sunday which means its time for my design team inspiration for the Creative Expressions design team and I thought I would have a play with col,our cloud and some of the January release of dies designed by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.  I love the Turquoise pool colour cloud blending ink however I seem to use out far less than I should so today's card is made using this colour and white only!

I started by making a Bokah background using a mini smoothie and just turquoise pool cool cloud bending ink.  Next I cut the outline die form the Maggie frame and take die and added a die cut front using the outline and the filigree section.  I added this on top to make the gentle shaded backing.

Next I cut one set of the sweetheart flowers in white ( outlines and complete petals) and one full set in the colour clouded pare.  I then switched these over and added the white outlines to the turquoise bases and vice versa.  I the pinched each pearl, after cutting each petal to the centre of the flower and mounted these on top of each other to make the three shaped flowers shown.  I added these around the Frame.

Next I stamped the sentiment, form my Lily of the Valley elements stamp set, in the colour cloud onto a circle of bright white card cut form the circle included in the Maggie set.  I then shaded around the edge and foam mounted this into the centre of the frame.  I added the whole piece to a background made with the sea scary colour way from my paper pack added to a die cut form the Australian background.

Finally I added panel of embossing made with the Victorian tile A5 embossing folder which I shaded using the turquoise pool colour cloud.

A few matching dazzlers and layers of white and shaded card and finished.

To see what the rest of the design team have come up with this week click HERE.

Enjoy...

Ocean Teal Polish...

Happy Saturday,

Today I  demoing at Samuel Taylors on roseville street in Leeds, it would be great to see you if you can make it there!  I will be demoing between 10am and 4pm and hopefully will be showing the new Metallic Gilding Polishes as well as the new Pixie powders ( stock dependent)  I will also be demoing my paper pack and my Spring stamp collection ( again this is all stock dependent as everything is selling out!?!

For today's card therefore I thought I would show a card made using the new Metallic Gilding Polishes. and the stamp range.








The main element of this card is layering of the stamped images form the daisy daisy background, the lily lattice circle and the sentiment from the lily of the valley everyday sentiment set.  These were all stamped onto bright white card using an aqua shade of archival ink. I layers these with silver foundation card and added a bow and rose in teal from the Always and Forever collection from Craft Consortium.

For the background i embossed  piece of bright white card using the A5 Victorian tile embossing folder.  I then gently coloured this using the ocean teal metallic gilding polish.  A few layers of white and silver band a finished card is made.

Enjoy...

Easter Egg Yolk...

Happy Good Friday,

I hope you all have some wonderful plans for the Easter break.  I will be out on the road again on Saturday ( tomorrow) at Samuel Taylors in Leeds and at Mountain Ash Crafts in Stourbridge on Bank Holiday Monday.  If you want a trip out this weekend it would be great to See you at either ( or both days lol)

For today's card I thought I should go for something really spring like as it is Good Friday and there's nothing more spring like than the buttermilk shade of my paper pack and Primrose foundation card!?!

I stared this card by stamping the sentiment from my daisy everyday elements stamps set and the daisy daisy square stamps in perfect medium and heat set them with cosmic shimmer true white detail embossing powder onto Primrose foundation card.

I cut these out and mounted them, with from tape of course, onto white foundation card die cut with the 2 squares in the Union Square die set designed by Sue Wilson.  I matted these with more of the primrose and cut one of the dainty oval frames in primrose, cut it in half length ways and added these to the top and bottom of the stamped square.  This has the wonderful advantage of making a square sentiment and stamp into a even rectangular card.

I added a panel embossed with the dotty daisy bossing folder which I shaded using lemon meringue colour cloud blending ink. finishing with layers of the white and primrose and a page from the buttermilk shade from my paper pack.


















Next I made up some flowers using the smaller dies in the Orange blossom dies and the daisy dots paper, again in buttermilk.  the foliage is cut in bright white form the laurel leaves dies with Phill Martin's Graceful Mustard PVA in the centres of the flowers.

All in all a little yellow but hopefully appreciate for the ( early) spring Easter!

Enjoy...

Lilac Grouting...

Happy Thursday,

Well I know you wouldn't grout your bathroom with Lilac sparkle texture paste but how about an embossed background and flowers?

I stared today's card by embossing a piece of bright white foundation card with the Jacobean floral embossing folder by Sue Wilson .  I then grouted the debossed side using Sparkle texture paste in Graceful Lilac.  Sue Wilson has made an instruction video on this on the Creative Expressions you tube channel if you want to see how to do this technique.

Once dry, which takes about 10 minutes, I cut the second largest die from the Australian background ( die no 2) form the piece and mounted this onto a piece cut form the main die in the set.  Next I added the waste behind the die cut so that it shows through the slots around the side.

Next, using the Heart of Hearts die I cut the largest and smallest hearts form the set in blue dusk and bright white.  I then stamped one of the sentiments from my Primrose everyday elements set in Blue Violet archival ink and cut it out by hand shading around int with more of the blue violet ink and a mini smoothie.    I mounted this with foam tape onto each of the die cut hearts in turn and arranged it in the centre of my grouted panel.

Finally I made up the sweetheart flowers by cutting the complete petals in the grouted paper and the open petals in the bright white card.  I mounted these together and cut into the centre between each petal before shaping the flowers and adding them, with the lace edged leaves cut in the blue, around the heart sentiment.

An effective card that is quite simple too make especially if you have a few pieces of the grouted paper to hand like I do form all the demos I do.

Enjoy...

Purple Primroses...coloured! is

Happy Wednesday,

It's another sample form my Shows at the beginning of this week as I thought you might all like a closer look!  I have to admit although I'm not much of a colourist I love how this one came out.

I stared by stamping the daisy Daisy heart rubber stamp in watering can archival ink onto bright white foundation card.  I then coloured the image using seedless preserves distress markers around the edges.  Next I pulled out the colour using a water brush.

Next I drew a square on another piece of bright white card and stamped the corner flourish, from the Primrose elements clear stamp set, again in watering can along the edges of 2 opposing corners of the square.  I cut the square out by hand and coloured the flowers in the same manner using Shabby Shutters for the leaves and spiced marmalade for the flower centres and the shading on the leaves.

I made up the card as shown using a shaded sentiment from the primrose everyday sentiments in the centre and a set of embossed an matted layers at the back.

A simply coloured image but hopefully effective.








The winners of this weeks completion are

The Card on Monday
Stephanie Cotterill

The Tuesday demo pack is
Norah McPhee

If you email me your address on Lockers@live.co.uk I will get the prizes sent to you!

More chances to win next week!


Enjoy...

Oh what a show!...

Happy Tuesday,

I have to admit to feeling little tired after yesterdays shows on Hochanda especially as with so many sell outs I was frantically creating demos with the products that hadn't sold out!  This done mean that I have come home with  a couple of unfinished demo packs one of which is for this card, therefore I will be giving this pack away to a random winner from todays comments.  If you would like to win this pack simply leave a comment below.,  All winners will be announced tomorrow!  The remaining packs will be given away in the coming weeks.

 This is a good point to mention that last weeks demo pack prize hasn't been claimed as yet, therefore I will be giving this to another comment form that day if it isn't claimed by end of day tomorrow.




Back to todays card and as I am offering the pack to make this as a prize, and I didn't demo it, I thought i should explain how it was made!  Firstly I have used the new Metallic gilding polish in the white pearl on this card however you can get a similar look with Mica powder stamping and as this is in stock I will include a pot of this to the winner as well as one of the Spring Trail stamps I used on the show ( hope the winner doesn't mind a preloved stamp!

WIN Polished & Stamped...

Happy Monday,

Today's card is the first demo I did last night featuring the One day Special new stamp release as well as the polishes!  I cant believe how quickly these sold out I'm really sorry if you wanted them and didn't get them in time.  These should be hitting the shops this weekend I will get them back on Hochanda, as well as the final 6 colours, as soon as possible.

This stared as bright white foundation card and all the colouring and stamping is done with the metallic polishes in Mediterranean blue, ocean teal and Pearl white.  I simply used the colours to give the ombre effect across the card the  stamped the Daisy Trail heart  over this and heat embossed it with Cosmic Shimmer true white detail embossing powder.

I stamped the A6 spring trail background stamp using the blue and teal polishes  and even coloured the pearls and embelishment with it, versatile or what!?!

Don't forget I will be back with more product and stamping demos today at 9am, 12pm, 4pm and last chance at 7pm.

If you would like to win the car I made last night on the show simply leave a comment below, I will pick and announce a winner on Wednesday.  

Enjoy...

Showtime...

Happy Sunday,

Today's post has a double as it is the launch of my second half of the Spring stamps for Creative expressions as well as my design team inspiration for Creative expressions, hews that for multitasking! lol

The first card was shown slightly on the sneak peak of my stamp launch however I am intending to demo a version of this card on one of tomorrows shows ( 9am, 12pm, 4pm & 7pm) and I thought it dissevered its day in the sun!

I stared by stamping the spring trail background in Cosmic Shimmer flake and glitter glue and added silver moon gilding flakes over the top to give this gilded stamped panel.  I cut this out using the outline die from the Sue Wilson Australia collection and threaded thin satin ribbon (bluebird) through the slots around the edge.

For the main element I stamped the oval form the Lily of the valley clear stamp set again in gilding flakes and cut this out adding a die cut mat in blue.  Finally I stamped the sentiment, from the same set, in gilding flakes and cut this out with the smallest in the Creative Expressions pierced flags die set.  I added this accross the bottom coming from the oval.  I added a few layers of white and blue, a bow and an 8mm pearls in the centre of the bow and 5mm pearls on the other corners.

The second card is one of the demo cards form my Hochanda show a couple of weeks ago and again is perfect for this weeks Inspiration for the Creative Expressions design team.  I used the orange blossom dies, leaves and the matching stamps as well as the Lattice Window triplet which as you see makes a perfect church window by just using the centre die from the triplet.

To see what the rest of the design team have made click HERE...

Hopefully some of you can tune in at 8pm to see what Demo's I have prepped.

Enjoy...

Polished...

Happy Saturday,

Well this is really something different Saturday as Its MDF and the nee Metallic Gilding Polishes, masks and some stamping!  This piece shows the wonderful polishes perfectly which I will be introducing to everyone on Hochanda tomorrow night, along with the second half of my spring stamp launch, tomorrow night at 8pm.

I will be demoing at the NEC hobby crafts show today for the Art of Craft so pop along and say Hi if you are at the show.  Today's piece started with the beach houses set form Creative Expressions and is decorated really easily with the polishes.  With the polish you don't need to gesso the MDF at all you simply add the polish, using the tool that comes in the pot with the product.  I used Mediterranean blue, ocean teal and pearl white in bands across the beach house, as you can see the colours blend perfectly.

Next I used more of the polish through the new Mini 3 x 3 masks from creative Expressions to add the diamond patterns .  Next I added waves using the gilding polish to stamp the new clear stamp designed to go with the by the sea MDF accessory pack that I used here.  The seahorses are separate piece that I coloured in the white and shaded using the teal and blue around the edges.  I then stamped the detail of the seahorses using jet black archival ink ( the polish is water based and so takes any ink over the top)






To finish the piece I added cosmic pearl dots and glued on large clear microbes to give the feel of water.

A very different piece but one that I really love as you can see form the pictures It has already found a home in my House!

Enjoy...

New Product for New Zealand...

Happy Friday,

There is a little sneak peak on this card as the new Metallic Gilding Polishes should be available on my Hochanda show which starts Sunday night at 8pm.  We are waiting for stock confirmation at CE towers however It looks like every thing is going ahead!

Today's card uses a background made with the polishes and the New Zealand background.  The sentiment is even stamped with the polish ( yes you can clearly stamp with it tune ion to see how!)

I have added a few pictures of this card which is all made with just Bright White foundation card and the chocolate bronze Metallic Guilding polish.

I hope you don't mind the lack of description but I will talk over this card on one of the shows and I don't want to preempt it!

Tomorrows something different will be made with this new cosmic shimmer and will have more description promise x

Enjoy...

Zoe in Iris...

Happy Thursday,




I'm running a workshop today at Creative Expressions in Kettering ( CE Towers as Mrs D named it!)  and then prepping for the NEC.  I will one demoing on Friday and Saturday on the Art of Craft stand at the NEC crafts show, pop along and say Hi if you are going!

I thought for today I would show a different use of the Zoe die that I used on Tuesday, this time I have gone back to my palette of blues!









I Started this card by cutting one of the double pierced rectangles in coconut white with the outer die form the Zoe set in the centre at the top.  Next whilst keeping the card in the dies I embossed the panel.  This is completed by placing the dies and cut piece, cutting edge up, into the open embossing folder.  Next leaving the folder open I placed the large tan mat over this ( so that the cutting edges of the die would go into the mat as pressure was added.   Whilst in the die I shaded the embossing using Indigo Mist colour cloud and a smoothie.   I then  added a couple pf sheets of copier pair and finally the raspberry plate before running the sandwich through the machine.  Remember you always leave the folder open if it is closed the dies will cut into the embossing folder, I know I've done this lol)

Next I cut a larger mat of the iris foundation card and using the first piece as a template I added the filigree and oval die ( dies 2 and 3) on the iris.  I cut this then repeated the procedure with the final die in the set (die 4).  I matted these layers together with foam tape adding an embossed panel behind the centre.  I then cut the peony cluster die in white and the separate flowers in the iris making this ornament up with 3mm white pearls in the centre.

I wrapped a strip of American seam binding, coloured with the colour cloud, around the piece and added a messy bow and the peony cluster on top as a focus point.

I repeated the die cut emboss technique using Iris card and the largest double pierced rectangle and added a few layers of iris and white to finish the card.  A pearl in each corner and complete.

This card could be used for any occasion and, in my view, would work for the gents as well!

Enjoy...