It's all in Black and White...

Happy Friday,

I know quite a few of my blog family aren't too keen on simple Black and White however when it comes to Drama I don't think you can beat the original monochrome look!  I really think that the stark colours on this show all the detail on some of the other flowers that are included with the Orange blossom flower dies as well as the matching stamps to die for!

I stared this card by cutting three of the back panels using the centre lattice and matching outline form the Lattice Window triplet die in coconut white.  I then cut three of the black backing panels using just the outline die and stuck these together to give an almost leaded window look.  To add depth I put Midnight PVA glue on each of the junctions and left these to dry for a couple of hours.

Next I stamped an array of the smaller flowers in the orange blossom stamps to die for in Jet Black archival ink onto coconut white foundation card and cut them out with the matching dies.  I then stamped the matching Orange Blossom leaves in the same way and using the leaves set I cut these out as well ( you get 2 stamps in this set to match each of the leaves dies these have been designed by Sue to mirror each other)

I shaped the flowers using ball tool and my foam stamping mat.  Next I cut the centres, that also come in the die set, in black card, shaped them and added these to the centres of the flowers with a 5mm stick on pearl in white in the very centre.

I foam mounted the three panels in the middle top of a piece of card cit with the pierced rectangles and embossed with the star swirls embossing folder.  I then added a simple stamped pierced tags ( the smallest 'flag' in the set) with I stamped with the matching Happy Birthday form my pierced flags sentiment clear set.  I then arranged the leaves, shaped of course lol, to one side and randomly added the flowers to create the scary across the left hand side.

I finished the card with frame made using sets A & B for the pierced rectangles and added a couple of layers of Black and white to frame the card.

A striking card that hopefully shows off the detail of the dies and the stamps...

Ingredients:
Card Size: 21 x 23.5 cm
Colours: Black & Coconut white
Dies: Double pierced Rectangles sets A & B, Orange Blossom Complete Petals, Lattice Window Striplet 
Stamps: Orange Blossom & Orange Blossom Leaves stamps to die for 
Cosmic Shimmer: Midnight PVA, Jet Black archival ink
Enjoy...

Red Hearts...

Happy Wednesday,

Another card made using the stunning new dies launched by Sue on Hochanda last weekend, this time the Heart of Heart and a different take on the Orange Blossom Flowers.

For this one I stared by die cutting the centre die of the hearts form baby pink foundation card.  I then added a heart behind this cut form double sided adhesive sheet which I attached to the back and covered the exposed adhesive with Rose Copper polished Silk glitter ( I've been using this loads recently)

I then cut the next plain heart from the set from coconut white and cut one of the Corvus Gemini die form the bottom.  I then cut the next heart die from baby pink card and cut another Corvus base however I made sure that this layer was higher than the white one.  I finished this with a pink square cut form the double pierced squares set B .

I added double sided tape around a slightly larger square and covered this with more of the polished silk glitter to create a mat for the piece.  a few layers of white and baby oink to make the finished card front.

To make the dots on the Corvus points i added cosmic pearl PVA glue and sprinkled polished silk glitter on these so that I got raised glitter pearls.

To finish the card I needed some flowers so it was back to the orange blossom set of dies however this time I simply cut 2 each of the smallest 5 flowers along with each of the smaller centres that come with the set.  This set has so many different flowers and includes the centres definitely a brilliant value set.  I cut the smaller flowers in the baby pink with centres in white, shaped them with my ball tool and mounted them 2 to a flower with a white centre.  I finished with a soft pink VA glue dot in the centre and arranged them around a priced flag.

For the flag I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment onto white card and cut out one side of the medium flags.  I then reversed the die and cut the other end with the flag end hanging the remaining piece of the end of my machine to give a double flag.  I arranged the flowers around this once I had shed it around the bottom of the heart.

Ingredients:
Card Size: 20 x 20 cm
Colours: Baby Pink& Coconut white
Dies: Double pierced squares , Heart of Hearts, pierced Flags, orange Blossom complete petals, Corvus Gemini
Stamps: John Lockwood Pierced Flags clear stamps set
Cosmic Shimmer: Rose Copper polished Silk Glitter, Pale Pink PVA, Archival Ink Jet Black

Enjoy...

Something Simpler...

Happy Tuesday,

I thought you might all appreciate something simpler than yesterdays glitter fest!  I got the idea for this card from a Pinterest email I got where a card had been made with a pierced square in the centre.  I'm not very good at paper piercing ( or maybe I don't have the patience lol) but it got me thinking whether I could get the same look by just embossing one of Sue's double pierced squares from Creative Expressions.  Here's the result.









I started by cutting a square using the 3rd largest die from the double pierced squares.  next I added a smaller square in the centre and simply embossed this.  This meant that I got the impression of the line and the piercing however It didn't cut the square out.

Next I stamped the poem from my Winters Child clear stamp set for CE in black archival ink in the centre.  I then added 2 sparks of Ivy cut form card that I covered in CS colour Cloud inks and cut so that they looked more realistic with different sales running through them.






I then die cut several of the peony complete petals and shaded the edges using Indigo Mist colour cloud.  I then cut the dandelion clock dies and shaped them using a ball tool on a foam mat ( the same one I use for stamping)  I placed these in the centre of the flowers and added a pearl in the very middle to make the flowers.

Finally I added a thin layer of the Iris foundation card and a further layer using the largest square die and another thin layer of the iris.

A simple card but hopefully effective.

Ingredients:
Card Size: 19 x 19cm
Colours: Iris & Coconut white
Dies: Double pierced squares , Perfect Peony complete petals, trailing Ivy, Dandelion Clocks
Stamps: John Lockwood Winters Child clear stamps set
Cosmic Shimmer: Colour Cloud in Indigo Mist, Jade Forest, Sunlit Cedar, Fresh Grass





Also Don't fittest that Julia Watts and I will be working together on Saturday at her BIG SALE AND DEMO DAY!  Julia will have some fantastic prices on all crafty stash and she and I will be demoing all day.  Details below it would be great to see as many of you as possible there!



Enjoy...

Orange Blossom...

Happy Monday,

I hope those of you who were able to catch Sue's shows on Hochanda at the weekend enjoyed them!  I thought this week I would show some of the cards I have made using the dies that were the One Day Special.  I thought I would strait with my favourite flower stamps to die for ( I have been waiting , ever since I drew these for Sue, for these too come out so that I can use them!)

I stared this card by stamping the three largest stamps in the set using CS flake and Glitter glue, once it had gone off ( I always leave this glue at least 5 - 10 minutes to key to the card) I added bronze polished silk glitter which gives a stamped image that literally glitters ( its better in real life)   I then cut these out with the matching dies from the set , shaped them and placed a PVA pearl in the centre using Phill Martin's CS Frosted Mink.

Next I cut an aperture in a square of coconut white foundation card using die number 2 and three from the Grace Frames and Tags set.  I then cut the bottom of the square using the filigree section and one of the cutting edges form the Corvus Gemini die set.  P I placed this over a piece of card covered in double sided adhesive sheet.

I then covered the aperture in rose copper polished silk glitter.  I repeated this again with the bronze and again with the rose copper to make the Skirt on the card of the different colours and layers.  I added More of the frosted mink PVA on the layers and foam mounted all the layers together.

Next I cut the smallest of the pierced flags set. mounted it onto a scrap of Phill Martin's frosted Mink paper pack and stamped the sentiment form my Pierced flags clear stamp set for CE.  I mounted this under the aperture and let the flag flow over the top.

I arranged the three flowers around the aperture and then mounted the card onto layers of Phill's mink paper and coconut white to make the finished card.

Long instructions but I hope you got the gist in case you want to make something similar.


Ingredients:
Card Size: 21 x 21 cm
Colours: Frosted Mink, Coconut white
Dies: Double pierced squares , Grace, Orange Blossom complete petals
Stamps: John Lockwood Pierced Flags clear stamps set
Cosmic Shimmer: Polished Silk Glitter Rose Copper & Bronze, Frosted Mink PVA dimensional glue

Enjoy...

Flower tags...

Happy saturday,

As I mentioned yesterday Julia Watts and I are demoing at Samuel Taylors in Leeds today It would be great to see you!

I thought you might all like to see some of the tags I made during my flower making tutorial hour on Hochanda last Thursday.  As I said yesterday I had so much fun making these.  I was a little concerned that some of the colours didi not come across on the screen properly however these pictures should hopefully show the subtle shading I was going for!

Enjoy...

Black and White...

Happy Friday,

I really hope you enjoyed the Flower Making masterclasses yesterday on Hochanda, I really did enjoy it especially the last hour where I got to present the demos on ,y own ( although I have to add that I missed the banter with Alex!)  I have to admit it is unusual to have someone talking in your ear as you speak but hopefully that wasn't noticeable!

I thought you might like to see a close up of the Black and white card I made on air with the stunning gloss card.  As I said on the show this was the first time I had worked with the Gloss Foundation card in black and I have to admit i loved it!

I simply used the Perfect peony dies designed by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions both the Open and complete petals.  The only addition to this my favourite Trailing Ivy.

The stamp is form my Daisy Chains clear stamp set for Creative Expressions and is one of my fave sentiments as it meets all sorts of occasions!

Julia Watts and I are demoing tomorrow in Leeds at Samuel Taylors so if you are around that area it would be great to see you.  Julia and I will be travelling up there today so it will be an evening of laughs with Julia for me!

Enjoy...