Back in Business...

Happy Friday,

I have finally found some time to start blogging again, I'm really sorry I've left it so long its just been so busy with the John Next Door brand - drawing, designing making samples etc!  Im now hopefully caught up with plans for this year which should free some time to be a bit more active on the blog and facebook!

I thought I would kick off with a card made using a real mix of my dies which should hopefully show what I have been trying to achieve.  The main idea of the John Next Door die range is that they are all designed to work together in different formats to give lots of versatile options.

For this card I mixed the Oakham and stamford die sets using just the Oakham for the outside and all the other players using the Stamford.  Hopefully this makes obvious how the points of the lattice on the Oakham meets the points on the Stamford, it's almost as if it was designed by the same person.















The flowers and leaves on this card are a little sneak peak of the June release so you will have to wait until Monday to see more of these and the Lattice mini collection.

Enjoy...

Box Front...

Happy Thursday,

I'm a day out all this week but will correct this tomorrow! I thought I would share 2 things today the first is this card with ten Square box on the front of a card giving a lovely depth with no foam tape so no white edges showing lol

The second is the Video Tutorial for the basic scene box There will be a more advanced video tutorial next week.  If you want to see what parts to cut and how to put together the square box just watch the tutorial HERE.

Back to todays card and I mad upon the box as shown in the video however I used the shape die in my Oakham set for the aperture.  Rather than adding a fold front I added the box to the front of a 6.5" x 6.5" black card blank.

I used the other dies in the set to make the layers on the inside adding thin border of white around the aperture.

I added a spray of my poppies made with the stamp and matching die and stamped and shaded in black ink.  I arranged these on the top left corner with the ferns and leafy flourish, again lightly inked with black pigment ink,

Ingredients:
JND Square Scene box Die
JND Oakham Die set
JND Leafy Flourish Die
JND Ferns Die
JND Blousy poppy die and stamp
Crafts Too Old Blue linen card
Limetree Crafts White gold & Black card
Izink Black pigment ink pad.

Enjoy...

What Black, White and Read all over...

Happy Friday,

Another sample form the shows this week using the new collection I thought I would go back to the red black and white which I loved so much while making the samples.

This project reminds me of Mondays as it feel like the revers as I used all the same elements without the box making a flatter card that, to me at least, looks very different.

here again I used the flower ,moulding foam for the poppies using black beads for the centres and the Swirl leaves for the foliage.

The white centre of the Oakham with the back really makes a statement.

Enjoy...

A little box...

Happy Wednesday,

I hope everyone enjoyed the shows as much as we did!  I will be back on Sunday with more inspiration and a chance to explore the new Orchid die and stamp in  more detail shows are at 10am and 2pm!

I thought I would share this, little box today made using the square scene box die and the Oakham die set I couldn't resist having a go at making a box with the gorgeous new Shabby Rose linen card form Crafts Too!

I love the depth you get form using the scene card die with the Oakham set it feels a lot deeper than the 1/2" it is ( which is great for posting as its a standard large letter even when in an envelops)

I used the smallest dies in the poppy plate to make the small flowers ( stamped and die cut twice) these work so well with the ferns which I coloured through the die using brown Izink pigment ink pads.

I used the smallest of the large poppies ( mid that makes sense) in the other corner.

Enjoy...

Burgundy Swirl...

Happy Friday,

Firstly I have updated the Workshops page of the blog click the page to see where I will be for the next 6 months!

Another card today made using a mix of dies with my new Swirl Poinsettia stamp ( I was determined to be able to use this for projects other than christmas) and the Press cut Hexagon nesting dies which I just love.

I found this rich burgundy card - from Limetree Crafts I believe - when I was trying to sort out the new Craft Cave and had to stop tidying and do something with it!

I started by stamping my swirl poinsettia stamp in black ink onto the burgundy card.  I stamped the flowers twice and cut them out using the matching die.  I showed the flowers and using one of each size for each flower made up 6 different sized swirl flowers.  I added a pearl in the centre of each, I hate a flower without a definitive centre, and arranged these onto white pearl foliage cut with my swirl leaves ( from the Bee Balm collection)

I cut a set of frames using the burgundy, white pearl and black card using the press cut hexagons dies.  I ranged these to make the large frame using the cut out centres for the inset.  I stamped the sentiment, form Marinane, in sepia ink and offset the centre.

 I added some metal corners form my stash onto the set of mats and layers I used to  make up the card with the flowers sprayed in threes at opposing corners.

Ingredients:
JND Swirl Poinsettia Stamps set
JND Poinsettia Die
JND Swirl Leaves
Press Cut Hexagon Nesting die set

Burgundy, Black and Pearl card form Limetree Crafts

Enjoy...

Time Flies New Year...

Happy 2019!

As promised are all moved in and the internet is up and operational so Its time to relaunch the blog.  This break has been very beneficial and I have decided that blogging every day took a great deal of time and meant I was occasionally posting projects I didn't feel were blog worthy.  Therefore form now on I will be blogging three times a week as standard with special posts as ranges are released.

I thought I should start today within a new card made especially for New Years day and what else could I use but my Time Flies die as new year always makes me think of clocks and midnight!

I based the colours of this card on one I saw on Facebook son have to say thank to Maxine for the inspiration!

I started by cutting the panel die from my sandwich box die set in white pearl card three times.  I backed this with apple green linen card and matted this onto silver mirror card.

For the clock I cut the Time Flies die twice, once in white pearl and once in silver mirror card, and used alternate pieces to make top the clock setting the hands at 5 to Midnight.  The outside of the clock was embossed with a dots embossing folder to add some texture.

I stamped and heat set my new Swirl poinsettia stamp in Izink silver embossing powder and after cutting these out with the matching die.  I made up 6 full flowers colouring the centres and edges with mint Izink dye based ink finishing with a pearl in the centre.

I added these onto mint shaded swirl leaves cut in white in 2 sets of three on either side of the watch.

I finished with layers of white, shaded with mint, and the green and white to make the finished card as shown.


Ingredients:
JND Time Flies die set
JND sandwich Box Die Set
JND Swirl Leaves Die set
JND Poinsettia Die Set
JND swirl poinsettia stamp set

Gold dust card - Limetree Crafts
Apple Line Card - Crafts Too
Silver Mirror card and pearls from my stash

Enjoy...

Square Poinsettia...

Happy Monday,

Today's creation is made using my Lantern die however I have used just 4 of the 6 panels to make a taller square box with the christmas tree stained glass die ( included in the set) simply cut form the front.  I have also used the Brand New Moulding foam form Craft Artist ( Christmas pack) to make the poinsettias flowing down the box, don't they look different in foam?















I made ups the lantern in 300gsm watercolour cared to add  little texture to the lantern and instead of using all six panels I cut 2 panels away to make the square box.  The great thins about this die is that the top is designed to fit whether you use 3, 4, 5 or 6 panels giving ultimate flexibility.

I cut the Christmas Tree stained glass die for the front panel and used the rectangular window die form the other 2 sides leaving the back solid.  All I would do to display this is add a candle ( battery powered of course)

The flowers are cut using my Poinsettia die cut form the new Craft Artist Flower moulding foam that launches on Hochanda on the 6th November.  The great thing about this foam is that you don't need heat to mould this, although you can use it, I simply moulded and twisted the petals in my hands making the flowers easy to make whilst sat in for of the TV.

Ive added a picture here of what the flower looks like if you use the stamp as well as the die which adds a level of details.

Enjoy...

Traditional Colours...

Happy Tuesday,

Something a little brighter today and in more traditional colours of red and white ( OK I added a bit of Kraft card as well lol)

i cut the Snowflake Square in red linen card from Crafts Too.  I covered a sheet of Kraft card in double sided adhesive sheet and adhered the lattice to this adding clear micro beads to cover the remaining exposed adhesive.

I used the other dies in the set, stitch dot squares, to cut a frame in Kraft then red and foam mounted these over.

I added the strip across the centre and the Happy Christmas sentiment die cut.  I then simply added three large sbopwflaues from the snowflakes die plate to which I had added ranger enamel accents inn  white and clear glitter over the top.

A few more dots of the enamel and finished.

Enjoy...

Scene through wreath...

Happy Monday,

Today's card hopefully shows how the different collections in my Christmas ranges are designed and sized to all work together with a mix of the Deer Scenes and the Wreath set.

I started by making the background panel using Izink Pigment ink pads and Crafst Too Large Daubers to give a northern lights style of background.  I then added a strip of the Deer Scenes die cut accross the bottom which I shaded using Izink silver pigment ink pad and the small finger daubers.

I added acetate over the top and drew soon off this using a white gel pen.  I the slotted this behind a panel in Blue with the Snowflake wreath cut form it and a white version slotted in place.

I then cut the Snowflakes die in white and blue and stacked these up to make 2 large snowflake flowers.  I added these at opposing corners and used the smaller snowflakes around the wreath.

Finally I added craft artist glue with a  brush around the snowflakes nod the edge of the card before adding Clear Crafts Too Chunky glitter.

Ingredients:
JND Snowflake Wreath die set
JND snowflakes die set
JND Deer Scenes Die Set
Izink Pigment Ink pads

Enjoy...

White Wreath...

Happy Sunday,

A simple card today just made with the wreath die form the Christmas Wreath die set and glitter card.

I simply cut the wreath three times in white watercolour card and stuck them together rotating the die cut each time to make the full wreath as shown.

I then  cut an aperture in the top of a piece of green glitter card using the larger square die from the snowflake square die set.  I then cut a smaller aperture in a piece of white card and backed this behind the green glitter card.  I placed the wreath in the aperture and backed this with the fallaway piece form the green.

I finished this simple card with a strip of ribbon and a sentiment from my Festive Sentiments set.


Enjoy...

Three Trees...

Happy Saturday,


A card today made using the Christmas Tree stained glass die that comes in the Large Lantern die set.

I cut the die three times accross a piece of black card and backed this with velum.  I then coloured the images from behind using alcohol markers.  For the berries I added Glossy Accents to make the baubles shine and 3D.

Enjoy...

Hochanda Launch day ...

Happy Monday,

Well once again its launch day and tonight at 6pm on hochanda ( the Shows called Hullabaloo with Crafts Too for some reason lol)

Todays card uses a variety of dies from the Elegant Snowflake collection and bundle using the square background the snowflakes and the wreath set ( for the corners)

I will be demoing this card at some point so tune in at 6pm or 8pm today or throughout tomorrow at 9am, 1pm and 5pm.

Enjoy...