Bake off anyone...

Happy Wednesday,

Today finds me travelling for the first time ever to Scotland for a series of Demonstrations at Craftworld in Glasgow tomorrow and Friday and at the SECC Saturday and Sunday.  I am then Travelling to Fife to demo at Mcoyster crafts on Monday.  It would be great to see anyone in the area especially as I have never been to Scotland ( I haven't been to Wales either but I am correcting that in May Just Ireland left!)

Today's card is a really simple card using the Apron die designed by Sue Wilson for Creative expressions and the Baked with love set which has some really sweet dies all about baking in the set.

I stared by cutting the apron in a piece if Phill Martin's Frosted Essentials paper pad.  I cut another version using a check paper from the same pad and chopped off the bottom to make the pockets for the Apron.  The clever thing about this die is that it has the pockets already cut so you can add any of the accessories that come i the set or in the Baked with Love set.

I added a rolling pin and wooden spoon to the pockets and used pink satin ribbon from my stash as the ties and loop at the top.  I used 2 of the hearts from the Jewelled heart set to add the detail at the top and the smallest on the edge of the pocket









I added the apron to a piece of coconut white foundation card which I cut with the double pierced rectangles background die.  I embossed the piece whilst in the die using the Braided vines A4 embossing folder (the same as i used on the Candy Machine yesterday)

I wrapped a piece of lace around the piece and added a few layers of pink, white and more paper form the frosted elements range to balance the apron.


A simple card but I really think this is fun!

Enjoy...

A room with a view...

Happy Sunday,

I'm sharing a card today that I made last night I made this especially for Janet from JGD Crafts as she messaged me asking how the window box die from Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions worked.  As I was making uno the window box I thought it would be nice to make this up into a quick card and post for everyone today.  Whilst it looks complex this is a simple card and is quick to make.

I stared by cutting the window die in gloss white card cutting a separate frame form the same card and mounting it above to give the impressions of a window and frame.  I then added acetate behind this, to give the impression of glass which doesn't come over on the picture.








I cut a further outline of the window in a piece of tan card and using the Creative Expressions brickwork mini mask I shaded this piece of card lightly with Frosted Mink colour cloud blending ink.  This gives the light impression of brickwork which fades up the page.

Next I cut the window box die and the 2 flower inserts in bright white foundation card.  I also cut the 2 opposing foliage dies in the set and shaded all these using the other colours in the frosted range of colour clouds by Phill Martin.  I made up the window box by folding the edges and sliding the 2 flower sections into the slots in the edges of the box ( this is a simple process but is hard to describe I will be demoing this and the way that this box folds flat for posting, on Hochanda in a few weeks.

I stamped a piece of bright white with the stamp to die for that matches called home comforts, shaded this with more colour cloud to give a faded appearance, and added the frame and window box over the top.

I made up the card as shown using the get well sentiment form Spellbinders that I have on Hochanda on Wednesday.


The colours are brighter and not as grey looking in real life!
Enjoy...

Crafthathon...

Happy Saturday,

Well I'd love to report that the internet is all up and running and Im back on track but I can't.  Within 10 minutes of the engineer leaving the speed had dropped nothing and it's gonna take Sky nearly a week to send someone out to sort the time that doesn't work!  Im hoping this post goes live! lol

I thought I would are the 2 projects I have specially made for tomorrow craftathon with the brilliant Mr Phill Martin tomorrow.  The idea of the day is you spend half the time with me making 2 projects and the other half with Phill making further 2!  This has meant a lot of recutting to ensure everyone gets time to finish the projects.

Todays is the first card made using Pixie powders and Dies by Sue Wilson Here Ive used the Stitched lattice set along with the Equate Poppies and the Antwerp die.  I have also used my Nasturtium Elements clear stamp set for the sentiment which, as you may have noticed matches the centre shape form the Belgian collection of dies.  This makes getting the right sentiment so easy!

The card is made up as shown using just one sheet of watercolour card and the Silver Dream, Purple Violet and Midnight blue pixie powders.

Enjoy...

Shows, Demos & Updates...

Happy Friday,

A bot of  news filled blog post today firstly the move!  The craft cave is now almost up ad running and it took a lot longer than I thought!!  Yes I didi keep running into things in my stash I forgot I had and stopping to play!  However I have also had a set of Hochanda One Day Special shows to prepare for which start tonight at 8pm!  So todays Card is my first demo on this evenings shows and finally shows you the Kitchen Roll technique, tune in at 8pm channel 39, Sky 663 or online in HD at www.hochanda.com.

In other news a quick reminder that next Sunday (the 21st) I will be running workshops with the Famous Phill Martin at one of his fab Craftathons!  Theres more details on the picture below however a little bird told me ( alright it's Mr Martin) that there are a few spaces left ( I think he has added some as we already seem to be at the number first mentions.  However this is now held in a larger venue than before and will be the first time Phill and have have workshopped together!

To book places please contact Honeypot Crafts in either Sheffield or Nottingham stores.

Finally My internet does not go in to Cassa Craft Cave until next Friday so the blog posts may be lighter than usual but there will be something everyday!


Enjoy...

Rainbow of Spring Shades...

Happy Thursday,

A simple stamped card today, well to be honest 6 stamped simple cards today.  I wanted to show how just changing the colours of a project can make it look different!








I also wanted to show, because I have been asked so much, which Cosmic Shimmer colours will match with the papers in my Spring Shades collection.  Everything on these cards is made with plain white card or ribbon and is coloured with Clour Cloud blending ink and the PVA pearl dimensional glue.

I stamped the spring trail A6 background stamp using watering can archival ink onto bright white card.  Next I stamped the Daisy Trail heart again using grey and white.  For each card I simply shaded around each background with the matching Colour Cloud ink.  I repeated the process on the heart ( after cutting it out using the largest die in the Sue Wilson Heart of Hearts die set.  I then added pearl dots, again in the appropriate colour, to the centre of each daisy on the stamped image.


The ribbon is simply white seam binding coloured using the colour cloud and tied to each card with messy bow added to the front.

Finally there is a sheet from the paper pad added to the back of each, hand cut, card blank to show how the colours all tie together.

the stamped sentiments are from the Lily of the Valley elements clear stamp set.

The list is
Paper Pack
Paper Colours
Buttermilk
Chambray
Sea Spray,
Soft Sage
Lilac Haze
Warm Linen



Colour Cloud Blending Ink
Lemon Meringue
Clear day
Frosted Aqua
Frosted Jade
Frosted Heather
Frosted Mink

















PVA Dimensional Glue
Graceful Mustard
Frosted Sky
Frosted Aqua
Frosted Jade
Frosted Heather
Frosted Mink.

I really hope this helps with colour selection and for all of you who haven't cut into the paper pack yet I know how you feel but give it a go!

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...

More Masking...

Happy Tuesday,

I thought you might like to see a close up of this card as it didn't get any time on Hochanda at the weekend!  I had prepared this as a demo however a last minute change in the items meant we didn't have this mask to show!


Lots of people have asked how to use this technique of using sparkle texture paste onto acetate. Therefore I hope you were able to catch the demo on Sundays shows.  This works really well if you're using two different masks.

I started by spreading Phill Martin's Frosted Mink sparkle texture paste through the mask onto acetate ( I use heat emboss acetate to answer a question, you don't need this but I prefer to use one that will work for everything so its easy lol)  I allowed this to dry for a couple of hours then I cut a small frame using the 2 smallest dies in Sue Wilson's double pierced squares.  I then used the smaller die from the set to cut an aperture in the acetate to make a window.

I then placed the smaller frame around the aperture and used a larger frame I had to around the outside of the acetate. Next I embossed the same mask onto another piece of taupe foundation card and shaded this with frosty mink coloure cloud blending Ink. I mounted the acetate above the embossed panel and then mounted this on a card blank made from layers of taupe and Chestnut foundation card.

To decorate the front I then stamped the sentiment, from my pierced tags clear Stamp set, in Coco archival ink before cutting this out and making this into a tag with some string. This was all framed around the smaller frame on the bottom left of the card to focus attention on the Centre Square.

Hopefully you can get a sense of what I did from the pictures as well as my description I love this technique of the sparkle texture paste on acetate as it really shows the difference in the colours and makes quite a subtle card yet one that pops.

Enjoy...

Fall from the stars...

Happy Friday,

Today's card is another demo piece from the takeover weekend  which starts tonight at 8pm!

With this one I wanted to show how festive dies and embossing folders can be used all year round.  As many of you know I count myself as a frugal yorrkshireman and I like to get the most from my craft products therefore, whenever I buy Festive products I always try ( but don't always succeed) to get ones that will work all year.  Todays card is a perfect expample of this being made as a winter birthday card.  A change of colour and perhaps the snowflakes and it would work all year round.

I started by cutting the lattice snowflake die in white in the centre of a cut rectangle of the white.  I then cut the largest oval from the set from periwinkle card and added a frame cut with both of the ovals included in the set.  I foam mounyted these and continued cutting the dies in the set in layers of the blue and white.

I embossed the main front piece using the twinkle twinkle A4 embossing folder before rubbing pearl moon gilding wax over the top.

I then added snowflakes cut from white from the snowflakes setand added them around the main frame and the additional layers of blue and white I added and enbossed.  I added  PVa dimensional glue dots using Phill Martin's Forsted Sky range of Cosmic Shimmer colours.







Don't forget that there will be Julia, Phill, Lisa and I all weekend on hochnada starting with me at 8pm tonight!  Don't forget everything I have used today will be available over the weekend at some great sale prices!

Ingredients:
Card Size: 16 x 21 cm
Colours: Coconut White, Periwinkle Foundation card
Dies:Lattice Snowflakes, Pierced Flags, Snowflakes
Stamps: JL Winters Child
Embossing: Twinkle Twinkle A4
Inks: Watering Can Archival, CS Phill Martin Frosted Sky PVA


Enjoy...

Sneak Peak...

Happy Wednesday,

I thought you might all like to see the Promo Video of the takeover of Hochanda we have planned for this weekend at Creative Expressions!  The video is just below if you want to see the details or just have  a laugh ( I know we did when we were making it!)

Today's card sample is one of the demo cards I have made for the show using a selection of products available over the weekend.  There are dies from Sue Wilson's festive range as well as a couple of Masks from the Mask show and even some Phill Martin cosmic shimmer products ( Frosty Sky).  There are some great offers and prices across the weekend so well worth tuning in.  I will also be demoing this card over the weekend so tune in to see how it was made.  Hochanda is visible anywhere in the world in HD at www.hochanda.com or live in the UK ( and across Europe) freeview 39 and Sky 663.

I have 2 hours on Sunday all about Masks and will try to pack in as many demos as possible.  I will try to do the Acetate technique to answer Karenlottys question as well as the Leather technique!

As I may of mentioned yesterday the Creative Team from Creative expressions will be taking over Hochanda all weekend form 8pm Friday till 8pm Sunday.  We did a rocky on Monday to make sure we knew how to lock the doors and work all the equipment!

If the video won't work then click the following link to view ( as I know it might not work on some browsers!)



https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27393328/CE_TAKEOVER_WEB.mp4

Here are a few more shots of the card and the list of ingredients.


Ingredients:
Card Size: 21 x 21 cm
Colours: Coconut White
Dies:Star Spray, snowflake lattice. 
Stamps: JL Winters Child
Inks: Phill Martin Frosted Sky Cosmic Shimmer range - Colour Cloud, PVA Pearls, Gilding wax & Mica





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...

Monday Giveaway & Tutorial...

Happy Monday,

Back to normality today with the Monday giveaway.  I hope some of you were able to catch my show yesterday I know its a big ask on a Sunday certainly at lunchtime lol

Today's card is one of the samples I used for the show and was really liked by Alex!  I thought you might like it and a chance to own this card as well.

I had lots of questions asking how did I make the original I'm hoping you managed to see the version I mad on air as it was different with a mica watercoloured background.

I stared by stamping my daisy striplet in Cosmic shimmer true white embossing powder onto acetate (using perfect medium)  I heat set this and added Phill Martin's decadent denim PVA as the centre of each daisy to give some depth.

Next I cut an aperture in a piece of periwinkle foundation card and mounted this above the stamped acetate.

I then used a piece of double sided adhesive sheet and added decadent denim mica powder all over the sheet.  The adhesive was stuck down to another piece of card.  I then from mounted the stamped panel above the mica'd piece.

I matted and layered the piece to make a larger card using a piece of card onto which I had sprayed decedent denim ink spray mister.  This gave the card a lovely textural feel and made the dark shades harmonise.

Finally I added a ribbon tie and messy bow made form seam binding that I sprayed with the mister.  I sprayed this with the ribbon all looped together ( see picture for what i mean) so that I got a misty or ombre look to the bow.

Ingredients:
Phill Martin Cosmic Shimmer Decadent Denim
Ink Spray mister
Mica Powder
PVA Pearl
True white detail embossing powder
JL Daisy Striplet stamp
Acetate
Periwinkle foundation card

To win this card just leave a comment below!

Enjoy...

Back to Normality...

Happy Wednesday,

Well its back to the usual routine now that Crafting at Ally Pally is over for this year.  I have to admit its left me a little tired so will be taking today off to recharge the batteries as I have a busy couple of weeks ahead (nothing new there!)

Its back to my design team gig for Creative Expressions and this month we have all been working with Phil Martin's Dragonfly collection of stamps and paper pack.  As you know I have kinda fallen for the new colour cloud blending inks from Cosmic Shimmer so this was a perfect chance to create and ethereal background for the main stamped image using the inks.  I promise you its a lot easier than it looks!

I stared by die cutting a circle of Cricut transfer in the middle of a square of the tape.  Next I stuck this down onto coconut white foundation card and using my scalpel, cut the circle into the waves.  I removed each wave section of the circle in turn and shaded the revealed area using colour cloud blending ink lilac whisper.  Next I peeled back the next layer and and added more lilac whisper however this time I mixed in a little clear day to alter the colour and give the hazy look.

I then continued revealing layers adding clear day, lilac whisper and indigo mist to make all the shades shown.

Next I removed the outside transfer tape square I then inked the stamp using indigo mist and lilac whisper to give shading and stamped this over the inked circle.

To finish the card I added layers of black and white interspersed with matching pages form Phil's dragonfly paper pack.  The colours work together so well with the coloured image.

Ingredients:
Sentimentally Yours Butterfly Field stamp set
Graceful Butterflies paper pad
Cosmic Shimmer Colour Cloud blending Inks
Lilac Whisper, Indigo Mist & Clear Day

Enjoy...

Saturday Catchup!...

Happy Saturday,

Id love to say I am having a relaxing day today however you know me Id soon be bored lol!  I'm at The Stables Card emporium in Habrough today demoing and partaking of the wonderful hospitality of Kim and her team.  If you are in the area pop in and say hi!

Today's card is one of the pieces I will be showing today from Sue Wilson festive range of dies for Creative Expressions.  I have a lot of demo cards to show from the shows Thursday and Friday and as the email to the studio wasn't running then a few to giveaway as well.  I will start a Monday card giveaway form this Monday so watch out!

Back to today's card this is made using the ornate lavish noble die using the method I demoed on my first show on Thursday.  For this one However I used the deboss section form the die to deboss the pattern and rubbed pewter gilding wax over to highlight it!

The poinsettias, cut with the classic poinsettia die, are made from snow fibre paper from Creative Expressions which I sprayed with the Phil Martin vintage berry ink spray mister to give the variegated look.

A simple sentiment , form my 12 days sentiments set, in the top corner in archival jet black along with some ivy dies cut in white finish this simple, yet stylish card!



Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft dies by Sue Wilson
noble lavish adorned
classic poinsettia
trailing ivy
Coconut white foundation card and snow fibre paper
Phill Martin vintage berry ink mister
12 days sentiment clear stamps.

Enjoy....