Stained Glass...

Happy Thursday,

Don't forget to join me over the next 4 days if you are near Glasgow or Fife for my first ever Scottish demo days!

Again another relatively simple card that I am hoping to demo on Hochanda this month.

I cut the Olivia die in bright white foundation card then cut the detail into another piece before adding CE Heat resistant Acetate behind this.

Next I careful painted Cosmic Shimmer Flake and Glitter glue using the Highlighter behind the die cut.  I brushed the glue onto selected sections in the same way as I would if colouring alternating sections.  I then added Sea Green Polished Silk Glitter.  I then added a layer of the glue to other sections and added Ice Blue Polished Silk Glitter.  Finally I painted the glue on the remaining sections and added turquoise Glitter to this.

I mounted this over a piece of double sided adhesive sheet and added Icicle Sparkle glitter jewels to offset the glitter and make this simple card more luxurious!


Enjoy...

Christmas Friday...

Happy Friday,

Well its a quick change from Autumn to Christmas with the First Christmas card of September!

This looks like a complex card but its quite easy to replicate honest lol.  I stared by covering a piece of card with CE double sided adhesive sheet.  Next I cut 2 circles out using the outline die form the Joy die.  I adhered one to the other then ran this through my Platinum using the Joy insert die.  By having 2 pieces stuck together the die doesn't cut through it just cuts the carrier sheet of the adhesive.

I then removed the carrier sheet form the joy piece and added sahara gold polished silk glitter.  I then removed the other pieces ( which would be the waste on a standard die cut) and added pale bronze polished silk glitter.  For the second bauble I did exactly the same however I rotated colours so that it looks different.

For the bauble tops I cut the top piece form the Sue Wilson Vintage bauble set ( One of the early Festive Dies) I then attached gold metallic linx to simulate the strings.

Next I cut the holly die from the Christmas Rose set from a square of bright white foundation card.  I arranged these cuts so that when I foam mounted this above bright gold foundation card it gave the appearance of a branch.

The white die cuts I shaded using gold treasure Metallic gilding polish.  I then arranged these on top filling out the branch look.

A few more layers of gold and white and an effective but different Christmas card that is hopefully reminiscent of baubles hanging on a tree.

Sue Wilson will be demoing a similar technique on her Festive Die shows on Hochanda this month so tune in to see this in action.

Enjoy...

Leaping Request...

Happy Christmas Friday,

Well todays Christmas friday acrd is by request of Susan who emailed me to ask for a blog post and instructions on the leaping reindeer card I demoed on Hochanda on Monady.  Don't forget if you want to watch this card being made you can still view the show on Catch up on www.hochanda.com or click HERE.

Todays card is this leaping reindeer in the very modern colours of Midnight and Steel from the new Vintage Pearl collection of foundation card.

I started by cutting the Frosty Mini Background in midnight card and backed this with a piece of double sided adhesive sheet.  I then poured silver microbeads over the exposed adhesive to adhere to the metallic background between the snowflakes.

Next I stamped the leaping reindeer ( the large one again) and the sentiment from the Elegant stars and reindeer clear set in silver shine detail embossing powder onto acetate.  Like yesterdays card I coloured the reverse of the reindeer using the cosmic shimmer glue highlighter and then added silver chrome polished silk glitter.  This means that when dry ( which is really quick wth the highlighter as you add such a fine layer) the glitter shines through.  I find that it is really hard to tell that its glittered on the reverse, which is great if you are not the best at staying in the lines  and trust me I'm not!

I folded the acetate and wrapped it around the background.  I made a large 7.5" x 7.5" card using steel and midnight pearl card and stamped a spray of stars form the set in the corner for balance.

I wrapped a piece of double sided organza ribbon ( from Creative Expressions) around the layers and added a double bow of the same ribbon at the bottom left as shown.  I then simply added some of the metallic line and a crystal seat to hide the glue dots and knot.

Finally a couple of stick pins I made using the set I had on the shows and a few crystals for balance.

I really hope this was the card you meant Susan, please remember if any of you want me to answer any questions please email me and I will try to answer ( if you don't get an answer within 48 hours email again as it may have got lost!!!)

A quick mention for my American Blog Family who have asked you can get my range form the following online shop which has really good rates of postage to the U.S. HERE

Enjoy...

Leaping in the air...

Happy Thursday,
a change of colour and style from yesterday another sample for my stamp show launch of the Christmas range I have designed.  This is slightly more modern and in gold and glitter!

I stared by stamping the stars borders from my Magical Christmas clear stamp set in perfect medium across and down a piece of steel pearl card to make the background design.  I then added sticky embossing powder and heat set it before adding sahara gold polished silk glitter to the design.

I matted this with Antique gold pearl card and cut 2 of the largest pierced tags one in gold one in the silver.

Next I cut a large pierced tag in vintage gold card and stamped the sentiment, from the elegant stars and reindeer set, in silver shine detail embossing powder.  I then stamped the leaping reindeer ( the largest one in the set as there are of them) in the silver and heat set it before painting the reveres with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue.  I added gunmetal polished silk glitter so the the shine shows when the glue dries ( thats the great thing about the CS gkllue it dries totally clear!)

I stamped the reindeer border along the bottom of the page and added the cut out reindeer leaping from the tag.

A large strip and bow of the champagne silky crush ribbon and a pearl embellishment ties the tags to the card.

For the remainder I added strips of double sided adhesive to the edges of a piece of card and glittered them with the gunmetal polished silk glitter and added a layer of gold to finish.

Enjoy...

Magical Christmas...

Happy Tuesday,

A change of pace form yesterdays sneak peak with a very modern card today using a set that hopefully will make traditional as well as modern Christmas cards!


Today's set is the Magical Christmas set with a collection of trees, banners and sentiments all made form stars!

This set is used here to make a very modern card with Polished Silk glitter and simple stamping.

Once again I have added a picture of the actual set so that you can get an idea of the designs on this one as well as the Sentiments which I must admit I love with the unusual font and a selection of open and closed stars surrounding each one.


















I designed the main tree totally with stars with some filled and some open which means that it will stamp really easily both in normal inks and in embossing powders.  I do think that, as above, it looks stunning stamped in Glitter and I cant wait to show you one stamped with Golding flakes.

I have included some smaller trees and have designed these to have a positive and negative.  In keeping with the multistep idea I have been using for this Christmas the star banner is available in solid and open stars so that you can stamp the solid stars in one colour and the open in another.  These can also be used together and rotated to build a selection of stars in different styles.

I have also added a sentiment that I missed before and yet use a lot Happy New Year always useful for when you realise you have forgotten to send someone a card after Christmas.

I will be demoing a version of this card on next weeks shows so if you want to know how this was made then tune in!

Another set tomorrow,

Enjoy...

Mixing Shows ...

Happy Thursday,

I hope those of you who watched me being let loose on Hochanda yesterday enjoyed the shows as much as I did.  Dont forget Im back on today with the Justrite One Day Special at 9am, 12pm, 4pm and last chance at 7pm.

I thought today I would show a card that I made yesterday morning for the let lockers loose shows that mixes the amazing Justrite pine tress dies and stamps with the polished silk glitter and some of the techniques I showed.  If you missed the glitter show you can watch on catch up HERE.

Im hoping to show how to make the glitter trees later in one of todays shows.  The background was made using the double sided

adhesive sheets and mask technique I showed.

Enjoy...

Let Lockers Loose...

Happy Tuesday,

As I am sure regular viewers of Hochanda will know that Leonie is on holiday this week, therefore she won't be able to be let loose tomorrow.  I have been asked to stand in and so tomorrow I will be doing a two hour shows, in leonie's shadow, called let Lockers Loose ( Lockers being my nickname).  I will be doing a 2 hour demo and technique heavy show all about Gilding and Glitter something that I love and that we don't use often enough or show all the different techniques possible.











I have added a few pictures of the samples I have made for the show or pulled out ffom my vaults.  The idea of the show is to demo the techniques I used to make the projects so that I can get as much as possible in!




The first card is made using the stunning Cosmic Shimmer Polished Silk Glitter.  An amazing glitter that is like silk and can do more techniques than I would ever have imagined!

The next projects are using various colours of Cosmic Shimmer Gilding flakes again in a variety of techniques!  To see how these were done tune in on Wednseday at 2pm till 4pm!

Enjoy...

Actually Pink...

Happy Tuesday,

After yesterdays card that I thought would look nice in pink I thought I would go far a card that is actually pink today!  This is another sample / demo form my shows at the end of Feb and an unusual colour combination but I have to admit the colours somehow sing to me on this one which is strange as I'm far more of a blue person!

I stared this one by cutting 3 rectangles of foundation card, two in pink and one in white, using the double pierced rectangles.  Next i added a strip of stick on pearls on the bottom white rectangle I then used the outside cutting edge form one side of the Corvus mini Gemini die by Sue Wilson and the details to cut across the rectangle higher up.  I repeated this on the next white layer again going higher up.

To add the polished silk glitter behind I cut a piece of white card too which I had a dded sheet of the double sided adhesive sheet to using both outside cutting edges to cut a shape that would fit exactly behind the filigree.  I then simply added polished silk glitter, in rose copper, to the exposed adhesive and brushed off the excess.

For the main element I cut the outside die from the Zoe frames and tags set in the white. I then cut the next die in the pink and added a stamped oval covered in the polished silk glitter on the bottom white layer.


I finished with a thin satin bow in White and Pink and made up flowers using the smaller flowers and the centres fro the orange blossom die set in pink and white and stuck these in a spare across the front of the card in a cascade.

I finished the flowers with cosmic shimmer pearl PVA in the centres and added polished silk glitter over the top to make glittered raised centres.

Enjoy...

All that Glitters...

Happy Thursday,

Well hopefully we are all ready for the Trade show launch of all the new Ranges for 2016, I have a new range of stamps, stamps to die for and a new Spring colour themed paper pack!  I can't wait to show you all the new things we have been busy beavering away at.  Hopefully there will be a reveal of the first set on Sunday so hope you can all tune in.

Back to today and a reminder of one of my favourite stamp sets form my last winter release, this time stamped in Glitter!

Although it doesn't look it form the pictures the main element stamped is stamped in flake and glitter glue and then Dark Bronze polished silk glitter is sprinkled over the top showing the stamped image that glitters and shines In real life.

I added layers of vintage gold and chestnut to the pierced square that the image is on.  I added this to a large card made of layers of the gold and chestnut with an embossed panel, again with the pinpoint A4 quilted circles embossing folder.  I added a mixed spray of the beaded swirl flourish, lace edged leaves and a strip of grosgrain ribbon.

Finally I stamped the sentiment, again in the glitter, onto a pierced flag with a larger chestnut mat.

Ingredients:
Card Size: 21 x 28 cm
Colours: Coconut White & Chestnut & Vintage Gold Foundation Card
Stamps: JL camellia Ring Elements clear stamp set
Dies: Beaded Swirl Flourish, Lace edged leaves, Pierced Flags, Double pierced squares
Embossing:Quilted Circles A4 pinpoint embossing folder
Inks: Flake & Glitter glue
Embellishments:Brown Ivory Grosgrain ribbon, Frosty Mink PVA dimensional glue, dark bronze polished silk glitter.

Enjoy...

Something Different Saturday...

Happy Saturday,

Today finds me with the lovely people of Keep on Crafting in Bury St Edmonds leading a workshop! I have been so busy preparing for the launch of my new Spring Collection including a new paperback that all my spare time seems to have been taken up with making samples of them! I thought, therefore, that I would show another card I made with the new Perspective dies designed by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.  Again I hope you agree that this is a different card type and style for me!

I cut the new Zig Zag bar into a strip of coconut white card, I then removed the die cut shape and placed a piece of double sided adhesive sheet behind the aperture however I left the protective sheet in place.  With my craft knife i carefully cut into the protective sheet in lines across the piece removing each section at a time too expose the adhesive.  I used various shades of polished silk glitter in each section in turn to create an ombre effect down the piece.

Next I placed the die cut zig zag back into the waste space using spray adhesive keeping back the individual pieces for another project ( more of that on Monday)

Next I cut the thank you perspective die form coconut white card with the outside circle that comes as part of the set.  I then cut, form coconut white card covered in double sided adhesive sheet, the smallest and the outside dies form the set.  I removed the protective sheet and added the dark blue polished silk glitter on the exposed adhesive.  For the centre ring I cut the larger circle and the inner leaf motif again form the white and added a circle of adhesive covered card behind this.  I then added silver polished silk glitter in the adhesive with a small clear dazzler in the centre.

To finish I mounted this with from tape to the left of the striped section and mounted the whole thing onto cobalt and white layered card.

Something that I hope you will agree is very different for me, clean and simple without any flowers, foliage or a bow!

Enjoy...

On another note It has been asked if I could do a revisit day on my blog for some of the older dies in my collection.  It would be great to know what you think and any ideas where I should start!

Creative Sunday...

Happy Sunady,


I had a fabulous day yesterday at the Newbury paper crafts show thanx especially to Wendy and Janyne for organising the show I hope all those in attendance enjoyed themselves as much as I did!

back to today and once again its time for my design team inspiration for the Creative Expressions design team.  Just a reminder but we are working this month with our own personal favourites from last years DT packs and I chose my fave die the Lisbon and colour Periwinkle !

I stated this by cutting a repeating background using the filigree section from the eternal rings triplet die. I demoed the technique for repeating a day like this on a Hochanda last week so hopefully you were able to catch this.  If not it is a simple technique to achieve you cut the first panel and then slide the die along so that the beginning of the panel fits into the last area cut in the die. You keep doing this until you have a panel as long as you want with all the interlocking circles .

I attached this using double sided adhesive sheet stuck to another piece of coconut white card and in the spaces, where the adhesive is exposed, I added Periwinkle polished silk glitter. This technique gives this beautiful glittery yet soft velvet feel background.  I then used PVA dimensional glue in Phil Martin's decadent denim to place pearl dots in the centre of each ring.

 Next I cut the filigree frame in coconut white card using the outside die (the filigree section) and the next die in the Lisbon set, in my calculation is die 1, 2 and three. I then cooked a frame using just dies one and three in more of the card stock covered with a double sided adhesive sheet.  I peeled off the backing and added the filigree frame over the top and again filled the exposed area with polished silver glitter.


I stamped the sentiment, from my Monday's child clear stamp set for creative expressions, in watering can archival Ink. I selected the Sunday's child tag who is Bonnie and Blythe according to the old poem, As I felt this was appropriate for a card to be published on a Sunday.

To finish the card I made up some of the camellias using Sue Wilsons camellia complete petal dies and added white PVA in the centre .  There is a thin double sided satin ribbon bow in silver which finishes off The design. To mount the card I ran double sided adhesive tape around a larger square and added more of the periwinkle polished silver glitter to balance.  A few layers of white and vintage silver and a 21 x 21 cm card is complete.

 If you would like to see what the rest of the team has come up with this months using their favourites from 2015's range of products then click HERE.

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...