Direct from Ally Pally...

Happy Sunday,

As mentioned I am at Ally Pally today for the second and final day of the crafting at Ally Pally show and will be live on Hochanda form the event at 3pm today.  I will be showcasing the expressions die range from Sue Wilson along with new ranger 3D Gloss Accents.

I thought I would share a couple of cards from the shows today to let you see what I will be doing.  Tune in at 3pm to see how these cards and many more samples were made!

I find these expressions dies so useful, especially as I rarely sentiment cards and add the sentiment once I give the card.

Enjoy...

Blue Gemini...

Happy Thursday,

I thought you might like a change form the stamping of the last few days and so I have chosen to show you a card made with purely die cutting today.  I have used some of the dies Sue Wilson will be showing on Hochanda tomorrow night when she launches the One Day Special with her latest dies of Craft dies for Creative Expressions.

I stated by making a card base in cobalt foundation card.  I then cut the new indus Gemini die ( using the filigree section and one of the cutting edges) form the base of the front piece.  Next I added a piece cut with the same die, this time in coconut white, below this behind the blue base.  I then cut a top panel in blue dusk again using the indus die however I made this piece slightly smaller so that it sits over the white and blue layer.

I then cut the largest die in the ornate frame brighter days set form the top of the blue dusk layer.  I then cut the next die in the set form the cobalt card so that the three colours can be seen going back in the card.

I cut the centre circle from the die set in blue dusk and embossed this with the contemporary poinsettias A4 embossing folder to give some depth to the card.  Finally i added the sentiment, also form the brighter days frame, in coconut white and added this on top in the centre of the circle.

Quite a masculine card however a few flowers and it would be perfect for the ladies as well!

Don't forget Sue is on tomorrow evening at 8pm.

Enjoy...

A simple thank you...

Happy Thursday,

I was hoping to start revealing my New Stamp designs today however that will have to wait for tomorrow Im afraid as I have had some technical problems! so its a quick simple card that is a little CAS I think.

I don't usually go in for leaving large areas of blank card but after playing with this design I felt ( along with some help form Creative Tracey) that the impact was in the simplicity.

I started by cutting four pieces of foundation card to the same size, 2 in coconut white and 2 in baby pink ( I do seem to have suddenly got a taste for this could don't i lol)  I stared by cutting the new Indus gemini die with one of the side cutting dies attached form the bottom of one of the coconut white pieces. I then cut the the Thank You expression die into this piece.



Next I cut the same indus die in the bottom of one of the pink pieces moving it up so that it layers over the previous piece.  I then cut the smaller oblong in this piece.  I then cut another indus from the bottom of the top piece of coconut white, again moving it up, and cut the largest oblong form this.   All the way along I used the previous piece to guide m,e as to where to cut the next piece so that it creates a lace affect and a border for the expression.

A simple and quick card however not easy to explain sorry!

Tune in tomorrow for the start of my Stamp Launch!

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft dies by Sue Wilson
Thank You expression
Indus Gemini

Enjoy...

Time to Enjoy...

Happy Monday,

One from the vaults today from the show samples I made for the last pick of the day shows upon Create and Craft earlier this year.  As I am sure you know I sign off my blog posts with the word Enjoy and I was over the moon when sue designed an Enjoy die!  This is the first one I cut form the Expressions range and made this card with the resultant piece!

To make the card I die cut the oval from the Austrian collection salzburg die in periwinkle blue and then cut a smaller aperture using the oval from the Vienna die in coconut white.  I mounted these above each other and cut the white piece with a slightly larger border.

next I cut 4 of the ornamental corners (the set contains 2 dies which are designed as opposites of each other) in cobalt card and mounted them as a frame around the blue card.  I then simply added the Enjoy die cut in white and then added a few layers of the periwinkle, cobalt and coconut white card to make this 5x7" card.

To add some interest to the front I made a spray of camels using both the complete and open petals in what.  I added these to a messy bow in white seam binding with a couple of pearl stick pins.

To pick out the detail on the corner pieces I added some dots of cosmic pearl PVA and finished.  Hopefully a card you can send for any occasion and one that's worth having for those moments when we need to send one quickly!

Ingredients:

Creative Expressions Craft dies by Sue Wilson
Enjoy expressions die
Ornamental Corner
Salzburg & Vienna die sets
Camila open & Closed petals
Cobalt, Periwinkle & coconut white foundation card
Cosmic Pearl PVA

as always, Enjoy...

Its not blue...

Happy Tuesday,

I've been on my travels again this weekend visiting the lovely Crafty Knits in Chorley as well as spending a day in the brilliant Craft Barn in Redhill I meant a wonderful bunch of people in both locations and had a great weekend!


I'm sorry to ask this again but is it too dark? lol  I made this card after the dark one from last week (I do tend to make cards in series using the same range of colours as you may be able to tell form my Blue fetish!)

I cut and embossed the Greek Island collection background in taupe card and inked over the embossing with shabby shutters distress ink and a smoothie (which are back in stock yay!)  I then used Vintage photo on the trellis to give some definition and foam mounted the piece over a mat of the taupe card.

I edged the piece with more of the vintage photo then layered it with a piece of Brunswick green foundation card that I embossed with the A4 rambling blossoms embossing folder from CE.

Next I cut one of the Greek island collection borders in the green and ran it down the left hand side.  Next I cut the Best Wishes expressions die in the green and the taupe and using spray glue, offset them with the taupe on top so that a shadow is given around the words.  I mounted this onto a shaded piece of taupe cut with one of the shapes in the Greek island collection and finished.

The question is again is this a little dark, this is the last of my current shaded dark cards and I really want to know if I should start another series? lol

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson
Greek Island collection background
Border corner and tag set
Rhodes die set
best Wishes expressions die
Distress ink in Shabby shutters and vintage photo
Brunswick green and taupe foundation card

Enjoy...

A little dark?!?...

Happy Tuesday,


Well today's question is is this a little dark?  I really enjoyed getting my, limited. grungy side out for this card as well as some stamping with one of my favourite stamps.  I have had this stamp for years and was one of my first purchases form Creative Expressions the text background stamp.

I started by stamping the text stamp. in black archival ink, three times twice in a row down a piece of coconut white foundation card and once as a single panel.  Next I cut these out, by hand!, and inked the edges using vintage photo distress ink to age the pieces.  I mounted both of these onto thin matts of black card so that the black stamping was balanced and framed.  Next I die cut the Greek Island collection border form chestnut foundation card and added it over a piece of black seem binding I had tied on the edge of each panel.





For the centre panel I cut a piece of the border down however I added some of the leaves behind the panel just popping out.  I then die cut the Enjoy expressions die form black card and mounted this along the bottom edge.

TO make up the card I embossed a piece of card using the A4 knotted trellis embossing folder and again distressed it using the vintage photo distress ink.  I again mounted this onto back card and added it to a large piece of card (sorry I didn't measure this one however its got to be just short of A4 card!)

To add balance die cut the corner form the Greek island collection and added this in the bottom corner.

Let me know what you think is this too dark and distress for me?

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson
Greek Island Corner, border and Tags
Enjoy Expressions die
A6 text background unmounted stamp by Creative Expressions

Enjoy...

Hello!...

Happy Tuesday,

what a nice way to say hello lol  I always think that we don't always need a reason to send a card it isn't always someones birthday, anniversary or other occasion but we want to send a card just to say hello.  That's where the Expressions Hello die come in for me!

I wanted to play with this die to see what would happen if I kept the waste would it still spell out the word, well the answer is yes! I started by die cutting the hello in aqua card however i covered the back of the 2with low tack tape to keep all the piece in place. I then embossed the piece with the embossing sandwich which just ensured that the waste pieces stayed in pace.  Next I carefully removed the die cut and placed the die, with the pieces in pace, over a piece of coconut white card onto which I had added a piece of double sided adhesive sheet.  Next I carefully pushed all the pieces of the waste onto the sheet and carefully removed the die.  This left me with the negative hello you see on the top of the card.

to finish the piece I added diamond snow in the gaps to cover the sticky sheet that wasn't adhered to anything and to give a sparkle to the piece.

To make the card I made 3 sizes of the cornflowers in aqua card twice and coloured the edges with broken china distress ink.  I added a small silver dazzler as the centre of the flowers and added them at each opposite corners set with foliage cut in vintage silver.  I mounted the two hello's in layers of aqua, white and silver and mounted these , with foam tape of course, in the opposing corners.

The waste pieces of the hello die make an interesting optical illusion as looked at close up directly then it is hard to work out the words (hopefully this is apparent from the pictures) however at an angle or as the card draws away from you it becomes clear. This makes an interesting eye opener for the receiver!

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson
Cornflower
Hello Expressions
Delicate Fronds
Diamond Snow
Double sided adhesive sheets
Aqua, Coconut white and Vintage silver foundation card
Silver mini dazzlers


Enjoy...

Feel the Love...

Happy Bank Holiday Monday,

I'm sorry today's post is late I got home from Create and Craft at 2am this morning and I thought I had scheduled this post!  Ive been filming for the American Channel this weekend so many timings are all out as the last hour finishes UK time at midnight!

so for today a simple card and question, can you feel the love lol? well with this card you can certainly see it!  I just used the love die from the expressions die range by Sue Wilson to make this card and one embossing folder, you can't get simpler ingredients.

I started by cutting the word die form a piece of milk card in the centre.  next I die cut the matching outline die into another piece of milk card then ran the whole piece through the calibur using the wild roses A4 embossing folder.  Next I added a shading of Victorian velvet distress ink, using a smoothie, over the raised are giving the edges a faded look.

To finish the card I foam mounted the aperture over the love and placed a piece of the milk card, covered in double sided adhesive sheet and iced snow, behind the piece again with foam tape.

A frame of a piece of distress inked milk card and a thin ilk mat and the card just needed a bow.  I made a messy bow using rose seam binding and a heart shaped dazzler and finished.

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft dies by Sue Wilson 
Love Expressions Die
CE A4 wild roses embossing folder
CE Double sided adhesive sheets
Iced snow
Victorian Velvet distress ink pad
Rose seam binding

Enjoy...

Twisted Lilac...

Happy Thursday,

Just a quick message to all those wonderful Bloggers and followers who have asked about my stamp range.  The too talented Julia Watts has opened an online shop and is stocking them as well as a small stock of the Daisy Corner set form my first designs.  Julia is offering 10% off until the 4th May so give her a visit by clicking HERE.

I have called this card and post Twisted Lilac because I have used Sue's wonderful weaving dies however when framing the piece to make the card I have twisted the design so that the weave goes diagonally and not straight.

I stared by die cutting 2 each of the classic and striped weaving dies 2 classic in white and 2 striped in lilac foundation card.  IO then wove them together using the small strips from the striped set stuck over the individual pieces form the classic die.  This gives a different look and also allows you to make a different pattern.  I have been playing with these dies and have found that by altering the colours you can make paper versions of different fabrics (i am working on a Tartan for reveal next week I hope!)

To make the frame I die cut the Caribbean background using just the largest piece from the set (some of the more detailed background have been made in parts so that you can get maximum detail and flexibility) in coconut white foundation card.  Whilst in the die I cut the oval out using my craft knife by running it along the edge of the die.  This gives me the detailed frame with an oval aperture cut form the centre.  I trimmed around the piercing on the edge of the background die.  I mounted this onto a piece of the lilac card and again trimmed away the goal in the centre using my knife.  I always think it is fun to look at what else you can do with your ides and I often use some the the no cutting edges as a guide for cutting either by drawing around them or using them as a template to cut with my scalpel.

Next I added this frame of the woven pattern twisting the pattern so that I runs diagonally cutting off the excess around the edges.  I then simply added a couple of mats and layers of the coconut white and lilac  to frame this.

It make the sentiment panel I simply used the middle die from the pierced flags die set which doesn't have a cutting line of the straight edge and turned to die to cut a double ended flag.  I added some of the new CE self adhesive pearl strips in white however i cut between the 2 lines on the strip and added one strip to each side.  I then die cut the best wishes die in lilac card onto which I had added a piece of double sided adhesive sheet and sugared the finished cut with Iced snow.  To finish the card I added a piece of the lilac embossed with the CE A4 embossing folder fine finials onto which I rubbed enchanted gold gilding wax.  I then, as always, added a few layers of the same colours to frame the piece and finish the card.

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies by Sue Wilson
Weaving dies Classic and Striped
Caribbean background
Pierced Flags
Best Wishes expressions die
CE A4 embossing folder Fine Finials
Cosmic Shimmer enchanted gold gilding wax
Lilac & coconut white foundation card
Iced show

Enjoy...

Saturday Stamping...Not!

Happy Saturday!

Well today is not Saturday stamping because I have a big Announcement next week and that involves 7 days of stamping so I thought you all might forgive me not stamping this Saturday!

Today's card is especially designed for Valentine day although all of you will have made your valentines cards by now it would make a lovely wedding, engagement or anniversary card.

This is a simple recessed card which uses one, yes one, die only the Love from the expressions die range for Sue Wilson from Creative Expressions.  I started by die cutting the love form blush card using the word die and the outer heart (this set has 2 dies which allows you to cut the love as an insert or with the outer die as a piece or tag)  I mounted this onto coconut white card using double sided adhesive to which I added diamond snow, from the glitter jewels collection, ion the spaces.

Next I cut just the heart outer from coconut white card as well as from the sand colour so that I could foam mount the white over the blush heart leaving a shadow of the sand.

To make the card I cut the sand and white at larger sizes on each layer and added the front onto a long card blank , with a Sue Wilson pierced edge, made with layers of the sand and blush card.

Finally I added a white seam binding messy bow, a pearl embellishment and a pearl swirl.

Simple looking but I feel it has real drama to it!

Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Craft Dies for Sue Wilson
Love expression
Diamond Snow
Double Sided adhesive sheet
Sand, Blush & Cocoinut white foundation card
Pearl embelishments.

Enjoy...

Blue Friday its new!

Happy Friday,

Well its back to blue for this weeks blue Friday and how could I resist making a card using my favourite colour and the wonderful new Noble dies form Sue Wilson for Creative expressions!  The flower comes from the finishing touches collection and is called cornflower so It just cried out to be cut and made up in blue!


A very quick post today I'm afraid as I have had such a busy week and am frantically prepping for Tomorrows demo day at Houghton Hall Garden centre as well as the next couple of weeks (there's loads on and loads to come!)




I used the noble die to make the frame in White then used the centre panel in blue set on white to offset it.


Ingredients:
Creative Expressions Dies for Sue Wilson
Noble Square
Love Expressions
Cornflower
Pierced Flags
CE A4 embossing folder Eternity
Periwinkle Foundation Card
Large stick on pearls

Enjoy...

New Sue Time for two!

Happy Thursday,

I hope you have all been enjoying the new die launch over on Sue Wilson's blog Particraft, I know I am click HERE if you haven't seen the wonderful new range!  To celebrate the launch I have a twofer for you today and these are my workshop cards for February at CE towers in Kettering. If you fancy joining me for either of these makes, or for the whole day on the 26th Feb just email Tracey on Tracey@creative-expressions.uk.com for details!  those who choose to stay for the whole day will get a bonus make during lunchtime using a range of stamps that are very close to my heart wink!

This first card using the stunning new Noble die range which makes perfect frames as well as contain all the stunning filigree detail we have come to love from the Creative Expressions craft die range.  Here I have used the die to make a full hinged card adding layers form the other pieces in the set on Coconut white card with mica used with double sided adhesive sheets.  The sentiment just had to be on my first project using the dies and come from the new expressions range, as I finish my blog post with Enjoy every day how could I not love this one!









The second card uses another of the new expressions dies as its focus.  This love die comes with the separate Heart outline which makes it so flexible!  here I have teamed it with Blsuh and sand foundation card for this valentines, wedding or anniversary card hopefully you will find this design as flexible as I do!

A very soft palette of colours for me but it is spring allegedly! lol


Enjoy...