Saturday Stamping...

Happy Saturday,

A simple stamped card today that I built up using the elements form the Daisy Corner Elements clear stamp set by Creative expressions.  The other interesting fact on this card is that I used the ornate Pierced noble die set to make the card blank.

To achieve the base card I folded a sheet of A4 foundation card in half and placed the largest die from the Ornate pierced square noble die over the fold so that the cut line is above the fold.  This means that once you run it through your die cutting machine you will cut three sides and have a card blank cut for you.  Next I added the filigree section form the die set to one half of the card and but and embossed this.

The stamped section is made by die cutting the smallest of the square dies from the set and simply stamping, using the separate elements in the stamp set, around the edge.  the sentiment is form the Lotus Flower elements set which has some larger sentiments in it which can make a focal element all on their own!   I coloured the daisies using distress markers in Ripe persimmon, Squeezed Lemonade and old paper.

To finish the card I cut a contrasting layer inn sand foundation card using the largest die again and adhered it behind the filigree, you will have to trim this down a little at the top to make room for the fold.

This would make a great batch card for those who make for charity or to replenish their crafty stash!  I have no issues with people making cards they have made using my stamps however I ask that you don't stamp the images or scan them into computers to sell as images to colour.

Ingredients:
CE Craft die Noble Ornate Pierced Squares by Sue Wilson
CE Clear stamps Daisy Corner Elements set by me!
Khaki & Sand foundation Card
Black Archival Ink
Distress markers

Enjoy...

Blue Friday...

Happy Friday,

Well thought I would go back to showing you my favourite colour on a Friday and I love this card.   Again it one of the demo's I did last Saturday and there is a whole range of techniques on this card.  I have been asked loads this week about the stamping on acetate so hopefully this will answer those questions!

I started by stamping the Butterfly Striplet stamp onto acetate using perfect medium.  I use Creative Expressions heat able acetate which is designed to allow you to heat emboss it!  Make sure you take the static off first with an anti static bag as acetate can cling to the powder.  Next I added cosmic shimmer detail silver embossing powder and heat set it by gently moving the heat gun ensuring I don't overheat any area.

Next I cut an aperture, using any of the straight edged border dies from Sue Wilson's triplet dies for Creative Expressions.  I stuck the acetate behind this aperture to make a window.  The background is made by brushing 2 shades of Mica powder over a piece of card with a piece of double sided adhesive stuck to it.  I mounted, with from tape of course, the aperture over this.

I die cut 2 of the butterflies from the Creative Expressions Magical Butterflies set in foundation card onto which I stuck more of the double sided adhesive sheet.  I then removed the top film and brushed more of the Mica over them.

This leaves a level of Mica powder on your craft sheet so I turned this into a mica ink pad by spraying water over it and picking the colour up using a piece of cut n dry foam.  This makes a mica Ink pad which I then used to stamp the bubbles and butterflies over a piece of card cut the same size as the aperture (i used the resultant piece form cutting the aperture)

Finally I stamped the main element from the set in detail silver embossing powder, matted it with the same sky blue card and adding a matching bow.

A complex list of instructions hopefully you can get the gist from it!

Ingredients:
Butterfly Dreams Elements Clear Stamp Set
Butterfly Striplet stamp
Magical Butterflies die set by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions
Garden Floral Mica Set
Cosmic Shimmer Detail Silver embossing powder

The winner of this weeks card giveaway is Ita please send me your address to Lockers@live.co.uk and I will post it tho you!  Another giveaway on Monday!

Enjoy...

Spellbinder return...

Happy Thursday,

I realised as I was taking pictures of this card that I hadn't blogged anything made with spellbinders for ages so I thought I should!

I love the multi layering you can achieve with the labels sets and labels 42 has 2 sets that accent it allowing you to make multiple frames and tags.

On today's card I have gone very simple with layers of the dies cuts and some simple stamping to create the focus.  I started by cutting the largest die from the Spellbinders Labels 42 decorative accents set.  I then stamped a few of the smallest sized daisies from the Daisy Corner elements set around the edge of the frame. Next I added the sentiment, from the same set, using Black Archival ink.  I then placed the piece back in the die and inked around the die cut using squeezed lemonade distress ink using one of the new smoothies.

To make the frame I used the same die however I added the second largest die from the Labels 42 set to create a frame.  I cut this in Sand foundation card and matted this onto a layer cut with the latest of the plain labels 42.  I foam mounted, at an angle, the stamped panel using foam tape over the frame adding a strip of white seam binding behind.

To make large card I matted a couple of layers of Sand and Khaki card with the largest being 21 x 21cm.    I added a panel, matted again in the darker colour, embossed with the quilted flower embossing folder and added Pearl PVA glue dots to pick out the pattern.

Finally I added a messy bow and a dazzler setting, the dazzler setting has been filled with pearl ova which looks like it is set with mother of pearl!

I hope you have enjoyed this trip down the spellbinders path for a change.

Ingredients:
Spellbinders dies
Labels 42
Labels 42 Decorative Accents
CE Clear stamps Daisy Corner Elements set
Sand and Khaki Foundation card
White seam binding, Cosmic shimmer pearl PVA & Dazzler settings.

Enjoy...

Creative Wednesday...

Happy Wednesday,

Its back to my design team spot for Creative expressions and there have been  a few changes on the blog as we have now launched a challenge with prizes.  Click HERE to see the challenge and to enter.  It would be great to see you enter your cards and this months theme is Easter so get your egg shapes out and give it a go.  It';s a great way to win a prize and also showcase your work to Creative Expressions!

Back to today and I thought i could, kinda, get into the Easter theme by using the main element from the scribble rose elements stamp set as its a little egg shaped (can I hear clutching at straws here!)




I have teamed this up with the brand new paper pack from Couture Creations Vintage rose garden.  Now as you know I am a lover of paper and this set is just stunning!

I allowed the paper to make all the backing for what is a simple stamping project.  I stamped the central element form the stamp set using perfect medium onto milk foundation card and embossed it with Detail gold embossing powder from Cosmic Shimmer.  I then repeated the process using the rose striplet stamp, hand cut them out and inked around the edges using Victorian Velvet distress ink (a one of the new smoothies)

I foam mounted the pieces and added a satin edged bow, a dazzler setting with a pearl embellishment in the centre (secured with cosmic pearl PVA) and a couple of pearl sprays to finish.

It would be great to see your cards up on the CE Challenge and you never know maybe win a prize!

Ingredients:
CE Clear stamp set Scribble Rose Elements - by me
CE Stamps to die for Scribble Rose Striplet
Couture Creations Vintage Rose Garden 12 x 12 paper pack
Cosmic Shimmer Detail gold embossing powder
embellishments all from Creative Expressions.

Technique Tuesday...

Happy Tuesday,

Well its back to normal and Its a technique simply because it's Tuesday.  Today's technique is masking using the demo I did on my shows at the weekend.  The secret to this masking is the Cricut transfer tape.  This allows you to stamp onto it, cut it out and because it is transparent you can see exactly where you place it.  The other benefit is that it is removable and can be used over and over.

To make the background I stamped the leaf from my Dog flower set a few times on the tape (make sure this is a second generation stamp as you do not want to use too much ink as it can take a while to dry)  Next cut out the leaves exactly on the lines you can store these on a piece of normal card until you want to use them then simply place them back for future use.  next I stamped leaves, using archival black ink, onto a piece of pumice foundation card along the side.  Next I masked these off using the transfer tape masks I made earlier.

To achieve the faded look I grabbed distress ink in Spiced marmalade and tea dye over the image using the new Creative Expressions smoothies.  These are brilliant as you can't get a line in your colouring as there are no edges!

I removed the masks and placed them on a piece of card for another use and cut the edge of the background along the edge of the leaves.

Finally I stamped the main element form the set and decoupaged the flowers back on top by stamping 2 more of the main elements and hand cutting out the spray of flowers on the top.  A ribbon bow and small black dazzlers finished the card (along with a square 21 x 21cm card base made up of layers of Taupe and black foundation card.

Ingredients:
CE Clear stamps Dog flower frame elements - by me
Cricut transfer tape
Distress ink in spiced Marmalade & Tea Dye
CE Smoothies
Foundation card in Pumice, Black and Taupe.

If you'd like to see a video of this technique then it should be available on catch up on Create and Craft until Friday!

Enjoy...

Monday Giveaway!

Happy Monday,

Well I had a lovely relaxing day I sorted the studio out and tidied everything!  Although this may seem strange but that's how I relax!  Firstly I should announce the winner of last weeks giveaway the set of stamps and the winner (chosen by Random .org as Mr ND is in Las Vegas for work! (alright for some, Peterborough doesn't have the same ring!)  is number 79 which was Lea Brawn, if you email me on Lockers@live.co.uk I will send a set out to you once I have bought one! lol









Back to today and I thought it would be fun to give you all the opportunity to win the final card demo I did on my shows on Saturday!  This has got to be one of my favourite cards form the samples I made, there may be more samples popping up for a while as I made nearly 50! so It would like a chance to have this card sent to you just leave a comment and I will pick a random winner on Wednesday!


Speaking of samples those of you who looked in on saturday may have noticed that I had samples made by Julia watts and Tracey Laughton.  I was privileged to be able to take their scares on and I did ask them to make some so that I could show different crafters take on my stamps.  If you want to see more of their work then you can click the blog links on my sidebar for Julia and Tracey!

I stated by cutting The Sue Wilson Californian background doe form the Craft dies range by Creative expressions twice to make a square (its hard to explain this but you fit the die back into a section that is cut to extend the pattern.  I hand cut an aperture from the middle of the die cut and backed it in sky blue card.

Next I stamped the daisy corner from the set of the same name, in perfect medium and heat embossed in in detail white embossing powder.  I added pearl PVA glue dots to some of the dots on the stamped image and coloured the flower using summer blue acrylic drawing ink.  I added a bow and some more embossed daisies form the same set along with a couple of pearl sprays.

Now as the one I made on air was not dry I sent the original out so this is the actual card I made on screen.  I will finish this before sending it out adding the pearl PVA dots to the junctions in the die cut so it will arrive nicer than it looks now!

Ingredients:Creative Expressions clear stamps Daisy Corner elements by John Lockwood
Creative Expressions Craft dies Californian Background by Sue Wilson
Cosmic Shimmer Detail white embossing powder
cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Drawing ink set Summer
White seam binding
Sky blue & Coconut white foundation card

Enjoy...

Its all done...

Happy Sunday,

Well the shows are finished and I would just like to say I loved doing them.  I was nervous I think its because this was the first time I showed my designs!  Thank you all so much for the wonderful reception, the emails, comments and support I received form you all.  I'm glad you all liked the striplet dies, I had to leave something in reserve lol

Back to today and I thought it would be good to show the cards made by the ladies who attended my workshop in kettering on Thursday.  I gave them all the option of making the same card however they had a choice of Mica colours to play with so everyones cards were different.  The first card is the example I made that we were using as the basis for the card.  I made mine using 2 colours of mica.  The pack I made for the ladies contained all the card needed for this card cut to the correct sizes ready for die cutting and matting a layering however the colour choice was up to them.

here is what they came up with...

Above is the selection of all the cards made, as you can see these cover the whole spectrum of colours.

The next shots are close ups of the individiual cards as you can see they all used the elements in different ways.  Brilliant aren't they?!?

The next workshop I am holding at cReative Expressions is on St Georges day the 23rd April. This will be a die cutting technique workshop where you can attend for either half or a full day!  The full day will make 5 projects A kinetic Card, A kinetic or lidded box and tag, a notelette set and a classic card.


Pictures and detail will follow next week!

Happy Sunday I am having a day off relaxing!

Enjoy...