Day 4 Snowdrops...

Happy Monday,

Well its finally the full launch of my December Stamp launch I really hope you have been enjoying the reveals so far!  Today the One Day Special launches on Hochanda with me at 8pm this evening Dont forget if you can't get the channel on your system ( or country) you can watch in HD at www.hochanda.com.

Back to todays reveal and I have 2 cards for you showing the new snowdrops elements stamp set.  I designed this set specifically for winter birthdays as Snowdrops are the birth flower of January so perfect for all those January children ( and grown ups lol)  I have given the set a wintery feel with a few snowflakes and stars however this can be used for any time of year as the sentiments, as with all my elements sets, are interchangeable.  There is also a set of snowdrop heads which can be used for backgrounds, decoupaging on any of the main images or turned the other way up to use a  crocuses!

If you want to see a few demonstrations of this stamp set, and the technique I used here of stamping with polished silk glitter then tune in either tonight at 8pm or tomorrow at 9am, 12pm, 4pm and last chance at 7pm.!

More tomorrow,

Enjoy...

Stamp Release day 3, tagged! ...

Happy Sunday,

I had a fab day at Lady Green yesterday and rounded the day off with Dinner with Wendy (Spanish Crafter) and Ang (Mrs Duck).  A great deal of laughs were heard around the restaurant!

 It's back today to my stamp release ready for their launch on Hochanda on Monday and Tuesday.  Today I have 2 sets to show and these are my first clear stamp sets that could be counted as Stamps to die for as these have been specifically been designed to match the Creative Expressions Craft dies designed by Sue Wilson pierced Flags and Pierced tags.  These are 2 of my basic sets that i turn to all the time however I wanted some stamps that would add lines and interest to them as well as making a set of sentiments that fit it exactly.







I have created some new sentiments for these as well as adding some of my favourites form my previous sets as I have been frustrated that i couldn't get my fave sentiment to fit!  There are a couple of comedic ones on there as well especially a quote form Liz Taylor that I just love!






The first set and card is designed for the pierced tags die set. I have drawn a different shading for each size of tag as well as 14 separate sentiments again designed to fit.  I have also added a daisy flourish as the daisy corner stamp set that I drew earlier in the year has proved to be really popular.  I always want all my sets to work together and separately so that you can use just one or you can combine the sets together.




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The second set and card is the pierced flags which has a drawn stamp for each size as well as 13 separate sentiments, as there was space I added a couple of circle sentiments which work really well on their own.  These can also make great envelope seals!

I hope you are enjoying these sneak peaks, more tomorrow when we get to snowdrops!

Enjoy...

Winter Stamps day 2...

Happy Saturday,

I am travelling to Lady Green garden centre today for my last Demo of the year!  I will also be picking up Wendy my old next door neighbour in Spain who was the original Next Door that named my blog.  She is staying with family on meryside ( where the garden centre is for more details of the venue click HERE)





















Back to today and its the second day of my sneak peak stamp release and Today I thought I would share the set that has one of my favourite rhymes on it!  I have always been fascinated by the Mondays Child poem of old especially as I ma a Saturdays child which seems very apt!  I have, thank to a couple of my wonderful blog family, modernised it a little however the original sayings are there.  I do feel that this is a perfect go to set for any birthday as it covers every day and makes batch card making for sale really easy as you could make a set of general cards that will feel personalised ( well that was the idea anyway!)

The first card shows the poem used as a topper stamped in detail silver embossing powder by Cosmic Shimmer.  The second card also shows one of the sentiments.











Today's card also includes use of the rand new background stamp that matches as well as the brand new Camellia stamp set to die for that match Sue's camellia complete petals dies.  The stamp set has all 9 of the different sized flowers and I drew this as I was asked by a lady at the NEC to do one as she had been looking for the matching stamps for a while and couldn't find them!  When I told here that it was because they didn't exist she asked if I could make some, so i did!

The next card simply shows the sentiment for Monday being used as the focal element.  This card will get its own day on the blog so I can go through the steps of making it at some point.  The first card is one of the demo's I will be doing on Hochanda next week so tune in if you want to see how that card was made

More tomorrow,

Enjoy...

Stamps away!...

Happy Friday,

I have been promising to sneak peak my new stamp ranges for a while and the day has finally come!  These are designed for the winter season as well as early spring ( I don't mean winter as in Christmas! lol  I wanted to do some ranges that would work for people who have birthdays or celebrations over the winter period, I do feel that with Christmas on the horizon we sometimes forget other occasions or those people born in December, January and February ( especially as February is my mums birthday!)

I have also included a matching corner or flourish for each month as well as, in my usual get as much in as possible style, some background stamps with snowflakes and stars.  The flourishes feature the flowers for each month and also tie in with both the new sets to come over the next few days or previous sets I have done.

I thought I would start with the first set called Winters Child, this is part of a theme that will run through next year as I intend to create a set for each three month period periodically through 2016.  Of course I had to start with Winters Child for December, January and February.





This set contains a sentiment for each month describing some of the attributes that match with each month as well as a poem or sentiment I have written for either the front or inside of a card for the months.  I have to admit this set took a lot of time and thought as well as drawings as I really wanted to research what matches each month.



These and all the other sets will be launching this and all the other stamp sets on Hochanda on Monday at 8pm with shows through Tuesday at 9am, 12pm, 4pm & last chance at 7pm.

I will be demoing a version of this card on one of the shows as I have made one of these for each month in colours that seemed appropriate.  Here's a couple of shots of the other months.

Please let me know what you think of the set, I really value the feedback! More tomorrow!

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...

Creative Wednesday...

Happy Wednesday,

This month the Design team for Creative Expressions are showcasing the new collection of Craft dies designed by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.  I chose the showcase the stunning Daisy Cluster this week as it isn just so beautiful, different and versatile, a triple threat!

Whilst the die looks stunning just cut as a cent I could see a wreath as soon as I open the pack so that the first thing I did.

I stared by cutting the outline cluster four times from milk foundation card. Next I cut the matching daisy die ( this is designed to go behind to create a solid flower in the cluster) form baby pink card and mounted these behind the cluster.

I added 4 5mm white stick on pearls to the centre of each daisy to add depth.  To make the wreath i cut 2 large circles ti make a circular frame.  I then cut the end flourish of each of the clusters at one end and foam mounted them over the ring.  This leaves a clear space at the bottom to which leaves a place for the bow.  If you want to make a large wreath just increase the size of the circular frame.

I cut one of the double pierced squares from more milk acrd and whilst in the die I embossed it with the star swirls A4 embossing folder.  This technique leaves a late line around the edge with all the detailed piercing.  Whilst in the die i shaded the square using pretty in pink colour cloud blending ink shading it so that there is little if no colour in the centre.

I foam mounted the wreath above the square and added a pierced flag with the sentiment I also shaded this with the same pretty in pink to match.






I added a few layers of baby pink and black ( to balance the black stamped sentiment and to make the whole card look less sugary!)

To see what the rest of the team have been up to click HERE.

Enjoy...

You are gold...

Happy Tuesday,

Ive been playing around with stamping with gilding flakes for my shows on Hochanda next week and thought you might like to see these two christmas cards I made using my christmas stamps that somehow slipped through the net and haven't had their day on the blog.  Ive always been intimidated by stamping with gilding flakes so I have been trying to work out some simple rules to make it easy for me that I can pass on.  I will be going through the technique next Tuesday on air but thought you would like to see these early attempts!

Both cards were stamped with fake and glitter glue from cosmic shimmer before being gilded with Egyptian gold gilding flakes.  The first is simply stamped onto black foundation card then added to a background made by grouting the contemporary poinsettia embossing folder with gold sparkle texture paste.

I added a flower made with the classic poinsettia die form Sue Wilson for `Creative Expressions which I sprayed with glue and covered with diamond sprinkles after gilding.

The second card is made by stamping gild onto vintage gold foundation card ( thank to Mrs Duck for the idea!)

Bothe are made using my clear stamp set Partridge in a pear tree.

Enjoy...