Keeping it simple...

Happy Sunday,

Day 2 in Darlington and a simple card for today just using the borders and flourishes set of clear stamps from my Christmas range.

I stamped the seasons Greating stamp around a frame made using the double pierced squares dies.  I shaded the edges using basil leafy colour cloud bending ink.  Next I stamped the solid ivy flourish corner around all four corners of a square cut with the double pierced squares.  Next I stamped the open ivy corner over the top to define the lines and make it look like I had coloured them in by hand.  I shaded around the square and added this to the card blank.

I stamped the star wreath form my elegant reindeer set in the Green gold sparkle embossing powder. I mounted the stamped frame over this and added t to the card blank.

Hopefully a simple quick card perfect for you batch cards!






IMPORTANT NOTE I have had loads of emails regarding the sticky and other embossing powders I have used I only use Cosmic Shimmer embossing powders so all instructions are for the use of these, different embossing powders (especially Sticky or bonding powders form other companies may work differently and I have no experience of them)

enjoy...

more details...

Happy Saturday,

I'm on the road again at Franki's Craft, coffee and Chat today and tomorrow doing workshops with the lovely ladies of Darlington!  I thought you might like more details on this card which made a quick peak at the launch of my Christmas Stamp range.

Ive had so many questions about the background I thought it deserved its day in the sun!

For the background I coloured a piece of watercolour card using aqua lagoon pixie powders.  Next I added the all stirred up mask from that special touch over the top.  I then made up a batch of multitex texture paste powder with the bluebell intense pigment stain ( i will be demoing this on the 12th August on Hochanda)

Next I cut the piece into 9 equal squares which I mounted onto white squares to make up the background.


To make the card I stamped the sentiment and the leaping reindeer onto heat resistant acetate.  I then covered the back of the reindeer with cosmic shimmer dries clear glue and added silver chrome polished silk glitter.  Once dry the glitter shows through as if floating.

I wrapped the acetate over the front of the background and hid where I glued it on using a trip of ribbon which I stamped with the border from one of my border tips on the flourishes clear set.

I added the whole piece to a few layers of card which I added the deck the halls stamp around the edges.

Enjoy...

Christmas Friday...

Happy Friday,

I thought i'd blogged this card however i think i popped it on Facebook!  I have to admit that whilst this was originally designed as a Christmas card I would send it all year.

I stare by stamping the scripted rose background stamp using crimson kiss colour cloud I then shaded the stamped image to give the cloudy effect.  I cut this and mounted it onto a piece of white then antique gold foundation card.

For the wreath I sprayed water onto  piece of watercolour card and added candy pink and rich gold pixie powder and allowed it to spread creating the beautiful marbled pattern. Next I stamped the medium and smallest roses from my Christmas rose elements clear set.  I then cut these out with the matching dies and shed them on my stamping mat with a ball tool.

Next I cut the rose leaves from the same die set in antique gold card.  I arranged the leaves around a circle cut with the double pierced dies and arranged the roses over the spaces.


I simply mounted the wreath, with from tape, over the stamped background. I added cosmic shimmer dries clear glue in the centre of each rose and added gold microbeads.





I added a bow made form reversible pink satin ribbon and gold twine from my stash with a couple of Tim Holtz Christmas muse tokens on the end of each of the gold twine bow.


To make up the card I embossed a panel of white card with the star swirls embossing folder and shaded it lightly with more of the crimson kiss colour cloud.  A few layers of white and gold and finished.

Enjoy...

Die cutting Essentials...

Happy Thursday,

I meant to blog this a couple weeks ago but again time and show schedules got the better of me!  This is the card I made for the latest edition of die cutting essentials using the exclusive die designed by Sue Wilson for the magazine.  As you know Sue loves the configurations dies and I love the usefulness of these.  For this card I only used the free die although I did have to cut it 18 times lol

Full instructions on this card can be found in the magazine along with cards by Sue Wilson, Julia Watts and Tracey Laughton.

The only dies I have added are the centre ovals and the peony cluster used to centre the card.

a few more shots in case you want o work out how this one was made.  I have to admit its a classic me card as Mrs Duck would say so should be easy to emulate lol

Enjoy...

Pixies in Belgium...

Happy Wednesday,

The pixie powders have made another trip to Belgium this time popping up in the Belgium background.  This is a really easy card to make with an Art Deco look to it.

This is an easy card to make, I started by adding pixie powders in aqua lagoon and purple violet to wet watercolour card.  When dry I embossed it with the dotty daisy A4 embossing folder.  Next I used the Purple gilding polish to highlight the embossing

I then cut the Belgium background in black foundation card cut with a large border. I added the embossed panel.  Next I cut the centre out using the number 2 die in the set.  I then cut a black layer for this using die 2 and 3 and added this over the embossed panel.  I then cut the centre out using the final die in the set and matted this onto a piece of black cut form making the frame.

To make up the card I added the back panel to a white card blank then added the other layers simply rotating each panel.

Finally I added a knotted piece of seam binding that I coloured with the pixie powders ( i will be demoing this on my show on the 12th august!)

Enjoy...

Teal and Black...

Happy Tuesday,

Another sample form the shows a couple of weeks ago using the brilliant teal foundation card which I am always forgetting about! i love the way this works so well with the black and white a great way to revitalise black and white.

I stared by cutting the triple gemini die in order on teal, then the outline and detail in white with a black mat cut with just the outline.  Next I cut the first three dies in a piece of white and finished with the last outline in a further piece of teal.











I trimmed each piece of card making each piece slightly thinner to create the layers.

for the focal element I cut the bruges die in white and backed it with black.  next i layers up the detail dies in the set finishing with the stamped sentiment from my nasturtium everyday sentiments.

I finished with layers of teal black and an embossed layer of white.  I added black stick on pearls at the edges and used a couple of strips of teal and black seam binding to balance the bow.

enjoy...

A little Drama...

Happy Monday,

I promised to show this card last week but due to the shows I had last week and the failings of my camera I had to delay it!  So today's the first chance Ive had to show this one.  This is a sample I made for my shows with Sue Wilson's die range a couple of weeks ago.  I have to admit I made this in the morning of the shows as I was watching Sue herself on catch up (www.hochanda.com) and was inspired to make this card.

I stared by cutting the arbour gate 4 times, twice in vintage gold and twice in gloss black.  I cut the centre gate section form each of them then overlapped the outer farmers, black on gold, with an offset shadow.  Next I cut a strip of bright white foundation card the same width of the gate sections.  I then stuck the gates onto this, gold over black, using the 2 sets along the length of the card.  I overlapped the edges using the trellis at the bottom of the gate as a guide.

Next I cut a series of frames using the double pierced circles dies, in the gold and black and made a card base of layers of the gold, black and an embossed panel of white.

Next I stared the layering by adding the largest frame over the panel in the centre.  I then added the outline gates over this.  Next I added, with foam tape of course, the centre gate sections.  I added the other frames and decorated the whole piece with different sizes of black stick on pearls.

I cut the requisite poppies in gold and tipped the edges using a smoothie with jet black archival ink.  I cut the centres from the same die set in the gloss black and added the new gold microbeads in the centre with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue.

I cut a series of the olive branch die in the gloss black and with some black twine and gold thread from my stash I arranged these around the largest frames.

A few more layers and, of course, stick on pearls and finished!


Enjoy...