In the pink...

Happy Tuesday,

After yesterdays monochrome I thought a little strawberry wouldn't go amis!  Today's card is a really bright visit down under with the Australian and New Zealand collections by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.

I used the new large border from the Australian collection and the Wellington die from new zealand and teamed them here with coconut white and strawberry card from my stash.  I also had to use the Beaded fanfare pinpoint A4 embossing folders it is one of my favourites and its now back in stock.

Ingredients:
Card Size: A5
Colours: Coconut White Foundation card & Strawberry from my stash
Stamps: None
Dies: Australia Border & Wellington
Embossing:Beaded Fanfare
Inks: None
Embellishments: Blush double sided satin ribbon pack
Enjoy...

A quick not on yesterdays flowers especially for June who asked, these are remade and sold as they are from Creative Expressions.

Feeling the beige...

Happy Monday,

I have been getting really into the Black and white recently and thought it was time I mixed it up a little, so I added some beige however I used milk foundation card to stand in for beige!  There is a sign on my Craft Cave wall which I was given by a retailer which Reads "Life's too short for Beige!" which I love however sometimes we just have to!

With so much on this week Im afraid theres just the pictures and ingredients list Im hoping to have some sneak peaks read for you all by the end of the week!

Ingredients:
Card Size: 18 x 21 cm
Colours: Coconut White & Milk foundation card
Stamps: JL pierced flag sentiments
Dies: Scattered Leaves background
Embossing:Leafy quad
Inks: Jet Black archival ink, 
Embellishments: cream Tulle, Black and natural jute, satin pearl flowers ( all CE)

Enjoy...

CE Sunday...

Happy Sunday,

Well its another Sunday which means I get a chance to add inspiration over at the Creative Expressions news blog.  This month the die cutting team get to work with the stunning Orange Blossom flower dies as well as the matching stamps.  This is what I have s=come ups with to, hopefully, inspire this weekend.

I started by stamping the orange blossom flowers, only the 4 larger stamps twice each and dies were used in jet black archival ink onto coconut white foundation card.  I cut these out using the matching dies and shaded them on the edges using a smoothie blending tool and Cs colour cloud blending ink in turquoise pool.  I added some of the matching leaves and did the same to these to balance.  I added the flowers stacked form largest to smallest offsetting each one to make the flower as shown.  Once put together I shaped each pearl over my thumb and forefinger to give some depth.  For the foliage I shaped these on the reverse using a ball tool and my farm stamping mat.

Hopefully this picture will give you a better idea of how the flower looks made up.

Too make the card I took a piece of aqua foundation card and cut the lattice diagonal across the bottom adding in the edge die that matches ( and comes in the same set)  This gave me the lovely attire bottom and cuts at the angle as shows.  I foam mounted this over a piece of coconut white which I embossed with the art deco rose swirl A4 embossing folder.  I then added cosmic Pearl PVA dimensional glue onto each junction of the lattice to add some shine and detail.

Before embossing I stamped the Happy Birthday along the bottom and stamped the Each day is a gift celebrate it sentiment, form my Pierced Tags clear stamp set in Jet black archival ink.  I then added a thick strip of double sided satin ribbon across the diagonal and added a bow of the matching thin ribbon ( both come in the pack from Creative Expressions) before adding the flower scary over the top.

Finally a thin layer of black, to balance the stamping, and a larger base of aqua and black to complete the card.

It would be great if you could click HERE to see the Creative Expressions blog and see what the rest of the talented team have come up with this week!


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!

Gypsy Gypsy...

Happy Friday,


I'm sure you all know by now my addiction to paper and specifically paper packs!  Well I had to cut this one up to use ( Im sure I will be buying another to keep in my cupboard lol) so to work with todays stamp to die for I used these stunning papers form the Craft Consortium Gypsy Gypsy 12 x12 paper pack.

I stared by stamping the Damask Delight stamp to die for in perfect medium three times onto the reverse of the backing paper shown from the paper pack.  I added True White detail embossing powder from Cosmic Shimmer and heat set the images.  I cut them all out with the outline and the larger centre circle form the Maggie frames and tags set
( the same die set from yesterdays card) .  I added these in a buckle formation over a further piece form the pad, the reverse of the sheet I stamped on.  For the background piece I covered the whole sheet with a double sided adhesive sheet and added micro beads for texture and dimension.

I threaded through a piece of white silky crush ribbon over and under the layers like a buckle and then threaded through a stamped sentiment ( the same one as earlier in the week) this time stamped onto more of the reverse of the paper.

Finally a bow, stick pins, embellishment and a few more layers of foundation card and paper from the pack.

Ingredients:
Card Size: 25 x 30 cm
Colours: Coconut White, Sherbet foundation card & Craft Consortium 12 x 12 paper pack Gypsy, Gypsy
Stamps: Damask Delight stamp to die for
Dies: Maggie
Embossing:None
Inks: Jet Black archival ink, 
Embellishments: White silky crush ribbon, stick pin elements,

Enjoy...

In The Blue...

Happy Thursday,

Another Day another stamps to die for, I've had real fun finding different ways to highlight and colour these.  Today's card is made using the Patchwork Toile stamp that matches the Maggie die form the new collection designed by Sue Wilson.  This time I used a collection of watercolour pencils in shades of blue and just shaded the stamped image,which I stamped in black archival ink.














I cut the stamped image out using the outline die and the centre smaller circle from the Maggie die.  I cut a circle of black card using the larger centre die from the die set I mounted the stamped centre circle on the black card and foam mounted this above the main image.

Next I stamped the stitched hearts background in cobalt archival ink onto coconut white foundation card I cut it out and tied a piece of blue seam binding around the stamped background.  I then mounted this onto a thin layer of cobalt foundation card.

I added the stamped image over the ribbon and added a bow made of more of the sen binding, some white tulle and pearl sprays.  In the centre of the bow I added three resin roses form the new Craft Consortium always and forever wedding collection of embellishments.

A few layers of white, cobalt and a final layer of black, to offset the black layer and stamping, to make the card.



Ingredients:
Card Size: 18 x 21 cm
Colours: Coconut White, black & Cobalt foundation card
Stamps: Patchwork Toile stamp to die for, Stitched Hearts A6 background stamp.
Dies: Maggie
Embossing:None
Inks: Jet Black archival ink, 
Embellishments: Duck Egg resin Roses

Enjoy...

A close shave?...

Happy Wednesday,




Today's card is anther using the new stamps to die for and the shaving foam technique which quite a few of my blog family asked to see in close up!

For more details on the shaving foam technique then click HERE for a pictorial tutorial on Sue Wilson's Particraft blog.  For this project I used the garden meadow set of Acrylic Drawing inks, using these you get a softer colour look and the shaving foam does not get muddy as it can with alcohol ink.

For the stamped element I used the Heritage Flourish stamp to die for from the new range.  I stamped this in black archival ink then heat embossed it with clear detail embossing powder.  I cut this out with the matching Hamilton die designed by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.

Next I cut another of the Hamilton dies in black card, cut this in 2, and mounted this behind the stamped image to give a shadow.

Finally I inked the trailing Ivy die with a brayer and archival jet black ink to make a letter pressed die cut of the ivy. I cut this out and added it around the main image along with a bow made of black and jute twine finished with a small black dazzler.

Ingredients:
Card Size: 21 x21 cm
Colours: Coconut White, black foundation card, chrome gloss card
Stamps: Heritage Flourish Stamp to Die For
Dies: Hamilton
Embossing:None
Inks: Jet Black archival ink, 
Embellishments: Black and Jute twine

Enjoy...