New Find...

Happy Tuesday,

Today I am sharing a card made with a new range of dies I have found form Find It Media (from Holland)  I saw these dies at the Newbury craft show on Saturday and I had to add a few to my basket!

Today I have made this buckle style card using the Round Flower Frame however I only used a couple of dies in the set so there are more cards coming with this die!.

I cut the 2 outline dies three times in teal card then added the central section cut in ivory.  I arranged these in a buckle formation over a piece of embossed ivory card ( embossed with the Twinkle Stars embossing folder)  I shaded the edges with a new Ocean coloured die ink ( more news of that to follow later in the week!)

I threaded a lace ribbon through the buckles and added a spray of leaves shaded in the same ink.

I stamped the sentiment ( again with the ocean ink) onto the piece that falls from the centre punching a hole to make this into a tag.



A few layers of teal and ivory and a classic card is completed.

It seems that everyone really liked my Jelly baby ( I've named him sam) so I thought i'd share another image below!


Enjoy...

it looks like he's counting down to something doesn't it?!? x

Friday is blue...

Happy Friday,

Once again it's a blue Friday and today's card is a selection of different techniques.  I have used Die cutting, layering, stamping and well as PVA embellishments!

I stared by die cutting the Bevelled glass triplet (without the outside cutting die) form an A4 piece of white hammered yardstick.  I then rotated this twice so that I made a rectangular background.  The die lines up perfectly to allow you to repeat the pattern.

I then stamped the butterfly dreams triplet in black archival ink onto the same yardstick, make sure you press hard so that the image is crisp on the hammered card however the rubber stamps that come foam mounted form Creative Expressions are great for this!..  I then cut to the image by hand and inked the edges using stormy sky distress ink and a smoothie.  I die cut a sky blue mat using the outline die for the bevelled glass striplet set.

Next I die cut the whole of the striplet in the white and added it to a piece of the sky blue cut, again, with just the outline die.  I lined these up and added from tape to the back and mounted the piece over the die cut background.  I added white pearl PVA dots on the stamped background using the dots on the stamp as a guideline and stamped the main element form the Butterfly dreams clear stamp set.  This element I inked the same and again added the PVA glue dots.

I made up the card as shown and added a messy bow in seam binding and a dazzler setting into which I had put more of the White PVA pearl which gives a mother of pearl look to the setting.

Unfortunately the card got marked during on e of the demo's I did on Create and Craft along one side however I did want to show this and also show that we don't lawyers get it right and mistakes happen to all of us!

Ingredients:
Butterfly Dreams Striplet rubber stamp
Butterfly Dreams elements clear stamp set
CE Craft dies by Sue Wilson Bevelled glass striplet die set
Cosmic Shimmer White Pearl PVA glue
Dazzler settings
Stormy Sky distress ink.

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...

Simple Sunday...

Happy Sunday,

WE all had a fab time yesterday at Daisies in Coventry and the ladies came up with some beautiful variants on the workshop card!  Unfortunately I can't seem to get the pictures off my iPhone and onto blogger at the moment so will try to post later in the week!

Back to today and a simple offering using the new Floral Meadow striplet form Sue Wilson for Creative expressions.  I love the way that a simple cut of this die, cut solely with the striplet and not the cutting edge, coloured can be so effective.

I started by cutting the striplet in coconut white card down one side and whilst still in the die I used peacock feathers distress Ink to colour the piece.  Next I cut the outside edge die in a piece of spearmint foundation card and foam mounted this over the top.





Next I drew around the outside edge of the border die and cut the aperture out with my scalpel this time in coconut white.  This gave me a set of reverse mats which I foam mounted together for dimension.

I then sprayed a piece of white seam binding with Phil Martin's new Graceful Mint Ink spray to match the colour.  The new Cosmic Shimmer Mint range is a perfect match for the Spearmint foundation card and is a beautiful shade of green, a colour I rarely use.  I placed a strip of the ribbon behind the die cit and made a small bow with an off cut.

Finally I stamped the sentiment, form the Creative Expressions everyday set in black archival and added the bow to highlight it.

A simple card that really shows off, in my opinion, the beauty of the detailed striplet die cut.

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson's Floral Meadow Striplet die
Peacock Feathers DI
Coconut White & Spearmint Foundation Card
White seam binding
Cosmic Shimmer Graceful Mint Ink Mist Spray


Enjoy...

Back to Beige

Happy Tuesday,

I'm afraid that today's card is another the doesn't photo well!  IN real life the centre panel of this one looks like a baked clay tile and does have a lovely shine however in all the pictures I took (I took quite a lot of this one) looked quite dull.

I started by stamping the Dandelion meadow stamp to die for form Creative Expressions in black archival ink.  I then cut it out with the matching die from the Sue Wilson Austrian Collection Innsbruck die and rubbed the ice cut piece all over with perfect medium.  Next I added a heap of clear embossing powder and heated the piece from underneath.  I repeated this twice more to build up a thick enamel layer, making a glazed tile effect.


I then made up the card to hold this piece starting with the largest die from the Innsbruck collection however I didn't cut the die I simply embossed it.  I shaded the piece using tea dye distress ink to bring out the embossed design.

To make the card base I embossed some khaki foundation card with the creative Expressions checker board pinpoint embossing folder and layers it with chocolate card in 2 layers.  I made the front panel by inking through the that special touch mask, counterpane, and adding this to another piece of the chocolate.

Finally I added a strip of brown seem binding balanced with a messy bow, a pearl dazzler and a couple of matching hatpins.


Ingredients:
Sue Wilson's Die Innsbruck
Dandelion Meadow stamp to die for
Khaki & Chocolate foundation card
That Special touch Counterpane mask
Tea Dye distress Ink
Cosmic Shimmer clear embossing powder
Brown seem binding, Dazzler & Hat pins



Enjoy...

Simple Sunday... distressed flowers

Happy Sunday,

Today's card is relatively simple although It probably doesn't look it however I ma still using the samples I made so here goes...

 There are just 2 simple techniques on this card distressing and die cutting (I am obviously ignoring the stamping and colouring!)

I stamped the image Scenic View stamp to die for by Creative Expressions in perfect medium then embossed it with Detail Black embossing powder.  This allows you to ink over the image and the embossed areas will resist the ink.  I coloured it using a selection of distress inks masking off the different areas using a post it note.

To make the card base I simply ran a piece of Milk foundation card through the Daisy Tiers embossing folder and inked the resultant piece using Forest moss and shaded lilac distress inks.  I covered the whole piece in the lighter shade then added the darker green on top I then intensified the lilac colour by adding more colour in selected areas.


I then cut an aperture in the card base using the plain large shape form Sue's Auvergne die set and cut a navy frame using the die set to frame the image.  The stamped image was foam mounted under the pareture and the frame was simply glued, using cosmic shimmer dries clear glue, over this.














I then cut 2 of each size of the Delicate Daisies full petal dies from a sheet of milk card onto which I had added the 2 colours of distress ink randomly over.  This technique gives a lovely shaded yet random look. I mounted the two cuts in each size together and pinched the leaves to give the flowers a 3D look.


Finally I cut some of the Curled Vines in the scarps of the distressed card and made a spray of the vines and flowers around the edge of the frame.  A few stick on gems and hatpins from my stash and completed.

Ingredients:
Scenic View Stamp to Die for
Sue Wilson's Dies
Delicate Daisies full petals
Curled Vines
French Collection Auvergne Die Set
Creative Expressions Daisy Tiers A4 embossing folder
Distress Inks
Detail Black Embossing Powder

Yesterday (Saturday) I popped into Daisies Jewels and crafts as Julia Watts was giving a demonstration and I have a workshop there on the 22nd November.  I was there to talk over what I will be doing in the workshop and to agree to give a demonstration in the afternoon.  It was great to have 5 minutes to catch up with Julia as well as to meet some of the lovely ladies who were in attendance.  Wendy (the owner) informed me that one of her Customers Jane is an avid follower of my blog I did get to say hello to Jane however didn't have time for a chat!  Sorry Jane I am sure we will have chance in November!

Enjoy...

It's a Sin!

Happy Tuesday,

Oh well in for a penny in for a pound as they say where I originally come from (South Yorkshire if anyone was wondering!) Since I bought three new die sets I had better get the most out of them! lol

Today's card is made using the Umbria die set, again from the Italian collection however this is made in a rarely used for me green.  I don't know why but this verdigris green just appealed to me when looking for a colour to showcase this die.











I started by letterpressing the Darice A4 embossing folder with sage green chalk ink then cutting the largest die from the set out from the centre to create the aperture.

Next I cut the largest die from the green card, i cut a circle from a sheet of cream card and mounted the green piece over the top.  Then I cut the centre die, which doesn't have an edge so gives a beautiful filigree effect, from green and mounted this over a sheet of cream into which I had cut a smaller circle.



The final circle die was cut and stamped with congratulations circle stamp then mounted behind the final aperture.  It is a little difficult to describe but this is a kind of tunnel card as each successively smaller die cut is mounted behind the larger one.


There are a few pearls and a little distress inking on the edges to give some definition.


Ingredients:
Sue Wilson Umbria die set
Darice Tumbling leaves embossing folder
Cream PMD cardstock
Green Lidl Cardstock.
Sage green distress ink
Circle stamp Crafters Companion Sentimentals

Hopefully you can get the idea from the pictures of how this one is constructed...

Enjoy...

Something Different Saturday..a Box!

Happy Saturday,



As promised on Monday today's something different is made using the Sue Wilson Spanish Collection Background die.  This time I have used it as a box lid by die cutting and inking 2 of the die cuts and rotating them to create an equal square box lid.

I have already, I can hear the gasps, shot the video for this one and it is just below.  I made this box the day before I shot my new round of videos and thought I should add this one so that if anyone wants to make a similar one they don't have to wait for the usual count of weeks until I tell you how to make it!

I have called this one a chocolate box as firstly the gingerbread chalk ink along with the chocolate brown card made me think of chocolate but also because I am intending to use this to hold some of my hand made chocolates as a thank you gifts to friends here in Spain before I leave!

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson Spanish Collection Background Die
White Hammered PMD cardstock
Chocolate Brown PMD cardstock
Gingerbread Chalk Ink

Let me know what you think of the project and the video, I know I need to get more professional however I am hoping to shoot these better once I return to the UK.

Enjoy...

Spanish Lace...

Happy Monday,

As I am sure you all know by now I love the Spanish collection dies from Sue Wilson and I have used these in so many different projects (in fact Saturday's something different project uses this die) Well as my favourite is the background die I keep looking at what I have made with it.  When I was looking at a card the other day I noticed how much the border reminded me of Spanish lace.  Therefore I thought I would try cutting the border off to see what lacy thing I could come up with.

As you can see By cutting the die in black and inking through it in white chalk ink I got a beautiful lacy pattern.  I then cut the border out and cut across each corner and then rejoined these sections to make 2 square borders of the lace effect.

The remainder of this card is very simple, I wanted the die and inking to be the focus of this one.  Therefore the centre is just a square cut from the centre of the die which I have inked using the corners of the die as a mask.  A simple pearls set the whole centre piece off.  A very simple 2 layer card for me but, I feel , very effective and reminiscent of the lace that the older Spanish ladies in my village still make on their knees in the winter!

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson Spanish Collection Background Die
White and Black PMD cardstock
White Chalk Ink

Enjoy...