Jess's Crafty Things

New Year Blog Candy

2012-01-22T18:39:00.001Z

Hi everyone and welcome to 2012. I know its a little late, but I wanted to get this all organised for my first post for the year, and to kick off the year with a great start!

So in this post, which will remain at the top for the next two weeks, I will be offering a nice little candy giveaway to one lucky person and showing a card made with one of Di's Digi Downloads .

In addition to the ribbon and nestabilities I am giving away, Di has kindly sponsored this as well and is giving away a digi voucher for her shop to the value of $10 - woohoo!

Here is my first card share for 2012 using Di's Digi called Tending Snowdrops, which you can purchase HERE, and was made using nice fresh colours and used few colours to keep it nice and clean looking.

The digi was coloured with twinkling H2O's and the border / corner punches are from Martha Stewart. Added lots of pearls and glue gun dew drops which were coloured with alcohol inks and some nice shiny organza ribbon to finish.

The close up above shows the layers on the card and the glitter added to the snowdrops and wings -

PS. its easier to cut the circles into the card layers after you have punched and matched the two layers.

Onto the blog candy then, and what you need to do and the prize is for 3 items:

1. One Set of Spellbinders Nestabilty dies - Long Classic Scalloped Rectangles Small

2. 15 metres of ribbon in shades of green, 5m of each colour (for Spring and Easter of course)

3. $10 Di's Digi downloads voucher to spend on Digi Images

what you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the blog candy:

1. leave a comment on my blog post - you don't need to have a blog yourself to enter, just select the 'Anonymous' profile when adding a comment

2. subscribe to the email on Di's Digi downloads for the new image notifcation - you will find this on the right hand side of Di's Digi blog (click on the Di Digi logo above to locate the digi blog)

3. check back on Sunday 22nd January to see if you've won (there is an email subscription button on the top left of my blog so you can get updates on new posts added as and when I publish them, and no you wont get bombarded with emails!!)

GOOD LUCK

Lili of the Valley Candy

2012-01-08T20:43:00.000Z

just saw this and wated to share - 12 stamp giveaway woohoo.. click on the LOTV sign:

Happy Hoppers New Baby Card

2012-01-08T19:52:00.000Z

Thought it was about time I used a House Mouse stamp as I love them and had not made a card with one in ages, so here is one made earlier for a new baby card.

The stamp is a Happy Hoppers one called Sleepy Head from House Mouse Designs, and because the stamp is so detailed I just coloured lightly with Polychromos pencils.

The papers are from Bearly Mine Designs digi papers and the set is called Gingham which you can find here.

The baby bottle is a little flat back button I have had for ages, and the tag is half of a spellbinders label one which I only partially cut one end to make my own shape sentiment label thingy ?!

Am entering this card into a few challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenges - Anything goes

Simon Says Stamp - New Something

The Craft Garden - Monochrome (mine is all shades of pink)

House Mouse & Friends - Happy New Year Challenge - New

Sir Stampalot Challenge - Monochromatic

...off to sort out my untidy craft desk now - how much mess can you make doing one or a couple of cards...

LOTV, Belles & Whistles and Tina Wenke Baby girls

2011-12-31T09:40:00.002Z

Hello fellow bloggers and crafters, thought it was about time to dust off the blog, after have a few relaxing days over Christmas, and share some cards today, all baby girl ones with LOTS of pink!

The first one is a LOTV one I have used quite a bit before and is nice and quick to colour and a good size for lots of card layouts.

An aperture and lots of use of nestabilities as well as a Martha Stewart border corner punch.

The colouring is with twinkling H2O's.

The next card is made with Belles and Whistles stamp called Sweet Dreams, and I used:
Martha Stewart corner punch
cuttlebug embossing folder
nestabilities from spellbinders
magnolia doo hickey leaf dies
EK success flower punches
distress ink
charm
coloured with twinkling H2O's again

...and the last one is one of my favourite baby stamps from Tina Wenke, and for this one I used:

baby feet punch you can find here, and I think dovecraft make a similar one

nestabilities, including lacy ovals

buttons

twinkling H2O's for colouring

that's all for today - I guess it will be 2012 when I post again :)

Happy New Year everyone

Save and bookmark

Lili of the Valley Challenge Blog candy

2011-12-30T14:23:00.000Z

some candy up for grabs by clicking on the picture link or here - add you link while you still have time and take a peek at the new challenge blog starting 5th Jan 2012..

Christmas Angels

2011-12-24T17:05:00.000Z

Well its Christmas Eve and I cant believe - where the year has gone. I am sharing a card made with an image I love, as it evokes the spirit of Christmas for me and angels are very special.

The Stamp is called Angel Crib from Lili of the Valley, its an older one which I love to use every year and so I want to make a simple card with lots of white.

here is the card, and I left a lot of the card blank uncovered, so there was lots of hammered white texture...

and some close up photos of the embossing using Snowflakes 2 (Cuttlebug folder) and white acrylic paint for the edges...

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley too and I embossed it with white WOW embossing powder in white onto the gold pearlescent card.

that's all for today - I cant wait for tomorrow :)

LOTV Carol Singing and some Facebook news

2011-12-23T17:23:00.000Z

Its nearly time for the man in the big red suit to arrive, so hope everyone is nearly ready for Christmas.

The ham is cooking and the smell with the cloves is yummy, and the turkey won't be far behind:)

So on to today's post - have a special card to share, and its made with a Lili of the Valley stamp of course!

It's an easel card which I boxed since the flower, berries and leaves are nice and dimensional.

the picture below shows the card closed.

Here is what was used and some close - up photo's to follow as well:

Lili of the Valley Stamp called Carol Singing

Craft Creations 12 x12 paper called Christmas Carols on Cream SR184P

Craft Creations 12 x 12 paper called Christmas Scrolls Cream SR103P

Berries from Wild Orchid Crafts

Off White 25mm Roses from Wild Orchid Crafts

Leaves punched with Martha Stewart Pine branch punch

Nestability Lables 23

Nestability Shapeabilities Fleur de Lis Doily Accents

Twinklinn H2O's

Glamour dust

Bell Charms from Ebay (check out my Retail therapy page for charm sellers on ebay)

..the chocolate brown satin ribbon has a really luxurious feel..

the corners of the paper were distressed with corduroy brown TH distress ink

and a good old fashioned sentiment added.. the deep red oval is cut on a the fold so that it can be opened and a message written inside..

Here is how the card looks standing up in the box as an easel:

I have also decided to take the plunge and set up a facebook page HERE.

You can click on the link just above, or 'like' the page by clicking on the FaceBook like box at the top left of my Home blog page.

I will be adding cards and other crafty items for sale over the coming months to a nbew page and on facebook.

Meljen's 'Green' Challenge #88 and a card share

2011-12-14T21:35:00.002Z

Just want to share another card using one of Meljen's digi images which you can find HERE, for a little girl celebrating a December birthday and who loves ballet.

I have entered this into Meljen's Challenge blog, and the challenge is to use green.

I used promarkers to colour this ballerina and the flowers are made with EK Success daisy punches.

The ovals are cut with spellbinders nestability dies and the ribbon is from stash which I have had for ages....
the papers are from Bearly Mine, the set is called Spring Blossoms and you can find it here.

Oops I nearly forgot - the yellow dew drops are glue gun drops which I made and coloured with lemonade shade of alcohol ink (okay might need to check the bottle!)

...a close-up of the colouring above, and the inside of the card below..

And..........

you might also remember anothjer Meljen's card I did a while back here.... well I am delighted to say it was good enough to be posted on the Melissa's website as a card share - woohoo thanks Melissa, glad you liked it!

Emma the Caroler from Fred She Said

2011-12-10T16:54:00.000Z

A very quick post today as flying by and trying to finish some other bits n pieces.. this time of year flies away as 25th approaches!

The next card is a pre coloured digi (you can also get it in black white to colour in yourself, here) and the image is from Fred She Said, with Emma the Caroler in different colour outfits.

For this card I used only two layers, the base full picture and then the second layer is the Emma Image and birds cut out. there is a lot going on so didn't want to add loads of layers, this is nice just as it is.

the papers are from Bearly Mine and the pack is called Christmas Delight which you can find on the Bearly Mine Blog.

The punch used is a fiskars border corner one.

...some close- up photos of the layers, snowflakes and my own dew drops made with a glue gun - these ones are clear as they come out of the glue sticks, no colour was added this time...

Stampavie Penny Johnson's Dearest Deer

2011-12-09T22:21:00.001Z

Christmas time wouldnt be the same without reindeer, and I really loved this stamp when I first saw it. We made this card in a recent workshop and I made two samples one coloured with pencils and one with pro markers.

The first sample coloured with pro markers and here are the colours used:

· Ground - Antique White, Glacier Blue

· Red Bow - Baby Pink, Carmine, Red, Berry Red, Cardinal Red, Blender

· Blue Collar - Glacier Blue, Sky Blue, Cyan, Aegean

· Bells - Gold

· Mistletoe - Warm Grey 1, Mint Green, Emerald, Lush Green

· Antlers - Warm Grey 1, Warm Grey 2, Warm Grey 3, Warm Grey 5, Umber

· Reindeer 1 - Raw Siena, Terracotta, Ivory

· Reindeer 2 - Ivory, Tan, Cinnamon, Burnt Siena, Tail - Ivory & Sandstone

and some close ups of the embossing and colouring...

Here is the second sample coloured with pencils and painted with white acrylic paint on the edges - another sunny picture :)

Snowflower Box 2011

2011-12-09T18:11:00.003Z

.. and that's what I call this little favour / gift box, a cross between a snowflake and a flower. Had the template for this box a while, can't remember where I found the measurements, but its a normal size rectangle box with a lid which opens on the top, so easy enough to make up..

This is what is looks like completed - we had loads of fun making this last Saturday in the workshop and if anyone makes any more with different colours please let me know and I can post your work and examples here, if you want to share..

For the decoration I used:

Spellbinders Snowflake die,

EK success Flower punch,

Quickutz snowflake 12'' die cut down to only use three of the flakes on the die,

ribbon

Magnolia Doo Hickey leaf die

and a simple punched border,

..oh and one pearl with a bit of white acrylic paint (there's a pattern forming here!)

a close - up of the front of the box...

big enough to fit some home made chocolates (Charmaine!!..........) or some little bath fizzers or any other homemade gifts you might fancy and want to make for someone special!

Will be back with another Lily of the Valley easel card using flowers and berries when I have taken the photos..

Pink and Green Snowy Village

2011-12-08T06:19:00.004Z

Wanted to try a different colour scheme with this Christmas card, so have gone for pink and green (well I love the olive and pink colour combination and have used it before) and wanted to try this for christmas with a paler green.

Used the acrylic paint on this again (so much more white and dimensional than even white stazon or pigment inks!)

.... eek the card looks like it isnt level... oops sorry about that!! anyway here is a closeup of the embossing. everyone asks me about this cuttlebug folder - its called Snowflakes 2 and hard to come by, so if you see it, GET IT and tell us where you found it....

The stamp is an old old one from ebay and is made by Anita's will see if the sticker is on it and put up the name later on. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley Circular Christmas sentiments in polymer

Magical Christmas with Lili of the Valley Moonlight Wishes

2011-12-07T18:57:00.004Z

Hi bloggers, am back with ........surprise........... another Lili of the Valley stamped card!!

Really really adore this stamp too LOL, so I made an aperture card which folds flat but springs back when you take it out of its box or envelope (yes it does fit in the envelope).

You can find the stamp here, and have added some photos below to show the layers / aperture and how the tag fits in behind the image.

...yep a nice sunny photos on this one too which really shows off the mica in the twinkling H2O paints (looking for a stockist as we speak, for those who have been asking about purchasing their own and I have a suggested list of 36 colours prepared too)

the card onto which the image is stamped is mounted with foam pads onto the backing card, with foam pads placed around the area you want the tag to fit and here is how the tag pops out:

and another view of the embossing and distressing using tumbled glass distress ink

think I will be making a few more of these cards.. so will be doing another workshop one like this very soon

Winter Wedding

2011-12-06T16:31:00.000Z

I love making winter wedding cards, with lots of white and sparkle. This one is quite religious and so I didn't want to use an image or dress it up too much, but the punched layers and die cut apertures with soft colours and shapes make it nice and delicate.

Punches used are PATP Martha Stewart punches you can find details of here and find in qute a few craft outlets.

Below are some closeup photos showing layers and other elements -

the leaf die is a Magnolia Doo Hickey Die called Bon Voyage Foliage and the flowers are the EK success retro flowers which come in 3 or four sizes and have used these before.

After punching the flowers and cutting the leaves I sprayed them with Memory Mist to give them a subtle shine.

The card looked good in a box which I decorated very simply on the outside using the same shapes and ribbon...

Craft Creations Die Cut decoupage Snowman

2011-12-05T20:06:00.001Z

Just a quick one to share - another easel card using Die Cut decoupage from Craft Creations which you can find here.

Added some white pearls (which I made into red berries using a pro marker), some ek success punched swirls and a Martha Stewart Holly corner punch.

After punching out the square main layer of the sheet, I added stickles all round the edge to make the border sparkle.

A little closeup view of the red berries..

Nativity and some other Christmas cards

2011-12-05T18:38:00.048Z

Another few more to share using stamped images again..

The first is a nativity Stamp from Inkadinkadoo, details you can find here.

For this card I used Craft Creations papers - Christmas carols Cream SR184P - and a sentiment stamped & embossed in gold and used the nestability dies to stencil using brushed corduroy distress ink; with gold coloured glue dots to finish.

Have added a photos to show some detail in the papers, ribbon and inking / stencilling... and I never coloured the stamp because it looked understated and 'complete' when I just used memento rich cocoa on the image, so nothing more was added.

The next card didn't photograph so well as the colouring on the angel was very subtle using twinkling H2O's and a bit of glitter was added, but it does sparkle a little without the need to add stickles or any glitter glue. I loved these papers from Craft Cations too - also in 12 x 12 - use the link above and the code is SR104P Christmas Holly Cream

The last card to share in this post is a Flourishes Stamp set I bought last year and love using and am sure will use again next year!! The doves are beautiful and I used this detailed stamp to demo the soft colouring effect you can get with artist quality pencil crayons.. I didn't get around to using the sansodor and blending stumps as it was nice just using the pencils on their own.

The papers on the doves and holly card can be found on Bearly Mine designs and are freebies from last year.

Boy's Christmas card

2011-12-04T17:33:00.001Z

Have sorted out the photos of all cards and makes from last few weeks, including workshop ones, as the light has been bad and I had not had a chance to blog for a little while, so next few days posts are all a catch up, and its lot of work to add in all the links so bear with me!

First card to share today is a Lili of the Valley one - I made two, one coloured with pro markers and one with twinkling H2O's in case you're wondering why they look slightly different!!

You can find the stamp here and its called Ski Jump.

the image below has been coloured with twinkling H2O's and stickles, with distressing using a distressing tool and Tim Holtz Faded Jeans distress ink.

The punches are two EK Success ones which I got on eBay if I remember, cant find them on the ebay website together now but you can buy the separately, and here is a link to EK success - they are called Starry night.

The large snowflake is also an EK success punch, and the flake measures approx 2.5 inches.

The papers on the card are from Bearly Mine Designs pack called Winter Swirls which you can find here.

below is a closeup of the colouring using pro markers and the list of colours are:

· Skis - Ice Grey 1,2,3,4

· Ski Pole - Ice Grey 1

· Skin and Hands - Ivory, Satin, Blush

· Dog - Satin, Sandstone, Caramel, Cinnamon

· Scarf and Hat - Blender, Glacier Blue, Pastel Blue, Denim Blue, Sky Blue, Azure, True Blue, French Navy

· Hat & Trousers - Sandstone, Cinnamon, Henna , Burnt Umber

· Hair - Ivory, Vanilla, Sandstone

· Top & Trousers - Blender, Glacier Blue, Pastel Blue, Denim Blue, Sky Blue, Azure, True Blue, French Navy

.. and the card displayed as an easel shape: (it was very sunny when I took this picture!)

Right ... off to sort out some more photo's and links - happy Christmas card making, I still have lots more to make!

Forever Friends Red 'n Green Christmas

2011-12-03T18:31:00.002Z

It's time to dig out a neglected stamp, and I still love forever friends images, so decided to make a nice slim Christmas card in traditional red and green colour combo. The papers are from Bearly Mine again and this one is from a set called Christmas Joy which you can find here.

The sentiment is computer generated and the snowflakes are cuttlebug die ones which you can find here. The red gems are actually clear gem stones which I coloured with promarkers (so that works on pearls and gems - its amazing how the simplest things impress me sometimes!!), and the omage is coloured with polychromos pencils and blended with sansodor and blending stumps.

04/12/ Edited to add -

Here is a promarker coloured version with suggested colours:

· Jacket - Baby Pink, Carmine, Red, Berry Red, Cardinal Red, Blender

· Mittens and Robin - Blossom, Forest Green, Pine, Holly, Blender

· Bear body - Antique white, Satin, Sandstone, Caramel

· Robin - Satin, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Peach

· Mug - Ice Grey 1 2 3 4 Blender

Magnolia Tilda easel card

2011-11-20T10:28:00.003Z

Popping in to say hello and will be posting some more over next few days as the last week has been a busy one - the dark evenings might have something to do with just coming in to curl up in front of the tele!

Anyway the first card is a magnolia card I did a few weeks ago, and had to find a good time to take photos, as daylight not been good every time I try and do it.

The tilda stamp is called Tilda in windy weather from 2010, which has been coloured with faber castell polychromos pencils / blending stumps and sansodor.

you might notice that this a slightly different easel, where the bottom part of the top of the card has been cut off slightly and the fold made as a 'valley' instead of a 'hill' - hope that makes sense!!

I stamped the inside card bottom and the back of the easel panel

the ink used is big n juicy spice and the stamp set is from Inkadinkadoo called Fall Season; the sentiment is from a stampin up set and used the same ink pad for that

will be back posting as normal over next few day with more christmas cards

MCN:CWRRR-17CVK-4KJE1

LOTV Boys stamp - Computer Fun

2011-11-13T11:29:00.001Z

First of all before I forget, you can find this Lili of the Valley stamp HERE. and the papers used were My Minds Eye Complete boy 12x12 set.
These are simple cards with not much layering but played around with distressing and the layout, so have done two slightly different ones

This stamp is so versatile for today's youngster's too - love the fact that LOTV stamps are so good that way - the new release is fab but I haven't ventured onto the website just yet.. after Christmas I will be though!

To finish the card, some candy was added, and the images coloured with promarkers.

Thanks for looking and will be back over the next few days with and autumnal easel card and loads of Christmas cards!!

Another Hero Arts Butterfly card!

2011-11-06T18:14:00.001Z

Popping to share this card which I had completely forgotten to post a few weeks ago!

The two stamps I used were both hero arts, one is a background text stamp, and the other a simple butterfly design.

The background was also distressed with black soot ink and the butterfly coloured with stazon inks which blend when applied over each other.

The embossing is done with Crafts too embossing folder and the corners are a cuttlebug die.

and here is a closeup of the embossing..

Papermania Enchanted Christmas Coloured with Twinkling H2O's

2011-11-04T19:28:00.000Z

Popping in to share a card which took me ages to colour, but really loved these stamps when I first saw them and they had to get the twinkling H2O treatment! - the Papermania enchanted range for 2011 - you can find the stamp set here

The holly is made by layering different sized Martha Stewart Holly leaf punch outs and pearls - by accident I discovered that poppy red promarker colours white pearls very well and makes scrumptious berries (imagine all the other colours you can make now from white pearls!!)

The corners are punched with a Martha Stewart corner punch from a border corner set, the edges of the holly coloured with a gold pigment ink pad and the embossed white card with a warm green color box chalk ink pad.

Pink n Blue Snowmen - Bearly Mine Digi Papers

2011-11-03T18:29:00.002Z

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without snowmen and lots of glitter, right?

Okay, and apart from red and green, I love pink and green for Christmas too, so here is a nice pastel pink and blue snowy card.

The edges were dribbled with glue (any clear drying craft glue will do) but dont use too much otherwise it might wrinkly badly, and then dip it in any crystal type or iridescent glitter. The glitter I used was a large pot made by Sulyn industries and have been searching all over the Internet but cant find it anywhere - I think I got it on Cardz n Scrapz last year. Its nice and crunchy and sparkly!!

The papers were downloaded freebies from Bearly Mine (the paper sets if you buy them are just fantastic, you get loads from Donna for each set purchased and look out for sales as well) - the freebies are found here. If you print them on a minimum of 160GSM paper / card, this is a good weight for printed backing papers.

The poinsettia is a Marianne creatables die and the colouring using Faber Castell Polychromos pencil crayons.

Off to make some more Christmas cards..

Fred She Poinsettia and Cuttlebug Embossing

2011-11-02T18:55:00.004Z

Just a simple Christmas card to share with everyone and its using one of Fred She Said's Digi images which you can find here.

The embossing is done with a Cuttlebug Winter Embossing folder set and I cant find it anywhere as I think it was limited edition but maybe somewhere like eBay might have them if people decide to sell stash - so save a search and you never know you could find one (what I normally do when I want out of production things!!)

This is a simple card but very effective and if you have a lot of cards to make for family and friends its ideal because the look elegant but are quick to put together. The pearls added to the centre of the flower seem to be the finishing touch which just makes the card too, and finished off with the pearls in the corners, makes it elegant.

The card size is a 5x7 one from Craft Creations with the spine or fold on the shorter side, and is a size I have been working with a lot lately - they are just great for cuttlebug folders and the usual size nestability toppers.

If you want to see / purchase the Craft Creation card blanks for this size, click here or email me and I can help you with matching envelope and bag sizes.

edited to add - I found the embossing folder here - its called Christmas Wreath

2011-11-01T17:29:00.000Z

Please note that the content on my blog including my own cards, creations, photos, text and tutorials I make up are my own and are subject to copyright.
If you use my workshop kits for personal use (giving cards to friends and family) and draw inspiration from them, I will be delighted but please do not claim the work as your own or sell the work as your own / enter the items you make from my kits in competitions or local shows.
I do attend craft fairs as I like to purchase hand made items myself from all types of crafters, but its not nice to see your own hard work being exploited.
If you wish to use my cards or kits for any other purpose, then please contact me, and credit my work if you share my tutorials.
Thank you

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T16:00:00.001Z

Hi everyone and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I have been super busy so my blog has been a little bit neglected, and I have some cards to post over the next few days so keep a look out. In the meantime, here is my Halloween card, the only one I have done this year too, as I started Christmas a little early.

The stamp is a gruffies / house mouse design called Don't cry over spilled candy - the image is just too sweet as those bears are sooo cute.

The sentiment is computer generated, which I came up with - not normally good with sentiments but happy with this one LOL..

I used Faber Castell Polychromos pencils on this card, but didn't apply the sansodor technique as I liked it after colouring and didnt want to mess with it. The pencils are ultra soft and good for very detailed stamps.

That's all for today, will be back with another card tomorrow.

Meljen's Digi card

2011-10-25T20:58:00.001+01:00

Just one quick card to share. Have been card making but not much time to update the blog oops!!!

Its a digi stamp one from Meljen's, which image you can find here.

On this one I used promarkers, an MS border corner punch and EK success daisy punched daisy flowers.

Autumnal Wedding with LOTV

2011-10-18T17:32:00.001+01:00

This card is a little different to my normal colour scheme for wedding cards, but I like the way it turned out all the same and its good for the season we are in right now.

I used a Martha Stewart deep edge punch for the border across the middle and then a Just Rite stamp for the sentiment.

The stamp can be purchased here.

The image is coloured with Twinkling H2O's and the embossing with a cuttlebug folder which has teeny tiny hearts on it - like Swiss dots but oh so sweet little hearts!

Finished off with some gold card candy...

Tina Wenke Baby card

2011-10-17T17:33:00.009+01:00

Sometimes its nice not to use blue or pink, lemon or pastel green for baby cards, and just use some pastel, earthy and neutral colours, so that's what I decided to do with this one - have used this Tina Wenke Stamp before and keep going back to it as its beautiful.

On this one I used embossing and punching again and some more candy and coloured with promarker colours:
Antique White Flex Marker, Ivory, Satin, Blush, Tan and Sandstone with a blender, and for the bottle Ivory, Vanilla and Gold.

Here is a closeup of the layering and embossing - it was a bit cloudy when I took the photo so its a bit blurry - where are the bright autumn days??

oops and nearly forgot - the sentiment stamp is from a general verse set from Stampin up and fits in the long rectangle nestability perfectly!

LOTV 'Bunny Post' Christmas Card

2011-10-16T18:17:00.003+01:00

Another Lili of the Valley stamp cards (pattern forming here ?!) but I am addicted to these images LOL.

You can find Bunny Post here, and this is the perfect card to send to loved ones across the miles.

The snowflakes are made with a Martha Stewart punch and the centres are glue gun dew drops coloured with white alcohol inks... yummy!

The embossed pearlescent card is done with a cuttlebug folder but I cant remember the name am sure it was from a Christmas release though and is a couple of years old I would imagine

The pro marker colours used are as follows (FM = flex marker)

· Base colours - Antique White FM, Satin, Sandstone

· Letters - Ivory, Antique White

· Bag - Tan, Cinnamon, Terracotta, Chestnut

· Bunny Body - Warm Grey 1 - 5

· Scarf and Hat - Ivory, Meadow Green, Leaf Green & Blossom, Orchid, Amethyst

· Paws and Ears pink bits - Ivory, Sun kissed Pink, Coral

hope my blogging friends are ready for loads more Christmas cards, as its my favourite time of the year!!

Arrrrrrrrr Pirates

2011-10-15T17:42:00.002+01:00

Havent been blogging for ages, but now I have a mo to sit down (make up for lost time) and post some more pictures and cards as promised..

The first one is a favourite card made with some new stampin up stamps I was waiting on for a little while - they are fantastic pirate themed and the best ones I have seen so far in any stamp range so worth waiting for!

The card is made with standard 200 - 250gsm card stock in beige/ fawn, rusty brown and navy blue, all matt card stock and the stamps and inks added to the tearing and crumpling were :

Memento Cocoa Brown and Paris Dusk as well as vintage photo distress ink, with a couple of bits of card candy to finish..

Thanks for looking and would love to know what any visitors to my blog think of this one - not my usual clean looking card but I loved making it

girly cards - LOTV Fairie Present

2011-10-14T18:37:00.001+01:00

Today's post is a girly card using an aqua / light turquoise colour and papers from Clare Curd's large paper stack called The Big One - love the colours and range of designs in this one and they match very very well.

You can find the Lili of the Valley stamp here.

added some EK daisy punched flowers, some card candy and a dragonfly gem and then made this into a twisted easel - the inside is decorated with simple ovals and the flowers hold the easel part.

That's all for now. .. I have lots more to post when I have taken some photos - today was just too dark!

GBCE Cards

2011-10-02T19:42:00.001+01:00

Haven't posted for a while as have been busy with preparation and kits for yesterday and here are the pictures of my GBCE workshop cards...

An easel card to start with, with partial cuttlebug embossing using one of the new 5x7'' papermania embossing folders, spellbinders create-a-flake die and new release Penny Black stamp which I am sure Kerry has in the shop, or give her a buzz - when I saw it it I loved it and it just says happy and traditional Christmastime to me!

this card was coloured using twinkling H2O paints

the stamp used on the inside and outside is an inkadinkadoo set called warm holiday wishes and I think is new for 2011 here is a link

... used hunkydory diamond sparkles and polar white flowersoft...

and here is the inside also partially embossed but in a slightly different shape

the second card using the same stamp and coloured with promarkers, is a 6x6 square card with distressed and glittered backing papers, lots of die cut circles and Spellbinders Fleur De Lys accents and gems - glitter.. glitter and more glitter!! - I LOVE Christmas..........

a close - up of the corners

and the inside of the card to match the outside

thanks to Kerry from An Siopa Bui for organising this fabulous event, and to everyone who attended my workshop - hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

GBCE Athlone 2011 30th Sept 1st & 2nd Oct - an update

2011-09-29T14:21:00.002+01:00

Just to let everyone know about this fantastic event happening in next few weeks, its going to be a fantastic weekend!!

Click on the blog post heading for a link or here to be taken to the GBCE blog.

Classes and booking should open in the next few days on the new An Siopa Bui Website, so keep a look out.
update - 31st Aug 2011 - Booking for the event is now open, and I will be doing a Penny Black themed Christmas card class .........lots of sparkle... :)

some more makes

2011-09-17T20:20:00.001+01:00

a few more bits to show you in today's post, first of which are some 2 - 5 - 7 - 10 favour boxes, done in a butterfly theme.. the original tutorial you can find HERE.

these boxes are really easy to put together and lend themselves to decorating for all seasons, so I am sure I will be making more of them..

here are some closeup photos, and I used the nestabilities beyond the edge technique on them too..

next is a wedding card made with last year's Lily of the Valley Wedding / Occasions release..

you can find the stamp here, and the punch used is an EK success one. the partial cuttlebug embossing was done with a hallmark / country companions embossing folder I think it was (a recent release from last few months)

here are some closeups to show the embossing

and the Marianne Creatables leaf / branch die.

my last one to share is a baby card made with a Funky Kits' Sugar Nellie Stamp called Pringle.. so cute for children's birthdays or baby birthdays even...

the lettering on this one is cut out using a Quickutz alphabet called moxie - the first alphabet dies I ever bought about 5 yrs ago!! that seems like ages now (!!)

and another closeup to show the nestabilites beyond the edge.

First Di's Digi Challenge Blog DT card

2011-09-12T20:13:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post to show a card made with one of Di's Digi Downloads which you can find here, and to announce the start of Di's new Challenge blog.

The first challenge runs for two weeks and the theme is ANYTHING GOES, so pop over and play along!

So here are the bits I used and the promarker colours:

Martha Stewart punch for green border

EK Success Deep Edge Swiss Cheese punch

Cuttlebug wood grain embossing folder

Computer generated sentiment

Nestabilities labels dies

card candy

Ivory, Satin, Sandstone, Tan, Caramel, Cinnamon

Khaki, Marsh Green, Olive Green

Soft Green, Lush Green, Emerald, Pine

Blush, Saffron, Gold

Satin, Ginger, Spice, Burnt Orange

Satin, Ruby, Crimson, Burgundy

Warm Grey 1, Warm Grey 2, Warm Grey 3, Warm Grey 4

that's all for today, hope my fellow bloggers enter the challenge!!

Another LOTV Lilac floral girly card

2011-09-09T21:02:00.000+01:00

I just love this stamp since I got it from Lili of the Valley, and I have made a similar more simple card than the one in this post before in previous post, but this one is more fancy and for a special person!!

Wild Orchid flowers and EK success punched leaves decorate this one

the writing is cut from funky foam and with the cuttlebug Hippie Chick alphabet (quite large so good for short names on cards or large cards / scrap LO's)

and another closeup of the flowers...

Making it With Meslyn Challenge and new DT members!

2011-09-07T22:23:00.001+01:00

Today I am sharing an 'unusual' card - ok its got all the punching and stickles I could fit on it (you know me!) but it isnt a birthday card, it doesnt have a sentiment and its just a blue and white swirly glittery dolphin one for any occasion and especially for someone who loves dolphins!!

the stamp used is from Creative Expressions and is called OASIS696E. I found it on ebay if I remember correctly and have used it before.. ages ago.

The image is very detailed, so only light colouring with twinkling H2O's was what it needed and then dolphins shine too, which you can see in the photo below which I took at an angle

and another image of the embossing and glittered edges and colouring below:

PS the flourish / swirly blue bits are from a quickutz 12'' flourish die, and I will be back with the promised LOTV card in the next couple of days..

Please hop over the the Making it With Meslyn Challenge blog to welcome all the new DT members and take part in the challenge too which runs until the end of the month - click on the post title and you will be redirected to the challenge and the challenge blog.

a mixed bag..

2011-09-04T12:39:00.000+01:00

.. bit of an odd bunch of cards to share with you.. realised that I had not posted a couple so they're all in the one post!

the first card is using a Stampavie stamp from Lelo Design and some paper piercing - after piercing the corners I also pierced holes where the stamp image had 'dots' and also in the sentiment - this little dragon was busy with his teeth!!

Coloured with the following promarkers in this order:

Blender, Orchid, Amethyst, Purple, tiny bit of plum for depth
blender, Meaow green, Leaf Geen, Grass, Emerald
Berry Red, Blender

the sentiment on the dragon card is from LOTV set called Dreamy Days found here.

the next card is coloured with twinkling H2O's, and the image is from the Doodle Pantry and is called Ducky Duck found here

the punch is a Martha Stewart one, and the papers are from Cuddly Buddly but I cant find it on their site.. have to go back and search but it was rainy days or something similar (they have loads of downloadable papers!!)

the last card is a Forever Friends congrats card, where I used Partial Cuttlebug embossing and the stars folder, and coloured with the following promarkers in this order:

Ears - Cocktail Pink and pale pink
Teddy - Ivory, sandstone and caramel
Bottle - Blender, Vanilla, Saffron and Gold and Blender, Emerald, Lush Green, Pine and Holly

thats all for today, as I have a good few things to do, but will be back with more to post in next day or so, and it will include another Lili of the Valley Feminine card

Wild Orchid Roses - Pink and Olive go so well together!

2011-08-29T18:53:00.001+01:00

Okay so I thought I would post a card without loads of border punching cos I got quite addicted and my fellow bloggers am sure want to see something a bit different once in a while, so this time there's lots of lovely mulberry roses in different sizes in a close arrangement, on this card.

the pictures above and below show the leaves and flowers side on as best I could in the fading light as I was in a rush to photograph again (note to self - must be more organised LOL!!)

... and another view so you can see the quickutz flourish die shape which I glued on AFTER embossing the white card stock with a cuttlebug embossing folder...

Here is the finished card which I boxed because the flowers stick out a bit, even though I mounted them in the aperture (which aperture was made using foam pads)..

... just love the olive green against the pink and white, and the leaf die used for cutting the leaves is from Magnolia - a doo hickey one ...

Anniversary Cards with Penny Black and Lily of The Valley Stamps

2011-08-28T19:06:00.002+01:00

Ok there are a few photos on this post, and the cards are all Pearl / 30th Wedding Anniversary cards, following the same simple layout ( I seem to be either being doing very fussy or very simple cards lately!), using diffferent punches and different stamps and colour schemes.

Along with the theme of a Pearl Wedding Anniversary, I used Pearlescent card on all of them.

The photos arent great this time so sorry about that bloggers, but I was in a rush and didnt change the batteries in the camera, before snapping and giving the cards to the person who ordered them :(..

the Love Grows Stamp can be found at LOTV here.

the cuddly teddy stamp used on this one is Penny Black / Michael Woodward Creations Stamp is called 'When I'm With You' and the heart border corner punch is that familiar Martha Stewart one I like so much :)

above is one is another Penny Black / Michael Woodward Creations one called Lovin' Hugs and the punch I used on this one is a Fiskars Border Corner one

and another fiskars border corner punch to finish with another LOTV stamp also used on another card recently called Together Forever and can be purchased here.

thats two posts for today so making up for lost time and will be back with some more cards in the week again.

A new Martha Stewart Punch and Tina Wenke Stamp

2011-08-28T11:39:00.001+01:00

Just a qucik post from me with a baby boy card , more paper punching using a MS punch around the page punch, the nestability beyond the edges technique and colouring using twinkling H2O's..

The little yellow duck is a button and I cut the shank off with nail cutters so I could glue it on with art institute glue which sticks just about anything!!

The stamp is a Tina Wenke one good for boy and girl cards, and its so cute..

will be later today with some more cards

Cream and Gold Wedding .. another one......

2011-08-26T22:02:00.001+01:00

Just one card to share with you today and I took this in the sunshine, you can really tell!! Its a wedding card with loads of layers, punching and embossing as well as some luxurious ribbon..

The punch is a Martha Stewart one, which you will have seen me use before, and here it is again - I love it.. and the embossing folder I keep using again and again as well and its a cuttlebug one; the heart shapes are nestability dies from spellbinders.

The close up above shows the layers really well, and you can just about see the gold Brilliance Ink pad I used around the edges too.

Thats all for today and will be back tomorrow with more as I have been super busy with cards during the last few days... :)

Workshop cards........a busy day indeed!

2011-08-24T22:16:00.002+01:00

Hello fellow bloggers and crafters, its long overdue this post but the last week has been mental to say the least, I am chasing my tail but this weekend will be a bit quieter thank goodness.

Lot of cards to post when I have gone through the photos, but here are the first three from this weekend just gone by: (will pop back tomorrow with closeup pics and links)

the first is a love themed 6 x 6 card made with a Lili of the Valley stamp you can find here

the papers are from Craft Creations

the heart was cut using chipboard with a cuttlebug heart die and then painted with Picket fence TH crackle paint and distressed using aged mahogany

the punch is a Martha Stewart one, the daisy and leaves are EK success punches

oh, and the sentiment comes with the image stamp

some close up photos of the inside of the card...

... and the detail on the front so you can see the layers and inked punched edges etc..

the next card is a decoupage card, and yes there is a lot of cutting, but the shapes are nice and easy so its very satisfying - lots of layers on this one

the image is from Craft Creations and the sentiment die cut is from spellbinders

the punch used is a Martha Stewart one which I use A LOT and cant recommend it as one of my

have - to - have ones (don't we say that about all craft stash!?)

the sentiment was heat embossed and is from a set made by Hobby Art Ltd

Last but not least, is one of my favourite fairy cards so far this year, because it came out looking a bit Victorian and although that wasn't entirely the intention, I really like the way it turned out!

The fairy is called Canterbury Bell and the stamps are from Crafters Companion

The Papers are from Bearly Mine Designs which you can find here and its called Flower Delight and the punched water is a Fiskars Punch an old blue one

The circular 'doily' die cut is a die from MFT - My Favourite things

Apart from the decoupage, the stamped cards are all coloured with twinkling H2O's

Second post for the day and loads more pink!!

2011-08-13T20:35:00.000+01:00

Okay catching up with things slowly but surely, and seem to be using a lot of pink in the last few weeks?? not usually a 'pink' person LOL but I like them all the same.. and two cards to share as well.

the first is a Birthday card request using one of the girly stamps from Lily of the Valley and the EK success flower punches I love using at the mo cos they nest so well, more embossing and coloured with twinkling H2O's.

Also used a Martha Stewart PATP punch, but just the corner one from the set, and a cuttlebug embossing folder too.

a closeup of the flowers with dew drop centres, coloured with alcohol inks

and another photo of the corner punching and layers.

...and the second card is also made with LOTV stamps, the Christening stamp which you can find here - coloured with twinkling H2O's again and inked around the edges with TH pumice stone ink..

thanks for looking, will be back soon again

Bella expectant mum...

2011-08-12T23:27:00.000+01:00

Just one card to share with you today.. been busy in RL and have some cards to upload, just didn't get around to blogging that much oops.....

I wanted to make a card using apertures again as I love making cards with depth and layers (for those who stop by you may notice that LOL!!).. this one is using a Bella Stamp which I have used quite a bit and is so sweet..

The punched border is done with a fiskars border corner punch and the apertures with regular spellbinders nestabilities, and the alphabet is cut out of foam using a quickutz harvest alphabet.

thanks for looking and promise to be back with some more in the next few days!!

oh and they might have more charms too as I have developed a fascination with charms... a must for the new batch of LOTV stamps I received in the post this week and what to make into Christmas cards- spoiled or what - I have very special parents, thanks Mom and Dad!!

Di's Digi Downloads - new Challenge Blog coming soon

2011-08-06T16:46:00.001+01:00

Click on the logo below to be taken to the new challenge blog.

Challenges will be starting in September, so become a follower and have some fun!

Whiff of Joy Oakley Stamp

2011-07-31T13:24:00.001+01:00

Just a quick card to share with you today, made using an all time favourite stamp and a Mojo Monday sketch I found this week gone by and like.

The stamp is from Whiff of Joy designed by Elizabeth Bell and is called Cool Oakley, and you can purchase it here.

the papers are from a very old Matt stack from papermania or docrafts or someone like that (the first ever stack I bought ...........LOL), and the colouring is done with twinkling H2O's again, I just love them so much I cant stop using them and they are great for detailed images and shading.

a closeup above so you can see the layers and shading.

I am entering this into Monday Mojo sketch challenge and this is the sketch I used:

as well as a Spoon Full of Sugar Create a Tag.

woohooooooo :)

2011-07-28T18:28:00.002+01:00

....so the reason for my excitement this evening, is that a couple of my cards have been published on a website I submitted them to!

On the off chance that the publishers over on the hÄnglar & stÄnglar blog may like the sailor kids cards I posted here, I sent them off as submissions and they were published today , so am very pleased and just wanted to share my news!!

Will be back with more cards made these sweet designs soon, I cant wait to ink the other few I have.

lots of pink...

2011-07-26T20:02:00.000+01:00

Just a quick pop in from me to show some cards made recently and never realised but I must have been in a very 'pink' mood when I made them LOL.

the first is one of my most favourite stamps, Jemima Puddleduck, and its so simple at outline but I keep going back to it.. lots of clean and pastel shades.

the next one is a hedgie one from Penny Black which I have used before, but wanted to make a card with pink and grey which colour combination is fab and when you add that certain colour green I love it even more...

...used liquid pearls for the flower centres, as couldn't find any assorted sizes of adhesive pearls in my stash and love the liquid pearls for being able to make dimensional drops any size so will be using them a lot more!!

and the last one is a flower fairies stamp from a Crafters Companion set and the fairy is the candy tuft one - used polar white and baby pink flower soft for the flowers which I didn't cover completely as I coloured them first with twinkling H2O's and wanted some of this to shine through

that's all for now - will pop back soon with some wedding and engagement cards.

Cream and Gold Wedding

2011-07-13T21:48:00.002+01:00

a very quick post from me to show one of the wedding cards made recently, as I meant to post this a while ago and then moved the photos so promptly forgot - oops..

Anyway, this one is made without a stamped image and is just lots of embossing with heart shapes and heart border and corner punching - the border punches are Martha Stewart ones and the hearts with the names are nestability dies

a closeup above, with the daylight shining on it so you can see the layering and how luxurious the ribbon is - just LOVE that ribbon.

and another view where you can see I inked the edges to highlight the embossing... that's all for now...

EDITED TO ADD:

here is a link to the punches I used - from the eBay website, but you could search around and see who else has them in stock still - in this project I used a border punch and a corner one and they are the PATP (punch around the page) sets and they are called looped hearts found here.

today's makes

2011-07-10T21:35:00.001+01:00

Late pop in from me today, but wanted to post these as have more to post during the coming few days hopefully - some lovely light and summery cards..

This one is using the new LOTV stamps which you can find here, and is done in lilac/purple and white and the punch is a Martha Stewart Border corner one, image coloured with twinkling H2O's and embossed with a cuttle bug embossing folder which I think is called rosebuds.

ALL of the new LOTV girly stamps are just gorgeous and this one is called Emma Rose Garden.

here is a closeup of the flowers and all the glittery stuff - lots of stickles..........

the next couple of cards are made using hAnglar and stAnglar Stamps from a set called Sailor kids which I found on eBay if i remember correctly, as they are very difficult to get hold of!

The sentiments used are LOTV sentiment stamps and there are some closeups on these to, so you can see that the lifebuoy was hand made as well using circles

and the sailor girl... the boy's face was coloured with twinkling H2O's and the girl's face with pro markers, and all the rest in twinkling H2O's

...and to continue with the seaside / nautical theme, another beach card using one of Di's Digi Downloads, similar to a square card I did recently using the same image but this time on an A5 card.

You can find this image by clicking HERE.

some Lili of the Valley Masculine Cards

2011-07-08T08:23:00.001+01:00

really quick post this morning as I have lots to do today, and wanted to get these cards posted as they were done a couple of weeks ago!

Both cards are made with Lili of the Valley stamps which you can find here, and I have used the partial embossing technique on both of them too. The sentiment stamp is also LOTV.

The papers are from an old stack called Masculine from Dovecraft which I have had ages and still like a lot.

The inking on the corners was done with TH distress inks to add to the texture of the embossing.

The sentiment on the second card was done with Just Rite alphabet stamps and since the image above didn't show the fluffy stuff on the soap suds very well, here's a close-up picture below:

thanks for looking :)

Mo's Digital Pencil and Making it with Meslyn Challenge

2011-07-07T19:49:00.002+01:00

Sorry its a bit late this month, but here goes - the Making it with Meslyn Challenge theme for this month is 'Summer cocktail recipe - Ribbon / sentiment and a splash of citrus', so I decided to use a sentiment I like so much it lifts the spirits and the image from Mo's Digital Pencil which you can find here is just perfect for the sentiment too!

The papers I used were from Digichick, here, and there are some lovely muted papers on that website, I had to reign myself in......

took loads of photos of this card seeing as the light was good, so you can have a good look:)

a side on view so you can see the inside is similar to the outside

the inside

glossy accents on the lemons and the pitcher

sentiment and closeup of the stitching and below some more stitching and the leafy fronds which are a Marianne D creatables die

thanks for looking, and this card is for sale on ebay, click the logo below:

some mens cards..

2011-07-04T17:34:00.002+01:00

..another post and finally catching up with posting everything I need to!! Three men's cards to show you from last month, the first of which is one with lots of distressing, crumpling and ageing going on with a nautical theme.. and oh embossing as well..

The inks used were TH distress inks, stazon ink and versamark for the embossing, and the stamps are from Stamp Man, aspects of design range which you can find here - have used these before and always go back to them for their versatility and detail.

here is a closeup of the'scroll' and the card candy used for the corners..

the background stamp is a hero arts text one, which you can find here or in loads of other good craft shops - its such a versatile stamp you can use it on almost anything, and would be the first background stamp I suggest anyone buy.

the next card is made with a relatively new Stamp from Wild Rose Studio, and also some new square nestability dies, where I only used one corner of the die and it gives an ornate finish.. coloured with twinkling H2O's this time..

lastly, another very masculine card suitable for all ages and lots of occasions, coloured with twinkling H2O's again - not sure of the brand of this stamp, as it is from eBay and I have had it for ages.

- the silver 'brads' are made with a glue gun and coloured with alcohol inks and the fancy label is a spellbinders fancy tag one..

Thanks for looking and will be back with some Lili of the Valley men's ones shortly!

Timeless Cameos

2011-07-01T21:48:00.000+01:00

Ok I am still catching up on blog posts, been neglecting my blog for the last few weeks, and have changed things around a bit as you may have noticed... nothing major, just the layout and labels etc..

Anyway, onto one of the cards I want to share and should have done a while back.. Cameos are very popular at the moment and had been thinking about this Marianne D creatables cutting die and what to do with it... until the lacey oval Spellbinders dies arrived and then I knew exactly!! This is a card from a workshop recently, and is hand stitched (yes I have a machine but not everyone does so I wanted to show fellow crafters that you can do stitching with the aid of paper pricking)... so here's the result after using a pokey tool to prick the holes.

The papers are from K & Co Ancestry range which are also timeless like cameos are, and the gold dew drops (home made and coloured with gold alcohol ink) just add the feel of something 'antique' to complete the card.

Below is an image of the inside, the same ovals repeated in the same colour scheme, but with cream as the smallest layer, so its easy to add a personalised image or stamp another sentiment:

...and a closeup of the stitching, papers, etc

thanks for looking, and please leave a comment to let me know what you think of this one - there's a bit more distressing than some of the 'cleaner' cards I normally create LOL.. but it was great fun!

Crafting Ireland Submission - woohoo

2011-07-01T18:45:00.000+01:00

a warm hello to my fellow bloggers, and yes its warmer than in recent weeks, the sun is out at long last!!

haven't posted in a while I know, but have some news to share so here goes and will be back posting more work in next few days -

a submission I sent in for Crafting Ireland online magazine was published, so am delighted, and I demo'd this card recently too, to show the versatility of distress inks:

The aged mahogany shade of TH distress ink was stamped, water coloured / washed and also applied with a TH distress tool to complete the card, and gave three different effects (the hammered side of the card produces the effect on the corners).

You can view issue two of the Crafting Ireland magazine here, and click on the logo below to go to the blog.

Nicole at Crafting Ireland is running challenges and is also looking for submissions, so go on have a look and see all the useful hints and tips in the publication too.

thanks for looking.

Lily of the Valley Baby Boy card

2011-06-10T20:35:00.000+01:00

have a couple of cards to share and some more to come but cant post them until the recipients receive them!!

...anyway this one I can share now, its a baby boy one made with a stamp from LOTV, which stamps I am addicted to using at the mo.. and I used a Sketch from Sketch Saturday which I liked the look of.

I added some buttons and one daisy as I didn't want it to fancy, and used traditional blue and punching with a Crafts Too Punch.

the image is coloured with twinkling H2O's.

here is a closeup of the cuttlebug embossing and paper punching, and the stencilled name tag using a spellbinders die.

and another closeup showing the corner made with the same border punch and you might just be able to see the shine as I added memory mist to the corner too, before gluing the button and attaching it to the card of course.

thanks for looking and will be back with some more of an 'aged' look in the next few days.

Have entered this card into Sketch Saturday - love the LO on this sketch, so am sure I will use it again!!

hot warm weather and something bold to share

2011-06-04T21:12:00.000+01:00

the weather is just gorgeous this week and hope it continues into tomorrow too, and with that I thought I would share this red, white and black masculine card in nice hot, bold colours!

....very different from my last post I know....

The layout is simple enough, but I alternated embossing with black onto white card and white onto black card to make it dramatic and bold.

Here' is an image of the inside of the card - I love the way the distressing turned out on that as the card wasn't very smooth only slightly uneven, and I like the effect in the end.

Added some card candy and a sentiment to the outside to finish; and coloured with twinkling H2O's, after which I added some glossy accents to the tyres and visor bits on the image.

Meslyn June Challenge - Beach Party :)

2011-06-01T22:08:00.002+01:00

Woohoo its the 1st of June and what weather we are having to go with it too!

My first post for the month is a really summery card made with a digi from Di's Digi Downloads which you can find here, and is also my DT entry for Making it with Meslyn Challenge Blog.

Hop over to the challenge blog as there are 3 sets of gorgeous stamps up for grabs as a prize, and its a great theme to get your mojo going too.

the above photo is a closeup one so you can see the colouring and textures and the one below is one with the camera so you can see the layers etc. (i so need a new camera!!)

and some close-ups - the first is of the bunting..

and the punching which was done after I sanded and tore the two colours of Core-dinations whitewash card stock

and the inside of the card which I decided to leave blank for any message..

Boys Confirmation and Holy Communion Cards

2011-05-29T19:42:00.001+01:00

A couple of Confirmation and Communion cards to share with you, both for guys.

The first is a confirmation card I made a few weeks back and forgot to post, using a stamp from Whiff of Joy called Cool Oakley.

The papers are from Bearly Mine Designs' Gingham set which you can find here and the dove is an ellison die cut one.

The next card is made with a digi image from Di's Digi Downloads, Which you can find here.

The embossing on the card front is partial embossing with a cuttlebug and the folder used is a quickutz one.. the label behind the sentiment is made with a new spellbinders tags set, called fancy tags.

Here is a closeup of the layering and embossing:

Thank U Changito

2011-05-24T19:47:00.000+01:00

Now I love this little monkey, you may have gathered that from seeing other cards I made with Stampendous Changito Stamps, and here's another!

.. this card would be good to give to a guy or a girl, and the orange is a nice cheery colour.

the border punch is a Stampin up Scallop one

Claire's Digi Corner and Bearly Mine Digi Paper Combination

2011-05-22T21:46:00.000+01:00

a cute little 6 x6 baby card to show you in pink, cream and white!

The baby pram image will be available soon on Claire's Digi Corner, so keep checking back, and the papers used are from Donna's Designs over at Bearly Mine and the set which this one came from is called Spring Blossoms, and the two went together just perfectly.

This is the first of my stitched cards too, and I think I have to learn to sew in straight lines or take a bit more time, but I was so excited it went a bit wonky LOL!!

..and here is the inside which I wanted to be plain and not too fussy but I repeated the pram image and kept it small for the corners..

..and a side on view for the layering and you can see a bit of the Memory Mist and shine from the stickles.

Craft sale

2011-05-22T10:22:00.000+01:00

Just to let everyone know that I am having a craft clearout and there are some new / nearly new items for sale on ebay.

Click on the icon below to be taken to the sale.

some to share

2011-05-17T19:45:00.001+01:00

just some cards I meant to post in the last couple of days but have been a busy bee.. so here goes at long last and there's loads of pics to look at in this post too!! :)

the first card is a Tatty Ted one.. you kno the Me to You bear - I was excited when forever friends stamps arrived but when these little ones did I was sooo excited!!

So with lots of stars and glitter and gems, I decided a blue and white card would look cute.. here is the twisted easel shape I used and the sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

and some closeups

the glittering and design of the MTY border star stamp - so sweet and dainty and I imagine would be brilliant for fairy cards too

and the border inside the card - the punch is a dovecraft star border one - its one of the cheapest punches I have bought and used again and again.

the next couple of cards are both with Lili of the Valley images and I just love them at the moment, so using them a lot!!

A baby one for a boy or girl in a ladnscape easel shape

and here is a closeup of the inking and paper piercing and embossing using a cuttlebug border embossing folder (the long thin folders you get in packs)

and the flower with a button centre, made with EK success daisy punches

you can see the layering on the little hat as well to add a little more dimension (as if I didnt have enough of layering by that stage LOL!)

The last one to share is a bookmark card, very smilar to the Penny Black rabbit one from a few posts back.

I love these cards as they are so nice to give to people who read a lot, especially if you personalise them.

the leafy embossing folder on this one is a quickutz one and the leaf shape is a spellbinders die, the sentiment is a hero arts clear polymer one from a set..

and here is the inside - using normal garden twine which was teased and frayed with a pokey / pricking tool

If you want to know any more about the products or tools used, just leave me a comment with your email address if you dont have a blog or email me jessk1001@yahoo.co.uk

Communion Digi Images

2011-05-11T22:19:00.000+01:00

I have some great images to share with you - they are digi ones and are now available on Di's Digi Downloads.

Click on the picture and it will take you to Di's website where you can purchase them

Another Sizzix Heart Wreath Card

2011-05-07T18:05:00.002+01:00

It's been far too long since I used this sizzix embossing and cutting die and wanted to make an engagement card in muted colours without a stamped image, so this is what I came up with.

So there are two grey shades, white and silver, pearls and organza / satin ribbon and also the pencil technique with odourless mineral spritis.

Here is a closeup of the pearls, embossing and the very light grey shading with grey pencil crayon (I use the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils because they are very soft and rich in colour and are good for using with blending stumps and sansador)

and here's the full view of the card, the names were personal so I have erased them, but you get the idea..

..the punching was done with a Martha Stewart Border Corner punch, and the embossing with a cuttlebug folder, as well as grey bazzill card which added some more texture.

hope you liked this one and will be back with more stamped image cards soon!!

Belated Easter Bunny Surprise

2011-05-03T17:57:00.000+01:00

...and how could I forget to post this cute bunny?

I did this card for a challenge and I forgot all about posting it on here - the challenge was to do an easter card and hide chocolate in there somewhere (maybe the 'colour' chocolate, but I wanted to add and hide the real thing as I had chocolate caramel on the brain!!)

So the card is a basic tri - fold pocket card which is sealed at the bottom, and I used papers from Bearly Mine Designs, a Martha Stewart border punch and a bunny stamp from a stamp set from Darcies.

the tag slots in to the pocket and I put clear glue on the edges of the ribbon so it doesnt fray

a closeup of the border, which was punched using white card and then used pencil crayons (you could use chalks as well) to add come colour

and finally, the surprise behind the tag..

May Workshop Previews

2011-05-02T21:18:00.000+01:00

a few previews of what we will be doing at the next workshop..

If you want to book your place, then please contact me at

jessk1001@yahoo.co.uk

see the Crafty Gals blog here

Meslyn May DT Challenge - Pink / Lemon and White

2011-05-02T09:26:00.000+01:00

A month has been and gone already and its another monthly chlallenge at Making it with Meslyn.

The colours this month are reminiscent of summer days and ice cream, and with the weather warm and sunny, I hope this inspires you to join in our challenge which you can find HERE.

Here's my card, which I wanted to use as a sympathy or Birthday card and use the 'new' retired stamp from PB Stamps - yes its a Penny Black stamp called Peonies and its new for me as I only bought it recently!

...and here's a closeup of the colouring and tiny bit of layering to lift the petals a little...

The punch used is a Fiskars Border Corner one called Read Between the Vine - they are versatile and easy to use - measure in 1 inch increments and use the 'steps' on the punch to punch away.

Here is a link to a you tube video as there are others in the range like the hearts one which is just beautiful.

Meslyn Blog Candy and Challenge reminder

2011-04-24T08:54:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone, just a quick reminder to hop by the Making it with Meslyn Challenge Blog where there is blog candy on offer, and also for our April challenge - thats TWO chances of wining some lovely craft goodies!

LOTV Sunflower bear

2011-04-22T12:11:00.001+01:00

oh the weather was is glorious again today, you can just imagine that its summer already, and so good to feel the sun on your face!

So to celebrate here's a card with warm yellows and browns and with my new set of Nesties (thanks Marina for putting them under my nose I have used them lots of times already!)

This cute little stamp is from Lili of the Valley and the sentiment is from a stampin up set called Curvy Verses.
The image was coloured with twinkling H2O's and I combined oval and label nestabilities for the sentiment bit - I like the look of that as its a bit different.

Have a Happy Easter everyone and the enjoy the sunshine!

Forever Friends Oranges and browns

2011-04-17T13:29:00.000+01:00

juts one little card to share today with one of my favourite characters, and this little bear is wonderful to use to experiment and practice shading techniques with too!

I coloured him with twinkling H2O's, and the papers were from a mixed dDoccrafts CD free with the latest paper craft inspirations CD - Issue 85.. it has a mixture of FF, daisy and dandelion and country companions and other recent characters on it and its called a Favourites edition.

the cream, orange and brown colour combo came out well as its nice and warm and added little gold gems to his party hat too to make it twinkle a bit more!

this one is a simple layout and its nice just to take a step back from lots of embellishing and multiple layers and do a quick and easy card once in a while - good for building up a birthday box

Some more Penny Black and Elizabeth Bell..

2011-04-16T20:47:00.001+01:00

Have three cards to share today, and the first is one I made from a stamp from Funky Kits from the SugarNellie Range 2008 and its called Flowers, designed by Elizabeth Bell.

Yes its a girly card but not in very girly colours, I wanted to do something different!

Martha Stewart Punch was used on this one and a cuttlebug embossing folder too.

The edges have been inked with colorbox chalk ink pad and the image coloured with twinkling H2O's again.

the next card is made with a Penny Black Stamp, and can honestly say I LOVE this stamp and have used it several times, and its one of the very first stamps I ever bought!

this card is suitable for a man or the woman and the paw print card stock I have had for ages in the stash cupboard and is from PayperBox if I remember .. roll on when they bring out some more!!

You might not be able to see but the picture has white paw prints and they aren't embossed onto the card, they are punched into the black card, but by adding a white insert, which is great for writing messages on (unless you use a silver or white pen to write with!!) you also get the white insert shine through to highlight the punched bits..

and the last one is another Penny Black bunny one in very soft shades and I used the partial cuttlebug embossing on this one too, which technique is fabulous for getting more out of your embossing folders.

The bunny is coloured with twinkling H2O's and I added stickles to his ears and tail.

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

thanks for looking and I will be back with some more soon!

more yellow and green but with a cat this time!

2011-04-14T22:19:00.000+01:00

As promised this week I am showing you a Penny Black card. Its no secret that I love cats and I love these stamps sooo much!

In keeping with spring colours, theres lots of yellow and green too and I used a punch around the page border and corner Martha Stewart punch set.

The colouring is done with twinkling H2O's and because the colours are light it doesnt show up in the photo very well, but in reality they are nice and glittery!

thanks for looking

anyone for ice cream?

2011-04-13T20:46:00.000+01:00

oops and the picture looks a bit lopsided...

so onto toady's card then, and it was one which was meant to be for a sketch challenge but too late so never mind as I still liked the colours and the layout on this one.

There was lots of inking but with chalk inks and embossing as well. the papers are from papermania from last year (I think its called Sweet Nothings, but don't quote me on that as I lost the packet it came in) and I used a Tina Wenke Stamp and added loads of stickles after I coloured the image with twinkling H2O's

.. also wanted to try something different with adding the sentiment and instead of place it on top of the card or on a tag or label shape, I layered the paper over the sentiment so it shows through an aperture and is a little different.. might do that again sometime soon.

hope you liked this one and its the cutest little stamp too!

talk about getting more from nestability dies..

2011-04-11T19:10:00.000+01:00

a handy little tip I am sure some of you may already know about, but for those who don't..

Some of the nestability dies have designs which aren't too intricate to trace around, like the labels one I used in this card.

So, by tracing either inside or outside the die with a sharp pencil to get a thin cutting line and cut out the shape, you can come up with even more nested shapes / graduated (is that the right word?!) shapes from your existing dies - brilliant!

The stamp I used in this card is one of Tina Wenke's newest ones and the colour used to colour her dress with Twinkling H2O's is called northern lights - isn't it just so luminous!?

I also used the following materials:

Personal Impressions Happy Birthday stamp
Martha Stewart Leaf Punch
Craft Creations light turquoise gingham papers
EK success flower punch
card candy
Cuttlebug embossing folder on the punched flowers which matches the gingham paper and comes from a set called simply charmed.

that's all for today, will be back with more soon.

Scrapbooking and Cardmaking and meeting new friends

2011-04-10T11:23:00.006+01:00

I have three cards to share with you today, which we made during a crop Jean and I held. We had a fabulous day and can honestly say we all have new friends made too!

~thanks ladies for making it really special and Jean for a stunning scrapbook layout which you can see on the Crafty Gal's Blog~

the first card to share is a Magnolia Tilda Wedding card, made with:

Magnolia wedding stamp
the sentiment was from a Whiff of Joy mini set of sentiments

the bridge was made using a Quickutz cookie cutter die called Spooky Scroll
the leaves from a Quickutz die called Vine

and the flowers from the 2x2 cuttlebug set called Asterisks

The corner punch is from EK success and the first time I have used it - fabulous punch as the hearts pop up and the silver layer underneath shines through really well.

the label is from a spellbinders set of tags
the card is
coloured with twinkling H2O's

This next card card is suitable for Easter and Spring and great to send to family or friends.

I was delighted when I heard that Donna from Bearly Mine (gorgeous papers) and Tracey from Fred She Said (Digi Images with lots of different flowers and other themes too) collaborated in making matching decoupage / digi images and papers!
note: I have permission from Donna and Tracey to use a limited number of their digi prints in the workshop.
You can purchase the Daffodil set here, and the Bearly Mine papers here.
The card we made had lots of layering (we decoupaged the flower) and a bit of distressing round the edges, in spring like fresh yellows and greens - see a closeup of the papers and nestabilit layering below.

The sentiment is one I have loved for a long time (its only part of the poem by William Wordsworth, so google it if you want to read the rest, as it just says spring all over to me)

The last one to share to day is boxed shoe card we made from Coppernob's Toe Tapper Elegant Slipper templates (well I changed them a bit to round the toe on the sole of the shoe shape)
- the possibilities are endless with these templates.

...we made the slipper and added a strap; used gingham papers and made our own scrunched flower (closeup below) and for the centres, used home made dew drops made with a glue gun and these were coloured with alcohol inks

you can also see in the pictures if you look carefully, what we did with partial cuttlebug embossing and making the most of nestability shapes in creating extra layers using the outside shape of the die..

the flowers were made with EK success flower punches
the embossing folder is a cuttlebug one suitable for men's cards too and teams up well with any chequered or gingham designs - from a set called simply charmed
and the gingham paper was inked with red ink before being glued to the white shapes to make it 'pop'

I hope everyone enjoyed these projects, and if you have any questions about where I sourced the materials or about any of the techniques, just email me on the address in the sidebar.

Our next combined workshop is Sunday 15th May and if you would like to attend please send me an email or click here for more info.

Here is the fantastic LO which Jean did with us yesterday:

I will be back over the next few days with some more coloured and punched cards made with some of our most favourite stamp companies - Tina Wenke, Penny Black and Forever Friends!

Di's Digi Tally Ho Mens card

2011-04-02T16:54:00.001+01:00

Just a quick post to show the card I made for my Dad who is a car and lorry man! So I had to use the digi from Di's Digi Dowloads called Tally Ho and if you click on the heading for this post it will take you to the website where you can purchse the digi stamp - its just perfect - Di he is so cute with the goggles and all, and I dont know if it will show in the photo but I used glossy accents on the goggles.

The sky has been done with a dauber and colorbox chalk ink and is not layered right up against the brown frame, so can see the shadow around the bear's head from the layering.

Sorry it was too dark to take a side view before I had to envelope this one and post it!!

a bit of embsossing and a Martha Stewart embossing punch and I was happy with it after i added the foam quickutz lettering in white.

The image was coloured with twinkling H2O's.

Making it with Meslyn April DT Challenge

2011-04-01T20:29:00.001+01:00

Well this last month has come around quickly, and Easter is even closer, where did the days go???

April fool's day was here today and along with it April showers - its been howling gales and driving rain to mark the start of the month, lets just hope it goes away soon and we have some sun again.

Onto this month's Making it with Meslyn Challenge, which is to make a card along the theme of Little April Showers - a water theme + blue.

I havent done any get well cards or something along those lines for while, and have wanted to use this Stampavie / Rachelle Anne Miller Stamp for ages - its called Giving Shelter and is soo dainty and sweet awhhhhh.Plus I love blue and white so much, I decided to make a get well card with a mixture of complimentary blue and orange colours and some other warm ones:

the punching is done with an EK Success Swiss Cheese deep edger punch.

here is a good photo of the cuttlebug partial embossing, inking and the nestability fany tags and flourish accent dies which I used together to make the sentiment tag (words computer generated).
the colouring was done with twinkling H2O's..

Thanks for looking and hope you can pop over and take part in this month's challenge!

Penny Black Pansies

2011-03-30T18:34:00.000+01:00

Just one to share today and not feeling very productive as spent ages colouring this one, which was very enjoyable!

Also spent ages deciding if the punched edge was adhered to the card so it wasn't skew! Like the yellow and purple complimentary colour combo and love the pansy punches now.

The Stamp is from Penny Black and is an old one and the name is punched using foam with the QK Olivia Alphabet which is teeny tiny but so worth it!

Coloured with twinkling H2O's as normal.

thanks for looking!

Scrapbooking and Cardmaking in Clonmel in April

2011-03-26T17:11:00.001Z

Woohoo! I just cant wait to have loads of fun with some crafty ladies I have been waiting meet for ages!

Jean and I will be having a combined Scrapbooking and Cardmaking workshop in Clonmel on Satuday 9th April, full details are available by clicking on the link below, but if you want to leave a comment or email me for more information, please feel free..

http://board.cardznscrapz.com/b/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4507

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday and Bearly Mine Mothers Day

2011-03-21T22:38:00.001Z

Just a really quick post, as I started this card yesterday and finished off the idea today, after mulling over and inking for ages, until I got the desired effect and turquoise hands (Stazon ink and a dauber were the culprits... it takes some getting used to but you can if you are quick with the stazon ink pad!!).

This card for the best Mom in the world (hope you dont see it yet until I get it in the post!)

and I used Flourishes Cherry Blossom Silhouette Stamp from the Cherry Blossom Set here, and Bearly Mine Digi Papers you can find here.

The white blossoms were stamped and embossed after the inking had dried.

I am entering this into
Bearly Mine Mothers Day Challenge
Flourishes TImeless Tuesday (USe Butterflies) Challenge

Another Lili of the Valley Baby Girl Card

2011-03-20T21:36:00.000Z

Here's another gorgeous Stamp from Lili of the Valley which I have used recently and used again in a different colour, and using a Sketch over at Lili of the Valley Challenge Blog.

The scrummy papers are from Bearly Mine, and those little dragonflies are soooo sweet!

The same cuttlebug die used for the flowers as in the previous post from today, and spun sugar distressing ink on the embossed white card.

The leaf punch is a Martha Stewart one.

Thats all for today, will be back soon with some more!

Spring themed Bookmark card

2011-03-20T19:40:00.001Z

oooh I love these stamps, I keep putting them away and then getting them out again and again because they are just so cute, the right size and just say Spring to me!!

...and I wanted to try a bookmark card with lots of white, but without the bookmark perforations on the fold of the flap, which fits inside the card, because it just didn't look that good perforated on the flap fold, it looked messy when I tried before.

so this is what I came up with in the end, and I used a perforator I bought on ebay here - little more expensive than some brands and craft ones but when you tear the card on the perforated part it comes off nice and clean!

To make this card, I used an A4 piece of strong hammered card stock, scored to make a DL card from both sides, so there are three flaps.

In order for the flap on which the bookmark side is stamped and coloured fits nicely into the main card, cut about 2 or 3mm off the bookmark side edge, before stamping and decorating the flap or making the perforations (used a steel ruler to guide the perforating tool).

After doing this, decide how wide you want the bookmark to be, make the perforations, cut part of the top and bottom off and then up the perforations about an inch, so you can use a corner rounder to finish off the bookmark edges.

Stamp and decorate as you wish - here is a view of the bookmark side of the DL card:

a closeup of the little bunny

here you can see the layers (the flower made with a cuttlebug die called asterisks 2x2), and the nestability die used as a stencil when embossing the edges with spun sugar TH distress inks

here is a closeup of the topper

this is a great card and gift to make someone for their birthday and I am entering the following challenges with this one:

Simon Says Stamp - Happy Birthday

Card Patterns Weekly Sketch Blog - Sketch 107

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Spring is Sprung

The Crafty Challenge Calendar - Spring

Lili of the Valley Baby Girl Card

2011-03-18T21:47:00.000Z

one last one to share with you (am having a very good day today) and guess what...........more pink!

Yep I am having a pink day, makes a change from green which I seem to use a lot of at the moment - maybe its all the spring colours around, and pastels..

this one is hard to scan cos the daylight has run away with me now and I cant use the camera, and there are lots of delicate pastels.. you get the idea anyway.

the buttons are teeny tiny about 4mm big and work well with the cuttlebug flowers from the die set called Askterisks 2x2

the stamp is from Lili of the Valley and can be found here

and the scallop die is from a quickutz cookie cutter set and the colouring with twinkling H2O's with the exception of the body part which are coloured with promarkers

am entering this card in Sweet Stop Saturday Sketch Challenge and thats it for today!

Second post for the day and a Challenge for Mothers Day

2011-03-18T18:37:00.000Z

So it was a race for the light to get this coloured and photographed, because I prefer painting in daylight if I can at all, the end result is nicer than when using artificial light, and more importantly I am sure its better for your eyes!! I had got carried away and made thee other cards today but they arent coloured yet.. later maybe or tomorrow morning.

So here is another Mothers Day card, and I used Flourishes Stamp Set called Cherry Blossom which you can purchase here. The Stamp set is gorgeous and has sentiments, but for this one I needed a Mothers Day card so I used my own sentiment this time.

... some closeup photos showing the colouring and layering.. and no I am not going mad with the cuttlebug - embossed layer - I wanted to use it 'debossed' this time, it looks just as nice and a little different!

the scalloped edges were made using Quickutz cookie cutter border die set which has three scallop dies in it, and its soooo handy for doing the edges of large pieces of card, so I had fun with all the layers!

I am entering this in the Flourishes 'Cut above the rest' Challenge, which brief was to use cut borders.

I had a bit of a 'pink' day today, so will be back a bit later with ANOTHER pink card!