Scene boxes

Tuesday class today..... not cards this week. I have a couple of ladies who want to make halloween boxes like the ones I had made for the Queensbury makers fair. The other two ladies didn't fancy halloween, so I said I would create something else for them. Sticking to the curvy keepsake box I stalked pintrest until I was inspired. I found a little box with a little bird here It really inspired me as we have used the 'Best Birds' stamp set for a few makes which have been enjoyed. I changed this up to make it more seasonal by using the robin from the 'Cheery Chirps' stamp set in the current seasonal catalogue. So thank you to Brenda Quintana.

All the colouring is done with the marker pens. The edge of the circle I have added a bit of sparkle.

The second box is a straight case from Janina here That pesky penguin is back.

I love this, what would you put in the box?

Vintage Leaves

Its the half term holiday here this week. So I have planned a few childrens classes. Monday morning started with the vintage leaves stamps and dies. I spent a couple of hours last week die cutting leaves so they could get off stamping straight away. We had one colour of ink to each stamp no matter what colour card the leaf was. It worked very well.

Once they had stamped 4 or 5 of each leaf shape  we started on the hedgehog. I got them to lay the leaves out and start to stick from the outside inwards. Whilst they were planning and sticking I cut more leaves for the wreath.  The class was only an hour but we did overrun by 20 minutes. Such fun, they did really well.

On Wednesday we are decorating clipboards, the sewing on Thursday.

Christmas card with 'bling'

Another card for my bling series but without the Year of cheer paper.

I started this card using the 'thick whisper white' card, which I then embossed with the new 'Winter Wonderland' textured impressions embossing folder.  This is a beautiful embossing folder and I hope to make lots more cards with it. I am really just starting on christmas card making unlike last year , by the end of October I just wanted to do something not for christmas! Perhaps next year I will time everything properly.....
I then die cut one of the stitched oval framelits in white and stamped with versamark and embossed with copper powder. The sentiment is from the 'Merry Mistletoe' stamp set. The layers are finished with a snowflake die cut in gold foil using the 'Seasonal Layers' dies. I don't often use a lot of different sets but these layers kind of work..... well I think so.

Where do the days go?

I don't know where the days go its quite scary....
Tomorrow I have a stall at a makers market in Queensbury near Bradford. I have a lovely new make I really wanted to show you.
A few weeks ago I had a class where we decorated a plaque using the Painted Harvest stamp set. Well today I used one of my spare plaques for a christmas home decor item. Its the first outing for my 'Deck the Halls' matching dies. I still have the stamps to use, they are unopened and clean. Now inspired so next week they will be in use.

Christmas Year of Cheer 2

The second card using the lovely Year of Cheer deisgner paper, again simple but beautiful

For this one I have actually used 2 of the papers, the lovely check sheet and a slither of the snowflake one I used yesterday.

Then I have added one of the snowflakes, wow these are just stunning. half a pack silver, half a pack gold and they are white on the the reverse! 

Finally I have added another of the embellishments, this time a gold star. 

The sentiment is gold embossed. This sentiment is from the Sugarplum dreams stamp set which has a starring role in my star book. The star book is my traditional make of the year. Its nearly finished and I will be bringing you that later in the week.

Shopping
Year of cheer designer paper      144640
large snowflakes                         144642
year of cheer embellishments     144643
Sugar plum dreams stamp set     144908
versamark                                   102283
gold embossing powder              109129


Using my online shop is easy, either click on any of the numbers above and a new page showing that item in my shop will come up or click on the hostess code below and that will take you to my home page. Remember to use the hostess code below if your order is between £25 and £149 for your October gift.

Christmas card bling

This week I finally opened my beautiful pack of foiled paper - Year of Cheer. I have opened it before given each design a bit of a stroke then put it back in the pack, sigh, it is beautiful.
I have a 'stamp a sack' event coming up on the 14th of November and one of the ladies coming loves her bling so I thought we would do half the cards using this dsp. As we have 24 cards to make in a very short time I have kept the cards quite simple...... let the bling speak for itself.

The first of 6 designs today

I have used quite a large piece of the dsp but only 2 long slithers of silver foil to edge them. The sentiment from the 'Merry Mistletoe stamp set looks great embossed in silver then silver ribbon and a silver embellishment. I have always loved the embellishments Stampin'Up do and this years are just lovely, quite heavy too.

Shopping

Year of cheer DSP                    144640

Silver embossing powder         109131

Versamark                                 102283

Silver ribbon                             132137

silver foil                                  132178

year of cheer embellishments.  144643

Using my online shop is easy, either click on any of the numbers above and a new page showing that item in my shop will come up or click on the hostess code below and that will take you to my home page. Remember to use the hostess code below if your order is between £25 and £149 for your October gift.

Little boxes

This post in the main part isn't about Stampin'Up projects. But Stampin'Up foiled paper really finishes the project off.
I have been trying to develop a range of classes for children during half term,  We are making a leaf wreath or a cute hedgehog on the Monday, decorating a clip board on the Wednesday and for Thursday I though a little bit of sewing might be a good idea.
The sewing started as mainly a gluing session, rolling strips of felt then gluing the end, however  I found that fabric glue doesn't do the job like tombo does to paper and after a couple of hours the strips began to unroll, hence the sewing.

The Stampin'Up foiled paper makes the most amazing little boxes. The sparkle in the foil is just what these boxes needed to make them a little more christmassy. Once made and filled I will wrap with ribbon, probably gold.
If you know someone local to Halifax please pass the information on. Booking  here

Second craft fair of the season

Yesterday was full on finishing off bits and pieces for the craft fair today. If you are in West Yorkshire pop over to Cliviger village hall. Its on the main road between Todmorden and Burley. Looks like a couple of really nice pubs in the village suitable for lunch too.
I always set my stall up in the studio before I pack the car..... it never looks like this when I unpack but at least I know I have enough stuff and a good range of prices.

I have 4 days of crafting next week with no classes to plan or make for so look out for new Christmas stock after that. Its one of those things, so many ideas and not enough time. I have had to plan the days really carefully otherwise I feel over whelmed and sit and fiddle and get nothing done. 

I also have a lovely old wicker basket that is full of little goody bags, these I give away free for exchange of an email address and the completion of a form about crafting habits. Really useful.

A night in Bethlehem 2

Today I have a very simple card using this set. You all know how much I love to daub well this certainly satisfied that one. There was also a lot of 'stamping off. Whats that I hear you ask. The first line of houses were stamped in the normal way, the second line were stamped on the grid paper before being stamped on the card front, the third line were stamped twice on the grid paper then onto the card front without being re inked.

Using the night of navy for the figures and then as a matt layer really pops the star is die cut from the champagne foil.

Shopping
Night in Bethlehem stamp set  145282
Night in Bethlehem dies           144676
Night in Bethlehem bundle      146044
Marina Mist A4                        121682
Night of Navy A4                     106577

Remember shopping is easy, just click on any of the links above, these will take you direct to that item in my shop. When you shop online and spend between £25 and £149 please use the hostess code below then in November I will send you 1/2 a pack of designer paper and a very beautifully wrapped chocolate orange as a thank you.

Oops No video.... A night in Bethlehem instead.

The video isn't here I just haven't had a minute. I will do it I promise.

However I do have a lovely make for you. This one used the 'Night in Bethlehem' stamp set and dies. This is my candle holder. The darker the evening the better it looks. Loved making this.

Those little battery lights are brilliant. This was taken on a very sunny day. I need to repeat in the dark so that you can see how it works better.

What do you think?

Shopping

Night in Bethlehem bundle   146044

Crumb cake A4                     121685

Early Expresso A4                121686

Whisper White A4                106549

Champagne Foil                    144748

Remember shopping is easy, just click on any of the links above, these will take you direct to that item in my shop. When you shop online and spend between £25 and £149 please use the hostess code below then in November I will send you 1/2 a pack of designer paper and a very beautifully wrapped chocolate orange as a thank you.

Wet wipes 2

This is the second card. I have used similar colours but added a little Calypso Coral. After stamping with the wet wipe ink I have filled in the white card with the same leaf shape but just using Crumb Cake. I have then cut the stamped sheet into 3 panels. Matted these onto Always Artichoke. The Calypso Coral base card is bright. The panels have a line of hessian ribbon underneath then a seperate bow added with glue dots between the first two panels.

I love this one two. I think I will have to make a box for these. It would make a great gift. Well will it be video or not tomorrow, pop back to see.

Wet wipes

Have you ever made a card using wet wipes as your ink pad rather than a standard ink pad? I love this technique, you never know how its going to come out and at this time of year with the multiple colours on the falling leaves it is an ideal way to create.
I will bring you today my favourite of the three cards, another one tomorrow and perhaps a video on Thursday of me making the final one. OOOOOoooo I hear you say    a video. You will have to be kind. The video bit I am getting quite good at the editing I am still struggling with. Wait and see!

First up....

Elegant eggplant looks very elegant... doesn't it. I have used it to cut the swirly birds lines which is there first outing from the packet. The extra leaves I have fussy cut which I have tied together with bakers twine along with  wooden leaf embellishment from the Painted harvest suite.

The leaf shape is from the Vintage Leaves set. These are inked from the wet wipe.... The wet wipe is covered with drips from the re-inkers. For this card I have used, Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, and elegant eggplant re - inkers.

No sentiment on these they make a lovely set of notecards. Back tomorrow with another one.

The cats meow...

In class last Tuesday afternoon we made 4 cards all the same but in 4 colours. The ladies said they loved doing this as when they got to the last one they felt they knew what they were doing! Then we made an envelop box with the envelop punch board. Although I love the colours of halloween, orange and black I am not a fan and its not big around where I live, being very rural. But I thought the cat punch would be very useful. Its certainly been a hit with the Tuesday ladies.

The eclipse technique has done the rounds lately with the big letter dies, I haven't got these but one day hope to buy. I thought I would be able to use something else to create a card using this technique, the cat seemed ideal.  First I stamped the bush from Awesomely Artistic. (This stamp set is so well used, each little stamp pops up in so many places.) Then I punched the cat from the stamped flowers. I then punched two more cards in the matching colour and stuck the three cats together. Finally placing the cat back in its whole in the stamped bush! Once I had done the one, I kept the card in one colour I thought a pack of four each in a different colour was a good idea. I started with the Peek a Boo Peach then moved onto the Flirty Flamingo, a colour I now love, then one in Dapper Denim a colour I have hardly used and finally Rich Razzleberry as that is one of my favourites.
I have to admit that as I haven't bought the stamp set to match the punch, the cat faces are hand drawn. They have improved the more of these cards I have made!

Love these cards, so cute.

Shopping

Cat punch                                   144666                              

Awesomely Artistic stamp set   139950

Special offer from me for October:- for everyone who orders between £25 and £149 through my online shop during the month of October using the hostess code (at the bottom of the page) I am offering you 1/2 a pack of designer paper, thats 6 sheets of 12 x 12 double sided paper. In the packet with the paper will be a gift wrapped chocolate orange too! I will post this out to you during the first week of November.

Its easy to shop online, click the hostess code below, it will take you to my online shop, once there start your shopping, you will be invited to create an account and don't forget to add the hostess code in the box that pops up.

Tis the season......

For colds and flu. I have a streaming cold and everything in the studio that I start seems to go wrong. I think it is something to do with concentration. I must tell you about the double sided Andrex puppy tape! I have the Bethlehem stamp set and dies on my table, still at the playing stage with this set. I had cut 6 'streets' of houses' in the beautiful champagne foil. (That is certainly one to stroke!!!) I had them laid out on the desk infront of me. Now this was the third project.....
The first one was a decorated candle, I started it then found I hadn't any grease proof paper so I used a sheet of vellum.... don't it doesn't work, not only did I end up dripping wax on the carpet the vellum also lifted off a thick layer of candle! disaster 1.
Next I thought I would give the lantern I had found on Pintrest a go. Got everything out did a bit of stamping went in search of the die for the top and bottom ... couldn't find it. I think it may be one I have sold as its no longer in the catalogue, so 20 mins fruitless search nothing completed, disaster number 2.
So back to the lovely champagne foiled die cut streets. A new roll of double sided tape, I was struggling to find and lift the end of the tape suddenly there it was but the roll slipped dropped to my table rolled sticky side down.... HOW did it do that.....right across my die cuts it was like that old Andrex puppy moment with the toilet roll and no I didn't laugh the air was blue. Good job I am on my own in the studio!. Whats more I couldn't unstick it so 6 die cuts went in the bin with a mangled ball of double sided tape :( :( :(

Today I have actually managed to make 2 cards, it has taken 3 attempts but they are made thanks to an idea from Dawn I didn't use her measurements but it is her idea. One card two colour-ways and the ideas are now coming so there will be more of this set during this week.

Definitely a sense of achievement after three days of disasters. And I always enjoy a bit of daubing!

Shopping

Night in Bethlehem stamps    145282

Night in Bethlehem bundle    146044

Early expresso A4 card          121686

Early expresso ink                  126974

Crumb cake A4 card               121685

crumb cake ink                       126975

Night of Navy A4 card          106577

Night of Navy ink                 126970

Soft Sky A4 card                   131292

Soft Sky ink                           131181

Sponges.                                141337

Check back to my previous blog post for the Stampin Up Autumn discounts get your online order in today and soon all these lovely goodies will be winging your way in the little brown van with Mr UPS to your door.
To start this momentous Stampin'Up year I have a special offer:- for everyone who orders between £25 and £149 through my online shop during the month of October using the hostess code (at the bottom of the page) I am offering you 1/2 a pack of designer paper, thats 6 sheets of 12 x 12 double sided paper. In the packet with the paper will be a gift wrapped chocolate orange too! I will post this out to you during the first week of November.

Remember to use the hostess code below to ensure you get your bonus goodies next month. If you click on the hostess code it will take you directly to my shop or click on the link beside each item in the list.