Busy Busy Life

Not a lot of crafting this week. I am spending a week in the Dales. My OH has thing about flying. Last year for his birthday he flew a Tiger Moth Biplane. This year for Xmas he got paragliding lessons, that is why we are in the Dales this week. Its really beautiful, the weather has been kind and I am so relaxed. Here he is in his element.

It never ceases to amaze me that he loves this sort of sport when I can't get him up a step ladder to clean the downstairs windows ...... he gets vertigo!

If we get a rainy day I will craft.

Crafternoon Tea and strawberries

One of the first workshops we have planned for the new studio is crafternoon tea. As the month is June, its wimbledon so what better theme to have than strawberries.

This workshop is designed with non crafters as well as experienced crafters in mind. Its an opportunity for friends to come together, make a little something and have a traditional afternoon tea. The tea will include a range of delicate sandwiches, fruit tarts, cakes and pastries and this month fresh strawberries and cream, all supplied by 'The Secret Cafe'.

This is the make, the basket will be pre cut for you so only needs assembling, the strawberries are much simpler than you could imagine and the tag gives you an opportunity for a little stamping. The strawberries are filled with strawberries and cream lindor chocolates. This makes a fantastic gift or you can take it home and enjoy a little self indulgence.

Message me to book your place, Wednesday 29th June 2 - 4.30pm or Saturday 2nd July 2 - 4.30pm. we have lots of other workshops, check out our new web site:-

www.ourcreativeden.co.uk

NEWS FLASH ******* NEWS FLASH ******** NEWS FLASH

Elaine Baines and Karen Watts (thats me!) are pleased to announce the opening of

Our Creative Den

A beautiful craft studio situated in the heart of the Calder Valley. We hope you will join us at our Grand Opening on Saturday 18th June between 11am and 3pm.

The studio is based in Unit G3 Tenterfields Business Park, Burnley Road, Halifax HX2 6EQ

There will be light refreshments, free make and takes and the opportunity to peruse the new annual Stampin'Up catalogue.

Our programme of workshops will be coming soon.

Boxes and Bags Kit part 2

So today I have the bags for you.
The larger bag in the kraft paper, I found a little fiddly to do the first one but the other three where easy. Draping the gold circle bunting and the little flags was fun, you could really mix and match these up as once again you make 4 of each. I had loads of the gold circles left over.
The smaller bag is really cute with its little green peg. The draped gold sequins add a bit of sparkle and there are plenty of those left too.

Here is everything altogether.

What a great kit. I will be running a class for this, watch this space.

Bags and Boxes Kit sneak peek

I'm not usually a kit person but when I saw these in the new catalogue I just knew I would have to have a go.

The colours are vibrant and everything except adhesive is in the kit. The instructions are enhanced with diagrams which do help but non of it is complicated.
I am starting with the boxes- the largest box with the orange flower. I loved making the flowers, lots of patience needed to curl all those petals and I have used a glue gun to attached the flower centre, the rest is easy to do with 'tombo or double sided tape.
The smaller box is easy to fold and each layer I have added with glue dots.

 

You make 4 of each, don't the look great all together. Pop back tomorrow to see the bags.

Washi Tape in lots of colourways

This card went down so well last saturday I thought I would do some more using a range of the washi tape in my box. This make lovely quick easy cards. Now I have a little pack of them and I will be doing more that say 'thank you'.

So if you have a box of unused washi tape, you can make as et of fun cards like this.

Monochrome washi tape weekend

Here is the second card I have made with this 5 set of washi tape. Do you fancy taking up the challenge, I would love to see what you you make, here is the washi tape in my online shop and its half price just £3.63 for 5 rolls. On this card I have used all five rolls.

So what do you think of this. The large rhinestones make it a bit of a stunner. and the bow tie punch works so well. I think you can say I am well pleased with this.

I think I have completed the challenge don't you?

Monochrome Washi Tape Weekend

Some weeks ago I told you about the wonderful time I had at Stampin Up Convention in Telford. Its one of the perks of being a demonstrator. The next one is in November in Telford again and then we get to go  to Amsterdam in April next year. Exciting times ahead. If you want to join me and be a part of the Stampin Up family get in contact. Free choice of starter kit, for £99 you get £130 of goodies plus business supplies and free shipping. Email me

Whilst at convention in Telford one of our free gifts was a full pack of washi tape. Now I am not an expert with this 'stuff' and generally don't use it but a challenge is a challenge.  And I am quite pleased with this one.

The 'hello' is from one the 2016 SAB sets The one punch with the curvy corner punch just finishes it off. So sad this punch is not carried forward to the new catalogue. Not got one order online, click on link.

Fancy Fold Friday

Well this fold has been popular on 'The Craft Spa' earlier in the week so I thought I would have a go but still using the 'Playful Palette DSP stack' and the new 2016-2018 In colours.

There are a number of papers that have black in them and sometimes they can be difficult to use unless you are going for a monochrome feel. Here I have teamed it with the Peek-a-Boo Peach. This is a pretty colour and its everywhere in the shops at the moment.

I had a dig around in my stamp sets and used one that is carrying over, one that retired some time ago and one that is ancient but there is so much choice on my shelf at the moment I really do need a de-stash.

The fold is quite simple but looks impressive.

Playful Palette Designer paper again

And I still haven't used one of the more psychedelic papers. I liked this one it looks a bit like a wall with the coloured blocks so that is how I have treated it.

First I stamped the flower bunch from Awesomely artistic in Emerald envy... really getting to like that colour. Then I had a play with my punches, leaves and little flowers, fun fun fun.

The sentiment is from a new set in the 2016 catalogue Layering Love. I admit to initially stamping the sentiment on the paper but it looked a little washed out and I really wanted it to pop. Now that I am looking at the card and writing about it I think I am going to go back and stamp a little dragon fly and fussy cut then attach to the sentiment! Funny how these things come to you later.

In the meadow and the new 'In Colours'

Again its the 'Playful Palette designer series paper stack' that was my starting point but I also had a hankering to use this set in the way the sample in the catalogue has been done so a little of 'case the cattie although I have actually put the two cards together! quite unintentionally.

As you can see this is one of the brighter pieces of paper, the 'Emerald Envy is not to everyone's taste but now I have started to use it its going to be one of my favourites. 

I have stamped the tree 3 times in three different colours - thats how it is in the catalogue. The deer I have stamped and water coloured in cajun craze like the first tree. I have punched this with the 2" cycle punch then run the edge through the ink pad to give it some definition and mounted with dimensionals.

The other tree stand is in Elegant Eggplant which is the colour of the card base. Doesn't it look stunning with emerald envy.

Just wait until you see tomorrows paper!

Kinda Eclectic and the new 'In colours'

The stamp set name says something about life at the moment. Its kinda not as usual!

First a make, yes I have had a crafty day today and this set has been on my shelf unused for at least a couple of months. My starting point was the Playful Palette Designer series paper and some of the new 'In colours'.The paper I chose was one of the easier pieces, one colour with scattered cream dots of varying sizes. Some of the other sheets are more challenging as you will see later in the week.

The 'Kinda Eclectic set has been unused for a while but I knew it would be one for me. Not too much daubing on this one, just around one end over the dots stamp which has only one impression with a fully inked stamp. I also daubed from the centre of the sunday to tone it down. The leaves are stamped in 'Dapper Denim' then stamped a number of times without re inking.

The set has two sizes of butterfly but I felt the smaller one looked better.  The sentiment in stamped in the sweet sugarplum then punched out with the large oval punch, I then used the same punch to make an oval of the sweet sugarplum card which I cut in half to give an matt layer for the sentiment.

Finally another picture of what is turning my life upside down.

Well today I have emptied at least 4 boxes, it feels like 400 and I ache in plases I didn't know could ache, needless to say I haven't cleared enough space to do any crafting yet. I would love Mary Poppins to drop in and wave her wand so that when I get there on Monday everything is put away and tidy.....
I was looking back at what I was making this time and last year and was surprised to find the watercolour wings, This is a lovely intricate stamp set and having the dies just expands the way these stamps can be used. Todays post is just simple triple stamping.

Notice the backgrounds on the two cards above, one uses the butterfly embossing folder and one the brick wall embossing folder.

Love this stamp set. Going to use it lots in the next few weeks.