First Christmas Card of 2016 ~ Bauble Wreath

Thought I'd share my first Christmas card this year using the 'Hanging Around' stamp set from Clearly Besotted.

I really wanted to try this stamp set and my silver embossing powder just arrived...perfect!

I used a pre-prepared C6 card base from Hobby Craft. To create the background pattern I cut some pale blue card stock from Papermill and randomly stamped this with a couple of different snow flake stamps from various sets using Momento Summer Sky Dew Drop Ink.

After die cutting some plain card stock (from Papermill) with a rectangle stitched nesting die I heat embossed the main wreath part. I must admit this took a couple of attempts as I have not done much heat embossing so still getting to grips with it. The first one I over heated so it melted flat into the card stock. Once left to cool, I stamped the ribbon and the images into the bigger baubles (There a 4 options in the set to choose from) with the Summer Sky Dew Drop Ink. The Sentiment was stamped using Bahama Blue Dew Drop Ink so it stood out from the rest of the icy looking card. This whole panel was given dimension with foam adhesive.

Of course I then needed to add a bit of Wink of Stella to the pattern baubles and went over it with Glossy Accents. After adding a few small gem stones the card was finished :)

Please feel free to leave a comment or share any ideas you may have.
Thank you for visiting my blog!

Halloween Card Mini Series #5

For Card number 5 in the Halloween Mini Series we have Spiders! A simple Halloween card but with the fab little feature of a window. I was not sure how this would turn out, but I am happy with the results of this creepy crawly card.

Very simple to make;
The Background paper was a free download from the Cardmaking and Papercraft website. I then used a regular Canon printer, nothing special, to print the image onto good quality Hammered card stock from Papermill for added texture. For the card base I used Stampin' Up! Basic Black card stock cut and scored to create at C6 size card.

The 'window' section was then cut out with a craft knife. I used a pencil to draw the cut window area onto the card base and cut that to create the window.
I attached Acetate to the back of the patterned paper and distressed the edges with Tsukinek Espresso Dew Drop ink. Then attaching the silver ribbon and lining up the panel, I glued this down to the base. I had run out of snail adhesive which I normally use to adhere ribbon, not thinking I unfortunately used a strong wet glue and you can see the glue marks. I will hopefully remember next time!

The spiders and webs I purchased off ebay as already die cut embellishments. I lined one of the silver webs to in inside of the card so it would be seen through the window, then I attached the spider to the outside.

I stamped the Halloween sentiment from the Stampin' Up! Jar of Haunts set and die cut this out using a rectangle stitched die. This was stuck on with dimensionals and the bow with a mini glue dot.

Adding a few gems here and there gave the effect of dew drops on the webs and I really think it gave that finishing touch to the card!

A simple Halloween window card for children or adults :D

Here is what it looks like when stood up...

Halloween Card Mini Series #4

For number 4 of my Halloween Mini Series is my first attempt at a Pop-Up Panel Card.
This cute card is a little tricky to put together and does take time to make sure it is just right. I think the results are are fun and you really can't go wrong with this card.
For this post I am just going to give you a quick overview...

          

There are many fab tutorials out there for the base of this card. The best, and one I would recommend checking out is the Youtube Tutorial by Dawn's Stamping Thoughts. Dawn has minimised the amount of measuring and made the tutorial simple and easy to follow.

Once you have the base made, you are ready to decorate. For my Halloween card I used Stampin' Up! Jar of Haunts stamp set, stamped with Stayzon Black Ink, Espresso Truffle Momento Dew Drop Ink, Stampin' Up! Pumpkin Pie and coloured using Spectrum Noir Markers. The sentiments are stickers from the Echo Park Hocus Pokus Collection, as well as the designer striped paper.

A super fun little card to make and give. I look forward to making some Christmas themed ones.

Thanks for visiting my blog :)

Halloween Card Mini Series #3

Card number 3 in the Halloween mini series, a simple yet 'bewitching' card :)

To start with I folded an A5 Stampin' Up! Basic Black card stock to create a C6 size base. Using the designer paper from Echo Park Hocus Pocus collection for the background, cut slightly shorter to create a nice 'wide screen' style boarder.

The owl is from the Clearly Besotted 'Still a Hoot' set and stamped with Stayzon Black Ink. For this card I did not want the tie that comes with this particular owl, so I cut out the center of the stamp so I had the option of with or with out the tie. Of course you can use a wipe/tissue to wipe off the ink that is on the tie if you do not wish to cut your stamps.

I hand drew the hat, coloured the hat and owl with Spectrum Noir Markers.
Colours used for the owl; HB1, HB2 and HB3. I used LG3 and LG1 for the eyes, finishing off with GB6 and GB7 for the beak and feet.
Colours used for the hat; IG7 and IG9. HB1and HB3 where used for the band around the hat to keep with the theme. I used a silver gel pen for the buckle on the band.
The hat was fussy cut out, followed by die cutting the owl ready to place on the designer paper.

The designer paper was adhered to some fun foam to give the whole panel even dimension. Before sticking the owl down I took my clear Wink of Stella to the tree, just adding a kind of 'frosty' effect to the edges. Of course I could not resist also adding some to the owls eyes too. (The below picture shows how slightly shimmery the card is). I glued on the owl and popped up the hat with dimensionals.
Using again the Echo Park Hocus Pocus collection for the sentiments, which are stickers within the pack. These have also been popped up with dimensionals.

To finish off the card I used green and yellow Dovecraft 3D pearl effect to add some varied colour.

Hope you enjoy this card and maybe got some ideas :)

Halloween Card Mini Series #2

For the second card in my Halloween Card Mini Series I have made this fun Pumpkin Pop-up Box Card! As you can tell by a previous post in my blog, I love making these and was looking forward to creating a cool Halloween themed one.

Starting with the base; I used Stampin' Up! Basic Black card stock, then layered it up with Papermill's Orange card and Echo Park Hocus Pocus designer paper. By layering the card/papers you get a really nice thicker finish which just makes the whole thing look better and more sturdy when 'popped-up'. (I will be doing a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the base shortly but if you put 'pop-up box card tutorial' into google or YouTube there are already some fab ones out there!)

For the embellishments; I stamped the Pumpkin from the Stampin' Up! Jar of haunts set with Espresso Truffle Momento Dew Drop Ink onto Papermill's Orange card. I then added colour to the shaded areas with Spectrum Noir markers, using OR1. After seeing it all shaded I decided I wanted a brighter Pumpkin and a smother blend with the shading, so I went over the whole Pumkin with OR1 and then shaded with OR2. The final coloured image can be seen on picture to the right.

The vines were randomly fussy cut out of green leafy designer paper from the Eco Park Hocus Pocus collection and Wink of Stella added once the rest of the card was finished. You can not really see it much on the photo but it is so shiny and pretty. 

The spider webs were hand drawn using a white gel pen and Wink of Stella added before covering the lines in Glossy Accents. This gives a lovely shimmery and raised effect to the cobweb. Small spiders have been stamped using Stayzon Black Ink and the large was fussy cut from Basic Black card. The body's have been given a coat of Glossy Accents to add dimension. 

This card has a magical shimmer to it and a fun Autumn feel. The sentiment can easily be changed to suit Harvest, Autumn or Thanks giving.

Thanks for visiting :D

Halloween Card Mini Series #1

Hello!

So its that time of year where I can get crafty with the Halloween cards. I love Autumn...Halloween, Bonfire Night and Fireworks, then Christmas!! :D

As you can see from my latest Craft Haul post I purchased the Stampin' Up! Jar of Haunts stamp set and the Echo Park Hocus Pocus 12" Collection kit. To make the most out of the bits I now have in my stash and to encourage myself to make some Halloween Cards, I have decided to do a Halloween card mini series!
This will consist of 6 blog posts with different ideas and inspiration for Halloween themed cards :)

To kick start this mini series off I have a very simple card using the Jar of Haunts stamp set.

I stamped the image with Stazon Black Ink on to Papermill super smooth white card. The jar has been coloured using Spectrum Noir marker pens. For the Liquid I used GT1, GT2 and GT3, for the lid; GG3 and GG5. 

At first I had trouble to get a look I was happy with as the colours I was using were too dark and not 'transparent' or liquid like enough. I found the lightest shades have the best effect...also HB1, HB2 and HB3 have a nice look (below image).

The card base is Stampin' Up! Basic Black A4 card cut in half to make 2 bases then scored in half again. The designer paper is from Echo Park Hocus Pocus 12" Collection kit. I really love the variety in this pack. So many fun papers to chose from!

I then cut a white panel using the Cottage Cutz Stitched Rectangle die from Papermill's white hammered card, and backed this with another layer of Basic Black card stock to help it pop. The 'Happy Halloween' sentiment is from the Jar of Haunts set and was stamped using Stazon Black Ink. 

This set has some cute additions so I could not resist hanging a little spider from the sentiment.

The white layer of the card and the jar itself has been raised using foam dimensionals to make it a little more interesting.

A simple card that is easy and quick to make...

Let me know what you think :)

Perfect Pop-up Gift Cards...

I absolutely love making Pop-Up Box Cards. Not only are they fun and look fab, they make a lovely gift...and they are not as difficult to make as they may look. 

I make 2 sizes, one is the average size to make (Large to me) and the other I make, you can get 2 out of a single A4 sheet of card. This size is perfect for sitting on a shelf or desk with out taking up too much room. It stands 14cm high and 5cm wide, also fits into your standard C6 envelope!

There are a number of brill tutorials on Youtube to get you started, then you can find a way that works best for you. 

Here are a few of my own makes that will hopefully give you some inspiration;

CRAFT HALL - September

I kinda spoiled my self this month...
For my Birthday I was gifted a Sizzex Big Shot die machine (Lucky I know!) So I wanted to get a few basic bits and dies for my stamps. Mostly though, as we are coming into Autumn I was excited to grab some Halloween and Christmas bits, and place my first order with Stampin' Up!
Items are listed below each image :)

Echo Park Hocus Pocus 12" X 12" Collection Kit; 12 double sided papers, really nice designs and includes a sticker sheet! (From Ebay)

Black Stazon Ink Pad: I was having trouble with another brand's black ink smudging even after being left to dry for like a week, so thought i'd try Stazon.

Black Sharpie Marker.

Stick It Refill. (From Ebay)

Cottage Cutz Stitched Rectangle Nesting Dies; I have seen so many Youtube tutorials where these have been used I just had to grab them. I have used them already and love them, worth the money!

Clearly Besotted; 'Your a Hoot II' Stamp Set & Die 

                               'Hanging Around' Stamp Set

I just love the Clearly Besotted range, beautiful stamps and at fab prices. I grabbed another owl die as it was in the clearance rack and for 60p! The owl set was half price at £2.00, just had to grab it to go with my other owls.

For my Stampin' Up! order I made the most of the bundle offers and thought I'd try out their card stock and ink pads.

These items were brought from the Stampin' Up! Website!

'No Bones About It' Stamp Set; Have some fun ideas for this set which I will share soon!

'Jar of Haunts' Stamp Set; Love, love, love this set. As soon as I saw it I just had to have it...how cute is that mummy! This is perfect for fun cards and spooky treats.

'Cookie Cutter Christmas' Stamp Set & 'Cookie Cutter' Builder Punch: I was in two minds about this one, but glad I went for it. Its fun and traditional...what more could you want :)

'Hang your Stocking' Stamp Set & 'Christmas Stockings' Thinlits; This set is fab, the dies are amazing. This was another set I just had to have as soon as I saw it! The designs on the stocking dies are so detailed and pretty, giving you lots of options to play with.

'Balloon Bouquet' Punch: Thought this was a good standard punch to have in my stash...saves me cutting out lots of balloons for all those birthday cards :D

12" X 12" 'Candy Cane Lane' Designer Paper; Look at all those lovely patterns! Can't wait to cut out those ginger bread houses.

And of course some basics: 

Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock

Basic Black A4 Cardstock

Pumpkin Pie Ink Pad

Real Red Ink Pad

Crumb Cake Ink Pad

Well that was my mega haul for this month (and probably next!)...a Birthday treat to myself :D 

I am now of course starting my Halloween and Christmas cards so will share with you soon.