Saturday 29 October 2011

Spooks & Treats

Shopping List
Stampendous Peel Offs
90895 Spiders Web
90896 Cats & Bats
93211 Bats
all in black
Stickles Orange Peel
Orange & black card
Thin strip of acetate
Black cotton
Sakura gel pens in metallic silver & black
Black 3D foam pads
We're getting ready for Halloween this week & I certainly had fun creating this card. You will need 2  6"x6" card blanks in orange. The first is folded in half as usual.Turn the second over after folding & fold the 2 outer edges in to meet the centre, as in a concertina. You then need to cut a circular aperture from the centre approx 3.5" in diameter. I have decorated the front of the card using a selection from the 3 different peel offs to created a "spooky" scene. The 2 cats at the bottom left hand corner have been stuck onto black card & cut out. The smaller one has been mounted with black foam pads & the larger one mounted onto a small strip of  concertina acetate. This gives a fun springy movement. I've used the orange Stickles to highlight the cats & spiders eyes & the widows of the haunted house. For the inner card  I have stuck some of the bats randomly down the edges of the card & some smaller ones behind the aperture.I have mounted the large hanging bat onto black card & cut out & then suspended him using black thread. I have used a watercolour wash using sakura pens in metallic siver & black to give the  effects to the background & the webs. Tiny spiders dancing around the edge of the  aperture & some spooky messages finishes the inner card. Now just fix the inner card to the inside of the outer card along the edges only to acheive the pop out look & that spooky surprise.

  Here's the inside of the card- scary!

Tuesday 25 October 2011

12th Special Edition Workshop at Japonica

Last monday saw us holding our 12th Special Editionworkshop and as always a great day was had by all as you will see from the photos of all the ladies crafting away below!





We were fortunate to have a veritable wealth of crafting expertise among our tutors this time as we were able to welcome Francoise Read, Jane Gill, Vera Moore and our own Janet Caudrelier. A wide range of products and techniques were used and a chance to sample and use first hand some of the new stamps and products that were introduced to Jan and I when we went to the Woodware retailers workshop event in Yorkshire at the beginning of September. Japonica's twice yearly workshops seem to get better with each one with the bar being set higher and higher by our crafting customers. We look forward to our next one in March next year when we shall look forward to seeing Francoise again-places are going rapidly as always so be sure to put your name down soon!  


Monday 17 October 2011

Blue Christmas

Shopping List
Artemio clear stamps Snowmen
Versafine Onyx Black
Sakura Stardust Jelly Roll & Metallic pens
Stampendous Rainbow embossing powder
Peel off chain letters  Let it Snow
Stickles Diamond
Acetate
All available from http://www.woodware.co.uk/

We're really into the Christmas crafting season now & I've been itching to try out this cute set of stamps from Artemio.  I have used an overlay of acetate onto which I have attached the bottom layer depicting the row of snowmen.I've stamped onto white hammer finish card which I think is great for suggesting the texture of snow. I've water coloured them with Sakura pens in various shades of blue. On the outside of the card blank I have stamped the snowy street scene in a dark blue ink and again used Sakuras to add some detail. I've also used some Stickles glitter glue to give some frosting & added the Let it Snow peel off which I have also used on the snowman layer. I have cut the top of the card away just above the skyline to expose the inner layer of the card. On this layer I have grouped together 3 of the snowflake stamps with I have stamped in a dark blue ink & embossed with Rainbow embossing powder to give them some sparkle. I have coloured the large snowflake & detailed the others with a Sakura Metallic pen in silver. A few sparkly snowdrop peel offs on the front of the acetate layer just helps to link it all together. Happy Blue Christmas!
 


Tuesday 11 October 2011

Flock flowers

Shopping List
Set of 3 Woodware paper mache boxes
Artemio Silhouette Flowers clear stamp set
Stampendous flock powders in:-
Olive You
Sunshiny Yellow
Citrus Orange
Indigo Blue
Chocolate Lotto
Cataloupe Orange
Stampendous pearl glitter Tiger Lily
Double sided adhesive sheet
Woodware craft wire
Woodware buttons
Gold brads
Caviar beads gold & copper
Brown, burgundy & pale gold organza ribbon
Gold Mica paint  
Memory mists in copper, silver & gold
Punch craft tools used:-
Double ended etching tool (DEET)
Character shaper 
All available from http://www.woodware.co.uk/

I'm working with flock this week & thought I'd take a break from card making for a while to get creative with this set of 3 different sized boxes. I've used Artemio's SilhouetteFlowers stamp set to give me my flower & leaf shapes. I've stamped onto paper the same colour as the flock I have chosen to use, placed the image onto a piece of double sided adhesive sheet & cut out my flower or leaf. I have used the DEET & Character Shaper to give the rounded shape to the petals & some veining to the leaves. I have treated the boxes with a mixture of layers of Mica paint  & Memory Mists spray which I have then wiped & sanded to give the aged, distressed look. I've added the flowers & leaves & embellished with brads, caviar beads & buttons. As you will see I have used a mix of flock colours on some of the flowers & leaves & I've added some glitter also to the small box. I've acheived the worn, tattered effect with the ribbons by heating very gently with a heat tool. Be very cautious if you try this as the ribbon does shrivel very easily but this is also a good technique to use to seal the ends of ribbon that is going to be handled a lot. Here are the individual boxes hope youlike them.



Wednesday 5 October 2011

Wrinkles?What wrinkles?!

Shopping List
JGCL545-Girl Stuff
Bremen scrapbook paper
Flock pastel brads
Self adhesive lace
Versafine
Narrow satin ivory ribbon
Sakura gel pens
Coloured pencils
All available from:http://www.woodware.co.uk/

It's sketch challenge week again & I've used this fun set of stamps by Jane Gill which will bring a smile to the lips of all us ladies "of a certain age"! I've stamped onto the spotty side of the Bremen  scrapbook paper & used the flock brads, ribbon & self adhesive lace to give a real feminine, girly feel. We're all girls at heart, whatever our age.........right?!!   

Here's the original sketch that I worked from why don't you have a go & see what you come up with- anything you like!