We're having a blog hop!

We're having a blog hop!!!

Welcome to the
Woodware and Clearsnap
Spring Gifts Blog Hop!!!

Whether you're getting ready for Mother's Day (US), graduation season, or just because, these gifts ideas can be made with a few Clearsnap inks, Rollagraph Stamp Wheels, and Woodware Craft Collection Clear Stamps. All week long we'll be sharing inspiring gift ideas on our blogs here:

Clearsnap Blog: http://clearsnap.blogspot.com
Woodware Blog: http://www.woodware.co.uk/blog/

Shopping List

Clearsnap

 Rollagraph Jumbo Wheels:-

Floral Frenzy 26179

Simple Dots 26175

Ancient Page ink cassettes Lime, Mandarin & Aegean Blue

Clear magic stamp set FRCL 129 Garden Greetings

Stampendous pail

Woodware organza ribbons in

olive,gold,polka dot blue & orange

Gingham Spring green ribbon

Baby blue knotted organza

Woodware punches:-

 3.5" Scalloped circle, 3" Circle, 2" Price Label

Crafty Edger + Scallop Shell border cassette

All available from:-

http://www.woodware.co.uk/

We take a break from card making this week to craft a special gift for a special someone & I've really had fun experimenting with the great Rollagraphs from Clearsnap which I must confess are new to me. You know what? I'm in love!! Think you're going to be seeing a whole lot more Rollagraphing on this blog!They are just so much fun & so versatile too. I have used the Simple Dots roller to create the blue border for my pail & have printed using Aegean Blue. The Scallop border from the Crafty Edger from Woodware gives us the pretty shell edging. Using the Floral Frenzy border & have printed firstly with Lime & then again with Mandarin. I have cut out the individual squares & re assembled them on the blue border alternately. I have punched a layer of blue for the lid of my pail using the scalloped circle punch & I have done the same for the floral layer but using the smaller circle punch. The message on the tag comes from Garden Greetings by Francoise Read. To finish off I have tied a frothy bow to the handle of the pail using a whole mixture of pretty ribbons & a piece of the baby blue knotted organza around the top of the pail completes our gift. I  have filled it with cotton wool balls which makes a pretty gift for the bathroom or dressing table but you coud fill it with candy, pot pourri, tiny soaps.......... the list is endless!!

Head on over to the Clear Snap Blog to see what they've created today!! And don't forget to follow Clearsnap on twitter and Facebook and you will find Woodware on Twitter and Facebook too.

Happy Hopping!

Turqoise & Brown

Shopping List

Magenta Cling Foliage Flourish CO537-K

Stampendous Cling CRR138 Calligraphy Sampler

Stampendous CRS5029 Jumbo Songbird

Chalk inkpads

Versafine Deep Lagoon inkpad

Copper embossing powder

Embossing pad

Woodware s/a lace

Stickles Turqoise

Dreamweaver pearl hatpins

Aqua & Brown organza ribbon

Green s/a pearls

Artquest palettes Interference & Stargazer

All available from:-http://www.woodware.co.uk/



There's a whole lot of stamping going on this week! I couldn't resist revisiting the "Masterboard" technique that I learned at Japonica's Spring workshop a few weeks ago as taught by the very talented Julia Budd. Briefly here's the Masterboard technique:-

1.Take a plain piece of white or ivory card & randomly emboss with your chosen stamp & embossing powder. I've used the Magenta Flourish & Copper powder.

2. Sponge over entire area using 2 or more complimentary chalk inkpads- I've used Wheat & Aspen Mist.

3. Stamp all over again randomly using a darker shade of ink & here I've used Aegean Blue.

4. Finally I have splattered the entire piece with turqoise & bronze paint from the Artquest mica palettes.

Here's a close up view of the Masterboard, you can see the rich, brocade effect that you can acheive.



After creating the Masterboard I stamped a piece of ivory card with the Calligraphy Sampler stamp using the Wheat inkpad. I then stamped the Songbird over the top after inking with Versafine Deep Lagoon. Tear around the edges of this & sponge with Aegean Blue. Repeat for the sentiment.

Tear a piece of the Masterboard & sponge around the edges of this also. Layer a piece of turqoise card which has been "aged" with the Aegean Blue onto the card blank & add the torn piece of Masterboard. Layer the songbird & sentiment next. Tie the 2 colours of ribbon together to form a bow & tatter the edges with scissors. Add the pearl hatpins, a little of the lace which has been sponged with Aegan Blue & finish off with the pearls. A tiny touch of Stickles on the leaves & sentiment completes the design.

Happy 21st!

Shopping List

Stampendous CRP144 cling I Love Paris

Stampendous Crushed Glass glitter- Champagne

Stampendous Mica flakes- Tea Stained 

Stampendous Aged Gold embossing powder

Magenta Emotions scrapbook paper Peace

Versafine Vintage Sepia inkpad

Woodware paper flowers

Woodware buttons from coffee & cream assortment

Chippies numbers

Woodware S/A paper lace

Key brads

Brillance Pearlescent Beige inkpad

Woodware craft card

All available from:-http://www.woodware.co.uk/

I'm continuing my love affair with all things "Frantage" this week as we celebrate a 21st birthday and what better place to do it than Paris! I just fell in love with this gorgeous stamp of the Eiffel Tower from the new Stampendous range and some of you may remember my friend and colleague Siobhan giving it a completely different look a few weeks ago during the "40 Shades of Green" week. I felt the urge to go vintage this week so I have stamped onto Magenta's  Emotions paper using Vintage Sepia. I have cut a (now there must be a proper name for this shape!) sort of trianglular card to reflect the shape of the Tower from craft card. I have mounted the stamped piece onto a piece of caramel coloured linen card which I have distressed around the edges. I have added the paper lace which has been sponged with a wheat chalk inkpad along with a selection of buttons. I love the Woodware packs of buttons as you never know what shapes and treasures you're going to find!

The "21" has been created from Chippies numbers which I have coloured using the Brilliance Beige inkpad before my first layer of enamelling powder was applied- I still haven't got the enamelling bug out of my system after my demo a few weeks ago!! I have added a sprinkle of Aged Gold embossing powder to the final layer of enamelling. As you will see I have added the key brads and some chunky blobs of Mica flakes to the number panel and lastly some paper flowers which have also been sponged with the wheat inkpad and more buttons for the centres. Phew!!

Look what you can do with peel offs!!

Today I've been demonstrating at Japonica again featuring just one particular peel off & using a variety of techniques. Below are the cards that I have designed & the technique that I have used to create each one. The peel off I have used is one designed by Francoise Read & it's "Clematis" 94274 from Woodware. The sentiments come from a peel off from Stampendous called "Tiny Words"

I have placed the peel off onto ivory vellum & coloured on the rear with Tombow markers to produce a more muted effect. I have then added some dry embossing using a ball tool & moulding mat.

For this design I have used the silver version of the peel off & have coloured it with permanent markers (not water based markers)  before removing from the backing strip. 

For this one I was back to my favourite Sakura Stardust pens. I placed the peel off onto ivory card & used the pens directly onto the flowers, leaves & butterfly. For the blue areas I have added some colour around the edges & "bled" it in using a water brush.



I have used direct to paper technique for the background for the peel off panel using pink, soft orange & lilac chalk inkpads. After placing the peel off I have coloured the design using ink direct from Brilliance inkpads & applying with a water brush. I have used Pearlescent Purple, Rocket Red Gold & Pearlescent Olive & Thyme.

For my last design I have placed the peel off very carefully onto a piece of acetate. I have used Sakura Gelly Roll Glaze pens to colour the design as these work very well on acetate. The acetate panel has been secured to the card blank using some black brads which have been desguised by the addition of the great dots from the peel off which come in various sizes.

All materials mentioned above are available from http://www.woodware.co.uk/ & your local stockist is

Japonica

22, The Parade

Exmouth

April's Sketch Challenge

Shopping List

Peel off- Blooms 94090 black

Stampendous peel off Tiny Messages black

Sakura stardust pens

Woodware buckle brads

S/A pearls

Elements

Metals

White polka dot organza ribbon

Pink & purple linen card for layering

Silver pearl card

All available from:-http://www.woodware.co.uk/

How quickly the monthly sketch challenge comes around!! Here we are in April already! I've kept it quite simple this month and I have used some of gorgeous peel offs designed by Francoise Read. I've used a whole sheet for this card, removing  them all and placing them onto plain white card. I have then coloured them with the Sakura stardust pens using 2 toning colours. This was a technique that I learned with Francoise at recent workshops. I have then cut out all the flowers and leaves and moulded them using a large ball tool and moulding mat to give them some rounded shape. The flowers and leaves have then been mounted onto the layered panels of bright pink and purple card and I have used various depths of DSA foam tape to add some movement and interest. I have added the peel off message to the central silver pearl layer and finished off  with a buckle brad which I have filled with a mixture of embellishments. Hope you like my interpretation of this months sketch below is the original so why not play along!

LADIES AT JAPONICA WE WANT YOU!!



Enter our new monthly competition and you could win a £12 Woodware voucher to spend at Japonica. Simply design a card based on the monthly sketch- we can e mail it to you or you can pick up a copy at Japonica. It can be for any occasion but must feature Woodware products (Stampendous, Magenta, Artemio,Dreamweaver as well as Woodware's own Clear Magic stamps,punches and peel offs etc). You can bring your card to the shop in a clear bag with your details and we will photograph it, send your entry to Woodware for you and your card will be returned to you . All entries will be shown on the Woodware blog and the winning entry ( entries are from other shops too not just Japonica) will be featured on the blog along with a photo of the lucky winner. Any other in formation is available from me or at Japonica so get crafting and we want to see your entries soon!!!

Here's your sketch - Good Luck!!