Demo at Japonica

Here's a quick look at the designs that I did during my demo at Japonica today. I was using stamps, chalks, Versamark  & embossing folders.

And here's a selection of the varied designs & techniques on display at Japonica Exmouth- Craft Retailer of the Year! 

Dreamweaver time

Shopping List

Dreamweaver stencils :-

Jungle Leaves LJ825

Hibiscus LJ827

Mercart metal sheets green, navy & red

Embellishments pins

Woodware 1" Monstera punch

8"x8" card blank

Navy pearl card

Buckle brads

Peel off- Words 90549

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

This week I've been having fun with some of the gorgeous Dreamweaver stencils. I've used them in conjunction with some Mercart metal sheets & my Cuttlebug. The metal sheets are available in a whole variety of colours & are great to sand after embossing as they are double sided. Firstly I covered the whole of my card blank with navy pearl card & then embossed the navy sheet using the Jungle leaves stencil. You'll need a silicone mat for your Cuttlebug & you may have to use some shims of card too, it's a bit of trial & error until you have the pressure just right to produce beautiful embossing. If you're used to using embossing folders for your embossing needs check out the Dreamweaver stencils on Woodware's website, there are some stunning designs & of course you can also use them with Dreamweaver embossing pastes too. I have sanded the navy sheet to reveal the "aged" silver effect but I chose to leave the red & green panels unsanded & these I have embossed using the Hibiscus stencil. As you will see I have had a great time cutting & piecing together various panels  to create an almost scrapbook feel to my card. The metal sheet is great for curling & punching too.As embellishments I have added the Dreamweaver embellishment pins which come in a variety of colours & are very much in vogue at the moment for crafting. I have also added some buckle brads & the inspirational words come from the "Words" peel off. For the finishing touch I have punched some leaves using the monstera punch which I think you'll agree looks really effective. 

I've been on a creative roll!

Just recently back from my hols in Mallorca I came back buzzing with ideas & not just of the card designing variety either. Laid a little low by the Japonica bug at the weekend I retired to my craft room to put some of my plans into action. Here are some of the results of my feverish imagination!

I've  had in mind for a while now that I wanted some new pictures for our bedroom but couldn't find exactly what I wanted. Why not create my own? I've used a combination of stamping meets scrapbooking meets "Frantage" another words throw everything at it & see what sticks! Great fun!! I've featured the Jumbo cling "Songbird" from Stampendous with a variety of techniques. I'm really pleased with the results!

Here are a couple of projects that I did for the garden to give it that Mediterranean look

Think I'll go have a lie down now!!

Purple & Gold

Shopping List

Magenta Floral Flourish 

JGS 269 Swirly Frame

JGCL 555 Hours Fly By

Stampendous Jewel Gold &

Detail Gold embossing powders

Versamark inkpad

Brilliance Pearlescent Lavender &

Purple inkpads

Inverted corner punch

Candis

Purple A5 card blank

Lilac & white card

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

We have a colour challenge this week in the form of Purple & Gold which has to be one of my favourites. I have taken a piece of plain white card to start & after giving it a good all over wipe with an anti static pad I have randomly stamped the entire piece using the Floral Flourish & Jewel Gold powder. Sponge all over using a mix of the 2 Brilliance pads. I have then stamped & embossed (using the Detail Gold powder this time) the Swirly Frame onto lilac card & one of the lovely sentiments from the Hours Fly By set both from Jane Gill into the centre. I have then simply stamped the flourish again over the lilac piece using the Versamark inkpad to give a shadowed watermark effect. All that is left to do is to cut around the frame & layer onto purple card & then onto the embossed background. I have used the inverted corner punch & added the gold Candis for a simple elegant finish.

My Mallorcan garden

 We've just returned from 2 glorious weeks at our house in Mallorca where we enjoyed constant sunshine & temperatures well into the 30s everyday.What a shock when we arrived at Exeter airport last Sunday afternoon to lashing rain & down to 12 degrees- I haven't warmed up yet! As with the English spring all the flowers in Mallorca were late flowering this year & so we were thrilled to see our garden in full flower. I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

It's my other half's birthday next week so still under the Spanish influence this is the card I have made for him- have a sneaky peek!

I have used the Masterboard technique for the background of the card & the stamps that I have used are from Stampendous. I did a little direct to paper with a selection of Versacolour inkpads before stamping with Versafine Onyx Black  & then have used coloured pencils to highlight. I've used Glossy Accents on the olives,poppies & grapes. Oh roll on September when we'll be back again!!

A Gift for Teacher

Shopping List

Stampendous SSC 1052 Hugs For All

2" heart punch

Stazon Azure

Brilliance Pearlescent Beige 

Woodware paper flowers

Woodware buttons Pastels

Organza polka dot ribbon

Gingham ribbon

Ric Rac braid

Sakura coloured pencils

Cream Shrinky plastic

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

Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers in Aqua & Cream by Ranger

available from Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

It will soon be the end of term & time to produce that all important gift for teacher. What better than a hand crafted gift? I've taken a plain terracotta plant pot from a garden centre and painted it with a mix of acrylic paints. I have mixed water with the paint to give a more beachy, distressed look. I have stamped the little hearts using some of the many cute little icons from the "Hugs for All" set -one of my favourite sets which is so versatile for many occasions. The sentiment comes from this set too.Punch some hearts using the 2" heart punch from Woodware and stamp the sentiment onto them using the Stazon inkpad. I have then just decorated the edges of the hearts with faux stitching using a coloured pencil before using a heat tool to shrink the plastic. Decorate the rim of the pot with the hearts, paper flowers (which I have lightly sponged with the beige inkpad)ric rac braid and buttons. I have also used the buttons and an assortment of ribbons to decorate the main area of the pot. As you will see I have designed a complimentary card to accompany the gift.

June Sketch Challenge

Shopping List

Clearsnap Rollagraph Jumbos:-

26044 Summer Days (Magenta)

26028 Crackle Background

Ancient Page ink cassettes:-

Sienna  & Henna

Orange clear dots

Sakura coloured pencils

JGCL 533 Daffodils

Cream linen card A5 blank

Caramel linen card

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Time for June's sketch challenge so I thought I'd have another play with some Rollagraphs from Clearsnap. You may remember we had a blog hop a few weeks ago between Woodware & Clearsnap & I had great fun then working with Rollagraphs which were new to me. I have chosen 2 here which work really well together although the Crackle Background is very versatile. Summer Days comes to us from Magenta & is everything that we have come to expect from Magenta- beautiful in it's simplicity. I have printed the Crackle Background in Henna on the caramel card to form the top border & a layer for the main feature. I have printed Summer Days along the bottom of the card blank using the Sienna ink cassette & coloured this softly with the Sakura coloured pencils. "Just Because" comes from Jane Gill's "Daffodils" clear set  which has some lovely sentiments even when daffodils are out of season! To bring a little bling I have added some Mark Richards clear dots in orange- just because.............!

Here's this month's sketch don't forget to play along!    

Invitiations

Shopping List

JGCL 547 Our Special Day

Peel off Bubbleheart 94258 gold

Stickles Gold & Pink

Burgundy organza ribbon

Ivory narrow organza ribbon

Large, medium & small s/a pearls

Gold metals

Pink clear dots

Candi

Stardust pens
Ivory & burgundy pearl card
Stampendous Detail gold embossing powder
Corner rounder punch

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

This weeks theme was a gift for me being a designer & producer of wedding stationery; I just had to do wedding invitations. I have chosen Jane Gill's beautiful set of wedding words Our Special Day which has all the combinations of wording that you will need with such an elegant script. I have also chosen Jane's Bubbleheart peel off (also available in Clear magic set Bubble Hearts) for the centre piece of each invitation. The key to producing a large number of invitations is to keep it simple but stunning. I have chosen a large & medium sized heart for the above design & placed it into a piece of the burgundy card which I have then cut out.I have then filled the "bubbles" on the peel off  with a mix of pearls, Candi, Stickles & other embellishments. 
The words have been embossed onto ivory pearl card with Detail Gold powder, opposite corners of the card piece have been rounded with the punch to give a unique shape & layered onto burgundy card. I have chosen a DL sized card & I have added a piece of burgundy organza ribbon to the centre of the card front overlaid with the narrow ivory ribbon before adding the Bubblehearts & wedding words.
Below are ideas for matching "Save the Date" & evening invitation cards.