Just a Note........

Shopping List

Artemio Music & Instruments

10006019

Artemio Music Score

10006029

Woodware Clear Magic stamp set

JGCL533 Daffodils

Woodware buttons

Versafine Vintage Sepia inkpad

Narrow brown organza ribbon

A5 cream linen card blank

Raffia

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local stockist is:-

Japonica

22 the Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

Hi hope you had a great Christmas & that all you're all ready to start crafting into 2013! Our theme this week is "Just a Note" so I took it literally- get it?! I've used 2 lovely Artemio stamps which are large cling stamps & they make great backgrounds. I've simply sponged 2 pieces of card & stamped over this using Vintage Sepia. The front of the card blank has been scored in half & folded back on itself. The card blank has also been sponged to give it an aged distressed look. As you can see I have simply layered both stamped pieces onto rust card & attached them overlapping each other which gives a new dimension to the card. The sentiment  

comes from "Daffodils" & I have finished off by adding some buttons, ribbon & raffia. This simple card could be used as a "Thank you" or great for a gents birthday. Happy new Year!!

A Closer look at the 2 panels

A Little Bird told Me

Shopping List

Stampendous CRM 285 Cling Bluebird Branch

Stampendous Perfectly Clear set SSC1158

Thoughtful Wishes

Woodware punches:-

1" Plum 821-83

1.5" Fern 821-40

Mini snowflake

Versafine Onyx Black inkpad

Sakura coloured pencils

Stickles lime green

6x6 white linen card blank

 All available from :-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Woodware stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

Well are you all ready for Christmas? I don't know about you but as far as crafting is concerned I'm all Christmased out!! This week I'm using some of the lovely new Spring stamps from Stampendous & our theme is "A Little Bird Told Me"- well actually it's four little birds. Isn't this little group of twitterers gorgeous! I've stamped with Versafine & coloured with Sakura pencils. I've just added a die cut frame & mounted onto a white linen card which has been softly sponged with a blue inkpad. The sentiment in the bottom right corner comes from "Thoughtful Wishes". This set has loads of great wishes suitable for every occasion which I will be using over the coming weeks. Just to finish off I've added some punched flowers & leaves to give a springlike feel (I wish!) & a little touch of Stickles to the centres of the flowers for a little sparkle.

Christmas tags & toppers

Shopping list

 Stamps used :-

Stampendous

N133 Silent Night Snowman

N183 Festive Forest

CRP176 Cling Forest Santa

Perfectly Clear set "Tis the Season"

Magenta 

Poinsettia 40-203J

Chippies mount board sheet 

Stampendous Crystal embossing powder

Versamark inkpad
Versafine inkpads Onyx black & Satin Red
Sakura coloured pencils 

Stickles

Red pearls, s/a diamantes,Elements

Fingerguard trimmer

Ribbons

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local Woodware stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth EX8 1RW

Tags or toppers this week so I have chosen tags although any of these designs could easily be used as toppers too. All the tags have been created from Chippies mount board sheet which can be easily cut using the Fingerguard trimmer (I have used the pinking blade) except the round one which I have made by glueing several punched circles of card together. I have used a variety of Christmas stamps, some old, some new. All the colouring has been done with Sakura pencils & I have then given each piece a coating using the Versamark pad & Crystal embossing powder. I have then added Stickles, embellishments & ribbons. The back of each tag has been left clear for your own message. Actually....... I think mine may end up on my tree- Happy Christmas to me!!   

Here's a closer look at each tag

Poinsettia

Festive Forest

Silent Night Snowman

Forest Santa

Tis the Season

December's Sketch challenge

Shopping List

Dreamweaver stencil 

Star Dream Christmas Tree LG 746

Dreamweaver Gold embossing paste

FRCL174 Holly Swirls
Stampendous Perfectly clear set "Tis the Season" 

Detail Gold embossing powder

Encore gold inkpad

Sakura metallic gold pen

Mark Richards Gold Metals

Liquid Pearls
Ivory, burgundy & Christmas green card
Zig glue pen
Gilding flakes
Gold card

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local stockist is:-

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

Yes it's that time of the month again & perhaps my last Christmas offering for this year. Continuing my love affair with Dreamweaver stencils I have used the gorgeous Star Dream Christmas Tree. I have embossed onto green card using gold embossing paste & left to dry thoroughly. When dry I have added some gilding flakes using the glue pen & some Liquid Pearls to highlight. I have gently sponged the edges of all pieces with the gold inkpad. The gold embossed holly has been achieved using the Holly Swirls set stamped onto the burgundy card for the bottom of the card blank, also onto a strip of ivory for the centre band. All pieces have been mounted onto gold card before mounting onto the A5 card blank to form the sketch. Lastly emboss the sentiment from  "Tis the Season" onto a piece of gold card & add the gold Metals.

Here's the original sketch why not play along!

Christmas gifts

 Shopping List

FRCL 174 Holly Swirls

Stampendous Aged Scarlet &Aged Ivory

embossing powders

(From Frantage range)

Detail Gold embossing powder

Stampendous Boss Gloss

Sakura gold & red metallic pens

1" holly punch

Buttons

S/A pearls (all 3 sizes)

Burgundy & ivory organza ribbon

S/A Pearl flourish border   

Crystal Stickles

Ivory card

Gold paper

All available from:-

www.woodware.co.uk

All supplies &

paper mache letters available from

Japonica

22 The Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 271739

Our theme this week is Christmas gifts &..........I got carried away again!! My main aim was  "Noel" which I have been itching to do for a while now. The letters start life just dull brown paper & then......!    I started  by embossing some strips of Holly Flourish & one of the messages which are included with the set. I used gold powder &  Iwater coloured with the Sakura pens. These were then torn & stuck onto the figures with a craft glue. Then I randomly embossed with the Aged Scarlet & Ivory powders. You'll find Stampendous Boss Gloss handy for this as it comes in a bottle with a felt applicator so it's perfect for covering large areas & getting into difficult places. After all the fronts  & sides were embossed (I just used gold paint for the backs) I just went mad with punched holly, ribbon, pearls, buttons, Stickles & the gorgeous new pearl flourish s/a border from Woodware. It's on display at Japonica if you want to take a closer look but only until my tree goes up at home! I just need to discourage Mr. Frosty from re-arranging the letters to form other words (he's been watching re runs of Faulty towers again!)

Here are some of the other things I've made as gift ideas.

I took a candle in a tin & removed the original labels. The top has been stamped with Stampendous Holly Basket (CRQ163) onto a circle of card. All colouring has been done with Sakura coloured pencils & I have embossed the whole image with Crystal embossing powder & embossed the edges of the top with Aged Hunter Green powder.  

The side of the tin has a strip of card which has been stamped with the Holly Swirl set & coloured & embossed in the same way. 

 Here we have a set of coasters. I die cut 4 large circles from Woodware's Chippies mount board, printed with holly & messages again & coloured with pencils & then enamelled with clear enamelling powder. For the last coat (I usually do 3) I used Crystal powder & I added a sprinkle of Aged Bronze powder which I also edged the coasters with too.

I really can't take the credit for this last one as we made the large bow with Fran Seiford at the Woodware Retailers Workshop day back in September but the smaller one was just begging to be finished so I chose the cute "Snowbird" from Stampendous which i featured in the blog a few weeks ago for "Cute Christmas". The embossing is done with Aged Marine this time.

That finally is the lot! I'm off for a lie down in a darkened room now!See you next time!

Black & White Christmas

Shopping List

Dream weaver stencils:-

Tree Line LG745

Celebrate Script LS90

Black embossing paste

Woodware Rhine stone border clear JL906

A5 white card blank

Silver pearl card (from 12" x 12" sheet) 

Zig glue pen

Crystal glitter

Corner rounder punch
All available from:-
www.woodware.co.uk
Your local Woodware stockist is:-
Japonica
22 The Parade
Exmouth
EX8 1RW
01395 271739

We  have a simple black & white theme this week but one of my favourites (I sound like Brucie!)  I have embossed the Dreamweaver "Tree Line" & "Celebrate Script" stencils onto white card using black embossing paste & left to dry. Next cut 2 strips of silver card & add to card blank at top & bottom. Layer both stencilled pieces onto black card & round relevant corners before attaching to card blank. "Frost" the trees using the glue pen & crystal glitter. Lastly add the gorgeous new embellishment border from Woodware to the silver strips.

Here's how the folks at Dreamweaver describe Stencilling with metal stencils & pastes.

Using Embossing Paste with Brass Stencils

This technique looks especially nice on dark card stock. It has a sharper edge to it than either dry or thermal embossing and, like dry embossing, it can also be stenciled with color. When iridescent powders are added to the regular embossing paste, the embossing almost has an "Indian sandpainted" look to it.

1. When using embossing paste on the brass stencils, you need to work quickly, because the paste sets up in 20-40 minutes and you don't want it to dry into the fine bridgework of the brass stencils.

2. Make sure you are working on a hard flat surface and the stencil needs to be flat against the surface, because, if it is bent, the paste will pull under the bridges and smear.

3. Tape out the edges well with removable tape.

4. Pick up the paste on the bottom of the metal palette knife and smooth over the stencil's cut out areas as if applying icing to a cake. Now the paste on the stencil is about 1/8"- 1/4" thick. At this point, scrape off the excess paste until all the holes are filled evenly and the stencil surface is smooth.

5. Immediately take off the tape and pick up the stencil from the paper--lifting it off in a straight up manner as much as possible. It is important to clean the stencil off immediately, so drop it into a pan of water until you have time to scrub it with a vegetable or nail brush. If there is a film or residue of paste on the stencil, use a rubber stamp cleaner that removes permanent inks. Apply it generously and scrub with a dry paper towel.
6. Set aside the paste project for 20-40 minutes and, when dry, put the cleaned stencil back in place and stencil with a variety of mediums.

Cute Christmas

Shopping List

Stampendous Cling Snowbird CRP169

Stampendous SSC1147 Tis The Season

Magenta Cling Snowflake Branch C35.077J

Crafty Edger +Scallop Shell cassette

Mica pearl flakes

Sakura pencils

Versafine Vintage Sepia inkpad

Stampendous Crystal embossing powder

Stampendous Detail Silver embossing powder

Versamark pad

Stardust Stickles  

Woodware Christmas Glitter brads

Silver organza ribbon

Silver pearl 12x12 card

2" label punch

Large corner rounder punch

A5 white card blank

All available from :-

www.woodware.co.uk

Your local stockist is:-

Japonica

22 the Parade

Exmouth

EX8 1RW

01395 231739

This week it's the turn of one of the new Christmas stamps from Stampendous- isn't he just adorable!! He's a "Snowbird" so I've dressed him as a robin- a little artistic licence is allowed!! I've stamped onto white card using Vintage Sepia and coloured with Sakura pencils. For the card background I've stamped all over using the Snowflake Branch and embossed using the Crystal powder for a twinkly, frosty effect. After rounding off all corners I have layered onto the silver card and gone mad with the gorgeous Pearl Mica flakes from the Frantage range. The border at the left of the card I've created using some white pearl paper with the Crafty Edger and the Scallop Shell cassette which always reminds me of snowflakes. I've added a length of silver organza ribbon and some Glitter snowflake brads. The greeting comes from "Tis the Season" which has some wonderful Christmas sentiments to suit any card- you'll be seeing a lot more of this set over the coming weeks!! I've simply stamped and embossed in silver onto a punched label and mounted this onto another silver card label finished with a silver ribbon tie. All that's left is now is to add some Stickles to  the berries and branches for that frosty look.

Here's a closer look at the Snowflake Branch background or call in to Japonica to see the real thing!