Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

November 16, 2012

Advent CalendarTutorial ...


I filled the Advent Calendar with chocolates and took it up for Isabella last night. Her mum was delighted with it and has said she willl keep it and refill it next year for her too.

It is very satisfying when someone really appreciates that work the you have put in.

"OooH...." she said ... "I want one of these

This is the box that I didn't complete on the film but I said I would add it to the Blog once it was done.

This one has silver Gilding Flakes added to it and the numbers are from the Letterbox set from Clarity Stamp

The card is the larger sized 16" square Centura Pearl from Crafters Companion  and the larger size is so useful to many projects.

But this colour scheme and the... "I want one ..." comment inspired another video which I will add tomorrow... and that is a more adult version that I have called a "Keepsake Box".
 
But for today  here is the link to the
Advent Calendar Tutorial   
and I hope you enjoy it.
 
Hugs xx

November 15, 2012

A step further...

I have been  tossing and turning  during the night with  measurements  going round my head.

Somebody  said they would love to be  inside my head for  day to see what goes on ....  No You Don't!!!

Any way this  Advent  Calendar  has been taken a step further.

In the  original the small  boxes fell out if the base box was tilted and it was a bit of a nuisance.

So I have made  a divider for  the inside that will hold all the small  ones in place.

 And it gives a much  neater  appearance to the whole  creation.

I have also  added  Googly eyes to the  characters on the front of the box, some  Want2Scrap  Diamante to each of the  numbers,  and some  pretty lace around the inside edge.


 
Over the  weekend I am going to film the making of one  and show you how I did it.

I hope you will pop back and see the video which will have to filmed and edited around the Formula 1 .

That is my "Film Crews" favorite sport and he will be glued to the telly ... with his cup of tea and the obligatory quarted oranges.


Hugs xx

 

November 14, 2012

Advent Calendar



I wanted to make one of these Advent Calendars for Isabella ... my Great Grand-daughter ... to open each day in December.

And I have to admit it was running through my head in the early hours of this morning.

So this is what I have been working on today and it is now ready for  me to take to her so that her mum can help her open one each day.

I have used Centura Pearl card from  Crafters Companion

The boxes have yet to be filled with some goodies.

They have been made using the Bracket Edged Box die from Spellbinders.

And I made 25 of them and embossed each one with a different pattern.
Once they were all glued together I had to make a large box to fit them all in as I wanted five rows of five.

I again used Centura Pearl and I have some of the  large 16" square card .... and I measured it all on the Ultimate Pro score board.
The boxes all fit inside and then I made a lid to go on the top.

Everything was then decorated up to match using the Festive Frolics paper stack from Papermania.


I added in a big white satin ribbon bow and the result is at the top of the page.

The toppers are from the same paper stack.

 The gemstones from Want2Scrap are the finishing touch.


And I hope it will be something that will be used and refilled for a few years .... and then I'll make another.

Hugs xx

November 13, 2012

Fun Card for today...

This image is from the CD The Next Big Thing     from   Just Inklined 

And it is packed full of images for you to colour for any occasion.

There are also backing papers, verses and inserts, as well as decoupage sheets for you to cut out and build up yourself.

I couldn't resist this image and decided to make one of the birds look a bit queasy.

I drew the veins in  the eyes of the bird on the left, with fine liner pen,  as the other one looked quite bright ... and so he is saying "Get Well Soon..."  to his friend.

I have coloured them in with Spectrum Noir ...  but I have used some of the Gold Browns to get the blend I wanted.

The birds have been cut out with Labels 4 and I have created a faux Nestie to layer them up with foam pads.

I have  matted and layered them  onto various shades of blue card and stamped out the sentiment in blue ink using the Big n' Juicy Waterfall colours.

I used the  Fancy Tags 2  to layer it up and a small amount of   Want2Scrap  Bling in the right hand corner.

The little Doily is from my "Stash".... and I have added some pretty turquoise lace under the topper and tied in a small bow.  I added a gemstone to cover the knot.

Poor thing I hope he feels better soon ...

Hugs xx

November 12, 2012

Spellbinders Video - Floral Doily ...

Here is another promised video and this one uses the Floral Doily Accents and Motifs.

There are so many ways to use each die that you will run out of card before you run out of ideas.

But over  the weekend  I .... Er! sorry we ... my "Film Crew" and I ... have put together this tutorial.

 Maybe it will give you some new ideas if you have this set in your collection.

I have used Centura Pearl Card that is available from Crafters Companion

Just by layering the shapes up in another way can give you a whole new look.
And don't forget to mix them up  with any other dies that you have  collected... and don't be afraid to cut them up too.   Look outside the  original purpose and let your  imagination run while you play.

The  Diamante is from  Want2Scrap  and the wide pink  satin  ribbon is some I had in my "Stash"
 
Hugs xx

November 11, 2012

Spectrum Noir Colour Class

Here, as promised is the first  video in the  Colour Class Series ...  using the Spectrum Noir pens.  This is using the six pen set that is the Ice Greys  (Cool Greys)


This video features again the
"Little Church In the Snow"  
which is from Just Inklined

I featured this image a couple of days ago and  I decided to use it in the video.

It is  so easy to colour and would make a lovely card for  Christmas.

Spectrum Noir Colour Class Ice Greys  uses only pens from the six pens sets and they are ...  IG1, IG2, IG4, IG6, IG8, IG10
Thes six pens can produce lots of different effects.

 They can also be used to shade and shadow other images as well.especially around figures.

You will see more examples on the website.


This is the another finished card with this image and on this I have added  Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls..... oh! that rings a bell!!

A question I was asked was can you mix fabric and paper flowers on the same project ... and the answer is "You can do anything you want ... just enjoy yourself"

The pearls are from Want2Scrap ... the small white roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts

I hope you will find the tutorial useful and other colours will follow soon.

Hugs xx

November 10, 2012

Floral Doily Accents and Motifs


This is the Floral Doily set from Spellbinders 

I thought it would be a good idea to show you what the package looks like so that you know what you are looking for if you wanted to buy.

It also gives you an idea of what the dies are like and what they will produce.

I always buy the Accents and the Motifs for any set as that way you know that they are going to work together.

Having said that  any Spellbinders will  work with any other ....  so don't be afraid to  mix and match any that you have in your  collection.

They are very versatile and of course you want to get as much from your purchase as you can.

So over the weekend I am putting together a video that will show you  several different ways to make this set work.

This card is created with Centura Pearl from Crafters Companion


I have cut lots and lots of the shapes with this card and then I play to see what the layers will look like as I build.

The   background  and the  semi circles  have been in  an  embossing  folder.

 One of the border strips has been threaded with thin red velvet ribbon and a small bow added.   Red pearls have been added to the corner pieces and the whole lot layered up onto the red card.

The Diamante swirl is from Want2Scrap  which always makes a card look so rich.
 
For the back of the card I have made a stand and there is a video to show you how I did it.

Creating Card Stands   gives you  some alternatives on how  to make them ... and it saves you the need to  add an insert.

Just add your  sentiment to the front and write your greeting on the back.

More tomorrow...

Hugs xx

November 09, 2012

Christmas Scene


This image is coloured with  Spectrum Noir pens  that are  available from  Crafters Companion 
Not  everybody wants, needs or  can afford the complete set  and to be  perfectly  honest you don't need them all.

I have always said ... Start with the six pens sets and build up as you want   from there ... as you can afford to buy them.


So  all I have used here is the set of Ice Greys.

If you are new to these pens then please take a look at Spectrum Noir Introduction  which will give you a better explanation of what they are all about.

But I thought that it would be a good idea to show how each of the colour sets stand alone and just some of the ways that they can work for you.

I am going to put together a series of videos for each set of pens and start with the greys ... and show several cards with them and how they can all look different.  I hope you will find it useful.

This card is a very simplified version and the digital image is from   Just Inklined 

I have used Spellbinders Create a Flake 3 and  I have added  Micro Beads to each flake  and layered them together,  then added a clear gemstone to the centres.

The sentiment tag is Fancy Framed Tags 2

The ribbon is Seam Binding and it is an inexpensive addition to your "Stash". 

The Diamante Swirl is from Want2Scrap  and I have added Glamour Dust to the snow,  trees and the sentiment.... but it doesn't show up very well  on the photgraph.



Hugs xx

November 08, 2012

White on White

Click to Enlarge
 Here is another White on White Card and I did this one for a birthday that is coming up in December.

I have used a thick white stain ribbon to slide under the borders and made a large bow from the same ribbon.

The centrepiece is a Dazzler from   Creative Studios

I have folded an A4 card in half and used it with the fold at the top.


After folding the card in half I cut  the front section in two again and  made it smaller by about  6cms.   I used a piece of acetate that was about 9cms wide to fit into the gap to leave a panel that was see through, with the card adhered around it.

(Unfortunatly the stand, although clear is visible and spoiling the look of the acetate)

I  embossed the Acetate before adding it to front panel.   I cut out three of the Asian Accents borders and added them ... two to the top and one to the bottom of the card.

The embossing folder that I used was the Paisley M-Bossabilities ... and it is a double sided folder from Spellbinders..... but you will need the Raspberry plate to use it in the Grand Calibur.

Between the two top borders I added my white ribbon and the bow with the Dazzler centre, and along each side of the card I added in my beautiful Diamante Bling from Want2Scrap

The sentiment was stamped onto the same white card and then I used the Fancy Tags 3 with the matching Bling and added it to the Acetate panel.

Quite an effective card and the embossed acetate makes it just that little bit different.

Hugs xx

November 07, 2012

Another way to use ....



...  Cherry Blossom from Spellbinders.
It makes you think of summer months and beautiful pink and white flowers.

It is a very useful die for your crafting "Stash" in it's own right  and it will make some beautiful additions to my cards as the weather warms up again.

But because of the cost of these dies I didn't want to waste it in the winter months ...  so it has to work for me to get more from  any  die that I buy.

So on went the thinking cap and this is the result....
A Christmas Wreath
 

I have cut lots of the branches in all the sizes and I have added Glamour Dust to each one to represent ice.

I used the middle sized flowers,   cut  in two shades of red and layered up,  alternating the shades,  and  each has a tiny Diamante in it's centre.

I found some red and white gingham ribbon in my "Stash" which fit the bill perfectly,  and the bobbly cord was added underneath.

I layered up two co-ordinating papers and used the ribbon and bobbles to cover the join then  added the bow with a gemstone to cover the knot.

They have been matted and layered onto Kraft Card.

The sentiment was stamped onto a circular card and then the branches arranged around the circle ... cutting them if needed to make them fit to create the wreath.

I dotted the layered flowers in the branches and glued the bow in place.

The Diamante strip is from  Want2Scrap   and I have cut the two sizes to fill the corners on my card.


So this will be going to somebody this year to wish them a very Merry Christmas

 
Hugs xx

November 06, 2012

Spellbinders Hexagon Pinwheel Box

Click to Enlarge
This pretty little box is ideal for smaller cards or invitations that you may want to send... it's more like an envelope really.

It is very easy to make ...  but you will need a die cutting machine with a larger cutting area as the die is too big to go through the Big Shot that I have.


The die itself is  available from Save On Hobbies at an excellent price.

I have used Centura Pearl  for this one from Crafters Companion  and it has been embossed to add some texture to the card.

It is the Spellbinders Grand Hexagon Pinwheel Top Box  and that title is quite a mouthful ... try saying it fast.

I struggled saying it on the video.
But a  video on this project  is here for you  and it answers  some of the  questions I have had about how to  fold it correctly.

The Diamante is from Want2Scrap

I will also show you how to create the small card that can be placed inside.

 And as long as the embellishmetns are kept low it will fit.

On this one I have cut up some Guipure lace for the leaves and added them behind the flowers.

I like how it looks and they are for  "Thank You" cards for  wedding gifts
Hugs xx

November 05, 2012

WooHoo .... Look what I've got ....


I am so very very pleased with this "Blinkie" that  I have received from  Spectrum Noir  today... it is in recognition of the videos that I have produced on this fantastic colouring system.

I started with an Introduction to these pens and then covered colouring skin tones and hair.  There is also a video on clothes and a specialised one for jeans. The last one was on the  storage system that has been introduced by Crafters Companion to store any of your marker pens.

I am adding it to the very centre of the page ..... and I am so very pleased with my self for the work I did to get this Accreditation.  I shall proudly display it in my side bar and add it to the website too.

It takes pride of place and I will get a certificate too that I can frame  and add to the wall in my craft room.  Oh! I am like the cat with the cream and I can't stop smiling.

                                                       
I am much too excited to add any more so I will close for now and just sit back and savour my award.

Back to some cards tomorrow

Hugs xx

November 03, 2012

Picture Frames


This another project for the  Design Team that I have joined and again uses digital images from  their shop.

Following on from yesterdays suggestion of NOT making cards ... but using your digital images to create something else instead.

Both of these are A4 picture frames from Ikea and the images are already coloured from Paper Creators  and they make excellent pictures which are ideal for a childs bedroom.

The first one is Sassy Sally Clowns Around  and on this one I have glittered the flower and the nose and added Googly eyes to the character.

Then I have added  pearls  to the buttons... and used pearls around the edge of the mount... and Pearl Flourish close to the image.

The picture has been framed with the Asian Accents Border in red and then added under the glass to the frame. This can either be free standing or added to the wall.

This image is  Jennis Purrfect Costume  and for this I have used the Moroccan Accents to frame the picture.

On this I have glittered the bows in her hair, the inside of the ears, and the cuffs.

The Diamante Flourish,  the border around the image and the Pearls in the previous one are all from Want2Scrap

Both are very pretty projects and will given with love at Christmas to two very special children.

Hugs xx

November 02, 2012

Scrapbook Album

Being part of the Paper Creators  DT  means I get to use some very pretty images.  And most of the time I make cards with them.

But this time I thought I would try something other than a card ... and for this project I have used a rather large Scrapbook Album.

The image that I have used is the Conductor  and  he has been decoupaged onto the front.

I stored it in   "Picasa" which means I can now resize the image to suit whatever it is I want to do.

Picasa is a  FREE  photo editing software  that allows you to store all your photos, backing papers and digital images.

The pink link will give you a wider explanation and also a link to their website.

You will never lose a picture again and you can edit, recolour or resize them as you wish.

For this album I have used shades of blue and each panel has been stitched and then  I have  layered them onto the front of the album.

Using the  Donnas' Alphabet  from the Spellbinders set I showed you testerday I have added Tylers' name.

This letters set is available from   Save On Hobbies   and will be a  useful addition  to your  cardmaking "Stash"

The little fence is a Memory Box  Die  from
Oyster Stamps  and just seems to add the finishing touch to the front.

 The Pearl Flourish is from Want2Scrap and adds a touch of luxury to what would otherwise be a plain album.... but not too much as this is for a boy.
 
I have added Glamour Dust to the name and wrapped Bakers Twine around the spine.
 
 I am sure that his mum will add all the special little items to the album that she wishes to treasure as he grows.
 
Hugs xx

November 01, 2012

Pretty Sweet ...

This little girl is from the "Pretty Sweet" CD from  PolkaDoodles  and I love the images on there.

The colour is not very good but it has been photographed under artificial light.

I much prefer them in natural daylight but it was getting late in the day when I did this.

The card has the Braided Ribbon  used along the bottom edge and the background panel has been embossed with the Paisley M-Bossabilities folder.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts   and the Pearly Flourish is from Want2Scrap  

Before I go I just want to tell you that there are some new Spellbinders in at Save On Hobbies

These are some of them, at an amazing price, and hopefully we have now overcome the problem with the extra Customs charge.

Pictured here are the Donna Salaza Alphabet,  Creative Book Pages 2 ,  Hexagon Pinwheel Top Box,  and the  Square Petal Top Box

I have been making samples for these today and over the weekend I will be making some Videos to show you what I have been up to. 

Hugs xx