Woodware Challenge Thanks.......

We will all have a few thanks you cards to do after Christmas and here is a quick and simple idea even the children can have a go.

I have used Stampendous retro alphabet set SSC055. Stamped in black and coloured with Sakura Stardust pens keeping to three colours. I have used a black Sakura Identipen to write the words very much on the pearlescent card background. Its easy to hand write messages with a pen, just draw simple lines to create the letters and add round dot to the end of each line, it transforms a simple letter into a fun letter.

Alphabet stamp sets are so useful, I tend to stamp the letters individually that way I can get my spacing better. If you can't stamp in a straight line then stamp the letters at jaunty angles like I have here.

Some Woodware paper flowers and gems just finish the card off.

Pleas can I have a lap?

For days now (weeks even!) I have been making card samples using the new spring and summer stamps which will be launched in February 2012.

My poor cat Elliot feels very left out as he does like a lap in the afternoons. Here he is waiting to get on my lap while I sit at my very untidy work space. It's not very easy stamping with a cat on your lap!

So if you see any stray ginger car hairs on my new samples, you know exactly where they came from!

He's so cute, just love him to bits.

Woodware Challenge Richness of red

My new peel offs, the same design as the stamps sets JGCL547 Our Special Day, JG546 On Your Wedding and JGCL549 Bubble Hearts. The peel offs come in gold, silver, white, black, red, pink and two shades of purple.

I love the shade of this red, the colour says 'romance' and 'love'! The shine of the peel off gives it a real sparkle to.

To fill the bubbles I have used Card Candi (Very Merry Silver) and green and red gems. I have stuck the Card Candi on to the card with silicone glue as I find that the neatest and easiest way.

I've made the base card, which is A6, with Woodware cream linen finish card. It was easy to make and quite quick, essential if you are making 150 of them!!!

Woodware Challenge Week 29 – Look what I did with my tin!

Here we have a round Woodware tin decorated with felt fusion and the ice cream images from my Ice Cream Parfait set JGCL507. The stamp set has been around for a couple of years now so it's good to go back and use things again.

Make good use of Woodware's chippie tags to add messages to the tin and to stick the ice cream images on. They are strong and with the thickness, make great 3D embellishments. I love to use lots of ribbons in contrasting colours tied in knots on the top of the tags.

The inside pages which come with the tin, I've decorated with patterned papers, again keeping to the colour theme of pinks, pale greens and yellows. The message stamped around the edge are on the stamp set.

Use it for writing down recipes for ice cream based desserts. It will make a fabulous present.

Woodware December Sketch Challenge.....

A minimalist but cute card for this weeks challenge. Using white shrink plastic (just love the stuff!) and my JGCL501 Melting Snowmen stamp set and a few coloured crayons to create the little detail on the snow line across my A6 tent fold card.

The greeting comes from JGCL515 Christmas Sentiments stamped in pale blue to match the background. Finish off with some stickles glitter glue in diamond.

Why not have a look to see what the rest of the girls on the DT have been up to and remember you can play along to pop to the Woodware Blog

Tags for Gifts

For my selection of hand cut tags I have used my Tree Quartet set JGCL550 and Stampendous embossing powder set Merlot EK06 to create the colours for the trees. I've spritzer the background with coloured ink, I've decanted some of the Memories Mists into the Woodware mist-it bottles. The edges of the tags have been inked with a contrasting pigment ink pad.

The other stamp is my Christmas Verses JGCL551 and they too have been embossed with the same powders as before. Decorate the trees with gems and glitter glue. Don't forget to leave a space to write who it's to and from.

The background paper to my photo Magenta paper MEMOR-217.

Pick a colour and go with it....

I got carried away with my bubble theme, so here is my one colour card.... and it's gold again!

These peel offs (93194) are from the bauble and wreath design and I have made the card up with the new sized card packs from Woodware, they are a whopping 20cm square!

I have cut a 19.5cm square from linen finish card, edged it with a Sakura gold pen and stuck that onto the base card.

The bubbles are filled with micro beads (use glossy accents to stick the beads on) and gold glitter glue. It takes longer to dry that it does to make the card!

I have drawn the swirls across the top with a Sakura gold medium Pen Touch pen (41501) and the extra fine Pen Touch pen (41101). The gold ink in these pens is just wonderful. When you first use the pen, take off the plastic wrapping, and holding the pen upright, press down on the nib with a finger to release the pressure. Then press the nib on some paper a few times to get the ink flowing.

I've drawn the gold lines from the baubles to the swirl with the extra fine gold pen and have added some little bows too. Use the gold peel off circles to decorate the swirl. I love to add a line of gold glitter glue under the greeting, it just finishes the whole thing off.

Wedding Bells.....

....or should that be hearts?

Here is a sneak preview of my new peel offs. A peel off version of my bubble heart stamp set and they are really fantastic! They come in black, white, gold, silver, dark pink, red, purple and lilac. This sample shows the white on a black background and then cut out before mounting on to a white linen finish card.

The wording also comes as a peel off in the same colours. It makes a wedding card look very sophisticated. All it needs is a touch of silver.

Birdie blocks

I'm obsessed with covering wooden blocks!

Remember the good old days when all we wanted was rubber stamps on blocks? Well now we all want clear or cling so this is what you do with unused blocks. They make great alternatives for cards. (Woodware have loads for sale, contact The Stamp Man for more details).

The blocks I've used in this project are about 6cm square. I've covered them in patterned paper and punched out some birds, branches and little leaves all from the new Woodware punch (see a previous entry on my blog for more info).

The message is from my Essential Birthday stamp set JGCL519 and I have added some pearls to the background paper design and edged the punched birds with contrasting ink. Some of the birds have been stuck to the block flat and some are in 3D with the help of some little foam pads.

Draw in the legs of the birds with a fine black pen and add some small dots for eyes.

I display these blocks in a line so remember when you are making it up how you are going to display it and in what order it should be (I've numbered mine in pencil on the base so I know at a glance).

Woodware Challenge Traditional Christmas

Traditional Christmas says to me red and green...so here we have my idea.

I've used Woodware's A4 craft card for my base card which I folded in half, so its quite a big card being A5. The background patterned paper is called Helsinki no 22253.

The stamp is JGS260 Festive Background and I've used a set of embossing powders from Stampendous EK06. It contains just the right colours to match my traditional Christmas theme. Stamp with VersaMark onto cream card, emboss with three or four of the embossing powder colours and I like to add a bit of distressing to the edges created with a VersaFine vintage sepia ink pad.

Punches used to create the wreath are 826-25 and 830-45. And a small circle 815-30. The holly leaves and the berries have been given the floral punch craft treatment to bring them to life. I have stuck all the holly leaves to a doughnut shaped circle about 8cm across which acts as a good base for your wreath. Mount it onto your card with foam tape.

I have spritzed the wreath once finished with a mica shimmer spray to give it some WOW factor, but that's optional!

As you can see another little shrink plastic tag adorns my card which is made from white shrink plastic, JGCL551 Christmas Verse and JGS155 Snowflake Medley.

Woodware sketch challenge

For this weeks challenge I have used my wonderful bubble tree peel off in gold.

I still enjoy filling in all the bubbles on this peel off, it's somehow very relaxing. There are new ones on the way too so look out for my bubble heart designs (similar to the stamp set JGCL549) out as a peel off very soon.

Magenta paper has been used on the background (MEMOR 187) . I have used a die for the cream and brown ovals and the brown oval is edged with the gold Krylon pen. You can decorate the bubbles with anything you like from buttons (colour white ones gold with the Krylon pen), pearls, gems, peel off gems, glitter glue and seed beads.

Use the circles from the peel off once you have removed the outline to decorate the card background.

Just one layer

I was so tempted to make a chocolate cake with 'just on layer' of delicious chocolate butter cream for this weeks blog but then I made these three pyramid shaped cards which have just one layer on them! But still have a 3D effect.

So that will be the punched border using the Crafty Edger and floral lace cassette.

The stamps are from my Tree Quartet set JGCL550 and I have embossed them with gold, purple and red embossing powder to match the borders.

Simple decorations of Woodware gems and dots of glitter glue add a touch of sparkle. These pyramid cards can be sent flat, just apply some double sided tape along a tab along the long edge ready for the lucky person who gets one to assemble it in a flash!

To create the shape, draw three triangles together (joined along the long side) and add a glue flap to one of the long sides. Make a template to use again and again.

Now perhaps I will make that cake after all!!!

Woodware Challenge Spooks and Treats

These little gift bags are for my friends children and I've decorated them with the felt fusion black cats.

I've used cellophane card bags, drew some little gold dots with a Sakura Pentouch gold pen onto the bag (which you might not be able to see very well from this photo!), filled them with sweets and added a simple tag.

Now I'm ready for trick or treat night and can hand these out when the children come round to our house!

The felt cats really add a nice touch and stick well to just about anything.

It's a blue, blue Christmas.....

Here is a sample for a very quick Christmas card using my JGS155 Snowflake Medley stamp which is new this Christmas. I've stamped with VersaMark and used white embossing powder onto a textured card in pale blue.

I have used some snowflake punches from Woodware 821-14 and 821-46 to add some decoration to the ribbon and the shrink plastic tag is stamped with the same snowflake stamp plus a greeting from my JGCL551 Christmas Verse set. I love little shrink plastic tags and I seem to have used them a lot this year!!

Frame the blue stamped background with silver card onto a white base card for a clean and simple look.

Look what I did with my flock...

It's only a little bit of flock I know but it makes great centres for flowers!

Here I have used some bright pink ( Stampendous raspberry tart FL817) in the middle of these wonderful hydrangea petals I have made with some heart punches (come to The Glitter Pot to see how its made!!). They have been made using some floral punch craft techniques.

The base of the flower is the Jumbo Stampendous cling Hydrangea set CRS5005. I've used my JGCL519 essential birthdays (I use it all the time 'cos its fab!). The Crafty Edger has been used to good effect teaming it up with some spotty ribbon. Note the little pink pearls decorating the border and the corners of the greeting.

Its a big card because the stamp is big and I love using Woodware's ribbed craft card which comes in A4 packs of 15. Just score, fold and there you have it, a great card base......just love the texture. All the background papers are from Magenta and available from Woodware.

A visit to Rye

I went to Rye with my husband last week for a quick break, we had some fabulous weather. It's such a nice town and we could have spent all the time eating because there are so many nice restaurants and tea shops there.

I did pay a visit to Craft Magic, somewhere I have wanted to go to for ages. I met Lisa and Richard who own the shop through Woodware, such a nice couple. They showed me around and told me all about the wooden shapes they make for deco-patch. I was most impresses! They hold classes and can do children's parties too (very brave)!

The shop is right in the centre of Rye just off the main street down a cobbled road, its very pretty area and I think they have the best shop sign I've ever seen.

I recommend a stay in Rye, a cream tea and a crafty visit to Craft Magic.

Sketch Challenge.....

I've been making Christmas cards since June so thought I would take a break from bells, holly and festive fun and make a Spring card from my tulip set. The code is JGCL532 and is in the Christmas - Easter 2010 stamp supplement from Woodware.

I have used some pale yellow and green gingham paper to match the colours of the tulips which have been painted with water colour pencils.

The gems in each corner are gold mosaic pieces MR5525. The wording is on the stamp set and I've stamped with VersaFine vintage sepia. The corners of the cream card are punched with 820-02 squared (I call it the south/west corner punch).

Something for the boys

Here is a card I made with my Top Trucks set JGCL516. A stamp set I designed and Woodware brought out a couple of years ago. I've stamped and coloured the trucks with water colour pencils and then cut them out. The wording is from the same stamp set.

The cut out trucks are stuck to the card with foam pads and the chippie letters are coloured with ink pads to match the truck colours.

There is also a tractor and a Landrover (drawn especially for my brother who loves them!) on the set and here is an example of how you can use the tractor. Note the good use of the picnic punch FPC4-06 from Leone Em for the grass edge.

The colours of Autumn

This is my Zentangle type owl stamp that came out in Spring 2010 (JGCL524 Wise Owl). It's taken from a drawing I did years and years ago as an art student.

Zentangle is all about doodling, you can fill a shape with lots of different designs, or just doodle until a shape or design appears. There are lots of books on the subject and I find it very addictive and relaxing. So next time you are chatting on the phone or on a long train journey to somewhere wonderful get out your black fine (a Sakura one preferably!) pen and start doodling.

To make the owl I have stamped in black, sprinkled with clear embossing powder and heated the image, do this several times onto patterned papers, choose ones that co-ordinate (these papers are from Woodware, shades of brown, red, and yellow ochre just like autumn leaves).

Cut out sections, shape the reverse with a large embossing tool and layer up on to a complete image which is mounted on the base card. Use silicone glue for this 3D effect, which allows you to adjust the position of the pieces of paper and keeps the shape of the paper after embossing.

This picture is the same image but using different papers.

I've mounted this on to Woodware ribbed recycled craft card.

Sugar and Spice....and all that's nice

..that's what little girls are made of!

I love baking cakes nearly as much as I like eating them, so last year I brought out a set of cake stamps with Woodware (JGCL523 Tea for Two) and have used some of the images in this little keepsake cake book full of my favourite cake recipes.

The second of my photos shows the cakes have been stamped on white shrink plastic, coloured with coloured pencils and shrunk before layering onto cream and pink card to decorate the cover. They come out really dinky.

I do try and encourage people who come on my craft classes to bring in home made cakes for immediate consumption.

A little bird told me.....

Yesterday I received a long awaited Woodware punch....it's huge (840-10 owl set) and I've already been playing! I've made some very simple cards using the Woodware ribbed recycled craft card as my base cards and some pretty papers from my scrap box. The greeting is from my JGCL510 essential birthdays set.

I've added small googly eyes to the owls for fun. The legs of the three birds have been drawn in by hand using a fine black Sakura pen. All the shapes have been edged in a contrasting ink to set them off against the background.

I love my idea (can I say that?) of the owl and moon on the black background. It's really easy to do. You need a blue Woodware circle punch, black and white card and an A6 base card. Simples.

So what are you waiting for, geeeeeet punching!

Here is the punch next to the cards to give you an idea of what it looks like.

Woodware sketch challenge

It's all go.....so much to do this month.

So, here is my sketch challenge layout, as usual it contains flowers. I have a floral punch craft class on the 9th September at The Glitter Pot and we are making Impatience, so I thought it would be a good idea to use the sketch from Dorothy as my inspiration.

The base card is A5 and made from Woodware cream linen finish card 2807. I've covered the front with a neutral paper and used the same linen card for the front panel which is set off and layered with olive green card. I used a die to cut my scallop and plain circles.

The stamp is from my new 'On Your Wedding' JGCL546 and is stamped using green ink.

The instructions for the flowers are in Leone Em's FPC book 2 (red cover) on page 21 with a nice picture of the finished flowers on the opposite page. The instructions list all the punches but just in case you need 815-03 flower, 811 plier circle, 821-04 flower and 821-03 birch leaf.

I've used Woodware red A4 paper from the FPC-P1 bright paper pack which I would have liked to bleach (the flowers really need white blotches on them) but the paper would not bleach. If anybody out there knows of a 80 to 90gsm coloured paper that bleaches please let me know.

I've drawn some elegant swirls with little drops of Liquid Pearls LP11 ruby red to add a finishing flourish and some dots around the scallop oval too.

Dreamweaver winner!

This week I picked my winner from the comments on my blog following the Dreamweaver blog hop. I wrote all the names down on little bits of paper and put them on the floor. I then encouraged Elliot my gorgeous ginger (he's 13 you know) to pick a winner with his paw. The first piece of paper he walked on was going to be the 'one'.

When I opened it......it was Sara K!!! So congratulations Sarah.

I'll see Sarah, as she comes to lots of my classes at The Glitter Pot.

Here's Elliot, just after picking the winner...it was all

to much for him so he had to lay down!

A Christmas tree quartet

I've had a request following a crafty demo at The Glitter Pot last weekend to see my Christmas Tree Quartet set and the samples that I have done. So, here they are! I've used a Stampendous (EK06) embossing powder set for all the images. The colours are wonderful with names like lettuce and mushroom, ummmmmm! Don't forget to dress up the trees a little with matching gems or glitter glue.

The idea for these stamps came to me on a train journey travelling up to Craft Range in Burnley. I'm always sketching in my little ideas book and its amazing what you can see from the train window!

Have fun with the stamps.

Dreamweaver

This is one of my favourite techniques using Dreamweaver stencils and black paste.

I've used the ginger jar brass stencil LG626 and have embossed on to thick vellum, then I have cut the shape out around the embossed edge. I've added powdered chalks (lime green and turquoise) and to the vellum vase which is not too easy to see on the photo but it gives the vase just a hint of colour. I have also cut out a plain white card version so stick the vellum onto it using Miracle Adhesive Film 2788.

To make the leaf decoration, I have used the leaf stencil LG616, greaseproof paper, black paste and the pallet knife. Secure the stencil to the paper using low tack tape and apply the black paste in the usual way. Peel the stencil away from the paper and wash the stencil straight away. You are left with all the leaves on the greaseproof paper. Let that dry - this can take an hour or two.

Once dry, put the stencil back over the leaves and apply a layer of glue using the Stamp and stick glue pad GLUIPAD and a finger dauber. With the stencil still in place, dab on Metallic Fix (mica powder) in any colour you like with a small stencil brush. Remove the stencil and clean. Your leaves are now ready to use.

Prepare your base card. My sample card is A6 and I have covered it with black card. I've stamped gold and grey patterned paper with Magenta 37163.H and made a little embellishment with a wooden coffee stir stick which I have coloured and decorated with peel offs.

The paper collar on the vase is made from a strip of card with frayed ends and the little square keeps everything stuck together.

Peel the finished leaves carefully away from the greaseproof paper (they are quite flexible but soft and delicate), put some PVA glue on the reverse and stick to the vellum vase. Make good use of the half leaves too and stick those to the edge of the vase to give the vase 'roundness'. Mount the vase onto the card with foam pads.

This technique only works with small solid shapes and you can make a batch and use them later. I re-use the greaseproof paper several times.

Next along the hop is.....Terrece at http://www.made4ubyt.blogspot.com/

Fancy Folded Flower

Here is a great way to make a flower from punched circles.

Punch 10 circles from the Woodware blue circle punch, edge with contrasting coloured ink on both sides of nine of them and fold as shown in the photo. Leave one circle unfolded.

On this example I have put the folded circles through a die cutting machine in an embossing folder but you can leave them plain if you want. Stick the pointed tip of each folded circle near the centre of the remaining circle spacing them out evenly.

Punch eight more circles from the Woodware green scallop circle punch, edge with ink and fold as before. Stick the points of each circle in the middle of the flower and add a couple of the blink blink shapes to the middle. Embellish with a red pearl.

Take two colours.....

I love blue and brown.....so here is my two colour challenge.

This huge flower is made from three of Woodware's scallop circle punches. From the biggest pink one 840-07 then the lilac one 839-04 then the smaller pink one 828-01. You could even use the blue one too 830-25.

Punch one of each from patterned papers, this is Magenta paper, and edge both sides with a contrasting ink pad. Then cut towards the middle but not all the way to form the petals. Use the character shaper and mat to curl the petals inwards and stick and nest together off setting the petals if you can.

Finish the centre in anyway you like, I've used a circle punch 821-19 and a button. The greeting is from my Essential Birthdays set JGCL519. Hope you like it.

Woodware Christmas Stamps

The new Woodware Clear Magic stamps are all in stock and on the website now.

Christmas Stamps

Jane's new Singles Clear Magic Designs are in stock at Woodware. The rest will be here very very soon.

Woodware file challenge....fabulous feline files

This is my card using the Woodware mini file pack 2786. It just had to have cats on it!!

The files come in a pack and each sheet has a variety of sizes. Here I have used six of the smallest sizes. I have coloured three sides of each file using a yellow pigment Yink pad.

I have then stamped cats from Stampendous SSC074 clear set with a black pigment ink pad.

The A6 base card is covered with gingham paper from Magenta and the files are arranged on the card and stuck down with double sided tape.

The idea was to make a little story which unfolds as you open each file on the card. So take a look at your stamp sets and see if you can create your own story in pictures. You could even write your story inside each file with stamped images on the front.

Sketch Challenge

I've been inspired by the latest block colour fashion pieces in my nearest John Lewis! Colours such as fuchsia pinks tops, orange jackets and purple trousers are worn together, each piece made up of a solid colour in wonderful silk. It makes me feel like going to Morocco!!

So here is my block colour card using the Woodware sketch challenge layout.

The card is 148mm square and I've used Woodware recycled card on this project along with matching candy bon bons and paper flowers from the Woodware range. I've secured the flowers together with a purple felt brad - just love those things for my flower centres.

I've added faux stitching around the sides of all the pieces of card using Sakura glaze pens and the greeting is from my Essential Birthdays stamp set JGCL519, stamped with Kaleidacolor Berry Blaze ink pad.

Crafty Edger

Woodware sent me some new corner and edge cassettes this week and here is a photo of the 6"x6" squares I did following the instructions in the packaging. I need to play with it some more but just had to show you the wonderful designs.

The instructions that come with the cassettes are very good but once you have punched the middle of each side you need to place and punch the corner cassette on the bottom right hand corner each time you turn the card in the paper holder.

Summer fun.....

Picture the scene.....sun lounger, Pimms, golden sandy beach, clear blue sky and a huge, yummy ice cream sundae smothered in chocolate and caramel sauce with nuts and a wafer on the side.

So I went into the garden on this cloudy day to photograph my card on my hydrangea bush! Not quite the picture I had in mind but my Hydrangea is very nice this year!

Back to the card.... I've used Woodware triangle cards, stuck two together covering the base with patterned papers. Punch holes for the ribbon and stamp the message across the top of the patterned paper.

Stamp the ice creams on white card, colour with watercolour pencils, cut out and decorate with glossy accents. Once dry attach to the card with silicone glue. Add another message on a punched circle to finish. The stamp is my JGCL507 Ice Cream Parfait and as you can see from the photos, it makes a nice alternative to a flat card.

Now where did I put the sun cream?

A Touch of Pink...and a sneaky peek!

I have two pictures for you today... a pink dragon (no relation to the nasty dog in Harry Potter) called Fluffy. She's coloured using Sakura pens and water colour pencils to give her that sparkle appeal dragons just love!

The base card is made using Woodware craft card. The gems are pink candy bon bons and I have stamped the message onto white shrink plastic. The name 'Fluffy' is stamped using a wonderful Stampendous set called Retro Alphabet code SSC055. I love using alphabet sets - so versitile - they allow you to write any message you want to make your cards even more personal.

Having just finished all my card samples for the Winter 2011 Woodware catalogue here is a 'sneaky peek' of one of my designs, sorry can't show you the whole image as that would spoil the surprise when the catalogue comes out.

Hope you like it!