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Tuesday 27 September 2011

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.




Wednesday 21 September 2011

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.

Thursday 15 September 2011

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.


Sunday 11 September 2011

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.

Friday 9 September 2011

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.

Thursday 8 September 2011

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.



Saturday 3 September 2011

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.





Tabitha looking cute

Tabitha looking cute
Look, I’ve just caught you another mouse!