Summer on my mind!

Here are some cake and ice cream inspired cards we did at The Glitter Pot last Saturday. The templates used are my own design and should you want to get a copy, please visit me at The Glitter Pot next time you are passing and I'll let you have one!

Hope you like my ideas! Can't wait for my new stamps to come out.....end of February will soon be here!!!!

The tag is a Woodware punch and the wording is from JGCL519. Layered Bazzill card, glitter glue and the score board was used to create the embossed lines on the ice cream cone. The card stands up as only the ice cream cone is the card base, the fold is under the pink ice cream!

Here we have a cute little girl cup cake with a shrink plastic tag from the new Hero Arts 'Things' cling set. Googly eyes add a little something extra and would be great for children's cards or party invitations. The cupcake is embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder and small amounts of glitter glue applied to the tops of the embossed dots.

This cake really is piled high! A length of card was scored and made into a concertina. I punched holes across the top and threaded a ribbon through securing it on the reverse before mounting it on the card. Random shapes were made from Bazzill card and each piece was decorated differently, embossed, stamped and I created patterns with glitter glue too. Another shrink plastic tag was added, and the Hero Arts words was used as mentioned above.

Fluffy is out in February!

Have been working hard on new stamps and making cards with them for the new Woodware catalogue. I like to ask customers in craft shops and on my classes for ideas for new stamp designs and this time I have drawn a couple of cute dragons for a nice lady called 'Fluffy', not her real name.... but I met her in The Glitter Pot ages ago and she wanted a dragon, so here is a picture of the card I made using Fluffy's little girlfriend! Fluffy is green but also purple, orange and multicoloured....you will have to wait to see him in the catalogue.

Fluffy, if you read this, I hope you like her!!

Rocket Christmas

Just had to get one more in before bed. I'm off in a minute to make a mug of Ovaltine, snuggle into my bed with my book 'The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo', it's brilliant.

Anyway.... here is my rocket tree card. The Rocket Christmas set of clear stamps. Take a selection of textured card and stamp the different shapes on the stamp set on the reverse of the card. Cut out with scissors - no need to keep it neat. I cut mine out slightly larger than the stamped image. Now turn the pieces over, edge them with contrasting coloured ink pads and arrange them on a prepared base card.

Once you are happy with your design start sticking them down. I have stuck two or three down with 3D foam pads to give it some depth.

Add some gems, stamp and cut out the base as before and stick in position. Make a shrink plastic tag and stamp the greeting, shrink and attach to one of the raised sections with some pretty ribbon.

It's easy to do and you can make your tree really tall and slender or cute and fat by adding or taking away some of the shapes. Just another way of using the stamp set (this is my favourite!). I love these colours too, I even wear them!

Bubbles for Christmas

Yes, it's me back again, twice in a week I hear you are cry!!!!

Thought you might like to see my bubble wreath peel off in action. It's a tall card, A4 card folded in half long ways, cut some Bazzill Bling to fit and attach a ribbon to the top leaving it long enough to reach the base of the card. Stick the Bazzill to the base card. Attach your bubble wreath peel off or stamp it, yes folks you now have a choice! On my sample I have used a gold peel off. Decorate with what ever you have in your craft stash, buttons, beads, gems, sequins, brads, peel off gems...I could go on. What's most important is a colour scheme... here I've chosen gold, pretty classic and always pleasing. But the design works with all sorts and even mixed up colours for a dramatic, contemporary look - try orange, purple and lime green yummmmmm!

I drew the ribbon using a stickles glitter glue bottle. Yes, it is easy, have a practise and then draw your bow in pencil. Once you start using the glitter glue from the bottle, be brave and keep it moving till you have completed tour ribbon.

I chose a nice peel off (I never use peel offs I once said in a class!!!) for my greeting to make it quick and stylish. All that you have to do now is leave it to dry.

I love making these........now you try....go on..... sparkle!

Crafty Christmas Cheer!

Here is a nice wintery scene of my back garden on the 2nd December. We had 16 inches of snow over two days. No cars, trains or planes! It was so peaceful and beautiful.

Here we are, very pleased with our Christmas wreaths from back left June, Carol, Georgina, Fizz, Gloria, Clarissa, Gill, Janet, Sandy and in the front Trisha, Claire, Sarah and me.

My last class of the year was yesterday at The Glitter Pot and we all had a fabulous lunch too! Thanks to everybody who came Fizz, Sarah, Clarissa, Trisha, June, Janet, Gill, Sandy, Claire, Georgina, Gloria and Carol who all bought some scrummy food to share. We really did have a feast! The lunch is now a regular Christmas event at The Glitter Pot so put it in your diaries ready for 2011 girls!

As you can see, we are pictured in the shop holding one of the items we made, Christmas wreaths from circles of card with stamped and cut out images to decorate them. Everybody made a fabulous work of art which I hope will always come out of the decoration box each Christmas.

I rushed home to watch Strictly Come Dancing, had a glass of wine with dinner and was ready for bed by 9.30....you girls certainly know how to tire someone out!!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a crafty new year.

Night Owl...or an early bird?

It's 05.30 in the morning and I can't sleep. So here I am at last on my blog... long time no see.

I seem to have been making Christmas cards forever and needed a change of scene so that's why I've chosen my owl card. I drew this picture may years ago and have now made it into a stamp and I like the results especially when I can use the paper piecing technique. The stamp set is on the Woodware label of course and can be found at The Glitter Pot and other Woodware stockists (I hope!).

Christmas card making classes this year have been a very busy affair and it seems you all like my Bubble Wreath set. When customers come to my classes and show me the cards they have made (Clarissa, has done loads!) I am so impressed and just when I think I can't teach another class I look at these cards and say 'Jane, I just love everybody on my classes and must continue!" So I'm already planning next years dates at The Glitter Pot right up to September 2011 (do I get a holiday please?).

My last class of the year at The Glitter Pot is on December 11th and we go out with a festive flourish of boxes, tags and such for Christmas. I'm also planning a fun lunch that day too. We had one last year and everybody brought something to eat and shared it so I hope you will join me again on the 11th.

Must get back to finishing next summer's stamp designs once it's daylight! So watch this space.

Have a Heart hang up card

I know it's been a while....but here I am at my computer, the sun is just coming up and I've been up since 4.00 am, too many things on my mind with thoughts about cards to make and ideas to get down on paper. I have just come back from a wonderful day up in Kendal with Grosvenor Papers. The craft shop there is wonderful and I just love the girls who work there, they always look after me so well. I was demonstrating my new Christmas stamps which you can now see on the Woodware web site.

This photo is not Christmas I know but a new idea I have for making large 'hang up' cards. This heart is from a template I drew and it's about 20cm across. We made this card at The Glitter Pot last week or was it two weeks ago (time flies when you are having fun!). I cut up strips of patterned papers 2cm wide and long enough to cover the width of the card. My colour theme was green and chose a real mix of papers with texture, glitter and embossed finishes.

I also used some of Tim Holtz's crackle paint and painted a large Bazzill flower for the centre piece. I really like the paint effect but it does take several hours to dry. Try it on chipboard, grundgeboard or just about anything that has a bit of body to it. You can spritz it with distress inks after it has dried to emphasise the cracks a bit more.

The wording is from my Essential Birthdays stamp set JGCL519 by Woodware. This can be found on The Glitter Pot web site.

For the Demonstration weekend at The Glitter Pot on the 4th and 5th September I'm going to make some other shapes of 'hang up' cards perfect for Christmas using some of my new sets. So see you there, don't forget to bring your cameras, there will be lots of very clever and inspiring people at the demo weekend and you won't want to miss a thing.