About Me

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I'm a retired primary school teacher, who started paper crafting in 2008, when I had a fancy to make my own Christmas cards. Since then, I have tried all sorts of techniques and styles - and I kind of like them all. I have been lucky enough to be on blog teams and large design teams and to do a bit of freelance demonstrating - and I love the challenge of working with different products. My crafting style is very varied - from junk journaling and art journaling, bookbinding and journal making, to quilting and patchwork - and of course I still make cards. This variety keeps me interested - and my crafty stash growing!! I'm always seeking inspiration for new projects.

Monday, 23 July 2018

A Little Blue

More playing with Imagination Crafts products - and an outing for my Gel Press - to create this blue card. 

The list of the things I've used is:

Sheena White Stamping Card
Core'dinations Card - Blue
6x6 Gel Press
7x7 Mega Mount (Clarity Stamp)
Imagination Crafts:
Starlight Paints - Heather, Mint, Clotted Cream, Mediterranean Sky
Starlight Wax - Dark Orchid
Stencil - 6x6 - Grungy Ledger
Rice Paper 198
Art Stamps - Distress Set 1
Magi Bond Decoupage Glue

I started by painting Heather, Mint and Clotted Cream Starlight paints onto Sheena White Stamping Card.
I spritzed over with water and smoothed the paint out.  
This was then run through my Gemini with the Grungy Ledger stencil, 
 And Dark Orchid Starlight Wax applied over the top with a bit of cut and dry.

The next step was to apply the paint to the gel plate. This time I used Mediterranean Sky instead of the Mint. 
I got a bit carried away with the paint and put too much down, so had to work in off onto some paper. 
Once I had it at a reasonable level, I then used the script stamp to remove the paint from the plate. 
I then pressed this onto another piece of Stamping Card, and used it to cut a frame (as ever I managed to miss out a few steps!!
 I edged the stencilled piece with more Dark Orchid wax, and mounted it onto the card (made from more stamping card.
I cut more frames out of stamping card and blue Core'dinations card, and mounted them over the stencilled piece.
 The image is a cut from the Rice Paper, and attached to the card using Magi Bond decoupage glue. It was then mounted on blue and white card. The whole things was finished with a bow.
Back with more later.
Cxxx

Friday, 20 July 2018

On your bike!

A quick make to share today. A birthday card for an avid cyclist.
The decoupaged image is a La Pashe traditional decoupage sheet - Sports & Hobbies - Cycling Gear. Not really a great fan of fussy cutting, but this wasn't too bad and the result was worth it. The red card was embossed with Sara Signature Just for Men Checker Plate. 

Take care,
Cxxx

Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Mixing it up!!

Have been working on a few bits and pieces - really messy, mixed media type stuff. This is the first of my pieces. A canvas with the focal point being a gorgeous rose image. 

What I used
8x8 Canvas                      
White Gesso                           
Crafter's Companion Textures Elements Stamps- Words to Inspire 2
Brilliance Ink - Galaxy Gold
Memento - Espresso Truffle
Prima Finnabair Art Ingredients - Melange Art Pebbles
Metal Butterfly
Imagination Crafts: 
Starlight Paints - Clotted Cream, Topaz, Mint; 
Mix Media Ink Sprays - Light Blue, Sunshine, Dark Brown;
Structure Paste;
Starlight Wax - Diamond, White Gold;
A4 Stencil - Past Times;
Art Stamps - Distress Set 1;
Just Pearls - Antique Brown;
Magi Bond Decoupage Glue.


I started by wetting the rice paper to take out the piece I wanted for the canvas.
 I mixed Clotted Cream with white gesso, and covered the background.
I also mixed Topaz with white gesso and dry brushed this on, creating a vertical and horizontal texture.
I did the same with the Mix Media Sprays, to create a green paint for dry brushing on the canvas.  
I cleaned up the mess by spritzing my mat with water, and then smooshing a piece of card over the top.
 I'm sure it'll come in useful for something!! 
The border part of the stencil was all I wanted to use so I taped it off, and spread structure paste through the stencil onto the canvas.


As ever with me, I then got carried away and forgot to photograph the next couple of steps. So, once the Structure Paste was dry, I added the Rice Paper in the middle with Decoupage Glue. I then put the stencil back over and sponged Dark Brown Mix Media Ink Spray through, and over the Structure Paste.
I also used Topaz over the stencil to add depth. More Clotted Cream and Gesso were mixed, and used to stamp texture over the structure paste and other areas.

 With the script stamp, I used Diamond Starlight Wax to stamp onto the canvas.
The word "sentiment" was stamped once with Brilliance Galaxy Gold, and then re-stamped with Memento Espresso Truffle. I used the washi tape to help stamp in the correct place the second time.  

White Gold Starlight Wax was used to add highlights to the Structure paste, and also brushed on to areas of the rose. The final touches were: Just Pearls - Antique Brown, highlighted with White Gold wax, a metal butterfly and the Melange Art Pebbles.


Phew!! Have a few more step by steps in the coming weeks. Looking forward to sharing them with you. 

Cxxx

Friday, 13 July 2018

Anyone for a beer?

Afternoon, I have been busy crafting on some messy stuff for the past four days!! It's the most inspired I have been in ages - to the point where I got so carried away, that I forgot to feed the dog this morning!! Don't worry - she's got a full belly now! I will share all that at a later date - lots of step by step stuff to sort and edit.

Anyway, a quick card to share today - this one is made using Create and Craft's Birthday Celebrations kit. Orange is not usually a colour I would reach for - but really like how this turned out. It's not complicated - but still effective.
The image on the topper is just perfect for a man's card. The matching backing card is really effective - and all I added was the die cut name (Crafter's Companion Diamond Press Block Alpha) and the buttons.

Hopefully he'll have received this today - before I plaster it all over social media.

Cxxx 

Wednesday, 11 July 2018

Applique House

Here is the third in my set of sewn applique card. They are for a group of friends - seven in total - so four more will appear through the rest of the year!!

This one uses Crafter's Companion Cottage Applique die set, with lots of little scraps from my box. This was ironed onto a piece of calico, then quilted onto patterned and plain cotton. 
The frame is cut with Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Squares from a 12x12 sheet of DCWV Luxury Cardstock Stack. It's finished off with flat back pearls, paper roses, and printed and satin ribbon.
Cxxx 

Monday, 9 July 2018

A Pink Thank You

It's getting to the time of year when lots of people are looking to say thank you to teachers and other school staff. I was asked to make a couple of thank you cards - this is the first of them.

The base is a 7x7 scalloped card blank. I started by adding a piece of pink paper (I think from Kanban Love and Marriage paper pad), and softened it by adding a piece of the printed acetate from Sara Signature Flutterby collection. The outer pink frame (cut with Spellbinders Grand Squares) and the inner pink mat are from a very old Create and Craft Textured Card pad.  
The patterned papers are from pads bought at The Works. I then used Crafter's Companion 5x5 Country Garden Create a Card, to cut the decorative mat from Centura Pearl Snow White card. For the coloured parts, I re-cut the die with pink papers and fussy cut the pieces out. 

The sentiment is Crafter's Companion Classique Only Words, and the circle mount is the centre of Crafter's Companion 6x6 Aurora Create a Card die. I finished off with paper roses from The Range, and organza ribbon. 

Back soon (hopefully)
Cxxx

Sunday, 8 July 2018

50th Birthday Teacup

It was my lovely sister-in-law's 50th birthday recently, and I made her this card for the big day. The card is 8" x 8", and I used a topper and backing card from Create & Craft's - Birthday Celebrations Pack. Both were mounted onto red card for an extra "pop". The numbers are cut with Crafter's Companion 1" dies, and the name with Essentials Alphabet dies. 
I added a massive bow made of red organza and a co-ordinating pinky satin, topped with a Hobby House Sparkler. A very simple - but hopefully very effective - card.

Cxxx