Embossed Curly Wreath!

On Monday, Fiona will be back on Create and Craft showcasing some Darice Embossing Folders. One of the folders I had to work with was the 12.5" x 2.5" Stars Border. I decided to go all out and made this wreath!!

I decided to use a variety of techniques and materials to create my wreath. I got the basic idea for the curly wreath from here.

I used orange Core'dinations, run through the folder and sanded back. I printed some papers from the Halcyon Days, Sugar and Spice, and Scruffy Little Cat CDs onto Centura Pearl Hint of Gold - one double sided, and two just onto the back. The double sided one, I embossed and sanded back. For the other two, I inked the folder with Ripe Persimmon DI - I used the positive side for one, and the negative for the other. I also used Kraft card, again inking the folder - on the negative for some, and the positive for other. 

Finally, I embossed some vellum, then used a ball tool to add larger areas of white. On some of the vellum strips, I also used my Spectrum Noir pencils - 007, 024 - to add a little colour.

I used the handle of my quilling tool to curl the strips (cut to 1.5cm wide) from either end. If you use thinner paper it's easier to curl. To attach the curls to the polystyrene, I used pins, starting around the outside and building up.

Remember to tie some rbbon around the wreath before you cover the outside completely - otherwise it becomes very tricky. 

Make sure you tune in on Monday.

Cxxx

A Very Big Thank You!!!

So, it's a been a week since I last blogged. Lots going on at the moment, so have had other things to focus on. But, am back tonight with my inspiration for Crafter's Companion December Challenge. The theme for the month is Thank You. Use it as your focal image, as an embellishment, on your patterned paper. Make a set of Thank You cards - or a gift to say Thank You!! However you want to interpret it, you can use any products - not just Crafter's Companion - and still be eligible for the £30 gift voucher.

I decided to do something a bit different - more of a gift than a card this time - even though I think it would still be called a Box Card. Now, it's not that obvious from the photo - but this is pretty large, and is made from A3 card. 

I used the double sided A3 Polka and Gingham card from Crafter's Companion, to make the box itself.

I used the Big Score board, with the A3 card landscape. Hopefully these instructions along with the above photo will explain how to make this.

Score (1) at 15cm, and (2) at 27cm. Turn the card to portrait, and score (3) at 15cm up to the first score line, then from the second score line to the edge (hopefully clearer on the picture). Then I do the same (4) at 25cm. Turn the card back to landscape and score (6) at 3cm to top score line. Turn 180 degrees and score (7) at 3cm in a similar way. Cut out the waste as shown on the picture. You will also need to cut along the (1) line from the (3) line to the (4) line. Then do the same on the (2) line. This will produce this:

This then folds to create:

The next step is to cut another piece of card 12cm x 25cm to create the front of the box including the flap. Place this landscape onto the scoring board, and score at 10cm. 

You then need 4 pieces, 15cm x 3cm. Score each one at 3cm and 13.5cm to create the struts for the inside of the box.

 Attach the front piece of the box and the struts.

The next step is to make the decoration. And that really is up to you. I decided I wanted to use the 3" Die'sire Alphabet Dies, along with lots of quilling flowers - Sunflower (large and small), Rose (large and small), Blossom and Petal - and the Stamen and Leaf 1 and 2. 

I printed a couple of papers from the Vintage Floral CD, and also from the Sweet Treats CD, along with some Core'dinations. Because all of this would be quite heavy, I attached them to kebab sticks, and then stuck them on another strip of card.

Once they were dry, I then attached them to the struts, using raffia and pearls to embellish. I am very pleased with the finished result. 

Before I sign off, I just want to say thank you to all of you who pop by my page. Please feel free to leave a comment. And if you like Pinterest or Facebook, you can find me on both under Papercraft By Carole.

Take care.

Cxxxx

Name Tag!!

A quick post today. This is a card I made for my friend's daughter. The idea is she'll be able to use it to put it on her bedroom door later. The brown patterned card is from DCWV Spring Stack (it's been in my stash for quite a while!!), and the pink is Create and Craft Textured Effect card. I've also used some pink starry paper (think it's Papermania), brown Bazzill, and cream card.

I used a large letter stencil to cut out the letters from a combination of the paper and card. The mats are cut with Spellbinders Ovals and Beaded Ovals. I used a little raffia, some pearls and stickers from DCVW 'Sweet' collection.

That's it for today - as I said, just a quick post!

I would like to enter this into:

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

The Pink Elephant Challenges - Anything Goes

Cxxx

CCM&M Challenge 128 - Distress It!!

Afternoon!! Hope you're all having a good one!! It's time for a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and More. This time round our lovely leader, Lin, is hosting and she has asked that we all 'Distress It'. So, she would like to see distressing on your projects - and preferably lots of it!!

We are sponsored this time by Di's Digi Stamps who are offering a $12 gift certificate! And also by the wonderful Woodware Craft Collection who are offering a £12 voucher! The team from Woodware are also playing along with this challenge - so be sure to check out all the fab inspiration ontheir blog as well as the inspiration from our team over on the Crafty Cardmakers and More blog.

Now, I really like this kind of challenge. But, if I'm being honest, when I first started crafting, I really didn't like getting messy, and to crumple things up and rip and tear edge, seemed just crazy! So, if any of you out there are a little bit unsure about distressing, my suggestion to you is - raid that stash of off-cuts of paper. You know - the ones that you think you will use - but rarely do. Practice on them - you don't even need to start with a full project. Just play!! If you're not keen on being messy, then have a pack of wipes and a kitchen roll to hand, and clean up as you go. That's how I started - and now I love it!!

So - onto my project. I will start with an apology. I was rummaging through my papers when I was deciding what to do, and found these in a box. However, I had thrown away the packaging - so I now have no idea where they came from. I have a suspicion they are are Papermania as they are A5 - but I have searched and searched the Internet - and cannot find them.

Once I had found a selection of papers that I liked, I then picked out what else I would use. I usually do this - I don't always end up using everything - but it gives me a selection of things to work from. So, the base card is Papermill Navy card, and I used some Nostalgia Core'dinations, Distress Inks, Distress Crackle Paint, and my Tim Holtz Paper Distresser.

I started by distressing the edges of this paper, then inking with Crushed Olive DI.

With the second piece of paper, I distressed the edges, then crumpled it up into a ball. I then rubbed Rusty Hinge DI over the top to highlight the wrinkles, then blasted it with a heat gun. I then ironed it flat.

For this mat, I again distressed the edges - but also ripped into it to show the colour core. I also lightly sanded around the edges with my Core'dinations Sand It block. For those that don't like mess, then make sure you also have the Dust Buddy Handy. It's great for clearing up the mess from sanding - but also rub it over the card to remove the residue from there too! I then inked with Chipped Sapphire DI.

This piece of Core'dinations was embossed (Embossalicious Elegance), and sanded back to reveal the core.

I then covered it in Rocky Candy Distress Crackle paint. You have to be quite generous with this to get a decent crackle - and looking at the results, I think I was maybe a little mean. After it was dry, I used Creative Expressions Golden Light gilding wax over the top. Hopefully the photo below shows the finished effect. 

I used Chipped Sapphire to stamp onto the papers using three of the stamps from the Magenta Blooming Floral Clear Stamps set. I fussy cut the smaller two, and used a circle die to cut the larger one. A scalloped circle with sanded edges provided the mat.

Finishing touches include organza ribbon, satin ribbon, a little charm and some pearls.

Now it's over to you! Remember, don't be afraid of distressing!! Just have a go - you may surprise yourself at how much you enjoy it!!

I would like to enter this into:

A Creative Romance  - Something Old (the papers - they're so old I'm not even sure who                                                             made them)

Inky Impressions - Anything Goes with Pearls

Cxxxx

Christmas Is Coming!!

Yes it is - all too quickly!! What with the all the recent launches of Sweet Treats, Bebunni Floral and Sugar and Spice, I completely forgot to blog my inspiration for Crafter's Companion November Challenge - which is Christmas or Winter!!

There is still time to enter - and remember that you don't have to use Crafter's Companion products. 

I made small gift bag from an A3 sheet of Centura Pearl, then used my Softly Falling Create a Card die to cut a decorative mat from more of the same. I embossed a piece of Core'dinations with Embossalicious Let It Snow folder, and used that and a couple of papers from the Moonbeam Meadow Christmas CD. The image is also from the same CD.

I cut a couple of Die'sire Snowflakes from the patterned papers, and used them to embellish the bag, along with some fabric daisies and pearls. I finished off with some cord from that I had kept from an old gift bag!! 

For those of you interested in making the bag: Score at 15cm, 17cm, 19cm, 34cm, 36cm 38cm (lines shown vertically on the picture). Turn anti-clockwise, and score at 2cm, 22cm (you may not want to do this line - I was hoping the bag would fold down like the ones you buy - but it didn't), 25cm (these lines are shown horizontally on the picture).

The 2cm strip at the top is folded down to give a nice edge at the top of the bag. The 4cm strip shown on the right is the tab for gluing inside the bag. Along the bottom strip, cut out triangles up to the score line to create a tab along the 15cm part, another one across the two 2cm sections, a third along the second 15cm piece, and a fourth across the other two 2cm sections. You do not need the piece at the end. It's then just a case of folding and gluing!! Ok - you will need to do a little trimming and jiggling as you go - but I'm sure you can cope with that!!

Anyway - just over a week left to enter the challenge - so don't forget!!

Cxxx

Cupcakes and Butterflies!!

A couple of cards this morning. The first is made with one of the card frames, cut down to make the circle topper. I embossed the 6x6 Birthday Cupcake folder onto Core'dinations, sanded it back and fussy cut it out.

I also used the sentiment, bow and flower that came with the card frame, with a few pearls for decoration on the cupcake.

For the second card, I cut the card frame down again, to make the topper. This time I embossed Core'dinations card with the 6x6 Love Birds folder, sanded it back and fussy cut round the outside. 

 Make sure that you tune in at 5pm today to see Sara with the last of the 4 day deal shows. Cxxx

Cucakes and Pencils!!

Good morning!! Not long until Leann is back on Create and Craft with the gorgeous Sugar and Spice collection of Embossing Folders and the new CD.

For this card, I embossed some Neenah Solar White Card with the 6x6 Birthday Cupcake folder. I then used my Spectrum Noir pencils (pink 31/32, blue 67/74, yellow 84/85) and blending solution to colour it in. 

The image at the bottom is from the toppers set, and the matching papers are from the CD. The flowers at the top are cut with the new Die'sire Forget Me Not 3D flower die.

Make sure you tune in later to see more of the great samples from the team!!

Take care,

Cxxx