Criss Cross Cards

Looking for something a bit different to do with my class, I came across this tutorial by Beate Johns on the Splitcoast Stampers website. (The SCS site is definitely worth a look, as it has lots of ideas, techniques and galleries for inspiration.)

Instead of opening in the usual way, the criss cross card forms a pocket to hold an insert upon which a message can be written. There is obviously great scope, then, for decorating both pocket and insert. In her tutorial Beate has used printed papers. I have such an amount of papers that I really should start to use them, instead of just admiring them, so I thought that these cards would be just the thing. I have made three so far, with a combination of papers and stamping. I used some more of my prize Elusive Images Damask Blocks, and that Martha Stewart punch also made an appearance.













I made the orange one first, then when I'd got used to the method it was quite easy to change the size and shape to make the different designs. I think they make a nice change from conventional cards, and I really do have lots of papers to use up, so I don't think these will be the last I'll be making!

It's arrived!

My blog candy prize (the Elusive Images Damask Blocks) arrived this morning! Fortunately I had chance to play with them straightaway (couldn't wait!) and so here's the first card I've made. The background is from the Damask Backgrounds set, and the butterfly from the Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD. All from Graphicus of course.



Very quick and simple, but isn't that damask shadow block utterly gorgeous?!

Blog Candy winner!!

That's me! I'm still pinching myself! I have won some Elusive Images candy from Graphicus! One of my favourite stamp ranges, no less. Eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed my new blog header - made with Elusive Images stamps (by kind permission of Glenda - see copyright note on sidebar) in honour of the event! I've never won anything like this before, and I'm chuffed to bits! I don't know yet what my prize will be, except that it will be one of the new stamp sets being released this week. Can't wait to see them, as I think I will get to choose.

Watch this space!

Got it!

Anyone who read my earlier post will know that I have long desired a Martha Stewart punch. Specifically the "Doily Lace" punch. Well, browsing on eBay the other day, I came across that very one, from a UK seller, and at a price that was not unreasonable. Before I could stop myself my finger hit the "buy it now" button and it was mine!

It arrived on Friday. I did, of course, try it out straightaway (my desk is now covered with lacy strips of paper!) but having had visitors to stay for the weekend, I haven't had a chance to make anything with them until now.

Anyway, here it is in action! The rose is from Elusive Images, the sentiment by Anna Griffin, and the patterned paper is from a new 6" x 6" pack by My Mind's Eye.

Two lovely awards!

These are both from Lisa, who not only has a wonderful blog of her own, but also takes the time to leave such lovely and encouraging comments on other peoples'. Thank you so much, Lisa, these awards are truly appreciated, and in return I would like you to accept them back again!



I would also like to pass them on to Sally H, Judith at Poppy Cottage and Siobhan (Piddawinkle), all great blog friends.

Challenging!

Well, here's my entry for Phill's blog candy Challenge. This one certainly exercised my brain! The criteria seemed simple enough, except that no die cutting tools were to be used, although punches were allowed. So no Cuttlebug! Hmmm. It had to be square, use a Penny Black stamp, ribbons and fibres, matting and layering, and spring colours.

It's taken me until now, less than two hours before the deadline, to come up with something that (hopefully!) fits. The base card is one of the BIG 8" squares from Craftwork Cards. The bird is the Penny Black stamp, the tree and blossom are Elusive Images from Graphicus. The flowers are punched from pearlescent paper and overstamped with the polka dots. They have glitter glue centres. The die cut butterfly is also from Craftwork Cards (ie. not cut by me!) and the quote on the left was printed on to acetate via my computer.



The finished card turned out nothing like I had envisaged it to begin with, and it's unlike anything I've done before, but then I guess that's what a challenge is all about!

Quilts

A while ago I bought some of the Inkadinkadoo Inchies stamps, but hadn't got round to doing much with them. Small stamps are often difficult to know how to make the most of. Since these are all uniform in size and shape, the obvious thing seemed to be to make a "patchwork quilt" style card.

It was very simple to do. For the pink card, I coloured three pieces of paper by sponging with different pigment inks & stamped three pictures on to each one. Next I cut out the squares and framed them with scalloped squares cut with the Cuttlebug from patterned papers. I matted them on to co-ordinating colours and stuck them on to a base card, finally adding a Prima flower and the sticky-pad-mounted word.



To make the yellow one a bit different, I stamped the base card with stamps from the Stampendous Butterfly Beauties set, along with a word from one of the Inchie sets. This time I stamped the pictures straight on to patterned paper and left out the scalloped frames, before matting as with the pink card.



My next challenge is to think of a way to use the stamps that isn't so obvious!

6th Challenge

Sally has challenged me to complete the 6th Challenge, whereby you find your 6th folder in "My Pictures", take the 6th photo in that folder, and tell its story. Also known as the 6 x 6 x 6 challenge because you then have to nominate 6 more people to take part, although I understand they are under no obligation!

Well, my 6th folder is for pictures taken in my garden, and here is the 6th picture in that folder.



Not much of a story to it. It was taken in autumn last year, when a whole host of these little toadstools sprang up in the garden. I thought this one looked like a fairy's lampshade. I could just imagine a little fairy sitting in her tiny armchair beside it, reading her book. Maybe one day I'll get round to doing something with it in Photoshop.

Anyway, I'd like to nominate the following people to carry on the challenge, but only if they'd like to, of course!

Lesley at The Messy Crafter
Judith at Poppy Cottage
Dorothy at Never Enough Rubber Stamps
Siobhan at Piddawinkle's Caged Thoughts
Debbie at Made With Love
and
Phill at Honeypot Crafts

Craftwork Cards meets Tim Holtz! Or What a Difference a Spray Makes

I've been enjoying using the items in my Craftwork Cards Chocolate Goody Bag, but today I felt the need for something a little less sweet. I wondered what it would be like to take the same things and grunge them up a bit, a la Tim Holtz. Here's the sweetie card first of all. White embossed scalloped frame, Yummy Scrummy background paper, white pearlescent Spring Flowers with chocolate and marshmallow Card Candy centres, overstamped with a Crafty Individuals text stamp.. An In-circle Message (matted on Nestabilities frames) and a Flutter Message complete the look.



Then I took another embossed scalloped frame and sprayed it with a mixture of walnut ink and various Crafty Notions creative colour sprays. I did the same with the flowers and the butterfly. The flower centres this time are dark blue metallic Card Candy. I drew some markings on the butterfly with a sepia coloured Zig sketching pen. The base card was sponged around the edges with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink & then sprayed with Adirondack spray in Denim. Behind the frame is a piece of the kitchen paper I used to protect my work surface when spraying the flowers! I always save those bits - they make great backgrounds. I matted the frame on to a piece of dark blue pearlescent paper. It's the most gorgeous colour, and came in a Craftwork Cards Paperblox quite some time ago. Half the block was the dark blue, the other half was pearlescent black. Unfortunately they seem no longer to sell it. I think I'll start a campaign to get it reinstated!



So the question now is which do I like best? Well, the first one is sweet, pretty and clean looking. But if I'm honest, I think I prefer the grunge!

Phill's blog candy

Phill at Honeypot Crafts had just posted his first blog challenge, & has some great candy up for grabs. He's made some tough rules, though - not allowed to use die cutters, ie. can't use my Cuttlebug! Now there's a challenge if ever there was one!