It's a Bank Holiday weekend!

Hello friends

I'm late posting today, recovering from two very busy city days.

Two words can frighten office staff 'month end' and four words...

'end of financial year' can absolutely terrify us! :) 

All sorted now and I indulged in a little lay-in this morning.

(Never sure that's wise, I'll be playing catch up all day).

So what is happening this weekend crafty friends?

I do not have a great deal planned aside from craft - of course.

Putting the finishing touches to May's Charity Kit -

please look out for that first Sunday of the month.

I've discovered even more previous charity kits so they will be uploaded

to the website here (possibly after my second cut of tea today!)

There's an offer on the Platinum 6 over the Bank Holiday weekend,

 with each machine purchase you also receive a Contour die 

and free postage and packing.

I'm really loving my Platinum 6, it has such a nice sturdy platform,

cuts with equal pressure and folds away neat and tidy.

(For those times when we have a craft area clear up!)

Now for a crafty offering - I'm still finding many previous projects

and hope you don't mind me revisiting those with you.

Today in anticipation of a sunny weekend...(?)

a heart project featuring Create a Zinnia.

An MDF heart painted and stamped with a script stamp to one section.

I then die cut the heart, applied lace and went to work with the Zinnia flower.

I used multiple layers for this very full flower, inking the middle to

add depth. I love how the leaves emboss.

Create a Zinnia is available on the website here and I do believe

it is at a bargain price too!

Take care friends.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

This week I am featuring Floral Divine which is a stamp and die set

designed by Debi Adams.

It is a set consisting of leaves, flowers and berries as stamps

with matching dies - definitely saves on fussy cutting!

After my class last weekend I decided to adapt what I had learned

to Friday Die Day.

I took a piece of white card, about 300gsm and applied

some chalk paints, random blobs!

Added more and waited for it to dry.

I then splattered some white acrylic paint. 

Admittedly at this point I was thinking...do I like this?!

One dry stamp your image.

Then position matching die and run through your machine.

I proceeded to do this with a variety of the stamps and dies

until I had quite a collection.

I thought I would make a tag utilising some odd die cuts and a sentiment.

I then began to position my Floral Divine multi coloured die cuts.

Once affixed in place I went in with black and white gel pens.

The finished tag.

Floral Divine is available as a pre-loved set on the website 

**now sold out**

 of course this same technique can be applied to other

stamp and die sets in Debi's collection here.

Take care friends, wishing you all a brilliant weekend.

Did you miss one?

Hello friends

I've been in my crafty cabin today going through some more boxes

and discovered some unsold charity kits.

These are now going to be listed on the website here

so if you have perhaps missed one or perhaps would 

like to buy another feel free to take a look.

Here is a selection of some of the kits still available.
By clicking on the image it should take you straight to the item...fingers crossed!

The prices have been amended as postage and packing is 

applied when you checkout.  

All proceeds will still go to Ronald McDonald House Camberwell

and I get to clear another box in my crafty cabin - all good!

Take care friends and thank you so much for all you support
with charity kits.

Geo Steps Revisited

Hello friends

I thought I would revisit Geo Steps today.

A minimalist clean looking die designed by Lene Lok for Spellbinders.

 I confess this card took a little time to make, reinserting coloured card

but I like the overall effect.

Also by having opposing black and white frames made a real difference. 

Geo Steps is available on the website here pre-loved at a very nice price.

Today...if all goes to plan I am doing videos.

Tripod packed, camera packed, Stanley packed!

Take care friends - enjoy your day, are you crafting?

More Messy, Little Video and Winning Ticket

Hello friends

Thank you for all your kind comments on yesterday's post.

I've been putting the finishing touches to my double journal page,

that means doodling with gel pens - also loved that!

Here it is....

The second page we created was something a little different

and I foolishly did not take step photos so I'm going to recreate that one

to share with you later this week and incorporate die cutting.

Yesterday I did a little video of my crafty happy place.

I've been receiving quite a few questions since the publication of 

Paperhearts and Summer Kisses as to whether I really craft in a 

summerhouse/cabin?  Is it really in my parents' garden? 

So I thought I would do a little show and tell.

It is up on my Facebook page and also the Hope and Chances page.

If you fancy a look please click here.

Now...who has the winning ticket to win these 'heart' goodies!?

A signed copy of Paperhearts and Summer Kisses,

set of Spellbinders dies - Hearts and a pack of 3D Foam Hearts.

And the ticket is....[tap desk to imitate drum roll!]

Please check your charity kit bags and if you have number 22

please email me hope-chances@live.co.uk 

(different email address this month).

I'll be sure to send out your prize gift wrapped with special

#Paperhearts paper too.

Take care friends and wishing you a fantastic start to the week.

Messy and New!

Hello friends

I had an absolutely smashing day yesterday at The Artistic Stamper

trying out something completely new to me.

It involved paint - a lot of paint!

The class was taught by Tracey Scott, super talented and lovely lady.

First off we applied various colours of paint to good quality card.

No paintbrushes here...just use your fingers!

We then did some splattering with gold or white.

Next step was to do some stamping - these are Tracey's stamp designs for 

PaperArtsy.

I adore the leaves and huge daisies and look...one closed flower looks

just like Queen Elizabeth I !! 

It was then a case of cutting them all out!

I found this very relaxing, I don't think I've sat for that many hours

just chatting and fussy cutting - really enjoyed it.

We were asked to bring a journal, turns out I brought along the smallest one!

I was pleased though as I used less flowers and now have some in reserve

for other projects.

We prepared a background with paints, mine with hindsight was a little too subtle.

Added a little bit of stamping to the background and then arranged the flowers.

This isn't quite my finished piece but even just laying the flowers down

and seeing the vibrant colours made me very happy.

My mind is now racing with ideas and these include die cutting so

watch this space!  

We did complete a second page which I will share with you soon,

just need to get some photos in daylight (typing this near midnight!)

My summary of the day - brilliant and a change is 

most definitely as good as a rest. 

Stop by tomorrow for more photos and announcing

charity kit winner!

Take care friends.

Tempting Trio

Hello friends

 

Today I'm heading off to Faversham - The Artistic Stamper

for a workshop, I'm bracing myself for getting a little messy!

When the list of items to take was sent through and it said

'paintbrushes and apron' I thought ...ok let's do this!

I hope to share photos with you tomorrow.

 

Before I go I wanted to share another card project I made using

Beaded Squares - the die set I featured yesterday for Friday Die Day.

Using three of the smaller squares I positioned them diamond-wise

in a row, slightly overlapping, added my typed sentiment and three pink flowers

(the flower die is also included with Beaded Squares).

 

Addition of some foliage makes the colour pop a little more.

 

 

It is possible to purchase Beaded Squares as a bundle on the website

with Flowers and Leaves embossing folder and a pack of lovely

3D Foam butterflies - details are here.

 

Or if you prefer to purchase Beaded Squares on its own - please click here.

Flowers and Leaves embossing folder - please click here.

3D Foam Butterflies - please click here.

 

Phew! That's a lot of clicking isn't it!

 

Take care friends - have a great Saturday.

 

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

 

This week's Friday Die Day is Beaded Squares

and an embossing folder - Flowers and Leaves.

 

 

Beaded Squares is a three piece die set and the approximate

measurements are:

 

Small Frame: 1.40 x 1.40 in

Large Frame: 2.25 x 2.25 in

Flower: 0.80 x 0.80 in

 

This is how they look cut/embossed.

 

To create my card background I die cut a piece of ivory cardstock using 5 x 7 Matting Basics.

Once cut I kept the cardstock inside the die, opened the embossing folder -

placed on platform.  Positioned die and die cut (cutting edge upwards).

 

Cover with tan mat and one cutting plate.

Run through the machine.

 

This way you retain a frame line with an embossed patterned middle.

 

Matted onto a further ivory mat and affixed to card front.

 

I then used both frames from the Beaded Square set,

largest positioned diamond wise and the smaller as a square.

 

Placed a sentiment across the middle and then the flower from the set

cut from lilac cardstock.

The little green leaf (Homespun die set).

 

The finished card.

 

Lovely detailed emboss on the flower die.

 

Beaded Squares and Flowers and Leaves Embossing folder

is available as a bundle on the website and also included is a pack

of 3D Foam Butterflies.

A tempting trio and all for the bargain price of £8.75 -

details are here. 

 

Take care friends and wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

I'm off to take part in a craft workshop tomorrow, it has been ages since I attended a

workshop and it is something slightly out of my comfort zone...messy with paint!

More details to follow.