Nestabilities Classic Hearts - to show you care

Hearts to the rescue for a quick valentine card.....just in case you forgot!!

Classic Heart smallest die cut several times from glossy red card, and embossed with the heart and dot folder from C2U   

PC generated sentiment and lines.

Elusive Images - Belle of the Ball

Today I would like to show you one of my last year EI DesignTeam cards that because we are approaching Valentine's Day ( nudge, nudge, Dave) seemed very appropriate.....

I really loved this card, it was so enjoyable to design and make.

Materials used: Black linen card, red card, red decorative paper

Elusive Images - Bell of the Ball (UA5SP0340)

C2U embossing folder - hearts

Nestabilities - Dahlia

Black Archival Inkpad

Black and Clear Embossing Powder

 Punch leaves, wire, ribbon

Now to finish my VC for tomorrow, see you then.  Thanks for dropping by.

Just one of those days!

Hi, I'm having just one of those days, in fact it seems to be one of those weeks!  I'm not happy with anything I do!!  I keep losing things; I keep starting things; there seems to be nothing in my head, let alone thinking outside the box as Julie!!!  My desk has broken and is in need of some strong glue, on the positive side I shall have to clear it ready for repair - that means putting things away and hopefully when the glue has set and I have a clear space - my head will be clear too!! 

Apart from an unfinished octagon easel card, a couple of unfinished tags....this is all I have done since Monday....

My computer is on a go slow, and even the light is against me, it's very dark and gloomy, but as yet no rain so not all bad!  This is one of the second lot of pictures I've taken over the last two days of a cream card, and it's not very good, but at least proves I'm still here!

I'm determine to use some of the bits and pieces that I have accumulated over the year, and this is one such piece of paper.  There are times when I wish I could throw things away!The folder is from Crafts 2 U, just a bit different from the Swiss Dots, but at least the pattern is matchable for larger areas and the folder is a full A6 size and gives a good embossed pattern without breaking the card fibres.    If any new readers are wondering about these folders - I buy all my folders from Liz at Make a lasting impression, she had a good range, is very reasonably priced and very reliable.

ikki

Tippy Thursday - Embossing embossed patterns

Hi from the warmth of my crafting room, and I'm staying put because it's still snowing!

I have been working on another of my secret projects for Elusive Designs, and whilst embossing a piece of decorative paper which was the only piece I had, and it matched perfectly with another paper, my Bug decided to break the surface leaving white rough bits here and there.  Ruined?  Drat!   No!  I found in desperation that by rubbing over the surface with a darker coloured ink, then adding clear embossing powder and heating......

I had a nicely embossed panel which added unintentional, unexpected, but welcome extra depth and texture.

The embossing folder is from Crafts 2 U and although only size A6, the pattern can be matched to embossed larger areas.  The flower is my new Crealie die, which unfortunately does not show up too well in the picture because of the light catching the embossing.

The darker ink really brings out the embossing, and saved my frustration and project!

This is worth a try!

Thanks for dropping by, hope you're all coping with all this cold and snow.

ikki

Nestabilities - Squares, Snowflakes and Crfts 2 U folder

My tutorial today is based on Nestie Squares and finding a different look.

To make this card you will need:
A4 Cardstock: Cream Hammer
Decorative paper
Nestabilities: 2 large classic squares (size 4 & 5)
                    2 Create a Snowflake dies

Crafts 2 U: Snowflake embossing folder
Gems, ribbon

Base Card:  cut a 6" strip from the A4 cardstock and centre crease.  Place the embossing folder to the centre crease and emboss.  With scoreboard create two lines to finish the pattern.  I have debossed the folder so that the inside of the card is more interesting.

Place the smalliest snowflake die in centre of the plain panel (low tack tape will help hold it in place) and cut out.  Reposition and make two further cuts. Save the cutouts.

 

Cut a strip of DP and add to the inside of your card.

The embellishment:

Cut l square from the largest die in a matching cardstock to your decorative paper.

Cut l Cream square from the smaller - you can cut this from the strip left over from making the base card. 

Cut another of the small squares from the decorative paper used on the inside of the card. 

From the cream square - cut out the snowflake and add the decorative paper behind, then layer on coloured cardstock....

You will see I have used one of the cutouts from the base card and a red gem in the centre of the snowflake.

With a red gem added to the centre of the small snowflake cutouts your card will look like this.....   

As I said yesterday, an easie peasie card, but classy.  AND, a great way of using those leftover bits of decorative paper that you just cannot bring yourself to throw away!

Hope you like this one.   If you use the design and blog it, I would apprecaited you linking back to the cupboard - I started the Cuttlebug Cupboard to share my experience and knowledge with you - please help me to share it with others by spread the word.

                                                                           

Nestabilities - Squares

I think the basic squares are soooo useful, and can be made to look different if you can conbine it with other  square shapes. 

Here I have cut a red large classic square, then with a smaller big square scallop die, cut out the centre to make a frame. If you want the stamp the edge of your square, don't do as I did - stamp before you cut!

With another square of decorative paper behind the frame you have.....

You will notice that I have embossed only part of the Craft-2-U snowflake folder straight onto the card base and added two lines to finish the pattern.  At a busy time of cardmaking, this is a useful technique!

If you have not done this before, my tip is to place the folder on the card where you want the pattern to be embossed, then place the second B plate on the edge of the folder and guide the uncovered back through first.  If the folder should mark the card, THE LINES WILL COVER THE IMPRESSION.   Scoreboard scores again!

Tippy Thursday - Crafts Too you embossing folders

Hi, We all use Embossing Folders with our machines no matter what the make, and they are a real asset to our crafting!  I have try most of  those available, and although the majority I have are Cuttlebug folders, they are not my favourite mainly because they are slightly smaller than our A6 card size; they can crease the cardstock for this reason; and I have only found one folder (Swiss Dots) on which the pattern can be matched up to make a larger embossed surface.  Perhaps the newer folders do?  If you have any info on this, please leave me a comment that I can pass on to other cuttlers.

If you are a regular visiter to the Cupboard you will know that I like to emboss straight onto my cardstock as well as using them for matting and layering.   What I want from a folder a creasefree result, no breaking of the surface fibres of the cardstock, a full size A6 folder with a repeating pattern.  I'm not fussy or hard to pleased, am I!  (lol)

I have just bought 4 new folders from my supplier, Liz.  They are new additions to the Crafts-Too-you range and after testing them - I'm impressed with them! 

All of the examples are embossed on coloured copy paper. Only a very small section of one folder (spots)where I embossed over the centre fold actually cut the paper - my mistake!  
All of the folders embossed with no creases, and the patterns on all are REPEATABLE!  If you click on the pictures you can see if you are able to spot where the join is!

                                                                     Folder:  Spots

Folder: Hearts

Love Hearts

Damask

From my experiments I have found:

1: All of the patterns deboss as well as emboss

2: On very thin copy paper the folders do not crease or break the fibres, on heavy cardstock the embossing is good.  

3: All of the folders have repeated patterns - I have embossed onto a 6" square paper

4: The Heart folder opens the opposite way ie from the top

5: The folders emboss a full A6

Tips: If embossing a larger square card, start with the folder at the edge and emboss towards the centre fold.

Place the top B plate slightly over the folder so that you don't get a line from the folder.  On the next run, reposition the folder by overlapping  the already embossed pattern.  Feed the back of the card through first,  this time the B plate is best placed well over the pattern already embossed, that way you will not get a pressure line from the folder.  (This has been difficult to explain - not sure if I have it clear!)

Crafts Too You - New embossing folders

Just had news of new embossing folders available from Crafts Too You.  Interesting!  If you would like a look at some of them - follow the link on my sidebar to Make a Lasting Impression.  The price of these A6 folders is £3.99 free UK P&P, contact seller for Worldwide charges.

Joy Crafts - Crafts Too You - Elusive Images

Remember this....it was  my post on Monday illustrating my diamond Joy Crafts die and the Christmas Greetings folder from Crafts 2U. 

Well I added a Mince Pie.....coloured with Promarkers

Then I added a few more......embossed in gold .....sat them on a border of green

added another gold border.....and now there are......

 

six!

  

Oh, joy  - mince pies one of the goodies that come with Christmas! 

This little stamp is, of course, from Elusive Images, and I have others from the set to show you...soon.

Hope you are all having a good day.   

                   

Crafts too You - Joy Craft

I have been playing with my C2U Christmas Greetings folder again.

I found that it embossed on various weights of cardstock successfully.  I also embossed on thin paper and this was okay (see red above), but I would suggest putting a piece of scrap paper over your paper to avoid risking the fibres breaking.  It is possible to cut out the greetings, and if the size is to big.....you can cut them down and replace the lines using your scoreboard - I did this on the gold tag above.

Now I had a gold tag - what to do with it?  Well I found in the cupboard (as  you do) sometimes (ah ah) a die that I'd just had to buy and never used....

it's from Joy Crafts.

Some of the dies on the market although lovely, are a bit fiddly to stick on your project, so I use the same method I use for cutting alphabets

and stick double sided tape on the back of my card before cutting.

                        

Another tip:  If you are having problems removing the cut from the die you can use wax paper when cutting, or I have found this works okay and that is to rub a candle over the die, then with a cloth buff (perhaps polish is a better word) the die. 

I thought to fancy up my greeting (and to echo another element on the card) I'd combine the two and.....

this is how they look together. 

At this point this is all I can reveal....it's part of a card for EIDT....the rest will follow shortly.

I'm finding this DT business very inspiring at a time when I needed something to stimulate my mojo, and although it seems that I'm not posting ideas for you, I'm actually doing a lot of interesting crafting working on new stamps soon to be launched.  As you know I've always liked EI stamps, but the new ones are pushing me out of my comfort zone and I'm loving it and can't wait to share them with you.  

Back soon, enjoy your day!

Crafts Too You embossing folders

Hi, today is the 26th July and in 6 months time it will all be over!  Yes, I'm talking Christmas.  As a rule I never start making Chrissy cards before October, but since I showed you the new folders from Crafts Too You last week, and some many readers showed an interest I thought I'd better put my festive hat on!

This is the 5" x 5" Crafts 2U Dots embossed on to a 6" x 6" card, and you cannot see the join!

This is one of the sections of the Crafts 2U Christmas Greetings - there are 6 in all.

They emboss well - this is on a glimmer card.

My first CC card for 2l10

All I've added is a Snowflake made with a Nestabilitie Create a Flake die. 

Very simple, easy to do in a hurry, but nevertheless .... you tell me?

This is a very quick post, just as my card.  Yesterday I was out all day playing bowls, sad to say our County lost to a better Dudley & District side, happy to say I managed to win my own game.  Time is flying and I'm really busy preparing something special !?!?!?   Tell you soon.....

Today is my mates Chrissie's birthday, so pop over and send her your best wishes as she has not been feeling well.   Happy Birthday Chris, hope you have a great day!

  

Tippy Thursday and new Folders from Crafts Too You

News of new folders from Crafts 2 U.

Baubles

Greetings

Hearts

Sentiments

You can view details at Making a Lasting Impression (link on sidebar). 

I will be ordering these today and at a price of £3.99 and free UK postage until 25th July, and Christmas looming for crafters -  I thought worth investigating!

The folders are A6, and slightly bigger then Provocraft.  Although I have, and like this company's folders, their new idea of word embossing folders are new to me, so I will let you know how they work.

Realised I have not shown you my new dies from yesterday, I will try to do this later as an add on post.

                                                                         

Embossing with the Bug

Yesterday was  a very grey wet day - quite depressing,  but then it was the l3th June - what did I expect!

To cheer myself up, and bright happy card was called for .....

I think I've said before that I like playing (or messy around) with inks.  This is just a scrap of card which I coloured with three inks over a plastic stencil.  I was pleased with the result, but at the time didn't know what to do with it!

Today I did....and by adding a flower with a stamped centre, a wire twirl and another flower.....a ribbon and

an embossed card using the Daisy folder from Crafts too you.....

I'd cheered myself up!  That to me is what crafting is all about and I'm sure you will all agree.

Hope you'll be able to join me tomorrow - I have a tale to tell you about ?!??!?!?? 

Friday - a few answers

Good morning, is Spring really here? It's a beautiful morning here in North Staffordshire - bright, sunny and WARM! Hip, hip, hooray!  This is what we want and need to boost our crafting spirits!

Last week I  made this card which many of you liked - it was my pre Spring card .  I've had a number of queries about the embossing folder I used and where you can get it. If you click on the shop link on my sidebar and then go to embossing folders you will find details of the Crafts-too-you folders that are available. I really like these folders, they are slightly bigger than the Provocraft CB folders and don't seem to crease as much, I think this is because the pattern is not as deeply embossed. Saying that, if you look at this card you will see the embossing is lovely.

A question also about the stamp:  This is one of four stamps in a set called "Viva La Flora Collection" from darkroom door.    A bit expensive, but beautifully packed in their own tin box!  

Sorry I have not been able to reply direct to some folks, but you left no contact details. 

Cuttlebug embossing - Spring

It's beginning to feel like spring!  This must have influenced my mood this week, because on this card I've gone for a bright, cheerful, fresh green DP and a stamped image by Darkroom Door.  On crisp white Linen cardstock embossed with the Daisy folder from Crafts-2-you , I think you will agree this is a defo card for Spring day!

The image is stamped on glossy photographic card using an Airondack ink pad. I have found that I get super results combining this type of card with these inks, because the image dries almost instantly - this means no smudging!

Well back to my desk....I'm scheming for tomorrow.....!?!?!?....Hope you have a great day.