Lighthouse Card for Father’s Day (and for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 11th June 2014 by perfectly4med

This next card on the seaside/nautical theme is again designed by Sam Poole and part of the Creative Expressions Singles range. ‘Lighthouse’ includes both the image and sentiment. I wanted to highlight the light element of the sentiment and image, so used a dark background to highlight the iridescent pigments and white opaque pens. This created a colouring challenge, as you need to take account of the dark background and the layering of dye based colour in the distress markers. I’m actually quite pleased how well it matched my internal image!

Continue reading →

Father’s Day Card – Just for You (and for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 4th June 2014 by perfectly4med

It’s a seaside and nautical theme this month for the Creative Expressions Design Team with various stamp designs making their debut. This week, I’ve used two designed by Sam Poole, the Creative Expressions Singles ‘Nautical Words’ and ‘Netting’. A quick and simple card, perfect for a last minute Father’s Day card. Or for any special nautical person for that matter!

Continue reading →

Father’s Day Card – Ship in a Bottle (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 1st June 2014 by perfectly4med

Creative Expressions have produced a myriad of nautical themed stamps ready for the male card recipients in your life – and this is just one, the Creative Expressions Singles Ship in a Bottle stamp set, complete with the Father’s Day sentiment.

For a printable worksheet, including templates for the bottle stand, click here.

Continue reading →

Lilies in a Vase (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 28th May 2014 by perfectly4med

This is the last of the floral themed creations – we’re going to the seaside next month 🙂

The lilies are out again, this time in a gilded earthenware vase. I’ve used the same reinker watercolour technique as last week for the colouring, but added in the wonderful Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes to add a bit of bling and opulence. I’ve left off a sentiment again as this could be suitable for so many eventualities.

Continue reading →

Leicester Top The Table Layout (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 24th May 2014 by perfectly4med

No apologies here if I have any of the facts wrong. I’m really not a football fan, let alone a No.1 Fan, but when working with Good Ol’ Sport papers from Graphic 45 for Jones Crafts, I had to come up with another idea. And what better sporting achievement to immortalise in scrapbook form?

I swiped thinned gesso over the background and splattered some more, drying before I edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I used my Silhouette Cameo and Connect plugin for Illustrator to convert the crest into a cut file and cut it from the papers. Unfortunately, my transfer paper was a tad too sticky and removed the printed layer in places. I think it lends an athletic sports fashion distress finish, so coloured the torn bits with a mix of Faded Jeans / Stormy Sky / Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks. The fox head is coloured with Scattered Straw / Mustard Seed Distress Inks. Add the rest of the elements from the coordinating chipboard die cuts, die cuts and stickers, and embellish with soluble black pencil for shadows.

Oh the challenges of working on a design team with themes that really don’t come naturally!

Good Ol’ Sport ATC Book (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 22nd May 2014 by perfectly4med

I must apologise for the lull in creating with the Graphic 45 Good Ol’ Sport papers for Jones Crafts. As you might be able to fathom from the images above, I had a bit of design hiccup – it’s all very well coming up with ideas, but then working out how to make them work can take a little longer!

I started by covering the Graphic 45 ATC Book with the papers, before making the fold out grandstand, edging with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Next came the bunting, die cut pieces glued to some butcher’s twine and glued in at the edges so that it can swing backwards into the box when the drop down section is closed up. I then created the grandstand, using kraft card to which I affixed the front paper ribbon and more of the chipboard die cuts on the front tier. The rest of the cut outs are tabbed at the back with hinges allowing the items to fold forward as the whole section folds back up. A few pieces of cotton thread acts as the support and pulls everything into place as the grandstand is lowered.

Finally I used an Idea-ology fastener with grungepaper strip to make the closure, sewing it onto the back cover by drilling holes through the strap and the back cover. And just to prove it all works:

Mixed Bouquet in a Vase (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 21st May 2014 by perfectly4med

Here’s another floral number using this month’s featured Singles stamps from Creative Expressions. I’ve coloured these with the distress reinker watercolour technique onto watercolour paper, and embellished with a bit of decoupage to add depth and a Watts-dots circular border 🙂

Continue reading →

More showtime for Craftwork Cards…

Posted on 20th May 2014 by perfectly4med

Earlier this month, I was busy creating with the cracking new paper kits from Craftwork Cards: Paper Couture, Al Fresco and Harbour Boulevard. Most of the samples I made featured in the inspirational studio display for the One Day Wonder on Create & Craft TV along with the other DT creations – and one is included in the Paper Couture inspiration instruction sheets exclusive to C&C. More making details are over on the Craftwork Cards blog if you’d like them, but here’s a gallery of the pieces I made:

I have some templates available to make the dress form, which were prepared for the CWC workshop in April that had to be withdrawn. Click on the ‘Templates’ tab above to go to an order page. I also hope to film an online class as my first for my new improved blog, so keep watching this space!

A Tale of Two Crackles – Part Two (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 14th May 2014 by perfectly4med

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been playing with some crackle effect mediums over the past months. Last week I showed you the two-step Craquelure, new from Cosmic Shimmer. This week: Cosmic Shimmer Crackle Glaze. This is a single step crackle medium which you paint over the base colour which forms the crack colour. The top coat is then painted over the top when dry in the opposite direction, and in the colour that will be cracking. Here’s the result when Antique Linen Distress Paint is cracked over Cosmic Shimmer Mulled Wine Matt Chalk Paint.

Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Crackles – Part One (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 7th May 2014 by perfectly4med

As followers of my blog will know, I’ve been playing with some crackle effect mediums over the past months. Well, Cosmic Shimmer have brought out their own to compliment their new paint range, and I’ve finally got hold of some to try. Alongside, I’ve also played with their new Chalk Paint, and some new MDF shapes and floral stamps I’ve been sent to play with this month for my Design Team projects.

This week: Cosmic Shimmer Craquelure. This is a two step crackle medium, both layers go on slightly milky and dry clear. The base coat goes over the colour you wish to be cracked (in this case Antique Linen Distress Paint). The top coat forms a clear crackle, and can then be rubbed over with the crack colour (in this case Mulled Wine Matt Chalk Paint and Vintage Plum Gilding Wax. Where I didn’t get the top coat thick enough, the wax caught more (see top right), but the rest was a really lovely, random crackle. Loved it!

Continue reading →