Raining Cats & Dogs Cards (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 18th September 2014 by perfectly4med

As well as the extraordinarily large layout I did earlier in the month, I’ve used the Graphic45 Raining Cats & Dogs Collection to make four cards from what was left over from my kit sent by Jones Crafts. As you might expect, all the papers complement one another and are ideal for matting up. Embellishments are a cinch with the die cut chipboard tags and there’s also a couple of sheets of die cut card stock with folders/envelopes with matching inserts. Quick edging with Walnut Stain Distress Ink hides those annoying white edges and I’ve added faux brads using Onyx Liquid Pearls. Hey presto, four cards for the pet lovers amongst your friends and family. The Cat’s Meow card is 8×8″, the other three are 6×6″.

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Raining [Cats And] Dogs (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 4th September 2014 by perfectly4med

This month, for Jones Crafts, I have been sent the new Graphic45 Raining Cats & Dogs Collection of papers. At the risk of alienating half my loyal readership, I don’t really do cats… so it’s just raining dogs in this massive layout! I’ve used an Ikea Ribba 50x50cm frame to hold the layout, placing the main sheet behind the mount which is conveniently sized at 11½” square aperture. The pictures of Esther and her pups are mounted on the various complimentary papers, embellished with various of the die cut chipboard tags, cut out stamps from the Mr Whiskers page (omitting the cat ones, obviously) and layered paper ribbon from the Playful Pals page. A few paper flowers decorated up to more or less match brings the centre to the mount and breaks up the border.

I’ve edged everything with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and that includes ageing the gingham ribbon bows as well so they didn’t stand out quite as much. Oh, and a top tip – if you’re keeping the deep frame, remember the insert takes up quarter of an inch round the outer edge of the mount if you’re laying out away from the frame… And if I’d had a couple more of the centre sheets, I would have decoupaged several of the elements, such as the flowers and the stamps, and the lovely lady with the umbrella.

Hope this inspires you to work with the Collection – and work big!

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!

Now Boarding Layouts (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 15th February 2014 by perfectly4med

My final post featuring the Kaisercraft ‘Now Boarding’ papers, for now anyway, as all the projects are were made for display at the Craft Hobby & Stitch International Trade Show at the NEC, Birmingham starting tomorrow. Jones & Co. will be on stand L26 for those that are attending – pop by and say hello!

The first layout above features the ‘Terminal’ sheet as the background, with additions from the ‘Cabin Crew’ sheet – including the punched discs at the bottom covered with Ranger Glossy Accents. A couple of embellishments from the ‘Collectables’ pack have also been added, with everything being edged with Pumice Stone distress ink. Glossy Accents has also been added to the sentiment.

The second layout features ‘Luggage Carousel’ sheet as the background, with foreground elements from the ‘Check In’ sheet. I created the cutout in Illustrator, offsetting and merging the text to bind with the circle, and cut out on my Silhouette Cameo. The pictures are printouts mounted on large buttons from the Jones Creams Value Pack, and then covered with Glossy Accents. The foreground letters have been coloured with Stormy Sky distress ink, whilst everything else, including more ‘Collectables’, are aged with Pumice Stone distress ink.

Another Travel Journal (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 14th February 2014 by perfectly4med

Another travel journal using the fabulous Now Boarding Collection from Kaisercraft. This journal makes use of the fantastic Zutter Bind-it-All, also available from Jones Crafts, which allows you to punch and bind your own wire-bound items with one machine. Using larger wire diameter than necessary allows this album to have all sorts of things added without straining the spine, as well as giving somewhere for the tags to be tied. I’ve laminated the covers just to give them more strength and longevity, as well as protecting the contents as well.

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Wedding Mini-Album (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 21st January 2014 by perfectly4med

Featuring more of the Bella Celebrate Paperz, this mini-album is constructed from one 12×12″ sheet, two 3×4″ project cards, a couple of 3D stickers and die cuts and lots of memories. It’s a hand bound, three signature booklet with the folio tied into the cover using ribbon. With plenty of room for journaling names, dates and recollections, this mini-album could also be included in a bigger layout. Making info follows the gallery.

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Here Comes The Bride (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 20th January 2014 by perfectly4med

It’s been quite a while since I did a 12×12″ scrapbook layout… but my recent receipt of the DT goodie box from Jones Crafts has inspired this layout featuring the Bella Celebrate Paperz collection. This is the first of many DT projects in the run up to the Stitches trade show for Jones Crafts. It includes several designs of double sided pearlised 12×12″ sheets, die cut collections, 3×4″ and 2×4″ foiled project cards as well as coordinating organza flower brads and 3D stickers. Read on for making information…

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It only seems fitting… (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 8th January 2014 by perfectly4med

The other stamp pack I have been sent to work with this month for the Creative Expressions Design Team projects is their unmounted ‘Antique Dressforms’ set. This card features a decoupaged background which I hope is reminiscent of tissue paper dress patterns, and is a relatively quick and easy make.

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Don’t recycle Christmas cards – upcycle them!

Posted on 6th January 2014 by perfectly4med

It’s 12th night, all the decorations are down, and the Christmas cards are destined for the recycling bin. But wait… what else could you do with them? Here are three ideas I came up with for making next Christmas’ cards with last Christmas’.

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Couture Creations Dreamboat Collection at Creative Expressions (Part 2)

Posted on 23rd November 2013 by perfectly4med

It’s been a real struggle not to share these projects over the weeks that I have had the Couture Creations 3-in-1 Dreamboat sets – co-ordinating dies, embossing folder and clear stamps in one package. The sets were destined for TV appearance and there’s been a blog embargo until this week’s blog hop – but here are another five projects showcasing these fabulous sets! For full making details, continue reading.