3D Projects
Topiary Trees with Candi

Posted on 3rd April 2014 by Neil

I’m a bit behind on my posts this week… This is a pair of topiary trees that I made especially for the Craftwork Cards Candi Week, and they’re a giveaway prize over at their blog (still chance to enter if you’re really quick!). To see more on how I made them, go to this post. The planters are made from sheet greyboard, covered with titan buff acrylic and weathered with dry brushed Vintage Photo Distress Paint and Distress Ink. The balls are 8mm beads skewered onto cocktail sticks. The trunks of the trees are wound paper, and I rumpled tissue paper round it to add a bark effect.

Card Craft
Glittering Starburst Card (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 2nd April 2014 by Neil

I’ve been sent some new goodies for April DT posts for Creative Expressions 🙂

First up from my goodie package are the brilliant Sparkle Texture Pastes from Cosmic Shimmer. These are slightly thicker than their clear texture paste, so keep to shape a little better. The coarse glitter doesn’t interfere with smoothing on too much, so this stencilled card was quick to make (aside from drying time). I did the stencilling in two goes, one for each colour, but more precise appliers may be able to do it in one go.

Just before the shopping list, don’t forget the BSSBS on 12th-13th April at Ally Pally, early; bird discount of £1 off for tickets booked before 8th April. See you there! Click for details: BSSBS LOGO Original

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3D Projects
Good Ol’ Sport Journal (for Jones Crafts)

Posted on 28th March 2014 by Neil

I’ve just received my DT goodies from Jones Crafts, and this time, I have the Graphic 45 Good Ol’ Sport Collection of papers to play with. Just as well it’s vintage and paper, as those that know me well know that I don’t do sport!

In what is fast becoming a trademark makeover, I’ve taken the sheet of 4×6″ prints, cut them up, added some more pages using the other papers and wire bound them using my Zutter Bind-it-All. The front and back covers have faux rusted enamel finish using clear embossing powder and Vintage Photo Distress Ink and Distress Powder. Everything else is aged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I created the photo corners by making a cut file and cutting them out on the Silhouette Cameo, before colouring with Tarnished Brass Distress Stain, sticking them together and then inserting the collector’s cards from two other sheets from the collection. Add in some of the chipboard tags and die cuts for tags, and paper ribbons and it’s done. Here’s a clickable gallery for close ups:

3D Projects
Upcycled Mini-Egg Tube Storage Solution

Posted on 27th March 2014 by Neil

The master of crafty invention, Tim Holtz (along with his friends at Ranger Ink), has come up with a brand new mini-applicator tool for the ever popular Distress Inks – if you’ve not come across it yet, it’s circular and smaller than his previous rectangular ones. I’m still waiting on my order for the tool, but I had a delivery of the replacement foams…

I came up with a storage dispenser for the foams, but the design was a little flimsy and I wasn’t entirely happy with it. As I was munching through some Cadbury’s mini-eggs (don’t you just love this time of year?) I was pondering the design… and then realised as I was about to chuck the tube away that it might be the solution. A quick check showed it was just the right diameter to take the foams, and a new design was born. Before… and after:

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Card Craft
Watercolour Card using Reinkers (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 26th March 2014 by Neil

This is the last of my posts using this month’s featured stamps. I’m back to the Creative Expressions Singles ‘Scentiments’ and taken the image from the thank you stamp to paint with Distress Reinkers. Quite a quick make in a clean and simple style.

Just before the shopping list, don’t forget the BSSBS on 12th-13th April at Ally Pally, early; bird discount of £1 off for tickets booked before 8th April. See you there! Click for details:

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3D Projects
Botanica goes three dimensional

Posted on 25th March 2014 by Neil

I’ve created these two pieces for Craftwork Cards using their fabulous Botanica kit which includes papers, die cut toppers and bows as well as the Candi – read more over at their blog!

Card Craft
‘Scented’ Quadrant Card – for Creative Expressions

Posted on 19th March 2014 by Neil

Oh I’m so not at my creative best at the moment with a head ~~full of snot~~ cold threatening to drip on my creations (too much info?)… And this card isn’t highly perfumed because of my lack of a sense of smell at the moment! Despite feeling rotten, I managed to continue using the perfume-themed stamps sent to me this month by Creative Expressions – this card features silver embossed ‘Scented Corner’ and ‘Scented Border’, coloured with Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Watercolour paints and embellished with coloured PVA.

Just before the shopping list, don’t forget the BSSBS on 12th-13th April at Ally Pally, early; bird discount of £1 off for tickets booked before 8th April. See you there! Click for details:

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Altered Art
Two More Crackle Effects

Posted on 17th March 2014 by Neil

I’ve just received two more crackle effect mediums, which I’ve added to my original Crackle Effects Mediums post. These are DecoArts two step and Wendy Vecchi/Dreamweaver Crackled Texture Paste.

Card Craft
Scent-sational Apertures (for Creative Expressions)

Posted on 12th March 2014 by Neil

Also in my DT pack this month are two more Singles stamps featuring cut-glass bottles or perhaps they could be decanters – Crystal Cut and Murano Glass. Both are two stamp sets – the bottle and a ‘scent-iment’. I wanted to highlight the glass element, so created two cards using apertures and acetate. Clean and simple designs, they show off the stamps wonderfully. Oh, and don’t make the same mistake as me: remember that the image on the front of the pack is not actual size… That’s how I ended up with the ‘close up’ in the aperture!

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3D Projects
Kitsch Easter Basket

Posted on 8th March 2014 by Neil

I’ve done another 3D item using the Craftwork Cards Kitsch kit recently featured on Create and Craft TV – I recommend leaving buying the mini eggs until just before you finish the item, else the basket seems half empty by the end of the project. More pics and a tutorial over at the Craftwork Cards blog.