3D Projects
Cake Decorating – an edible donation cheque!

Rainbows Donation Cake

This is what I spent four and a half hours on Sunday afternoon doing – and it was handed over to Rainbows Hospice this morning, so I can now share it! The spectacular sum was raised by the staff of MGC Hayles and Woods Coaches over the year, with the Rainbows Walk in Leicester, a choir concert, the national Three Peaks Challenge and (in a after-pic addition to the icing) a business challenge task. I was commissioned to take an iced cake (twin square sponges) and turn it into the donation cheque. I mocked it all up on the computer before printing it out and transferring the design on to the fondant icing by pressing through. Then it was just the small (and patient) matter of piping and cutting. The process wasn’t helped by the icing mixes looking a muddy brown colour when mixed, but when dried, the colour theory did end up working. The finished cake is 9″x18″.

 

 

3D Projects
Filigree Lantern (for Creative Expressions)

More inspiration using the new Henna Singles stamps from Creative Expressions. This time, I’ve used the ‘Mandala’ stamp on card and heat-proof acetate with embossing powder to create this brass-filigree-effect hanging lantern. The middle set of panels are acetate allowing the light from a battery powered tea light to shine through. Three of the joining segments are attached with mini-brad so that the light can be accessed. Perfect for festive lighting!

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Original Designs
Christmas Quilt

Quilt No. 9 Here’s my happy-accident Christmas Quilt that I’ve just finished, my ninth quilt. I started it early this year using a January sale jelly roll, with a hiatus during studio construction and starting the new business. Unfortunately, the lone star pattern I was following wasn’t followed closely enough, and I completely ballsed up the strip cutting. Hence the single lone star in the middle, and the hash borders – which by happy accident have worked nicely. Given everything outside the centrepiece is completely made up, I’m pleased with the outcome. I still haven’t quite mastered the layering of backing, batting and top sheet, especially on my own which is why things are a bit baggy in places. That may settle a little after a couple of washes. Mind you, after 22 feet of hand sewing the binding on, which took 4.5 hours, I’m pretty good at that! Now to find somewhere large enough to display a 6’6″ square quilt… that hasn’t already been bedecked with decorations…

[Fabric includes Moda Elegance Jelly Roll 32530JR]

 

 

3D Projects
Family Circle 1901

This is my final project as a member of the WOW! Embossing Powder Design Team. This family project published today, here, features my great great grandfather and his eight children. I’m in a black and white phase at the minute, and wondered if the whole frame looked a little funereal, but then others have said it’s quite gothic and in keeping with the end of the Victorian era. I’ll go with that 😉

Altered Art
Mandala Faux Batik (for Creative Expressions)

Faux BatikWhen I saw the contents of the latest DT goodie bag lots of ideas sprang to mind. We’ve been sent the newest set of ‘Henna’ inspired Creative Expressions ‘Singles’ stamps – rubber stamps that are pre-mounted and cut ready for slapping onto your acrylic blocks and printing with straight away. This project uses embossing powder and spray dyes to create a faux batik effect on a handkerchief – although any cotton fabric would work just as well. For more making details, read on 🙂

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Quilting
Dedication Quilt

During my ‘quiet times’ here on the blog, I’m rarely resting! Complete with a conservatory and hall refurbishment over the last couple of months, I’ve been busy on various projects I can’t share at the time. This is one of them – quilting a pre-printed topper (roughly 36×48″) for the dedication (equivalent to christening) of our friends’ newborn son. That happened earlier today, so now I can share without spoiling the surprise!

I used the free motion setting on my sewing machine to quilt round each of the letters and the main lines of each of the illustrations. As normal, I have hand bound the edging and used an 80/20 cotton-polyester wadding. Being able to wash the quilt is a pre-requisite for this age group! At points I wished I had chosen simpler quilting lines, but the finished article was worth the three days worth of man-hours. Now to move onto quilting my very large happy-accident Christmas quilt: more on that in another post 🙂

3D Projects
Crocus Planter (for Creative Expressions)

Crocus PlanterMy final project with this month’s Creative Expressions’ Winter Flower stamp set is this cute little terracotta planter resplendent with colourful crocus. Except it’s not terracotta. And you won’t need to water the crocus either. May be just a dusting now and then 😉
For making information, read on.

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Card Craft
Couture Creations Dreamboat Collection at Creative Expressions (Part 2)

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.

AS SEEN ON CREATE & CRAFT TV over weekend 16th-18th November 2013.

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Card Craft
Crocus Card (for Creative Expressions)

Crocus CardIt’s another bleak day as I look out of the studio window, but I can inject a bit of late winter colour with another project based on Creative Expressions’ Winter Flowers stamp set.

You will need:
Creative Expressions Winter Flowers unmounted stamp set
Cosmic Shimmer Embossing Powder: Ancient Copper Metallic
Cosmic Shimmer Misting Ink Spray: Sunflower/Meadow Lime/Soft Moss/Purple Violet
Cosmic Shimmer Mist: Pearl
That Special Touch Border Mask: Elegance
Foundations Card: Milk/Teal/Dark Roast Coffee/Coconut White
Ranger Perfect Medium: Clear
Ranger Distress Ink: Peacock Feathers

  1. Ink up the crocus stamp with Perfect Medium and stamp onto Coconut White card. Cover with Ancient Copper Metallic embossing powder, tap off the excess and heat set.
  2. Squirt one spray of each of the Misting Ink colours into a suitable container and use a water brush, or paintbrush to paint the ink into the embossed outline for a watercolour effect. Leave to dry.
  3. Cut out the flower once dry.
  4. For the border, cut a strip of Coconut White card just wider than the border mask. Use the Peacock Feathers Distress Ink on an applicator tool to press through the border mask. Dry with a heat tool before spritzing with Cosmic Shimmer Pearl Mist. Dry.
  5. Print the sentiment with Perfect Medium and emboss before.
  6. Mount onto a card as shown, using foam pads to raise the flower cluster.