Craft Label have sent me a new pack of goodies. Not only are their packing boxes secure, but they’re also polka-dotted and there’s an encouragement in every one to get making. The Finding Paradise set includes paper pads in all sizes (12″, 8″ and 6″ square) along with numerous embellishment packs including coordinating washi tape, clear stamps and toppers.
After a Christmas hiatus, Less is More is back with a new clean and simple card challenge. ‘We’re probably all sick of sweat pants and casual clothes, so let’s look forward to a time when we can all dress up again’ sets off the clothing/fashion theme. I remembered that I had done some paper piecing of dresses when I was with Craftwork Cards and managed to unearth the ‘Sophie’ stamp set from 2016 which is perfect for dress-up!
I’m delighted to be able to share that I have been accepted on to the Less Is More Challenge Design Team. You’ll all know that I have recently been taking part in their challenges after a long hiatus, and it’s an honour to join the DT. You can find the fortnightly challenges here, and a little more info on the card(s) I make following the theme here on my blog. You may even get to see the outtakes…
I’ve used one of my most favourite techniques for my card for the splats – get your Distress Stains out, make sure the tip is nice and juicy and then firmly tap against your page (actually, you thump it down with a bit of force). Watch where the spatter goes!
As you know from Part 1, I was sent eight 12×12″ sheets of double-sided scrapbook pages from Webster’s Pages, titled ‘Gingerbread Village’ by Adrienne Loomis, to work with.
I’ve used the papers to make more cards, this time using the Fair Isle style pattern as a background, two large toppers using the Storyteller cards (all 7×7″ cards), and a picturesque 8×8″ card. I’ve again edged the papers with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
This month, I’ve been sent eight 12×12″ sheets of double-sided scrapbook pages from Webster’s Pages, titled ‘Gingerbread Village’ by Adrienne Loomis, to work with.
I have to admit not having many Christmas themed photographs, so took the decision not to create a layout with them, but instead to mix and match the papers to create a series of themed cards. Part 1: four cards using ‘The Village’ reverse side as backing. All cards are 7×7″ and papers edged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Part two to follow in a couple of weeks.
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″.
Christmas for crafters starts soon enough, but for distributors and sample makers, it starts even earlier! This is the first of many I have been working on to be published – and is a little late as well. I blame the drying time… Anyway, enough of that, here’s Kaisercraft’s St Nicholas Collection of papers and stickers, their wooden snowflakes and laser cut tree, and House Shadow Box in a festive assemblage:
It’s a cracking set of double sided papers, some of which are designed to be backgrounds, others are vintage postcards and quotes ideal for cutting up and making into boxes, mounts and individual items for layouts. Others form great backgrounds for shadow boxes. The House itself is 30cm square with the roof on top and is pre-cut MDF which is easy to assemble. Here’s a gallery of close ups:
Other things you might need: Cosmic Shimmer Crystal PVA, Glossy Accents, Walnut Stain/Fired Brick/Peeled Paint Distress Inks to colour edges, Kaisercolor Raw Umber acrylic paint, Cosmic Shimmer Specialist Acrylic Glue, and Cosmic Shimmer Polished Silk Glitters for the tree. Oh, and lots of patience for all the cutting out!
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.
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.
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!
