Monochrome Dragonflies

This is the finished card from the class on Wednesday night. We used peel off's on acetate then cut them out & fixed with glue gel, to give a great dimensional effect. We also used a tri-fold card design I saw on C&C - I  played around and created a template to replicate the design.  I think the monochrome looked very elegant - hope you like it.

We focused on accurate matting and layering and it was a cinch using the Judikins metal edge ruler, and I know a few of the ladies went out and bought one the very next day - I should be on commission!!!

Well, this is my last blog entry before my holiday! I'm off on a cruise around the Med, visiting Gibraltar, Barcelona, Rome, Florence and Monaco - woo hoo!!! I plan on being VERY lazy, sampling a few 'fruity drinks for the lady' (fans of Al Murray 'the Pub Landlord' will know what I'm talking about :-) and generally relaxing and having fun. I might even take a few pics to make into a scrapbook when I return :-)

Thanks for dropping by, and I'll catch up with everyone in a couple of weeks

Debs xx

WOYWW - 270711

So this is my workdesk today - I have been putting together the kits for tonight's class. You can see the card we will be making in the foreground, with a pile of kits underneath in cello bags. And my instructions & spares in the red folder so I don't lose it - which I always do!!!

Take a look at other crafter's Wednesday desks at Stamping Ground Whats on Your Workdesk Weds??


Need to have a major tidy up in the next few days cos I'm off on my hols next week for 2 whole weeks - yippee!!  Not been away that long for a while, we've tended to go for a week or 10 days, and I am SO ready for a break. We will be cruising around the Med - wonder if they have craft classes on board???????????

Distress Inks Demo - Hobbycraft 24/7

For some reason, my demo's at Hobbycraft this summer have all fallen on sunny days! WE get naff weather all week, out comes the sun and I'm packing the car and driving off to my demo leaving Hubby to his lazy Sunday.......

Yesterday's demo was to show how you can use Distress Inks to achieve different effects. This first card is made up of 3 panels I did yesterday, and today I made them up into a card, adding some background stamping, an extra layer to the focal point and some die cuts. Didn't plan this, it just happened - can you tell I'm into the autumn colours at the mo??????

Lots of people have asked me where I got the bare trees stamp, and sadly I think it's a retired image from Komodo. Creative Expressions still list it as in stock, but no retailers appear to have it - shame, cos it's really beautiful.
The background and top left panel are made with this really sweet Ivy Border from Personal Impressions, and the larger base panel uses the Ivy Border and a Clarity Stamps mini fern.

I am entering this card in the follwoing Challenges:

• Stamp Man challenge 'Anything by Tim'
• The Crafty Pad 'Embossing Heat or Dry'
• AIFActory 'Layer it up'

So now I need to go get my kit together for Wednesday night's class - the last one before my hols - I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to think about the holiday (a real break for the bank balance, cos I haven't bought a ton of new clothes LOL :-))

Thanks for dropping by

Debs x

Mr Droopy Drawers!

Hi everyone.  People seemed to like this stamped image when I posted my WOYWW pic earlier this week, so I thought I would show him made up into a card - which my brother in law will be receiving (sssshhhh!!!!!)

The card is made using Funky Hands backing papers from the Friday Night Out collection on the Funky Daze CD (my absolute fave for backing papers - something on there to suit every colour possible). The main image has been die cut using Spellbinders Scalloped Circles, and the sentiment using Spellbinders Labels 4, both edged with Barn Door Distress Ink.  The image and sentiment are from the Creative Expressions Murray and Ethel Stamp Set

I used this image in recent classes on Pro Markers, where I was showing how to get realistic skin tones. Here are a couple of close ups to show what we were working on

Aren't these images great?!? I love the quirkiness of the oldies - they make fun cards for grown ups, and there are some really fun sentiments on the stamp set too. I couldn't resist giving the Bikini Babe a little sunburn! When I get my act together I will post a Pro Marker tutorial..................

I am entering Mr Droopy Drawers in the following Challenges:

• Get Funky - Boys Boys
• Sweet Stampin -  One for the Boys
• Crafters Companion -  One for the Boys
• Sarah Hurley 'Colouring' Challenge 

Thanks for stopping by - off now to tidy the craft table (not a hope!!!)

Debs x

WOYWW - Whats on Your Workdesk Wednesday!

So this is the current state of my 'craft room' aka The Dining Room Table! Bit messy at the mo cos I'm in the middle of several projects and keep flitting between them :-)

Top left in the plastic folder are my stamps and masks for the Distress Inks demo this Sunday, still preparing some samples.....

Bottom left is a stamped image of an old chap collecting his newspaper in his undies - love it! From the Creative Expressions Ethel & Murray range - have been using him to teach Pro Marker skin colouring techniques cos he has Sooooo much skin on display....

Then front and centre we have a lavender card with fairies. Thinking about entering this forthe Magical Monday Challenge, but not quite there yet, and under that is a bag of the Distress Inks demo samples, on top is a supersize tag decorated with Wild Honey, Spiced MArmalade and Walnut Stain, then overstamped in all 3 colours.

And of course, scattered across the table we have Glossy Accents, my fave Woodware Daisy punches, my trusty Fiskars trimmer, and hiding under all that some double sided tape, plus the bubble wrap bag my new stamps arrived in (playtime!!) And I am trying to figure out a way of colouring the bubble wrap and using a piece of it as a background to a men's card - will try Pro Markers - any other ideas???

Loving the other workdesks on display at WOYWW, you can see them and join in by adding pics of your own crafty desk/mess/room/ at Julia's blog Julia's Stamping Ground

Thanks for stopping by

Debs x

Chandlers Ford Class - 13/07/11

We had a fun evening on Weds in Chandlers Ford.  We were a little low on numbers due to summer holidays and rehearsals for plays!

The nice thing about small numbers is that you can go slow, chat and try things out, which is what we did, and we produced some beautiful stamped and embossed vellum wraps. 

These are stamped on the front of the vellum with Brilliance ink, then dry embossed on the reverse before colouring with Pro Marker, also on the reverse. 

We also stamped and coloured the embellishments. Then we threw a whole lot of glitter over everything :-) We all came away covered in glitter, and with some beautiful samples to take home.

Stamping Techniques Workshop - Bella Crafts 9/7/11

 I had a great time with the ladies at Bella Crafts yesterday - the workshop was so much fun and we got so inky!

We tried a range of stamping techniques, Pro Markers and different inks, but the Tim Holtz Distress Inks were the runaway favourites.

We also tried stamping with watercolour pens, applying them directly to the stamps, and this produced some beautiful designs.

Belinda kept us topped up with tea and coffee, and cakes! We had to stop for a cake break! The class produced some gorgeous designs, backing papers, stamped toppers and masked scenes - there were some amazing scenes taking shape behind garden fences, as well as scenes with butterflies and words - they were all beautiful.

We all had a great laugh, ate WAY too many cakes & biscuits, and produced some fabulous stamped images - what a nice way to spend a wet Saturday morning!

Tutorial - 3D Roses

 

 These roses look really effective, and are so much fun to make!

 1. Stamp 2 smaller flower shapes, then overstamp with your chosen pattern.  
From the first flower shape cut a single petal, and from the second cut a double petal wedge.
Using Glossy Accents as a fast drying glue, on the patterned side of each flower, run a line of glue along one edge of each of the two cut out petal wedges. Then cover one full petal in glue on each of the remaining flowers.

2. Roll the single petal wedge into a cone, with the pattern on the inside, and hold the edges together until the glue holds. Repeat with the double petal wedge, but this time, trim the small pointed end off the cone to leave a small hole at the base of the cone.

3. Repeat this with the remaining 2 flower parts, only this time overlap an entire petal to create larger cones, and trim the small pointed end off each to leave a small hole at the base of each cone.

 4. Using a pokey tool or similar narrow tool, roll the edge of each petal outward on all 4 layers, to create the furled edges of the flower.
 Assemble the flower by applying Glossy Accents glue to the base of the smallest cone, and then sliding it inside the next size up and through the small hole in the base of the cone. Continue in this way applying glue to the base of each cone until all 4 layers sit within each other and are assembled into a finished rose.

 
 5. Apply glue to the furled edges of each petal and sprinkle with glitter to finish.

3D Roses

I loved making these Roses! They are so much fun and so easy to do, and you get covered in glue and glitter - messy crafting just like it should be!  The finished result is so elegant, you would never know how mucky I got making it :-)

The stamp set is 'Paper Garden' from Dimension Fourth, and this design is based on one that Aly Higginbottom demo'd on Create and Craft TV when the stamps were launched.  This card was featured in July 2011 issue of Making Cards magazine.

Welcome to my Blog!

My first post - welcome!  I love sharing crafting ideas and inspiration, and I thought I would post a few pics of recent creations as a starting point.

Garden Gate

 The Garden Gate is a welcome home card for a friend who has had a long stay in hospital and is thrilled to be coming home at last.  It was made by inking the stamps directly with Whispers watercolour pens, and uses a mix of Flower Soft stamps, Martha Stewart corner punch and core-dinations card

Blue Music was published in Making Cards a few months ago, and is stamped using Versafine and a Musical Collage Set from Butterfly Kisses

Get Well Ted is coloured with Pro Markers and uses Spellbinders Dies with the layers coloured with Pro Markers to match the main pic exactly

Wine Lovers Happy Birthday uses Distress inks and a Fiskars clear stamp set, with the background stamped with Distress inks, and then using them again to watercolour the stamped images

Enjoy!

Debs