Stampathon - Part 3 - Snowflake Kisses

Wow - three blog posts in under two weeks?! The mojo is clearly flowing with lots of projects and ideas in the pipeline :-)

I'm really excited to share these stamps with you and share these card ideas.

Why is this stamp set so special you ask? - It's special because these snowflakes are all my handdrawn designs. I've had a few collections of papers and stamps now but I get so excited every time like they're the first!

So, here they are- Craftwork Cards Snowflake Kisses Stamps....

I really hope you love them too!!

Ok, so here are the first cards I've made with this gorgeous set of stamps....

I just adore this one! I've used both Distress Oxide and Versamagic ink pads and stamped different snowflakes in different designs and sizes diagonally across the front of the card. I've then stamped the really elegant sentiment in black, stamped a few smaller snowflakes next to it and matt and layered on black and pink. The black really makes it all pop, especially as the sentiment is in black ink too. Just as a finishing touch I've taken Stardust Stickles and added little glitter highlights to some of the snowflake - you gotta have sparkle on snowflakes, right?!

         

 

This is a really subtle card. I've stamped with Versamark sticky ink and embossed in WOW! Pink Sparkly embossing powder. I've then stamped the sentiment and embossed in Silver on a vellum strip to make a banner across the front. I'm loving the vellum banners on my cards right now.

 

This is the most CAS card I think I have ever made! (and might be my batch made Christmas Card of 2017!) I stamped the sentiment first and then the three different snowflakes in three different sizes, in three different colours (I really went for three in this card! lol). My signature trademark of a double black line border around the edge of the card but this time a little in from the edges. I've added trios of black dots in and around the stamped images just to close in some of the space around the design.

For this card, I combined some of the words from the Julie Loves All Wrapped up Sentiments stamp set with the Snowflake Kisses. Here I've completely avoided CAS lol, I've literally stamped all over the card front with different snowflakes in black Memento ink. Using a few pens from the BG family of Copics I've roughly gone over each snowflake to give each one a tint of frosty blue. For the sentiment panel I've stamped and embossed in silver 'Christmas Wishes' and then matt and layered onto a complimentary colour cardstock. I adhered the sentiment panel with 3D foam tape for a bit of dimension and then added nuvo drops to highlight parts of the snowflakes.

I really hope you love the stamp set as much as me and that you might make some snowflake cards - don't forget to share if you do!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my post!

Stampathon - Part 2 - Gingerbread Lane!

So, following on from my Halloween cards, I set about making some samples with another great BRAND NEW stamp set from Craftwork Cards. This time the gorgeous Gingerbread Lane stamps! These stamp designs were hand drawn by Steph Morgan, Senior Designer up at CWC HQ and they're so lush - Go Steph!

There's lots of different styles and sizes of gingerbread houses, a darling little street sign and 3 little accents they're just so cute! 

 

This was an ideal opportunity for me to get my colouring pens out! I chose to use my Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush pens - well I had to as I'd already stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and I would have needed to use my memento if I wanted to use the Copics.

So I set about stamping lots of the houses on both cream and white cardstock so I could sit and colour whilst watching television. I also stamped some onto kraft cardstock with versamark sticky ink and embossed in gold to give a true gingerbread look without having to colour in. 

You'll see from the samples that I made, I stuck with traditional gingerbread for some of them but then for others chose a different, contemporary colour scheme for a modern, different looking card. Just goes to show how far these stamps with stretch!

This was an ideal opportunity for me to get my colouring pens out! I chose to use my Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush pens - well I had to as I'd already stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and I would have needed to use my memento if I wanted to use the Copics.

So I set about stamping lots of the houses on both cream and white cardstock so I could sit and colour whilst watching television. I also stamped some onto kraft cardstock with versamark sticky ink and embossed in gold to give a true gingerbread look without having to colour in. 

You'll see from the samples that I made, I stuck with traditional gingerbread for some of them but then for others chose a different, contemporary colour scheme for a modern, different looking card. Just goes to show how far these stamps with stretch!

So, here goes...

For this card I covered the base card in a spotty paper I printed out from the CWC Festive USB. I had no idea how far this USB would stretch across other stamps, kits and collections! Then I've layered up the gold embossed gingerbread houses with some of the trees and the little street sign. This was quite a quick card to start off with as there was hardly any colouring. I've just used a white gel pen to highlight some of the designs on the houses and the street sign. I think that really sets it off. 

This second card I've stamped in black Versafine and coloured in with the Kuretake pens. I've coloured then n traditional gingerbread colours to keep it traditional. I've cut a square aperture from the base card, stamped the accents on the front and doodled around the aperture. I've attached two of the houses on the outside of the aperture and then stuck one to the inside of the card on a square of kraft cardstock. This way gives a bit of depth and dimension to the card and also leaves some of the design on the inside when the card is open, which as cardmakers, we don't always do.

Similar to the last card, this time I've cut a circle aperture from the front of this card and inked around the edge, then added dots of stickles glitter glue all around the outside. This time I coloured the houses in shades of pink. I've added some of the small pink trees to the foreground along with the little street sign. If you look closely (it was difficult to capture in the photograph) you can see I've added stickles stardust glitter glue to the foreground also to look like glistening snow. Quite a CAS card. Really like this one!

Last by but no means least, I've saved my favourite for the last one again!! This one took a little more work and construction - and definitely a lot more colouring on the inside of the card!!

Okay, so this is the front of the card as you'd see it when it came out the envelope! Very simple and understated. A simple warm grey line drawn for a hill, 3 trees stamped and shadows drawn in, along with the street sign and some snowflakes. Keeping it very clean and simple.

This card is actually made of two cards sandwiched together. The outer card has the stamped images and the front cover design and the inside card has the strutts cut to make the houses pop up. The inside has a piece of black card with silver embossed stars on it and the strutts have all been coloured in black so they blend into the background. The strutts have all been cut at different length, heights and widths so the houses stand out differently.

In this photograph you can see the card from the front. I've done some more wobbly lines with a feint warm grey pen and added stickles glitter glue to the lines to look like snow. I've done this in the shadows at the foot of all the houses too.

I hope you like these cards - there's more stamping to follow so I hope you're enjoyed my stampathon diary!

Happy stamping!!

Stampathon - Part 1 - Spooky!!

So, I had a bit of a stampathon recently! I received some BRAND NEW stamps from Craftwork Cards to make some DT samples and had so many ideas for them I just couldn't stop stamping and cardmaking!!

So, there were 4 sets

1. A halloween set (with gorgeous images!)

2. Gingerbread Lane - with an array of amazing handdrawn gingerbread houses

3. A beautiful large wreath with bow and sentiments 

4. A snowflake set - simple, handdrawn - I love them - well, to be honest I should -
I designed them!!

So over the next few blog posts I'm going to share some of my makes and ideas and hopefully inspire you to have a go with them too!

The stamps are on offer over on the Craftwork Cards website for Stamp Club members and there's details on the stamp club over there too!

Okay, so the first set I got stuck in with was the Halloween set. There are oodles of smaller halloween icons in this set with a couple of sentiments too. Enough to make backgrounds and have focal points. I made some CAS cards and some with more layers and fussy work on them.

I've got some spooky cards to share with you!

Firstly...

This was a really cool and quick card to make. I stamped the two different pumpkins twice and coloured them with Kuretake Clean Color Real Brush pens. Then stamped the faces on them. Each one was cut out of a small piece of white card and matt and layered onto black cardstock. Onto the card front, I matt and layered black cardstock and some downloadable halloween paper. Each of the four pumpkins were layered on top and underneath each other as can be seen and attached to the front of the card like a topper. The sentiment was again from the stamp set and I stamped this direct onto the downloaded paper I printed at home. I've just added a few nuvo drops for a little extra dimension  and colour. Even the little scar you can see on the pumpkin is a separate stamp. Lots of detail!

The second card.....

This was the fussiest one I did! I have used black cardstock, a monochrome damask print (from the CWC Sophisticate USB), more black cardstock and a halloween paper I downloaded onto the front of the card. I've used some different patterns of downloaded halloween papers to create flags for bunting across the top of the card. Then I stamped out lots of the different icons- coloured some more pumpkins, some flat black stamping and also white embossed skeletons onto black cardstock! I've just added these across the bottom of the orange square on the from. I love the little bat and the BOO! stamp!!

The third card was super easy - I stamped and embossed some extra skeletons when I made the last card. I've used another monochrome print from the CWC Sophisticate USB and used a little wilted violet distress oxide ink around the edges. I've layered the 3 skeletons down the right hand side of the card like they're tumbling and matt and layered my favourite BOO! sentiment. I used the bats and small spider as accents, to drawn the eye towards the sentiment.

This card was by far the fastest make and easiest!!! Three small squares of different shades of orange and stamped out three different pumpkins faces on each one. On a square of black cardstock the same size, I stamped the bats and BOO! and embossed in white. Two diagonal squares were raised up on foam pads and 2 others stuck directly to the card. I've then added accents - the spiders web in the top left of the card and the spider hanging down from the black sentiment square.

This one is another really simple make. I've covered my card front with black cardstock and cut down a matt of the green downloaded halloween paper. I've stamped out the spooky house in black on super smooth stamping cardstock then used nesting circle dies to cut out the house and use a slightly larger die to cut out a circle from the green paper but slightly offset it. I've cut a banner from patterned black paper and stamped the halloween sentiment onto white card. I've then stamped accents onto the card front around the design, the bats in the top left and the cauldron and bubbles to the bottom right. Notice the card is balanced the focal point and sentiment then the accents. Tricky to see in this photo but |I've added black glossy nuvo drops all around the white circle to add dimension to the card, yet kept it simple.

Here, I've created a sunset background with distress oxide inks, stamped onto the inky background and cut a hill shape freehand from black card. I've stamped and embossed the sentiment and the hanging spider onto the black card.

Finally - a favourite! I've stamped a background using the different halloween icons and used different halloween themed colours. Lots of matt and layering with monochrome patterns and black cardstock to make it all pop and offsetting all the layers for a different look. I've stamped the spooky house separately and cut it out, inky around the edges with purple and mounted using 3D foam pads.

Blimey - that was a long post - if you're still here - thanks for sticking around - I hope you enjoyed looking through my makes and the different ideas! 

Happy Halloween - if you celebrate it - and if not - enjoy the extra chocolates that are around!

Happy World Card Making day!!

Hi everyone! Happy World Card Making Day!!!

It's like an extra birthday for cardmakers! How cool is that?! 

Just typing this on my phone having a lie in lol but want to show out to you guys and share a card I made this week.

If seen loads of candle wreath cards on various social media sites and was dying to have a go myself. So looked through my stash and copious amount of stamps and found the perfect candle stamp for the job!

It's a small candle from the Celebrations stamp set by Craftwork Cards. I think they're still available on the website too.

I picked my colour scheme and selected pink, coral, black and grey ink pads and set about stamping my wreath. First I drew round a circle die cut on the card front to use as a guide.

I started with the pink and stamped at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock to try and get them as evenly spaced as possible. Then took the next colours and stamped next to the pink candle. I repeated this with all the colour ink pads and then used the same colours in the same order once again.

I stamped a simple happy birthday sentiment on a circle die cut and layered this on the front.

I also offset the wreath slightly. If you're not going to get it perfectly central on the card front it will be noticeable so I played on this and purposefully pushed it off centre for a different look.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you like it and hope you get a chance to do some crafting today too!!

Mary xx

Casology Challenge week. 269 entry

Well, here goes!

This is my first attempt participating in as challenge blog, so I'm sure it's far from perfect but you've got to start somewhere, right?!

I'm a massive fan of clean and simple cards and layouts so when I was looking for a challenge blog with a cas theme and stumbled across casology, I knew instantly this was the first one I'd try!

I love how the brief or cue card is just a single word! The brief or spec is so broad because the 'cue card' is just one word for you to incorporate into your design.

When I saw this cue card, I knew exactly what I was going to make! I took a C6 card blank and one of the cut out overlays from Craftwork Cards, keeping the design using white and gold only. I've adhered the overlay with 3D foam pads to create shadow and depth without adding anything extra to the card.

I've use die cut letters and double embossed them in gold as the main element on the card and then stamped some cute flowers onto vellum, embossed them in gold and cut them out, adhering them around the focal word.

Here's some close up photos of the different elements:

Hope you like it!

Using Julie Loves...Mandalas

Oh wow! What a busy few months it's been! I can't believe how long it's been since my last blog post! I'm so sorry!

So first of all we had my darling daughter's first birthday which I think took more planning than my wedding day! Seriously - more parties than the Queen - oh well, she deserved it :-) 

Then, shortly after the birthday celebrations I had a short spell in hospital while I had surgery to remove my gallbladder - told you it's been crazy!

So what better to get back into the swing of things than a play around with the latest Julie Love Creativity box which landed through the letterbox :-)

This month saw mandalas and oh my goodness they're amazing! Here's a few of the cards I made with the kit and I'll natter along the way to tell you what I did...

So this is one of my favourites! I've taken inspiration from the inky patterned paper and using a waterbrush and distress oxides to paint the foiled mandala topper. Super simple but really effective. Then mounted on a flag style matt and layer then adhered a foiled circle sentiment in the triangle space at the bottom.

This is another favourite (I think they're all favourites lol). So here I've done a really CAS card. Not added any colour to the foiled topper, just added a vellum banner across the front of the card and left it all black and white to really let the gold foiling show off. I've added the foiled circle sentiment to the front of the vellum banner centred on the mandala design. Then 3 pieces of card candi in the top right just for a tiny splash of colour.

This was a super quick card to make. I've matt and layered with the purple patterned paper and a square of black card then again left the foiled mandala topper plain, layering a sentiment on the front in the centre but this time adhering candi on candi fix foam pads all the way around the edge of the topper design to add some extra colour and to draw the eye in.

This is a super cool design! It looks like I've used loads of the foiled mandala toppers doesn't it?! Yet I've only used THREE! I've attached one complete with a sentiment in the centre and then the other two I've attached to the covered card front over the edge. None of the pieces that went over the edge were wasted as the pieces that were cut off are the smaller pieces that are also on the card front!

I really loved the inky patterned backgrounds. I'm not one for getting really messy so these are perfect for me! And because they don't have specific designs on them and the colours are so varied in this pad, they'll go with a whole range of other products too! BONUS!

There were embossed frames in the creativity box too, here's what I did with some of mine:

You can find out details of how to subscribe or buy some of the contents at www.craftworkcards.co.uk

Thanks for stopping by!!

How to make.... a z-fold Card - an easy step-by-step tutorial!

Hi everyone - as promised I've done a z -fold card tutorial which features over on the Craftwork Cards Official Facebook Group! If you wanted to keep this is  a safe place, then head over to the group and there's a downloadable pdf of the tutorial - including the steps and photographs for you to save on your own device.

Click on the link to head over to the facebook group...... here

So, onto the tutorial. Here's a list of everything that you'll need to make the base and to decorate as I have here.

What you will need:

Julie Loves – AllWrapped Up Collection

148x148mm Square Card

Paper trimmer/Ruler and Craft knife

Adhesive

How to make the basic card:

Take your card blank, I’ve used a 148x148mm white card blank for this tutorial. Cut a strip 55mm from the bottom.

Take the larger piece and fold the front back to the fold of the card. Use a bone folder to help give you a crisp, clean fold. Then repeat with the thinner piece.

Flip the smaller piece of card as shown in the photograph below. This forms the basis of your Z-fold card. It is easier to decorate your card before gluing together.

To decorate the card as the beginning of this tutorial you’ll need to cut the following pieces of paper:

90x70mm stars paper

90x70mm red hearts paper

90x145mm pink stripe paper

53x145mm holly & berries paper

53x145mm Turquoise trees paper

Then adhere to the card as in the photograph below. Notice the large piece of card has been decorated on the inside and the thinner piece has been decorated on the outside.

Glue a small section on the front of the red hearts paper as shown below and stick down the long end of the thinner piece of card.

Open the card and glue on the small tab of the smaller piece of card, like this:

Then simply fold the piece covered the pink stripe back over to close your card and firm down. It will stick in place perfectly and sit flat every time! Your decorated z-card base is now completed and you can add any embellishments you wish!

I added:

·       A small NOEL tag on foam pads on the inside of the card

·       A framed sentiment on the front thinner piece of card – raising the centre on foam pads and the frame sitting flat on the card

·       2 layered, embossed poinsettia die-cuts. I curled them around my finger before gluing them together, then stuck them on the front and added smaller flower die-cuts and laurels around the large flower.

A small die-cut bow on the inside of the card.

You can adapt the tutorial by using different sizes of square card to start with or by cutting thinner or wider strips initially. Obviously you'd just need to change the measurements of the pieces of paper to decorate the card blank.

The papers I've used here are from this month's Julie Loves monthly subscription club.

This is one of my favourite card styles and suits a whole range of collections. Why don't you try it out!

Happy crafting!

What a busy month!!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're all well and crafty :-)

June has been an exceptionally busy month for me! 

June marked the start of the Official Craftwork Cards and Friends on facebook. Myself, Julie Hickey and Jennifer Kray, along with the team at Craftwork Cards have been very busy setting up the group behind the scenes through to the launch on 1st June. 

The launch went smoothly and the group is going from strength to strength -no surprise when there's so many supporters of both this wonderful brand and their amazing products.

There have been exclusive sneak peeks, competitions, spot prizes and tutorials galore. The response has been wonderful and it truly is a wonderful group. If you're a Craftwork Cards enthusiast then head over, the link is here. 

It's been really exciting for me to be a part of; I've pushed my limits on a few things too - by hosting facebook live videos, and broadening my knowledge on making graphics and banners for the group.

I'd love if you could join us so head over on the link above and see what it's all about :-)

Take care - I'll be back next week with a brand new tutorial!