Stamptacular Sunday Challenge

This week's challenge from Stamptacular Sunday Challenge was a card going round in circles.  This is my take.

Inkadinkado owl stamp  -  matted on to Nestabilities squares. 
HOTP  -  which I bought an age ago and have only just found courage to stamp direct to card.
SU punch
Together with the spotty ribbon, brad and gems I have a few circles but not too many to be gaudy!

Tippy Thursday - Freebie Sentiments

There are times when you want a sentiment and your stamp won't fit the shape of your die. So I've done these sentiments on the PC  to use with the 2nd smallest die in the Large Classic Circle Die set.  You can
also use them with the smallest Petite Scallop Circle.

If you have these sets of dies you might find these freebies useful - they will fit the dies exactly and allow you to emboss the edge, add a stamped border or doodle to your hearts content. This is how I used them for the inside sentiment.

Just click on the image below -  select "save as"  and download to your PC with my compliments. However, I do ask that as with all freebie offers you only to use these on your cards. Please do not copy and send to your friends. If you think they would like them please send them this  link to the Cupboard so they can pick them up themselves. My aim is to make the Cupboard and it's secrets known to Cuttlers - especially in the UK, and I need your help to spread the word.  Thanks for your support, I know you will understand and want to help.

I would also appreciate your views on this project - Has it worked?  Is it useful?  Should I do more?

WOYWW - 24th February

Hi Wednesday again and what's on my desk????   Not a lot!  Why, well yesterday was one of those days that nothing, and I mean nothing, went right!!

I started out doing a second take of a card, and I don't know why it didn't work?!?!?  I used the same cardstock, DP from the same pad, the same punch - but the punch would not punch, I kept trimming back and back and a 6 x 6 card ended up a very odd shaped card.  Added to this I used a new Sizziz folder which creased the cardstock very badly - hence another trim!  At this point I lost all will to craft and the card is lying unloved on my desk awaiting some inspiration or removal to the bin!

Having a old type of  drop down lid desk  means  my workspace is limited to 12" x 34" - so a push back style of crafting is impossible, less it's pushed to floor!  However, on the plus side, it can be quickly tidied when everything is push inside and lid closed!  It has a grove (not a lot of these about and unless you have one you probably wouldn't want one!) but it's useful for housing my darning needle and odd gems which escape being rehoused and lots of cubbly holes....

Looking at my cubbly holes, I feel very green!  I re-use supermarket plastic tubs because they are squishy and can fit inside each other.  On the left - adhesives, etc. then inks, and blocks.

In the middle the undershelf commodates a cutlery draw which I use for all my bits and pieces, rubbers, pencil sharpner, pens, candle.(for embossing edges when I'm too lazy to get the bug out). Above two shelves - the top one is where I keep my Bug plates.

On the right - more plastic tubs...wire, pins, cut 'n'dry pads. Pot for cutting knives and the assortment behind is all the bits I cannot seem to through away thinking that one day I might need them!

Who every made this desk was very thoughtful or got the measurements wrong, because there is a 1" gap over the top of the cubble holes.  Useful to me - Pencil case with wire tools, stamping pad, cleaning pad and scrap paper for testing stamps all fit in there nicely.  And, then of course I have the top to use as another shelf.  It works only if I put things away!

This is my sofa - as you can see something other than crafting has cropped up!  Think it will be nice when it's finished, but in the meantime I may find my crafting time limited.  I may not be able to do my usual tutorials but I will be posting some of the work that I have done recently! 

Have a good Wednesday, Are you going over to WOYWW?  

Thoughts on Tuesday - 23rd February 2010

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.

Thomas Alva Edison
more famous quotes

Well Mr. Edison we have to thank you for your wonderful inventions. - for giving us the light to see.  As crafters we too want to invent, so we need imagination and we defo need that pile of junk.... the different is we call it STASH!

To test out this theory - take a man into your craftroom and ask him. Like Mr. Edison he will see JUNK (or LITTER) because Man is from Mars, but Woman are from Venus and we can only see STASH and want more!  Take for example, last night I ordered another 6l Promarkers - my imagination says I need them.  Mr Olly says I only need 3 colours and I can then make any colour.  Tell me who is right?  Of course, I'm only asking this question after ordering and paying for them - I'm not daft!!

Nestabilities - Stamping - Distress and Alcohol Inks

Monday again and my card today is one that you might have caught a glimse of last week if you had a nosey round my desk last Wednesday! (WOYWW).
This is a special card that I made for Andrea - I really enjoyed doing this because Andrea has been really helpful and encouraging - and she is the reason why my crafting skills have improved and also who is to blame for getting me into stamping, and distress inks, and alcohol inks - where will you take me to next I wonder???!!!???

The borders I cut with the Spade Borderabilities. 

I cut two different papers at once.  From the top brown one I pushed out all the small pieces and....

added them to the main front DP to give a two tone effect for decorating the inside of the card. 

The image, another from Chris Dark, I coloured with promarkers, die cut with the Label 4 die, inked the edges with 2 shades of distress ink  and then triple embossed. 

The mat is cut with the next size up Label 4 die out of silver mirror card.  This I coloured with alcohol inks (Lettuce, Black and Mushroom) and then  embosed with the Script folder.

The chipboard letter started out  pale blue in colour, but with the same AI treatment this was easy to change.  Then  with a bit more triple embossing it looked the part.  You'd never had guessed it was anything other - blue what blue? 

Have a good Monday.

Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels 1

How can you go wrong with a cute Penny Black image, Basic Grey Papers and of course your Nesties! Here I have cut the die out of a square of BG paper to make a frame, then matted this on to another square using 3D pads.   The image is coloured with Prisma pencils, embosed round the edge and sits on the back square  giving a framed effect.

Hope you 're having a "mice" day!

Cuttlebug Folder, Nestabilitie Oval Scallop, and stamping

Need a quick card?  BUT, also an interesting one - How's about this ....

Materials Used:
6 x 6 Cream Hammer card
CB - Swiss Dots Folder
2 Oval scallop dies
Vintage corner die
Harmony Alphabet
Decorative paper
Border punch
Stamp, ribbon and gems

 

I first embossed the front edge of the card, then covered the with DP with a shaped edge.  Any border punch would be fine, but this was actually cut with a Fiskar stencil template.

Cut and add the corners - to make these easier to fasten to the card, I always put DST (see glossary) on the back of the card before I cut. You can see this in more detail under the label : Alphabets on my sidebar.  On this card I also needed numbers, which were cut in actually the same way.

Cut 2 oval dies - one in cream card, the other in the same patterned paper.

Add your stamped image - not sure what this stamp is called or the manufacturer - there were some smaller flowers on the image, but I cut them off!  The mottled effect was achieved by using different colours of chalk and then covering with glossy accents.

This is not just a Cuttled card - it combines embossing,  papercrafting and stamping, but it's still an quick and easy to achieve card with texture, colour and interest.  Hope you like it!

Alcohol Inks and New Spellbinder Dies

Some interesting News.

If like me you love Alcohol Inks you would probably like to have a look at the new colours available on this link - they are soooo tempting, but you don't have to buy - just take a look.   Liz also has in stock some of the new release dies at a good price. 

Information on buying Classic Square Nestabilities

If you are thinking of buying any Classic Square Nestabilities, you will find this list of sizes useful in making up your mind which is the right set for you. There is only 1/4" difference between the large and small - I have found that the large size works okay for me.

Classic Squares Large S4 - 126
1) ½x½"
2) 1x1"
3) 1½x1½"
4) 2x2"
5) 2½x2½"
6) 3x3"
7) 3½x½"

Classic Scallop  Square Large S4 127
1: 1⅛: x 1⅛"
2: 1¾ x 1¾"
3: 2¼ x 2¼"
4: 2⅞ x 2⅞"
5: 3⅜ x 3⅜"
6: 4 x 4"

Classic Inverted Scallop Square Large S4-196
1) 1" square
2) 1½"
3) 2"
4) 2½"
5) 3"
6) 3½"

Classic Square Small S4 128
1) ¼x¼"
2) ¾x¾"
3) 1¼x1¼"
4) 1¾x1¾"
5) 2¼x2¼"
6) 2¾x2¾"
7) 3¼x3¼"

Classic Scallop Square Small S4-129
1) ⅞ x ⅞"
2) 17⁄16 x 1 7⁄16"
3) 2 x 2"
4) 2⅝ x 2⅝"
5) 3⅛ x 3⅛"
6) 3¾ x 3¾"

Class Inverted Scallop Square Small S4-197
1) ¾"
2) 1¼"
3) 1¾"
4) 2¼"
5) 2¾"
6) 3¼"

If you are looking for the sizes of other Nesties - check out my sidebar under Labels: Dies - Info and Sizes.

Hope this will be useful to someone!

WOYWW - 17th February

Good morning from a very frosty North Staffordshire. Am I glad I'm on the inside looking out!  This is the front our bungalow -  the view from my craft room.    Anyone walking down the drive can see just what I'm up to, which is a blessing in itself because it does encourage me to keep it fairly tidy, but the Postie knows I don't aways manage it!  By the way,  the bars on the windows are to keep me in crafting, not to keep you out!

Today you can come in too because it's WOYWW - here's a view of some of my craft storage space that is behind me as I craft. It's further away than I would like, but then on the good side - it's makes me move!

When we had a small extention added to this room, it was supposed to be for an area to chill out in, read a book, listen to music.  Sounded like a good idea at the time,  but often in the midst on a project there's no where to sit, or lie for that matter!  So failed on that one!!   Am I bothered?  Defo Not - I have more room to craft.(eh eh).  The unit is from Ikea and a cupboard with doors was a must for me, although they are usually more tidy than the floor.  On the  shelves of the small cupboard I keep replacement essentials - adhesives, inks, poly bags, bits and bobs etc., and in the other my crafting CD's, clear stamps in stored in CD cases rescued from my big sort out.  The files contain papers (a few of them) and the rest of the boxes house embellishments.

This is my desk this morning....not a lot going on.  Yesterday the Postie delivered some new embossing folders.  I tried out the swirls and vines on a card base that had been lying about for an age, but then found after much searching that I had nothing suitable to put on it.  So turned to something else, and then realised that I was soooo tired that whatever I did wouldn't work, so I put the light out and went and had a whisky and watched the tele!  The light by the way is where I hang my camera - this way it doesn't disappear. 

Can't show you my drawers, but can show you my shelves above.  Have a look round Andrea - sorry I  missed your BD - you will find your card here to view.  Will deliver personally on Saturday. 

  I had a light bulb idea an hour ago so must go check it out, so see you around your workdesk soon.

Thoughts on Tuesday

Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.

James Bryant Conant
more famous quotes

When I read this quote it made me smile,  how true!  I may not be a turtle, but I do have an habit of sticking my neck out, but am I making progress?   I think so!!??!  Failure may be round the corner, (or in  the bin) but is it failure, or is it learning?  Some learn by reading, some by watching, some like me by doing - which are you?

Whatever cap fits, remember the turtle.  If you never do, you will never move on. Our crafting  habits (and stash) give us opportunities to move on and bloging gives us the means to find our next step  forward.  So if you are feeling bored, or have lost your  mojo - go visit a few blogs or open the Cupboard, have a rumage see what you have lurking, just patiently waiting for you. 

Aren't we lucky to be crafters!  For me the postie has just arrived with my replacement C plate and ????? - what a fab start to the day, something new to try!  Check out my desk tomorrow - WOYWW day.

Hope you also have a creative day,

Nestabilitie Label No. 2

My card today is one of my "less is more" ideas.  Looks simple; is simple, but the simplicity actually gives the card an elegance, and it also looks expensive!

I have used a linen cardstock and embossed with Swiss Dots - the line finishing the pattern was made using my scoreboard.

The image is a digital from the very talented Chris Dark called Bluebells.  Having watercoloured the image, I die cut with the labels 4 die and embossed the edge. If you haven't got a tan mat, you can use an embossing pen to acheive the same look.

The edge colouring is attained with Distress Inks (Peeled Paint) and Cut'n'Dry foam.

To give the topper that extra lustre look - I triple embossed with Cosmic embossing powder.

Hope you like this one!

My new stamps

Since everyone seems shy about their cards appearing in my Friday Followers' Gallery, I'm going to show you something I did yesterday. Following my TT post - I did look at some of my stamps.....

The Verve stamps I received only yesterday as my prize from a Stamptacular Sunday Challenge.  The See-D's are the first stamps I bought and have had very limited use (never known what to do with them - does this ring a bell?).  The bird cage stamps are from Creative Expressions, and the flower set from Personal Expressions.  So what to do with this lot????

Out came my Distress inks.  Peeled Paint, Broken China, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmelade, Dried Marigold and Black Soot.  What fab names they give these inks!  I started by creating a background and then added elements of my stamps, distressed and inked the edges......and this was the finished result.   Can you spot the stamps I've used?

I have to admit this was my second attempt...the first I had trouble with keeping the black ink from marking the background when I wasn't looking.  You think I've a tidy craftroom, but this doesn't stop me being a messy worker!  I'm real chuffed with the end result -  now the only thing I have to decided  is how to make a card with it??!?!?!?!?  

Tippy Thursday

Hi all, how are you today? I hope well and warm, for although the sun is shinning it's very cold out there on this frosty morning.  Nice to look out on whilst you craft!

As crafters we are luck that there are so many ways in which we can occupy ourselves, so what are you doing today?  My passions at the moment are collecting distress and alcohol inks and cosmic embossing powder, and promarkers, and stamps - some passion - how exciting !!!!  But, what can I do with them?  How to get the best use out of my new goodies - or will they sit on the shelf like other things I have just had to buy because I liked them, and wanted them, but not actually needed them! So, I have been looking at my new goodies and thinking okay you wanted them - what are you going to do with them???!!!???   

So........Distress Inks....
1:   I was introduced to these about 3 months ago by the very talented Andrea as an excellent way to colour images to give a watercolour effect. This started me off!
2:  You can also ink the edges of your card or image.
3:  You can change your base card colour to make sentiment/tags to match your decorative paper.
4:  You can use Cut 'N' Dry foam to make mottled backgrounds on which to stamp. Messy, but I like it!
5:  You can stamp with them and then emboss - but you do have to be quick to do this!
If you use these inks for other things...please share with me.

Alcohol Inks
Again messy and you need an heat proof mat and an applicator - but wonderfully satisfying!  Great, different results every time you use them. 
1:   You can make beautiful motttled backgrounds on which to use your stamps
2:   Colour mirror board or cardstock and then emboss with a embossing folder - great for matting
3:   Use to give texture and interest on various surfaces
4:   Use on acetate
5:   Use on metal - jazz up boring tins!
6:   Use on grundgeboard and probably more others I've yet to discover!

Stamps
Look at your stamps - what can you do with them? Do you get full use out of a stamp? Can you use the image in a different way? Can you take a small image and make it appear bigger? Yes, you can....

This stamp is an inchie, but it looks bigger!

I have just stamped on cream card, die cut with a Nestie square, embossed the edge with an embossing pen (felt lazy), shaded with distress inks to match my DP, then triple embossed.

The embossed effect with using the Cosmic shimmer embossing powder makes photography difficult, but you can see the glossy shine look from triple embossing and also from the embossed swirls (stamped with DI).

The mat was made again with cream card and die cut with the next sized Nestie then coloured and textured with Alcohol ink.

So my tip today is to do something with your new things instead of shelving them - I hear so many say "oh I have that and I have never used it!" Open the cupboard and see what you have there that you've not used for an age (or at all!!!)....like my Perfect Pearls for example!!!  But I'm working on them!

Back soon.... have a good play.

WOYWW - 10th February

I walked into my craftroom this morning to switch on the PC and thought:  Well not so tidy, but not so bad!

Whoops, forgot to put the lid back - so much for my useful little side table,  and you will see the floor is back in use.  

Then back to the kitchen - where after some 10.30 ish night crafting whilst the footie was on I'd overspilled - not so good!  New stamps, thick embossing power and what a wonderful relaxing time playing....

I have more worktop room in the kitchen and the height is easier for embossing, but doesn't really mix very well with getting dinner!   When this lot is cleared away it's all goes into the bag that is actually a vanity case, but I don't need vanity so this is a much better use for it!

Thought I show you some of my new stamps and the triple embossed toppers I made.

I did actually have a tidy up session around 6ish last night, because I'd been so busy making and finishing off cards that I'd got to the stage where I couldn't find anything because I coundn't see anything!  That is apart from the acetate which I'd lost after my tidy up/throw away last week, which turned up in the most unlikely place where I'd put it to be easily found.  Message to myself:   I must put things in less handy or unlikely places and then perhaps I wouldn't  lose things!  The coffee mug is hidding other new goodies like alcohol inks, which are brill, but messy on the fingers.  On the shelf above my desk -  finished cards using the inks my new punch - a lovely pressie from a lovely friend. 

Last week Crafty Chris asked me how I'd achieved my winter scene look and were there any tutorials on this.  I don't think so, but perhaps someone else knows!?!?!  I saw this method of colouring on the tele and since I've been collecting Distress inks - it was just meant for me to try.  So all you need is ink (I've done this with  Adirondack as well) and some cut and dry foam which is another Ranger product designed for the job which doesn't use much ink.  Before you ask - from my usual supplier.  You start on your mat, then drag the inked foam to the edge of your card and then  into the middle giving a fading effect.  Hope that makes sense.  You will notice that I have use this method to add colour to my embossed toppers.

Well that's about all, not such a goodie two shoes this week, but defo a happy crafter. 
Have a Happy Wednesday whatevers on your desk!

Thoughts for Tuesday

How relevant is this saying to us:

Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than
 dream: work.

William Arthur Ward
more famous quotes

I felt this quote so appropriate to Crafters,

We belong to Forums and we also participate in discussions and enter challenges.

We do more than care: we help as I know from my Breast Screening Appeal - with your help I have now raised £310.

We do more than believe: we practice our skills.

We do more than be fair: we are kind and supportive visiting and encouraging  our crafting friends.

Do more than forgive - forget ???  Well I hope not!

We do more than dream - we work - check out WOYWW on Wednesday you will see what creative work is going on!

Nestabilitie Scalloped Octagon - Love is in the air!

My card today is inspired by the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Love is in the air....without a heart was an extra element! I couldn't resist having a go. So, I got out the first stamp I bought and my latest Nestie and designed my card.

Materials and tools used
Nestabilities - largest Scalloped Octagon x 2
                     smaller Scalloped Octagon x 1
Embossing Folder - D'vine Swirls
Grey Metalic cardstock / white card for stamping
Stamped image - Anna Griffin background stamp
Distress inks, embossing powder
Punches

Having stamped and coloured the image - cut using the smaller scallop. I centred the rose on a large background stamp  then embossed the edge  using a tan mat, and inked the edges with distress ink. You will notice that the image is very glossy this is because the image has been triple embossed.

Cut 2 of the largest scallop dies - Emboss 1 with the D'vine swirls folder.

You are now ready to assemble the card. On the back section - score a line (using the scallops as a guide) so the card will open. Glue the two shapes together.

With the image added and a few punched leaves for that extra dimension.

The finished card...

This card is so simple to make and one I will defo be making again.  The possibilites are endless.  I love my new dies, distress inks and thick embossing powder.  Love is certainly in the air - thanks SSC for another great challenge project and Liz for a swift delivery of my new goodies.

Hope you like this idea for a quick Valentine Card - I'd love to see your work and would also appreciate a link.  Please help me to promote the BUG!

Thanks for dropping by, seeya soon...