Author: Catherine

I decided to experiment with stamping and embossing onto a gelli print quite a detailed stamp – Fanciful Flowers background from My Favourite Things – to mixed results.

You’ll have to see the video I made to see the hot mess that ended up in the bin – but this turned out nice at the end!

This one was a striped gelli print panel with different blue colours. I embossed the image with blue powder and then used Inktense to colour the flowers very loosely! I then added some splatter including the shimmer ink.

I then trimmed it down to around 4×4 and mounted it on white and then on a purple card base that is 5×5.

I added the glitter die cut leaf sprig and then the sentiment with a nest of thread for texture underneath.

I kept the inside simple with a panel of the white with one of the off cuts of the gelli print stamping to finish off.

Sometimes you have to admit defeat when something doesn’t work out well so I am glad I actually tried it with two panels and so could at least use this one! And at the end of the day the other one was only paper so no big loss to throw it away as an experiment failed!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today my festive Friday project was one I filmed and have uploaded on YouTube for a change. Think I’ve got myself more in the habit of putting the camera on when I create now after the mammoth filming project that was Christmas in July.

These cards were made when I decided to grab the papers I have leftover from old Making Cards magazine kits and the knit design papers just jumped out at me to use!

Decided to then go multi coloured with the sentiment and use the fabulous stencil and die set from Waffle flower: overlapping Christmas

This one I went with black for the frame and for the centre to help show off the detail of that gorgeous wreath.

During the Christmas in July series I used this die and loved it so much I die cut a few from scraps and stacked them and popped them into a pouch so they are ready to grab.

I added the stars that I had stencilled and die cut to the wreath which look black here but are actually the three colours I used for the words overlapping!

I added card Candi to finish this one off.

This one is very busy with all that print and the words dominating the card!

I added gems on the wreath although probably would have been better with coloured ones to show up more!

I also used the larger stars from the stencil and die set for scattering around the card front.

Inside the card I just added the remaining strips of papers to finish off!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today I took a little time off work as I had a few meetings cancelled and decided to make the most of an emptier calendar than normal! So the good news is that I could then get my blog updated for the next week or so with all the projects I’ve been making … so lots of blogs/projects to share.

On this blog I am sharing the cards I made when I decided to use two of the darker and less patterned gelliprints to make a set of little cards, grabbing some rub ons I’ve had for years!

I added the cream lacy rub ons directly onto the gelli print and then decided to heat emboss in gold the Beautiful Flowers stamp over the top.

This created a very interesting effect with the pattern of the rub ons coming through the image of the flowers and leaves.

I added the sentiment in embossing on both – the black for one and the white for the other.

I then added a black mat for each panel and stuck it onto the orchid oasis cardblank. I wrapped some waxed thread around the top with a bow and glued it in place.

Then I added the black gems to finish off.

So much detail going on in these cards but really they are quite simple because the rub ons and the large stamped image do most of the work!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I kept this simple as I hadn’t realised how quickly I had got to this design team project for Addicted to stamps and more and ran out of time … so I grabbed a ready sewn Spellbinders panel and flower and assembled them onto a square card blank.

I then went hunting through the pouches of die cuts I do when I purge my scraps and have a session die cutting and found three sprig dies and two labels – and the waffle flower sentiment too!

I added green ink to one of the labels to give some contrast for the sentiment to sit on and then clustered them to the right of the centre.

Love this bright and cheery card and know that although this took no time at all to put together for the challenge it was all because I had done the sewing on another occasion and got this all ready for when I needed something quick but impressive to put together!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi

At the beginning of the month I always play with patterned paper and this month I didn’t get around to tidying away the pouch I had pulled out so I made another card. I actually used a scrap of cardstock I had die cut from last time too!

So the two pieces of patterned paper were cut for the sheet load of cards challenge months ago but I never got around to doing the full batch and I couldn’t actually work out which sketch this one was for so didn’t end up doing that … instead I added the die cut panel and an embossed panel background and made a vase out of the half circle with sone random die cuts and the little flower embellishments and a thread bow.

I also added the sentiment from Waffleflower.

I lightly inked the background, the sentiment and the edge of the vase – I had previously inked through the die cut circle so that’s a bit inky too!

Really pretty papers and I think a cute used of the shapes and that panel.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Last Thursday it was confirmed that the hard work had paid off and that with some very good A Level results our daughter will be going to Manchester Met University. Of course I made a card!

I chose to use the Altenew background stencil and stamp set I bought last year and then lots and lots of the pierced blooms flowers, leaves and some splendid thoughts dies too!

I went with a peach and pink theme but also brought in the dark purple and red – basically all the warm tones!

Whilst I used a sentiment from Altenew I also printed a sentiment to go underneath as it couldn’t find the right one in my stash!

So we are now on count down to her moving out to her new adventure – exciting times (obviously also highly emotional for me who will miss her so much – whilst being happy for her!) !

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This was actually made a few weeks ago to join in with the July 1 sketch: 3 ways challenge my friends Helen, Sarah and Jackie have come up with.

I videoed the process that shows the full process. I actually change my plan and use of the sketch half way through and end up turning the sketch but not the photos so it does end up quite different by the end.

The sketch is above and it was a page maps sketch.

I chose to use old papers from the stash and then some bramble fox and lollipop box club kit stash. I also used the Hey Little Magpie dies too.

Love the way the title worked – so pleased I remembered when I came to finish the page (I did it in two sessions) that the box had this in it as had been struggling with titles having not got the right letters in the right colours.

As usual a bit of mixed media going on in the background using the packaging technique and some black gesso splatters.

Love how this came out.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

#1skh3wys

#12x12layouts

#memorykeeping

I decided to join in the challenge of use embossing at the UK stampers forum over on Facebook. And went to town with my embossing!

I videoed the process so check that out on YouTube.

I started with an inky background and embossed the debossing! I chose the pearlescent powder so it’s a subtle but beautiful finish to the background with that brocade design folder.

Then I stamped all the flowers twice from the smile more stamp set from Altenew. I watercoloured them loosely with inks and then embossed the line art over the top for more embossing but I also love this look. Then I die cut them out and layered them in a cluster diagonally across the card.

I then worked on the sentiment cluster with the stamps from the set. I embossed the Be Positive with the same purple embossing powder and then stacked the die cut up a few times.

I decided it needed some separation from the flowers so using some Sizzix dies I added the circle and the banner. I inked the banner with the same ink I had been watercolouring with.

I added a nest of the waxed thread behind the cluster too to add some more texture.

Then I finished off with the purple sequins.

A fun & very shiny card made for the challenge!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello! Today I decided to use up some bits left from one of the Christmas in July projects!

I took the floral element I had stamped, water coloured and embossed previously and then also took the panel of Blackberry Bliss that had been cut to size previously and added some stamping to that.

I used a script stamp and a splat stamp for that background.

I then added some patterned paper as a torn strip down the background. This gave an interesting contrast.

I used the same sentiment as last time which is a waffle flower and then some pale pink gems to finish off.

So this is different from the project that some of this was leftover from although still similar given the same focal image.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today I have a design team creation using an image from Patties Creations – Beach Time for a card themed ‘outside fun’ for the latest Creative Knockouts blog.

I went quite simple for this which is unusual for me!

I started by printing the image out and watercolouring with distress oxides. I chose the oxides because I wanted the muted chalky look you get with them.

Then I tore around the image for a rustic look.

I then chose some cream cardstock and die cut it with the watercolour stripes Altenew die which I’ve had in the stash for ages and never got around to using till now!

I kept it simple by just leaving it plain and mounting it onto the same colour cardstock.

I wrapped some linen thread around the panel several times and then using some scrap cardstock I added three bits underneath on either side of the thread to add the torn topper panel. This keeps it slightly raised off the back panel but not too raised like it would be with foam.

I then added the sentiment which I heat embossed onto black and cut a little banner end.

I chose the bronze dotty card Candi to finish off.

Simple and sweet. It’s a slightly wider card than I normally make (it’s more of an American size with that card cover die) so it will have to have a larger envelope like a 5×7 but I don’t mind the odd size. The crumb cake base works well with the linen coloured thread.

Happy crafting!

Catherine