Tuesday, July 30

Summertime Card

It's the dead of winter here in Australia so making a Summer themed card was a lovely distraction from the chilly breeze and drizzly rain.  To me, summer means lots of bright flowers and plenty of insects!  I didn't have a fly or mosquito punch, which would be much more accurate for my part of the world, so I went with some pretty butterflies instead.
 

A Challenge Card

While we were away on vacation I missed a number of challenges over at Cardcamp.  One of them was a CASE card (Copy And Selectively Edit), which I created using a gorgeous Kaisercraft stamp heat embossed onto watercolour paper and then coloured with Distress Markers.
 
 
 

Monday, July 29

Country Floral Cards

My designers have put together some more beautiful projects with the Country Florals Set that was released last week.  I really love the variety of colours they've used with the images giving all the finished projects a different look.
 
Annie's Card
(front and inside)

Carla's Card

Two cards from Emily

Malin's Card
(front and inside)

Marianne's Card

Candy's Card

 
A Design Team call will be going out on the 1st of September!

Sunday, July 28

New Rubber Stamp Sets

Sparkle N Sprinkle have recently released four new rubber stamp sets that are available now for purchase.  Rose Bouquet, which I designed with Mother's Day in mind, Swirls, Soccer and Basketball.  The sports sets are great for creating masculine cards, but they're also useful for scrapbookers who enjoy using stamps on their pages.  Simply stamp, colour and cut out for a great embellishment.  Alternatively, you can stamp them in very light colours all over a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock for a custom background.
 




Saturday, July 27

Tutorial - Diorama Cards


Diorama cards are wonderful little creations that allow card makers to build up a three dimensional scene using a few simple folds and a couple of pieces of cardstock.  There are several different ways to create these cards, and some of the more complicated methods have a number of layers to give even more depth to the finished product.
Today I want to show you a nice simple card that folds flat for postage.  I've done a basic tutorial that will give you the general idea of how to make these cards, followed by a more detailed tutorial on how to make the card pictured below.
 
 
1.  Decide on how big you would like your finished card to be then cut two pieces of cardstock to the desired size.  The finished card will be the same size as these two pieces of cardstock, so if you want your finished card to measure 6" x 6" then you need to cut your cardstock to that size. 
 
2.  Score each piece of cardstock at 1/2" and 1" from either side.  Fold along the score lines and press the crease firmly as shown in the pictures below. 
 
3.  Use a die or a large punch to create a window in the centre of the front piece of cardstock.  It can be as large or as small as you like, depending on what image you wish to put inside. 
 
4.  Place some adhesive on the outer edges of the cardstock.  Join the front and back sections together to create the diorama card base. 
 
5.  Now you can decorate the card as desired. 
 
I have written some instructions for creating the card pictured above.  Although it is the same basic design, you will actually do most of the decorating before assembling the card.
 
1.  Cut two pieces of cardstock measuring 6" x 6".  Score both pieces at 1/2", 1", 5" and 51/2" and set the bottom piece aside.  Stamp your image on the front of the card, slightly off centre.  (I heat embossed a beautiful Flourishes stamp featuring a garden gate.) 
 
2.  Decide on the shape and size of your window.  I used an oval die and positioned it in the centre front of the card.
 
3.  Use a pencil to mark the position of the die in relation to the image you stamped.  These guide lines will show you where to cut and where to position the die again when you're ready to make the window. 
 
4.  Colour the image as desired making sure you take the colour right to the edges of the cardstock. 
 
5.  In order to slip the die under the image, you need to cut around the area you marked.  Use a craft knife and a small pair of scissors and cut a little beyond the pencil marks. 

6.  Your die should now fit nicely behind the image so that when you run it through your cutting machine it will not cut the image. 
 
7.  Use a small pair of scissors to neaten up the edges around your image. 
 
8.  Now it's time to work on the back of the card.  Line up the front and back pieces and use a pencil to draw a guide line around the window so you know where to place the elements.  Stamp a sentiment and image in the desired place and colour the image. 
 
9.  Use some double sided tape or glue to join the front and back sections together and your card is done. 

Wednesday, July 24

Gnarled Wreath Freebie





Originally designed July 2013.
Digitally remastered July 2019.
Original artwork by Beccy Muir, all rights reserved. Images are for personal use and must not be copied, swapped, shared, resold or mass produced without the express written permission of the artist.

Monday, July 22

New Release: Country Florals

These bright and funky flowers are easy to colour and cut out, which makes them perfect for layering on your paper craft projects.  Each image can be purchased separately or you can buy the entire set including the sentiments.  All the designs come as a black and white line drawing and include a full colour version to either print and use for quick projects or as a colouring guide.
 







Wednesday, July 17

A Friend

I recently purchased this lovely new set of nesting dies from Sizzix called Majestic Labels #2.  The largest in the set is big enough to create a shaped card base with smaller ones for building up the front.  I used a pretty piece of patterned paper from my scrap drawer, a stamp from my Shabby Chic Birdhouse set, a Martha Steward butterfly punch and a lovely red-brown ribbon to complete the card.  Simple, but pretty.
 

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Wednesday, July 10

More Monkeys!

I couldn't resist creating more of these little cuties!  This time a couple of lady monkeys complete with brooches, hair ribbons and crochet flowers.
 
 
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Monday, July 1

More Wedded Bliss

I have some more inspiration from my wonderful designers to share with you today.  These cards were all created using the new "Wedded Bliss" set that's available in store now... aren't they beautiful?!
 
Carla's Card

Annie's Card (open and closed)

Emily's Card


Marianne's Card

Malin's Card


Candy's Card

Shirl's Card
 
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