A little gift

After my recipe book last week, I was inspired to make a little notelet set using all of the Chalkboard set by Creative Expressions.

When the cards were finished, I simply tied them together with bakers twine and added a tag - I love the designer feel the set has and they were so simple to make - less is certainly more here.

I stamped using Adirondack Snow Cap (a must have for the chalk effect) onto black card, cut the corner with a decorative punch, then matted onto white and then the kraft card blank - cutting the corner really draws the eye in and shows off the stamped image, as does the black /white contrast.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yummy stuff

If you're a foodie, or know a foodie, the new Chalkboard stamps from Creative Expressions will be perfect for you. For my first project using them, I've gone with an upcycled gift - perfect as a stocking filler for the cook in your life. I started with a kraft covered spiral bound notebook (you could make your own book if you have a cinch or bind it all, but this one was so inexpensive that it was cheaper to buy than it would be to make)

I stamped the A6 Sketched Utensils onto a strip of white card and wrapped some bakers twine around the strip before adding a scalloped border. Next I stamped and white heat embossed the Real Good stamp onto black card, punched the corners and matted onto kraft card. I applied this to the book with silicone to lift it away from the book. Finally, I added a knot of twine.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lets Dance

Today, for my first Creative Expressions post of the month I have a slightly unusual card fold and a tutorial worksheet for you to download and follow - just click on the link below.

Here's the link to my PDF for you to follow along.

Thanks for looking

Winter Kisses

My final project for this month for Creative Expressions is also my final Christmas card for this year! I've kept this one fairly simple to maybe inspire anyone who is in a blind panic thinking they'll never get done in time. You could even save a bit of time and cardstock by leaving out the first mat and by not glittering the snowflake. For an almost flat card - to save on postage, you can leave out the foam pad under the snowflake and glue it directly to the card.

All I did was randomly stamp the snowflakes from the Snowflakes and Sprigs stamp set using perfect medium, then embossed in silver. I matted a white card with white card, them my stamped background. I stamped and embossed my greeting which is from Pinecone Christmas. Next, I applied some adhesive film to a scrap of white card, removed the backing and applied Diamond Sprinkles to cover the snowflake. I applied the snowflake to the card with a foam pad, but as I said, you can omit this if you want a flatter look.

Thanks for stopping by

As Seen on TV!

The eagle eyed among you may have already seen a fleeting glimpse of my sample for this week. I made this for one of Julia's Create and Craft shows a couple of months ago. I love how this turned out so thought it deserved a longer airing.

Every year, I make my mum a calender, and this is the one she will get this year. I combined the Anemone Planter to make a border and the Sunflower Delight to make my topper. The Spellbinder dies I used are the Fleur De Lys Squares and for the background I used the fabulous Tied Together embossing folder by Couture Creations. 

I coloured the stamped and gold embossed images with Cosmic Shimmer Pastel Watercolours and as a finishing touch, I heat embossed with gold onto a small Fancy Pearl Embellishment.

To add the calender tab, I simply stuck the tab into a mini card and added my sentiment to the tab.

Thanks for looking. 

Falling Leaves

My second project of the month is this card using the Fancy Foliage stamp set from Creative Expressions.

I started with white card and blended oranges and yellows onto it. Next, I stamped the leaves with Sepia Archival ink and added more colour by painting Distress Inks in autumn shades onto the stamped images.

My greeting was also stamped with Archival ink onto a scrap of inked card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Age Shall Not Weary Them

I have a special project to share today. I think it speaks for itself. This is my Great Grandad James Thomas Schofield who was killed near Ypres during the First World War. To commemorate the centenary, I wanted to make something fitting for my mum, who initially knew very little about her Grandad, but has over the last twenty something years made a real connection with him.

This is how I made it

I started with the Poppies mask by That Special Touch. I used Distress Ink to colour the design, masking as I went to minimize colour contamination.

Next, I took a script stamp and used sepia Archival ink through the mask so that the script only appeared on the flowers. 

I removed the mask, cleaned it, then re positioned it. I applied Perfect Medium through the mask and then clear embossed.

Then I went over the top of the whole piece with Newsprint Swirls...

followed by Crackle.

Finally over the whole piece with Gathered Twigs DI

To make the poppies, I used the Spellbinders Build a Flower die set. I cut 6 each of the three sizes of petal, 3 of the star shaped calyx, three of the poppy centres, one each of the centre circle and the asterisk plus a few leaves.

I added ink to the petals.

Then used a ball tool to add dimension

I applied Cosmic Shimmer glue to the calyx

 then stuck the six petals of each size to each of the three calyx.

I made one for each of the three petal sizes and then stacked and glued the three together.

I used a ball tool to add shape to the centres,

and glued them together

I did the same with the three 'ruffles'.

Then stuck them together.

Assemble the flower with the centre in place and the leaves on the back.

Thanks for stopping by

Art Deco Touch

Now this is the card you'd send to Hercule Poirot surely? 

I'd had the masked background ready prepared, as I was going to use it on another project, then I bought the floral bow stamp which goes perfectly with the Roses Duo Mask. I used the mini ornate frame and added my greeting which carries on the art deco feel, behind the greeting, I added a die cut from Spellbinders Tranquil Moments.

Flowers of Tomorrow

When I first saw this stamp from Creative Expressions, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, and this is it. I wanted a look something like cloisonne - really rich, bright colours on black. To achieve this, I stamped and embossed in gold onto my black card, and then used Cosmic Shimmer watercolours to colour the image - it really is that simple, but the image has so much impact and I love the way it turned out. 

To finish the card, I simply embossed a mat with Interlocking Circles and added PVA dots in Cobalt to the edges of my other mats,

Thanks for stopping by

Tx

Into the Blue

Another card this week using the new frame stamps from Creative Expressions. This time I 've gone for a very technique based  card. For the background, I used Distress Paints applied with the swoosh technique to cover the white card. I allowed this to dry completely before stamping with black Archival using the Sam Poole Newsprint Swirls and then with  Perfect  Medium using Floral Silhouettes stamps. I clear embossed the flowers, and when cooled, I went over the whole piece with Picket Fence Distress Paint. Before the paint had chance to dry, I rubbed it off to just leave a chalky film over the card.

For the focal element, I stamped one of the floral silhouettes onto white card and clear embossed. Then I stamped the frame using Faded Jeans DI. I made a mask of the central aperture so that I could stamp the crackle texture behind the roses. Finally I added various shades of blue DI befire buffing off any residual ink.

Black adds a dramatic contrast and draws you into the card to show off the techniques. A black bow, pearls and a perfectly appropriate mini cameo were all I needed to finish the card.

TFL.

Love You Lots

When I received this months stamp selection from Creative Expressions, this was immediately my favorite and I knew I'd have to stop myself from using it for all my samples! It stamps (as with all CE stamps) really crisply and even though they're big stamps, you get a lovely even image everytime.

I started with white card, then added Distress inks and blended away. After drying the ink and using my anti static pad, I stamped the image with Perfect Medium and embossed in black. To highlight the swirl flowers, I then took a waterbrush and removed the ink in these areas.

I cut the frame out using Spellbinders Matting Basics B layered it onto black and mounted onto foam. The remaining coloured card formed my lower matting, so the colour blended in perfectly.

All it needed was a greeting and some black adhesive pearls.

Thanks for dropping by. See you next week for more Creative Expressions!

The Good Stuff

Hi,
Welcome to a new month of Creative Expressions inspiration. This month we're all working with frames single stamps, and this is my first project. I discovered that the Rose Entwined stamp fits perfectly in the aperture, and made a beautiful focal point. As I took the photo, it occurred to me that this would make a lovely wedding card - and the sentiment (from Uplifting Thoughts) makes good advice for married life too!

 I embossed the images and sentiment in silver, then painted the rose with Cosmic Shimmer watercolour and drawing ink. The background embossing is the checkerboard pinpoint folder and adds lovely dimension.

Thanks for stopping by - see you next week!

Vanilla Ice

Morning, my final post for the month for Creative Expressions today and I'm so pleased with how this turned out - I love it. Just using a single colour and some PVA really lets the dies shine, and this idea could so easily transfer to a wedding or birthday card. Come to think of it, there's nothing on this version that just says christmas, so it's already there for other occasions!

I love the way the light comes through to highlight the filigree pattern.

Next week, I'm working with some lovely new frame stamps, so please drop by to see what I've been up to.

TFL

Heart of (stained) Glass

This week I've been again working with the lovely Christmas collection by Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions. Here's what I came up with.

If you'd like to have a go at making this yourself, here's a PDF to show how I did it.

Ode to Joy

My second offering of the month for Creative Expressions is this stunner - yes I know I shouldn't blow my own trumpet, but I can't help it.

I embossed a square of card with a Couture Creations folder and added pearls to the corners. The main Sentimental Bauble topper from the  was cut from adhesive sheet,  I applied the filigree part of the cut before adding the Silver Dream gilding flakes. I also cut the Holly Sprays in adhesive and covered those in Iced Sprinkles. I finished off with Chalk White seam Binding and a small Fancy Pearl Embellishment.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a lovely day.

In the Red

Hi, and welcome to a new month with Creative Expressions. This month we're using some of the new dies an stamps designed by Sue Wilson - yummy I think yule agree lol.

For my first project, I've used the Classic Poinsettia and it's corresponding stamp set and teamed them up with the Merry Christmas stamp.

We've had my parents visiting for a few days this week, so most of my stash has been tidied away for the duration, so my fingers are itching to get back and I have lots planned for the next few weeks, so don't forget to keep popping by.