Monday, 12 February 2018

Valentine's Day Part II

So, I don't normally go OTT on Valentine's Day - I am not particularly romantic, however my Husband can be.  This year I have actually made him a card before the actual day and I have bought him a present!

So, feeling chuffed and righteous I decided to make my girls and my Mum a Valentine's gift (I know, steady on!).  I found a tutorial on You Tube on making matchstick boxes posted about 4 years ago by a demonstrator called Diane Dimich.  I thought they looked really cute and just the right size for a couple of chocolates.


I decorated them with hearts using the Lots to Love box dies and scraps of glimmer and foiled cardstock and a few bits of ribbon.

You use a 6x6 piece of cardstock the envelope punch board to make the base of the box, and then just wrap the cardstock around to fit.  You also use the punch board to create the notch to open the draw, it is very clever.


I also added the  Sweet Soiree Ready Shreddie from the catalogue as well.  Overall I was really pleased with this project and I hope the girls like it as well

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Thursday, 8 February 2018

Brusho and Embossing Paste

Just a re-cap on my video yesterday featuring the two new embossing pastes in the Occasions Catalogue and the Brusho's.

You can mix the Brusho's in either paste and get different effects.  I find the Silver paste (depending on the strength and colour used) gives a pearlescent look, while the shimmery paste and Brusho is just full on glitz and glam.  I find with the Silver embossing paste that the Brusho's sink when it is drying, so that it looks slightly more silver on top, however you can still see the colour change.

My tips for die-cutting, are ensure the card is thoroughly dry as the fibres in the card may not cut cleanly if still damp (check the top and the underneath of the card).  I find leaving them overnight is best.  With the Shimmery Embossing paste I also place a piece of copier paper between the paste and the top plate (or whichever plate meets the paste side of die-cutting machine 'sandwich'), this protects the plate so it doesn't get contaminated with glitter.

Here is the card I made for the video.


Video can be found here:





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Monday, 5 February 2018

Valentine's Part I

Well, it is almost time for Valentine's Day (about 1 week away).  This is probably the shortest card selling and card supplies selling window of the year! Its not something that is discussed before the middle to end of January and then you have about 2 or 3 weeks to get prepared and sell.

I have done a couple of projects for Valentine's, mainly because Stampin' Up have released an amazing set of Designer Series Papers, which I adore called Painted with Love.  I have used them for Valentine's, but also for other events in the year.

The problem with a Designer Series Paper that you love is having to cut it up and use it in away that shows it off, this card does that.  This card is all about the DSP and very little about the stamping!  What really sets it off is the coordinating cardstock pack that enables you to do a little matting and layering with ease.


I love the simplicity of the colours and patterns, flecked with that gold.  You may not be able to see, but the paper has a printed texture that makes you want to reach out and stroke it!

I have also used this paper as the background to a family picture taken at Christmas.  I didn't want a wintery themed scrapbook page as the emphasis was on all the grandchildren being with Granny rather than the time of year.  I also used some Brusho to create interest in the background (which is why the card is buckled - I am hoping that being in the Big Black Folder it will flatten over time).


Again, the gold just adds that bit of opulence to the layout.

Lastly, I added it to a page about an Afternoon Tea my husband and I recieved as a joint birthday present.  A romantic afternoon, but it was more because the colours in the cardstock pack and DSP set the photos off well.


Later in the week on Facebook, I will be highlighting some more male oriented valentine's cards.




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Thursday, 1 February 2018

Same card - Two colours

I love this idea, repeating the same card design with different colour combinations.  It is amazing how colour changes the feel and purpose of a card, it is also a great way to experiment with colour and get some inspiration if you are feeling a bit stuck.

With the video yesterday I used the bubble over stamp set and a 'D' stamp block to create a card that was a direct copy of the card we did during January's class, but just changed the colour combination.

Post in the comments below what colour combination you like best





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