More Paper Piecing

I did some more paper peicing with my class which, sadly, we decided to stop. These are a few more of the cards. We had fun in the classes but needed more people to make it viable but hopefully they will resume at another time and maybe another place.

Paper Peicing

I love a bit of paper peicing (more to follow!) and I was doing it as one of my classes although this is actually a commission card. Incidentally, I've had to stop the classes for the timebeing as due to lack of attendees but hoping that another time and another place, it may start again. Anyway, the papers are from a First Edition Christmas 8x8 pad although becuase of the colour palette, I could get away with using the plainer papers and less obvious Christmas papers for a birthday card. There was very little paper peicing to do on this stamp which is an old Anita's stamp of a shopping girl. I've used her a few times as she is very useful for young girl/women cards as she still looks really funky. The greeting is a Woodware text stamp which is brilliant. I love Woodware's 'large and bold' stamps - they are great.

Hanging Stars

OK this is the last Inkwell stamps card I'll show you for a little while. This one is quite simple. It is just using the hanging stars stamp on it's own onto a distress ink background. I used glue and silver flakes on the stars and also on the greeting and on the edges of the strip. Another simple but effective card.

Gold Bauble Simple Card

This is another Inkwell Stamps card. It is using the 'O little town' stamp embossed in gold then cut out with a Spellbinders bauble. I've layered onto so lovely foiled card that I can't remember where I purchased but is great so if I see it I'll buy more. I used a large ribbon with it. It's very simple and quite plain but I like it.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I loved everything about this card. It started with a distress ink background - I have a stash of these already done that I just use as I need them. The colours used were probably pickled raspberry and dusty concord and also had a spray of mica over the surface. I've then stamped 2 Inkwell Stamps on it - the hanging stars that was a freebie with a magazine and the 'O little town of Bethlehem' stamp. I've extended the background on the image to give more hills. I then used water and a brush to wash out the buildings so they were highlighted. I also added a little alcohol marker to the hills to define them a little better - I could have used the distress ink but didn't want to wet the card. I've added a little 'wink of stella' to the star over the buildings to highlight it. That's about it. I do love the concept and will probably make lots of these in different colours as it is a quick and easy but effective Christmas card.

Clarity Noel and Stars

I was trying out micaboss on this card and it was fairly unsuccessful. Micaboss is embossing powder that stays sticky once heated so you can apply foiling, mica, etc. It is quite coarse and I had trouble making it stick. I had to apply 2 coats which meant I lost some of the detail but I will try to work with it again. The large 'noel' word is a Clarity stamp and so is the large star in the centre of the O. However, the hanging stars are the freebie stamp by Inkwell stamps that I mentioned in previous posts. I love the look of this card but will try it again, possibly just with normal embossing powder.

Inkwell Stamps Candle Stamp

I mentioned last time that there were more Inkwell Stamp cards to follow and this is the first batch. This candle stamp comes as a group of 3 but due to the clear outline they are easily cut out - even easier if you have a Brother Scan'n'cut like me! I made these few cards but I have plans for some other ideas I want to try out so you might see some more. This candle stamp is an 'end of line' one so you may have trouble getting it unless they decide to bring it back into stock. Very useful stamp though.

Dangle tangles

I have a lovely stamp by Inkwell Stamps that was actually a free one with Creative Stamper (I think) last year. I decided it would work as a great starting point for doing zentangle dangles. I did a few practice dangles then did the finished card that I've shown at the top. Inkwell Stamps also do a similar stamp with snowflakes on that I hope to aquire soon as I think that will also work really well. More cards made with Inkwell Stamps to come. Look them up!

Another Quick Cards Submission - free snowflake die

I submitted these 3 cards to show how I had used the free snowflake die given with the magazine. It gave me the opportunity to try out some Frantage powder I bought recently in the craft sale at my local craft shop. I thought it would be great for making a snowy scene and it is! Can't wait to use it some more!

Baby Cards for Quick Cards Magazine

These are yet more submissions for Quick Cards magazine. They wanted to see some baby cards so rustled these up using my Brother Scan'n'cut. I had the baby grow file and pram file. I'm not sure where I got the baby grow one from but the pram is from Bird who posts loads of cutting files for free which are great. You can find it here (if I've pressed the right buttons!) I really love the pram card - the colours look great. I used the papers I got free with a magazine and they worked really well for baby cards although that's not what they were marketed as. Hope you like them too.

Quick Cards Free Papers

I submitted these cards to Quick Cards magazine to show what I could do with their free papers. I'm hoping it will mean they will make me one of their featured designers for a month. I'd love to be able to do that so hope they like these.

Not a card! Flower Wreath

Bit of a change for me. One of my class asked if we could make flowers so have been trying out a few easy flowers and trying to decide how we can use them. What I've done here is cut a frame from thick card (4 inch diameter), wrap a ribbon around (took a bit more than a metre), add a bow and jewel to hide where I've attached the thin ribbon for hanging. That's when the fun began! The rosebud ones are just made from circles of card cut into a spiral them curled up. The open flowers are made from an 8 petal small punch which is layered up (approx 12 layers) and scrunched up. All have been edged with some tattered rose distress ink. The leaves are a Spellbinder d-lite die that has been cut up. I've made lots of other style flowers and will probably show them too at a later date. Really pleased with this an hope the ladies will enjoy making it - they will have done it by the time you read this.

3rd Cardmaker of the Year entry

For this one I decided to just use what I fancied so had to go with some die cutting. Used my new Sue Wilson dies and also added some Spellbinder d-lites flowers. I went with white and gold. I'm not sure I should have used patterened paper at the back but there you go! I wanted to use a little spirelli as I believe it is one of the new trends - well, making a comeback anyway. This die from the Spanish collection lent itself to this technique. However, think it got a little lost in front of the paper. Also, my 'thankyou' only just fitted onto the die so not the best fit but couldn't find another stamp small enough and didn't want to use a peel off. Will let you know if I win anything!

Simple A6 Christmas baubles

Wanted to keep this simple and easy. The baubles were cut from a sheet printed from an old Crafters Companion CD. I've had the sheet for ages and it was one of the sheets I cut when I first got my Brother Scan'n'cut. Decided to use them up. Also used my new corner punch by X-cut which rounds the corners both ways - in and out. These baubles are very small (about the size of a penny) but the others are biggers so I'll probably make a bigger version of this card.

Another stencil card

Sorry - I forgot this one! This is another from the batch made during my craft lesson before the summer. Missed this one out so thought it deserved an airing. I love the colour of this one.

Birthday Card

This is a commission card for someone's mum so had an excuse to just do something nice. Also a great excuse for me to use my new Sue Wilson dies! I did enjoy making it.

2nd Cardmaker of the Year entry

This one was using my Woodware stamps. I actually incorporated 3 - huge noel, holly bauble and the holly wreath. I knew where I was heading with this card when I started but should have edged the kraft card with black pen. Really pleased with the result though. Took about an hour and half to make though!

Tyre Changer Cartoon card

Found this cartoon and thought it would fit the bill for a friend who has a tyre changing business.

Exam Success cards

I had to make some more of these for sale in August and found this great stamp set by Little Claire in the sale at my local shop and it is going to be sooooo useful! I made these quickly so kept it simple and used a variety of papers and card. I think I could have done something more exciting with them but was in a hurry so maybe when you see this stamp next it will be on something more impressive!

Quickie Exam pass card

I made this card quickly to take to a sale. I used my favourite stencil and added some stamps including a banner that I coloured in and then topped of with a wooden star. Used the distress inks peeled paint and worn lipstick.

Possible Cardmaker of the year entry

Wanted to do a Spectrum Noir coloured card for one of my entries and used a digi image from the Vintage Floral CD which I layered up. Enjoyed doing it and pleased with final result although I think my decoupage work could have been better. After taking this pick I realised the top layer had slipped as the glue was still wet when I stood it up so I've redone the top layer and much happier with it. Look out for my other 2 entries that I'll post when I've done them!

Bunny Thankyou

I saw some cards that Clare Curd had posted on the Docrafts gallery and it inspired me to do something similar. I immediately knew that I wanted to try it with this freebie stamp I got recently. I wanted to make the background scene very subtle and very pleased with the result although this was attempt number 2!

Tractor Card

Yet another farming card that I've had to make. This one is using a cutting file found for free on Cre8tive Cuts website. Converted for my Brother and cut it out. I made the background freehand. I tried to make the greeting look like the sun and I think it kind of worked. What do you think?

When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney cards

Yet more using up stuff. These images are from a very old Crafters Companion CD and I had printed them off and decoupaged them but left in my 'toppers' box. I got the Clarity verse stamp a while ago too and immediately knew I could match it up with this image but hadn't got round to it. Feel better now that I have!

Christmas Topiary Card

I stamped and coloured this image a couple of years ago and it's been in my 'toppers' box for ages waiting to be used. Finally decided I needed to do something with it. Kept it simple but I like it. I thought about selling this stamp be decided to keep it. Very pretty I think.