Friday, 2 October 2009

Amazing blog candy on offer



Why not pop over to this blogspot for a chance to win a Sillouhette from the talented Jak Heath who designs for La Pasche - see http://crafterskitchen.blogspot.com/ the draw closes 30 October


Wednesday, 8 April 2009

'Window' Card


Hi, I am posting this picture on here because I can't add it to the Docrafts website and I said I would show it to a docrafter.


These are the steps to make it:

  1. Take two sheets of A4 white card
  2. Fold one card in half to make an A5 card
  3. Take the other piece and cut it to 21 x 21cms
  4. Score a line one 2.5 cms from two opposite edges
  5. Turn the card over so the two flaps are at either side of the card (not top and bottom) and facing up towards you
  6. Using a pencil and ruler, mark out your chosen 'window' shape
  7. Cut out the windows
  8. Put double sided sticky tape around the windows and then add acetate to form the 'window'
  9. You can add 'curtains' as well if you want to
  10. Take the A5 card and decorate whatever you want to be 'inside' the window
  11. When you have finished adding the contents of the window take a wide (or two/three thin) piece/s of doublesided sticky tape and add as described in the next step
  12. Open the A5 card so that it looks as if you were reading the inside - fasten the tape to the edge of the left hand outer side - it needs to cover just under an inch. Leave the backing on for now
  13. Now turn the card over so that it is folded and you are looking at the back of the card - now fasten DST to the folded edge, again just under an inch
  14. Take the 'window' piece and fasten it to the 'open' edge of the card - press firmly to make sure the tape is stuck
  15. Take the other edge and fasten it to the back of the card - there will be a bow shape now at the front
  16. Voila! - your card should be finished now

Hope this helps you

Tracey

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

Just some of my cards

Saturday, 4 April 2009

Docrafts Tanmo's Card Kit Swap

Tanya (aka Tanmo) on Docrafts arranges a monthly cark kit swap. Briefly this is what happens:
  • You take two identical sets of crafty items

  • Make a card with one set and add it to a sealed envelope

  • Put the other set in an envelope

  • Send both your card and the kit to a fellow docrafter

  • Your 'partner' does the same

  • When your kit arrives you make a card before you open the one that your docraft buddy had made

  • When made you open and compare what you have both made with identical craft kits

I swapped with Noreen (AKA Follow Your Dreams) this month and here are the cards we both made. I took the photo with the Noreen's card in the sealed envelope showing so you can see that I didn't peep first.

I've adjusted the gold ribbon since I took the photo as it was hanging over the top of the card.


I like the Noreen's card best with the way she has layered the papers and add the flowers at an angle. THANK YOU Noreen for swapping with me

Hope you like them - it would be great to know that you have stopped by to look so please feel free to leave a comment or two

Tracey





Thursday, 2 April 2009

Two Birthday Cards

I've had a go at making two cards made from Freebie Decoupage flower fairy pictures that came with a magazine. It's a new style for me so hope you like them

Monday, 23 March 2009

Desk-top Pen Holder

This is previous post which I have bumped back to the top of page 1 so that I can enter the challenge over at http://oorchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - why not pop over and take a look yourself?

Tracey

When I left my last job I made all my friends a desk-top pen holder, which were well received. Thanks to my friend Claire I can add a photo of these.


I've made another one this week for a man at work, who took on the role of 'milk manager' when he managed the rota for bringing milk into the office. John's moved office last week so he won't be milk manager any more, so we have got him a few novelties to say 'thank you' or should that be 'thank moooo'!
Here are a few pictures of this one - made on a black and white theme.


I found the idea in a magazine ages ago but can't remember where.

In case you are interested here are some step by step instructions.

1. Take a piece of 12 x 12 card - colour / pattern on both sides is idea

2. Score along the lines at 4 inches from each edge to make a 9 x 9 square grid - score to make a valley crease

3. Score a diagonal in each of the four corner squares - you need to go from the inside corner to the outside corner - make a mountain crease
4. Using a silent setter, hole punch, crop-a-dile or something similar make two holes at each of the four corners
5. If you want to you can add eyelets to these to strengthen them

6. Thread ribbon through the holes

7. Gently pull together and tie securely in the middle
8. Decorate the outside however you want to. If you are using card that is patterened on one side but white on the other you might want to put the pattern inside and then decorate the outside with panels as I have done in the black and white one.

Sunday, 22 March 2009

Flippin Women Birthday Card



It was my friend's Birthday this week and I made her a Flippin Women Dancing Card. The dancer really does flip (well spin) and here are a few step by step guides to making it:




  • Covered the aperture card with wrapping paper - front clinton's - gorgeous flocked paper


  • I glued the front version of the woman to white card and cut out.


  • I then cut out the back of the woman


  • Before I glued them together I added a piece of wire to the plain side of the card version - adjusting it so that the woman would be straight when fastened to the card ie the wire came out of the shoulder and not the head


  • I used glue and DST to fasten the back and front together, being very careful to line up properly


  • I then cut around any slightly overhanging bits so it was a good match front and back


  • I fastened the wire around small pieces of scrap card and then taped into place at the top and bottom of the apperture


  • I decoupaged all the spare bits and finally added some glitter glue - letting the front dry before I did the back.


  • I added pink glitter paper inside the card and added my verse and greeting to the back

Hope you like it - would love your comments





Monday, 9 March 2009

New Baby Card

Here is a card that I made for friends - quick and simple, using my favourite Cuttlebug embossing folder

I've decided to add 'large' photographs to the blog to try to make it a bit more interesting - hope you think this is an improvement. I had used 'medium' before to make loading the page a bit quicker but think they are a bit too small - why not leave a comment and let me know what you think?


Wednesday, 4 March 2009

My First Card Challenge

I took part in my first card challenge over on the docrafts website. The idea of the challenge / card swap was to:
  • make a card and place in a sealed envelope


  • take an identifical set of craft stash and place in a bag


  • post both to the other person


  • when received the other person makes a card before opening the ready made card


  • compare both and post the pictures

I was paired up with Sandra who beat me to sending the parcel. It was a lovely surprise as I had totally forgotten about it and couldn't work out what the padded envelope was!


I made my card with Sandra's stash and didn't peep - honest (you can even see the sealed envelope in the picture of my card.


I definately prefer Sandra's card to mine. I used the big black piece of card she sent as a backing to the whole card but then didn't have any to mount my stamped image. I also cheated and added 4 extra flower brads as there were six flowers on the stamped image that were crying out for them

Thanks Sandra, I really enjoyed this swap. Thanks also to Tanmo (Tanya) for organising it

Tuesday, 3 March 2009

Yippee -


I am at 100 site visitors - since adding the counter in the last couple of weeks - thanks for dropping by.

Here is a card I made for a colleague at work. I used the cuttlebug folder to emboss the flowers. I put one end of the card in and then turned it round and did the same again on the plain section which allowed me to make it into a DL card. I used ribbon to mask the join. The edges of the embossed card is edged with pink cats eye chalk ink.

Sunday, 22 February 2009

3rd Birthday Cards

My Nephew is 3 today so had to make him some special cards. He is Brum mad so the first one is a take on a slider card, made with an aerial photo of where they live and a cut out Brum that goes up and down their 'lane'.
The second one, as you will see, is about Fire Engines. The number 3 and the fire engines are cut using cuttlebug dies but used in my Wizard. The flames are hand torn and stickles added for sparkle.

Monday, 9 February 2009

Handbag C ards


I had had these card blanks for a while but not got round to using them so have had a play - let me know what you think. The card blank and the fake brads are from craftwork cards.

Sunday, 8 February 2009

New Baby Cards

Some friends of ours became parents for the first time on 2nd Feb (much to my son's dislike as he now has to 'share' his Birthday!)
I made 2 cards, one for the new Mummy and Daddy and one for our other friends who are proud grandparents for the first time. Hope you like my cards, made using cuttlebug folders.





Sunday, 1 February 2009

Birthday Card

My son is 14 - where has the time gone! I can't believe that 14 years have gone by since he made his traumatic entry to the world seven weeks early. At almost six feet tall I can't believe that he was only 4lbs 6oz when he was born.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES


Anyway, back to cards - here is the one I made for his birthday. I used the cuttlebug birthday words folder in my wizard. I didn't do photographs as I went along but here are the step by step instructions for the cuttlebug bit of the card in case you are interested.

1. cut a piece of card to slightly bigger than the cuttlebug folder

2. choose and open a bottle of embossing powder, put safely to one side - you must do this at this stage. Don't try to do it after you have put the ink on the card otherwise the ink will start to dry

3. take a brayer and fill with ink using a pigment inkpad - I used Brilliance in gold

4. thoroughly cover the smooth side of the cuttlebug folder (the one with the words cut out - so that you are NOT putting the ink onto the words)

5. add card to folder and put through die cutting machine using whatever sandwich combination is needed for your machine

6. open the embossing folder and immediately add embossing powder to the inked section

7. shake off the embossing powder and set with a heat tool

8. allow to cool slightly and then cut to size

Hope this gives you another idea to try with your cuttlebug folders

Tracey

Friday, 23 January 2009

Thank You Cards - at last

I've not posted for over a week as I have had no computer - it felt like my right arm had been cut off!! It is now back and workimg fine but whilst it was away it was a tense time as a) most importantly I had not backed any photographs, documents and photo's of cards etc for ages. Lesson learned - quick trip to PC world for some 4gb memory sticks and the back up problem is resolved - all for less than £15 and b) computer withdrawal symptoms!


As I had no computer to distract me I finally got around to making my Christmas 'thank you'. I bought some packs of die cut shapes from craftworkcards ages ago so decided to have a play with them - made all these out of less than two packs of shapes. There are a mix of die cut shapes and backing sheets - they were £1.00 when I bought them but now down to 50p a pack lots of colours to choose from.
Another step towards keeping my New Year Resolution - using old craft stash and updating this blog (although a little delayed but it is done now)