Creative Expressions - Stylish Christmas

I'm back!!  My computer had to go in for a repair for a loose connection. I had been putting up with it for absolutely ages but it kept crashing and was starting to drive me up the wall!! So in it went and I was promised it back today. However it won't be ready for another few days. I think the look of horror on my face was a tad too obvious. 

So I have fired up my hubby's old lap top (which is really on it's last legs) to try to catch up with a few bloggy things.

This week we received our new set of stamps from Creative Impressions. I really like this set and nearly bought it last year. 

UMSTYLISH1

This set is called "Stylish Christmas 1" And although I made this earlier in the week I was waiting to get my computer back to put in on my blog.

I think this will be the week of the robin as a couple of my fellow DT members have also chosen this stamp for their first samples.

Christmas Robin

I used Distress Inks to colour my robin - Fired Brick, Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain. Once the stamp was inked up I spritzed with water to give you a kind of faux batik effect. 

To layer up I used two lacey circle nesties offset and Fancy Tags Shapeabilities for the sentiment. The snowflake is also a Spellbinder set and I used a vintage brad to finish it off.

Detail of Robin to show Faux Batik effect

Check out the Creative Expressions site for all the latest Spellbinder dies.

Crafty Individuals - Winged Things

I have left it to the last minute to make something for the Crafty Individuals monthly challenge. I had planned to make something entirely different with angels at the weekend. It didn't work out the way I wanted so that went in the bin and I decided to make Christmas cards instead. 

Then when I got home from work today I decided to have another go and pulled out this lovely CI stamp of the mallards. Bought it a while ago but had never used it. 

The colours are a bit off as I photographed it tonight.The quote I used is an all time favourite of mine from Inkadinkadoo - "Childhood Garden". My Dad keeps ducks in his garden. For a while he had a drake that was mostly a Mallard. He was a fine dapper little thing. What always amazed me was the it took less time to boil a duck egg than a hen's egg! Sorry, I am getting a little side-tracked!!

The flower was made from a large and medium retro flower punch. It's one I make a lot because it has a nice shabby look to it. I found this idea in one of the Magnolia magazines. Once I had punched out my flowers from the background paper I used for the card, I over stamped the CI crackle glaze stamp. I was really pleased with the effect. I also sprayed with an iridescent gold glimmer mist. You can't see the shimmer in the photo, but it does give the flower a lovely finish.
Hope you have a good week.

Siobhan

Woodware Design Team - Spooky Treats

This week we were asked to make something to fit the theme "Spooky Treats". Now I am not a great lover of Halloween so I don't have many specific Halloween stamps. So I decided to make a little triangle gift box that could be decorated for any occasion. 

Triangle Gift Box

This is such an easy little box to make as it is just one piece of card. The rule is that the length of card should be twice the width. For this one I did the following:

• Cut orange card 5 x 10 inches
• Score in middle as if you were making a 5" card blank.
• Make a mark at the centre of both short sides (2.5ins). 
• Score from this point to the centre of the long side. Repeat for both sides and both ends of the card.
• Use a bone folder to create nice crisp folds. Apply d/s tape along one long edge of the side flap. Bring the box together and stick down.
• Leave the other side un-stuck so that you can fill your box. 
• Punch a hole at the intersection where the side flaps come together and tie with ribbon.

The handle is an optional extra. I pinched this idea from my sister Michelle. I showed her the box idea and she adapted it to make favour boxes. The handle makes it easier to hand out for Halloween or parties etc. You could even make little dinky ones to hang on the Christmas tree.

• If you are making a handle attach it to the front and back panel of the card with a brad.

Side view of triangle box

The stamps I used to decorate my box are from Artemio. This clear set has lots of sweets, cakes and candles. I think it worked quite well stamping in black onto the orange card.

The little finishing touch war the crow from Stampendous "Crowscape" which I have used recently. It was sitting on my desk and I thought it would be a "spooky" little finishing touch.

My "spooky" finishing touch

 I am first this week so I am looking forward to seeing what the other girls on the Woodware DT come up with.

Creative Expressions - Vintage Typewriter

Well folks it's time to say goodbye to the Vintage Typewriter set for a while. This is my final project in this series.

This time I thought I would make a more feminine card. I love pink and black together.

This card was very straight forward as you can see. And to finish off I thought I would christen my Spellbinder Carnation Creations flower maker. And it does make a very pretty flower. I even found a lovely black vintage brad for the centre to finish it off.

If you have been following the Creative Expressions DT, I am sure you will agree there have been some fantastic samples using this stamp set. It has been a nice set to work with.
I believe we are onto a Christmas set next, which is great as I need to make a start on my own list. So keep an eye out for what me and the other girls will be making over the next few weeks.
Hope you all had a good weekend!
Siobhan

The Stamp Man Challenge - Night Time

This fortnight's challenge has been chosen by Michelle. The theme is "Night Time". 

I have made a very simple card using this beautiful Stampendous stamp CRR131  Crowscape. 

• I cut a panel of thick white card slightly bigger than the stamp.
• Use a circle mask where you want the moon to be.
• Blend distress inks onto panel (I used Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire)
• Keep it lighter in the middle to create a sort of halo effect around the moon.
• Remove mask and stamp Crowscape with Versafine Onyx black ink pad.
• Trim and layer up as shown.

Don't you just love the crow in the bottom right hand corner. It comes from a Stamper's Anonymous set called CMS 091  Haunted Mansion. It's awesome!!

I think this is definitely in my top 10 favourite stamps I have bought this year. I also love the fact that it's a cling rubber stamp - easier to store!!
All these products are available from The Stamp Man. The website has just had a great makeover, be sure to check it out!!
Why not join us at the Stamp Man challenge blog and check out the other fantastic samples made by our design team.
I am also entering this in the Gingersnap Creations Challenge where the theme is Ravens. Thanks Janet for mentioning it!!

Woodware Design Team - Blue Christmas

Well this is more like it!! Blue is my favourite colour scheme for Christmas. Last year I bought 2 stunning bird stamps from Magenta. This one: 

C43.028L  Musical Bird Collage

And the other one is :

C43.030K  Musical Bird 2

I told you they were lovely!! Such detail as Magenta are known for. And not just for Christmas. 

For my card I chose the first one. I stamped it with a blue dye ink onto white card and layered it onto blue Bazzill. The background was done using the technique I did in an earlier post. I blended 3 colours of dye ink onto a 14 cm square of thick white card. I then inked up a background stamp (here I have used a musical score by Stampendous CRR103, with Versamark. You then spritz lightly with water and stamp onto the blue panel. Lift off and watch the negative resist develop. If you click onto the tutorial tab at the top of my blog you will see a step by step tutorial for this technique.

I then over stamped with some snowflakes and the sentiment. When I am making Christmas cards I like to batch them in 4's. So the designs tend to be quite simple but you still want to try to achieve a little bit of a wow factor.

Here's another card using the same technique from an earlier post. This one uses the lovely image of the 3 Wise Men from Stampendous. 

Be sure to visit the Woodware blog to see what the other girls have been up to. You are sure to find plenty there to inspire you

What a Busy Week

What a busy week it's been!!  On Thursday we said goodbye to Linda, one of my colleagues at work. I have known Linda for about 15 years. I wanted to make a journal for her to take Australia next week to see her daughter. When I should have been making DT samples I was trying to finish off the journal and card and some bunting. However it was fun to make a book for a change.

 

Linda

The PRI team Pam, Linda and me

We also measured up for our new uniforms this week. It will be good to get out of scrubs. Whilst very comfortable, it feels like you are wearing pyjamas!!

Rory our Westie had to have a second eye operation on Friday to remove a stubborn ulcer from his right eye. The poor old soldier has been blind for some time due to cataracts because he's diabetic. Once this ulcer problem is sorted he will hopefully be able to get one cataract removed so he will be able to see a bit.

So it's another lampshade for another 10 days. As you can see he is not a happy bunny!! He is doing a lot of muttering to himself. We are hoping it will all be worth it in the end.

Yesterday I joined the ladies at the Fair City Stampers for a special workshop. They had invited Kath from Aberdeenshire to come and do a Canvas workshop based on sewing stamps. It was good fun and lovely to see some of the lovely ladies I got to know through Stampaholics.

This is what we made:

A Stitch in Time

We also made a couple of cards:

I better go and catch up with some housework, before my hubby gets home from watching Table Tennis!!
Siobhan

Creative Expressions - Vintage Typewriter 3

This is my third card for this month's stamp set "Vintage Typewriter" for Creative Expressions. 

I have cut a circle from some old text paper and layered it onto a Spellbinder Lacey Square. I mounted this as a diamond onto the background paper. I stamped the notebook edge down the left hand side in black onto the background paper. This was matted onto a 14.5 cm square of black card stock. I stamped the typewriter and ink bottle onto white card using black Archival ink and cut out both. Stamp your message onto the sheet of paper in the typewriter. Attach to the card with foam pads and you're done.

Background detail

 

Don't you just love Spellbinders. It takes matting and layering to a whole new level!! Check out all the latest Spellbinder products on the Creative Expressions website.

Travel Journal

Well that's another very hectic week gone. Haven't had much to show you this week as I am a bit behind with everything. Bring on retirement!!! That's all I can say!

At work one of my colleagues Linda is retiring. It was her last working day yesterday. She started about a year after I did so I have know her quite a long time. She is off to Australia next week to spend time with her daughter who now lives out there. So I thought I would make her a journal to take with her.

I love making books but very rarely get the time so I really quite enjoyed making this one.  

All the papers were from an old K & Company range - Blue Awning

I made little pockets for a postcard list and stamps and included lots of blank pages for writing (I stamped a different image in the bottom corner of each one).

I even found a bit of travel paper that had Australia on it!!

Don't you just love the steam train which came from an Indigo Blu set I bought recently.

Linda is one of the most organised people I know - I am sure the pockets will prove useful!!

I even managed to incorporate one of my favourite Tim Holtz quotes.

The only Australian stamp I could find was this lovely little Kookaburra.

And at the back a few tags for recording things on.

I finished it with big wires and my Bind-it All machine, so there was room to expand as it gets filled.

Anyway Linda was chuffed to bits, which was nice. We waved her off with flowers, balloons and cake!! Lucky lady!!

Woodware Design Team - Look what I did with my Flock

This week at Woodware we are all flocking!! Actually most of my flocking ended up in the bin. I think I left my Mojo in Ireland. After much huffing and puffing I decided to flock a little flock of sheep.

I sponged a little back drop of mountains and field. I stamped the sheep in black onto the scene and also onto a piece of white card. The two sheep are a little Magenta stamp 37.216 Sheepish Pair. I applied a glue pen (Zig) to the sheep on the white card and covered with flock. If you press down with the back of a spoon, you will get better coverage with the flock. One dry I cut out the sheep's bodies and stuck onto the scene with foam pads.


I then cut a strip of Kraft card and punched with the ribbon crafty edger. I sponged some brown ink on top to create the little fence. The sentiment I typed on the computer and cut out. The buttons came from a pack of Coffee and Cream buttons and the foliage is a punch called Ash Branch.

Detail of my flocked sheep.

I don't know what it is about sheep, but I used to get asked a lot for sheep stamps in the shop!! Be sure to check out the Woodware blog and see what the other girls did with their flock.

The Stamp Man Challenge - Circles

Sorry folks, I am a day late posting this for the Stamp Man DT challenge. I am just back from Ireland and have been playing catch up. I had a lovely time catching up with my Dad and sister. My Dad is a fantastic cook. Despite resolutions not to over indulge we did come back a couple of pounds heavier!! My sister Michelle is also into crafting, but there are very few shops in the Southern Ireland. So I always bring her over a few bits and pieces. I even talked her into starting her own blog Michelle's Craft Place. I am hoping she will enjoy it once she gets to grips with it. I met her two new dogs Lewis and Amber. Her lab Andy died of old age and her terrier Ruby was sadly run over. I think we are definitely a doggy family - couldn't imagine being without dogs in our lives.

 Do you like the beautiful toadstools I found in the woods near my Dad's house when I was out with his little dog Trixie.

Listen to me...prattling on!!! I am sure you just want to see what I did for the new Stamp Man Challenge. Lisa Sparkle set the challenge this time to use circles!! Well that should open up limitless possibilities. I thought I would have a go at a Christmas decoration using Spellbinder circle nesties.

 I used the largest Lacey Circle nesties to cut 2 circles out of Kraft card. For the top circle I cut a smaller circle in the middle to make a frame. I then embossed the lacey frame with white embossing powder. I brushed a little powder off here and there to create a more distressed look. The inner circle was cut with a bigger circle, stamped the snowflakes in Versamark and embossed with clear powder. I then used Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky) over the top to show off the resist snowflakes.

I used my Tim Holtz die Reindeer Flight to cut the deer from mount board. This was stamped with a music score stamp (this one is from Stampendous). I then coloured with distress inks then triple embossed with clear powder to make it shiny. A couple of snowflakes from glitter card (Spellbinder dies) and a bit of ribbon and it's finished!!

I love Reindeer for Christmas so this die will definitely be useful.

So if you fancy playing along - start thinking CIRCLES and join us at The Stamp Man Challenge blog and show us your creations. All products used in this project are available from The Stamp Man. The shop website is undergoing a makeover at the moment. I am looking forward to seeing the new look!!

Woodware Design Team - Sketch Challenge 5

Well it's time for another Sketch Challege. This is a nice easy one.

 I bought a couple of new clear sets from Stampendous whilst at The Stamp Man. So this week I wanted to try to be subtle and elegant, in between getting ready to go away and dealing with our Westie Rory and his lampshade!! He had to have an operation to remove a ulcer from his eye. The main set I used is SSC1120 Damask Chair. The border on this set is exquisite. And the chair is just so elegant.

The stamping was done mainly in grey. I found the black just a tad too harsh for the look I wanted. For the chair I inked up the stamp with turquoise first. I stamped very lightly onto some scrap paper, then inked on top with the grey. This gives you a bit of a two tone effect.

The chair was then cut out and mounted on foam tape to make sure it popped a bit.  The swirls on the chair background are also on the set. S0 there we have it, very simple. I thought about using this card for a collegue at work who is about to retire!! Remember to check out the Woodware Blog to see what the other girls have done with this sketch challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Expressions - Vintage Typewriter

This week's piece for the Creative Expressions DT is another project using the Vintage Typewritter set designed by Sam Poole. I am really enjoying this set.

I have cut four 6cm squares of white card and used Broken China and Peeled Paint Distress Inks to create the background. I then stamped various elements from the ser to create the background stamping (Brushed Corduroy). Then I have joined them on the back to form a mini patchwork.

I then offset the layering. I stamped the typewritter in coffee Archival ink, cut it out and distressed with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink. I finished off with a Tim Holtz pen nib.

When you see this post I will be away in Ireland visiting my Dad and sister.

Check out the rest of the teams creations at Creative Expressions.