Couple of clean and simple cards

There were a couple of birthdays in our wider family....and one being a big one!  I wouldn't say card making was my strength, but on these I went for the less is more approach and quite liked the way that they turned out - quite clean and simple (I also had a go at some arty shots of the cards below...which I just like so I thought I would show them to you :D).  The first card has a square of dictionary paper, and one of my Martha Stewart butterflies which I pulled the wings up on, some burlap, an early learning centre butterfly and my Happy Birthday stamp from Handmade Hannah.  The 40 year old one I played with my new Amy Tangerine stamps for the frame, and stamped 40 in the middle (I quite like that the 4 has some of the inky mess from the edge - but unfortunately I didn't manage to repeat it for the 0!), I stamped on a scrap of October Afternoon paper, and then mounted again on some old dictionary paper.  

Hot chocolate

My first instagram photo on a page!  Quite so big the quality of the photo isn't soo good, but I love the grainy effect it gives.  So for this page a complete mix of supplies...mostly Crate Papers Farmhouse (I love it :)) and some Tim Holtz tissue tape and my doily stamp.  I started with the photo, and matted this on brown card stock and then inked and ruffled the edge.  I cut out a few contrasting pieces of paper from the farmhouse range and inked, ruffled and stitched them.  I used my EK success circle book punch down the edge of one.   I also added a glassine pocked for journalling behind the photo (courtesy of another of Hannah's beautiful kits) and a K and Co journal tag (I just found the book in my stack...it had been lost for some time!).  The green lace was from Art from the Heart's beautiful packaging and I added some twine here.  Under the photo I used one of the offcut strips that are on the bottom of the farmhouse papers, and some prima lace too.  

I meant to stamp my doilies before I stuck the paper down....however I didn't remember and couldn't get the papers off easily! So I masked the area and stamped them....but that left a large gap (don't ask) so I used one of the crate paper stamp edge stickers to cover it!  I piled up some chipboard embellishments in the corners, and some of the paper ones....adding some stitched swirls of steam from the cups, I used some mini tags on the other side and decorated them...then a bit of tissue tape in the top corner with some vintage buttons and a few splatters of glimmer mist to each corner.  There you go my 1st instagram page.

The photo is of my kids enjoying a hot chocolate at the end of the pier where my Grandma lives....when we visit they love to walk down the pier and stop for a drink...it's all covered and you can look out to sea - so it was lovely to catch this moment in a photo.

I want to wish you and your families all a fantastic Christmas

Christmas Tags

I keep looking over at Tim Holtz 12 tags....and they are beautiful and I want to have a go, so that is on my list to look out for next year.  However it did inspire me to created some of my own tags, and I have quite a few kraft tags left from my November Handmade Hannah kit...so here are 3 I managed to put together quite quickly.  The papers and embellishments are from Hannahs October kit and are MME, with some Crate Paper Chipboard, and echo park journalling page for the sentiments  - not sure where the snowflakes and snowman are from.  Here are the tags in a little more details.

I choose the gingerbread chipboard piece to be the centre of this tag, and then started on the background.  I used my Martha Stewart doily lace punch (still one of my favourites) and cut out and punched several strips of paper in the candy cane red and white.  I inked the edges, then stuck them down and zig zag stitched along each side.  I cut inked, stitched and ruffled a green mount for my gingerbread man and then stappled the saying underneath.

The snowman tag started with some watered down white acrylic paint, which I flicked over the tag.  I then cut a small hill for the snowman and inked the edges, I added the stickers and stappled the sentiment - didn't even need to put any glitter on as the pieces are all glittered.

I've seen this Christmas tree over on WeScrap so thought I would put it on a tag.  It is great for using up  off cuts of paper, I literally just cut strips of paper and then rolled them around a skewer and stuck them together with double sided tape.  They now resemble straws, so I then cut each straw down to make the  triangular shape just taking a small amount of the end and building it up.  I glued this down with a wet glue, and add a chipboard and stickled star to the top (think this is maya road).  I used a scrap of my doily edge punched paper and put it under the tree and then two strips (again the remnants of the doily edge punching) on the bottom which I added some stickles dots to.  Once the tree was fry I added some red gems and my sentiment.

It was a lovely change to have a go at making these and I was surprised how quickly they came together....and I already have plans for them.

You're So Sweet

I delved into some more of my Crate Paper Farmhouse collection for a photo of my DS on holiday and his cheeky smile - we are sat in the town square and they had been playing all sorts of hiding games and just messing around before we got some evening snacks in.  

I've seen a few pages with rows of banners underneath - can't find any links to say where I saw them, but that was my inspiration.  Also part of the November challenge over on We Scrap was to use some material on a page, so I decided to use up some more of the massive piece of Burlap that I have.  I cut a mixture of flags and crumpled and inked the edges.  Next I added 2 lines of green stitching, and then zigzaged in and out with yellow thread, adding a brown button on either side.  I mounted the photo on white card stock, inked around the edges.  Then I started to layer up the pieces behind the photo starting with the doily and acetate from one of Hannah's grab boxes which is also where the cake, flowerk, doily piece and journal piece came from.  I used my Martha Stewart Doily edge lace punch on a couple of pieces of left over card, , added these and some of the stickers and die cut pieces from the farmhouse collection as well as the American Crafts cupcake.  The title is from the Farmhouse chipboard .... and one more credit goes to my sister-in-law as the red crochet flower you can see under the blue and green on is one she made for me.  I added a few splats of paint and some tiny buttons and the journalling ticket behind the photo.

Traditions

We Scrap have a November challenge and one of them was for a photo-less page, so I decided to have a go using some more of the papers from my Handmade Hannah Christmas Box.  I used the Teresa Collins number piece for the background and then added some brush strokes of gesso...and then sprinkled some glitter over the top, which you can't really see in the photos.  I made some smaller tags out of kraft paper, and stitched around the edge and added some ribbon to the middle.  Each tag represents a tradition at Christmas in our house from decorating the tree (another Michelle tree), advent candles from my Mum - which I made out of the pearls, and then cut a flame. Nativity productions represented with a star covered in glossy accents and then some more glitter, wrapping presents decorated with a paper bow.  Going to Church on the day itself - not having a stamp I had to draw this and then added some liquid pearls for the snow, then spending Christmas Day with the family - I stamped and cut out the word then added some little hearts decorated with glossy accents.  I made a little rolled banner to journal the tradition.  When it came to the title...I had run out of t's so I used the inverse of the sticker and then filled it with stickles glitter glue.  Here is a close up of a few of the tags and details.

Christmas 2010

Another page from Hannahs beautiful grab box Christmas kit.  I decided to make a page with a mix of shots from the Christmas period mainly as I didn't have enough really good ones to make a page, so I have my DS as a sheep in his nativity, one of my eldest in the snow and another one of the presents we unwrapped on our first family Christmas celebration (we normally end up with 2 celebrations as we live far apart).

For this I made a frame using a snowflake stamp that was in my previous grab box and some black memento ink.  I lightly drew the outline of the square and then stamped along the inside and outside edge using a piece of scrap paper to protect the kraft card to make my frame.  I used my gesso tub to draw the circles and then cut out the paper and photos.  I used pinking shears to cut the mounts for several of the circles too.  I had a go at making Michelles lovely and beautifully easy Christmas trees for my 1st circle and I used a mixture of embellishments and photos in the rectangle shape. I hand wrote some labels for the pictures. Then had a go at making a poinsettia style flower to keep in with the Christmas theme, though I think it needs some perfecting - it the same method as my rose tutorial, but just with a more poinsettia shaped flower. I used the lovely flock alpha and added some stickles and one of the snowflake stickers too. I've still got another page to show you, and lots of bits left over so I think I will make some cards and Christmas decorations too.

Stitched Christmas Tree tutorial

Here is my tutorial to show you how I made the Christmas tree embellishment on my page from Handmade Hannahs Christmas kit.

You will need

• Christmas tree die cut, or your own design
• needle
• 2 colours of green embroidery thread
• funky foam or an old mouse mat
• buttons or other embellishments

  1. Diecut/design your own Christmas tree, then using a piece of funky foam or an old mouse mat place your tree on top and pierce holes around the edge of the tree with a needle. I do this as the foam makes it easier to make the holes, and it is easier to stitch after you have made some guide holes.

 2. Using the lighter green thread sew all the way around the tree.

 3. Once finished, tidy up the ends and stick them to the back of the tree using some tape.

 4. The next step is to add the zig zags of thread. Using the darker thread, start by coming up through one of the holes near the base and then take it across the tree and underneath one of the outside stitches, then go across to another stitch and so on. As you get more threads across the tree start weaving them in and out.

 5. Once done take your thread back through one of the outside holes and secure it on the back with tape.

6. The final part is to add some more decoration to the tree, I chose some small buttons, though you could tie little bits of ribbon, or weave ribbon through, add glitter or beads. You could use this tree embellishment on cards and tags as well as scrap pages.

I hope you enjoy making them.

All is Quiet

Here is my first page using Handmade Hannahs Christmas grab box (goes on sale Wed 15th November), it is packed with beautiful papers, tags and embellishments and a lovely flocked alphabet.  The only bits I added from my stash were the thread, buttons and stamped alpha.  

These pictures show the calm before the full eruption of Christmas in the house, the tree is decorated, the stockings are laden with presents........ then the celebrations begin. The page started with a great technique my friend Shelia showed me, you use a wax candle and then rub it over your paper with an embossing folder underneath (brass rubbing really) you then paint over it with distress stains - this one is vintage photo, and you can get a nice wax effect...so I rubbed over a woodgrain folder, but didn't leave it there with just the wax showing....I traced over the wax with my silver stickles to give the woodgrain effect. 

The papers are Teresa Collins and I ruffled, inked and stitched these (I was also quite frugal so the worded paper is cut in an L-shape to fit around the main paper).  I made up a piece of paper ribbon with the diamond check paper, I put pleats in it, and then added some of the lovely velvet ribbon and a brad to the end.  I also drew on a scallop and stitched over it with my sewing machine, then hung the stars from there.  I mounted the photos on white card and inked the edges with tea dye, then I set about making the Christmas Tree which I will save for another post and write up some instructions (as it would make a nice card or tag embellishment too).  I created a pocket behind the main piece of paper and used a tag for my journalling - I stuck another one of the words on the top of the tag and added some more velvet ribbon.  I stamped part of my title, mounting it on foam pads and then used the beautiful flock alphabet for the main word.  So that is my page - it is a beautiful kit and I have lots more plans for it.

I need a Carry

This is a photo of my DH having to carry my DS as we were on a stoney beach and they kept getting in his crocs LOL. 

 For this page I used quite a few bits from my beautiful Handmade Hannah grab boxes, the doily is from the embellishments box, the date stamp is from her shop (I love it as you circle the date and add the year).  The Papers again are mostly from grab boxes, crate paper Portrait (designed for weddings but it is so versatile I love it) and there is a small scrap of glitz and American Crafts too.  The Rose embellishments are from the Portrait collection, and the chipboard is maya road and I managed to fit in a glassine pocket for my journalling.  The alphas are Echo Park for the record and the glitter one is American Crafts, the other stamps are MME.  So those are all the little bits.  

I started this page by using a Crate Paper die cut to fit my photo in and then I backed it with some of the green Portrait paper and edged it with scalloped scissors.  I cut up my papers and started layering them how I wanted them to look, once happy I inked the edge with black memento ink and then ruffled the edges.  I layered them all up and then sorted out the glassine pocket by folding the top over and stapling some string that could hook around the teal brad.  Then I started layering the embellishments,  I made some flags to go down the edge of the page and added bits of book paper to these, then I slotted in the doily and added a 3 embellishment combo which includes a snowflake :)   I ruffled and added a rose to the other side of the picture and a seagull pin I got in a quirky kit.  I then stamped my chipboard banner, 2 are stamped with a newspaper print in broken china distress ink, and then the centre one has the Boy stamp. I covered them in PVA to add a different texture to them and then added some book pages to the 2 print ones, and finally smeared some liquid pearls over the top to give a bit of shimmer.  I threaded through some twine and added the title and some more little blobs of liquid pearl.  

So this is my attempt at the layered page prompt for Shimelles pretty paper party, I concentrated on lots of layering as well as keeping it fairly simple in colour (not something I often do).  Hope you like it.

A brother is a friend given by God

 This page has one of my favourite photos of the moment, my boys up a tree.  This page has a mix of lots of different bits of inspiration, I am doing Shimelles pretty paper class and there is a prompt on distressing and wrinkling your paper which is right up my street, so lots of ink (no paint, and some fabric as lots of the distressed samples on the prompt had fabric so there is some net on my page too).  The colours are from the colour pallette this week over at the colour room - I mainly used the green and blue and added hints of the other colours.  The other major bit of inspiration for this was from a class they were showing for free over at Miss Arts paper school and by Stacey Cohen - she created a shadow box frame for her page and then added ruffled paper on the inside, so here is my take.

The papers are Pixie Glen by prima, and I gutted the centre piece and then using my doily lace edge punch I punched several strips 12" long, inked the edges with tea dye and then folded them around the edge of the frame.  The papers behind the photo are a mix of the Pixie Glen, then some Glitz and a piece of map from a ScrapRat Kit.  I inked up some Prima canvas shapes with broken china and tea dye distress ink.  The tree is by Tando, and I covered it in ink and then embossing powder (silver and white) I then added some brown ink over the top which made it a similar colour to the tree the boys were in.  The title is a mix of cosmo cricket mini alphabet, the word friend is from K and Co and was Handmade Hannah's grab box.  A couple of prima stamps, and some netting and here are some more shots.

Pretty Paper Party and Grab box news

I have joined in with Shimelle's pretty paper party (as I LOVE paper)....and the first challenge was to show how you stored your paper (now I am not a tidy crafter, so I am only showing you the paper....not the desk or the floor!!!).  So I start with the most recently paper organised bit....I sorted all my cardstock into colours on one side, and then the other contains packs of paper rangers - kept them in ranges rather than colours.

 This shot shows one of my off cut stashes....I am ashamed to say I have 2, but hopefully with the prompts I will use some more of my scraps up.

 I also keep some ranges of paper in those lovely 12" plastic bags with their offcuts, and the odds and ends of previous kits.

However I do also have a few pizza boxes with either kits/recent orders or scraps or just to use as a spritz catcher! The other news is that Handmade Hannah is having a grab box day tomorrow - Wednesday morning - Hannah has put together some beautiful kits of embellishments and they are either £10 or £20, to get all the details join her facebook group and you can find out more details on her blog