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Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Jingle Bells Gift Tags

December is here and the countdown to Christmas is on. I always make my cards and last year I started making my own tags too.  Having a baby does make creating anything a bit difficult though, but having a BigShot really helps with this.  I've made these very simple and easy tags by printing an image several times and die-cutting into a circle, then glueing to a larger scalloped circle before punching a hole and adding twine. 
The image I have used is 'Jingle Bell Wreath' from MelJen's Designs, which I have added sentiments to using Photoshop.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers and a bit of gold glitter pen around the middle of the bells.




I would like to enter these tags into the following challenges:
  1. Brown Sugar - #122 Anything Goes
  2. Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes for Christmas
  3. Crafting for All Seasons - #91 'Tis The Season
  4. Crafts Galore - Anything Goes
  5. Crafty Katz - Anything Goes
  6. MelJen's Designs - #238 Tags
  7. Paper Creator's Crafts - #33 All About Christmas
  8. Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
  9. The ABC Challenge - Y is for Yuletide





Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Hot Chocolate Gift Card

It's getting close to Christmas and I always have a look for a different type of gift card to make.  I have a Pinterest board of different types and the one I've chosen had a chocolate bar inside. I thought I would change this to hot chocolate sachets and I've also added a pocket for a gift card.

I've used the following materials to create this card:

  • Card, vellum and ribbon from my stash
  • Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink 'Frayed Burlap'
  • Core'dinations Tim Holtz Distress Card
  • BoBunny designer papers
  • MelJen's Designs image 'Cocoa Cupcake'
  • ProMarkers - Satin, Pastel Beige, Sandstone, Caramel, Cocoa, Burnt Sienna, Henna, Walnut, Berry Red, Tea Green, Mint Green & Pine








I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
  1. 613 Avenue Create - #98 Anything Goes
  2. Brown Sugar - #120 Anything Goes
  3. Crafting When We Can - #82 Use Your Markers
  4. Creative Fingers - #56 Anything Goes
  5. MelJen's Designs - #236 Hot Chocolate
  6. Sister Act - #83 Anything Goes
  7. That Craft Place - Anything Goes
  8. The Corrosive Challenge - #212 Girly
  9. The Crafter's Cafe - #91 Anything Goes









Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Magical Toffee Apple

Hello!
It's my birthday today but more importantly, it's almost my favourite holiday.... Halloween!
When I went to the Big Stamp & Scrapbooking show last month I picked up some gorgeous goodies from Graphic 45 - 'Steampunk Spells' papers which I've been wanting forever and also some 'An Eerie Tale' embellishments which were on offer.  These I thought would be perfect for MelJen's Designs image 'Autumn Candy Apple'.
The full list of items I've used to create this card is:
  • A5 landscape card blank, purple card, script paper, twine and ribbon from my stash
  • Core'dinations Color Core card
  • Memento ink in Tuxedo black
  • Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks Forest Moss and Dried Marigold
  • MelJen's Designs image 'Autumn Candy Apple'
  • Graphic 45 'An Eerie Tale' embellishments
  • Promarkers - Tulip Yellow, Mustard, Raw Sienna, Mint Green, Bright Green, Berry Red, Crimson, Walnut, Umber, Caramel, Burnt Sienna
  • ColorBox Mica Magic 'Antique Gold'
I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

  1. 613 Avenue Create - #94 Anything Goes/Twist: Candy Treats
  2. Clear It Out - Halloween/Orange & Black
  3. Crafting at the Weekend - #6 Anything Goes
  4. Crafts Galore - #10 Trick or Treat/Anything Goes
  5. Divas by Design - Texture
  6. Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #58 Anything Goes/Twist: add Flowers
  7. Glitter n Sparkle - #107 Use Some Orange
  8. Love to Create - #138 Anything Goes/Fall Colours
  9. Sister Act - #79 Anything Goes
  10. ABC Challenges - V is for Vibrant
  11. The Corrosive Challenge - #210 Halloween






Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Girly Favour Tags

I ordered some gift tags from eBay as they were a bargain price, but I didn't look at the dimensions and was a little surprised at how tiny they were! Not to be defeated, I decided they'd be perfect for party favour tags and the great thing about using digital images is that they can be printed in any size!
I'm using nail polish as my favours so have used MelJen's Designs 'Nail Polish' digi, coloured with Promarkers and I've added some bling with tiny gems.


I would like to enter these tags into the following challenges:
  1. MelJen's Designs - #231 Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
  2. 613 Avenue Create - #93 Anything Goes
  3. Crafting from the Heart - #40 Anything Goes
  4. Sister Act - #78 Anything Goes





Monday, 29 September 2014

Patchwork Heart

I've had a bit of time for myself and have been playing with MelJen's Designs weekend giveaway image 'Stitched Country Heart'.
The theme over at the blog is 'Patchwork', so I've cut the coloured image into inchies and drawn faux stitching for a quilted effect.  I've completed the look with some stunning Core'dinations Glitter Silk card.


Scrapping 4 Fun Grand Prize Winner Challenge

After winning challenge #22 over at Scrapping 4 Fun, I have been invited to join their Grand Prize Winner Challenge using the following sketch:

It's been a while since I scrapped a page as I don't get much time, having a 3 year old and now a baby too. 
I've chosen to create an 8"x8" layout which I will put in a box frame once I get one. My layout features one of my wedding photos. I had an Oriental theme in honour of my Nan and I think the bright, bold colours are great for scrapping.


Please pop over to Scrapping 4 Fun to vote for my project in the Grand Prize Winner Challenge

Many thanks,





Sunday, 24 August 2014

Hooray!

Gosh it's been a while since my last post! Being kept busy though as you know.
MelJen's Designs weekend freebie always gives me a reason to craft though and this week it's an adorable little penguin, so I just couldn't resist. 

I've used the following materials to create this twisted easel card:
  • Hunkydory card blank
  • White card and mirri card from my stash
  • Papercrafter patterned paper, silver cord and foil
  • Sizzix embossing folder
  • Crafter's Companion embossing folder
  • MelJen's Designs "Party Penguin" image
  • Promarkers - Buttercup, Tulip Yellow, Mustard, Raw Sienna, Satin, Peach, Mango, Bright Orange, Bright Green, Blossom, Pink Carnation, Berry Red, Cool Aqua, Duck Egg, Turquoise, Cool Grey 2 & 3 and Black
  • Gold glitter pen
  • Whispers ink

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

Monochrome Birthday Card

I rarely make monochrome cards and green isn't one of my favourite colours, but my newest Promarkers are greens so I thought I would make good use of them!
It's a fairly simple card as I don't get much time to craft these days with a newborn and a toddler!
You can't see too well from the photos, but I've embossed the Glitter Silk card - top square with hearts and bottom square with dots.

I've used the following materials to create this card:

  • Papermania card and button
  • Core'dinations Glitter Silk card
  • Dovecraft twine
  • Paper flower from The Works
  • Sizzix dots embossing folder
  • X-Cut square parenthesis die
  • Crafts Too hearts embossing folder
  • Meljen's Designs 'Stuffed Little Lion' image
  • Promarkers - Tea Green, Mint Green & Pine

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:


Friday, 8 August 2014

Pop-Up Box Birthday Card

A friend asked me to make a special card for her mum's 60th birthday, so it was the perfect opportunity to try a pop-up box card. I'd been looking at these for a while on Pinterest and was very intrigued by them. 
They look quite complicated to make, but are actually quite simple. It can get a little bit fiddly arranging all the pop-up elements, but they look stunning when finished. 

I've used the following materials to create this card:
  • Papermania card, eyelet and brads
  • Melissa Frances 'Classic Elegance' papers and pearls
  • X-Cut 3D butterfly punch and Square Parenthesis die
  • Sizzix flower & flourish dies
  • Whispers ink
  • Core'dinations Glitter Silk and colour core card
  • Acetate, vellum and twine from my stash
  • Damask Rose embossing folder from Cardmaking & Papercraft


When I'd finished making the card, I realised there's nowhere to write your message, so I added a vellum pocket to the back and made a tag insert to write on. I think it's actually a nice little touch to this style of card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:



Friday, 1 August 2014

Mixed Media Tag

Hello, it's been a while but the new arrival has been keeping me rather busy!
Today I have a Guest Designer spot over at TokBobok for their mixed media challenge.
I have used their lovely image 'Lilium', which I chose before giving birth and not knowing I was to have a girl, whom I named Lily! (It's my favourite flower)

I decided to make a tag rather than a card for this theme.  I embossed some acetate, which was great fun as I haven't done it before. I think it creates a great effect and I'll definitely be doing it again.  The background was supposed to be old book text, but it didn't print in the right resolution to show properly. I think it still looks good with the inking over the top though.

I have used the following materials to create this tag:

  • Card and twine from my stash
  • Eyelets and acetate from DoCrafts
  • Whispers ink
  • Embossalicious embossing folder 'Floral Frenzy'
  • Promarkers - Tulip Yellow, Lime Green, Bright Green, Forest Green, Peach, Mango and Bright Orange

I would like to enter this tag into the following challenges:





Saturday, 19 July 2014

Last guest post over at MelJen's Designs

Today MelJen's Designs Team & Challenge Blog are sharing the last post from me.  It's been wonderful having a guest spot with the team and I hope to have one again in the future, but right now I have my baby girl and 3 year old boy to think about. 
Why not pop on over to the shop to get some gorgeous images for yourself and join in the challenge? www.meljensdesigns.com


Saturday, 12 July 2014

News!

Well I won't be creating cards and blogging very much now due to giving birth to a gorgeous baby girl on Tuesday!
I'm really going to miss my days of crafting, but being a mum is a very demanding and I'll look forward to creating again in the near future. 



Thanks for following my blog and for all the lovely comments you have left,





More from me over at MelJen's Designs...

Today MelJen's Designs Team and Challenge Blog are sharing another card I made especially for them. 
Why not pop over for a look and join in the latest challenge while you're there?
You can also find some gorgeous digital images, including freebies, over at MelJen's Designs shop

Saturday, 5 July 2014

Guest Spot at MelJen's Designs

Please pop over to MelJen's Designs Challenge Blog where I have another guest spot today. 
You can also join in with the latest challenge 'Buttons' and be in with a chance to be their next Guest Designer!

Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Celebrate Today

It's nearly American Independence Day and although I'm in England and won't be celebrating, our theme at The Crafter's Café Challenge Blog this week is Red, White & Blue which is perfect for this occasion. 

Our sponsor this week is:


I have chosen the image 'Twinkles Boo' as the stars and stripes on her onesie fit the theme perfectly.  I've gone with really bold and bright colours for the background paper, and added just a bit more colour with yellow stars.

I've used the following materials to create this card:
  • Card and button from my stash
  • Dovecraft twine
  • 'Perfectly Penned' sentiment from Stampin' Up! 
  • Big Bloomer and patterned papers from the Papermania Spots & Stripes Brights collections
  • ProMarkers - Oatmeal, Soft Peach, Tulip Yellow, Mustard, Sandstone, Caramel, Burnt Sienna, Berry Red, True Blue, Arctic Blue

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:


Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Etsy Treasuries

I have my own Etsy shop, so from time to time I create treasuries. I'm doing them quite a bit at the moment as Craft Hour networking page host #TreasuryTuesday.  
Treasuries are lists of items on Etsy which people usually create to a certain theme, e.g. a particular colour or items for weddings. They consist of a maximum of 16 items. 
I always message people to tell them their item is in my list and often get asked how to create one from people who are new to Etsy, or have never created a treasury before.
Bearing this in mind, I thought I'd write a tutorial that I can point people to rather than writing it all out in conversations several times!

Step-By-Step
  1. Go to Etsy front page and scroll down. On the left-hand side you will see 'More Ways to Shop' - click 'Treasury' 
  2. On the next page, go to the top right-hand side and you will see 'Curator Tools' - click 'Create a List' 
  3. This brings you to the page where you will actually create your treasury. Think of a Title and a Description which explain the theme of your items. You will also need to add Tags to help people in finding your treasury. Once you have done all this, copy and paste the URLs for each item and click 'OK'. 
  4. Once all the spaces are filled, click 'Save' at the bottom. Your treasury is now ready to share. 
It is a good idea to send a message to the shop owners to tell them you've included their items. That way it gets exposure and you get more 'Favorites'. The more items are included in treasuries, the more likely they are to be on the first page when searching.

I hope you have found this tutorial useful. 

Many thanks, 



Saturday, 28 June 2014

Special Birthday Wishes

Meljen's Designs have a wonderful freebie digi this weekend - 'Topsy Turvy Birthday Cake' which is perfect for so many birthdays I have upcoming. 
I'm always striving to create new and exciting projects rather than simply folded greetings cards, so for this I decided to create a hanging birthday 'card', which can be folded up to post then hung as a decoration and used over and over again. 

I've used the following materials to create this project:
  • Card from my stash
  • Dovecraft twine
  • Promarkers - Canary, Mango, Bright Orange, Cerise, Lime Green, Turquoise, Arctic Blue, Cobalt Blue & Purple




I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:

Special Guest at Meljen's Design Team and Challenge Blog

I am very privileged and happy to have a guest post over at Meljen's Design Team and Challenge Blog today. 
Please pop over for a look, and maybe join in with the latest challenge while you're there!

Friday, 20 June 2014

Grats Cupcake

I love making congratulations cards as they can be used for so many different occasions. I think it's one of the most versatile sentiments, so it's always good to have one to hand. 
MelJen's Designs 'Grats Cupcake' is the latest addition to my growing collection of digital images, so it was the perfect choice for this card. I've added dimension to the cupcake by decoupaging some elements, plus lots of texture with heat & dry embossing and the burlap.

I have used the following materials to create this card:

  • Papermania card
  • Buttons, burlap & twine from my stash
  • Patterned paper from Crafter's Companion
  • Sizzix Argyll embossing folder
  • Tim Holtz Kraft-Kore card by Core'dinations
  • Cosmic Shimmer extra thick clear embossing crystals 
  • Promarkers - Oatmeal, Soft Peach, Dusky Pink, Cool Aqua, Duck Egg, Turquoise, Amethyst, Purple & Aubergine


I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:



Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Distressed Building Block Card

As you know I like to try different card folds, so for this week's 'Distress It' challenge over at The Crafter's Café Challenge Blog I have made a building block card. These are so simple to make, yet look amazing once decorated. 
Our sponsor this week is:
I have chosen digi16220 'Bouquet', which can also be bought as a rubber stamp.
If you would like to try the building block card for yourself, you can find the tutorial over at Split Coast Stampers.
I have used the following materials to create this card:
  • Cream card from my stash
  • Tim Holtz Core'dinations Kraft-Kore card
  • X-Cut Dimensions Butterfly punch
  • ProMarkers - Cool Aqua, Duck Egg, Turquoise, Peach, Mango, Bright Orange, Purple, Plum, Aubergine, Tea Green, Mint Green & Pine



I would like to enter this card into the following challenges: