Cricut and Cuttlebug fun

I have just made a birthday cake for a friend's little boy; I'm a way off professional but it was fun and they liked it!
I cut letter stencils out of thick acetate using the Cricut Mini and used them to cut out the letters from fondant icing.I then put the letters into one of the new Cuttlebug embossables folder (Being A Boy) to give them texture. Great fun!

This technique would be brilliant for polymer clay, silver clay and air dry clay too.
Just make sure that you thoroughly wash everything!

The new Cuttlebug embossable folders have metal shapes that coordinate with the designs. These make great card charms, jewellery elements and scrapbooking and Altered Art embellishments. More examples to follow...

Life Inspired

I have been indulging in inspirational work, altering stuff. Here is one of my favourites.

I used PaperArtsy Grunge Paste to stencil a script design; painted with PaperArtsy Fresco Paints; stamped and heat embossed leaf images in white then highlighted with Distress Ink. The embellishments were created from stamps (PaperArtsy, Studio 490 and Unity Stamp Company) and Ranger bits!
Working on such a small area really made me focus on the objectivity of the piece. It works for me!

Woven Bracelet

This is my version of WOVEN BRACELET (Based upon a design by Jill Thomas)

Resources

10g Size 11 seed beads (A)

60 x 4mm Faceted beads (B)

9mm toggle clasp / clasp of choice

Beading thread

Beading needle

Instructions

1. Prepare two wing spans of beading thread and then thread them on to a beading needle. Tie the thread on to one side of the chosen clasp, using a reef knot or surgeon’s knot, and leaving a 15cm/6” tail.
   
   
2. Pick up 6A, 1B, 3A. Ignore the last 7 beads added and take the needle back up through the remaining 3A beads (towards the clasp). Take the thread around the clasp again to secure.
   Bring the needle back through the beads so that it is emerging from the B bead.
   
   
3. Pick up 3 B beads and stitch through the B bead from step 2 in the same direction, making a ring. Take the needle through a further 2B beads so that the thread is emerging from the B bead at the opposite end to the clasp.
   
   
4. Pick up 15A, 1B, 15A. Stitch through the B bead that the needle was emerging from and then the first 15A and B bead just added.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are sufficient repeats to give the required bracelet length (allowing approximately 2.5cm/1” for attaching the other side of the clasp): this is about 5 repeat patterns. Finish at the end of step 3.
   
   
6. Ensure that the needle is emerging from the B bead furthest away from the clasp end. Pick up 6A beads and stitch through the other side of the clasp about 3 times and then tie 3 half hitch knots to secure the thread.
   Take the needle back through 3A, pick up 3 new A and then stitch into the last B bead added. Take the needle back around this end section to reinforce the clasp attachment.
   End with the needle emerging from the last B bead.
   
   
7. Take the needle through one B bead. Add 3B beads and pass the needle back through the B bead the thread emerged from: creating a ring. Continue through the next B bead.
   
   
8. Add 15A, 1 B and 15 A beads and bring the needle back through the B bead from which it emerged in step 7, then back through the first 15 A and the B bead. Take the needle through the B bead on the side of the next original B cluster. Then add 2 B beads and stitch through the last B added and the B bead form the original cluster and the next B bead at the bottom of the new cluster. This creates a new B bead ring linked to the original one.
   
   
9. Repeat step 8 until the other end of the bracelet is reached. Take the thread through the existing beads and secure around the clasp.
   
   
10. Secure both thread ends through a series of half hitch knots around the existing thread line

Here is a close up of one I am just finishing for a friend.

As you can see (hopefully) the bracelet is first worked as a looped group in one direction from one end of the clasp to the other. Then a second series of loops and crystal groups is created linking into the first, working in the opposite direction.
The first picture shows one using rondelle faceted crystals, the second 4mm faceted crystals. Any will work, just adjust the size or number of seed beads used.
Have fun!

Characters and Promarkers

I have been having fun with some character stamps, die cuts and Promarkers.

I created a resist technique background with an old fluffy slipper stamp and faded jeans distress ink.

This was a trial at sepia tones with Promarkers. I like it!



Toilet Roll Tag Book

This is a fun upcycling project. Turn empty toilet rolls into a mini book with pull-out tags. They can be recipe cards, photo tags, favourite sayings, wish lists, anything you like!
I used First Edition Bird Song papers, embellishing using two Stampendous bird themed stamp sets.





The bird cage was stamped on acetate and attached using a piece of chain and a brad so it moves.

They are great fun to put together and don't take lots of reources - quite a bit of time though!





Paints, Inks and Stamps

I have been having a play session using Distress inks and Paperartsy Fresco Finish Chalk acrylic paints.

I used Brushed Corduroy, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress ink to create a base background. I then added depth by inking through masks (sequin waste and a flourish). After drying thoroughly, I stamped and heat embossed in gold the mannequin. The labels and worshing were stamped on sepearte card and inked. The rose at the top of the tag was made using a Marianne spiral blossom die. the seam binding was dyed using Distress stain.

This one was put together in a similar way, but I started by covering the tag with some book paper - still find it hard to break into old books! All the stamps are from a Studio 490 set. I love the butterfly.

For this one, I stamped and heat embossed all the images first using Versafine Onyx Black ink and clear embossing powder. The stamps are from Paperartsy.I then created the backgroundusing paint and ink, with a Harlequin mask. The highlights were added using a white pen.
I was then inspired by some of the work of Jo Firth-Young and her design team and created this mini canvas using some of her new stamps and Fresco Finish paints.

The butterfly is from another Studio 490 set.
I was pleased with the results!
There are some brilliant video tutorials on the Paperartsy website (www.paperartsy.co.uk) on using the Fresco Finish paints. They got me hooked!

Spring is almost sprung!

I made this when the sun was shining and the garden began to spring into life.

The stamp set is from Joanna Sheen. I have stamped in Archival black ink and coloured using watercolour crayons.

Gatefold Pop-up Box Card

I have been making a few of these cards. They are great gift box/card all-in-ones! They have a deep enough expansion to fit tiny baby socks or mitts in for new babies or small jewellery items (earrings, sewn beadwork bracelets, key rings) or fridge magnets.

The baby stamp is from the Don and Daisy collection by Marianne Designs. I have coloured her with Promarkers. I think she is so cute. The wording stamps are the Woodware Baby Greetings set.

The wrap can be made as deep as required to allow for the gift inside: you will need to adjust the length of the wrap and the scoring measurements as required.

The instructions follow so have a go!

Resources

For the base card:

            26cm x 18cm coloured card

            Two pieces 4.7cm x 9.7cm background paper

            One piece 7.7cm x 9.7cm background paper

            Greetings stamp and embellishments as desired

For the box wrap:

            4cm x 24cm card

            Icon stamp

Decorative mounts and ribbon punch as desired

Instructions

1. To make the base card:
   Measure and mark the long edges at 5, 9, 17 and 21cm. Score across the width of the card at these points.
   Measure and mark along the short edges at 4 and 14cm. Score down the length of the card at theses points.
2. Cut away the four corners from the card. With the card long sides top and bottom (landscape), cut along the top and bottom outer scored box shapes up to the first scored corner (the central top and bottom panels). Cut these side pieces like a tab shape.
3. Mark the midpoint of the top and bottom central panels (13cm from either end or 4cm within the panel margins). Score from this midpoint diagonally to the corners of the panel.

4. These diagonal score lines and the outer side panel score lines are mountain folds. All the other score lines are valley folds.
5. Decorate the inside panel and outer two side panels as required. Apply glue to the underside of the side tabs and attach them to the inside edges of the card pulling the card into a box shape.
6. To create the wrap:
   Score across the width of the card at 5cm, 6cm, 16.5cm, 17.5cm. Fold all the score lines as valley folds. Wrap loosely around the card.
   The two ends should overlap by about 1cm. Glue them together.
   Decorate the wrap as required.

Front n' back card

This card makes me remember that Spring is on its way!

I used Front n' back stamps for the girl and windows. The pennants are Hero Arts stamps. 
I stamped all the images with Archival ink and coloured using watercolour pencils and crayons. The 'brickwork' was created by dry embossing tan card using the Provocraft Chevron embossing folder.

Circular Tree Card

Circular Tree Card

 

If you want to practice using Distress inks, this is a great card design to try. It will work with any background stamp, focal image or nesting die shape; you don't have to use the ones I did.

Working on a craft sheet with the Distress inks makes blending easier and minimises the ink waste.

Resources

Nellie’s Frames MFD005 round 3 circles

            Nellie’s Frames MFD018 star wreath

            Cart-Us clear stamp Fantasy Tree with birds

            Cart-Us clear stamp Bird with branch

            Staz–On ink Timber Brown

Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Broken China, Scattered Straw, Barn Door, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey
A4 White card

            Brown card

           

Instructions

1. Fold the white card in half widthways. Draw a 12.5cm/ 5” circle with one side overlapping the crease of the card. Carefully cut it out through both layers of card.
   
   
2. Randomly stamp the branch stamp around the edge of the card front in a series of different distress ink colours: Wild Honey, Vintage Photo and Rusty Hinge.
   
   
3. Using Wild Honey distress ink and the applicator tool and foam, distress blend the edges of the card as desired, adding some Rusty Hinge if a deeper edge shade is required.
   
   
4. Die cut a 6cm / 2⅜” circle from white card using the Nellie’s Frames MFD018 star wreath die set. Carefully stamp the fantasy tree on the card using Timber Brown Staz-On ink. Colour the image using the distress inks as required.
   
   
5. Distress blend around the edge of the die cut circle with Rusty Hinge distress ink.
   
   
6. Die cut the medium die from the Nellie’s Frames MFD005 round 3 circles set out of brown card. Attach the tree circle to this. Then attach the topper to the card front using sticky foam pads.

It's a post friendly card design too!

The beginning

This is the first post I am putting together.