George and the Dragon / Hearts and poppies

I've always loved this Craft Creations decoupage paper and as Valentine Day is only just around the corner it seemed an ideal opportunity to use it! After I had cut out the design, I stuck it to a piece of white card before applying it to a striped green card blank. I put a die cut heart above the face of the creature, which read "To my George from your Dragon" On the smaller hearts it reads "be mine"... and that's all there was to it.

I also wanted to make some cards with Valentines Day in mind but that could also be used for other occasions, like an anniversary.

HEARTS AND POPPIES;

Both cards were made using an IndigoBlu Wild Flowers stamp. I stamped 2 separate images onto cream card. (piece 1 and piece 2)

Piece 1 - Cut to fit card (as required) then deckle edges. Using a die, cut a heart shape over the poppies then ink the inner edge.

Piece 2 - cut slightly smaller than piece 1. Colour poppies and grass underneath.

Using 3d pads apply piece 1 over
 piece 2 (matching pattern)

I used an A5 card blank in cream and wrapped a piece of black card over the fold. ( I cut it 4cm long at the back) I applied the poppy design to the top and added peel-off dots to the corners.


The bottom card was made in a similar way to the one at the top only this time the plain stamped card sat at the back of the design. The heart was cut out and coloured. The edges were inked, then it was applied to the front of the plain stamped card on 3d pads.

I don't do very much stamping but I really enjoyed creating these designs and it was such a lovely stamp to use!

Until next time
Keep crafting x

My Minion

There seem to be a lot of Minions on the net at the moment, so I wanted to have a go at my own. Although the shape is quite simple, it was more challenging than I thought. Anyway here is my version, which stands like an "A" frame.

Time for tea!

For this card, I used a Hobby Art stamp, which funnily enough is called "time for tea"

The brown card measured 21cm x 14.8cm and was scored along the long edge at 2cm 4cm 17cm and 19cm. The first score line (each side)was valley folded and the second mountain folded to form the shop front. I cut an aperture into the front of the card, (see picture) then I took a piece of acetate and applied peel-off strips to it to create the windows. (TIP - it's best to make up the windows before sticking the acetate onto the card so that the panes don't end up too small...use your cutting  mat as a guide for placing the strips)

I stuck the acetate into the back of the brown card. Then I stamped up my time for tea sign and stuck it above the window. I also made strips for each side and a sill for the bottom. I marked the base of the card with faux bricks. I then used one of the stamps to make some bunting and stuck it inside the window to look like a fancy blind.

Next, I cut my white card to 14.8cm x 17cm. I drew a box onto the centre of it, so that my stamping pattern would fit nicely. (some of it will overlap the edges so that there would be no gaps showing when you look through the window of the card.) I stamped each image separately, using the masking technique and then coloured the design with pro-markers. I like anything I make to be standing on a surface so I drew lines in pencil either side of each item, except where they overlapped.

I applied double sided tape to one short side of the brown card between the edge and the first score line. I stuck this to the short edge of the white card with the stamped design. (check its the right way up first!) I put double sided tape on the opposite short side of the brown card as before. Fold this strip at score line and flatten the card as you stick it to the opposite side of the white piece.

NOTE: -  If the marker pens you have used have "bled" through the white card (at the back) add a further piece, cut to the same size and stick one on top of the other.

Hope this hasn't left you feeling totally confused, and that you will try a bit of masking for yourself.

Until next time,
Happy crafting   x

Cone card

When the Great Gatsby film was released earlier this year, it inspired me to create this card using a Kanban stamp.
I drew out the card shape and then made a smaller version in black. The fold is on the left hand side and the card is joined by a "tab" on the right. The front and back is the same shape. Peel off lines were stuck onto the black part of the card to form sections and all the way around the edge.
 The figure in the middle was stamped onto a separate piece of card. It was coloured with pro markers using a flesh tone and different shades of ONE other colour. I then curved the figure a little and attached it to the card with 3d pads. Gems were applied to each section, one either side in the middle and one in the centre of each other panel.
The card stands when the whole thing is formed into a cone shape, but when flattened fits easily into an envelope.
A little bit of class

Till next time
Happy crafting x

Stencils part 3

I took a piece of copy paper, folded it in half, and drew a simple butterfly shape on it. I then drew sections within the top and bottom wings. Using a craft knife, I carefully cut out each section making sure that the blade went through both pieces of paper at a time. I opened the folded paper out to form my stencil.
 I took a piece of white card, and attached the stencil (with masking tape) I didn't want to use the full image this time. (see image)  I applied inks as before overlapping the colours to obtain different shades. I repeated the same thing in the opposite corner of the paper. I then inked 2 more bodies (on a separate piece of paper) so that I could attach them later.
I cut around the butterfly wings and folded them towards the body. I then stuck the centre of the butterflies to my base card,with glue and attached  the wings with 3d pads. I also put pads on the extra body pieces before attaching them to the butterflies.
 I made the daisies from lemon card and embossed them along each petal. I punched out a small dot (from another piece of card) and used this to stencil through to form the middle of each flower.
It was nice to do some more designing and I bet you would never guess that I'm a big fan of butterflies!

Till next time
Happy crafting x

Stencilling part 2

 I made a further stencil as before. This time I drew through all of the sections and made a Zentangle pattern. Can you  remember the old idea called "taking a dog for a walk?" It consisted of drawing an overlapping squiggle on a page and then filling in all of the sections with a different pattern. Well its a bit like that. When I was designing my butterfly, I realised it was a good idea to repeat each pattern on the top and bottom wings to bring the design together. I then blacked out the centrepiece a little so that the sections became fused in the middle.
I feel that the time making the stencil was well worthwhile, considering the different effects I achieved, and because of this I decided to have a go at making my own butterfly design.

Stencilling part 1

I found a pattern for this butterfly in black and white on the net. I cut out all of the black pieces to form a stencil. I took 3 different shades of distress inks and applied then through the stencil onto my card allowing them to blend together here and there. This was the finished effect.