Dennis is back for Caturday because he's such a success story. He arrived at the cat shelter feral and injured after being hit by a car. He wouldn’t go near anybody and lived on the shed roof.
He’s still very wary of people but he does love to be stroked and brushed - and last weekend, for the first time, he came to me when I called him. Slowly, admittedly, but he did come.
He loves other cats, too - just wants to snuggle up for warmth. Bless him. My cat shelter ambition is to get him to sit on my knee so we can watch TV (yes, there’s a TV!) together, but I don't think it will happen.
This morning
was my monthly Crafty Friday class and it was nice to have two youngsters along
with their Mums (it was an INSET day). Despite their young ages (10 and 11), I
knew that, as daughters of crafters, they’d be more than able to cope with a
fun technique, so we tried the Chalkboard Technique – a key trend in the
stamping world this season.
If you’ve
never tried it, I recommend you have a go as we have lots of stamps which are
just perfect for this right now. You’ll need black cardstock, a white ink pad,
white embossing powder and a heat gun. Here’s what to do:
If you have one, swipe
your embossing buddy over your Basic Black cardstock. This will stop any
stray specks of powder spoiling the finished effect.
Stamp your words using
Whisper White ink and then immediately dip it into white embossing powder.
If you leave it too long, your ink will begin to dry and then your
embossing powder won’t stick.
Tap off any excess and
then heat set
Take your Whisper
White ink pad and gently swipe it across the cardstock to look like chalk
marks.
Cut out image as
desired.
As for the
funky snowy background, this was REALLY easy. I didn’t have a suitable stamp so
simply used my Whisper White ink pad and.. a pencil with a rubber on the end.
Crafty Fridays
are held monthly, usually on the second Friday of the month but next month it
will be held on the first Friday, ie 6th December. If you’d like to
come along, please email asap
as I only have three places left!
Stamps: Merry Little Christmas
Cardstock: Soft Sky, Basic Black, Silver Glimmer Paper
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Accessories: Chalk Talk framelits, Chevron ribbon – Cherry Cobbler, Baker’s
Twine – Cherry Cobbler, Season of Style Designer Series Paper, small heart
punch, Basic Rhinestones
Great news! The half-sized wood-mount cases are now available to order, after a delay. These great boxes are now available in two sizes and have lots of uses, such as...
Converting your old wood-mount stamps to the new matching storage system. Printable inserts are available (see below)
Storing stamping supplies such as markers, reinkers, ribbons etc
A hard protective case for a mini scrapbook album
Gift box to present cards etc (take a look at mine, here)
Gift box to make a mini craft kit for a friend who's just starting out
Store small toys for children on a car journey
I'm sure you can think of more!
If you want to transfer your old wood-mount stamps to this fab new packaging, you'll want it to look right, so Stampin' Up!® have produced some inserts for you to print:
Season of Style washi tape isn’t just for
Christmas, as illustrated by this Thank You card. I made mosaic shapes using
the fab punch and various methods. Top left is stamped and punched. The bottom
one is washi tape stuck to a piece of Whisper White cardstock and then punched,
overlaid with a circle of white cardstock and little punched flower. Top right
is punched out of the Baked Brown Sugar layer, with a piece of Core’dinations
cardstock underneath, embossed using the mosaic embossing folder and then
sanded back. This one was fun to make!
Stamps:
Remembering Your Birthday, Mosaic Madness
Cardstock:
Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Core’dinations Early Espresso
Need a
card in a hurry? All you need is a card base, some scraps of cardstock and
Designer Series Paper and a nicely-shaped punch. Several punches would do the
job if you don’t have the new Mosaic Punch – think flowers, butterflies,
hearts…
Nice big
smile please… and we’re done.
Stamps: Happy Day
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Whisper White, Pool Party
Mr Winky would like everyone to know just how much he LOVES the new cushions. They are, apparently, the Best Thing Ever, and are worthy of Mr Winky’s Best Purr. The cushions have been moving from room to room but, wherever they go, Mr Winky follows.
Today’s
the day we launch a brand new exciting tool that’s going to make the craft
world go wild! I just know it’s going to be a big seller!
Why
so confident? Oh, lots of reasons! Here are three:
1.
I love it.
It’s quick and easy to use and very versatile – it’s been giving me hours of
fun!
2.
It’s a bargain. It’s £17.95, just a couple of quid more than a standard size punch,
and offers so many possibilities.
3.
You’ll love it, too. I’m confident about this because I’ve already
demonstrated it at my Epic Day of Crafting – where the guests burst into
spontaneous applause!
It
is, of course, the Envelope Punch Board!
This
fabulous, lightweight tool creates customisable envelopes in at least 66
different sizes. You can use cardstock or DSP, or even print your own designs
using My Digital Studio and your home printer. You can make envelopes in
seconds.
Measurements
are in metric and imperial – you get a metric sticker to add if you wish, but I
prefer to keep mine separately, so that I can still use inches when required.
You
can make so much more than envelopes, though – if you book a party I’ll be
happy to demonstrate it versatility.
If
you can’t wait that long, drop me a line and I’ll order one for you – the order
number is 133774.
Meanwhile,
take a look at the Stampin’ Up! video, showing you how quick and easy it is to
use.
