Love You More with World Map background

I hope you had a lovely Christmas, whether celebrating with family and friends or enjoying some quiet time to yourself.

Our phone line is back up but the internet is not yet, although there are several BT men on the road working away and battling against the winds. Sometimes we can get online via the BT hotspot, sometimes we can’t. Even when it works, it’s very slow. If this post appears, it will be a miracle.

If you have Christmas money to spend, you might want to consider the Whole Lot of Love promotion. The products are designed for Valentine’s projects but can be used for so much more. Check out these cards I made for my team members who joined me at Convention.

I used the globe from the Love You More stamp set and teamed it up with the World Map background stamp. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I love the background I’ve created here and plan to incorporate this into a class at some point in 2014. It’s done with the brayer but don’t panic; it’s REALLY easy.

The “banner” is created with the Mosaic Punch. I cut a strip of cardstock just narrower than the punch aperture and slid it in to punch just one end.

Stamps: Love You More, World Ma

Cardstock: Pool Party, Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry

Ink: Black Stazon, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Mosaic Punch, Brayer, Chalk Talk Framelits, Markers – Gumball Green, Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party

Merry Christmas

The latest here is that our phone line is down and won’t be fixed this side of Christmas. Probably due to the high winds we’ve been experiencing over the past two days. But my mobile is working and I can get my emails if I stand in the right part of the house for the BT wifi hotspot!

So I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas – and I’ll be back soon with some more projects and news. 

Calm Christmas card

It’s not too late for this card, either, as it’s not one you’d want to post due to the bulky element.  I have been known to receive a handmade card from my friend and downline Alison at late as 6pm on Christmas Day because she’s been running behind on her making. Considering that this is also her birthday, I feel privileged to have received one at all! But she’s ahead of me this year, for the first time in history.

Stamps: Calm Christmas

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Soft Sky, Whisper White

Ink: Soft Sky, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler ribbon, Frosted Finishes Embellishments

Chalkboard Christmas gift tags

Here’s a little project that it’s not too late to start, yes even now. All you need are some dies (or some scissors and a steady hand), some white embossing powder and a Chalk Marker.

We made these at my Christmas: All Wrapped Up class and I love them, especially when added to a plainly wrapped present with some white trim*. Very stylish - even when I've pressed too hard with the stamp and created white where there shouldn’t be white! 

It’s the chalkboard technique – all you do is white emboss some words onto black cardstock and then swipe your white inkpad across the cardstock to represent chalk marks. Alternatively, use the embossing buddy to add the chalky effect. I used the Chalk Marker to draw dots around the edges to complete the look.

Stamps: Merry Little Christmas, Greetings of the Season

Cardstock: Basic Black

Ink: Whisper White

Accessories: White embossing powder, Chalk Talk framelits, Ovals framelits, Chalk Marker, Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon

(bell is from the 99p Shop in Westfield Derby - you get 10 in a pack!)

Caturday: kittens and a laser pointer!

Kittens and laser pointers go together like Christmas and Slade... and these three cuties had a ball chasing the impossible-to-catch light at Woodland Nook last weekend. They need homes, in case you’re interested...

Going crackers with the Mosaic Punch

These crackers are all the rage since the arrival of the Envelope Punch Board.

However, I tried making one using cardstock and the board and didn’t feel comfortable about the amount of pressure I needed to apply to punch through a double thickness of cardstock. So, rather than risk my beloved Envelope Punch Board, I used the Mosaic Punch instead.

A cracker like this is a fun way to wrap a medium-sized gift such as a scarf or a few pairs of socks. But you will notice that smaller items could fall out – you can remedy this with two squares of cardstock on the insides of the ends – remember not to add them until after you’ve inserted the gift though!

I used a tutorial by UK demonstrator Caroline Hallet.

I used a piece of 12x12 textured Cherry Cobbler cardstock cut down to 12” x 9½”

Put the short side up against the top of the Simply Scored tool and score along the length at:           

2¼”            

4½”            

6¾”            

9”

Turn your cardstock 90º and put the long edge up against the top of the Simply Scored tool.  Score along the width at:                        

2¼”            

2¾”           

3¼”

Turn your cardstock 180º and score again at the above measurements.

Next you punch out as shown in Caroline’s video – I used the Mosaic Punch, pushing it in just under halfway. As you’re punching a double thickness, it’s a lot easier than using the Envelope Punch Board, although the board should be fine for crackers made from DSP.

The DSP to decorate measures 5” x 1 7/8”

Stamps: Greetings of the Season

Cardstock: Textured Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Old Olive, Silver Glimmer Paper

Paper: Season of Style DSP stack

Ink: Old Olive

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon, Festive Flurries Framelits dies, Chalk Marker

Muslin bag with Santa's List

I love this muslin bag which we decorated at my Christmas: All Wrapped Up class at the weekend. It would be a gorgeous way of giving a small present such as jewellery.

I adapted this from a video tutorial by Connie Collins – although I discovered that if I attempted to add any adhesive over the coloured image, the colours would run.

Santa is stamped onto tissue paper, Mod Podged onto the bag, sealed with more Mod Podge and then coloured with blender pens and ink pads. Instead of Mod Podging over the top of the coloured image, I sprayed it with some craft sealant, although hairspray would probably do the same job.

The snowflake is made from some white wadding which came with our new bed! I knew it would come in handy one day. It was a gamble using the Framelits on it, but I’m happy to say that no harm befell the dies. There’s a hint of a Pool Party marker around the edges.

Stamps: Santa’s List

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Crisp Canteloupe, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Muslin bag, Festive Flurries dies, 1” circle punch, ¾” circle punch, Seam Binding ribbon – Cherry Cobbler, Frosted Finishes embellishments

Other: tissue paper, Mod Podge, craft sealant

Christmas banner - Stampin' Up-style!

First things first: my mobile phone is currently out of action so please don’t text me. Use email or my landline if you need to get in touch.

Now to today’s project, and it’s a whopper! Saturday was my final class of the year – the much-anticipated Christmas: All Wrapped Up.

The main project of the afternoon was this one and I admit that this project was big enough to fill a whole class. I’ll be working on timings next year, I promise! The picture isn’t great as it’s so dark all the time right now; I should have taken one at the hall on Saturday.

We used the banner kit from the Autumn/Winter catalogue. This kit is really generous and definitely one to consider for any time of the year. In the kit you get:

• 18 canvas banner pieces in three different shapes
• Three pattern stencils
• One circle stencil
• A full alphabet of stencils
• A length of thick jute twine
• Two spritzer bottles 

You can also purchase additional banner pieces to make more projects. I highly recommend both and wish I’d latched onto this earlier in the life of this catalogue, which expires at the end of January!

We began by sponging ink onto the banner pieces through the stencils. I’ve been reliably informed that spritzing ink through the stencils can cause smudging, so we used sponge daubers instead, picking up the ink from the lids of ink pads. 

It's a shaker behind the Frosted Finishes embellishment

There was a LOT of die-cutting for this project so, in the end, I stood at the Big Shot to help out. The muscles in my right arm are now quite developed!

I love the stamp set, Lovely as a Tree, and was surprised that one of the ladies at the class hadn’t used it before. Needless to say, it’s now on her wish list. She won’t regret buying it; it’s one you can use all year round for Christmas, birthdays, masculine cards and sympathy cards. Here we stamped and stamped off to get various shades of Old Olive on the Very Vanilla ovals.

Chris was justifiably proud of her banner!

The embellishments in between add some bling – and are a little over-the-top for me, I’ll admit. I was inspired by a swap I received at Convention from my friend Frenchie Jo. 

Jo's fab Christmas ornament

What you can’t see from the photo is the shaker element of these sections of the banner (that’s the bit inspired by Jo). This bit was quite tricky as it has to be done in the right order! Behind the Frosted Finishes embellishments is a piece of acetate covering a spoonful of glitter which is held in with the fabulous Shaker Frames from the main catalogue. These are perfect circles in various sizes and made just for creating shaker cards.

We have silver AND gold on this banner – Silver Glimmer Paper and some Gold Foil cardstock, as well as lots of Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive… my perennial favourite colour combination for Christmas.

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree

Cardstock: Textured Cherry Cobbler 12x12, Very Vanilla, Silver Glimmer Paper, Gold Foil cardstock

Paper: Season of Style DSP stack

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Baked Brown Sugar

Accessories: Build a Banner Simply Created Kit, Banner Simply Created Kit, Frosted Finishes embellishments, Festive Flurry framelits, 1” circle punch, acetate, sponge daubers, Gold glitter, Shaker Frames

Caturday, Dennis, Twinks and Felix

A bit of an update on the Dennis and Twinks romance for you. I’m afraid it’s all gone a little bit Jeremy Kyle show... as Dennis and Twinks have welcomed Felix into their lives. To make it even more tabloid-friendly, Felix is actually Twinks’s grandfather. Maybe he’s there to chaperone? Personally I think it has a lot more to do with the heated bed!

Edited to add: Forgot to say that my mobile phone hasn’t worked for a few days and won’t be fixed for another few days. If you need me, email me or phone the landline please!

Christmas swaps

I have lots of lovely Christmas goodies to show you but they’re a secret until after my final class of the year tomorrow.

So, to keep the festive feeling alive, here are some of my favourite Christmas swaps from Convention. It’s no surprise to me that many of these are from German demonstrators as I really like the German style. 

Fabienne Klinger, Germany - look at all the detail!

and on the the back of the envelope, too!

Alexandra Hamm, Germany

Christine, Germany

My friend and downline Alison Richardson, UK

Lisa Runnalls, UK

This one has lost its rhinestone! Martina Petersen, Germany