#75 Construction Cards (get your scoreboard out!)

Hi All!

 

Happy Friday to everyone :-)

 

Another Friday and another challenge over at Cardcrafters Circle.

 

This week we're playing with construction cards so think Easel; Neverending; Trifold; Theatre style etc etc etc!!

 

Our sponsor this week is:

Digi Darlas, click onto the logo to get into their brilliant shop!

 

 

Here's  my construction card; it's a theatre style card :-)

 

 

I made this on my Hougie Board :-)

 

The image is 'kitten with a ball' and I thought he was really cute!

 

To make a theatre card is really easy. Just work out the width you want (this one is 6'' square card) and add 4'' to the width when you cut the card.

 

Then score at 1'', 2'', 8'', 9''.

 

 

 

I cut an aperture out of the front card using an Xcut die and then ran it through my Crafters Companion A4 embossing folder (which is really yummy!!)

 

 

 

Stick your sides together, punch a hole through the top of bottom and thread your ribbon. The sides will fold in so you can get into a 6x6 envelope. Just watch out for too many embellishments or you'll have to make a box for it.

 

 

 

I crochet'd the flower to keep the 'wool' theme going :-)

 

 

 

The trim inside the aperture is some pink paper punched with one of the large Martha Stewart border punches.

 

And here's a close up of my little cheeky kitten (coloured in with Spectrum Noirs)

 

 

 

Can't wait to see what you create - have fun!!

 

Crafty smiles

 

Teresa xx

 



Pinks and Yellows... here we go!

Challenge #74 is on over at Card Crafters Circle this week.

 

We run our challenges from Friday to Friday so get playing :-)

 

this week we want you to mix up pink and yellow.

 

It's great to see what you get up to each week and I love stopping by to leave little comments on your blogs :-)

 

We've used some wonderful images from our friends over at Floppy Latte

 

 

There's a great array of images to choose from and get crafting on straight away.

 

The team choose from the amazing frames range, pop over to the challenge blog to see what we've all been up too!

 

Here's mine...

 

 

The flowers were coloured in with water pencils. Have go at blending in different shades of green on your leaves and watch them come to life :-)

 

I picked up the sentiment stamp a few years ago from e-bay and just love it's meaning.

 

 

 

Instead of matting squares all the time, have a go at cutting a square larger than you need and turning at an angle. Trim off the edges and you're left with a different backing shape behind your main image.

 

 

The 'frame' for my main image is done with a Fiskars corner punch. Once you've punched all four corners you can then secure your picture in each edge (my fab little new buy!)

 

DISTRESSING TOP TIP:

We all see lots of distressing on cards but how do you rough up your cards?

 I use the fab little distressing tool from Hougie Crafts. All you do is run your card through the little tool (blades inside are hidden) and is rough's up your card a treat ready to by inked.

 

Have fun with your cards this week!

 

Crafty smiles

Teresa xx





Get your bloomers out!

It's a new challenge over at Card Crafters Circle and this week we're all about the flowers.

 

Especially as the sun has finally decided to visit us here in England (yippee!!). We've missed sooooo much :-)

 

Anyway, the details. It's challenge number 73.

 

And we've been sponsored this week by the fabulous Michelle Perkett Studios

 

have a good look at what my design team pals have been up to this week with the 3 different images we had to play with :-)

 

This week I wanted to give you something a little different so no card...

 

Instead I'm decorating gifts bags!!

 

In essence it's exactly the same just that you get to put lovely things in your finished project for a girlfriend or female family member.

 

 

my post is a little late tonight and my two beautiful kids will have me up early. So I'll add more photo's and details tomorrow - including the dies and punches I've used (don't you just love that border punch - it's Martha Stewart)

 

Night, night, for now

 

Teresa xx





Latest docrafts Creativity Magazine is here!

I'm lucky enough to be one of Docrafts Demonstrators which means I regularly get to play with their amazing products in shops - enticing other crafters :-)

 

But better than that I get to create projects for the magazine (which in my opinion is the best crafty magazine out there).

 

 Here's the latest cover...

 

 

There are amazing projects in here from the new 'Home to Nest' to 'Ahoy' ranges. And you'll find Forever Friends makes from my crafty pal Claire Green (very talented). And if that's not enough the wonderful Jo Austin's having fun with felt making a very posh 'Mr Fox'.

 

 

 It's jam packed with projects and ideas that will keep you busy for hours :-)

 

My challenge was to create something 'pinwheel' with the new Bold Spots and Stripes Capsule Collection...

  

 

I made 4 carton boxes (thanks to my Hougie!!) and also a base box and carry handle.

 

 

Finally a card to match..

 

 

What's lovely about the magazine work is you can go wherever your imagination takes you. The projects are there to inspire other crafters so you really have to push yourself to come up with something different.

I really feel blessed to get to do this kind of creative work with the very talented docrafts design team :-) It's improved my skills and confidence. I never would have applied for the Card Crafters Circle design team if it wasn't for my docrafts work and now I'm part of a wonderful group of ladies.

 

So, whatever your reason for crafting is - have fun doing it :-)

 

Smiles on a Monday

 

Teresa xx

 

 



Here comes the boys...

New weekly challenge over at Card Crafters Circle! They run from Friday to Friday.

 

And that's right we're all about our men this week (and not a flower in sight) :-)

 

This week our sponsor is the fab Digi Darlas.

 

 

Head over to their website for a nose... (click on their icon above)

 

I got 'Western 4' this week. Yeehaa! Here come the cowboys :-)

 

 

The card is made from 2 5x5 Kraftstax card from Papermania.

 

Take one of the 5x5 card and open it up. Score the left hand panel in half. Do the same on the right hand panel. Then score the furthest section on the right hand side in half again. (These folds are a breeze if you've the hougie board).

 

Take the first fold on the left hand panel and stick this to the inside of your first card.

 

From the side it'll look like this....

 

 

As you can see, the first card doesn't change at all. It's just the second card you do the work on.

 

What this means is you can do this with any matching two card blanks. Have a go and see what you can create :-)

 

Here's a closer image of those fab cowboy boots (I can hear Billy Ray Cyrus in the background!!)

 

 

 

 

The 'hey cowboy' is stamped from a brilliant set of individual letter stamps I picked up on ebay :-)

 

 

The papers are a mixture from my stash and for the embellishments well then I needed my Card Candi. If you've not heard of these they are faux brads and they do them in a range of brilliant colours. If you're buying on line then have a look a the link on the left for Art of Craft.

 

 

Another shot of the card from the side. This staggered card is great fun for decorating and stamps up pretty sturdy as long as you've a strong card base.

 

All the papers etc have been inked up with Tim Holtz 'Vintage Photo' ink pad.

 

If you notice the ribbon is stapled on which is great on men's cards.

 

Have some fun with your boys cards and who knows, maybe it'll be yours I stop by and leave a message for...

 

Happy crafting

 

Teresa xx

 

They're finally engaged!

My lovely work pal, Clair and her fabulous boyfriend of seven years got engaged on the weekend.

Clair was displaying her lovely new ring at work on Monday :-)

 

So of course they needed a card (any excuse to play with paper!)

 

And who else to pull out to help celebrate than Forever Friends....

 

 

The stacker is on the Forever Friends Retro CD rom.

 

Embellishments came from Boofle CD rom. I re-sizes the A4 stackers to slightly smaller which meant I could fit all my flowers; buttons and sentiment on the one A4 page.

 

What I love about CD rom crafting is you can re-size the images to what suits you and what you're making.

 

The floral backing paper is from my stash and not CD although there's lots on there to pick from :-)

 

I've embossed the green card with a lovely sizzix folder.

 

The leaves are punched from my well used Woodware leaf punch.

 

All I need now is for them to set a date so I can make the wedding card!

 

Anyway, better go as I'm working on my Docrafts Creativity Magazine commission for July :-)

 

Crafty smiles

Teresa xx

 

 



Challenge Friday #71 April Showers

So, it's finally Friday! Don't know about you but it's been a loooonnnng time coming this week :-)

Funnily enough our challenge this week over at Card Crafters Circle is all about the rain and we've had  bit this week here in the UK!

Dig out your umbrella templates, stamps and whatever will make puddles and play along.

Our sponsor this week is Milk Coffee Stamps, click on their logo to go shopping. And trust me, once you see what the design team have used for our creations this week, you'll want to shop :-)

I got to play with the adorable 'Cutie Button Girl'

I've taken a scalloped square card and folded the left hand panel in half to make a fold back card. When you've too many ideas to put just on the front, make yourself some more room to play!

This little cutie is coloured in with my trusty Spectrum Noirs. I used to be frightened of alcohol pens 'til I found the tutorials on the Spectrum Noir blog. After that it's just about playing and having a go :-)

Next for the decoration. We've seen lots of rosette's and there's no surprise why. They are a really easy but stunning embellishment to make. This one is the length of an A4 sheet. Do the border punch first - I've used my lovely Martha Stewart Doily punch on here. Once you've punched the border, trim the strip taking into account how deep you want your rosette.

I used my Hougie board to score 1cm lines all the way across the strip. Mountain and valley fold (concertina) the strip and stick ends together with strong double sided tape or wet glue.



You'll then need to cut a circle and load up with wet glue (or hot glue gun works best) and stick your rosette onto this.

To finish off, cut a circle of patterned paper and secure with glue, finishing off with a big fat button :-)



The sentiment is from Kanban and it's a wonderful collection of blank tickets and sentiments you can swap in and out.

The 'sprig' is cut from my 'Storybook' cricut cartridge.

Finishing touches are mixture of ribbon and beads from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you like the make and can't wait to see what you create :-)

have a great weekend all

Teresa xx