Winter Friends

Here's my niece's Christmas Card, which I made with the Spectrum Noir December Challenge in mind. Clean and Simple is the theme, and I originally intended to place my coloured image onto a white background, but I didn't like the finished look, so I've added some patterned paper behind my snowdrifts. It was a bit of a nightmare as I had already coloured my pic! I usually match my colours to my paper...But I like the finished result. Does anyone ever stick to their original plan? - My cards always seem to evolve into something different!

The card base is Centura Pearl, which I cut on my Silhouette with a extended version of the tealight card (see below). I had to make a larger size to fit all the choccies in!  Luckily there was a few leftover :)

I have used only Spectrum Noir pens and pencils to colour my Wee Stamps digi - Winter Friends. The best thing about Spectrum Noir is that the colours are so vibrant.  The colour families make it easy to blend, and you can't fault the price.

Hair -TN2,4,9 and pencils 90,94
Skin -TN2, FS1,3,7
Coat - DR7 CR4,9
Boots - JG1,3,7 and pencil 52
Animals - IG family, FS7 and pencil 120
Accessories - GB1,4 OR1

Here's a close up -

Merry Christmas!

Leather Bound Book Box

My neice is a Roald Dahl fan, so I have made this book box for here using Sheena Douglass Faux Leather Technique, so much fun! I used a Roald Dahl Card decoupage kit to make the insert.  I embossed it with the Rose Vine Embossalicious Folder by Crafter's Companion. I used Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick with Vintage Photo and aged Mahogony.  The papier mache book is from The Glitter Pot.   The letters were made on my trusty Silhouette with double sided adhesive and Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes.

Christmas Cards on the Silhouette

Again, I am mad at myself for my photography skills, I am stuggling to get good pictures of my work! 

Anyhow, I have been busy making cards with the Silhouette.  The great thing about buying cutting files is that you can mix match and edit them to siut your purpose.  Here I have taken a great Tea Light Box card and HunkyDory Christmas card and toppers to make some quick cards.  I edited the design to just make the box, then attached the card to the back.

I've used the same tea light box to create the following two cards, with a polar bear card cutting file and a silhouette scene of Bethlehem from this card.

This is one of my favourite cards I've made so far on the Silhouette.  It's a shadow box card and you can find the file here

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Card Designer of the Year 2014

I have entered the Simply Cards and Papercraft Competition with for the Card Designer of the Year 2014.  I haven't heard anything yet, so I don't think I have been as lucky this time!

Here are my entries:

My favourite one is the first one, it's a digital stamp by Hannah Lynn.  The background is Indgo Blu Morris Dance Gilding Flakes over corrugated card (leftover from some packaging - no need to buy it!).  I coloured the card base with Tumbled Glass, Seedless Preserves and Metallic gold distress paint.

The second card is the one is from my earlier post 'Witch Way's the Party'.  The door hanger is decorated with a sugar skull, the template is from the Silhouette store.

Runner Up Cardmaker of the Year 2014 Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine

Here are the cards I made for the competition.  I was over the moon to be a runner up, and I've received some fabulous prizes.

Quilt Block Gift Bag

I've made this gift bag decorated on both sides. The other item is a gift box I made on the silhouette.


I love this 'patchwork quilt' technique, it's a great way of using scraps.  I've added a link to a Silhouette cutting file on the top right of the blog. The circles and squares are sized to decorate the Docrafts Basics kraft gift bag.  I've used single sided paper for the bag, but it's even easier if you use double sided as I have in this quick demo.

You don't have to use the Silhouette file, any circle made with dies, scissors or punches will work.

Once you've cut as many circles as you need, score a square inside each circle, like so. Fold over the edges to make your squares.  If you want to use single sided paper, just glue a square of patterned paper to the wrong side of the circle before folding over.

About the Silhoeutte File : For the bag I've made cut the circles (blue lines) and squares (green lines) in 6 different Papermania 12x12 papers. If you're using single sided papers, you can ignore the red squares.  You can choose which colours to cut in Cut settings>advanced. Stick the squares to the wrong sides of the circles, score and fold.

 If you're using double sided paper, you can cut the circles (blue) and draw the score lines (red).  Ignore the green squares.  

 If you wish to sew the squares, stick the finished squares to a piece of cheap kids funky foam cut to size.  Sew across the middle of each row and each column of squares.  Stick the loose threads to the back of the foam with tape, and stick to the bag.

Finish with a few matching embellishments, add a gift tag and you're done!

Witch Way's the Party?

I love this witch digistamp from Wee Stamps, but I don't have any Halloween cards to send, so I decided to make a card with it to enter in the Simply Cards and Papercraft competition.  I wanted to make my own patterned paper and use my silhouette to make a 3-step card.  It's my favourite type of card to make at the moment.

I needed to use thick card (centura pearl) to take the distress stains I wanted to use, but I didn't want to make the card too bulky, so I decided to create false layers by masking off the necessary areas on the card.  I printed the sentiments I wanted, then drew the outlines of the layers with my silhouette, using registration marks so the machine cuts in the correct place.  I then stamped a leaf design from Inkilicious and heat embossed it with clear powder.

I then used distress stains in Picked Raspberry, Dusty Concord and Spicy Marmalade to colour over the image.  I have found you can use distress stains in the same way as the inks, if you scribble the stain onto a Splodgeaway mat (or similar) and blend it with your foam or Inkilicious Dusters before putting it on your paper.  

I removed the masks and splashed water and more stain in drips on the page, blotting with kitchen towel. I ironed the card between copy paper to remove the embossing powder.  I outlined the sentiments and blank space with a black fineliner and then cut out the layers with my trusty Silhouette.  I layered these onto black card before sticking in place inside the card blank.

I made the topper in the same way. I can't colour onto Centura Pearl, so I printed my digistamp onto Neenah cardstock and cut it our with the Silhouette. I used promarkers to colour the image, with a sakura stardust pen and some glossy accents for hilights.

I added some extra details with a paintbrush and distress stain. I had a total nightmare with my sentiment, nothing I tried looked right.  I ended up colouring some alphabet stickers with my stains, and used glitter for a bit more emphasis and texture.  Having taken a photograph I think I need to hilight the sentiment a bit more.

I added some paper flowers coloured with the same stains (they're so versatile!) and that's it!  I just need to make an envelope to fit, and I'll be finished.

It's only taken me all week!

Kate

x

Colour Chart Tags

I've made a new silhouette file to create some colour chart tags.  I previuously had one colour chart for all my pens, but I thought it might be handy to have set of tags instead.  I've punched holes in the cards for easy colour matching. It was quite theraputic colouring them all in!

You can download this cutting file if you want to make some for yourself.  There's nothing quite as satisfying as organising your stash.

Quick Update

I've just returned from a fabulous holiday in Wales with my boys!  We had a lovely week, but it's nice to be home so I can get back to crafting.  I'm starting my next card for the Simply Cards and Papercraft competition, but I think it will take me a week to complete.  I'll post some pics as I go along, I'll be using my 3-step Silhouette template.

Free Silhouette File

I've added my first silhouette file in the link at the top right of the page.  It's a template for a card, approximately 6x6 with a popout in the centre.  It seems to work ok, I was able to download it onto a different computer so I hope you will be able to use it, too!

The file includes all the mats and layers for the centre, and I've used different colours for each layer so if you go into cut settings>advanced, you can select the layers you need to print.  The score lines are perforated so you could cut them, but I prefer to score them after I've cut them. They are also a separate colour so you can turn off the perforations if you prefer.

 Here's some pics of the card I made with my silhouette.

I apologise for the poor photography, I am hopefully going to improve soon! 

The items used for this card are :

Image:

Hopeful digistamp by Sylvia Vet at Wee Stamps

Coloured with Spectrum Noir pens and pencils, and promarkers

Papers :

Kraft cardstock

Core'dinations

My Minds Eye Bluebell

Dies and punches:

Spellbinders circles and scalloped circles

Martha Stewart border punch

Marianne design leaves

The sentiments I just typed out and printed on Desert Storm Neenah and cut with my silhouette to fit.

I hope you like the card and cutting file. I entered "Hope" as one of my cards for the Cardmaker of the Year 2014 (Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine), so I'll let you know how I got on later this month.  It's the first time I've entered a competition like this one, but I'm hoping to enter the Papercrafter of the Year (Simply Cards and Papercraft) if I get my projects finished in time!

From Embarrassment to Enlightenment...

I've decided to start a blog.  I want to keep a record of all my crafty projects. I love learning new crafts and crafting techniques, so it will be fun to look back at what I have made, including those craft fails!

As all of you crafty folk know, making something with your own two hands is immensely satisfying.
Over the years I have dabbled in everything from calligraphy to cooking, and patchwork to papercraft.  I am by no means artistic, l have no talents, just a love of creating and learning.

My current obsession is papercraft.  You can spend 30 minutes making a quick card or days on a complex scrapbook layout.  I love sitting in front of the TV colouring an image.  There's a reason why zentangle and colouring for adults is a growing trend - it's so calming.

I discovered my love of colouring by accident, when I bought my two year old his first colouring book and box of crayons.  We had such a lovely time!  A year or so later I found a box of promarkers in hobbycraft and couldn't believe the fabulous colours.  I had to buy them, although I have to say I felt embarrassed to be a grown woman spending so much on pens for colouring-in.

I googled promarkers when I came home, looking for tutorials. And I came across the world of cardmaking and papercraft.  I found that I had nothing to be embarrased about - I'm not alone!

I've not looked back since.


I am new to blogging, so I'll try to learn that as I go and hopefully create a blog that other people may enjoy.  First of all I'm going to have to take some pictures!