Wisteria Card

I have lots of Dreamweaver stencils and like to use them with embossing paste.  This time I thought I would try something different.  I ran the card and stencil through the die cutting/embossing machine and with the stencil still in place I inked the raised sections with various shades of mauves and greens.  After removing the stencil I sprinkled with sparkle embossing powder and heat embossed.  The background of the card was stamped with versamark and a silver tint embossing powder applied.  

Christmas Wreath

I mostly make cards - I like to make cards as I can donate these to the local animal shelter to sell for funds. I wanted to make something different and so as it is Christmas I decided to make a wreath.  I started by using a circle cutter to make a ring and covered this with some paper from my stash.  I cut lots of Poinsettia flowers with the Spellbinders die and used a holly die as well.  The Poinsettias I cut with cream card and matt gold card.  To add detail I used a coloured embossing pen (to see which areas I had done) and then embossed with gold embossing powder.  Not sure I like the ribbon - may change it something different - this one is a bit floppy.

Crochet Blanket

My friend's daughter is having a baby just after Christmas so I wanted to make a crochet baby blanket.  This is the finished item - it is in ripple stitch with "owls" added!  OK may not be the best owls in the world - needed a bit more shaping and more defined beaks!

Christmas Cards 2013

I always start thinking about my Christmas cards early in the year but then keep changing my mind or being tempted by new papers, or new dies, or new techniques I have seen and want to try.  Most of my projects has some embossed element on them - either heat embossed or using embossing folders or masks.  When I started out paper crafting many years ago I heat embossed everything in sight and then decided to buy some bargain price embossing powder from the online auction site.  It was a disaster - the results were rubbish and this put me off of embossing for ages.  I thought it was something I was doing wrong - perhaps the wrong paper, the wrong ink, heating too long or not long enough.  I kept wasting my lovely stash.  Anyway after leaving it for a while I bought some good quality embossing powder and OMG - the results were just amazing.  I can't believe the difference good quality crafting items make to the final outcome.  We are always on the look out for a bargain but to be honest a smaller amount of something good and lovely and that will be used to good effect is so much better value than a large amount of something cheaper that won't be used and will just stay in the cupboard.

This year I made a few different style of Christmas cards.  The first ones were in ivory and gold.  The stamped images were stamped in gold and embossed with a sparkle embossing powder.  The Crafters Companion Embossalicious embossing folder was inked and the card debossed and then sprinkled with sparkle embossing powder for a different look.  I tried also with gold embossing powder but found this a bit too heavy for this occasion.  The ribbon is some from my stash.

                                    

                                              

                             

The next card was made using a Craftwork Cards Twister card blank and heat embossed.  The stamp was from Elusive Images which is now Chocolate Baroque, I have lots of their stamps and often find myself going back to them.  For Christmas again I used some sparkle embossing powder.  I am loving the twister cards.

                       

                     

                              

Scrapbook Page - Mum

I just haven't got around to blogging for so long - I am a very bad person.  It has been a very difficult year.   Mum was gradually getting older and frailer at the beginning of the year and lost her battle in June.  I had an operation in August. My dog Sparky has had to have a tumour removed - but looks to be in the clear now.  Work has also been busy.  Anyway I am here now and will try to catch up on a few projects.  I have continued to make things but not alway remembering to photo them.  I am thinking I would like to take up patchwork quilt making - would love to have a go!!! 

One of my new year resolutions will be to do more scrapbooking - I love to be able to take time choosing papers and matching embellishments to go with the photos and to recall the time and emotions of the photos.  I am often put off as I get so many bits and bobs out and then have to tidy up after. I am alway wanting things finished before I am started - you know like reading the last page of the book half way through...?  I am impatient but need to readjust and realise that the enjoyment is in the process, the journey and not just the final outcome.  

This scrapbook page is of my Mum Elsie.  She was a great friend and was so funny and such a determined person.  Even though she was becoming weaker every week she would still try to walk up to see me (about 1/2 mile) whenever she could and she would alway want to pop into town (a few hundred yards from her flat) to get some shopping rather than ask me.  In the photo she is wearing a pretty hat my niece crocheted for her - now mum was never a hat person and I can't remember seeing her wear hats (we have round faces not best suited to hats).  She also didn't like having her photo taken and so was crying with laughter and making gestures to me.  This is how I remember my time with mum - she walked up for coffee, we had a natter/gossip and a laugh - always a laugh.  Right until the end she would still be having a laugh and a joke with everyone.  

I used papers from my stash.  The title was written and cut with my Silhouette Cameo.  The flowers are cut from a Spellbinders die (I think this is the Anemone).  I also used a flourish die from my collection.  The flowers were shaped and  dabbed with an inkpad and the embossed with a Frantage embossing powder.  I struggled to emboss the strip along the lower edge as found the ink dried too quickly so used a Rollagraph stamp (do you remember these - I used to love them, I know Fiskars now make something similar), but used  Flitter Glue from Indigo Blu dabbed onto the rollagraph stamp and them glitter embossing powder over this.  The brass heart embellishment was also heat embossed to match in with the pink/mauve scheme.  

The finished page.

Spellbinders flower die embossed edges.

Brass heart embossed to match.

Glitter embossing with Flitter Glue to keep stamped image tacky long enough.