Spiky Denim Flower

 Hi Everybody,  

I am using one of the other flowers that I made in the last video and this a die cut one that I have flipped the layers alternatively.

Into the centre I have glued a blue pearl and dotted some more around the card front

I splattered it all with gold paint to match in with the sentiment and this card is an A6 size.

I have added a cut out panel to the card and surrounded the flower with some leaves.

It was very quick to make and I am not un happy with the result even though it is not my favourite size.  

Using old jeans is a perfect way to get some flowers that are different from the rest and saves them going to the landfill site.

So I hope you like them

Bye for now ... 

Hugs xx

Using Old Jeans

 Hi Everybody,

Do you have some old jeans that you no longer wear or can get some from someone else who wears them and now doesn't need them anymore.

You can make some lovely flowers from them to add to your projects and it doesn't take a lot of material to make them.

It is another fabric that can be put to good use in the flower making department and there are lots of ways to use it up. 

Making Flowers - Denim

This is just one way that denim can be used and I hope you will stay with me as we try some more from the same material.

Just use any dies that you already have for the flowers and leaves and experiment and come up with a different design if you would like too.

Have fun with any of the flowers that have been covered over the last few months, they certainly make for pretty cards.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Lace Flower

Hi Everybody,

I could have sworn that I scheduled this post to go live this morning ... but clearly not. So better late than never, here it is.

I don't have a video for this flower but if you would like one then let me know and I will do one.

I have used some Guipure Lace to make this flower and added a lovely centrepiece that is from a bracelet that I have dismantled.

The background has been inked and then embossed in a folder and the pearls have been dotted around the flower.

I have added it to some large fern leaves and then adhered the sentiment on its parchment at the bottom of the card.

So there is my card and sorry it is late 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Three different flowers

Hi Everybody,

Here I am using three different types of flowers again and this time they are Fun Foam, Die Cut and Homemade pattern on paper.

I have inked the background and I meant to emboss this panel in a folder .... and I forgot !!

I have splattered it with gold paint and dried it all off with my heat gun. I have added it to a gold mirror card panel then added it all to the base card.

It is a 5x7 and the white leave are some that I have had for a very long time.

Its been very noisy here over the weekend as it has been Blackpool's Air show and the place has been teeming with visitors.

Ruby and I went into the peace of Witch Wood on Saturday and it is always calm in tranquil in there and Ruby loves having a good sniff about, then on Sunday we went down to the beach in Lytham and Ruby went into the sea. She has to be bathed when we get home again as she is full of salt water and sand.

But at least she smells nice again now.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Last of the Crochet Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

So today I am adding in the last of the crochet flowers and next week I will move onto some other material to make some more.

This card has two flowers glued together to make a larger one and the stamen is one of the pretty ones that I have in my stash.

I have used a variety of dies to make this card, some from my own designs and others are from Spellbinders.

They are all really old dies now and I have used shades of turquoise and teal tamed with white to get the look. 

As usual it is a top folded 5x7 card as that is my favourite size to work with.

The layers have been raised with cardboard, as a cheap alternative to foam tape, and then wrapped with ribbon.

This is another pretty card but it will need a box to send it in because of the height to the flower.

Well worth it though so as not to spoil the design.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Creating a Crochet Rose.

Hi Everybody,

Today I am not creating a card instead I am adding the vidoe on how I made these beautiful roses and the technique is very easy to do.

I used  two hooks, a 4.00 mm and a 5.00 mm hook and just everyday DK yarn that is acrylic. 

The stamens I have had for a long time and although I have used them in lots of flowers they never seem to diminish

They don't take a lot of yarn either so it is a good way to use up end of rolls that you may have left over.

Crochet Roses

These are a little too big to add to a card but if you made them smaller they would fit perfect.

What I have been doing is crocheting myself a blanket and I have picot stitched the edge and then added some of the flowers I have made over the past few weeks.

I am very pleased with it and the cat loves it too. The finished size of the blanket is 3ft wide  x 4' 6" long and it blends with the furnishings in my lounge

I have managed to put most of the flowers I have made to good use in one project or another and so nothing has been a waste of time or effort.

Hope you like 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Mixing Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

This card has a mixture of some of the flowers we have created over the past few months and it includes a Felt Flower, one made from Fun Foam and the other is a Crochet Daisy

(These are the links to the relevant videos in case you missed them.)

I have added some fancy stamens to the centres of two of the flowers and glued them to the card front with a hot glue gun.

The white pearls have  been coloured to blend with the  scheme and I have used an alcohol marker pen to do that.

I have also splattered the front of the white panel with Picked Raspberry and wrapped it with a matching ribbon.

The finished card is a 5x7 and is much prettier in the hand.

The sentiment is from one of my older stamp sets and it comes complete with several sentiments and the dies to cut it out. I have added this with foam pads underneath to raise it up a little.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

  

Mulberry Flowers

 Hi Everybody,  

Todays card does not have a crochet flowers in sight.

This one is all about Mulberry flowers and I have had these for years.

But I thought it would make a change to use shop bought ones instead of handmade ones.

So this card is slightly narrower than 5" but it is 7"tall. I have used a matt silver card to create the frame and the mats for other portions of it and teamed it with white.

The bottom layer of white card has been in an embossing folder to add texture. 

To add some lift to the layers I have used pieces of card board from a cereal packet, as this is by far the cheapest way to give height.

The finished card will need a box, as the flowers are too deep for an envelope. 

The sentiment is an old one from one of my collections and there are several different ones on the stamp set and it comes complete with the dies to layer it up.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Crochet Daisies

Hi Everybody,

Here is the video I promised on how I made the daisies and they are very easy to do.

The video is not too long and I hope it helps you in the making of these flowers. 

Making Flowers - Crochet Daisies

The yarn I have used is a DK Acrylic in white and it was very inexpensive. I got three balls for the price of

two so I chose white, yellow and pink and they cost me £2.

The hook I have had for years and it is a 3.50 (Old size 9)

In the video I show you how I made the five petal flowers but if you add a couple more stiches to your magic circle you can get six petals. There are six petals to the ones on the card

 Just play around and see what you can do.

The card is a 5x7 but I have used it with the fold at the top in Landscape ... for a change !!

I have a beautiful crochet rose to show you next and that is also easy to create. Please join me for that one.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Three Flowers ...

 Hi Everybody,

Here is another card with crochet flowers attached to the front and this is also yarn that is variegated. It changes from a bright orange to a grey  and I have added oranges flowers to the centres.

I have used orange for the mat and the die cut and teamed it with white and wrapped the panel with ribbon and a bow.

This is 5x7 base with the fold at the top and the white panel has been embossed in a folder to add some texture to the card.

Tomorrow I am adding a video in which I have made the Daisies, and next week I will share how to make a Crochet Rose and then I will move on to another material to make some flowers.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Multi Coloured Yarn

 Hi Everybody,

Todays flower is created from yarn that has different colours in it and it changes as you add the stitches.

It is once again a large flower, and it is actually two of different sizes stitched together.

It is relatively flat enough to go inside a larger envelope and it adds a very pretty touch to the front of the card.

It would also look really good on a box top filled with goodies for the recipient.

It is a 5x7 and it has a fancy edged panel that has been stencilled and wrapped with ribbon attached to the base card.

These crochet flowers make things look a little different to other flowers and they are reasonably easy to make. 

So if you have some that are sitting in a box then maybe it is time to get them out and look at adding them to your creations to make your cards stand out from the crowd.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx 

Large Glittered Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

These flowers are also crocheted as covered in the video and I have added them with hot glue.

They are two sizes, created by using less stitches but the same sized crochet hook, and the two sizes glued together  with a beaded stamen in the centre. 

I have also added glitter to the blooms to make them sparkle as I do to most of my flowers by dotting with glue and then sprinkling the glitter. 

They look lovely as they move in the light, and once the glitter and glue are dry I have brushed over the panel to remove any loose glitter that remains

It is a standard 5x7 card with the fold at the top and I have layered it in dark teal, turquoise and white.

The white panel has been stencilled with a chevron pattern and some leaves to sit behind the flowers and then embossed in a leafy embossing folder.

The sentiment has been cut in the dark teal and added to the top of the card.

Hope you like this pretty card and I have tried to show you a variation of flowers over the past few days all created very easy and quick.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Small Crochet Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is using the same crochet stitch as the flowers from the last video I added, only for this one I have used a smaller  crochet hook to produce a smaller flower.

Into the centre of these I have added a small pearl and I have used a little hot glue. This is more about the flowers without the extra circle frame I have created at the end of the video. 

The 5x7 card base has been layered with turquoise and white and the white layer has been embossed for extra effect. 

I have added silver and green leaves to the back of the blooms and the sentiment has been cut three times from dark green card and layered together for the centre of the silver oval flowery frame

The front has also been dotted with white pearls and the finished effect if very pretty. 

I have lots more flowers that I can add to my cards and in the next video I will share with you how I made the Daisies.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers - Crochet Yarn

 Hi Everybody,

Another idea for your crochet hook and this looks so pretty on my card.

The yarn I have used is a DK Acrylic  and the hook is a 4.00 (Old Size 8) and this is not very thick at all. 

There is a vast choice of yarn, hooks and books to teach you how to do it on Amazon and they have a full kit of yarn, darning needle and hooks  really cheaply which is a good starter kit.

I have enjoyed making these flowers and I now have a box full of them ready to add to my projects, whatever they may be ...

I am hoping the video will help in some way though I have seen that sometimes my hands drop very low, so I apologise n advance for that and if it it too distracting then I will do it again.

I have more to do yet and will keep my hands lifted when I do another style of flower.

Making Flowers - Crochet Circle Flower

It is not hard to do and I know that some of you have tried crochet before,  so maybe you will give these flowers a try and see how you like them .

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Three Crochet Flowers

 Hi Everybody,  

These Daisies are another example of what can be done with crochet.

I taught my self about 38years ago from a booklet as YouTube was not around then, and I made lot of baby clothes like dresses, cardigans sweaters and some suits which consisted of little trousers and a matching top.

I was very proud of those items. I also made some beany hats and gave them away to people who wanted them.

I will cover these flowers in one of the videos for Making Flowers over the next few week

This card has also used up the last of the inked paper I created in another video and it is my favourite size of a 5x7 top folded card.

The flowers are quick and easy to make and are a real statement piece for your cards. So I hope you will join me for the videos coming soon.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

More Flowers - Crochet ...

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is created with a crochet flower and to the centre of it I have added a silk bloom. This flower has been crocheted with white DK acrylic yarn and I have used a 3.50 hook.

It is sat on a wooden fence with leaves and sprigs coming up behind. I got this fence from AnnaMarie Designs and I have had it for a long time.

I have also stencilled a brick wall for effect and added the Sorry sentiment, and the edges have been inked with the same colour ink as the wall.

The leaves and the sentiment are cut in green card and layered together.

The finished size is a 5x7 with the fold at the top and it is very petty in the hand.  

On Wednesday I will be adding a new video with crochet for the flowers using yarn as it is easier to crochet than the twine and gives a more delicate flower.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Waste Not - Want Not ...

 Hi Everybody,

For this card I decided to make some smaller flowers from the Gilded paper I made in the last video and to the centre of these smaller ones I have added a pearl.

The centre of the large rose has got a silver stamen in it and that blends with the colour scheme

I have also dressed this card with silver mirror card and a selection of leaves and flourishes to complement the display.

The Birthday sentiments are from my own collections and they are big enough to  make a statement.

I have used some of the inked and gilded paper to make the background as I had some left over and I created some silver frames to add to the top of the 5x7 top folded card.

This is another card that I am pleased with but it will need a box to send it to my recipient.

I will be staying with flower making for next weeks video so I hope you will join me for that.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Gilded Blue Roses

 Hi Everybody,

In Yesterdays video I made a blue spiral blossom as an examples of dies to create your flowers from so in todays card I have used them to show you yet another design for the Gilded Flowers.

In the middle of these flowers I have added some white stamens that I have in my embellishments and I have used silver  mirror card as an added extra.

I have also used a stencilled back panel but this time I have not traced over the flowers, and I have tucked extra leaves and flourishes around the display.

The cards is a top folded 5x7 with an embossed panel added to the front that is slightly smaller, and it is a very pretty card but it will need a box because of the depth of the flowers.

I was very late adding in the video yesterday because I forgot to publish it and so it didn't go live until about 1pm. I will add it here again in case you missed it ...

Making Flowers - Gilding Flakes

I hope you like the flowers and enjoyed the video too. 

Thank you for being here xxx

Bye for now 

Hugs r

Making Flowers - Gilding Flakes

 Hi Everybody,  

Adding flowers to my cards always makes them feel more feminine and it is something I love to do.

These are quite low so will no interrupt them going into an envelope and they look really pretty with the stencilling behind them.

The gilding flakes I have used are some that I have had for a long time and because you use so little of them each time they seem to last for ages.

They come in many colours and combinations and they are not expensive but they are messy and do get everywhere.

They can also be used in other ways too so get your imagination going and see what you can come up with.

So this video will show you how I made these flowers in the blue and silver. 

Making Flowers - Gilding Flakes

Just use any flowers or leaf die that you already have, and any stencil that can give you a background for your base card.

Have fun 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Crochet Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

These two cards have flowers on them that I have not filmed and they are made from the twine I used in the Hessian series.

But for these flowers I have crocheted the twine into floral shapes and added a pearl to the centres. I used quite a big hook to do the stitches and they didn't take long to make.

Now if you crochet then let me know how you go on with them, and if you don't would you like me to do a video on making these simple flowers ???

The cards are both 5x7 and each one has a panel added to the front that is slightly smaller . 

One is in landscape and the other is portrait 

Both have got a letterpress technique added to the panel but the top one has been sprayed with water for a more watercolour effect.

The second one I have kept as it was, and I used Seedless Preserves to colour them both.

I have used other bit and pieces that I could find on my desktop and the flowers I made a while ago.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Spiral Blooms

Hi Everybody,

Here is another card made with some spiral blossoms on it and they are created from some double sided thinner card.

I have added them to a die cut Oval and the background to the card has been inked very lightly in pink and blue.

I have also added some pearls to the front to accentuate the design and then dotted some more around.

The leaves are cut from any leaf die  and I have used an older sentiment die that I have in my collection.

I have had to have my eyes retested since the laser treatment and they will be ready next week for me to collect so well the truly back to normal when I get them.

If you need laser treatment for your vision, after having cataract surgery, I can say from experience it is painless and the difference is amazing. So if it is offered to you don’t be scared …. Go for it … and I assure you will not regret it.

Bye for now …

Hugs xx

More Flowers ...

 HI Everybody,

Today I am adding the first video for a little while but it stays with the flower making theme and once again I have used ribbon.

These flowers are so easy to make and all you ned is a needle and thread to gather the ribbon up

You can use nay width of ribbon that you have and any colour to make your flowers but they always make such a difference to your designs.

Have a flower making session while watching TV one night and keep them all in a box until you are ready to add them to your cards. 

Gathered Flowers 

These are just A6 sized cards and they will fit into an envelope. I use a larger size to accommodate the flowers so for these I would use a 5x7.
Or alternatively make them a box.

I have used odd die cuts that I found on my desk and any leaf dies that I have, I also used and old aperture die to cut the pattern into my card.

I hope you like the cards and the video is not long either.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Out of the box ...

 Hi Everybody,

It is taking me some time to get back to crafting as I have become so lazy and can't seem to get going at all.

It is good to be able to see the computer screen though now that my eyes have been lasered,  and that make  things a lot easier for me. 

For this little project I have used some flowers that I made and I have added them to a head band for a child.

I have also added some lace along the side to hide the head band and here ....

... it is beautifully modelled by my lovely Ruby.

She is the one that is guilty of all the snoring that goes on in my videos and I love her to bits. 

She was not too happy about this situation and couldn't wait to shake it off.
But you get the idea anyway.

Tomorrow I am adding in a new video that continues with the theme of making flowers and I am using ribbon again to making some small flowers to add to cards.

They are very quick and easy to do but you will need a needle and some cotton.

I hope you like them and the cards they are added too. 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

I'm Back ....

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for your patience over the past few weeks but I am happy to say that I am back and I can      SEE!!

My Laser treatment went very well with no complications and it is absolutely painless. It takes literally minutes to complete and there is no down time needed.

I was not allowed to drive until the day after and then it was ok for me to get back in my car.

The downside to all this is that with my cloudy vision it was impossible to see all the dust and bits that have accumulated around the house.

But once I got home again I could see them all sitting there just staring at me, and daring me to clean them up.

In the past I have spent all day cleaning and getting my house spotless again ...but not a day long task anymore.

So for the past week I have gone around each room and cleaned till it shines and now my house is back to normal again.

And over the weekend I have tried a little bit of crafting and I came up with this from the pieces I could find lying around.

It is not a card but a canvas that measures 11" x 14" and I will hang it on the wall in my craft room.

All the flowers on one wing have been sparkled with glitter and the other wing is covered in silver mesh. I promise you it looks really pretty in real life.

I will get back to crafting on a regular basis now and create some more videos to ad to the blog and YouTube. Thanks again for your patience,

Bye for now 

Hugs xx

 

Update ….

 Hi Everybody,

Just a quick line to tell you where I am up to with my vision.

At present it is too stressful to try and  keep the blog up to date as I cannot see the keyboards properly. Or the screen as everything is cloudy. It is like looking through dirty windows and everything is shrouded in a mist.

It is so frustrating and I make so many mistakes that it rakes me hours to type anything. So rather than put myself though this stress I am taking time off until my laser treatment which is scheduled for the 26th June.

Once that is done I am hoping to be back to normal again and can get back to filming and making cards.  Myyoungest daughter has been so helpful and has done things like reading my mail to aas I cannot see the words that are written on the paper.

Thank you for you concern and please be patient with me until I am back to normal again

Bye for now ….

Christina xx

Small Flower

 Hi Everybody,

Todays video is using the ribbon in another way to create small flowers for your cards, and that of course depends on the width of ribbon that you use.

I have used a wired ribbon for mine but you don't have to use that type. It is just some that I already have and it was really cheap in the bargain bucket at B&M

The roses re really easy to make and they will fit neicely onto a card front. But they will need boxes to send them as the flowers are quite deep.

Making Flowers - Small Ribbon Rose

The video is not long but it will give you another string to your bow when it comes to alternative materials to create flowers.

I have made this one to an A5 size and used the Complete Card & Box Die Set to make it, and the frames that I have added to the inside and front of the design. 

It has taken me hours to do this one video because of my vision so I will try and do another for next week.

But I now have my Laser Appointment for the 26th and so I am hoping that everything will be more or less back to clear vison again then.and get rid of the mist that is permanently clogging up my eyes.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Large Ribbon Rose

Hi Everybody,

This large flowers rose is created in exactly the same way as the smaller ones shared with you in the video last week.

It has been done using the ruler method and separating out each overlapped petal as I twist it togehter  to create this really large flower.

This is obviously too big to go on a card and so for this one I have added it to a box instead, and the box is big enough to add  a gift to if needed.

The only difference is the width of the ribbon used to create the rose and you can try any size ribbon that you may have to give your different effects for your designs. 

I have added mine to the box top with some silver leaves underneath to complete the look

This rose has ben created with a silver threaded, wired ribbon that is 2" wide.

In the video coming this week I will show you how to create a smaller flower for your cards using a different way to use the ribbon.

I hope you will join me for that video.

You will have to excuse the lack of videos and blog posts for the next few weeks  as everything just looks grey to me until  I can get my eye seen to.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

 

Yesterdays Roses

Hi Everybody

In yesterdays video I made two cards with different flowers on them and the photo to the right shows the second one with the two pink ribbon roses attached to it.

Now although it was a pretty card once it was done I really didn't like it when I looked back at it later.

There was too much of the ribbon flower visible around the base and it showed up really well when the card was titled to the side view.

So I got out some  Mulberry flowers and with the glue gun I filled all the gaps around the bottom, and I liked it much better once I had done that.

The photo below gives you some idea of what I did to the design and once the other flowers are in place I glittered the whole lot

It may be too much for some of my readers but I know there are those of you out there who like the embellishments that I add to a card.

And as I always say ..."I never know when to stop"

Maybe you will think differently when you see  the next photo which shows the same card  from the same angle but with the added extras and let me now what you really think of it.

The floral display has spread quite a lot over the card from two flowers tucked into the corner, to lots of them  cascading out on each side.

Nothing else has changed, the colours are the same. the layout, background, diamante flourish, the bow and leaves and the size of the card

I like it so much better now. ... more my style of make

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx