Stamped and Inked

Hi Everybody,

First I wanted to say "Thank You"  to those of you who have joined my new class with The Art Studio

The first class is is available to buy and there will be a permanent link ... to all the classes added ...  in the sidebar on the right.

Once you have purchased the class you have unlimited access to it 24/7 and it  will never go away.

To get there just click the logo for The Art Studio and I hope you will come and join me. 

There is a FAQ tab at the top of the new page that will give you lots more information.

The cards we create in the classes will not be added to the blog and you can email me with regards to the class at ...    cgriffiths@scrapbooknewsandreview.com

Todays card is a very simple one  that has been created from the Labels 29 stamp that matches the die... and then cut out with that die.

I stamped the image with the Big'n Juicy Waterfall Ink pad which gives the two colour look and then I used Spectrum Noir pens to colour in the scrolls and flowers on the stamp. Pearls have been added to the flower centres.

I used a good quality 300 gsm card to give some substance and then added it to the card base with foam tape. The backing paper is from a PolkaDoodles CD

I wrapped a beautiful wide satin ribbon ... from Mei Flower ... around it first and tied a big chocolate box bow then added a pearl flower to the centre to cover the knot, and the sentiment is from Lili of the Valley

Pearly swirls and edges have been added for a touch of glamour and they are from Want2Scrap

The large pearls at the right hand top are some of the "Bulk Bling"  that is bought by the 1/2 cupful and you get lots of pearls for your money.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

And the Winner is .....

Hi Everybody,

Over the week the draw has been running for one person to win the   PolkaDoodles  Cherry Blossom Lane CD 

Today sees the close of that draw the lucky winner was drawn at random by InLinkz.  

 Well the winner is .....

 Jacqueline

... and she has been notified by email  of her win.

So well done Jacqueline you have won a super prize of not only the Cherry Blossom Lane but I have added in some beautiful "Bling" from  Want2Scrap  for you to add to some of the  cards  that you can make with your prize.

You will find and also a lovely die from   Joy Crafts   that will enable you to add your cards to a neat stand for your recipients to display them.

I have given the  links here to the three products in the prize so that you will be able to buy them for your self if you wish.

It really is a super prize and as soon as I have your address Jacqueline I will post it off to you straight away.  So please don't do what what one winner did ... and not claim it .... 

The winner of the earlier February draw ...  Lisa F ...  has got her prize,  all the way to USA, and is highly delighted with it.

Hugs xx

Same image - three sizes ...

Hi Everybody,

Digital cardmaking is so easy to do and you may have many CD's in your crafting "Stash"

 But maybe you aren't making the most of them and using them to their full potential.

This picture shows you the same image from the Cherry Blossom Lane CD created in three different sizes for each card.

And if you would like to win a copy of this CD from PolkaDoodles then you need to click this link...

"Give Away"  

 This card is made to a 15cms square and the two rabbits have been cut out.

I have used backing papers and the sentiment from the CD and the flower has been decoupaged with a pearl centre.

I have added a pink bow and pearl to the top left and matted it all onto a darker pink card.

 This one is a larger 15 x 21 cms and the image has been re sized accordingly.

I have used lilac lace and a gingham ribbon on this with a pearl in the centre of the bow.

The large Rose in the bottom right is re sized and decoupaged with three layers on to the card and the sentiment is added with foam pads.

And this one has the two rabbits printed out to almost A4 and added to a white base card.

I then cut around the base card to make it free standing and it opens up so that an insert can be placed inside if needed.

The addition of pearls into the  centre of the flowers on the dress to the left, and some glitter and yellow ribbon on the dress to the right is all I have done.

There is nothing added to any of them that wouldn't be in any craft "stash" and the CD has done all the work in giving me pretty things to add to the design.

More tomorrow  ....  

Hugs xx

More from the PolkaDoodle CD

Hi Everybody,

Here is another fabulous image from the Cherry Blossom Lane CD from PolkaDoodles  and if you pop over there you can buy any of Nikkys' CD'S for £9.99

But if you would like to win a copy along with other Goodies then HERE     is the link  ...  add your name to the list for the chance to win.

This cute character is one of those that have been pre coloured so nothing to worry about if you don't like to colour them yourself.

The beauty  of digital  images is that  you have the  option to re-size them if you wish  and  I have made  this one really large and printed  it off at  A4

He has been  added to some  Acetate and I have decoupaged the head, hat and right arm with the teddy.

I have also added three layers to the slippers to make them really stand out.

He then has a blue pom pom to the end of his night cap and pearl buttons on his PJ's

The  backing paper and the sentiment is also from the CD

I have added it them to the inside using eyelets to attach the paper to the Acetate and hidden the sentiment  behind the character

I have stood him alongside a 12" ruler so that you can see the size of the finished card.

But although he is large the card will still fit inside an A4 envelope and I bought mine from Cardcraft Plus  which is a UK based company.

I think he looks really special and what child wouldn't be delighted to get something like this.

But these images can be adapted for anybody and not just for kids.... I know a few Granddads that would love this

Hugs xx

Another Give Away ...

Hi Everybody,

Click to Enlarge

Yesterday I showed you an  image from the new CD  from   PolkaDoodles

I said that I had one copy to give away ... coming soon.

Well  I decided to bring it forward to coincide with Nikkys'  "Fabulous February"

All her CD'd are going for  £9.99 for this month... which means you can still get the CD at a bargain price ...  if you don't manage to win.

And so here it is a new Give Away that will run until Saturday Morning

One lucky winner will get the new  CD Cherry Blossom Lane ... plus a pack of beautiful   Pearl Flourish "Bling"  from Want2Scrap   ... plus a Card Stand Die from Joy Crafts so that you can display the cards you create.

The CD has lots of beautiful characters and they come two different ways ... one for you to colour yourself and the other is ready coloured for you if you don't want,  or feel confident enough,  to colour your own.

There are matching envelopes and inserts, as well as background scenes and the most gorgeous papers you could want.

Here is what you need to do.... become a follower if you aren't already ...  or have bought something from   " My Shop" .....  and leave me a comment please.

Add your name where the blue Frog button is ... leave the URL box blank if you don't have a blog,  but add your email address so that you can be notified if you win.

 And don't worry about the red cross at the side of your name it just means that you can delete it if you wish ..... and please do if you add your name more than once as all duplicate entries will be removed.

Good Luck 

Hugs xx

New Card...

Hi Everybody,

This pretty cards is from the new PolkaDoodles   CD called  Cherry Blossom Lane and it is gorgeous.

There are some really fabulous characters, embellishments, flowers, sentiments and papers on their for all your digi crafting needs.

And this is just to wet your appetite because in a few weeks time  I am going  to be giving away ... to one lucky winner ... a CD of their very own.

And PolkaDoodles are bringing out a set of stamps that will coordinate with the CD ... for all you stamping experts.

Everything on this card is from the CD ... the image,  the scene, the sentiment and even the flowers.

All I have added in is the Bling to frame the image, the white ribbon, bow and button, and I have added in some flat backed  pearls to the centre of each flower.

So you will need to pop back regularly to see when it is on offer ... become a follower ... and then once the post goes live you can leave me a comment too.

Pretty Sweet ...

This little girl is from the "Pretty Sweet" CD from  PolkaDoodles  and I love the images on there.

The colour is not very good but it has been photographed under artificial light.

I much prefer them in natural daylight but it was getting late in the day when I did this.

The card has the Braided Ribbon  used along the bottom edge and the background panel has been embossed with the Paisley M-Bossabilities folder.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts   and the Pearly Flourish is from Want2Scrap  

Before I go I just want to tell you that there are some new Spellbinders in at Save On Hobbies

These are some of them, at an amazing price, and hopefully we have now overcome the problem with the extra Customs charge.

Pictured here are the Donna Salaza Alphabet,  Creative Book Pages 2 ,  Hexagon Pinwheel Top Box,  and the  Square Petal Top Box

I have been making samples for these today and over the weekend I will be making some Videos to show you what I have been up to. 

Hugs xx

Part 2 of Dark Skin ...

Thank you so much for all the lovely comment s and emails that I have had about this series.

Both Parts 1 and 2  to this video have now been added to the website and they are on the page Spectrum Noir Dark Skin 

I have really enjoyed doing this particular card and I am very pleased with the result.

But of course the pens make it a real pleasure to blend and having the correct paper to work on makes all the diference too.

The sentiment on this card is from the "Pretty Tuff" CD from PolkaDoodles

You can buy the pen sets from Crafters Companion along with the refills and replacement nibs.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the lace was a lovely piece I found in my "Stash"

The Pearly Swirl is from Want2Scrap  and I have added them to both of these cards.

I have stayed away from the flowers for the boys card but the addition of the pearls just makes it that little bit more special.

Hugs xx

Slugs and snails ....

If you're like me then you are simply in heaven whenever you have to make a card for a girl.

You can go to town on all the lovely embellishments that can be added ... Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls in abundance and pretty pastel pinks and lilacs Mmmmm Mmmmm !!

But every so often we need to make a card for the boys and then we have to start head scratching to come up with the ideas.

 
This image was free in a magazine pullout... and there were lots of them on the pages.

I scanned it into the PC and now I can print them off to the size I want whenever I need a new image.



I have coloured all these images with either Spectrum Noir or Promarkers.

This young man is from the LillyBoo collection from Cuddly Buddly

There are many images to choose from and they suit all age groups and occasions.

They are not expensive.... and because they are digital downloads they are yours instantly.

The name on this card makes it more personal and I  added the wall background to keep the boyish look.

This one was from   KennyK Downloads 

The digital papers are all in shades of blue... and are free from  Summertime Designs

You will find lots of papers for you to use and this one is the Fathers and Fedoras Kit.

Buttons are always a good addition to male cards and the sentiment for this is from the "Pretty Tuff" CD from PolkaDoodles

But even though it is a male card doesn't mean  it can't have some pearly swirls on it.

And this one just adds a little more to the Tug of War boys from KennyK.

Hugs xx

Pink and Pretty

Today I thought I would make a card in pink  and cream .... just for a change.

 I have added "Congratulations" to the front but this could be for any occasion.

The image, papers and the sentiment are all from the Sugar Plum Daisy CD from   Polkadoodles  and I love it.

There is so much on there and the papers are lovely.

And the beauty of it is that everything matches and blends.

There are lots of little girl images too, ready coloured or line drawings that you can colour in yourself.

But the finishing touch for me is the beautiful pearly swirls and the ornate  "Bling" on the sentiment tag  that make it look extra special.

The sentiment is cut from the Labels 3 and the Bling matches it perfectly.

It is made by Want2Scrap  and there are lots of styles for you to choose.

They ship worldwide too so it is within your grasp, and can make such a difference to the look of a card.


Hugs xx

Gift for Isabella...

Last October my Great Grand-daughter  Isabella was born and  I wanted to make something special for her.

Something that would last,   that she would be able to look at in the years to come.

I bought this large beech picture frame and added a mixture of flowers to the cute images.

Some of the flowers are die cuts,  and others are punched,  but there are Mulberry flowers from   Wild Orchid Crafts  in the spray too.

I used the Floral Flourish, Foliage, Spiral Blossom 1 dies from Spellbinders  and   added them all along the edge of the frame.

The little girls are from the  Pretty Sweet  CD from  PolkaDoodles  and they are just adorable.

Between each child I have added a border frame and some Polkadot  ribbon from  Fantastic Ribbons   and everything is framed  within a cream mount board.

At six months old Isabella doesn't have an opinion on the frame just yet,   but I  am pleased to say that her parents have added it to the nursery wall and have said that they love it.     Hopefully she will too...

Hugs xx

Easel Card

This week I thought I would go back to basics with a card fold that is very popular,  and one that is very easy for those new to cardmaking. 

Then over the week I will show all the ways  to make this card ... right up to the four variation.

The image is from  the Back to Nature CD from  Polka Doodles  and it has been decoupaged on to the front of the easel.

So this is the Easel Card in it's simplest form.  It can be made to any size you like by just folding the card in half and then folding one of those halves in half again.   The link is to a short video tutorial. 

If you are a seasoned cardmaker then you will know exactly what to do to get this look, so I apologise if it seems I am being too basic.

But there are new starters to this hobby everyday and they don't know where to start.

I get emails from lots of people asking me to start at the begining and that is what I try to do, and they can find many many projects and card folds at   Card Making Magic

The flowers on this card are from my "Stash" but the metal spacer centres are from The Hobby House   and they have been attached with Pearl Brads.

The Twisted Easel will be tomorrows card ...

Hugs xx

Cute Little Mouse

This character is from the Sugar Plum Daisy CD from Polka Doodles and is one of the many cute images on there.

The papers and sentiment are all from the same CD and have been layered up with Spellbinders

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and they are all added to the bottom of the card with some Pinflair Glue

But the interesting piece is the strip along the left hand side.

I cut some Spellbinder borders for another card and by carefully positioning the die  this is the  strip that was left over

Normally this is the bit that is just thrown away ... but I decided to add some yellow ribbon  wrapped  aound the shape and I think it makes a really neat addition to the card.

And as always ... being a Frugal crafter ... I can't throw anything away ... that's why my "Stash" is spilling out the door

The pearls around the edge of the card are all made with  Cosmic Shimmer  glue ... which is a cheaper alternative to the real thing.

Very shortly there is going to be a whole new look to the Blog.

I have been working with Katie Price and she has come up with a really beautiful design for my pages. It is all pink and flowery to match the title of the Blog and I am very pleased with the result.

Let me know what you think about it.

Hugs Christina xx

Less Postage More Style...

I love to make cards with lots of flowers and ribbons on them which often means I have to also make a box to give the card in because of the height invloved.

But what happens if you want to post the card and the cost is too much.... Well! the simple answer is... make it flatter.

That doesn't mean that you have to lose the style, and the card can be just as pretty without the height that
the flowers give.

Cards for Posting is the latest video to be added to the website and is about creating a card that will go easily into an ordinary envelope without compromising on style.

It also covers making the card free standing which will also keep the cost down as it doesn't need an added insert.

The added pink gemstone   "Bling" is from  Want2Scrap 

And the character is from Candy Doodles CD from Polka Doodles and I have coloured her in with Promarkers.

There's not a flower in sight but I had to add the ribbons ... and I still think it is a pretty card.

Hugs Christina xx

Candy Doodles CD

This is another CD from the Polka Doodles  range and they are all just filled with goodies for you to play with.

This one is from the Candy Doodles and the image was coloured with Alcohol  pens from Promarkers

The backgound is Colour Core, and it has been run through the die cutting machine, with an embossing folder, and then sanded to bring out the pattern.

The border is from the the Floral Doily Accents from Spellbinders and it has been linked over the image.  

The border around the image itself has been created using the   Faux Nestie  technique to create a thin edge to the topper.

The Nestabling swirl is from  Want2Scrap and adds the finishing touch.

And the ribbon and flower were made from some ribbon which was wrapped around a new pair of pyjamas I bought at the weekend .... waste not want not !!

Hugs Christina xx

Sugarplum Daisy CD

Staying with the Sugarplum Daisy CD from  Polka Doodles  for todays card. 

I have used the same fairy images from yesterday ... just added them in a different layout.  There are other characters for you to choose in different poses.

They come in four sizes for you to cut out and use with Spellbinders if you have them... or just mat and layer as you would like.

If you aren't happy to colour the images then they come ready coloured so you can just print them off as they are on the disc.

But if you are then you can use the line drawings
 to colour in your self.

The papers are in blue and pink and layered  onto some plain pink card.

The Lacy border is from the Persian  Accents from Spellbinders and it is cut from Glitter card, and the blue satin ribbon has been added to the top.

I thought I would add some blue buttons for a change but then decided to add the flowers as well.

Well why not???   The flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts

The fairy in the foreground has been added with   Pinflair Glue Gel   to give her height, and  the  wings have been sparkled with the lovely Glamour Dust for added effect.

A very pretty card for many occasions.

Hugs Christina xx

New CD from Polkadoodles

The new CD from Polkadoodles is full of delightful images and backing papers that all mix and match together.

It's called Sugar Plum Daisy and it is a pleasure to work with... especially if you like to make really girly cards.

I have made the card with the fold at the top and matted one of the back ground papers onto some turquoise card.

The wings on the images and the flowers have had Glamour Dust added.

The flower strip at the front of the card has been attached to some acetate and bowed slightly, to raise it off the main body of the card.

I stuck it in place behind the matting and then added them all to the card front.

I cut out another of the images and added it to the acetate strip (you can just see the shine on the acetate to the right of the child)

The sentiment is from the CD and that too has been added to a strip of acetate to allow it to float over the card front.

Hugs Christina xx

Spellbinders and Polka Doodles...

These Spellbinders  are some of the ones I bought at the Craft show and they are the Persian Accents, and the Floral Ovals layered over the top of the Romantic Rectangles.

The background has been embossed with the Buttefly Garden Impressabilities and the pink oval with the Crackle embossing folder.

What a great combination it is with the image from the "Pretty Sweet" CD from Polka Doodles.

I have cut small slits along side the childs knees and threaded the ribbon through to make it look as if she is sat on the ribbon, and attached a large bow to the side.... with the Hatpin  added as a small gift.

The pink gemstone swirl is from Want2Scrap and is one of many beautiful designs.

The flowers are from  Wild Orchid Crafts  and are a mixture of Roses and Carnations, with the Foliage at the back.

They have had a sprinkle of Glamour Dust as the finishing touch.

Hugs Christina xx

Stamped Images

The images used on these cards are from the same company as yesterday...Polka Doodles

There are several diffent houses or toadstools that can all be used to create your own village.

You can add trees, fences, flowers and signs to personalise your scene.

Here I used one of the stamps to create the beach house, and the background is coloured in with Promarkers.

But this scene has used the Masking Technique and the same house to create this small village

This is such an easy idea to produce but it can extend  your library of stamps.

Just look again at the ones in your colection and see which stamps you can marry up with a second one to give them a whole new look.

Hugs Christina xx

Cute Characters

Having a focal point to the card gives the eye something to home into., and the composition of it all can make the whole lot  have the "Wow" factor .

And that is something we all want whenever we make that card.

Your focal point could be a flower, a shape, a verse or anything else that you choose to add.

But this card has had the addition of a really cute character.

She is from the "Pretty Sweet" CD from  Polka Doodles  and you will find several more little girls in various poses for you to use.

It is called a "Mini collection" but there is so much stuff on the disc that you will be amazed... and the backing papers are simply gorgeous.

The images come ready coloured  in or with a  line drawing if you prefer to colour your own.

The  Braided Ribbon is shown in a tutorial and makes a very pretty addition to your cards.

The card and the box are made from the papers and character from the CD.

I have sat this one on the edge of the ribbon and the flowers used on all the cards are from Wild Orchid Crafts 

Here is another little girl ... but if you are wanting some wee boys as well then take a look at the "Pretty Tuff" CD from the same company.

Hugs Christina xx