Shabby Chic Cards

 Hi Everybody,

Shabby Chic is a beautiful arrangement and it is not as hard or as fussy as it looks.

These pictures are of some that I have done in the past and they are in different sizes and even the box.

I have made many of these cards and tags in lovely colour combinations and had lost of fun while making them.

I will make  more and film them as I do so and then add them to the blog.

 But until I have some time to make one I am adding older videos of the process to help you to get the look for your self.

The fist one is a beautiful colour scheme of lilac and lemon and they team so well together.

The second one is in blue and beige and again another lovely combination.

So I hope you will join me next week when I add another Shabby Chic Video to the blog pages

For the video I will be using items that I already have for example hand made papers that have been created using inks and stamps, homemade texture paste for more texture, cardboard left over from packaging to give height to the card.

Lots of flowers and leaves, some lace that I already have as well older dies and other bit and pieces that are in my stash that you may have too.

Bye For Now ...

Hugs xx

Making use of your Nesting Dies

 Hi Everybody,

Nesting dies are such a useful addition to anybody's crafting collection as they and do so much, and many die sets have a lot of dies in them.

 You can create mats of different dimensions to fit the front of your design and lots of frames of lots to ad to your stamped images.

I have used a really old Pennant die set from Spellbinders simply because it is an unusual shape and will illustrate my point perfectly.

So from this set I have chosen the dies that will create the basic pennant and there are four that I need.

Making more of Nesties

Will show you how these four dies will make twelve pieces that I can add to my cards in different ways by increasing or decreasing the size of the die cut.

I have made four cards but each one uses the pennants with subtle changes and you can do this with ANY nesting dies that you may have.

I have used squares, ovals and circles as well as odd shapes in the past and they have all turned out really well.

Here is another video using the same technique and this video is eleven years old.

Faux Nesties

I hope you will enjoy both videos and will also give this a try for your self. It will help you to give a completely different look to your cads,

Bye for now  ...

Hugs xx 

Handmade Roses

Hi Everybody,

For this card I have used a really old die that produces spiral roses,  and they are a beautiful finishing touch to my cards.

I cut these from two shades of red card and then inked the inside portion of the die cut with a darker red before I rolled it up.

Once I had it glued down I went over the petals with some gold gilding wax and that added a lovely sparkle to the blooms.

I used another old die to give me the leaves I needed and I coloured them with Brushos,  they too have the addition of gold wax.

The background paper is hand made and for that I used Candied Apple and Gathered Twigs and then splattered the paper with gold paint.

I added a gold leaf sprig  from the Rose Flourishes die set to the display and I am really pleased with the look of this card.

Making your own flowers can save a lot of money as the shop bought ones can work out quite costly and there are many many videos on YouTube on how to make them from myself and other creators.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

 

Gilding Flakes

 Hi Everybody,

Gilding flakes can certainly add that touch of luxury to your cards and it is not expensive. 

A small tub goes such a long way,  but I would advise you to decant it into a larger container as the flakes tend to swell once they get to the air. 

Plus they also fly everywhere so don't have your windows open or the fan on when you are adding them.

There are lots of different ways they can be used and double sided sheets are just one of them.

The flakes come in lots of different colours and mixes too, some with red flakes, or how about green ones, or blue ??

You can also get them in copper and pewter as well as gold and silver. and so you can have a really good play and see which you prefer.

Because there are so many in a pot it is a good idea to get together with another crafty friend and buy two different colour ways and then swap some over so you get some of each.

Here is the video ...

Adding Gilding Flakes

This video has been added to a playlist on YouTube about adding flakes to your card and will be shown at the end of the video,  but it also includes glitter and foil to the design as well. 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Shaker Card

 Hi Everybody,

I have been asked to show how I make Shaker cards and here are some videos that I did a while ago.

I will do a more up to date one but these will keep you going for some time hopefully, and this one uses parchment for the shaker pocket.

This second on is another variation of how to create the look and I hope it helps you to see the different materials that can be used for shaker cards.

Don't worry about not having the same dies as me just use what you have, and you can use a cellophane bag or a CD case as well as acetate or parchment to create the pocket. 

And you can fill it with a variety if things to make the shaker portion, even the bits that fall out of other die cuts as waste. 

Enjoy as these are such fun cards to make and especially for a child's birthday.

There are more ideas in the Shaker Card Playlist on YouTube 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Cards from the Videos

 Hi Everybody,

I am so happy to read the comments that the videos have gone down quite well and that some of the ideas have been taken on board and used for your own designs

These are some of the cards that are in the videos and it is good to know that some of you have the dies too.

I have so many Spellbinders from my time on their DT and many more that I designed for Craft Stash and it is time they got an airing again.

The card to the right is from the rectangles video and the one below is from the squares and I still have lots of ideas on how to use just one set of dies to make different cards.

I have incorporated all the videos into one playlist on YouTube and titled it

  Using Older Dies

and it has other vidoes in the list that you may find useful, plus I will be adding more to it as I go along.

I have some really old sets of matching Spellbinders that I would like to video and you may have them as well.

Plus I am open to suggestions if there is something you would like to see and if I have the dies, or something similar, then I will oblige

Thank you for the comments that you have left for me it gives me a lot of pleasure to read them.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Time for Rectangles

 Hi Everybody,

I have worked my way through some Squares and Circles and the last video was with Ovals but for todays video I thought I would use some Rectangles.

I was going to name the video 5x7's but rectangles come in many sizes from A5 down to the smaller A6 and you can of course cut these down to any size you want.

In todays video I am using a really old set from my own range of Card Making Magic but they are no longer available to purchase

So as I always advise you,  look at what you have and make them work for you and maybe you already have this set

These two cards are both 5x7 but one has the die cut added to the card base front and the other has used the shape die cut to create the full card.

I hope you have enjoyed the little series and have now started to use the dies that you have more in your card making.

I make seven cards and hopefully they have given you some ideas of your own to build on.

Using Rectangles for Stunning Effects

I have added the links at the top of the page to all the videos in this series just in case you missed them and by clicking the link you will open a new window to view them.

I would love it if you would give me the "Thumbs Up" leave me a comment as that really does help my YouTube Channel to grow, and then YouTube will recommend my videos to other like minded crafters.

And it you became a subscriber both here and on YouTube that would be fantastic.

The flowers I have used are from Wild Orchid Crafts and they no longer ship to the UK , 

but you can get the same flowers at a similar price from Carroway Cottage the the link is below if you need to get some more

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Oval Variations

Shaped card

 Hi Everybody,

Today I am using oval dies that I have in my collections and I have chosen some dies from Spellbinders that are at the very least ten years old

It was a set that I very much loved and used loads when it was first introduced but like everything else it got pushed to one side as new items came on to the market.

I am sure that lots of other people have the same dies and have neglected them for so long.

But now I am on a revival kick and digging out all my old dies again and breathing new life into them 

Shaker card

Here are three of the cards from the video and you can do the same styles with any of the die shapes I have covered so far.

Oval Variations

Once you start to play and experiment with the shapes I know you will be able to come up with so many more and have fun in the process.

This shaker card is lovely and I have linked to the parchment and mirror card that I have used below.

They are easy to make and the results are stunning

DL Card base

The card to the right is a DL and I often get asked

what is a DL card. 

All it means is that the card is double the length of its width so for example my card is a 8 x 4" base.

But it could be a 6 x 3" card or any size you choose.

In the next video I will be covering my favourite size which is the 5x7 and showing you several ways in which I have used mine. I hope you will join me for that.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Circle Pink & Gold gatefold

Hi Everybody,

This is a card that was made with the same circle dies that I used in the video but this one didn't make it into the film.

It is 6" Gatefold and the inside and the side panels have all been lined with pink layers and white embossed layers

The circle motif fits nicely onto the front of the card and has tiny pearls dotted all around the outside edge.

The gold embossed flowers have been added to one side and the sentiment is raised up with foam and nestled into the display

I hope these videos are giving you some fresh ideas on what to do with your dies and making the most of any items that you already have in your stash,

I hope you will join me tomorrow for another video and  as promised I will be using Ovals to make seven beautiful cards that would suit any occasion.

If there is anything that you would particularly like to see then let me know and if I have the dies to oblige then I will do that straight away.

Another point before I go is about the flowers I use that I got from Wild Orchid Crafts. WOC stopped trading some time ago now and sold the company to buyers from abroad. They will not ship to the Uk and so we couldn't get he beautiful blooms we all so enjoyed.

Well one of my readers found another company that sell the same kind of flowers and at more or less the same price and they are based in the UK.

I am adding the link for you to take a look at them and it will also be in the box underneath future videos on YouTube.

Carroway Cottage

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Using your Square Dies

 Hi Everybody,

Today we are moving on to using square dies to create several beautiful cards. and the dies I am using are really old ones from Spellbinders that will no longer be available to buy.

I have used gold and silver mirror card to enhance the look and the flowers are mulberry flowers that I got from Wild Orchid Crafts many years ago

This pretty card has used the square dies as they are but in the video I show you how to increase or decrease the size to fit your designs.

Square Dies

This card has had the size of the die cut increased to fit a 5x7 and the result is really pretty.

I have used the same leaf and butterfly dies for all the cards, including the circle ones from last week.

You don't need to buy more you just  need to use any leaf,  flowers, heart or butterfly dies that you already have and make them work for you.

The sentiment is from  my bit box and so are may of the other die cuts that I could find on my desk and they  are left over from other projects.

This video is a little longer but it gives you eight ideas on how to create the look for your self.

I hope you will join me next time and see what we can do with Oval shapes.

Bye For Now ...

Hugs xx

Use What You Have

Circle Shaped card

 Hi Everybody,

Resisting the urge to buy more dies is hard work but stop and ask yourself just how many oval, square or circle dies do you need.
  Or even how many butterflies, flowers, leaves or hearts do you really need.

I have lots of any one of those shapes and I struggle to use them because I have too much choice.

I have not bought them all as I was on various design teams and so the dies where sent to me by the companies.
 And then of course I designed my own brand and that gave me a lot more to use. 

But having so many stops me from being creative because I am spoilt for choice,  and  that is why I give so many items away, in the hope that they will benefit some body else as they have me.

 I have given away flowers, dies, embossing folders, stamps and "Bling" and I hope they have been enjoyed by those who have received them 

Rocker Card

In this video I am using one set of old dies to make six cards that look different and are in different shapes too.

Six Ways with Circle Dies

I have not bought anything new in the process.

The dies are old, the flowers are old, the glitter is old and I have even used shapes that are lying on my desk top left over from other projects.

The styles have been around for a long time so nothing new there either but each one looks different from the other.

5" Gatefold Card

If  you have been with me for sometime then you will recognise the circle dies I have used and the butterfly and leaf dies too.

And the Mulberry flowers are those that I have had for years. They were gifted to me by Wild Orchid Crafts many years ago.

I  know it is very tempting when you see someone advertising a new product.

 I sincerely hope you will try my "No Buy" approach to crafting and stop buying those items that you really don't need, and start using what you already have in your craft room.

Try new colour schemes and  some of the older styles and you will be surprised at what you come up with and enjoy.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Using Old Dies - PP & LL

 Hi Everybody,

These are dies from Card Making Magic that I designed a few years ago  and they where some of my favourites at the time.

They where the Perfect Panels & Lovely Layers but I don't think they are available anymore.

If you got some at the time then maybe you want to get them out to play with again and you will find lots of videos on my YouTube Channel using them.

This card has a blue and silver colour scheme which is very fresh but it would look just as good in any other colour, and some of the cards I designed with these dies had Mulberry flowers on them too. 

These paper flowers of course can be used in other ways and look amazing when added to lots of green leaves in a beautiful display.

It has been fun and interesting to revisit some of the old dies that I designed years ago and I have enjoyed making new cards from them as I have found them again.

Here is the short video using these dies and I hope you enjoy it

Using Old Dies

Perfect Panels & Lovely Layers

Don't forget to leave me a comment

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Creating Backgrounds

 Hi Everybody,

Today I am adding a video that will show you how I made the backgrounds for my cards, and depending on which side of the folder you prefer it will give you either a debossed or embossed design

This card has used a 2-4-1 die  that I got from Amazon, and these are the results from the inky background

You can dress them up any way you would like and they would make really good masculine cards
... minus the flowers' !!!

You could try this with coloured mirror card and that would make a real difference to your design.

Stazon Backgrounds for your Cards

The Stazon is a but messy and you will need the special cleaner to get it off your fingers or any stamps you use it on.

But it adheres to mirror card better than anything else to give you this look.

These are just some of the cards that I made for the video and I hope you enjoy watching. 

I hope you will leave a comment on the video and consider subscribing if you haven't' already.  It means a lot to me and really makes a difference to the YT Channel

Bye for now 

Leaves and Flowers

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is using the same leaf dies as yesterday but this tine I have added in some flowers for a little more pzazz.

These die cuts can be varied a lot by simply changing the colour of the leaves and adding in some different flowers.

This one is in peach and blends with the leaves beautifully and the embossing folder is the very old Need A Rope from Spellbinders.

It has been added to some gold mirror card to leave just a small border around the edge and that goes well with the gold on the leaves.

Little pearls have been added to the card front as a finishing touch and I am really pleased with the end result.

I have only used items that I already have and nothing new has been bought to create this card.

The old book I used cost me pennies years ago and can be used in a multitude of ways and this is something I will do again in another style..

I am adding the link to the video again in case you missed it when it was  added yesterday

Distressed Leaves

Bye for now ...

Hugs 

Distressed Leaves

 Hi Everybody.

Once again I have turned to a really old die set and this one has been around for years. It is from Sizzix and the leaves are simply gorgeous.

You can colour them any way you wish to suit the season, and with any medium that you prefer. I have chosen to use Distress Oxides on mine but they would look just as good with alcohol inks, water colours or Brushos

Try them on water colour card, ordinary card or even Yupo paper to vary the look.

For these I have used a die from Amazon that is called a Fish Net die but it looks like Hessian/Burlap when cut from Kraft and I do like the result 

For the card to the left I have stencilled the background and then wrapped the panel with parchment. I heat embossed the sentiment onto the parchment and dotted the card with hole punched dots. 

The video will show you how I got this look for my cards and one of the things I used was some old book pages.

Distressed Leaves

Use your imagination to make these leaves work for your designs. as they are a lot of fun to work with.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers

 Hi Everybody,

Now that Christmas is over and we have the new year and some spring warmth to look forward to and I thought it would be a good time to add some flowers to our cards.

So  today I am adding a video that shows how I make some of the flowers that I like to add to my deigns.

For me they make a card look so pretty and they ca save money on the mulberry paper flowers that are for sale, and they are so satisfying to make.

Here I have used up the left over pieces from the inky panels I did for the cards I made before Christmas 

Again this was very rewarding and each finished panel was different from the others.

 It used up the Distress Inks that I already had and so I saved my money there too.

The video is here ...
Making Flowers from Handmade Papers

Click the link and it will take you to another page where you can watch the video ... and please leave me a comment to say you have visited.

I hope you enjoy

Bye for now ..

Hugs xx

Everyday Items

 Hi Everybody,

This simple idea can give you some unusual patterns for your cards and it is using some cheap washing up liquid to create the background.

It is another item that we all have in our kitchens that can be used  in a different way,

 I have named the video

  Everyday Items - Washing Up Liquid 

and it has been added to the  Everyday Items playlist and all the suggestions there  can give you some pretty results.

You can use the panel just as a background piece or die cut from it for shapes, flowers. leaves, hearts or even stars.

Dress the card up as much as you would like and always be sure that you have papers that will go with your creations whatever your plan.

And making your own backgrounds is far more fun and satisfying than a shop bought paper.

Give it a go I know you will enjoy playing

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Butterfly Easel Card

Hi Everybody,

Going back to the Easel Card theme for this card and this is created with pre shaped cards that I brought out some time ago.

The top and base layers of the detailed card have been done with teal and copper embossing powders and then dotted with the large pearls.

This gives a really pretty effect to the Card.

These are the items that where in the packs.
White base shapes, coloured base shapes and filigree tops in white and colours to add to them

You cam get these at Craft Stash and I will add the links below. If you order through the links I could get a small commission at no extra cost to you

There are several layers to this butterfly and one of them was in parchment, using the basic shape as a template to cut around.

I did some videos with these when they first launched using the shape in many different ways on my cards, and I was very happy with the look they produced. Here is the intro to the set

Butterfly Blossoms

If you got some of these then maybe now is the time to get them out again and finish the packs to give you some really creations

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Acetate Front Floral Card

Hi Everybody,

I first added this card to YouTube 12 years ago and I loved the comments that it got. 

So I am de-doing the video and this time I have made it a little different.

It is just as beautiful this time around though so I am hoping that you will still like it too.

I am using older dies to create the look and I still have not bought anything new, which is part of my challenge to my self.

You can use any flower, leaf, butterfly or sentiment dies that you already own.

You can make it any colour you like and so use up any older card stock or paper that you have.

Acetate Front 5x7 Card & Box

I have used a heavier weight acetate for the font  of the card and to line the lid of the box, as this will hold the shape a little better.

The card that I have used has also got some stamina in it at 300 gsm as this makes everything much more stable

This photograph just shows the bevel in the acetate once it is added to the panel.

You don't really want it any deeper as it will not fit into the box if you do. 

The items under the acetate can have some dimension to the though as they are protected by the acetate.

Hope you enjoy 

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx