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

  

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

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

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

Flowers with Ribbons

 Hi Everybody,

Ribbon roses are something that I have covered in the past and I added a video to YouTube about 14 years ago so its a bit old fashioned now but still gets the idea across for you to follow

It does have a little tip in it about storing the flowers you make in an ole egg carton so I will add the link in case you wanted to view it.

Old video ... Ribbon Rose

Today I am adding in the new video and this will show you two ways in which to get the flowers. 

I would warn you though that they will need boxes and if your ribbons is wider than mine then your flowers will be a different size.

They are a lot of fun to make though and so here is the link to the 

new video  ...    Making Flowers with Ribbons

I hope you will enjoy the videos ... both of them if you watch them and I thank you for your support.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers - Spiral Roses

 Hi Everybody,

Todays card is complete with video and once again I am using the Brushos.

They are such and easy way to colour your card and they last for ever. 

In this video I have used the Spiral Blossom Die Set and this is such a versatlie die and can be used with lots of different materials.

Here is the new video ...

Making Flowers Spiral Blossom Roses

I hope you enjoy this video and next week I will be looking at ways to make flowers with ribbons so I hope you will join me for those and perhaps send me photos of the ones you make.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx.

Stamped Background

Hi Everybody

This card has used a stamped and stiffened background on the front and I have added gold and white frames to surround it. This technique was shown in a video last week and I adding the link here ...

Stamping Hessian 

The card is an A6 size and is the last I will be showing with the Hessian backgrounds or flowers .... for now !!

I am going to be adding one video per week for a few weeks and using a different material for making my flowers, and probably more than one project in each video.

I hope you will stick around for that and I also hope you enjoy my makes. 

You don't need the same things that I use, just make the moat of items that you already have in your. personal stash.

But maybe you do have the dies and things I use and then you can follow along with me as we make things together.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

 

Two More Hessian Flowers

Hi Everybody

Flower One

Today I am adding two more ways in which you can create hessian flowers and these are so pretty once they are made..

You can make both of these styles to any size you prefer but I have made mine a little smaller this time around.

The one to the right is added to an A6 card and the background is stencilled for added texture,

I have used the hessian in the original colour and added diamante to each petal for decoration.

Flower Two

They are quick and easy to make and are a real focal point on the card front.

The card to the left is using another stiffened and die cut oval and the flowers on both cards are made in the video

Flower Making -Two More Ways.

I hope I have covered lots of different ideas for you to use this inexpensive material in your flowers and that you have enjoyed the process.

It certainly makes a change from Mulberry flowers though you will need to make boxes for the finished cards,

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers Stamping Hessian

Hi Everybody

In todays video I am sharing how I stamped text onto my stiffened Hessian flowers to give them an individual look for my cards.

They have been die cut and layered together with a pearl centre and because they are stiffened the petals have been pinched into shape.

I have used a stencilled background for each of my designs and used a simple hole punch for added decoration .

I am quite pleased with both of these cards and the colour scheme is bright and cheerful  when combined with the white.

You don't need to buy anything special just use what you already have in your stash and I know you will be delighted with it.. 

Here is the video
Stamping On Hessian 

I have one more video to add with two more ways to make the flowers from Hessian /Burlap / Jute and then I will  move onto another fabric and share how I make those flowers

Flowers are such a popular addition to cards and as well as making your cards look pretty they can also hide a multitude of sins.

 Know what I mean !!

And notice I didn't say mistakes there....

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

 

Weaving Hessian

 Hi Everybody,

Here is another idea for using any hessian/burlap that you may have and the results are very effective on your cards.

You will need to adjust the size according to the size of card you are making but that is not hard to do.

Both of these cards have got a woven panel added to them and one is a 1cm strip the other is 2cms.

Yours can be any size that you prefer to suit your own personal design. 

Making Flowers - Weaving Hessian

You can buy hessian in different colours but you can always colour your own of you cannot get the shade you require.

I am sure that some of you have ben pleasantly surprised at the effects you can get from using this material and I hope you will give it a try.

There is much more to come 

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Another style of flower ...

 Hi Everybody,

This is another new material along the lines of Hessian that I am trying to make flowers from and it may be something else you have not considered either..

This is the Jute Cord that I bought to restring my roller blind and it comes in very handy for these flowers  too.

It is very cheap to buy and it goes a long way. It is also very strong as I can vouch for it and my roller blind is going strong still.

This is just one of the ways in which I share with you how to make more flowers for your cards and these are not too deep .

They can be made in various sizes just by plating more of the cord if you need it, and you can dress up the centre of the flower with anything that you already have.. 

Making Flowers from Jute Cord

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers with Hessian / Burlap

 Hi Everybody,

This card is the one made in the video on using a Hessian  sheet for flowers, and it is very pretty in the hand.

Hessian is a thicker material that is not often used in card making ... but I wanted to show you some variations that are out of the norm.

The best way to explain Hessian to you if you are not familiar with it is to think of sacks that can hold potatoes or grain. 

They are often made from Hessian as it is a very strong, pliable material that can be manipulated in various ways., and it is relatively cheap to buy.  It is also known as Burlap especially in the USA.

I have added glue to my sheets to make it stiffer and easier to die cut.

You will need a strong glue and I prefer hot glue, but be very careful with it if you use hot glue too as it gets very, very hot and will give you a nasty burn. 

Ask me how I know ???????? 

It comes in other colours than the ones I have shown you but you can colour it yourself.

I have coloured the petals and the leaves with Distress Oxides and a small brush and because they where stiff they where easier to bend into shape.

I did more in the video with dies and if you don't have dies then I show you how to make a little template that you can use to add to the Hessian and cut around.

But if you do have dies then just use any that you already have and the same for the leaves. .

Making Flowers with Hessian Sheets

Maybe you have tried this material before and not quite taken to it but it is easier to work with once it is stiffened up with the glue, and mine is just a cheap 5 litre bottle from the Range that will last me for years, and years ... and years !! ....

If you do try any of these ideas be sure to let me know as I would love to know how you got one with it.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Making Flowers - Fun Foam

Hi Everybody,

As promised I am sharing a series of videos that will feature making flowers from a variety of materials, some may be new to you and others you may have already tried.

I am going to cover Felt, Hessian, Jute cord, Organza, Crepe paper, Foamiran and ribbon too. 

For this video I am using the thicker Fun Foam and this is a lot different to Foamiran.

It is thicker and is not as pliable as the thinner Foamiran but it is very essay to work with and it die cuts really well.

You can find a vast choice of colours in the Fun Foam and it is very cheap too. I got mine from Hobbycraft as there is a new store opened up near where I live.

I will be getting some more but in pastel shades next time and making more styles of flowers with it. which  I will share in a video when I do. 

Here is the video link to this one and I hope you enjoy.it and will come back for the rest in this series.

Making Flowers - Fun Foam

All the new flower making videos will be in a playlist on YouTube.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Using Circles

 Hi Everybody,

Most of us have the basic shaped dies and this video is yet another way to make what you have work for you without the need to buy special dies.

In this one I am going to share how I created an umbrella and a flowers holder from just circle dies.

You don't need to have the same dies as me, just use any circle or border dies that you have, and the same applies to flowers and leaf dies as they all create the same thing.

And making your own backing papers is another good way to save you the bother of buying patterned paper packs.

 Most of the packs have papers that you don't like and will never use or the colours are not the ones you need. so why pay for them in the first place.

Making your own to blend with what you have in mind is a much better way to put your time to good use, and far more satisfying than buying them.

Using Circles Again

I hope you enjoy the video and please don't forget to leave me a comment and give me the thumbs up, and if you aren't already a subscriber then please consider joining my channel and help the numbers to grow.

I have recently  been asked about the ink smoosher that I have been using to create my backgrounds  and I got the idea from another YouTuber.  I am adding the link to NBCards and Natalie shows you how to make you own

INK SMOOSHER 

Thank You

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Shabby Chic Gatefold Video

 Hi Everybody,

Today I am adding a video that will show you how I made the Gatefold card from last Tuesday. 

This is not as hard as it looks and you can try this with any die that you have in your own collection, you certainly don't ned the same one I have used.

It was a die that I designed years ago and I doubt very much if it will still be available to purchase.

The colour scheme was inspired by a shirt I was wearing and I really like the end result. Try this with any colours that take your eye and see what you get. 

Here is the video and I hope you enjoy it ...

Shabby Chic Gatefold Card

This is the card from last week and I have modified it just a little and changed the colour scheme too,  but the flowers are still the Mulberry flowers that I use a lot of.

If there is something that you would particularly like to see then let me know and if I have the dies , or something similar, then I will give it a go.

Thank you for the lovely comments I am getting both here and  on YouTube, it is much appreciated.

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx

Shabby Chic Heart Video

Facing to the right

Hi Everybody, 

Today I am adding the video to share with you how I made this beautiful card.

I have used the really old 6x6 Heart Box Die Set that I designed as Card Making Magic a long time ago but if you have the die set then now is the time to get it out again.

For this I have added in some cheesecloth and a white die cut panel along with some blue flowers and the little cherub on the left side.

It is a really pretty card and the edges have been decorated with lace and although it looks fussy it is  not hard to do at all.

Facing to the left

You will notice that each card faces a different way and that depends on which way round you use the base as you make it.

This peach card is my favourite as it is so vibrant and the background colour way is created with inks by hand.

They can be for any occasion and any colour that you want but they all look really good once they are done and shabby chic is a style that  never seems to go out of date.

Enjoy the video

Shabby Chic Heart Shaped Card

Bye for now ...

Hugs xx 

 

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