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

Come and Join My Class ...

Hi Everybody,

Over the last four years I have done lots of tutorials that have been added to YouTube and  they are there for every one to share and use.  I have had many wonderful comments over those years and I now have almost 9,000 subscribers to my channel.

Over that time 2,211,565 views have been notched up and I am amazed at the loyalty and support I get from you all.

 But it is time to try a new adventure and I am quite nervous about this.

Today is the start of my online classes titled ... 

  Create Beautiful Cards with Spellbinders

with Christina at The Art Studio.

I have put lot of thought  into this from the minute I was asked to consider joining the Art Studio.

I had many concerns about it but one by one they were all addressed and so I took the plunge and joined the team of instructors.

Over the coming months I hope to bring you many more as we progress through the classes.

This first one leads you  gently into Spellbinders but as the class grows  I will be covering more ways to make the most of these wonderful dies ...  and these will be much more in depth than those that I add to the Blog or Website.

There will be tips and techniques covered in these classes that will not be available via the free tutorials which I will continue to add to YouTube

And these classes will also be longer ... as there are not the same time restrictions that there are with YouTube.

So I hope you will come on this adventure with me and click the link above that will take you straight to the class.

The price is very reasonable and I don't think you will be disappointed ... and once you have purchased you have unlimited access to the class 24/7 and the class never goes away.

Each lesson as it is done is just added to the list for you to buy ... and on The Art Studio page there is a FAQ tab with lots more information.

If you need to ask me anything with regards to the class or Spellbinders then you can email me at ....  cgriffiths@scrapbooknewsandreview.com

If you have already joined then I thank you and I hope you will wish me luck even if the class is not for you.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Purple and White ...

Click to Enlarge

Hi Everybody,

This pretty card is created with several Spellbinders and the colour scheme was decided by the papers used underneath.

I have used the smallest die from the Grand Scalloped Squares to create the base and layered up from that.

It is just the right size to fit onto the cards stand without falling over.

I have made it in the Hinged Card style and lined the inside with the same paper for a co-ordinated look  ... and the papers where free with a magazine I subscribe to.

The lovely ribbon has silver thread running through the edges and it is from  Mei Flower

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley  and is one of the Inspirational Sentiments... and there are several on the same sheet ... so good value for your pennies.

The pearls are from Want2Scrap and are some of the new ones that can be bought by the 1/2 cup full ... just look in the Bulk Bling section ... but they are not self adhesive so you will need some clear drying glue to stick them on.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Decorate with Ribbon

Click to Enlarge

Hi Everybody,

Today the sun is shining and don't you feel much better when it does and this afternoon I am going to visit an old friend.

So a quick post before I go and get ready for the trip.

The  ribbon on this card is from Mei Flower  and is a lovely Satin with a  Silver Edge ...  but instead of adding a large bow I decided to keep this one small and pretty.

The shiny buckles are from  The Hobby House  and there are other styles for you to choose.

I have used this idea on many cards and I had an email a few days ago asking me how I get the buckle onto the ribbon.

So of course the easiest way is always to do a short video and show what I do.

The latest  Video Tutorial  is  Ribbons and Buckles   and it is not long.  Just enough time to have  a cuppa and relax for a little while.

The backing paper is from the CD "The Next Big Thing" from  Just Inklined  and the flowers are as always from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The stamp ... which was free from a Magazine ... has been heat embossed in silver

The Spellbinders used are listed below.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Spellbinders Flowers ...

Hi Everybody,

Todays card is back to Spellbinders and this one  has a big flowers created with the Daisy Heads and Foliage sets.

The card has been made into the Hinged Style with Decorative Labels 8  and the plain Labels 8 has created the layer.

The Wood Panel paper is from the Floriography CD from My Craft Studio.

I have over layered that with the Grateful Lattice and then added the flower and leaves to the Lattice

The flower has been created from several layers of the Daisy Heads and then shaped and glued together.

The leaves have been cut from Colour Core card and then creased and  sanded back.

Both have been rubbed over with my finger in a  pale gold Gilding Cream for a subtle effect.  You can just see the sheen especially with the side view photograph.

The little tag and the pearl spray is some I have in my "Stash" and I just dug them out to use on the card.

The inside is lined with a matching stripy paper and there is nothing else added to this card .... but never the less I think it is quite pretty.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Whitby Bargains...

Hi Everybody,

Wandering around the town on our weekend away to Whtiby we popped into the "Pound Shop" as I knew they had some  bargains on double sided foam pads.

I also found some packs of Organza Sheets in many colours. These are the same ones I used in the tutorial for Organza Flowers 

That page was added to the website a few years ago...  but the shop where I used to buy them from stopped selling them ..... Oh No !!!

But now that I have found them again and where to get them from I have amended the web page and added it here for you.  There is no web address for them but many towns have a "Pound Shop"  full of goodies.

And don't do the stupid thing I did and ask the assistant how much they are .... "Let me see... " she said as she stroked her chin .... "Could they be a pound maybe... " and we both bursted out laughing.

I bet she thought I was an idiot ..... no comments please !

Here is a card made all that time ago too with the flowers attached and it looked as pretty then as it would now.

I always like to add flowers to my cards and these are just that little bit different ...  for a change.

The layers to the flower can be joined with a brad, another flower, glue or simply stitched and you can add as many layers as you like.

But please take care with the heat gun as it WILL burn if you
aren't.

The flower on the red card has been added with a large bead cap in the centre that has the brad pushed through it.

And all these are available from Wild Orchid Crafts

More tomorrow ..

Hugs xx

Whitby in Oils...

Click to Enlarge

Hi Everybody,

Many years ago ... way back in 1994 I used to go to an art class and this is one of the pictures I did of a yacht entering a harbor in stormy seas to get to safety.

It was long before I had ever been to Whitby.

It was done in oils and was one of the first things I ever did. It took hours of layering on the oils in different shades of blue and green and letting each layer dry.

Now it hangs on my wall and is one I am rather proud of.  Griff loves this painting and shows it to all our visitors.

The photo does not do it justice as the sea looks as if it is translucent.

This is a photograph I took over the weekend on a boat trip out into the harbor at Whitby....

Can you see the resemblance?

 I took the photo deliberately from that angle as we entered back between the piers and although the Abbey in the picture is slightly different the similarities are there.

It is poetic license  ... but I like it just the same.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Whitby Weekend Break...

Hi Everybody,

Here I am home again from my lovely weekend away.

Of course a visit to Whitby would not be complete without the climb up 199 stone steps to the ruined Abbey and St Mary's Church at the top.

It is a long and steep climb and every so often along the route there are benches to rest on.  These where called coffin stops as they where used to rest the coffin on as it was carried to the top for burials.

The weather was so kind to us and the sun shone all the time we where there... you can see the blue sky in the photo.

Now I know to some people it's just a ruin but it is so steeped in History and it is very beautiful even as a ruin.

So for my international visitors here is a little about the Abbey.

This is an artists impression of what it would have been like when built.  It was a place of sanctuary for many.

Henry the 8th reigned at the time and he was a huge influence over his subjects.

But he was also a very selfish and cruel king and life had little value at that time.

He decided that he wanted to get rid of the wife he had because she had only produced a girl ... and he wanted an heir... and the Roman Catholic church wouldn't  grant him a divorce.

So he changed the country from Catholic and made himself the head of the Church of England so that he could make his own rules and then divorce her.

 He also decided that everything to do with Catholicism had to go and so he dissolved the monasteries and claimed all their wealth as his own to refill his dwindling bank balance.

The monks  where executed if they didn't conform and the Abbey became unused. 

The stone work was used to create this house that sits near the ruin.  

I am sure there is a lot more to this story then I relate  but that is just a little overview of the history of Whitby Abbey.

It is well worth a visit and if you can't face the stone steps then you can drive close to the ruin and walk the rest of the way from the car park.

More tomorrow ...

Hugs xx

Pretty Peach ...

Hi Everybody,

At this moment in time I seem to be on a Peach kick as I just love this pastel shade ... and I have made several cards using it lately.

The papers on the background to this are from the PolkaDoodles CD  "Pretty Sweet"  and it is lovely patchwork pattern ... sorry that you can't see much of it.

The satin ribbon is from Mei Flower and I bought it at the craft show a few weeks ago.

The centre has been finished with a brad that I added a charm to and glued in place.

The sentiment is a Clarity Stamp  and I have heat embossed it in silver.

The mixture of flowers are Tulips, Roses, Carnations and Lilies from Wild Orchid Crafts   and the petals have been sparkled with Glamour Dust.

Another card that would suit a number of occasion especially for the ladies that you know and like to give cards to.

I will be back home later today so it will be a live post  tomorrow ...

Hugs xx