Introducing Floral Damasks

Craftwork Cards has now produced this foiled sheets that contain 9 rectangles -8 the same size, plus the long one. It is very versatile as you can color in the flowers using any method including Copics or Promarkers.

You can cut the rectangles in to different sizes, some of which will fit nicely into rectangle punches or die cuts.

In each pack, you get two sheets of the Black & White and two of the Purple and Black.

Check Lousette's new blog, is worth it!

More Frost

The outside:


The inside:


Not the best photos i know, but nontheless good enough to make yourself an idea of what they look like in cards those Jack Frost papers!

One of my favourites

Well, since I just made it yesterday it is bound to be today's favorite card.


I just wanted to play with what I had on the table, mostly Craftwork Cards stuff plus some little extras like the ubiquitous self adhesive pearls.


Since I love the acetate cards I decide to use the sheer delights scallop circles and pink wraps which are exactly the same shape, festive/spring flowers.


Usually I don't post photos of the back of the card, but I wanted to show how I covered the scoring line that comes on older Wraps. I just used a ribbon and card candy to cover the eyelets that maintained attached the acetate to the card, because attaching thick acetate to card is difficult other than with brads, eyelets or something similar.

All products by Craftwork Cards.

Monochromatic

Those who know me are use to monochrome from me. I usually dress in black with a touch of white and, sometimes, red. So I decided to make a couple of cards in that fashion which is a quite in a the minute.

Off to teach

Today I am off to the Glitter Pot for my monthly workshop. It is die cutting so fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly!
(Card done with cardboard for Cardmaking and Papercraft as the brief was to make cards recycling corrugated board!)

You can see today's cards and layout over at The Craftwork Cards blog.

Wraps and flowers

This week was supposed to be an off week with the exception of a class on Thursday. But as it happens, its turn out to be one of the busiest ones. An article, the workshop, samples and more stuff...
But I would be lying if I did say that I am not enjoying it!


Apologies for the bad quality of the photos, I took them at the of a demo day, therefore not much energy left for a proper photo. As it was a demo using Craftwork Cards products you can imagine that all are from them. I use the Spring Flowers/ Festive flowers, Card Candy and wraps. You can also get them at The Carft Barn and a range of selected craft shops around the country.

Promarkers on Acetate

For this poinsettia I used acetate die cut flowers -from Craftwork Cards- and run it through the herringbone Cuttlebug embossing folder. Then, I used a Promarker marker to colour in the acetate by using the medium broad end of the marker. I am no coloring expert, but I love my Promarkers, love the colors, the easiness of how they work and how great they are to do shading. I do like the Copics too, but I do prefer the Promarkers as the colors are more intense, fresher colors. Just the other day, it was announced that they have launched 56 new colors. which means that you can get 148 colours. I am saving to get the whole lot!!!!

More Christmas

Stamping on acetate using white StazOn is one of my favorites at the minute I love the etching effect, but if you add Perfect Pearls over the stamped images then it is even better. Just dab with a dry brush over the stamped images with generous amount of the micro fine powder in Pearl color which is just the colorless shimmer which looks like white.


To add some extra details I added self adhesive pearls, one of those things that I used to dislike and now I can't get enough of them.

More Acetate

Yesterday I took the day off and what did I do? I went to the Craft show at Sandown, pretty much a busman's holiday! I knew that Richard and Julie would welcome an extra hand for coffee rounds and things like that.

As my Sat Nav wasn't working properly so I got lost, well not quite lost, but missed several times the right turn so I ended up doing almost twice as many miles as I should have. By the time I got home it was past six o clock, just in time for Dawn's QVC hour which again feature one kit containing some of my die cut messages I did for Craftwork Cards. Dawn is so sweet she always mentions me when she gets to them, I don't think most people could remember mentions like that on camera. That is one extra reason why she is so great doing this job. You may disagree with me on that, but trust me, I know many many people in this industry and not one could do the job Dawn does. HONESTLY.

Jack Frost

If you know Craftwork Cards stuff you will know that one of their specialties is gold and silver foiling into beautiful card or paper and as you may know I have been designing some stuff for them, but it's the first time I designed papers. First I designed the Floral tree image and flowers which developed into the Floral Christmas patterned paper pack, and then now you can get the foiled Floral Trees in 8 x 8" packs as well called Jack Frost that also feature Julie's beautiful Snowflake papers (the three patterns on the right of the photo).
Although I designed the floral tree papers -meaning I was well acquainted with the motifs- when I saw them in real life with the silver foil and all, I was surprised on how beautiful they came out.
You have got two options the silver foiling into white pearl card or the silver foiling into dark/light blue pearl card.
I know I am a bit over the top with my recent products, but the truth of the matter is that I absolutely love how all of them have come out. I guess I surprised myself!
I can't wait to play with those papers!!!

If you can't wait either, then you can go to Sandown Racecourse -Esher, Surrey- this weekend as there is craft show going on and Craftwork Cards is there exhibiting.

Alcohol Inks and White stazOn

Only a card to share today, as I am busy working in some new designs. I am not sure if they are going to come to anything but so far I love them.

Materials
Card: Elegant Square Scallop Wrap
Paper: Love the Look - Low Lights - printed paper in lovely colours that coordinate perfectlly with other ranges from Craftwork Cards, so you can emboss and sand it if you would like the white showing through or just leave it plain for stamping.
Die Cuts: Sheer Delight's Poinsettias -Acetate flowers in the bottom one I used acohol inks and on the top one I stamped with white StazOn.
Stamp: Christmas Bubbles from Artemio.
Message: In Circle Message Christmas, Black.
Card Candy: Truffles pack -it contains this very gold green color- and Winter Wishes -for the red one, but there are other packs that contain it-.

- all available from The Craft Barn or Craftwork Cards (not the stamps, alcohol inks nor the White StazOn).

Update on Mixed Sentiments

I have heard that it is hard at the minute to get hold of my Mixed Sentiments stamp set as they are selling out fast in the shops. Right now there are in stock at The Glitter Pot. But you should be able to find them in a shop near you as Personal Impressions -manufacturers and distributors of the stamps- supply to most craft shops.

Also, to answer Fiona from the previous post:
I used white StazOn inkpad and the Christmas Baubles clear stamp set from Artemio all available from The Craft Barn.

In other news, have you been checking out QVC this week? the trend week event is been so far great and still there are two shows left (every week day at 18:00). Well, it is been extra special even though I have not been there some of my designs have been on sale specifically the Messages In Circles, rescue Words and Elegant Messages as part of this kit - the picture is not that great, so if you can watch the presentation video do so. From last Monday, QVC carries Craftwork Cards, so look out for loads of great kits that are going to be featured this week and in coming months. Sue and Julie have been working really hard to put together amazing value kits.

Floating Frames

As you can see Christmas cards are going be regular in this blog from now on, but of course they can easily be adapted to everyday occasions such as birthdays or anything else.


This card I did for last weekend demo at The Craft Barn. Basically I made a blank card out of thick acetate to measure 6 x 6. then I used ready cut and emboss frames - click here for more info on them - and attached one to each side of the acetate.


The patterned papers are from the Floral Collection.

All materials can be found at The Craft Barn, also most of them can be found at Craftwork Cards.

Links update

Just a quick note to let you know that I have updated the link section on the right hand side. I have added super talented crafters that some how I never came down to link before. Since last weekend I saw some of them, it reminded me to update the links.
By the way, I have been calling my set of messages as Mixed messages, actually their officialname is Mixed Sentiments. It's funny how I read the name and my mind registered a different word. That does ever happen to you?

Floral Christmas Stamps

This is my effort to make the background using the floral stamps from the Floral Christmas set. Then I used card candy in the centers of the larger flowers and then I added a crystal to each center.
You may think that this card lacks a message. I sent this card to my sister. In Spain we hardly sent cards, maybe ten or so for Christmas, so where I got the passion for cardmaking, I am not sure, but I started to make cards when I was eleven or twelve. For years, I used to do cards without a message. Now a days that is difficult for me.
But I don't have little messages in Spanish. So I did this card without a message. I just hope my sister likes it.

Peek-a-boo

You may not think that this card has a peek a boo element to it , but there is. Look bellow:


I used the Peek-a-Bow window, Sizzix die, from the movers and shakers range, to create a flap in which to stick the flower, which gives a lot of movement to the card.


And this is the inside. I decorated with a scrap piece of card leftover from the flower, again a cut with a Sizzix die.
And to add the messages, both inside and outside, I used the Mixed Sayings set, of course!

More Floral Christmas

Tired yet? Not me! This version of Julie's/Paula's Gap card is done using the Floral Christmas Papers from Craftwork Cards.


And this is the inside. I choose the green paper to go inside to make high contrast when it is closed with the red flowers in the front.

Introducing Floral Christmas

Strictly speaking these Floral Christmas papers are collaborating effort between Julie Hickey and myself. let me explain. I design some flowers to make a floral tree that the Sue from Craftwork Cards made into a stamp set. Julie then used the stamps to create backgrounds so nicely done that they were made up into patterned papers. See, a collaborating effort.
Using this papers
I will be using these papers tomorrow at the Craft Barn, or if you are near Harrogate you can buy them at the Craftwork Card stand at the Great Northern Papercrafts Extravaganza but you can find them online here.

Customizing stamps

I just wanted to share a tip for my Mixed Sentiments stamps.
The With Love and Best Wishes positive stamps -that is the lettering in black, rather than the circle itself- are linked to the circle line. But I like the idea of having the line separate from the message. So, I cut them.
All right, it scared me the first time, what if I mess up the cut? Well, It is just a stamp. So I went for it and got now both options.

This weekend I will demonstrating the latest Craftwork Cards products at the Craft Barn September event, Lingfield Surrey. If you can you should visit, there are going so many demonstrators that is well worth the effort.
For more info, click here.

More woodgrain

Like the other card the other day, this one is done using the same Hero Arts stamp. Nothing much to say...

More stars and QVC

I think you must be tired by now of this card and versions of it, but I am not. I did this one for last weekend for my demo at The Glitter pot. I used all Sizzix dies, the large Scallop Rectangle album for the main card and the of course the Stars 2 and messages inCircles.



Yesterday I helped Dawn Bibby at QVC. A few months back there was a competition in Paprecraft Essentials -UK based cardmaking magazine- to make Dawn a birthday card with her favorite things. the winners prize was for them to come with a friend and spent a day at QVC with Dawn. Sam and Andrea, the winners, enjoy a two hour masterclass with Dawn in which I gave them a hand playing around with some of the kits that would be later featured in the two hour live show.



The lucky ladies enjoyed also a manicure by Nails Inc, we then had lunch and head for the bright lights of the studio. As always the two hours passed so quickly.



Simon Biaggi was the presenter so after show we took some photos with Dawn and him. Above you can see Andrea and Gill, Dawn and Simon.



And here Sue and Sam -mother and daughter.
Then we went to Regent street as there were some things that Dawn and JJ needed. Then we went for dinner to a really nice restaurant, one of our favorite ones actually, but an unfortunate event happened. No one was hurt or anything like that, but it meant that we got a free meal and Dawn got a slight shock. I hope she is ok today!

Showing off

Well, since yesterday I introduced my messages stamps, I thought it would be good to show how they look on a card and also how they fit punches and nestabilities dies.



This photo shows how the messages fit in the circular punches. The messages without the circles all fit the 1" circle punch and the Martha Stewart scallop circle punch. Some of them even fit the 7/8" as seen on the bottom right hand corner. The circular shaped stamps all fit in slightly larger punches 1 1/8", and if you like a white edge around then the 1 1/4" punch is perfect.



And of course they all fit the smaller sizes -not the tiniest, though!- of the Nestabilities but also some Quickutz dies like the fancy shape at the top.
I hope that you will like to use them as much as I did yesterday.
Today, I am off to QVC, Leonie is on holiday so Dawn requested my help for today's show. The ladies who won the card competition will be there which will be nice, I love to meet up with crafters.

Introducing Mixed Sentiments Clear Stamps

Or better said, introducing them officially.

I design this set long time ago, but I had not seen it in the flesh until this last weekend. What I intended to do, and hopefully I have done, is to create a basic set of mixed messages that fits in smaller sized punches. Yes, I know there are other in the market that may look similar, or that are also small, but I was honestly frustraed not being able to buy in a shop in the UK a set that I could use with 1" circle punches, small sizes nestabilities and so on. By the way, I did not give the name to the set, I had a completely different name, Essentials Sayings.

If you think they look similarly to the Craftwork Cards InCircles, or buttons messages as they are also called, it should not surprise. they are both designed by your truly. There is more story on how they look so similar, as I had designed them to look much more different, but there was an image delivery mishap, so we ended up with this set, for now.

I used mix fonts because I just love type and a mix offers a look that can fit easily in both cute, modern and classic cards. So, if you see them often in this blog, is not only because I designed it but because I actually have needed it for a very long time and had to substitute with other sets that were close to what I wanted but not quite. And you know, I am a bit of a perfectionist!

They are manufactured and distributed by Personal Impressions so hopefully you will be able to find them in a shop near you!

Wasabi, yet again

I can not stop taking pictures of him. Somehow, I think he likes it!

Routines

Today and tomorrow I will be demonstrating at the Glitter Pot Die cutting, Sizzix products, along with a long list of demonstrators.
That means that i had to wake up at seven. Seven? That is super early in my books!!!!

I like routines, I actually like them a lot, almost need them otherwise I am completely unproductive. But, the job of a freelancer is anything but routine. From week to week everything is different, and I still find that hard. I have been trying to establish myself some kind of timetable, yet I always fail to maintain it. I am trying as well to post daily in the blog, but often I run out of things to say as my life is pretty boring, which I am totally fine with it.

Usually, I spent my mornings -not very long ones as i wake up pretty late- on the computer, checking emails, answering them, doing invoices or chasing payments, writing the instructions for articles... that sort of boring but essential stuff.
After a light and late lunch, I head to my studio. You see, there is no point of me going to studio before 4 pm unless I have something super urgent, I am totally uncreative in the mornings, so heading to studio before then is a waste of time. I can stay up creating until late, and by late I mean ten or eleven pm, sometimes is even past midnight. As my husband comes back from work pretty late every day, I usually have dinner late too. Rare is the day in which we go to bed at midnight, usually we go at around one or two. That sort of weird hours is what works for us right now.

And, as a post without a photo would be boring, here you have this one.

I used, like in this case, three wraps from Craftwork Cards and then this Hero Arts stamp, green ink and Crystal Embossing powder, and of course one of my Incircles -from Craftwork Cards too!.

More Glamour

So this is the second card I made using the A touch of Glamour set from Craftwork Cards. I kept the same colour scheme as i liked it so much in the previous card.
the inspiration for the design of this card was this previous one. As you can see, my cards are much more design led rather than technique led. I suppose that is because of my love of graphic design, colour and positioning of stuff is what makes or me the card. However I like to see other peoples cards which are the opposite, more technique less design. That is the beauty of this hobby, there are so many possibilities, choices and products to suit everyone taste.

A touch of Glamour

Craftwork Cards has done this stamp set with chandeliers, which I love. I did this quick card using a colour combo I love, bright pink and teal. With such strong colours I like to keep the rest to a minimum.
Simplicity sometimes works best!

Stars, stars

So, two weeks ago I shared this card that I have made inspired by the super talented and wonderful friend, Julie Hickey. When I like something, I keep doing it. So when I had to do a workshop on cards for men, I decided to take a feminine card and convert it for a boy. The easiest way to transform it is by switching flowers for stars, they are as versatile and combine really with the lovely papers from Pebbles Inc.

This stars can be cut two ways either with the Sizzix die -my preference as you get 4 different sizes for just £8.49 and will cut chipboard as well!- or using two Stampin up punches. Or you can use the ready die cut and emboss ones by Craftwork Cards - they are called Starry Night that come in ice white and mirri gold and silver and you get 32 in a pack for £3.50. So, you have got plenty of options when it comes to this shape of stars, although there are even more stars with more rounded or less striking edges.

I kept the same colour scheme as before, that is Richie from Craftwork Cards. I think Sue had a moment of big time inspiration putting these together.

H

Another layout, funny, I don't post layouts for months and then a whole lot all the same week. Well, I suppose that is the crafting mood!

Lemonade papers, White Wash card from Topaz Crafts.