Even more Sequins

Using one of my all time favorite stamp sets, this one from Banana Frog.

More Sequins

Sequins, again

A few weeks ago, I posted a card that featured sequins from an article in Cardmaking and Papercraft. Well this is another card from that set. I must apologize for the low quality photo, often happens that I finish a project and it is very dark so natural light available, and the artificial that I have is not very good for accurate colors.
By the way, the paper I used for this card is a Pebbles Inc one that it is from either last year or from the year before. I love the color combo and the delicate patterns.

This months in Carrdmaking and Papercraft

This article has 12 different cards all shaped in Christmas trees, bubbles or presents. I was lucky enough to use Eskimo Kisses for it as when I did the article the line had not reached the shops. Now is available in most shops that stock Basic Grey, which are many.

Copics

Sometimes, it is nice to treat yourself!

More Die cutting

Another one of the cards I made for last week workshop, it is rare that I decorate the insides of the card, but with such a gorgeous pattern it was hard not to do so!


As the previous entries, the paper/card is from My Minds Eye and the dies are from Sizzix, Label from this one, square scallop from this one, and the scalloped borders from this one.
The front is done by layering the different strips -previously die cut- so it creates a subtle pattern.

My mum is here for a few days, and she is now making her own Christmas cards. I think she would love to come to my workshops, but she tries to come when I am not busy so she can actually see more of me, more relaxed me as well.

Birthday Die cutting Cards

For this die cutting card I used an ornate die to cut the blank card.


I used like for yesterdays card I used My Minds Eye patterned paper/card.
It's funny that when I started this blog I found much easier to write than to post photos. Nowadays is the opposite. Maybe is because I find my life a bit boring, nothing too exciting to share, but, what would you like? More words or just as it is?

Diorama Card

This is now my latest favorite card. I did it this week for my recent class at The Glitter Pot.
I can not take credit, obviously for inventing such a fun paper engineering structure. The best thing about it is that it folds completely flat, or as flat a any other card.


A view from above may help to see how it is all assembled. If you would like to learn how to make this type of card you can click here for a wonderful tutorial by Diana Gibbs. I have done a few things differently -size, apertures and center piece- but more importantly the way I assembled it, because I glued the left side first then the right one.



The apertures are cut with Nestabilities and the Snowflakes as well. The paper has become one of my most used ones, it is from My Minds Eye, click here to see it. It is more like card than regular patterned paper, has a lovely texture and is double sided. Pure lush.
The little holes on the paper are not part of it, I just made them using a Screw hole punch (Japanese style).
Also, in other news, my new sets of stamps are now available in craft shops around the country.

Lace effect

Love the edge punches, and I know I am not the only one! So I did this quick and easy card using just edge punches and thin white powder.
Today, I am teaching at the Glitter Pot, which is nice as I have a lovely group of ladies who regularly come to my workshops. I really enjoy teaching them!

Blue Jack Frost

The super talented and amazing Julie Hickey design this lovely snowflake papers that come in a pack of 12 papers -6 designs, 3 snowflakes, 3 of my floral Christmas patterns-.


And I decided to decorate the inside as well.

QVC

Today I am working with Dawn Bibby helping out to set demos and stuff at QVC, since it is a Craft Day and loads of hours of craft. I have done some cards for the Slice cartridges some of which I am really proud of. Also it will be the first time that I am there when some of the Craftwork Cards Kits are shown although I do not think that anything I have designed will be in them. Anyway, it is always exciting -and exhausting- going there to work for a day from time to time.

By the way, have you watch any of the intro videos? I mean those few seconds that they use to introduce the hour. Well, the ones last night were featuring quite a bit of Craftwork Cards products and among those ones are my very own In Circles. You must be very tired of me going on and on about my designs, but I usually I don't expect my stuff to do well, lack of confidence I suppose -I do like what I create, I just wonder if the others may like it too. So when I see my designs used by others in blogs, demos or QVC, I feel that I am doing something right.


This photos are of a card I made last Saturday while demonstrating die cutting, specifically the Big Shot and Wizard/Nestabilities dies -labels 8 and Snowflake Wonder. I used some of the My Minds Eye paper that I used a while back for a class. I still love it, the subtle pattern on one side and the notebook ledger style in the other, perfect for those like me that find difficult to write in a straight line.

New Stamps: Circle Essentials

This is the third set from the new stamps. As always it is a clear unmounted set that contains 12 circles with the essential messages. The only images that are both on the Mixed Sayings and in this one is Thinking of You and Best Wishes due to the mishap explained on the previous post. The Happy Birthday and Birthday wishes are very similar to the ones that come in the Mixed Sayings, but in those ones have a dotted ring around them.
As you will imagine, they are manufactured and distributed by Personal Impressions which means that you should be able to find them in a craft shop near you at the end of October.

New Stamps: Wording Stamps or Birthday set

This is the Birthday set -although is just called Wording Stamps, PICS066- for those who only need or want stamps to celebrate Birthdays.

You can see that this tamp shares images from different sets. Well, there is a good explanation for this. I put together this set and the Mixed Sayings the first of all as a sampler of my style to Personal Impressions who decided it was nice enough to make an actual set of stamps. I then prepared some other sets using the images that I liked the best from them without realizing that these were already into production! That is why some images are repeated, something that I did not intended to do and will try to avoid in the future.

However, I think that for under £5 retail, is good value as you will get 6 stamps that are not in any other set which are the ones on the bottom.

New Stamps: Square Essentials

This set is called Square Essentials as it contains some of the most essential sentiments that a cardmaker will need in squares that fit into scallop punches. As the other saying stamps this set is manufactured by Personal Impressions and will be available in a shop near you at the end of October.

Back in the UK

Yes, I was on holiday the last two weeks. Omar and I visited his parents in Toronto as we have been doing almost every year since we have been together.
I am jet lagged, going West is fantastic as I get to wake up at a decent hour, going East is not that easy for me.
Tomorrow I am demonstrating at The Glitter Pot, hopefully I wont be as sleepy as today. Come along to check my creations using die cutting and punches, my favorite products.

Last year's Christmas Cards II

Another batch of Christmas Cards. Sometimes I like to use products that I have had a long time and haven't been able to use for some reason, usually because I like them too much or because they are not readily available to buy -an important requisite when you are making cards for magazines and so on. I had this lovely printed blank cards from Savvy Stamps which used to be easy to find in the UK. Never really got round to use them so I had 8 left. Because of the lovely soft turquoise coloured I decided to keep it monochromatic and used USA Stampin Up products.

! Feliz dia del Pilar para todos los aragoneses de pro, y tambien para el resto de la Hispanidad!

Last year's Christmas Cards

Every year I make several batches of Christmas Cards. Usually I make several, 10-15 cards very similar or nearly identical to each other, then I do another different batch.

This cards above where the biggest batch I did last year as I really enjoyed making them. I used Fabriano cards (pre-scored), a cuttlebug folder, patterned paper, punches and stamp.

The thing about Fabriano card is that, although it has a lovely handmade texture, is still perfect for stamping, specially using chalk finish ink pads such as Fluid Chalk or Versamagic.

Outside/Inside

The chilly outside gives way to the warm inside, thanks to the pretty double sided patterned paper from Imaginisce.

Again, this card was part of the Die cutting workshop at The Glitter Pot last month.

Over the edge cards

Using die cutting products I produced this card for a workshop for The Glitter Pot last week.

Scrapbook page

Last week this layout was posted over at the Craftwork Cards blog. I just thought I shared as well in this blog, so I can also show the little details.

I used a wrap under the photo to create an oversized card hinge, so under the photo I have journaling space.

This is the detail of the back of the photo.

And here you can see how all the snowflakes are linked together and the crystals underneath the dots.

Christmas Recycling

So what did I recycle in this card? Last year, I was commissioned to do cards recycling Quality Street wrappers, so I used the colored plastic to stamp on with black StazOn.

Stamps Update

I am still getting messages asking me where the Mixed Sentiments set of stamps are in stock at the moment. As far as I know, The Glitter Pot has got them now as well as Artbase , click here to go directly.

More packaging

This is the second card recycling cardboard. The house is made using a punch from Crafts Too.

This month in Cardmaking & Papercraft

I have an article in Cardmaking & Papercraft on using 6 ways with Sequins, the above card is just one of the ideas.