Tuesday 30 April 2013

The March Tubo Post




It is a mini album tutorial using the Framelits on the edge, featuring both the Hearts and Flowers and the Dotty and Flowers as well as the Wrappers Circle.


A fancy Wrap and Fancy Charm tutorial - part 1 of 2

Today i am going to share a bit of a tutorial about the two sets that coordinate bellow from my Sizzix collection of Framelits. The aim is more to show how they work together than to make a pretty project.

They are:
Fancy Wrappers                                Fancy Charms

On to the making card:


I placed two dies from the rectangles - Sizzix Framelits Rectangles #2 - secure with low tack tape and die cut using my Big Shot.


Because Rectangles #2 is based on a european A6, it means that as long as the card you use is true european A6, it will always nest nicely. However there is a lot of card sold "like A6" that is actually 6 x 4" which is not true european size, so it wont work as well.
Just be aware!


Here you have the Fancy squares of the Fancy Wrappers set. Both of them kind of nest as you can see above and bellow.


But you dont have to use then necessarily together.


Then I die cut all the fancy squares, both from the Wrappers and Charms. The smallest one, on the left of the photo, is the one that comes on the Fancy wrappers. The other four charms are part of the Fancy Charms, but they all mix and match.


As you can see here.


And here. Those Wrappers are ready now to be used.


Here I stamped a message from my stamps designed for Personal Impressions called Simple Flowers. Then i placed one of the Sizzix Sentiment Tags dies, secured it with low tack tape and die cut.


Here you have it all assembled. Quick and easy!


And this is another version, a bit more oriental!

Tomorrow another quick tutorial using the Fancy squares to make a background.

Monday 29 April 2013

Crafts U love Demo


Thanks to everyone who came to the Crafts U Love demo. It was great to see you all, I know it sounds cheesy but I truly treasure being able to demonstrate and chat with everyone. Sharing what I do at home is really special, thank you for allowing me to do it!

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Demo at Crafts u Love


This coming Saturday, the 27th of April, I will be demonstrating die cutting using my latest dies from Sizzix at Crafts U love (Surrey).

Click here for more information.

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Happy Saint George's day

As I was born in Zaragoza, Aragon (Spain), St George is one highly regarded as it is the patron Saint of Aragon. The fact that he is also the patron of England where I have been living for over ten years is a plus! So I wanted to celebrate with a simple card.


I started by die cutting a Union Jack - using the Sizzix die from my everyday collection - out of acetate. I cover the non cross the Saint George bits using low tack tape. I kept the cross in the middle as I knew I would use it later on.


I place the template on my white card and secure it with low tack tape.


With the help with a finger dabber, I started to add colour by dabbing gently Treasure Gold in Ruby.


Continue until the colour is deep enough. 


This is how it would look like. However, I put the mask back own for the next step.


I place this Crafters Workshop mask over it and again secured it with low tack tape. then I applied White Fire Treasure Gold, a soft whitish gold.


Because I left the Union Jack mask, the brocade pattern is only on the Cross.


I removed the Union Jack Mask and place the Brocade mask directly on the card positioning it carefully exactly as it was before. Then I placed over the top the positive cross - the left over from the die cutting phase - to protect the work done so far. Then I applied Silver Tresure. through the mask.


And kept going until the whole are was covered.


And this is the result. I really like the two tone damask pattern which is much more visible in real life.


To add more detail, I spray over Perfect Pearls Mists in Heirloom Gold.


And to distress the edges I used a combo of Brushed Corduroy and Pumice Stone distress inks.

 I layered in with black card and mounted on to chipboard card.


Anyway, I hope you like it!

Thursday 18 April 2013

Having fun with a Union Jack DIY mask

As I posted about this week, I enjoyed a few demos at last Saturday at the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show and was incredibly inspired by both Lin Brown and Leandra to buy some goodies and play with them this week. So here is one of my play sessions I have been doing.

As part of my last year Everyday collection, I designed a Union Jack die that comes with a bones textured Impression folder. Although I am Spanish and feel very much the colours of my flag, I love the Union Jack, it is an iconic design that is extremely popular across Europe. I designed the die so that would not have an outer edge so that you could cut it as an aperture on a card like this one I did for the Sizzix blog a few months ago. But also not having cutting edges around means that you can easily make a mask or template with it and have a lot of protective area around.


I made a template using thin plasma or very thick translucent acetate. I placed the mask onto some book board, secured it with low tack tape and placed some Paperartsy Grunge Paste - one of the best texture pastes I have used - and smooth it out using one of my Catalyst by Princeton tools - I got them in Frankfurt, they are awesome!


I gently removed the mask gently and dried with the help of a heat gun. This paste dried fairly quickly, yet it is easy to remove any left overs from the masks. Once completely dry I put a few blobs of paint. I used Paperartsy's Limelight and Mermaid, both acrylic paints are translucent, meaning that they will give more of vivid wash of colour rather than a thick pigment coat, as you can see on the next photo.


Once the whole area was covered, I decided I wanted some metallic accents so I added some Treasure Gold through the mask to protect the lowered areas. to paint something I was just playing, so I had no plan in mind. Somethings worked, some didn't. This didn't.


So keeping the metallic look in mind I decided to use Silver Liquid Leaf all over it. This is the richest most beautiful silver paint I have ever used. It comes in different shades, but that Silver has completely stolen my crafty heart. Once dry, I sanded off some of it to create a distress look and reveal some of the paste and tint underneath.


I added some white paint to make the silver much more dull, I liked it. Then I finally added more colour by dabbing the Lime and Mermaid paint over the sanded areas. I quite like  the result, but more importantly I had a blast doing it! Which is what crafting is all about.

Monday 15 April 2013

Ally Pally

I imagine that the words Ally Pally mean different thing to different people. I would think that to those who enjoy darts those two words are quite significant. But not less than to paper crafters around the South of England. To us it means one of the best papercrafting show in the UK - if not the best as it is to me. It is called the Big Stamps and Scrapbooking Show and it takes place twice a year and the last weekend was the Spring one.

I think I have been going to it since 2003, so I think it was my tenth year anniversary visiting it, and I have only missed about three or four editions in total. You see, It is very important to me, maybe for sentimental reasons. But, not really. I always think about it as the show that has the best demonstrators around - Lin Brown, Julie Hickey, Paperartsy's Leandra, Barbara Gray..., all the stands are relevant to papercrafting and I love the venue (yes it is tatty and not in pristine condition but it is rather lovely building).

A few years ago, I demonstrated at the event and enjoyed it but unless I have a good reason to do otherwise, I rather go as customer and enjoy chatting with my friends new and old. This time was no exception.

My first stop usually is Craftwork Cards, i see their new products - always gorgeous! - and say hi to my lovely friend and super talented designer that is Julie Hickey. Also I have to check Sugar & Spice, Marion's Emberson shop. I love Marion, honest and passionate about the whole thing.

And then, I watch the super talented Lin Brown and Leandra. I could spent hours watching those two. I took some photos of Lin working her magic.


And this is the finished project:


Of course, I had to buy Paperartsy new Grunge Paste - which I already love, the best texture paste I have ever used, and I have used a few - and a few bits and pieces like their new Blood Orange Fresco paint and another of the Tresure gold colours.


And the next day i had to try the techniques I learnt. You see, I like to do clean and simple for my projects as it is my "natural" style, but for my personal enjoyment I love the messy, art journalling style. Unfortunately I dont follow instructions very well so I never end up with anything of worth that is why it is only for my personal enjoyment, it is all about having fun during the process!

I already cant wait till September when the Autumn edition of the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show will take place.
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