Perfect Pearls Textured embossing folder technique

As per request of Victoria, today I did the tutorial on the Perfect Pearls + StazOn technique over at the Sizzix Blog. Check it here.
There is a second technique that I so with the pearls which hopefully I will showcase next week.

Child friendly card

Today I have posted a tutorial on how to make this card. Yes it is not a earth shattering new technique, but it is a great what to craft with children just using white card some cream chalks and your finger tips!
Click here for the full post.
PS: Have you seen the new Framelits? Seriously they are the best wafer thin dies that I have ever used because of the position of the blade. If you think I am biased because I work for Sizzix I wont blame you, instead watch this video by a retailer in the USA (who also sells other manufacturer's) not only she is a big fan of the Framelits but also explains why they are so good.

If you would like die cutting tutorials

Pop over at the Sizzix.co.uk blog where Pete Hughes, Stacey Rogers and myself are doing weekly tutorials. Last week I did one for the Gap Cards, Stacey did one for the movers and shapers mini and Pete did a great frame. this week so far I have done a felt ring.

I know it's been a while, but you know having a full time job (which does involve doing some blogging) and trying to manage Crafty Storage blog, it leaves me with not much blogging energies. From now on I will be posting a project a week over at the Sizzix Uk blog - here - on Mondays afternoon.

So pop over there for some die cutting inspiration and tutorials.

In the meantime I will leave you with a card I did a while ago for Crafts Beautiful.

Happy Canada Day!

So it happens that today is Canada day, so to my brother and sister in law, pictured above, and to every canadian out there -yes, Omar that include you- Happy Canada Day! 

Don't forget to watch the Sizzix show with Fiona today at 2pm and 8pm on QVC.

Sizzix on QVC

As I mentioned last week, I have been busy preparing samples for the next Sizzix hours on QVC which happen to be tomorrow, Friday the 1st of July.

This is a box that I recycled, it was a present that I got, a posh leather purse that came with the lovely wooden box. I painted it using DecoArt Americana acrylic paint -I think I used Antique Green and Burgundy Wine.

The Sizzix kit includes my favorites types of dies, Movers and Shapers and their magnetic dies. That is the Ornamental and the Mini Butterflies Magnetic dies - QVC kit 590788 Butterfly option.

My boss Fiona Williams is going to be doing the QVC shows, so tune in at 2pm and 8pm. You can watch online too here.

Vintage Cabinet lantern

When I saw this die - Vintage Cabinet card, from the Alterations Tim Holtz range - for the first time I knew it was going to be one of my go-to dies. It is a nice size as a blank card and because it is a Movers and Shapers die is even more versatile.
The idea of making a lantern out of it came to me when I was making a card. It occur to me that with a bit of scoring, folding and gluing a 3d box could be made.
For the step by step instructions, visit the Sizzix blog.

Getting used to full time

The last two weeks have been a combination of fun exhausting hard work and very little sleep. Today is my first proper day off in fifteen days and while I know I am lucky that I get proper days off, oh boy, my tired self certainly needs them.

Let's see how it has been for me. The Craft Barn demo weekend was great, my first visit to Sizzix/Ellison Europe in North Wales)was brilliant but tiring - a lot to take in - and last weekend I had to do 100 wedding invitations, which I could not finish till Wednesday because they took three times as long as I planned - having to print them one by one did not help!

Then last Monday and Tuesday I was down in Dorset demonstrating at the Docrafts open house. Seriously, it's a brilliant event for retailers to get to see the new products from them. I loved meeting new people and old acquaintances such as Becks Fagg and steph from kuretake.

Wednesday I was back at home working from my studio making some home decor projects for upcoming Qvc shows. In the evening, I finally finished off the invites at 23:50!

Thursday and Friday were rather calmer except for the fact that as soon as I over do it (ie work non stop for the last few weeks) my never fully out wisdom teeth start bring painful. I am really used to it by now (I have had six years of practice) so it doesn't really affect my design work but it does my overall mood. My colleagues are lucky that I am not in the office every day!

So today I am taking it easy. Except for checking email, try to sort out a few bits and bobs and really feeling extremely happy that I have a full time job that I like so much so that I have to tell myself stop working on the projects because it is a Saturday!

A sneak peek

Of some of my projects done so far for Sizzix. This one is for Sew.

A few changes

So now that the Sizzix newsletter is out I can share with you all that from Monday I will be one of their full time Creative Designers alongside Pete Hughes and Stacey Rogers. Which means that I wont be anymore a freelance which scares me but excites me too. It will bring me quite a few changes!

By the way, tomorrow Saturday and Sunday too, I will be one of many demonstrators sharing die cutting projects and top tips at The Craft Barn. It is their fabulous "Best of British" Extravaganza Weekend, something not to be missed.