Hello My Friend(s) and Feedback....

Hello to all my blogland friends.

First off...it is the start of the Spellbinders™ Spring Blog Hop and Giveaway today!

Join in with a chance to win the dies featured that day!  

My Blog Hop day is Wednesday - I'm excited with what I've made so please stop by. 

Yesterday's pud  - thanks for all your recommendations.  It ended up being mini blackberry nutty crumbles 

(I found some blackberries in the freezer but not so many..

hence mini crumbles in ramekin dishes topped with nutty crumble!) 

And a orange and mandarin jelly..not for the boys but my Dad - it's one of his favourites! 

We had lamb and I also made an onion suet roll to go with it..slimming eh!

To cheer up for the fact that it is a Monday morning and the rain hasn't stopped for days,

I've gone for a card that is Spring-like, pink and butterflies!

It's Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee paper and look..it already has butterflies printed but not quite enough..

so couldn't resist adding a couple more.

Lacey Circles, three of them are layered with that gorgeous chipboard featuring a big butterfly!

For my sentiment I stamped Ribbon Banners and adding distress ink, 

in fact there is a general pink hue from distress ink! 

I value my blogland friends very much and I've come up with a suggestion that I would really 

appreciate your feedback.  I realise that not everyone has all the dies that I feature, many of you have a list and wait for birthdays/special occasions to receive them or have to allow time to save up etc.

In the interim, and so that you can have a Spellbinders™ fix,
I was considering putting together some kits - cards, tags, mini books and more.  

The kits would be complete with everything you need for the finished item -

paper, embellishments, the die cuts (cut and embossed ready for you) and more.
You would only need to use your own adhesive.  

Full instructions would be posted on my blog in a series of photos, much like Friday Die-Day.

I realise there is a NEED to own the actual dies..I totally understand that, but it would give you a little taster before buying.  The kits would be reasonably priced, inclusive of postage and packaging.
Payment would be via PayPal, (or other arrangements can be made if you do not have a PayPal account) .

What do you think? I look forward to reading your comments or feel free to email me:

christine.emberson@blueyonder.co.uk

Take care friends - keep dry if you too are having this awful weather right now.

Sticking With a Theme

Hello to my friends,

Do you recall this card?

White background created with Garden Delight M-Bossabilities™ folder, Anemone Flower Topper, 

Classic Triple Scallop Edgeabilities®, bow, pins and butterflies. 

And here is a version very simplified for a different occasion.

This time I used Daisy Flower Topper and Enchanted M-Bossabilities™ folder.

So yes, a sympathy card - one of the more difficult cards to make. I've sat at my craft desk many times wondering what colours or designs are suitable.  Dark colours just seem extra sad.  

But for me, the designing become less worrying and more achievable if I take a version of a card I like 

and remove some of the embellishments.
Do you stick with a theme?
Back tomorrow - I'm cooking the Sunday roast today, pondering on a what dessert...
Take care friends.

Neutral and Pretty

Hello friends,

So glad you enjoy Friday Die-Day, I like to come up with different ideas to keep my blog interesting,

many nights my head is buzzing with plans..just not quite enough hours in the day for me!

It's officially the weekend - what have you got planned?

How about we all buy rubber rings and snorkels for this ridiculous amount of rain we are getting!

On the upside it means we can stay in and craft...

Today's card is very neutral with hints of pink, looking at it now I could have easily have 

found room for a butterfly - must have been having an 'off' day!

Eyelet Circles are my chosen die with a strip of border punch and simple layering.

The paper is Pebbles Inc - Country Picnic Collection - really rather pretty!

I am back tomorrow with something...mmm not quite sure yet...think I better get back to my crafty space!

Have a great day friends, take care.

It's Friday Die-Day!

Hello friends,

It's Friday Die-Day and I'm actually posting this on a Friday!

This week I thought I would take you down the wonderful world of Cut Fold Tuck Dies.

There are five designs - Angle Approach, Carnival Dream, Round About, Spectacular Spin 

and Floral Burst.  It is Floral Burst that I'm going to feature today.

You receive three die templates and full instructions on the packaging too.

This is how they look cut and embossed. 

 Occasionally with the smaller dies it can prove a little tricky removing your paper/cardstock from the die template.  If so, use some waxed paper - I've discovered the baking circles from Lakeland work very well.  You need to lay your die template on your base plate cutting side up, a piece of waxed paper and then your chosen cardstock/paper - cut and emboss - your die cut will then easily be removed from the template.

 The next step is the fold and tuck - you can see the slimmer curved sections, lift each one, fold to the right and tuck under the petal next to it.  

Here one section is tucked and the next upright section is folded ready to be tucked.

 A view from a different angle.

 Repeat these steps with the middle and small flower.

 It's tiny but it folds and tucks perfectly.

 Here are all three completely folded and tucked.

 They look lovely stacked on top of each other.

 But wait...!  Look at the difference stencilling makes!

The die templates are designed so that you can stencil through and the effect is really lovely!

 And this is the cut, embossed, stencilled, folded and tucked flower! 

I love it!

Hope you enjoy these dies, they open up lots of ideas not just for cards but imagine this white and glittery at Christmas...hanging on the tree...

Remember friends to let me know any particular dies you would like featured on Friday Die-Day.

Have a wonderful weekend and I am back tomorrow.

Happy Birthday and a Winner!

Hello friends,

Has it stopped raining yet?

Today a card with Labels Twenty, two sizes used differently.

The larger one positioned over the bird in the patterned paper and the smaller,

stamped and inked through. 

I placed them at angles over the pretty paper (Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee)

added a bow and chipboard pieces (one luckily had a butterfly)...!

The important stuff now..announcing a winner of the Lacey Ovals.

Either Bella is getting quick or I'm getting slow - blurred action shot!

 Rescued and pieced back together, it actually says.....

KELLY

Congratulations Kelly, drop me an email christine.emberson@blueyonder.co.uk
and I will send the dies out to you.
Thank you to everyone that left a comment, I will be doing another give-away soon,
I can't have that Bella slacking!
Back tomorrow with "Die-Day Friday" - on the right day this week!
Take care friends,

A 'Quick Makes' Card

Hello friends,

WOW so pleased you liked my red butterfly gift bag yesterday,

I got lots of comments and believe me I read each and every one - thank you so much.

Today a 'quick makes' card that is featured in Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine.

I always smile to myself with the word 'quick' because I have to tell you my creation process is fairly slow! 

Once I've decided on the design I do speed up so it is fair to say that if you were copying this from the magazine it would be fairly quick.

The other thing I've discovered is that when I'm crafting my normal OCD neatness goes a little awry - 

but I console myself with a comment I heard recently ....

"No chaos, no creation!"

So, back to the card - Rose Creations and Labels One are my feature. 

Dividing the card with different papers, adding ribbon and layering.

Love this paper - Pebbles - Country Picnic Collection.

Oh yes...twine and tiny butterfly too!

Back tomorrow when I will be announcing the winner of the Lacy Ovals.

"Bella! Bella! Work to do!"

Take care friends.

Treat Bag

Hello my friends,

How about a treat bag today?

I loved putting this together, my craft(iness) has shifted to mixed media projects for sure, 

I like cards and layouts but I would rather make something a little different now and again.

On this project I went with a bold red and white gift bag with a BIG butterfly!

The base paper is embossed with an M-Bossabilities™ folder - Flora, 

the impression it makes is..well...impressive! 

I lightly rubbed over some distress ink to enhance the pattern.

To create the front feature I used Classic Ovals, Floral Ovals and that beautiful butterfly is 

Wings of Hope - doesn't it stencil through wonderfully - I could make those all day!

Finished off with some bakers twine through an eyelet - twine, butterflies - it was definitely a 'me' day!

All the details can be found here.

Still not too late to leave a comment on this post to be in with a chance of winning a set of dies.

Happy Tuesday dear friends - I'm back tomorrow.

You Make Life Special

Hello friends,

Why do Mondays come round too quickly?

I'm back to London working for two days now but I still have time to chat about this card.

Created with the freebies from this month's Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine -

Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee.

I cut two designs of paper, pink for the bottom and patterned for the top, 

attached to a card base and rounded the bottom edges.  

Inserted a Scallop Circle, chipboard piece and scrunched ribbon.

The sentiment is stamped onto Fancy Tags Two.

Some inking ..I like that it softens the edges and always adds that vintage look.

Thank you for all your comments yesterday - so fascinating to read how each of you spending your Sundays, roast dinner or otherwise.. I was treated to roast pork with all the trimmings and
hot chocolate fudge cake for dessert...all calorie free of course!!  

Back tomorrow dear friends, I hope the sun is shining where you are today.

Bella, Thanks and a Giveaway!

Happy Sunday Blogland!

I'm having roast dinner cooked by my mum today - heaven!

A layout to share with you featuring...Bella (well, it makes a change from my sons!)

I've gone very pink and bold with Kaisercraft Lullaby papers, 

I recall having wallpaper like this at home when I was a child in browns and gold!

I've used Layered Flowers with large gemstones in the middle,

Antique Frames and Accents for the black frame and cut two for the central black decoration 

(I thought it mirrored her stripe down her face).

The letters are thickers - I think they were a green colour but I sprayed them liberally with 

Cosmic Shimmer - Plum Twist - it does make the surface look a little like velvet. 

Talking of Bella, she's had it a little easy lately so I think she needs to be put to work!

Time for a giveaway!

How about a set of dies....

Lacy Ovals

I have a brand new set to send out to a lucky follower.

Please leave me a comment and because it is Sunday tell me if you indulge in the traditional Sunday roast or prefer something different...food is just as important as craft you know!

I will ask Bella to pick out a winner and post the lucky name on Thursday.

Before I go - something else to show you ...

this beautiful card is from Sandra - the winner of my last giveaway.

Isn't it stunning and she kindly remembered my love (addiction!) to butterflies.

I'm so lucky to have such lovely follower friends.

Take care and I will be back tomorrow.

It's Friday Die-Day on a Saturday!

Hello friends,

Yesterday I was asked where you can purchase Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
products in the UK.
Pickleberry Papercrafts, Cutting Edge Crafts, Craftie-Charlie have their items.

As I mentioned Friday Die-Day would be pushed along to Saturday this week,

hopefully you will not mind!
I had a request (thank you Sarah Costello) to demonstrate the Bauble Blossoms dies -

so here goes!  There are Bauble Blossoms One 

and Bauble Blossoms Two (both beautiful)

I'm going to feature Bauble Blossoms Two today, but the idea is same with both sets.

You receive three dies, one of them is a long strip - that is the flower centre.

The other two are different flower petal shapes so you can make two different flowers or mix and match.

This is how they look cut and embossed - I've used plain cardstock but they look equally lovely with patterned paper.

To create the centre you need to roll the strip into a tight spiral, I've used a quilling tool 

(very cheap one on eBay!) but you could use a thick needle or your pokey tool.

Roll tightly and when you reach the end secure with a dot of glue.

Select your petal strip, the embossed (right side) goes inside, 

I found this makes a difference when rolling the flower, it spaces the petals well.

I like to run a line of PVA glue along the edge but you may prefer to just roll and secure at the end.

This is how it looks once you've completely rolled one petal strip onto your flower centre. 

You can add more strips for a fuller flower.

The fun part is opening out your petals - just lightly flatten down the layers, again you can open them fully, partially - however you like your flowers to look.

The glue is still a little wet but I was keen to photo them! 

They are so pretty and quick to make.

I hope you enjoy Bauble Blossoms.

I should mention, my demonstrations are just my interpretation of creating with the die templates, you may discover different and better ways so please experiment - 

there are no hard and fast rules - in fact in crafting no rules apply, 

well aside from one ... you must have fun! :)

Back tomorrow, take care friends.

Springtime Boxes with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™

Hello to all my Blogland friends,

Yesterday I did another post for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™ it's here published on their blog.

I waited to share my project with you today because of the time difference.

I put together some Springtime boxes that could be used as table favours.  

I made 9 in all but pictured 5 - inside are mini eggs, 

somewhat depleted because it was one for the box - one for me!

I used Square Bracket Edge Box and Anemone Flower Topper, 

selecting greens and yellows to represent Spring.

To assemble the boxes I used My Stik™  Permanent Strips Dispenser and 

for the flowers 3D Foam Squares - so useful because there are two sizes in the pack. 

If you have a moment I would truly appreciate you popping over to to their blog and 

leaving a comment...many thanks friends.

Back tomorrow with Die-Day!

Take care,

Sending My Thanks

Hello friends,

Seeing as it just seems to rain on and off right now I thought I would inject 

some Springtime with my card today.

I've gone with a frame style and inserted backing paper (all Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee)

The embellishments are one of the chipboard tags 

(freebie from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine) and various flowers. 

The sentiment is stamped onto cream cardstock, hand cut into a banner and then inked the edges.

In fact quite a lot of inking when on with the borders too.

Have a good Thursday - we are hurtling towards the weekend!

Tomorrow should be Die-Day but I have another post scheduled so I hope you don't mind me 

having Die-Day on a Saturday...I know it just doesn't rhyme!

I will look forward to sharing something with you..

quick I had better go and prepare..!!

Birds, Butterflies and Flowers

Hello Blogland

What have I got to show you today....??

It has birds, butterflies and flowers - I think that pretty much ticks all my boxes!

This is one of my cards featured in this month's Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine fully utilising the patterned paper (Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee).

I've used Foliage and Rose Creations offset with one of the freebie chipboard pieces.  

I chose not to curl the leaves too much - such a versatile die, managed to squeeze in some twine -

I'm a little addicted to twine (so many addictions in my crafty world!)

Today I'm at home working through my various lists - I purchased a white board which I hoped would keep me organised and save me time but I seem to spend a lot of that valuable time staring at it, scribbling on it, reorganising it and finding little smiley faces drawn on it..thank you boys! 

Oh well - it all turns out okay in the end...

Have a happy Wednesday - 'see' you all tomorrow.