Telly time!

Hello friends

Quick post to tell you that I am on Hochanda tomorrow

with two shows, 10am and 2pm.

I will be showing you the new Glimmer Plates

designed by Becca Feeken and of course the 

Glimmer machine.

I've been playing with the Glimmer and patterned card/paper

and I think I've really found my new favourite.

It looks nice and sharp on patterned card.

Here's a peek at one of my projects.

This demo features Gilded Nested Rectangles - available both as 

Glimmer plates and dies. Looks very Art Deco.

Those are Cinch and Go Flowers V

and the papers are Anna Griffin.

Hope you can tune in, I shall be the one without 

wearing glasses!  Looking forward to seeing how my new eyes 

fare with studio lights - could be quite entertaining if I can't see a thing! 

Take care friends, have a brilliant start to the week.

Diamond Anniversary

Hello friends

A very special celebration happened this week,

my parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary. 

My parents married young, my Mum was just 16 and my Dad 18.

Both from South London and married in Camberwell.

They moved to Kent in the 1960's. 

Their wedding day didn't entirely run smoothly, on the morning of the wedding

it transpired that not all the banns had been read so they would need

special permission before the wedding could go ahead.

A very panicked groom rushed round to see his bride who had just had 

her hair done and explained she would have to jump on the back of his 

motorbike to seek permission from the Bishop.

It was pouring with rain and so much for not seeing the bride before the wedding!

Permission was granted, the wedding went ahead (still torrential rain)

and by looking at them you wouldn't know that the Bride's hair wasn't

perfectly coiffured and the Groom and had to drag in the tin

bath from the garden to speedily get ready!

So 60 years - a massive achievement and deserving of their 

telegram from the Queen.

 

I chose to put together a special hamper for their day

full of the things that they really like.

Yes even the prunes!

Mitchell assisted in heating the cellophane.

Everything was overseen by Bella, of course.

 And the card I made, all Becca's dies including those beautiful

Filigree Numbers.

Then and now...

In their 60 years married they've had two daughters, I'm the youngest,

four grandchildren and many many pets!

Their love of animals has never waned and in fact on their honeymoon

(on a motorbike and sidecar which only got as far as Maidstone!)

they decided to buy a pet rabbit and took it back to their little flat 

in London, along with a sack of potatoes that took up the sidecar 

because they were a bargain!  

They've both worked hard, struggled many times,

and with Mum's ill health they are challenged but you'll never meet

a kinder, closer couple.  If you are ever our way you'll spot them

out and about, still holding hands.

I am extremely proud of them and feel absolutely blessed.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

I'm back with Friday Die Day!

The blog posts are a little erratic at the moment due to my eye 

surgery but I should be back on track soon.

I'm featuring a few dies and a Glimmer Plate this week.

First off - Lace Frippery Glimmer Plate

I've used my Glimmer machine, gold foil and ivory card

to create this design.

Once foiled trimmed to a rectangle.

An ivory card base and matted with a gold mirror card mat

and Anna Griffin card - this is a new collection of single sided

AG card to the website. 

I use my trusty E-Z Runner Grand, this really speeds things up!

Next up is Cannetille Rectangle.

I've cut two, one from gold mirror card and one from ivory.

Affix the gold behind the ivory offset slightly for a drop shadow.

I then matted the foil design onto a rectangle of gold mirror card,

wrapped around a piece of peach ribbon and affixed to the die cut.

Placed onto my prepared card base.

Next - the flowers, cannot have a card without a flower!

This is Cinch and Go V.

I'm really quite in love with these daisy design flowers.

Cut from watercolour card and coloured with distress ink.

A little gold brad to the middle.

The leaves that come in this set are very sweet too.

The finished card.

Items used today with clickable links:

Lace Frippery Glimmer Plate

Cannetille Rectangle

Cinch and Go V

Anna Griffin card (single sided pack of 25, 6 x 6)

E-Z Runner Grand Refilliable Dispenser

We celebrated my parents Diamond Anniversary yesterday 

and I'm doing a blog post this weekend with photos.

Thank you to those who have already send lovely wishes via 

Facebook etc.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Take care friends.

Tiny Tags

Hello friends

Hope you are all having a lovely long weekend.

Thank you for your kind messages,

my surgery last Thursday went well.

It is going to take a while to get back to normal

as bright light is very difficult but hopefully not too much longer.

Whilst I've been in a darkened room (!) one of my projects

for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L went up on their blog.

It features these mini floral tags.

I've used a combination of adhesives along with little dies 

and embossing powder.

For the full tutorial please pop over to the Scrapbook Adhesives blog here

and yes, I'm asking if you have time to leave a comment over there..

I'm always very grateful.

Enjoy the sunshine and whatever you are up to for Easter.

I'm hoping to go round to Mum and Dad's and sit in their darkened room.

Take care friends.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

Happy Good Friday Die Day!

Now I should have done something Easter-y and 

I had purchased some eggs to design some packaging

but I ate them..all!  Chocolate just isn't safe in this home!

Instead I've done some foiling with one of the new Glimmer Plates

designed by Becca Feeken.

This is Marquise Diamond Suite 

(it complements the die set Marquise Diamond Pendant).

A two piece hot foil plate and the approximate measurements are:

Plate: 4.05 x 5.30 in. 10.20 x 13.40 cm
Accent: 0.80 x 1.20 in. 2.00 x 3.00 cm

I've hot foiled with pink onto black card.

A white card base with Anna Griffin paper.

Tied pink/red ribbon around the black card front.

I've used Cinch and Go Flowers III for decoration,

coloured with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.

Right now we have Cinch and Go IV and V in stock here.

I love all these flowers, so versatile.

With this die set I like to snip the petals so they become fuller.

A liberal spritzing of water!

Little black brads for the centres.

To finish the card I matted the black onto the patterned paper

with Crafty Foam Tape.

I also added another piece of ribbon.

Nice and easy and a little more dramatic in colouring than my normal cards.

Items used today with clickable links:

Marquise Diamond Suite

Anna Griffin Papers

Crafty Foam Tape

Wishing you a wonderful Easter, whether it be busy or restful,

or perhaps crafty? 

Take care friends.

Still here!

Hello friends

I haven't been blogging so much recently but I 

promise I am still here!

I realised I hadn't shared with you an item I did for 

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and their Keepsake Envelopes.

These come in a pack of multiple sizes and 

are so useful in everyday life.

The reverse is sticky so you can affix them inside cards,

organisers, in boxes to hold memory cards and my most used

is inside my car windscreen to hold parking tickets.

Have you found if left on the dashboard

they blow away the minute you open the door?

We have them back in stock on the website here

along with new arrivals including gorgeous new Glimmer Plates

designed by Becca Feeken.

I'm going in to have my left eye done tomorrow,

I know what is coming now so some trepidation but looking forward 

to have two fully functional eyes!

It does mean I'm a bit of a hermit as avoiding light which is such a shame

with this gorgeous weather we are having.

I will have to put a hold on my gardening which I've been enjoying recently 

along with crochet - I've discovered I can do that with one good eye,

whereas struggling with papercraft right now.

Saying that, I have made a Friday Die Day so please stop by.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week.

Take care friends.

Revisiting an Easter Favourite...

Hello friends

As Easter fast approaches I thought it was time to share this 

favourite project of mine, I still receive requests for the template.

It's the Easter Birdhouse.

And this is the template, you can download and print it here.

And here's the instructions:

 If you can, print directly onto your coloured cardstock -

this saves time sticking a printed copy sheet onto cardstock and cutting around.

You do also need to print one onto normal copy paper (I will explain why later).

You then decide if you would like your birdhouse to have a straight edge sides

or a curved bottom, this will dictate where you score. 

Cut out the template.

You need to cut out the circle, I've used Standard Circles Small.

There isn't a template for the roof, but it is very simple - cut a piece of card 

measuring 6" x 3¾", I chose to use kraft card.  

I wanted a pretty roof edge and used the scallop edge from Classic Edges One. 

Score and fold the roof in half.

That printed template on white copy paper - you need it now.

Cut out the front section of the birdhouse.  

You then achieve the weatherboard look by cutting 

strips of card and adhering across, I use my E-Z tape runner for speed.

It is nice to ink the edges, I chose white.

Keep adding layers until you've covered the front.

 This is how the reverse looks.  Trim around and die cut the circle.

You will overlaying and attaching this to the front of the house.

 Returning to your template, score along the dotted fold lines and assemble,

Extreme Double Sided Tape is perfect.

.

 Pop the roof on and attach some decoration. I chose Sprigs and little flowers.

Fill with mini eggs or something equally delicious!

You could make a small hole in the roof, attach ribbon through

and have a hanging birdhouse. 

Possibly time for me to make a newer version of this

but I really like this old favourite and all the adhesives can

be found on the website here.

Take care friends, have a wonderful Sunday.

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

A slight variation on this week's Friday Die Day as I'm featuring

another one of my Vintage Treasure Collection makes

so not so many steps but I'm sure you will get the idea :) 

This project is made with Tiffany Lavaliere.

A 6 piece die set and the approximate measurements are:

Large Circle: 4.95 x 4.95 in. 12.60 x 12.60 cm
Inner Layer: 4.90 x 4.90 in. 12.40 x 12.40 cm
Second Rim: 4.20 x 4.20 in. 10.70 x 10.70 cm
Second Pattern: 4.00 x 4.00 in. 10.20 x 10.20 cm
Third Rim: 3.60 x 3.60 in. 9.10 x 9.10 cm
Medallion: 3.55 x 3.55 in. 9.00 x 9.00 cm

To start I selected an 8 x 8 card base,

matted wtih silver mirror card and patterned paper.

You will see that I've used the medallion die for this card.

It comes as an insert and outer die, use both to create

the die cut and cut four times.

(Lighting a bit tricky as indoors from the pouring rain!)

Once each medallion was in place with 3D Foam Squares,

placed squarely as opposed to diamond,

I added flowers to the centre of each, Cinch and Go V.

I've coloured the flowers with distress inks - kept to Spring colours.

Because Cinch and Go Flowers V have a hole in the middle

they are perfect for adding brads.

Items used with clickable links: 

Tiffany Lavaliere

Cinch and Go Fowers V

3D Foam Squares

I'm heading off to a craft workshop tomorrow with Eileen Godwin,

I'm getting inky with a brayer apparently! 

I'll keep you posted.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, fingers crossed for 

sunshine so we can venture into the garden.

Take care friends.