Hump Day Giveaway

Hello friends

It's Hump Day Giveaway Day!

Last week's giveaway was a pre-loved set Blessings Vine Frame.

And the winner is...

Maggie Phillips

Congratulations Maggie, please email: 

hope-chances@live.co.uk

with your details and we will post your prize out to you.

If you missed out it is possible to purchase Blessings Vine Frame here.

This week's giveaway is a pre-loved

set I'll Have a Slice

Fun and fruity!

If you would like to win I'll Have a Slice

please leave a comment on today's post 

A winner will be picked and announced next Wednesday.

It is also possible to buy I'll Have a Slice pre-loved here.

Thank you for all the stamp storage advice, I'm going to making an effort

at the weekend to get organised.

Take care friends - have a super Wednesday!

Wonderful response, Sketched Blooms 2 and Picket Fence!

Hello friends

Did you have a nice weekend?

They go so quickly.

Thank you so much for the wonderful response to Hope and Charm-ing

collection of charms.

They are proving so popular, there is still some available but limited.

I'm only able to create so many for each collection so definitely first come basis.

I was asked how often there would be a collection and it will be every two months,

so six collections a year :)

Today's project is using a couple of the pre-order Die D-Lites

Sketched Blooms 2

Picket Fence

This design of flower reminds me of a child's drawing, very sunny and upright.

I've die cut from white card and inked the flower, fence and grass.

My card mat has a glow of yellow distress ink for the background.

The stamp is an oldie and I'm going to find the packaging to let you know.

I'm so disorganised with my stamps, I've recently purchased one of those books

with plastic inserts but haven't quite built up to the challenge of putting them in!

How do you store your stamps?  

I'm really interested in finding an easy solution.

I'm happy with the simplicity of this card and there's something so

charming about a picket fence.

Items used today with clickable links:

Sketched Blooms 2

Picket Fence

Heading to the cabin now to get crafting, take care friends.

Hope and Charm-ing!

Hello friends

Time to tell you about something new, 

over on the website we have just launched Hope and Charm-ing Collections.

So what is it?

It is a collection of charms with a theme.

The first collection is Trees and Leaves and contains 30 beautiful 

embellishment charms made from a mix of antique silver and bronze.

Also included is glass cabochons and a wooden pendant.

Why charms?

I've always enjoyed adding little charms and embellishments to my projects

but get frustrated with poor quality. 

So since last year I've been sourcing very good quality charms -

(I can't begin to tell you how many I've sent back!)

Why a theme?

So maybe I'm a little OCD... I thought it would be nice to have

the charms in themed bags, that way easier to locate when making projects.

I also fell in love with these linen bags and decided every bag should 

coordinate with the contents, possibly a tough task now I'm sourcing

for many collections.

Did I say many collections?

Oh yes I did.

Trees and Leaves is just the beginning, many collections coming

soon, all in these beautiful coordinated bags and guaranteed good quality.

For more details please pop over to the website 

and see the first collection here.

Other news - thank you for the suggestion that I contact Thameslink

with positive feedback, great idea - I emailed them yesterday.

Today is roast dinner day - I'm cooking, my lovely Mum has cooked for 

weeks in a row so it's definitely my turn.

Right - let's get those potatoes peeled!

Take care friends - have a lovely Sunday.

Bella Rose Layering Frame and Nifty Tutorial!

Hello friends

I'm mightily relieved it is Saturday,
it has been a hectic week and rounded off with an appointment at
King's Hospital yesterday afternoon for Elliott, just a routine check
for meds, blood etc but we always breath easier when we have the results - all good.
Instead of driving I opted to go by train from my city job,
Elliott went by train from Uni so we could meet at the hospital.
I needed to use Thameslink which unfortunately at the time of my travel
had major issues, trains cancelled and their electronic notice boards went wrong
 but a very kind member of staff went above and beyond and ensured
I was on the correct train - I'm kicking myself  I did not get his name
as he truly made my day.
I always like to focus on the positive and he really was!

So...back to crafty stuff and ...horses yesterday...traditional Spellbinders today!

I want to share with you some Bella Rose Layering Frame projects and also a

very nifty tutorial on making rectangular die cuts into squares.

Bella Rose is a 6 piece die set with the option of cutting out the central oval.

 I've used Bella Rose here teamed with Hannah Elise to decorate a box recently.

Here Becca Feeken has shown that Bella Rose can be folded

to create invitations and a clever lid to a gift box/bag.

But this is where it gets REALLY clever.

Becca Feeken has a tutorial using the 6 x 6 Frame Maker and Bella Rose

to make the design from rectangle to square.

You can view the tutorial here.

I'm delighted to say that I've got hold of more 6 x 6 Frame Maker dies,

(hens teeth might have been easier!)

these are arriving beginning of next week.

So if you fancy giving this a go (and remember it works with other frame dies too)

please pop along to the website.

Dies available with clickable links:

Hannah Elise

Bella Rose Layering Frame

6 x 6 Frame Maker

Wishing you a fun Saturday,

guess what I'm up to...oh yes, crafting in the cabin!

Take care friends.



Friday Die Day

Hello friends

Giddy up it's Friday Die Day!

This week's die is something different -

Dala Horse from Folk Art Collection.

The approximate measurements:

Horse: 3.30 x 3.40 in. 8.40 x 8.60 cm

This is how he/she looks cut/embossed.

I've chosen to run the die through with different coloured cardstock and

paper piece the fallout pieces back inside.

I then began to design my card base.

I die cut a mat using 6 x 6 Matting Basics. 

Chose the die one size smaller and drew a pencil line around the inside edge.

Card mat with pencil lined frame.

Time to do some painting!

Squeezed some white acrylic paint onto paper and here I'm practising on a scrap

piece of card.  Using a stylus tool apply two dots.



Then draw down the paint from each dot to create a 'v' shape.

Once you are happy with your technique switch to your card mat.

The pencil line is your indicator for the 'v' point.

Don't be precious or too accurate...I wasn't!

Complete all four sides.

You can also add little dots with a smaller stylus.

I mounted this mat onto a white card front and added a flower and leaf to the corner.

To finish I rubbed out the pencil lines and added Dala Horse to the card centre.

I had finished paper piecing my colours, tans, blues and oranges work nicely.

A great die for anyone who loves horses.

Die featured today - Dala Horse available to pre-order on the website here.

There's some really nice dies in the Folk Art Collection,

all can be viewed here.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, fingers crossed we have

at least dry weather!

Take care friends.

Hump Day Giveaway

Hello friends

It's Hump Day Giveaway Day!

Last week's giveaway was a pre-loved set of Mosaic Vine.

A foliage set with elegant cut-out detail.

 

And the winner is...

Bejay Roles

Congratulations Bejay, please email: 

hope-chances@live.co.uk

with your details and we will post your prize out to you.

If you missed out it is possible to purchase Mosaic Vine here.

This week's giveaway is a pre-loved set Blessings Vine Frame.

I featured this die recently as a Friday Die Day.

The frame works well both vertically and horizontally, I chose to use distress inks

over cream cardstock.

Teamed here with Textured Flowers.

If you would like to win Blessings Vine Frame

please leave a comment on today's post 

A winner will be picked and announced next Wednesday.

It is also possible to purchase Blessings Vine Frame here

and have you seen the new Folk Art dies arriving in March?

They can be viewed and pre-ordered here.

Take care friends - have a super Wednesday!

Hannah Elise Thank You and Excuses!

Hello friends

I'm late today, here's my excuses:

1. I'm weighed down by eating a steam pudding and custard last night!

(Mitchell made it so I couldn't really refuse).

2. I had a physiotherapy session yesterday (long story, bad back) and 

although I feel it has done me some good I can barely walk today.

3. I woke up early, heard the rain, thought I would just snuggle down for 

5(?) more minutes...

I'm here now and as the saying goes:

'Better late than...'

Today's crafty offering is a card that I received from Chris Collins

and I asked if I could feature it on my blog because it is beautiful.

Chris won the Hannah Elise die set a few weeks back on

Hump Day Giveaway and made this stunning thank you card.

The flower is Succulent and Mum Flower.

Hannah Elise looks so effective in white on the pale pink card and the delicate

floral patterned background paper is so pretty.

Thank you Chris for my thank you card,

I appreciate how long projects take to make so very much appreciated.

Hannah Elise is available on the website here (reduced too)

and please check back regularly

to pre-loved on the website this week as more will be added.

Take care friends and as it is Wednesday tomorrow it will

be giveaway day, I will not be late!

Love Letter

Hello friends

Did you have a nice weekend?

Goodness wasn't the weather awful, sleet for most of the day,

it severely limited dog walking!

I stayed in my cabin and got around to making more projects.

Here's one...

Today I'm featuring a very cute Die D-Lite - Love Letter.

This is one of the new dies and in stock now.

Five dies in the set - an envelope, letter and three sizes of hearts.

I've made a very white card, created an aperture and decided upon flowery 

paper for the envelopes - I'm really craving Spring!

The die cuts the flap for the envelope so you can slot 

the letter inside or seal closed with one of the hearts.

The stamped sentiment is Altenew.

 You can highlight the lines on the letter with pen if you wish.

Here's the Spellbinders project using the same die set

and utilising all those hearts.

Perfect for Valentines.

Love Letter is available on the website here.

Also thank you Bejay for reminding me to announce the winning number

for December's Charity Kit. With Christmas, vet visits and 

sniffles it went completely out of my head! 

The winning ticket is...

Please take a look in your kit bags and if you are the winner

drop me an email hope-chances@live.co.uk

with your address details and a goody bag will be sent out to you.

Take care friends.