Weekly Reminder Box

Hello friends,

So pleased you all share my love for this gorgeous Cosmo Cricket - Odds and Ends paper!

And....Cosmo Cricket announced on Facebook last night that Odds and Ends fabric is arriving in approximately 4 weeks time...how timely is that! I will be stalking the internet to track it down!

I was asked about my Reminder Box and thought this was a good opportunity to explain how to make one..

hope you like tea!  

The reason I say that is because the main box was from the packaging of a box of tea bags! 

Here are the instructions..

Cut tea bag box to size, reinforce with chipboard and cover each panel inside out and with patterned paper.  

Cut and emboss strips of cream cardstock with Classic Bracket edger, adhere to inner rim of box. 

Ink edges.

Create 7 index cards from kraft cardstock using a variety of Edgeabilities and Decorative Inserts 

Print onto cream cardstock the days of the week.  

Cut and emboss with Classic Rectangles SM (No.1)

 Attach each day to your kraft index cards – staggering them in a line.  Place in the top right hand corner of a each day label a butterfly (fallout from Butterfly Circles) and a single crystal bling gem.

To decorate the front of the box – position your title, cut and emboss FloralFlourishes, Wonderful Wings and Spiral Blossoms Two as feature flower.  Ink edges and adhere.  

I am an obsessive list maker and organiser so this box is right up my street! 

Hope you like it - have a wonderful Tuesday - I'm back tomorrow and working from home :)

Smile ...and Pretty Paper Talk!

Hello friends,

A 'smile' card as it's Monday and probably the most gloomy day of the week! 

This is one of my 'quick make' cards featured in this month's edition of 

Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine,

it features panels of vertical paper (Pebbles Inc - Country Picnic Collection),

Rose Creations and Class Scallop Oval die templates.

It's a great way of using up paper scraps,
I keep looking for ways to use up my odds and ends of pretty paper.

Talking of pretty paper..do you have an absolute favourite collection?  

A design that you have to keep buying over and over and use as much as possible?? 

Mine is Cosmo Cricket Odds and Ends and truly down to this design....

I adore the little flowers and polka dots - I couldn't get enough of it - probably why I used it on this...

and this...

and this...

and this....

oh..and this...

I think you get the idea! 

I have one sheet left and I really do not want cut into it - silly isn't it!  

Happy Monday friends - I'm back tomorrow.

Take care,

Let Friendship Bloom

Happy Sunday friends! 

It seems very fitting today that I should show you a friendship card as I want to say thank you to a 

couple of lovely ladies.

Firstly I will just tell you a little bit about this card - this is one of those cards that took me out of my 

comfort zone, I don't usually use so many patterns and colours but occasionally 

I think it is good to push the boundaries!

I created the flowers from Delicate Pastel Craft Foils using Layered Flowers. 

I ran some alcohol inks over them to give them a burnished look.

Layered up Labels Twenty-Five, the final one stamped with the sentiment.

I may do 'bright and mix' again soon...

Right, more importantly the thank-you's!

Lydia Jordan sent me a photo of a card she created inspired by one of my projects - 

and here it is... isn't it lovely.

It's thrilling for me to think that I inspire crafters with designs -

I'm really happy if it means people out there are creating and enjoying themselves.

Thank you Lydia for sharing this with me and allowing me to post it on my blog.

My next thank you goes to Anne.

Anne took part in my Spring Inspiration Gallery and I commented what a wonderful card she created with an amazing stamp - the lady with the hair and butterflies.

Anne kindly sent me that card and also some stamped images for me to use.

Here it is, on my bookcase next to a photo of my boys when they were really young and really cute!

Thank you Anne.

Also a mention to Melanie - hope you are recovering well.

I never got to Ally Pally either this weekend, for those of you who did let me know what it was like and whether you've locked away your credit cards now! :)

Tomorrow I'm back working in London - I keep meaning to take my camera to 

show you all my little part of the City - I commute by coach and in the evenings I wait opposite

Tower of London which is quite magnificent.

Take care friends,

  

Flutterings!

It's the weekend Blogland friends!

What are your plans?  I am crafting for a few hours this morning then heading over to my sister's home -

she has a wonderful huge garden that Bella thinks is a park!  

But, before I go let me share a card with you...oh look...a few butterflies!

I created this card for Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine using their free paper stack -

Pink Paislee - Spring Jubilee.

A traditional Labels One cut, embossed and inked layered over the pretty paper

and a few butterflies added.  A chipboard tag (one of the magazine freebies this month too)

tied around with pink twine. Nice and quick to do.

Thank you for your kind comments yesterday - I think Friday-Die-Day will be a definite fixture!

Hope you all are spending your weekend doing happy pursuits...hopefully crafting...? 

I will be back tomorrow dear friends. 

It's Friday Die-Day!

Hello friends,

So here's an idea - I was thinking that Fridays should really be renamed Die-Day!

On certain Fridays I will feature one die, it may be just showing you how it looks when 

cut and embossed on a little project or a technique, occasionally I will do videos too - time permitting! :)

I know that when I receive die templates I immediately see how they cut and emboss, 

I am always a little surprised with the difference between the die and the die cut, 

sometimes it's more delicate, smaller etc and it certainly sparks off ideas.

It may be that you've been thinking about buying a die and would like to see it in more detail - 

you could email me and ask me to feature the one that is next on your shopping list!    

Good idea?  

To get the ball rolling today I will feature -

Bitty Blossoms

This is one of Donna Salazar's designs (oh yes, love her!)
You get three flowers and four leaves (2 are joined)
Here they are cut and embossed and I'm stencilling through.

 Once they are popped out of their templates look at the difference stencilling makes.

Now here is just two ways of curling these little lovelies.

First off it is useful if you have some foam, the foam that your brads come on is perfect.
Also something round - like the end of a pen, I'm using the end of my craft knife.

Take each petal and push down quite firmly, don't worry if you think it is ruining the paper - it's fine!
Here you can see the difference it makes, it is starting to curl inwards.

Once you have done this take the outer edge and start to curl like a coil - once you reach the middle that little circle is its base.  Curl quite tightly and when you get to the end let go -
it uncurls a little to find its natural shape.

Another technique is to start the same, pushing down into your foam for the first few petals but then flip your flower over and push down from the reverse side.

This means when you start to curl, the middle section is inwards but the outer edge will spray open.

Here it is before curling.

And once curled.  

Also, see the leaves, the double one that is connected, it is so you can just pinch that middle section to converge the leaves together - you can see a tiny fold line in the middle stem....

This is how it looks once folded.

This is just the basics, you can tweak the flowers and leaves, ink them, use different card stock, papers and just generally play around until you are happy with your creation.

I love them..nearly as much as butterflies!

I hope you've enjoyed my little photo demo on this Die-Day! 

Take care friends and have a wonderful weekend.

I Like This One!

Hello friends,

Today a card I created for the Quick Makes section of 

Cardmaking and Papedrcraft Magazine.

This was one of those cards that just seemed to work for me..

I do struggle sometimes, moving pieces of paper around for what seems like ages!

But, on this occasion it all fell into place and I stepped away and announced...

"I like this one!"

It may have something to do with the Daisy Flower Topper - this is fast overtaking

my obsession with Layered Poinsettia..although wait until Christmas and that could change...!

Eyelet Circles appear a lot on my projects - such a useful pretty shape.

(Not a butterfly in sight..oh goodness what is happening!?)

I am back tomorrow .. I'm getting a little confused with days.  For over 15 years I've worked in London at the end of the week but now I've switched days and I work at the beginning - I have to keep reminding myself what day it is and why I'm at home..!!
So yes, back tomorrow and that's Friday...right!?
Take care friends,