Is it just me, or is life all or nothing lately. I don't seem to have touched the ground in the last month. Between getting the new 4 Seasons stamp sets out and getting the new toppers to the printers, not to mention 3 shows for the Hochanda craft tv channel with only 6 days notice and the Port Sunlight show, I'm now reeling a bit. But for one wonderful day I did manage to leave work behind, when my sister Deb and brother-in-law Richard flew mum and me to a lovely meal at Hintlesham hall for her 80th Birthday. My mum loves flying but no longer gets the chance to, so what better way to get somewhere than in a helicopter? Definitely a once on a lifetime experience and so nice to celebrate her special day with all the family.

But it's back to the real world now with a vengeance, We've spent the weekend working on some more new products and I'm now off

to my studio to start on our next magazine project spread. I'll post another project here later in the week and apologise for the sparsity

of posts this month. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and make the most of the sunshine as I've heard we're not going to be getting much of it in the near future. 

I've been a bit quiet lately having gone on a smashing holiday with My sister and her Husband and then straight back home and nose deep into the yearly accounts. Every year I swear I'll do it as I go along and every year there are more immediate calls on my time and it becomes a marathon sprint at the end. Maybe next year?

Well here go's for another project, another of my favourite techniques, masking, I love playing around with depth and illusion, so grab you post it notes and give it a go.

Birthdays                     

Timing   45 minutes

Materials List

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set AD39 Marry It

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set ADFB4 Square Ornamental frames

1 Sheet  A4 white card

5” x 7” folded card

Black card/paper

Pale grey card

Black Memento ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers

Large Post-it note

Zig Millennium pen 03

3 x blue, 1 amber and 1 purple 2mm self adhesive gems

6 x 7mm pale blue square gems, 1 amber teardrop gem (both from Acid Drops)

Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust pens blue XPGB736, rose XPGB721, gold XPGB7703

3mm foam squares

How to create

1.       Take the large frame stamp and stamp onto a piece of white card. Measure 3mm out from each side of the frame and lightly draw a line. Trim to this line, and rub out the pencil marks.

2.         Stamp the smaller woman with bangles image into the middle of frame. Stamp the lady figure again on the post it note, (try to get some of the image over the sticky bit). Cut out accurately leaving a straight line across the left side and bottom edges and lay over the original stamped image on the white card.

3.       Stamp the medium frame over the lady image so the left and bottom edges of the frame are just outside of the post it note. Peel away the post-it note. With the Zig pen, fill in any bits that are missing. Colour in the image with Pro markers. Add a line of shadow around the inside and outside edges of the medium frame with a light coloured Pro marker and a shadow to the right of the figure and the outside of the medium frame with a very pale grey. This helps to add depth to the inside of the frame. Add a pale grey shadow to the inside edges of the large frame.

4.       Cut a piece of white card 3.5 x 2.5cm and stamp the ‘birthday are always’ quote onto it. Cut a piece of white card 4 x 2.5cm and stamp the ‘as long as you don’t’ quote onto it. Layer all 3 stamped panels onto the grey card and trim to leave a very narrow border, repeat onto black card.

5.       Layer the image panel centrally onto the front panel of your card. Layer the first part of the quote onto over the top left of the image panel using 3mm foam pads and the second part to the bottom right, also using foam squares.

6.       To balance the design, add 3 of the pale blue stones in a vertical line to the bottom left of the card and to the top right. Add the amber gems to the image to make the earring. Add a hint of glitter by colouring in her jewellery and hair comb with the jelly roll pens and accent with the remaining 2mm gems

I think It's time for another project, it's been a busy month and time as usual is getting away from me. I seem to have been looking forward to my holiday for months, (my sister's birthday present to me,) and now I go at the end of next week and I'm getting excited. So before I get too carried away here goes the next project. I thought I'd go for a bit of a change and include a topper project. This card also features our lovely Le Suh Fantasie paper, which give a nice subtle lift to a card and being a light weight paper is also great for adding folded touches like this pleated border, it's also great for iris folding cards .

Materials

Acid Drops & Whatnots A4 Topper ADTOP40 Rich Husbands

 6” square card blank

Silver Mirri Card

Sheet of pink Le Suh Fantasie paper 412652 Embossed flowers pack

Sheet of golden yellow Le Suh Fantasie paper 412652 Embossed flowers pack

EK Success round buckle punch

6 x 2mm pink gems and 1 x 2mm yellow gem

Sakura Stardust pens gold, clear, pink

How to create

1.       Cut the top right hand image topper from the sheet leaving a white border on all 4 sides. Layer onto the silver mirri card, trim to leave a narrow, (2mm), border on all 4 sides

2.       Cut a piece of pink fantasie paper  14.5 x 14.5cm and layer onto the silver mirri card, trim to leave a very narrow, (1mm),  border on all 4 sides.

3.       Cut a strip of  golden yellow fantasie paper 2.5m x 21cm. From the left hand side of the strip measure and score at 1.5cm and then .5cm. Repeat all the way across the strip and fold the scores to make the pleat. Apply double sided tape to the back of the folded strip to hold the folds in place.

4.       Remove the back of the double sided tape and layer the pleated border across the layered pink panel so that the bottom of the pleats are 2.5cms up from the bottom. Trim the sides as needed.

5.       Cut a 1.3cm x 15cm strip of silver mirri card, punch out a buckle from the silver mirri card and thread the strip through the buckle until the buckle is 3cm from the right hand side.

6.       Lining up the right hand edges, layer across the card covering the top edge of the pleated border and trim the excess from the left hand side.

7.       Layer the picture topper towards the top of the card, leaving an even distance from the left, right and top edges

8.       With the fold of the card to the top, layer onto the front of the square card leaving an even border on all 4 sides. Add gems to to ears, ring and dress. Add a highlight to jewellery with Sakura Gelly Roll stardust pens as desired.

Where to Buy

Acid Drops & Whatnots A4 Toppers and Le Suh Fantasie embossed paper packs are available direct from www.aciddropsandwhatnots.co.uk

Top Tip

Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll pens are great to add a delicate glittering accent without detracting from the image underneath, plus you get none of the mess from using loose glitter.

I can't believe it's August already, where has the year gone, or more importantly, where has the summer gone. Mum and I took my sister and niece to Drusilla's zoo last week and then on to Hastings for a fish and chip supper and while the rain mostly held off, it was cold and windy and overcast. It was still a lovely day, I got up close and personal with my favourite cute lemurs and got to watch the antics of the meercats, beavers and monkeys, I even had a go on the Hello Kitty teacup ride. I don't think I've quite grown up yet!

 



But enough of my holiday pictures, I've got another project to post for you, continuing on then pastel theme this image was inspired by my sister, (that's her in the black coat above), who plays a mean game of poker.

Love, Life & Cards                       

Timing   25 minutes

Materials List

Acid Drops & Whatnots clear stamp sets AD50 Cards, ADFB1 Ornamental Frames

White A5 card blank (A4 folded in half)

White cardstock

Le Suh Fireworks Fantasie paper pink

Silver Mirri card

Letraset Pro Markers

Tuxedo black Memento ink pad

Sakura stardust pen gold xpgb703

Hobbycraft green and pink iridescent gems

How to create

1.       Stamp the largest Rectangle frame onto a piece of white card. Stamp the couple image towards the bottom of the frame. Stamp the ‘Love is like‘ quote into the top of the frame. Making sure that the ink is thoroughly dry, colour with the Letraset pro markers, don’t forget to add shading to the right hand side of the characters and the inside edge of the frame. Refer to the photo for details. 

2.       Trim the white card to leave a narrow (2/3mm) border all around the frame. Mount stamped image into a corner of the silver mirri card leaving a narrow border on 2 sides and trim the other 2 sides to match.

3.       Take the smallest rectangle frame and stamp it onto a piece of white card, stamp the ‘or wish’ quote into the centre of the frame. Trim and mount onto silver mirri card as above.

4.       Cut a piece of the pink firework paper  21 x 12cm and layer it down the centre of the A5 folded card blank. Cut a strip of silver mirri card 15cm x 7mm and layer it across the white card so that the bottom edge is 2.5cm up from the bottom of the card.

5.       Layer the framed couple panel onto the pink panel 1cm from the top of the card. Layer the small rectangle frame panel over the silver mirri strip.

6.       Use the gold stardust pen to add a glittering highlight to her jewellery and small gems as desired.

Tips for using large open frame stamps   (this tip applies to all the projects)

Take the printed acetate sheet from the pack and place face down on the table.

Take the frame stamp and line it up, stamp side down, over the black printed image on the acetate sheet, pressing firmly so that it holds it’s position, adjust as needed.

When you have lined up the stamp to the acetate image accurately, lower the stamp block onto the back of the stamp firmly and then peel off the acetate from the front of the stamp and you’re ready to go.

This method of mounting clear stamps to blocks stamps work well for all designs not just frames.

Time doesn't just seem to be flying it seems to be hurtling at supersonic speed at the moment. I can't believe this is the first blog post of the month, but then I find it hard to believe that we're nearly into August either. So here goes, another project for you to have a play with. This card features one of my favourite characters, Fenella, named after the actress Fenella Fielding, who I once shared a lift with at Regents park Tube. I know she doesn't have quite the right hair but it's the angular features and the acerbic wit that do it for me. I thought she was brilliant in Carry On Screaming, I just wish I had the figure to wear the black dress she wore in that film, alas no amount of painful karate classes and gym visits will achieve that, hey ho back to the flowing tops and baggy tee shirts!

Celebrate                        

Timing 30 minutes

Materials

Acid Drops & Whatnots clear stamp sets AD39 Marry It,

ADFB4 Square Ornamental Frames, ADFB1 Ornamental Frames

White A5 card blank (A4 folded in half)

White cardstock

Le Suh Fireworks Fantasie paper pink & green

Silver Mirri card

Letraset Pro Markers

Tuxedo black Memento ink pad

Sakura stardust pen gold xpgb703

Hobbycraft green and pink iridescent gems

How to create

1.       Stamp the largest square frame onto a piece of white card. Stamp the large lady image into the square over to the bottom right hand side, lining up the left hand edge of the image to the left hand edge of the frame. Stamp the ‘Birthday‘quote into the top left corner of the frame. Making sure that the ink is thoroughly dry, colour with the Letraset pro markers, don’t forget to add shading to the right hand side of the characters and the inside edge of the frame. Refer to the photo for details. 

2.       Trim the white card to leave a narrow (2/3mm) border all around the frame. Mount stamped image into a corner of the silver mirri card leaving a narrow border on 2 sides and trim the other 2 sides to match.

3.       Cut a piece of the pink firework paper  21 x 8.5cm and layer it across the top of the A5 card blank, lining up the top, left and right hand edges. Cut a piece of the green firework paper 21cm x 7mm and a piece of silver mirri card 21cm x 1.3cm. Layer the green paper onto the silver mirri border leaving an even border top and bottom. Layer this across the card over the bottom edge of the pink paper.

4.       Take the smallest rectangle frame stamp and stamp it into the bottom right hand corner of the card. Repeat shading around the inside of the frame as in step 1. Stamp the second half of the quote into the frame.

5.       Layer the framed lady panel into the top left hand corner of the card leaving an equal distance from the top and left hand edges of the folded card. Add 3 x 5mm, 2 x 4mm and 2 x 3mm green gems to top right hand corner of the card and a vertical line of 1 x 5mm, 2 x 4mm and 2 x 3mm pink gems to the bottom left hand corner.

6.       Use the gold stardust pen to add a glittering highlight to her jewellery and small gems as desired.

 TOP TIP

A good way to balance a card layout and fill any blank spaces is to add a row of gems. With this angular style of card making squares work well and add to the overall theme just make sure to keep to your accent colour.

Well that's another magazine project on it's way, 2 down and 1 to go, although I do have a little time to do the next one. As I seem to be on a bit of a roll, I thought it might be time for another project. 

This is a simplified version of one of my favourite techniques, making stamped images into sketches. Really being restrained with the colouring and just adding a highlight colour as a counterpoint. Works great with simple or more complicated images. Just pick up your accent colour in the layers of your card and there you have a quick, sophisticated look with minimum effort.

Gin & Tonic Diet Sketched Card              

Timing   45 minutes

Materials List

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set AD24 Gin and Tonic Diet

Acid Drops & Whatnot Set ADFB4 Square Ornamental Frames

6” square card

 A4 white card

Black card/paper

Red paper/card

Black Memento ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers Cool Grey 1 to 4, Poppy Red & Satin

Large Post-it note

Zig Millennium pen 03

1cm wide Red Gross grain ribbon

1 x 7mm black square gem & 4 x 3mm black square gems

How to create

1.       Take the large frame stamp and stamp onto a piece of white card. Measure 3mm out from each side of the frame and lightly draw a line. Trim to this line, and rub out the pencil marks.

2.        Lay the post it note over the left hand side of the frame making sure that the post it note lines up with the inside line of the frame with no white card showing. Stamp the large lady at the bar into the frame, lining up the left hand side of the image so that it lays just over the post it note and stamp down firmly. Peel away the post it note.

3.       To get the monochrome sketched look, you are only adding shading to the white card not actually colouring. Start by using cool grey 1 and add shade to all the areas where this would occur, like sides of the body, around raised areas of the bar, under the stool, side of the hat etc. You can cover more area to provide a base for the darker shades but still leave plenty of white. Repeat this step with each successive shade, covering less of an area so that the light shades are still visible. Add a line of shadow around the inside edge of the frame and around the figure using the Satin coloured Pro marker first and then adding a narrower shadow of cool grey 1. This helps to add depth to the inside of the frame. To add interest and lift image colour the scarf and hat bow with the Poppy red Pro Marker.

4.       Stamp the first part of the ‘Gin’ quote to the right of the lady’s neck and the second part to the right of the shoe

5.       Cut a piece of white card 14 x 14cm, Layer onto the black paper and trim to leave a very narrow border. Take the piece of red gross grain ribbon and layer across the front of the card, 3.5cm from the bottom, fastening on the back. Layer this panel on to the 6” square card leaving an even border on all 4 sides. Mount the stamped panel onto black paper and trim to leave a narrow border on all 4 sides. Repeat onto the red card but leave a slightly wider border. Layer the stamped panel onto the front of your card over to the top left hand corner.

6.       Apply the large square gem to the bottom right hand corner of the white panel, 2 smaller gems above it and 2 smaller gems to the left of it.

TOP TIP     When colouring in a grey monochrome palette, don’t try and colour the skin, just add a minimum of shade, e.g. under a hat brim, or your figure will look very sickly!

The weeks seem to be flying by at the moment, our show schedule for spring/summer is well under way, with Port Sunlight ans Stamp Magic under our belt and Portsmouth,Newbury and Stevenage to go. I've also got 3 magazine project spreads that I'm working on at the moment including a Christmas one, Christmas, aaaaaaaar! Ok, deep breath, here are the last projects to accompany the free cover mount giverway.

Stepper Card                     

Timing   45 minutes

Materials List

Free Acid Drops & Whatnot Set cover mount set

1 Sheet  A4 white card

A4 pre scored scalloped 3 panel step card

AD412678 Le suh paper pack Paisley Vine

Black Memento ink pad

Black Versafine ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers

18 x 3mm self adhesive black gems

1 x 2mm self adhesive red gem

Sakura Sardust pen Dark Ruby Red

How to create

1.       Take the red/gold pearl sheet from the Le Suh paper pack and cut a piece 11cm x 9cm and 2 pieces 7cm x 5cm. Layer the large red panel onto the large centre panel of the stepper card and the 2 smaller pieces onto the adjacent side panels making sure that all the top edges line up, leaving an even border on the left, top and right hand sides.

2.       Cut a piece of White card 9.5cm x 7.5cm, stamp the lady with mirror image into the centre of the card using the black Memento ink pad and colour in with promarkers.  Stamp a further image onto a spare piece of white card and colour just the hand.

3.       Stamp an additional image onto the gold sheet from the Le Suh paper pack using the Versafine ink. Allow the ink to dry thoroughly and from the gold image, cut out the including  the fingers. Layer on to the main image. Cut out the hand and wrist from the additional white image and layer it onto the main image.

4.        Cut 3 pieces of white card 4cm x 2cm and stamp the quotes onto them.

5.       Take all the stamped panels and layer them onto the black/gold pearl sheet from the Le Suh paper pack. Trim to leave a very narrow, (1mm) border on the 3 wording panels and a narrow, (2mm) border on the image panel.

6.       Cut a 1cm strip of the red/gold paper and layer  it across  the front scalloped panel 1cm  down from the fold. Layer the image panel onto the centre panel of the card leaving an even border on all 4 sides and layer on the 2 part quote onto the side panels lining up the top edges with the centre image. Layer the greeting quote centrally over the red strip.

7.       apply 1 of the black gems to each corner of the main image, 3 under both of the quotes and 4 to each side of the red strip. Apply the red gem to the ladies ear.

8.        Fold the card at the pre scored folds. Apply glitter accents to lips and nails with sakura pen and allow to dry thoroughly to avoid smudging.

 Elegant Birthday Card                    

Timing  30 minutes

Materials List

Free Acid Drops & Whatnot Set cover mount set

Left over 12" x 12" coordinating light weight printed paper.

2 Sheets A4 white card

Silver Mirri Card

Tuxedo Black Memento ink pad

Letraset Pro Markers

Sakura Sardust pen Silver Star

Lilac 1cm wide ribbon

Manual die cutting machine

How to create

1.       Cut a piece of white card 25cm x 18cm, score and fold in half to make a 12.5cm x 18cm card. Cut a piece of silver mirri card 12cm x 17.5cm and a piece of the remaining coordinating paper 11.5cm x 17cm.

2.       Layer the coordinating light weight paper onto the silver mirri card leaving an even border on all 4 side and repeat layering down onto the folded white card.

3.       Cut a piece of the silver mirri card 10cm x 10cm and emboss it using the free embossing folder. Cut a piece of the white card 7.5cm x 7.5cm and stamp the lady in the hat image onto it using the Tuxedo black Memento ink. Colour with Pro markers.

4.       Layer the stamped image into the middle of the embossed silver mirri card frame and then layer onto the card leaving an equal distance from the top, left and right hand edges.

5.       Cut a piece of white card 3.5cm x 5cm and stamp the quote onto it and layer onto silver Mirri card. Trim to leave a narrow even border on all 4 sides. Layer onto the front of the card about 1cm up from the bottom.

6.       Tie a bow with the lilac ribbon and notch the ends, affix onto card between the 2 stamped panels.  Using the stardust pen add a glittering highlight to the necklace and the bow on the hat.