Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Christmas Stockings Pop 'n Cuts & Purple Onion Card

Karen Burniston's Designer Challenge this month is to use Red along with some of her Stitched Framelits dies.. how Christmassy and lovely!
I chose to use the Pop 'n Cuts Square Card with Ornate Edges, and put the label insert in it, though this was covered up with the larger Label Framelit I used, which also features a Stitched Frame Framelit.
The stockings are from a single stamp by Purple Onion Design, found here. Purple Onion have just the loveliest selection of Christmas stamps!!
I stamped onto different patterned papers by October Afternoon, and cut out the different parts of the stockings, then stuck them down with foam pads.
I highlighted some areas with liquid pearls, and others with Frantage glitter.
I used the scrolls from the card die for the top and bottom of the card, decorated with more Frantage glitter, and I hand cut some holly leaves. I inked round the edges of everything with Distress Ink.
The banner is from Tim Holtz's Regal Crest Bigz die, and the sentiment is also a stamp from Purple Onion Design, found here, in the Mini Mini Holiday set.

Some of products used:


   

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Accordion Album & Stampin' Up Butterfly Punch Birthday Card

I made this card last night for a lady from my church, whose birthday is today.
I used Karen Burniston's Accordion Album die, and the Frame & Label, Bracket die.
I used papers from the My Mind's Eye 'Oliver' collection, and cut some embellishments to match.
 I used the Die-namics Fancy Flourish die for the swirls, and Stampin' Up butterfly punches.
I made the grey roses with Thermomorph and a Stampin' Up mould.
 For the other side I used Karen Burniston's Fancy Frame Bigz die, layered up on foam pads, and a Tim Holtz sentiment stamp, from his 'Simple Sayings' set which has something for every occasion!
Not my usual colour choice, but I liked how it turned out.

Some of products used:


   

Thursday, 14 November 2013

October Afternoon Christmas Pop 'n Cuts Card

I absolutely loved this October Afternoon Christmas paper when I saw it, and have wanted to make a card like this with it for a while. 
I used the A2 Pop 'n Cuts card base, with Circle label insert (the one the base comes with).
I made larger matting layers with a paper trimmer, and rounded off the corners by hand.
 I added loads of Distress Stickles to all the details in the scene. In retrospect I would have used something more glittery like ordinary Stickles, though I do like how the Distress version turned out on the trees in the picture below - like snow.
I used one of Karen Burniston's new Circles and Labels Stitched Framelits dies to cut the cream label, and another from the set to create the stitches.
The Merry Christmas design was stamped with versmark ink, and embossed with a kind of flocked powder - very soft and snowy.
 I finished off with some gems, brads, a red border from Karen's Banner and Borders Thinlits set, ribbon and the lovely rusty jungle bells.

Some of products used:


   

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Framelits Flip-its Birthday Card

Two posts in a day! I also have this card to show you which I made this morning for my Sister-in-law. I'm not normally a fan of purple - I hardly ever use it, but I like how this card's colour combinations worked out! The papers are from a discontinued Stampin' Up set.
I used Stephanie Barnard's new Framelits 'Fancy Frame Flip-its 2' die set, to give me the card base, and the perfect layers for either side... so easy!! This set also includes the die for the white tag too - it has loads of dies in it.
I used the Framelits 'Labels, Fancy 4' set for the orange layer, and a stamp from this set, from The Stamps of Life, for the sentiment.
I hand cut the little leaves, and made the flowers myself, using a Stampin' Up flower mould, some Thermomorph, and food colouring powder.

Some of products used:


   

Purple Onion Christmas Accordion Album

I have another Christmas card to show you today, using some more of Purple Onion Design's delightful Christmas stamps, on a Karen Burniston Accordion Album card base.
Purple Onion also have some more new Christmas stamps, here - well worth a look!
 I cut four accordion album panels, and then the four sets of outer frames and inner white panels with the 'Frame & Label, Bracket' Bigz die. I added the lovely little stitching cuts to the white panels, using a die from the 'Labels and Stitched Frames' Framelits set. 
The papers are from First Editions Nordic Christmas pad.

For the first panel, I used Purple Onion Design's Cedar stamp, along with the snowflake and holly from the Holidoodle set. I coloured with Copics, and added Stickles (though you can't see it too well in this picture.)

On the middle two panels I used words from the Holidoodle set, and the Snowy, Silver and Sled stamps. I stamped the snowflakes with Versamark ink, added a pearly embossing powder, then added Stickles in places.

 The last panel uses the Birch stamp. Cute!!!

Some of products used:


   

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Pop 'n Cuts Good Bye House Card

Some of our dear friends are leaving England this week to go back to America. (I've had a very tearful time at church today...) We met them at church a few years ago, when they moved here to serve with the US Army. We just saw pictures of their new home, and it looks nothing like this one (this one doesn't have a swimming pool for a start!!), but I thought the house theme was relevant.
I used Karen Burniston's Pop 'n Cuts A2 card base, with her new House insert (which I love!)
I used the accompanying Thinlits House set to decorate the house, and chopped the window down to create a smaller side window, and sill.
All the papers except for the polka dot background are from Crate Paper's 'Pretty Party'.
The clouds are from Papertry Ink, and the sun from Lil Inkers. I cut the banners using Karen's 'Banner and Borders' Thinlits and stamped the top one with an old Melissa Frances sentiment (which is very applicable here - they are a fabulous family!)
 I hand cut the little shrubs, and just put them on folded pieces of card, and the path is hand cut too.  I used a Martha Stewart punch for the leaves, and used Beacon's glue to stick a load of paper flowers and buttons here and there.
 I didn't decorate the card front - just used a Framelits Labels set to create a spot for a message.

Some of products used:


   

Saturday, 9 November 2013

A couple of simple and quick Flip-Its cards

I was sorting out photos on my laptop, and came across pictures of a couple of cards I haven't shared yet. They were both really simple to make, both using different versions of Sizzix Flip-it dies. (Apologies for the rubbish lighting!)
This first card, for my niece Bobbie, uses the new Framelits Fancy Frame Flip-its 2. The extra dies which come in the set, and cut the layers on the right and left-hand sides are really useful!
 I used Framelits Labels Fancy 4, for the two yellow pieces, and K&Co papers and glitter stickers.

The second card uses the new Fancy Flip-its card die, which I used twice - once for the blue card stock base, and once for the patterned paper layer. I trimmed off a few millimetres round all the sides of this piece, to create the framed look.
The co-ordinating Framelits Labels, Fancy 6 set makes decorating the centre piece very easy.
 I used a ticket stamp and die set from The Stamps of Life on the back.
The card was for my friend's son who was turning 10.
 The paper is by K&Co, and I just fussy cut the number 10.

Some of products used:


   

Friday, 8 November 2013

Pop 'n Cuts Purple Onion Design Christmas Card

I received a wonderful package of Christmas stamps from Purple Onion Designs this week - they are just beautiful! Here is my first card using some of them.
I used Karen Burniston's Pop 'n Cuts A2 base, with the Wavy Label insert, to make the snowman 'stand up'.
I'm not 100% sure I like the colour scheme on this card - it just sort of evolved, but I can't wait to make plenty more Christmas cards using these stamps!
The Purple Onion stamps I used are:
 Vintage Snowflake set - for the beautiful large snowflake in the bottom left-hand corner
Mini Mini Holiday set - for the sentiment
Holidoodle set - mini holly leaves
Berry - the snowman
Snowflakes
Silver - the little bird
 Snowy Fence
Lots of the stamps are from Stacey Yacula's collection, found in the Purple Onion shop here.

I used Copics to colour the stamped images, and added a variety of glitter/dimension products. I used a glue pen to add some very fine glitter (for example on the top of the snowman's head), I used Stickles for the bunting, buttons, snowman's nose and scarf etc, and then for the chunkiest glitters - on the scalloped edges across the card, and for the snow on the fence, I used products from my new 'Frantage' set.
I also used black and white Enamel Accents from Ranger to add the glossy black eyes, and the white accents on the snowman's nose.
The banner for the sentiment was hand cut, and I added gems to the white embossed snowflakes.

Some of the other products used:


   

Thursday, 7 November 2013

'The Stamps of Life' special release day!

OK, I have a tonne of cards to show you! There are three great new releases at The Stamps of Life today!

The first set includes both stamps and a co-ordinating die, and is called minionesie2cut...very cute! (- though I keep reading 'minion' in the title! I have minions on the brain!)
I stamped and die cut the onesie, and used a sentiment from the set, which fits perfectly in Karen Burniston's Bigz Fancy Frame die. I added it all to an Accordion Album.
For my next card, I didn't do any stamping, but just used the onesie die by itself.
 I stamped and die cut another onesie on this card, and this time added some Copic shading, and glitter accents using Stickles glitter glue.

 The next new set comprises some stamps called minibanners2cut. This set gives you so many options, it's great! I chose three for this card, and even better, there is a co-ordinating die, in the Christmas Light Dies set!
 I die cut another of the little banners for this card, and used some Framelits, a Stampin' Up butterfly die, Tim Holtz swirls and a flower plaque which I made using Thermomorph - a product which I reviewed recently.
 My last card with this set, I teamed with the umbrella4you stamp set, and Umbrella die, plus lots of washi tape!

The last stamp set being released today, is the brackets2cut set. It has lovely bold sentiments in brackets.
First of all I made this faux envelope card, with hearts from the Owl #2 Bigz die, and a U from a Stampin' Up die set.
 In this card, I teamed the stamped sentiment up with the matching Sizzix Framelits Labels, Fancy #4, and trimmed the top and bottom pointy bits off the die cuts. I also used an old red Sizzix die for the scalloped frame.
 And finally, this time I stamped and embossed the sentiment, and teamed it with the same Framelit set,  but without trimming any pointy bits off.

Some of the other products used:


   

Friday, 1 November 2013

'Winter Wishes!' Collection available now, at Purple Onion Designs

I mentioned in the week about Stacey Yacula's new stamp collection being introduced at Purple Onion Designs, and today's the day!
You can find the whole collection for sale here - take a peek - it's gorgeous!


And if you purchase the entire collection, before the 7th November, you'll receive a whopping 25% off!

'The Stamps of Life' new Stamp of the Month set

It's the 1st of the month, which mean it's time for a new stamp set release from The Stamps of Life!! And if you're a member of the Die Hard club, you also get the co-ordinating dies!
What a fun set - called 'tv2stamp'... here are some cards I made with it.

For my first card, I used the Square Flip-its die, and added the large telly from the set, to the front. I then cut the screen shape out with one of the dies, right through the card front, and put some acetate sheeting behind, to stick a glittery heart to.
 I added some zig-zag borders, using The Stamps of Life's Chevron dies set, and a sentiment from the new stamp set.

For my next card, I stamped and die-cut the large telly again, and added a star burst shape, which has a matching die (I just love it!!), and stamped the sentiment on top and added white embossing powder to it.

My third card uses a card base cut with Stephanie Barnard's new Framelits Square Flip-ts #2, and I used the companion dies which come with it, to cut the pink polka dot panels.
 On the reverse of the centre piece, I added a stamped frame from the 'framefive2stamp' set, embossed in white, and die cut with Framelits Fancy Labels #5.

There is also a very cute mini telly stamp in the set, which I used on my last card. I used graduated ink colours, and stuck a little heart to each telly on foam pads.



Thursday, 31 October 2013

My Minion Pumpkin!

No-one can say I don't make things I see on Pinterest!! I've seen some fabulous minion pumpkins on there over the months, and decided I needed to have my own one!
I just painted him with the kids' poster paints (it took a couple of coats), and used circle dies and card stock for the eyes. I thought he should have his own little pumpkin too...
 Here he is just trying to blend in with the other pumpkins. Ha! It will make me smile every time I look in the porch!