A Slice of Heaven - Launch of the New Craftascope Collection

 Morning Friends and Crafters. This is a really exciting and very special day for me. After such a long wait,my New 'Slice of Heaven' Collection from Craftascope is being launched today by the wonderful Lou Withers. It would have been amazing if I could have been there myself, but I am so very lucky to have such a marvelous Crafter launching it on Hochanda today. I'm sharing one of the cards I've made using a selection of Stamps and Dies, along with a beautiful stamp from Clarity Stamp.

I believe that the 'Slice of Heaven' Collection is one of the most versatile ones I have brought to you so far. As always they are perfect for all of your Paper & Cardcraft projects, however they are designed be used perfectly with Fabric as well. You can easily create your own bespoke fabrics. With many of the stamps, there's also the option to use them for Quilting.With a little patience you could even try micro-quilting.

I am decorating at the moment, the stamp I have used in the card comes in 3 sizes across the collection.I am using the largest of these to create a feature wall and I will share the photos as soon as it's finished. To give you an idea, I have stamped a sheet of A3 paper, obviously for the wall I will be spacing the stamps further apart. 

The same stamps can also be used to make the most gorgeous flowers,either using one size stamp or a mix of the sizes together. If you have the thicker type Chinese rice paper they make stunning poppies. If you would to use them with foamiran, be careful to choose the correct ink and a light colour to stamp with.

Having the versatility in a collection is the key and having so many other options is always a good thing. The stamps are sized perfectly to work across any project from ATC's to Scrapbook pages as well as larger Home Decor projects. They work wonderfully with the Craftascope Heat Transfer Paints,also available on the website.

I had quite a few requests for Spanish Phrases, so in this collection I have included a couple which are great to use in greeting cards and scrapbook pages. There are so many options with the whole collection and I really hope to see some of your creations.

There's far too much to share in a blog post, so I will be sharing other ideas over time as well as youtube videos. For now I do hope you will tune into the shows with Lou tonight and Saturday Morning.It's really good to be back with you.If you have shopped on my Etsy, you should have received a thank you voucher, if you didn't and would like to shop the code is FEEDBACK15 and will give you 15%off anything in store. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

New Collections Coming on Hochanda

Morning everyone, I have to say it is wonderful to be back with you at long last. I am feeling a lot better now and I have been looking forward to sharing the news with you. Today I am launching a brand new Collection on Hochanda at 10 am with Charlie, with another show with Hayley at 3 pm. I have put my heart and soul into this collection, so I really hope you like it as much as me and my Design team. I have another launch on Tuesday at 11am and 2pm, with totally different crafting goodies.

Without my small Design Team, I really couldn't have managed the amount of wonderful samples that will be displayed on the set. They have made such an amazing selection to show the huge variety of looks you can achieve with the new Craftascope collection.

I will be sharing many tutorials with you, with lots of inspiration on just how much you can do with them. I have added a die to this collection which has been so well received in the team. It has been designed to create an ATC Card and coordinating envelope, but I have made sure that they are not the only things you can use it for.

I hope you will join me today and Tuesday,  If you are new to Hochanda, here is  VOUCHER CODE WHICH WILL GIVE YOU 10% OFF OF YOUR FIRST ORDER: FEY5JBP7  

Please take the time to visit the blogs of the rest of my Design team and the samples they have made for the shows:

Jane: isleofcraftycreations.blogspot.co.uk

Katrina: cornishkat.blogspot.co.uk

Bryan: geezercrafter.blogspot.com 

Natalie: tillyanne.co.uk

Cheryl: chez101craftywaftydoodah.blogspot.com

for now take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Super New Launch Next Friday (26th May)

Morning, I have a nice surprise for you today, a full "SNEAK PEEK" on my blog. Crafters Companion are launching these Super New Create a Card dies next week, so here is one of the cards I have made for the show. I really hope you will be tuning in to Hochanda to see them in action.

I have to admit I have never used anything like this before. However they have been wonderful to work with. Having the ability to make a special card base at home with whatever card stock you like. It's fantastic, once you have cut the card the FUN really begins, The Decorating. I will be sharing Step by steps after the launch, so please keep your eyes peeled. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Memories

For this card, I wanted to make my word float across a fantasy sky, so what better than the Glitter Brush pens from Leonie. I also wanted to have things hanging from the word, the stamps and stencils are from the collection Leonie launched on Hochanda on October 13th. Please do check as the shows might just still be available Via 'Rewind' on their website.

This time I wanted to fill my word 'Memories', so I secured the stencil to my card with Stick n Spray from Crafters Companion and stamped with the Foliage stamp from the collection.

I removed the stencil and replaced it with the mask. I used the heart stamp to hang from the letters using another of the stamps to connect them. I then added some of the flying dragonflies.

Next I added some of the balloons, I love these and they are such a useful stamp to have and great for so many occasions.

Leaving the mask in place, I masked the stamped elements with Pebeo Drawing gum. For the background I used the Glitter Brush Pens, to blend the sky from very dark blue to a deep purple, I also wanted a lighter area in the centre. The colours I used from top to bottom were Cobalt and Arctic from the 'Frosty Christmas' set. Then Lilac, Lavender and Iris from the 'Wrapped Up' set. When this was dry I removed the drawing gum and coloured the stamps with my alcohol markers.

To finish, I layered it onto Centura Pearl 'hint of silver', then onto deep blue Centura Pearl, both by Crafters Companion. I used the Collall Tacky Glue to secure.

Thank you for visiting today, I still have a lot to share so I hope you will come by again. For now Take care and Happy Crafting.xxx

Exciting New Launch from Michelle Jackson-Mogford

Hi everyone, I am back again with a second post for today which I am very excited about. Many of you will know Michelle (MJM Design Studio) as the master of DSA & Craft Artist. Well, How exciting is this, Michelle has today launched her very own collection of Digikits. They are now available from Daisytrail for all of us to Craft with to our hearts content. I was so fortunate to be asked to play with with these, I have to say they are amazing.

The content is stunning, there is such a huge variety across the collections to suit a wide selection of crafty project and for all occasions. I have spent hours looking through them. The content is fresh and incredibly usable. I have to be truthful, I got so carried away that so far I have only managed a couple of projects, a scrapbook page and a card. I wanted to do some hybrid crafting with them as well to demonstrate how versatile they are. I have created the scrapbook page using the Lilies and Light Collection and the card from the Sunflowers and Stars. The other two collections are Bizarre & Fantastic and La Senora Mexicana. I would like to add that although they are separate collections they will all mix and match very well indeed.

I know I will be sharing more from these kits in the coming weeks. For anyone who hasn't tried digital crafting I would urge you to try. You can even get a free compact copy of Craft Artist from Daisytrail, if you dont already have the full version.

I had great intention of sharing more but as I said earlier, they are so crammed full that I got carried away. I would highly recommend these as there really is something for everyone. I do hope you will share what you make with these collections. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx 

Under The Sea

Morning, The Leonie Pujol Launch shows were brilliant, I do hope you got to see them. If you didn't the shows will be available on catch up Via the Hochanda website for 2 more weeks. Great inspiration for you when your collections arrive. All you have to do is visit the TV guide on the Hochanda Website and select the date of the show. Here is the card I am sharing with you today.

The topper I have made is on a 7'' square of velvet cardstock. I placed the die where I wanted it on my card and in pencil lightly marked the position. 

I then drew my design in pencil, I wanted the fish to be swimming into the heart. When I had finished and was happy with it I went over the design with a Black fine liner which was water and Alcohol resistant. I then cut out using the Funky Heart 'Lovely Bubbles Die'.

The main piece was left in the die and I coloured through the embossed areas with a mixture of Shaded Lilac and Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink.

Next, I masked off my design both pieces of the die cut with Pebeo Drawing Gum. 

When this was dry I replaced back into the die and shaded with Shaded Lilac, Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire, blending lighter towards the centre. I used very little of the darker blue and only around the edge.

I then took the main piece and using the same inks blended from the outside, again getting lighter towards the centre. I also went slightly darker towards the bottom of the piece.

As I wanted this pece to be under the sea, I decided to darken the bottom even more so I used more of the Chipped Sapphire, blending slowly into my previous colour to avoid a line.

I removed the Drawing Gum and coloured my fish and seaweed with a selection of alcohol markers. I aslo cut some of the extra dies and coloured them while still in the dies with Shade Lilac and Blueprint Sketch. These were to become bubbles under the sea. I did the same with the word Joy.

To assemble the card, I cut a mat 5 mm larger than my design in Navy Blue cardstock. I secured the first (Large) part of my design to the card with Cosmic Shimmer Glue. The replaced each part of the die cuts using the same glue.

Lastly I attached my bubble and the sentiment 'Joy' using 3D Glue Gel and my card is finished. I then matted it onto my base card, which I had distressed around the edges with Shaded Lilac Distress Ink.

I really hope you have enjoyed my first Step by step of the brand new launch of stamps and dies from Leonie. Thank you so much for taking the tie to look, I really appreciate all of your lovely comments and I hope you will be back very soon. More tomorrow.Take care xxx

Leonie's Brand New Launch

Tonight the Wonderful Leonie Pujol launched Her New collection of stamps along with her first selection of amazing dies on Hochanda.

It's another fantastic launch. I have not had them long this time but they are lovely to use and again some amazing designs. I am looking forward to using them over the weeks to come.

I am so pleased to be able to share some of the samples that I have made for the launch show with you. Sadly they will not arrive in time for the shows, but I will send photos to the studio.

In this post I am just going to share some of the samples I have made, I know everyone loves looking at the finished examples. I will be sharing some more in the morning.

For all of you that want to know more, I will be posting them separately along with descriptions and step by steps,from Friday.

Please also take the time to visit the other wonderful crafters who make up Leonie Pujol's design team.

My fellow Design Team Members, They are:

Elaine - Cakecoffeecraft.blogspot.co.uk

Jane - Isleofcraftycreations.blogspot.co.uk &

Katrina - Cornishkat.blogspot.co.uk