Christmas Crackers & Cracker Box

Morning Friends and Crafters, everyone seems to be talking Christmas at the moment. They all seem so far ahead with cards and other preparations for the coming season. I really don't know where the year has disappeared to. Today I thought I would make a start and make some luxury Crackers and a box for them decorated with Foamiran Poinsettias.

You Will Need:

Green Foamiran  (022)

Purple Foamiran (011)

14 Craft Bar Poinsettia Die Set  

Light Pink Berries Snowy

Bunch of Stamens White

Glue Gun

Tacky Glue

Tonic Cracker Die

Sheena Stamping Card

Box made from Centura Pearl White/Silver Card

Distress Inks, Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire also the Wilted Violet in the Oxides

Leonie Pujols Snowflake Stamps and Border Stamps

Tonic Die Cut Sentiment

Matching Thin Ribbon

Step 1: Cut your crackers using Sheena Stamping Card, using the die.

Step 2: Assemble and decorate your crackers, here i used Leonie's stamps and border stamp. I have stamped with the distress inks, I heat embossed the border with silver embossing powder. Tie the ends with matching satin ribbon.

Step 3: Use the 2 smaller sizes of the poinsettia die to cut a selection of your foamiran.

Step 4: Fold the petals together and twist them, be quite firm with them, leave them twisted for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 5: Gently unfold the petals but dont open them too much, this will have formed you a base and wonderful shape to the petals.

Step 6: Layer the poinsettias together, I have used 2 of each together. Keep the large and small separate. I have then added the stamens to the centre, then edged the leaves with Tacky glue and sprinkled with crystalina glitter.

Step 7: To each cracker I added a poinsettia and a sprig made from the Berries and bunch of mixed stamens, all secured with hot glue.

Here are the finished cracker and box.

Many thanks for joining me today, I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial along with the finished project. How far are you with your preparations for Christmas? I do hope I am not the only one falling behind. I do hope you will join me again very soon. For now take care and Happy Crafting.xxx

Parchment Lace

Morning, Today I am sharing a card that I made for the launch of Sara's beautiful 'Rustic Wedding' Signature collection. Here I have used it to make a Congratulations card, but it could be made to suit any occasion, even using a different colour choice.

You Will Need:

Rustic Wedding Chic Border Die

Rustic Wedding Always and Forever Acrylic Stamps

Rustic Wedding Elegant Rose Embossing Folder

Parchment

Stayzon White Ink

Funky or Craft Foam

Scrap Plastic Pakaging

Deep Burgundy Card, Coredinations or similar

Dark Red Mirror Card

Centura Pearl Ivory card

Centura Pearl Ivory Card Base

Coordinating Ribbon

4 Brass Brads

Burgundy or red Ink Pad

Embossing Tools and Mat

Adhesives

Step 1: Take you parchment, secure it down to your work surface. Stamp the banner and the 'Congratulations' in the centre of your piece.

Step 2: Cut the Chic Border die from Funky foam and secure it to a piece of scrap plastic packaging, which will allow you to reuse it again and again. It's also a great way of reusing the plastic instead of throwing it away.

Step 3: Ink up your new stamp with with white Stayzon ink, position and stamp as shown in the photo.

Step 4: Trace your design from the back, using a small embossing tool. Once everything has been traced you can add your whitework using a larger embossing tool. Remember to allow your work to rest regularly.

Step 5: Emboss your background card, add colour to the raised roses suing the red or similar ink pad, this really enhances the design.

Step 6: Take a length of ribbon and secure at the back using red liner tape or a Crafters Companion tape runner.

Step 7: Layer this onto Centura Pearl Ivory, then onto red Mirror Card before securing it to your card base.

Step 8: To finish your card, layer your parchment in the same way as before, this time securing the layers together with a small brass brad in each corner. Position on to you card and add a matching bow.

Thank you for joining me this morning. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial I have shared along with the finished card. I really hope you will join me again very soon. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Oriental Parchment

Hi Everyone, This morning I am sharing one of the samples I made for the launch of the Kinetic Cards by Crafters Companion. This one is the Circle Pop Out base, the shows should still be available on 'Rewind' via the Hochanda website.

To start with, I cut some heavyweight parchment, large enough for me to secure behind the outer frame once I had cut it. I then used the stamps from Sheena's Oriental collection to create my design on the parchment using white Stayzon ink. After the white work was compete I coloured the images using Spectrum Noir pencils.

Next using ll of the base dies, I cut the thin frame twice so I could sandwich the parchment between them.

I then cut the 'Sending my Love' sentiment in black and to create the layer I cut some Ivory Centura Pearl covered with a Wonder Sheet with the circle die. I stuck the sentiment in place and then covered the remainder of the sheet with AB glitter. As I had cut so much weight away by removing the centre I stuck a penny behind the sentiment panel so the card would easily stand.

I wrapped a narrow length of pink satin ribbon around the centre and added the sentiment which also covered the ribbon join and inserted the parchment, sandwiched between the black frame.

Thank you ever so much for taking the time to visit today. I do hope that you have enjoyed the step by step and the finished card. If you do enjoy reading my blog and the things I share then I would love your nomination for best blog in the International Craft Awards, the link is here:
http://www.craftsbeautiful.com/awards/

Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Nothing Flies

Hi, The card I am sharing today is using the Feather Stamp Set that Bev featured on Hochanda last week. I absolutely adore them, they are simply beautiful and so well drawn, the detail is superb and they stamp like a dream. The stamp I have used coupled with one of the Bee Crafty Sentiments, shows just how little you have to add to make a lovely card or project.

At this point I wasn't 100% sure what size my finished card was going to be, so I took a sheet of Navy cardstock, dusted it with an anti static bag and embossed the feather using white fine detail embossing powder.

Then I took the sentiment, stamped using Versamark and embossed using the same detail powder. I then cut the card to 6 1/2 x 7''.

Next came the fun part, I wanted to add some splats to the design. I masked the edges first, mixed some white acrylic paint with a little water and started adding the distressed detail.

I wanted to keep this very simple as the feather speaks for itself, I cut a piece of white Centura Pearl from Crafters Companion to give me  a 1/4'' border around the card. Then wrapped some matching navy ribbon around it, securing it at the back with tape.

I secured my topper to the background using foam tape and Collall 3D Glue Gel before layering onto a coordinating navy card base.

Hopefully you like what I have shared with you today along with the step by step. It would be lovely to see you again soon so dont stay away too long. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Sending Love at Christmas

Morning, Today I want to share a Christmas Card with a twist. I have made this using the stamps and dies that Leonie launched on Hochanda. Please try and watch the shows, if you missed them or just want some more inspiration. They will be available on the Hochanda website via the catch up facility.

I took the wordy background stamp, using Black Archival, I stamped all over a piece of tissue paper.

Next I took a selection of Pixie powders and Brusho to create the background. I used Cobalt Blue Brusho with Silver Dream, White Pearl and Purple Violet Pixie Powders from Creative Expressions. I sprinkled more of the Cobalt Blue Brusho and Purple Violet first and then added smaller bursts of the Silver Dream and White Pearl. I then saturated the tissue paper and left to dry. Where the pools had settle it gives a lovely texture while still allowing the stamped images to show through. I actually used this technique last year to decorate my hallway and it's easily transferable to card making.

Next, using white Centura Pearl card I cut a frame, approximately 6 1/2 x 5'' I was using the  plain side but I know that this card embosses exceptionally well and take the ink nicely too.

I cut a rectangle for the cartouche and sentiment and rubbed an anti static pad over this and the frame. I stamped both using Versamark with Ultra fine silver detail powder. For the frame I used one of the swirly stamps from Leonie's collection.

I took my card and covered it with my backing paper, it is best to overlap this to the back rather than trim as you will get a much neater edge. I wrapped a burgundy satin ribbon around this and secured at the back with red liner tape. I then mounted this onto Silver Mirri Card giving a 1/4'' boarder.

I used one of the strip stamps to create my corner sentiment on each corner of the base card. For this I again used Versamark and the silver embossing powder. I prefer making my own corner sentiments as you dont get any upside down elements.

I blended around the edges of my backing card with Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink to coordinate with the main card.

I then cut out the Entwined Snowflake Base twice using Centura Pearl 'Hint of Silver' and attached to the back of my frame. I secured this to the card using foam tape to lift it from the base.

Finally I added the sentiment, which I had also blended with Blueprint Sketch and backed with Silver Mirri Card. To finish the card I added a matching burgundy satin bow.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today. I hope you have enjoyed the step by step I have shared with you and the finished project. Take care and hope to see you tomorrow. Happy Crafting xx