Christmas Baubles

Hi Friends and Crafters, as today is the last day of Christmas on Hochanda I thought I would add something festive using the Retro Leaves from the Retro Collection along with the Triskaidecagon dies, which are unique and incredibly useful for so many projects.

You Will Need: 

Craftascope Floral Stamp and Die Collection

Craftascope Triskaidecagon Layering Die Set

Craftascope Retro Leaves Die Set

Centura Pearl Silver/White card

Centura Pearl 120 gsm Silver/White paper

Construction Acetate

Snow Fall Acetate

Sentimentally Yours Silver Embossing Powder

Versamark Pad

Antistatic Bag

Mirror Card

3D Glue Gel

Tacky Glue

Red Thread

Step 1: Cut your base from Acetate. Fold in half and make sure your die slightly overlaps the fold.

Step 2: Cut 2 frames, using the first and fourth dies, you could use the 3rd if you want a thinner frame. Cut one piece of Centura using die 1 and another using die 2, trim the back of each to match the acetate.

Step 3: Cut a piece of the snowfall acetate using the second die to fit neatly inside the frames you have made. Use red liner tape and a little 3D glue gel to secure the acetate to the back frame, leave the front for a little later.

Step 4: Cut 3 of the Retro Leaves from Mirror Card, thread them with red embroidery thread. Arrange and secure them to the front of the acetate.**Make sure you line up the die with your base first to ensure it's definitely the top.

Step 5:Take the large Centura base and secure it under the acetate using 3D glue gel.

Step 6: Repeat with the smaller piece of Centura, This leaves the wonderful detail from the acetate showing and the card but also hides the glue from below.

Step 7: Secure the frame too your easel card base with the red liner tape and 3D glue gel.

Step 8 & 8a Cut the clematis  using the Centura Pearl paper, then emboss with the coordinating stamp and the silver powder. Repeat this with the 'Peace' sentiment and secure to your card.

Here is the finished card, using the Retro Leaves in a totally different way and adding a little festive cheer.

Thank you ever so much for joining me today, I really hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and that you will join me again soon. Don't forget to subscribe and watch out on my Youtube Channel as I am doing more on there including the 'Natter with Nick' and the 'Back to Basics' with Craftascope series. If there is anything you would like to see included in the Back to Basics show, please leave a comment under the video and I will try to include it in future shows.

Lastly, I have to do another reminder as I hat people to lose out. There are things in baskets on my Etsy store and there really isn't enough stock to cover the ones in baskets, if there is anything you want please check out, some of the things wont be coming back either. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

Rainforest Adventure Scrapbook Page.

Morning, Years ago when I was in South America, I had a marvelous time in the Rainforest. I had lots of lovely pictures and wanted to display them in a scrapbook, but couldn't find the elements that would look good. With the launch of Jungle Dreams from Michelle (MJM Studios) on Hochanda all that changed. I dug all of the photos out and created this scrap page. Are you all loving the new collection from Michelle, I imagine you are coming up with all sorts of ideas and designs.

For this page you will need:

Serif Craft artist or similar program orsoftware

Super Smooth Card

Super Smooth Paper

Black Card

Spray n Shine

Scissors

Printer

Adhesives, Tack Glue, 3D Glue Gel

Step 1: Use your software to build up your design.Simply add the elements you want to use by dragging them onto your virtual page.

Step 2: Once happy with your design it's time to create your decoupage elements. Copy the elements you want to use and paste them onto a new page.

Step 3: Cut out all of your elements and add any finishes you want to. For the cheese plant I used Spray and Shine from Crafters Companion.

Step 4: Shape your extra decoupage elements and position them on your project using 3D Glue gel.

Step 5: Layer your project onto Matt Black card, or pick a colour that will draw attention to a certain part of your project.

Just take a minute to look at how each of the elements print, the metal bird is amazing, it looks just like a real metal embellishment. The quality of the images is astounding.

Thank you for taking the time to visit today, It's always nice to have you join me. I love to share my experiences with different crafty products. I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial today along with the finished piece. Hope you will pop by again very soon. 

I have a Groovi Tutorial being published on the Hochanda Blog at 10 am this morning, I do hope you will take a look. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

When's a Heart Not a Heart

Hi everyone, I hope you're all enjoying your May Day Bank Holiday and the weather is nice, where you are. When is a Heart not a Heart? When it's a tree. This is a project I made for Leonie's One Day Special on Hochanda. I thought it would be a nice idea to come up with a card that used the waste after cutting all of those lovely dies.

To start I cut 2 pieces of card bot measuring 8'' square, one was scrap the other ,my base card. On the scrap piece I cut through the middle with a wobbly line, then on the lower portion I die cut a pattern using the flower sprigs that come in the 'Funky Base Heart' set, this would become my stencil.

I placed the lower stencil onto my base card, while I blended and coloured the sky, using shaded Lilac and Tumbled Glass Distress inks.

Next I took the upper part of my stencil to cover the sky, I used Stick n Spray to position the 'Imagine' stencil for Leonie's collection. Then I added the land using Mowed Lawn and Twisted Citron Distress ink. Finally I replaced the lower stencil and sponged through the pattern with Mowed Lawn.

On a sheet of watercolour card I created a background using Brusho, half of the sheet with Emerald Green, Leaf Green and Yellow. The other half with Light Brown. I spritzed this with water, once dry I cut out the Hearts from the green side and trunk shapes from the brown.

From a previous project, I had kept the waste so I used 3 of these to layer up the watercolour trees.

Using a green alcohol marker, I coloured the white edges.

Using 3D Glue Gel, I added the trunks and tree tops to my card before layering it onto a dark Blue base card made using Centura Pearl.

Thank you for joining me today, sorry for not posting the last couple of day's. my hands have been incredibly bad and so I haven't been able to do anything at all. Take care and Happy Crafting.xx

With Love

I have really enjoyed pattern building with Leonie's collection as well as using the stamps in conjunction with the masks. They are a hugely useful collection to have in your crafty stash. For this I decided to make a card with just a focal point using one of Leonie's larger stamps. If you did happen to miss any of the shows, Don't forget they will be available via 'Rewind' on Hochanda's website.

To begin with I cut a square of watercolour card measuring 2 1/4'' using a basic die and stamped the 'Pansy' stamp with black Memento ink.

Then using another basic die, I cut another square this time around 3''. I then used the foliage to stamp around the edges with black Memento ink.

I also made myself a card base from the watercolour card giving me a 6'' square card for my finished piece.

Next I took a a sheet of copier paper (cut lengthwise). I placed the first piece about 1/2'' from the score line and the other about 1/2'' away to give me a narrow strip and secured with washi tape. Taking the foliage stamp again, I filled within the strip with Memento black ink.

I used the 'Love' stamp from a previous collection from Leonie, it was from the set of stamps which she launched with the mixed media dies. I stamped this onto my card base below where I would later place my topper.

With a selection of alcohol markers, I coloured in the Pansy and foliage.

I then stamped the butterfly onto watercolour card and coloured them to coordinate with the pansy.

Using foam tape I secured the pansy topper to the foliage square. I then stuck this to my card using Collall Tacky Glue from Crafters Companion. To finish my card, I used Collall 3D glue gel to arrange the butterflies.

Thank you for joining me today, I hope you like what I have made today and the step by step I have shared with you. I hope you will visit again. Take care and happy Crafting.xx

Stained Glass Panel

Morning, Something different to share with you today using Leonies' beautiful Dies. This is a stained glass window panel using the Folk Heart 'Entwined Vine'. All of this collection, including the coordinating stamps were launched on Hochanda on June 8th, If you missed the shows, they are available on catch up via the TV schedule on Hochanda's website.

To start with, I cut out the die twice using black Pearl cardstock (Double Sided)

Then stuck these together with Cosmic Shimmer glue, to give me the thickness I needed for this project.

On a piece of copier paper, I traced the heart in the position I wanted and added a frame, which would be the finished size of the project.

Then I created a pattern using straight lines and the curves from the edge of the die.

I cut out a square of acetate to fit my design and left an extra cm to allow me to secure it later. I stuck the Heart in place onto the acetate using my design to position.

On a piece of leading plastic, I piped out Liquid Leading strips and left to dry. This was going to be added to complete the design.

Once I had placed the lead strips in place, I used the liquid leading at each of the joints to secure. When dry, I used the Gallery Glass colours to complete the look. I used Royal Blue, Clear Frost, Clear, White and Rose Quartz.

I left this to dry overnight.

I cut 2 frames from Black card to fit the piece and secured the first on the front with 3D Glue Gel. Before I added the back frame I added the ribbon hanging so it could be hidden. Then attached the back.

Here is the finished piece in the window.

Thank you so much for visiting again. I really hope you have enjoyed looking at the finished piece and my step by step. I look forward to seeing you again very soon. Take care xxx

A Wedding Card Using Sheena Douglas Stamps

Day Six and another update.

Not bad I hear you say. Today, I thought I would share a wedding card I made using stamps from Sheen Douglas and a Die from Sue Wilson. For the outside of the card I used the outside die from Sue Wilson's Australian Collection, the background set. I cut that out to create a frame for the stamped image behind.

I stamped the frame with a selection of swirl stamps and words, also by Sheen Douglas. I used distress ink to stamp the swirls and the colour was Tattered Rose. Then I used the a few distress inks around the frame to blend into the background, The inks were, Tattered Rose, Antique Linen and Victorian Velvet.

I stamped the main image twice onto Crafters Companion watercolour card using Black archival ink as I wanted to use watercolour, also I wanted to decoupage the car. The blossoms were also stamped in black archival ink and painted using the same distress inks used for the frame. Finally the image was painted using a selection of Tim Holtz Distress inks, used with water from the craft mat. To finish the card, I used foam on a roll to add dimension to the frame and 3d glue gel to decoupage the car. The I tied a bow using double sided satin bow for the top left hand corner and a wrap of the same colour ribbon on the bottom right hand corner. I was going to glaze the car but decided against it on this card.