Thursday 19 December 2013

October Afternoon Pop 'n Cuts Christmas Card

Well it's been pretty busy lately, so not many cards to show you, but I did make this one today. It's pretty similar to one I made before, using the rest of some wonderful October Afternoon paper...
 I cut the inside card base with Karen Burniston's A2 Pop 'n Cuts Card with Circle label, and I just cut with a trimmer the outer red card base, and finished off the ends with Tim Holtz's Scallops On The Edge die. I also added some Tim Holtz tinsel, with Beacon's glue, and some snowflakes from my stash.
I then added a stamped sentiment (VersaMark ink + white embossing powder), and cut it out and added stitching effect with dies from the Circle and Labels, Stitched Framelit set.
 For the card front, I wanted space for writing a message, and used dies from the Wavy Labels Framelits set, and more October Afternoon paper.

Some of products used:


   

Saturday 7 December 2013

Special release stamp set from The Stamps of Life

The new stamp set 'sampler2love' released by The Stamps of Life at the beginning of the month was just lovely - not to mention the fabulous matching dies, and NOW there is a new stamp set being released today which co-ordinates beautifully with both!
'alpha4banners' - gives you all the letters, in both upper and lower case, which fit perfectly in the smallest die... so pretty!
Here are some cards I made with the new set.

My first card uses Stephanie Barnard's new Fancy Frame Flip-its die for the card base (such a lovely classic shape), and I used the accompanying Fancy Labels 6 Framelits to cut a window. I then glued some twine on, and stuck the letter banners on individually, along with some paper flowers, and glittery swirls from Tim Holtz's Festive Greenery die.

For the second card I stamped directly onto the card, and afterwards glued on the twine, and added brads, and cloud dies from Papertrey Ink.

My third card again uses the Fancy Frame Flip-its, with some of the new die cut letter banners added on foam pads. The 'Birthday' is from the Stamps of Life's brackets2cut set.
Inside I used stamps and a die from the tv2stamp sets, and added a couple of banner die cuts, to make the sentiment into a rosette.

Some of products used:


   


Monday 2 December 2013

Karen Burniston's December Designer Pop 'n Cuts Challenge - Gingerbread House Card

Karen Burniston's Designer Challenge for December has each designer working with a different Pop 'n Cuts insert - fun idea!!... my insert was the House die, which I used in the Square Card with Ornate Edges base.
I had in mind a gingerbread house, decorated with sweets, and I ended up doing a bit of hand-drawing to get the look I was after.
 For the top border, I used Tim Holtz Tinsel, and a tag from Karen's Gift Card Holder Framelits set, plus bits from my stash. (I didn't have the right colour heart brads, so coloured them with Copic marker.)
 For the house, I used lots of bits from Karen's House Thinlits set - the windows and sills, glitter card eaves (which I covered with more brads), and a pink door which I embossed with a Tim Holtz woodgrain folder. I drew the decorations around the windows and coloured them with White Uniball pen and Copics. I also drew some candy canes, and a little wreath, also coloured with Copics, and cut them out with Cutter Bee scissors. (I hope you are impressed with my cutting out the centre of the wreath... that thing is tiny!!)
I also made a layered door mat, and some snow drifts in the garden, which are stuck on little tabs.
I added lots of Stickles accents.
For the bottom border, I punched out a load of circles, and drew some peppermint sweets on them, coloured with Copics, and added them to a strip of card along with some brads, then glued the whole strip down.
 The papers are from October Afternoon, and the edges are all inked with black Distress Ink.

(Update: If you would like to see another gingerbread house card of mine, using more current products, it is here.)

Some of products used:


   

Sunday 1 December 2013

Pop 'n Cuts Card Holder with Purple Onion Design Stamps

I also have another project to show you which was shared on the Purple Onion Design Blog today, along with some great Christmas gift/decor ideas.
I made this gift card holder, using Karen Burniston's A2 Pop 'n Cuts card, with the Sassy Label insert. I also used Karen's Gift Card Holder Framelits set for the piece which has slits to hold the gift card. Various 'Sassy Labels & Stitched Frames Framelits' dies were used for the red pop out piece and stitching effect, and for the 'Christmas' background pieces.
 You don't initially see the 'Merry Christmas' sentiment - it's hidden till the gift card is removed.
 The stamps are all from Purple Onion Designs (which has a whopping 25% off all stamps till 10th December!) and I used the following:
Holly (the mouse) by Stacey Yacula
Wreath by Stacey Yacula
Star, Holly leaves and Ho Ho Ho from the Holidoodles set
Merry Christmas from Mini Mini Holiday set

I used Copics to colour the stamps, and my trusty Cutter Bee Scissors to do all the fiddly cutting out. The papers are from First Edition's Nordic Christmas pad, and everything got highlighted with Stickles!
Finally, a simple card front, using the small tag die from Karen's Card Holder Framelits set.

Some of products used:


   

Purple Onion Design Stamps & Eileen Hull House Project

 I just want to show you a little project I made for the Purple Onion Design Blog, using some of their stamps by Stacey Yacula, and the 3D Birdhouse die by Eileen Hull.
You can see loads of great ideas for these and other beautiful stamps on the POD blog, and there is a fantastic 25% off all stamps sale (running till 10th December) in the shop!
I coated a piece of mount board in glue and glitter, then added the house, and the sledge and bunny with little folded-over cardboard tabs.
 Purple Onion Design stamps used:
Birch (bunny)
Silver (bird)
Snowy Fence
Sled
Holidoodle set (for the holly)

Some of products used:


   

New Club set & matching dies at The Stamps of Life

The new club stamp set this month at The Stamps of Life, along with the matching dies are right up my street!!  (Just in case you'd not noticed my love of bunting!)
The set is called 'sampler2love' and comes with the loveliest frame and banner/flag dies. 
Here are a few cards I made with them.

The first uses Stephanie Barnard's new Sizzix Square Stand-ups card base, which I used a Movers & Shapers die to cut a centre square from. I then hung little flags cut with one of the new dies, and added a sentiment using a stamp and more dies from the sets.

The second card uses some more stamps from the set, and shows the three sizes of banner dies really well.

My third card uses another of Stephanie's new Sizzix dies - the Ornate Flip-its Card 2 die, and matching Ornate Labels 5 Framelits.
The stamps and rounded-off rectangles are all from the new stamp and die sets.

And finally, another card using all three banner dies, as well as as the tickets2stamp set, and ticket dies set.

Some of products used:


   



Friday 29 November 2013

Baby Boy Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts Card

My friend who I spent the vast majority of my teenage free time with just had her 6th baby, so I made her this new baby boy card today.
The tartan accents on the card make me smile - I was her bridesmaid, and at the time was pregnant with my second child. She had us wear cream dresses with tartan sashes around them - I remember I had to be sewn into mine - my baby bump was making things not hang right! (I also spent many hours making an extremely complicated tartan dress for my 2 year old daughter, who was also a bridesmaid...) so yes - as I was saying - the card has tartan accents!!
 I used Karen Burniston's Pop 'n Cuts A2 Card with Circle Label for the card base, and a cream label cut and given stitching detail with Karen's 'Circle and Label, Stitched Framelits' dies.
I glued some twine using Beacon's glue to the card, and added stickers from Melissa Frances, and papers by Melissa Frances and October Afternoon.
 I used a Tim Holtz stamp for the sentiment, hearts from a Stampin 'Up punch, and stars from Tim Holtz's Crescent Moon and Stars Bigz die. This is my new go-to die for stars now... it cuts through any material, and has loads of stars in different sizes on it.

Some of products used:


   

Purple Onion Design Christmas Card & Sale News

I have another card to share with you today, using some Stacey Yacula stamps from Purple Onion Design, plus news of their fabulous 25% off all stamps sale, which starts today!
 I used a Couture Creations embossing folder for the background, and added the Silver stamp at the top, coloured with Copics, plus some snowflake dies, and glitter.
I sanded the embossed surface to remove some of the colour from the raised details.
I also used the lovely Cedar stamp too.

See these stamps, plus hundreds more gorgeous ones at Purple Onion Designs - all with 25% off!

Wednesday 20 November 2013

'The Stamps of Life' Die Release Day!

The 20th of the month is always a happy day, because it's the day The Stamps of Life release some new dies!! And today won't disappoint, as there are dies for both the boots4rain and patterns4boots stamp sets, and also the phone4you and phones2decorate stamp sets!
There are also TV dies available for the tv2stamp set, if you aren't a member of the Die Hard club yet.

First off I have some cards using the new Boots dies.
I like how the die set even includes a die a for the little buckle!
There is also a die for the little pair of Wellington boots... here I just used the die without stamping.
 Here, I stamped onto white card stock, and used Copic pens to colour the boots. I then stamped again, with Staz-On ink onto silver card stock, and cut out by hand the trims.

Secondly I have some card using the new Phone die set. I love this set!! It includes dies for both the large and small phones, as well as one for the phone wire, and dial.
 Here I also used a die from the Talk Bubble die set.
 The mini phone...
 I clear embossed the phone which I die cut, plus the speech bubble form the talk4phone stamp set, (which all co-ordinate so well!)

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Pop 'n Cuts & Purple Onion Hot Chocolate Christmas Card

So I had made my card for Karen's Designer Challenge this month (to use Red, and some of her Stitched Framelit dies - check out the Sizzix Blog later this week), but last night I had another idea which I wanted to try out...
This time I used the Pop 'n Cuts A2 card base die, with the Mug & Heart insert.
 I cut out the mug and heart separately again in different papers (all the papers are from October Afternoon), and added some Copic shading to the mug. I hand cut some glitter card marshmallows, and a contrasting stripe around the mug. The stamp is 'Snowy', from Purple Onion Designs, and he also got Copic-ed...
 I used Karen's Sassy Labels and Stitched Frames Framelit set, to make the cream labels, and I used a couple more Purple Onion Design stamps for the sentiment, from the Holidoodle, and Mini Mini Holiday sets. I used a Die-namics die for the swirls, and added some hand cut holly leaves, and buttons.
 I thought I would also be good, and do a card front design (something I don't always get round to doing on my Pop 'n Cut cards!)
I used the same swirl die, and a punch for the mini snow flakes, then the red border was from Karen's Banner and Borders Thinlits set.
I stamped the green card stock with Vintage Snowflake stamps and another Snowflake stamp set from Purple Onion, in VersaMark Ink. The bunny is another stamp from Purple Onion, called 'Birch'.

Some of products used:


   

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: