Dreaming of a Pink Christmas - Step by Step Tutorial with neon card

Hello I'm back again to share a +Papermilldirect  DT card design with you.  This week I thought it would be fun to try out some of the new Papermilldirect neon paper colours and create a Christmas card that is bright, modern and a bit zingy.  If you were a fan of the Pink Petticoat download papers and images then you will be thrilled to learn that they are slowly coming back under ‘The Lovely Studio’ name alongside new releases.  I have chosen the fun ‘Festive Flamingos’ to work with, Flamingos have been extremely popular this year and are sure to be a hit at Christmas too.

STEP BY STEP:
Visit the link and download the image set, (all designs are currently just £1-50) there are 4 images with sentiment and 4 without. Print off onto PMD White Linen card, you’ll get 4 different images on an A4 sheet.

Colour your image/ images – I’ve chosen ‘I’m dreaming of a Pink Christmas’ and have coloured in using alcohol marker pens in shades of pink and grey, with hints of green for the holly, etc.  You don’t need to be an expert colourist as this is a simple image and the texture of the linen card adds interest.  Don’t forget to outline your image with the lightest grey marker to help define it and add a little squiggle along the bottom to ‘ground it’.
Cut out your image using shaped nesting dies, I’m using a circle die and using a small piece of washi tape to secure in place before running through the die cutter to stop it slipping.

 

Next cut some mats and layers for your design – I cut a slightly larger circle of PMD Intensive Pink card and slightly larger again scalloped circle of Neon Kiwi Green paper, using d/s tape & glue to adhere the layers on top of each other.
Next create a card base by scoring & folding an A4 sheet of PMD Grey Pearlised card.  Trimming it down to create a square card base that will be just under 6”x6”.

Cut mats for your base – a large square of PMD Neon Kiwi Green paper slightly smaller than card front. A square of PMD White Linen card approx. 4 ¾” square, and a square of Neon Raspberry Pink paper slightly larger.  Mat the three layers together one on top of each other using d/s tape and glue.

Assemble card by adding the square mat panel to card front using d/s tape.  Add the circular matted image panel to the centre using 3D foam to give a little height.

I have added extra details to the image with a white gel pen, just some dots to add texture and some dashes for highlights.

Die cut snowflakes from PMD White Linen card and add adhesive pink gems to the centres.  Add to card front by gluing the small ones flat and adding the larger ones with 3D foam.  To finish add a trio of small adhesive gems to top left and bottom right of white linen square.

I love the bright neon papers and being 80gsm they are perfect to add as layers to your designs without adding too much weight.  The bright colours are really modern and work well for a fun theme such as the flamingos. 

Products Used:
White Linen 255gsm – Papermilldirect
Intensive Pink 160gsm  - Papermilldirect
Neon Raspberry Pink 80gsm – Papermilldirect
Neon Kiwi Green 80gsm – Papermilldirect
Grey Pearlised 300gsm – Papermilldirect
Festive Flamingos digi downloads - Pink Petticoat Portfolio - Thelovelystudio.co.uk
Snowflake Dies – DCDIE057X16 – Dovecraft
Circle Framelits dies – 657551 – Sizzix
Scalloped Circle dies – FEDIE071 –First Edition
Alcohol Markers, white pen
Adhesive gems – Whiz Kids collection
D/S Tape, Clear drying glue, 3D foam pads / tape

Trick or Treat?

Hello, I'm back to share an easy Halloween make I created for the Papermilldirect Design Team.  I’m teaming the fun colorflute card with black cardstocks for a traditional orange & black Halloween colour scheme.

I created a file in Cricut Design Space (link here: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/45482082 ) to cut from Papermilldirect Black Smooth card, this is a lovely 250gsm weight and cuts like a dream on my Explore.  I cut the cobweb frame, Trick or Treat words and bats from the 250gsm card.

Adhere black cobweb frame onto a sheet of PMD Mandarin Orange Colorflute card.  I used a strong permafix tape for all 4 sides and some dabs of clear drying glue for the webs parts, pressing down to ensure adhesion.  Trim orange colorflute card to give a small border around the black frame.

Glue wording to sign using clear drying glue.  An easy way to line them up is to use the waste from your cut out as a template to adhere your letters through, when letters are glued carefully lift template away.

Glue bats as desired around ‘Trick or Treat’ sentiment.  You can also resize the bats or cut more if required to create your own layout.  Add eyes with a white gel pen.

Papermilldirect’s Extra Thick Charcoal Black card at 550gsm is the perfect weight for a backing to this sign, sturdy but easy to punch 2 holes into using a hole punch.  Use a combination of d/s tape and glue to adhere sign to backing.  Tie black and orange ribbons through the holes to finish and you have a Halloween Sign all ready to display.

I love the texture of the Colorflute card, it is easy to cut on my paper guillotine and the colours are bright and eyecatching, I've used the Mandarin Orange for this design but there is also a Lime colour perfect for Halloween makes too.

If you don't have a Cricut to use the file to cut, you can still make your own Halloween designs using the colorflute card and Extra thick cardstock, just die cut lettering or adhesive stickers for the greetings, bats are easy to cut out or try dies or punches, don't forget to share what you make over on the +Papermilldirect  facebook page.

Products Used:
Extra Thick Charcoal Black Card 550gsm – Papermilldirect
Black Smooth card 250gsm – Papermilldirect
Mandarin Orange Colorflute Card – Papermilldirect
Design Space File for Cricut Explore Link: https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/45482082
Adhesives: Perma Fix Tape or D/S Tape, Clear Drying Glue,
Black & Orange ribbons, White gel pen
 

Eek! Rolling Eyeball Halloween Card

Hello, today I'm sharing this fun card idea with you. I don’t often get chance to play with printable papers so when I saw the Free Halloween ones from Trimcraft I thought they would be fun to play with and test out my new printer at the same time. The papers are Modern, fun and bright and print beautifully and the striped paper is not just for Halloween.
I also made a little video to show the card in action : https://youtu.be/Mb8i-TE8jF0

 Step By Step:

1. Take a Dovecraft 6x6 Kraft card blank to use with fold across the top.  Cut a slightly smaller square of the orange paper from the Simply Creative ‘Play Days’ pad and adhere to card front using d/s tape.  Download the Free Halloween papers link here: http://www.trimcraft.co.uk/articles/free-halloween-printable-papers
   
2. Cut a piece of Kraft card approx. 5 ½” square and measure out a long rectangle approx. 4” long by about 5/8” using a pencil to mark the lines.  Carefully cut the rectangle out using a craft knife.  Test the cut out is wide enough by joining two 2p coins together using 3D foam, cut the foam so it’s in the centre of the coin only with space all around (see pics), slip the joined coins into the cut out by sliding 1 coin through and move the panel to check the coins move freely backward and forward when the panel is tipped.
   
   
3. Cover front of panel with the striped paper from the Trimcraft Halloween download papers, turn over and cut away the paper covering the cut out channel.  Add panel centrally to card front with cut out to the top, using double height of 3D foam tape.
4. Cut a large eyeball from the download papers, I did this by using my computers ‘snipping’ tool to select an area of the paper onscreen and then sending it to print. (you may have a preferred method). The size can be adjusted on the print screen, size doesn’t need to be exact as long as it covers the 2P coin.  I have adhered the eyeball to cardstock and then cut out to give it more strength.  Glue the large eyeball on top of the 2p coin and you should now have a rolling eye element.
   
   
   
   
5. To finish, cut 2 strips of the Eyeball patterned download paper and adhere across card front.  Cut out an ‘Eek! Sentiment and mat onto kraft card before adhering to card front using d/s tape.
6. I made a little video to show the card in action : https://youtu.be/Mb8i-TE8jF0

Products Used: 

Dovecraft Kraft 6"x6" Cards & Envelopes

DCCE024

Dovecraft Double Sided Tape (12mm) DCBS05

Simply Creative FSC Paper Pad 6x6 Play Days

SCPAD028

Exciting News and a Project to share

Hello, I have some exciting news to share with you.  I've been a member of the Trimcraft Design Team for the past 2 years and I am absolutely thrilled to announce I will be staying with them as a member of their brand new Design Team  for 2016-2017.  These are exciting times for Trimcraft with lots of new product launches to look forward to and I can't wait to share my projects with you.

Here is one of the projects I submitted for my DT Application:

Hideaway Peekaboo Z fold pop-up box card – First Edition Christmas Promise papers & First Edition Dies.

I’ve chosen this card to show my love of making cards that ‘do’ something and are fun to display.

I created my own hybrid of a z fold card and a pop up box card using all Trimcraft products throughout.

I like a story, so the shy rose gold foiled deer are hiding in a Christmas snowy woodland scene, carefully obscured by trees and snowflakes with the card closed, until the card is opened to reveal a dimensional scene with the deer hiding amongst the trees.

I have made a little video here:  https://youtu.be/dhhQxptMd6s  to show the card opening and closing and from different angles. 

 Step By Step:

1. Take a Dovecraft 6x6 white card blank, score & fold front only.  Cut a 2^nd card blank down to create a strip of card and score & fold to match front. Use waste card to create the 2 supports for the box section.
   
   
   
   Decorate all panels using First Edition Christmas Promise papers, matted onto Grey paper (Dovecraft Colours) and adhere with D/S tape and glue.
   Assemble card by adhering the strip across the card only adding glue where it joins the front and back panels.  Glue supports in place in the box section and test by closing and opening.
   
   
2. Using FE Christmas Promise papers and Dovecraft pink glitter card, die cut Merry Christmas, hearts, snowflakes, trees, robin, foliage and star. Layer snowflakes to make flowers and colour gems with Dovecraft metallic marker.
   
   
   
   
   Adhere robin & foliage to last panel on strip, colour a gem for the eye using Dovecraft Metallic marker.
   
   
3. Add glitter stickers (Magic & Sparkle) corners to top Left front and top back right of card.  Add a frame sticker to front panel and glue a layered snowflake flower inside.  Glue 3 glitter hearts along bottom of card front.
   
   
   
   Thread metal snowflake charm onto invisible thread, add clear beads and adhere to right of Merry Christmas sentiment.  Top with a layered snowflake flower.
   
   
4. Fussy cut out 5 rose gold foiled deer from the Christmas Promise paper and add 2 to acetate strips, along with 3 trees.  Carefully position the trees and deer into the pop up box section so that the deer will be hidden from view when the card is closed.  Add 2 glitter snowflakes to acetate and add those to box section.  Glue some trees and a deer to back panel of card to help build up the scene.  Glue a pair of deer on the box strip to left of robin.
   
   
5. To finish decorate card with adhesive gems and glitter glue as desired.
   I have made a little video here:  https://youtu.be/dhhQxptMd6s to show the card opening and closing and from different angles. 
   
    Materials Used:
   
   
   First Edition 12x12 FSC Paper Pad - Christmas Promise
   

   FEPAD125X16

   Dovecraft White 6"x6" cards & envelopes

   DCCE025

   Dovecraft Paper Pack - Colours (6inch x 6inch)

   DCDP61

   Dovecraft Premium Magic & Sparkle Metal Snowflake Charms

   DCMTL006X16

   Dovecraft Premium Magic & Sparkle Glitter Frames

   DCTOP015X16

   First Edition Dies - Christmas Border Dies

   FEDIE125X16

   First Edition Dies - Foliage

   FEDIE019

   A4 Glitter Card - Princess (Pink)

   DCGC09

   Dovecraft Metallic Marker Pens

   DCMK04

   Dovecraft A4 Acetate Sheets

   DCBS106

   Dovecraft Double Sided Tape (12mm)

Your Dreams Take Flight - Gelatos Tutorial

Hello I'm back to share a new +Papermilldirect  DT project and step by step with you.  This week I'm testing out the new Papermilldirect Hopsack textured card along with some Gelatos to create a backgound for my Kite themed card.

Gelatos are a creamy soft medium that come in packaging that's a little like lipbalm! Take off the cap, twist them and they are ready to use direct to card etc, you can also apply with fingers, sponges, brushes and being water-soluable can be used to add colour to your projects in different ways, today I'm blending them with a baby wipe as this is an easy way to blend and dilute the colours without adding lots of water making them ideal for working on cardstocks without warping or pilling.

Step By Step:

Cut a piece of Papermilldirect White Hopsack textured cardstock approx 4 1/2" square. Scribble across the top using blue Gelatos (I'm using 2 shades of blue).  Take a baby wipe and blend the colours across the cardstock using circular motions, you'll see they blend so easy and you can scribble in extra colour if you need to.

 

Continue working down your square of hopsack card scribbling lines of different colours across and blending each time with a baby wipe until the panel is completely coloured.  I'm graduating from the blue through pink, orange, yellows and greens but you can use less colours if you wish.

Using black memento ink, stamp a decorative diamond stamp (Oak House Studio) onto PMD white Hopsack card.  Have fun colouring in your stamped image using alcohol markers (I'm using a selection of First Edition markers)

Add highlights or extra details to the diamond using a white gel pen.  Stamp sentiment words onto white hopsack card using black Archival ink.  The words I'm using are from Oak House Studio and I have cut the phrases to give individual words of: Your, Dreams, Take, Flight to fit with my Kite theme, ypu could of course use your own wording and either stamp or print out to suit your theme.

Create a card blank by scoring and folding an A4 sheet of PMD white hammered cardstock, trim down to create a square cardbase that will be just under 6"x6". Mount gelato panel onto a slightly larger square of PMD black card using d/s tape and then again centrally onto the card front.  Use d/s tape and glue to attach a length of blue & white twine to the Diamond to turn it into a kite. Use a black pen to outline each stamped word.

I have used a white chalk ink to stamp some subtle circles onto the gelato background, just to add a little extra depth before attaching the kite using 3D foam pads.  Tie pieces of twine onto kite string and trim to create ribbons, dabs of glue will hold the twine in place on the card front.  Using a clear drying glue, arrange words to spell out the sentiment and glue in place.

Gelatos are a fun way to add colour and can be blended with your fingertips or diluted with water or added to other mediums as well as being used with a small brush to add colour to your stanped images, you can even use them to stamp with too.  I love how easily they blend on the Papermilldirect Hopsack textured card to create quick and colourful backgrounds. 

Materials List:

White Hopsack Card - Papermilldirect

White Hammered Card - Papermilldirect

Smooth Black Card - Papermilldirect

Decorative Diamond Stamp - Oak House Studio

Sentiment words & Circles - from stamp sets - Oak House Studio

Alcohol Markers - First Edition

Black Memento Inkpad, Black Archival Inkpad, White Chalk Inkpad

D/S Tape, Clear Drying Glue, 3D Foam Pads

White Gel Pen, Black Fineliner Pen, Babywipes

Gelatos - Brights Set - Faber-Castell