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

Cute Happy Birthday Card - Step By Step Tutorial

Hello, gosh I just realised how far I am behind with my blogging!!  My first catch-up is to share a simple step-by-step Tutorial for my +Papermilldirect  DT, we were working on the theme of Free Printables or Downloads and I have a cute little birthday chick card to share with you.  The image used is from a set of 4 free download digi images available from Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine (Link at end of post).

Step By Step:

Download and print off your chosen image form the set of 4  (I have chosen the chick with birthday cake) I like to print onto Papermilldirect White Linen cardstock as I love the effect. Use your chosen medium to colour the image, I have used my favourite First Edition craft marker pens and as this is a simple design you can simply block colour for ease or get more detailed with shading if you wish.

Cut out image using a circular nesting die and cut a slightly larger shape from PMD Marine Blue coloured card. Mat image onto blue shape using glue. I have added extra interest by cutting the coloured layer using a scalloped circle die, but you can use a plain circle if your prefer and of course if you don't have a die cutting machine then just cut image into a square panel.

Use a Birthday themed embossing folder to emboss a piece of PMD White Linen Card and trim down to measure approx. 3 3/4" x 5".

Mat embossed panel onto a slightly larger panel of PMD Daffodil Yellow card using double sided tape, and mat again onto a panel of PMD Marine Blue cardstock approx. 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".

 Add blue grosgrain ribbon across matted panel as shown adhereing with permafix tape and securing ends at back of panel.  Cut 2 small pieces of ribbon, fishtail ends and add where ribbons cross.

Score & fold Papermilldirect Plain White card and trim down to create a 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" card base.  Add embossed panel to card front using 3D foam pads.  Add layered image towards bottom of card on top of where the ribbons meet, again using 3D foam pads.

To finish, add glitter glue to icing on the cake and decorate card front using pale blue adhesive gems.

Materials Used:
White Linen Card - Papermilldirect
Marine Blue Card - Papermilldirect
Daffodil Yellow Card - Papermilldirect
Plain White Card - Papermilldirect
Free digi download image - http://www.papercraftmagazines.com/downloads/item/652-simply-cards-papercraft-150-downloads
Dies - Nesting Circle Dies - Sizzix
Embossing Folder - Happy Birthday - Cuttlebug / Provocraft
First Edition Craft Markers - First Edition
Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Blue Adhesive Gems, Glitter glue
Adhesives: Double Sided Tape, Perma-Fix Tape, 3D Foam Pads.

Giraffe Thank You Card using Digi Images - Step by Step Tutorial

Hello, hope you all had a lovely Easter, I have had a little break from blogging for a couple of weeks to enjoy the holiday time before my son went back to school, but I am back and ready to share a new card tutorial with you.  Sometimes it’s nice to have a few thank you cards already made ‘just in case’.  Today I’m following on from my last digi image card where I worked with a silhouette style, this time I’m printing and then colouring the image with alcohol marker pens.  I am printing onto Papermilldirect white linen card and using a free image from LC Designs (Little Claires) and also entering the Little Claires Blog Challenge #67 Anything Goes.

First visit LC Designs website (all links at end of post) to download your image, print off onto PMD White Linen card by first choosing how big you want the design (mine measures just under 4” dia.) and also select the quality of the print (I used fine).

Take the printed image and colour using your preferred medium, I used a selection of First Edition alcohol markers.  This is a simple image so you don’t need to get too worried about lots of shading, just colour however suits you.  When the image has been coloured, take a pale grey marker and outline to add extra definition. Highlights can be made with a white gel pen if you wish.

Take a circle die and place over the image, use tape to secure in place before die cutting. It doesn’t matter if you die cut before or after colouring. (or even halfway through as I have)

Take a piece of PMD Buff coloured card and die cut using a scalloped circle die that is slightly bigger than the image so that it leaves a nice border all around.  Mat image onto scalloped circle using d/s tape. 

From PMD Mandarin card die cut the ‘Thanks’ word die and emboss a rectangle of card using the ‘tiny mosaic’ folder. 

Trim embossed card to approx. 5” x 4” and round the corners using a corner rounder if you have one.  Score and fold an A4 sheet of PMD Plain White card and trim down to 5.5” square.  Position with fold across the top and round the bottom corners.  Using D/S tape to attach embossed panel to top of card.  Add image panel to card front using 3D foam pads.  Use a clear drying glue such as Cosmic Shimmer glue to adhered the ‘thanks’ to card front.  To finish add 3 small orange adhesive gem stones.

I do like the pop of colour from the mandarin orange card and the embossing folder is one of my favs for adding texture. Have you tried crafting with digital images before?  Don’t forget to share your makes over on the Papermilldirect Facebook page.

Challenges Entered:

Little Claires Monthly Blog Challenge #67 - Anything Goes

Materials Used:
Plain White Card – Papermilldirect
White Linen Card – Papermilldirect
Mandarin Card – Papermilldirect
Buff – Papermilldirect
Giraffe Free Digi – LC Designs (Little Claire)
Alcohol Marker pens – First Edition
Tiny Mosaic Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Provocraft)
Thanks word die – Clearly Besotted
Circles dies #657551 – Sizzix
Scallop Circles dies #657552 – Sizzix
Corner Rounder, d/s tape, 3D foam pads & adhesive gems

Happy, Happy, Happy...

Hello, today I'd like to share this easy card make with you.  I really like this silhouette of a girl with butterflies in her hair which is a digi stamp image from LC Designs (all links at end of post)  so it’s an easy print out to give a perfect image every time.  I have teamed it with some of my favourite Papermilldirect coloured cardstocks to create this simple card that would also work as a display piece too.  This is my first time working with this image and I am also entering this card into the Little Claire Challenge #67 - Anything Goes! , the House of Cards March Challenge: Silhouette and the Ribbon Girl Any Image Challenge

I started by scoring and folding an A4 sheet of PMD white linen card in half and then trimming down to create a regular 5” x 7” card base.

I printed off the digi image onto PMD white linen card too, the linen texture adds a lovely canvas style to digi stamps.  My printed image panel measures approx. 3 ½” wide x 2 ¾” high and I matted it onto a slightly larger piece of PMD black card to give a small border to frame it.

Using a dots patterned folder I embossed a piece of PMD Raspberry Pink card approx. 4 ½” wide x 3 ¾” high and adhered to top of the card base using double sided tape.

 

Mounting the matted digi image panel on top of the embossed panel using 3D foam pads to give a little height.

Using the ‘happy’ die I cut the word 3 times: 1 from PMD black card, 1 from PMD purple grape and 1 from PMD raspberry pink. Gluing the words into position under the image at the right hand side, graduating the colours, black at the top, then purple, then pink at the bottom.

I cut 2 larger butterfly shapes from the FE Butterfly die set, 1 from PMD new lilac and 1 from PMD raspberry pink.  I also cut some tiny butterflies for any extra embellishment.

Using clear drying glue I glued the pink butterfly flat to the card front, to left of happy words.  The lilac butterfly was layered on top with just glue along the body part so the wings could be bent up to give dimension.

I decided to just add one of the tiny card butterflies to the image panel, I chose the purple butterfly and added glue just to the body part so the wings could be bent up.  I wanted the girl image to look as though she was following the  butterfly!  A little detail sparkle was added to the tiny butterfly and to the body of the larger butterfly to highlight them.

I chose to use the ‘happy’ word 3 times as I really liked how it looked stacked up, but you could of course use ‘happy’ and ‘birthday’ or add ‘birthday’ to the inside if you wish to make as a birthday card.  I’ve kept the design simple as it worked well with the black & white image but can easily be further embellished with pearls, gems, extra butterflies, etc.

Challenges Entered:

Little Claire Challenge #67 - Anything Goes!
House of Cards March Challenge: Silhouette

Ribbon Girl March Any Image Challenge

Materials Used:
White Linen Card - Papermilldirect
Black, Raspberry Pink, Purple Grape, New Lilac coloured card - Papermilldirect
Meadow Girl digi image - LC Designs (Little Claires)
Swiss Dots embossing folder - Cuttlebug (Provocraft)
Butterfly die set - First Edition
Happy word die - Clearly Besotted
White Shimmer Detail Sparkle - Imagination Crafts
Cosmic Shimmer clear drying glue, Double Sided tape, 3D foam pads

Just Because!!

Hello, I'm back again to share this week's Papermilldirect DT card make with you.  This one features a digital image that I have coloured with alcohol markers.  This image, from LC Designs, is called 'Digi Ducks in the Rain' and I felt it was quite apt for the current weather we have been having here lately and of course I couldn't resist those cute ducks having fun in between the sunshine and showers.  I would also like to enter this card in the following Challenges: 
'Party Animal' Challenge over at Daring Cardmakers, 
and The Eureka Stamps Challenge #180 -Feathers & Fur Challenge

I printed the image out onto Papermilldirect White Linen card and coloured with First Edition Marker Pens as follows: Primrose & Lemon for the ducks, Satsuma & Pumpkin for the beak,Neckerchiefs and wellingtons in Baby Blue, Sorbet, & lilac.  The grass is Pistachio and the puddle has a little baby blue blended out using the FE colourless blender pen. The coloured image was then outlined in Light Grey to help the image 'pop' a little from the background. I used a large speech bubble die to cut the ducks out. A white pergamano pen was used to add some extra detailing.

Using the First Edtion Weather die set I cut a sun, 2 clouds and some raindrops, all from Papermilldirect white linen card so that i could colour them to match the ducks.  The sun is Primrose & Lemon and the clouds and raindrops outlined with Baby Blue worked with lots of colourless blender.

For the background, I cut a panel of Papermilldirect White Linen cardstock approx. 4 3/4" wide by 6 3/4" high.  I chose a sentiment stamp 'Just Because' and stamped onto the lower part of the panel using a black archival ink.

I found a blue & white washi tape in my stash and attached a strip across the top and the bottom edges of the card panel.  The Speech bubble die was used again to cut an outer frame for the ducks from Papermilldirect New Lilac card and then attached to card panel just above stamped sentiment using double sided tape and cosmic shimmer glue.  The whole panel was then mounted using double sided tape onto a 5" x 7" cardblank that I made by simply scoring, folding & trimming an A4 sheet of Papermilldirect New Lilac card to coordinate with the speech bubble frame.

To finish the card, I glued the die cut sun and one of the clouds in place, overlapping the washi tape strip a little, and then added the other cloud on top using 3D foam pads to create a little height detail.

The raindrops were arranged so that a couple overlap onto the coloured image section, glueing them in place when happy with position.

I thought this was a fun image and could be coloured with other shades for the wellies to coordinate with other colours in the papermilldirect cardstock range, why not take advantage of the spring colours and make a selection of cards in different pastel or spring shades.  Don't forget to check out the Special Offers link: https://www.papermilldirect.co.uk/special-offers they are always popular so grab them whilst you can.

Challenges Entered:

Party Animal - put an animal on your card

http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/party-animal.html

Challenge #180 Feathers & Fur
 http://eurekastamps.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/eureka-stamps-challenge-180-feathers-fur.html

Materials Used:
White Linen Card - Papermilldirect
New Lilac Card - Papermilldirect
'Digi Ducks in the Rain' Digital Image - LC Designs (Little Claires)
Alcohol Marker Pens - First Edition
Weather Dies & Speech Bubble Dies - First Edition
'Just Because' sentiment from 'Pretty Petals Plus' stanp set - Clearly Besotted
Black Archival Ink, Washi Tape, White Pergamano Pen, D/S tape, Glue, 3D foam pads

Sending Love...

Hello again, today I am 'Sending Love' and sharing another crafty make with you.  This time I’m using a digital download and printing it onto Papermilldirect Linen card to create a greeting card suitable for Valentine’s Day or just to say hello to that special person in your life.

Now I haven't entered any Challenges for a long time but I saw the January Challenge over at LC Designs (a new name & branding for Little Claires) and thought I'd give it a try.  The Challenge theme is 3,2,1 and so for my design I used 3 different colours of Card, 2 Words and 1 Digi Image. If you'd like to enter too, the link is here: http://www.littleclairesdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/monthly-digi-stamp-challenge-13-3-2-1.html

The Digi Image is from LC Designs and is called ‘digi birds in squares’ and I printed it out onto A4 Ivory Linen card from Papermilldirect. I set the image to print and adjusted the size to give me 4 images to the A4 sheet. (I’m only using 1 for this project but it’s handy to have extra if you wish to test colours or think you may like to make a batch of cards)

Once the sheet was printed I left all the images intact on the A4 and proceeded to colour the image using a selection of alcohol marker pens from First Edition. I love to colour on linen card as I really like the texture and look it gives to your projects.  After colouring I trimmed the image down to leave a border all around.

I added a few highlights using a white pen to the birds and also used it to colour the dots on the hanging heart and the bird’s wings.

I adhered the image panel to a slightly larger piece of PMD Post Box red card using double sided tape and trimmed to give a small red border, then mounted again onto PMD Buff card to give a larger border.

For the sentiment panel I cut a piece of PMD Ivory Linen card to measure approx.  5 1/8” wide x 5 5/8” high.  Using a ‘Sending Love’ stamp and black Archival ink I stamped the sentiment to the bottom of the card towards the right hand side.

To create the card base I took an A4 sheet of PMD Post Box Red card and scored it in half before trimming down to create a card base measuring approx. 5 ½” wide by just over 6” high.  I used double sided tape to adhere the sentiment panel to the red card base.

I added the coloured image panel to the card front using 3D foam pads to give height and positioned it above the sentiment.  

To finish I added a small red heart adhesive gem to the end of the sentiment.

Digi stamps are an inexpensive way to create the look of stamped images and are useful if you wish to create designs in different sizes or if you are not confident or have dexterity problems with manually stamping.  The image I chose to use is quite versatile as you could also trim to use any of the 4 image squares in insolation or combination as well as in smaller or larger sizes.  If you are new to using your printer and /or printing digital images, LC Designs (Little Claire’s) also  have a couple of free images on their website which are great for testing out if you are unsure. 

Challenges Entered:
3,2,1 Challenge over on LC Designs Blog, link here:

http://www.littleclairesdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/monthly-digi-stamp-challenge-13-3-2-1.html

Materials Used:

Ivory Linen Card – Papermilldirect

Post Box Red Card – Papermilldirect

Buff Card – Papermilldirect

‘Digi Birds in Squares’ digi stamp – LC Designs (Little Claires)

Alcohol Markers – First Edition

White Pen – Pergamano

Black Archival Ink

‘Sweet Little Sentiments’ clear stamps – Clearly Besotted

Red heart adhesive gem

Double sided tape, 3D foam pads