Enjoying the Possibilities - Guest Blogging with Oak House Studio

 

Hello again, I have been Guest Blogging over at Oak House Studio this month and have my 2nd project to share with you. I’ve been thinking about Lynnda’s recent post, about her stamps being not just images, but being possibilities.  I looked at the stamps and realised that they are indeed possibilities, possibilities to be creative however you wish.  

So with this newly realised freedom the Dress Form stamp evolved into an imaginative and colourful dress, with butterfly sleeves and a daisy vellum ruffle hem, using lots of different colours for this week’s theme of ‘rainbows’.  

 (I would also like to enter this card into the July Make It Take it Challenge over at Craft Stamper Magazine, which is an 'Anything Goes' theme this month)

I started by painting a 5” x 7” canvas with Gesso to prime it before applying Colour Chemistry inks in Citrus Lemon, Jubilee Blue and Pumpkin.  Stamping circles and triangles with the Triple Sky Blues inkpad and adding extra highlights by stamping with white acrylic paint and using a baby wipe to blend and distress in places.  

The dress Form and butterfly were stamped in Versamark onto hammered card and then heat embossed using the OHS Gold detail embossing powder.  I used a paintbrush to water colour the dress form using Paris Pink and French Lavender Colour Chemistry inks, with Peacock Green and French Lavender for the butterfly.  I also stamped small circle details to the dress form using Triple Sky Blues inkpad and used a white gel pen to add dots and highlights.

For the ruffle skirt I stamped one of the large Double Daisy stamps onto plain white vellum and heat embossed with the gold detail powder, using a paintbrush to watercolour the petals with orange colour chemistry.  Dress was assembled with glue by cutting butterfly in half and attaching each wing to each shoulder of body form, and the daisy vellum was cut out and added to bottom to create a ruffle skirt.   I shaped the completed dress in my fingers, added a pale pink organza ribbon and heart shaped pin before adding some foam pads behind the body to shape it before attaching to the canvas with glue.

 The ‘Creativity Never Goes Out of Style’ sentiment stamp was stamped onto hammered card, that I’d previously water coloured and over stamped. I  heat embossed with gold and cut it into 3 parts. Inked around edges with blue ink from the Triple Sky Blues and then glued into position onto the canvas.

I had so much fun making this project and felt the sentiment was very apt, the Oak House Studio inks and stamps were a joy to use as always, and I even discovered a new favourite embossing powder along the way.  Lots of future possibilities indeed.  

 Challenges Entered:
July Make It Take it Challenge 'Anything Goes' at Craft Stamper Magazine

 

Products used:

Dress Form Duo

Creativity never goes out of style

Double Daisy Set Updated

Medium Charming Butterfly

Texture Elements

Gold Detail Embossing Powder

Triple Sky Blues Inkpad

Pure Colour Chemistry Inks

5” x 7” Canvas

Hammered Card - Papermilldirect

Plain Vellum

Glue

If you enjoy stamping and playing with inks, or if you fancy having a dabble for the first time, then don't forget to head on over to the Oak House Studio blog where you will find lots of inspiring projects and makes.

Stampbord Butterfly Card - Guest Blogging with Oak House Studio

Hello, I'm back again with a new post after my little break from blogging. I was so thrilled to be asked by Lynnda at Oak House Studio to contribute to her blog as I do love Oak House Studio products, especially the stamps and Inks.  The theme this month is colours – rainbows and there are certainly plenty of gorgeous vibrant colours to choose from in the Colour Chemistry inks range.  To challenge myself, I thought I would try Stampbord, I’ve seen it, read about it but never tried it before, so today’s project is my very first play. (I would also like to enter this card into the July Make It Take it Challenge over at Craft Stamper Magazine, which is an 'Anything Goes' theme this month)

I started by adding a colour wash of Paris Pink to the surface of the stampbord, then I used a wet brush to flick and tap French Lavender and Pumpkin inks randomly onto the surface, and dragged lines from some of the splashes using a ‘pokey’ tool.

I stamped a butterfly and heat embossed with the fabulous Silver detail powder.  Added extra colour using a paint brush loaded with French lavender ink.   Using the Triple Berry Purples inkpad to stamp ‘Dream’ under the butterfly and some random dottiness with a white pen and the stampbord panel was finished.

 I used both Peacock Green and Jubilee Blue inks to create a colour wash background panel, flicked with water and then used a paper towel to dab and lift colour in places, adding extra texture by stamping with the little dotty textures stamp.  Texture Element stamps were used on 2 corners to ‘frame’ the panel, the Triple Berry Purples inkpad for this and also added ‘Follow Your’ to top corner.  I used a white pen again to highlight some of the stamping in the corner elements. 

To assemble the card, I created a card blank by scoring & folding white leather card, I mounted the background panel onto black card and then to card front.  The stampbord panel has also been matted onto black card before attaching to the card front.  To finish I added a few bright sequins. I love the colours in this card, the way the Peacock Green really makes the Paris Pink ‘pop’, it’s a combination that I find very uplifting.  I think what I really like about Oak House Studio products is that you don’t have to be the world’s best stamper to achieve results you can be happy with, the products are such a great quality that you don’t need the expensive stamping tools to achieve a good stamped impression, the inkpads are juicy and rich and the Colour Chemistry inks give fabulous results. 

Here is what I used:  
From Oakhouse Studio www.oakhousestudio.com
Charming Butterfly

Texture Element Stamps

Textures from updated Double Daisy stamp set

Peacock Green, Jubilee Blue, Paris Pink, French Lavender, Pumpkin

Triple Berry Purples Inkpad

Silver Detail embossing powder

Stampbord

From Papermilldirect  www.papermilldirect.co.uk/paper-card

Black Card
White Card
White Leather Embossed Card

Plus:
d/s tape,glue,sequins

Challenges Entered:
July Make It Take it Challenge 'Anything Goes' at Craft Stamper Magazine

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

Mini Butterfly Wreath with Floral Muse Collection

Hello, today I'm sharing one of my +Trimcraft Ltd DT makes with you.  The Dovecraft Floral Muse collection is sooooo pretty I didn’t know where to start first!!  It’s been a little while since I made a hanging wreath and I had originally intended to make this to go onto a card front but I really liked it as a strand alone (or rather hanging) wreath and with the acetate strip it allowed the sentiment to ‘float’.

Step By Step:

Make a little cardboard wreath shape (or use a ready-made one if you prefer).  A simple wreath shape can be cut from circles, the outer size for mine is approx. 5” dia. The inner circle approx. 3.5” dia. 
Add glue to wreath shape and place down onto grey trellis pattern paper from the Floral Muse 6x6 pack.  When dry cut out, you may find a craft knife easier for the inner circle.  Sand the cut edges (I use a nail file) and then ink all around edges inside and out with a light brown ink.
Using the distressed postage style text stamp form the Floral Muse clear stamp set, stamp randomly all over the wreath using a brown ink.

Pierce holes into the wreath, 2 at the top for hanging ribbon and 6 evenly spaced around the wreath. Cut lengths of pink organza ribbon (Floral Muse) 6 smaller lengths and 1 larger length for hanging.  Using the same stamp and brown ink stamp onto the ribbon randomly.  When dry, tie each ribbon through holes and trim, then add the longer hanging ribbon securing knots on back with dab of glue.
Using the First Edition Foliage die set and green card from the FE Textured card pad, die cut 4 leafy ferns.  Stamp randomly using the same text stamp and brown ink as before. Ink edges with light brown ink.
Take 2 papers from the Floral Muse 6x6 and 1 piece of pink card from the FE textured card pad and cut 3 circles.  Using the same text stamp and brown ink as before, stamp randomly all over the front and back of each circle.  The cut into the circles to create spirals.  Ink cut edges with light brown ink and then rolls spirals to create roses, securing with glue at the bottom.

Arrange die cut leaves and roses on wreath and when happy with position, glue into place.
For Sentiment, use brown ink to stamp ‘Made with Love’ onto a pattern paper from the Floral Muse 6x6 pack and cut out.  Glue to a strip of Dovecraft Acetate and then glue acetate to back of wreath at ends so that sentiment is positioned in centre, trim acetate.
Next stamp 4 butterflies from the Floral Muse clear stamps with brown ink, stamp 2 onto floral muse paper and 2 onto blue textured card from the FE pad.  Cut out and ink edges, bend wings and then arrange onto wreath and glue in place along their bodies only.
Using the FE Butterflies die set, die cut 2 smaller butterflies from Floral Muse paper, over-stamp with text stamp and ink around with light brown ink.  Bend wings as before and add 1 butterfly to top of sentiment, the smaller one to the rose’s arrangement.
To finish add Dovecraft 3D pearls effects in Pastel Pink colour to the centres of the roses

Products Used:

Dovecraft Floral Muse 6x6 Paper Pack (FSC)
Dovecraft Floral Muse Clear Stamps - Sentiments
Dovecraft Floral Muse Clear Stamps - Butterfly
First Edition Dies - Butterflies
First Edition Dies - Foliage
Dovecraft A4 Acetate Sheets
Dovecraft Pearl Effects Box – Pastels
First Edition Premium Textured Cardstock – 12x12 Papers

All Products are from +Trimcraft Ltd  and this project also appears in my Trimcraft DT Gallery link here: http://www.trimcraft.co.uk/projects/121439/mini-butterfly-wreath-with-dovecraft-floral-muse-collection

Double Partial Die Cutting Technique - step by step

Hello it’s Monday and I'm back to share a new make and step-by-step tutorial with you.  This week the Papermilldirect Design Team are looking at the ‘Partial Die Cutting Technique’ and I thought it would be nice to try something I haven’t done before, which is a Double partial die cut, so we are learning together this week! But first news of this week's special offer - a small box of Spring themed card (Daffodil Yellow,Spring Green,Plain White) can be yours for just £6-60 that's 45% off!! Link HERE:

1. To start off I cut a panel of +Papermilldirect White Linen card approx. 4.5” x 5.6” and drew a light pencil line across the front at approx. 3” down.  Using the 2nd smallest of the Torn Edge dies I positioned the die so that a portion was showing beneath the pencil line and held in place with washi tape as shown.
2. Place the card & die onto one of your cutting plates and carefully line up the other cutting plate on top so that the edge of the top plate lines up with the pencil line, so that it will not cut through the section below the pencil mark.
3. Run through your die cutter, remove the washi tape and you should now have a partial cut.  (You can erase the pencil line in the aperture if you wish, but leave the line either side to help with the next stage)

1. Because I am going to be using the matching stamp for my next cut, I found it easier to stamp the image first.  So using the Pearlescent Lavender ink I stamped the 2nd largest butterfly from the stamp set, positioning it at an angle so that 1 wing will stamp below the pencil line but the butterfly will still fit into the aperture.
2. Next line up the matching butterfly die, if using a die like mine that you cannot see through then it is easier to cut a mask from scrap paper and use that to line up.  Hold die in place with washi tape.  (If you are not using a stamp then skip the stamp step)
3. Line up your cutting plates as before, positioning the top plate to line up with the pencil mark so that nothing below the mark will cut.

1. Run through the die cutter and remove the washi tape and waste card. To remove the landlocked bits at the bottom then line up a ruler against the pencil marks and use a craft knife to remove the small bits.
2. To create a coloured background, cut a piece of card (I'm using a scrap of PMD felt embossed but any texture will work) slightly larger than the aperture and apply Orange and Magenta pan pastels blending to create a slight Ombre effect.  (Use distress inks or a scrap of pattern paper if you prefer). 
3. Cut a strip of white linen card approx. 1” wide and colour the same blending the orange and magenta.  (You can seal the pan pastels if you wish using a quick light spray of hairspray) Stamp the sentiment ‘You Make Me Happy’ centrally onto the strip using black Archival ink.  Using double sided tape attach sentiment strip across front panel below aperture cutout and trim edges flush.

1. Create a card blank by scoring and folding an A4 sheet of Papermilldirect White Linen card and trimming down to give a 5” x 7” card blank.  Using Double sided tape attach the coloured panel to card front positioning so it t will show through the aperture panel. 
2. Attach front panel using 3D foam pads, I used a double thickness to give more height and depth to the cut out.
3. To finish add some enamel dots in lilac and pink to the butterfly body and around sentiment.

Have you experimented with the Partial Die-Cutting Technique, perhaps you’ve tried the double cut version too?  There are lots of possibilities for teaming your different dies to create interesting apertures and focal points not only in the centre of your cards but the inside folds and outside edges too.

Materials Used:
White Linen Card – Papermilldirect
White Felt Embossed Card – Papermilldirect
Torn Edge Nesting Dies – First Edition
Flight of Fancy Dies – Clearly Besotted
Flight of Fancy Stamps – Clearly Besotted
Pearlescent Lavender Brilliance Dewdrop ink, Black Archival Ink
Orange Pan Pastel, Magenta Pan Pastel
Double Sided Tape, 3D Foam Pads
Fun Fair Adhesive Enamel Dots

A Butterfly of a different colour

Following on from my butterfly, butterfly post, I thought I should share the 'other' version.  Using the same pattern / template but changing up the colour combo creates a different feel to this butterfly card.

I do have a liking for the Chocolate, Orange, Teal colour combo, (and chocolate oranges I must confess :D)  So here is what happened when I teamed up those shades in butterfly form.

I used card from Papermill Direct in 'Mocha' and 'Teal' shades, which I purchased as part of a pick n' mix selection box, these are really good value and allow you to try out a variety of card colours and weights, (believe 4 selections in a box). The papermill card is lovely to work with and cuts so well in the Cricut Mini, you get a nice 'clean' cut.  (and I'm still using the first blade that came with the machine back in November time).  I tend to use the 'medium' card setting and only adjust down if I'm cutting thinner paper.  

Accompanying the papermill cardstock on this outing is some pale blue pearlescent card, seen between the 'mocha' and the 'teal', and also pearlescent white card seen just inside the white scrolls on the top layer.  The patterned paper is from a 'First Edition' 8x8 paper pad called 'New Leaf'.  I added stickles glitter glue in 'Mercury Glass', and some faux half pearls.  On this version I also used Card Candi from Craftwork Cards.  I had the orange Card Candi in my stash but used my promarkers to colour white Card Candi into a lovely mint green colour.  Now I'm feeling hungry, Chocolate Oranges anyone? :)


Materials Used:Mocha Card  - Papermill Direct
Teal Card - Papermill Direct
New leaf 8x8 pad  - First Edition
White & blue Pearlescent cards from own stash
Mercury Glass - Stickles Glitter glue
Self Adheshive Faux pearls
Card Candi - Craftwork Cards

Tools Used:
Cricut Mini- Provocraft

Butterfly, Butterfly.....

Something so special about butterflies, don't you think? In the crafting world they tend to be used mainly as embellishments, little accents to set off a design.  Lots of colours, layers, pretty, sparkly, beautiful.

I have always had a bit of 'a thing' for shaped cards.  know I have made butterfly shaped cards in the past and they have always been well received by the recipients. So I thought it was time to revisit the shaped butterfly card.

I've always been a very 'hands on' crafter, getting blisters because I'd fight with heavy cardstock and scissors or craft knife to hand cut my designs.  Nothing wrong with that and I can spend many hours just cutting.  But recently I bought a new little toy, having always shied away from the electric cutters in the past, I realised that actually, there was no reason why I couldn't bring this technique into my crafting.  So here is the Butterfly Card that I made with the help of my new little toy, the Cricut Mini.

There are 5 to 6 layers of quality card, textured card and designer papers that make up this beautiful butterfly, I took inspiration from some beautiful Purple Corded paper I espied on the Papermill Direct website, it was a limited edition and I just HAD to have it!!  I think it added a lovely texture and rich colour to the Pink & Purple theme, and it cut extremely well on the cricut, using the 'medium cardstock' setting, I could have tried the light setting but I thought the lovely deep corded effect would cut better on the medium setting and it did, first time!! The card didn't really need lots of patterned paper, so I settled on a subtle design from a 'First Edition' paper pad for the top layer.  Added accents of stickles glitter in 'Star Dust' and delicate faux half pearls to provide the finishing touches.  This design and colourway has been very popular with my customers, I should make more but at the moment I'm selfishly keeping the remainder of that purple corded for myself, for those moments when you just NEED to stroke paper, and besides it's purple!!  did I mention it was purple?  :-D

Materials Used:
Purple Corded paper  - Papermill Direct
Birdsong 8x8 pad  - First Edition
Pink Bazzill Cardstock
White Card & white Pearlescent paper from own stash
StarDust - Stickles Glitter glue
Self Adheshive Faux pearls

Tools Used:
Cricut Mini- Provocraft