Trying times

Hi Crafty Friends

This week we did a bright, cheerful card - much at odds with these trying times.

I wanted to mix and match a lot of the papers from a new pad, so I thought a shutter card would be ideal. I made templates for everyone to make the construction easier - pity I made them the wrong size!
That hiccup over it was on with the  hardest part, deciding which paper to put where.

We had enough paper to make a second card, so folks went home with homework. This is my version, not quite finished. I think I'll decoupage the big butterfly and add some more embellies (buttons?)

Sad to say this was our last meeting as we are now closed for the duration of this wretched virus.
We've kept going (mostly) through flood and fire, but we've had to give in to pestilence.
I hope it won't be too long before we're back crafting again.
Stay safe and
happy crafting
jx

Z fold card for a gardener

Hi Crafty Friends

This week my lawn got its (long overdue) first cut, so with gardening in mind, I decided to use my Secret Garden papers again. I was aiming for a card that could be for male or female gardeners, and I think I just about made it 🙂

The Z fold proved a popular shape, and as it's one of my faves, we might have to do some more.
Apart from the hollyhocks and the big plant pot, the embellishments were cut from the patterned paper, so there was a fair bit of fussy cutting, but it didn't take too long, so on Tuesday, there was plenty of time to appreciate the delicious cupcakes supplied by June. (Thanks June).

In the background you can just see the birdhouse which Jackie very kindly gave me, so I could give it the Powertex treatment. She also gave me some lovely embellishments and lent me hers to copy - so I have no excuse (watch this space!)

Happy Crafting
jx

Shabby chic roses

Hi Crafty Friends

I've been buying a lot of crafty bits from a house clearance. It's a sad way to acquire new stash, but the lovely vendors were pleased it was going to get used by the club. These papers (Steampunk Romance by Paper Boutique) were among my haul. The card base was very easy but there were a lot of roses to make.
I think I might add a sentiment to mine as I've covered up the embossed happy birthdays.

happy crafting

jx

Glitter on Black

Hi Crafty Friends

This week I thought we'd try something different (for us) - Spectrum Noir Glitter ink on black.
We heat embossed a floral design on black card and then painted the leaves and petals with white gesso, before repainting them with the Glitter Ink. We added more glitter with sequins. I got a bit carried away and did a few samples. It was an easy project so people could do another one if they wanted to. The flowers also looked lovely with just the gesso, so I've left one plain (not shown), as did some of the others.
These are all Woodware stamps; the first one is a new-ish acquisition but I've had the others ages. I was pleased to give them an outing. The sentiments are up on pads, but apart from that the cards are flat, so a good for posting make.

Needless to say, they are all a lot more sparkly in real life.
Happy Crafting
jx

Stick a Butterfly on it!

Hi Crafty Friends

This week was all about butterflies and getting inky. We made our own backgrounds using Distress Oxides and then stamping over them for more texture before adding foliage and butterflies. I made 4 examples and created more backgrounds using up the ink left over on other people's mats. I made some of my best backgrounds that way (serendipity, eh!)

We had a lot of fun, a visitor, Anna, (come back soon!) and a lot of scrumptious cake, both days - thanks June and Kath.
Since the class, I've been delighted to see some more finished projects - emailed or in real life. They all look FAB. Thanks for that - I love to see other takes on the basic idea.
Now, I'm looking forward to using all my extra backgrounds.
happy crafting
jx

Christmas Already!!!

Hi Craft Friends
Last week we were celebrating spring daffodils and this week we were plunged back into winter with a Christmas card (but not totally inappropriate with the weather we've been having). Anyhoo, Christmas cards were requested, so this is what we did.
It's an A6, flat for posting card, using a pretty die I used for quite a few of my own Christmas cards. I like how versatile it is, and as it doesn't need much else, it's quite quick to make.

We had time for a quick extra make - a small octagonal treat box, ideal for table favours or for stuffing with mini Easter eggs. It was really simple to make with just 2 dies. I used up scraps of paper for my samples and everyone raided my scraps box for theirs. A great stash buster!

happy crafting
Jx

Spring is sprung

Hi Crafty Friends

Well, the daffodils are out in my garden, so I guess Spring is here! To celebrate we did a card with daffodils. The flower die is a layering set from Altenew which was free with a magazine ages ago, which I haven't used before. The fancy white frame is unbranded, which possibly explains its weird proportions that fit no known envelope.
It's a tent fold card, which I'm not so keen on because they don't always stand up well, but it had to go this way to fit a sentiment into the central panel. I've footled about this afto making a sentiment on the computer which will fit in longways, so this die might be getting another outing before too long.

happy crafting
jx

Birds of a Feather

Hi Crafty Friends

This week we did a multi-purpose card. I put 'happy birthday' on mine, but others chose 'new home', 'thinking of you', 'get well soon', 'have a great day'. I just had to find small stamps to fit the tag.
I like these pretty papers with a touch of Spring about them (I have a few daffodils out, so we can but hope!)

It was a really quick and easy card. The birds were cut from the patterned paper in the pad, so inking the flowers and the butterfly was the only colouring.
Happy crafting
jx

All that jazz

Hi Crafty Friends

This week we had two cards to make. I bought this piano die a while ago, but it wasn't until I thought of combining it with the sax player we had out last week that I felt inspired to use it. This was really easy, really flat for posting and quick to make. Result!
The ribbon is really sparkly metallic thread, but it defied my best efforts to photograph it. I chose a birthday sentiment, but I think it would make a good 'get well', 'thinking of you' card as well.

I provided two versions of the next card.

I thought it could be used for anniversaries, engagements or even a valentine, but we also had other options for those who didn't want to put a couple on it. This was a bit more involved than the first card, because the arched layer is letterpressed and we used partial die cutting to extend the height of the aperture.

Happy Crafting

jx

Grungy Stamping

Hi Crafty Friends

I based this week's projects on what I remember of a card I made with my good pal, Debbie. I used two slightly different techniques. In the first I stamped splurgy coloured backgrounds, then stamped over them with grungy background stamps before finishing them with die cut embellishments.

In the second set I stamped a focal image, masked over it and stamped a background, either with one big stamp or with lots of little one to make my own pattern. I painted the first two with Distress Oxides and used a layering stamp set for the last one.

happy crafting
Jx

Happy New Year

Hi Crafty Friends

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and that 2020 brings you all sorts of crafty fun.
We started back this week, and as usual after Christmas, I started with a fresh Spring like feel. We had another go at stamping wreaths.
This is the main card I made for people to copy if they wanted. I trawled though all my stamps to find diddy bits of foliage.

I had accidentally bought the same set of stamps twice, but it turned out one of them had been made back to front, so I got a left and a right facing set. Result!! I found some dies that made loads of tiny flowers, one set free with a mag and one Britannia, I think, so this came together quite quickly.

Then I made some more for myself which I showed just for a few ideas.

And then I experimented and made a HUGE template for this 8x8" card

I was happy with how it came out, though I'm not generally a fan of massive cards. This gave me loads more scope for stamping. I stamped the teal coloured flowers on coloured paper and inked them to get shading, and then had to cut them all out by hand!! Aaargh!

This is the template, loads bigger than my stamp platform, but it doesn't seem to matter.

happy stamping

Jan x