Design Team Call at Creative Expressions

Creative Expressions have a design team call out at the moment and this is my entry.

The challenge was to include some texture into the project which I have achieved using the Creative Expression Bark embossing folder.

To start, I created a circle mask with a post it note, placed it onto white card and blended Dried Marigold and Tea Dye distress inks to create my background. Using the Creative Expressions Dandelion Wishes stamp set, I stamped the bird on the branch over the sun.

As where I stamped the bird was partially inked, I stamped it a second time and mounted it foam pads. I stamped the foliage background using second generation impression to create a lighter image, giving perspective.

Taking some Kraft cardstock, I embossed it with the Bark embossing folder to keep with the natural theme.

Taking a pen, I rolled the corner of the cardstock around the barrel to create a curl and glued it down with Cosmic Shimmer clear glue. I only had to hold it in place for a few seconds to allow the glue to set to give a very strong hold.

This embossed panel was laid over the bird scene, glued in place and the edges inked to highlight the embossing.

The sentiment was stamped and die cut using the Spellbinders Labels Eighteen

and I cut some Spellbinders Floral Flourishes and mounted them behind the sentiment.

The card was then simply matted and layered with some piercing around the edges.

Hope you like it!
Mel xxx

Glorious Christmas

I love this sentiment from the new Guardian Angel stamp set - I think it summarises all that Christmas should be!

This card is so quick and simple to make. Once I had die cut the Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles 

from white card, I embossed it using the Couture Creations Wild Poinsettia embossing folder -

making sure that I did not close the folder over the die.

I mounted the embossed panel onto a Kraft card base with mounting foam for dimension.

The sentiment was stamped onto a strip of white card and embossed with glittery gold embossing powder. I nipped the end of the strip with scissors to create a banner. The edges of the banner were inked with Versamark and embossed using the glittery gold embossing powder.

I took a length of American Seam Binding and tied it into a bow. Once I had snipped the tails, I inked them with Versamark and heat embossed them with the gold embossing powder.

I attached the sentiment to the card front with the ribbon bow, some twine and a button from my stash.

A very quick and easy Christmas card - great for batch making!

Mel xxxx

Have a Ball!

This week I have been exploring the versatility of the new Creative Expressions Kraft Paper Pads.

These are 6x6 inch pads in either Black/Ivory or Kraft/Black and can be coloured with distress inks, shimmer sprays, alcohol pens etc to perfectly match any project.

The paper in the packs is almost card weight so can take a lot of ink without tearing or breaking down.

For this Harlequin card, I started with the Ivory/Black pad - using a script pattern and a diamond pattern.

I inked both patterned papers with Wild Honey distress stain and set aside to dry.

I stamped my Harlequin onto cream card, coloured him in with copics and cut him out

On another piece of cream card, I stamped the sentiment  from the Venetian Mask stamp set

and die cut it using one of the Spellbinders Fancy Tags Two

and blended with Wild Honey Distress Ink while the card was still in the die.

From some black card stock, I die cut the largest Spellbinders Fleur De Lis rectangle

and the border from the Spellbinders Persian Accents set

I trimmed the border as I only wanted to use the narrow beaded strip.

I trimmed the script patterned paper to fit the inside of the fleur de lis rectangle.

On a black 6x6 card blank, I matted the diamond patterned paper and layered on the die cut shapes, Harlequin and sentiment.

The corners were decorated with Cosmic Shimmer black pearly glue

A fun party card I think!
Mel xxx

New In - Paper Pads and Pearl Embellishments

Our latest products have just arrived - including the new Creative Expressions 6x6 Paper Pads and Pearl Embellishments - as seen on Create and Craft TV.

Hope you like them xxxx

16 Marmosets, 3 Dogs and a Traffic Cop

Have you ever noticed how stressful situations bring out the extremes of personalities? 

Strangers, friends, family and all, let us say the best and the worst!  Here is a little story of just such extremes:

It is two days before Christmas and it has been an amazingly hot and dry summer (yes I did say summer as I live in South Africa) and I am having a leisurely cuppa with my sister sitting around the pool - the calm before the storm!

The lodge we owned and ran was booked out from Boxing Day onwards for the next ten days.

"What is that mist over there?" My sister enquires. "That is not mist that is fire!" We call the fire brigade who assure us they are aware and "everything is under control anyway it is miles from you".

Boxing Day morning arrives and four of our first guests are due to arrive. Two are from Germany and two from Johannesburg who we must pick up from the airport. I am faffing around with pretty decorations and arranging the table for the evening meal. Then I see it out of the dining room window - the "mist" is back. This time it is just the other side of the swimming pool!! I phone my husband in town who phones the Fire Brigade who tell him “sorry all of the engines are out as the Wilderness is on fire”. 

Two trucks turn up with water tanks on their rear to fight a fire which is now surrounding the two sides of the property. I phone my sister who arrives hysterical - not such a good idea with hindsight, with her usually comically funny husband who is now speechless.

The staff are busy throwing buckets of water from the pool to the surrounding area. The rest of us are running around like crazy with hose pipes. The pine trees are exploding as they do and firing gooey fireworks everywhere. Guests are still at the airport, so I phone and explain that they must hire a car which we will pay for and I will find them other accommodation.

Half an hour later a car pulls up the drive, the first of the guests.  Running across the lawn and oblivious of my appearance I greet them. The woman looked beautiful in a long summer dress and the husband equally elegant. I apologise and ask a member of staff to take them to the bar make them some tea and I will be back in a moment. 

By now we are surrounded as the fire is behind the cottages, in front of the lodge, beyond the pool and it is snowing ash and sticky bombs!!

The second couple turn up and once again I run to explain and apologise. The German lady says “I am so disappointed I wanted to sit around the pool and look at the view”. Deep breath, “well you have a drink” I say “and then decide what you would like to do”. 

Now I am missing the other two guests from the bar, through the window I see the beautiful lady with her dress hitched up and a hose pipe in her hand along with her partner keeping the fire at bay from the Koi Pond! Oh my god could this get any worse? Apparently! A siren comes up the drive; thank goodness, the fire brigade? No, a traffic cop who has come to tell me that I must vacate the property by order of the Traffic Department as we are in danger- really?  Deep breath, “I have 16 Marmoset monkeys, 3 dogs and so far 4 guests - what do you suggest I do with them? Go away or be useful" is the polite version - he went away. 

In the meantime my sister has put the valuables into the car ready for when we do ultimately have to do a runner. The Germans are fighting it out in their room and the elegant couple are having a glass of wine in reception and thanks to Mr Dundee and my brother in law, staff and a few fire fighters things are a little more under control.  My gallant guest offers me a glass of wine and asks "have you looked in the mirror recently?"

My face was black and streaked with tears, my hair full of ash and my white T shirt full of holes and globs of goo.

The outcome? The Germans left, the elegant guests stayed for 10 days and laughed about it , the fire continued at bay for 3 days. Monkeys survived, dogs came out of hiding and we all lived to tell the tale. Isn’t life wonderful?

Linda xxx

Elegant Stag

I am in the midst of making my Christmas cards using our newest set of Christmas stamps.

This card is very Sue Wilson-stylee - quite simple but luxurious.

To start I took some pink cardstock, and used a corner rounding punch.

Laying the largest die from the Spellbinders Persian Motifs

onto the card, I ran it through the Grand Calibur using the embossing plate and mat. This embosses the snowflake-like shape into the card stock without cutting it.

I stamped out the Elegant Stag and stars

onto a die cut circle and mounted onto the centre of the Persian Motif with foam pads.

Using a lot of patience, I laid the Creative Expressions Gem Swirl

across the centre of the card - only pressing it into place once I was happy with the position of the swirl.

Once I had stamped out the sentiment I mounted the panel onto the card base.

The outside edge of the card was embellished using Black Pearly PVA glue.

I placed the larger dots first, then randomly filled in the gaps with smaller dots and left to dry overnight.

Mel xxx

Friends

This is the last in the Ease of Embossing series which appears in this month's Creative Cardmaking.

To make this card you will need - 

Couture Creations Seedling Nouveau Embossing Folder

Spellbinders Bird Flourishes die set

Creative Expressions Thoughtful Sentiments Stamp Set       
    

Vintage Ribbon - Eggshell/Teal     

Creative Expressions Black Gem Swirl

Creative Expressions Black Hat Pins

White/Teal Cardstock

Memento black ink pad
Button

Instructions to make:

Fold some white card stock in half to create your card blank and trim to 5 inches wide.

Stamp the sentiment and emboss the bottom 2 inches of the card with the Seedling Nouveau embossing folder.

Emboss a strip of white card and mount onto a slightly larger strip of teal card.

Mount onto the front of the card with foam tape.

Take a length of white and teal ribbon and tie around the card in a bow.

Die cut two flourishes from the Bird Flourishes die set and adhere behind the bow, then decorate with hat pins and a button.

To finish, add a Creative Expressions black gem swirl.
And that's it - a nice and simple one!
Mel xxx

New Range of Christmas Stamps exclusive to Crimson Cloud

Hi Everyone,

Our latest range of Christmas Stamps is now ready to order.

There are four stamps sets in the range -

Elegant Stag and Sentiments
stamp set

Guardian Angel and Sentiments
stamp set

Christmas Languages
Background stamp

Script Trees and Sentiments
stamp set

Each stamp set is A6 in size and made in clear acrylic and sticks straight onto your acrylic block.

Here are some ideas of what you can do with these beautiful stamp sets -

I hope you like these new stamps. We will be adding more ideas of what you can do with them soon.
Mel xxx

Kindness

This card is the second in the series on The Ease of Embossing and appears in this month's edition of Creative Cardmaking.

For this project, you will need -

Couture Creations Compassionate Embossing Folder

Spellbinders Antique Frame and Accents die set

Creative Expressions Sincere Sentiments Stamp Set   

            
Silky Crush Ribbon Black      

    

Dried Marigold Distress Ink Pad

Creative Expressions Black Pearly PVA glue

Creative Expressions White Hat Pins

Dried Marigold Distress Stain

White/Black Cardstock

Memento black ink pad

Instructions to make:

Fold some black card stock in half to create your card blank. Cut some white cardstock to fit and layer onto the card front.

Emboss a panel of white cardstock with the Compassionate embossing folder. Blend some Dried Marigold Distress Stain over the embossing to bring out the flowers.

Tie the black silk crush ribbon around the bottom of the panel and embellish with the hat pins. Layer onto black card and mount onto the card front.

Stamp the sentiment and die cut the large tag using the Antique and Accents die set. Blend the Dried Marigold ink pad around the edges before removing the sentiment from the die.

Draw around the edge of the tag die on black card and cut out to layer behind your sentiment. Mount the centre panel of your sentiment on foam pads to give extra dimension.

Decorate the corner of the card with the ornate corners cut from the Antique & Accents die set.

After assembling the card, dot around the edges with Cosmic Shimmer pearly glue and leave to dry. 

Have fun!

Mel xxx