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 Pin It Now!

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

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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

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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

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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 Pin It Now!

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

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The Ease of Embossing

This month we were lucky enough to be invited to produce some projects for Creative Cardmaking Making on the Ease of Embossing.

Here is our first project -

To make this card you will need -

Couture Creations All A Flutter Embossing Folder

Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles Dies Set

Creative Expressions Thoughtful Sentiments Stamp Set

Cosmic Shimmer Pearl White PVA Glue

Spun Sugar Distress Ink

White Cardstock

Memento Ink Pad

Instructions to Make:

Stamp your sentiment onto white card stock. Lay the largest rectangle die over the sentiment and die cut using your manual die cutting machine.

Without removing the card, place the die in your embossing folder and run through your machine a second time to emboss the butterflies.

Still keeping the card in the die, blend the Spin Sugar ink over the card to highlight the embossing.

Emboss another piece of white card and cut out the butterfly shape. Ink again with the Spun Sugar.

Stick the cut out butterfly onto your topper with foam pads, lifting the wings to give dimension.

Fold a piece of A4 cardstock in half. Place your large rectangle die over the folded card and draw around it in pencil. Cut out by hand to create your card base.

Adhere your topper to the base with foam pads.

Decorate your dimensional butterfly with Cosmic Shimmer Pearl PVA glue.

I hope you enjoy this one!

Mel xxx

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