New Baby “Welcome” card

Don’t you just love this Baby Giraffe stamp by Imaginisce? The actual stamp is smaller than this image but I needed it to be much larger as the focal point for the card, so I stamped it, scanned it in, and made it bigger in Photoshop, then quickly clear embossed the printed image before the ink dried.

The guy I made this card for wanted it to reflect the new Dad’s career (police force) so I included the checkerboard police logo as the background focal. This is why I needed the giraffe to be so much bigger – to tone down the very striking checkerboard effect of the logo! The shooting star is to incorporate the baby’s brother whose name is ‘Cosmo’. Cute name, huh?

Then I just inked the Basic Grey White Chocolate Chip micro stickers with some pink chalk ink, stamped a sentiment from Woodware’s Jane’s Script stamp set, and the card was complete!

How I store my Dies

I thought I’d do you a very quick video below showing you how I store my dies in my craft room. I use lots of different brands of dies; die-namics, Cuttlebug/Provocraft, Nestabilities, store brand dies etc, and a lot of them have several dies in each set – and some are quite small and easily lost. So I store all of mine in empty cd cases, using magnetic self-adhesive sheets to hold the dies in place. Then I can see exactly what’s where, and clearly identify missing ones that I’ve left lying around my craft area (tut-tut, Wendy!) and need finding immediately before they accidently get binned!

How I store my Distress Inks

Super quick post today. And you get to see a bit of my craft room – this is the tidy bit, lol!

I get asked a lot how I store my distress inks. I have them in a stack, stored face up (Distress Inks are so juicy, they don’t need to be stored face down like other pads). I simply identify the colour on each side of the pad using a tiny sticker coloured with the ink itself. Very easy, very quick, and saves a whole lotta hassle in the long run, constantly searching for a colour, especially if you have lots of ink pads! Hope it helps you all too =)

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

Valentine Heart card & Silhouette Studio tutorial

A completely die cut card, designed (pretty much) from scratch using two downloads from the Silhouette Studio website. In the first video, I will walk you through how I did this, and in the second, I’ll show you how I complied the card from all of the die cuts.


This design requires the above software. Please feel free to click on the image to take you straight to the download page of their website. If you have a Silhouette or a CraftRobo machine, you should be able to download and use this software as they are both the same machines, that (for some strange reason) are sold under different names in different countries.

I hope you find the Silhouette Studio software walkthrough useful. I had considered using Illustrator for this, but it is far more complicated than it needs to be for the purposes of this design.

As you can see, the designing only took me 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s only easy when you know how though; hence I hope the tutorial inspires you to be more adventurous with your designing!

Please don’t forget to rate my videos and subscribe to me over at my YT Channel. Also, if you ‘follow’ my Facebook and Twitter pages, then you’ll always know when my next video/blog post is up.

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube



Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

Thanks for everything!

TWO video tutorials for this card. An unexpected bonus for you all! =)

This card used a new technique (well, new to me!) called Hot Foils / Hot Foiling. My wonderful parents bought me some surprise craft stuff for Xmas and this was one of the goodies. I used a stamp set that was part of the same present (thanks M&D! xx). It’s hard to capture in the photos but these foils are GORGEOUS in real life – so shiny and brilliantly metallic. You could never hope to achieve this level of shine with metallic embossing powders, so it’s good that these hot foils are an option.

I also show you two methods of customising your own patterned paper brads. This means that whatever gorgeous patterned papers you have, you can create perfectly coordinated brads to use on your projects. You could use the I-top brad maker by Imaginisce, but this is not widely available (if at all?) in the UK, so I had to come up with a suitable alternative. I hope this idea inspires you to be more creative with your products!

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube



Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

Christmas 2010 - Card No.5 Holiday Wishes

Something a little different today! This is really not my usual style of Christmas card – mainly because this one is unsuitable to be made in bulk. I’m doing a one-off (for once!).


There just isn’t enough patterned paper in the paper pack to create more than a few of this exact design. But that’s ok; it makes a nice change to make a singular card, rather than having to think up a design that can be replicated in bulk.

I like every part of this card except the glossy accents on the “Wishes” word. The ink underneath the glossy accents smudged during the drying process. I should’ve realised that this would happen, using distress inks, it was inevitable, but I thought I’d risk it…and lost. But it doesn’t look too bad I guess. I’m just going to pretend it was meant to look like that, although for future reference, I will only use chalk inks or StazOn inks for applying glossy accents to! Lol!

I’m super pleased with how the snowflakes have turned out. These are my own design that I’ve made into stamps using the ImagePac stamp kit. I’ve also created a slightly larger version of the stamp to use as a die cut. So I can die cut loads of the snowflakes in advance, and then stamp straight onto the cut-out. This then saves me having to cut out very intricate shapes by hand – and looks a lot more crisp and professional. And you don’t get RSI from cutting out loads of shapes =)

The video is below as usual. Hope you enjoy!  Don’t forget to comment and subscribe at my YT Channel, and to join my Facebook group for my blog and YouTube updates. Have a great day!

Watch video below | Watch at YouTube

BLOG CANDY {Giveaway} - One Year in Video Blogging

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR THE WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!

This project marks my first anniversary in video blogging!

So to celebrate I am giving away the project I have created to one lucky winner, and also one set of the digital files & stamps I used to make it to another winner.

To enter the competition, please leave a comment in the following places:
{1} under the video entry at YouTube
{2} on the video post at MyGrafico.com
and
{3} comment on this blog entry.
To improve your chances of winning, you may enter three times by leaving one comment at each  site!




If you can’t wait until the draw date, you can purchase the sets by Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff from MyGrafico by clicking on these links:
Recipe Cards & Folio SVG files (for Cricut)
Recipe Cards Digital Stamp set

Good luck!

Rules: You can enter 3 times by commenting on each site (here at my blog, YouTube and MyGrafico) To make this fair, please submit only one comment per person per site – all comments will be checked =) International entries welcome

The closing date is midnight (GMT) on Saturday 27th February. 

The video is below as usual. Don’t forget to subscribe over at my YT Channel and to follow my blog to see my future projects and video tutorials =)

Breaking out new paper stacks

I thought I’d share a quick tip with you guys for opening new paper stacks. They always seem to come with those irritating sticky circles on the sides and/or the bottom of the stack, and if you try to peel them off, you either rip the cover of the stack (grr!) or it leaves behind a horrible sticky mess that sticks to all your other stacks when storing. Double grr!
So I use a craft knife to slice down the front and back of the sticker, and just peel of the remaining sticker down the edge of the stack. Peeling this doesn’t leave behind the sticky residue that’s normally left on the cover and back, so it’s a perfect way to break out your new paper.
Video below (it’s far easier to see than to explain!). I do hope you find this a useful tip!

Card Design/Sketch Booklets

 
Today’s video is for something a bit different. I got fed up of having all my card designs/sketches all on random post-it notes or scrap bits of paper all over the place, so I decided to create a little booklet that I can take with me wherever I go, to jot down the designs whenever I get them. Which can be at absolutely any random time or place, let me assure you! LOL!
I’d been thinking about creating something like this for ages, and then Kristina Werner created something similar for herself, which gave me the incentive to stop being lazy and get to it! Kristina’s design wasn’t quite what I had in mind, nor did it make best use of the A4 paper size we have here in the UK, so I took the plunge and designed my own. Click here for the PDF of my inserts (from A4 paper).

Both booklets have ‘flat’ designs on the front cover, so when you’re doodling on the inside left-hand pages, you’re not drawing over the lumps and bumps of 3d design work on the cover. Also, this booklet will be travelling about in my handbag a lot, therefore, it needs to be durable! I have also considered covering the whole cover in sticky plastic to give that extra durability.

Below is the video and as usual, please view it in HQ (click on the button in the bottom right-hand corner) and go over to my YT channel to rate & subscribe! Thanks for watching! ;0)

Good Old Grandad!

I had done a video for this card…but it’s never made it to the editing stage. But I figured I can’t make a video for every card I create – there’s just not enough time! So I will just talk you through what I did instead.


This area of the card has been embossed with a cuttlebug folder, but I added a twist. Before placing the patterned paper into the folder, I rubbed one side of the folder with some versamark ink. This ensured that all of the none embossed bits (i.e. not the raised stuff) got inked, meaning that when I took it out of the cuttlebug I could hit it with some clear e.p and heat emboss it. The overall effect was that the depressed bits looked almost wet where the e.p had ‘pooled’. You could increase this effect by using UTEE.

I then cut this to size, added another contrasting piece of patterned paper from the same paper stack and stuck to the base card, inking in orange around the top patterned paper. I tied a thick piece of ribbon around the join and tied it off the edge of the card using string.
The sentiment was a combination of chipboard letters and white gel pen handwriting on card cut using the Labels1 Nestibilities dies, adhered to another slightly larger label from the same set and mounted onto the card using 3d foam stickers. The addition of 3 green eyelets to balance the card and the card is complete.

Quick Triangle Box tutorial

These boxes are so popular at the moment, and I can totally see why – they are so ridiculously simple and easy to make! You don’t even need a template to cut around, just a rectangle of your favourite patterned cardstock and a few score lines as shown below:
Dead easy! I've used papers from MyGrafico - (Tyka Patterns & Chocolate Mint Papers) they also have a great selection of Halloween and Christmas papers, making this project a great way to wrap a simple gift like sweeties or even something more personal, like jewellery. Digi papers are great because you can print them out on exactly the right weight cardstock/paper for the project you're doing. This was perfect for this box as the rigidity is necessary to protect the gift. Most patterned paper just wouldn’t cut the mustard for this ;0)

You could also be more adventurous and cut out a window and cover with acetate on the inside before assembling. This would give a great ‘peep-hole’ if you were filling with sweets. You could also print on both sides of the cardstock if you were doing this, so that the colour would show through the window.
The tutorial video is below. If you enjoyed this tutorial, I’d love if you could leave a comment or a link to a project that this has inspired you to make – it would be great to see what you’ve made! Please hop over to my YT channel to rate & subscribe. Thanks for watching! ;0)

Butterfly Garden

I wanted to have a play around with something 3d for this card…so I used vellum to create this really vibrant colourful butterfly. I’ve used some digital stamps and clipart from MyGrafico. First off, I prepared the vellum with 4 or 5 layers of acrylic matte gel medium. This was to strengthen the vellum, so it would be able to stand up to being the 3d focal point of this card without going flat/creased or (worse still) tearing, due to the vellum being so delicate. I used gel medium because it dries matte and clear. If you’re on a budget, you can always use PVA glue on the reverse of the design as this will do the same thing, but of course it will dry shiny not matte.

I used clear embossing powder to ‘set’ the digital print out on the vellum, but then I re-heated the clear embossing powder and whacked some black e.p. over the top. Doing it this way instead of hitting it with the black e.p. first off, gives you a much messier, splotchy effect.

Depending on what you’re going for depends which way you approach this. I liked the effect – after all, butterflies don’t tend to be subtle, pastel coloured things – they’re usually vibrant and gorgeous in their brilliance. I like the fact that this butterfly STANDS OUT but doesn’t overpower the card. Shame I forget its antennae…was going to add some twisted wire, but I forgot. Oops!

The video below shows you the card from start to finish. I hope it’s informative and shows you how great the digi stamps and clip arts can be when combined in a project. I just love playing about with them – in fact the only thing that is holding me back now is my printer’s run out of ink! ;0)

Please hop over to YT to rate and subscribe…thanks for watching!

Decoupage flower building & using flower cut-out to create patterned background

So here is the card I hinted at yesterday! An exceptionally quick card to put together, with lovely rich summery colours…the weather here isn’t being very obliging, so I’m putting some sunshine in my craft room instead ;0)

Using pre-cut decoupage flowers, I’ll show you how to build the flower, and use the discarded cut-out shape to create your own background on your base card. This is a super-fast card, and super effective, especially when you consider how easy it is to create and achieve this effect!


The flower papers I used are medium weight – just perfect for being strong enough not to tear and malleable enough to be teased into the shape you want. These papers are (unusually!) UK only papers, but I’m sure there are other just as delectable papers out there in other countries for you to try this technique.

The video below is shorter than normal, reflecting how quick this card was to create. I hope you enjoy watching this, and would love to hear any comments or questions that you may have. If you nip over to YouTube you can subscribe to my channel and rate the video to let other’s know what you thought of it.

Thanks for watching! ;0)

Smile! Kristina's 50th CIC!!

Wow! 50 colour challenges!!! That's some serious dedication to the blogging world, and we all love and appreciate Kristina's inspirational designs. She dedicates a serious amount of time to her blogging and YouTube folllowers and I can only live in awe...I'm lucky if I get to post once a week, and I've only managed to take part in one of Kristina's colour challenges before (see this post).

I decided to do another circular card and add some big scallops around the edge.  I added some doodling - in brown ink - so no rules broken!! ;0) just to give the edge a little more more interest. 

I also loved Kristina's idea of stapling and folding ribbon as she beautifully demonstrates on her card here.  It was a bit fiddly at first, but I soon got used to it and I loved the effect! I will definitely be using this technique again!

I jazzed up a bit of plain vellum by staining it with the same yellow colour as the yellow base card. I love the way this gives off a yellow 'shadow' when the light shines through it.

Below is the video tutorial of me making this card. It is best viewed in high quality, so press play, then click on the HQ button in the bottom right of the video. If you enjoy it, please go over to my YouTube page and rate & subscribe. Thanks for watching ;0)

A crafty weekend with Mom...

 

Mom and I got together this weekend for a few days just us girls. Mom is very new to cardmaking, so she asked me to give her a  few tips and show her some techniques...so we went to my local craft shop, spent far too much on some lovely craft goodies, and then between us we came up with these designs.....my wonderful talented Mom picks things up quick, don't you think?!?

The 'congrats' was using chipboard stickers, then inked them up with some red ink, poured clear embossing powder over the wet ink, heated it, then stuck the stickers onto the card. Beware when using this technique - the combination of the embossing powder and the heating, usually ends up that the stickiness of the stickers is lost, but that's quickly solved with some glue!

This card is simply demonstrating how you can use a few basic colours, lifted with some patterned paper, to create a really quick and effective card. Mom enjoyed making this - she LOVES those chipboard stickers ;o)

This is a close up of the card below. Mom wanted to have a play with my Cuttlebug, so we took some patterned paper and a really expensive (not!) cereal box and die cut this flower shape then adhered it to the card using a matching brad. If you cut the paper and the cardboard at the same time, you get a really crisp die cut, that you just glue together, giving your patterned paper the strength it needs to be a stand-alone topper. I'm still convinced that the best 'chipboard' you can use in the Cuttlebug is cut up cereal boxes - and it's far cheaper than buying the proper stuff by the sheet! 

The stamped image is done by inking up the stamp, stamping it once on a bit of scrap paper, then stamping it onto the card. This gives a more subtle stamp effect - great for building a background with.

I intend on using some of the techniques we used here and doing a couple of videos, but I couldn't do any over at the weekend, cos we had to use my dining room to do our crafting - my craft area is too small for two people.

Well I hope you've enjoyed seeing what me and my mom got up to over the weekend, check back later this week for a video tutorial - I filmed a couple tonight, but I need to edit and publish them to YouTube and that takes a while....

DIY photo corners

This is just a short tutorial on how to make your own photo corners. I was shopping about for some for my wedding albums, and I was shocked at how expensive they were for something so simple.

So I had a play about and came up with this method of making them using just a 2" square punch....

These were just some I knocked up really quickly, but they look like the shop bought ones. You can even play about with the size - use a bigger initial square or cut a deeper notch - or not even cut out a  notch at all - just have a diagonal photo corner.

Don't forget to click on the HQ button in the right hand corner of the video - this improves the quality no end.

Please head over to YouTube to rate and subscribe ;0)