New Blog Candy and Some Christmas Inspiration

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well:) We have sunshine today so I am hoping that we have summer back:) Apologies for not posting sooner as I had said I would....I just don't know where the time goes and with yesterdays class I just haven't had a spare minute:( Obviously I have had to fit some time in for hubby as I can't imagine with my TV schedule this week we will see much of each other.

Blog Candy

So as promised here is the chalkboard card that I demo'd on the show and if you would like the chance to win this card, a Heartfelt Creations stamp of your choice and some crafting goodies just leave a comment on this post and you will automatically go into the random org draw which I will announce next Sunday:)

This is the sample card that I made and not the actual one that I demo'd and I did this one slightly different which gives it a different chalkboard effect:

• I have taken my black card and dusted over it with an anti static bag which stops any excess embossing powder sticking where you don't want it too.
• Stamp the image with an embossing ink of your choice and add your Cosmic Shimmer detailed embossing powder and gently tap off any excess.
• Heat with your heat embossing tool.
• Now as I just mentioned on this one I have also stamped the image again with some white pigment ink (you can also use a chalk ink) offsetting the stamp slightly giving the letters a shadow.
• I have then added some of the white ink using my finger, rubbing in circular motion. I have added more in places to give it a more realistic look.
• Next I have added some green and red pencil as you can see in the picture and again rubbed a little white ink over it to tone down the colours slightly.
• I have assembled the card as in picture and added some Heartfelt Creation Poinsettias and some of the decorative leave flourishes from the Cut Mat Create  collection. I have also added some of the white ink to the poinsettias to also give these a chalky loo. When stamping the poinsettias I have also used white embossing powder.
• To finish off I have added a little Cosmic Shimmer Mica Flakes to the centre of the poinsettias.

One of my teamies on the Heartfelt Creations Design Team Gini Cagle has done a similar chalkboard technique using just white ink...this is a great technique if you don't have embossing powders and a heat gun, but would like to give this chalkboard card a go:)
Now I also promised to share my Lantern that I made and taught a class of ladies at Sir Stampalot yesterday.  My inspiration for this was from another teamie on the Heatfelt Design Team Joanne Jamieson - Larkin you can find her lantern here and lot's more 3D projects....she is so talented and has some great projects on her blog:)

 Festive Christmas Lantern

•  I made the lantern using a template that I made which was similar to the one that Joanne made. Joanne has a link on her blog to one very similar, but it is smaller that mine. 
• I have used the Festive Background stamp and heat embossed it in gold detailed embossing powder onto heat resistant acetate to create the windows. I die cut out the windows using the Cut Mat Create die from set 2B
• To decorate the lantern I have add some of the Cut Mat Create decorative borders which I have die cut out in black card.
• I have added some black lace around the chimney and also some pearls on string.
• The poinsettias and holly are of course Heartfelt Creation stamps and dies.
• To finish of the lantern I have added some platinum Stickles glitter and lot's of Pinflair snow dust.

I hope you have enjoyed today's festive post...I will be back tomorrow with a Sunflower project which will be on the show:)
By the way I hope you can all join me for my very first 4 Day Deal which kicks off at 8am with Dean:).....It has been a pretty hectic August prepping for these shows, but I have to say I am so loving my job:) x

Take Care and I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend:) x

Classic Sunflower Sneak Peek

Good morning friends....so how is your week going? Over here in the UK the summer holidays are coming towards the end and the children are preparing to go back to school:) It is a real shame that the weather hasn't been kind to us, but you can guarantee that once they are all back at school that we will have a heat wave lol 
Apologies for those of you that were waiting for the 2nd show on Tuesday....there just wasn't enough of the stock so they had to cancel it and replace it with the Scan N Cut show. Unfortunately the emails were not coming through either so I didn't get to give away the chalkboard effect card that I demo'd so I will be doing a giveaway for this card tomorrow.....I just need to take a photo of the card and I also had promised you all a sneak peek today of the September Collection which is called Classic Sunflower.  So if all goes to plan I will do a post tomorrow with the Chalkboard card and also a blog giveaway tomorrow:)
If you follow the Heartfelt Creations blog and Facebook page you may have already seen a sneak peek of this beautiful collection which is full of Sunflower Splendor:)  This collection takes me back to the end of the 90's when I had a pine kitchen and I had sunflowers stenciled in a border along the top of the wall and baskets of dried flowers and artificial sunflowers dotted around the house.....Do you remember the days when dried flowers were all the rage....I even had bunches hanging from the kitchen ceiling! Now I come to think of it they really were rather unhygienic:)  So this collection has taken me on a trip down  memory lane so I really am loving this collection:)   The collection comprises of 6 stamp sets which include sunflowers, hens, butterflies and verses, a die that you can cut out 11 sunflowers out all in one and of course a beautiful 12"x12" paper pad.

Classic Sunflower Sneak Peek

So here is your sneak peek - This card is using the Sunflower Stem precut stamp set - HCPC 3627 which also includes a butterfly, a small verse and some sunflower seeds

• On some of my samples as with this sunflower I have made my sunflowers a little vintage colouring them in using Distress Markers. I also find that I can colour in much quicker using these!
• So I stamped and coloured in the sunflower onto cream card and die cut it out with Spellbinder Ovals.
• I have chosen a decorative panel from the paper collection and used the Tim Holtz distress tool to distress the edges.  If you don't have one of these you can use the edge of your scissors or a knife. I have matted the panel onto some dusky pale blue card (also distressed the edges) and adhered it to my cream card base which measures about 7" square.
• I have also distressed the edges of the main card and also used some Tea Dye distress ink.
• Next I die cut out the Spellbinder Elegant Oval in the dusky blue card and matted my sunflower image onto it. I have added some lace across the card before adhering it to the left hand side of the card.
• I have stamped and die cut the Classic Sunflowers - You can use this stamp as a background stamp, but you can also use it with the Co-ordinating die which gives you 11 individual sunflowers in various sizes, some sunflower seeds and also 2 cute little ladybirds (lady bugs if you are from the USA). I have stamped it onto a mustard yellow card stock and then used my distress ink - Tea Dye to add a little more detail.
• I have die cut out 2 flourishes from the Spellbinder die set Jewel Flowers and Flourishes in the mustard yellow card stock and die cut some Leaves from the Heartfelt Creations Classic Leaf die set and co-ordinating stamp. 
• I have adhered the sunflower, flourishes and leaves to the card adding a bow and tag from the paper collection.
• To finish off the card I have added some cream Hobby House decorative pearls on string.

So what do you think to this collection so far? I have lot's more inspiration to share with you all including cards, scrapbook layouts, and some altered mdf items! This really has been a gorgeous collection to work with:) As I said tomorrow I will post the Blackboard effect Christmas card with a blog candy giveaway and then hopefully over the weekend I will share some more sneaky peeks before my show on Monday. Ooooh so much to do and a class on Saturday where we will be making a Christmas Lantern...I will share pictures of this tomorrow too:) The Lantern was inspired by one that my fellow teamie Joann Jamieson-Larkin who makes some amazing 3D projects.
Now I really must leave it there as I still have more samples to make for next weeks show.....I am on project 30 and have already 22 cards prepped ready to demo! Not sure that this will be enough so I may do a few more quickie ones just in case:)  This will be my first 4Day Deal so I really am extra excited about this collection:).....can you tell:)
 

A very Festive Chrismas

A very afternoon to you all....I hope you are all having a great Bank Holiday Monday:)  We have the typical English weather here....rain,rain and more rain:( Yikes! I can't believe that it has been over a week since I last blogged:(  I have been busy in my craft room prepping for the Heartfelt Creations September Collection which I will be launching on Create and Craft next Monday....this will be a 4 Day Deal:) You are going to love this collection and I will begin to give you some Sneak peaks on Thursday!...If you love flowers then this will be a great collection for you:)
So here is my card for today using the Festive Christmas Collection (don't forget I will be on Create and Craft tomorrow at 11am and 2pm)  I know many of you may have already made a start on your Christmas projects! It isn't far away now.....this year has just flown by:(

• For this very festive Christmas card I have used the Festive Notes stamp for the background - you can just about see it underneath the Cosmic Shimmer Iced Crystals.
• I have stamped the main image in red and added a little Cosmic Shimmer Pearlscent   mica powder. This stamp is the O Little Town. I have die cut the image out using the Spellbinder Standard Circles.
• The sentiment stamp is from the Dove of Peace stamp.
• I have layered the elements onto the main card using foam pads.
• The Poinsettia is the Christmas Poinsettia stamp and the co-ordinating Sun Kissed Fleur die set.
• The flourishes are from the Sweet Lullaby die set.
• I have added lot's of the Cosmic Shimmer Iced Crystals to give the card a really festive ice feel:)

Sorry for the rather brief tutorial today....believe it or not I am in the middle of having my dreaded roots done:) Thank goodness my hairdresser works Bank Holidays:)
Take Care x

Some more Christmas Inspiration - Believe

A very good evening to you! I hope you have all had a good weekend:)
Today I am sharing another Christmas card with you using the new Heartfelt Creations Festive Christmas collection that was officially launched last Wednesday.  Just a reminder that I will Create & Craft on 26th August with this collection and as far as I am aware the times are 1pm and 5pm, but I will keep you posted on this.

Believe

• I have used just the Festive Christmas paper pad this card.
• I have chosen one of the 6" square panels and adhered this to a white  7" square card base.
• I have die cut out the Spellbinder 2011 Heirloom Ornament die template in red card stock and adhered this with foam pads to the card.
• Next I have die cut out the Dove image, again from the paper collection using the Spellbinder die template - Stately Circles and adhered it to the centre of the Christmas Ornament.
• To create the Poinsettia I have used the Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur die and the Christmas Poinsettia stamp. 
• To create the Holly I have used the Heartfelt Creations Ornamental Add On Die set and the coordinating stamp - Holly Berry.
•  Next I have die cut out the sentiment from the paper pad using the Tags and Luggage die set.
• To finish off  the card I have used some Cosmic Shimmer Mica Flakes, pearls, gems and added a red bow with a Hobby House spacer and brad to the top of the Christmas Ornament.

I just love the warm traditional  feel that this Christmas Collection has and I hope I have inspired you  to maybe start your Christmas cards:)
Take care x

Heartfelt Creations Festive Christmas Release

Happy Wednesday every....the sun is shining here today, not sure that it will last though.

So it is the 2nd Wednesday of the month which only means a new Heartfelt Creations launch. ....You  may have seen me launch this new collection on Create and Craft TV a few weeks ago, but it is now officially the world launch.....which also means if you head on over to the Heartfelt Creations blog HERE you will find lot's of inspiring Christmas creations from the Design Team and also a chance to win the full collection!!! Yes! the full collection including all 6  stamp sets and the gorgeous paper pad:)

Now I have already blogged a few of my cards that I have made using this collection which you can find HERE and HERE but here is today's Festive Christmas inspiration card (sorry it isn't over on the Heartfelt blog today ...I promise I will be back on there next week)

I have chosen this small gatefold card in cream and green...not normally a colour that I would choose for a Christmas card, but I think it is a beautiful combination.

• I have created a gatefold card using a piece of cream card measuring 9" x 5 1/4".
• I stamped each image onto a separate pieces of card and cut them to give about 4mm border. The ink that I have used is Ranger Archival  - Olive
• So I stamped the poinsettia border 4 times. This stamp is from the Festive Candlelight stamp set HCPC 3623.
• I adhered the 2 outer ones with foam pads,cut out the poinsettias, shaped them and adhered them to the outside borders on the card leaving the middle one from the left hand side as I added this after the sentiment.
• I stamped the sentiment from the Dove of Peace stamp set - HCPC 3621 and cut it out and adhered this to the left hand side of the out side of the card. I have then added the poinsettia and also a small flourish in cream card which I have die cut out from the Arianna Blooms collection.
• To finish off the card I have added some Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Mica Flakes and some gems.

This card took about 1 hour to complete and to be honest I think the adding of the gems took longer than actually assembly the card:)

I will be back soon with some more festive inspiration:)
Take care x

Two Blog Candy Winners and an Inspirational Arianna Blooms Layout

A very good evening everyone:)   I hope you all had a good weekend and didn't experience too much rain.  We have had quite a bit of flooding here in East Anglia although I myself have been fortunate not to have been affected.  If you are one of those who has been affected by this awful weather then my prayers go out to you and your families....hopefully  our summer will return soon! Thankfully the rain held off on Saturday so I got to enjoy my time at Cadwell park with hubby.....ok it wasn't my thing I admit, but we had a nice picnic and my grandson was fascinated by the fast colourful cars!

Two Blog candy Winners

It is time for me to announce another blog candy winner:) Now as you may already know it was my birthday yesterday (I spent the morning with my youngest daughter whom accompanied me to Dunhelm for a little retail therapy and I spent the afternoon in my craft room topped off with a meal with the family) ... So anyway as I was saying as it was my birthday yesterday so I thought I would pick 2 lucky winners this time!!!!!

The first lucky winner is...................... Homebird  and the 2nd lucky winner is.................Samantha Wade!!!!! If you both email me with your chosen Heartfelt Creations stamp I will get your stamp and crafting goodies off to you:)

 

Arianna Blooms Layout

Now for todays inspiration! I have used the Arianna Paper collection, stamps and dies to create this layout featuring my very beautiful granddaughter Amelia who was 2 when this photo was taken.  She is now almost 3 and is growing up so fast!  

•  As I said earlier, I have used the Arianna Blooms paper collection.....choosing one of the ready layouts from the paper pad.
• I followed the basic layout adding the photo first.
• I stamped and die cut a few sets of the Arianna Blooms flowers in pale pink and deep pink card stock. 
• I have used the Arianna Lace die to create all the delicate lace elements on the layout.
• The leaves are the Heartfelt Creations Classic leaf stamps and dies.
• The sentiments are also from the Arianna paper collection.
• I layered all the elements and flowers onto the layout making sure that I was happy with it before I finally adhered everything onto the paper.
• To finish off the layout I have added some lace and pearls and of course a little Stickles glitter.

I love to use these pages to make quick layouts.  Of course if you are not into scrapbooking you could use your layout as a decorative wall hanger....even framing it if you wish:)

Finally a big thank you to you all for my Happy Birthday wishes..... You are all so very kind:)

Take care x

Heartfelt Creations - With Sympathy

Afternoon friends....well it is a very wet day here in Peterborough, so just a s well I am in the craft room and haven't any plans to go out in it:)  

Just a quickie post today just to let you know that I am still about and also to update you on the  latest show dates on Create and Craft. 

I will be back on screen on August the 26th 1pm and 5pm with the Festive Christmas collection and again on the 1st, 2nd,3rd, 4th September bringing you the September collection....can't believe I am saying September, this year has just gone by so quickly and I don't know about you, but so much has happen this year and if someone would have told me what I would be doing I would have had a good giggle and said 'in my dreams':)  It truly has been an amazing year for me although not without it's woes:(

I don't have the times yet for the September shows,but I will let you know as soon as I get confirmation.

So today I ave a Sympathy card to share with you. Sadly we are required to make these from time to time and it is with much sadness that we take on this task however knowing that they are so much appreciated by the recipient makes it so much better to be able to create.  I think this image is just so pretty and just adding a few die cuts and a small flower makes it a pretty, but not over the top card for this sad occasion.

• The cute little bird image is from the  Birds and Blooms stamp set. I coloured it in using my Dove blender pen and distress inks. I have inked the edges with Tattered Rose Distress ink. I have die cut it out using the Cut Mat Create die sets.
• I have used the lilac shades of paper from the Cut Mat Create paper collection.
• I have used several of the beautiful lace like dies from the Cut Mat Create die sets just to add a little decoration without going over the top.
• I stamped the 2 butterflies from the  same stamp set onto the patterned paper and fussy cut them out.
• The Sympathy sentiment is again from the same stamp set.
• The small flower is from the Sweet Lullaby Die set.

Don't forget you still have a few days to enter the blog candy to be in with a chance to win a Heartfelt Creations stamp of your choice and some crafting goodies just click on the link in the side bar.

I am off to Cadwell Park tomorrow to share my hubbies love of cars. I am sure it will be a fun day as I now know not to make the assumption that it isn't my kind of thing as I did with the Formula One at Silverstone however I am not so sure about this one, but as he has showed so much interest in my hobby(now job lol) and I still have quite a few jobs that I need finishing off in the craftroom I think I should just go and show him a little support too:) We are going with my sister and her family and taking my grandson Mason along so I think this will kind of make up for it if it really isn't my thing:)...,fingers crossed that it doesn't rain:)

Oh and before I go have you seen that Heartfelt Creations have a Design Team call out:)....I urge you all to give it a go!  The saying is you have to be in it to win yeh?  I wouldn't have  thought that I stood a chance and look at me now 18 months after joining this amazing company:) Click HERE for all the details.

I will be back soon take care x



New Blog Candy

A very good morning to you all.  I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend.

So sorry I have been a bad blogger just recently....I just wish we all had more hours in the day, don't you? I am busy working on something very exciting and I hope to be able to share this with you all very soon,.....so I have had to let my blog slip a little, but I hope to resume my more regular posts soon:) 

New Blog Candy

Now I think it is time for me to launch another blog candy....this candy will run for 7 days so that you all have a chance to take part.

Just leave a comment on this blog post and you will be put in the random org draw to win a Heartfelt Creations stamp of your choice plus some other crafting goodies:)

Today's Card

• To create this card I have used the Cut Mat Create collection.  The stamp is the beautiful  Classic Rose stamp. I have die cut it out with the die set 1B and 1A to create the easy mat and layer.
• I have coloured the rose image in using a Dove Blender pen, Distress inks and also some Memento inks....this is a very easy way to colour in an image. I have added some Tea die ink to the outer edges of the image and also to the outside of the main card.
• I have Used one of the decorative panels from the Cut Mat Create paper collection and adhered this to my card and then adhered the mat and layer image to the centre.
• The decorative borders that I have used are from the 2A die set.
• Next I stamped the 'Thank You' sentiment which is from the Summer Glory stamp set, cut it out and adhered this to the bottom right of the card.
• I have added a couple of the die cut vines from die set 1B and a small Arianna Bloom flower to the sentiment.
• Finally I have added a small pink bow and a little Stickles Glitter.

 I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend:)

Take Care x