Single Twisted Easel Card

Today's share is a single twisted easel, bit of a let down after the last couple of days isnt it? I still had fun making this card and the colours I used were Pacific Point, Poppy Parade and Whisper White. I ran the Square Lattice embossing folder through the Big Shot and stamped the ship in Early Espresso and coloured it quickly using my Aqua Painters and Poppy Parade. The Water I touched in a couple of places with Marina Mist and just a touch or two of Old Olive to add interest. I matted this onto Pacific Point and then onto the Poppy Parade using dimensionals. The Newsprint DSP added a bit of interest to the base of the card and the Birthday wishes was Stamped using the Early Espresso once again and punched out using the Oval Scallop Punch. I then ran the Oval Scallop from the Punch Windows Die Set in Pacific Point and mounted these on dimensionals. This is just a really quick card but looks so effective and is a great masculine 'all purpose' card. I hope you like it..............Bye for now

Triple Twisted Easel

Yesterday I showed a Double Twisted Easel Card that I made, and then thought if I can do a double, then why not a triple! It was a lot of fun once I worked it out, and once again I used a little tutorial from Sharon Field that showed a really quick and easy way to do a double bow. There are so many possibilities for this card and the way it can be presented, in regards to the way the easels face, twisted or not, a bit of both the choice is yours! I chose to do a twisted easel each end and a 'regular' easel in the centre. For this card I used Pink Pirourette cardstock and placed a peice of Pink Pirourette Designer Paper upon the base. The Pretty in Pink panels I ran through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and attached them to the easel. The centre panel I used a piece of Presto Designer Speciality Paper and sponged it over with a mixture of Pink Pirourette Re inker and Frost White Shimmer Ink. I then ran it through the Big Shot Using the Scallop Oval Die, and then ran some Pretty in Pink through as well but this time using the Ovals Die. The sentiment I stamped onto a piece of Very Vanilla in Regal Rose and lightly run the edge around the Regal Rose Stamp pad. To assemble this I just mounted them one on top of the other using the Snail adhesive. I also used Snail Adhesive to mount it on the Pretty in Pink base.

The Double Bow was so easy and it looks lovely. I used the1/2" Chantilly Lace. It is the first time I had used it and I am so glad I did, it lent the card some delicate trim. The first panel I once again used the Scallop Oval Die, the Oval Die and the Large Oval Punch and matted them as shown. Using the Scallop circle punch I punched out three in Concord Crush, Rose Red and So Safron, and made three roses, which I had learned to do at a class held by Kris McIntosh some little while ago. I used Certainly Celery and the Little Leaves embosslit for the leaves and placed them on the diagonal. The flowers were attached using Crystal effects, and the Scallop Oval was attached using dimensionals. I placed strips of pearls to act as the stopper for the easels so that they would stand up. Now I am going to have to come up with a envobox to put it in! :))

I hope you like this card and keep an eye out there is another to come tomorrow

Bye for now,,,,,,,

Double Twisted Easel

There is peace and quiet in the house at long last.............the noise I hear is silence! Time to drag out my projects that I have had on the go, but had to put away until all the visitors had gone home. I have been working on some easel cards, my ladies are going to be doing these in class next week. I decided that rather than do straight easels that I would do twisted easels. The first card I made was a double twisted easel, which I am sharing with you today. I might add I had changed my mind about three times for the colour scheme and went back to the original colours that I had chosen to work with.Perfect Plum was used for the card base and Lap of Luxury designer paper was used for the Scallop Ovals and Concord Crush for the Large Ovals.The Pretty in Pink was embossed using the Finial Press embossing folder. I had some glitter thread (not SU0 and decided to to a little bit of 'string art' on the ovals. Lap of Luxury Designer paper was also used for the birds. Vintage Vogue was stamped in both Perfect Plum and Pretty in Pink and I placed the rhinestone brads in the centres of each one. Well Scripted was used for the sentiment. I cut 2 Modern Labels usi ng the punch of the same name, one in Very Vanilla and the other in Perfect Plum. The perfect Plum Label I cut in half and off set ita bit to look as tho there is a second label behind it. The ribbon is a CASE of a tutorial by Sharon Field I love this idea for the ribbon so different. I had a lot of fun making this card an I do hope that you like it too. Bye for now

Easter and ANZAC Day 2011

Hello all, I do hope that you have all had a happy and safe Easter this year. Easter means a lot of things to different people, there is the deeply religious connotation of Easter and all it stands for in our lives, and this year it is a particularly poignant period because it also coincides with Anzac Day.

For those who have family and loved ones serving overseas in this present day will use today particularly to pray and wish for their safe returns to the folds of their families. For those who have spent today reflecting and remembering those they have loved and lost to the battles past and present. It is a day filled with sadness remorse and indeed immense pride of the men and women who gave their lives for this great country of ours so we could live happily and not in fear of our lives. It is also a day where mates meet up again, tears are shed for the loss of a mate that didnt make it to the march this year. It is a time to relive memories and even the good times sporadic as they may have been when our military personnel were serving overseas. It is truly a time when we very proudly stand as one and say a heartfelt LEST WE FORGET, for without their bravery we would not have the freedom we take for granted today.

Cute Little chics Easter Card

It has been a few weeks since I have been in here, because of family committments and for a period of time, just not being well. Today started off so well. I was up early did one load of washing and put it out to dry, did laps for 15 minutes (not very long laps I might add, but laps nonetheless). Finished some other bits and pieces that were hanging around waiting for my attention, did another couple of loads of washing, talked to our grand daughter who stayed over last night, mowed the lawn, did another 20 minutes in the pool, did some weeding and generally potted around. I knew that I wanted to do something for the challenge at  the Three Sisters it could be anything to do with Easter., a card, a scrap page or a 3-D item, but I really didnt know what I wanted to do for it. Well our grand daughter went home and as I was still thinking about the challenge, I thought I will get the meat out of the freezer for dinner. Wish I had got the meat out first thing this morning. When icecream was taken out last night someone didnt close the door of the freezer properly. Enough said. I now have an empty freezer and will have to shop now to refill it! I was so "not happy Jan" I locked myself away in the office and threatened man and beast with the same fate if they should come anywhere near me till I coolled down. Well I am pleased to say my time was not wasted because this is what I came up with. The chics I saw forever ago on Ann Fitzgerald's site, but I wanted to make a pop out card. It really was super easy to do, and I will post a tutorial for the card in a few days time. I did calm down considerably by the time I had finished the card, but unfortunately I felt the heat rising again once I looked at the EMPTY freezer! Never mind there is always tomorrow, when our next lot of guests arrive. I really would love to hear what you think of my card. I think it is super cute. Bye for now...........

The Perfect Bow

I am such a visual person! I recently bought a Bow Maker and have all sorts of trouble trying to follow the instructions, and until I make lots and lots of them I will forget every time and still seek help! In all my playing around and trying to 'follow' instructions, I came across this way to tie a perfect bow to sit on any creation! Just to make sure that I did have it right I must have made a hundred at least!! What I have done is write up the instructions and then add the photos in sequence, the latter being for people like me who need 'visual'!

THE PERFECT BOW

This is such any easy, easy way to make the perfect bow to go on your creations. If you already own a Bow Maker you can utilise that to make these bows too.If you don’t and you have access to a piece of timber and a couple of 5 or 6” nails then you are on your way.

If you are going to make a bow maker (and I did) and didn’t realise it, because what I made was for ribbon storage! It was after I bought one that I realised that it was the same as what I made but for my ribbons.

YOU WILL NEEDTO MAKE YOUR BOWMAKER

A piece of smooth timber about 6” long and drill some holes in it about 1” apart. I used a drill that was about ¼ in diameter.

Go to your local hardware supplier and get a piece of dowel to fit the holes (take your wood with you) and get dowel that fits snugly.

Cut the dowel into lengths to suit but I cut mine about 5”, and now you have your own bow maker.

You can use any size dowel the bow in this little Tutorial is rather large for what you would want, but I made it bigger so it was easier to see.
Remember you can use nails too they will work just as well.
Now onto the exciting part:-
1. Cut your ribbon to the length you need (or to be more economical cut it when you have finished the bow there will be less wastage – thanks Kris).
2. Wrap ribbon around dowels/nails like below
3. Pass top ribbon under and out the other side

4. Bring back piece of ribbon over the top as below

5. Tie a single knot

6. Do not pull tight until the bow sides are even, and this is the time to do it, just slide the centre bit. This is how it will look

7. Front View

8. On cardstock

9. On a finished card

Now Go and have fun!
Gwen 
Follow the pictures to achieve your 'perfect bow'

                                                                                                                                       

Super Cute Post It Note Holder

Today I looked at The Three Sisters site and under the members freebies I found the template for this adorable post it not holder. I decided to use the flowers from the Punch Bunch Level 1 Hostess set and stamp in versamark all over the cardstock. The rest of the post it note holder is made from bits out of my 'another day' box. I had a scrap of Soft Suede that had been put through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder that I attached and cut around to shape. I also had a scrap of Very Vanilla that had been cut using the Tasteful Trim Die and I layered that across the Soft Suede. At long last I found a home for the scrap of So Safron Striped ribbon that had been living in my another day box for so long still with the buckle attached from my Hodge Podge kit. The owl I stamped is from the sal-a-bration set and I put him on dimensionals after punching him out using the XL Owl Punch, and gave him two mischevious rhinestones in his eyes. I punched a wide oval from So Safron and attached that to the front of the flap. to hold the lid closed I placed a velcro dot. I really love how this holder turned out, and would love to know what you think! Bye for now

Natures Nest and Faux Mother of Pearl

April is Autism Awareness Month, and the colour for Autism is Blue and funnily enough Mitchell our grandson chose the cardstock for the card base.After having a play with the Faux Pearl Technique yesterday I decided to try a more 'male-ish' type of card using the same technique! This time I used Pacific Point Cardstock, swiped it over with my Classic Stampin Ink Pad of the same colour, then topped that with a strip of Sahara Sand that had been run through the Big Shot using the Tatsteful Trims die. I used Whisper White card stock for my technique and sponged it with the Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint and when that dried I sponged again all over using the Sahara Sand Classic Ink Pad. A quick rub with a tissue removed the excess from the Shimmer Paint and it was ready to stamp. Mitchell chose the turle from Natures Nest and stamped him with Stazon Brown. I matted the Whisper White onto Baja Breeze abd then onto Soft Suede just to lift it a little. You can see in this photo the 'pearl' effect. This was such an easy little card to make and voila! I have made yet another masculine card!  I really like the way this turned out, what do you think, I would love to know. Bye for now

Faux Mother of Pearl Technique

Today I wanted to try the Faux Mother of Pearl Technique. I googled it and came up with so many, so I had a look at a few of them and came across one from Inspiration Ink. It was so easy and I did at long last get to use my Shimmer Paint that has remained unopened sice I bought it! As I said there are thousands of entries when you Google Faux Mother of Pearl, and I looked at quite a few of them, but the instructions from Inspiration Ink were in plain english and easy to follow. The first card I made was a CASE with my own interpretaion. I love the way the shimmer paint gives the beautiful pearlised effect. I might add it looks so much better in 'real life' I used the same colours as was used on Inspiration Ink and they were the very unlikely colour combination of Always Artichoke and Pretty in Pink. I used Stazon to stamp the image from Fast and Fabulous  onto the pearlised cardstock and then coloured with my Stampn Write Markers. I added the Grey Tafetta Ribbon around the bottom of the main panel and tied a bow around the middle of the ribbon to add interest. The sentiment I put up on 1 dimensional, on the Pretty in Pink Cardstock. I hoep you enjoy this card and let me know what you think, bye for now

Motorcycle Card Share

 

Hi everyone, Today's card share is another of the cards the ladies made at our last class and it went in the Mini Magazine Folder. I wanted to not have the top of the card 'blank' but did not want to have any stamped images either. To get the look that I achieved in this card I did the following. I placed my piece of Sahara Sand Cardstock to the size I wanted and run it through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. I then put the same piece of cardstock into the Tulip frame embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot once again. The result is that you still have the slight impression of the polka dots and the firm impression of the Tulip frame. It looks very effective and it just added that little bit of WOW to the finished card. On the lower section of the card I used the Elegant Soiree designer paper and topped it with a strip of Marina Mist cardstock and placed a decorative band from the Tasteful Trim Die across it. The image I stamped on Very Vanilla using Soft Suede ink, then mounted that on Marina Mist then Soft Sued Cardstock and placed it all on dimensionals. I am having so much fun playing with with the Big Shot to see what I can do with the embossing folders and I thought that I would share it with you too. Please let me know what you think, I would love to hear! Bye for now,