New beginnings

 Hello and welcome. Today I'm sharing some news as well as a card. Gill has decided to retire from 2 Big Girls Crafting.  Gill's decision will of course bring changes. Change can be hard but they are often the start a wonderful new adventures. I'm looking forward to continuing my creative journey with you all here and on Facebook. 

The name of the blog and page are changing to Cary@2BGCrafting. I shall still be sharing projects and inspiration with you all but it may take a few weeks for changes to take places and settle into place properly. So please bear with me during this time of change.

OK so let's get to the really important stuff .. the crafting! 

Today's sample is a clean and simple card made using the oh so cute Snowy Wonder..and yes it is the same stamp set that I used for last week's inspiration 😀 It's just tooo good to stop using !

The card uses just 1 image stamp, 1 sentiment stamp , 1 card base and some scraps of white cardstock!  This is a clean and simple card that is both contemporary in look but also very quick and easy to make in multiples!  Perfect for Christmas cards! But the design would work for many different occasions just swap out the image and sentiment. 

Well that's it for today from me. Please join me in wishing  Gill well in her next adventure. I hope you will pop back and see what's happening tomorrow as my adventure continues.

Thank you 

Cary xxx

Fun fold Friday Snowy Wonder

 Where does the time go? All of a sudden it's Friday 😜 Fun Fold Friday to be exact! So if you haven't already guessed today's Snowy Wonder inspiration is a fun fold 🤣. I'm calling today's fun fold a stepped pop out card, not sure it's the correct name but it's what I'm going with 😉

The card starts with a basic top fold card, 10.5cm x 29.7cm scored at 14.85cm.  You're then going to create 4 tubes of cardstock.  The first being 10.5cm x 17.5cm scored at 3.5cm, 7cm, 10.5cm and 14cm. Reinforce all the scorelines and fold all the lines as mountain folds. Next apply adhesive along one edge and fold into a tube.

The next tubes are  made the same but with pieces of cardstock getting progressively smaller...

 Second piece measuring 7.5cm x 15 cm scored at 3cm, 6cm, 9cm, and 12cm.

Third piece measuring 5.5cm x 12.5cm scored at 2.5cm, 5cm, 7.5cm and 10cm.

Fourth piece measuring 3cm x 10cm scored at 2cm, 4cm, 6cm and 8cm.

The next part is all about decorating the inside of the card base and 2 sides of the 4 tubes. I suggest adhering any pattern paper before adhering the the tubes as it might otherwise get a little tricky. 

Once the tubes and inside of the cardbase is decorated take the largest tube and adhere it just above the center scoreline of the cardbase. Place adhesive on the 2 undecorated sides with one side on both top and bottom of the cardbase.

Next adhere the other tubes, stacking them one on top of the other with adhesive adhering them to the tube below and the card base. This is then your stepped pop out card base.

Don't forget to decorate the outside of your card. Mine is decorated quite plainly... 

as all the wow is on the inside....

Aren't these dancing penguins just the cutest? Dreassed in their top hats with their candycane canes? And did you spot the cheeky little undressed penguin? He's there because you can't have an even number of penguins can you 🤣

Here is a side view of the steps and our cheeky number 11 penguin.

You can decorate the back of the card as a place to write your personal message too 😉

All in all I had great fun making this dancing troop of penguins and I hope you have enjoyed this week's inspiration using the fun and cute Snowy Wonder  stamps and dies.

Well that all from me this week.  I'll be back after Gill has shared her talent with us all next week. 

Have a great weekend and whatever you're upto  remember..

Have Fun!

Cary xx

This or That Thursday Snowy Wonder

 Once a month Gill and I host a card and a cuppa event at a local cafe. Last Monday was one such event. We both make a smaple and people come along and make one of the cards, have a drink and lots of chatting and laughs.  It's  a fun way to spend a Monday morning for sure! Well this week I created a sample that the attendees could make using the fun Snowy Wonder and just 1 colour plus white.

For my sample I used a lovely navy blue.  This monochromatic palette is very attractive don't you agree?

To add depth and to the card use both 1st and 2nd generation stamping. This fun easy technique makes the most of your ink pads! All you do is ink the stamp once then stamp not just once but twice and even three times with our relinking the stamp! 

The effect of the navy and white colour palette is very elegant. The design is a little more contemporary but still elegant.

I liked the design of the card so much that I decided to recreate it but using a far more contemporary Christmas colour pallette.. pink!

I think the pink version is fun and will appeal to all ages for sure. The design is the same and the generational stamping is the same but it has a much warmer feel don't you think?

But which do you prefer?  This with it's elegant navy colour palette? Or That with it's fun pink colour palette? 

Watercolour Wednesday Snowy Wonder

 Do you ever have happy accidents? Well today card is made from one such accident! Whilst trying to create a watercolour drop background on my glass mat I inadvertently created a fun background on the back of the panel 🤣. I wanted to create a snowy scene for the snow man from the Snowy Wonder stamp set. Do you ever have the vision in your head and work from that? I do until it all changes with a happy accident 🤣

So it all starts with dropping water onto cardstock and gently dabbing a bubble of ink from a reinker onto the water. This was done on a glass mat. 

The effect needs some work and practice before it's ready to showcase I decided... but low and behold when I picked it up and saw the back... 

I was one happy bunny! The water and ink had gone through the cardstock and onto the glass mat and created a fab background 👌. 

So with this background to play with I created today's card.

I have used my latest favourite embossing folder and cut 2 appatures from a piece of thick white cardstock the same size as the  card front. Next I cut the background panel into 3 pieces to fit behind the appatures. This leaves 1 piece to be used for the 3rd panel.

To create the 3rd panel die cut the same appature from a piece of cardstock slightly larger to create a frame. Next adhere the background piece to another piece of cardstock measuring the same as the outer edge of the frame.

The snowmen were all stamped and die cut using the Snowy Wonder dies from the bundle.

Use 3d foam to raise the snowmen and the embossed front panel and adhere over the card front.

Whilst there was still inky water on the glass mat I had dabbed the edge of a panel for the inside of the card. Once dry stamp a snowman on the bottom edge as well.

Don't you agree that these snowmen are the cutest ?

Tips tricks and techniques Tuesday Snowy Wonder

 Who remembers the wonder of seeing your first polaroid picture developing before your very eyes? The image emerging on the shiny paper was just amazing! For some reason my mind wandered off to these memories whilst creating today's card! So I give you my Snowy Wonder polaroid card! 

This fun card is made by creating the frame from cardstock first. Then stamping the greeting. Now take your clear embossing powder,  heat tool and versamark ink pad and a silicone mat. 

Cover the frame in versamark ink then the clear powder. Now place it onto your silicone mat and melt the powder with your heat tool. Repeat this process 3 times to get a really shiny frame.

Create a mat that is a little larger than the appature of the frame. Now  blend your background using a piece of torn copier paper to make the snowy drifts at the bottom. Next stamp the mountains and trees. Once they are in place use the snow dots stamp to add falling snow to the top portion of your picture. 

Stamp the house and the larger tree on a seperate piece of cardstock and cut them out. Adhere them in place. Then adhere the frame over the picture.

Use an embossing folder to add texture and interest to your card base before adhering the "polaroid" . The fun mini pompom ribbon adds just a touch of  whimsy don't you think?

Make it simple Monday Snowy Wonder

 Welcome to today's post. Cary here sharing cards all this week using the oh so cute Snowy Wonder stamp set. This cute set is perfect Christmas and winter !

Today's simple stamping card is what is called a single layer card. Perfect for making multiples at busy times such as Christmas.  These cards are made by stamping directly onto the card base and have no bulky layers to bump up the cost of postage! 

Start by stamping your sentiment on to your card front. Then cut a sticky note to cover the sentiment. Now stamp your image, the penguin is such a cutie pie 😍, all over the card .

A good way to highlight the sentiment is to take a black marker pen and draw around it. By defining the area the sentiment seems to pop of the front.

Finally add touches of colour using the dotty stamp in between the penguins and colour their beaks and feet.

A fun and easily accomplished card that is sure to make it's recipient,  as well as its creator smile 😃 

Pop back tomorrow for more inspiration using the fun Snowy Wonder stamp set.

Fun Fold Friday - Christmas Friends

Hello, it's Friday again already! Using my Christmas Friends stamps and dies today I have made a card cased from another demonstrator. Her name is Einat Kessler. The card she made, she has called a flipping photos card. Here is the link if you would like to case it.                                                     https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/529454499962143725/

It is made with a piece of card 10.5cm by 29.7 cm long. There are a few extra pieces but it is such a great card and it can be made as a C6 sized card too. It will of course be a 15 cm square card or 6" by 6" card. On my card, I used pieces of DSP from the Season of Green Speciality DSP. It's gorgeous as it has gold prints on the reverse of each one. I do like a touch of Gold in my cards and in my jewellery too!

You can see from the photo below that the card opens with a window piece on the front. This is the hinge that will enable opening and the ability to see both sides of the front of the card as you open it. It is really a very cool fun fold card.

 

I hope you enjoy making the card. I haven't included the full metric measurements that I used but I can add them should you want me to. 

That's it for me then for another week. Cary as usual will be back on Monday so please stop by and see what amazing creations the she can inspire you with.

I will be back the following week so until then, take care, stay safe but as always.....,

KEEP ON CRAFTING

xxx😍😍😍 Gill 😍😍😍 xxx

 

This or That Thursday - Christmas Friends

 Hello on this lovely sunny Thursday. For my This and That cards today, I have made 2 similar projects but used different papers and the Christmas Friends stamp set and Dies too this time. 

 

 THIS

For this today I used a piece of the DSP from Winter Meadow DSP adhered to a of Night of Navy card base. I stamped several of the polar bears onto a scrap of White card and coloured them all in. I chose this one as I think it coordinates well with the paper colours. I used a gold gel pen for the decorations and the bow on the wreath around his neck and then die cut a bow from the Silver and Gold adhesive backed card. I also die cut garland pieces and adhered them to a piece of white card that I had stamped my sentiment onto. Once the garland was dry, I fussy cut around it to follow the leaves on the garland itlsef. I added another of the Polar Bears to the inside white mat and another piece of the garland under the sentiment. I used a Sticky note to omit the words from the sentiment... Owl be ...

THAT

My THAT card I used  a piece of patterned paper from the Nests of Winter DSP. This was layered onto a Basic Black mat then onto aGray Granite card base. This time I used the Reindeer for my card. I coloured him in using the Stampin' Blends pens, I made a small cut-out from his mouth and added a present into it. I used some more of the gold glimmer paper from the Silver and Gold adhesive backed glimmer again onloy this time for a bow or 2 and the ribbons for some presents. Very simple cards today so hopefully not too difficult to decide which you prefer.This time thought, I have added the Owl inside adn the sentiment Owl be thinking of you this season. 

 

Watercolour Wednesday - Christmas Friends

I really had great fun with today's watercolour card! I started with a piece of Fluid 100 Watercolour Card 12.5 cm by 9cm, I knew it was going to be much smaller than a C6 mat and that was fine. Using Versamark ink, I stamped the reindeer from the Christmas Friends stamp set onto the card using my stamp positioner. I inked it up a few times to make sure that the ink was all over. I then poured white embossing powder and heat set it using my heat tool. Then using a watercolour tray, I added some drops of Reinker in 4 different colours and watered each colour well. Then starting with the blue of Balmy Blue, I brushed the colour several times across the piece of card. Then the pink of Bubble Bath, orange of Calypso Coral and finally yellow of Daffodil Delight. The reindeer looked cool but I wanted him to look more realistic. Using the Calypso Coral, watered down ink, I added some of the ink onto the reindeer and the pink of the bubble bath for his skates. I really just played and enjoyed the crazy result too. 

Once it was dry, I added it to a Calypso Coral mat and then onto Balmy Blue card. Inside the white mat was added to Balmy Blue mat and adhered inside the white card base. I stamped the Owl on the inside of the card and coloured in using my Stampin' Blends pens.

 

 

Tips, Tricks, Techniques Tuesday - Christmas Friends

For today's card using the Christmas Friends stamp set I have made a book fold card. A book fold is very simple for those who haven't made one. By simply scoring the centre fold and then another scored line parallel to the centre fold on the front of the card approximately 3cm from the first scoreline. The width of the book fold can vary from card to card, there is no fixed rule. Adhere that scored panel only onto the back of the card will leave you with a front panel approximately 10.5cm high by 11.5 cm wide. Then as I have done, I added some pieces of DSP or Designer Series Paper onto your panels and decorate to your hearts content. You can see where the book fold panel is on my card, it does mean that you will have a smaller inside on the card to write but you can always write onto the back of the card too.

I used the DSP from a Sentimental Christmas, along with some Poppy Parade and a White card base. 

 

Make It Simple Monday #simplestamping - Christmas Friends

 Hello and thank you for stopping by today. This week I am going to play with the NEW set called Christmas Friends. These cute little set are just as I would imagine them if they were to celebrate the Christmas time. 2 cards for the price of 1 today though. I started with a gorgeous soft minty green of Coastal Cabana which I love. I stamped direct to the card base on the one side after protecting it with a piece of Sticky roll and then got stamping. I added a strip of the even softer minty green  Pool Party ribbon. Love it  as it even has tiny little white pom poms on!

I then wondered what it would look like in White, so I tried that too. Now, I couldn't decide which I preferred so I asked the family. Would you believe that out of 6 of them it was half and half!

 

Fun fold Friday Leaf Collection

 Brrr it's certainly autumnal 🍂 in my small part of the world! The temperature has dropped significantly down to 8°! But the sun is shining and the rain has stopped, for the moment! Why is the weather important I hear you ask.... Well it brings my mind to richer colour palettes and thoughts of Christmas with all it's glittey goodness. Does the weather influence your crafting mood?

With all that in mind about my colour palette,  as today is fun fold Friday, and the wonderful Leaf Collection stamp is soo elegant here is the final card of the week....

The called is called a puzzle card and is easier than it appears at first glance. All you need for the card base is a piece of cardstock measuring 10.5cm x 29.7cm (4¼" x 11") . Then score at 3.7cm and 7.4cm in from each end. (1⅜" x 2 ¾") Burnish the folds well as mountain then valley from each end. This is your cardbase it should look like a gatefold with the front folded back on it's self.

Next take a piece of cardstock measuring 14.85cm x 10.5cm ( 5½" x 4¼") and with the cardstock landscape cut in half at 5.25cm (2⅛") then cut 5cm (2")from each end so that you have 4 pieces in total that when put back together create a 14.85cm x 10.5cm ( 5½" x 4¼") rectangle. These are your puzzles pieces.

Adhere the pieces to the narrow front panel so that they cover the front of the card. It's important that the first piece you adhere is fitted neatly to the corner where you start as the other should then fit in neatly too.

Next decorate as desired. If you're using a directional paper make sure that you cut it carefully to fit the panels on the card front. For today's sample I have heat embossed the Leaf collection stamp onto white and black cardstock and used gold embossing powder. 

I used gold foil for the card front and as a mat for the inside of the card. It is also used it for the sentiment panels.

A few gold foil gems and the card is ready to be sent to it's recipient. Do you like the richness of the colour palette?  Does it bring to mind autumn? Does it have the shiny touch of Christmas? 

Well that's all from me this week I'll be back next week to partake of the inspiration that Gill will be sharing as I hope you will be.

Whatever the weather where you are I hope you find time to be creative this weekend. Take care and remember..

Have fun!  

Cary xx