Tips tricks and techniques Tuesday Sweet Citrus

 Today's card is a simple top folding easel card using the fun Sweet Citrus bundle. This bundle consists of the stamps, dies and an embossing folder.

No the fun thing about this bundle is that it's  a hybrid embossing/die combo. This is where the one of the dies slips into the embossing folder so with one pass through the machine you can emboss and die cut out your citrus slices!!!

You can of course use the embossing folder purely as embossing folder which is what I did for the stand up panel of my card. It gives a lovely deep crisp impression. 

You can also stamp the citrus slices then die cut and emboss them.

In the die pack there are also dies to cut the cute flower and leaf images out . 

The nice thing about and easel card is that they close flat for postage.

I love the crispness of the white with the pops of colour and hits of black on this card.

All in all this card has a crisp clean look that is rather elegant. 

Make it simple Monday Sweet Citrus

 Wow that was a busy weekend!! 2 lot's of crafting online with some lovely people on Saturday and my grandson's neon birthday bash for his 5th birthday on Sunday! I agreed to do neon face painting for the party and the kiddos loved it especially as the disco had the ultraviolet light to make them light up! So I have to say I'm very pleased that today's card is a #simplestamping project for sure! I  am using a set called Sweet Citrus this week.

Isn't it cool? I love the zesty fresh vibes it gives off and maybe a surprise idea for later in the week as well.

For today's #makeitsimplemonday project I wanted to use bright crisp colours so went with a bold green called parakeet party and a bright yellow called daffodil delight. 

I stamped all over the front of my white card base. First the out line stamp then the infill stamp for the citrus using the yellow. The added some green leaves to add a little pop of contrast. 

I stamped the sentiment with black ink onto a scrap of white cardstock and used my scissors to cut a jaunty angle at one end.

I then decided that the sentiment needed a little something something so took the rest of the scrap of car from the sentiment and wiped my green ink pad over it. 

This little tip can help with adding a splash of colour in so many cards. Just remember that the ink might take a frw moments or minutes to dry completely.  After all you have just added a lot of ink to it 😉

Well I hope you'll join me for the rest of my inspiration this week using this fun cool set.

Fun Fold Friday _ Legendary Ride

 Well, it's Friday again already! Time really does fly when you're having fun doesn't it? Sunday was my oldest son's birthday and we didn't go out for it like we usually do, we went out for an ice cream lunch! Oh my! It was amazing!!! Waffles and ice cream are a match made in heaven. As I had used the Legendary Ride stamp set for Jonathan's birthday that's the reason I have used it all of this week. It's not just a set for the man in your life but as Tuesday showed, it can also be used for ladies too.

My card for him is a Twist and Pop card. He loved it thankfully too!

I started off making an A5 size card rather than the normal A6 sizes. For the A6 size, you need a piece of card, 10.5cm by 29.7cm (the full height and half the width of an A4 piece of card) This was scored in half at 14.85cm.  I cut a mat in Granny Apple Green card 10cm by 14.4cm and embossed it using the Metal Plate embossing folder before adding it to the card front. I repeated this for both of the inside panels to add a little more detail. Obviously, this was optional.  

 

  

  

Then it was onto the long piece and the mechanism for inside the card. I cut another mat 10cm by 29.7cm and scored it at 7.4cm from each side and 14.85cm for the centre decorative piece. Then another piece which is 20cm by 8cm or 8" by 3,1/4". I then scored along the centre in horizontally and vertically. I marked the panel using a pencil at 6cm or 2,3/8" from each of the 4 corners. I scored between each of the opposite side marks so the piece looked like below.

 Now there are 2 crosses in the centre of the mat. On the top right and bottom left, I marked 2.5cm along from the outside edge and removed a triangle of card from this point to the centre of the long, horizontal fold. To fold it, I pushed the 2 long folds togetherand folded one side back and the other side folded forward. This now shows the centre triangles, one on each side. Holding the bottom of this long piece, I pushed the 2 triangles down into the centre of the panel. Then seperated, the 2 sides to show this shape a little like a house. As the embossed piece of card has been added to the card base, the triangle of the piece below is covered in adhesive. Wet glue or tape, it's your choice. Then open the card and place the top of the triangle onto the centre point, just below the score line, on the bottom of the card base. Repeat this with the upper triangle and this time close the card down onto the piece. Here is your mechanism now. 

 

 

I decorated my panel before adding it to the mechanism. Once it's been added, it will look like this below and when closing the card, it will twist the card arounf to go into the centre and fold away. 

That just left me to add sentimenents and images onto the rest of the card, As my son is into his motorbike, it was an obvious choice for him. I will be using it again later in the year for my best friends birthday as she would love to be able to ride her motorbikes again!

 

Thank you for joining me again this week. Until I return, take care, stay well but as always

KEEP ON CRAFTING! 

Don't forget too, that this is the last few days to get the fantastic offer to join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator or just because you llove to craft. £99 gets you £170 to spend on yourself from the current catalogues. The £125 you get the same £170 worth of products plus the option to have a Mini Cut 'n Emboss machine in either white or the NEW BOHO BLUE one for half price!  It truly is a fantastic offer. 

Lots of love

😍😍😍 xxx Gill xxx 😍😍😍

 

 

This or That Thursday - Legendary Ride

As always, I enjoy making the this and that cards as they are very similar to each other but still very different. Today's cards are no exception. Using the Legendary Ride stamps and dies, I stamped 2 of the big motorbikes. One onto a piece of dark, silver foiled card and the other onto white card. I die cut the silver frames for both of the bikes and adhered them to the bikes. The first card base, I cut the centre of the front panel out and added a sheet of Vellum to the reverse of it. I then embossed the front of the card using the Metal Plate embossing folder. I added the foiled motorbike to this one but sadly the photos don't show it so well! If you look closer at the picture, you will be able to see the detail a lot easier.

 The second card was more straightforward. I embossed the front of the card base alone and added the stamped and die cut motor bike to it. A few sentiments onto foil and Basic Gray card and both cards are complete. 

I wonder which you will all prefer?

Card 1

 

 

Card 2

 

Watercolour Wednesday - Legendary Ride

 Did I have fun with today's card!!!! I really did too. I took 3 ink pads all in shades of blues and one by one, I swiped them across a cello bag in different directions. I then spritzed the bag with lots of water to make sure that all the ink was soaked. I then place a white mat across it and made sure that it was well soaked. I even had enough ink for another mat which I will use another time. Then, using Legendary Ride stamps and Pacific Point ink pad, I stamped another motorbike. The image is so crisp and clear. With the bike laying across the watercoloured mat, it looks like it's flying. a few sentiments and then matted onto Pacific Point card and a white card base to complete this one. 

I added a smaller motorbike to the centre of the card and placed a sentiment mini card over the top.

Technique Tuesday - Legendary Ride

 Today I really had a very fun time making this one. Only 2 colours and black ink and it was completed very quickly. Using the stamp set, Legendary Ride and Memento Ink Pad, I stamped the sentiment across the centre of a piece of white card. I did use my Stamparatus for this one as it has the hinges on the plates which you can move along. That's what I did. I placed the mat onto the platform and added the flame stamp on the edge of the white card mat. I placed the plate down on top of the stamp, picked it up and then started inking with the Mango Melody. I repeated the same with the other side. Once the Mango Melody was completed, I moved the stamp a little to be in-between the yellow flames and then started to stamp using Granny Apple Green. 

That was it. Very quick and very simple. 

Make It Simple Monday - Legendary Ride

 Hello again, that week has really flown past hasn't it? Cary and I are both in full swing of getting ready for our annual retreat so it's really crazy at the moment. Yesterday was my son Jonathan's birthday and I used Legendary Ride stamp set for his birthday card. As it was still on the desk, I decided I will try to make more. 

The first one is a very simple or #simplestamping card, a little stamping and it's completed. I used Memento ink pad for the motorbike and some marker pens just added to the stamp to add a splash of colour.

Fun fold Friday Easter Bunny

Well that's it from me for this week. I hope you've enjoyed the Easter Bunny   stamps and punch inspiration I've shared. My final card for this week is as always on a Friday a fun fold. Called a double easle it's not too tricky to make and give you plenty of space to decorate .

Start with a piece of cardstock measuring 14.85cm x 21cm scored at 10.5cm and 15.75cm.  Now take another piece of cardstock measuring 14.85cm x 10cm and score at 5cm and 8cm.

Fold both folds on each piece as mountain fold. Then line the smaller piece to the open edge of the larger piece making sure to keep it in a landscape orientation. 

Next take a piece of card measuring 14.85cn x 7cm and adhere it along the open edge of the card base just on the small panel.

Now do the same with a piece of cardstock measuring 14.85cm x 3.5cm onto the smaller card base.

The panels now sit as shown below.

I used a pretty pattern paper called Dainty Flowers . This paper is free with a qualifying order from Stampin' Up! If you'd like to order just click the link to our shop here.

For the bunnies I stamped them onto coloured cardstock using the same colour ink. I also used the reflection technique using my Stamparatus.  Please look at Tuesday's post for how I do it here. 

I then took out my trusty Watercolour pencils and blender pen to add some highlights and shadows to the bunnies as below.

I also fussy cut some of the pretty wildflowers from the papers to add some pops of colour to the card.

I also stamped, coloured and fussy cut some of the carrots to add more cuteness 😍 

The card does fold flat for posting.

I also included a white panel with a cute bunny on it on the back of the large panel. 

Anyway that's all doc 😁 sorry it had to be done 😅 I have enjoyed playing uhm sorry again that should be showcaseing, this gorgeous stamp set. 

So I hope you have a great weekend and will join us here next week for the inspiration that Gill will be sharing.

Have fun

Cary xx 

This or That Thursday Easter Bunny

 So far this week of bunny cuteness has all been in subtle pastel hues and tones. Which is what the little cuties from the Easter Bunny bundle were calling out to me in.. but if you've been here before you'll know that I love me some bright and bold colour palettes!

So today I tasked myself with making 2 cards each the same except for the colour palette! One is subtle and the other bright.

I started with the subtle colour palette as I was in that groove. And this is what I came up with...

I used a soft shade of orange called pale papaya and blended it into a soft pink called brushing bride. I then used a spritzer bottle to mist water all over.  I then die cut and oval frame and stamped and coloured a bunny in basic grey ink. I coloured the flowers in using pale pink, yellow and green.  I stamped the sentiment directly onto my background in basic grey. 

For my bright version I chose orange and pink again but this time much bolder ones. The orange is called mango melody and the pink polished stone. 

This time I stamped in black ink as the bolder colour palette can handle it. 

A few Iridescent pearls on both and they were just gorgeous 😍  The only trouble is why do I still find myself drawn to the subtle version? 

The bright is gorgeous but for me the bunny looks so darn cute with a subtle colour palette! Which do you prefer?  Subtle?  Or Bright?