Tip,Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Penguin Place

 Do you have a particular Christmas style that you come back to year after year? Or do you bring something different every year? Well to start this Christmas crafting season I've taken inspiration from a little product from the August to December called Kraft paper . Paired with the the Penguin Place  I decided to create Christmas cards using an old trick using White ink and a Blender pen.

I used black ink to stamp onto a piece of the kraft paper cut to fit onto  a standard A6 card base. I used the sliding penguin, the tree and the swosh stamp to create a scene.

I then took my white ink and stamped the snowflake stamp, some stars atop the trees and some snowballs

Next I put some white ink onto an acrylic block and using my blender pen coloured in my penguin.  I also added some white under the swosh and around the snowballs and trees. A sentiment and card number 1 was completed and adhered to a white card base.

For card number 2 I used the same tequnique and created a card with the seated penguin.  

This time I stamped and coloured my penguin. Then I  created a mask for the penguin by stampin the same stamp onto the sticky edge of a sticky note, and cuttingbit out. I then placed the mask ove the stamped image and took the snowflake stamp and white ink and stamped a flurry over the front of the card.

Once I was happy with my flurry I removed the mask from the penguin.  I then stamped the antlers onto him.

The same message as for card 1 but this time with a small white mat behind it and I was ready to adhere it to a white card base.

I love this tequnique of colouring with white ink on a coloured background. I think it makes for a very different Christmas card. What do you think? 

Tips, Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Sweet as a Peach

 Who looks at the strips of beautiful pattern paper on their work area after cutting pieces to fit other projects and think I can't bear to throw them away? I certainly do!! Especially when it's as gorgeous as the You're a Peach pattern paper that is a part of the You're a peach Suite.

So what to do with those strips? Well for my first card, yes I couldn't stop at 1 😉, I used some of those thin strips to create a unique background. 

I first took a piece of cardstock to which I laid my strips moving them around until I was happy with the design.  Then I glued the strips down.  Next I trimmed the overhanging pieces. Now I had a background piece to use.

I stamped and die cut out a peach and stalk and sentiment from the Sweet as a Peach Bundle.  I then placed the pattern background onto a white card base using 3d foam. I place a white strip of card across and placed my peach and sentiment on and that was it !!

For my second card using off cuts of this gorgeous paper, which by the way has 15% off this month!! And if you purchase it from our online shop we will send you an email with a free pdf and an invite to an exclusive free zoom workshop called Use it don't Stash it! I have used some of the scraps to create a banner across a DL card base. 

To make the flags I have used 2 of the Tasteful Labels dies to cut out of my strips to give them a lovely stitched edge.

I strung a line of white bakers twine across the front of a mat of white card. Then I arranged my flags and secured them with adhesive when I was happy.

A simple sentiment in the beautiful balmy blue ink and voila another super speedy clean and simple card using my scraps of pattern paper.

If you're interested in joining out Use it don't Stash it event then please purchase any of the pattern papers in our shop by clicking Here and comment on our event by clicking Here.

So how do you use up your strips of pattern paper?

Tips,Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Flowers of Friendship

 Today's tip is an oldie but goodie..... Waste not, want not!! This addage fits so well in todays world. We should all be encouraging reduce, reuse, recycle ♻️ And as paper crafters we most certainly can do our bit.  One small way is to not throw away those backgrounds that just didn't work or you didn't get just right for the project you're working on. Combined with a punch , die or stamp you can give them a new life . For today's card I've done just that. I have used the Flowers of Friendship Bundle . This bundle includes the stamps and a punch perfect for those crafters who want coordination with out a die cutting machine!

So for today's card I have used a piece of blended background that I created to use as a colour test piece for another project. As it sat on my desk I kept looking at it thinking I like that but what to do with it 🤔  It wasn't big enough for a background so what to do with it?

Well as I started on another project it hit me I could punch out bits and use them!! As this weeks I'm sharing projects with the Flowers of Friendship it was perfect!!

So I stamped the large and small flowers randomly from the set and punched them out. 

I then stamped the large flower stamp but masked off the flowers themselves  with stcky notes before I inked them.  This way only had the stems and leaves. 

Once I'd finished stamping I decided it needed a bit of texture so I used an embossing folder called Tasteful Textile It's one of my favourites because it is so versatile. 

I love the way this folder add texture without overwhelming the project.

Now it was time to scatter my punch flowers and create a pretty floral pattern. 

I adhered some flat and some popped up on 3d foam to add another layer of interest.

I then adhered the panel to a beautiful bright orange card base to coordinate with my flowers and voila my card was made and my blended piece recycled and not wasted 🙂 

I am really happy that I remembered this tip and created a fun happy card that will certainly put a smile on the recipients face. The sentiment on the card is one that is a favourite of mine  and say's so much.

Well I hope that you are all going to keep this tip in mind next time you go to throw out a background that just didn't quite work 😉 

Tips tricks and techniques Tuesday Today's Tiles

 These new In-Colors work together sooooo well 😍 and that is a great tip for when you're looking for colour combo's..... Stampin' Up! Brings out a new range of 5 trend setting colours every year and they all work well together making those hard to decide colour combinations so much easier!!!  And the Today's Tiles with it's  multiple image focal stamp is just crying out to be stamped then cut out!! 

My tip for cutting the squares out is to mount them on the same colour cardstock as you have stamped them on if you're cutting out isn't perfect . A far more forgiving way to work especially for beginners.

To give the card another point of interest I used 3d foam to raise alternate squares on the out side edges.

 I then die cut the center focal point and used 3D foam to raise  that too. I used all the In-Colors to create a blended background to go behind the white die cut piece.

A few sparkles and a sentiment and my card was complete.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be in with a change of receiving the Today's Tiles stamp set in our giveaway!!!

What's your favourite In-Color? 

Tips Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Simply Succulents

 Hi today's tip is why make 1 card when you can do 2?? Well with the technique I've used on today's Simply Succulents project I can do just that!!

I  have used the largest die from the coordinating Simply Succulents die set to create a vellum mask. Now a tip here is to make sure you leave a boarder around the die so that you can trim it down neatly after.

I then secured my white card mat to my work area. I used sticky note tape and covered the edges to create a narrow boarder. I then used more low tack tape to position the vellum die cut piece on top.

The next step is to apply colour. I have used blending brushes and ink pads in 2 colours, coral and navy. Working gently I brushed the colour over the vellum mask. Tip for blending always start off the edge of your project so that there are no harsh edges.

Now for the great reveal, the best bit 😉, but my tip here is to only remove 3 sides of the vellum mask thereby creating a hing with the 4th side of tape. The reason I do this is so that if I have missed a bit or want to go back in and add more colour I can do so with out miss alignment occurring.

Once your happy with your piece remove the tape securing the cardstock. Carefully place your vellum mask to one side to dry.

Now go create your card with the blended background.  I have kept it simple as I want the background to shine.

Now for the bonus card. Take the vellum mask and trim the edges to fit your project. I decided to create a window in my card front so that I could use the vellum to create a delicate looking card.

So that is how I got 2 for the price of 1 !!!!

Tips, Tricks and Techniques Tuesday Snowflake Wishes

 Not got the right colour cardstock to go with your ink choice? Don't worry just look at today's inspiration all made with just white cardstock!! My colour of the week and 3 others were used along with the fabulous Snowflake  Wishes stamps and dies and just white cardstock. 

My first tip is to edge your cardstock with ink. Now you can do this with a pen or a dauber or a sponge.  Or you can do it the way I have which is to mask off leaving just the area you want to colour. Then use a blending tool such as a brush and add colour. 

My next tip is to colour a piece of cardstock to match. So after I'd  inked the edges of each panel I coloured a piece of scrap white cardstock using my blending tool of choice. I knew I was going to die cut out a couple of the gorgeous snowflakes ❄  so made sure the pieces I coloured were large enough. 

For my embellishments I added another layer of interest once they were die cut by inking them all over with versamark and heat embossing them with clear powder.  This gives them a beautiful gloss finish.

I then stamped each panel using the same ink colour as the edge but stamped it once onto scrap paper and then onto my panel. This is called second generation stamping. It allows you to create a tonal coordination on your projects.

So few sparkely rhinestones and here is my final project plus a couple of tags that I made just because 😁