Design team makes.....1 stamp..3 cards

Hello everyone...Genny here. I hope that you all had a fantastic bank holiday.I have to admit that having a bank holiday always confuses me..I won't know what day it is all the rest of the week..lol. I spent my whole weekend stamping and had a glorious time. I wanted to share the end results with you and take you through my stamping process. It all began with a flower stamp..now I have to be honest here I don't know who produced this stamp set because it was from a bundle of stamps that were given to me by a friend. I've had a look through lots of manufacturers and there are alot out there that are similar. Dreamees, Stamps by Chloe and Lellibot have similar ones. The stamp features the same flower in different sizes. For my cards I stamped the three largest stamps and some of the leaves. I wanted to layer them and use some kraft card as the background. The only thing that I have left to do is to decide what ribbon to add..I'm thinking either a red gingham or a red spot. The only difference between the three cards is the colour that I've used. The top one is coloured with my promarkers, the second with my watercolour pencils and the blue card is also done with watercolours.

I hope that you like them. I find it fascinating that just changing the colour medium can make such a difference. It all depends what you are looking for. It has amazed me just how popular kraft card has become and I think that it does give the cards a country feel. I used some stickles to finish off the middles of the flowers.

The cards below are just an extra to share with you. I needed to make some thankyou cards in a hurry and thought that I would use my watercolours as they were already out.

I first took some watercolour card and scribbled some colour on into 3 blocks..I only used 3 colours,  a red,orange and yellow. I added some water and blended then together. Then I stamped the two flower images using my Versafine and coloured them with my water colours. I had also stamped the images onto watercolour card. I finally mounted both items onto some black card, stamped a thank you at the bottom and added then to a 6x6 card.

Even though they are both using the same colours, they have turned out quite different. But it's so nice to have everything to hand to be able to make a quick card that looks a little special. I also added some stickles to these cards as the box was also out..lol.  Now if there is anything you need..stamps, inks, watercolours, card or paper or even stickles..just get in touch with Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies.
Next week I should be doing some heat embossing.. I have had a message from a lady who is new to stamping and wants to do heat embossing. Because I've been crafting for so long, I tend to forget that some people are just beginning and some things I say must sound like a foreign language..lol. So next week I hope to go through heat embossing..so until then..take care and happy crafting.

Design team make...The Loo Roll Book..step by Step

Hello everyone Genny here. As promised here is the step by step details of the loo roll book. I have never had as many messages as I have had regarding these little books. Even people who are not normally crafters seem to have been intrigued  by this little book. So here we go.

First things first..and that's to gather together all you need. I have used 4 toilet roll cardboard's..of course you can use as many as you like..as long as your book rings are large enough. You also need 2 pieces of grey board larger than the toilet roll cardboard's, 2 book rings (I used 1inch ones), some card to make the tags (I used kraft card), a selection of contrasting papers, ribbons and glue. For this project I would advise using a wet glue.

 The first job is to cover the greyboard with your chosen papers. I covered what would be the outside first, followed by putting a contrasting paper for the inside.

 I then flattened the toilet rolls using my bone folder to flatten them as much as possible. I then covered the whole thing by wrapping and gluing my paper around the roll.

 I then made to holes. Making sure that the holes in the cover was close enough in the middle to hold the toilet rolls and then using those holes to mark the spacing on the toilet rolls. For my holes I used my Cropodile. It is a tool that I've had for a number of years and honestly use it so much..it has been a wonderful investment.

 I then added toning borders on the edge of my toilet rolls. At this stage you can add any embellishments you like.

 I then took a corner punch and rounded the corners of the tags and punched a hole in the middle to hold the ribbon.

 I finally added my word to the front of the book. I have always collected quotes and use them a lot in my work..so I thought it would be nice to have a little book to keep any new ones I find.

If there is anything you need..papers, alphabets or embellishments then please get in touch with Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies..as I always say she has an Aladdin's cave of crafting goodies.
I hope that I have explained it all clearly enough..but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
So until next week..take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes....Stencils

Hello everyone ....Genny here. For todays design team make I have been playing with a stencil and trying different ways of using it. For the first make (above) I have stencilled onto black card. I first taped the stencil down and sponged through some white acrylic paint and let it dry. Then I went over it again,once dry with yellow,red and green acrylic. The white underneath made the colours really pop. It is important to not have too much paint on your sponge dabber..else it will flood under the stencil..as I found on my first attempt..lol. So put your dabber into the paint and then dab onto a spare piece of paper and then dab onto your stencil. The other important thing is to take your time and build up the colour bit by bit. When the stencilled image was dry, I went round the edges of the petals with a white pencil to give a little definition.

On the cards below I used my distress inks but twp different methods of applying. For the first one I used a blending sponge and on the second I used a stencil brush.

The distress inks I used were Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn and Spiced Marmalade.

As you can see, both the different methods produce a very different effect. The yellow flowered one, using a stencil brush, has a rougher texture than the blending sponge. It is important to keep your stencil brush upright and again to take your time, so that your bristles don't push under the stencil.

The blending sponge technique is my favourite. It gave a lot smoother impression and the colours looked a lot brighter. The final thing I did was edge the petals with a grey pencil and what that does is give the petals a little more definition and seems to make them pop off the page.

I'm hoping to use this stencil for another couple of techniques...shaving foam and texture paste. The texture paste I intend to make myself but for it to have a smoother texture than the one I used on the walling last week. I will share both techniques with you next week.

As always, if you need anything for your crafting..just ask Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies. So until next week...take care and happy crafting.

Design team make..a card for a special friend

 
Hello everyone...Genny here. For today's design team make I thought I would share this card with you. I have made it over the weekend for a friend and really enjoyed making it. To begin I made an 8x8 gatefold card. I created 2 panels for the front and two for the inside of the panels.I cut the panels with a deckle edge and then inked them in a mixture of pinks and lilacs. I found the two flower sets in my stash, which had a matching mandela stamp. I stamped an absolute load of them, then coloured them with my promarkers and finally cut them all out. I have to say that it was all very calm whilst cutting..NCIS was on the television and all the cats were out in the evening sun. Normally they do love to help..lol

For the middle back panel, I found this silhouette image in my stash and thought it would make a great focal point as my friend is into dancing.I mounted that onto some rainbow card to match in with all the other colours.

The side panels are decorated with yet more of the flowers. And finally the back panel.I coloured that again with my inks and created an oval..so that I had some where to write. Stupid as I am, I had written it before I photographed..hence the blue piece of card. I left the inside of the oval clear but edged it with a small leaf tapestry stamp. I finally added 3 more flowers to the side.

I really enjoyed making this card. All over the place you can read about mindful crafting. A quiet space where you just concentrate on what you are creating. I think that this card must fit the bill. Even with all the cutting out..it was all very calm. So why not look at what flower stamps you have and create something similar. I would love to see what you can create. For any of your crafting needs or wants..just pop over to Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies and she will help.

Well I'm off to do some more crafting..I think some more colouring is called for. Next week I will be sharing some stencilling and using some texture paste. So until then...take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes...Stamp Board and Silhouettes

Hello everyone...Genny here. For this weeks design team makes, I decided to have a play and use silhouette stamps and some stamp board. For all my backgrounds I have used a glossy card and have created them using my dusting brushes and my distress inks. One thing that I hope comes across is the variety of backgrounds that you can make just by changing the colours that you use. For the card above, I created the background, let it dry and then stamped the silhouette using my versafine inkpad. I also stamped onto some acetate using my stazon inkpad..a butterfly..which I coloured with my promarkers and then cut out. I finally added it to the card.

For the card below..I created a background and then stamped the scene onto it. I then mounted it onto black and white to highlight the image.

The three cards below are using exactly the same images and sentiment but all have different colour backgrounds. I did this just to show you how the colours make each card different and suitable for different projects. I think the plain black and white image would make a very dramatic card.

And while I as having a play, I came across some stampboard in my stash. A few years ago, stampboard was everywhere and then all of a sudden seemed to disappear. Well now it is back and seems to be a lot cheaper than it used be. I had forgotten just how much I loved working with it. One of the things that I adore about stampboard is the clean definition that it gives to whatever stamp you decide to use.

For my first make, I created a keyring. I stamped the sentiment on it and doodles around it. I then wired some beads to it. It takes the ink really well..using the pen, I thought to myself that I could zentangle onto it..watch this space..I will share it with you next week. I am also in progress of making a bracelet..it is drying at the moment. So that will come next week as well.

The tiny door hanger below was made using stampboard. I first coloured the stampboard with my distress inks and then stamped the words onto it. I then created a little hanger and joined the pieces using some beads and wire, What I did discover that my cropodile makes the holes in the stamp board really easily.

This final piece is a work in progress. I stamped onto the stampboard using my memento inkpad and then simply coloured it in with my promarkers. I have yet to decide what I'm going to turn this into.

One thing that I have been asked about a lot is what inkpad to use when using different mediums...so I thought that I would jot a few down for you all.

Memento Ink pads.....I use this for any alcohol pen work..promarkers, copics,spectrum noirs etc.

Versafine Inkpads...I use this for any image I wanted to watercolour or use any waterbased colours with.

Staz on Inkpads...I use this for glass, acetate and any other non porous projects

Versa mark Inkpads...I use this for any projects that I want to use embossing powders on. Also there is the Perfect Medium inkpad that you can use for embossing.

I hope that, that helps you a bit. As always should you have any questions about any project that I've made..please don't hesitate..just ask and I will be more than happy to help. Any thing you need for your crafting..just ask Julie here at JB-Crafting supplies.

The weather here in the mountains is beautiful...I hope that the sun is shining for you wherever you are. So until next week...take care and happy crafting.

Design team make....Garden Birds

Hello everyone...Genny here. Today for my design team makes this week, I am lucky enough to work with this set from Hobby Art Stamps....Garden Birds. If you would like to buy this set..please get in touch with Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies. In fact anything that you need, Julie is the person to source it for you. 

For all these cards, I stamped all the birds with my Versafine inkpad because I knew that I wanted to use my watercolours..and Versafine is what I use with them. If I had wanted to colour the images with my promarkers or any of my alcohol pens, I would always use a Memento ink pad.

The top two cards feature a coal tit and a great tit and below is a blue tit. I admit to not knowing many birds but I had a great reference book..so I could try to get the colours right. I thoroughly enjoyed working with these stamps and if like me you have lots of friends who bird watch either out and about or just at their own bird tables..these cards would be perfect to use for them.

What I also wanted to do but just didn't have the time..was to create some really funky coloured birds, alongside some funny quotes. I will try and make a couple for next week..just to show you a different way of using them. On the stamp set itself, you get 3 different birds, the flowers and some branches and leaves. I just love Hobby Art Stamps because they always stamp so well and combine really well .I was also thinking with some of the Hobby Art 'scenic stamps', you could easily make a scenic background and put the bird at the front. I may have to have a go at that as well.

I hope that you like the cards and get a little inspiration. For any of your crafting needs..just ask Julie. If there is ever anything that you would like me to feature in any future blogs..just get in touch and I will try my hardest to do it. So until next time..take care and happy crafting.

Design Team make.....Using your glitter Glues

Hello everyone..Genny here. I have so much to share with you over the next few weeks...some wonderful kits from Pinflair, some patchwork and some home decor makes..all available from Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies. I feel so lucky with all the selection of wonderful things that I'm getting to work with. So please keep your eyes on the blog to see the makes that are coming up.

For today's card I have concentrated on using my glitter glue. I thought to myself the other day that I have a huge selection of glitter..both wet and dry..and I thought that I wasn't using it as much as I could in every day crafting. I began by stamping 5 flower heads out and coloured then all with just 3 promarkers..red, gold and bright orange. I then used 2 of my Stickles..yellow and marmalade and added them to the flower heads. It was surprising what a colour range you can get depending on which colour you added the glitter to. I let them dry and then cut out the flowerheads. I added some stalks and leaves. I mounted the flowers onto a piece of dark green card..so that the colours will pop. I mounted that piece of card onto another piece of card that I had painted with a metallic orange acrylic.I am now still playing with the flowers for some more makes..I've now got to thinking that this would be a good make in some other sets of colours..I'm thinking of doing some in purples and pinks..I will share them with you when I've finished them..just so you can see the difference that using other colours can make. In particular I'm thinking of doing the purples for a friends birthday, as they are her favourite colours.

For next weeks blog, I will share a pinflair kit, which is available to buy from Julie. My make from last week..the fairy hanging pocket is now in place and managing to keep my scarves safe from the kittens. The kit for that is also available from Julie..it would make a lovely gift for any young girl..or even any older girl who just love all thing pink...like me..lol

I hope that you all have a great week and get time to yourself to do some crafting. So until next week...take care and happy crafting

Design team makes...Using the stash

Hello everyone..Genny here. For this weeks makes, I'm still looking at my stash and different ways to use it. For the first cardI used this wonderful Nellie Stellen stamp which I bought from Julie. I stamped the image onto a heart die cut and then coloured it with my promarkers. I then softly inked the edges to take the harsh white colour away. I then mounted it onto a small mat and finally onto the card itself which I had covered with a toning paper. I finally added a double bow and a button flower. I just adored the little stamp..sometimes you just need a little cute in your life.

For my second card I stuck with the idea of using Christmas stash to make an every day card. The paper on the card is from a Christmas pad. The image is from a Crafters Companion stamp..The Brambly Hedge..Autumn and Winter set. I thought to myself what a lovely image for a card for a friend..everyone I know loves a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake.

I stamped the image onto some white card and then coloured it with my promarkers.I then cut the image out..which was really easy. I then cut a mount out and used my inks to brush the colour on. I then mounted the image onto it.

The weather here in the mountains today is horrible..so it is the perfect day to sit inside and craft. All my cats have taken a look at the weather and decided to stay in too..so no doubt they will be helping with the crafting..lol. So until next time..take care and happy crafting.

Design team makes using a Nellie Snellen stamp

Hello every one Genny here. Today for my design team makes, I'm working again with this fabulous stamp by Nellie Snellen. This is called 'frog on flower'. I just adore these stamps and could find endless ways to create with them. I love changing the colourways and seeing where I can go with them. I have also used the cherry cupcake paper pad. Both the stamps and the paper pad are available from Julie here at JB-Crafting Supplies. She also has an amazing variety of gemstones,ribbons and other embellishments. Always worth a look. And the fabulous fabrics that she has in stock..I'm always amazed by how much she can fit into the space..lol. Thanks to Julie, I'm already planning some sewing..something that I haven't done in years.

I hope that you all had a great bank holiday. The weather here in the mountains has been lovely. So until next week..take care and happy crafting.

Design team make using a stampendous stamp

Hello everyone...Genny here. For todays card I have again used this wonderful stamp from the Stampendous range. I have also used this amazing embossing folder created by Xcut. I just love the cog design and I can see me use it so many times on cards for men. Anything using machinery and this embossing folder would work so well. I have a gentleman that orders a lot of cards with steam trains on and this would also work well on those cards.

For this card I have stamped the image using a distress ink called faded jeans. I then coloured the image using the same ink pad. I cut an oval out of white card and coloured that with the same. I embossed some blue pearl with the embossing folder. I mounted everything onto some blue mirri which I then mounted onto the a card.In my stash I have a set of dies which cut out cogs in various sizes, which are a perfect embellishment. I have cut the cogs out using some silver holographic card.

I can't quite believe just how quickly that this year is flying by. Next weeks design team makes will be using some really pretty stamps by a range that I have never used before..so I'm really looking forward to sharing my discoveries with you. It's a lovely day here in the mountains today....I hope that the weather is being kind to you, wherever you are. So until next week...take care and happy crafting.

DT Post for JB Crafting Supplies

Hi everyone! Hope you have all had a great week & weekend. Sorry about the late post this week - totally forgot as have been up & down to hospital as Keith's mum is in again.
So I had to do something quick - but it does show how versatile those papers  from the Forever in Time paper pad are.
I cut out an ATC from card, covered it with a piece from one of the sheets from the pad. I stamped the edges. using the border stamp from the Stampendous Fantasy Tiles stamps onto white card with burgundy ink. Carefully cut around the image & adhered down the sides of the ATC.
ATC'c can be used as toppers too.

I made a 6x6 card, picked out another sheet from the paper pad & adhered this to the front of the card. Attached the ATC using foam pads. Stamped the sentiment onto white card & matted this onto a piece of the paper matching the ATC.
Finished off with a bit of Rub'n'Buff around the ATC & stickles glitter to pick out parts of the design.
Hope you like this week's make.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs,
Bev xx

Design team make using a Joanna Sheen stamp

Hello everyone..Genny here. I hope that you are all managing to stay warm and cosy. It's very cold here in the mountains of Wales but I have to admit that the snow does look magical. And as far as I can see it's the perfect weather to stay in and craft.

Today as my design team make I have used a Joanna Sheen stamp from her Enchanted Forest range. This particular stamp is on the Magical Day sheet. I have stamped the image using my memento ink pad and have coloured her using my promarkers. I then glittered her dress and wings and cut her out. I die cut a plain oval shape and the created a background on it. I used some paper from my stash to cover the card and then added a glittery peeloff around the edge. I decorated the oval using some die cut ivy leaves and sequin flowers. I then finally added a large die flower, colouring it to match in with the card.

All the little embellishments, can make such a difference to a finished card. As you probably know by now, I love all the little extras. Julie stocks some really wonderful ' just have to have it's' in stock and if you get the chance please pop over to the shop..either online or in person and take a look. It's always worth taking a look at the die cutting dies that are available...they are great to have in your stash as well.

I shall hopefully be back later in the week with some cards from some different Joanna Sheen cdroms. So until then..take care and happy crafting

Halcyan Days from Crafters Companion

 Good Afternoon everyone...Genny here. I'm here again to share some inspiration from the beautiful Halcyan Days cdrom brought to us by the great team over at Crafters Companion. The cards I have made for today are both 8x8 cards..just to show that any size is possible with this cd. I thought it would be nice for you to see the detail so for both cards I have taken a close up on the main image.

The art work is done by the very talented Abigail Mill. n all her creations there are layers of lace, organza and cotton, with the detail given by the use of freehand machine embroidery. Each is a work of art in it's own right. For the cards all I have done is mount the image onto atoning card and just added some freehand doodling. Again it is a case of a simple card that gives a large impact.Just what we need sometimes.

I just love this image with the birds on it. To me it seems a very happy image that makes me smile. Such pretty fabrics have been used...it makes me want to blow the cobwebs off my sewing machine..and I know that Julie has some fantastic materials in stock. I have never been so taken with a cd. There is something so tranquil and relaxed about the images...perfect for summer crafting.

I am also working on a couple of cards which I will share with you later in the week.On this cd there is so much..alphabets, borders, toppers and sentiments. On my next cards I will be using the sentiments and scraps of paper left over from all my projects..just to show you how to make your crafting stash go a little further. So until then..take care and happy crafting

The Rachelle Anne Miller Collection

 

 

Good afternoon everyone ..Genny here. Today I'm lucky enough to be working with the Rachelle Anne Miller collection again. There is really so much on these cds, I'm having a wonderful time. For a start I thought as last week I made a girlie card..this time I thought I would make a card for the little boys. One of the really nice things on this cd is the fact that they have ready made large (8x8) toppers. This is really unusual for a cd. They also have the inserts to match every design and cover most sizes of matching envelopes as well. All I have added to the card is some peeloffs and jewels. As well as the topper there is a wide selection of greeting circles so you can personalize it even more.

Another great feature is the party bags. These are so easy to make and will save you loads of money if you have a party to organise.

 

Above is the girlie one...made to match last weeks card. And below is the boys one to match todays card. Each bag prints out on 2 A4 sheets of paper and then it's ust a matter of cutting out and gluing. You could also print the inside with a backing paper of your choice by ust printing on the reverse of the bag template. All I have added is a tag to match each bag...ust to add a bit more sparkle. The bags are a good size..easily big enough to hold a piece of cake.a small toy and some sweets. I was shocked to see how much party bags are to buy in the highstreet shops...so this really is worth considering. 

 

Remember..so far I have only used 2 of the images...I'm really excited about what's coming next. If you would like to add this to your own cd library, then please contact Julie here at jb crafting supplies.

I hope that all your christmas preparations are going well. I'm still up to my knees in glitter but I can feel the excitement rising. So until next week..take care and happy crafting...Genny.