Three Dimensional Rose

I love Roses and just had to make this beautiful 3d rose to add dimension to some of my projects. I used slightly coloured card and waterbased pigment ink. Just remember to heat set it before you touch the flowers to prevent smodging or use a permanent ink if you prefer.

Step-by-Step

Materials:
Sabelina Vintage ER-C6
Iris Inks by Sabelina (waterbased pigment ink)
Aleene's Tacky Glue Fast Drying Glue pen
Glue Gun
Mini pegs
Stickles (icicle)
Card or paper of your choice

Use the ink of your choice to stamp the five petal flower three times and three leaves in the size of your choice. I like stamping a few extra leaves just in case.

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I use Sabelina Stamp Cleaner spray and Cleaning pad at this stage to clean my stamps. Simply spray the liquid onto the stamps and rub them onto the cleaning pads to let the bristles remove any residual ink.

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Cut the flowers and leaves out carefully and cut away extra little bits. On the first flower cut out a single petal and set both pieces aside and on the second flower cut out a two petal section leaving a three petal piece. So in total you will need five pieces to complete your rose.

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Also cut the center out of the complete flower and small piece from the centre as shown in the photo. Distress the edges slightly to add definition. Now start shaping the flower and leaves as desired.

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Curl the pieces to form a round shape, with stamp image on the inside, and use a strong and quick drying glue to stick petals together and mini peg or clips to hold in place until the glue is dry.Set aside to dry for about 30 minutes just to be sure the glue is perfectly set. Remove the peg and gently use your fingertips to start shaping the petal edges.

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Assemble the layers to make the rose. I normally use my heat gun for this but you can also use silicone as it is more flexible but it does take longer to dry. Add the leaves to the bottom of your rose and then apply it to your project. Create as many roses as you require for your project. Finish by adding Stickels or glitter as desired.

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I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did. Here is a photo to show you the different size roses you can achieve using this stamp set.

NEWLY ADDED: I found this Video on Youtube to show you how to put it together: Paper Roses and Butterflies - ENG series by SweetBioDesigns and would like to thank her for sharing here ideas. (26/01/2014)

I have used to the roses to decorate gifts:

I have also made a wreath, that can double up as a table piece with a candle in the center as shown below:
 

Father's day Cards 2013

Here are the cards my kids made for their daddy on father's day.  The Big card with the Laptop was David's (9) handywork, the bus Juliets (2) and Biking teddy Bianca's (3). I did the stamping for the girls but they choose what the wanted and what it had to say and David did it all himself even created the backgrounds himself. The blue traingle has got beermugs and he coloured the foam with a white jelly rol pen and the tray with a silver pen.

He loved it and was very supprised even when he got it a bit early cause the could not wait for father's day.

Ink Essentials

 

Ink is an essential item in your toolbox if you love cardmaking and would love to try stamping. For the perfect stamped results every time it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the different types, as achieving a professional finish often depends on using the right type of ink for the job.

There are many different surfaces you can stamp on, from card to acetate, vellum and fabric, and then there are fun variations like heat embossing. You can also use inks without stamps; as a colouring medium to add colour to the edges of card panels, for example.

As a result, different ink types have been created to help you get the best effect with each technique. Each ink type and its properties is described opposite but don’t be afraid to experiment either! The more you practise, the more you’ll discover which mediums you like best. So take out your scrap paper and start stamping today!

For the perfect stamped results every time it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the different types, as achieving a professional finish often depends on using the right type of ink for the job.

Ask yourself these few questions to determine what type of ink you need for each project:

1. What is the medium that you will be applying the ink to? (e.g. paper, wood, fabric, metal, glass, acetate, ceramics, plastic, etc.)
2. What application technique will you be using? (stamping, direct to paper, brayering, sponging, painting, more on these in a later post)
3. Do you the ink to be acid-free and archival quality for scrapbooking?
4. Does the image need to be fade-resistant or permanent?
5. Will you be embossing the images or does it need to be fast drying?
6. How would you be adding colour to the image?

Oil-based Inks

These inks are ideal for stamping highly detailed stamps and dries reasonably quickly. They repel water making it suitable for watercolouring with all but Derwent and Sanford Prismacolor unless heat set first.
Brands:
Tsukineko Versafine
Ranger Archival

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Solvent-based Inks

These inks are permanent, fast drying and designed for decorating non-porous and semi-porous surfaces, such as metal, tile, terracotta, vinyl,  shrink plastic, acrylic, cellophane, aluminum foil, leather, some glass surfaces and even stone.  The firm felt pad ensures that the stamp inks up evenly for a very crisp detailed image for a base image that can then be coloured with waterclour pencils, pens of AquaMarkers without bleeding or fading.  Permanent inks are solvent-based inks that dry by evaporation. They’re similar to the ink in Sharpie pens: they're very fast-drying, permanent, and works on a wide range of surfaces. Permanent inks will stain your stamps—and everything else they come in contact with. They require a solvent cleaner (use immediately after stamping) for easier clean up and are not good for clear stampsbecause the cleaner deteriorate the polymer.
Brands:
Tsukineko StazOn

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Dye-based Inks

Dye-based inks are water-based, non-toxic, washable, many are child safe, and their colorants are dyes. Dye-based inks are quick-drying, transparent and will blend easily and dry quickly on most porous surfaces.  Because of how quickly the ink dries it is not suitable for embossing but are suitable for colouring with both water colour and alcohol based markers without smudging.  It is useful to note that dye-based ink soaks into the fibres of the paper rather than sitting on top essentially staining them,  so you will get the brightest effect if you use them on pale or white card, rather than dark coloured card where the colour will blend.  They are great for Sponging, direct to paper techniques and you can also create water-colour or 'marble-effect' backgrounds by first lightly spritzing your paper or cardstock with water making a bleeding effect which you can play around with to  make the effect you want. It’s sold on     a hard felt pad, which means it’s difficult to over-ink your stamp, so it gives clean, crisp images – perfect for stamping outlines and ideal for those new to stamping.  Dye Ink based pads are waterbased so are easy to clean and come in hundreds of colors.
Brands:
Tsukineko Impress, Memento, Kaleidcolor
Ranger Adirondack
Big & Juicy
Clear Snaps
DoCrafts Ink It Up
Papermania Whispers
Sabelina Artemis

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Pigment-Based Inks

Pigment inks are water/glycerin-based, acid free, non-toxic, fade resistant and more opaque than dye inks. Pigments are not easily washed out of clothing and will stain fabric, wood, carpet.  Pigment inks are generally sold on a spongy pad which make then ideally suited to clear stamps but beware of over-inking your stamps. There are also lots of exciting variations of pigment inks available, such as shimmery and chalk finishes, which are fantastic for stamping colour on your cards.
Unlike dye-based ink, pigment ink dries on the surface of the card rather than soaking into the fibres, so the colours often look more vibrant and opaque than dye-based ink and they allow enough time for the embossing powder to stick to the inked area. Pigments will not dry on glossy or non-porous surfaces without heat setting or embossing. Once embossed they are permanent and can be safely watercolored and are also archival, permanent and fade resistant once heat set.  Pigment ink is available in pads and markers.  These are made from pigments suspended in a thick, glycerin-based substance. Their thickness boosts opacities and brightness.
Brands:
Tsukineko Versacolour, Versafine, Versamagic, Brilliance, Encore, Opalite
Ranger Adirondack
Clear Snap
Sabelina  Iris

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Chalk Inks

Chalk inks are a pigment ink which have a powdery, matte
finish once dry, they're opaque and dry quickly. They have the vibrance of a pigment ink but can be blended like a dye-based ink, making them a popular choice with cardmakers.  These are really great inks that dry to a chalking finish with none of that chalky residue and can be used on dark papers and surfaces.  They can be used in place of dye and pigment inks.
Brands:
Tsukineko VersaMagic
Clearsnap ColorBox Chalk Ink

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Craft Inks

Similar in consistency as pigment inks that is acid free, non-solvent based, non-toxic and water soluble until completely dry and permenant once heat set. Once dry you can safely watercolor over them. these are formulated specially for use on fabric but can be used on other porous surfaces wood, paper mache, foam, leather, canvas, ceramics, cork and a variety of other surfaces. They can be used in place of pigment or dye inks on most paper for vivid colours.
Brands:
Stampin'Up
Sabelina Athena

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Specialist Inks

Embossing and Watermark inks
VersaMark ink is a very sticky, clear pigment ink. It’s ideal for heat embossing and other effects because embossing powder will stick to it and as it is clear you can add any colour of powder to it. Embossing and watermark inks are essentially pigment inks without the pigment (some are lightly tinted). They are used for heat embossing and for adding a slightly darker imprint for a tone-on-tone look.

Brands:
Tsukineko Versamark
Sabelina Graces
ClearSnap

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Distress Inks
These are dye-based inks with a higher concentration of colour and a longer drying time than normal. They are designed to flow when sprayed with water, and to be blended and worked into your project. They are ideal for altered art and distress effects.
Brands:
Ranger Distress Ink

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Alcohol Inks
These are special dye-based inks designed to give a pretty, polished-stone effect. They are quick-drying and permanent, and can be used on lots of surfaces including glossy paper, acetate, shrink plastic, foil and metal.
Brands:
Ranger Adirondack

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Hints & Tips

1. Always store your ink pads upside down, so the ink falls to the top of the felt pad. This will ensure your ink pad stays juicy when it’s needed.
2. Make sure your stamp is clean before you ink it up, so your ink pads don't become tainted with other colours.
3. To avoid over-inking your stamps, always take the ink pad to the stamp, tapping it gently onto the surface (instead of pressing the stamp down into the ink pad). This will help you achieve an even coverage of ink and a clean, stamped image.

"Purplelishious"Card featured on The Outlawz Challenge

Here is my featured entry on the Monday Greeting Card Challenge - May 20th over at The Outlawz Challenges.
You may create any type of card for this challenge as long as you use purple, lavender or grape tones and have a sentiment on the front of the card.

I got the idea for this card on card-making-magic.com by Christina Griffiths.  She is Brilliant and makes card making so so easy with her easy to follow projects  and Video tutorials on YouTube. Do subscribe to her YouTube channel and websites newsletters for all the inspiration you will ever need.

You can also find a Sue Wilson version here in PDF format.

Hope you like it.

Sabelina Show and Tell and my first YouTube video

During my search for new and interesting products for my online shop I found this company who makes lovely stamps and stamping accesories (Catalogue).  I know that many of you crafters will love their goods as much as I do and feel that you should be able to buy these at a reasonable price as their range of stamps will be a great addition to your current craft stash. 

I am part of their international design team and have used their clear stamps, inks, stamp handles / acrylic blocks.  I love their liquid stamp cleaner spray with their cleaning pad and have to say that it is really excellent quality.  Even after regular use and minimal cleaning the stamps remain perfectly clear.

The range of stamps and colours are extensive with sets for every occasion and a few you might not even have thought about yet and have been developed to decorate paper, textile fabrics, wood, plastic, ceramic, curtains, metal, glass and other materials.

Here is a video link to some of the items I have received: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI-3hWrG-rI recently.It is my first video so its not at as professional as many of yours videos but I am sure you will get the idee.  I plan on creating lots of project with the stamps I already have and will upload them  to youtube and will also be submittng projects to various UK craft magazines to advertise their products.

 

I just love these stamps as I am sure you will too so Please contact you favourite craft retailer and ask them for Sabelina stamps, inks and above all their liquid stamp cleaner and cleaning pad. Also try Create and Craft or QVC. If they have not heard of them before refer them back to me.  Just a little extra Artemio is another range of stamps in their portfolio as can be seen on their website (in Chinese but there are many free translators on the web).

 

Moody Blue

This card is one of my newest monochromatic creations.  The stamps used came as a free gift with a new magazine call Get Stamping.

I created the card using only 3 clear stamps, embossing powder, 4 different blue pigment inks and Shrink plastic).  The background on the card was created using the flower stamp on white card , then embossing with clear embossing powder and rubbing ink over this. 


I then went on to stamp the text 4 times onto a cream base card and added the flourish stamp twice to create and accent for the corner.  I stamps some more flowers on white card, cut them out and shaped them a little.  Then I also stamped the flower in various blue inks on clear shrink plastic, cut out and shrunk them with a heat gun.


I used the Shrinked flowers as centers to the paper flowes and also added some on the flourish.  I even decorated the envelope.


Hope you like this.

Complete Scoring board and basic tool set

I have had so many Scoreboards through the year but when a new one come out it always have a feature or two that the previous did not or the "people in the know" promise this is the ultimate tool so I am not going to make any promises about this Scoreboard that I will be selling from late April.

I will simply tell you what I like about it.  I loved the Martha Stewart Board because of the Envelope traingle and regular scoreline but was in inches, the ScorePal bacause you could buy a ScoreMat to cut on and it had a metric version but the scorelines was not regular enough and  both are to small when you are working with paper larger then 12x12 and the bigger boards from Crafters Companion just ended up in the shed after being used maybe once :( So it goes on and on all have advantages and all have disadvantages so here is a board that incorporate it all the positives and a few other features.  

Go look at the Video's linked below and keep an eye out for more shortly after its UK release available at  http://www.bonscraft.co.uk , Ebay or Amazon at £15.50 now.

＊Multi-Functional Scoring Board
*Double sided: one side is used for cutting and the other one is used for scoring and Envelope making
*Professional tools for card, envelope and gift box.
*Make different size of envelop.

Scoring Board Set Including:

＊ Scoring Board:
 *One side is for cutting and the other is for folding paper.
 *Used to make different cards, gift boxes, and envelopes. Combine two functions and  make space-saving.

＊Scoring Ruler:
 *High quality scoring ruler. Latch structure makes the ruler perfectly fit the board. Clear  and easy to understand how to use it to make the cards or boxes. With steel bar, you can use it to cut the paper more safe.

＊Envelope Triangle:
 *Used for making envelopes. Separate the size of short and long side in different colors.     There are totally 5 kinds of measurement for your reference. For other size, please refer the print on the mat and tutorials to follow on this blog.

＊Bone Folder:
 *Use this versatile tool to score and fold paper or cardstock, or use to burnish and wrap    paper around bookboard edges. It is also used for scoring or marking papers, fabrics,    and boards.

＊Snap-OFF Craft Knife:
 *Avoid the irregular cutting, please use the sharp blade.
 *Use the cutter with cutting mat, to avoid damaging the surface of your desk and extend  the lifespan of blade.

Video:

HOW TO MAKE A CARD

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT BOX

HOW TO MAKE A ENVELOPE

 

New multi-blade Paper trimmer available

35cm Ruler+Cutting Mat(45x20cm)+10 different cutting cartridges

Product Description:

＊The blade inside the cutter is designed to be invisible for user's safety.
＊With the rotary blade, we can cut papers beautifully without leaving bits and pieces on the edges.
＊Ruler & cutter is equipped with a sharp and durable rotary blade.
＊Newly designed for cutting facsimile papers, copy papers, printing papers, light card, photographs, plastic or acetate sheets, etc.

This Product can also be used on you Scoreboard mentioned next.

Sold separately you can expect to pay up to £15 for the trimmer and up to another  £15 for 8 blades.  How much would you expect to pay for this?

Well it will be available at  http://www.bonscraft.co.uk ebay and amazon £19.99 right now.

Wedding Anniversary Card

Stamping and some advice from you

I love stamping but need some advise before I invest in new ink pads as my girls got hold of mine while I was out and Dad was in charge and wrecked most of them.

I had a big selection of types, colours, shapes and sizes.  I really liked the multi colour sets like  Papermania- Capsule Collection- Pigment Ink Pads, but thought the pads was to small some times and Colorbox Cat's Eye stackable colours, but found that after awhile they did not stay stacked so well.  I have looked at the Stampin Up selection but they only do craft ink pads, Versamark clear and then StazOn in neutral colours and I would prefer a bit more excitement.

I have found a new supplier of great inks and need to decide how to purchase them in  multi packs, like the above or singles as well as what size works best and can really use some advise so please check out the polls next to this post.  They have a few different types and a brilliant selection of colours.

Alive to God

Verse: Isaiah 54:14 (New Life Version)'All will be right and good for you. No one over you will make it hard for you, and you will not be afraid. You will be far from trouble, for it will not come near you.'- It is going to be alright.
- God is going to take care of things in a wonderful way.
- You have nothing to fear and no need to dread.
- He is with you and He will take care of you.PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the reassurance You have given me today. I will not fear or live in fear, but I will believe You and Your word. Amen.


To receive these thoughts, email: subscribe@mail.a2gadmin.alivetogod.com

Craft group Photo Frame

In 2012 I started going to a local craft group on Tuesday Mornings in the Village I live.  A few years ago before Bianca and Juliet's births I was invited to teach a class or two at this group but now I was desperate for some inspiration. These craft mornings are arranged by Sure Start and the Community Centre for mothers in the area with young children to encourage them to try these things with their kids at home. The girls get to go to  a creche with other kids and I get to spend time with other crafty mums. 

We have made Driftwood mirrors, (mine was a disaster as the glue they provided was watered down PVA with not much holding power), decorated fabric bags, glass painting, photo frames, wreaths and a few other items. 

Most of the base products used came from a UK based company called Baker Ross that mostly cater for children's craft, fundraising products and educational goodies.

My Finished Product

 Here are my version of the Large white craft photo frames we had to decorate. Made a lovely contribution to the School's Christmas Bazaar.

Overall size 18cm x 14cm. Availabe here at £4.95 for 5 (99p each) or £13.95 for 15 (93p each) Orders under £10 pay £2.20 Standard Delivery service and orders over £50 is free

Blank Frame

MyMemories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software and this weeks freebie

Check out MyMemories Suite, the #1 Rated Scrapbook Software Use the DISCOUNT CODE (STMMMS12755) during your checkout and receive: $10 off the software purchase and a $10 gift certificate to the online store. You can also use this Discount code when purchasing other digital items from their website

Grab you Completely customizable projects for free.  Create and share your memories using MyMemories Suite or if you don't have MyMemories Software, the Elements and QuickPages are in .png format and the papers are in .jpg format which are usable in any software.You can also use this Discount code when purchasing other digital items from their website. My Code: STMMMS12755

 

These freebies will be updated every 14 days, so remember to call back regularly. 

 

This Digital Kit Includes:

• 2 Digital Papers
• 6 Page Elements
• 1 Quick Pages

Click here to Claim Your FREE Gift

This Digital Kit Includes:

• 3 Digital Papers
• 8 Page Element
• 1 Quick Pages

Click here to Claim Your FREE Gift

This Digital Kit Includes:

• 1 Digital Papers
• 7 Page Elements
• 1 Quick Pages

Click here to Claim Your FREE Gift

You can follow My Memories Suite at:

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyMemoriesSuite

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mymemories/

Tutorials: http://www.mymemoriesblog.com/search/label/Tutorials 

Advise for Crafters Block

As you can see from the previous posts I have not been as busy making Cards or Scrap booking (in my case "mini"booking) in 2012 as before, the reason for this was Crafters Block. 

I spend way too much time looking on line for card ideas and after browsing millions of blogs, galleries and Pinterest Boards I end up feeling too frustrated to make anything. Then I found this eBook and was skeptical at first as to whether or not it would help, but as you will see from future posts it is brilliant and has lifted the block. 

I can honestly say, whether you are experienced at card making or a beginner, you will love "101 Creative Card Sketches".  There's so many different possibilities even with just one card sketch because you can rotate it anyway you want, use products you already own and have on your desk, rather than spend a fortune on new stuff that you have seen in someone else’s project.

There are even instructions and measurements for some of the sketches that you can simply copy. Gloria also shares more creative ways for using these card sketches. I decided to concentrate on to A6 cards to start off with and as UK sizes are different from USA sizes I simply worked out the mat sizes I needed for each or the horizontal and vertical card sketches I was went and wrote them on the printed sketch so it would be easy next time I wanted to use them.  I will also be using these for some layouts in my upcoming mini album layouts.

 

I am also preparing some blank card kits in plastic bags with matching patterned paper, a nice focal point mat, a few accent embellishments, and a printed copy of the sketch that I will take with me to my Tuesday Morning Craft group and also to use with the kids.  Who know I might get the other ladies to join in a bit of a “Ready Steady” craft session using some of these.  All we will have to do is add a stamp or topper on the focal mat.  I choose non directional patterned paper to make it easier and cut each sketch to size so others can interpret the sketch as they see fit and use it in any direction.  This means each card will be unique.

Gloria has also created a gallery on her website where you can upload your creations with or without instructions to share with others and inspire like minded card makers.

101 Creative Card Sketches offers card layouts that can be used to create a handmade greeting card for any occasion. Along with the 101 card sketches, the book includes over 25 card samples plus card making instructions, handy card sketch summary sheets, and so much more! 

You  also get the following books for free: Envelope Making Guide + 6 Patterns, Adhesive Guide for Card Makers, Money Saving Tips for Card Makers. 

 So if you haven't gotten your copy of 101 Creative Card Sketches yet, then Click Here! to get your today for only £17.00 (approx. £11.00). 

2012 Christmas Tealight Holder Card

Here is some photo's of one of the Christmas Cards I made this year using Hot Off the Press Papers and a Tonic Border Punch.  This tea light candle card is very easy to do and the tea lights used are cheap to buy for just about any store.  You can also put Chocolates or other treats in the box.

Here is a video on how to make it all you need is a 6.5 by 12 piece of paper, some acetate and these directions and you will have a lot of fun making and decorating these:)

You can also find a written Tutorial at Card-Making-Magic.com with Christina's video on YouTube as well.

I made a pull out box for the candles but most tutorials show an all in one card and box.

Birthday card for a Friend

 I got the idea for this card on card-making-magic.com by Christina Griffiths.  She is Brilliant and makes card making so so easy with her easy to follow projects  and Video tutorials on YouTube. Do subscribe to her YouTube channel and websites newsletters for all the inspiration you will ever need.

It was a great hit with my friend.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the presentation box.

My Cards On Create and Craft

These card made using Dimension Stamps was shown on the 13:00 Create and Craft Show presented by Jacqui Joseph

 This card was made using Dimension Stamps December Club Stamp set: Out at Sea 2300039a

I am also entering the above cards into the Charmed Cards & Crafts  January 2013 card Challenge that you can find here.

The cards and inserts was made using Dimension Stamps August Club stamp set:Teenage Dream 2300060a and Papers from Cardmaking & Papercraft, you can download the papers here: http://www.cardmakingandpapercraft.com/download/4-papers-men.

It was great fun making these, hope you like them.

Dimesion Stamps I have