Keeping sane during Covid 19

I really can't believe it's been so long since I last tapped out some crafty blogs. Anyway, it has been too long. At home self-isolating due to this damn virus. Who'd have thought our countries could be brought to their knees by this?
On a brighter note there is time to get crafting and blogging again. So with a view to keeping sane I am posting first of all, some of the things I've made and been remiss posting and blogging.
First up is this lovely hat easel card and hat box to keep it in. Inspired by the lovely Ann Martin of Positively Papercraft. If you'd like to make one yourself please follow this link to Ann's YouTube tutorial. Another Easel Hat Card  I will not be surprised if you don't come back. Ann makes some amazing things.

Second up is another hat easel card but with a square box this time. Another inspiration from Positively papercraft. I made the hat taller on this one and inserted a small card inside the box to write the greeting on. If you want to watch Ann's tutorial on this one, select here.

Third up is an album I have made and has been donated to my youngest granddaughter. I thoroughly enjoyed making this one and felt a huge improvement on my album making skills with this one. Still a way to go though.

Next up is this card I made for my older granddaughter's birthday earlier this month. It's a box style card and covered with acetate over the box area where the sentiment is. I was happy with this and thankfully so was she. I may even do a written and pictorial tutorial for making these in the days to come, so watch this space.

Lastly, Christmas has been and gone since I last blogged and I made this lovely lantern. Guess where the inspiration came from? You got it, Positively Papercraft. You'll need a die for this and Ann gives the link to all items used below her tutorial. If you'd like to watch it, select here.

Also had a go at making my own gift bag and matching card and was super thrilled at how this one turned out.

Well these bring me up to date more or less and hope you like them. I am currently finishing off another album I have been working on. I'll share this when I've finished although my next one, which I am already itching to get started on, I will attempt making it using a spine. The ones I have seen appear to have a much sleeker finish. We'll see.

Thanks for popping by and see you soon. Stay safe.
Karen

Black Ice technique

Having watched a hoard of You Tube tutorials on this fabulous technique, each with their own twist, I decided to have a go myself. Wow. I'm in love with this technique and it will feature in many of my Christmas cards this year. And next year come to that!!

The effect is amazing but it is so simple to do. Has to be for me to get it right first time haha.

You will need:
Mirror card. I went for a silver first, followed by ice blue and then gold.
Black Stazon ink
Versamark
Clear embossing powder
Heat gun.
Stamps. I chose some foliage.

1. Cut your mirror card to size. Gently and softly stroke the Stazon ink across the whole mirror card.
2. Stamp your chosen stamps randomly in Stazon ink. It is advisable to heat set the ink so it doesn't smudge at the next stage.
3. Stroke your Versamark ink pad across the whole card.
4. Cover with clear embossing powder and shake off the excess.
5. Heat the embossing powder and voila.

Now you can add your sentiment and any embellishments before mounting. I mounted onto black card and used a band of black to go across it with a Cool Yule die cut from Trimcraft and finished off with some foliage in black and matching mirror card.

I hope you like this technique as much as I do.

Thanks for stopping by.

Karen xx

A Christmas Album

I started this album a while ago using a very delicate Christmas paper pad I got from Create and Craft.
When I'd finished the cover I wasn't happy with it at all.
So it came apart, painted with gesso, inked with dark blue distress ink and some stencilling with medium paste.
My moon and stars came out ok but the circles I wanted at the bottom didn't really hit the mark.
I didn't want to start again so got out the gold leaf and mica to give it a lift.

Not the great start into mixed media I'd imagined but relatively happy with it and certainly better than it was.
A final touch with either a Santa and his sleigh or simply Christmas Album across the centre.

Meanwhile, here's the finished item.

I do hope you like it.
Thanks for stopping by and please call again.
Karen xx

Butterfly easel card

After watching the amazing Ann Melvin, of Positively Papercraft, make a fabulous easel card with a butterfly die, I just had to make one myself.

The die is by Alinacraft and is such a versatile die. It can be used on its own or layered like this is. Because it is layered you can chose the size of butterfly you want to use.

This easel style card uses all the dies from largest to smallest.
I've refrained from trimming it up as I've yet to decide what to use this for.
Any suggestions gratefully accepted.
I do like this and hope you do too.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen

Shaker and stamped candle

You can tell I'm on leave with time on my hands haha. Had another crafty play today and made a shaker card a little differently to how I normally make them and very pleased with it.
Because it covers the whole card rather than a section of it, if anything it could do with a few more sprinkles inside, but overall I'm happy with it.

After this I finally bit the bullet and did something I've been wanting to do for ages but kept shying away from. My stamped candle. I am so pleased with this I keep doing a happy dance haha.
I showed it my husband and his reaction was "You've not made that." Compliment or insult I'm not sure which but I showed him the stamp to prove it!!

Now I need to decide what to do with it. Do I make a display box for it? Or do I present it on a small plate or platform decorated with fauna and paper flowers and ribbons? I'm not decided on that one yet. Still enjoying just looking it.
If you've been thinking of having a go, just do it. It's like a little bit of magic.

Thank you for stopping by and do come again.
Karen

Curvy box tree hangings

A crafty work colleague suggested demonstrating making some vellum Christmas tree hangings with battery tea light for the crafty ladies at work.
The die that was used for the MacMillan teapots was perfect.

I set about having a go myself first. I made two in patterned foiled vellum and was quite pleased with the result.






















My colleague favoured stamping plain vellum and colouring the reverse for the pastel effect, so I made this next.  The tea light I used actually changes colour and you can just make out the red light in this picture.

Very pleased with them but they do have a flaw. The ribbon for hanging fits through the closure and makes access to turn on or switch off the tea light very difficult. So this is now a work in progress while I try to work out how best to fix the problem.
I also made one in foiled card. No tea light in this one, just a chocolate or two (or three or four).

Hope you like them. And if you can think of how to do the closure do please let me know. Save my poor brain from a headache 😌
Thanks for stopping by
Karen

Autumn

Responded to a craft challenge on Craft World with a theme of Autumn.
I recently got a Papercraft magazine with a free gift of a falling leaves embossing folder and a beautiful large die with separate veins die and been waiting for an opportunity to do something with these. Along with another lovely oak leaf in my stash with an acorn die and individual smaller leaves.
I embossed first and then inked with Distress Oxide in antique linen and ground espresso.
I then decided to highlight the embossed leaves with some glossy accents, which really makes them stand out.

I chose to die cut some different coloured leaves and inked around them for definition.
The larger die I cut in white and inked up in various shades until I got the look I wanted. The veins I also inked and after gluing them in place I defined them further with some Tonic crystal drops and love the effect.
Finally I opted for a 'Thinking of you' stamped sentiment and scattered some smaller leaves and acorns around.

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I love the purple leaf in the mix as Autumn is my favourite month and I love the different array of colours it brings.

I do hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.
Karen xx