February's winning ticket, chocolate and sneak peek

Hello friends

Thank you so much for your die storage suggestions,

really great ideas.  I'm definitely looking into changing the way

I store my matting dies as they are probably my most used dies

(along with mini poinsettia and little leaves!)

The last day of February so I need to announce the winner ticket from

February's Charity Kit. 

And it is...

Please take a look and if you are the winner please email me

creativity-continues@outlook.com

with your address details and I will then whisk out a goody bag to you.

The demos and samples for next week's shows are coming along,

I'll be doing Pick of the Day which is a lot of shows, two late night ones

and then a full day starting early - a fair amount of coffee required!

Here's a sneak peak of one of my cards and yes it's my favourite flower right now

and I've teamed the die cuts with Anna Griffin paper.

Today Elliott and I are heading to London as it is his six monthly MRI.

They come around far too quickly.

Once done it I'm sure we will need a treat, last time we stumbled 

across a cafe that sold amazing cakes and chocolates.

I have been considering giving up chocolate for lent ....

I'm thinking this rash thought will pass shortly though!

Right...pancakes first :)

Take care friends.

Tri Hex and a question...

Hello friends

Today's card is totally different for me!

It uses the fall out pieces from one of the Kaleidoscope dies - Tri Hex.

I raided my scrap box for some geometrical design paper and 

arranged them in a little design for my card front.

Matted with 6 x 6 Matting Dies and typed out an appropriate sentiment

to die cut and affix to the front.

A definite masculine feel to this card.

Tri Hex is a pre-order die and arriving next month along with the

whole collection of Kaleidoscope dies designed by Lene Lok.

So here's a question...for those of you who use matting dies how do you

store yours?  I've got all mine on A4 magnetic sheets which I have affixed

to strong board but I'm not finding that not to be a perfect solution.

I did think about putting them on a metal ring but that would also 

take a bit of time to remove them each time so looking for ideas please.

I shall be back in the cabin today, still working on those demos 

for next week :)

Take care friends.

Uni and Fretwork Accents

Hello friends

Yesterday was a full day visiting Greenwich University with Elliott.  

The campus is absolutely stunning.

That's Canary Wharf in the background.

 The buildings are recognisable for being used in

so many films and TV shows - Pirates of the Caribbean, Les Miserables,

last week's episode of SS GB!

The sky was determined to be grey but at least it didn't rain.

Inside these buildings is modern classrooms and lecture halls.

We had a tour, opted for lunch in Greenwich and then a presentation of the 

course that Elliott would like to take, three years of Digital Media.

I confess a lot of the terminology went straight over my head!

I've decided he'll be jolly useful to the website though :)

And talking of website and crafty stuff here is today's card.

This is one of the new dies arriving next month - Fretwork Accents.

It is a cross design which I have die cut twice, white and silver mirror card.

Overlayed to create a flower design.  A pretty brad to the centre and

typed and die cut sentiment.

So this could definitely lend itself to Christmas couldn't it!?

Back to my cabin today to come up with more samples and demos

for my forthcoming telly shows.

Take care friends.

Tag and Telly!

Hello friends

 

Storm Doris really does have a lot to answer for,

so many of you have lost roof tiles and fence panels.

I hope you can get your repairs sorted fairly quickly.

We have been fairly unscathed, one section of fencing is being held up

by a mass of ivy, natural fencing in my view!

 

I know my parents' garden took a beating so when I visit the cabin

today I'll take a look - cabin is fine, phew!

 

Today's project is a tag featuring dies from the Sapphire Plus

collection.  The tag itself is created with the steel rule tags die

and the decorative die cut is Label 2 Plus -

all available from Create and Craft.

 

 

I chose to slice a section off the die cuts and alight it to the right

hand edge of the tag.  Mirrored behind with silver foil card.

 

A stamped sentiment and a little flower and leaf to finish.

 

Talking of Sapphire Plus, I will be returning to Create and Craft

beginning of next month - lots of shows so I'm busy prepping.

I've got a new button/image on my blog sidebar...

 

 

If you click on that it will show Create and Craft details and

my most up to date show dates and times.

I tend to always post on Facebook too - no avoiding me really! ;)

 

Take care friends, have a great Saturday.

Elliott and I are off to Greenwich University open day!

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

 

This week's Friday Die Day is featuring Flower Top Box

and I think it is so cute!

A design by Marisa Job who has brought us the Box of Treats,

Surprise Me Box and more.

 

There are three dies in the set and the measurements are approximately:

 

Overlays: 1.00 x 0.85 in (2 pcs)
Box Half: 7.00 x 4.30 in

This is how they look cut/embossed.

 

 

To create the box you need to die cut the box half twice.

I didn't actually emboss, I found that just with the cut it was enough

to see the fold lines.

 

Fold along each fold line including the little tabs.

You will see the tabs affix to create the base of the box.

I used liquid glue for that bit of 'wiggle' room.

 

Affix the side tabs too.

Make sure you bend the petals outwards a little.

 

To close the box you can tie with twine or ribbon.

I also used my bone folder to shape the petals a little.

 

After cutting lots of overlays I selected to decorate just one!

My signature mini poinsettia cut in pink and little leaves.

 

Positioned and affixed to the one panel.

The finished box.

 

 

Flower Top Box is available to pre-order and will be in stock next month.

 

Important...chocolate sizing, my estimation is that it could contain

two Ferroro Rocher,three smaller truffles

or quite a lot of Maltesers!

 

Take care friends, let's hope Storm Doris blows herself out

and you are all safe.

 

 

 

Graceful Floral Lace

Hello friends

I had a brilliant day yesterday!

It was a training day organised by Create and Craft and it was

very informative and also a lot of fun.

We talked about on air techniques, make-up, hair,

clothes - felt like a girly day out!

Big thanks to Clair who organised it and for Jenny Cleary 

being guest presenter and making us laugh all day.

I got to spent some time with Sheila Halliwell from Docrafts

and two ladies bringing something very new to Create & Craft...

I'll keep you posted on that. 

So back to today's card and this features one of Becca Feeken's 

border dies - Graceful Floral Lace.

I've die cut the border in white card and just a strip of it in silver foil card

to use as a mirror behind.

A strip of ribbon and a stamped sentiment and the card is complete.

The die really does the 'talking' in this card.

Graceful Floral Lace is available to pre-order, arriving next month.

Back to city job today, Thursdays and Fridays come around very very quickly!

I'm looking forward to someone else doing the driving as I've been

on the motorway a lot the last few days, at least on the coach commute

I take a nap (not advisable when I'm at the wheel!) ;)

Take care friends, please stop by tomorrow for Friday Die Day.

Unicorn Fantasy

Hello friends

Arrived back home safely from Birmingham and today heading 

to Peterborough!  I'm there to attend a Create and Craft training day,

looking forward to finding out what that involves.

Today's crafty offering is Unicorn Fantasy and this is one of the cards

that proved very popular at the show, 

lots of people stopped by and picked this one up.

Onto a white card mat (cut with 6 x 6 Matting Basics) I lightly blended

distress inks and then splashed it with a little water to create the 

subtle and hopefully mystical background.

The rainbow and clouds are also in this die set.

I cut the clouds twice so that I could mirror them with dark gold card.

Did the same with the dark gold card for the unicorn's tail and horn.

The sentiment across the bottom is typed and die cut.

The font I use most often is Bell MT.

Unicorn Fantasy is available to pre-order and arriving next month.

It's always nice to come home especially with a Bella-welcome!

Take care friends, hope your week is going well.

All the fun of the show!

Hello friends

So here they are lots of photos direct from the Craft Hobby and Stitch

Show in Birmingham.  

Big thanks to Elliott who took these whilst I was demoing.

Gorgeous Wrendale Designs are now available as cross stitch kits,

I have a couple of these as prints in my cabin.

This is where I spent most of the time on the Personal Impressions stand demoing.

So much gorgeous wool, look out Bella could be a new jumper!

Embellishment heaven.

Such pretty fabrics.

And how about this for a sewing box - how cute!

The bird next to it is a pin cushion...felt that was a little cruel.

I'm heading home today so normal blogging will resume,

hope you have enjoyed a few of the photos from the show.

Take care friends, back tomorrow.

Demoing and Decagon View

Hello friends

Arrived safely in Birmingham and had a brilliant first day demoing 

at the Craft Hobby and Stitch show. 

Here I am showcasing some of Becca's beautiful border dies

and also the new Kaleidoscope collection.

This is one of my sample cards featuring Decagon View.

I positioned the die in the right hand corner of the card slightly off the edge

and embossed only.

My tip here is to always use a reasonable weight cardstock otherwise

you may run the risk of the die cutting through the card.

I then used the die to die cut patterned paper, a paper with a small design

works very well.  I selected certain pieces and affixed them over their matching

embossed shape.

Typed and die cut sentiment to the top and a little Blooms One to finish.

I'm all set for day two at the show and Elliott is with me and will 

be taking some photos of new interesting products which I will 

share with you all tomorrow (because I forgot to do that yesterday!)

Take care friends.