A Monday in Bungay!

Hello friends

So where was I yesterday?

Something very different and amazing - I was invited to Clays
in Bungay, Norfolk - the company that prints books and not just any books...

Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses.
It was a fantastic opportunity to see how they go about printing a book
from start to finish and WOW, it is a serious amount of work!
Here's just a few photos of the stages.

Large plates are made to print each page.
I'm there to give scale!

And there's no printing without ink...
tubs of it!

Further down the line it reaches the stage of book folded sections.

Carole and I marveling at how the machinery works out how to print 

all those pages in the right sequence when it is two books at once,

upside down, back to front etc etc! 

A palette with the paperback book covers, wait to you see these close up -

gorgeous, foiled and embossed.

The cover is on and the book needs to be trimmed,

this goes way beyond your craft room trimmer!

Some finished books on their way to packing.

Wrapped to go (or suffocated as I said!)

 

Here's just one batch!

Carole, Kev and myself.

And back in the office without the glare of high vis!

An amazing day, a unique experience and for even more 

photos please check out my Facebook page.

The paperback will be out in a month's time, in between 

look out for lots of special events, a very special charity kit next month

and feel free to check out Carole's website - she now has a special

page dedicated to Paperhearts and there's quite a lot of info about me

in a section called 'Me and Christine'!

#blushing

Take care friends.

Kind Thanks

Hello friends

A thank you card today which is always appropriate after

announcing a Charity Kit.

Huge thanks again this month to those who purchased, 

when Mum and I are sat die cutting each month for many hours it

truly makes it all worthwhile.  

There is just a handful left if you would like one,

all the details are in yesterday's post.

Today's card is also flowery, spring like and simple!

I've used one of the border dies from Amazing Paper Grace Collection -

Graceful Fans - I've just used one of the dies from this set as an inset

diagonally across my 6 x 6 card front.

The flowers are from Marisa's Bouquet, die cut in four pastel colours and 

little pearls added to the middle.

Stamped sentiment to finish.

Speedy and simple!

Graceful Fans is available to pre-order, arriving soon.

Telly news - there's been some changes, (as is very normal with telly!)

and I'm not actually going to the studios this week.

I'm instead making a trip to Bungay today ...I cannot give full details just yet 

but all will be revealed soon :)

Take care friends.

Charity Kit - March 2017

 Hello friends

Whoosh and it is time for another Charity Kit!
This month I bring you a project to make a pretty sticky note holder/cover.
Useful to have by your PC, phone or pop in your handbag.
It features a firm favourite of mine - Blooms One.

Each kit will contain:

Scored pink card cover
A pack of sticky notes
Dotted card x 2
Die cut square frame
Blooms One and Labels Four (half gold card)

Full instructions

Lucky number

As always, inside your kit is a lucky number, the prize is an assortment of

dies, stamps, adhesive so please keep a good hold of your ticket
as the winning number will be announced later in the month.

The price of this month's kit inclusive of packing and posting is £4.75.

All proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House, Camberwell.

I have placed a PayPal button below, it is also possible to alter
quantities should you wish to order more.

£4.75

Apologies to those who visited before 8am and the 
PayPal button was misbehaving - 
all should be fixed now :)

Thank you all for your continued support,

and again a reminder - these kits are limited and tend to sell out quickly :)

Take care friends.

Repurposed Lunch Bag!

Hello friends

 

Today's project has appeared on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog.

I've repurposed a lunch craft bag and decorated it with

Sapphire Plus dies - Oval Tag and Decorative Label One Plus.

I actually got out my script stamp and

my distress inks - haven't done that for a while.

So easy to assemble using the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

products - especially the 3D Foam Squares and Crafty Foam Tape.

 

 

The papers are Graphic 45 - Safari Adventures collection

and I think I've nearly come to the end of this paper pad...!

 

A full step by step tutorial of this project can be found here

and if you feel like leaving a comment that would be lovely - thank you!

 

Take care friends and as mentioned...please stop by tomorrow -

Charity Kit Day!

 

Friday Die Day

Hello friends

 

This week's Friday Die Day is featuring First Place,

a Spellbinders steel rule die that enables you to make rosettes effortlessly.

The die cuts 4 shapes, the strip that concertina folds for the rosette,

two central pieces (star and circle) and the tail.

 

Being a steel rule die it is easy to cut multiples of the long strip.

 

 

For a largish rosette I used four strips.  Fold along the embossed lines

into hills and valleys.  Join together, I found liquid adhesive held perfectly well.

 

Join to create a ring.

Tip: to 'squash' down to create a perfect round rosette I used the bottom of a

little bucket that had a rim.  You could use the inside of your double sided tape reel,

anything that has a circle with a lip.

 

 

I made a larger and smaller rosette, easily gauged with the strips.

Place a circle on the reverse to keep them assembled - I used

Extreme Double Sided Tape for this.

To stack I placed foam pads to the middle. The decoration is a pearl brad.

 

This double rosette is adorning my memory jar.

I started this on 1 January, each time something nice happens I take a photo,

write the memory on the reverse. 

My plan is to open the jar on New Year's Eve and look back on nice events.

If you look to the right of the photo Bella was keen to investigate the memory jar too!

 

A close up of the rosettes.

 

Fantastic for adorning cards, making name tags, pop magnets on the back,

lots of options.

 

First Place is available and will work in the following machines:

Platinum™, Platinum 6™, Sizzix BIGkick,

Sizzix Big Shot/Express/Plus, Sizzix fabi, Sizzix Vagabond.

 

Take care friends and wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Don't forget to stop by on Sunday...Charity Kit Day!

Victorian Sapphire - Blue and white

Hello friends

A blue and white crafty offering today.

I've used these papers a lot and it is from a Craftwork Cards

paper pad called Toile de Jouy.

The dies featured are Sapphire Plus Victorian Collection 

available from Create and Craft.

I cut the die twice, blue card and silver mirror card,

overlayed and offset slightly.

The matting is achieved with 5 x 7 Matting Basics.

And talking of my matting dies I've placed them in their sizes in A5 wallets

that close with a press stud closure, I'm going to see how this works for me.

Only fellow crafters understand the importance of these things!

Back to city job today - I'm not going to mention the commute...

oh look I just did! ;)

Take care friends.

Geo Flower makes an impression!

Hello friends

1st March!

Happier that nicer weather is hopefully around the corner.

Delighted to say that the MRI scan went well yesterday,

we now await the results but at least one bit is out of the way.

London never fails to entertain, you don't often see one of these...

I also realised that Elliott had never been to Liberty so we took a look around,

so pleased it has retained all its original features.

I also spent a ridiculous amount of time in Paperchase,

I could happily be locked in there for a day or two!

Now to craft...

Today's card is similar to the one I featured last week using Decagon View,

this time I've used Geo Flower.

Using the die to emboss only I positioned it slightly off the edge of the card

front.  Found some scrap paper with a little design for the die cuts to overlay.

Blooms One to the middle.

A closer view of the embossed only design.

Works well with cardstock of a good thickness, say 250 gsm plus.

Geo Flower is available to pre-order - arriving soon.

I want to say this one is my favourite but then again have you seen

the other Kaleidoscope designs - especially Rhombus Borders?

I really liked Mim's comment yesterday regarding giving up something for

lent, far better to do something nice and useful for someone else.

Thank you Mim, definitely food for thought.

Take care friends.