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My little craft room has a fishy theme with fish curtains and pictures and so when I saw the Whale of a Time stamp set with matching punch in the catalogue I had a little think about how to use it to decorate. The papers that go with the set make great backgrounds. Of course - The set can also ne used to make cards. The card above is a small square notecard and I made it using the papers cur into waves following the lines of the pattern by hand - then I stuck the paper so that I could hide the little whale down into the card. Then I made 8 little note cards and decorated envelopes to match. I used two shadow box frames joined on one side with magnet closures at the other to make a cute box to present them in.  I may need to put something across the corners as they keep falling out! I have made a video on how to make the shadow box frames and box but I am waiting for a visit to a friend to be able to upload it as my internet is lacking!!  Take care  JoP x

Oh dear oh dear!I have been neglecting my blog and although I am aware that only a handful of folks probably will ever read it - you never know do you! I have not however neglected my crafty friends and past customers as I have been sending some cards and penned notes as well as a couple of card kits in the post or lovingly delivered by hand into your letterboxes. Please don't feel if you card has gone in the post it was not loved - I would like to say that I lovingly lick the stamp but due to modern stamp technology I only had to peel it off its sticky back - to make up for this I did stamp up some of the envelopes, although this does somewhat give the game away that the letter has come from me! Does anyone else stare at the front of a hand written envelope that has unexpectedly or even expectedly dropped onto the mat trying to guess who the sender is? I like to guess out loud to whoever in the household is listening as I do recognise some handwriting and then triumphantly announc...

I made a couple of  cards to show off another set of dies I have had for a long time for scrapbooking and 3D projects and as they are now retiring I acquired the matching stampset by winning a Team competition! I used the designer series papers called 'See A Silhouette' which I am rather fond of and just bought my 4th pack (as they are now on a reduced price as retiring 2nd June. I gold embossed the edges of the paper and some splashes with gold embossing paper and cut the candle images out of gold foil paper. I think it would work for Christmas as well as birthday. The above photo shows another card and this one I have gold heat embossed the cake image onto white card before adhering it to the card base. Below is a photo of all of the pieces on my desk of cut outs from various dies and the papers which make super backgrounds if you dont want to make your own background. The colours are so vibrant and warm. This photo shows the 'Wish for it all' stamp set and the 'F...

This photo does not show it very well but this is an A3 size piece of watercolour paper !! I have spritzed it all over with water and then sprinkled on some pigment sprinkles - I then cut the paper into various sizes and used it to make backgrounds for a whole heap of cards. I sewed around it with my sewing machine. I think this is great for artwork for the wall also- this is quite a bold sprinkle as I used lots but you can go a lot more subtle - just keep adding water and sprinkle and wait for a bit as it grows - leave to dry overnight or dry with a heat gun. Here are some of the backgrounds along with some designer series papers with the two layered butterfly images from the dies called Butterfly Beauty Thinlits (these are NOT retiring yea!) The pigment sprinkles are thought only available in a set of 6 pots with sprinkle lines until June 2nd. My puppy is growing fast - but still looking guilty next to a shoe he should not be chewing! He is also rather too fond of my wool! Anyway bac...

I bought these dies years ago and they are only just now going into retirement - I use them a lot in the back ground for my scrapbooking but I thought I would give them a run in on a box and a card. I decorated this mini pizza box with some designer series paper - this paper is currently on reduced price in Last Chance Products. It is the back of the Silhouette papers. I layered the largest flower onto some of the background paper and cut around it before putting it down on top of the other die cut arranged pieces - this prevents all of the criss-crossing pieces showing through the flower. For the card, I used this flower swirl on top of another piece of the designer series paper but this time I gold embossed the edges and some splashes onto the paper first. I added another flower die cut image on top of one of the circle buds and tiny gold pearl on top of all of the other circle buds. I also heat embossed the 'happy birthday' which came for the Bonanza Buddies stamp set. This ...

I made this card for a colour challenge and raided the scrap box. In doing so I actually chose pumpkin pie instead of mango melody but it still works with the other colours. I used the Swirly frames stamp set to emboss in white embossing powder the circles on the front of the card and a Sale a ration set that I earned during saleabration (now sadly gone) for the sentiment. I thought this sentiment was apt in current circumstances. I hope to see all of my friends soon - in the meantime I am enjoying sending and gifting cards.  I cut out the sentiment and put some bakers twine to match around the end before adhering it to the card along with some sparkly dots in the same colour family. I love colour challenges and this one was great to use up some scraps - I think it would also look nice with a mixture of patterned paper and plain card. JoPx

Due to the covid virus and stopping in at home, it is a great time to make my Christmas Cards - then I spotted a few items on the Clearance Rack in my shop and the deal was sealed - at the time of writing I have made 40 of the 60 planned cards (all the same) I went into factory mode mainly in the garden and got a bit of a tan (in April!) at the same time.  This strange silver acetate was less than half price as was the glitter card in red- unfortunately at the time of writing this has now all gone - BUT there is still glimmer paper (glitter card) left in pink and the skater dies are still there and much reduced!! The dies include the holly , the back skate the front skate and the bow - although I didn't end up using the bow on my card. There was a matching stamp set in the past now long gone - but I think the dies stand alone really well.  Here is the finished card!  I have found through much trial and error that I make more cards if I just buy one stamp set or set of die...