Saturday, 28 July 2018

InspireINK - Embossed Anniversary

Hello, and welcome!  It's Inspireink Blog Hop day, when this blog links up with others the challenge to bring you lots of inspiration!  This time the theme has been  set by the amazing Sally Shaw - 

OK, so this was a real challenge, as I don't own any (current) stamps with the word " anniversary" or with numbers.  

However - it is Stampin' Up!'s 30th anniversary this year, so I thought I'd make a card to celebrate that fact.

This is a shabby chic card and I'm going to be honest, it hasn't photographed well!  The "shabby" bit is, in reality, gold embossed.




It's a variation on the "Black Ice" technique and gives a lovely distressed effect (well, it's lovely if you like distressed cards!  I'm feeling quite distressed myself at present because of the photograph...)

Here are some close ups for a better view of the heat embossing - and the embossed edge around the aperture.  I used the "tufted" embossing folder - I really, really love this one! (Supplies list below if you want to see what I used).


I hope that gives you a better idea - and there will be a tutorial on my YouTube Channel in the near future if you want to see how I made this card.

Anyway, on with the blog hop!  If you click the button below, you'll be taken to the lovely Sally's blog to find out what she's got in store for you.  I'll be back to blog another day soon!



Keep Crafting,

Keren Product List

Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Mini Album - page 3

Hello, and welcome to the latest instalment of the mini-album project.

Today I've added a waterfall page.  I like to have an element of surprise so I made the page so that each page hides the one beneath it - like this!

via GIPHY
Here's a close-up -


I'm so glad I took advantage of Stampin' Up!'s buy 3, get one free promotion on selected DSP this month (there's still time if you haven't treated yourself - you've got until the end of the month!) so that I've got lots of gorgeous papers for matting my album pages.

Here's the tutorial - 

Just a reminder that I've created a playlist for all the tutorials in this project, so if you've missed one you can easily find them all.

Keep crafting,

Keren



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Saturday, 21 July 2018

Origami Pinwheel Pouch

Hello, and welcome!


I came across the instructions for this little pouch online.  I do enjoy a bit of origami and I really liked the way this one fitted together! It's a quick and easy make.  

The Tea Room speciality Designer Series Paper is just the right weight for paper folding.  It's lighter than SU's usual paper so it's perfect for origami.
To make the greeting card super quick and easy I used the Memories and More card pack.   These packs are a great way of getting a whole selection of patterned card at a reasonable cost.  LOVE it!

Here's the tutorial-


Keep crafting,

Keren

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Wednesday, 18 July 2018

Dragonfly Dreaming


Hello - and welcome!

Today I've been CASE-ing another demo's work.  I got this idea from Rachel Tessman (you can find her blog here). I was so impressed with the clever way the dragonfly acts as a closure for the card.

Here's my version.  So that the dragonfly was in the centre of the card, I made the front asymmetrical so that the punched slot would be in the right place.



Isn't that so much fun?

I used markers to add colour to the wings, but you could get the same effect using stamp pads.  (Speaking of stamp pads, have you  seen this month's special offer for new demonstrators where you get 10 free stamp pads as well as the usual £130-worth of items for £99 when you join as a demonstrator?  There's never been a better time to join!)

See you again soon!

Crafty hugs,

Keren
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Saturday, 14 July 2018

Mini Album - Page 2

Hi everyone, and welcome!

Today I'm continuing with my mini album project.


I wanted something a bit simpler to back onto the first page (which did have a lot of flaps) so the second page just has three slots to hold mini folders.

After I'd finished it, I realised that I could have made it with flaps to fold out - so maybe I'll repeat the design later on in the book (after all, there are 10 more sides still to go!)
The embellishments were stamped using a retired set...I was sorry to see this one go and while I often sell my retired stamps to raise money to buy new ones, I couldn't bear to part with these!

It's still way too warm to turn off the fans here, so once again I've voiced-over this video.  I do hope it isn't too bad an effort! It was touch and go as to whether this tutorial got published - I had a major problem with my computer and for a while I was afraid that I was going to have to wipe my hard drive and re-install the operating system - and of course, I hadn't finished uploading my finished projects to YouTube.  But as you can see, I managed to get the machine working. 


As I upload each video in this project, I'm adding them to a playlist so if you missed any, you can easily find the previous episodes.

Anyway, that's today's bog.  I hope you're enjoying this series!

Keep Crafting,

Keren



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Wednesday, 11 July 2018

A fishy project!

Hello, and welcome!

Today I've been inspired by the Stampin' Up! catalogue.  As well as listing all the yummy goodies you can buy from Stampin' Up!, the catalogue is a fabulous source of inspiration - in fact, it used to be called the Ideas Book once upon a time.  I spotted a sweet little aquarium made in one of the Tiny Treat Boxes and I wanted to reproduce it (or CASE it).  

I changed it a bit - I added in a goldfish from the Jars of Love set, and I used sequins instead of sprinkles.  See what you think!


BTW, if the sound is a bit weird, I apologise.  It's been unusually warm here lately (I know, if you live in parts of the world where it gets much hotter in the summer 30 degrees C doesn't seem so bad, but this is the UK and we don't have air-conditioning in houses as a rule!) so I have up to 6 fans running, and when that happens it sounds as if I'm in a wind tunnel, so I have to voice-over my tutorials when the weather cools off a bit...

Anyway, I am going to go and take a cool bath to chill down a bit!

See you soon,

Keep Crafting,

Keren


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Saturday, 7 July 2018

Zig Zag card

Hello and welcome!

Today's project is part of the Pootlers' Video Hop!  The Pootlers are Stampin' Up! demonstrators who belong to the same team, led by Sam Hammond (aka Pootles).  They are amazingly talented crafters and I am so proud to be part of the team. 

This time we're showcasing the gorgeous Designer Series Paper stacks featured in the Annual catalogue, which is super-timely because dry July 2018, if you buy 3 of the selected packs you can choose a fourth totally free!  Bargain!

I've used paper from Garden Impressions got today's project, which is a zig-zag card.


This is how it opens up - isn't that fun?

Today's focus is on the Video Hop, so please do go visit my YouTube channel!



The full running order for the hop is below - and you can also find the links in the description box below my video.

  1. Sam Hammond Donald - https://youtu.be/mj36lqBAUo4 
  2. Gez Carpenter - https://youtu.be/kW6p43MIrYM 
  3. Keren Howell (me!) - https://youtu.be/fz8ff_IvdHU
  4. Patricia O’Hagan - https://youtu.be/kIxSS0ueE4A
  5. Jill Chapman - https://youtu.be/2OwR2eEaUfA
  6. Louisa Hall - https://youtu.be/6EvDpL26rx4
  7. Helen Slimm -  https://youtu.be/VB4Dd-0UQa0
  8. Sally Shaw - Https://youtu.be/jQb6u-Ba3Fk
  9. Heidi Smith -  https://youtu.be/wahGVBSLj7A
  10. Janice Thomson - https://youtu.be/0Ns2GSt-Pms
  11. Becky Mellor - https://youtu.be/e6tec_Twyvc
  12. Corenne White - https://youtu.be/iJt_Bjkz5hE
  13. Kaye Mellor - https://youtu.be/NaFWJ3EX_vw
  14. Amanda Charlesworth - https://youtu.be/r2uw9enD-ck
  15. Hannah McCurley - https://youtu.be/eUTxSbFr_0Y
  16. Angelina Clark - https://youtu.be/Ui3qyo9nUVY


The scoring diagram is below.  I used two 8x4 pieces of card.  


I hope you give this one a try!

Keep crafting,

Keren.


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