Something old, something new

Hello bloggists and welcome.

Today’s project is a mixture of old and new.  On the one hand, the DSP I’ve used on this twisted gatefold card is retiring at the end of this month (but it’s so pretty that I couldn’t resist using it!).  I also couldn’t resist playing with the Botanical Builders dies one more time, before they leave us (I’ve really enjoyed using them).

The card base is thick Very Vanilla (something we’ve been asking Stampin’Up! to stock for quite some time now) and the stamps and dies are from the Eastern Palace suite, which is going to be in the new catalogue but which has been made available from 1 May.  There are two bundles available (at a discount price until the end of this month, each with a free gift).

Here's how I made it -

I know I'm going to have so much fun with this suite!  How about you?

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

Wooden Heart

Hello bloggists and welcome. 

Today's tutorial is part two of the Shabby Heart project.  I don't often do grungy and shabby projects these days but my crafty roots are firmly in the shabby, distressed and inky! Now and again it's fun to get messy again.

At the end of part one, I'd covered the mdf heart in crackled paid and sat;mped and inked.  So now it's time to finish it with some embellishments.

So there it is.  By the way, the little pot that the beeswax was melting in is the case from a jumbo tea light.  I wanted something that wouldn't leak and could stand the heat from the room scenter warmer.

That's it for today, and I hope you enjoyed this project.  Don't forget to join me for Sale-A-Bration Saturday!

See  you soon,

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

Simply Sketched 16

 Thank you for joining us for another Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge! 

We’re so excited to be sharing this hop with you.  The products used are all available in the current Annual, or seasonal, Stampin’ Up!® Catalogues*. 

Simply use the buttons at the bottom of the post to keep hopping.

This time it's Amanda Charlesworth's turn to set the sketch and this is what she came up with -

As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to use the Botanical Builders edge die.  I've interpreted the sketch rather freely, but I think you can still see a hint of Amanda's sketch design in there -

Whatch'a think?  Can I get away with it?

Anyway, I hope you are ready to proceed in an orderly fashion to the

Or, if you've come in half-way through the picture you might prefer to work your way backwards to the 

Thank you for visiting, and I will be seeing you soon!

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

Thrifty Thank You card

Hello bloggists, and welcome.

When I'm exploring ideas for cards or craft projects, I usually try a few different variations of colour and arrange elements in different ways.  That usually means there are some pieces that don't get used.  I can't bring myself to throw those bits away and today's card is made from pieces left over from other projects.

Here's more about it - 

I think it came out well - how about you?

I'll be back again soon with another project.

Crafty hugs,

Keren

Butterfly Spinner

Hello bloggists, welcome to my blog.

It's another kinetic card today, using the Affectionately Yours DSP.  The action happens when you open the card - so I'll let you watch the video tutorial before we go any further!

 

I would definitely recommend pulling the elastic as tight as you can, because with use it does stretch a bit.  

In response to a comment on one of my YouTube videos, I'll post a picture of my notes with the measurements here - I do hope you can understand my scribbles!  Leave me a comment to let me know if you find it helpful.

Hope you've enjoyed this project.

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

In a spin!

Hello bloggists, and welcome.

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy making kinetic and action cards.  This, believe it or not, is a pop-up spinner card.  The photo doesn’t do it justice, because when you open the card – well, it’s probably best if you watch the video tutorial.  

It’s actually quite straightforward to make a card like this – but my first attempt was made following written instructions which totally confused me at one stage.  I did puzzle it out in the end, though.

Hope you enjoyed!

See you soon,

Crafty Hugs,

Keren 

Bags of Fun!

Hello bloggists and welcome!

Gift bags are sooooo useful, aren’t they?  Wrap a pressie up in some tissue , pop it into a bag, add a tag and there you are – ready to give to some lucky person. 

Of course you can make a bag from scratch, especially if you have a Gift Bag Punch Board to hand, but I keep a small stock of pre-made bags on hand for occasions when I have to put something together in a big hurry (like for Father’s Day tomorrow – the cat always sends something to her Daddy).  Then all I have to do is decorate the front of it and Bob’s your Uncle.

I was going to use the other side of this Affectionately Yours DSP to decorate this bag, but when I started to put it together I changed my mind.  This side is Mint Macaron and Crumb Cake and I wasn’t a big fan of it- but I’ve changed my mind – I think it looks lovely on this bag.

Here’s the tutorial.

Hope you enjoyed,

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

White on White

Hello bloggists, welcome to my blog!

Well I hope that this is going to be the last of the blog posts in which I mention my recent bout of flu. By  the next time I post, I hope I will be completely back to normal.  Especially as the new catalogue launch is on June 1 - which is next week! I'm hoping to have a catalogue launch live stream at 7 PM on Wednesday–Watch this space!

Meanwhile, it's another short and simple project today.

Don't you think that white and silver are so elegant together?

Here's the tutorial–

See you soon!

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

In a Twist

Hello Bloggists and thank you for visiting my blog.

I do so love cards that have something special and today's project is this twist/turn card.  I'm still using up my supplies and making the most of some of the tools that will be leaving us at the end of this month.  Here's the tutorial-  

I cut my card down to the dimensions given in the pattern I used - 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 - which meant that I could get one card out of A4 card- but afterwards I realised that I could have got two out of a single piece if I'd cut it at 5 1/2 by 8 1/4.

Can I per-suede you?

Hello Bloggists!

So, after all the excitement of OnStage, this blog is back to its normal routine- well, almost, because we're now counting down to the launch of the 2016-17 Annual catalogue.  There are some gorgeous new things coming along, but to make room for them, we are saying goodbye to some old favourites and the Retiring List is out - and there are some surprises on it!

Something that wasn't a surprise was that we are saying goodbye to the 2014-16 In Colours.  I'm going to miss Blackberry Bliss and Lost Lagoon in particular. Over the next few weeks - until the new catty comes into play - I'm going to be posting "Use it Up" projects, as well as teasing you by showing you some of the new things coming your way.

This card features Blackberry Bliss, which I've treated to give a suede-like finish.

Would you like to see how I did it?  Here's the tutorial...

Hope you liked it!

See you soon?

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

Quick and Easy Botanical Gardens

Hi folks!  A quick and easy card today, featuring my favourite DSP from the Botanical Gardens set (I'm a bit addicted to this bundle) and a touch- just a touch - of glitter tape which is one of the limited edition items from Sale-A-Bration.  There's not long to go to the end of March, so if you want to get this for FREE with an order of £45 or more, time is running out!

It's also a great time to join Stampin' Up as a demonstrator as you can choose extra items in your starter kit (and what you get in your starter kit is entirely up to you) for the usual joining fee.  We'd love you to be part of the family!

Crafty hugs,

Keren

Shadow Box Bouquet

Hello bloggists, and welcome!  I've been straying into the world of home decor today.

You've probably spotted that I am in love with the Botanical Builders dies.  I picked up this little box frame some time ago and I've been waiting for just the right project for it - and I think this is it.

What do you think - cute, eh? And oh, so easy.  I like to cut and shape a lot of flowers at one time and then store them until I need them, so I can guarantee that you'll be seeing lots more of these beautiful little flowers.

Crafty Hugs,

Keren

With love to Mother

Hello blog friends and welcome to my bit of the blogiverse.( That may not actually be a word, but let it pass!)

Easter’s early this year, and that means that all the other festivals that precede it are early as well – such as Mothering Sunday.  In the UK we have our Mother’s Day before Easter and not in May.  Traditionally, Mothering Sunday was the day in the year to visit the Mother Church or cathedral, and it became the day when servant girls were allowed to go home to visit their mother church and their families.  In the 30’s, there were movements in the UK and the US to set aside a day to honour mothers; in Britain, this got confused with Mothering Sunday.

This is the card I’ve made for my Mother-in-Law.  (My own mother passed away some years ago).  I made this one inside its own box/envelope with a fancy closure.  

The actual greeting card is inside.

Is there a tutorial for this card?  You bet there is!

Hope you enjoyed.  Thanks for visiting!  I'll be back soon and hope you will be as well.

Crafty Hugs,

Keren