It was Farmer's Market Day this Saturday...

...but I was heading somewhere else.

Andy Pearson (Pinnacle Crafts) was holding a demo day to give folk some ideas about making cards for those awkward folk.

You know the ones...the Fellas!

Andy had the usual selection of samples dotted about but one of the main aspects of the day was sharing techniques that can easily be used for those more masculine creations.

 

Trying to catch a good photo of Andy is not the easiest of things to do...

 ...he has a habit of moving just as you click your camera (another shot of the back of a project LOL).
One of the samples on the table was this candy box...

 ...although the panels look like they are embossed, they are actually die-cuts that have been coloured with gilding wax after having been stuck to some same coloured CS using spray adhesive. The Candy box was made using the WeRMemory Keepers Punch board.
Now there is one thing that Andy loves to do and that is get messy. So it wasn't long before the alcohol inks put in an appearance...

 ...a few squirts of different inks...

 ...some blending solution and some sheets of acetate 'squidged' down over the top...

 ...an additional colour added...

 ...and this is what you end up with when held against white CS...

 ...quite abstract but perfect to add to your stash for use as backgrounds at a later date.
If you are wondering what this is...

 ...it is the scrap that Andy had been using to take off the excess ink before applying to the embossed piece of card that you can see underneath. The reason for the petal/leaf shapes is because Andy was using a Creative Expressions Smoothie (egg-shaped latex sponge) to apply the ink. The audience were obviously impressed with these sponges because a considerable stock on the wall down in the shop was completely gone before the day was out.
There are always sweets on Andy's demo desk. At the other end of the table were imperial mints...

 ...but right in front of me was a bowl of wine gums - I did try to be good.
Considering how hot it was on Saturday, the classroom area was pleasantly cool for most of the time...

...although I'm sure Andy was pretty warm with the sun right on his back all day.

It was a super day. Lots of ideas and reminders of techniques not used for a while. A bit of retail therapy and lunch and a catch-up chat with my friend Hilary.

Thanks Andy for all your hard work....................................................................

After a wonderful Saturday's crafting...

...I haven't done much this week.

The reason being...

 

...a rather painful touch of the old 'arfa-ritis'. This damp weather really isn't helping.

 

I so enjoyed Andy's class making the box and I had lots of ideas that I wanted to try this week but I haven't done anything.

 

Now I'm right-handed and as you can see from the photo - that is my left hand...but it is a bit difficult to concentrate when all you want to do is wrap the painful joint up warmly. So no crafting from me this week.

 

This Saturday was bright and sunny but a rather chilly start to the day - to the point that I couldn't even grip my earrings to put them in. After warming up the joints a bit I was able to get over to Barleylands to see the free demo session that Andy was holding at Pinnacle Crafts.

 

The aim of the demo was to show folk that you can do so much more with your metal dies than just cut. Using some 'funky foam' and one of the Tonic Verso dies...

 ...Andy showed how you could make your very own stamp of the same design...

 ...some EzMount and a pair of scissors...

 ...and he had a very large sized stamp to play with...

...you can just see a sample on the right-hand side of the photo where he used this stamp with gold embossing powder on a dark blue background.

 

He also showed how to make an embossing plate from the same die.

 

Here are just a few of the samples that Andy had made to show how versatile your dies can be...

 ...the sentiment on the Pink card below is from the Tonic "Everyday sentiments 1"...

...Andy also showed how easy it was to turn the sentiment into a very useful stamp.
This blue card was made using the embossing plate that was created from the Tonic Verso die...

...it certainly looks very effective. The anchor below was cut in miri card for the centre of the design but by making a stamp in funky foam...

 ...and teaming it with Inkadinkadoo's "Stamping Gear" system a larger design was created.
Here's that stamp made by the Verso die again...

...just using Flitter Glue to stamp the design and covering it with Glamour Dust...

 ...a beautiful White-on-white card with just a touch of silver.
This card showed what a lovely effect could be achieved by combining several different brands...

...again white-on-white with just a touch of silver - very classy.

 

I came away from Andy's demo day with lots of ideas for making more use of my dies - I just need my joints to start behaving so that I can actually have a play.....................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Organised?...

...well, getting there.

For some time I've been meaning to put together a book of pics of the cards that I've made but you know how things are...all good intentions but life gets in the way and these things never get done.

Back in May I entered the world of 'challenges' and seem to have got quite hooked. Unfortunately, scribbling down details & dates on scrap paper wasn't working for me and I was getting myself in a bit of a muddle - then I found this...
...a notebook I hear you saying with a questioning tone - yep a note book. I know, I have a Bind-it-All and if I needed a notebook I could easily have made one but this was too good to pass by. It is A5, has lots of pages in a good quality paper, wipe clean covers and it was only £1 in the clearance section of WHS. I could never have made one for that.

I can note the details of each challenge as it is posted...
...and when I've completed my item and posted it on the challenge site I can print off some wallet size pics for sticking in the book.

This way the notebook is serving two purposes...
...it is a record of the challenges that I'm interested in (and have entered) and also a record of the designs that I have come up with so that if I'm stuck for inspiration I have something to look at.

Such a simple idea really, but very useful...
...because I can even print-off copies of sketches that are sometimes part of the challenge and then I have that readily to hand too.

Andy at Pinnacles thinks I'm way too organised LOL but hey, it works for me - how do you keep your projects straight? Do you make notes, do you have a book or do you just 'wing-it'? I'd love to know what works for you..............................

More of a...

...boy thing.

I remembered to get some pics of the boyish colour schemed mini-book that I had already handed over to Helen.

Without making it too bulky this can be decorated by using border punches & and 'round the page' style punches so that it is still reasonable to pop in the post - possibly containing the latest pics of a grandson for grandparents (a change of colour scheme would make it suitable for any occasion).

Red/White/Blue - colours that easily adapt for a boy theme.
Some contrasting CS matting ready to have pics attached.
More matting and some pockets for tags and the odd little note that the sender may wish to include.

The book is very easy to make and uses very little by way of materials.

2 sheets of 12x12 doublesided PP (light CS weight)
Co-ordinating CS for matting/layering/tags
Self-adhesive gems
Narrow co-ordinating ribbon

Take each of the 12x12 sheets and decide which design you want showing on your pages. Place that side face down on your work desk. Measure 3 inches down from the top and score right across the sheet - fold down towards the middle of the sheet. Measure 3 inches up from the bottom of the sheet - score and fold up to meet the top flap. You now have a piece 12x6. Fold this in half so the two short ends meet - you now have a piece 6x6. Repeat with the other sheet of 12x12.

Making sure the side where the two flaps meet stays on the outside of the 6x6 folded piece, slot the two sheets together to make a four-page book. Open out flat and punch a hole on the fold 1 inch from the bottom edge and another 1 inch down from the top edge (these will be used to thread ribbon though to hold the whole thing together).

Before you put the book together you need to seal the flaps on the outside of the book - I did this by cutting a 12 inch piece of CS and punching the long edges both sides with a loopy border punch (you could use ribbon if you prefer). The ribbon can now be threaded through joining the two folded sheets and tied in a knot on the outside.

You will still have the inner sheet with the flaps un-sealed - I folded back each side near the outer edge to create a 'lapel effect' which makes it easier to slot tags into the pockets and sealed the remainder of the flap with a mat. The basic book is completed by adding some more matting and a bit of decoration - already for the photos to be added.........................

More demo...

...items.

I mentioned a while ago that I had been asked to make some demo pieces for Helen's shop, Craftily Creative - it's the place I attend a crop every other Thursday.

Helen wanted a selection of sample items that she could display around the shop to show customers the variety of things that can be made with cardmaking/scrapbooking stash. I have already done the Girlie friendship journal that has been posted on here. I also did a boyish brag wallet that I forgot to take pics of (I will try to remember tomorrow when I go to drop off the latest items).

With Autumn hitting us hard & fast it brings home the fact that Christmas is not far away and preceeding that there will be the school & church bazaars...

I decided to make something that would be quick and easy and not very expensive - ideal for these events. I have made a notelet wallet.
This really is very easy to do and when I get a spare moment I will try to make one taking pics at each stage of construction. The wallet is a sheet of A4 card (I used white 290 weight), scored and folded to create the pockets to hold the notelets. A bit of gold card and some Christmas paper decorate the front and some pretty striped ribbon holds it all together.
The envelopes were shop bought (there are so many places where you can get good quality ones at very little cost, it wasn't worth the effort of making them from scratch) and decorated with seasonal peel-offs. The notelets were created from smooth white card - A5 folded in half - and again decorated with Christmas paper and straight border peel-offs. My set can be used as thank you notes after Christmas but any theme could be used.

The second item in this post is a pretty BIA bound mini-album.
I have only photographed the outside as the inside is just plain white bazzill pages that the owner could decorate however they want. The frame effect was adapted from a class project created by Annette West/Voodoo Vixen (link to the right at the top of my fav blogs). The frame is ideal for decorating - I have used a piece of a paper doily, hand made paper roses, paper rose buds and some ribbon, along with some nested punched ovals that a title can be added to.

I hope Helen is pleased with them.............................

It's a...

...girl thing.

Helen who runs our Thursday night crop asked me if I would consider making her some mini-book samples for the shop so that folk could see that the materials she sells can be used for other things than just card making & scrapbooking.

This is the first one I have completed.
Although a bit "Little Princess", the idea was to make it 'girly' so it could be used as friendship journal - somewhere to hide those little treasures and pics that girls collect.
The cover has been kept fairly simple so that it could be used for a variety of purposes.
Inside thare are plenty of pretty journal cards for recording events, thoughts, whatever...
The pages are a mix of CS in co-ordinating colours and envelopes to create pockets for containing more treasures/secrets.
The decoration was kept fairly simple - some pretty PP and some stamped images but the idea is for the owner to actually decorate as they add to their journal.

The covers were made from heavy chip/grey board and all the PPs used were from Best Creations inc. The CS was Papermania scalloped 12x12 from a stack and the stamps were images by John Byars. Envelopes used were the straight flap style rather than the pointed style. Book rings were used rather than the BIA so that the owner would be able to add to the journal. Some pretty co-ordinating satin ribbons and a bit of Tim Holtz distress ink and there you have it.

Now I've got to think of something 'boyish' - thinking cap on....................