Monday 30 September 2013

House Mouse

Chin Up
 

Materials
Stampendous House Mouse chin up cling stamp HMCP03
Merry Christmas stamp (Deck the Halls-JustRite Cling)CL-02150
Surfacez Black Ink Pad
Black Card
Hunkydory Ink me card
Splodgeaway Holly the Lot Stencil
Mowed Lawn Distress Ink
Pine Needles Distress Ink
Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Festive Berries Distress Ink
Tattered rose Distress Ink 
Xcut Scalloped Oval Die Cut
Xcut corner rounder
White Opal Liquid Pearls
Quickie glue Pen
Distress Stickles dry glitter (clear rock candy)
Paint Brush
Ink Blending Mat
White Scalloped 8x8 card

1) Stamp the image using Surfacez ink on to a piece of ink me card (die cut oval)

2)Rub some of the Distress inks on to an ink blending mat and spritz with water to use as watercolours to colour the image with a paintbrush.

 
3)Cut a square piece of Ink me card and distress the whole background with Mowed lawn, lay the Holly Stencil in place and use the same blending tool and pick up the Pine needle colour to fill in the holly.

4)Stamp Merry Christmas as shown on the photo above. Use a paintbrush and a little water to festive berries distress ink on a blending mat to colour the Holly berries.


4)Cut, mat and layer the card as illustrated in the first image, round the corners of the mats if desired. Use the quickie pen to add glitter as desired and finish off by dotting Liquid pearls around the black scalloped oval.

Enjoy............


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Sunday 29 September 2013

ESSENTIALS GUIDE TO INK PADS

Which ink pads should I use?
 
 
Many new crafters wonder what ink pad to use. Will you be colouring your stamped image, and what with? Here's a basic guide to help you on your crafting journey.
 
 
Memento- Dye Based. This is my personal favourite for using with my promarkers...the ink dries quickly and doesn't bleed, it is available in a range of colours. It can however bleed if using watercolours or wet mediums.
 
 
Distress Inks- Dye Based, acid free, and fade resistant. These inks are great for adding colour to a project using a foam applicator. You can also wipe the pad onto a ink blending mat, spritz with water and use a paintbrush to use like water colours.

 
Ranger Archival Ink Pads are acid free, non-toxic, permanent on mat and gloss papers and waterproof. Great for using with watercolours acrylics and with water based inks. 
 
 
 
StazOn is a solvent based ink pad, it is good for using all smooth surfaces like shrink plastic, ceramic tiles and acetate. A personal draw back for me is that I found this ink took a good while to dry enough for me to be able to touch it!!! Not suitable to use with alcohol pens.
 
 
Surfacez (Colorbox)- Solvent based, this is a multi surface ink and it is available in a range of colours. It is great for fine detailed stamps,  is waterproof so ideal for your watercolours and great on smooth surfaces. I've used this ink to stamp on Mirror card, ceramic and acetate and it dries really quickly only a couple of minutes.  Not suitable to use with alcohol pens.

 
 
Versacolour-is a pigment inkpad, the ink is slow drying so ideal for using with your embossing powders. Available in small and large pads in a wide range of colours.

Versacraft- is suitable for a wide range of surface including fabric wood and card. Heat set on fabric to make it permanent, the ink is archival and acid free. Available in small and large in a wide range of colours.

 
Versamark watermark stamp pad, acid free, archival, water based, and non-toxic. This pad has multiple uses, it is clear and sticky so you can use it for embossing powders, perfect pearls and mica powders. You can also use it to create a resist effect. 

 
 
Hope this helps......thanks for looking
 
 
 

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Saturday 28 September 2013

Woodware Owl Christmas Stamp

Christmas Hoot.....
 
 
 
Materials
Woodware clear magic Christmas Hoot stamp
6 x 6 white scalloped square card
Xcut Scalloped circle die
Xcut Scalloped oval die
Black Memento ink pad
Green archival Ink Pad
Merry Christmas Stamp (Just Rite)
Co-ordinating ribbon 
Alcohol Markers
Red and Green Bazzil Basic card
White card stock
Xcut corner rounder
Glitter (optional)
Mowed lawn Distress Ink
Foam Pads
 
Techniques
For this card I have used paper piecing....Cut a scalloped circle (white) and stamp the owl image using the black ink and colour the body, beak and feet of the owl using markers.
 
Stamp onto a piece of green, red and white card. Cut out the scarf and holly from the green card, lay on top of the original image and glue in place.
 
Cut out the hat and the pieces of scarf that you would like to be red and adhere in place. Repeat the techniques to complete the stockings. Cut out the white pieces for the hat and add glitter.
 
Score your card blank at 3 inches to make into an easel card. Add a little bit of distress ink around the edge of the scalloped circle. Cut your green and red card pieces ready to mat and layer(round the corners if desired) Make sure to only apply adhesive on the bottom section of the top mat.
 
Adhere the ribbon to the mat before sticking the mat into place. Cut out a small scalloped oval and stamp your message, distress around the edge, add foam pads to the back and adhere in place (this will act as your stopper)
 
Variations
You could also make this card without using paper piecing just colour your image using your favourite medium. You don't have to necessarily use a easel style card just go for a normal 6 x 6 or maybe try a stepper card!!!
 
Thanks for looking x
 


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Tuesday 24 September 2013

MJ Crafts Classes 2013
 
MJ Craft Club
Every Friday, 1pm until 2:30pm, £4
This class includes product demonstrations, the opportunity to meet other crafters and you will have the full use of machines, dies and tools. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.
 
Monday 30th September, 2013, 10:30 am until 12 mid-day, £10
Card making featuring Splodgeaway stencils and distress inks, makes at least 2 cards.
 
Wednesday 2nd October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Mini Scrapbook album suitable to store photographs/memento's
 
Monday 7th October. 2013, 10:30am until 12 mid-day, £10
 Heat embossing techniques using WoW embossing powders. Male themed tags for card, scrapbooking or your altered art project.
 
Wednesday 9th October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Card making featuring Chloe Stamps and Parchment Paper. Makes 2 cards.
 
Monday 14th October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Use the Create an Owl Stencils to make at least to cards.
 
Wednesday 16th October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Create a decorative piece using a MDF blank and Graphic 45 papers and embellishments.
 
Monday 21st October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Create prints and backgrounds for your cards featuring the GELLI PLATE.
 
Wednesday 23rd October, 2013, 10:30am  until 12 mid-day, £10
Create a felt decoration using basic sewing skills. This class is suitable for beginners.
 
Contact Melanie on 01452 415440 to book.......
 
 
 
 

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Sunday 22 September 2013

Alexandra Palace 2013

Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show
 
September 2013

 
 
 
Card samples from the Creative Expressions Stand
 


Beautiful samples from the Paper Artsy stand  blog.PaperArtsy.co.uk


Samples From the MDF man



 

Linda with the lovely Sue Wilson


Card Sample by Sue Wilson
 
More photo's to follow soon .......

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Saturday 21 September 2013

MJ Crafts quick guide to stamping

Stamp Essentials Guide
 
 
Many new crafter's are swamped with the amount of stamping products available so here's a quick guide to the different types of stamps to help you get started.
 
There are many types of stamps available and from lots of different brands
  • Clarity Stamps designed by Barbara Gray, they are clear stamps. Single stamps are nearly always pre-mounted on an acrylic holders, but they can also be peeled off if required.
 
  • Un-mounted rubber stamps sheets have several stamps which you cut round the edge and mount yourself either permanently onto an acrylic block or on to EZ Mount Foam which allows you to easily peel off on and off your block.  Sheena Douglass usually mounts her stamps on to Rock-a-blocks with Stick and Spray adhesive.

  • Un-mounted clear stamps are usually stored between 2 sheets of acetate, they simply peel of the sheet and you apply them to a similar sized acrylic block. If they stop clinging simply clean the back with some warm water and they will be as good as new?
 
  • Just Rite Cling Stamps are  pre-cut rubber  mounted on to foam "cling" to attach to your acrylic block.
 
More Short Guides will follow soon......including a guide to ink pads and adhesives.

 
 

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Friday 20 September 2013

Hougie Board Backgrounds

Easy Score Backgrounds
 
Here's a couple of simple backgrounds that can be achieved on the Hougie Score Board
 

Tip 1: Measure your background square in the measurement you will be scoring on, in other words if you want to score at every cm as above, cut your square to the nearest cm ie 20cm by 20cm. Same applies to inches ie 7 by 7 inches and score at every 1/2 inch.
Tip 2: To achieve the above background I scored vertically at every 1cm mark on the back of the card.

 
Tip 3: For this pink card score from the back side and use the 15cm marker line as a guideline. Start by scoring diagonally corner to corner and move along and score at every 1 cm. Rotate the card and score from the opposite corner every 2 cm repeating the same process. 
 
Give these a try as a starting point and you'll soon be trying other creative backgrounds
 
 

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Thursday 19 September 2013

Splodgeaway Holly the lot

Just a quick card
 

Materials
  • A5 Clarity coated card stock
  • Holly the lot Splodgeaway Stencils
  • Distress Ink (pine needles)
  • Distress Ink (Festive berries)
  • Silver mirri card
  • Christmas Ribbon
  • 8 x 8 scalloped card
  • Speedball brayer
  • Red Promarker
  • Glitter snowflake peel offs
1)Use the mirri card and the holly stencil through your Grand Calibur or Ebosser to emboss the card.
2)Repeat the process with the Clarity coated card.
3)Ink up the brayer with the green Distress ink and apply to the coated card.
4)Trim the card to fit the card as illustrated above and use the excess green holly embossed card to cut out extra holly leaves and adhere to add dimension.
5)Distress the edge of the scalloped card with red.
6)Mat and layer starting with the silver and then the green. Add ribbon and colour in the berries with the red promarker on the silver mirri card.
 
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Wednesday 18 September 2013

Crafters Inspiration - Issue 2

Cute Drawer Easel Card 
 
 
Materials & Equipment
  • 3 Pieces of A4 Card Stock
  • Hougie Score Board
  • Crafters Inspiration Issue 2 Cd Rom
  • Scissors
  • Double Sided pads
  • Ultra Red Tape
  • Co-ordinating ribbon and 1 Brad
 

 
1) Start with cutting a A4 sheet of card down to 6 inch wide by 10 1/2 inch long
2)With the card in the landscape position score a the 4inch mark, 5inch, 9 inch and 10 inch mark.
3)Turn the card anti clockwise and score at the 4 and 5 inch marks.
4)Turn your card so the large 4 inch square is at the bottom right hand corner and cut away so that your template looks like the image below. Apply Ultra red tape to the tabs and adhere.
 
 

 
5) For the drawer cut a piece of card to 14.9cm x 14.9cm (sorry for all you crafters using inches, cut a 6 inch square and cut 1/8 off the top and bottom). The main thing is the finished square needs to be slightly smaller than a 6 inch square.
6) Now to scoring....score at the 1 inch mark, turn the card and score at 1 inch, continue scoring so that you have a 1 inch score line on all 4 sides.
7) Cut away as indicated by the red sections shown below and punch a hole for the brad as indicated below.
8)Use ultra red tape on the tabs and stick on the inside.
 


To make the easel card for the top of the box cut a piece of card to 4 inch wide by 8 inch.
9)With the card placed landscape score at 4 inch and 6 inch mark.
10) Cut a piece of co-ordinating card to 4 inch square, attach to the easel by only adding tape just under halfway up.
11) Use the Crafter Inspiration cd rom and print of toppers and card of your choice (I've used the woodland characters for this box)


12) Attach a piece of ribbon as above before you adhere your easel card. Fold down the card and tie the ribbon in a bow to give as a gift.


13)When the easel is open tie the ribbon in a bow as shown below.


Happy Crafting!!!!



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