U Rock Frame

I love how this frame turned out, it started out as a 99p bright green plastic frame from a £1 shop, and I hope you agreed it turned into a fab addition to any teenagers room. And the best bit is it was so simple and quick to do!!!

How to make:

I started by stamping the triangle from Awesome Boyz all over 2 A4 sheets of copier paper and then added the different centres. These were then cut out and glued onto the frame making sure the frame was completely covered.

Whilst the frame was drying I stamped the triangle with the "U Rock!" centre and I also stamped the cog arrangement from Large Cog Corner onto white card and embossed it using UTEE. When it was cold I then distressed them.

Next I covered a small piece of card in Frantage embossing emamel then while it was still hot I stamped Cog Crown into and cut it out when cool!.

Finally I punched out a 1inch circle and wrote on the date and added it to a bottle top using Glossy Accents. Once the frame was completely dry they were attached the to frame.

If you like our stamps why not go and check them out on our website www.craftyroodesigns.co.uk

Dragonfly Dreams

It is very rare for me to stick to the idea I first have for a card, but, for this one I did! I love the cream and Kraft card combo......

To make this card I started by stamping the Baby Dragonfly twice onto Kraft card and once onto cream card and cut them out. On the reverse I re-stamped them, distressed them slightly and left them to one side.

Next I cut out two 3 inch squares in cream and two in Kraft card, around the edge of each of the squares I stamped the stem from Poppy Cogs to create a border, distressed them lightly and left to one side.

Onto a 7 1/2 inch square piece of cream card I randomly stamped the postage mark and "Birthday Wishes 2U"  sentiment from Postage Sentiments (I stamped onto a scrap of paper before stamping onto the background card to get a fainter image), then around the edge I stamped a border using Poppy Cogs again and lightly distressed. And a small square copper brad in each corner. Next mount this onto an 8 inch square Kraft card, which had also been stamped around the edge and distressed.

The four squares were added to the card and the three Dragonfly's added to the alternate coloured squares, I only stuck them down along the body and lifted the wings. For the final square I stamped the Postage mark onto cream card, cut it out and distressed it. The sentiment was also stamped onto cream card punched out using a 1 inch circle punch, distressed and stuck it into a bottle top using Glossy Accents. This was finished off with a few travel related embellishments.

If you like our stamps why not go and check them out on our website www.craftyroodesigns.co.uk

Simply Poppies

I love how this card turned out! Makes me think think of those long hot summer days..... 

Oh and it was also pointed out that the poppy head looks like a Ladybird, so watch this space as they might be appearing soon!

To make this card I started by stamping the edge from Large Cog Corner to make a corner in two opposite corners and masked them off.

Next I stamped two leaves and the poppy heads and masked them off to add the stems (Poppy Cogs).

These were then coloured in using watercolours.

When everything was dry I distressed it all and went around the edge ith a silver marker pen. This was then mounted onto a red piece of card (which I had also edged in silver) and then onto an A5 Kraft Card.

To finish off the card I added two silver corner embellishments. A large bow, sentiment and some hatpins.

If you like our stamps why not go and check them out on our website www.craftyroodesigns.co.uk

Butterfly Bingo

I have had soooo many kind comments about this card, I just can't believe it! As it was so quick to make and no one believes me when I say it, so here goes.....

To make this card I started by sending the BINGO mask through my Grand Callibur and cutting it out. Next I held the mask over it and distressed the red bits, then removed the mask and aged it.

I then stamped each of the Build Your Own Butterfly's wing in brown and distressed it from the inner wing out gradually making the colour more intense. When I was happy with them I shaped them and left them to one side.

Next I stamped the Large Cog Corner in brown in two opposite corners of a 7 inch square card and distressed it. This was then mounted onto a 7 & 1/2 inch square piece of red card. I then attached the BINGO card and around the bottom tied some string, which I then attached using staples. My string is really pale and looked awful so I used my distress inks to age it. This piece of card was them mounted onto a 8 x 8 inch black/brown card.

To finish the card off I added the butterfly adding a safety pin as a body. (I always add either Glossy Accents or silicon glue to the fastening on the safety pin, so that it will not open and hurt anyone).

How quick and easy is this card?????? I think I am going to try it in blue or green next as I have a few blokes birthdays coming up.

If you like our stamps why not go and check them out on our website www.craftyroodesigns.co.uk

Thank You!

A  huge THANK YOU! to everyone who stopped by and said hi to us at the Ross Papercrafts show in Sunderland last Sunday, it was so lovely to meet you all and have a chat and share so many great ideas! And my new lovely assistant did a fab job too, not one grumble all day - thanks Nic!

So for those of you who did make it to Sunderland here's how or stand looked.....

And don't forgot you can always hop along to our website and check out our stamps! And remember we don't change postage!!!!!!!!

Ross Papercrafts: Sunderland

Today we are at 

Nissan Sports & Social Club, Washington Road, (A1290), Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR5 3NS. The show is open 10am - 3pm.

So if you are near by why not stop by and say hi,we hope to see you there! 

My craft desk....

We are off to the Nissan Sports & Social Club in Sunderland on Sunday for another fabulous Ross Papercrafts show, so I am busy working on a few new ideas for our display boards and I thought I would just give you all a sneaky peep!!!!

A dragonfly house!

A butterfly wreath and a poppy birthday card.

A fabric heart - hopefully it will be finished by Sunday! 

And of course a must have some butterfly bunting lol!

So if you are near the Nissan Sports & Social Club, Washington Road, (A1290), Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR5 3NS, why not pop in and say HI!

12 Tags: May

I know it isn't May anymore but I have finally got around to having ago at making the Tim Holtz tag for May. 

I just love the techniques he used on this tag. The base tag is made by adding rub-ons then using inks or stains over the top, the effect you get is just fabulous - I will be definitely be using this technique again.

The stamp set I used to make this tag was the Vintage "Pretty Antiquity" stamp set from Dimension Stamps.

Nina Crafts: Flutterby

This card has also been made using the new stamp from Nina Crafts Butterfly Flourish. I also used Window of waves and Posie Passion.

I have approximately and million and one, okay maybe not that many but ALOT! of aperture cards just sat in my craft room gathering dust so I decided they need to be used and I just love how it worked for this card! 

To make this card I started by cutting a piece of white card slightly smaller than my aperture card and stamped the butterfly into the center. I stamped the butterfly again onto vellum, then stamped two of each of the flowers from Posie Passion and over stamped them all with Window of Waves and left them all on one side to dry!

I then coloured in the butterfly flourish that had been stamped onto white card and distressed around it. This was then positioned in the aperture and trimmed down to fit. 

In two opposite corners around the aperture I stamped the swirl from Window of Waves, to do this I stamped it once and created a mask (leaving a 2mm border when I cut it out) and stamped it again. I then coloured in the dots and distressed around the edges.

Next I cut out the flowers and the butterfly and coloured in the butterfly on the reverse using the same colours that were used on the white card.

To finish the card I attached the butterfly flourish to the inside of the card and added the flower before sticking down the back of the aperture card. Then I added a big ribbon and some hat pins. 

Nina Crafts: Butterfly Engagement

So I have said it many times before but here goes...... 

The idea for this card (in my head) was simple nothing over the top, well.......

I tried! And it looks nothing like the idea I started with!

For this card I used the new Flutterby Flourish, Occasions and Popular Phrases stamp sets from Nina Crafts.

To make this card I started by stamping the butterfly twice onto white card and cutting them out I then cut a piece of white card 2cm smaller than an A5 card and positioned the butterfly in the top left corner (but didn't stick it down). I then placed the word stamps onto the card making sure they were clean first! And lay a large acrylic block over them to make sure they stayed in position and fiddled until I was happy with how they would stamp out. These were then stamped and embossed in copper embossing powder.

Next around the edges of the card I stamped the flourish part of the butterfly stamp and coloured it in lightly. When it was dry I quickly brushed the edges with a copper Distress Stain. This was then matted onto copper pearl card and I added a brad to each corner. This was then matted onto a cream pearl A5 card.

To finish off the card I coloured in one butterfly using distress stain and added it to the card along with the other butterfly that I then added Stickles to the wing sections and body.

Nina Crafts: Tufty Tag

I love how this card turned out, when I realised that the Tufty wishes stamp from Nina Crafts fitted onto the Manila tags, I keep as a must have in my crafty stash I went to town on this card.

For this card I used Tufty Wishes, Mavis goes swimming, Party Tufty, Picket Fence and of course a delicious manila tag.

To make it I started by stamping Tufty onto the centre of the tag then I masked her off and stamped the ladybird and masked that off too. Finally I stamped the Picket fence and removed all the masks. Next I coloured in the tag using Distress Inks. Then when it was dry I distressed around the edge.

Onto a piece of white card slightly smaller than DL I stamped the stars from Mavis goes swimming all over the top part of the card and the saying from Party Tufty all over the bottom in pink and distressed around the edges. Across the centre I added a thick purple ribbon and a thinner white one. This was then mounted onto a DL Kraft Card.

To finished of the card I added some ribbon to the tag and attached it to the card at an angle. In the top right corner I added a corner embellishment and in the bottom left I added some feathers, flowers, brads, you name it I added it lol!

Nina Craft: Come and Play?

This card was inspired by a close friend of mine who happened to mention she was having trouble getting hold of one of the mums at her daughters school ,as they always seemed to miss each other. And her daughter is constantly asking for this friend to come and play. Well always up for a challenge and not wanting my friends little girl to miss out on some fun I set to work......

I made a lot of these little fellas, all gender neutral of course!!!!!!

For this card I used the new stamp sets from Nina Crafts Tufties in Love, Tufty Wishes and ABC 123.

To make them I started by stamping Tufties in Love onto the smallest piece of white card possible, coloured them in and rounded the corners. This was then mounted onto patterned paper and then again onto white card.

Next I stamped "Sing... Dance... Play..." diagonally across the top half of a 6 by 6 inch square card. Over the bottom of the card I added some patterned paper and finished it off with some ribbon (to hide the edges!).

I then cut a die cut shape, out of white card and the next size up one from patterned paper. Onto the white card I stamped "Come and play?". I put the die back around the die cut shape and "coloured it"  using Distress Inks and then mounted it onto the patterned paper.

To finish the card I stuck the Tufties to the bottom left of the card and the sentiment just above. The bottom right corners was looking a little plain so I  added quick doodle as I couldn't find the perfect brad!

They are (as my little lady would say) "Super Fast" to make and my friend loved the batch I gave her so much so she has asked for a batch to give to a friend of hers lol!