Lip Balm Holder

Hello, Crafters.

This morning I uploaded my video that shows how to make these beautiful Lip Balm Holders. These are my September Thank You gifts for my online customers. I will send one to all my customers, as well as some product from either catalogue as part of the hostess club I run. 

(Please note: Stampin' Up! rules only allow me to sell/recruit in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Austria! So sorry!)

Today's project was inspired by a swap I received when I went to OnStage in Brussels last November. If you saw my video where I shared my swaps with you, you will have seen this before. It was made by Heike Hulle-Bolze, and her website is www.papierkult.blogspot.com.


Initially, it looked like an easy project to make but when I decided to go for it, it turned out to be quite a challenge! The difficult part was gluing the Designer Series Paper (DSP) round the folded cardstock.

It took three attempts before I sussed out how to do it. Then I made two more to make sure the first successful holder wasn't just a fluke. 

As I frequently do when I'm experimenting with new projects, I used retired DSP. As it turned out, although the first two weren't the best, I still consider them both as successful.


Once I'd worked out measurements for the cut lines, I found the secret was not to score the DSP. Instead, I kept the sheet straight and applied Tombow to the front section first, added the DSP and made sure that was adhered down properly before folding on the first scoreline. 

I repeated this process on the centre spine area, adhered the DSP and then folded on the second score line. Then I did the third and final area.

I've now made thirteen of these holders and I'm planning to have a nice relaxing day making a few more. If I plan to make these in small batches, they're such a pleaseure to make!
 
Photographs 1 to 3: the first three photographs show some completed holders, all made with current DSP and ribbons. All have flowers that I made using the Crazy About You Stamp Set.

Photograph 2: this includes one holder that's been decorated with one flower from the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies.

Photograph 3: I used Foxy Friends Stamp Set for the tree trunk and made the fox by using various punch outs using the fox Builder Punch. I chose the Crazy About You Stamp Set to make the flower on this A little Foxy DSP. 

Photographs 4 to 6: these are all retired DSP and ribbons. I chose these colours because I had retied Stitched Satin Ribbon which is the same as the ribbon used for the Blushung Bridde and Pool Party holders.

 I wish you a happy Sunday. Until tomorrow, happy crafting. 

JanB.

Shooting Star Spinner Card Video & Peaceful Peachaven

Hello, Crafters.
 
What an absolutely lovely time I had in Peacehaven yesterday. It was a lovely group of ladies, and everybody enjoyed the three projects I'd arranged for them - especially the 3D project, as they received a bar of chocolate to go with it! 
 
Before I headed home, I stopped at the top of the cliffs to breathe in some lovely sea air and to enjoy the view - see photograph number 4!

This morning I uploaded my video called Shooting Star Slider Card. I'm so pleased at how this card turned out because it slides side to side brilliantly. 

I also found the Confetti Stars Border Punch really came into its own on this card as well!

The first card was without any additional stamping because I was concentrating on making sure the mechanics would work alright. See photograph 3. 

The big secret for success using the die from the Sliding Stars Framelits Dies is to  cut the "slide" as a smiley face not as a scowling face! On the video, I showed the difference in the quality of the slide between the two - you may be amazed!  

On the second card I made, I stamped some stars on the layer behind the slider as well as on the top layer using one hollow and one solid star from the Shooting Star Stamp Set.

I think it made my card look more interesting than the first card. See photograph 2.

I changed the stamped stars on the card I made on the video because I wasn't sure that I liked the hollow stars on card number 2. The stars I chose for this card are from the Perpetual Birthday Calendar Stamp Set and I'm really pleased with the effect! See photograph 1.


There are two other extras I put on card number 1, which you may have noticed in photograph 3. On the sentiment I adhered some of the Dapper Denim punched out hearts. I also added extra Delightful Dijon stars on the tail of the shooting star - I'm planning on adding extras to cards two and three as well!


In yesterday's post I shared one of the cards I'd planned for the Peacehaven ladies and said that I would arrange the ribbons slightly differently and share a photograph of it today - please see photographs 5. I much prefer the three straight lines, what do you think?

That's about it for today. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Class in Peacehaven Today

Hello, Crafters.

The weather to is fabulous and this morning I'm off to Peacehaven, in the beautiful county of Sussex, to do a class. It's been organised by a lady I met four and a half years ago, as well as several of her card making friends. 

I've was at the hairdressers yesterday morning and then spent the afternoon getting everything ready for today. I always worry that I'm going to leave something important behind, so I make lists for this and lists for that, and still leave something behind!

The card I'm sharing here is one of the projects we'll be making today. I think this is the first time I've used this flower stamp which is from Crazy About You. It has a coordinating punch called the Flower Medallion Punch. Using Tempting Turquoise Ink, I stamped the flower stamp four times on Whisper White Cardstock. I fussy cut three of them, each one smaller than the one before it. 

I curled all the petals upwards slightly and then layered them on top of each other using Glue Dots. I made sure I offset each layer. With the first layer - the one that went on top of the biggest flower - I lined up the points of the petals with the gaps between the petals on the lower flower. On the next layer, I had to line the petals up the lower petals and I had to do likewise with the last layer. 

I never liked this flower when I saw it in the catalogue but I love how it's turned out with all these layers! I've used one of the retired Iced Rhinestones for the flower centre!

I wanted to use ribbon with the flower but wasn't quite sure how - all I knew was that I couldn't use a bow.I finished up with three ideas, all using three stips of ribbon! 

Apart from the one on this card where the three layers have crossed each other, my other options were three straight lines with a small gap between each, or three straight lines, all butted up together.

When I demonstrate this card later today, I'll use one of these two options - probably the one with the gaps between the lines. I'll try and remember to photograph it and share with you tomorrow. I shared this style of card and my video with you on 9th April 2016 and called it Random Borders.

Apart from the Tempting Turquoise Ink flower, I used different stamps on this card to those I used on my origial card. The main flower and the Melon Mambo flower are both from the Bloomin' Love Stamp Set. The Delightful Dijon sprig of leaves and the Chocolate Chip fireflies were both from the Jar of Love Stamp Set. Finally, the birthday sentiment is from the Butterfly Basics Stamp Set.

Well, I'd better get my skates on. I have a drive of 70 miles ahead of me and it's the rush hour!

I hope you have a great day. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Up, Up and Away!

Hello, Crafters.

I didn't realise until I started writing today's blog, exactly how much work I'd put into this card! Well, you don't notice time going when you're enjoying yourself, do you?

I've used a very summery theme! Lovely hot balmy summer evenings is a great time for spotting hot air balloons drifting across the sky.

For today's card I've used Soft Sky Card Stock for the card base, followed by a layer of Whisper White which has been topped with a layer of Soft Sky. I embossed the top layer using the Happy Heart Embossing Folder. I absolutely adore the deep impressions this folder produces.

I stamped three clouds from the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set using Soft Sky Ink on Soft Sky Card Stock. Then I punched them out using the Tree Builder Punch. On one of the clouds I stamped the Happy Birthday To You sentiment from the Circle of Spring Stamp Set. I wanted this to be a bit darker than Soft Sky so I used Pool Party Ink.

I stamped two tree tops on Wild Wasabi Card Stock using Wild Wasabi Ink. I punched them out using the Tree Builder Punch. I used the same punch and punched out 2 tree trunks using Soft Suede Card Stock.

I stamped the basket from the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set using Cajun Craze Ink onto Crumb Cake Card Stock. I cut the basket out. I also stamped three candles using the same ink and card stock which I then fussy cut the actual candles but not the flames. I used these to make the top of basket.

I stamped one bird from the Sprinkles of Life Stamp Set onto Crumb Cake Card Stock using Crumb Cake Ink. I punched it out using the Tree Builder Punch.

To make the balloon, I used the 2" Circle Punch to punch out 3 circles each in Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake Card Stock. Using the same colour ink, I stamped a background design on all six circles using the honeycomb stamp from the Butterfly Basics Stamp Set. 

I then used the Crazy About You stamp set and put together three sentiments. These were: Happy Birthday, So Much Love and You Rock. I stamped each sentiment once on each coloured circle using the same coloured ink.

I scored all the circles at the halfway mark, from top to bottom making sure I had the sentiments straight. I adhered all the circles together using Tombow glue.

To put the card together, I adhered four pieces of Linen Thread to the back of the basket - one towards the each outside edge and two slightly closer together in the centre. I adhered the basket to the card base using Dimensionals.

I then worked out where I wanted the actual balloon to go and adhered the tops of the Linen Thread in the appropriate places. Then I adhered the balloon to the card base using Tombow. You will need to hold this for a few seconds until Tombow has a good grip on the balloon.

I guestimated where I needed to cut and shape the other two clouds, so I could use Dimensionals but without going inside any of the "balloon". I used Dazzling diamonds on the clouds and adhered the one with the sentiment in the top left hand corner.

 What I thought was my final touch, I added a bird to the basket.

The trees were not part of my original plan! As I was photographing my finished project, I noticed some red ink smudged on the bottom left hand side - see the last  two photographs!

My solution was to plant a couple of trees. the tops with Dimensionals and the trunks with Tombow.

If I were to make this card again, I would make the basket smaller so the Linen Thread was at a greater angle. I'd do this just by trimming the basket along the first vertical lines inside the edges, and if necessary, sponge the edges.

Well, that's my challenge card for today. The weekend starts today and I hope you all have a happy crafty one! Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Today's Video - Gift Card Holder

Hello, Crafters.

I have just posted my video showing how I made the Gift Card Holders I made for my June online customers.

This is the link: Gift Card Holder - see photograph at foot of this post.

I had my classes yesterday and as always, enjoyed a really good laugh!

The two cards we made were two of the cards I showed during my week 6 challenge - Using Embossing Folders.

The 3D project was the money bags I showed you yesterday (video will follow soon) but there was a surprise inside.


I'm going to make some of these as my Thank You gifts for my July online customers and send them with the surprise
inside.

Once they have all been sent out, I'll tell you what the surprise was!

Once my classes were finished and I had tidied up, I started to make a couple of money bags for my son LD's girlfriend who had invited us over for dinner last night.

In the bags, were some Allium and Yellow Poppy seeds from the garden.

Hubby remembered she had admired the flowers, which were really looking their best, when she visited us and he had promised he'd harvest some seeds for her when the time was right.

I also wanted to make a bottle sleeve for the bottle of wine we were taking over with us.

I had seen a tutorial and wanted to give it a go.

The photographs show our gifts.

I also gave her a Recipe Box I had made - colour co-ordinated with these two gifts.


We had a brilliant evening with great company and great food.

All in all yesterday was a really super day - thank you to everyone who contributed towards it!

Now I have to decide what I am going to do for Week 8 Challenge!

One of my friends has given me four suggestions to think about - thank you Veronica!

When I think about a challenge, if I can think of two ideas, I'll go for it.

It will mean the challenge is then for three more ideas.

If I can think of five ideas immediately, I don't go for it as I don't think it's a challenge!

At the moment I'm thinking about Veronica's first suggestion: One Die Used In Different Ways.

I have one idea at the moment, if I can come up with a second one by the end of the day, I'll go for it!

In the meantime, happy Sunday.

And until tomorrow, happy crafting!

JanB.

 



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