At Home With You

Hello, Crafters.

I was really pleased with the progress I made yesterday preparing the new catalogues for posting to my customers.

I'm about halfway through and now that I have a good system set up, I'll finish them off today. 

Hubby will get them posted on Friday, and I'm really hoping that will plop through everyone's letterboxes on Wednesday, 27th December, which will be the same day I post my second video showing the products I've bought from the new catalogue!

When I put all the goodies I received at OnStage, together with all the goodies I bought during the pre-order, I think I've bought nearly everything in the new catalogue! LOL!

When I decided to take time out to make a card to share with you today, I didn't feel like making another Christmas card. 

As it has been months since I've made any non-Christmas cards, I really didn't know where to start.

I challenged myself to make a non-Christmas card using a stamp set that has been primarily designed for Christmas, but could easily be used for other occasions. 

At Home With You fitted the bill brilliantly, and I thought I'd make a a New Home card, which finished up as a Christmas Card! 

Oh well never mind, it's a nice card even if it is going to be packed away until next Christmas!

I was going to stamp a piece of Whisper White Cardstock (CS) with the Hardwood Background Stamp, although I hadn't thought about which colour, to use for the door.

I changed my mind and decided to use a sheet of Wood Textures Designer Series Paper (DSP). 

I wanted a fairly darkish colour but a design that looked like a large piece of wood intead of planks, or panels! 

I stamped the door three times using Early Espresso Ink. 

I stamped once so the grain of the wood was going vertically, and then twice going horizontally. 

As the DSP is in 6" x 6" sheets, I couldn't get the complete door in horizontally, so I did one stamp from the top as far down as I could. 

Then I turned the stamp around 180°, and stamped the lower part of the door making sure I included the the two horizontal pieces at the bottom of the door.

I fussy cut the smaller piece of these two planks, as well as the two horizontal planks above and below the door window. 

Using Tombow I adhered all three pieces to the door, which I had die cut using the die from the At Home Framelits Dies. 

There's also a small die in the set that cuts out the windows, so I used that and filled the windows with some "wallpaper" from the Coffee Break DSP.

I wanted to adhere the door to the top layer of the card, which is Sahara Sand CS, using Dimensionals, but I wasn't happy that it would be a good idea given that the door was DSP!

I decided to die cut another door, but this time in Sahara Sand CS, and I used Tombow to adhere the DSP door to it.

It worked a treat!

I stamped the front door welcome mat on a piece of Sahara Sand CS and Early Espresso Ink. 

After I'd die cut it, I adhered at the base of the door using Dimensionals!

Using Basic Black Archival Ink, I stamped the holly wreath on Sahara Sand CS, and painted it using the Real Red and Wild Wasabi Marker Pens.


I used the die from the At Home Framelits Die to die cut the wreath, and then I adhered it to the door just below the window using Mini Dimensionals.


Using Early Espresso Ink, I stamped the sentiment which is from the Hang Your Stocking Stamp Set on to a piece of Sahara Sand CS.

I die cut the sentiment using a straight cut die from the Layering Ovals Framelits Dies, and adhered it to an Early Espresso scalloped oval I'd die cut with a die from the same set of Framelits.

I adhered it above the door using Dimensionals.

For the lamppost I used Chocolate Chip CS, and die it using the Christmas Lamppost Thinlits Dies. 

Using Gold Foil, I used part of the "flower pot" die to die cut the backing for just one lamp - the die cuts three! 

Using Tombow I adhered the gold "flower pot" at the back of the lamp, and then adhered the lamppost, still using Tombow, to the left-hand side of the door.

Then I used Tombow to adhere the top Sahara Sand CS layer onto a layer of Whisper White CS, and then adhered it to the Sahara Sand card base.


Inside the card I adhered a layer of Whisper White CS onto the card base, and then I adhered a layer of Sahara Sand on top.

I stamped and painted a holly wreath the same way I did the one on the front of the card.

That's it from me today! I'm offto finish getting my customers catalogues ready first, and then I going to see if I can get back into making a non-Christmas card to share with you tomorrow, so until then, happy crafting!

JanB.

One Video - Three Christmas Cards

Hello, Crafters. 

The other day I told you I had been working on a special project that I'd share with you today.

Today's video, at 1:53:00 long, is my longest video ever! 
 
There have been two or three motivators for this project, and may be a one-off!

The first reason is that I have been asked to show how I made each of these cards which I have shared with you in the last couple of weeks. 

If I'm asked, I'm always happy to make videos of the cards I share because I know I'm making videos you'd like to see! 

Christmas is looming up very quickly now, which means time for Christmas cards is running out. 

As these three cards all use the Christmas Lampposts Thinlits Dies, it felt like a sensible decision to make one video.

You may also remember that earlier this month, I launched my Class in the Mail Club, which includes three projects and PDF instruction sheets.

I had also given some thought to the possibility of supplying a video showing how to make all three projects, so today's project has given me an idea of what I'd be comitting myself to if I decided to go down that road.

As promised in the video, I put the list of Products & Measurements for all three cards in the box below the video, but YouTube wouldn't accept it all!

I had to cut it down to cards one and two only, so I have put the list for all three on the VIDEOS page above!

I hope I haven't put you off today's video because it's so long, but this is a project I felt I had to try sometime.

I'll be very interested to receiving your feedback if you feel strongly, one way or the other, about videos as long as this. 

It will be very helpful to me and very much appreciated.

That's about it from me today. I wish you a very blessed Sunday. Until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Seasonal Layers

Hello, Crafters.

As I knew hubby would be home late last night - he went to his company's Christmas dinner and dance - I worked on a project I've been toying with for quite some time!

I'll share it with you on Sunday.

Unfortunately, it was something like 11:00 pm by the time I'd finished it, and I hadn't made a card to share with you today. 
 
I decided the easy option was to CASE a card,so I went to the office to check out Pinterest, but then I had a lightbulb moment! 

I went down to the sitting room where all the Christmas cards we've received were hanging. 

We have three large stars, like amazingly strong fancy wire coat hangers, which we display our cards on. 

One of the stars is reserved for handmade cards only, and I picked the card I received from a favourite cousin of mine. 

B lives about an hour and a half drive away from me, and goes to classes run by her local Stampin' Up! demonstrator. 


Her Christmas cards always scream SU, and are the clean and simple style I love. 

This year is a prime example of this, and was very quick and easy to CASE. 

I started with a cardbase of Elegant Eggplant Cardstock (CS), with a layer of Whisper White CS and a top layer of Elegant Eggplant.

Before I adhered the top layer to the card, I gently wiped the bottom right-hand corner with my  Embossing Buddy. 

I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Hang Your Stocking Stamp Set, using Versamark. 

After I'd sprinkled it with Whisper White Embossing Powder, I heat set it using my Heat Tool. 

Then I used some Whisper White CS, and die cut the branch and three snowflakes from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies.

I adhered them to the front layer of the card using Tombow. 

Then I added the three snowflakes, and drew a dotted line connecting them to the branch using a ruler and a white gel pen!

I attached this layer to the front of my card and added a large Basic Rhinestone in the centre of each snowflake.

Inside the card I added a layer of Whisper CS and a layer of Elegant Eggplant CS. 

I heat embossed the sentiment, which is from the Holly Berry Happiness Stamp Set, using the same Whisper White Embossing Powder, and the same method as I did on the front of the card.

Beautiful cards don't get much easier than this! 

Many thanks to B for my card, and also to B's SU demonstrator!

I'm off to the hospital this afternoon to be fitted with a 24-hour heart monitor. 

It's nothing serious, I have regular check ups because I had a bad experience several years ago! 

That's about it until tomorrow. Until then, happy crafting.

JanB.

Snowy Lamppost Scene

Hello, Crafters.

The lamppost on today's card reminds of the lampposts that were on the street where my grandmother used to live! 

It's not so much the shape of the lamp, it's more about the little horizontal post just below the lamp!

When I finished my card I thought there was something missing but I couldn't decide what!  

Needless to say I realised what it was as soon as I'd fnished tidying up!

It's stars, or moon and stars!

I'll have to add them later today when I go back into my studio!

When I started my card I had a rough idea of what I wanted, and like Topsy, it just grew! 

I started with a card base of Night of Navy Cardstock (CS), with a layer of Whisper White CS, and a top layer of Night of Navy CS.

I took some pieces of Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper and cut some snow-covered hills. 

I found it diifficult to plan out how I wanted the hills to be, because as the card was laying on the desk, everything looked very plain, but when I held the card up, the change in lighting showed the hills beautifully.


I settled on the layout of the hills and adhered them in place using Tombow. 

When I'd finished the hills, I put it under the self-healing mat I work on, to put some pressure on the layers while Tombow took a grip. 

This only took a matter of minutes.

I busied myself with other jobs while I was waiting!

I die cut some trees and reindeer using the Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies. 

Using Soft Suede Ink on Soft Suded CS, I stamped a couple of reindeer before die cutting them. 

This made it easy for me to cut the excess cardstock that was between the front and back legs. 

It's such a small detail but it makes so much difference because the reindeer look so much more realistic. 

The lamp I used for this card is the third oval lamp I'd made yesterday but didn't use.

The sentiment is from the Hang Your Staockings Stamp Set, and is one of my absolute favourite sentiments this year. 

I stamped it in Night of Navy Ink on Whisper White CS and die cut it using the second oval die in the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies.

Inside the card I added a layer of Whisper White CS, and decorated it using a single tree in Wild Wasabli CS and one stamped reindeer.

I wish you a super weekend, and until tomorrow, happy crafting.

JanB.

Snowflake Spinner Card Video

Hello, Crafters.

A crafting friend asked if I could make a video showing how to make a spinner card, so the spinner part can't be seen until the card has been  opened, so it's a complete surprise!

I'm happy to accept challenges, and I have really enjoyed creating today's card.

My first card was using the snowman and the reindeer fron the Seasonal Chums Stamp Set and co-ordinating dies, but I thought the video would take too long with all the colouring! 

Even without all the colouring the video is one hour and seven minutes long, so I think there will  be a lot of fast forward buttons getting a workout today!

On the video I promised to put the details of the snowman card I showed, on my blog today (6th December 2017), so everyone can choose which card they'd like to make:-

1). Snowman: was stamped on Whisper White Cardstock (CS), using Basic Black Archival Ink and coloured using the following Marker Pens:-

a). Hat: Early Espresso, and hat band: Soft Suede
  
b). Holly: Wild Wasabi for the leaves and Real Red for the berries

c). Robin: Crumb Cake and Real Red for his breast

d). Carrot nose: Pumpkin Pie

e). Scarf and mittens: Real Red and Pool Party

f). Rabbit: Smokey Slate

g). Snow body: I painted over the white areas of the snowman's body with my Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen.

2). Reindeer: were stamped on Crumb Cake CS using Basic Black Archival Ink and coloured in using the following Marker Pens:-

Reindeer facing front:

a). Antlers, tail, hooves, body spots, and ear shadows: Crumb Cake

b). Ribbon: Pool Party

c). Bell: Wink of Stella Gold Glitter Pen

Reindeer facing back:

a). Antlers, tail, hooves, and body spots: Soft Suede 

b). Ribbon: Real Red

3). Holly inside the card: stamps were from Hang Your Stocking Stamp Set and coloured with Wild Wasabi and Real Red Ink 

4). Whisper White oval inside card: was die cut using die no. 3 of the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

5). Christmas Tree: is from the Ready for Christmas Stamp Set, and was stamped in Wild Wasabi Ink on Whisper White CS, then die cut using the Christmas Staircase Thinlits Dies.

I painted the Basic Rhinestones using the Dark Old Olive and Dark Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blend Pens. 

The gold star if from the Metallic Enamel Shapes.

6). Christmas Blessings Sentiment: is from the Christmas Pines Stamp Set and was stamped in Cherry Cobbler Ink on Whisper White Cardstock, although it looks more like Real Red! Hmmm!!

7). Card Base and DSP: the card base is Cherry Cobbler CS, with layers of Whisper White CS, and top layers of the reindeer design from the Be Merry Designer Series Paper (DSP).

If I've missed anything please let me know.

This morning I'm off to the hairdressers, but I'd rather be at home crafting.

Does anybody else feel like this? LOL! 

Until tomorrow, happy crafting!

JanB.

Darling Christmas

Hello, Crafters.

I arrived back home later than I expected yesterday, which left me a bit short on time to get a card done for today! 

I decided to use the large bell sentiment in the Darling Christmas Stamp Set because it wouldn't take long....I thought!

Unfortunately for me, I just can't make quick cards! 

Although it doesn't show up very well in the photographs, I gave my Clear Wink of Stella Glitter Pen a really good work out! 
 
It looks beautifully glittery in real life!

I started by stamping the bell image onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock (CS) using Basic Black Archival Ink. 

I used my Pear Pizzazz Marker Pen to colour the holly, the leaves, and to draw over the lines of the fir, making sure I went over the edges so the green could be seen. 

Next I used my Real Red Marker Pen to colour the berries. 

I felt it all looked rather flat, and to give it a lift, I went over all the snowflakes with my Wink of Stella. 

I liked the effect, and decided to carefully paint over the sentiment which was quite easy as it's fairly large, and also very thick in places. 

Although I took care while I was doing this, I didn't worry too much if I went over the edge. 

I was really pleased with the effect, and decided to go over the writing and the snowflakes again, which made it all look more glittery. 
 
Next I went over all the Pear Pizzazz colouring with my Wink of Stella, and then the berries. 

I was extremely cautious with the berries as Wink of Stella can make colours bleed, and I find the colour this is most likely to happen to is Real Red! 

Finally I went round the outside of the bell twice, so everything sparkled!  

I cut the bell out and left a narrow edge of white round the outside, and was then ready to start assembling my card. 

I cut some Merry Music Specialty Designer Series Paper (DSP) for the top layer, and adhered it to a layer of Whisper White CS. 

I adhered some thin red ribbon over the top of the layer, and on the front where it'd be disappearing behind the bell. 

I used Fast Fuse to anchor both ends of the ribbon, and Dimensionals to adhere the bell. I tied a small bow, and adhered it in place with a Glue Dot.

I wanted a bell to decorate the inside of my card but the only one I could find was in Seasonal Bells.

It was too big for my liking, so I went for some holly and berries from the Hang Your Stocking Stamp Set. 

I used Pear Pizzazz and Real Red Ink on a layer of Whisper White CS, which I adhered inside the card using Tombow. 

A simple but very pleasing card, methinks!

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

JanB.

Mistletoe Friends Stained Glass

Hello, Crafters.

Yesterday, when I'd finished today's card, I was really disappointed with it, but when I looked at it again this morning I decided it was no near as bad as I thought it was last night! 

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do! LOL!

With hindsight, I should have sponged the aperture to the window, and possibly all round the edge of the top layer, as I did with the sentiment.

My idea started with creating a stained glass effect which was featured in the latest Demonstrator's magazine. 

I thought black embossing powder would be too dark - and we don't sell it either! - and white would be too light! 
 
I chose to use silver, but think this was too light, too. 

I started my card by going over a piece of Vellum Cardstock with my Embossing Buddy, and chose the snowman image from the Mistletoe Friends Stamp Set.

I stamped the image using Versamark, and sprinkled with Silver Embossing Powder. 

After shaking off the excess powder, I used my Heat Tool to heat set it. 

I turned the Vellum over and started colouring it with Marker Pens: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Smokey Slate, Basic Grey, Marina Mist, Pool Party, Soft Sky, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, and a white gel pen!

I went around all the unpainted ares with Soft Sky on the uppermost of the image and white on the lowest part.

I took a Whisper White Cardstock (CS) layer, and die cut an aperture using the largest scalloped die from the Layering Oval Dies, towards the lower half on the left hand side. 

I took another piece of Whisper White CS the same size, and dry embossed it using the Softly Falling Embossing Folder. 

I made a sandwich of the image between the two Whisper White layers, and although you can't see it in the photographs, the bumps from the layer underneath the image adds some dimension. 

It was at this stage I was beginning to get worried as the card looked rather wishy-washy! 

The first addition was to replace the scalloped oval I'd cut from the aperture, rested it back where it came from, and gently stamped over with a snowflake stamp. 

The stamp was from the Tags & Trimmings Stamp Set, and I stamped using Soft Sky Ink. 

This definitely improved the overall look of the card, but I was still far from happy! 

The next step was adhering the image layer to a layer of Soft Sky CS, and I wrapped a strip of the 3/8" Soft Sky Classic Weave Ribbon round the right hand side, adhering it at the back using Fast Fuse. 
 
Then I used Tombow to attach these layers to a Whisper White card base. 

I stamped the sentiment, which is from the Hang Your Stocking Stamp Set, using Pool Party Ink on a piece of Whisper White CS. 

I punched it out using the Pretty Label Punch, and then sponged around the edge using a Dauber and Pool Party Ink. 

I adhered this in place, over the ribbon, using Dimensionals, and completed the look by adding some Rhinestones in the centre of some snowflakes.

Inside the card I added a layer of Soft Sky CS, and then a layer of Whisper White CS onto which I'd stamped some snowflakes the same as the front of the card, in the bottom right hand corner.  

Not quite the card I had in mind, but the final result, although not great, is quite pleasant..................I think!

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

JanB.