Saturday 7 December 2013

Candle stamping and gift box

Hello Again,  Well here we are, as promised no stitched cards this time.

I got this idea from a friend, and within a week of seeing it, Barbara Gray (Clarity Stamps) showed it on her blog and then on TV.  So I thought, I had to have ago.

You need the following items:- Candle, stamp, Versamark or Perfect Medium, embossing powder, tissue paper, waxed or grease proof paper and a heat tool.


Stamp the image onto the tissue paper, cover with the embossing powder and heat with heat tool. Cut closely around the embossed image.


Place the embossed image onto the candle with the embossed image facing out, then cover with a strip of grease proof pager holding it tight around the candle.  While holding this in place heat with the heat tool.  Take care not to over heat, it doesn't take long to melt onto the candle.


I then made this gift box to put the candle and stand into.  I will show you how I made this on another blog.



It is really good to make a cheap candle look a bit more special, and it makes it even more expensive looking with the gift box.

Hope you like this idea, let me know what you think.
Thank you for looking in. x

Monday 2 December 2013

Some more stitched Christmas cards

Here are some more stitched cards. I really enjoy stitching cards, it's something I can do while sitting with the family and it means I can still enjoy crafting without locking myself away in my craft room. 



I promise my next blog will not have any stitched cards.  Come by again very soon and see. xx

Sunday 1 December 2013

Cards - Stitched Christmas Baubles

Here are some more stitched christmas cards I have made.

The pattern is from 'Ann's Paper Art". I have stitched this pattern many times to make quite a few Christmas cards. I mounted the finished stitched pattern onto various colour card, and some onto mirror card. I then added an additional bauble or stars. I used spellbinders dies to cut the additional baubles. I then used peel offs for trims and greetings. Here are a few pictures for you to see....hope you like them. 






Thank you for looking in.....x

Friday 15 November 2013

Stitched Christmas Cards

Hello Blog Readers.

I have not blogged for a very long time, so I am sorry if you have taken the time to look in and not found my blog updated.  I promise to try and blog at least once a week but more if I can.

Today I am showing some of my Christmas cards I have been making.

I start with a pattern, in this case, it is a pattern from Ann's Paper Art, you attached the pattern to some card, with some low tack tape, and then you prick out each dot with a pricking tool.


You then choose what colour you what your finished pattern to be.  I used this multi coloured metallic thread for some of my cards.


And here are some of my finished cards




Hope you like them. I will show another pattern, I have used over the weekend.

Thank you for looking in. Enjoy your weekend.
Sally x

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Timeless Butterflies

Hello Blog Readers

Today I want to show you another framed picture I have made. The frame comes from Ikea and already has a cream mount.
The design started with some paper I had, which is in the background.  The paper comes from Craftwork Cards and the paper pack is called "Time Flies Collection" the paper is 8"x 8" but I have only used part of the design with the butterfly and the pocket watch.  All the flowers, butterflies and flourishes I have cut using Spellbinders dies, I have listed the the dies below:-

Large Butter flies - Les Papillions
Flowers - Delicate Asters
Pocket Watch - Timeless Heritage
Flourishes and the small butterflies - Jewel Flower & Flourishes

 As the butterfly on the paper was purple, I thought I would carryon with this colour.  I had some blue card and ribbon which were nearly a match so decided to add this to the purple. 
 I mixed the blue and purple to make up the flowers and added little pearls in the centre.
 If you have the "Les Papillions" Spellbinder dies you will know that you get a solid butterfly cut die and a lace butterfly cut die, I thought I would put the opposite colour lace cut butterfly onto the solid cut die, so that you would see the pattern.
 Added a few little butterflies.

The great thing about these frames, is when you decide you want a change of colour or design you can just remove the picture and make another to fit the frame.

I am hoping to sell some of these frames with different designs in aid of "Macmillan Cancer Support" over the bank holiday weekend.  My daughter owns a pub in Enfield and she is having a Music Festival from Friday 23rd to Monday 26th.  There will be lots going on, bouncy castle, rides and some stalls, all in aid of Macmillan. So if you are in the area drop by. The pub is called The Hop Poles.

Hope to do another blog before next weekend, thank you for looking in, have a good week. x

Friday 2 August 2013

The Hop Poles Pub

Hello Blog Readers

Today I am showing you a gift I made for my daughter Annamarie and her boyfriend Geoff.  They own a Pub in Enfield, they have only been there just over a year, so I thought I would make them this little gift.  I took the photos of the frame with my ipad at the pub and so I kept getting reflections from the glass. 


Annamarie and Geoff had T-shirts and Fleeces made with the pub name. I asked Annamarie to send me a copy of the image which I printed onto photo paper.  I was pleased with the print, as it looks like I have stitched it.  I then cut out an aperture in the mounting card to frame the image (I don't know the name of the die or  maker but I do know that it is not Spellbinders),  I used some fine peel offs in silver around the edge of the aperture and some black peel offs on the outer edge of the mount.
For the names I used my stamps from Clarity stamps. The set is called 'Letter Box Set'  you get Upper case and lower case as well as the box shapes to stamp your letter into, plus one solid square.  After I had stamped the names,  I used verser mark ink pad with the solid square and stamped over each square which I then covered with clear embossing power.  I heated the square from the back, so that I have a nice smooth look, and so made the the tiles glossy. I then cut out the tiles and mounted onto the card using Scrapbook Adhesive foam pads.


You may have noted I have been calling my daughter Annamarie (this is her name) but the frame has Anna.  I don't like my daughters name shortened to Anna but the customers all know her as Anna (because that is what she told them) and as the frame was to be put behind the bar I thought I should just have Anna. This is the first and last time I will make anything for her with the shortened name.

Thank you for stopping by, enjoy your weekend. x

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Picture Frames

Hello Blog readers

My daughter asked me to make some gifts for her three step Grandchildren, which would have their name on.  The two older boys love playing football and the youngest is only a baby.

The frames are from Ikea, they come with the square white mounts.  On the two football mounts, I used a football stamp from Clarity stamps, I stamped them all around the mount with black ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder, once embossed I coloured in all the footballs (thats when I wished I hadn't stamped so many balls).

I had some cardboard letters in lots of different colours.  For the 2 football frames, I coloured the letters in black and then embossed with clear embossing powder.  For the 3rd frame I left the cardboard letters in the original colours. I attached letters on some string to make the names for the football frames.


I had some football shirt toppers, (I think they were Kanban but I'm not sure, I've had them for so long),  so I attached one on each frame.

The silver cups and the animals, I bought from Sainsburys, I found them in the party section, you get 4 cups in a pack for £1.50.

My daughter seemed happy with the end results.

Thank you for looking in.

Thursday 18 July 2013

Hope and Chances Charity Event


Hope and Chances Charity Event 
Saturday 20th July - 11pm to 4pm
It is being held at 
Hope and Chances Craft Design Studio
Heritage Quarter, 78 High Street
Gravessend, Kent  DA11 0BH

Just a note to let you know about a charity event, which is being held by Christine Emberson to raise money for 'Ronald McDonald House' Camberwell. Those of you who follow Christine's blog (Hope- Chances.blogspot.com) will be aware of the difficult time Christine has had over the last few months.  Christine's younger son had an operation to remove a brain tumour and it was because of the Ronald McDonald House that Christine was able to stay near to the hospital.

There will be demos, make and take and the chance to win some fantastic raffle prizes which Christine has organised.

I will be there with my friend Janice and Sue from my craft group to demonstrate how to stitch onto card, which you will have seen here on my blog.  We will also be supplying (for a small donation) some little sample kits which includes stitching pattern, thread and card.  All monies raised will go to the charity. So please come along a support this charity event.

Look forward to seeing you there.
Sally xx





Saturday 13 July 2013

Sunny Days

 Hello Blog viewers

I thought as today is such a lovely sunny summers day, I would show you a card I stitched which I think looks like a summers day.

The pattern I found in a Hobbydols book No101, and the topper is from a Sarah Kay die cut sheet.
Once I stitched the pattern and the beads onto the card I glued the topper onto the centre.

I covered the shaped card (which I have had for years) with yellow gingham paper. I used a promarker to go around the edge of the stitched card, before I mounted the stitched card onto the card.  I added  a piece of ribbon and a sentiment at the top.

I am trying out a tip from a fellow blogger, John Lockwood  John Next Door .  Someone had asked how John photographed his cards.  His pictures always looked goo,  so I thought I would try. Hope you see a difference from my earlier blog photos.

Here are some close ups of the card.





 Hope you're enjoying the lovely weather we are having. Thank you for looking in.







Monday 8 July 2013

Butterflies and stitched flowers

Hello Blog Viewers

I love this flower pattern, no matter what colour I choose to stitch it with, it always looks pretty.  With the first card I picked purple and green, I added some spellbinders butterflies, ribbon, a sentiment. I matted it onto green card which I then put onto an 8"x 8" card.

 Here is the same pattern, which I stitched in orange and green, mounted onto green and orange card with some lace and ribbon.  This was then placed onto a A5 card.


Hope you like them, I think you may see this pattern again (in different colours) as I really like it and it is so easy to stitch.
Enjoy your day, thanks for looking in x

Sunday 7 July 2013

Competition entrance

Hello Blog visitors

I attend a club each week called 'Stitch a Greeting' and last month they set us a challenge (which they are going to do each month).  We were given a flower pattern and a die which we had to use to make a card with.

This was my entry, I stitched the flower twice onto a circle and then layered it onto a spellbinders circle scollop and then onto the die which had to be included in the pattern.  I then matted these onto my spellbinders grand circle.  
I then put this onto acetate to make it look like it was floating.
 I stitched the 4 corners and placed 4 teardrop shape gems

 I made a box which I decorated with flowers and leaves.
 The verse inside the card is from 'Clarity Stamps'
Also I didn't win (there were loads of wonderful entries), I was pleased with the finished card, so as a friend of mine had a big birthday, I decided this was the card I would send her.
Hope you like it.  Bye.

Friday 5 July 2013

Male 65th Birthday Card

 Hello blog viewers
Today I am showing you a card I made for a friend who wanted a card for their Dads 65th birthday.

The shirt was made by using a template I bought from Sharons Cards. I used some striped paper for the tie and to trim the top of the pocket.  I had some shirt buttons which I stitched with black cotton and then glued to the shirt cuffs and one just under the bottom of the tie. I had a black and silver brad so I used this on the tie so it would look like a tie pin.  I put the 65 on the pocket using peel offs.

The beer glass and bottles of beer were from a magazine 'Making Cards for men'.  

 When you open up the card you find a verse


And then you open the other side and you find........Newcastle United football club emblem, as you may guess, my friends Dad is a football fan. 



I liked making this card, as I do find it hard to make male cards.  Hope you like it.

Monday 24 June 2013

New Parents

I made this card a few months ago, using stitching, ribbon, gems and peel offs.
My friend Janice had the bib stencil for pricking and sewing. I stitched the pattern in blue and added little pearl gems. I cut the bib out and mounted it on some yellow card with some blue ribbon, and then onto some blue paper I had. I used peel off words and lettering, for the sentiment.  

Thank you for looking in x


Saturday 15 June 2013

Daughters Birthday

Hello Everyone

I have a craft evening once a week at my house with my craft friends. Last month, one of my craft friends had a special birthday and received a lovely card.  We all liked the idea of the card and the way it opened so we decided we wanted to have a go at making one.
As it is my daughters birthday on Monday, I decided I would make her birthday card in this design.

This is the front. The card stock and was from hunkydory.

The doors open to see the happy birthday message. See the ribbon tab at the top, well when you pull that towards you, you then see........................
 ....................................Lady in the arch.  The white section (which now looks like a rug), is where I wrote my personal message
 Side view

 A special card for a special daughter deserved a special box. My craft friends taught me how to make the card box, showing me how to make, any size box for any size and thickness of card.  I embossed the card, before making it into the box.
Hope you like.  Look in again soon x