Spell binders freebies don't go missing out.....

I'm not sure how many of you know I'm a retailer of craft product? And run a crafty cafe 👍🏻..... 

So I don't get enough time to play 😢 everybody say "awhhhh" .......

Finally today I got to play with a sample set of stamps, which are available to anyone who buys the Simply Cards & Papercraft magazines...

Near the back of the magazine is a page of shops and a coupon all you need do is fill in the coupon, take it to your local store in the magazine, spend £10 (now that's not a lot in a craft shop) and the store will email a copy of your coupon to the magazine company who in return will post out the stamps and embossing folder to your home. 

  

Here's my card I made today....

 

I started with a piece of card 15cm sq, I stamped the snowflake over the corners first and the filled in the edges. I used the silver metallic encore ink pad....these are my personal favourite for metallic inks. 

I mat and layered on to a mat silver card. 

 

I embossed a larger piece of white card and embossed the card with the Sue Wilson I think it's ice crystals ....🤔 

I mat and layered with mat silver and finished with white card. I originally was thinking of putting my centre as a square, so cut it down at 10.5cm sq, i firstly laid out my stamps so I could see what they might look like stamped and changed my square to on an angle.

 

 I stamped 3 corners, and the fourth I used the long slim stamp that looked like a wire for the bauble....

I used Sues new release tags as they great as they mat & layer also, I stamped one of the sentiments that are included in the set. They all stamped beautiful, to be honest I was a bit wary at first with the delicate designs....

   

Little surprises....

I've had a lovely weekend away, relaxing instead of working 😊 

My good friend Julie Clark ran my crafty Saturday with the help of my eldest daughter Robyn....as it all ran nice and smoothly I'll certainly let do it again. 

Today I had to go into work (thought normally closed on Mondays) to pack up some orders. 

The girls had cleaned up, and all was nice and tidy. Robyn had also been playing with my gilding polishes, she liked the new technique we can up with for creating a mixed background....so here's my card I completed using her background. 

 

I really love this set of dies, and you know it's one set I've not taken note of the name....oops

Here's the background and colours used in polish.

   

The sponge used is like a natural sponge, bought for all of 39p from home bargains (£1+ in other shops) and it's just been cut up into small chunks. 

Dip the sponge into your polish but don't add too much, dad your sponge around the page and mix with your chosen colours. (Can be done with paints and ink also) 

I cut out 4 borders & 4 corners with the backgrounds in white, layered them up on my card. 

 

For my center I used the matching background die, cut out the largest one, cut this in half then glued together to create something near a square 😕 

  

I layered up with a pierced square firstly in white, then changed my mind and used it in the coloured card. Added some pretty ribbon and large stamped tag...

 

 Hope you like my card, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me... 

 

Crafters are so similar.....

I've often seen horrid comments on some of the most beautiful cards, I.e you copied that off....,not your own design....etc etc

Well today and many other days, I've seen cards that are very similar to ones I've made previously. 

I don't always share all my cards made, but I do love how crafters who have the same product can see how different dies work together. 

Today's card was the one I was meant to post the other day, but I liked my poppy card more....

 

For my card I have used the coconut white and rich plum foundations card, I started by cutting out the centre striplet die 3 times, and then found the best pierced square that fit to help with my layering up. I layered my cut card onto the rich plum card. I layered onto the white card using foam tape, and mat and layered again onto the plum & white. 

 

I took my outer die from the Gillian set and cut both layers together. I then used both Gillian dies to cut out my centre with the coconut white card. 

I used the plum card I'd already cut from my background pieces and glued the Gillian die cut on flat, and fastened flat inside the centre. 

 

I used a matching coloured ribbon to counter balance the flowers on the other side, which are the new release cape Daisy's and the flourish is frondils..and stamped a best wishes. (Because I generally forget to stamp my sentiment before putting my cards together 🤔) 

This card I found on Sue Wilsons craft page on Facebook this morning....just to show all great crafters think alike ha ha ha.....

 This card was made by Sue Wilson 

Poppies of Remembrance ...

I see I forgot to post my card last night 🙄 

But I like today's card better, so thought I'd post this one today. 

My inspiration came from Johnathon Lockwood's shows last weekend using the poppy die, Johnathon he made a wreath with crepe paper, this is were my lead went.....

 

Firstly I cut out lots and lots of poppies, I used a pearl type paper apx 140-160gsm, I folded this and found I could cut 3 layers at once....speeds up the cutting out. As I cut my flowers I also cut out the centres again I've used a pearl / shimmer card. As I made up my flowers, I placed them into a wreath shape, this gave me an idea how many I needed, I did use a full A4 sheet of paper for the flowers, you may have a scrap you could cut for the centres (I did) and a slice off a piece of 12x12 cordination card for the bold scrolled vines. (I did sand these down slightly after cutting out) 

       

I cut out the 2nd largest and then the 4th die down in the piecered circles in black, and then the 3rd and 4th in white and layered these up. 

 

I cut a piece of card apx 7.25in sq,  and embossed with the ivy embossing folder, and gently coloured over the top with the new fern green gilding polish. Sorry, I'd put the card together then realised I'd not taken picture.....

I layered my embossed card onto, black then white. I placed the circle frame onto the front and placed the poppies around and different places so to add in smaller poppies. I then cut up the vines, and glued them into place. 

I finished the card by adding a cut out of the Austrailian range Melbourne, I've not stamped on to the centre as I'm not sure what I want on the front of the card.,...maybe print something off more fitting for remembrance day. 

Don't forget please share my blog and if you need any further info, do ask...

Thank you Franki x

Is it too early for Spring?

While browsing my Facebook, I seen a card I think Sue Wilson had made with her new butterfly border....it reminded me I'd not posted up my card 😳

Today's meant to a day off, but does anyone actually get a day off? 

I've done shopping, cleaned out the dog run, and cut the grass 😮 and as per usual cooked tea. 

Here is my card I'd made to post over the weekend...

 

I've used Sues, new butterfly border and in the pack you get 3 dies, the butterfly strip, and 2nd strip which is an outer layer and then a centre strip with all the little dots.

I started by cutting out my strip of butterflies in cream with the centre strip, I then created a frame using the strip. I cut the outer butterfly layer in a lovely lemon colour. I layered my front onto lemon and the cream at the back. 

 

     

I stamped out Johnathon Lockwood's Mondays Child verse on cream card, and went around the edge with the centre dotty die to create a matching frame, and layered on the lemon card. 

  

I cut the pair of bold scrolled vines, these are stunning and will work with a lot of flowers. After watching Johnathon on hochanda today, I think these will be fabulous with the poppies.....so watch this space 😉

The flowers I've used are Sues caped Daisy's, again new releases. I've shaped these by laying them on my stamp mat, and and prodding my tip of tweezers into the end pod and layered them up, the centres are pretty flat so I just used the end of my wooden poky tool to add a bit of shape up at the edges and added my pearly centres. 

Don't forget, please do ask any questions, request any pictures of anything your not sure of......I'm easily found on Facebook as Franki Clark or at Franki's Craft, Chat & Coffee page. 

Thank you for popping by.......

P.s if you like my blog, please please share 👍🏻 xx

My bonny wee card.....

As promised, my card on a Scottish theme...

I was gutted to find the Ross papercraft show at Meadowhall Edinburgh had to be cancelled.

I'd already bought lots of new craft stash I thought out craft Scottish friends would like...I.e embossed thistle & tartan card,  tartan card which is popular for Christmas too...lots of new Sue Wilson dies. 

But your all more than welcome to come visit my wee shop in Darlington for slice of yummy cake & cup of coffee while you have browse through the stock or even a bit of demonstrations on pixie powders & gilding polish....

For now, back to my card. 

 

My friend Julie was working with me yesterday, and was amazed how I worked...

I pick my card theme, browsed through my dies.....decided yes they work together and let it all fall into place as I went along. 

I started off by cutting out the Belgian collection Background die by Sue Wilson (no surprise there eh? 😜) and trimmed to the edge and layered onto my tartan card. 

I then cut out 4 of ravello striplet. 

  

I attached a strip at either side of the tartan card and then cut up 2 of my striplets so to have the centres left over and attached them in between the ends as below.....

  

I trimmed the edges of the centre pieces, and stamped a little verse from Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn wreath stamps...layered it in to my tartan card and the add a piece of the die cut on either side..

 

I layered my full card on to tartan and white card, added a couple of bows in red and a green ribbon. The little pearl gem, I found in the local £1 shop for 8or 10, they are a brad but I bent the legs and snapped them off. I finished the card with pearly gems....

Hope to visit you all in Scotland soon.....xx

Decisions decisions......

Today I made a card with my Scottish friends in mind due to the Ross Papercraft show having to be cancelled. 😪 

Only then, the new releases from Sue Wilson arrived....so I had to make a card with them too....so which should I show today? 

Such decisions are so hard to make 🤔 

As promised, it's not Christmas.....I hope you all like butterflies.

 

I've used the double pierced square frames for my mat and layering, and they fit perfectly around the butterfly frame, the centre and single butterfly are all part of the same set of dies. I've also used the flower cluster die.

My colours white, wisteria and a dark purple ribbon. I stamped with my silver encore ink, using the Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn stamps. 

The pearls I've used, are the creative expressions double row, but I've cut them down the middle to twice the amount. 

 

So tomorrow I'll post my Scottish themed card....and it's a birthday card too 

Snow globe snowman.....

Been a long weekend, firstly it was crafty Saturday in the shop so was quite busy with that, especially we also do the food, main item our super crispy jacket potatoes. 

As I was going on a road trip to Birmingham, I didn't get chance to make a card for my blog 😞, and then Sunday I spent most my day cleaning up, and moaning about the pain in my shoulders and knees, to finish the weekend I spent Monday  morning in the hospital have my left shoulder checked out....

So finally today I got to play 😀

 

For this card I've used the snowflake Gemini die, snowman for the snow globe and the snow globe all from the Sue Wilson Christmas dies for 2016. 

I've used an old folder here, but you'll see the new twirling holly in my sample pictures. 

The colour I've used is powder blue, this is gilding polish, and matching liquid pearls. 

To make the frame, I cut a piece of card apx 8" X 8", layered my Gemini die in the centre of one side as close to the edge as possible, I then cut it. I layer the die back up at the edge of the cut, and cut a 2nd, 3rd and 4th time....I then used the same side of the die and the centre strip to cut out the gold card to highlight the fancy edges. 

     

I took my finished frame and embossed the card using the new Swirling Holly embossing folder....using the cosmic shimmer glue which comes with a time brush, a bit like nail varnish I glued the gold edgings into place. 

  

I coloured just around the edge of my white card with powder blue gilding polish, and another piece of card to cut out my snowman die. 

I cut my snow globe in white, and backed behind my globe in gold. I have also used an acetate with a snowfall pattern on the very front to give the look of the snow inside. 

If the corners don't quite match up, cut out snowflakes or as I have, the Christmas rose, and cover them up. The pearls are liquid pearls, and matches the powder blue very well. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me....

Most items I've used, I will have available for sale in my shop or by post. X

Autumn rainbow....

I managed to get my card made nice and early in the day, but then the evening has just vanished....

Today's card is made using Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn stamps, it's a beautiful set of stamps with lovely litter verses on.

 

To start my card I cut out a square using the pierced square dues from Sue wilson, the gold is in the largest from set A and white is largest from set B.

I've inked the edge with vintage photo distress ink, and stamped and embossed the corners in gold. 

I'm sorry but never took note of the layered squares in the centre but if you measure the die against your card you'll be able to find the one that suits best. 

On the white i stamped and embossed with the falling leaves background stamp. Again from Johnathon Lockwood range. 

I then sprinkled the mango, peacock green and candy pink pixie powders, I only spritzed lightly to activate the powders, not to soak my card. 

   

To colour my stamped corners, I puffed a bit of powder onto my craft mat and used a water brush to colour were I wanted it. I'm not a huge colouring person but I find working with these powders helps to do more stamping as I'm not worried of the after work. 

I mat and layered my layers....

 

Stamped my chosen little verse, which suited my card perfectly and used the pierced tags, used a teal ribbon and a glass heart to finish the card completely.....I do hope you'll give the powders a try, I'm certain you'll love them just like me 😘

I've got that Autumn feeling......

So this evening I had my craft class, it'll be around 6yrs since this group started. Though only small, it's very friendly. 

After class, I got on with card for today (evening)  I've used Johnathon Lockwood's Autumn range of stamps, which I fell in love With, as soon as I'd seen them on tv. 

 

Today I've used the pixie powders again, starting to become a favourite product of mine....colours used are plum twist, lava red and rich gold. I spinkled the powder onto my card and spritzed with water, and took a 2nd piece to get a print. I've then used Johns falling leaves background stamp, with flitter flake glue and copper flakes to create my coloured background. 

 

I also used Johns Autumn wreath elements stamps, to stamp my wreath, the happy birthday and the extra leaves added as embellishments. 

  

I used black archival ink to stamp my images and cut out by hand. I used a banner from the frames and tags range, and stamped my happy birthday. 

I Matt and layered using foundation rich plum card, and finished the card off with a plum ribbon bow.